Heart of the Colossus: A Steampunk Space Opera Adventure (A Holly Drake Job Book 3)

by Nicole Grotepas

  “It’s not bothering me. Just strange. A change.”

  She sipped the wine as Shiro sat down on the sofa a few feet away from her. The wine spread through her limbs, making her weak. It had been a few hours since she’d eaten. Shiro began speaking. She tried to stay awake, to listen to him, to converse, but she felt herself drifting off. There was nothing she could do to fight it.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  HOLLY woke when the light of dawn pierced through the shades covering the windows. She was on the sofa, her glass of wine still on the end-table, and someone had covered her with a throw blanket.

  When she sat up and moved around, she remembered that Shiro had been there. And he’d been calling her by her first name, rather than his standard formal address. She wasn’t sure which she liked best, but there was something intimate about his use of her first name.

  She glanced at the clock. She needed to be at the Molten Taco to meet Meg and Gabe for a quick brunch.

  Soon, she was ready and heading out the door, feeling better, though still tired. The idea was to keep moving so that she could avoid thinking about the weird events of the middle of the night. It all felt like a dream as she went through the city on the way to meet her sister. There was still a feeling of being violated by the Constellation guard, though she’d managed to stop him. That sensation of powerlessness haunted her at times, to know that someone could control her body physically, with their body. At least she was clever and never gave up. There was that. She stood taller in the Spireway gondola as she thought about how hard she would fight to defend herself. She’d never give up again.

  She’d been reborn. She’d laid down and lost herself in her marriage to Graf. But those days were gone.

  Meg and Gabe were waiting for her outside the Molten Taco.

  “Where’s Lucy?” Holly asked as she approached her sister and Gabe.

  “School, where do you think?” Meg asked, giving Holly a quick embrace.

  Gabe laughed. “Someone doesn’t have kids.”

  “I wonder who,” Holly joked back. “I forget important details like that. And I was a teacher. You’d think I’d never forget when school was in session.”

  They went inside and ordered the standard Molten Taco breakfast—a large family style skillet of eggs, bacon, potatoes, ahiocot from Yaso, and cheese. There were small warm tortillas to wrap the ingredients in and to drink there were mimosas and Frozen Pearls.

  “What happened with the mole, Gabe?” Holly asked. Meg, Lucy, and Gabe had been staying in a hotel since Iain had caught their tail that morning in Analogue Alley. Though Holly had warned him, Odeon simply ignored it. He claimed that the mole had never seen him and so he had nothing to worry about.

  “He’s been in a holding cell for a few days. Sweating him out. A few people that I’d suspected were part of it gave me shifty looks when I took him in. Meg has to lose her tail every time she goes home, so do I.” He shrugged and piled sauce onto the taco he was making.

  “Mom isn’t happy about this. Just when she arrives back on Kota, she’s ripped from the comforts of her own home. Her words.”

  “She’s already calling your condo her home. At least she still adapts quickly.” Holly observed she finished her taco and picked up a tortilla to make another.

  “You going to tell us what happened to your face, kiddo?” Gabe asked.

  Holly flinched. She’d forgotten it was there. “Got hit.”

  “That’s it?” Meg asked, dropping her taco to the plate in an exaggerated gesture. “Someone hit you.”

  “Spill, Holly,” Gabe prompted.

  “That’s it. I’m not talking more about it. But rest assured the bastard got what he deserved back.”

  “So it was a guy?” Meg asked, her nostrils flaring, her eyes flashing between Gabe and Holly. Holly would have sworn she could see Meg’s hackles rising. She appeared to get larger in the neck. It was a trick of Holly’s mind, she knew. It was still daunting. “Who?”

  “I’m glad you guys are figuring out the mole shit. Any idea how soon this stuff will be all sorted out? When will you be able to go back to your condo?” Holly asked, trying to divert their attention.

  “Holly,” Gabe began, finishing his taco. His fingers were covered in sauce. He wiped them with a napkin and swallowed. “Is someone harassing you?”

