by Lyn Brittan
“What is it?”
Adrenaline. She hadn’t felt a thing, but the singed circle above her hipbone, enveloped by a growing ring of brown and red nearly knocked him back. “Nothing,” he said, ripping off the top of his tunic and pressing it around the right side of her waist, front and back.
That brought her back to the present. Her eyes crossed and watered as she blinked away fresh tears. Not ones of fear or anger, but of pain, he was sure. “Retzi?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Retzi?”
“Answer me!”
“Yes.”
“Then remember what I said. Nothing will hurt you. I’m here.” He picked her up, careful to keep the fabric tight around her waist and shot off in search of a medicenter.
He went back to the main street, asking directions every few steps. It took lots of throat burning shouts, shoving and angry looks to get through the crowd. Half the people ignored them, the other laughed, ribbing him about not minding her wine consumption. The one sober person with good sense, a dress vendor, pointed him in the right direction and soon he was handing her off to a team of medics who rushed her away though steel doors.
He had half a mind to go back, find the man who hurt her and kill him, but could not stand the risk of not being here if she needed him. He’d let her out of his sight once and look what happened. He wouldn’t do it again by choice.
Chapter Six
Anja woke up cold, but not alone. She didn’t have the strength to open her eyes, at least not yet, but could sense someone hovering nearby. She turned, expecting pain but experiencing nothing more than an overwhelming tiredness.
“Hey, you.”
She focused on the voice, letting dull ears, blurry eyes and a clouded mind focus on the same fixed point. “Retzi?”
He rubbed her left hand between his two massive ones, stopping only for a moment to lay grazing kisses across her fingertips. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t get shot again. It’s bad for team morale.”
“If you say so.” She mustered enough strength for a wink and was stunned by the effect it had on him. Some of the tightness left his face and the lines around his eyes softened.
“They say you’re fine. It took over half a cycle in the pod to reconstruct your guts.” He made a face and stuck out his tongue. She couldn’t help but laugh. “They said you can leave an hour after you wake. You shouldn’t feel anything, but they’ve left sedatives in case you do.”
“Oh, no. What time is it? Your meeting?”
But this he waved away. “We’ll find someone else.”
Behind him, the wall flashed red, but her eyes still hadn’t focused through the anesthesia. She pointed and he read the blinking message aloud. “Hospital Quarantined. Stand by for details.”
“Well that’s out of the question. Water, please?”
She hadn’t expected his shrug as he filled her glass. “At least you’ll get some rest.”
“I don’t need rest. We’re running out of time.” She tried throwing back the covers, but Retzi wasn’t having it, gently holding her in place.
“They’re going to come in here and ask questions. Questions I’m sure you’ve skirted around, that I won’t be able to. Questions that will inevitably lead to why we’re in this quadrant in the first place. Now, I feel fine, better than before. The pod worked its magic. I’m just a little tired.”
“All the more reason—”
“To risk getting caught?”
“So what do you envision in that pretty little head of yours? You can’t possibly see them wishing us luck as we skip out of here.”
“Don’t be silly. That would require payment. I think,” she said, unsuccessfully stifling a yawn, “the best thing is to blast our way out.”
“Because that won’t draw undo attention...”
“Well that wouldn’t have been an issue if someone hadn’t taken my laser away. We could have melted the metal, but somebody learned something special at the academy.”
“If you think right now is the best time to argue that point, you’re worse off than I thought. Baby, if we’re late with the money, we’re late.”
She tried another line of attack. “Maybe it’s not a quarantine quarantine.”
“There’s another kind of quarantine?”
“Maybe they found someone half dead in the streets and are checking in on people with violent injuries.”
Retzi swore and she knew she’d won her case.
“Help me tie these sheets and towels together and try not to look so pleased with yourself.”
They were a few feet up, but not so high they couldn’t land safely if they managed to open a window. While Retzi worked on opening their mode of egress, she collected their things, including the sedatives, just in case.
He was still at it when she was done. Kicking it hadn’t worked. Nor had a chair, desk or much else. It took plasma bursts around the edges to soften it enough that they could kick it free.
The plasma hadn’t made a sound. The crash that followed, on the other hand, set off a round of ear piercing alarms. With her arms tight around his neck and their things on her back, together they repelled out the window and dashed into the waiting city.
Chapter Seven
“I can’t believe we lost another ship. How is this even possible?” Anja stared at the berth the hopper should have been in while Retzi paced with his hands locked behind his head.
“We have a day and a half.” He was sitting now, head hung between his bent legs. “I am at a loss.”
“It is an OSA ship. Call it in as having been stolen. If there’s anything left inside, blame it on the thieves.”
“And it’ll be taken into custody and we’re no better off.”
“At least we’ve have a ride.”
“To where? And how long would it take to get there?”
“I don’t like Petulant Retzi.”
“He’s trying to avoid becoming Dead Retzi. We didn’t even get to have proper sex,” he said, smirking.
