Garbage Star (Galaxy Mavericks Book 4)

by Michael La Ronn

  “Yeah, you told me that story.”

  “The point is, bad guys aren’t stable. Just because they make a threat doesn’t mean they’re going to follow through with it.”

  “Why did they let you go the second time?”

  Papa Ito grinned. “The second time was worse. They tortured me, said all kinds of awful things to me, holed me up in a jail like a dog. Even fed me like one. Put my food in a dog’s bowl.”

  “I hate that story.”

  “You hate hearing it. I had to live it.”

  Eddie shrugged.

  “I prayed to God,” Papa Ito said. “Never was religious. Appreciated the church and all. But it never spoke to me. But I prayed like I never prayed before. And something happened to me in there. I became fearless.”

  “Was it God?”

  “Yep, it was Him. He gave me strength. After that, it was all me. I knew that whatever I did, I walked in the light. Even if they hurt me, I would be okay. Why else do you think I bought this rock in the middle of nowhere?”

  Eddie laughed.

  “You’ve got to have faith,” Papa Ito said. “Faith that everything will turn out all right, even if it won’t. I have faith in you. The whole family does.”

  Papa Ito grabbed Eddie’s hand.

  “This is your moment, Eddie,” Papa Ito said.

  Eddie didn’t know what to say.

  “That’s why you’ve got to leave me,” Papa Ito said. “Even if something happens to me—”

  Eddie took Papa Ito’s wheelchair and wheeled him back toward the pod. He left his grandfather at the front door.

  He turned.

  “Finally, you’re listening,” Papa Ito said.

  “You raised me never to abandon family,” Eddie said.

  “This is the exception. Go.”

  Eddie started down the sandy path. The nearest neighbor was a mile away; their pod glistened in the sunlight.

  “I’m keeping that promise,” Eddie said, jogging away.

  “Eddie, you have to listen to me—”

  But Eddie converted his jog to a run, and he ran as fast as the wind would carry him.

  In the sky, a black spot appeared just off Reader IV’s rings.

  Eddie thought it was strange. It was as if a piece of the sky had been ripped off the planet, exposing space.

  He didn’t have time to think.

  He kept running.

  Chapter 24

  Eddie’s neighbors were home. The couple—a middle-aged Asian couple whose kids had left for college—took Eddie back to his pod in their pickup truck and they agreed to watch Papa Ito.

  “You should already be gone!” Papa Ito said.

  But Eddie hugged him, kissed him on the cheek and said he would be back.

  Then he took the neighbor’s truck and barreled down the lone road toward town.

  The road was dusty and he spent the entire ride peering through haze.

  He couldn’t call anyone. He couldn’t stop. The drive was lonely and bumpy and nerve-wracking.

  His family might be anywhere in the galaxy now.

  There was only one thing left to do, and that was to find Ted.

  ***

  The Refugio Police Station #11 was a long rectangular bean shimmering on the sand. Unlike a pod home, it encompassed offices, emergency dispatch, and vehicle operations all under one roof. It reminded Eddie of a long silver caterpillar. Since the winds on Refugio could be powerful, the squad cars and patrol ships had to be parked inside.

  A garage door opened up on the side of the pod and a squad car raced out, its lights swirling and its sirens blaring.

  The car whooshed past Eddie. He wondered where it was going.

  He edged the truck into an asphalt parking lot in front of the bean and he parked jerkily.

  He fell out of the truck, tripping on the running board.

  He spit sand out of his mouth and brushed himself off.

  A shadow swept over the parking lot.

  A gray warship loomed overhead. An old school Interceptor. It was haggard, and the port of call was barely visible on the side of the ship, but it had more weapon bays that any ship he had ever seen.

  The ship lumbered down toward the sand, maneuvering slowly.

  He found himself staring at the ship and snapped himself out of it.

  He ran into the police pod.

  ***

  “I need to speak with Ted!” Eddie yelled as he ran into the pod.

