by Gary Jonas
Every blaster in the room was leveled at them.
Including Chandler’s.
“Okay,” Chandler said. “Everybody calm down. Hank, Sai, go ahead and drop your weapons.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Hank asked.
Sai looked at him, shocked.
“Nothing personal,” he said, “but you guys didn’t really think I was stupid enough to try helping you with a jailbreak from a heavily guarded pirate base, did you? The price on your head is enough of an incentive to make new career plans.” Chandler looked around the room. “Who’s in charge here? I have a deal to make.”
EPISODE SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Hayes, Glenn’s second-in-command, stepped forward from the pack, keeping his pistol aimed squarely between Chandler’s eyes. “Just who the hell do you think you are?”
A few of the twenty or so pirates packed into the galley chuckled and kept their weapons focused on Chandler as well. The air was heavy with the knowledge that if one person popped off a shot the room would turn into a slaughterhouse.
Chandler kept his gun aimed at Hank and Sai. They both glared at him with their hands up, but he ignored them and focused on Hayes. He stepped slowly to one side and raised his empty left hand. “Everyone needs to calm down and listen to reason.”
Hayes tightened the grip on his gun. “You need to listen to this. Put down your weapon on the count of three or we’re going to cut you and your friends down in a mighty pretty blaze of plasma fire.” Hayes glanced around the room. “This is one hell of a firing squad. Be something to see, but a bitch to clean up. We do eat here, so I’d prefer that you drop the weapon. But, it’s your call. One … two …”
“Okay, relax,” Chandler said, putting down his blaster and rising slowly with his hands up. “Someone just go get your boss, and I’ll explain everything. Just tell him that I brought in Sai Collins and Hank Jensen. I know you’ve been trying to get them. Then you’ll have your answer. There’s a corporate bounty on these two. I figure if I turn them in to you I should get half.”
“Or what?” Hayes asked. “We could shoot you and get the full bounty; it isn’t as if we don’t already have all of you.”
“Fine,” Chandler said. It was obvious that his patience was wearing thin. “But someone go get Glenn and let me talk to him first.”
“What kind of game are you playing, Chandler?” a familiar voice said from the back of the room.
Chandler thought he recognized the voice, and when he spotted the source he grinned. “How ya doing, Brock? I guess not too well since you’re hanging out with these idiots.”
Brock leaned against the wall picking at his fingernails.
Hayes walked toward Brock, and the group of pirates opened up a path before him.
“You know this man?” Hayes asked Brock.
“We go way back,” Brock said. “That there is Mike Chandler. We were in the Confed back in the day. Tough son of a bitch. Used to be a ladies’ man. He screwed around with my woman and she left me for him. Been good friends ever since. She was one mean harpy.”
“Crazy as a shit-house rat,” Chandler said.
“But there was that thing she did with—”
“So his story is legit?” Hayes asked.
“He’s probably completely full of shit, but I can’t prove it either way. One thing, though—with Chandler it all boils down to money. You can bet he’s gonna be on the side with the deepest pockets. It’s against his nature to stick his neck out for anyone. To be honest, if there is some money to be had turning those poor fools in, then I tend to believe him.”
“All you have to do is check with your boss,” Chandler said. “Then you’ll know for sure. I can wait here or we can take these two down to the brig.”
“That’ll work,” Brock said to Hayes. “I’ll escort them all down to the cell block and you can put in a call to the boss.” He turned to Chandler. “Let’s get you kiddies bunked down for the night.”
“Now, Brock. This is no way to treat a friend,” Chandler said. “I’m here to make a deal.”
“Just showing you some good ol’ hospitality. Now, get a move on.” Brock motioned Chandler toward a hallway to the left.
“Wait, I don’t trust them. Take two men with you,” Hayes said.
“Whatever you say.”
Hayes pointed at two pirates who were seated at a table and had been eating for the entire duration of the standoff. “You and you. You’re on escort detail.”
