“Let’s just hope you don’t have to use it.” Iggy sighed.
“You might just be a decent tinker after all,” she teased. “Thanks, Iggy.”
“Looks like you’ve got it covered.” He patted her shoulder and left her to work.
It took seconds to put everything back together, before she welded it all in place. Ringing filled the common chamber, followed by static. They were there, in the chute room.
“Hello? Captain Drian Cooper. My ship’s had engine troubles.” Drian’s voice. “We were hoping to find some fuses and a reboot mechanism. We have money.”
She heard Walt take a deep breath, heard him walk across the common room.
She finished assembling the detonator, replaced the coil casing and screwed the booster plating on tight. She tucked the small remote into her belt, then lifted the booster. It was heavy, and she struggled to get a firm hold on its slick surface. She leaned back, holding it to her side and wrapping her arms around its girth. She moved as quickly as she could toward her room.
“We’ve a stocked shop, but limited rations. You can find your parts and be on your way.” Walt sounded civil, if not welcoming.
“Sounds fair to me,” Drian answered.
Riley staggered under the booster as she pushed into her room. She rested against the wall, noting the rumpled bed.
Was it only this morning she’d woken, warm and happy, against his side?
Knowing Leo was safe, that this would all be over soon, gave her the surge of strength she needed. She lugged the booster across the room, then set it on the floor next to her cot. She knelt, sliding the medicine box aside and slipping the booster in beside it.
She sat back on her knees, hoping they’d take the bait.
The telltale vibration of the chute made the floor shimmy. She stood and hurried back out into the common room.
Riley looked around the room. The Galileans seemed calm, eating and drinking as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. She knew in an instant this wouldn’t have been the first time they’d had to deal with Raiders. It was part of station life, especially stations on the outer rim.
She swallowed. She had to hold it together. She couldn’t think about Leo outside. She wouldn’t put him, or any of these people, in danger.
The door, the one Peach and Jynx had taken all the children through, was safely hidden behind one of the thick wall hangings that covered most of the station walls. It made sense to her then. They were pretty, they helped keep the station warm and they offered a very effective cloaking device when things needed hiding.
A hush fell on the room for the briefest of moments. Four men, all as big as Leo, stood just inside the common room. She cast a quick glance their way.
Four pairs of hard eyes swept the room, making note of the surroundings.
She shifted on her seat, safely watching them without drawing too much attention to herself.
Walt followed, smiling as he said, “We have food, if you’re hungry?”
The blond giant, Riley pegged him as Drian immediately, shook his head. “No thanks.” He angled his head sharply. “We just need those fuses.”
Iggy entered the room, carrying a box. “And a reboot mechanism.” He set the box on the table, his face hard.
“Thanks.” Drian looked into the box. “We’re also looking for someone.”
Riley took a sip of the tea Marguerite put in front of her.
“Oh?” Walt asked. “We don’t have too many visitors, none that stay all that long. The cold I guess.”
Drian laughed. “That’d do it.”
Iggy scratched his head. “Most recent guest got eaten.”
Drian’s eyes went round. “Eaten? That doesn’t sound hospitable.”
Marguerite giggled nervously. “We didn’t eat him, Captain...”
“’Course not.” Drian smiled.
“Poor Leo,” she continued. “He was such a sweet man.”
One of the men with Drian snorted.
“What happened to him?” Drian asked.
“Cryptids.” Iggy pushed the box across the table. “Shields went down.”
Drian looked around the room, his gaze stopping now and then. Riley felt his eyes on her, but didn’t look at him.
“Well, Leo had something of mine, something I need.” He smiled at Marguerite, his tone sincere. “Don’t suppose he left anything behind?”
Iggy crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to give. Riley had to admit he was good. Her hands were shaking around her mug.
Walt pretended to be thoughtful, furrowing his brow and regarding Marguerite with questioning eyes.
“I’m not certain, Walt.” She shrugged.
“Follow me,” Walt offered. “You’re free to check.”
Riley put her mug on the bar and sat on her hands. She could barely contain her trembling. It was almost done now. They’d find the medicine...and her booster. And they’d take it and go.
They were gone for several minutes, minutes that had her stomach churning.
When they came back, one man carried the medicine box, another held the booster. She let out a slow sigh, relaxing just the slightest bit.
Until Drian looked at her. “You his woman?”
She blinked, not sure what to say.
Drian reached out, stroking her hair. “Your hair was on that pillow.”
She took a deep breath, hoping her voice wouldn’t betray her. “I slept with him. But I’m nobody’s woman.”
Drian laughed. “So you weren’t too upset when he was eaten?”
She couldn’t hide the tightening of her jaw. “I was, actually. He was good with a gun. Skills like that are useful on a station.”
He nodded. “And what do you do here?”
“You’ve got what you were looking for,” Iggy interrupted.
Drian sat beside Riley. “You’re the prettiest tugger I ever saw, but a tugger to be sure. So why are you on this station?”
