by JC Hay
He reached past her and enlarged some of the pictures, showing the gambling floors of the casino. “Wait, are they just going to have it sitting there? Like a tournament trophy?”
She looked at him, her brows knitted together. “And?”
“The security is all around the edges of the room. Screw the tournament. Let’s just steal it.”
Kayana bit back a chuckle. “Ax Turner, that is a profound disrespect for the rules of the game.”
He kissed her, taking a moment to savor the taste of her smile. “You’re the pirate not me. Still, the challenge is to acquire the stone, right?” He glanced at Berniss.
The camerawoman scowled. “The security teams are instructed to protect the gemstone. They will have live ammunition and permission to use it.”
“In other words, it’s as lethal as any other challenge, but our strategy is sound. Got it.” Ax grinned and curled his arms around Kayana’s waist. “Unless there are better options?”
Her smirk was all impish mischief. “Well, there’s one challenge where it says the gem is near the center of the Jessup Void.”
He blanched. Contest or not, there was no way he’d be charging into that ghost-haunted region of shattered planets and long-dead stars. He’d heard too many stories of ships being lost with all hands. Or worse, survivors who’d been found, their minds destroyed by whatever they’d witnessed in the depth of the dark nebula.
Her chuckle was comforting. “Relax. Even I’m not that crazy. We’ll take the head-to-head challenge, Algol. Lay in a course and head out.”
“Affirmative. Travel time to Vantor is estimated at twelve hours.” The hologram disappeared as the ship started to move.
Ice water cascaded through him. How had he missed the name before now? “We should rethink this. Maybe just heading to Altaira is the better choice.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He swallowed. Looks like later came sooner than he expected. Or wanted. “Vantor handles mining. Lots of it.” She nodded but waited for him to continue. “I might have done some work for people who ran a...recreational pharmaceuticals enterprise with interests there.”
“And?” There was no judgment in the statement. “You worked with criminals. I never thought you were a saint, Ax Turner.”
She had that much right. And even if Gobby hid behind the façade of respectable business, criminal was a perfectly apt description for her. “The thing is, these people think I absconded with a rather large sum of money.”
“Did you?” Her eyebrow arched in curiosity.
“Well, yeah, but that’s hardly the point. If they find me, they’re going to want it back.”
Kayana kissed his forehead. “Then we should make sure we they don’t find us. Now that we’ve got that settled...” She stepped back and opened the zipper on her exo-suit almost wide enough for it to fall away, and started toward the door. “I’ve got a bed that is feeling sorely neglected.”
She’d be the death of him. And Gobby’s vengeful specter loomed large in his mind. But The threat of all the things that might go wrong meant less than one syllable. Us. As though they were a team. Partners. Heat bloomed in his chest that had nothing to do with the skin she’d put on display. The pain of knowing it couldn’t last only made him want to savor what he could.
He took a deep breath, caught up with her and tucked his hand into hers. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Confessional – Ax Turner
“So, you seem concerned about the trip to Vantor. Care to elaborate?”
Ax sits on the stool same as before, though stress shows in the dark regions under his eyes. “You saw my conversation with Kayana. That’s everything you and the fans need to know, Berniss.”
“Which implies that it’s not the whole story.”
“You’re damn right it’s not the whole story.” He’s still irritable, but he softens quickly. “It’s as much of the story as you’re getting. We all have things in our past we’re not proud of. I’d rather not drag all the skeletons out of my closet on trans-galactic television.”
The camera focuses in on his face to catch the reaction. “You and Kayana seem to be getting along better.”
The blush that darkens his cheeks beneath the stubble is a perfect match for his wistful smile. “It’s nice that she’s less inclined to kill me. We’ve gotten into a bit of a rhythm after two challenges.”
(Note: edit out giggles from the interviewer on audio.)
After I regain composure, mostly, I continue. “How do you see the team coming together for the remaining challenges?”
His laugh is quiet and short. “I’m just going to overlook the double entendre and assume you mean to ask how well the two of us work together.”
