Corruption_Age Of Expansion_A Kurtherian Gambit Series

by Sarah Noffke

  She tried to move, to no effect. The Trid before her seemed perplexed by her sudden frozen state, and made no move.

  “What’s happening?” he asked, astonished.

  Bailey didn’t know exactly what he meant until her eyes fell to her body, the only movement she could make.

  She was disappearing bit by bit…yet she felt nothing.

  Chapter Three

  Ricky Bobby, Tangki System

  Lewis’s vision cleared as he awoke in a darkened corridor. The only thing was he hadn’t been asleep.

  Or had I? Was I drugged? Did I blackout…again?

  He tested his legs and found they were working again. Rotating in a complete circle, he took in the long hallway streaked with pipes overhead, a dim red light illuminating the grated floor under his feet. A low hum vibrated beneath him.

  I’m on a ship!

  But that made no sense; the last thing he remembered was Underwood ranch.

  Staring down at his hands, he flexed his fingers. His ability to move had come back, but he didn’t think he should take off running yet. Using all his senses, he took in everything he could about his current location.

  The ship wasn’t moving. Based on the emergency lighting and smoke, he figured that it was in repair mode.

  A series of loud thumps echoed under his feet.

  The ship may be still, but something was moving below. Something else was on the ship.

  He drew in a deep breath, his mind scanning his options. There was only one person who could be behind this.

  “Melanie!” he yelled, his voice echoing down the long corridor. “I know you’re there!”

  Lewis took off, shoulders forward and chin tucked into his chest. He had no idea how she’d managed such a thing, or what scientist she’d slept with to accomplish something so outrageous—drugging him and leaving him here, using a hallucinator on him, yet again…Whatever game she was playing at this time, she was going to lose.

  “Melanie!” Lewis yelled, his voice making his insides vibrate with anger. “What the hell do you want?”

  Maybe things hadn’t gone as planned for her. Maybe she’d lost it all. He’d hoped all this time that had been her fate.

  But why would she drag me back into her mess? She has to know I want to kill her.

  Lewis urged his body faster, winding his way around a bend. The long corridor stretched out in front of him, smoke and blinking lights clouding the area ahead.

  This ship is huge.

  “Hello?” someone’s voice rang from the far side of the hallway.

  Lewis halted.

  “Melanie?” he yelled. I’m gonna kill her…well, after I make her pay.

  He took off running again, looking forward to seeing the person he’d been dreading all these years.

  The voice drew closer. Bailey’s fingers twitched by her side. She was no longer paralyzed. Eyes scanning the smoke-filled corridor, Bailey remained still, observing. She had no clue what was going on or where she was. Well, she knew she was on a state-of-the-art ship in disrepair, but other than that, she was clueless. To her, there was no worse feeling.

  The running footsteps were quickly approaching.

  Bailey pulled out her gun, aiming it at the connecting corridor.

  A moment later, a guy jostled around the corner, halting at the sight of her. He had brown hair, a long slender nose and a five o‘clock shadow. His hands flew straight into the air as he raised an eyebrow at her.

  Good, he’s not stupid, she noted to herself. “Who are you? What am I doing here?” Bailey demanded.

  The guy narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Where’s…? Wait. I was about to ask the same thing.”

  Bailey lifted her gun for emphasis. “Who are you?” she repeated.

  He was wearing stained blue jeans and a worn, button-up shirt. He looked around, lowering his hands. “I, Lieutenant Tennant, am Lewis Harlowe. And I also have no clue how I got here.”

  “How do you know who I am?” Bailey asked, her eyes intently studying him. He was at ease, but that only put her more on edge.

  Lewis pointed. “It’s on your uniform. You’re a soldier for the Federation.”

  Bailey looked down and sighed. Very clever. Unfortunately, she wasn’t in the mood for clever right then. “Well who are you, Lewis Harlowe?”

  He threw his hands down at his jeans as if in answer. “I’m a guy. A farmhand who was minding my own business before I got transported here somehow.”

  Bailey tilted her head to the side, looking at the man from a different angle. “Yeah, that’s what happened to me too.”