  The police pod was quiet; several officers sat at desks chatting and drinking coffee. A female officer with a pony tail recognized him.

  “Hey, Eddie.”

  “Where’s Ted?” Eddie asked. “It’s an emergency!”

  The officer’s smile turned into a look of concern.

  “Where is he?” Eddie asked. “Tell me where he is!”

  “Ted’s gone,” the officer said.

  “Where did he go?” Eddie asked. “I need to page him—”

  The officer held up her hand. “What’s going on?”

  Eddie told the story rapidly, the officer’s eyes widened.

  “Are you sure about all of this?” she asked.

  “Yes!” Eddie shouted. “I’ve got to save my family. I need help. I’m begging you.”

  “Eddie,” the officer said, “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Ted left on vacation about two hours ago.”

  “Vacation?” Eddie asked.

  “Took his whole family to Kavios II.”

  “Huh,” Eddie said. He folded his arms. “Did he plan this?”

  “Don’t know. Had a lot of vacation to burn. Him and his wife are arguing again. It’s good for them. And with his daughter about to go to college…”

  “He’s gone?” Eddie asked, staggering back.

  The officer nodded incredulously. Her gaze was slightly sarcastic.

  “He…he was just here,” Eddie said. “When we were at the beach…”

  Eddie fell back into a chair on the wall.

  “He promised that he wouldn’t leave our side until the criminal was caught.”

  “I don’t know what he told you. I wasn’t there.”

  Eddie began to sweat. He wanted to lie down. He couldn’t take the idea that Ted had betrayed him. Family had betrayed him.

  “Well, uh—can you…help me?” Eddie said. His voice was weak.

  “When he left, he gave us specific orders,” the officer said. “We are not to make any decisions or take any actions regarding this case. It’s been turned over to GALPOL.”

  “But my family is in danger,” Eddie said. “They’re going to get killed by a madman.”

  “We’ve got our orders,” she said. “If you want, you can call GALPOL and tell them your concern. They might escalate your case. But I’ve heard the wait time on their end is ridiculous lately.”

  “So you’re telling me you can’t do anything,” Eddie said.

  “We can wire to GALPOL a description of the stolen ship and your family members,” the officer said. “And we can have all of our patrols search the moon and the area surrounding Reader IV. But the moment your man leaves the planetary line, we lose our jurisdiction. I suspect he’s gone already. Eddie? Hey, Eddie, it’s okay. Don’t cry.”

  The tears came swiftly and Eddie banged on a nearby desk.

  “Mi familia!” he cried. “Mi familia! Please help me! I can’t do this alone. I just don’t know what to do!”

  The officer put an arm on his shoulder.

  “I’ll make a call. But there’s really not much we can do. I’m really sorry.”

  Eddie slid out of the chair and beat his palms against the warm carpet.

  He began to shake uncontrollably.

  Alma.

  Dylan. His only son, Dylan!

  Delfino.

  Xiomara.

  Mama Tonia.

  They deserved better than this.

  He would have to bear the guilt with him for the rest of his life.

  The rest of the family would n
ever forgive him. They would ostracize him.

  And the family business. He wouldn’t be able to run it by himself. He would fall behind, lose the lucrative waste management contracts.

  Refugio would fall behind on the mortgage.

  Everyone on the moon would come to hate him.

  He would be all alone.

  Alone.

  And not even God was listening to his prayers!

  God had forsaken him.

  “I asked you, God,” Eddie said, yelling at the ceiling. “What did I do wrong? I didn’t mean for this. I was only trying to be righteous. I…I give up believing!”

  He curled into a ball. The tears wouldn’t come, but he couldn’t control himself.

  The officer bent down and rubbed his shoulder.

  “Eddie, it’s going to be okay.”

  He ignored her.

  She was lying.

  She was lying!

  He stopped shaking. He lie numb on the floor.

  “Get an ambulance,” the officer said.

