Bad Rock Beat Down (The Milky Way Repo Series Book 2)

by Michael Prelee

  “That’s because he’s lying,” Cole said.

  “Yeah, and he’s really not good at it. What do you think is going on?”

  Cole shrugged. “I don’t know. It could be embezzlement. It could be shoddy bookkeeping and the guy is worried about losing his job.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “Or he may be banging the receptionist. Do we care? I mean, Epsilon Eridani is a ways out but the pay day on this one is really good. Whatever is going on between Crater Salvage and the bank is their problem. I say we go earn a good paycheck.”

  Nathan considered it for a moment. It seemed like a straight up deal and the visit really had been a courtesy. Cole had the right idea. Let Bao and Eldridge work out their own problems.

  “You’re right,” he said. “Let’s get paid.”

  He started the float car and it lifted a few centimeters off the ground, joining the traffic outside the parking lot.

  Chapter 5

  Eldridge rolled his head toward a light shining in his eyes. He raised his arms defensively, afraid whoever had attacked him in the Athena Star had come back. Something gripped his arm tightly and the light moved. When the spots cleared from his vision he realized it was a medic ‘bot.

  He shook his arm loose and sat up straight, realizing he was on a stretcher on the ground outside the wreck. The ‘bot took hold of his arm again. “Please stay still, sir, until the diagnostic scan is complete. It will only take a few seconds.”

  “Ari?”

  He heard the creak of springs on the utility cart and Ari appeared. “I’m right here.”

  “How am I?”

  “You’re a hell of a lot better than you have a right to be. What were you thinking, running off in the night like that?”

  Eldridge opened his mouth to explain but the ‘bot interrupted him. “Mr. Tanner is recovering nicely from the electrical shock. There is no permanent damage and his vital signs have returned to normal.”

  He stood up and hugged Ari. “I’m sorry; it was stupid to run off like that.”

  She resisted him for a moment and then returned the hug. “Yes it was. Now tell me what happened and make it good. One minute I’m in the tent getting all ready for sexy time with you and the next I have a ‘bot looking at me in the altogether telling me about you heading off to the wreck.”

  He grimaced. “I’m sorry about that but someone was out here. I figured they were scavenging the wreck. I thought I could scare them off.”

  “So why didn’t you take me with you? I could have literally ridden shotgun and saved you from getting knocked out.”

  “I didn’t take you because I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “How did that work out for you?”

  “Not so good. How did you find me?”

  “I took the service cart after you with the cooking ‘bot. We found you unconscious on the deck of the cargo bay.”

  He nodded slowly. “So you didn’t see anyone?”

  “No, just you, lying on the deck. You’ve been out ever since.”

  Eldridge moved back inside the cargo bay and Ari followed. He powered up a set of work lamps and the area flooded with light. Just as he remembered, the bay was empty. The ‘bots salvaging the wreck had cleared out every crate, pallet and shipping container. He turned back to the hatchway.

  “I came in through there and saw the light over there,” he said, pointing toward the rear of the cargo bay. “Then someone hit me and shocked me.”

  Ari put a hand on his shoulder. “The ‘bot and I found you right here,” she said, indicating an area to their right. “I called Fred out here and we treated you as best we could. Once we determined your injuries weren’t life threatening, Fred took a few ‘bots and checked the area but they didn’t find anything except your shotgun and flashlight. Are you still thinking scavengers?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. We’ve had people from Bad Rock sniffing around out here before but no one has ever been violent.”

  “I’m not sure they wanted to be violent. You were shocked, not shot and they emptied the shells from your gun. They didn’t even steal that.”

  “So they wanted something else.” He looked around and turned in a slow circle, taking in the large, empty area. “There’s really nothing else to be interested in here.” He wandered off in the direction he’d seen the light last night. There was an interior hatch and he opened it. The metal door squealed on hinges that were straining against the angle of the wreck. Eldridge and Ari stepped into the next compartment.

  “What’s that?” She said, pointing to a large tank.

  Eldridge pointed to a metal label near a gauge. It was marked NaK. “This is a reactor coolant storage tank full of sodium-potassium alloy. The label says it holds five thousand liters and,” he moved to the side and checked the pressure gauge, “it’s full. I think there’s another one in the compartment across the bay. This stuff is hazardous so we’ll need to be careful with it.”

  They crossed the bay and Eldridge noticed the door was already open and hanging at an odd angle. They stepped into the compartment. As he suspected, it had an identical tank. Eldridge checked the pressure gauge and saw it was full as well. He took a minute and looked around the space. Nothing appeared to have been tampered with. He pointed to the floor and they could see fresh footprints in the dust.

  “What were they doing in here, babe?” He said. “What were they looking for?”

  Ari shook her head. “Probably just scavengers, right? A couple of guys looking for precious metals in the wreckage. The ship is full of it. Maybe we should post more ‘bots as guards.”

  Eldridge nodded. “Yeah, that may be a good idea. They got past the ones working last night. I’ll assign an additional six or so tonight.”

  She put a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you back to camp. You need to talk to the local police.”

  He had a puzzled look on his face. “Why?”

