“I’ll hail you when I have her on the line.”
“Thanks, Ice.” Well, at least the water should still be working. We wouldn’t have to burn through atmo to land on the station, so Kyra wouldn’t have rerouted the supply to cool the main engine, again. Two showers in one day was a little extravagant even with the state of the art hydro-cycler we used, but I couldn’t help it. Not to mention we would be refilling the tanks on the station, so if there was ever a time to be extravagant, it was now.
After the shower, I took my clothes out of the recycler and gave them a sniff, good as new. They even had a slight hint of some kind of soap to them. It was a nice touch. When I delivered the items, I had to play the part of dashing space mercenary. It’s kind of what I did, plus I had a reputation to uphold. Out here our word is what keeps us alive. Cross the wrong people and you’ll find yourself on the wrong side of an airlock, faster than you can spit.
The commlink beeped in my ear. “I have Kitra for you, Captain.”
The screen flashed by my bunk, and I turned around, my shirt still open, but at least I had my pants on this time. I saw Kitra’s eyes widen in surprise, and maybe just a hint of lust.
“Captain Drake, it’s good to see you again.”
“You to Lu…” She started to scowl, and I came back to my senses. “Kitra.” She looked relieved that I had remembered. I slowly started to button my shirt. “We will be arriving at Zimmora in about two hours. We will need a place to dock.”
“You could have contacted any of my people for that Captain, is that really all you wanted?”
“To be honest Kitra, I was hoping to arrange a little face time with you so we could catch up. These holo-calls are so impersonal, don’t you think? Plus, there isn’t a person I know that is more connected to the pulse of the galaxy then you are.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere. How long will you be staying this time, Captain Drake?”
I didn’t miss that she used my title. That meant my chances for spending any alone time with her were slim. Lulu was probably still upset that I didn’t want to stay on the station with her forever. I wasn’t the type of guy you could settle down like that. I needed to be on the move. “Probably not much longer than a day or two, it’s just a pit stop to resupply and pick our next job from Quaid.”
“That’s a shame. If you ever get tired of working inside the confine of your guild’s laws, I pay better, and the benefits are to die for. It’s a little more fun being dangerous.” She flashed a wicked smile at me. “Don’t you think?”
I couldn’t help but smile back. She had just the right amount of husky seduction in her voice to keep me hanging on every word. If the guild didn’t work mostly within the law, I might have considered her offer. As it was, they provided us some protection from the N.E.A, although nowhere near as much as I would have liked. “Kitra, if the day ever comes when I need to cross that line, you’ll be my first call.”
“Pity.” She said moving a hand down the side of her chest drawing my attention to her breasts. Damn, everything this woman did was a ploy to control me. It was hard to admit, but I loved it. “I’ll have one of my people send over the docking information to your pilot.” She smiled again and ran her tongue over her lips. “Meet me for dinner tonight; I’ll be at Crusoe’s at eight.”
“I’ll be there,” I said while drinking in her appearance. I couldn’t help it; Lulu had always been intoxicating.
“You better be.”
The screen went blank.
“Ice, buzz me when we’re docked and let Maze and Gabe know they need to be ready to go as soon as the ship has clearance to board Zimmora.”
“Sure thing, Captain.”
Lulu wasn’t leaving me a lot of time to get the cargo delivered before I had to meet her, but there was no way I was risking leaving the package on my ship overnight. Zimmora Station wasn’t exactly the kind of place you could just leave things unattended. The station had once been a pirate outpost. Even today it clung to its outlaw roots, although in a much more respectable manner.
The station also wasn’t exactly free from random N.E.A. inspections, although most of the time they would have to be sanctioned by one of the station’s leaders. They paid the Alliance enough money to stay away, but you never knew who was going to be able to pay more. We paid a pretty heavy price to dock and do business here, but the protection from the eyes of the law made it worth it.
Docking at one of Kitra’s private ports would buy us a little more privacy from unwanted attention; that didn’t mean that ships in her quadrant didn’t get boarded sometimes. Like anyone with power, she had rival and they weren’t above using the N.E.A. to do their dirty work. She had secured enough of the ownership in the station to make more than a few people nervous. If she continued unchecked, she would own the entire thing outright one day. More than one person had accused her of killing her way to the top. I knew better than to accuse her of it. I knew that she had done it, and that was enough. Lulu was a stone cold killer, as ruthless as they came. Anyone that harbored any illusions otherwise was probably already dead.
The bridge of the ship was a tangle of wires and jerry-rigged platforms to hold all of Ice’s computer gear. The gear itself was a custom-built hodgepodge of scrapped together parts that worked better than a system used by one of the corporations. Ice could do things with it that I hadn’t thought possible. So while it cluttered up the bridge and made more than three people entering the space impossible, I let her keep it the way she wanted.
“Can you pull up the station on the view screen?”
“Sure thing Captain.”
The station looked bigger then I remembered, it looked as though they had started building a new wing. Soon it would be the largest station in the midrim, and that meant increased patrols. While the N.E.A. might only be allowed to conduct targeted raids inside of the complex, their ships could be spotted patrolling the space around the station. Once you were no longer docked at the station any protection it provided was void. Kitra did her best to pay the right people off but coming and going was always going to be risky.
