by Nate Johnson
It was funny though. When he was done, he didn’t feel the normal fear and disgust. There was just an emptiness that was ready to be filled with something new.
That part of his life was over with, he realized. For the first time, he actually believed that he could put Corona behind him and lead a normal life.
If he could get her to safety, that was.
He smiled as the woman in his arms began to stir. She really was beautiful, and kind, and sweet, and all those things that made her special. But she had a rod of pure steel for a spine. Something that a guy wouldn’t expect just looking at her.
But she never complained. Never said she couldn’t do something. He thought of the way she had scampered across the rooftops. As if she were a born thief.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she turned to look up at him.
He watched her cheeks begin to grow pink as she slowly realized where she was. As the awareness set in, she pushed away and wiped at her mouth.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a chuckle. “You didn’t drool.”
Her shoulders began to relax.
“Much,” he added with a grin.
Her eyes flashed with anger and embarrassment until she saw he was teasing.
“What time is it?” she asked as she reached her arms out in a stretch.
His heart turned over for some reason. The woman had no idea how sexy she was. Nor how difficult it had been to keep from trying to seduce her last night. He was rather confident that he was going to regret that decision for the rest of his life.
“Early morning,” he said in answer to her question.
She nodded and tried to stifle a yawn.
“We need to talk,” he said. Her eyes grew big with worry as she looked at him.
“Go wash up, and we’ll talk,” he said with a weak smile.
She swallowed hard then nodded and scampered into the restroom. When she returned her face was washed, and she looked as fresh as a New Kansas corn field in late spring.
“Okay, what is it?” she asked as she sat down next to him.
He hesitated for a moment then said. “Something is not right. It’s been bugging me all night. But those guys that attacked us. I think they were military.”
“What?” she said with a gasp. “Why?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “The words they used, the way they moved. Plus this,” he said holding up the pistol that had sat next to him all night. “The serial number has been ground off. Why? Unless you wanted to hide the fact that it belonged to the military.”
“Why would the military want to take me? No, it has to be Montlake or Pyre.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “But, I don’t think they were Imperial Marines. I was able to take that guy down too easily for him to be an Imperial Marine.”
“You don’t know that,” she said. “You are rather big. You just don’t know your own strength.”
He laughed at her blind acceptance of his capabilities. But he knew what he knew.
“Well, the other thing is, I was wounded. If they had been Imperial Marines, that bullet would have landed square between my shoulder blades.”
“So you think they are Navy? That doesn’t make sense. The Blackthorn saved me. You saved me.”
He studied her for a long moment. “I don’t know Kaylee. That whole ‘no escort’ thing really bothers me. Besides, something tells me they were spacers. Maybe it was the way they moved. I don’t know. It just isn’t right.
“Plus, the two men at the dock,” he continued. “The ones who were watching for you were definitely not military. They hadn’t ever been within a hundred yards of a drill sergeant or a salty Master Chief.”
“What does that mean?” she asked. “Are there two different groups after us, or are they working together.”
He slowly shook his head. “Again, I don’t know.”
A heavy silence fell between them. He let her process this new information and waited for it to sink in.
“I need to talk to my father,” she said. “Before we go to the Embassy. We might be walking into a trap.”
“That was what I was thinking,” he answered.
“I don’t have a phone. It was left behind on the Voltaire.”
He nodded. “We can get one. But, breakfast first.”
She smiled up at him as her stomach rumbled. He laughed and held out his hand to pull her up. The sooner they got in touch with her father the sooner they could get this over with.
Suddenly, the thought that it would all be over within a few hours sent a sense of sadness through him. Sure, she would be safe, and he could return to his life as a spacer. But, what then? For some reason, that life no longer seemed enough.
When they reached the door at the bottom of the stairs. Logan held out a hand to hold her back. Opening the door just a crack, he studied the street for almost a minute, his pistol up, and ready.
At last, he nodded and let her leave.
“There is a bakery on the corner,” he said with a nod in the correct direction.
“After we get something to eat, we’ll get a phone and call your father from the park. It’s a couple of blocks over.”
“The park?” she asked.
“Yeah, if anyone at the embassy is trying to get to you. I imagine they will have a trace on your father’s phone. We will only have a minute or two. I want to be able to see if anyone is approaching us. The park is the best spot.”
She nodded as her forehead narrowed into a serious frown.
“I can’t believe it. This all seems so unreal. Those men killed on the Voltaire. Being chased yesterday. It doesn’t feel real.”
Logan smiled at her, “The Empire is comprised of humans. Not all of them honorable.” He flashed back to Corona. He knew how mean and vicious people could be. And how screwed up the Empire could be.
Chapter Eight
Kaylee looked around the park. She was getting to be like Logan, she thought. Her eyes constantly scanning for trouble.
Everything looked normal. Green grass, tall trees. The sweet smell of fresh air filled her lungs. Winding paths lined with native flowers wove their way through the park.