  “They want you to make a statement. Do you really think I let someone knock you out on our jobsite and didn’t call Protective Services?”

  He gritted his teeth. “The local cops are hardly Protective Services and I don’t need Don Bell sniffing around out here. You should have asked me first.” He walked away from her. She reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him before he could get far.

  “Now you listen to me, Eldridge,” she said in the voice that was reserved for their most volatile disagreements. “Someone assaulted you. This isn’t just paying protection credits to some Syndicate clown. This is someone shocking you into unconsciousness. We don’t have to put up with that. If Dodger and his thugs want to escalate from nice quiet extortion to hurting us, that’s where I draw the line. I love you and no one gets to hurt you.”

  He put his arms around her and pulled her close. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have. I’m just trying to protect you.”

  “I know and you’re right. For all we know it wasn’t even Dodger or his boys. It may have been someone from town.”

  “Maybe, but either way it’s a good idea to report it.”

  He considered her for a moment and relented. “Okay, I’ll go see him.”

  She smiled and hugged him. “Thank you.”

  — «» —

  Turtle pulled into the parking lot of Dodge Em’s, a strip club on the south side of Bad Rock, and the rusty float car settled to the ground. He got out and Daryl followed him into the black building decorated with a red stripe that wrapped around the building with an arrow pointing at the entrance. Rusted out vehicles filled up about a third of the parking lot. Aside from the strip club, the rest of the block edged toward urban blight.

  “Did Dodger say why he wanted to see us?” Daryl said.

  Turtle shook his head. “No, but he’s pissed about something.”

  “Why do you say that?�
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  “The only time he talks to us is to give us an assignment or chew us out. He’s got us working out at the wreck site already so he must be pissed about something.”

  Daryl considered this for a moment. “Did you do anything?”

  Turtle gave him a sideways glance. “What makes you think it’s me?”

  “Because I haven’t done anything for the last couple months except sit in that dust and watch ‘bots sort garbage.”

  “Yeah and I’ve been right there beside you.”

  They grew quiet again and Turtle surveyed the abandoned buildings. He took a deep breath.

  “Okay, let’s go see what’s got him upset.”

  Daryl followed him. “You know he’s going to be high.”

  No doubt about that, Turtle knew. Dodger definitely used his own product. “If he is, don’t mention it. We don’t need to make him any angrier.” They reached the entrance door and Turtle pulled it open.

  The bouncer sitting on a stool inside the door nodded and waved them inside. A heavy bass beat pounded through the dimly lit club. A pair of holographic dancers, rather than real ones, gyrated on brass poles in the middle stage of three. Turtle could tell because the faster the images moved, the blurrier they became. He watched as a pretty brunette smiled in their direction, her face becoming a jittery smear half a second behind her movements.

  Turtle and Daryl walked through the maze of tables toward an office in the rear of the club. A second bouncer stood outside the door. This one didn’t sit on a stool and he eyed them as they approached. He nodded to his right.

  A set of lockers stood next to the door. Daryl opened one of them, removed a gun and holster from the rear of his belt and placed it inside. He closed the locker door and removed the key. Turtle didn’t carry.

  “He’s on a call,” the bouncer said. “Wait here.”

  A couple minutes went by and Turtle scanned the inside of the club. Unemployed men or those working the night shift populated the place. No one looked sober. Turtle knew they might not have credits for the rent but they could always find enough for booze and bare titties.

  He watched as the girls winked out of existence when their time expired. A hefty guy swiped his finger across a reader on the edge of the stage in front of him and a menu displayed in the air in front of him. Turtle watched him select a program and it started.

  The guard held a finger to his ear and then opened the door to let them in. They walked into the office and a light over the door turned green. He knew a scanner built into the doorframe checked them for weapons.

  Turtle made it three steps into the office and then a pool cue caught him across the back of his thighs. He sprawled out on the floor as his legs burned with pain. He grimaced and saw Daryl get thrown into a chair by a large man.

  “What the hell, Dodger? What are you doing?” He turned and saw the fat end of a pool cue swinging through the air. He had just enough time to curl into the fetal position before it crashed down on his left arm.

  The mobster breathed hard, sucking air through his mouth. He was shorter than both Turtle and Daryl but powerfully built. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties with long dark hair that had been dyed black. He had thick arms that attested to the hours spent working out in the gym he owned a couple blocks over. Thick curls of dark sweaty hair hung in his face as he glared at Turtle with watery red eyes.

  “You screwed up, asshole.”

  Turtle lowered his arms. “What did I do? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

  He gestured with the pool cue to the chairs in front of the office desk. “Sit down.”

  Turtle winced and got to his feet. His eyes never left Dodger as he slumped into the chair next to Daryl. He heard someone clear their throat and he turned to see Dodger’s right-hand man, Morris, standing behind Daryl with a gun in his hand.

  So, not a pleasant meeting.

  Dodger walked around behind his desk and spun the pool cue. Turtle noticed his hands shook and his eyes watered like he was having an allergic reaction. Turtle knew it really meant he’d been chewing Diamond K again. And that meant he would be high and unpredictable as hell.

