by JN Chaney
The man’s eyes widened. “Are you talking about Landon O’Toole?”
“Yeah, that’s the guy. Pretty scary. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a room with him.”
“When did you see him?”
“A few days ago,” I said, tapping my chin. “Yeah, maybe in the afternoon sometime.”
“Holy shit,” said the second guy. “We need to inform Command.”
“Easy,” insisted the first. “Let’s check security footage first.”
“Right, right.”
“Come on,” said the third, pushing past me.
The other two followed, heading to the Security office. When they arrived, they’d spend several hours trying to locate the man on the wanted poster, ultimately coming up empty.
At that point, they’d try their best to track me down. Hell, they might just find the security footage of me arriving with Abigail and Lex.
Not that it would matter. By the time they discovered the truth, I’d be halfway through a slip tunnel, gone to some undisclosed location.
I just had to move my ass before it was too late.
Seventeen
I disappeared into the elevator at the end of the promenade, hitting the button for deck 12, where the hotel waited.
While the doors closed, I tapped my ear and opened the com. “Any word from Abigail, Siggy?”
“I was about to tell you, sir. I have her on the line.”
“Patch her in.”
“Hello?” asked Abigail.
“Hey, it’s Jace. I need you to listen up.”
“Oh, is everything all right, Captain?”
“How fast can you get your shit and meet me in the hotel lobby?”
“What? Why are you asking?”
“The Union is here,” I explained. “They’re looking for both of us.”
There was a short break of silence. “I understand. Everyone’s here in the room. We can be ready in ten minutes.”
“Leave whatever you don’t need. Tell the others to hurry, otherwise we’re all fucked.”
“Is that Mr. Hughes?” I heard Lex ask. “Tell him I said, hi!”
“Just a second, sweety,” Abigail said in a soft voice. “Captain, are you absolutely certain about what you saw?”
The doors opened and two men, each dressed in a Union uniform, stood in front of me.
I swallowed hard.
Each of them looked at me. “Excuse us,” said the first one, a tall, pale fellow with white hair.
“Captain, did you hear me?” Abigail asked. “I asked if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” I said, then clicked off the com.
The two men looked at me, lifting their brows. “Pardon?” asked the second guy, who was thicker than his friend, with brown hair.
The door closed and the two men just stood there.
I glanced up at the display, which read deck 9. Still a few more left to go before the hotel. “Which floor?” I asked, hovering my finger over the screen.
The first one nodded. “Twelve. Thanks.”
I pulled my finger back from the display.
Well, shit.
* * *
The two Union officers and I stepped out of the elevator and onto the hotel floor. I debated turning back around, but stopped myself, since it would look suspicious.
Better to wait here, as I planned. If these two jackasses didn’t leave by the time Abigail was here, I’d call and tell her to standby.
I felt the weight of my pistol resting beneath my coat. Not yet, I told myself.
The two men walked to the front desk and started talking to the receptionist.
I sat on a bench, far enough so I couldn’t hear them, but that also meant they wouldn’t hear me. I tapped my ear and opened a channel. “Siggy, put Abigail through,” I whispered, turning my head away from the men.
A second later, I heard the nun’s voice. “Captain? What’s going on?”
“Don’t come out,” I muttered. “There’s Union officers here. Wait inside until I tell you, but be ready.”
“Okay…just a moment,” she said, and I heard shuffling sounds on the other side of the line. “This way, Lex. Stay here, right behind me. Yes, right there. Good girl. Okay, Captain, we’re standing by for your mark.”
“Excuse me, sir,” I heard a voice say.
I turned my head back to see the white-haired officer looking down at me. “Uh, yeah?”
His partner was still at the desk, talking to the clerk.
“Why are you sitting here alone? Are you waiting for someone?” asked the white-haired man.
“I wanted to rest my feet,” I said.
“Why not return to your room?” he asked.
I clenched my teeth. What the fuck was this guy’s problem? A sudden urge to grab my pistol rose in my stomach, but I suppressed it. “I’m fine here.”
He gave me a look that told me my statement wasn’t enough. I’d have to embellish something.
With a dramatic sigh, I crossed my arms. “If you must know, pal, I have a bladder problem and pissed the bed last night. It’s a serious medical problem and I’m not proud of it.”
“You…did what?” the guy asked, looking down at my crotch.
“Oh yeah, like you didn’t hear me. Look, I was just on Praxus III and I slept with the wrong girl. Is that what you wanna hear? Fucking bladder’s out of control.”
He took a step back. “Oh, that’s disgusting.”
“Yeah, thanks for making me relive it.” I got to my feet. “I can’t wait to get my ass home. No more vacations for me.”
“Sorry to bother you,” said the officer. He went back to the counter to join his friend, a disturbed look in his eyes.
Asshole, I thought.
The two men took a card from the clerk before turning to leave. “Let’s start with room 201 and go from there,” said the white-haired man.
They passed me and began heading through the hall to my left. There were only two directions and I had no idea which one had Abigail’s room.
I tapped my ear again. “Abigail? You read me?”
The line clicked. “One moment, sir,” said Siggy. “Connecting you.”
