by John Bowers
“Harold Reed, freeze! U.F. Marshal! You’re under arr—”
Four shots exploded through the doorway, the flashes like sunspots in the dim interior. Two bullets slammed Nathan back against the balcony railing and his hands went numb; the laser pistol fell from his fingers and tumbled down the steps halfway to the sidewalk below.
Virgil Bullard was standing to Nathan’s right, and as Harold Reed pumped four shots in Nathan’s direction, Bullard pumped six shots back; they all hit Harold Reed in the chest; he died on his feet.
Binary Flats “Spaceport”, Binary Flats – Alpha Centauri 2
The initial blast wave wasn’t very strong. Jet fuel is primarily kerosene and not terribly explosive, but when the flames boiled over the liquid oxygen tank, it ruptured as well; liquid oxygen also isn’t explosive, but when it mixed with the burning kerosene, everything changed. The already expanding fireball was magnified ten thousand times and the rocket fuel tank blew at the same time, resulting in an eruption of volcanic proportions.
The fireball flashed a hundred yards in every direction; the second blast wave slammed Nick’s speeding hovercar like the fist of God, lifting the rear end and tilting him dangerously. He fought to keep it level but wasn’t entirely successful—the blast drove the front of the car into the ground hard enough to rattle his teeth. The undercarriage was smashed and the windows shattered; the turbine jammed and smoke poured out of the engine compartment. The car bounced along the ground for fifty yards before it came to a stop, and Nick sat stunned, not sure if he was alive or dead.
He glanced behind him where the flames still raged, the wind carrying the smoke away from him. The hangar was now only a pile of burning rubble; burning fuel had spread to the runway and the tarplast was on fire. Only the orbital shuttle, sitting at the far end of the runway, had survived.
Bruised and aching, Nick managed to kick the clamshell open and stumble out of the car; he had made perhaps an eighth of a mile before the car crashed and now stood on the east side of the road staring back at the damage. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and took a deep breath. Maybe he had overstepped on this one—he would find out soon enough.
He managed to get the trunk open and check on the man inside. If the Ruke had still been alive after Nick cracked his skull, the crash had finished him. Nick found no vital signs. He closed the trunk with the Ruke still inside.
Chapter 28
Binary Flats – Alpha Centauri 2
It took Nick half an hour to walk back to Binary Flats. He was stiff and sore, bruised, and just a little disoriented. The car crash had been more violent than he’d expected, but he still had work to do. His first order of business was to get into town without the Rukes picking him up. To that end he left the road and walked toward the edge of town at an angle, to avoid the roadblock he had seen earlier. He still carried the machine gun and, even if he wasn’t recognized, that might be a little hard to explain.
By the time he arrived, the roadblock was gone. He walked down the street with the gun over his shoulder; a few people glanced at him with curiosity, but no one confronted him and he proceeded eight or ten blocks until he reached Goldie’s Grass and Grill.
To his surprise, the street in front of it was blocked by United Federation Marshal hovercars with flashing blue lights. He shifted the gun to his left hand and approached the staircase leading to the balcony on the second floor. The first person he saw was Virgil Bullard.
“Nick! Where the hell have you been? We’ve been looking all over for you.”
Bullard hurried down the steps toward him. The balcony was crowded with Marshals and he saw what looked like a body covered by a plastic sheet.
“Who died?” Nick asked with a twist in his gut. He grabbed Bullard’s arm. “Virgil, who is that! Tell me that isn’t Nath—”
“No! No, it isn’t. Take it easy.”
Nick loosened his grip and sagged against him, his eyes still on the sheet.
“Who is it?”
“Harold Reed. I’m sorry, but he didn’t leave me any choice. I would have saved him for you, but after he shot Nathan—”
Nick grabbed him again.
“Nathan got shot? Where is he? Is he…”
“He’s fine. He took two rounds in the chest but he was wearing a bullet-proof vest.”