“Dang it,” one of them said. He shoveled as much food into his mouth as he could and grabbed his ration of rum. He looked expectantly at his neighbor, who wore a tattered cap and was shoveling beans into his mouth as fast as he could. “Come on, Ned.”
“I ain’t done eatin’,” Ned said around a mouthful.
“Yes, you are. Let’s go.”
“Damn it, Earl, why do we always get the shit jobs?”
They rose and shuffled over to Brock, Ned still chewing.
Brock sighed. “Yeah, thanks, Hayes. I feel much safer.”
“Lead the way,” Chandler said.
Brock smiled. “Please, after you.” He directed Hank, Sai, and Chandler down a hallway. Brock fell into line behind them, flanked by Ned and Earl. They made a few turns before Hank spun and clipped Chandler across the jaw. Chandler fell into the other two pirates, taking them to the floor, Earl’s cup of rum crashing to the floor with them. Brock staggered backward, but didn’t fall.
Hank didn’t take two steps before Chandler whipped out a concealed weapon from his sleeve and shot him point-blank with an energy blast.
Sai tried to catch Hank as he fell senseless, but he was too heavy and they both fell to the floor. She glared back at Chandler. “Oh my God. You really are turning us in? How could you shoot him like that?”
“By pulling the trigger.” Chandler tucked the small weapon back under his cuff, then extended a hand. Brock helped him up from the floor.
“Just as tricky as always, I see,” Brock said.
Chandler grinned. “Some things never change, Angus.”
Sai drew Hank to her, rocking him. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Please be okay, please. I need you, Hank. I need you with me.”
“He’s fine. It was just a stunner.” Chandler said. “I picked it up years ago when I was a bouncer. It’s amazing how quickly it handles troublemakers.”
Ned and Earl scrambled to their feet. They brushed themselves off, pulled their weapons, and started toward Hank and Sai. Chandler stepped in front of them. “Whoa, guys. I don’t know what you have in mind, but to collect the full bounty, I need them alive.”
“Bastard cost me my rum for the week! We only get a little. I’d barely started it,” Earl said.
“I don’t care,” Chandler said.
“We could just shoot him in the leg or something,” Ned suggested. “That would make you feel a lot better.”
“And I could just shoot you in the face. Lower your weapons,” Chandler said.
Ned complied. Earl shifted his aim to Chandler. “Or we could shoot you,” he said with a smirk.
Chandler lunged forward and grabbed Earl’s arm, pulling him close, then suddenly side-stepped and bumped him with his hip, causing Earl to lose his balance and whirl through the air, falling with a crushing impact to the stone floor. Chandler plucked the gun out of the man’s hand, pulled the power supply, and tossed it back onto his fallen body.
Earl moaned on the ground.
“You’ve gotten slow,” Brock said. “You used to be able to lift their wallets while they were falling.”
Chandler shrugged. “I could have, but I figured it was empty. Plus I didn’t want to put my hand anywhere near that area.” Chandler leaned over to speak to Earl. “Oh, get up, you baby. We used to have to take thirty throws like that before breakfast at judo practice.”
Ned helped Earl up. Earl limped but seemed mostly okay.
“If your brainless buddies here have no more objections, I’d li
ke to take my prized catches to the brig. The sooner they’re locked away and the calls are made, the sooner I can get paid.”
“I’ll be damned,” Brock said. “You really are turning pirate.”
Responding to the commotion, Hayes and several men came running up the hallway. “What happened?” he asked.
Brock gave him the rundown.
Hayes smiled. “Good enough for me. Go ahead and return his gun, then keep him entertained until I can set up a meeting with Glenn.”
Then Hayes left, having his men take Sai and Hank to the brig. Hank was still unconscious and had to be dragged. Sai stared at Chandler with pure hate as they took her away.
“You know, if you play your cards right, you may have quite an opportunity here. Glenn is looking for men with brains.”
“So what happened to Thorne, and how did a guy named Glenn become a pirate lord?”
Brock chuckled. “Long story, best told over a bottle.”
