by J. N. Chaney
That was good news, but I still didn't like leaving my ship in someone else’s hands. It wouldn’t have bugged me as much if Fratley didn’t have free rein to roam about my ship, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. Not now, anyway.
I’d had Sigmond choose a meeting location this far from port on purpose, though. As much as I hated being away from the Star, I didn't want Fratley to have any hint of what was really going on or what I was up to. That meant I had to be as far from the docking station as possible, and I’d kept a close eye on any possible tails that could report back to him.
Mostly, I didn't want Fratley to know about the Carson kids. If he knew, then it was possible Colt could eventually find out, too.
The bartender grabbed a glass off the counter and put it in the sink before wiping a smudge on the bar. I leaned my elbow on the metal beside him and opened my mouth to ask about the trio, but I didn’t get the chance.
“Head into the back room,” the bartender said before I could get a word out. “Take the hallway around to the left and just keep going until you hit the last door.”
He didn't even look up at me as he spoke.
“Alright then,” I said, pushing off the bar as I headed toward the hallway hoping he’d given me the right room.
I didn’t want to walk into another person’s backdoor deal, after all. On a planet like this, I figured clandestine meetings in back rooms were the norm rather than the exception, and I doubted the bartender cared much about what we had to say.
There wasn’t much light in the narrow hallway, since a bulb hanging from the ceiling every other meter was all I had to guide me through the darkness. I followed the bartender's instructions and headed to the last door, ignoring the muffled conversations in the other rooms I passed.
When I reached the last door, I set my ear against the cold metal to listen. It was better to be safe than to get shot, and I still wasn’t entirely clear about what would be waiting for me on the other side.
Someone cleared their throat, and the soft thud of boots on the steel floor filtered through the thin door. The footsteps continued, pacing across what sounded like the far end of the room.
No one spoke, but I didn't hear the click of cocking weapons. That was always a good sign.
After a twist of the knob, I shoved the door open and remained in the hallway in case I needed to make a quick getaway. The door swung on its hinges, revealing three familiar faces in an otherwise empty room.
Ruby sat on a table against the back wall, picking at her nails with a knife, and she barely cast a glance my way.
Hunter stood by the window, one hand on his pistol and a rifle over his other shoulder as he watched the city. The young man shifted his weight when I entered, his shoulders tense, and he turned to face me.
Edwin sat backwards on a chair in the center of the room, his arms draped over the backrest. His eyes were already on me from the second the door opened, and I wondered how long he’d been waiting there, utterly immobile, calm, and collected, even as the other two fidgeted.
I walked in and slammed the door behind me. In the lingering silence that followed, I took a moment to study each of their faces. It was strange to see the trio in person again, since they’d tried to kill me the first time we met.
That was the life we’d all chosen, though. Out here in the Deadlands, the tides could turn on us in an instant. All of us needed allies right now.
I leaned my back against the closed exit, my palm still on the butt of my gun, and I ran my tongue over my back molar. Though Ruby was preoccupied with her nails and the knife in her hand, Edwin and Hunter both watched me, clearly waiting for me to take the lead.
Fine. I could do that.
“Here's what's happening,” I said, taking over. “Colt Lockwood wants to kill everyone in this room, and he's determined to do it. He intercepted me twice, once on a fake mission that he tricked me into taking, and once on a legitimate mission he intercepted after I’d made my delivery. There’s not much of a chance for me to find work until this guy's dead, and he's going to come after you all sooner or later, too.” I paused, considering the odds for how long they really had left to live. “Probably sooner, since you’re the ones who actually killed his cousin. That means we need a plan, and we need it fast.”
“What do you suggest?” asked Edwin.
“I don't know yet,” I admitted. “I need to know what you three are good at besides costing me money and my reputation with the Avos Parliament. Tell me what your skills are.”
“And why should we trust you?” asked Ruby, her eyes narrowing with suspicion as she finally settled her gaze my way.
“You shouldn’t,” I admitted. “You don’t know me, and I’m not trying to build a crew. This is a temporary alliance, and don’t for one second think otherwise.” I let the warning hang in the air just in case they started getting ideas. “Besides, there's not much choice for any of us at the moment. Whether or not we like each other, we have a shared enemy. Edwin's right. We stand a better chance of this if we do it together. But you'll be on my ship, and that means I'm your captain for the duration of this mess. Is that clear?”
Ruby just scoffed and returned to her nails.
I paused, taking in the scene. My best guess was that Edwin wanted to run damage control. They knew exactly how much they needed me, and he didn’t want Hunter to ruin it for them all.
“You’re the Captain,” said Edwin, gesturing to me. “We can respect that.”
“Bullshit!” snapped Hunter, smacking his palm against the wall as his thinly veiled control over his anger broke. “He could be working for Colt, Edwin. This guy might have sold us out just like Decker sold out our family!”
“Hunter, relax,” said Edwin calmly.
“No, actually, I’m with Hunter,” said Ruby. “This is a bad idea. We can't trust him, Edwin.”
“Not you, too,” muttered Edwin, briefly glancing at his sister over his shoulder.
