Evolution: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 3)

by Sarah Noffke

  “I’ve been with the company for a while, ever since my pops disappeared. It’s hard surviving out there on your own, you know?” Knox ran his hand over his Mohawk, making it fall and bounce back slightly.

  “I think we do.” Eddie held out a hand. “I’m Captain Eddie Teach, and I promise I know exactly how hard it is to be alone out here.”

  Knox eyed the hand, but didn’t take it. Instead, his gaze swept to Julianna.

  Reading the question in his eyes, she said, “I’m Commander Julianna Fregin.”

  “And you’re all trying to defend against people like the Brotherhood?” asked Knox, then quickly added, “You know it’s impossible. They’re too big and too powerful, especially now.”

  Julianna took in a steadying breath. She didn’t think this guy was bad. Scared, but not bad—there was a big difference. “I think we’d all be a bit happier if you could list exactly what the Brotherhood took from Defiance. We know you’ve been through a lot and we’d like to offer you safety here on the ship, but we need—”

  “Safety in the brig, right?” challenged Knox.

  “Well, we don’t actually know you,” began Eddie. “Until we have more information—”

  “They took it all,” Knox burst out, looking frantic. “They took our whole armory, including six mini-nukes.”

  Eddie cast a quick look at Julianna, who kept her eyes on Knox. Nukes were strictly illegal in the Federation, so the notion that their enemy had acquired some was alarming, to say the least.

  “You said Felix Castile was there. What else can you tell us about him?” asked Julianna.

  “We don’t sell to just anyone. Commander Lytes, I believe it was, got Castile in contact with Mateo. I wouldn’t have even known about it, but the call came while we were working on my ship together,” explained Knox. He stood and began pacing, looking down at the floor like a rush of emotion was about to burst from him, then halted and brought his scared eyes to Eddie like he didn’t know what to say next.

  “Go on, son. What happened?” urged Eddie.

  Knox swallowed and resumed pacing. “We—Defiance, I mean—don’t deal with anyone we don’t know. We don’t want to get blown to bits, you know.” He laughed coldly. “I guess we dropped the ball on that, since most everyone was killed. Anyway, Mateo said he wouldn’t deal with Felix even though Commander Lytes vouched for him. That was when Felix offered another reference that Mateo trusted, someone on Ronin he knew well. A trustworthy client.”

  “You think this guy was lying?” asked Julianna.

  Knox shook his head. “I think this Felix person intimidated him. Axel has never lied to us before, and he had no reason to ruin relations with the Defiance. I trust him.”

  “Will you give us more information on this Axel person? Can we find him on Ronin?” asked Eddie.

  Knox shrugged. “I could, but I doubt he’d talk to you. If I’m right, he’s not going to trust anyone he doesn’t know—not after what Felix did.”

  Eddie twisted his lips, disappointed.

  “What if…” Julianna began. “What if you established contact for us? Set up a meeting? If you know this Axel person…”

  “Axel Link,” supplied Knox, “and yes, I’ve gone on a few runs to Ronin to supply him. He trusts me. Well, as much as he trusts anyone.”

  Eddie’s eyes looked renewed with excitement. “That’s great! If you can make contact with him, we may find a clue as to where Felix is hiding.”

  Knox looked unsure and chewed the inside of his cheek.

  Eddie could sympathize with his uncertainty. “We need to find out as much about Felix Castile and the Brotherhood as we can so we can take them down. Do you want to be part of that?”

  Knox paused for a long moment before he nodded slowly and answered, “Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. I’d love to watch those assholes pay.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Jack Renfro’s Office, QBS ArchAngel, Behemoth System

  Jack and Julianna were engaged in what sounded like a heated discussion when Eddie entered the office and he paused to study the two. They in turn stopped conversing to look at him.

  “If this is about the crate of Blue Ale that disappeared, I’ve got no leads,” said Eddie, taking a seat next to Julianna.

  Jack shook his head. “We stopped wondering about any missing alcohol after you joined.”

  Eddie winked. “Good call. I support that line of thinking.”