Glenn’s image floated above the surface of Maxwell’s desk. Maxwell sat back in his chair, his form indistinct and dark due to the stealthcloak he’d activated before making the call. He didn’t want his pirate underling to discover that he was director of Nebulaco Security. Especially one who actually seemed to possess some intelligence. Glenn was too smart for his own good. Sooner or later he was going to have to “restructure” the ranks again.
“I understand that you’ve been trying to reach me. But Glenn, before you open your mouth, I’m going to let you know that I’m not in the mood for bad news. What’s the situation?”
“Have you ever heard of a Mike Chandler?”
“Why? What do you have to tell me?”
“I may actually have some good news for you. This Mike Chandler has delivered Hank Jensen and Sai Collins to the base. He says that we should split the Nebulaco reward with him.”
Maxwell laughed. “The girl? I have the girl? Wait a minute. Where is she? You didn’t kill them, did you?”
“No sir, not yet. Should we? After all, just a few days ago you wanted them destroyed at all costs. It seems like you’re fickle when it comes to these two.”
“No! Listen carefully, Glenn. I want the girl. I want her alive. Repeat after me. Alive.”
“You want the girl alive,” Glenn repeated, obviously insulted.
“Very good. Have her sent immediately to Coulson City on Port Royal. Send me the docking berth address when you get there and I’ll have someone pick her up.”
“So what’s so important about this girl?” Glenn said, cocking an eyebrow.
“It isn’t for you to question me. You don’t get paid to think. Just do as I say.”
“Right. I’m a businessman, not a servant. My loyalty and goodwill extends about as far as yours does. And we know exactly how much goodwill was fostered on your part toward Thorne.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game. You’d better deliver the girl to me or there will be serious repercussions.” The image of the speaker, even through the subterfuge of the stealthcloak, seemed to quiver.
Glenn smiled. “Of course. Yes, sir!” He made a small salute. “You’ll have the girl as soon as is practical. We also need to determine the fate of the Randol girl. As I said, I’m a businessman, not a slaver. This quagmire of prisoners and blackmail is distasteful to me.”
“There’s a good profit in it. We both know that’s the only thing that matters,” Maxwell said.
“To you maybe. Now, what about Chandler?”
“What about him?”
“What should I do with him?”
“I would think that should be obvious,” Maxwell said.
Chandler sat in Brock’s tiny room at a small table that was carved out of the native rock. Brock pulled out a bottle of tequila, complete with worm, and two dirty glasses. Chandler figured the tequila would kill the germs, but he was worried that the worm might kill him.
Brock filled the glasses and set the bottle on the table between them. He slid a glass to Chandler, then held up his own in a toast. “To old friends,” he said.
“Wherever they may be,” Chandler said. He tapped his glass to Brock’s then took a sip. It was smooth and smoky and burned a trail of fire to his gut.
“Good stuff, eh?” Brock said.
“Where’d you steal this?”
“I have friends in high places.”
“Apparently,” Chandler said. “This stuff is hard to find. But I suppose a lot of luxury goods come through here. As I understand it, the pickings have been pretty good.”
Brock raised an eyebrow, then topped off Chandler’s drink. “I suppose so. I haven’t been involved in that end of the operation. I’ve mostly been doing what I’ve always done.”
“As little as possible?”
“Yep, pretty much.” Brock nodded and took a sip. “What’s it been, five years? Six?”
Chandler shrugged. “Something like that. What happened with you and that waitress in Opportunity City? What was her name?”
“Paula? I haven’t thought about her in years.” Brock shook his head. “Everything was fun until her husband got home from the Scouts.” They laughed, but it was a forced laugh. Tension hung between them like a heavy weight.
Brock took another tiny sip of his drink. Chandler noticed that he seemed more willing to pour than swallow. “So, I can’t believe you’re working for bounties these days,” Brock said.
“It’s a small world, ain’t it? I never figured you for a pirate, either. Last I heard you were doing freelance surveillance work.”