Ice was hard at work on the ship’s controls. She didn’t use the view screen for any kind of navigation. It was purely on for my enjoyment. Instead, she watched her monitors for pure data. How fast were we going, how many meters of clearance did we have, that kind of stuff. The data gave her an unbiased view of exactly what was happening around us without the clutter of a visual display. I’d never been able to fly like that, but since I didn’t have to use the system, it didn’t matter anymore.
A docking clamp moved away from the station and towards our ship. Ice navigated us around until we were in a perfect position. The ship shook slightly as the extended docking clamp clasped onto the side of the ship. Ice killed the engines and let the clamp do its work pulling us into the station. The ship shook one last time as the clamp locked us into place. It felt good to be back. Zimmora Station had its share of bad memories for me, but mostly it just felt like a second home.
“The airlock is sealed, Captain.” Ice looked up from her screens as she said it. The barest hint of a smile crossed her lips. She looked as if she were about to start bouncing in anticipation of what I was going to say next.
“You can go with Kyra.” Ice let out a squeal and leaped from her chair into my arms. “But remember we are here on business, and that comes first.” She broke the embrace and started heading for the door.
“You got it, Captain.”
“Make sure at least one of you has a blaster. This place isn’t exactly safe.” I realized the last statement I made had been totally pointless as Ice had already left the room. We had been on the station hundreds of times. They would be fine. Kyra knew what sections of the station to stay out of. I hoped that would be enough to keep them safe.
Gabe had the crate out of the concealed compartment and ready to go. That was one nice thing about working with professionals. I didn’t have to waste my time barking out pointless orders. Th
e crate had been loaded on a small hover plate, so moving it, this time would be much easier than carrying the bulky thing between us. He had a blaster rifle slung over his back and his knife on his hip.
Maze was leaning against the airlock. Her pose completely casual in nature, but I knew the truth. She was on edge. She always was when we made a drop-off or a pickup. We had been double-crossed more times than I liked to admit. This wasn’t an easy life, and if you didn’t show ruthless strength, it made you a target. We often had to remind people why we were one of the best.
She had her favorite long black trench coat on. It was custom tailored, to be fitted around the top and flared wider around her legs. I could see her pistols strapped to each thigh, and I knew she had a scattergun concealed against the small of her back. She finished off the look with a wide flat brimmed hat. It covered just enough of her face that when she kept it tilted down you could only see her mouth.
Not to be outdone and because I had a meeting with Lulu later, I was dressed to impress. My jacket was also custom made. It looked like your standard leather jacket, but had been retrofitted with ballistic plating, and had a kinetic damper. I could take a few blasts from either kind of weapon before I went down. My blaster was on my hip, and I had an older ballistic pistol tucked into the small of my back. We shouldn’t run into any problems, but what we planned for and what happened wasn’t always the same.
“Maze, take point, I’ll follow behind with Gabe. This should be the easiest part of our run. We drop off this crate and the mercenary guild delivers payment.”
Gabe just shot me a grin. Maze nodded once and opened the airlock. Without another word, we were on the move. From where we docked on the station, we would have to catch a turbo lift up three floors so we could make it to the drop-off. I hadn’t ever been to Rosario’s Cantina, but since our client owned it, there would be a first time for everything.
The station came alive around us as we exited the ship. Merchants lined one side of the walkway. They shouted out trying to get our attention on their wares. Space was an expensive commodity on the station; even these hallway stalls cost a fortune to run. Owning an actual shop or living quarters meant that your business was flourishing. The bright multicolored lights pulsed along the walls, as we headed for the lift.
Once we were inside, I let out a breath that I didn’t realize I had been holding. One more short walk and we would have made it safely to our destination. The lift doors opened a floor early, and two people tried to join us in the lift. I tapped my gun, and they thought better of it. The doors closed and we were on our way.
When the doors opened again for the final time, the corridor in front of us was empty. I looked at Maze, and she nodded, dashing out into the open space. Nothing happened so, Gabe and I exited the lift. Where were all the people? It didn’t make sense that they wouldn’t be here unless Rosario owned the entire floor. That would make him a bigger player than I had been expecting when I accepted the job.
We followed the corridor around in a circle and entered the only door on this level. Sound exploded out as the doors opened. The heavy beat of industrial music flowed around us. A line was formed to the side of the club. It looked like this was a cantina in name only. It was more of a drug-fueled dance club. The people of the station needed to blow off steam, and this was one of the places they could do it.
We cut around the line getting nasty glares from the people waiting to get in. The bouncer stepped forward ready to send us back. I motioned him over. “We have a package for Rosario.” The bouncer kept his gaze on us, the image being piped from his glasses to someone inside. A man walked out of the club wearing an electric blue suit.
He put a hand on the bouncer’s shoulder. “I’ll take it from here.” The bouncer moved back into his position in front of the growing crowd.
“Ah Captain Drake, it’s a pleasure to finally put a face to the legend.” He smiled. “Please follow me, Rosario is expecting you.”