She just shrugged.
I rubbed my eyes to stem my irritation. “Did you three really wait to have this discussion until now?”
They should’ve been on the same page by this point. These were the sorts of debates a good leader had with his people ahead of time, not in the middle of a negotiation.
“He comes in here, demanding control, and you just give it to him?” Hunter pointed at me as he stalked toward his brother, looming over Edwin like a strike ship hovering over its target.
I crossed my arms and propped one leg against the door behind me. It was time to see how they handled problems. This was their audition—and if they failed, they were on their own. Having this kind of disharmony on my ship could get us all killed. I wouldn’t let them drag me down, too.
They could shape up, or they could face Colt without me.
Ruby clicked her tongue with disappointment. “I mean, look at him, Edwin. Do you really think he could defeat Colt Lockwood?”
“Enough!” shouted Edwin, standing abruptly.
His voice broke through their complaints, louder than I’d ever heard him speak before. His calm demeanor shifted, but he never once lost control. His chair scraped along the floor as he grabbed the backrest and scowled at them both, daring them to say anything.
They didn’t.
“I, for one, don’t want to die. He’s our best bet in this war with Colt, and you’re fools if you don’t see that as the gods-honest truth.”
Ruby had no response, and Hunter lifted his chin defiantly. Both focused their full attention on their brother and, thankfully, shut the hell up.
“We started this mess,” continued Edwin. “The three of us caused this, and I’m going to finish it whether you work with me or not. This man is our one hope. The only one we know who’s had encounters with Colt Lockwood and who knows what’s really coming for us. I’m going to listen. If you two won’t shape up and get in line, then get the hell out and let me handle this alone.”
It took everything in me not to smirk with rel
ief and a bit of pride. It was about time he put those two in their place.
Ruby sighed and sheathed her knife. Without a word, she leaned against the wall and rested one arm on her knee, apparently her indication that she was listening.
“Fine,” muttered Hunter. He scowled and began to pace along the wall, still brimming with anger.
“Apologies,” said Edwin as he stood in the middle of the room and gestured for me to continue. Though his voice returned to its normal, calm levels, his body still tensed with adrenaline. “You were saying?”
“My ship, my rules.” I summed it up as simply as I could to move things along. “You call me Captain, and you lot do what you’re told.”
Hunter wisely kept his mouth shut this time.
“Any concerns?” I asked, my focus primarily on the pot of heavily armed testosterone and anger pacing by the window.
Edwin tilted his head, his eyes darting toward the floor as he thought it over. “I mostly want to know how you survived the run-ins with Colt, Mr. Hughes.”
I frowned, turning my full attention on the Carson kid standing in front of me. I still had my palm on the butt of my pistol, and for the first time since stepping into this room, I was sorely tempted to draw it.
“How the hell do you know my name, kid?”
Edwin smiled cagily. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there. “I told you, that’s what I do. I know things that people would rather stay hidden.”
I took a few steps toward him, staring him down as he calmly kept my gaze. Ruby and Hunter stiffened, both drawing their guns but wisely keeping the barrels aimed toward the ground.
“Tell me,” I ordered Edwin.
For a moment, he just kept my gaze and didn’t answer. The silence stretched on, and I wondered if I was going to have to break some bones. I’d used an alias for the Decker job. Not even the Avos Parliament had my real name. The closest bit of intel they might’ve had was my ship’s name, but even that wasn’t a sure-fire connection to my real identity.
During our first run-in, I’d purposefully not let my name slip. No information about me at all. Seeing as they’d cost me money and shot at me, I’d felt pretty warranted in that hesitation.
There was a leak somewhere, and I intended to plug it.
“I have contacts everywhere, Captain,” Edwin finally said, unafraid even with me staring him down. “One of them identified you.”
“Hmm,” I muttered, not sure I liked that answer. This kid hadn’t been joking. If he’d heard about the Brax job, then he really did have contacts everywhere.
“If you’d set us up or tried to betray us today, I would have found out about it,” said Edwin with a brief glance toward Ruby to drive home his point. “Captain, it’s clear Colt is after you. I’ve confirmed that, and I'm impressed that you've survived. That's why I'm considering this alliance of ours. You obviously have talent, or you'd be dead.”
I nodded and returned to my place by the door. It wasn't cocky to admit he was right.
“However,” added Edwin. “It's only fair to warn you that if you try anything, you'll be dead before you can hit the ground. The Carsons aren't people you mess with.”
“Nor am I,” I warned him, holding his gaze while I let the threat settle into his bones.
“Fair enough,” conceded Edwin.
“Focus, all of you,” I said, directing the conversation so that we didn’t stray too far from the core reason any of us were here. “Tell me about your skills and weaknesses. Age, strengths, everything.”
“What does age have to do with anything?” asked Hunter, breaking his longest silence thus far.
“It lets me know how green you are,” I answered. “How stupid you’ll be in the heat of a battle. For instance, it’s obvious Edwin is the eldest.”
“I’m not, actually,” corrected Edwin. “I'm the third child, youngest son. Hunter is older than me by two years, and Ruby's the baby.”