Relief flooded Nick’s body and he relaxed a little. He handed the MG to Bullard.
“Take that off my hands, will you? Damn thing is getting heavy. Where’s Nathan?”
Bullard took the gun and indicated the balcony with his chin. “He’s upstairs. A doctor is looking at him.”
Nick understood. Even though the standard-issue vest was bullet proof, getting shot was painful as hell. He’d been hit in the back a year earlier and coughed up blood for hours afterward. He trotted up the steps, wormed his way through the marshals, and entered the room where he’d been held prisoner the day before. Bullard followed.
Nathan was lying on a couch against the wall, face-up and awake. The doctor was closing his bag and Goldie was kneeling beside the couch, bathing Nathan’s face with a damp cloth. When she saw Nick, Goldie moved aside. Nick took her place.
“How you feeling, Nathan? You look like shit warmed over.”
Nathan grinned. “Thanks for the morale boost.”
“You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, that’s what they tell me. Those vests work like magic, but it still hurts like a bitch.”
“Tell me about it. What happened, anyway?”
“Ask Virgil, if you don’t mind. It still hurts to talk.”
“Okay, no problem. Has anyone called Kristina?”
“Not yet. Will you—can you do that for me?”
“I will. Don’t worry about a thing. Just get your lungs working again and then we can go home.”
“I think I—I fucked things up.”
“I don’t see how, but you can tell me about it later.”
Nathan nodded. He reached for a bottle of water Goldie was holding and took a sip.
“Where were you? I was afraid they had killed you.”
“I was on the run for a while, but when it got light I figured I needed to prevent them from escaping when the cavalry got here. I went down to the spaceport—what they consider a spaceport—and did a little creative prevention.”
“The explosion?”
“Yeah. It seemed the most likely exit point if they gave it up and decided to run, so I made sure they couldn’t use it. But it looks like I was too late to keep Cybele Gannon from getting away.”
Nathan coughed. “Man, have I got a story to tell you about her!”
“I can’t wait. She did a number on both of us. But she won’t get far…I have a pretty good idea where she was headed.”
Nathan started to ask more questions but Nick shook his head.
“Rest easy for now. I’ll fill you in later.”
He got to his feet and went back outside. Bullard updated him on recent events, including the fact that sixteen Rukranians had been arrested. They would be held pending further investigation; most would probably be released, but any that Nick or Nathan could identify would face a variety of charges up to and including assault against and the attempted murder of a U.F. Marshal.
“When are you heading back to Centauri Springs?”
“Probably tomorrow.” Bullard grinned. “I have to see if I still have a job.”
“You think you’ll be in trouble?”
“Probably. I didn’t ask permission to leave, and Fearless won’t like that. But if I had asked him, I don’t think he would have allowed it.”
“I’m sorry.”
Bullard shrugged. “Maybe I’ll apply for work as a U.F. Marshal.”
Nick slapped him on the shoulder. “If you need a recommendation, you’ve got one.” He nodded toward Nathan. “Make that two. Maybe we can hitch a ride with you tomorrow?”
“Absolutely.”
Nick turned and pulled Goldie to one side. She faced him with
an expression that suggested a mixture of fear and defiance.
“Goldie…first, I want to thank you for helping us. You could have chosen another path.”
She shrugged. “Like I told you before, all I want is to keep my town together. I didn’t want no part of whatever Harold had on his mind.”
“I know that, and I’m grateful. But there is a problem. Your affiliation with Centauri B isn’t going to sit well with the Federation or the Colonial government when I file my report. I personally don’t think your association with them is the smartest thing you could do, but I understand your motives and I don’t care to judge you either way. Just so we’re clear.”
“What will they do about it? We need a source of supply and we can’t afford to purchase through normal channels.”
“I don’t know. That’s way beyond my pay grade. But the Rukranian connection isn’t going to be popular in Lucaston, that’s all I’m saying. They won’t approve of you giving the Rukes a base of operations. Centauri B isn’t an enemy planet, but it’s far from an ally. I expect you may have to make some changes. But like I said, I’m out of the loop on all of that. I’m just giving you a heads-up.”
