Jack turned to leave. “Defo,” she agreed. “Count to ten before you follow me out,” she said, and then she was gone.
Gaitune-67, Carl Milberg’s residence
Molly rang the bell. Paige nudged her. “I have a key,” she told her sheepishly.
Molly shook her head. “It’s okay. This is an official visit. I want him to come and invite us in.” She leaned on the bell again.
Nothing sounded on the outside, but since it lit up she assumed it was ringing inside.
Several moments later there was movement on the other side of the airlock. Once Carl recognized them through the two doors he waved at Paige, and beckoned them in, hitting the access switch on the other side.
The airlock door clicked and started to slide open in its circular swing. The two women stepped in, and it closed behind them, then normalized the pressure.
A moment later the other door swung open, allowing them through into the second semicircular chamber. Once they were clear, the door slid back, and the pressure normalized and the door into the house opened.
Carl had wandered away as they went through the airlock rigmarole. Molly looked left, then right.
“Through here,” Carl called from the right. “Just putting the kettle on. You ready for a brew?” he asked.
Molly headed down the hallway following the sound of his voice. Paige followed, feeling more awkward about this than she would have guessed originally.
“We’re not here for a social call, Mr. Milberg,” Molly started as she stepped into the kitchen. “I’m afraid we’ve intercepted your communications with Max Pike, and we have reason to believe that you are involved in a criminal operation involving the kidnapping of a number of scientists as well as two of our crew members at this point.”
Carl stopped what he was doing with the cups and turned around to face the two women. He’d heard a lot about Molly from Paige, but never had she described her as quite this formidable.
Mind, she perhaps didn’t relay any tales where her boss was in a situation where her team had been captured and about to be killed.
Carl looked over at them with a shocked expression, a tea bag in his hand. “I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he told her.
“Cut the crap,” Molly responded without missing a beat. “We’ve traced communications to here. You’re in the shipping business, are you not?”
Milberg nodded once, and turned back around, placing the tea bag in a cup. He continued to make tea. “I am. Paige knows I am.”
Paige took a step forward and placed her hands on the counter top island separating them. “I also know you have covert shipping operations. Just the kind of operations that would be facilitating things like illegal fracking of an inhabited planet.”
Carl spun back around, his eyes defensive. “Hey, look. There are lots of people, lots of organizations that require covert shipping. Governments for one. If the Oggs are arming the Teshovians, or the Leath are doing deals with the Yollins under the radar, they pay for discretion. Heck, for all I know you people have used my services for bringing equipment onto this rock!”
He paused, then went back to the tea, muttering under his breath. “Not that I’ve ever been told anything about what you do for a living over there,” he added poignantly.
Molly glanced at Paige, who was flushing a little on her chest. She sensed this was an issue in their relationship. “Sounds like you’ve both been keeping secrets,” Molly commented. “The point is, we need to know everything you do about this ship in order to get our crew and the kidnapped scientists back safe and sound. You need to make this right. Transporting kidnapped victims... you’ll be going away for a long time. You’ll lose everything.”
Carl had started pouring the tea.
Molly paused, and lowered her tone a little. “Can we count on your help?”
Carl paused pouring, thinking for a moment. Molly sensed his sudden anxiety, even though his back was turned.
Carl resumed pouring out the third cup. “Yes. Of course,” he responded after a moment, keeping his tone even. “In fact, I think there is a way for everyone to get what they need out of this.”
He carried the tea over to the island and handed them out, then returned for his own. He waved for them to sit down, and pulled out a stool for himself on the other side of the counter. “I’m assuming that by helping you I will absolve myself of any and all charges with you and whomever you bring into this?”
Molly took the tea, and toyed with it on the surface of the counter. “It really depends on how helpful you are. We want the safe return of our people and the victims. If we can achieve that, you won’t be penalized.”
Molly felt Paige relax a little, though she didn’t turn to look.
Carl nodded. “Okay,” he said, slurping his tea. He placed the mug down. “There are a few things you should know. Firstly, we’ve just altered the flight path. If you go after them now, they won’t be where you think they will be.”
Molly started to ask a question, and Carl waved his hand. “I’ll get you the coordinates and the path details,” he added dismissively. “The other thing is,” Carl continued, “if you’re in communication with your people who have been captured, you’ll be aware that he has armed guards on the ship. Security.”
Molly waited for a moment, studying his reactions. “What are you saying?” she asked.
Carl took another sip of tea. “I’m suggesting you need an intermediary to negotiate a truce. If you show up there, guns blazing, people are going to die. They have weapons. And mercenaries on board. Lots of them. There is no way you will be able to get your people out of there alive without some kind of negotiation.”
Molly turned her head slightly. “What do you suggest?” she asked.
Carl pushed his mug forward and wrapped both hands around it. “I’m going to propose he lets you take your people and leave him to continue with his shipment.”
Molly didn’t miss a beat. “My people, and the three hostages,” she demanded.
Carl leaned back on the stool a little, his face looking drawn. “I dunno if I can swing that. Remember, he answers to some very powerful clients.”
