The Star Traders: The Star Traders Series Volume One

by Gary W. Feather

  “Grab a blaster and let’s get out of here!” Erica peeked out of the doorway.

  “Got it. What are we going to do?” Martha asked. Her hand was on Erica’s back.

  Erica tried to draw some strength from the other woman’s touch. “I’m not sure. Check her pockets for our tablets.” She gestured to Ms. Pie’s corpse.

  “Fine. Eeew.” Martha knelt by the body and searched the pockets.

  Erica glanced back out of the room. Where are they? They must have heard the blaster fire. They’re wanting for us to make a move. Damn it!

  “Found ‘em!” Martha announced and hopped up. She handed Erica her tablet. Erica stuck it into a pocket for later. Martha did the same.

  Erica led the way out of the room and down the hall to the stairs. No one in sight.

  “What’s wrong?” Martha asked.

  “Where are the other assassins?”

  “Oh.”

  The stairs led down to the first floor. If you headed straight, it would take you to the garage. But at the bottom of the stairs on the left was a wall, and on the right, was an open doorway that led to another room. Living room or kitchen.

  “They might be waiting for us inside that room on the right.” Erica pointed.

  Martha nodded.

  What do we do now? “Okay. We run by and fire blindly into the room. Don’t stop. Don’t even look. Just keep running.”

  “Okay, Erica.”

  Erica grabbed the back of Martha’s head and pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. “For luck.”

  “Yes. Oh yes.” Martha smiled with a twinkle in her eyes.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  The raced down the stairs and fired into the room. Erica heard some commotion. Shouts and screams. Blaster fire was returned at them, but they were soon in the garage.

  Erica shot at the drivers, who ducked for cover. The drivers didn’t try to fight. “Keys! I want the keys!” Martha shouted at them. One of the drivers tossed a set of keys at them and ducked back behind some steel boxes they were hiding behind. “Thanks, honey!”

  Martha jumped into the driver’s seat of one of the hovercars.

  Erica took shotgun. “Ready to go, honey?”

  “Yes, Martha!”

  Martha turned the hovercar on and lifted it off the ground. She opened the garage door and zoomed out of there.

  Erica removed her tablet and contacted the Guinevere. “Nothing.”

  “What?” Martha asked as she drove the hovercar through the streets.

  “I can’t get a signal to Guinevere.” Erica smacked her tablet. “The tablet works, but I can’t get in touch with them.”

  “Try mine.” Martha yanked out her tablet and handed it over.

  Erica put hers away and worked on Martha’s tablet. “Nothing. How?”

  “Shit! They’re jamming us!” Martha smacked the steering wheel.

  “What do we do now?”

  “Maybe if we get further away from them,” Martha pondered. “Maybe leave this city then we’ll be out of their jamming range.”

  “I don’t know,” Erica said. “These people aren’t a bunch of thugs. They have wealthy backers behind this society of theirs. They probably can afford the best. Almost military grade.”

  “Maybe…what was that?” Martha asked.

  Erica glanced back and saw lights flashing. “Cops!”

  “Shit! I am speeding! Damn it! Do you think we can beat them?” Martha glanced in the mirror and then at Erica.

  “Just pull over.” Erica sighed. “They might help us.”

  “We have blasters!” Martha said. “Isn’t that illegal on Knight’s Tale?”

  “Pull over!” Erica frowned.

  “Oh.” Martha pulled the hovercar to the curve and set it down.

  The cop got out of his hovercar.

  “Here they call them constables. Relax and put your hands where he can see them,” Erica warned her.

  “I know. I know.” Martha smiled and looked out the now-open window at the man in a uniform, who wore a stunner on his left hip. “Hello, Constable. Was I speeding?”

  “Yes, ma’am. You were speeding.” The constable glanced between them; he held a tablet in his hand. “According to official records, this hovercar belongs to Amy Chong. Would that be you or your friend?”

  “Uh.” Martha glanced at Erica. “No.”

  “Please step out of the vehicle,” the constable ordered.

  “Yes, Constable,” Martha said.

  They did as they were told. Martha tried to explain that they had been kidnapped and had stolen the hovercar and the blasters from the kidnappers. The constable nodded and recorded it on his tablet. Next the constable put them both in the backseat of his hovercar and took them to the police station.