She swallowed, taking care to choose her words. “Lost my ship to raiders. Leo found me on the ice and brought me here. They lost their electrical tech, so I’m earning my keep fixing things up a bit.” It was all true.
One of the men leaned forward and whispered something in Drian’s ear. Drian glanced at his wrist panel and nodded.
“You’re an electrical tech?”
She shrugged. “I can do a little.”
His eyes bore into hers. He had a slight twitch to his eyebrow, she noted. His eyes narrowed. “I need an...” he paused just long enough to make her uncomfortable, “...electrical tech. You come with us, and we’ll find you plenty of things to do.”
She swallowed, her mind turning over possibilities. “Can’t. I go with you, my boss will turn me in.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Turn you in?”
She tried to sound convincing. “On probation. I can only go where he tells me to. He told me stay put...”
Drian took her arm, pulling her up. “We’ll worry over him later.
She pulled her arm from his hold. “I’ll pass.”
“I don’t think so.” He smiled, cupping her cheek roughly.
There was a shift in the room, she felt it. Drian and his men stiffened, their hands falling to their waist to hover.
She knew what that meant, she knew what they could do. Her gaze swept the room.
Iggy’s hands rested on the pistol handles at his waist.
Marguerite was frightened, nervously glancing back and forth between Walt and the raiders.
Walt was at a loss, his face red and his hands fisted.
If she went, there was no harm done.
If she fought them, these people would suffer for it.
She sighed. “Let’s go.”
He smiled, pattin
g her cheek. “Good. What’s your name?”
She shot him a look, already moving to the chute rooms. “Riley.”
She couldn’t risk a look at the remote, but she knew time was running out. If she could manage it, she’d get away from them and let the booster detonate on schedule. If not, she still had the remote to deactivate the charge.
“Riley.” Marguerite’s voice was trembling.
Riley turned, smiling. “Thank you, Marguerite. I appreciate the hospitality. Guess I get to head home sooner than I thought.” She nodded at Iggy and Walt before heading to the chutes.
Two of the men were already down when she started pulling on her cold gear. She yanked on her parka and insulated pants with angry motions. Once her mask was in place, she wrapped her muffler around her neck.
She slipped her feet into her boots and bent to lace them tightly.
“Ready?” Drian asked, watching the last of his men take the chute.
She nodded, stepping forward. Something cracked, crunching beneath her foot. She glanced at Drian, but he was too busy setting his link-up to notice. She looked down, her heart in her throat. The remote... It must have fallen from her belt when she pulled on her cold gear.
It was blinking, the small LED screen glowing faintly. But the face was broken and the battery lay beside the remote case, the weld soldering it in place broken. It wouldn’t work, not without a repair. And she had no way to repair it...
“Here.” He pushed back her hat, placed a link-up in her ear and tugged her hat back into place. “Come on.” Drian grabbed her arm, shoving her into the chute.
Her stomach was firmly lodged in her throat when she reached the bottom of the chute. She had to get the booster to the ship and away from the station. No matter what happened, that booster couldn’t explode on Galileo.
Drian made it next, pulling open the door and venturing out on the snow.
That was when she saw it. The shields were down.
“You deactivated the shields?” They would have had to, she knew. But she’d assumed they’d used a temporary flash, something that would short the shield long enough to enter and leave.
Instead, they’d deactivated it. No energy hummed, no vibration radiated.
Like ringing a dinner bell for the sons of bitches. Rex’s words filled her ears.
Drian looked at her. “Problem?”
It was too white. Her eyes squinted against the glare, blurring the snow with the skyline. She didn’t know how much time they had before the cryptids reached them. She only knew they would reach them.
She shook her head. “It’s cold.”
He laughed. “Get a move on.”
They spread out, the two carrying the booster and medicine box leading them. While Drian and the other man appeared at ease, both carried massive ion pistols. She felt some relief, knowing they might make it to the ship—blowing up sounded less painful that being eaten.
The glow of light from Drian’s ship was the only visible color, turning the surrounding snow a dark blue.
They moved quickly, and she grew winded.
“Come on, Tiny,” one of the men yelled at her.
She sprinted to catch up, casting a glance at the station. She didn’t say good-bye to Leo. She would have liked to say good-bye properly. She bit back tears.
“What was that?”
“What?” Drian asked.
There was silence as the five of them drew still.
She heard the sound, a strange backdraft. Or heavy breathing.
“Keep moving,” she urged. “You don’t want to be out here when those things get here.”
One of them laughed. “Scared, Tiny?”
She heard it. It was coming closer, rapidly. “I’m scared. You should be too.”
They must have heard it then as all four of them swung in the same direction.
“Keno, Sami, get the cargo on board. We’ll provide cover.” Drian spoke with such confidence that she almost laughed.
The two men set off, carrying the medicine box and her rigged booster with ease. “What do I do?”
Drian looked at her. “You shoot?”
“Not really.”
“Then go on with them.” He pulled the other pistol from his belt as he spoke.
