“Your consort?” Ericca said, studying his dark brown, nearly black eyes. “Not your queen?”
He smiled. “As my consort you’d want for nothing. Isn’t that enough?”
Without saying it, he was saying it. She was good enough to frolic with, someone to satisfy his manly needs, but in his eyes Ericca wasn’t Queen material. “Consort?” she said again, feeling the word roll off her tongue. It tasted bitter.
“Your every desire would be tended to. You’d have your own honor-guard, and full run of the estate.”
“And the village? Will I be able to see my old friends?”
“You’re not a prisoner, honey. But the Rusty Dragon is still a rough place. You’ll need your guard with you if you go down there to see Lilia.”
“I needed the work. They needed their tables bussed. And at fourteen there was little else I could do. As an employer she wasn’t half bad.”
He chuckled. “Employer? Is that what you think she was?”
“What? Yes, of course.”
“Ericca, she was your owner. I bought you from her for five crowns. Nine for the pair of you. I thought you knew.”
This came as a complete shock to Ericca. When Lilia had taken her in, she thought the madam had taken pity on her and Archer. When Tyson and Scuppers came into the restaurant just as two men were about to rape her, she thought it was just happenstance. When Tyson took her and her brother into his home, she saw that as just another kindness. Now she understood. Tyson was there to make a purchase, his timing nothing more than chance. Back then she didn’t want to believe in God, not with the load of crap dumped on her, but seeing all that, even then, in the back of her mind she saw all of this as His handiwork. To discover that to Lilia, she and Archer were nothing more than a means to make more money, a product for sale; that bit. Lilia was so sweet to her, and kind to Archer, Ericca thought she had found a home—brothel notwithstanding—and that she had made a friend. Now, all she wanted to do was run away all over again. Ericca had believed that even as young as she was, she was shrewd and tough. To find out she was that naïve changed everything. She thought she knew better than Jordon Kori. Maybe she knew nothing about nothing after all.
“I thought Lilia had found Archer and me a home, and that’s why you came for us. To think that your exchange with her was nothing more than a sale . . . that hurts.”
“Look, that whorehouse was no place for a couple of kids. You had to know from the onset that men there would want to play grab and tickle. So, in a sense, you were rescued, weren’t you? I remember seeing you fighting off those men. You were like a wildcat,” he said recalling that first day. “They might have had their way, eventually. But you certainly seemed determined to make them pay highly for doing so. That one man’s face.” He chuckled. “Murder.”
“Like that, did you?”
“Synched the sale, actually.”
She sighed. “This is a lot to take in, Ty. Can I have time to think about it?”
“Sure. Take all the time you need.”
“So how’s your father?” Startling herself, she reared back. In Tyson’s company her mind had drawn a blank, defaulting to small talk. “That was stupid. For a moment I forgot.”
“He died a day after you left.”
“Yes, I heard. Heart-attack, right?”
“Poisoned,” he said flatly. “There was no investigation. Everyone felt he was a brute who deserved what he got.”
“That’s cold.”
He shrugged. “Perhaps.”
“Do you know who did it?”
He cocked his head quizzically. “Everyone thought you did it. You certainly had motive, the opportunity, and the means.”
“I didn’t do it. He scared me, so I ran. But I didn’t kill him.”
“I didn’t think you did.”
“Wasn’t there an investigation?”
“A lot of people wanted him dead. As to the culprit, I have my suspicions, but I really don’t care to know. Besides, he’s the real reason you left, isn’t he?”
Ericca dropped her eyes to the floor.
“I know he threatened you.”
She shrugged, but didn’t look up.
To see her eyes he lifted her chin. “I have a better idea. All of my ships captain’s are titled. What say I grant you the title of ‘Lady,’ and lend you my latest creation to captain.”
“Are you trying to buy my affections?”
He grinned mischievously and took her hand. “I own everything else. Are your affections now too expensive even for me?”
She jerked her hand away and scowled.
He seemed surprised by her reaction. “I’m sorry. It was a joke. Honest.”
“Not to me it wasn’t.” Spinning on a heel, she headed for the door. Tyson didn’t call after her, and in the time it took her to open the door, in her opinion, he should have. She wanted him to. She wanted to rush back into his awaiting arms. But he said nothing, and that hurt more than had he driven a knife through her heart. Stupid, naïve little girl. That’s all she was.
As she hurried past Archer, she grabbed his arm and yanked him from the girl he was talking to, and tugged him to follow.
“Wait, sis. Where we goin’?”
She hurried out the front door without answering.
At the foot of the steps an armored vehicle skidded to a stop. Armed royal guards jumped from it to stop her and Archer. “Miss Archer,” the captain said, “you two’ll come with us.”
“We most certainly will not.”
“I have my orders, Miss. You’re under arrest.”
“Under what charge?”
“King Blackhart says treason. You two will accompany us peaceably. Cuffed or unconscious; your choice?”
Her heart fell, and she released a labored breath. So she was to be Tyson’s fall guy for Saundler’s murder. Her stomach soured.
“This is not my best day ever,” she muttered, holding out her wrists. “Fine.”