“Hello?” said the nun.
“What room are you in?” I asked her, quickly.
“212,” she said. “Why?”
I glanced at the sign on the wall near the elevator. Odd numbers to the left, even numbers to the right.
I leaned to the side and glanced at the two Union officers. “Wait for my signal,” I told Abigail. “Just a second.”
“Right,” she answered. “Everyone, stay close and be ready.”
I watched the two men touch the door with the card the clerk had given them. A moment later, it opened, and they began talking to the person inside. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but they seemed to have little trouble getting the resident to let them in.
As they disappeared into the room, I got to my feet. “Now, come out and move!”
I heard a door open on the other side of the hall. A crowd of familiar faces unloaded from the room, carrying luggage and hurrying toward me. Abigail, Lex, Freddie, Hitchens, and Octavia were all here and ready to go.
I hit the elevator button, not realizing that it would take a few seconds for the lift to reach us. Why hadn’t I thought of bringing it up sooner?
Abigail came up to my side in a mad hurry. “What’s the problem?”
“Elevator. Just hang on.”
“Mr. Hughes? What are you doing here?” asked Lex.
“He’s here to help,” said Freddie. “Right, Captain?”
The elevator arrived and the doors opened. “Get inside,” I told them.
I heard the sound of another door opening, the one the two officers had gone into. They entered the hall, glancing at me and the rest of the group.
The older man seemed to notice my fellow passengers. Specifically, the little albino girl with white hair standing beside me. “Hey! You, there!”
As the doors
closed in front of me, I waved at the two men. Bye-bye, I mouthed.
We descended from the upper deck and toward the bottom promenade. No doubt, the two idiot officers would inform their superiors within seconds. It wouldn’t be long before I had a swarm of soldiers coming after me.
That was only if I couldn’t reach my ship, of course. The Renegade Star was docked pretty close, but we’d have to move quickly.
“Let’s go!” I snapped as soon as the doors opened.
“Were those men with the Union?” asked Freddie as we began to move.
“What the fuck do you think?” I asked, rather bluntly. I went straight into the sea of civilians on the promenade, pushing them aside to make space for the others as they struggled to keep up.
We entered the main section of the shopping plaza, sluggishly wading through the mob. Hitchens was the slowest, stumbling to keep up, and scared shitless. He didn’t belong here, dodging Union officers and running for his freedom. None of these people did.
Behind us, an alarm sounded, and then it was everywhere at once. Two dozen red lights swirling on the walls. Holo-displays emitted warning signs, letting people know to take cover.
That was when I heard the gunshot. It was so loud that I couldn’t tell the direction.
A woman screamed, not far from where we were. The mob panicked, stumbling over each other, tripping and screaming as the frenzy and fear set in throughout the station.
The already thin crowd in the promenade dispersed, running into the nearby shops, which were closing their shutters in anticipation of what was about to unfold.
Another shot, and then I heard a man yell, “Stop them!”
I looked and saw three security personnel standing beside two Union soldiers. Only the soldiers had weapons, and they drew them in a hurry.
In a swift and fluid motion, I turned and unholstered my pistol, aiming with my body as I brought the men into my sights.
I pulled the trigger, the first shot striking the soldier directly in the side of his belly, pushing him back against the wall.
The second officer took aim at me, but before he could shoot, I sent a second round his way, striking his leg. He screamed, violently, and blindly fired the rifle in our direction.
Bullets soared through the promenade, hitting the walls behind me. One of the displays to my right shattered, scattering glass onto the floor.
“Move!” I yelled, grabbing Hitchens by the shoulder and shoving him. “Get your asses to The Star!”
Freddie was on his knees, clutching his arm, blood dripping between his fingers. I went to him and hoisted his arm over my shoulder. “What the fuck, Freddie! Get your ass up!”
“S-Sorry,” he muttered, a confused look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jace.”
Abigail came running, taking Freddie from me. “I’ve got him! We need you to cover us!”
I let him go and turned my attention back to the guards. The remaining security officers were making their way through the promenade, ready to put us on the floor. I raised my gun and fired above them, shattering one of the overhead lights. It sent sparks raining down on them, making them panic. “Back off or I’ll lay you out right here!” I shouted as I aimed the pistol at them.
They froze, raising their hands. They didn’t get paid enough to press this, unlike the Union soldiers who were currently writhing in pain behind them.
Abigail and Freddie continued on ahead of me, followed by Hitchens and Octavia. I waited for them to reach the docking bay at the end of the promenade, close to where my ship was waiting. We were almost there. I just had to hold this line for a little while longer.
The same elevators we’d used before suddenly dinged, and the doors slid open. The two men from the hotel appeared inside, making eye contact with me immediately. The one with the white hair dropped his mouth and pointed to me, while the other went for his gun.
Good thing I was faster.
I fired at them, hitting one in the shoulder. The two men ducked back inside, and unloading my entire magazine, buckling the elevator doors as they closed.
Without a second beat, I reloaded, darting my eyes between the elevator and the other set of guards across the promenade.
