Mismatch
Page 54
“Don’t forget that ship in Sector 78 where he decided to follow through on his threats. I have no desire to do that again.�
“He won’t this time. The ship in Sector 78 was small. I’m telling you, he’s lazy. You remember how much cleaning up we had to do after that one.�
Oona made a disgusted noise in her throat.
“Exactly. He won’t do that with this ship. There are too many people, and it would be a lot of work.�
“If he takes all the women, he could execute the men and set the ship adrift. That way nobody has to clean up.�
“Even so, that’s not our problem. I predict no executions.�
“Let’s go!� shouted their superior.
The boots sped away from the ship, and we both let out our breath. When the door slammed, we scrambled out and jumped into the cockpit. Gwen roughly pulled her console towards her, starting the fighter. I went back to work on my holographic keyboard and screen to get the landing bay door open.
Gwen tapped at her console. The humming in the background increased. “Strap in.� She sounded brusque and already had her belts secured.
I pulled on my restraints, clicking them in an X across my chest. At the same time, I discovered something had changed on the monitor. Maybe someone was paying attention to their security after all.
The starship lifted off, piloted by Gwen’s steady hand. “I can’t help noticing that you haven’t opened the door yet.� Gwen kept her eyes on her console as she carefully maneuvered between the other ships.
“I’m still working on it.� I could hear the tightness in my voice. I tapped at the keyboard and tried to stay calm.
Gwen flew slowly and carefully, not wanting to graze any other ship in the hangar. We had spoken several times about how much they cost. The massive docking bay door loomed in front of us.
“Anders?� She started to reduce our speed.
“I’ve almost got it.� I hoped no one had discovered what I had done. With luck, it was only an automated security response that turned on while we were trapped under the ship all that time.
The speaker relaying sounds into the starship from the docking bay came to life. We heard the door slam and the sound of boots again.
“I want to finish up in here, just in case.� It sounded like Oona again. “If we miss someone, the commander will have our asses. Hey, what’s that over there? Stop!� Oona was shouting at us.
“They’re trying to escape.� Definitely Dorron.
“If they do, we’re going to be in trouble.�
“Come on, Oona. You have your class three license, right?�
“Yes, but these are class four ships.�
“It’s just a number. We can’t let these guys escape.�
“They’re not going to escape.� Oona sounded determined.
I broke through the security again and entered the command to open the door. Gwen picked up speed.
“Can’t we just lock the door? Then we wouldn’t have to go after them,� Oona said.
“Have you ever been on one of these transports before?�
“No.�
“Me neither. So get in the damn starship, Oona.�
“They’re stealing one of our fighters,� Gwen moaned.
“That’s the least of our problems right now.� I put away my computer and pulled the console toward me. The door was opening slowly. Gwen had timed our approach so we would be right in front of it when the door was open just enough to let us pass through. I glanced at the pirate’s ship. Its lights turned on after a few seconds.
“They didn’t check anything,� Gwen said through her teeth as she carefully steered. “I hope the techs didn’t bother changing the paralytic converter on that one.�
I ran through three different systems checks simultaneously. “That’s not very charitable of you.� I kept my eyes on the console as I started the fourth and final verification that would make us ready to launch.
“Those assholes don’t deserve charity.� Her fingers fluttered over the console. It was the only sign I saw which indicated she wasn’t feeling as composed as she looked. “They’re ruining our lives.�
“You have a foul mouth, even for a starship pilot.� I shook my head. The opening was finally big enough to let us through.
“Fuck you, Anders.� She had a smile on her face as we accelerated out into the blackness of space.
We sped quickly away from the transport while finalizing our interrupted launch procedures. A few minutes later, I sat back and looked at Gwen. She was watching the rear monitors like a hawk. The vastness of space spread out before us. Our giant transport ship was already becoming small on the viewscreen.
“I think we can relax. If the pirates were going to come after us, they would have launched something by now.�
One of our new ships appeared on the monitors, accelerating toward us. At their speed, they would intercept our ship in four minutes. Gwen gave me a dark look.
“These ships are called fighters for a reason.� I pushed away my console and headed for the gunner’s position.
Gwen stayed in the cockpit, where the two pilot seats could move in any direction. Our consoles moved freely in three dimensions. There were four monitors for each of us in addition to the main screen. The pilots of these ships had plenty of information. We just needed to use it correctly.
I liked being in this ship with Gwen. Any cockpit was comfortable, but this one, in particular, seemed made for us. I was more connected to her when we were sitting and working together than at any other time. I thought the feeling was what it would be like if we were a couple.