  “Except that you were beating up some Trid,” Lewis stated, taking his eyes off her and turning away.

  Bailey kept her gun aimed at him. “How do you know that?”

  Unhurried he looked at her, an astute grin on his face. “Besides the fact that you smell like fish?”

  She sniffed. Tossing that Trid over her back had been a messy job. “Yeah, besides that, detective,” Bailey said, condescension heavy on the last word.

  He cut his eyes at her, a sudden disapproval flaring on his face before he pointed to her hip. “Looks like you snagged the Trid’s lubricant device. Hopefully he had a backup, or he’s dead.”

  Bailey looked down to find what he meant. The device appeared to have gotten snagged on the back of her holster. She tugged it off and threw it to the ground. “Yeah, hopefully he didn’t.”

  Taking his eyes off her again, Lewis squatted down, running his hands over the grated floor. “So you don’t remember how you got here? A blackout sort of experience, right? Preceded by total paralysis?”

  Bailey nodded, deciding to lower her gun. Nothing about this man was setting off any of her alarms. “Yeah, that’s exactly what happened.”

  Lewis pressed his hand to the grate, closing his eyes and appearing to listen.

  “So we’ve been abducted,” Bailey stated, catching a hint of a floral scent in the air, as well as the strong odor of shit coming from Lewis’s clothes.

  He shook his head before opening his eyes. “I don’t think so. Not exactly. I’d call it more of a recruitment.”

  “What? Why would you say that?”

  He pointed at her. “You’re a Federation pilot, aren’t you?”

  “Pilot in training,” she confirmed.

  “And a damn good soldier, to qualify for the program so young,” he said, rising.

  “How do you know how old I am? I could be enhanced with nanocytes.”

  Lewis strode over to her, pressing his hands into his dirty jeans. “Oh, you absolutely have been enhanced, but only with the minimal upgrades. Even so, I wouldn’t put your real age at anything over early twenties.”

  “How do you know that?” she asked.

  He pointed at his eyes. “Real age is written here.”

  “Well why do you think we’ve been recruited?”

  He pursed his lips. “Because I’m the best, and it sounds like you might be, too.”

  “The best at what?” Bailey asked.

  The stranger only shook his head, staring around at the corridor filled with smoke.

  She looked around. “This ship. There’s something wrong with it.”

  Lewis nodded. “Yep. And there’s a big, fat mystery wrapped up in here.”

  She was trying to solve a mystery of her own. “What are you the best at? Ship repair?” she asked, looking at his dirty clothes.

  This guy was no usual farmhand. For one, he had a discerning expression in his eyes that made her feel like he was studying everything around them in a way unique to him.

  “Do you want me to keep calling you ‘Lieutenant Tennant’? It’s kind of a mouthful. Maybe you got a first name?” Lewis asked.

  Noting he hadn’t answered her question, she shook her head. “I don’t think we’ve graduated to first names yet, Mr. Harlowe.”

  He tossed his head to the side, blowing out a breath like he’d just been scorned. “Damn, you get recruited for a mission with a gi
rl, and she won’t even tell you her name.”

  “Abducted,” Bailey corrected.

  “You haven’t been hurt, and you still have your gun. Recruited,” he teased.

  She narrowed her eyes at him, secretly suppressing a grin.

  Overhead, static filled the air. “Hello. Welcome aboard Ricky Bobby,” a male’s voice said.

  Bailey tensed, looking up at the ceiling. “Ricky Bobby, where are we?” she asked.

  “You are aboard Ricky Bobby. I’m the ship’s AI, Ricky Bobby.”

  Bailey rolled her eyes. “Yes, but where are we? And how did we get here?”

  “I’m not permitted to answer those questions at this point,” Ricky Bobby stated. “I was simply asked to direct you to the office of the person who recruited you.”

  Lewis turned, giving her a smug grin. ‘Recruited,’ he mouthed.

  She let out a frustrated breath. “You’re going to be impossible now, aren’t you?”

  “Always, Lieutenant Tennant.”

