Star Scavenger: The Complete Series Books 1-5

by G J Ogden

They all stepped outside, and for a few seconds, they were struck by the sheer beauty of the place. Even Tory seemed to be impressed by the clear, sparkling water and rocky, wooded terrain that stretched for miles in all directions.

  “I’m glad this Goliath didn’t decide to invade in winter,” commented Ma, zipping up her jacket to the collar. “Otherwise, we’d be trekking through snow.”

  Hudson led the way, using a small datapad to guide them. The stunning Manitoba scenery and serene peacefulness of the place almost made Hudson forget about everything that was happening. However, after trekking for fifteen minutes, they reached the top of a shallow, tree-lined hill, and got their first sight of the hideout. The jet-black Council transports parked nearby instantly brought Hudson crashing down to reality.

  “If it wasn’t for the Council ships blotting the landscape, this would be one hell of a place for a holiday,” said Hudson, looking at the idyllic log cabin, which sat on the edge of a perfectly clear lake.

  “You have to be kidding? It’s too damn cold,” complained Ma, “and what’s that smell in the air?”

  Hudson frowned at her, “You mean ‘freshness’?” he said, remembering that Ma was used to the sticky heat and pungent smell of Brahms Three’s scavenger town.

  “That one doesn’t look like a council ship,” said Tory, nodding towards a third, much smaller vessel near the cabin.

  There was a flyer pad a little off to the side, and Hudson could see a dilapidated-looking shuttle parked there. There were also three men in suits standing outside, and Hudson recognized the cut of their clothes immediately.

  “No, but I’d know those suited goons anywhere,” Hudson replied.

  The door to the large cabin opened, and three more suited Council goons walked out. They took over from the men who were outside, shaking hands and bumping fists with each other lazily, before the original three entered the cabin instead.

  “Looks like a changing of the guard,” said Hudson. “Which means we’re looking at a minimum of six guards, plus Cutler Wendell, and who knows how many others inside.” He let out a sigh and turned to Tory and Ma. “I don’t really like our odds.”

  “I’ve faced worse,” said Tory, with a slight shrug. Coming from anyone else, Hudson would have considered it an exaggerated boast, but with Tory the chances were it was true. “On the plus side, if the Council is still here, then likely Cutler hasn’t made the exchange yet,” Tory added. “They could be doing it right now.”

  Suddenly, there was a sharp crack of dry twigs snapping. It came from the trees below them. Tory drew her six-shooter and Ma drew her pistol.

  “I’ll circle around behind,” whispered Tory. “See if you can draw them out, but then take cover behind these rocks. And stay out of sight of that cabin.”

  Hudson and Ma nodded, and Tory slipped away into the woodland. Hudson and Ma slid down and crouched behind some rocks. Hudson could clearly see shadows moving through the trees towards them. Then two figures rushed out, weapons raised, and took aim at the rocks that Hudson and Ma were hiding behind. To Hudson’s astonishment, the two figures were Logan Griff and Jane Wash.

  “Out you come, nice and slow,” growled Griff, but then he recognized Hudson and lowered his weapon a fraction. “Hudson Powell?” he said, as incredulously as if he’d just seen Santa Claus in front of him. “What the hell are you doing here, rook?”

  Wash then stepped forward, looking just as perplexed as Griff. “You’ve got some explaining to do,” she said, training her pistol on Hudson.

  There was the distinctive sound of a Winchester being cocked, then Tory appeared behind Wash and Griff. “You first,” said Tory, aiming the rifle at Griff’s back.

  Hudson and Ma quickly raised their weapons, Hudson aiming at Wash, and Ma at Griff. Recognizing that she was outnumbered and had been outflanked, Wash immediately dropped her weapon and thrust up her hands in surrender.

  Griff shook his head, “What the hell happened to 'no half measures'?” he grumbled, reluctantly also raising his hands, but keeping hold of his pistol. “With a spine like that, it’s a wonder you can stand upright.”

  “Shut up, clobber,” snapped Ma, moving in and taking Griff’s weapon, while Tory stepped around to face them.

  “Powell doesn’t interest me,” Wash said glancing back at Griff, before turning to Hudson. “We’re only here for Cutler Wendell. I assume that’s also why you are here?”