  “No. It’s part of the job. I’ll never see the bastard again. Let’s move on. I wanted to know what was happening with you guys. So let’s forget about my face and talk about something important: both of you. I have to leave soon for a meeting. The crew is meeting Iain.”

  “So Iain is working with you?” Meg asked.

  “Gabe didn’t tell you?”

  “No, he didn’t.” Meg glanced at Gabe, then began making another taco.

  “Not a big deal. I didn’t know it mattered to you. Sorry,” Gabe said.

  ***

  Holly finished her breakfast and left Meg and Gabe early to make it back to the Bird’s Nest before Iain arrived. She wanted to introduce him and she knew that, given his military history, he wouldn’t respect a leader who couldn’t be punctual.

  She rushed through the front doors of the Surge Club, waved at Torden and took the stairs two at a time to get into the Bird’s Nest. If Iain were early, he might be there already. She skidded to a stop in front of the coffee table and looked around. Charly was at her desk, flipping through ledger files on her vscreen. Darius was at his bay of computers. He spun in his chair and looked at her. No sign of Iain. She breathed a sigh of relief and then paced to catch her breath.

  “You look rested, Drake.”

  “So do you. That nap while we were in the Megaron must have done it,” Holly said, grinning at him.

  He stammered a series of unintelligible syllables at her.

  “Are you joking? Aw, Darius. D-man. Is that what you did?” Charly asked, looking up.

  “How’d you know?” he finally managed.

  “You were the only one not falling asleep on your feet last night when we got back.”

  “Won’t happen again, Drake. I’m so sorry. Just please,” he said, making praying hands at her, “please do not tell the others. They’d destroy me. I’d never live it down.”

  “Fine. Don’t worry about it. I won’t tell the others, just don’t do it again. We count on you,” she said. If he’d stayed awake, perhaps she wouldn’t have had to deal with that guard. But she wasn’t going to put more guilt onto him. He knew he’d fucked up and he was sorry. That was good enough for the moment. She was disappointed. But people made mistakes.

  Holly turned and went to the window overlooking the floor to wait and watch for Iain so that she could hurry down and meet him when he arrived.

  She didn’t have to wait long. He strode in looking purposeful and waited at the bar for Torden to notice him. Holly rushed down the stairs and hurried to greet him.

  “Iain, hey.” She paused beside him at the bar. “This is Torden. He’ll get you a drink if you want one. What would you like?”

  Iain nodded at Torden, then turned to Holly. “I’ll have something after I meet your team. I’ve assembled a crew, but they won’t be here tonight. I can introduce them to your team, however. I have images of them and a small presentation prepared. Do you have a way for me to show it to your team?”

  God he was prepared. “Definitely. If you want to tell Torden what you’d drink later, he’ll have it sent up when you’re ready.”

  “Whisky,” he said to Torden. “On the rocks. I have to keep my wits about me.”

  “Thanks Torden,” Holly said, nodding at the Druiviin. “Come on, this way.” She led Iain up the stairs next to the edge of the bar.

  “When Shiro and Odeon show up, you can start. For now, this is Darius Jackson and Charly Stout. Guys, meet Iain Grant.” They told him hello and shook his hand in a formal greeting, then went back to their desks.

  Darius helped Iain set up his presentation on the v-screen. As they worked on it, Shiro came sauntering in, sw
irling his cane, looking please as a cat with a mouth between its teeth. Holly hadn’t seen him since the night before.

  “Ms. Drake,” he greeted her. He’d gone back to his formal greeting, she noted, nodding a hello to him.

  “This is Iain Grant. Grant, Shiro Oahu.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Grant. I look forward to working with you.”

  “Ah, and this is Odeon Starlight,” Holly said, as Odeon strolled in carrying his icreash, his stringed instrument of preference.

  “Sorry, Holly. I just came from a midday performance. Happy to have you on the team, Iain.”

  “Thank you. Is this it? Can we begin, Holly?” Iain asked, an image appearing not he vscreen.

  “Go for it,” she said.

