“Had you ever seen them before?”
She shook her head. “They started taking people. They… they took my mom. My dad. My daughter. They told us that the only way to get them back was to turn on each other. They claimed that the kidnapping was only temporary.”
“How long ago was this?” Gregg asked.
“Six months.”
“And so help me understand how you came to enslave your own people.”
“I owned a ship. Maybe they sensed that I would do it. Most wouldn’t. But I didn’t care about that. I cared about my family and getting them back. They told me they’d pay me if I delivered a dozen people a month to an undisclosed planet. I guess… it wasn’t hard for me to fly to another continent and raid houses. I never thought about it.”
“And who was Gen Banks?”
“Someone they approached at the same time. We ended up working together. I’m not sad to see him dead.”
“How did these drops work?”
“We bought rental ships from a neighboring planet. That way they looked real nice and made a good first impression. Got us past you guys. Then we’d go back home. The Arguses would launch a small attack, never enough to kill anyone. The military would start a response, and then we’d set up on the edge of the burning city, where we’d advertise quick vacations and getaways… to take peoples’ minds off the chaos. After all, the attacks weren’t much. We’d charge a minimal fee, and we usually had more people than we could manage.”
“And people didn’t figure out what you were doing?”
“Every time it was something different. Vacations. Maybe interplanetary real estate. Sometimes we’d just nab people. It wasn’t hard. It’s not like the media was paying attention. The Arguses told us exactly what to do.”
Grayson puffed.
Gregg turned to him. “What’s wrong?”
“Your story is crap.”
“What!” Rina yelled. “You piece of—”
“Since when do you speak pig?” Grayson asked.
Gregg raised an eyebrow. “Good point. None of us in the Guard do.”
“You hang around them long enough, you pick up their language. Just because they’re descended from pigs doesn’t mean they can’t communicate. They’re smarter than they look.”
“Yeah, okay,” Grayson said.
“They fooled you,” Rina said. “They fooled your whole damn army.”
“What do they want people for?” Gregg asked.
“Hell if I know. I just want my family back.”
She buried her head in her arms, but she did not sob.
The interview was over.
“Rina, we’ll be transporting you to Provenance, where you will stand trial for more crimes than I care to count.”
Rina sighed.
“I want to know one last thing,” Gregg said. “How many other human traffickers are there? Tell me the truth and I’ll recommend that your sentence be commuted. Your interview has been enlightening.”
Rina smirked.
“Well?” Gregg asked.
“A lot,” she said. “And there will probably be some in the Rah, now.”
Chapter 15
Grayson and Beauregard could hardly keep up with Gregg as she hurried down the hallway toward the bridge.
“Let’s go, gentlemen,” she said.
The idea that there were more smugglers, and that they might be hitting the Rah, set Gregg on edge. It visibly disturbed her, and for the first time in his career, Grayson saw her break character in an interview.
“What do you think, ma’am?” Grayson asked.
“This is bad. And the way this keeps unraveling, it’s only going to get worse.”
She stopped.
“Say nothing about this to anyone. Not yet.”
Grayson and Beauregard nodded.
“How accurate do you think her story was?” she asked.
“No idea. You made her prospect at future freedom look pretty bleak, ma’am,” Grayson said. “She was either telling you the complete truth or a complete lie.”
Gregg sighed. “I don’t like those odds.”
“Neither do I, ma’am.”
Beauregard cleared his throat. “What exactly do we do with this information?”
“We’ve got to tell Commander Ponty,” Gregg said. “This is going to go all the way up. It’s going to fall across all the branches of the armed forces like acid rain.”
“The smuggler thing?” Grayson asked.
“All of it,” Gregg said. “I don’t know very much about the Argus conflict. Probably as much as you two. But I was briefed this morning. What Rina just told me completely undermines the intelligence the military has gathered. At least, it undermines what little they told me.”
Grayson tried not to show his surprise. Oh boy.
“Once I receive approval, I’ll spread the word to the other search and rescue units so they can scrutinize private passenger ships more thoroughly. I’ll need your help with that, Grayson.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“We’ll coordinate a public service announcement as well. We won’t make the same mistake that the Orion galaxy made. The best way to arm our citizens against these smugglers is to inform them.”
She put her hand on the shoulders of Grayson and Beau. “You both did a good job. The commander and I are very proud. But this is just beginning.”
Grayson and Beau looked at each other. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Gregg started for the bridge. “Commander Ponty is waiting for us. Let me do all the talking.”
They followed through the sliding glass doors onto the bridge.
Chapter 16
The bridge, normally only manned by three, was big enough to hold seven. Several petty officers were stationed at the different instrument panels, monitoring space and communicating with the fleet.
Grayson had never seen so much action in his entire six years in the Galactic Guard. All the bustling reminded him of a science fiction movie.
A man could get used to this, he thought.
They stopped in front of a large video panel.
A middle-aged man in a decorated blue uniform waited for them on the screen. He sat in a conference room. Grayson recognized the room—it was back home, in the base, on Provenance.