She stood behind him, knees to his back and scruffing up his hair. “We need to tell your father.”
“No. Not yet. There’s still one more trick left.”
“Which is?”
“I haven’t thought of it yet, but one will come to me. First, we need to leave.” He jumped up and walked pass some of the smaller vessels. He appeared to be capturing their numbers in his omnitab and running them against some sort of database.
After an eternity, he whistled her over. “This one belongs to a money launderer. How quickly can you get us in?”
“Your lack of faith wounds me.”
“It’s not so much a lack of faith as...” his voice drifted as the hatchway eased open.
“Before you ask, no, I won’t reveal my secrets. Get your jaw off the ground and let’s go. Wait, have I actually managed to shut you up?” The look he shot back lived somewhere between gruff admiration and horror.
Good.
She quite liked shaking him up. “So there’s my contribution. What have you come up with?”
“I’m going to need a minute to get over the criminal activity, and the concerning speed with which it was done.”
“So, no plan?”
“I guess...no.”
“Right.” Anja hopped in the pilot’s seat, started her up and took off, despite his lack of direction. Up was good. The rest they could sort out with a little distance behind them. Another hour passed and neither had any answers. “You’ve got to find someone else in your files.”
“Working on it.”
“There’s always the brothels,” she said as she steered them towards the place where they’d first met.
“No, I’ll just use you.”
“Funny. I mean that it’s a good place to make money. Not like that,” she added at his raised eyebrow. “My mother didn’t win a place for me on a shuttle. She paid for it, night after night.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? I’m proud. She loved me
so much to do that. Every night she went out, I know a little part of her died, but she never stopped until she had me safe. I could never be ashamed of that.”
“You never should be. She sounds like an amazing woman.” He brought her hands to his lips and nodded for her to continue.
“Yeah, she was. Anyway, some of those houses bring in a ton of money and they can’t do anything with it. Clients opt for hard currency, you know? Credits can sometimes be traced.”
“So we find the biggest brothel-“
“No chance, those are too well protected. Small ones are too well controlled. We need some place where the average worker pops by on his way home. Are you listening to me?”
Retzi looked up from his omnitab, grinning. “I know just the place.”
She grinned too when we saw the file. Though she’d never met the man, the name attached to it was one she more than a little familiar with. Among Mr. Crost’s lengthy record, she picked up the portion highlighted by Retzi. Charge 42.98 (B) Unlicensed Pleasure Center Operation.
“Oh, Retzi, you do know how to turn a girl’s heart.”
Chapter Eight
“I wish the wine hadn’t been stolen,” Retzi said after planting a kiss on her neck. She was still at the helm, but this ship, slightly larger, had cushier seats wide enough for two. Well, two if one was a thieving lunar officer intent on having a pirate on his lap.
“Not so much the actual ship then? Or the jewels? Or the overflowing bags of money?”
He made a noise of acquiescence, but not without an accompanying smack on her hip. “Generally, I want all of it back, but specifically this moment requires a toast. You’re about to land us at the same damn port, with the same damn problem that we left from a week ago. It’s a bit funny, isn’t it?”
“Assuming we live, it’ll be hilarious.”
“Well...yeah.” He pulled her chin back enough to see his face clearly. His lips brushed against hers and she could feel him hardening beneath her hips.
“This will all be over today, one way or another. Are you going to miss me?”
He answered without hesitation. “Nope. I’m going to get you fired. Take you on a trip, then get you hired.”
“What in all the moons are you talking about?”
“Need I remind you that you lost your captain’s vessel, breaking the sacred promise between owner and crew?”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Hush. I forgive you, but my father might not be so understanding. OSA, on the other hand, knows nothing about your evil and lackadaisical past. We always need mechanics on the fleet. Good pay and, hell, there are hovels to be had all over the galaxy.”
“What are you saying?”
Retzi rolled his eyes and his head lolled back. “I am saying, that I can’t date you from prison. Besides, my father is more attractive and has more money. I don’t need the competition.”
“There never was one.”
“That’s good to hear, since he’s a much better shot too. Now then, let’s bring this thing to a smooth and quick conclusion. Here’s the plan...”
***
It was a simple plan. Genius, really. Using a small amount of money found on the ship, Anja purchased a delectable see through shift and headed up to the facility for a brief recon, under the guise of applying for work. As before, she’d secreted a weapon in the mop of hair piled on top of her head. This time, they maintained contact via an earpiece, nearly invisible once inserted.
All she had to do was follow the plan.
Of course, she did not follow the plan.
“Crost is here.”
“So?”
She brought up a glass to cover her lips and hissed, “So why not him? I get him alone, and you—”
“Bad idea.”
“Oh, he’s looking over here.”
“Of course he is; you’re half naked.” Why had he agreed to this? Retzi moved back to his place by the window, in a hotel across the street and two buildings down from where she was. “Please don’t tell me you’re looking back.”
Silence.