It was my turn to take the point now, and Maze fell in behind Gabe. We followed the man into a side entrance of the club. He led us into a separate hallway that looked out on the dance floor. Thankfully the music had been toned down by the heavy glass. Bright lights swam across the dance floor, as the patrons thrashed about to the heavy beat of the music. Sometimes the lights shined up from the ground bathing the dancers in a mix of colors. Women and men danced in strategically placed cages around the floor, and the DJ had the crowd worked into a frenzy.”
“Is it always this busy?”
The man looked over his shoulder surprised that I had spoken. “We run at about ninety percent capacity eighteen hours of every day.”
Well, no wonder he could afford the entire floor. Maybe I should get out of the mercenary business and look into opening a club. Less risk and a hell of a lot more reward. We stepped into a private lift, headed to what I could only expect was the VIP room. Instead, when the doors opened, we found ourselves in a very practical office.
A small man moved around the desk in front of us. “Ah, Captain Drake, It’s good to see you. I trust the job went smoothly.”
“Everything went according to plan.”
He motioned for me to take a seat. “And I assume that is the package.”
“It is.”
“Do you mind if I check the contents before submitting payment?” He asked while tilting his head at an angle. The way it tilted reminded me of how a dog studies something when it is curious.
“That’s not how this works; you asked for a certain crate to be delivered. Here it is. Payment is made regardless of what’s inside.”
A frown appeared on his face. “Captain, I think we both know there is more to a delivery than that.”
“Not in my line of work, as long as the crate scans as the right one, you owe us the payment.”
He made a motion with his hand, and four guards came out of a hidden panel on the side of the room. Maze looked at me, and I motioned for her to stand down. What in the hell was this guy thinking? Breaking the terms of an agreement could earn a mark against him from the guild. That meant he wouldn’t be able to hire anyone again until he met whatever punishment the guild metered out.
“Hand over the package.” He said standing.
I rose to meet him. “Have your man scan it. If the scan matches the crate you asked us to retrieve, then you had better send the final payment. Otherwise, your retainer is forfeit, and the package and its contents become my property.” I moved a hand down to my hip, within easy reach of my pistol. This was quickly spinning out of control, but if you gave a man like this an inch, he would take everything from you.
“Oh, I wouldn’t let you leave with my merchandise.” A smile slowly played out across his lips. “How would it look if I let you steal from me? People would think that I was weak, and then those that wish to do me harm might try and seize that opening.”
“Then I suggest you complete our business. You get your crate, and we receive the rest of our payment.”
“I could always just have you killed.”
I motioned to Maze, keeping my gaze locked onto Rosario. Four simultaneous electric bursts flew across the room. All four of his guards shook as they were electrocuted and fell to the floor. Rosario's face turned red with anger, and maybe just the slightest hint of fear.
“They aren’t dead. We came here to do a job, not to start a war. Don’t mistake this as an act of kindness. If it comes to that, I will end you. No one threatens my crew.”
Rosario motioned for blue suit to step forward. He reached inside of his coat and pulled out the scanner. It beeped green indicating that the crate was indeed the right package. He gave a tight nod, and I watched as his assistant sent the payment through. One look at Maze was all I needed to confirm the funds had hit our account. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.” Gabe slid the crate off the loader and turned to exit the room.
“I can have another fifty men here in a matter of moments. I’ll be checking the merchandise be
fore you leave.” He moved towards the crate.
“The package is yours, do whatever you want with it. But if you try to stop my crew or me from leaving this room, getting a black mark from the guild will be the least of your problems. I’ll kill you before your men get here. Then when I walk out of here to meet Kitra for dinner, I’ll ask her nicely to wipe everything you have built here from the station. In a month, your legacy won’t be anything but a bad memory.”
He ignored what I said and opened the crate, pulling out a small bag of dark red powder. I could see that the entire crate was filled with them. Great just great. No wonder this guy was so on edge. We had been carrying a crate of crimson dust, the designer drug of choice in the midrim.
He smiled brightly heading back towards his desk. He cut the bag open and stuck a finger in it before placing it in his mouth. A look of contentment washed across his features. “Mr. Quaid didn’t lie about your talents for getting things done.” He nodded once to blue suit and the lift opened behind us.
I was going to fucking kill Quaid. We didn’t run drugs, and if we were going to the payment would have to be a hell of a lot higher than what we received here. Blue suit tapped something on his pad, and Maze’s eyes widened. I couldn’t ask what happened yet, but I had the feeling we had just earned a sizable bonus.
“Captain Drake, thank you so much. It has been a pleasure doing business with you.” Rosario slurred leaning back into his chair. I shook my head and headed into the lift. There was only so much wiggle room the mercenary guild had for breaking the law. Running drugs wasn’t part of their deal with the N.E.A. If word that guild was running drugs got out, their reputation would crumble. That would make the work we did would dry up in a flash. A snatch and grab of an impounded crate was one thing. It was on a whole different level when it was filled with crimson dust.
What in the hell had Quaid been thinking? He was supposed to screen our jobs to insure shit like this didn’t happen. I pushed the fury to the side. I had another meeting to attend to. “Stay close to the ship until I get back.”
Star Talon (Fortune Hunters Book 1) Page 2