One man cuffed her, and another Riley, then they lead her down the steps to the troop transport, sandwiched her in between two guards in one seat, and Archer between two others in another. Ericca wasn’t fond of cuffs, and her wrists were still bruised from the last time. The soldiers drove around the mansion to a back road and followed that to the entrance of a secure mountain complex hidden by its surrounding hills from the village. The gate was flanked by two cannon turrets. More turrets were strategically placed here and there encircling the compound. Blue bands of energy projected by posts, which were themselves incased in protective energy bobbles, formed the gated fence. The vehicle passed through the gate unhindered, and pulled up next to huge metal doors framed in concrete built into a hill. Everyone piled out of the vehicle. At a sudden, low rumbling, the mammoth doors began to spread. Guards removed her and Archer’s cuffs. Inside, a large, sleek space vessel nearly filled the room. Tyson stood to one side peering up at it.
As Ericca and Archer went to him, the guards held their place at the door.
“So, this is your latest and greatest?” Ericca said, stepping up beside him.
“Took nearly two years to complete,” he said without taking his eyes off it. “I commissioned its building shortly after you left.” He looked at her. “After Daddy died, I thought . . .”
He jerked a nod to a man at the door. The roof parted and as it began to spread to both sides, light flooded in to illuminate the ship. Emblazoned on its prow was written in big block letters, “ERICCA.”
“Wow,” Riley said in a low voice. “I think the guy is sweet on you, sis.”
“You think,” Ericca answered.
“Marry me,” Tyson said simply.
Ericca sighed. “You charged me with treason. What is this; marry you or go to prison?”
“You’re not going to prison. Think of my proposal as an open invitation.”
“Are you granting me time to think about it?”
His face reflected a mix of irritation and disappointment. “I’m a king offerin
g you more than any other man can. What is there to think about?”
“Right now, my friends are facing a juggernaut. I need to get back to them. I have exactly no time to waste. I must get back to them immediately.”
“I figured you’d say something like that. You wanted fast, so there you go.”
She hesitated. Was he actually giving her a ship?
“Go ahead, take her,” he said. “The crew is already aboard and readying her for takeoff, and I had Viper placed in her hold.”
Ericca studied him for a moment.
His scowl turned to a smile and he nodded his approval. “Go. I’ll gather my fleet and be right behind you.”
Chapter Fifty-One
Beyond the perimeter of the asteroids, mammoth war ships waited for the rebels. If left alone, they would call for reinforcements and Saigus would be worse off than before.
Joshua radioed the others. “I’d like to lure these big ships into the field,” he said, “but I don’t think we can.”
“We could take them on out in the open, Josh,” Buck replied.
“Confed war ships?” Josh chided. “Even if we swarmed individual ships, lives will be lost. Walking headlong into their guns will be tantamount to suicide. This is a disaster.”
“And if we left them alone?” Jordon asked.
“Leaving them be would be worse,” Buck radioed back. “The Confeds will simply call for reinforcements. No. There’s no turning back. They have to be dealt with here and now.”
Joshua shook his head and looked over at Jordon who sat beside him in his own Talon. Then it struck him. Rachel had never gotten around to repainting the ships. As far as the Confederates were concerned, both of these Talons still belonged to them.
Josh began to formulate a plan. “Captain, I believe if you and I engage them first, hit them one at a time, and concentrate our fire on their shield emitters and communications arrays, the rebel fleet following us can hit the Battle Cruisers straight on. However, we might have to work our way through heavy gunfire to pull it off. So, to put it simply, those Battle Cruisers will have to be taken with good old-fashioned blood and intestinal fortitude.”
Jordon grinned. “And a tad bit of a fifteen-year-old’s cunning. Well, son, you’ve already brought us through cannon fire and debris, and you didn’t get us killed. You’ve demonstrated well enough that whatever you set your mind to you can make happen. It’ll get hot, but I say we go for it.”
“Alright then,” Josh said. He took and released a sobering breath. “Time to put on my big boy pants. Let’s do this.”
Jordon contacted Buck to tell him Joshua’s plan. “Remember, Uncle. These Talons are the good guys. Don’t shoot us.”
“Gotcha covered, Jordon. I’ve already alerted my men that such was the case.”
Without Freefall and her top-end tech the rebels had to modify their tactics to compensate. Moving as a wolf pack the rebels would follow Rachel’s modified Talons. Their first target? The largest, most heavily armed ship in the enemy’s arsenal, the Dark Horse battle cruiser. To take it down would bruise the spirits of the rest of the Confederation fleet. Taking down the next might crush the Confed’s spirits altogether. If successful this tactic would ultimately turn the odds in the rebels’ favor. Then they could hunt the smaller cruisers in turn and hopefully win the day even if Providence help never arrived.
Chapter Fifty-Two
While Ericca commanded the new ship from the bridge, Riley roamed the halls to get a better look at Tyson’s gift to her. The attention to detail impressed him. Everything, ornate and posh, was clearly meant for royalty. That the king had given this ship to Ericca said that he sincerely wanting to marry Ericca. Even Riley’s cabin, one of the lesser, was roomy, comfortable, and ostentatious.
