Samantha was sitting in the pilot’s chair, leaving me wondering where my actual pilot was. She was supposed to be on the bridge watching Samantha. Sure she had three months of lessons under her belt, but I still wanted someone watching over her. I tried to shrug off the unease I was feeling. What could go wrong? I flashed Samantha a quick smile and slid into the chair next to her. I leaned back so I could see her controls and tried to cover up what I was doing by kicking my feet up on the console in front of me.
There was no way to tell if she bought my act or not so I abandoned subtlety and asked the question that was really on my mind. “Where’s Ice?”
“She said something about making sure Kyra knew who took care of her before turning her loose on a ship full of temptations.”
“Temptation Island,” I said it without thinking. Sixty pairs of gorgeous legs flashed through my mind. I could see them and everything that was attached to them as clearly as if I was still in the common room. My cheeks heated up as I looked over at Samantha. Baggy clothes, I had to remember the baggy clothes.
“Why Captain, did you just call me a temptation?” she said with a knowing smirk.
“Actually I believe that I referred to a mythical island only populated by women with great legs.”
“And what, you’re saying I wouldn’t belong on the island.” Samantha pouted her lips looking upset.
It’s a trap, my mind screamed back at me. So instead of answering her question, I chose to completely ignore it. I met her eyes and hit her with something that she wasn’t expecting. “So you think you can get us in the air?”
The glare I received from Samantha was all the response I needed. She made a noise that must have been her version of a scoff and said, “I probably fly this thing better than you do now.”
Ouch, that one hurt. Didn’t matter if it was true or not. “That’s only because I never get to fly her anymore. Too many damn ladies on this boat, and all of them want to be the pilot.”
“What does being a lady have to do with being a pilot?” Samantha arched one eyebrow in question letting me know my answer had better be damned good.
“Nothing, except for the fact I have two of them hogging all the fun. You don’t see Gabe trying to fly.”
“That’s because Gabe is only good at two things.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Care to elaborate?” I said knowing her answer was going to be good.
“I was going to say fighting and fucking, but I’m better than him at both.” She flashed me a mischievous grin. “The truth is he can blend in just about anywhere, and he’s not bad with a weapon.”
“As long as he doesn’t wear that damned hat,” I growled. There was no point in denying it, I hated that damn hat.
“Ok, so maybe he doesn’t blend in all the time, but he can do that detectivy stuff.”
“Now that’s the truth.” It was also fair to say that he could blend in. I actually used him on missions to do that particular job a lot. It never hurt to have eyes and ears inside before you tried to pull off a heist. Most of the time I even got him to leave that ridiculous hat back on the Talon. Turning back towards Samantha I said, “What do you say we get out of here?”
“I’ll let you take her up if you want?” She was still smirking as she hit the first button of her preflight check.
I just waved my hand at her to dismiss that as an option and kept my feet firmly planted on the console. It would be interesting to watch her work through the preflight checklist. It would also ease my mind to know she was doing everything right. Samantha looked over at me to make sure I wasn’t going to stop her and then quickly turned away and started running through her preflight diagnostics.
As Samantha finished, she shot one more questioning glance in my direction as if she were trying to decide if she should take off or not. I had been trying to keep my emotions in check, but I must have been giving off some anxiety. I wondered if this was what parents felt like when they tried to teach their kids to drive. Crashing a car was a little mistake compared to the cost of repairing the Talon. Not to mention falling out of the atmosphere like a rock tended to carry a higher risk of death by hitting the ground so hard you exploded into itty-bitty bits.
I shifted in my seat trying to get more comfortable and faked some nonchalance. “Carry on.” I was going to have to get used to giving up some of the control I was used to having. It wasn’t just Maze and me anymore. Back then I got to fly the Talon, and Maze got to lay down the law. Now I’d hired some of the best people in the verse, and I was still getting used to letting them do what they did best without getting in the way.
Samantha’s hands moved over the controls with a dexterity I could never hope to match. She released the clamps from the Talon and fired up the engines. The flight control tower commed with our final approval, and she lifted us gently into the air. The nose of the Talon found the sky, and we accelerated into the heavens. We hit one small bump of turbulence as we broke through Narshatal’s atmosphere and then we were back in the black. We moved away from the planet and then hovered in place for a moment to take in the view.
The planet was blue. It looked much like old earth did from up here. It wasn’t often we got to look down on planets that were over seventy percent water. It was beautiful from up here, making it easy to forget about the struggle people faced below us. Corporations continued to pay lower wages, as the cost of living went up. The fat cats at the top controlled so much, and the people working for them had to fight for everything that they had. I’d be angrier, but it kept men like me in business, as companies skirted the law for the hope of a little extra profit.
The trip to Skyfall Station wouldn’t take us that long. If we engaged the FTL drive we could be there in a few hours. This job wasn’t paying enough to cover that kind of service, so the three days it would take us to get there on regular engine power was going to have to do. Now that we were in the air and I was back in my element, I almost hoped we would see some of the pirates. Nothing made me feel better than ridding the verse of some extraterrestrial filth.