“You can interpret the questions however you like.”
“In that case I’d like to change my answer to ‘loudly’.” He laughs again. “You asked.”
“Speaking of which—even with the deduction, your team is currently in third place. That’s a remarkable feat for a team that wasn’t put together by Octiron pre-race. To what do you attribute the new stage of your relationship?”
“All kidding aside? It’s trust. I can’t imagine any other way we might have been able to pull together. She saved my ass on Caldera, without a second thought. We made a great team in the Temple of Death on Vedenemo. Finding someone you can trust is a lot harder that you think.”
“That’s remarkably sentimental given you were almost unmoved by the death of your original teammate.”
He winces, not entirely unable to look at the camera after the comment. “I suppose it is. But at the end of the day, I had less than forty-eight hours to get to know Darryn. Kayana and I have been through multiple challenges and more than two weeks together. We’ve had each other’s backs. Figuratively as well as literally. More than that, she has shown that she trusts me. It makes me want to deserve that trust.”
“And subverting the rules of a challenge? You don’t feel that will be stressful?”
“You said yourself, we’re bending the rules, but the challenge is to get the stone. We’ve chosen a means that better speaks to our... unique skill set.” He shrugs. “I’m willing to do what it takes for her to win. I promised her a ship, and I’ll damn sure see she gets money enough to buy one. Or a fleet. Whatever it takes for her to get back in with her family.”
He’s earnest, voice going taut as though the idea of disappointing her upsets him. Still, my feelings can’t influence the interview. I push. “At this stage of the race, the top teams have found their stride to some degree. In light of that, what do you think your team’s biggest weakness is?”
“Like I’d share that.” Ax shakes his head with a bemused grin.
“Technically, these sequences are added in in post. Your weakness won’t be something the other teams see until after the race is well and over.”
“In that case, it’s a secret.” He stands up and dusts his hands as though having completed a difficult labor. Before the cameras can be shut off, he leaves.
Thirteen
Okay, Ax thought. This is a little more my speed.
Just like the footage had shown, the box containing the Gambler’s Luck sat on a stone pillar at center stage. An elegant woman dressed in an expensive-looking bodysuit sat just in front of it, watching the crowd with dispassionate boredom. The club itself spanned several floors, with bars on each level to speed up service and—more importantly—increase revenue. Efficient. In another life, he’d be looking for the owner, trying to get an idea of their take in a week and...
And the location was too close to Gobby’s territory for her not to have someone present. She was a lot of things, but sloppy wasn’t one of them. His eyes scanned the crowd again, looking for telltale signs of her influence. He spotted a well-dressed woman in the corner, her eyes the pale green of someone riding a Jade Musk high. Not Gobby’s typical fare, but a solid moneymaker all the same.
“What’s
wrong?” Kayana tightened her fingers on his arm and leaned in. “You tensed up.”
“I’m being paranoid.” Not quite a lie, but not the whole truth either. Guilt twisted his stomach. She deserved the whole truth. And he’d give it to her.
Later.
She kissed the middle of his forehead, and the smell of her skin was a balm for his ragged nerves. “It’s a crowded room with dozens of exits and no reliable witnesses. It would be extremely simple for even a semiskilled assassin to fatally wound someone and be well away from the scene before it was discovered.”
So much for feeling better. “For the record, you suck at reassuring people.”
“Sorry, was that what I was supposed to be doing?” She bumped her head against his lightly, her grin infectious. “Besides, that’s going to work to our advantage, too.”
“Except that we’re the ones jumping up on a dais in an extremely flashy robbery.” A sudden thought hit him. Even if Gobby didn’t have people here, the robbery would absolutely make the news programs. There’s no way she’d miss it. Or him. His stomach cratered out. “I’m not so sure this is a good idea after all.”
She smiled. “Cold feet already?”
Would he ever be cold again with her amazing smirk to fire his blood? He slipped his arms around her waist and hooked his thumbs into the pockets of her exo-suit. “Let’s say I’m having an attack of common sense, instead.”