  “We want the crystal that Cutler, and that lowlife asshole…” Hudson wafted his pistol at Griff, “…stole from my ship.” Then he took a step towards Griff and squared off against him. “And I haven’t forgotten what you did to Liberty either, you piece of shit.”

  Griff glowered back at him, his eyes reflecting Hudson’s contempt like a mirror. “She got what she deserved, rook,” he snarled, “and I’m far from finished with you, too.”

  Hudson snapped and threw a fast right cross, which connected solidly with Griff’s jaw and sent him to the ground. Then he stood over his former partner and aimed his pistol at his head.

  Griff spat blood onto the rocks and then smiled up at Hudson. “Don’t make me laugh, rook,” he said, taunting Hudson. “We both know you don’t have it in you. It’s why you’ll never beat me.”

  Surprisingly, it was Wash that intervened. “I don’t blame you for wanting to kill him,” said Wash, cautiously stepping in front of Hudson. “Hell, I’d happily pull the trigger for you. But how about we hold off killing each other, until we get the man we all came here for?”

  Griff pulled himself up and sat on a rock, dabbing blood from his split lip onto his sleeve. “What’s with all this ‘we’ crap?” he said, still glowering at Hudson.

  “I propose a deal,” said Wash, sounding like the politician she was. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. We help each other to overpower the Council, who we both know are over in the cabin.”

  Tory laughed, and rested the Winchester over her shoulder. “Why the hell would we trust either of you two? And what do you get out of it?”

  Wash seemed immediately more confident; dishing out plans and orders was her home turf. “It’s really very simple,” she began, in her prickly and patronizing tone of voice. “We help you to retrieve the crystal, and in return you lobby Commodore Trent on our behalf.”

  Hudson frowned, “Commodore Trent? What does he have to do with this?”

  “I know you are in contact with Trent, and even have some influence with him,” Wash continued. “Give me your word that you will petition Trent to exonerate us, and we’ll help you get the crystal.”

  Griff was now listening with interest. The fact he hadn’t rudely interrupted or insulted Wash’s idea meant he gave it merit. However, while Hudson didn’t care about Wash, he wasn’t about to let Griff off the hook for everything he’d done.

  “He doesn’t get to have a clean slate,” replied Hudson, pointing at Griff. “Not after everything he’s done.”

  Wash pressed her hands behind her back and fixed Hudson with her steel-blue eyes. “What do you value more, Mr. Powell?” she said, clearly building up to her planned punchline. “Does your desire for revenge supersede your need to recover the crystal?”

  Tory then moved quickly and pressed the barrel of the Winchester to Griff’s head. “The four of us are enough,” she said, slipping her finger onto the trigger. “We don’t need this piece of shit.”

  Hudson sighed and closed his eyes. As much as he wanted Griff to pay for what he’d done, Wash was right. They needed all the help they could get. And killing Griff in cold blood would make them no better than he was.

  “Tory, wait,” said Hudson, though it was more of a struggle than he’d expected to say those words. “As much as I hate to admit it, Wash is right. We need their help.”

  Griff grinned, “That’s right, obey your new master,” he sneered at Tory, but the smirk was smartly wiped off his face, as Tory drilled the steel toe of her boot into Griff’s groin. The RGF officer buckled and crumpled to the floor, paralyzed i
n agony to the level where he couldn’t even manage to utter a whimper of pain.

  “His time will come, Tory,” said Hudson, as Tory adjusted her furious gaze towards him. “Even if Trent pardons him, it just means he escapes some jail time. It doesn’t mean that it’s all square between us.”

  Wash smiled at the writhing form of Logan Griff, apparently deriving some perverse pleasure from his pain, then held out a hand to Hudson. “So, Mr. Powell, do we have a deal?”

  Hudson shook his head, but took Wash’s hand. The sensation of her clammy, cold skin made him feel immediately dirty. “We have a deal,” he said. Wash then tried to pull her hand away, but Hudson held onto it, and pulled the woman towards him. “But if you even think about double-crossing us, I’ll kill you myself,” he added. The menacing growl of his voice was similar to his ‘tough guy relic hunter’ persona. Except this time, Hudson wasn’t play acting.

