Cold Revenge

by Jaleta Clegg

  Jervos reached over and stuck his own gnarled finger in the puddle of fluid that had gathered on the side of the tractor. He rubbed the liquid between his fingers.

  "The grit’s causing the problem," I said. "It clogs up the lines. The fuel can’t get through, so it burns unevenly. Clean it out and it should run." I hoped I’d gotten the settings right on the rest of it.

  "Well, dip me in sheep sh—" Jervos started. We were interrupted by the loud sputtering of a flitter that was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.

  I looked up. A battered hulk painted a shrieking shade of green settled in the space between the barn and the house. The cows showed sense and ran for the far side of their field. They huddled next to the fence, making loud cow noises.

  "That’ll be Heber," Jervos said when the racket of the flitter engine shut off. "How come you knew what was wrong and they didn’t?" He waved over at the porch where Tayvis and Jerimon had their heads together, deep in conversation.

  Watching them with their heads together made me nervous. "They’re not engineers," I said.

  Jervos nodded and wiped his hands on his greasy rag. The rag just smeared things around.

  A chunky man wearing a gaudy blue outfit swung down from the flitter. He posed, chest and belly jutting out, while he looked around. I assumed he was looking, he wore mirrored eye shields that wrapped around his face in a narrow band. He reached up with one square paw and pulled them down. He spotted Jervos and strutted over to us.

  "You got some kind of problem?" he asked Jervos as he eyed me up and down.

  "These folks crashed in my field yesterday," Jervos said. "They need a lift to the port."

  The man I assumed was Heber pursed lips that would have made good docking bumpers. "How about I run a few checks on them?" He looked suspiciously at me. "Martha said there was three."

  "The others are over there," Jervos said, waving at the house.

  Martha came out the door. "Lunch," she hollered. "You staying, Heber? I got fried wings ready. Only take a moment to bring them out." She banged back through the door without waiting for Heber’s reply.

  "You talked me into it," he said, even though Martha couldn’t possibly have heard him. "Your wife’s one good cook, Jervos." He crunched up the path to the house without another look at me.

  "Don’t mind him," Jervos said. "He just likes to pretend he’s tough."

  "He wouldn’t last a minute against most of the people I know." I could have wiped the floor with him. If I’d wanted to. I was definitely feeling better. "That flitter needs tuned or it’s going to blow out on him."

  "He fancies himself a bit of a mechanic, fixes the fool thing himself," Jervos answered as we walked up to the house.

  Martha brought out trays of food and put them on a small table. Tayvis and Jerimon were both trying to be helpful and getting in each other’s way. They both picked up the same chair at the same time. Tayvis said something very quietly. Jerimon let go of the chair and went to pick up a different one.

  "Them boys don’t like each other much, do they?" Jervos said, watching them.

  "Not really." I didn’t give details and Jervos didn’t ask.

  Martha’s food was delicious.

  Heber ate more than I did. He wiped his hands on his pants, after his third helping of dessert, and stood. "Thank you kindly," he said, tipping his nonexistant hat at Martha. "I figure it’s time to run these three down to the station and ask some questions."

  I looked over at him. "How far are you flying?"

  He narrowed his eyes at me. "Why are you asking?"

  "Because that flitter isn’t going far, not without a bit of work."

  "I fixed it myself, just yesterday," Heber said, offended.

  "It needs tuned," I said. "I’m not flying in it unless you let me fix it first."

  "She’s not bad, Heber," Jervos said. "She got my tractor started. In just a few minutes."

  "Call it payment for giving us a lift," I said.

  "You some kind of engineer?" Heber asked.

  "Fully qualified." I was stretching the truth, but not far enough to hurt anything.

  Tayvis and Jerimon had been awfully quiet. I looked around for them. They walked off to the side of the house. Tayvis said something and Jerimon listened. It looked pretty serious. I debated on whether I had a chance of overhearing their conversation. Tayvis’ hearing was too good and I had never learned to walk as quietly as he did. I wouldn’t stand a chance.