Goldie didn’t look happy, but she smiled anyway. She gave him a brief hug.
“I’m glad you’re okay. I never did like Harold Reed.”
Nick walked outside and stood in the warm breeze. Black smoke still towered into the sky from the spaceport as he considered what else he needed to do. He had to talk to Dennis Childers and arrange to get him a new car, but that would keep for a few hours. He had reports to write but those could wait until he got home…
What could not keep was Suzanne. He needed to call her and Kristina right away. He walked down the steps to the street to make the call.
Trimmer Springs – Alpha Centauri 2
Suzanne Norgaard sat at her computer in the back room of the boutique, cataloging the day’s mail orders from Terra. More orders had arrived from New York and Paris, and there was a new one from Tokyo…they hadn’t even advertised in Tokyo. But business was business and she wouldn’t turn it down. She was going to have to hire help, sure enough. She could put Kristina to work for a few days, but that would only be a temporary measure at best.
Kristina was out in the showroom right now with Mildred Trimmer, waiting on customers.
Suzanne’s pocket phone rang. She snatched it up.
“Call connect.”
Nick’s face appeared on her screen and she slumped in relief. He looked more relaxed than he had a couple of hours earlier.
“Nick! What’s going on?”
“It’s over,” he said. “We’re both alive.”
“Oh, you have no idea what a relief that is! Thank the goddess! When will you be home?”
“Tomorrow. Guaranteed.”
“Good. And don’t be taking any more personal calls to run off around the planet.”
“I won’t. Is Kristina there?”
“She’s in the other room. I’ll get her—”
“Hold on. You know her better than I do, so I’ll let you decide how to handle this.”
“Handle what?”
“Nathan was shot—”
“What! Is he all right?”
“He’s fine. He was wearing the standard vest. You remember last year when I got hit? His injury is similar to that. He just needs a couple of days off his feet.”
“Where was he hit?”
“In the chest. Two rounds.”
“Two! Are you sure he’s okay?”
“I just talked to him. He’s alive and alert. He’s been checked by a doctor. Couple of cracked ribs, but nothing to worry about. But I don’t know if Kristina needs to know this until he gets home. I’ll leave that to you.”
“Okay, I’ll…I’ll think about it. Anything else?”
“Yeah, one more thing…make that two things.”
“What are they?”
“Remember when I said ‘I do’?”
“Nick, stop.” She leaned forward into the phone. “Look, I know this is a big step for you.”
“It’s a big step for you, too.”
“Yes, it is. But if you’re not ready, then I don’t want to do it. We’re just fine the way we are, aren’t we?”
“Well, yeah. At least I am. But I don’t want to let you get away, either.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Yes, I want to get married, but the last thing I want is for you to feel pressured. That would create a strain on our relationship that we don’t need. I can wait.”
He stared at her for long seconds.
“And what if I’m never ready?”
“Then…well, I guess we orbit that planet when we come to it.”
“I don’t want you to waste your life waiting for me to make up my mind.”
“I’m not wasting anything. The time I’ve had with you has been the best time of my life. And I hope you feel the same way.”
“Absolutely. I love you, Suzanne. It’s just…”
“What?”
“Well, I don’t know. Life is short. What if I don’t come home one of these days? What happens to you then?”
“You mean, I’ll be a widow?”
“It could happen.”
“Of course it could, but do you think the pain would be any less if we’re not married? A legal ceremony wouldn’t change that by a millimeter.”
He stared at her another long moment.
“Where are you going with this, Nick? What’s in your head right now?”
He licked his lips, then cleared his throat.
“We can still talk about it some more, but…”
“But what?”
“Suzanne…I think we should do it.”
Her eyes misted unexpectedly. “Are you sure?”