“Oh, c’mon Anja,” but it was too late. Through her mic, he heard the cracked voice of Crost inquiring to her business.
“You wouldn’t be here to steal my clientele away, would you,” Crost asked.
“Kick him the nuts.”
But she hadn’t, at least the giggles didn’t lead him to believe it. “Since when the hell do you giggle?”
More silence. Not true. More of Anja’s giggling to Crost.
Then in a voice so far removed from her that he wondered if he had the wrong woman, he heard, “I was wondering if you are hiring any girls this week.”
He could hear the man’s dick growing from here and without a second thought, Retzi walked right out the door, hell bent on killing Crost. By the time he made it to the street, he could hear stomping feet in his earpiece. When he crossed the street, there was too much giggling, female and male, for comfort.
He’d just reached the entrance and mentally preparing himself for battle when there was a loud, ‘oomph,’ and Anja came to life in his ear. “You still there?”
“Right outside. What the hell was that?”
“Crost. These sedatives from the hospital, how long are they supposed to last?”
He took a minute to enjoy the scene playing out in his mind.
“You still there? I saw a man stationed at the bottom of the stairs. I’m guessing that leads to a vault. There’s no way we’d be able to get past him without alerting half the house. Not that it matters,” she said, unable to mask the humor in her voice.
“Because?”
“I have his omnitablet.”
And there was that delightful giggle again.
Chapter Nine
Retzi hadn’t been able to tear his eyes away from the ridiculous amount of information Crost kept on his omnitablet. “It almost seems unfair.”
“Really?”
Retzi shook his head. “No. He has stuff on everyone and everything there. The question is which to exploit?”
“Neither. We find out where the ship is and go home. Who knows how long those meds will keep him out and when he’ll notice that thing you’re holding is missing.”
Retzi scrolled through the screens, but found nothing directly relating to The Bastard’s Revenge. He did find the schematics and locations of several other birds, some small shuttles and a mega ship able to hold dozens. Crost was smart though. No more than two were stored together. “The ones listed here are spread out all over the area. Beyond it too.”
“Including here?”
He turned to her, then back to the screen. “Why, yes.”
“So we steal his boat.”
“Even better if we have someone else steal it. With his omnitablet, we can transfer ownership like that,” he said, snapping his fingers. “What better way to get the money for The Bastard, than from the bastard.”
“It’s a ridiculous plan, Retzi.”
“Beat it, then.”
“It’ll never work.”
“Come up with a better one. Anja, the genius of this is undeniable.”
“And where do you intend to find buyers stupid enough to fall for this?”
“The bars are bound to be full of drunkards willing to make a deal.” He rose, bringing her with him. “Change to your jumpsuit, we’re leaving.”
They walked out moments later, finding a local hangout in one of the better parts of town. He triple checked it against his database to make sure it wasn’t in any way tied to Crost. It was a nice place, the kind he’d take Anja to when their lives were a little less insane. No rips on the chairs, clean napkins and a hostess greeting them with a gloriously long offworld wine list.
He sampled some while they waited for seating, passing up the first two opened tables, claiming a late joining member of the party.
“Because,” he said at Anja’s rising eyebrow, “we need those young men in the corner.”
“Quite the reversal.�
�
“Young and stupid works in our favor tonight.” He’d chosen his prey with great care. Would a wealthy man buy a ship at a table? Possibly, but not one as small as what Retzi offered. A poor man? No way. But someone of middling income and climbing that ladder of upward mobility? Every day of the week.
Their table came right about when Anja started kneading his growling stomach. The waitress began apologizing before they sat, offering to reseat them to a quieter area when a table opened. He flashed his badge. “This might be the best place.”
The waitress smiled, rolled her eyes heavenward, then scooted away.
Retzi didn’t waste what precious time they had left with games. He’d throw everything he had at them at once and if it didn’t take, they were moving on to the next one.
“Lunar Officer.”
A round of ‘sirs,’ returned his greeting and he put his badge away. “As you can see, I’m out with one of the fleet workers and uh...hoping to enjoy the trip a little longer.”
One of the men produced a shot of something glowing at that and wouldn’t be silenced until Retzi downed the glass. “Like I was saying, and if you tell anyone I showed you a government issued omnitab, I’ll deny it, but ahh hell.”
Retzi pulled it out, showing slide after slide of Crost’s mishmash fleet. “I’ve got to unload these at auction. It’s not so much about the price, you understand, I just have to transfer ownership in the system. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone in the market, would you?”
The ringleader, a blond, shaggy haired and half drunk businessman put his elbows on the table and flailed his hands around. “Land, aero or space?”
“Take your pick. Tell you what, I’m going to go back to my lady friend and you think about it. Stop by when you’re ready.”
“Wait! I’ll take one.”
“Me too.”
“Auction prices, you say?”
By the time his dinner arrived, the men at the table, and a few nearby ones, were scuttling out the door to trade in their credits for hard currency. He appreciated the break. It meant he got to watch Anja eat again. “We’re nearly free.”