  Chapter Four

  Jack Renfro’s Office, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System

  Jack rolled his shoulders back. He’d had a constant ache in his neck ever since it had happened. Every time he looked down, a spasm shot up his spine; his body’s way of saying, ‘Look alive. You could be next.’

  Was it fate that he’d not been aboard Ricky Bobby when the incident occurred? He didn’t believe in fate, but Liesel insisted that some sort of cosmic force had to be at play. All Jack knew was that he wasn’t quitting until he recovered the crew of Ricky Bobby. Every last one of them.

  He heard the approaching footsteps a moment before Lewis appeared in the doorway, Bailey Tennant behind him. She had a curious look on her face, which he assumed was an ever-present trait. Smart people were always curious, and, according to Bailey’s file, she was the brightest soldier to complete Federation training in a century. Almost as important, she was hungry for a challenge, and often described as ‘restless’ by her commanding officers.

  “Well, well, well,” Lewis stated, shaking his head and lowering his shoulders as he strode into the office. “I should have known you were behind this.”

  Jack pushed out from behind his desk and walked around to greet the two them, an easy smile on his face.

  Bailey looked between the two men, confusion in her eyes. “Wait. You two know each other?”

  Jack never noticed the resemblance between him and Lewis, although everyone swore it was uncanny. He was slightly taller, and his hair darker and parted on one side and slicked back.

  Lewis turned to her, a smile in his eyes. “Yes, it appears we’ve been recruited by my dear old uncle.”

  A laugh popped out of Jack’s mouth. Of course Lewis figured it out. Whereas Bailey was still uncertain, her hand hovering close to her holstered weapon.

  Jack extended a hand to her. “Bailey Tennant, I’m Jack Renfro, the Chief Strategist for Ghost Squadron.”

  “‘Bailey,’” Lewis said triumphantly, looking at her. “Good to know. With an ‘i’ or an ‘e’?”

  “Both,” she said, not looking impressed. Still, she took Jack’s hand, wringing it in a firm grip.

  “And, Lewis, you’re looking…” Jack searched him over, debating whether to open his arms to his nephew and deciding against it.

  “Yeah, I look like shit,” Lewis answered.

  “Smell like it, too,” Bailey stated.

  “We’ll hug later,” Jack stated, winking at his nephew.

  Lewis set off inspecting the oversized office, decorated with the finest furnishings. Jack had taken over the space used by the ship’s original owner: a vindictive man who sought to bring the Federation down. Despite his evil agenda, he had exquisite taste; when the Federation repurposed the ship, Jack didn’t want it to go to waste.

  “How did you get us here?” Bailey asked, standing tall.

  Jack nodded, completely understanding the tension in her eyes. “I’m sorry about the surprise abduction. We’re working on a strict timeline, and thought it would accelerate the whole process.”

  “See, he said ‘abduction’,” Bailey said, looking at Lewis as he studied the various instruments on a far shelf.

  “He meant ‘recruitment’, didn’t you, Uncle Jack?” Lewis said playfully.

  Jack had missed his nephew’s spirit, but he had understood Lewis’s need to get away—well, up until Jack desperately needed him.

  “Sure,” he conceded, earning a satisfied grin from Lewis as he continued strolling the office. “I brought you both here through special means, knowing that transporting you in the traditional way would take too much time.”

  “Not to mention that I would have said no,” Lewis stated casually.

  Jack held up his hands in surrender. “Just hear me out, Lew.”

  “Mr. Renfro,” Bailey said, her voice anxious. “My captain will wonder what’s happened to me. I have training in the morning, and—”

  “He’s already taken care of that for you,” Lewis said, placing his hand on the wall of the ship and closing his eyes, listening.

  “How do you know that, Harlowe?” Bailey asked him, paranoia flaring in her eyes.

  Jack answered, “Lewis has a way of picking up on things. I’m fairly certain he’s figured out a lot of what’s going on here. As for your captain, yes, he’s already been informed about your absence. As I said before, I apologize for our methods. We called in a favor to get you here quickly.”

  Lewis pulled his hand off the wall, his eyes popping open. “Then we’d better get down to business. I’ll take a whiskey neat.”

  Jack smiled. “We both know you don’t drink when you’re on a case.”