“Don’t call me a baby,” she said immediately.
“Hunter is good with weapons,” said Edwin, ignoring her as he pointed to his brother. “That's his primary skill, though I’m sure you’ve noticed patience isn’t his strong suit.”
I snorted at that.
“And I'm still pissed you took my rifle,” added Hunter.
“It was payment,” I reminded him. “That's what you get for screwing up my bounty, and you're not getting it back.”
“Ass,” muttered Hunter as he turned his back to me.
“Ruby can fight,” continued Edwin, as if Hunter hadn't said anything. “Don’t get me started on her right hook.”
“That so?” I asked.
He nodded. “It would’ve been a very different experience for you back on the station if you hadn't held me at gunpoint.”
I pointed to her. “You say that, but I recall you saying she never actually got hired for any kills. Is that because you’re against it?”
“I don’t mind murder, personally,” she said with a bored shrug. “My training was pretty thorough. I just never got the chance to actually use it in the field.”
“Smuggling was the business, but some of us have had to kill to get out of trouble in the past. Our family rule is we only kill when we have to, and Decker wanted to change that, turn us into something else. His plan was to send Ruby out on the sort of jobs most people would never take. Hit jobs pay the most, but I’m sure you already know that. We just didn't want to get wrapped up in the darker stuff.”
“That’s fair,” I said. “So, Ruby and Hunter have their specialties, but what about you?”
“Call me a strategist, I guess,” said Edwin with a modest shrug. “I’m also the resident techie.”
“Techie?” I repeated.
“He’s a hacker,” said Hunter.
“Oh? How good are you?”
“I’m decent,” Edwin said.
“You're not trying to date the man,” spat Hunter. “Stop being modest.”
Edwin cast an irritated look at his brother. “Fine. I'm more than decent. I know what I’m doing.”
I smirked. “No kidding.”
That still seemed like an understatement.
“And what about you?” asked Hunter, pointing to me.
“Kicking ass and stealing shit, mainly,” I replied. “If we’re talking specializations, I don’t really have any.”
“Jack of all trades, then,” said Edwin.
“Something like that.”
So, this was my team. An above average hacker, an inexperienced assassin, and a weapons expert without his gun. Not the worst combination, I supposed, but certainly not the best.
We had two advantages: the cloak and a team. If we utilized the two together, it could make for a well sprung trap.
“You’ll have to do as I say,” I told them.
“We know,” said Edwin.
“Do you?” I asked, looking at Ruby.
She paused, but then nodded. So did Hunter.
“Good,” I told them. “Because that’s the only way this works. The four of us, working together, coordinating, all with a singular vision. You take my lead and let me do the talking, let me do the guiding, and we’ll be fine out there.”
“Sir,” interrupted Sigmond through the comm. “The cloak installation is complete.”
“About time,” I muttered, trying not to get too excited.
“About time?” asked Edwin, clearly puzzled. “Time for what?”
“Never mind that,” I said, waving his question away. “Meet me tonight. I'll send you the coordinates.”
“We’re not leaving with you now?”
“No. I have some contacts on this planet who don't need to know about you or that we’re working together. It'd be bad news for everyone in this room if they did. Trust me on that.”
“But what's the plan?” asked Hunter, his brows sitting together as if he had missed something.
“Still working on it, but you’ll know soon enough. When you meet me tonight, bring everythi
ng you have. Your weapons and whatever else you've got that can fit on the Star because we won't be back to this planet again. I'll give you rooms on the ship until this is over.”
“I don't know, Edwin,” said Ruby, leaning one arm on her knee as she looked at her brother. “I don't think this is smart. Everyone Colt is going after… all on the same ship?”
“It's better than smart,” I told her. “It's brilliant. Colt will never expect it, and that’s going to give us the advantage we need to win.”
16
As my boots clanked across the metal floor of the hallway that would take me into the docking bay, I cracked my neck to ease the pressure, but it didn’t help.
The hallway was busy, and dozens of people walked past me in both directions. No one looked my way, but I cast a wary glance at each person who walked by. Any of them could be in Fratley’s pocket, and any one of them could be keeping tabs on me without my knowing it.
When the tunnel finally ended, I wound up in the heart of the docking station. I rounded the corner, and a massive expanse of ships stretched into the heavens above me. Metal clanged somewhere nearby, almost instantly drowned out by the cacophony of noise that seemed to be the norm for this place.
On impulse, I glanced up along the catwalks as men yelled at each other and careened past one another with hover dollies piled high with machine parts. This place never seemed to slow down.
I scanned the ships on this level, trying to find the Star. Sigmond hadn’t notified me of any movement, and if it wasn’t where I’d left it, I’d burn this place to the ground.
To my relief, the Renegade Star sat in its rightful spot, just as I’d left it. I could only catch glimpses of the hull from here, as a cargo transport vessel had landed in one of the empty ports between me and my ship, and I jogged around a parked dolly to close the gap.
The sooner I got on my ship, the better.
“Welcome back, sir,” said Sigmond through the comm in my ear as I approached. “Shall I open the cargo bay door for you?”