To move to the gunner’s slot, all I had to do was face the rear and advance ten paces. The area had a single chair and console. Monitors showed the stern and sides of our vessel as well as information about our weapons and the pursuing ships.
Between the cockpit and the gunner’s position amidships, there was the bathroom to the right and a changing room on the other side. It was all compact and designed to save space. This spacecraft had one purpose — combat.
“Keep it on a steady course.�
“I’m a pilot too, you know. Did you think I was planning on an unsteady course?�
Sitting down, I buckled the belts over my chest. This was my second-favorite place in the ship. It was also the only other place for a pilot to do anything. In the gunner’s position, I felt like I was in control and the absolute best at what I was doing. I switched on the electromagnetic pulse cannon. All the weapons on the fighters could be set to disable or kill.
I wasn’t ready to kill anyone yet, especially if it meant blowing up hardware hardware we’d spent good money on. I lined up the enemy ship in my sights.
“You’re sure you know what you’re doing back there, right?� Gwen called from the front.
I locked onto the fighter and fired. We had thirty seconds until they reached us. “There are four things I do well.�
“Four?� She sounded intrigued. “Let me guess. Gaming, eating, sleeping, and taking a shit.�
“You’re hilarious, Gwendolyn. First of all, I’m the only pilot ever to beat the computer.� I didn’t take my eyes off the monitors.
“Everyone’s heard you tell that story at least twice.� I could hear her tapping and making adjustments to dodge any incoming fire.
I watched as the pulse hit. The fighter zigzagged slightly but kept coming after us. We hadn’t tested shooting live guns at the new space
ships. It was an important piece of information, that these ships wouldn’t be knocked off course easily. It just wouldn’t be passed along if we died.
I increased the power and started aiming again. “I don’t like talking about myself that much, but people say I’m one of the best hackers around.� I focused carefully and fired. “And there were a lot of hackers at the university.�
“I bet. Okay, I’ll give you those two. I’ve seen you in action.�
“My third skill, honed by many hours of gaming, is blowing up stuff.� She came up behind me and watched while I fired again. We both looked at the other ship’s velocity and noticed that it was decreasing.
“Big deal. What’s number four?� I spun around in my chair.
She wasn’t married anymore. She would never go for me anyway, so it didn’t matter. “I never kiss and tell.� I gave her a wink, and she blushed furiously.
“Right. Like the guy from Auxem who’s not married — the virgin — knows anything about stuff like that.� She rolled her eyes.
But I wondered about the blush. Gwen had told me about being in bed with Jake. She had never changed color before. And don’t get me started on the jokes we had to put up with from the older pilots. Gwen wasn’t embarrassed easily.
“Just because you can’t go all the way, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.� I studied her carefully. “That’s what Ayrie always said when we went to the bars.�
“I don’t want to hear about you picking up women like they were take-out food.� She shook her head and stormed back to the cockpit.
“I’m going to take a shot at their port wing. I hate to damage another fighter, but we don’t want the pirates following us. We can’t be satisfied with slowing them down. We have to cripple them.�
She turned around. “You can’t wreck another ship, Anders. You won’t be allowed to fly anymore, and you won’t be able to talk your way out of it.�
“I’m not going to destroy it.� I adjusted my console until I had access to our missiles. “I’m just going to blow off their fuel cells.�
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?�
“The pirates won’t be able to go anywhere. They won’t be hurt or killed, as long as I don’t miss. The fuel cells are on the stern. It’s an easy solution that won’t cost a lot of credits to repair.�
“We’re assuming that you can make the shot.�
“Don’t worry about me.� I adjusted the flight path of the missiles. “Slow us down by twenty-five percent.�
“You got it.�
I pulled up the targeting screen. It was harder to get a lock because the other pilots were deliberately flying in a random pattern. Those guys were pretty good.
Not as good as us, though.
Their so-called random pattern didn’t deter me. It was hard to make anything truly random, anyway. There are usually telltale repetitions. Gwen had already adjusted our speed. I let myself focus, feeling myself drop into the flow. Everything else fell away from my mind. The enemy starship was the only thing I could see. After a minute, I achieved a targeting lock and fired, feeling triumphant.
“Missile away,� I called out.
Gwen came back and joined me. We watched as it flew through space and took off a piece of the left wing. On the monitors, it looked like a perfect shot. The fuel cells were gone.
“Hmph,� Gwen muttered. “One out of four isn’t bad, I guess.�
Chapter Four
GWEN
I didn’t think he was particularly good at everything he had mentioned. Who wasn’t good at blowing up shit? And a good lover? Please. But a shot of lust went through my body at the thought of fucking Anders. I had never allowed myself to think about him that way before.