A loud cry jarred me, pulling my attention. It sounded like a small child. I scanned my eyes across the warzone, trying to find the one responsible.
“Make it stop!” screamed Lex. I turned to see her crouching several meters behind me, ducked beneath a large bench. How the fuck did she end up here alone? Why wasn’t she with the others?
I ran over to her, taking her by the wrist. “Get your ass to the ship, kid!”
Then there was a gunshot, and a bullet buzzed by me, hitting the wall behind us. The injured soldier that I’d downed was on his ass, struggling with his rifle. Before he could pull the trigger, I reacted without thinking, twisting where I stood and firing a single shot at him. The bullet struck his throat, shattering half his neck like a pimple, and he grasped desperately at his missing flesh. I was about to do the same to the other men beside him when I felt Lex tugging at my arm. “Mr. Hughes!”
I blinked, stopping myself. I had to get this kid to the ship. I had to get the fuck off this station. If I didn’t get her out of here now, she might end up dead.
I took the girl in my arms. “Hold onto me!”
She put her arms around my neck, squeezing me with more strength than I thought she had in her, and I darted towards the dock where my ship was waiting.
One of the two men from the elevator screamed in the distance, calling for more men, but we were already gone, running down the corridor.
Abigail and Octavia were waiting at the airlock for us, panic on their faces. “Oh gods!” shouted Abby, letting out her arms to take the girl.
I handed off the kid, then motioned for everyone to get inside the airlock. “Next time, keep a better eye on your shit, lady!”
I slammed my first on the release button, closing the doors. “Everyone alive?” I asked, holstering my gun. “Okay, good. Siggy, get us the hell out of here. Everyone else, strap yourselves in!”
Eighteen
“I’m afraid Taurus Station isn’t allowing us to separate,” said Sigmond.
“Attention vessel attempting to flee,” said a voice over the com. “Set down your weapons and prepare to be boarded.”
“As I was saying,” remarked the AI.
“Can you override the controls?” I asked.
“Station Security has initiated lockdown procedures, making it impossible.”
I looked at my passengers. “Anyone know how to hack a security system?”
None of them answered.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” I said, looking back to the airlock.
“Captain, I could attempt to pull us free, but the damage to the station would be significant,” said Sigmond.
“How bad?”
“The force of our pull would break the docking clamp from the wall, but it would leave a sizeable hole behind.”
“Would anyone be injured?”
“Not if they follow procedure,” theorized Sigmond. “The station walls should compensate by raising a shield to conceal the damage and protect station personnel from exposure.”
“What about damage to the ship?”
“Our hull would take some moderate strain, but it would remain intact. Atmosphere would be unaffected.”
“Captain, are you actually considering forcing our way free from the station?” asked Hitchens.
“The alternative is worse, trust me,” I said.
He dabbed his forehead with his red handkerchief. “Oh, goodness.”
“Let’s do it, Siggy. Yank us free, but as soon as we’re away from the station, I want you to open a tunnel.”
“What coordinates, sir?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “The opposite of Union space. I don’t give a shit.”
“That would be further into the Deadlands, towards Sarkonian occupied space,” said Siggy.
&nb
sp; The thought of taking my ship anywhere near Sarkonian territory made me sick, but it was better than risking the Union finding us. “That’ll work, but cloak us when we get there. We’re laying low for a while.”
“Right away, sir. All passengers, please fasten your safety harness and remain calm.”
Abigail looked at me as she clutched Lex in her arms. “Are you sure about this?”
I gave her a nod. “Trust me.”
I felt a vibration beneath my feet, a humming sound all through the ship, and it lingered for a moment as we all looked at each other. The thrusters were powering on, already beginning to burn.
Things were about to get bumpy.
I looked at the others. “Everyone hold onto some—”
The entire ship jerked, sending me to my knees as I gripped the railing along the wall. I held on tight with both my hands. Grinding sounds were coming from outside the ship, near the airlock.
I glanced at my passengers. Abigail and Lex had strapped themselves in, along with Freddie, who was still bleeding from his fresh wound. Octavia had her arms around Hitchens, who had also fallen to the floor. I heard a loud blast from beyond the airlock, followed by a series of rapid clicks.
Then, a sudden jerk forward.
The shaking stopped immediately, and I was able to get back on my feet. “Everyone okay?” I asked, looking first at Lex.
“We’re okay,” said Abigail.
“Us, too,” said Hitchens.
I went to the window to see the damage. The docking platform was torn to pieces, with chunks of debris floating outside the gaping, monstrous hole in the station’s wall.
A layer of metal slid down over it, shielding the deck from within, protecting the station from exposure.
As we made our escape, I noticed something trailing behind us—a large chunk of the wall, stuck to our airlock.
I’d have to deal with that later.
“Siggy, let’s go!” I barked.
“Opening a Tunnel,” said the AI.
“Where are we going?” asked Lex.
I started moving to the front of the ship. “As far as we can get,” I said as I left the lounge.
Inside the cockpit, the interface was already live and waiting for my authorization. The second I was seated, I tapped the activation button, launching a beam and opening a tunnel directly ahead.