Alexis Carew: Books 1, 2, and 3

by J. A. Sutherland

  “There’s always some want to rush when they think you’re reloading,” he said with another grin. “Might have got both.”

  There were cries and moans to either side and more shots rang out. Bullets and flechettes slammed into the crates, over and over.

  “I believe you’ve angered them, Mister Dansby.” Alexis couldn’t help but grin back. Her heart was pounding and her body felt chilled, but she was also exhilarated. Everything around her was bright and clear, the edges sharper than she thought normal.

  “Seeing a friend take a laser to the groin has that effect.” He raised an eyebrow. “Does little for the groin owner’s disposition, as well.”

  Alexis fired several shots, again not looking, just wanting to keep their attackers at bay. There was a sharp cry and the calls for help from that direction cut off.

  “Shoot a man who’s injured, Carew?” Coalson called out. “That’s the cowardly behavior I’d expect of you!”

  “Don’t bloody shoot the wounded, Carew,” Dansby said.

  “I wasn’t aiming, I’m sorry.” Alexis shrugged. She felt little compunction about it, truly. Perhaps later she might, but for now he’d been trying to kill her and might have been still firing, wounded or not.

  Dansby met her eyes and grinned. “I’d gutshot that one and his cries were putting his fellows off. They’ll rally now he’s silent.”

  Alexis found herself grinning back. Outnumbered and surrounded they might be, but she felt very much alive.

  “Nothing to say, Carew?” Coalson called. “Have I finally silenced that tongue of yours?”

  Alexis and Dansby fired over the crates again.

  “I’ve a fine serpent here to do my speaking, Coalson.” She grinned at Dansby. “He’s more than a match for a rat like you.”

  “Does your serpent know you’re Navy, Carew? Or does he wear that absurd blue of yours as well?”

  There were shots and shouts of alarm from the other side, away from Coalson.

  “That way,” Dansby said, pointing toward Coalson, “and keep firing. Now!”

  Alexis rose with him, not understanding why, but oddly trusting him. She fired rapidly and heard footsteps behind her, but Dansby never turned so she kept on until spacers from Röslein charged past, led by Mynatt. Alexis and Dansby stopped firing as their foes turned and ran. Alexis caught sight of Coalson at the rear, or rather at the front of the retreat, before he scrambled to the side and disappeared into some ship’s hull. His men were close behind him, with Mynatt and the Rösleins on their heels.

  Dansby leaned back against the corridor wall. He slid the capacitor cartridge from his pistol and inserted a fresh one, then looked over at Alexis. He pressed a hand to his side, probing, and winced. Blood soaked his jacket beneath his hand.

  “You’re hurt!” Alexis crossed the corridor and grasped his arm, seeking to pull his hand away and see the damage.

  “Grazed,” Dansby said. “Barely struck at all.” He stared down the corridor in the direction Coalson had run and shook his head in disbelief. “Who was that?”

  “Should we not be going?” Alexis asked. “Before the station patrol arrives?” In truth she was surprised they hadn’t already.

  “Patrol?” Dansby laughed. “Be lucky if the bodies don’t rot where they lie. Now tell me what this was about.”

  Alexis did so, as briefly as she thought he’d accept.

  How Coalson was from her home planet and had always hated her family. How her first ship, Merlin, had discovered he was involved in piracy, smuggling, and illegal gallenium mining. And how in the final chase she’d been in command of Merlin and given the order to fire a full broadside into Coalson’s boat as it ran for another ship and before whatever he’d dropped behind had detonated.

  “By the time we repaired Merlin and could return to search the wreckage it had dispersed far and wide, so there was little left,” she concluded. “We recovered some of the bodies, but not his, and the other ship was long gone. We simply assumed he was among the dead … a full broadside into so small a boat, and every shot struck. No one should have survived.”

  “Piracy and smuggling and a secret gallenium mine all at once? This Coalson believes in a pie for every finger, now doesn’t he?” Dansby winced. “Still how? How in bloody hell?”