Three days would also give me enough time to line up our next job. I didn’t want to jump into anything too soon, but it helped to keep an eye on the boards because the good jobs went fast. If the right thing came up, our little break could wait. If it didn’t, I’d pick a place where we could relax for a week while I found just the right job. Sometimes I missed having a broker working to secure the best jobs for me, but after what happened to the last one, I just couldn’t bring myself to hire someone else.
I watched Samantha plug in our destination and then stood up. I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. I hope the gesture came off as more mentory than anything else. “You did well today.” She gave me a quick smile that made my heart skip a beat and then went back to work. It was time to see if I could track down Maze. All the while hoping her little offer of some alone time still stood.
Chapter 6
Captain Drake
The blaring of the ship’s proximity alarm woke me from a deep slumber. Maze was already sliding on her pants before I made it out of bed. She had her shirt on by the time I hit the comm button on the wall. Sometimes I envied her ability to move so quickly. She was already dressed and strapping on weapons while I was standing naked next to the door of our cabin.
I hit the button to call the bridge. “Talk to me.”
“We’ve got a problem,” Ice’s voice replied so quickly it was almost panicked.
“I think the blaring alarms gave that away. Turn that shit off and tell me what’s going on.”
The alarms cut off and Maze handed me a bundle of clothes before heading out the door. I started pulling on my boxers when Ice responded.
“We’ve got ships coming in hot, Captain. Five or six of them from what the sensors are telling me.”
Five or six? Well, I wasn’t expecting that. “Pirates?” I asked.
Funny how just before our little na
p I had hoped for a little action, and now all I wanted to do was avoid it. We could jump into FTL, but that would make this job a loss, and there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t follow us. It was a good thing I tossed on that ten thousand credit danger clause, cause we were about to spend it.
“Well the ships aren’t big enough to be slavers,” Ice replied. “Other than that I can’t tell you much of anything.”
“Have you tried to comm them?”
“Captain, isn’t that why you make the big credits?”
I finished pulling on my shirt and started hunting around the room for my guns. I just started to strap one on my thigh as I called over my shoulder. “Try and patch me into one of their ships and send someone to get Gabe out of bed.”
“Wouldn’t the alarm already have done that?” Ice asked, sounding incredulous that anyone could sleep through the ship's alarms.
“That depends on if he could hear it or not. Just send Kyra to go get him, and get me someone on one of those damned ships to talk to.”
“You got it, Cap,” Ice replied, and the line went dead.
My other pistol slid into place, and I moved towards the wall on the other side of the bed. Placing my hand against the hidden sensor unlocked a panel. I had thought Maze was crazy to insist on adding the additional security, but now she would get to hit me with a big fat I told you so. Apparently, she was right when she said that you might not always have time to make it to the weapons locker.
I was in the process of slipping a few extra energy packs into the pockets of my jacket when the comm beeped. Ice would have already connected me to the other ship so I just started talking.
“This is Captain Drake of the Star Talon, please state your intentions.”
“Ah, Captain Drake is a name I have heard of before.” A gravelly voice drawled over the comm. “You killed a few of my friends a while back.”
Shit. That wasn’t going to help with negotiations. “That doesn’t exactly put you in exclusive company.” Killing a few pirates didn’t register anything in my memory. I still had no idea who this guy was. “I’m still waiting to hear why you are approaching my ship with your weapons activated.”
“It’s simple really. Something I thought a man of your reputation would understand. Maybe reputation isn’t everything, after all.” The voice paused, and I could just make out a few chuckles from the men in the room around whoever was speaking. “You have something I want, and if I have to kill you to get it, well let’s just say I’m more than happy to do so.”
Fucking pirates, they only knew one way to do business. We will kill you and take whatever we can salvage afterward. The problem for him was if he came for the sixty lovely ladies sitting in the common room, then he couldn’t just blow us out of the air. “Well if we are going to start negotiations, you need to tell me who I’m speaking with.”
“We don’t negotiate, Captain. You will power down your vessel and open your airlock. If what we want is waiting for us in the cargobay then we will let you and your crew live.”
Well I didn’t believe that for a second. You couldn’t steal a ship with a living crew. “You still haven’t told me your name.”
“You may address me as Solonos. Do you agree to our terms?”
“Fuck no. I just wanted to know the name of the man stupid enough to come after the Talon before I blew him into space dust.”
I hit the button to close the comm channel and started running towards the bridge. I hit my newly inserted earpiece as I ran. “Maze and Samantha, I want you in the turrets now. Gabe, get our ladies locked into the common area, and then set up shop outside. I’m not planning on having any visitors, but if we do get them, be ready.”
This wasn’t exactly normal for a group of pirates. They tended not to show up with more than one or two ships, and they sure as hell didn’t attack ships that had defenses like the Talon had. That meant they were being paid enough credits to take a big risk. Someone with deep pockets wanted these women, and I had no idea why. That was going to change if we lived long enough to get out of this.