  "I’ll give you one hour," Heber said. He slumped in his chair and folded his hands over his bulging belly. His eyes sagged closed and his head nodded forward. Some law enforcement, I thought, understanding the comments Jervos and Martha had made about him. He was still our best shot at getting to the port city without having to walk. I could stand him for an afternoon, if he was taking us closer to a ship.

  Chapter 32

  "You want to explain what you were thinking?" Tayvis led Jerimon around the side of the farmhouse.

  "About what? I wasn't planning on launching the escape pod. I was going to steal the whole ship. Their navigation system should be acting up about now. And the controls should be locked. They're going to have fun getting back in. It's set for my voice."

  "That isn't what I was referring to." Tayvis dropped hand on Jerimon's shoulder.

  Jerimon brushed the larger man's hand away. "Kissing Dace and passing her the key that let you out? They had me bugged, they were watching every step I made in there."

  "Then how did you manage to screw up their controls?"

  "They were only watching me with the two of you. They wanted me to convince Dace to spill her secrets. As if she has any. I was supposed to offer her a bargain. They wouldn't have kept it."

  "Who?"

  "Targon Syndicate. They want to know every connection Dace ever had so they can exploit it. Since she destroyed the shara trade, they're hurting for cash. They think she's got connections with some other crime syndicate. How else could she have demolished so much of their organization?"

  Tayvis' lip twitched.

  "They wouldn't believe that she did it all by herself, by accident." Jerimon hunched his shoulders. "I'm sorry about mixing her up with Targon, but I didn't have much of a choice. It was the only way to offer her a chance of surviving. They want her dead."

  "I've noticed. What was your plan? If you had one."

  Jerimon shot a glare at Tayvis. "It wasn't my plan."

  Tayvis ran a hand through his hair. "I know. It was Lowell's brilliant plan and it backfired. What was your plan for getting us away from whoever shot Darien Harris?"

  "What's yours? I don't report to you."

  "Yes, you do."

  Jerimon's gaze dropped to the insignia on Tayvis' collar. "I don't see that it matters now. Not your rank and not Lowell's plan. Or mine. We need a new plan."

  "We need more information and we can't get that until we get to the spaceport. Have you thought about your sister lately?"

  Jerimon grimaced. "I have no idea where they sent the ship. I tried to find out but it wasn't in the records I could access. I did what I could for her. With any luck, she and Clark have control of the Phoenix. It wasn't supposed to happen this way."

  "But it did."

  "How do you handle it when everything goes wrong? Lowell promised me he'd have dozens of agents waiting on Cygnus. But Harris wouldn't wait. I sent a message to Lowell, but I don't think it got through."

  "It got through. Lowell knows more than he's sharing. He's also scared. I've never seen him scared." He plucked a blossom off a bush growing next to the house. "It makes me curious. Anything you want to share?"

  "I've told you everything I know. My job was to get on Dace's ship and steer her to Cygnus. Darien Harris was supposed to be waiting there for me to deliver Dace to him. Jasyn was never supposed to even know until it was all over."

  "If I didn't need your help, I'd hold you down while Dace breaks your legs. You're going to have some major apologizing to do."
/>   "I didn't have a choice, Tayvis. Lowell at least offered Dace a chance at escaping Targon in one piece. What was I supposed to do, let Targon take their revenge? I had a chance to stop them. My turn to save her. Not that it would do any good. She hates me."

  "After betraying her like that? I don't blame her."

  "She hated me before." Jerimon shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm more worried about what Jasyn will do to me."

  "I'd be worried, too. So, let's start planning what we can. We need a way off this planet."

  "Shouldn't Dace be part of this?"

  "She's up to her elbows in the flitter engine and enjoying it. No, this is your chance to redeem yourself. Tell me everything Lowell told you about Targon. Fill in the details he forgot to tell me."

  Jerimon pursed his lips. "Where do I start?"

  Chapter 33

  I popped the cover on the flitter’s engine and prodded around inside. Half the hoses were loose. The other half were connected to the wrong places. It was a wonder the thing flew at all. The wires were old and cracking. The flitter should have been retired a long time ago. I borrowed Jervos’ tools and did the best I could with it.