  “I guess this is better than being with the kidnappers.” Martha smiled at Erica.

  “I hope,” Erica replied.

  Erica was taken into a room within the police station and set in a metal chair and table. Two policemen looked down at her with frowns. They’re in plain clothes. Police detectives. No, they call them police inspectors.

  “Who are you?” the first one asked.

  “Erica Williams from the—”

  “What are you doing here?” the second inspector interrupted. He had a big gold earring on his right ear. I’ll call him Goldie.

  “We were kidnapped by eight women on the Spacestation Squir,” Erica tried to explain.

  “Why should we believe that?” the first inspector asked. George. He looks like a George for some reason.

  “I—We were attacked in public at a restaurant called J.J.’s Steakhouse,” Erica explained. “You can probably check with the Squire’s security.”

  “Who are you?” Goldie asked.

  “Erica Williams, from the Yin Confederation Free Trader Starship Guinevere. I am a member of Guinevere’s second shift security.” She pointed at the tablet they had taken from her. It sat on the table between her and the inspectors.

  “That’s a pretty dress,” George said.

  “Thank y—” Erica began.

  “Are you a terrorist?” Goldie asked.

  “No.”

  “Are you a liar?” George asked.

  “No.”

  “You’ve an answer for everything,” Goldie snarled. “Why is that?”

  “I-uh…”

  “Answer his questions!” George demanded.

  “What?”

  “We ask the questions, not you!” Goldie snarled.

  “Huh?”

  “Eh! What was that?” George said.

  “What?” Erica asked.

  “I wasn’t talking to you!” George snapped.

  “That’s blaster fire!” Goldie shouted. “Shit!”

  The two inspectors rushed out leaving Erica alone in the room with handcuffs on her wrists.

  She peeked out of the open doorway. “Hello? Inspectors?” Erica heard blaster shooting up ahead. “Damn it!” She picked up her tablet. Erica had just gotten out in the hallway when Martha came out of another room.

  “Hey.” Martha waved with her handcuffed hands. She had her tablet in her hands.

  “Sounds like we need to escape somehow.” Erica shrugged.

  They sneaked out of the interrogation section of the police station and down a hallway. They heard the noise of shooting and yelling going on up ahead. Erica opened a door to look in and saw a room full of constables and inspectors firing blaster guns at the assassins who had blaster rifles now. They were using their desks to hide behind. Erica reached inside and snatched up a blaster from a dead constable.

  “Let’s get out of here!”

  “Where?”

  “That way! Somewhere! It doesn’t matter! Out!”

  “Okay!” They raced through the hallways and rushed into the women’s restroom.

  Erica blasted a hole in a window with steel bars at the end of the restroom. They climbed out and dropped to the alley below. It smelled off piss,
puke, and freedom.

  CHAPTER NINETY-NINE

  Candy

  Martha grabbed Erica’s hand. “This way!”

  “Huh?”

  They raced away from the police station. They kept to the alleyways for a while to be safe. They came out on a street name Liver. They walked down several blocks trying to figure things out.

  “How are we going to get out of this mess?” Erica said. “We can’t contact Guinevere.”

  “Not a big deal,” Martha said. “I’ve been in worse scrapes.”

  Erica frowned. Martha shrugged.

  “Any ideas?” Erica said.

  “Play it loose, darling.” Martha reached out for Erica’s hand. She interlaced their fingers. “Be ready to move with what happens. Stop worrying so much.”

  “Oh sorry,” Erica grumbled. “I thought we had problems.”

  Martha hugged her. Martha’s nipple piercing rubbed against Erica’s nipple. Ooooh. I like that!

  “We do. But whining about it won’t help us.” Martha smiled. “Enjoy the sights and the fun. We could go dancing later.”

  “Dancing?” Martha nodded. “Sure. Safer to be in the public than walking alone.”

  “Like we’re doing now.”

  “Yes.”

  “Didn’t they just attack a police station with a lot of witnesses nearby?” Erica complained. “That’s got to be public.”

  “Okay. They’re a bit desperate. Maybe.”