  “I’m sorry, Mister Dansby. I … I’ve been certain he was dead and how he’s managed to be here …”

  “Oh, not that.” Dansby waved it away. “Baikonur is where you come to run into his sort. If there was any system where you’d find the man again it would be here. No it’s just that …” He gave a derisive laugh. “You’re a mere slip of a girl. Thirty bloody years I’ve been sailing, man and boy — piracy, smuggler, every damned dark bit of business I could find.” He shoved his pistol into its holster. “And the first damned time I’m ambushed and shot is over a man you failed to kill properly?”

  “Again, Mister Dansby, I’m sorry this happened.”

  Dansby shook his head. “If you’re inspiring this much hate so young, Carew, you might consider a change in occupation.”

  “I’ll give that due consideration.”

  She stood and looked up and down the corridor to see that it was, indeed, still clear. She wondered just how much Mynatt had heard of the last part of the confrontation and what she’d make of it.

  Dansby pushed off the wall. “Let’s be off back to the ship.” He looked down the corridor in the direction Mynatt had followed Coalson. “Anya will find us there after she’s tired of the chase.” He shook his head. “I’d have you safely aboard before you’re seen by anyone else who’d like you dead.” He winced again and glared at her. “Not that I’m entirely unable to see this Coalson fellow’s point, mind you.”

  Twenty-Seven

  “Navy? She’s bloody Navy!”

  “Damn it, Anya! Keep your voice down!” Dansby made a frantic shushing gesture and went to his cabin’s hatch to ensure it was closed.

  Alexis stepped back from the two. She and Dansby had managed to get back to Röslein before Mynatt and the others returned. Dansby insisted they both wait in his cabin, where he had a sturdy hatch and an override of the ship’s systems, until they learned just what had been overheard by the crew. When Mynatt and the rest returned, she demanded entrance and Dansby let her in after confirming it was only her outside his cabin.

  Mynatt was, to say the least, displeased with her new knowledge and Dansby’s explanation of the situation had done nothing to placate her.

  “You’re going to get us all killed, Avrel!”

  “Shh!” He spread his hands. “It’s a fair job. It’ll be all right, you’ll see. Did any of the others hear?”

  Mynatt paced rapidly back and forth, jaw clenched and breathing loudly.

  “No, I don’t think so,” she said. “I was closest and I barely heard it myself.” She put her hands to her head and pulled her hair. “Nor could I bloody believe it until I came back to the ship and found you locked in here! What were you thinking?” She held up a hand. “No! I know what you were thinking, or thinking with, rather. Your damned purse and nothing more! What if the crew had heard? What if this Coalson tells someone on the station?”

  “We’ll deal with it,” Dansby said.

  “‘We’? Word gets out you brought the New London Navy here and your ships will never dock again! Who’ll sell to us? Who’ll buy from us?”

  “Anya, please calm down, I’ll —”

  “I’m tired of your damn promises, Avrel!” Mynatt advanced on Dansby, backing him up until he was against the bulkhead. “You promised me a ship years ago and I’ve held up my end of the bargain more than once! What’ll you promise now? That your latest stupid scheme won’t get us all killed or worse?”

  Alexis frowned, wondering what the worse might include, but didn’t dare ask. Dansby looked like he was terrified of Mynatt and Alexis couldn’t blame him. She’d found herself edging toward a handy corner as well, hand on her pistol in case things turned violent.

&n
bsp; “Damn you! You can’t do this to your crews, keeping them in the dark like this! Unlike her —” Mynatt flung her arm wide to point at Alexis. “— we’re not just to follow orders! We have a say in things!”

  “Miss Mynatt,” Alexis said, trying to calm her, “if you’d listen for a moment and let us explain, please. My presence has nothing to do with your regular business and needn’t —”

  “And you!” Mynatt spun and advanced on Alexis. “I should have bloody known you were Navy, with your damned ways and all.”

  Alexis felt the bulkhead against her back and tightened her hand on her pistol, then released it and slid her hand behind her to where her flechette gun rested. If things did turn violent, then the flechette would be quieter and possibly less lethal. She wasn’t certain of what the best way to handle Mynatt was, but she knew the rest of the crew couldn’t know her true identity or the mission was doomed. She needed this ship to carry her to wherever Commodore Balestra was or there’d be an entire fleet and tens of thousands of troops waiting in vain on Alchiba.