  “Dodger, I don’t know what happened or why you’re upset but if you me give a chance I’m sure I can figure it out and solve the problem.” His legs ached where they’d been hit and he stretched them out as much as he could. The boss set the pool cue down on the desk in front of him and dropped into his chair.

  He had a plastic pouch in one hand and fished out a crystal with one thick finger. He popped it in his mouth and Turtle heard it crunch under his teeth. “We’ve had a problem with the Diamond K distribution. Your boy Bone Daddy screwed up and got his ship repossessed.” Dodger’s red eyes bored into him.

  “Luscious got his ship repo’d?”

  “He did,” Dodger said. “I thought you told me this clown could be trusted?”

  Turtle put his hands in front of him. “We grew up together in Louisiana, Dodger. He’s solid.”

  “Then explain his ship being seized with half a shipment of Diamond K on board? Instead of being delivered to a city on Mars a whole pallet is sitting on the wrong planet. That’s five million credits, Turtle.”

  “Are you sure, Dodger? It just sounds weird that his ship would be repossessed. He makes good money on tour and we pay him loads of credits. I don’t understand why he would get behind on loan payments.” He considered that for a moment. “Should he even have a loan?”

  Dodger raised an eyebrow. “I don’t care about his finances unless they interfere with my interests, and now they have. In addition to the Diamond K not being delivered, I have your idiot friend asking me what we’re going to do about it. Let me ask you, why is this my problem?”

  Turtle understood quickly. “It’s not. It’s mine. I’ll take care of this. I have some guys on Earth I’m friends with. Maybe they can get the shipment back from whoever has it.”

  Dodger leaned forward. “My concern is that whoever has the ship is going to find my product and when they do, Protective Services is going to want to talk to with Bone Daddy. If that happens, what are the odds your friend will keep his mouth shut?”

  Turtle nodded and thought a moment before answering. He had no illusions about Luscious taking the fall for having illegal contraband like Diamond K on his ship. Then his legs stung involuntarily where they had been hit and he thought about what Dodger would do to him for recommending Luscious in the first place.

  “Don’t you worry about him, Dodger. He may seem a little flaky but that’s just his stage act. Down deep he is a standup guy who won’t crack no matter how hard the cops come at him. You have my word.”

  Dodger eyed him. “He’s an asshole and a weak one at that. You brought him in, Turtle, so you’re responsible for him. If he spills his guts and we get a bunch of Protective Services agents out here snooping around, I’m holding you responsible. Do you understand me?”

  Turtle nodded. “Yes, I do. Just leave it to me. I’ll take care of it.” He thought for a moment. What he wanted, what he needed, was to get the heat off him and off Luscious. Then it came to him. “Are you sure the repo agency is legitimate?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, is it possible someone knew about the shipment on Luscious’s ship? Maybe they took the ship to get the stuff? Could this have been a trick?”

  Dodger picked up a mobi from the desk. “Your idiot friend said the outfit that grabbed it is called ‘Milky Way Repossessions’. Follow up on them and see if they’re for real. If they are, we know your friend is an idiot. If they aren’t, let me know and I’ll take care of them. You’re not the only one with friends back on Earth.”

  Turtle nodded. “Consider it done.”

  The room got quiet and Dodger helped himself to another crystal before speaking. “So what did you find out about that other thing?”


  It took Turtle a moment to switch gears and catch up with the change in topic but he got there after a moment. “The coolant tanks on the Athena Star are full,” Turtle said, “five thousand liters in each. The impact of the crash didn’t hurt them at all.”

  “Ten thousand liters,” Dodger said, “just sitting there. Does Tanner know what he has?”

  Turtle shook his head. “I don’t think so. He’s been giving priority to the precious metals in the equipment and the exotic alloys that make up the hull. He hasn’t said anything about recovering chemicals except to leave them alone. I think he sees them as a nuisance and only wants to deal with them when he must.”

  “We did have to get a little rough with him,” Daryl said.

  Dodger considered Turtle with eyes desperately in need of rest. “What happened?”

  Turtle brushed his greasy hair from his eyes and hesitated before speaking. He wanted to get his words just right. “Tanner saw us sneaking around the wreck last night and came out to investigate. I was inside checking the tanks and Daryl had to stun him to keep him from discovering us. He should be okay.”

  Dodger shifted his gaze to Daryl. “Does he know you did it?”

  “I don’t see how he could,” Daryl said. “I came up behind him. Serves him right anyway. He’s kind of a mouthy sonuvabitch.”

  Dodger turned back to Turtle. “What’s he talking about?”

  Daryl looked like he might say something stupid, maybe give Dodger a little lip about talking to Turtle instead of him. Turtle knew that wouldn’t be in anyone’s best interest so he cleared his throat to get control of the conversation. “Tanner came out to our pile yesterday complaining about the way we’re sorting. He thinks we’re going too slowly and holding him up.”

  Dodger leaned back in his chair. “How far behind is he?”

  “A month, maybe a little more. I heard him complaining to his girl about it.”

  “Are we getting our ton of salvage every day?”