  “I want to get a motel room and think this over for a bit,” Erica said. “We can dance later or whatever.”

  “Sure.”

  “I bet you don’t have a fake credit account on your tablet.” Martha giggled.

  “What?”

  “They’ll be able to track our credit accounts. The regular ones in our names,” Martha explained. “I mean both the cops and the assassins. But I have a fake one for emergencies.”

  “Fake?”

  “Yes. Of course.” Martha shook her head and held up a finger. “Remember, I wasn’t always the honest woman that you made me.”

  “Oops. I guess I forgot.” Erica kissed her sweet lips.

  They found a motel and Martha used the fake credit account on her tablet to pay for a room.

  Erica opened the door. Martha kicked her heels off on the floor before dropping on the queen bed. Erica locked the door.

  “Oh. My poor toes hurt!” Martha wiggled them.

  Erica stretched and sat by Martha’s feet to massage them.

  “Ooooh. Nice. You’re a keeper.”

  “Thanks.” Erica chuckled.

  Martha leaned back and giggled. “You’re amazing, Erica!”

  “Reflexology,” Erica tossed out.

  “What?”

  “I was taught foot massage in the monastery,” Erica explained. “It’s supposed to be good for the internal organs and qi flow.”

  “Oh.” Martha squirmed. “Something is flowing.”

  Erica snickered.

  “But seriously, what are we going to do?” Martha asked.

  “If we could get back to the spaceport we might be able to talk someone into giving us a lift to the spacestation,” Erica suggested.

  “Good idea,” Martha said. “I might be able to pay for tickets, or bribe somebody.”

  “Yes. That could work.”

  “Other foot, please!” Martha commanded. She imperiously waved her finger to the other foot.

  “Yes, my queen.” Erica giggled and obeyed.

  “Yes. Yes. I am your queen.”

  A blaster bolt burst through the door. Martha screamed. Erica looked around for where she laid her blaster. A second bolt blasted the door’s lock open. By then Erica and Martha and ducked behind the bed.

  Where’s my blaster? Erica’s thought was answered when the first assassin who rushed inside was shot in the belly by Martha.

  “Fucking assholes!” Martha screamed again. Then nothing came out of the blaster. They ducked behind the bed. “It’s out of juice.”

  “Damn it!” A blaster bolt flew over their heads. Erica protective pushed Martha’s head down further.

  Erica heard some more blaster fire, but it wasn’t aimed at them. What’s going on? She looked at Martha, but didn’t want to risk poking her head up. It might get blasted off. Erica heard a body hit the floor. That was followed by someone cursing and more blaster noise. She smelled burned human flesh they kind that comes with a direct hit from a blaster bolt.

  “What’s going on?” Martha pushed Erica’s hands away to take a peek. Erica tried to stop her from leaving their hiding spot. Then another blaster bolt stuck. Martha looked. Erica heard another sound of someone hitting the wall. More burned smell. “Wow. They’re dead.”

  “What?” Erica joined her in looking over the bed. Three dead bodies lay sprawled on the floor. The one Martha had killed and two more. “Who?”

  A woman with long straight red hair, a blaster rifle, baggy yellow trench coat, and mirrored sunglasses walked in. She looked at them, one hand on her hip. “Are you Martha Clarke and Erica Williams?”

  Erica glanced at Martha. “Yes. I’m Erica and that’s Martha.”

  “Glad to know you. I’m Candy. Candy Stones. I’m here to help you two.” She looked around the room. “Why don’t we go someplace nicer than this to talk? More public.”

  “Fine by me,” Martha said.

  “And don’t worry about the mess,” Candy said. “Other people will come and clean it up. That’s what they’re paid for.”

  Erica and Martha went with Candy Stones to a teashop three blocks away from the motel. She had hid her blaster rifle in her trench coat. They order hot tea at the counter and went to sit down at a table. Erica looked out the window thinking she’d hear police sirens soon, but she didn’t.

  “Nothing to worry about, Erica.” Candy smiled with a confidence that frightened Erica. “I promise.”

  Erica nodded. She felt Martha holding onto her arm. Erica squeezed Martha’s knee. Was that too forward? Martha smiled at Erica. “So you were going to explain why you rescued us?”