  CHAPTER 24

  To Hudson’s amazement, agreement over a plan to attack the cabin had been reached without any major squabbling or disagreement. Despite Tory’s suggestion that simply shooting up the place would be the simplest option, no-one else wanted to get involved in a gun battle, especially as the Council goons had significantly more firepower. And with five of them, and only three guards outside at any one time, the unlikely allies had the advantage of numbers and surprise.

  The plan was to conduct a sneak approach through the trees, then subdue the guards before they realized what had hit them. With the guards down, they would then storm the hut, and hope whoever was inside also preferred not to have a close-quarters shootout. It wasn’t the most bullet-proof plan that Hudson had ever heard in his life, but they were out of options, and rapidly running out of time. Goliath was already on its way to Earth, and after making short work of Admiral Shelby’s powerful war fleet, he doubted Trent’s forces would fare much better.

  At Hudson’s insistence, Griff and Wash moved out ahead. Despite Wash’s bargain, he still didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her, and he reckoned he could probably throw the petite woman quite far. However, he was relying on the corrupt politician’s instinct for self-preservation to overshadow any treacherous thoughts she may have. Griff, on the other hand, Hudson wasn’t taking his eye off even for a second.

  They reached a position at the edge of the tree line and waited for the one guard who was actually patrolling the veranda to saunter off. With no other soul for fifty miles in any direction, the Council goons had obviously grown bored, and were taking their duties less than seriously.

  “Okay, move out, just like we planned,” said Hudson, holding his pistol ready. “Get their weapons, gag and bind them, then get ready to move inside, nice and smooth.”

  “I heard the plan the first time, rook,” snarled Griff. He clearly took offence at taking orders from his former rookie. “Just make sure you don’t screw up this job, like you screwed up at the RGF.”

  Hudson felt an urge to punch Griff in the face again, but buried the feeling, along with his other murderous impulses.

  “Just do your part, asshole, and we’ll do ours,” Hudson retorted. “Now move.”

  Griff and Wash waited for the guard to move off and slump down lazily onto a deck chair. They both then crept forward, with Hudson and the others behind, moving around to tackle the other two lackadaisical guards. Suddenly Tory stopped, and held out her arm.

  “What is it?” whispered Hudson, watching as Tory tentatively inspected the ground ahead of them.

  “Stop, there are traps!” Tory hissed, trying to get the attention of Wash and Griff, but it was already too late.

  Griff turned around, just as Wash planted a size four boot on a pressure plate. There were several dull, pneumatic-sounding thuds, as projectiles were sprung out of their concealed launchers. A split-second later, there was a deafening bang, and Hudson was hit with a blinding flash of light.

  The next thing Hudson knew he was on his back, with hands grabbing at his arms. His ears were ringing, and his eyesight was still hazy. He heard the distant sound of gunfire and tried to turn his head towards it, spotting a blurry shape running back into the woods. Then he heard voices, still fuzzy and indistinct, and felt himself being hauled to his knees.

  Hudson’s mind was still groggy, and his ears whined with a shrill tone, but his eyes had cleared and he could now see Tory and Ma beside him. A little further ahead of them was Jane Wash, also on her knees in the dirt. Griff was conspicuous by his absence. Hudson craned his neck, trying to see if his old partner was still face down in the dirt near Wash, but there was no sign of him. Then he remembered the shape running into the woods, and shook his head. That has to be at least seven or eight of that bastard’s nine lives gone… he mused, realizing Griff had got away.

  The rest of them were now surrounded by the suited Council goons, all armed with compact sub-machine guns. Then from out of the log hideout he saw two more men approaching. He hung his head, knowing at once that their situation had become even more dire. The first man he’d recognized as the notorious Council boss, Werner Nest. On his own, this was bad news, but the man walking alongside him was none other than Cutler Wendell.

  CHAPTER 25

  Werner stepped forward and examined each of the faces kneeling before him, before finally stopping at Hudson. Cutler hung back a couple of paces behind Werner; the mercenary’s mouth was curled ever so slightly into a smile. For a man that was renowned for conveying very few emotions, he was doing an excellent job of looking smug, Hudson thought.