  Julianna pushed back in her chair, swiveling her chiseled and serious jaw in Eddie’s direction. “Jack seems to think that Knox should accompany us to meet with Axel Link.”

  “That’s a great idea!” Eddie said. His tone surprising Julianna, who reacted with revulsion. Seeing her face, Eddie shook his head. “A great idea for a crazy person, I mean.”

  Jack, always good-tempered, folded his hands on the top of his desk and gazed at them calmly. “I totally understand the Commander’s concerns about this Knox Gunnerson person—he’s a potential hazard to this crew and our mission—but I’ve checked out his records, and can attest that so far everything he’s told you adds up. Looks like his father went missing a long time ago, leaving him to fend for himself on the streets. He has no crimes on his record, and he’s tested negative for any narcotics.”

  “You had him tested?” Eddie pushed forward in his seat, alarmed.

  “We don’t know anything about him,” Jack explained.

  “We didn’t know anything about Lars either,” retorted Eddie.

  “But Lars saved our asses,” Julianna cut in.

  “Give this guy half a chance and he might do the same. He’s a fucking orphan.” Eddie didn’t know why he was so outraged, except that he felt sympathy for the boy. Knox had been labeled as a criminal automatically, it seemed, which gave him zero chance at redemption unless someone believed in him and gave him the opportunity to prove himself.

  Julianna frowned. “Teach, you want to adopt a bunch of puppies, do it on your own time. We have to be careful who we bring on this ship. We can’t let our guard down for just anyone.”

  Jack cut in with, “Understandably the Commander is worried about Knox going on this mission, but I think that pairing her caution with your openness is the perfect balance. Knox could be a live wire, or he could be exactly who we need to fill in a missing piece in the puzzle concerning Felix. We need something—anything!—that will tell us what he’s planning.”

  “We know that he has a personal vendetta against General Reynolds for something that happened long ago.”

  He was holding a grudge. That was all they knew about Felix Castile. The General had told them that he’d personally brief them on the history later. What was important now was getting a step ahead of Felix and cutting him off before he did too much damage.

  Chewing angrily on her lip, Julianna nodded. “I agree with that. Felix has an army now, and it’s bigger than before. If this Axel Link person knows something or someone with information, it could be the intel we need to solve this puzzle.”

  “Knox said he had Axel’s trust,” stated Jack, “which means you’re going to need him to get there. From what I can tell from reviewing the intel we have, Axel won’t talk to just anyone.” Jack tapped a pad on his desk, one that apparently contained all the information the Federation possessed on Axel. “He’s a retired weaponsmith, and is supposedly highly paranoid. He’s rumored to be holed up in a heavily-guarded old building somewhere on Ronin. You said Knox made runs there for Defiance, correct?”

  “That was what he said,” answered Eddie, trying to read the contents of the pad as Jack pushed it toward them.

  “Then I think the boy needs to go with you, especially because of the location,” said Jack.

  “The location?” asked Julianna just as the door opened behind them.

  Hatch, who was absentmindedly paging through notes on a pad he was holding in one of his tentacles, hardly looked up as he entered. Only then did Eddie realize that the chair on the other side of Julianna had been specially des
igned for Hatch.

  “Yes. The location is why I’ve invited Doctor A’Din Hatcherik to join us.” Jack offered a hand to the Londil, who took a seat in the modified chair. His tentacles found resting places on the many different arms.

  Hatch paused a moment to adjust before looking at Eddie. “Gun Barrel. That’s the city in which this weaponsmith lives.”

  “Do you know him?” asked Julianna, leaning forward.

  “Link? Oh, no. I’ve heard of him, though. He used to be a big deal in the weapons trade.” Eyes still resting on Eddie, Hatch continued, “You better be prepared, because Gun Barrel ain’t for the faint of heart. It’s a tough place, Teach. Make one dumb move and you’ll get yourself blown up.”

  “Doctor A’Din Hatcherik, you said there was something you could offer us,” urged Jack.

  “ArchAngel or Pip can give you facts on Gun Barrel. You can and should listen to them,” said Hatch as the monitor on the wall behind Jack flickered to life.

  “Did I hear my name?” asked ArchAngel, her face appearing on the display.

