Cole was already heading back toward the bridge. “Hey, we couldn’t disappoint Cain. He had that crate added to the manifest specifically for his entertainment.”
Emmerich was on his heels. “You have a bizarre way of coping with stressful situations, Musgrave. Not that I’m complaining.”
They skipped the lift and ran up the stairs. Cole grabbed the rail and pulled himself up the steps faster. “Might as well enjoy what little time I got left.”
“Who said I’m not enjoying myself?”
“Fine! We!”
They barged into the bridge, slightly winded. Lin was sitting before the console in the co-pilot’s chair. She gazed at them both with uncertainty and annoyance at the tune blaring out of the loudspeakers. Cole offered her a casual wave before planting himself in the seat adjacent to her. He studied the viewport screen, expecting to see an army of security guards and vehicles blocking their escape. Instead there was a clear path welcoming them onward.
“Kinda quiet,” Cole said of the lack of alarm and activity. He grinned at the absurdity of his statement as Ian Gillan’s vocals shrieked. “Out there, I mean. I was pretty sure that stunt we just pulled would cause a huge ruckus.”
Galactic - Ten Book Space Opera Sci-Fi Boxset Page 97