People were out, enjoying the beautiful day. Walking, alone, or in twos and threes. A group of mothers with small children were feeding the ducks in the pond. In the distance, a street musician was entertaining a small crowd.
Peaceful, normal, innocent, she thought. These people had no idea that dangerous men were after her. What is more, she couldn’t tell them. Couldn’t go up to them and inform them that there were factions within the Empire and several planetary governments that wanted to kidnap her and force her father to their will.
They would have thought she was crazy. In fact, they would immediately contact the police, who would contact the Embassy. There was nowhere for her to turn.
Except to the man next to her. What would she have done without him? she wondered. She knew perfectly well that she would not have escaped from those men yesterday. They would have taken her in a heartbeat.
She knew how lucky she was to have Logan helping her. The memory of how decisive he was, flashed through her mind. He’d taken out that man without a beat of hesitation. He’d found them a safe place to hide. And even now, he stood guard.
All that stood between her and disaster.
Sighing to herself, she took a moment to remember what it had felt like to wake up in his arms this morning. The warm, solid feeling that had engulfed her. A feeling that all was right with the world. Even if only for a moment.
“You ready?” he asked as his eyes continued to look out over the people around them. “Remember, keep it short, and then drop the phone over there behind that tree.”
Kaylee nodded as she punched in her father’s number. She held her breath while she heard the connection being made.
“Hello?” her father said from the other end.
“Daddy?” Kaylee said as her face broke into a big smile. It felt so good to hear his voice. She had
been worried that when the attackers had missed her, they might take out their vengeance on him.
“Kaylee? Is that you? Where are you dear? You are supposed to be on your way to Taurus. The Report?” The fear in his voice shocked her. He didn’t know what had happened.
“I’m all right Daddy. Really,” she said. “The ship was attacked, but I was rescued by a Navy ship. The Blackthorn.” She shot Logan a quick smile. “I am fine.”
“Are you here on Montlake?” her father asked with disbelief. “Why wasn’t I told? Where are you?”
She ignored his questions. She didn’t have time.
“Listen, Daddy, we think someone in the Navy is trying to take me. Should I still come to the Embassy?
“NO!” her father yelled into the phone. “Don’t come here. I can’t explain. Not now. But do not come here.”
Her heart fell. Her only hope was gone to her.
“What should we do?” she asked.
There was a hesitant moment on the other end. “Who is we?” her father asked.
Kaylee paused for a moment. “A Navy spacer is helping me,” she said. “He is the one who rescued me.”
“Kaylee,” her father said, his voice becoming tight with emotion. “You can’t trust anyone. You need to get to Taurus. It is the only safe place for you. Do you understand?”
“Daddy, I can trust Logan, you don’t know him.”
“No Kaylee,” he said. “Now listen ...”
“No Daddy, you listen. If it hadn’t been for Logan, I would have been dead three times already. If I can’t trust him, then I can’t trust anyone. I might as well let myself be taken now.”
She glanced up to catch the handsome Petty Officer looking at her with a strange expression on his face. For some reason, the expression made her heart race even more than the conversation with her father.
An awkward silence fell over the phone conversation while she waited for her father to respond.
At last, she heard a heavy sigh on the other end.
“Kaylee,” her father said with a weary voice, “go to Taurus. It is the only safe place for you. I can’t get to you. Not without alerting them to your presence. But don’t worry. If they do take you, they won’t hurt you. I will do what they ask, and the Empire will move on. But, I would prefer that not happen. So go to Taurus.”
“Daddy,” Kaylee said. “Five men are dead. Logan was wounded last night. I have the report with me. This ...”
“Kaylee,” Logan said as he grabbed her arm while pointing across the park.
Three men were running towards them. Their long strides eating up ground.
“Daddy,” she said hurriedly. “I love you, we have to go.”
She dropped the phone before she heard his answer. Logan guided her in front of him. She knew that he was using himself to shield her, but they didn’t have time to stop and argue about the matter.
As they turned the corner of the path, Logan took her elbow and pulled her into the trees. “This way,” he said.
She wondered briefly if he had another hideaway. But it turned out to be a shortcut to another path and a way out of the park.
When they reached the street, they both turned to look behind themselves.
“Did we lose them?” she asked between gasps of breath.
“If we did, it’s not for long,” he said. “Let’s keep moving.”
“Where are we going?” she asked. “My father said we weren’t to go to the embassy.
Logan shrugged his shoulders. “Back to the Blackthorn, I guess. The skipper will know what to do.”
Kaylee’s heart jumped. Why did it feel as if she was always running? And why was the entire galaxy after her? Everyone but Logan she thought.
.o0o.
Logan ran his hand through his hair while he tried to catch his breath. Life aboard a tender wasn’t exactly conducive to cardiovascular activity. He was getting soft.
“How much further?” Kaylee asked as she bent forward to rest her hands on her knees.
“We are almost there,” he replied. They’d been on the run for almost four hours. He’d taken them on a circuitous route, out and away from the docks, then back into the city, and finally, once he was sure they weren’t being followed, back towards the Blackthorn.