Grayson, Gregg, and Beauregard saluted.
“At ease,” Commander Mike Ponty said. He smiled at Grayson. “Grayson, glad to have you back. Good job.”
“Sir,” Grayson said.
“What’s this I hear about humans aiding Argus human trafficking?” Ponty asked.
“The criminal has informed us that she is not the only Argus smuggler,” Gregg said. “If she is to be believed, there are many others in the Orion Galaxy. And we have reason to believe that the Rah citizens will be targeted next.”
“My God,” Ponty said. “Are you sure?”
Gregg nodded. “Thanks to Grayson and Beauregard’s help, we were able to get the most out of the interview.”
Ponty frowned. “How are the refugees?”
“Malnourished, dehydrated and shaken beyond belief, but they’ll be fine,” Gregg said. “We’re on our way home to Provenance right now. When we arrive, we’ll offer them counseling services and figure out the most covert way to get them home. Apparently they’re from a planet in the Orion called Reed.”
“I’m familiar,” Ponty said. “Good. This is truly a Navy and Marine problem. The sooner we can extract the Guard from it, the better. Sounds like we’ve got some takeaways—I’d like to leave it at that.”
“I agree, sir,” Gregg said.
“Get everybody home safely,” Ponty said, specifically looking at Grayson. “I’ll take it from here.”
They saluted as Ponty disconnected.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Gregg said, relaxing somewhat.
“Ma’am,” Beauregard said softly. “Thank you for the recognition. It was completely unnecessary. You did the interrogation, not us.”
“You’re
heroes,” Gregg said, walking off the bridge. “Time to start playing the part.”
Chapter 17
Grayson found Will in the airlock, playing soccer with the three children passengers. They wore Guard-issue white shirts and black boots, and they ran around him as he kicked the ball at the wall.
“I win!” Will cried, raising his fists into the air.
Then the ball bounced off the wall and hit him in the head.
The kids fell over laughing as he rubbed his face. “I meant to do that…”
Grayson waved.
“Hey, Buddy,” Will said. “Want to play?”
Grayson was about to respond when a man grabbed his arm. He had brown hair and looked to be in his late twenties.
“Thank you so much,” he said.
“You don’t have to thank me,” Grayson said, shaking the man’s hand. “You would’ve done the same for me.”
The adults crowded around him, thanking him as well.
“My commander says we’re going to get you folks home sooner than later. They’re trying to figure out how, is all.”
“All of this is unexpected,” the man said. “Your Guard is so much more organized than the one we have in the Orion. They never would have saved us—or had the resources.”
“And here I was thinking that our Guard could use some improvement,” Grayson said. “Seriously. I’m just glad you’re all okay. Can I get you anything?”
Everyone shook their heads. “We’ve been fed, and honestly we don’t want to leave,” the young man said. His eyes were soft, like they’d seen untold horrors that Grayson couldn’t imagine. “But you’ve taught us courage, Grayson.”
“We were fooled,” a woman said. “We thought we were going on a vacation.”
“But we won’t be fooled again,” the man said. “We have all talked. And we agreed. When we return home, we are going to fight against the Arguses. And we’re going to out every smuggler and shine a light on what they are doing.”
Grayson nodded. “That sounds good to me. And brave.”
“It’s the only way we know how to repay you what you’ve done for us.”
Grayson’s heart swelled. If only his mom could hear what they were telling him!
“Catch!” a voice cried.
Grayson put up his hands just in time to catch the soccer ball.
Will stood, grinning devilishly. “Damn. One of these days I’m going to hit you when you’re not looking.”
Grayson dropped the ball and dribbled it between his feet. The children ran around him, laughing. He let a little girl steal it, and the kids cheered.
He pretended to catch up with the girl. “I’m coming! I’m going to steal it. I’m going to get it!”
Whack!
The girl kicked the ball into the wall. Then she whipped around and gave Grayson a peace sign.
“Nice shot!” Grayson said. “You’re sure you don’t want to stay on Provenance and try out for the water soccer team?”
“Really?” the girl asked.
Grayson clapped a hand on her shoulder and started to speak when the ship’s intercom beeped.
“Sorry to interrupt the festivities,” Beauregard said, “but we’re making our exit into Provenance space. We’ll be re-entering in ten minutes. If you could all find a seat and strap yourselves in, it’ll ensure a safe entry. No need to don spacesuits. Provenance has a habitable atmosphere. Grayson, Will, prepare for landing.”
“Aww, man,” one of the kids said.
“This is just round one,” Will said. He pointed at each of the kids. “You guys are mine.”
Grayson and Will moved to the walls and pulled down fourteen seats from sturdy metal hatches. Each of the seats had seat belts.
The refugees sat in the seats and strapped themselves in. Once they were ready, Grayson and Will secured themselves.
Outside, the purple plasma of hyperspace dissipated and starry space returned. As the ship slowed, they saw a glimpse of the planet Provenance—a stately, bluish-gray planet with clouds swirling around it.