  Heber startled me by tapping me on the shoulder some time later. I jumped and bashed my head on the engine cover.

  "You got it yet?" Heber asked. "Because we’re leaving now."

  I rubbed my head and answered, "Best I can do without the right tools. You really should take it in to a shop."

  He wriggled his lips. He was trying to smile, I realized. It was revolting. "You sit up front with me." If he thought that was safer, he wasn’t very smart. He turned around, looking for the other two.

  They were in the shade of the porch, playing cards with Jervos. Jervos noticed Heber’s look and said something to them. Jerimon pocketed the cards as they walked over.

  "You’ll take us to the port?" Jerimon asked.

  "I take you to the station and depending on your answers, I might take you a bit further," Heber said puffing up with importance. "We got laws here."

  "How much trouble do you want to borrow?" Tayvis asked Heber.

  "What are you talking about?" Heber tried not to look stupid and failed.

  "If you don’t get us to the port, some very nasty people are going to come looking for us," Tayvis said, as if he was reporting on the weather.

  "Get in and let’s get flying," Heber said.

  Heber was a decent pilot. He talked little, he was too busy concentrating on his flying. He flew us straight west. We crossed a lot of empty land and scattered farms. I saw exactly two groups of buildings that might have qualified as towns, very small ones.

  Near sunset he landed us near another grouping of buildings. I spotted three other flitters, all of them the same shocking green.

  "Headquarters," Heber said. "You answer questions and Aslid just might take you on into the port."

  Heber popped his door open and levered himself out. A woman came out of the closest building. She wore a uniform much like Heber’s except hers fit. I got out and flipped the seat forward so Tayvis and Jerimon could get out.

  The woman saw us and stopped, surprised.

  "That your trouble, Heber?" she asked, waving a hand at us. "I thought your flitter had finally crashed from the call you sent in. We were just getting ready to start searching."

  "Jervos says they crashed in his field yesterday," Heber explained without explaining anything.

  "You did great getting them here, Heber," she said and smiled brightly. "I’ll fill out the paperwork for you. I’ll make sure the commissioner knows what a great job you did."

  "You just do that, Aslid." Heber puffed up with pride and strutted away.

  "Idiot," Aslid said when Heber was out of earshot. She looked back at us. Her blond hair fluttered in a gust of breeze. "Come on inside. No sense standing out here. You three need to hide out for a day or two." She left that comment hanging and walked back into the building.

  "She knows something," Jerimon muttered.

  Tayvis gave him a withering look. "After you, Dace."

  "Will the two of you just give it up?" I chased after Aslid. I was dying of curiosity to know what they’d been saying to each other, but I was not going to give in and ask them. Not until I got one or the other alone.

  The building was prefab, a poured plascrete structure with minimal finishing. Aslid led us inside and introduced us to the commissioner. Commissioner Grey was older, silver haired and tough looking. She waved us to seats at a table.

  "Fetch us some dinner," she told Aslid, dismissing her. Aslid hurried out. Commissioner Grey pinned us to our chairs with her hard brown eyes. She pinned me at least, I don’t think Tayvis was the least bit intimidated by her. "You’ve got some people pretty stirred up," she said after much too long of a pause. "We had some ship hanging up there, sending down nasty messages. They couldn’t land and we don’t have a shuttle service. They finally left about an hour ago. Word went out to watch for fugitives." She eyed Tayvis, especially the clusters on his collar. "You don’t look like fugitives to me. What’s a Sector Commander doing way out here on Ophir?"

  "It’s complicated," Tayvis said.

  "So, start talking. You convince me and I’ll let Aslid fly you into the port, no questions asked. After that, though, you’re on your own. The port has it’s own jurisdiction that’s got nothing to do with us out here."

  "Fair enough," Tayvis said. He leaned back in his chair and proceeded to tell the most interesting story about chasing a smuggler and having his ship develop engine problems and having to commandeer my ship to keep chasing them and finally being outmaneuvered by the smugglers. Jerimon and I kept our mouths shut.