  Then the door to the pod opened. Bright sunlight blinded him as three people entered.

  Eddie saw only their shoes.

  One wore men’s boots.

  The other, blue flats.

  The third, leather boots.

  The sunlight cast shadows on their faces until the door slammed.

  He hugged himself and rested his head on the carpet, staring at the wall.

  “We need to talk to the police chief,” a voice said. It was a low, strong woman’s voice.

  “He’s out,” the officer said.

  “Then where is the assistant chief?”

  “He’s on a conference call.”

  “Then interrupt him. This can’t wait.”

  “I’m sorry, who are you?” the officer asked.

  Another voice spoke. It was a female. She was feminine and her voice was light.

  “I told you this wasn’t a good idea.”

  A man spoke. “Had to try. If there’s nothing we can do, we better move on.”

  The first woman spoke again. “Listen to me, officer: you have a major problem on your hands. If you haven’t looked outside—which you probably haven’t given the nonchalant look on your face—you would see that there’s a growing black patch in the sky.”

  There were footsteps. Blinds rustling. And a gasp.

  “Oh my God,” the officer said.

  “What you see,” the first woman said, “is an alien race called Planet Eaters. The moment they appear, it’s too late. This entire planet is doomed, officer. That is why we are here. You need to mount an evacuation order. They are far enough away that if everyone leaves within the next thirty minutes, they may survive. But the question I’m going to ask you now, officer, is: what are you going to do about this?”

  The officer stammered. “I-I’ll go get the assistant chief.”

  More footsteps.

  Whispering.

  “Devika, is an evacuation possible?” the other woman asked.

  “We have to try,” Devika said.

  “He’s gonna get away,” the man said. “That’s what gets me. He did this crap deliberately because he knew we would do the right thing and stop.”

  “We’ll get him,” Devika said. “He and his band of henchmen can’t run forever.”

  Eddie sat up.

  Were they talking about…?

  Eddie wiped his eyes and noticed an outstretched hand in front of his face.

  A tall black man in a thermal shirt, jeans, and brown boots held out his hand with a concerning look.

  “You all right, man?” he asked.

  Eddie waved his hand away and tried to stand. He tripped and the man caught him.

  “Ought to take it easy,” the black man said.

  A woman in a blue blazer, pencil skirt with her hair tied in a ponytail stared at him.

  “You got a problem?” Eddie asked.

  The woman stammered.

  “Don’t stare, Keltie,” Devika said. “He’s obviously upset about something.”

  Eddie angered at the comment and wheeled around. An Indian woman in a black trench coat stared back at him. Her eyes were calm and her arms were folded.

  “Whatever your problems are, you’ve got more coming,” Devika said.

  “You don’t even know me,” Eddie said. “You didn’t just lose your whole family.”

  Keltie gasped. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Was it a murder?”

  “Murder?” Eddie asked, approaching Keltie. The black man stood between them. “A mad man kidnapped them, all because I did the right thing and didn’t give him the body!”

  “You’re not making any sense, man,” the black man said.

  “Let him be, Grayson,” Keltie said. “He’s understandably upset.”

  “How do I know you guys aren’t the ones who took them?” Eddie shouted. “Maybe you just put white tights over your head, and—”

  “Wait a minute,” Devika said. “What do you mean ‘white tights’?”

  “The one who kidnapped my family,” Eddie said sadly, “he and his gang wore white tights over their head.”

  Devika frowned. “Did he have a strange voice? Spoke in cryptic terms?”

  “Yeah,” Eddie said. “He did.”

  “About five foot seven, one hundred and seventy pounds, athletic build?” Devika asked.

  Eddie nodded. He wasn’t sure what to think.

  “White and black ship?” Devika asked.

  “Yes,” Eddie said. “Yes! Do you know where he is?”

  “He’s the one we’re after,” Devika said. “And he’s the one who unleashed the Planet Eaters.”

  “Planet Eaters?” Eddie asked.