  Candy nodded. She finally removed her sunglasses. Erica tried not to stare. The color around her pupils was pale—almost white. Erica had never seen eyes like hers before.

  “Ah! Our tea.” Candy thanked the waitress and took a sip. “Nice.” She looked at Erica and Martha. “As I told you before, I am Candy Stones. To tell you more, I work for Emma Long, who is a member of the board of a secret society that I belong to. Our leader is Pollyanna Finn, also known as Aunt Polly.”

  Erica wished she’d thought of grabbing a blaster from one of the bodies in the motel.

  “Now. Now. Don’t worry I wasn’t sent to kill you.” Candy smiled like an angel with a death wish. “Emma Long and some other members of the board believe Ms. Finn has handled this situation poorly. Ms. Finn is currently wasting unknown amounts of the society's wealth in order to block communications between you and your starship, using up all of our assassins…she has even hired a mercenary group. She has become very obsessed with capturing Martha Clarke. All very sad.” Candy stopped to drink some tea. “I might add that Emma Long’s younger sister and her team were sent to kill you on Caroline a while back. But Emma Long is a professional and holds no personal grudge about that.”

  “Uh, that’s nice of her,” Erica said. Martha gave Erica’s knee a squeeze.

  “Ms. Long wants to negotiate with you.” Candy looked at Martha. “If you hand over the information you have to me, Ms. Long will be able to stop Ms. Finn, and the society will leave you alone. This Ms. Finn will be embarrassed, and the board will choose to replace her.”

  “Replace her?” Martha asked.

  “In a permanent manner,” Candy said.

  “Oh.”

  “I-I want to take that deal, Ms. Stones.” Martha smiled.

  “Good. I was hoping that you would.” Candy Stones reached out to pat Martha on the hand, but Martha pulled away. “Good. I am to take you to Ms. Long, who would very much like
to meet you in person. Finish your tea and we’ll g—”

  Candy yanked out her blaster rifle. Erica grabbed her teacup and almost threw it at her. Martha’s chair thumped to the floor as she stood and turned. Martha screamed. A woman with an eye patch shoved a child out of the way and fired her blaster gun at them.

  Candy hit the other woman three times then she crashed through the window behind her. The little boy screamed for his mommy.

  “I think we should leave. Teatime is over!” Candy jumped out the window and looked for more assassins. People in the teashop were ducking behind tables and screaming. Somebody grabbed the little boy.

  Erica grabbed Martha’s hand. They ran outside, though they used the door.

  “Time to go see Ms. Long.” Candy peered around at the area and hid her blaster rifle in her trench coat again. “Come on.”

  Erica nodded and followed Candy. Martha clutched tightly to Erica’s hand. Candy Stones walked down the streets without a care in the world. Candy began whistling the Victorian national anthem.

  Are all assassins insane? Maybe I don’t want to know. Erica acted on a protective need to wrap her arm around Martha’s shoulders. Martha leaned into her while they followed the ‘friendly’ assassin. They walked into a wealthy neighborhood where a statue of a man on a horse looked to be made of marble. The eyes of the horse and man were huaredite. A rare crystal found in comets that glows yellow.

  “Ms. Long is already watching us by remote.” Candy Stones pointed at little sphere that flew over them. Stones led them to a blue marble mansion and pushed a button by the front door.

  The door opened.

  A middle-aged woman with an ugly scar that went from her mouth to her ear snarled at them. “About time you got here, Candy. We thought they’d got you.”

  “What? Those losers! Please, Darla. This pretty girl can take care of herself. You know it.”

  “Sure. Sure. You get more arrogant every day, kid.” Darla snorted. “Come on in. Ms. Long is waiting for you folks.”

  Darla led them through a couple of rooms to a library. The old fashioned kind with books made of paper. Some of them looked pretty old to Erica. She glanced at some titles as they walked through the roll of bookcases: Jane Austin, Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King, Plato, John Milton, Jack Kerouac, William Shakespeare, Kathy Acker, and so on. All the old classics. The bookcases gave way to an opening containing several tables and chairs, like a forest gave way to a grove. A woman, looking much older than Darla, waited for them in a chair at the head of a table with five empty chairs.