  “This is my crew!” Mynatt yelled, a bit of spittle spraying from her mouth and landing on Alexis’ face. “You’ll not put them in this kind of danger! You’ll not get away with it!” Mynatt’s eyes narrowed and she started toward the cabin’s hatch. “The crew’ll not —”

  The high-pitched whine of the flechette gun cut her off and was quickly followed by her shrill screams of pain. Mynatt grasped her leg and fell, but it was an awkward fall because her left foot remained flat to the deck. A dozen or so thin flechettes protruded from her boot top. More had penetrated farther, going through boot, foot, and boot sole before lodging firmly in the deck. Mynatt thrashed from side to side while her foot remained firmly nailed to the deck.

  Alexis opened her palm and regarded the tiny flechette gun with raised eyebrows. She’d hoped it would have the power to penetrate Mynatt’s boot top at best.

  Small, yet mighty.

  Dansby stared at her open-mouthed. Alexis stepped forward and stood over Mynatt.

  “I’ve had quite enough of you,” Alexis said. “This irrational hatred you have of me seems to have driven you beyond all reason.”

  “Damn you!” Mynatt yelled. “I’ll tell the rest of the crew and they’ll —”

  Mynatt screamed again as flechettes penetrated her knee.

  Alexis knelt down and placed the barrel of the flechette gun against Mynatt’s midsection. While her foot and knee would likely be fine in a only few days after the flechettes were removed, having the tiny darts tear through her organs would be quite another matter.

  “You’ve discovered who I am, Miss Mynatt. Surely you understand that I have a duty to perform and will brook no opposition?” She prodded forcefully. “The Navy does have a certain veneer of civility to it, but, I assure you, underneath we are as brutal as our duty dictates, do you understand?”

  Alexis prodded again, harder.

  Mynatt looked to Dansby, wide-eyed, and opened her mouth to speak, but Alexis cut her off.

  “Not another word until I say,” she said. “Simply nod if you understand, please.”

  Mynatt nodded.

  “Excellent.” Alexis met Mynatt’s eyes and for the first time saw fear there, mixed with the hatred. And perhaps a little uncertainty, as well.

  Surely the woman had realized that the cause for her initial distrust and hatred of Alexis, the fear that Alexis would be given the ship she so desired, had been misplaced. If so, then possibly the situation could be salvaged. If not, she’d have to kill Mynatt and how would that be explained to the crew? She and Dansby could find themselves facing a mutiny, no matter if Mynatt was able to tell the crew that Alexis was a Naval officer or not. Not to mention that she had no clear idea how Dansby would react — the man’s dealings with Mynatt seemed to go hot and cold at a moment’s notice.

  Alexis rose, but kept the flechette gun trained on Mynatt’s torso.

  “You do see now, Miss Mynatt, that my presence aboard Röslein is no threat to your being given her captaincy? That was your fear at the start, yes?”

  Mynatt’s eyes narrowed and she started to nod, but Dansby spoke.

  “She’s bloody well not getting one of my ships now!”

  Alexis sighed.

  No, it wouldn’t be enough for me to have to make just one of them see sense, now would it?

  “Uncle —” She shook her head. “Mister Dansby, will you please —”

  “She tried to mutiny!” Dansby pointed at Mynatt. “I’ll see she never gets a ship from anyone!”

  Alexis sighed again.

  “Oh, do calm down Mister Dansby. This can all be settled —”

  “Nobody threatens me like that on my own bloody ship, Carew.” His hand settled on his own sidearm. “In fact I’ll —”

  Alexis stepped back from Mynatt so that she could see both of them and transferred the flechette gun to her left hand. With her right she drew the pistol from her side and pointed it at Dansby.

  “You —”

  “Both of you be still and listen to sense,” Alexis said. “I’ve met your crew, remember, Dansby. If either you or Mynatt kills the other, there’ll be more than one of the men who starts to wonder why he shouldn’t come to command himself. And if I have to worry about that with the crew, then I might as well shoot the both of you and deal with them myself.”

  She watched as Dansby’s hand relaxed and fell from his belt.

  “Now, Miss Mynatt, surely you can look on this discovery of my identity as the opportunity it is, and not a difficulty?”

  Mynatt’s eyes narrowed and Alexis could see that she was thinking now, instead of simply reacting to the news.