The adults sighed at the sight of the planet.
“It reminds us of Reed,” someone said. “But less rocky!”
Grayson chuckled. Even though all the Earthlike planets in the universe were wildly different—natural or artificially modified—everyone always said the same thing.
The ship chimed.
Grayson and Will held their straps tighter as the ship angled downward.
Everyone else did the same.
The engines fired up, and the thrusters drowned out the silence with their rapid burning.
Then the ship jumped forward, down into Provenance’s orbit. Weightlessness began, and Grayson relaxed as his body levitated upward.
He’d done this a thousand times. But there was always something special about re-entering home.
Yellowish-orange plasma swirled across the windows as the ship turned into a manmade comet, streaking through the air.
The metal shrieked. The ship jolted from side to side.
Several people coughed and were visibly sick.
Holding the straps, Grayson thought about his parents. As the blue sky replaced space—an immense bowl of a shade that wasn’t quite azure—he glanced over the Hydrangea Basin, the huge body of water next to his rocky home continent, and he wondered what his mom was doing.
He didn’t even know what time it was. Time drifted on ships. Even though it was morning or afternoon or evening or whatever, it always, always felt like nighttime. He longed for sunlight, for fresh air, and a big heaping plate of his mom’s chitterlings, drenched in hot sauce, with a side of cornbread and a crisp, cold can of soda at the ready.
The ship shook again, and someone whimpered.
“Gonna be okay, folks,” Grayson said. “This is the worst part.”
Everyone held on tight as the turbulence worsened.
The continent below came into higher definition, with small mountains and peaks becoming visible. A cluster of cities, gray like constellations, connected all over the continent, with big wide spaces of mountains and rock in between. Then the blue lines of Provenance’s man-made rivers appeared, crawling through the rock.
The turbulence eased and the ship gently nosed upright, and then the thrusters slowly died down to a soft roar.
The intercom chimed.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Provenance.”
Everyone cheered.
Chapter 18
With a rocky landing, the Galactic Cutter’s engines cut off.
A mass clicking erupted around the airlock as everyone unfastened their seat belts.
Grayson lined them up.
The bay doors whooshed, then they descended, bathing the airlock in sunlight.
Grayson squinted. The others put their hands over their faces until their eyes adjusted to the sun.
A group of officers waited on the ground, welcoming them to the base. Grayson stepped off the ship, and the soldiers saluted him.
“That’s your signal to get out of here,” Gregg said, stepping off the bay doors.
Ahead, a giant, non-combustible building lay on rocky soil. It was tan and brown. Several smaller versions of the building were spread across the complex.
The place he’d called home for the last six years.
He’d come here first as a reservist, understanding his obligation but not really understanding it. All he’d thought about up until that point was the honor and benefits associated with service. The Guard quickly beat those notions out of him.
And now, this was his last mission.
And it was over.
He didn’t know how to take it.
His inside felt hollow, like someone carved out all his emotions and cast them aside.
Should he have felt remorse for leaving?
He didn’t know yet.
Someone grabbed him again. Another one of the refugees.
“Is this the last time we’ll see you?”
“Afraid so,” Gray
son said. “But you’re going into the army’s custody tomorrow. Trust me, you’ll be in good hands. Better hands than ours.” He grinned. “They don’t talk much, but they’ll treat you right. I can promise you that.”
The officers led the passengers toward the base. They were busy taking in the sunlight and the rocky planet, and they didn’t notice that Grayson didn’t follow.
He watched them with a satisfaction he never knew was possible.
It was time to sneak away. He didn’t want to be revered as their hero. He just wanted them to survive.
He’d done his job.
“Hey, catch!” a voice cried.
Grayson caught his duffle bag just before it struck his chest. The catch made him swing around, and as he did, he turned it into a single fluid motion and slung the duffle bag over his shoulder. In the front pocket, he found his sunglasses.
“Don’t forget about me!” Will said, waving from the bay door.
Grayson waved. He put his sunglasses on and walked in the dusty air, his boots crunching the dirt, until he was off the base.
Chapter 19
Grayson stood on a steep hilltop and beheld a city of circular, metal pods that stretched as far as he could see. He shouldered his bag and smiled at the sight of home. The wind blew fiercely and he was glad he wore his flight suit.
Provenance was known as the windy planet. With chilling winds that came out of nowhere and affected all of the planet’s climates and continents, you had to wear layers, even if it was warm.
The wind was so powerful that cities had to be built across, not up. Unlike on other Earth-like planets, Provenance homes and businesses existed as metal pods. Still spacious and roomy, but safer—the metal exteriors provided protection from the elements, and polycarbonate windows protected the interiors from debris and harsh wind speeds.
But when the planet wasn’t blowing, it was often warm and seasonable. Until winter, when everyone stayed in their pods for two months to avoid the bitter, deadly snow and rain.
Honor's Reserve (Galaxy Mavericks Book 1) Page 6