  “Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” said Werner, still looking at Hudson. He was speaking with a version of his ‘kindly uncle’ voice, but it was laced with a sinister conceitedness. “I had thought it would take longer to find you again, but here you are, delivered to me on a plate. And with friends too. What a delightful gift.”

  Wash shrugged off the guard behind her and stood up, before taking a step towards Werner. The armed guards reacted instantly, thrusting their semi-automatic weapons at the former RGF commander. Wash stopped dead, eyeing the weapons uneasily, before speaking to Werner directly. “I am not with these people,” she protested, before glaring at Cutler. “I only came for the mercenary, to get back what he stole from me.”

  Werner nodded, “Yes, Mr. Wendell is rather good at that. It is why we hire him.” Then Werner pulled the alien crystal shard out of his pocket and held it up. “I believe this is the stolen item you are referring to?” Werner added, brightly. “Though as I understand it, you were not its original owner, either.” Werner then peered down at Hudson, his entire face suddenly tensing up and becoming sharper. “I told you that I would get what I wanted, Mr. Powell. You should have listened, while you had the chance.”

  Hudson cut in, though he remained on his knees, careful not to aggravate any trigger-happy guards. “Werner, I need that crystal,” he said, conveying the appropriate urgency. “The alien ship is heading to Earth right now. The entire planet will be destroyed if you don’t give it to me; then it will be worth nothing to anyone.”

  Werner suddenly exploded, “I already told you that I do not care!” he roared, before taking several deep breaths. The Council boss waited until his red-faced anger had subsided, before continuing. “Apologies for the uncouth outburst, but I do find you intensely irritating, Mr. Powell,” said Werner, more calmly.

  Hudson almost laughed at how Werner had both apologized and insulted him in the same sentence. However, the Council boss’s demented outburst motivated him to stay silent.

  “If the CET military wants this item, then it will cost them dearly,” Werner added. “I should say an entire planet or two, in fact.”

  This time Hudson was unable to stifle a laugh, before shaking his head. “You’re insane, Werner. The Outer Portal Worlds are gone, along with half a dozen CET planets, and – in case you hadn’t noticed – Mars too. There won’t be any habitable planets left if Goliath isn’t stopped, and you’ll be dead, just like the rest of us.”

  Werner’
s jaw tightened, and he looked to be on the verge of another outburst, but this time he managed to keep a lid on his anger. “Some of us will die sooner than others, Mr. Powell,” he threatened, his right eye twitching as the words escaped his lips. Then Werner slowly removed a sidearm from the holster of a suited goon to his side. “After all the trouble you have caused me, I was looking forward to killing you personally,” he continued, raising the weapon and aiming it at Hudson’s chest. “Unfortunately, in part-payment for delivering this crystal to me, I have ceded that honor to Mr. Wendell.”

  Wash suddenly stepped in front of Werner, blocking his view of Hudson. “Look, take me with you,” she said, sounding slightly frantic. “I have powerful friends, and a whole datapad of dirty secrets to exploit. I could be of great use to your organization. I don’t care what you do to the others. Kill them for all I care!”

  Werner shifted the aim of the pistol and pulled the trigger, shooting Wash through the heart at point blank range. She fell inches away from Hudson, making him flinch as her body thudded to the ground and writhed weakly in the dirt. Hudson was unable to look away, rapt by the horrific scene in front of him, until Wash finally fell still.

  “This abhorrent woman, however, was not part of my agreement with Mr. Wendell,” said Werner. There was a dark serenity to his voice, as if the act of murder had helped to soothe his nerves. “Nor is the other woman that I see has joined your troupe,” he added, looking across at Ma. “Though violence does bore me, so Mr. Wendell may kill her too if he wishes.”

  Ma looked ready to spring up and charge at Werner, but curiously it was Tory that held her back. Of all the people Hudson knew, Tory was the one he expected to be losing her cool and attempting a high-risk escape, but she appeared strangely focused and calm. Then Tory briefly met Hudson’s eyes, before glancing sharply towards the ground in front of her. Hudson tracked her gaze and saw another metal pressure plate.

  Another glimmer trap… Hudson realized, suddenly understanding why Tory had been so subdued. He quickly turned his eyes back to Werner, wary of drawing attention to the device.