  Finally Mynatt chuckled. “Wish you’d thought to say all that before you shot me.”

  Alexis flushed. “You gave me little chance to get a word in.”

  Mynatt tried to sit up, winced and lay back down again, settling for propping herself up on her elbows. “Fair enough.”

  “What are you two on about?” Dansby asked.

  “Oh, do shut up, Dansby,” Alexis said. “You had your hand in driving her to this as well.”

  “What? I —”

  “Will you tell me you didn’t hold that captaincy over her head from the time we came aboard? That it had nothing at all to do with her coming to your bed?”

  “Well —”

  “Nor that it was the first time?” Alexis demanded.

  Dansby shut his mouth and cleared his throat.

  “Very well, then. As to what we’re about and my being a Naval officer … Miss Mynatt, you must know after all your time in his employ that Dansby is not a complete idiot?”

  “What?”

  “Not so far as business goes, no,” Mynatt agreed, eyes narrowed more. “There must be enough profit in this for him to be taking the risk.”

  “Exactly,” Alexis said. “He wouldn’t be going along himself if the risk were so great, either. So you simply carry out this voyage and when we’re done, Mister Dansby will return to managing his business and you will have the captaincy of Röslein.” She motioned for Dansby to be quiet. “Which is what everyone wanted to begin with, yes?”

  “I suppose,” Dansby muttered finally.

  “No,” Mynatt said.

  Dansby and Alexis stared at her.

  “As you pointed out, the crew will grow restless and curious if you kill me.” She shifted and winced. “Besides, you shot me.”

  “What more could you want?”

  “A thousand pounds to start.” Mynatt’s eyes narrowed. “You’re right that he wouldn’t come himself if the risk were so great, but he wouldn’t either if the pay weren’t great enough. There’s more coin in this than he’s let on and I want a piece.”

  “Never!” Dansby yelled.

  “Be quiet, Mister Dansby,” Alexis said. “I’m negotiating. What else?”

  “A five year contract as Röslein’s captain,” Mynatt said. “I’ll not be dismissed in a week’s time at his whim. And
half the owner’s share of profits for those years.”

  “What?”

  “I was shot!” Mynatt yelled back. “And I … with you … and I’m not bloody sure which was worse!”

  Dansby’s face went red.

  “All things have a price, Mister Dansby,” Alexis said. “A contract so you can’t be dismissed out of hand is fair and a thousand pounds —” She ignored Dansby’s sputtering. “— but half the owner’s share for a year only.”

  “Four.”

  “Half for two and half of whatever more than the ship’s current average you bring in for three.”

  “Your word on it?”

  “It’s Mister Dansby’s ship,” Alexis reminded her. “I’ll be going back to the Navy when this is done.”

  Mynatt nodded. “I’ve dealt with your type of Navy before. You’ve your honor shoved so far up your arse I can see it in your eyes. I shouldn’t think Dansby would very much enjoy being the one to break your word.”

  “Mister Dansby?” Alexis asked.

  “Oh, I’ve a say now, do I? Fancy that.”

  “You can agree or we can settle things some other way,” Alexis said. “I suppose I could just shoot whichever of you I’m most irritated with at the moment.”

  “Should’ve never bought you those guns,” Dansby muttered. “Oh, very well. I’ll have the contract drawn up as soon as we return to New London space.”

  Alexis shared a look with Mynatt. “You’ll have the contract drawn up and under seal in the ship’s systems before the end of the watch.”

  Dansby shrugged. “Very well.”

  Alexis lowered her guns, wary, but Mynatt seemed to be satisfied and Dansby, for all his griping, seemed to have calmed down and seen the sense of it.

  “Now we simply need to get Miss Mynatt some medical care … and explain to the crew why she needs it.”

  “Fell?”

  Bowhay was watching two spacers help Mynatt to her feet and through the hatch to have her wounds tended.

  “Yes.” Alexis looked up as Mynatt turned at the hatchway. Despite her wounds, Alexis couldn’t help but think the grimace on her face was more suppressed laughter than pain. She glanced over at Dansby who was making no effort at all to hide his own amusement. The two seemed quite willing to put aside any lingering animosity once it was time to come up with a story for Mynatt’s foot being nailed to the floor.