  Commissioner Grey laughed when he finished. "I don’t believe a word of it. But I doubt you’ll tell me the truth. Aslid can take you after you eat." She got up and walked across the room. She paused by the door. "You want to come back some day and tell me the real story?"

  "Some day, maybe," Tayvis said.

  She walked out.

  Jerimon shot a dark look at Tayvis. "What was that garbage all about? Why didn’t you just tell her?"

  "Haven’t you learned yet when to keep your mouth shut?" Tayvis said sharply.

  "I enjoyed listening to it," I said.

  "That’s because he didn’t make you the stupid one." Jerimon pouted.

  "It got us to the port, didn’t it?"

  "Not yet," Jerimon said.

  Aslid came back with food. She ate with us then took us up in her flitter, lifting into a moonlit sky. Her flitter was a lot better maintained than Heber’s. I sat in the back seat with Tayvis. Jerimon sat up front and pretended he knew how to fly a flitter. He was trying to impress Aslid.

  I looked out the window. I was not hungry, my bruises were starting to feel better, life was looking up. We still had to figure out where they’d taken the Phoenix. We still had to find a ship. But, despite everything, I felt good, relaxed and at peace. Things were finally starting to sort themselves out.

  Tayvis put his arm around me and pulled me over to lean on his shoulder. I snuggled up to him. He was warm and I felt safe next to him. Things were definitely better.

  Until the sneaky thought crept back in my head. Where was this going? Did I want to marry him? Did I want to marry anyone? I shifted away from him.

  He shot me a questioning look.

  "Bruises," I whispered and pretended I was more comfortable curled up with my back to him.

  I stared out the window at a dark landscape. I spotted occasional sparks of light, scattered farms most likely. What did I really want? I loved Tayvis, I knew that, but what future could we have? Would I be happy to keep on as we were? So far I’d seen him exactly once, for about an hour, when I wasn’t in trouble and running from someone. Lowell had spoiled that hour. How well did we really know each other? All of the doubts Jerimon had planted ran through my mind.

  The drone of the flitter’s engine finally lulled me into a light sleep. I dreamed of rain, for s
ome reason only my subconscious knew.

  Chapter 34

  I woke up as Aslid lowered the flitter to a gentle landing.

  "It’s about two hours to the port," she said. "I don’t dare fly closer. They’ve been really touchy about security the last few days. There’s a road down there." She pointed out the windscreen. "Follow it north and you should be able to see the city. You’ve got about three hours until daylight."

  We climbed out of the flitter and thanked her. She waited until we were down on the road before lifting away.

  "Strange world," Jerimon said. "Close off the port, sort of, but do nothing about the rest of it?"

  "Makes sense," Tayvis said as we started walking. "Targon controls what comes in and out. As long as it doesn’t interfere with their plans, they don’t really care what happens on the rest of the world."

  "So they closed the port because we managed to slip away?"

  "Where else would we be going?"

  They walked ahead of me. I trailed behind. Tayvis was ignoring me now. I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter, but it did. Just when I’d thought we’d worked things out, they had to get more complicated.

  Jerimon and Tayvis didn’t talk long. We walked in silence until the moon set. Tayvis glanced back every once in a while, making sure I was still following. The look on his face was unreadable.

  We stopped at the top of a low hill when the sky paled to pink and gray. The port city spread below us. It wasn’t very big. The landing field was just a patch of level dirt. I counted five ships, none of them very big. The ocean rolled beyond the edge of the city, spreading to the far horizon.

  "I’ll go down and check it out," Jerimon said.

  "You’ll go down and turn us in," I complained. "I don’t trust you, Jerimon."

  "After I smuggled you a key?" Jerimon smirked.

  "I wouldn’t have needed it if you hadn’t sold us out. How could you, Jerimon?"

  "Shut up, Dace," Tayvis said. "He’s right. He’s the only one that won’t attract a lot of attention."

  I looked at the way we were dressed and had to concede they were right. I still didn’t like it. "I don’t trust him, Tayvis."