  Iain launched into a rundown of the crew members that would accompany him and manage the tanker. He told them the reason for introducing them in the first place this way was so that Holly’s crew would be able to trust them once they were manning the ship. It wasn’t necessary for the team to remember their names, though if they did, it could make everyone feel more cohesive and safe. If nothing else, just remember their titles.

  “Now then, shall we discuss when the ship is set to launch?” Iain asked.

  Darius looked at Holly. She shrugged. “We were thinking in a week, maybe.”

  Iain bowed his head and touched his lips with his steepled fingertips. He looked up at her, dropping his hands to his side. “Holly. I thought part of the reason you wanted me was because I could get the ship away from the base before stasis happens.”

  “Stasis?” Holly repeated.

  “The base goes into voluntary no fly for a month in five days. During that time all the tankers are taken into the launch bay of the base to be serviced.”

  “So.” She said blinking. “This means we have to leave soon. We have to do it soon. We can’t wait.”

  “Yes, that’s what it would mean.”

  “We didn’t know that. I didn’t know it.”

  “We were going to use a tanker that had just dropped it hydrantium cargo at Po.” Darius explained.

  “That won’t work. Too far out,” Iain said.

  “So we have to adapt. Shit,” Holly said.

  “Take one from the base. Trip flies us in.” Odeon strummed his icreash once.

  “It’ll be heavy.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Not if you want to do this now,” Iain said. “And you’ll need to leave in two days.”

  Shiro laughed. “Everything just became incredibly urgent, chaps. Not to worry. The plan will work. We’ve got everything figured out. One variable changed. No problem. Iain can handle it. He was our lynchpin.”

  “I supposed that’s right,” Iain said.

  “We leave in two days. Noon. Trip will have her cruiser again. And I need to get the teachers here. Iain, you ready your crew. I’ll ready mine. We’ll leave Kota in two days. Can you handle that?”

  “Not a problem,” he said. “Now then, how about that drink?”

  TWENTY-SIX

  THERE was no longer time for slow introductions and a casual period to break everyone in. Elan had been in the city for a night by the time Holly was able to see him again. The reunion wasn’t sweet—in fact, when she saw him again, it was when the crew officially met the entire team again out at the shipyard where Trip’s ship was being rolled out of the maintenance hangar onto the launch staging area.

  “Is this everyone?” Darius asked, looking at the huddle of people. “It’s a lot to fit onto the Olavia Apollo.”

  “What should I do? Book another ship really quick?” Holly asked. “This isn’t ideal. I know. Nothing we do ever manages to be ideal. It’s always on the brink of disaster. But it’s the best I can do. We can do.”

  Trip strode up and interrupted Holly’s hushed conversation with Darius. “Holly Drake, this is more than I normally like to accommodate. Can you leave someone behind?”

  Holly looked over the group. There was Iain, with his crew of six. Holly’s crew of three sans Darius—who would be staying behind—plus the explosives expert that Odeon and Shiro had finally settled on, Petra Bast, a human female who was currently playing with a lighter as she stood apart from any of the other groups. Iain kept eyeing her like he didn’t approve of her toy. And then Elan, Estelle, and Valentine.

  “Not anyone that I know of. We need them all. I can’t determine which of Iain’s crew could be left behind. Unless you want to leave your ship in the base and man some aspect of the tanker flight?” Holly asked, giving Trip a hopeful look.

  “No, that won’t work. I’m not leaving her behind for that long.”

  “Can you manage all of us?”

  Trip did the Centau equivalent of a human sigh by flicking her head to the side. “Sounds like I will have to. Load them up, Holly Drake. Only essential crew members on the bridge with me, ever. That means you, Odeon, Shiro, Charly, or Darius. And Iain Grant can be there as well, since he’s been a commander.”

  Holly turned to Odeon who stood next to her, his Ousaba gripped before him like some kind of fabled broadsword out of a story, held point down with both hands. “Let them know they can board, please.”

  Odeon nodded and walked over to the various groups, gesturing to Trip’s ship, and saying something out of earshot in the loud tarmac area.