  He looked outside by pulling the blinds down.

  Outside, a giant black cloud filled the sky. What had been a patch earlier was now half the size of Reader IV.

  “What the—”

  “They’re coming,” Devika said, “and it’s time to run.”

  Chapter 25

  “What do you mean we have to run?” Eddie asked. “Can’t we fight?”

  “Fighting is not possible,” Devika said.

  The female officer returned with the assistant chief, a lean white man in a blue uniform.

  The assistant chief looked outside. Then he cursed.

  “Sound the warning sirens,” he said. “I’ll have the mayor recommend evacuation.”

  The officers scrambled as a loud siren wailed from the pod.

  “We’ve done all we can,”Devika said, striding toward the door. “Grayson, Keltie, let’s go.”

  Eddie blocked their path.

  “You’re not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.”

  Devika pushed past him.

  “Stop!” Eddie cried, grabbing her arm.

  Then, the entire police station spun around him.

  He landed on his back. Hard.

  Devika had her hand in the center of his chest.

  “Don’t touch me.”

  Eddie gasped for air. The throw had winded him.

  “Listen. I’m trying to save my family. I’m desperate. I have to find them and I’m not going to stop until I do.”

  “We have the same enemy,” Devika said. “If we can stop him, we’ll do our best to help your family. But in the meantime, why don’t you focus on saving the rest of your planet?”

  The sirens swelled louder now.

  “Where is he going?” Eddie asked.

  “To a place too dangerous for the average person,” Devika said. “He’s stolen a garbage ship. Our reports tell us he’s seeking the solitude of a star.”

  “A star?” Eddie asked. “You mean Regina VII? The Garbage Star? La estrella de la vida?”

  “How do you know that?” Keltie asked.

  “I’m a garbage ship operator,” Eddie said. “The ship he stole is mine. I know that star better than anyone.”

  “He might be helpful, Devika,” Grayson said. “I don’t know the first thing ab
out that star. Or stars, period.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Eddie said.

  Devika folded her arms. “Do you know how to shoot a gun?”

  Eddie paused. Then he stammered.

  “N-no,” he said.

  “Do you know how to engage in self-defense maneuvers from an enemy Argus ship?”

  “Uh…no.”

  “Do you know how to fight?”

  “I won a fight in middle school once,” Eddie said.

  “Do you speak any alien languages?” Devika asked.

  “I speak Spanish,” Eddie said. “The way some people in the galaxy feel, it might as well be an alien language…”

  “What do you know about planetary geology, physics, or astronomy?”

  “Enough to tell you I’m not changing my mind!” Eddie said.

  “You have no skills,” Devika said.

  “I can fly a garbage ship,” Eddie said.

  “Those ships fly themselves,” Devika said.

  “Devika, time to go,” Grayson said. He patted Eddie on the shoulder. “Good luck, man.”

  Eddie followed them outside into the dusty air.

  “If you want to die going to the Garbage Star, be my guest,” Eddie said. “But I can get you there.”

  Keltie whispered something to Devika.

  “He has nothing to lose,” Keltie said. “Just like me. Let him come with us.”

  Devika turned.

  “Fine,” she said, “You can join us with two contingencies.”

  “Name them,” Eddie said.

  “The first is that you pull your weight. I’m sorry about your family, but there’s more at stake here than just a few lives.”

  “Got it. Sí, señorita. What’s the second thing?”

  Devika looked at the sky. The Planet Eaters had grown even more, and sky filled with a buzzing, like a million locusts. Red eyes appeared all throughout their dark spread.

  “The second contingent,” Devika said, “is that we survive.”

  Chapter 26

  The airlock of Devika’s warship was dark. When the bay doors closed, it took Eddie a moment to adjust.

  He was inside an early model Galaxy Interceptor. Once known for being the premier army warship, it had fallen out of use due to obsolescence. But its weapons, speed, and utility were still formidable.