  “You didn’t,” Hatch said, puffing out his cheeks and looking annoyed.

  “I do believe that you said I should be listened to. Does that mean you count me as a resource?” asked ArchAngel, sounding amused.

  “I believe we are having a meeting,” said Hatch, looking away sharply.

  Eddie regarded the AI, and then Hatch. “I guess you two are having a bit of a spat. Seems like that kind of thing is bound to happen when you share a ship.”

  “Doctor A’Din Hatcherik prefers Pip over me, that’s all. He would rather wait around for Pip to help and not get a project done than rely on anyone else,” ArchAngel informed them.

  “What? What does she mean?” asked Julianna.

  “She means that her software is fried and needs to be deleted. I just find Pip to be more in line with my personality, that’s all. It’s kind of like Teach and me—we simply don’t get along,” said Hatch.

  “I love the hell out of you. What are you talking about?” asked Eddie, goading the mechanic.

  Julianna stroked her chin with her thumb. “Oh. Well, I guess I can understand having preferences, but still, ArchAngel is part of our team... Julianna’s voice trailed off and she had a strange expression on her face. She hadn’t been the same since Pip had become sentient. Eddie was going to get to the bottom of that—whatever was going on with her—one way or another.

  Jack cleared his throat and everyone looked at him, suddenly remembering why they were there. “Right. Doctor, you were saying?”

  Hatch wrapped two tentacles around the pad in front of him. “I was saying that Teach would die in Gun Barrel, but what I’d like to elaborate on is that there are both climate issues and a dress code. You won’t survive long in that city without minding both.”

  “The climate?” asked Julianna.

  Hatch tapped the screen and then began reading. “At any given time, the winds can be upward of thirty miles per hour.”

  “That’s not too bad. I’ve been in way worse,” said Eddie.

  “Except this is the dry desert, and the city is prone to dust storms. Have you ever seen one of those?” asked Hatch. He looked smug, like he knew the answer was going to be no.

  “If I did, then I slept through it,” teased Eddie.

  Hatch shot right back at him, “Well, a dust storm offers zero visibility and can suffocate you within a minute.”

  “Can you make us a dust-storm suit?” asked Eddie.

  “I could, but you’d be shot on the spot,” said Hatch with finality.

  Eddie jabbed his elbow playfully in Julianna’s direction. “I vote for no dust-storm suit, then. What do you say?”

  “You mentioned a dress code?” asked Julianna.

  Hatch puffed his cheeks. “Yes. This town was modeled after the old West on Earth, which fits the climate. There’s a main road, a saloon, horses, and a slew of cowboys.”

  “Cow-what?” asked Eddie, a wide grin forming on his face. He thought Hatch was kidding, but the look on the doctor’s quickly deflating cheeks told him otherwise.

  “Cowboys. If you hope to stroll through that town and not get shot immediately you’re going to need new clothes, something that won’t make you stick out,” explained Hatch.

  “Knox goes there, so why can’t we dress like him?” asked Eddie.

  “Have you looked at the boy? He doesn’t look anything like you two in your uniforms,” said Hatch.

  “So we need torn-up clothes and a funky haircut?” asked Eddie.

  “That would make you look like riffraff. You want to look superior enough that you don’t get everyone and their dog riled up. If you have the whole town shooting at you, you won’t make it out alive,” said Hatch.

  “But if we blend in?” asked Julianna.

  “Then you’ll stroll in there without a problem,” conceded Hatch. “You can find Axel and stroll out without being questioned.”

  “So what do we need to do, and what do we need to wear?” asked Julianna.

  Hatch spun the pad in his tentacles to face them. It showed a picture of a man wearing blue jeans, a crisscross-patterned shirt, and a Stetson hat. “You’re going to have to dress like cowboys.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Rooming Corridor, QBS ArchAngel, Behemoth System

  Eddie nodded to the guard outside Knox’s room. Julianna might have been right that he belonged in the brig, but Eddie just couldn’t sanction that. Instead they compromised, and a guard was stationed outside his room around the clock.

  “At ease,” he said when the guard saluted.