“Come on, through here,” he said a few minutes later as they approached the very same door they had exited through the day before.
“What about the men watching? Do you think they will still be there?”
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. None of this made sense, he’d have to deal with it as things occurred.
They slipped into the warehouse and through the dark room to the door facing the dock.
Logan slowly slid the door open just a smidge so he could examine the area. What he saw sent a chill to his very soul.
“She’s gone,” he said in disbelief.
“What? Who?” Kaylee said from behind him, her hand resting on his shoulder.
“The Blackthorn. She’s gone,” he said.
Her eyes grew big with shock as she gently pushed him aside to get her own look.
“Where’d she go?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he answered as his insides tightened into a ball.
“Did she move to a different dock?” Kaylee asked.
Logan shook his head. “No way, there isn’t any reason for her to move.”
“Did they leave? Without you?” Kaylee asked.
He tried to keep the pain from his eyes, but he knew he failed miserably.
“I think she left,” he said. “I don’t know why.” He thrust around his mind trying to think of some reason his ship would have abandoned him there. It didn’t make sense. A sick, guilty feeling washed over him. He should be with them. They were his friends. The closest thing he had to a family. And they were gone.
“Because of me?” Kaylee asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” he replied as he scanned the area. He purposely didn’t look at her. The last thing he wanted her to see was the pain and surprise he was feeling.
He rolled away from the opening and leaned his back against the warehouse door. Closing his eyes, he tried to understand. Tried to come up with some explanation that made sense
“I’m sorry,” Kaylee said as she held a hand against his shoulder.
He shook his head. “I’m out of ideas. You got any?” he asked. Unable to believe they had left him there. His world felt as if someone had knocked it off kilter.
Kaylee shook her head as she joined him, leaning against the door.
“I don’t know. My father just said for me to get to Taurus. That I would be safe there.”
“And how are we supposed to do that?” Logan asked angrily. “Hold our breath and flap our arms.”
“I don’t know,” she responded defensively. “I didn’t make the Blackthorn leave.”
He sighed heavily. “I know,” he said as he slowly his head. “This isn’t your fault. I’m just a little shocked, I guess.”
Again she put her hand on his shoulder. “I am sorry. Should we go back to where we stayed last night? They didn’t find us there.
“We’ve got to get you to Taurus,” he said. “That’s what is important.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. There should be a passenger ship headed that way. If not now, within the next few days.
The two of them looked at each other for a long minute as they both realized how unlikely it was that they could stay free long enough to get aboard a passenger ship
Turning to the doorway again, Logan scanned the area once more, unable to believe the absence of the Blackthorn. Kaylee slid her head up under his arm so she could look.
He felt her tense up next to him.
“Oh my God,” she said with a whisper.
“What?” he barked as he frantically scanned around them for approaching danger.
“There,” she said pointing to the head of the dock.
“What
?” he asked again, exasperated.
“That ship, there, the gray one.”
Logan looked towards where she was pointing. An early model small passenger craft that looked older than the Empire itself was moored at the head of the pier.
“What about it?” he asked.
“That is the ship that attacked us. When I was on the Voltaire.”
“The pirate ship?” he asked with disbelief. He knew his tone sounded doubtful. But really, a pirate ship sitting in Montlake like it was a weekend ferry. Not likely.
“I’m positive,” she said. “See that gash on the left stern? I remember seeing that. Just before the captain told me to go hide. Plus, it’s the right shape and size. I’m positive. Believe me, it is burned into my brain.”
Logan studied the vessel. He could see the gash she was talking about. It was pretty distinctive. A long silver strip, probably a close encounter with a micro meteor.
“Are you sure?” he asked again.
“I know what I saw Logan,” she said with fierce determination. “That is the ship that attacked us. Those are the men who killed the Voltaire’s crewmembers.”
Logan pulled her away from the door opening and back into the dark.
“What should we do?” she asked. “We need to tell someone.”
Logan scoffed and said, “Who, the police, or maybe we should go to the Embassy and report it? It was in Imperial space after all. Technically this is an Imperial issue, not a Montlake issue.”
“I don’t know. But we can’t let them get away with murder.”
Logan shook his head. “Our first priority is to get you to Taurus. Remember?”
“But ...”
“No Princess,” he said with a smile. “You take priority.”
“I told you. I’m not a princess,” she said softly as she bit her lip. “And it’s not me they are after. It is my father’s daughter they want.”
Logan laughed. “What’s the difference?”
“There is a big difference,” she said simply.
He watched the ship. Slowly an idea began to worm its way into his brain. One of those crazy ideas that you dismiss at first but keeps coming back to.
It might work. Hell, what choice did they have?
He shook his head and smiled. “Come on, follow my lead,” he said as stepped through the door. A quick scan showed him the dock was pretty quiet. A group of people across the way were working on a crane. It looked like they were repairing an engine.