Molly held his gaze. “I’m taking the innocent people.”
Carl chuckled a fake laugh. “Ha. They’re not so innocent,” he told her.
Molly frowned. “What does that mean?”
Carl shrugged one shoulder. “Well, they wouldn’t be of interest to these people if they didn’t have expertise in certain areas, like the illegal fracking of populated planets. For instance. Hypothetically speaking, if that is what they are doing.”
Molly narrowed her eyes. “So you do know what they’re doing,” she remarked, reminding him that he had just incriminated himself. “I want the hostages, and my people. He can keep his equipment,” she pressed.
The discussion continued back and forth for another few minutes, during which it became evident that they were unaware of Brock and Jack’s involvement. He kept referring to her two people.
“Also, I have more than two people on that ship. And they’re trained by the best. Federation military. Not just Estarian.”
Carl swallowed nervously, and gathered his thoughts as his eyes studied the cup of tea. He sighed. “Okay. Lemme see what I can do,” he said getting up.
Molly watched him head out of the kitchen. “Where are you going?” she queried him.
He pointed out into the hall way. “Office. Need to make that call,” he said. “Unless you want to waste some more time and let your friends be ejected out into space?”
Molly shook her head. “Okay. Go ahead. Leave the door open. We’re listening,” she said, getting up off the stool.
He headed out and got settled to make the call.
Paige had left her tea, untouched, on the counter. “You’re not really going to let them keep that equipment that they’re going to use to destroy the planet and those inhabitants, are you?”
/>
Molly’s face and tone were grave. “Right now,” she said in a low voice, “the immediate problem is to get our people to safety.”
Paige nodded solemnly, and followed Molly through to her boyfriend’s home office.
Carl had already set up the call and was waiting for Max to respond.
“Max. Hi. Me again. Yeah. I know. Sorry to pull you off what you were doing, but we have a small problem we need to iron out.”
Carl paused, listening to Max’s response.
“Yeah, so it turns out that we’ve been compromised.”
He paused.
“Let’s not worry about that for now, but I’m sitting here having tea with a nice young lady who is responsible for those people you’ve got on board. Yes, the spies. Except it’s not corporate espionage, I don’t think. It’s something much more serious that we don’t want to get involved in.”
He stopped again. Listening.
“Yes, yes, I understand that, but I think I’ve got a way for you to hold on to that and still make a delivery to the client.”
Carl took a deep breath. “I think I can persuade her just to take her people. All of them. There are others we don’t know about, and get them out of there... without getting any authorities involved.”
“How many more?” He repeated the question he had just heard, looking over at Molly and Paige. Molly shook her head.
“I don’t know,” he answered. “But she’ll take them all, and leave you be to deliver the shipment.”
He muted himself out, tapping his ear. Shaking his head, he mouthed over to Molly who was now leaning on the door frame. “Not having it.”
Molly stood upright again. “Okay. We’ll just have to take it by force. Location?”
Carl held up one finger.
Then he started turning the finger over as if he’s trying to hurry the guy speaking up.
He unmuted himself. “Max. You know me. You know I wouldn’t be suggesting this if there was another way out. I think this is your best bet. No one gets hurt.”
He paused again.
“Yeah. She has firearms. Lots of them. I don’t know what kind of outfit this is, but if she shows up even your boys are in trouble.”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll give her your location. Be civil. Hand the folks over, and then let them leave. That’s all you need to do.”
He sighed. “Okay. Yes, I’m sorry too. We’ll talk about that later on.”
Carl clicked off the holo connection and rocked to upright in his chair. “Okay. You have your deal. Your people, the hostages, and you leave quietly. He delivers his payload and you two never cross paths again.”
Molly nodded once. “Fine,” she agreed. “Okay, so the location?”
Carl pulled up another screen on his holo and poked through a few pages. Then he offered his holowrist over to her. Molly opened a bump screen and stepped over to him. They bumped holos, transferring the data.
“Are we good?” he asked, looking at her, as if they’d just negotiated the sale of a desk holo, or a car.
Molly flicked through the new flight data and tilted her head. She paused for a moment, as if listening, and then nodded at him. “We’re good,” she confirmed, and headed out.
Carl’s eyes fell to Paige, who was now leaning against the door frame. Molly walked past her and headed towards the airlock. Paige held his gaze for a moment, then followed after Molly.
Carl got up, following them through. “Paige …” he called after her. “Can we talk?”
Paige turned to him quietly as the airlock slid open. “Not now. I have to go rescue my friends from being blown into space.” Her eyes were dim, hiding the anger and disappointment.
She stepped into the airlock after Molly. Carl leaned his hand on the door, above head height, watching her turn from him as if he didn’t exist anymore.
Seconds later they passed into the second chamber. And then when they were finally free, they headed out into the rocky terrain without looking back.
He watched them leave, running through in his head what he might have done differently.
Chapter 16
Aboard the Flutningsaðili, Level 4, Restricted Access Area
“Are you sure that we’re all going to fit through there?” Dr. Brahms looked up at the vent as Sean stood on the desk fiddling with the screws.