“There’s a first time for everything, I suppose.” She tapped him in the ribs with a fist. “Relax. I told you, anything that happens, we’ll handle it. Together.”
There it was again, the sharp pain that practically made his eyes water. The knowledge that no matter how much he might want to, he couldn’t deserve the faith she’d put in him. Sooner or later he’d end up disappointing her.
“Be casual, we’ve attracted attention.”
Kayana’s voice snapped him out of the pity spiral he’d started down and called him back to the dangers of the room. A bald man had broken off from the crowd and walked directly toward them. Ax didn’t recognize him as one of Gobby’s thugs, but looks-wise he certainly could have been.
“Which team are you?” the newcomer asked. When Ax feigned confusion, the man pointed at his ear. “That’s an Octiron comm unit. So, I assume you’re here for the race.” A rough scar marred one side of the man’s face, but instead of downplaying it, he’d had a tattoo that called attention to it.
“And if we are?” Kayana stepped in front of the newcomer, her hand on his chest. “Who are you, our planet-side contact?”
The man made a wet sound that could have been a laugh or a cough. “Hardly, devil-girl.” Ax tensed, expecting Kayana to bristle at the dismissive tone, but she surprised him by not throwing Baldy through the nearest wall. “I’m more like the larf in the wiring.”
Ax debated stepping forward, but unless this guy had a weapon in his too-tight jeans, Kayana could handle herself. He contented himself with looking over her shoulder. “Meaning what, exactly?”
“Meaning you both look hungry, and I need someone to send a message to one of your rivals.”
“Send your own messages.” Kayana’s vehemence surprised Ax. “I’m no one’s delivery person.”
Baldy held up his hands. “Normally, I’d say fine. Unfortunately, I can’t show my hand directly.” He reached into his pocket, and Kayana’s hand dropped to the knife at her waist. She only relaxed when he tugged a small cloth pouch free and held it up. “In a few minutes, one of the other teams is going to show up. You can’t miss them. Big guy. Albino.”
Ax remembered the guy from the pre-race events. Big was an understatement. “Team Galaxy Riders. He’s got a bright-blue teammate, right?” The team name was hard to forget, especially since it had popped up repeatedly on the chyron. They were doing well, and positioned ahead of Ax and Kayana after Octiron’s penalty was applied.
Baldy scoffed. “Something like that, yeah. They’re coming for the box, I suspect same as you are. When they get close, you touch them with what’s in that pouch. Tell them Orion sends his regards.”
“What happens then?” It was never as simple as they made it sound, and Ax really didn’t want to be point-blank when someone got vaporized. Beams had been known to miss.
Kayana stepped back into Ax’s chest. “I already said we weren’t interested.”
“Wait a tick. Let’s hear him out.” This was an opportunity he hadn’t considered. They were already cheating on the challenge, why not stretch a little further.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You can’t be considering this.”
“Nobody gets killed,” Baldy interjected. “I give you my word. Though I admit, I wouldn’t have expected that to bother you.”
“Your word means nothing to me.” Kayana’s skin flared with heat as her anger nearly seared Ax’s hands. “We have no precedent to establish its value, but someone who can’t deliver their vengeance personally gives me a good idea of their word’s worth.”
Ax put a hand on her shoulder and whispered. “Let’s not piss him off, shall we?” He turned his focus on Baldy. “What do we get out of it? Those who take the risk deserve the reward.”
“One fewer team between you and victory seems like reward enough. If you can’t spin that into a win, that’s on you.”
Ax took a deep breath. He could do it, push the team that much closer to a victory. Get Kayana that much closer to what she wanted. And she already knew what his word was worth.
“Best make your decision fast,” the man said. “They’re here.”
On the far side of the room, the elevator doors opened. Ax couldn’t miss the albino—the guy had to be two meters tall. A split second later, he spotted the man’s partner. Honestly, he wasn’t sure how he missed seeing her first. She glowed like a well-lit sapphire. Part of him wished he’d paid more attention to their names during the pre-race events. Then again, that would only make screwing them over more awkward. He held out his hand to Baldy. “I’ll do it.”