As I ran by the common room, a hand reached out and grabbed my arm. I spun and brought my rifle up only to realize it was Colleen. I pointed the rifle back down at the ground and waited for her to say something.
“I heard the alarms, what’s happening?”
“Nothing good.” I thought about brushing her off, but maybe I could get a few answers from her. “You’ve been lying to me about something. No one spends that kind of credits to capture sixty hookers. There just isn’t enough profit margin in it to make sense. So if you want to know more about what is going on, I need to know what kind of shit I’m really stepping into.”
Her eyes hardened, but I could read the truth in them. She knew that these weren’t just random attacks. This was an organized move to get these women. There had to be a value there that I didn’t understand. I mean if this was about territory and a competitor not wanting a new madam moving in on their turf, then that changed everything. That would make the girls a bonus, one the pirates wouldn’t risk collecting if they could just blow us out of the air.
Colleen’s hand was on my arm again, and she squeezed it hard. “You’re not going to do whatever they are asking, are you?” She cast a glance over her shoulder at the scared women whispering to each other. “It’s my job to see these ladies safely to their destination. I need to know you are still on board with that goal.”
I shook my arm free from her grip. “Listen lady, you hired us to get you from point A to point B, and I plan on doing that.” She smiled. “But things change when you lie to me. The lives of my crew are more important to me than yours, or any one of your girls. So you can either tell me what is going on, or I’ll listen to whatever that asshole Solonos has to say.”
Colleen’s smile slipped away. “You can’t, I paid you.”
“Honey, I can do whatever I fucking want. My ship, my rules, and just so you know, when you lie on your contract we are allowed to abandon it at our discretion. I’m not losing the Talon over your problems.”
“I’ll pay you whatever you want.” She looked just as panicked as the girls behind her. “Just don’t let them take us.”
I didn’t have time for this shit. We needed to act, and Colleen wasn’t about to give up the truth. I started to turn away when I saw her hand dip towards her boot. Spinning around, I kicked out, knocking the madam to the floor. The women behind her screamed, and Colleen continued to reach for the pistol she had tucked into her boot. She pulled it free just as my hand locked onto her wrist. I slammed her hand down on the floor where she squeezed off one bolt before the gun fell away.
I kicked the weapon towards Gabe and lifted my rifle keeping it aimed center mass. “What in the fuck was that?”
“I can’t let you use them as a bargaining chip.” Colleen gritted her teeth. “So kill me if you must, but don’t let the pirates have them.”
“Jesus woman. I’m not sure what you heard about me, but I’m not in the habit of letting pirates get what they want.”
One of the women came forward out of the room. She was tan, with long black hair down to her waist. Her clothes, while provocative, were a little less revealing than the rest of the women on board. Gabe covered her with his rifle as we watched her approach. She knelt down next to Colleen and whispered something in her ear before turning towards me. Colleen rose and went to join the rest of the women.
The raven-haired woman rose from where she had been kneeling and moved towards me. I lowered my rifle, but Gabe kept his trained on the door. None of the women inside were making a move to get out, but it was always better to be safe. Still, this situation was getting weirder by the second and all while pirates were closing the distance.
“My name is Princess Natasha Perjenko.”
Oh fuck. Well that explained a few things. What was the daughter of Narshatal’s king doing on my boat pretending to be a hooker? I mean if she needed to get off planet, there were a lot better disguises than
this. Sixty women stood out, a group of five might have never even raised suspicion, but sixty, well, that was a different story. It didn’t surprise me that a princess wouldn’t know the first thing about how to remain in the shadows.
“Well Princess, we’re in some shit here, so if you have something to say then say it.”
“I need your help, Captain.”
Oh man, I was too old for this shit. Shouldn’t princesses that needed saving be looking for dashing young smugglers to help keep them warm at night? If this happened ten years ago, it would have been right up my alley but not fucking now. We were trying to stay off the radar at least for a little bit longer. This was the kind of thing that got your name out there, not necessarily in a good way. Not to mention, pissing off a king tended to put a pretty big price on your head.
“Lady, I’m not the right kind of man for the job.”
“Captain, you’re the only man for the job.” She turned and pointed towards the women in the common area. “These ladies are scared, and they need your help.” She faced me again, tears brimming in her eyes. “If you hand us over, I’ll be fine, but their lives will be ruined. They don’t deserve that.”
“You should have thought about that before you dragged innocents into whatever you’re doing.” Fuck, this wasn’t good. This was the kind of thing that got people killed. After all we’d been through, I wasn’t going to get killed by some pirate scum over a princess from some world that didn’t mean shit to anyone that didn’t live on its surface.
She put a hand on my arm and searched my eyes for something. “Please.”
Ugh. I hated all this emotional shit. The decision was easy. It wasn’t like Maze or Kyra would let me hand over any of the passengers on our ship to a bunch of pirates anyways. I motioned for Gabe to toss me Colleen’s pistol. I caught it and handed it back to the princess.
Smuggler's Legacy (The Galactic Outlaws Book 3) Page 5