“Well that, my friend, is a long story, full of woe,” Brock said. He picked up the bottle. “Freshen your drink?”
“I’m good.” Chandler made as if to swallow a huge mouthful of the fiery liquor but actually only took in a sip. “Ah!” he breathed. “So tell me your story. We’ve got nothing but time, after all.”
Brock scratched his head. “Well, the latest episode began with me being a day late and a credit short on Raken. A man comes up to me and asks if I want to make some money. Says it will be simple surveillance work, just set up and watch a building.” Brock paused for a moment, stared into space, then let out a belch that rattled the walls and peeled the paint. “Damn, that tasted even worse the second time around.”
Chandler grinned.
Brock gave him an abbreviated version of what he’d been through, but Chandler could sense he wasn’t telling him the whole truth. In the back and forth, both men tried to extract information, but they kept their cards close to the vest. “So one thing leads to another, and here we are. As you know, I’m good at what I do.”
“Your girlfriend didn’t seem to think so.” Chandler laughed and took another sip.
“I’m sure you did much better and that’s why you guys are still together.”
“Touché,” Chandler said. “So what’s with this Glenn guy?”
“Used to be Thorne’s right-hand man. When the time came to take him out, Glenn popped him between the eyes and took over, but he’s not like Thorne at all.”
“How so?”
“He’s intelligent. He isn’t planning on being a pirate forever. He has bigger goals. He wants to use this operation as a lever to create a legitimate enterprise. I’m not sure how he’s going to do it, but I actually think he will. If he can steer clear of the Confed.”
“Fine with me. I wish him well. But I just want to get my money and get out of here,” Chandler said.
Brock nodded. “Yes, well, that is one problem. Do you remember the old saying about how three people can keep a secret?”
“Three can keep a secret if two are dead?”
“That’s it. No one who knows the actual coordinates of the base ever leaves it except to go on short raids. Once you know where it is, you really only have two ways out. Either join up and rise in rank to the inner circle, or leave feet first.”
“So you’re of the opinion that I won’t be making it out of here with my bounty?”
Brock shrugged. “Hey, what do
I know? Tell you what, let’s finish this bottle and worry about that later.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Hank woke up to find his head resting on Sai’s lap. She was asleep, and her face looked peaceful, almost angelic, in the dim light. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying the warmth of her body.
He felt the urge to kiss her sleeping lips. But he didn’t want to wake her and have her dreams be disturbed by the reality of their situation.
They were locked in a dark cell, dimly lit by the light that snuck in beneath the heavy steel door. They lay on a hard mattress that smelled of urine. A stainless steel toilet with a sink built into the upper tank stood in the middle of the back wall. The room measured about three meters wide and three meters deep.
His temples throbbed in pain. The last thing he remembered was punching someone, then being shot—by Chandler. He’d really betrayed them! Why? He remembered when Chandler had tried to pick them up in Last Chance. Had that been an offer of help or an attempted abduction?
What motivated a man like Chandler? Was it money? Could money really be that much more important than friends? Than honor? Hank couldn’t understand it. He’d seemed so genuine, and Hank prided himself on being an excellent judge of character. Well, an okay judge of character. There had been a few bad choices. Like that girl in—
Sai stirred in her sleep, and she moved her hand to caress his forehead. Hank closed his eyes and turned slightly to lay his cheek against her leg, enjoying this moment with her. Take the simple pleasures while you may. It was better than dwelling on their situation.
Hank heard the door rattle and open. Sai twisted and nearly spilled Hank to the floor as three large men entered the cell. Hank tried to jump up, but he was still stiff from the stunner blast.
“Come on, girlie. You’re getting transported,” one man said, making a grab for her.
Sai lashed out with a swift kick to his left kneecap. He fell with a scream, but the other two moved in with batons.
Hank tried to punch the first man, but the guard easily dodged his feeble attack, then smacked Hank in the jaw with his baton. Hank fell to the floor.