“Three days ago I wasn’t sure at all, and three days from now I may change my mind, but right this minute I am.”
A tear slid down each of her cheeks. She felt as if her heart would explode.
“Are you sure?”
“I just said so, didn’t I?”
She laughed to keep from sobbing.
“I’m sorry, I guess I meant, are you sure that you’re sure?”
He grinned, that same stupid grin he had flashed the first time she met him in The Vega back at Kline Corners.
“Suzanne…will you marry me?”
She wiped her cheeks with the heel of her hand.
“Not until you get home, so hurry the hell up, will you?”
He laughed. “Okay, I’ll be home by tomorrow night. I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“Okay…”
“Nick!”
“What?”
“You said there were two things you wanted to tell me. What was the other one?”
He slapped his forehead with his palm.
“Shit! Good thing you reminded me. I almost forgot.”
“What is it?”
***
Twenty minutes after Suzanne disconnected from Nick, the front doorbell chimed. A moment later Mildred Trimmer stuck her head inside the office.
“Someone to see you, Suzanne.”
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen her before.”
“Send her on back.”
The woman who came through the doorway was young, slender, undeniably sexy. She was a brunette, well dressed and obviously wealthy. Her smile was dazzling. Mildred and Kristina stepped into the office and joined them, one on either side of the visitor.
Suzanne stood up. “Can I help you?”
The brunette stuck out her hand.
“Hi, are you Suzanne?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m sorry to show up so late, but I’m really glad to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you and your boutique.”
Suzanne smiled. “Thank you, but it’s a joint effort. Mildred here is co-owner.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Then I’m glad to meet you both. Look, I know it�
�s late, but I wonder if I might take a few minutes of your time? I came all the way from Camarrell and I’m writing an article about entrepreneurs; when I heard that you sell Vegan products, I absolutely had to come and see you. I’ve actually purchased your products online and they are unbelievably exotic. And erotic.”
Suzanne glanced at her watch.
“Well, we’re about to close, but since you came so far, I guess I can spare you a few minutes. What was your name?”
The brunette smiled again, displaying perfect teeth.
“I’m Cybele. Cybele Gannon.”
“Nice to meet you.” Suzanne settled in behind her desk. “Please, take a seat.”
“Thank you!”
Cybele Gannon settled onto a chair. She set her purse on the floor and leaned over to open it; she reached inside and her fist closed around something…
“Before we get started,” Suzanne told her, “there is something I should tell you.”
Cybele glanced up. “Yes?”
Her smile froze. Suzanne was holding a laser pistol aimed directly at her face. Mildred and Kristina also held weapons—she was triangulated.
“Nick called,” Suzanne said. “He thought you might like to know that Harold Reed is dead.”
Chapter 29
One Week Later
Monday, April 3, 0445 (CC)
Lucaston – Alpha Centauri 2
Lucaston was the Colonial Capital of Alpha Centauri 2, home to the Colonial Congress, and the seat of Federation authority on the planet. Located at the junction of two rivers, Lucaston sat on a river basin twenty miles from the nearest high ground, with a spectacular view of mountains in all directions. It was the largest city on the planet.
The Syracuse River flowed south through the downtown area, providing a welcome respite from the heat in summer and offering a popular River Walk where pedestrians could enjoy a leisurely stroll. Riverside galleries and cafés were popular diversions for tourists and office workers alike. The area was beautified by parks and fountains, a municipal monorail circled the city.
In the center of the downtown complex, the tallest skytower was the Federation Building, home to every Federation agency on the planet, including the U.F. Marshal Service and the U.F. Justice Department. In a corner office on the seventy-fifth floor, Assistant U.F. Attorney Victoria Cross settled down at her desk with a cup of coffee, powered on her data screen, and logged into the system to start her week. She sipped coffee as she scrolled through her v-mails and began to form a mental agenda for how her day was going to be spent. It had been a busy weekend around the planet and a busier week before that; a U.F. Attorney’s life was never dull.