Sean glanced down at the rather bulky old man and then back up at the vent. “Should do,” he gruffed. “Though, whether the vent will hold our weights is another matter.”
He glanced over at Anne, Maya and Lana. “The girls will probably be okay. We should let them go first, just in case we break it, cutting them off.”
He passed his key card to Anne. “Here, you take this. We’ll send you through first. We’ve got a friend who is getting into the computer system on this ship as we speak. Once he has access he’ll be able to let you through any door with that card. We’ve got another friend, Brock, who is going to get us a ship on level …?”
He looked out across the room, listening for Pieter on the quantum bead connection. “Pieter, what level was it again?”
Pieter’s voice came over Sean’s audio implant. “Level 1. Right at the top.”
Sean looked back at Anne and Lana. “Level 1. Top of the ship. You get to there, find him on the hangar deck, and he’ll get you to safety. If we can follow, we will,” he added glancing over at Dr. Brahms.
Anne took the card and closed her hand around it. She nodded without saying a word and then slipped it into her pants pocket.
Sean went back to the vent, and finished taking out the last screw. The vent cover hung down, leaving the open mouth.
Just then he heard footsteps. He jumped down off the table and moved it away from where it was obvious what he had been doing. The lights started coming on through the crowded warehousing area.
Sean looked over at Anne and Lana. “Okay, remember what we talked about. Girls, as soon as you get the chance, we’re putting you in there. Maya,” he said softy, “if you go with them, they’ll have a better chance.”
Maya nodded, then turned her attention to the oncoming footsteps.
There was only one set, though.
This could be interesting, she thought, straining her eyes to see through the dimness who might be approaching.
Aboard the Empress, approaching the Flutningsaðili
Pieter was the last one on board. He hurried in to the cabin of the Empress, his gear on his back and his atmosuit put on in a hurry.
Molly was standing in the cabin area running through logistics with Joel. “All okay?” she called over to Pieter.
He nodded, and stowed his gear away for takeoff.
She turned and headed through to the cockpit. “Okay,” she told Crash, “we’re good to go.”
“Roger that,” came his response. Crash had been quiet the whole time, working hard on various extraction scenarios. Molly knew through Oz that he was worried about Brock before they’d even left them on Estaria.
But Crash had his way of dealing with things.
Namely, not.
Within minutes the Empress was lifting off and leaving Gaitune. Molly strapped herself in next to Joel just as they reached the hangar doors. “I think this is probably the fastest turnaround we’ve done in this ship,” she commented.
Joel had been looking straight ahead, lost in thought. He rolled his head to look at her, relaxing the rest of his body to the g-force. “No. It’s not. There was the time when Sean took you to the ArchAngel,” he reminded her.
Molly suddenly felt guilty for forgetting that. For what they went through. And for her part in it.
She swallowed.
Joel looked back at the wall in front of them. “It’s okay,” he reassured her, as if reading her thoughts.
In almost no time at all they were in space and Crash gated them through to a few hundred kilometers off from the location of the Flutningsaðili.
Crash’
s voice came over the audio. “Molly to cockpit please. Molly to cockpit.”
Molly glanced at Joel and undid her restraints. “Duty calls,” she said, eliciting a smile from him.
She arrived in the cockpit to see the ship up ahead of him.
Crash turned his head to her. “You want me to hail him? Have you got a code word or something?”
Molly shook her head, perching in the console chair next to him. “We haven’t. But yes, let’s hail him.”
Crash opened a channel. “Flutningsaðili. This is the Empress. We have Molly Bates to speak with Max Pike.”
He repeated the message a couple more times before getting a response.
“Empress, this is Flutningsaðili, we read you. Mr. Pike has granted permission for you to dock. Please proceed to dock 26 on the port side of the vessel, level 25.”
The channel closed for a moment, and then reopened. “Level 25 is at the bottom of this ship, in case you’re not familiar with cargo ships.”
Crash rolled his eyes. “Like I’m an idiot,” he muttered under his breathe. He reopened the channel. “Thank you Flutningsaðili. Empress out.”
He steered the ship over and around. Molly watched on the screen as the enormous construct grew ahead of them, and then disappeared beneath them as they navigated over the top of it.
It took some time for them to find the correct loading bay. In the interim, as they drifted down one level after another, Joel joined them in the cockpit.
“So, is anyone else thinking ‘Trap’?” he asked, waving his hands when he said the word trap.
Molly nodded. “Oh yes.”
Crash responded. “Definitely.”
Joel sat on the arm of another console chair, folding his arms. “Good to see we’re all on the same page,” he remarked.
Molly and Crash continued concentrating on finding the correct bay to dock in.
Joel stepped forward and leaned on the same console chair that Molly had a hand on. “So, do we have a plan?” he asked.
Molly cocked her head, then turned and looked at him. “Yes. I think we do.”
Joel smiled. “You just made one up, didn’t you?”
The Ascension Myth Box Set Page 146