  Eddie pulled a beer out of the case he’d brought and handed it to the guard. “For you,” he said, then added, “when you’re off-duty, of course.”

  “Uh, yes, sir. Thank you,” said the guard, taking the beer with an awkward smile. He pressed a button on the wall, and the door to Knox’s room slid back to show him lying on his bed, hands clasped over his abdomen and eyes pinned on the ceiling.

  “Hey there,” said Eddie, plopping the case of Blue Ale on the floor between the stiff chair and the bed. The room wasn’t cozy, but it was definitely adequate. Eddie had certainly stayed in worse conditions—way worse. He suspected Knox had too.

  “Did you come to see if I was plotting to take over your ship?” asked Knox, his tone dull and bored.

  “Not my ship, just borrowing it as a base of operations for the time being.” Eddie popped the top off the beer using a churchkey and took a sip. “And no. I think you’re a pretty resourceful guy, but I don’t think you’d stand a chance of taking over this ship on your best day. No offense.”

  “Oh yeah?” asked Knox, sitting up. He eyed the case of beer before looking at Eddie.

  “Go on, I brought them for you. Well, for me too. Okay, I mostly brought them for me, since I’m guessing you’re a lightweight.” Eddie laughed, giving the kid an easy smile.

  Knox started to smirk, but stopped himself and grabbed a beer, although he didn’t open it. “I might be able to take this ship. You don’t know.”

  “Yeah? Watch this,” said Eddie. He cleared his throat. “ArchAngel?”

  “Yes, Eddie? What do you need?” asked ArchAngel’s voice overhead.

  Knox’s eyes widened in alarm as the AI spoke, causing Eddie to show a slight smile.

  “Who flies this ship?” asked Eddie.

  “I do, of course,” answered ArchAngel.

  “Can anyone take control from you, even someone who is quite resourceful?” challenged Eddie.

  “All scenarios predict that to be impossible, so, no. This will remain my ship,” said ArchAngel, “indefinitely.”

  “Thanks, ArchAngel. That’s all I wanted to know.” Eddie took another drink and leaned back in the chair, crossing his feet on the floor.

  “If you’re not worried about me taking over the ship, then what’s with the guard?” asked Knox.

  Eddie shrugged. “Just a precaution. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

/>   Knox used the key to open his own beer and tossed it on the table beside the bed, holding the beverage up slightly in Eddie’s direction as if in gratitude. “Was that an AI? I’ve heard about those, but I’ve never met one before.”

  “Sure was,” said Eddie, taking another pull.

  “You must have stolen this ship from the Federation then,” Knox deduced.

  Eddie didn’t correct him, just sipped his beer and studied the boy. He was young, yet had wisdom in his eyes. It must have been all those years of living on the fringe. Hardship in all its many forms often made for clever men.

  After a moment Knox said, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  Eddie shrugged like he wasn’t quite sure, even though he knew full well the reason. “We need you to take us directly to Axel instead of just arranging the meeting.”

  Knox didn’t seem shocked by the suggestion. “I was planning to do that…if it turned out you weren’t a bunch of assholes. Axel doesn’t allow any visitors in to see him except me. He’d smell something fishy if I set up a meeting. Not really the trusting type, I guess.”

  “Yeah?” asked Eddie.

  Knox nodded. “He shoots trespassers, but usually doesn’t kill them unless he has to.”

  “So, in one scenario you were going to allow us to walk in there and get ourselves shot?” asked Eddie, amused.

  “That would only have happened if you were assholes.” Knox held up the beer. “But you brought me a beer and honestly, so far you guys seem all right. A bit on the edgy side, but who on the fringe isn’t? I just haven’t figured out if I can trust you yet.”

  “Same here, but my instinct tells me I can,” agreed Eddie. He was watching Knox study the room, but suspected he was mostly putting things together in his brain. Knox was smart, and eventually he’d figure out what Eddie and Julianna were doing out here. It was only a matter of time.

  “That ship of yours,” began Eddie. “The Black Eagle. Where did you get it?”

  Knox smiled, his eyes a little distant as if he were remembering. “Catfish—that’s what I nicknamed her. Mateo gave her to me, let me paint her.”