I tried to get a grip, but the way Anders looked at me was doing crazy things to my traitorous body. I could see the confidence in his eyes. His hair was tousled where he had run his fingers through it. Right now Anders was leaning back, looking relaxed in his seat but he had me pinned with a gaze that heated me to the core.
Wait a minute. I was supposed to be heartbroken and getting over a divorce. Wasn’t I?
Anders was my best friend. I had felt a pull toward him from the start, but I had shoved it deep inside me and ignored it when we were near each other. I hadn’t wanted to admit that there was an attraction between us from the moment I met him. It would have been inappropriate while I was married. But what was the harm now?
All the barriers were gone. I wasn’t married. I didn’t even appear to be that upset about it anymore. I was angry at Jake and sorry about the breakup of our marriage. But heartbroken? Not so much.
Was it possible my marriage had been based on infatuation? Something we had acted on too quickly?
I was stuck in a small fighter with Anders. We weren’t going to be able to avoid constant interaction. My attraction to him was undeniable, but I couldn’t possibly act on it. I didn’t want to lose him.
I knew he would help me get over this bump in my life. He had always been such a good friend to me. No matter how I imagined he was looking at me, I had no idea if he felt anything in his heart.
What was I thinking?
We were on the run from a bunch of pirates, and we had to save our friends and family. We had more important issues than our feelings for one another. I tried to focus, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his fiery stare.
“What do we do now?� I was failing to bring my mind back to our current situation.
Anders looked away from the monitor. His eyes were calm this time when they met mine.
“I don’t know for sure, but I think we should head here.� He pointed to a spot on the star chart. “We can hide out for a day and regroup. If we stop and think for a few hours, we can catch our breath and make a plan.�
I sighed. “I suppose going to the authorities is out of the question?�
“No one’s going to help us here. That’s why pirates have our ship. I know the guy in charge. He’s understaffed with more territory than he can cover. I’ve heard him whine about his problems over drinks too many times to count.� He frowned. “If only I could have convinced Father sooner, we would have been ready to fight them off. If we had more time, we could have taken a safer, longer route.�
“It’s too late to worry about any of those things now.� I put my hand on his shoulder. The touch sent an electric current through my body, and he drew a breath as if he had felt it too. I took my hand away and headed back up to the cockpit. “I’ll set a course for Falinn.�
And hopefully I would stop thinking about what he looked like without his clothes on.
I sat back and watched Anders set the starship down as lightly as a feather on the remote landing pad in a field that was mostly dust and weeds. It was far from any cities and it would be easy for us to hide here. I saw mountains far off on the horizon. A little town full of dilapidated buildings was in the other direction.
Anders began powering down. I was happy to let him take care of the minutiae of landing this time.
“Do you think they will follow us? What if they used a tracker?�
“Come on. They didn’t have time to attach one.�
“We have propulsion. The pirates can follow our heat trace.� I looked at Anders, feeling uneasy.
“Did you read the specs on these fighters? They can erase their heat signatures. Why do you think they’re so expensive?� He stood up and walked to the back to finish closing down the gunn
er’s station.
“What about our digital tracks? If they have anyone who’s good with computers, they could find us.�
“Yeah, that’s true.� He passed me standing halfway between the cockpit and the weaponry. There was so little space in the tiny hallway that our chests almost brushed. He hesitated, facing me and practically touching me. “But I’m no slouch in that department. I’ve been busy scrambling our signals.�
I shook my head, trying not to react to his nearness. “You’re cocky, Madellan, and it keeps getting you into trouble.�
“I’m just telling the truth. And it’s not me who’s going to be in trouble.� I thought he would say something else, but he didn’t complete his thought.
Was this what he did when he picked up girls at the bar? No wonder they all went home with him. He had never turned his charm on me before, so I had never had to resist it.
Something had shifted between us when I told him that Jake and I were through. Our language was the same, but the energy between us felt different.
He was definitely making suggestive comments. Maybe he always had, and I perceived them differently now that I was single. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. I tried to think of a smart remark, but he was already past me, shutting things down at the back of the spaceship.
Was I imagining things? He was probably only joking around with me. I was taking it the wrong way because I was single now and we both knew it. Surely I had been reading too much into the side glances and innuendo. Anders was his usual entertaining self, and anything else was in my head.
I didn’t want there to be anything else, did I?
It was a good thing we were getting out of the ship because I needed some space. If I could just get away from Anders, and be by myself for the night, I could think and work through my feelings. With some distance between us, I could sort things out.
I sighed. I had no idea what I should do.
“Only one room.� The small, dark-haired man held up a single finger. We were at a shabby hotel, the only place to stay in the small town. “One room, one bed.