  Lewis pointed his pinky in Jack’s direction, one of the many gestures unique to his nephew that he’d missed in his absence. “And we both know I’m not working a case.” He strode for the decanters sitting on the marble table in the corner.

  Jack looked at Bailey and extended a hand to the leather seats sitting in front of his desk. She was as pretty as she was smart, but he knew from reading her file that being noticed for her looks was a sore spot for her. Maybe this was her chance to get the break she wanted, one where her intellect was appreciated, and the options were limitless. Ghost Squadron didn’t judge. Crew members made their own future. “Please, have a seat,” he requested.

  She hesitated before sitting in a chair.

  “Lieutenant, can I get you something?” Lewis asked. “I’m having a double, since I can see the future and know I’m going to need it.”

  Bailey shook her head and perched on the edge of the chair. “No, thanks. I just want to know why I’m here.”

  Jack nodded, strolling around his large and ornately carved desk to take a seat. “Yes, and you deserve answers.” He pointed at the desk. “This ship was the headquarters for Ghost Squadron, a rogue outfit that fought for the Federation on the fringe.”

  “Interesting,” Lewis said, drawing out the word as he took a seat next to Bailey, a drink in his hand.

  “Why would the Federation have a rogue squadron?” Bailey asked.

  Jack nodded. Knowledge of Ghost Squadron was classified, so not many knew they even existed. “There’s a lot of politics that causes the Federation to behave a bit cautiously. Problems brewing on the frontier aren’t considered the Federation’s domain, however, if we ignore them, they inevitably become our problem.”

  “So Ghost Squadron takes care of problems on the frontier for the Federation, but in disguise?” Bailey clarified.

  “Did. Ghost Squadron did take care of these things,” Lewis corrected, taking a sip.

  Jack nodded to both of them. Lewis loved his semantics, which served him well. “Yes, which is where you two come in. Yesterday, this ship passed through a storm of sorts. It set off the alarms, but even more disconcerting, it took down Ricky Bobby’s shields. The crew thought they’d pass completely through the storm and be free of it, but…”

  “It wasn’t a storm,” Lewis guessed, setting his an
kle over his other leg.

  “Exactly, although we’re having trouble classifying it,” Jack explained.

  “What did this storm-slash-not-storm do?” Bailey asked.

  “I don’t know exactly. I wasn’t on the ship at the time, which is why I’m here to ask for your help,” Jack stated.

  A deep thumping echoed under their feet. Jack closed his eyes, letting out a weighty breath. “Whatever attacked Ricky Bobby made almost every single member on this ship disappear.”

  Bailey sat forward. “They disappeared? Like how you got us here?”

  Jack shook his head. “We had you teleported using a reliable method. Whatever took the crew… well, it’s a complete mystery. We have no idea where they went. Which is where you two come in.”

  Lewis drained his glass and set it on the desk. “Unfortunately, I no longer solve mysteries.”

  Jack sighed. “I know, but I need your help. You’re the best.”

  “There has to be other detectives out there,” Lewis argued.

  Jack ran his hand over his stubbled cheeks. “Yes, but Lew, this is my crew. I realize what I’m asking you to do. But—”

  Lewis stood suddenly, pushing out the chair behind him. “You’re asking me to get back into the game when you know I can’t.”

  “I know you don’t want to, but this is different,” Jack pressed. “It’s not connected to any of your old contacts. You’re starting over fresh. All I’m asking is for your help on this one case. That’s all.”

  Lewis dropped his chin, looking at him with hooded eyes.

  How long had Lewis been escaping from his old life? Jack had lost track. He knew what the guy’s last case had done to him, ruining him in a way that most men don’t come back from. But Lewis was better than that, and hopefully this would redeem him.

  “I’m not a detective anymore,” Lewis stated through clenched teeth.

  “No, you’re a farmhand; yet you already have ten different ideas regarding what’s going on here.” Jack leaned forward, his eyes brimming with intensity. “Do this one case for me, Lew. I need your help. The entire crew of this vessel simply disappeared without a trace. Wouldn’t you want the best looking for you, if you vanished?”