The airlock opened on the side of the pursuit ship and Travis powered his suit towards the gap.
THIRTY-NINE
Blake touched the end of the blaster against the back of Avon’s head.
Avon, who was sitting in the forward seats on the Liberator’s flight deck, instantly froze. He could feel the clear muzzle touching his scalp. It was as cold as crystal. He had thought he was alone.
‘We never did finish that experiment,’ said Blake darkly.
‘No,’ ventured Avon.
‘There was no need to tip the biovores into Kroe’s spacesuit,’ Blake said.
‘My hand slipped.’
‘I wonder what would happen now if my hand slipped?’ Blake prodded the back of Avon’s head with the muzzle of the gun.
‘I’d die of shock, probably. You lack the mean streak required for cold blooded murder, Blake. Everyone knows that. Especially Travis. And probably Kilus Kroe did as well.’
‘You deliberately tipped those biovores into Kroe’s suit,’ Blake repeated. ‘Why?’
‘Does it matter? He was dead anyway. If the biovores didn’t get him, then the asteroid field would.’
‘One day your casual disregard for other people’s lives will backfire on you, Avon.’
‘I could say the same thing about you, Blake. In fact I believe I already have.’
‘Cally told me what happened to Stygo.’
‘He saved our lives,’ Avon acknowledged. ‘I never said I wasn’t grateful.’
‘Well, I am saying it.’ Blake pulled the gun up and clicked it back into place in its holster. ‘Thanks for coming back for me.’
‘Don’t mention it,’ Avon said. ‘Ever.’ He stood up and turned to face Blake. ‘Talking about gratitude, what’s happened to the handful of prisoners you did manage to free? Are they all queuing up to sign on for your revolution?’
Blake hesitated. ‘As a matter of fact, no. We saved twelve in total. From forty. Not exactly a resounding success. And it looks like Travis escaped too – Zen detected an emergency ejector seat. We think he was picked up by one of those pursuit ships.’
Avon grinned.
‘Something funny about that?’ Blake queried.
‘I’m sure Travis is no more thrilled by your survival than you are about his.’
Now Blake smiled too. ‘You may be right about that.’
‘What’s happened to the prisoners, then?’
‘Ah. The Liberator is currently in orbit around Palonar. It’s a neutral planet in the Vigal system. The prisoners have been teleported down. They can make new lives for themselves there, if they want. The colonists on Palonar need support. The more independent they are, the more chance there is that the Federation will leave them alone. And it’s a better life than on a penal planet.’
‘I suppose.’
‘And what about your friend, the Federation navigator?’
‘Zola?’ Avon raised an eyebrow. ‘She is a loyal servant of the Federation’s Civil Administration. I doubt she will be signing up with you either.’
‘Um…no,’ Blake said. ‘As a matter of fact she was all for taking the remaining prisoners back into Federation custody. I told her that she was welcome to try – once she’d been teleported down to Palonar with the rest of them.’
‘I’m impressed, Blake. Perhaps you have a mean streak after all.’
Blake stared at him. ‘Never doubt it, Avon. Never doubt it.’
Gan, Jenna and Cally filed onto the flight deck and quietly took up their positions. They looked sombre.
‘All the prisoners are down and safe,’ Gan reported.
‘Only they’re not prisoners any more,’ Jenna said, trying to inject a little positivity. ‘They’re free. Colonists, with a future.’
‘That sounds nice,’ Vila said wistfully. ‘Having a future, I mean.’
‘We should be ready to leave orbit very soon,’ Cally said.
‘Don’t be too disappointed with yourselves,’ Avon said, addressing the whole flight deck. ‘Not all criminals are cut out for revolution. In fact, I can’t think of any that are.’
‘You are a hard and uncaring man, Avon,’ Cally said.
‘It’s a hard and uncaring universe.’
‘Then it’s a good job we’re here,’ Blake said. He turned to face the viewer. ‘Zen – let’s go. Break orbit. Speed Standard by ten.’
‘CONFIRMED.’
BLAKE’S 7 BOOKS
FROM BIG FINISH
1: THE FORGOTTEN
2: ARCHANGEL
3: LUCIFER
4: ANTHOLOGY
5: LUCIFER: REVELATION
6: CRIMINAL INTENT
COMING SOON
7: LUCIFER: GENESIS
www.bigfinish.com
Blake's 7: Criminal Intent Page 21