Other than the bridge crew, the ship seemed deserted. He had run into a couple of staffers, but they seemed disinterested in sharing a moment of conversation with him. As he passed one room, a hand reached out and yanked him from the hallway. It was Darsea, one of Tyson’s attendants. Growing up in the Blackhart mansion, Riley had become fast friends with her. During his brief visit to the mansion just an hour ago, seeing Darsea again stirred thought long since held in check. His leaving Ericca alone with Tyson, gave Riley time to reignite his relationship with Darsea. She made it clear that she wanted to advance their relationship to a new level. Without argument, so did he.
“What’s up?” he said. She had managed to sneak aboard the ‘Ericca’ undetected and had hid until Riley happened along.
“Take me for a ride in Viper,” she said with a coy, inviting smile.
Riley sighed. “Sure, um, let me run this past the captain first.”
She grabbed his collars, pulled him to her, and kissed him fully on the mouth. Her lips were warm and tender despite the forceful kiss, and took away any desire he had to tell anyone she was aboard. When she pulled back, she batted lamb eyes, and spoke in her most enticing voice, “Please. Let’s keep this just between you and me. K?”
Riley sighed again, glanced over his shoulder to see that their way was clear, then nodded. “Alright, but we must be quick.”
Grabbing his hand, she nearly dragged him to the small craft as they hurried down the hallway to the cargo hold. After putting on his own energy belt and helmet, he fit Darsea with Ericca’s. Far superior to the cumbersome cloth and rubber spacesuits currently in use, these formfitting energy bubbles surrounded their wearers perfectly. Jordon Kori’s invention, the helmet and belt were nearly weightless.
He climbed into Viper while she opened the outer door and brought the craft to life. Pulling up next to her, she climbed into the front seat, and out they went to speed away into the darkness.
“Stay near the ship,” Darsea said softly. “I needed to get you alone to talk.”
“Yeah”
“That ship is bugged and is being tracked.”
“What? Really?”
“This one was too, but I found the tracker and attached it to the underside of a deck plate in the hold. As long as that tracker doesn’t move, they’ll think we’re still inside the ship.”
“What’s going on?”
“I overheard King Blackhart talking to that ship’s real captain. You and Ericca are being set up.”
“Whoa! That’s a pretty stiff allegation, Darsea. Can you prove it?”
“I can. Maneuver Viper up to the ship’s bow and get as close to the name painted there as you can.”
Riley did as she asked, and as Viper neared the prow, Darsea reached out and ran fingers over the letters. Fresh, black paint smeared at her touch, and blackened her fingers. Riley reached out and did the same. The paint hadn’t time to dry, and preserved in the vacuum of space, wouldn’t anytime soon.
“Well now. Isn’t that something?”
“The King wants Rhone. He’s trying to trick Ericca into leading him right to it.”
Chapter Fifty-Three
In the war-room of the gargantuan battle cruiser, Dark Horse, Admiral Carlisle Bennington studied the situation he now owned. A seasoned veteran he was a capable commander though cautious in his execution of any plan. This damned ghost hunt had cost them plenty as it was. Maybe it was time to turn tail and git while the gitting was good.
Fulvus was dead, as was his precious flagship. If the PM had to have this damnable ghost then he could come out here and get it himself—and good luck with that.
Bennington trusted the prowess of his ship but now understood that there was little left to do but survive. What could he do with what remained of the fleet? Should they attempt to do what the fleet in its entirety failed to do? He believed not. Saigus had a quadrillion routes of escape, and there was simply no way for what remained of his fleet to cover them all. He knew that with the fleet now spread thin the rebels might be emboldened enough to go on the offensive. Considering the size of his vessel, though, he figured the rebels would attack the smaller ships first, if at all.
“Sir!” shouted his radarman.
Joshua’s breath caught in his throat. Even at a distance the massive Dark Horse filled his view. The nearer they got, the more horizon the big ship covered. Tackling this ship was nuts.
“Steady, Josh,” Captain Kori consoled. “The bigger they are . . .”
“I forgot how big these ships were. Compared to it, we’re gnats.”
Both armed their particle cannons and prepared to fire. Josh targeted the big ship’s scanner array. Jordon its shield generators.
Clearly, whoever commanded Dark Horse didn’t judge correctly the rebels’ determination or their ability for a lightning strike. Nor did he understand the capabilities of the two Talon pilots he should have seen as opponents.
To Bennington’s alarm the two tiny fighters swooped in and fired on his ship. Both of the cruiser’s key systems exploded in a mass of metal shards and fire. Too swift for his gunners to respond to, Dark Horse quickly found itself deaf, dumb, and blind. Without the hope of even landing a lucky shot the gunners sighted by eye and fired wildly. But like flies through a light rain the Talons weaved quickly away and moved on to their next target.
Adm. Bennington looked on in dismay. He recognized the two Talons by their registration marks. He remembered that the two were just some new paint over old technology, and yet now, before his eyes, they outclassed his Cougars in every way.
Living in Freefall (Living on the Run Book 1) Page 24