  Holly exchanged a look with Elan and then went to his side. “I’ve been neglecting you to manage this stuff, but that isn’t what I wanted. I thought you would meet the crew and then in a few days we’d leave.”

  “I am at peace, Holly. I don’t mind seeing you lead your crew in this way.”

  She flashed him a grateful smile, then turned to Val and Estie. “You guys ready for this adventure?”

  “I’ve never been more excited in my life. For anything. Ever. I think, ok, no, I think my heart might explode, Holly,” Val said, patting herself on the chest above her heart.

  Holly grinned at Val, appreciating the teacher’s excitement. “OK, look, this whole thing is more rushed than I want it to be because plans had to change last minute. Once everyone is on the ship, I’ll come see you in the quarters where you’ll be staying, and introduce you to my crew. For now, let’s go aboard and I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

  They followed her up the gangplank and into the ship. The hatches were open in the corridors that led into the quarters and small mess area with three tables built into the wall. There were four different areas with bunks. Holly led the teachers into the one furthest from the bridge. Inside the sleeping area, there were six bunks built into the walls with privacy curtains, and one small water closet area, plus drawers for personal belongings beneath the beds.

  “Here it is. Nothing special. No frills. Trip uses her ship for small transport stuff, just like what we’re doing. It used to be a military ship,” Holly told them. Over her comm she could hear her crew talking about how everyone was on board. Trip mentioned that she was powering up the ship. If anyone was going to back out, they were about to lose their chance to disembark.

  “What’s happening?” Val asked as a tremor went through the ship.

  “It’s just the gangplank retracting. We’re about to take off. You guys good? You’re not going to back out yet?” She almost added that the children needed them, but changed her mind.

  “No way am I leaving. No, not even a chance. I’m in it. One hundred percent. Those kids need me,” Val said.

  Elan shook his head and lowered his chin, looking up at her through his eyelashes. “Sorry Holly. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

  “Same here,” Estie said, giving Holly a wink, as though she understood what Elan was implying.

  “Thank Ixion. I need you guys. Without you the children would quickly become a mess.” She told them to settle in and make themselves comfortable. They’d be taking off soon. “Oh, and don’t forget, you need to strap into the launch seats.” She patted one of them where it was folded up into the wall. Then she left.

  Odeon and Shi
ro had helped the other passengers aboard, so Holly didn’t need to check on them just yet. She went to her own quarters and stowed her bag in a drawer, also leaving the Equalizer in the drawer. There would be no reason to have it on her person aboard the ship. Then she went to the bridge.

  “Everyone ready?” She asked her crew. Odeon nodded as he soon joined her on the bridge. Shiro and Charly were already strapped in. Iain was also there, buckling in for take off. He glanced up at her and nodded. There was an expression of indulgence on his face. She suspected that despite his big talk about not wanting to leave Kota, he’d missed something about the exhilaration of space flight. It wasn’t exhilarating to her. It was her albatross, the bane of her existence. But Odeon would be sitting beside her, humming softly. “Whenever you’re ready Trip.”

  Trip began her countdown.

  “Adieu, my crew, adieu,” Darius said over the comms from Kota-side.

  “And we have go,” Trip said. “Hang tight!”

  The ship trembled and rocked as it lifted into a hover. The nose angled up, and then with a roar, the lights dimmed, and they parted the atmosphere in a curved line out into the darkness.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  IT took them eight hours aboard Trip’s Olavia Apollo to get close enough to see the base. During that time, Holly slept in her bunk in agreed upon shifts so that the crew would be rested for the mission. Odeon joined her, using his calming song to help her battle her space flight anxiety. Then he slept as she slept.

  When she woke again, Shiro and Charly took a break. Holly spent time checking on the different groups and met the explosives expert, Petra. The human was a lot younger than Holly, and behaved that way. Surly and arrogant, the girl discussed the plans that Odeon and Shiro had assigned to her during the infiltration to set the stage for the extraction of the children. Shiro would accompany Petra during her stage in the maneuver, to give her cover as well as (according to Odeon, who spoke in hushed tones later) make sure the girl didn’t go traitor on them like Voss had.