Kayana’s hand rested on her wrist, “Ax, no.”
“You get the gem. I’ll take care of this.” He’d explain it later. He could make her understand. Just not now. Hopefully sometime after that, he’d be able to wash the memory of her disappointed look away.
Baldy slapped the cloth bag into his hand. “At least one of you has some stones.”
The woman on stage had stood up, a response to some kind of commotion down in the gaming area. Had one of the contestants won while he and Kayana were standing around? Ax looked toward the elevator again. The albino’s blue partner had taken off at a dead run for the stage. Her teammate stood for a moment longer, then took off after her.
“They’re moving. We gotta go.”
Kayana took off just ahead of him, using a combination of her threatening appearance and a solid right shoulder to bulldoze through the crowd. It made an easy path for Ax to follow, though he noted the crowd, and security, closing surging closed in his wake. Whatever happened, he hoped they didn’t have to run for it afterwards. There’d be no getting back the way they’d come.
The albino’s partner was already leaping up onto the stage, her azure hair bouncing. How did anyone move that fast? She grabbed the box with both hands and leaned back, but it refused to budge.
Kayana and Ax hit the stage at the same time as the albino, and everything went into overdrive. The crowd screamed and howled. The hostess looked a lot less bored and was shouting for guards. And Ax and Kayana reached the box.
Ax shook the pouch out into his hand as he ran, revealing a red gemstone that glowed with some kind of internal light. He tapped the albino and his partner on the hand with the stone and slapped it down on top of the box. After glancing back toward Baldy, Ax growled out, “Orion says hello.”
The albino had enough time to give Ax a startled expression. An eyeblink later, brilliant white light seared Ax’s eyes, and he turned away from the box for a moment. When he looked back, the albino and his sapphire-skinned partner were
gone. Ax grabbed the box from the pedestal.
The shock of the disappearance was starting to wear off the crowd, and Ax could sense the outrage taking its place. They were going to want answers—and blood—soon. He tucked the red jewel into his pocket and “Forget about them. We need to go!”
Ax tucked the box under his arm and tugged Kayana toward the center of the stage. He tapped his comm unit. “Algol! Get us out of here!” For a moment, he thought the message hadn’t gone through; security started onto the platform, stunners at the ready. Then the nausea hit, and the goose-flesh sensation of his every hair standing on end as the transfer beam grabbed him.
KAYANA TUGGED HER ARM free of Ax’s grip as soon as the transfer beam’s disorientation had worn off. Too soon, if she was honest, and she stumbled a few feet forward to brace herself against the wall. She glared at him. “What in the ice-blasted hells was that?”
He looked stunned for a moment, the surprise on his face somehow even more infuriating. Not that it lasted long. It coalesced into a hardness she hadn’t seen from him before, and wouldn’t have expected. He set the box on the edge of the console. “We completed the challenge.” He cracked open the box to reveal the Gambler’s Luck, a lapis cabochon the size of her palm. “We also eliminated our biggest rivals at the same time, so bonus.”
Almost as reflex, she checked the chyron on the viewscreens in the transfer room. Team Galaxy Riders no longer appeared in the rankings, leaving her and Ax at the top. Sour bile filled the back of her mouth and she fought to swallow it back. “I thought we were supposed to be a team.”
“You were taking too long to decide. We were going to miss our opportunity.”
“No. I’d already decided. I even asked you not to. This stupid race is dangerous enough with Octiron trying to kill us all. Why in the Nine Names would you make it harder?” She stumbled to a small chiller unit in the room and grabbed a pixberry yogurt tube. Probably the best part of the ship’s design – keeping snacks in the same room as the matter transfer beam. The protein and carbs would help her recover from the transfer, and maybe take the taste of disappointment out of her mouth. She choked down the tart-sweet mixture and dropped the empty tube in the waste bin.