She glanced back at the station again.
They were there. She could see them. Three of them, coming right at them... She started to run.
She could see the men in front of her. They kept an even pace, their long legs covering the snow. She took deep breaths, embracing the shot of adrenaline that helped her keep moving forward.
It happened suddenly. The medicine box flew through the air, landing with a thud and the shattering of glass. The man was tossed into the air. His cry gurgled, cut short by jaws that caught him and shook him lifeless.
The other man, the one carrying the booster, froze.
“Keep going,” she said harshly. “Don’t stop.”
The man set off, “Shit! Shit, shit...”
The cryptid ate, ripping his meal apart. She skirted it as best she could, running past the carnage that stained the pure white snow.
She heard a cry from behind her, but knew better than to look back. It wasn’t as quick as the first, the screaming went on and on. The link-up forced every sound into her ear, into her head.
She felt light-headed.
“Come on,” she heard Drian’s voice. “Try me.”
The ship was right there, in front of her. She was almost there. Her legs were knocked out from under her, and she fell on her stomach in the packed snow. The breath was knocked from her, the snow blinding her momentarily.
“That’s it...” Drian’s chuckle filled her ear, followed by a series of plasma blasts.
“Stay down, Riley.” It was Leo’s. “Wait.”
Leo was on top of her. Leo was with her. And even though she hated that he was here instead of at the station, she’d never heard a sweeter sound.
The ground shook and engines pulsed. She glanced up to see the lights on Drian’s ship click off. “He’s leaving without Drian?” she whispered.
“There’s not going to be much left of Drian in a minute.” Leo’s voice was hard.
The roar of the engine filled the air, blinding them while it bathed them in its yellow-white flame and melting the snow.
“Keno!” Drian yelled. “You son of a bitch! Keno!” Riley heard the desperation in his voice. Like Leo, Drian knew that he didn’t stand a chance.
She closed her eyes, wishing she could roll over and hold onto Leo.
The air around them was displaced, the roiling heat of the after engines lifting them off the snow and launching them back several hundred feet. But Leo didn’t let her go.
They landed hard.
Riley’s link-up was knocked from her ear. She was thankful when Drian started yelling. Even without the earpiece, she could hear him being eaten alive.
Leo pulled her up. “Come on. While they’re distracted.”
He grabbed her hand, pulling her along. When she would have fallen, he threw her over his shoulder and ran on. She bounced along, her eyes drawn to the gruesome scene on the snow behind them.
“Run faster, Leo,” she pleaded when a cryptid looked up. Its four eyes blinked at her before it bent its head and returned to eating.
Rex and Iggy were waiting outside the chute tower, plasma rifles pumped and ready.
“Wait.” She pushed against Leo when he would have taken her inside. “I have to turn the shield back on.”
“How?” Leo asked her.
“They shorted it out. There’s a manual crank on the side. A few turns and it’s done.” She tried to wriggle free, but his arms were like a vise.
He sighed, setting her on the snow and h
olding her arm as they made their way to the breaker box. She found the crank, grasped the handle and pushed with all of her might.
“It’s too heavy,” she yelled over the roar of the wind.
Leo let go of her arm and handed her the rifle. “I’ll do it.”
She gripped the rifle with her small hands while Leo began to spin the crank easily.
Rex and Iggy stood watch, focused on the cryptids licking the snow clean.
“Done?” Leo stood back, letting her check the panel.
She nodded. “Are they inside the perimeter?”
“Iggy! Rex!” His voice boomed. “Back it up!”
Iggy and Rex edged backward until Iggy waved. She pressed the button.
The sky lit up, a rolling cloud of brilliant yellow and orange and red mushroomed, then rolled across the sky. An ear-rending pulse, almost inaudible, grew louder with each ripple of color in the sky.
She grabbed her head to cover her ears. Pain and pressure forced her to her knees, but it didn’t stop. The pressure built, the pain sharpened, she happily welcomed the dark.
* * *
“Wake-up, sleepyhead.” Leo’s voice was gentle. His hand took hers, squeezing ever so softly.
She opened her eyes. She was on her cot.
Leo smiled at her. “Remind me never to underestimate you, okay?”
“What happened?”
“Your booster.” His hand traced her cheek. “Iggy told me what you were planning.”
“Oh.”
His smiled disappeared, replaced by an angry scowl. She’d never seen that expression on his face. She giggled.
“Don’t laugh.” His hand tightened on hers. “What were you going to do if you’d all managed to get on Drian’s ship, Riley? What were you thinking?”
“I had a remote,” she explained. “I would have disconnected it. I’m not looking to blow myself up, Leo.”
He nodded, holding the broken pieces of her remote in his hands. “This remote?”
She sat up, taking the pieces from him and throwing them across the floor. “It fell out when I was putting on my cold gear.”
“But you went with them anyway.” He was turning an alarming shade of red.
“Yes.”
“You went with them,” he repeated. “And the bomb you made.”
A Galactic Holiday Page 19