by Scott Moon
Thaddeus cursed.
Ike laughed from his hiding place. “You almost got me, lawman. Didn't realize you were that close. Who the hell do you think is crashing our party?”
Thaddeus climbed onto a front loader and looked toward the open door. Sunlight streamed in. The industrial smell of Darklanding filled his senses. The gloomy sun shimmered behind the distinctive silhouettes of three women.
He climbed down and put his back to one of the stacks. “Not helpful.”
Something wet rubbed against his hand and he looked down to see Maximus staring at him. “Did you bring them?”
The sturdy animal continued staring, momentarily out of its complex and confusing expressions. Thad scratched behind its ears and stepped past it. He saw where Ike was now. The man sat in one of the mech suits, a frame that walked on two legs and had hands like giant rubberized pinchers.
“Why don't you tell your girlfriends to get out of here before someone gets hurt,” Ike said. “I know how to use this thing.”
Shaunte, Dixie, and Ruby walked into the aisle and stood across it like three action heroes. Thad didn't know if he wanted to applaud their audacity or curse them for exposing themselves to Ike's weapons.
Shaunte took a short step forward. “That's a forklift, Ike. Just climb out of it and turn yourself into the sheriff.”
Ike punched several buttons on the metal giant and it roared to life. Powerful floodlights shined in their faces, the effect only slightly diminished by the struggling daylight of pre-dusk.
Thaddeus moved forward and placed himself at a slight angle to the freight mover, estimating that it wouldn't be nimble in that direction. “He still has a blaster.”
Shaunte answered without looking away from Ike and his machine. “I see it. It's in a holster by his leg.”
Ruby stepped forward, touching Shaunte on the arm as she passed by. She looked up at the machine and the driver. Thaddeus's heart beat faster as the cold burn of adrenaline surged through him.
“We had our differences, Ike, but I want you to come down and talk to me just this once,” Ruby said.
Ike grunted an unintelligible curse and stomped down with the foot of the mechanized forklift. Ruby held her ground, barely flinching at the impact five meters in front of her. The machine was more than twice her height and weighed several tons.
Thaddeus moved closer to Ruby, not wanting to give up the angle he had chosen but also not wanting to leave her exposed and alone if Ike decided to rush forward. He didn't think they were very fast, but a mistake would be fatal.
“You don't have to do this. Let me handle him,” Thaddeus said.
Ruby looked at him. “My family disowned me, and they disowned him too. He's ten years older than me and we never got along back before he left. But I still have to try. Do you have any idea what it's like to be completely on your own?”
Ike thrust the controls forward on the mech and marched forward.
Thad shoved Ruby toward Shaunte and Dixie, whirling to aim his blaster at the advancing machine. The shot was at an odd angle. The mech was made for lifting boxes not fighting against modern weapons. There was no armor to speak of, but there was enough bulky metal framework to disrupt anything but a well-placed shot.
“Stop right there, Ike!”
“I told you to get rid of them!”
“I've got to take you in, Ike.”
Ike made the machine stomp its foot. “You don't understand, lawman. This has gone too far. The miners and dockworkers and all the people that make this place work have lost faith in that woman. And not all of it was even my fault. This place was broken before I got here.”
He backed the machine up and revved the engine.
“Maybe you're right, but I doubt it. I've been down there during a mining collapse. Have you? These people came out here to work. None of them are angels. Half of them probably have warrants or some other fugitive status. You bought them some drinks. That's all.”
“I'm their friend!”
“I doubt it.”
Maximus barked.
Ike charged forward. Ruby grabbed Dixie and pushed her out of the way. Thaddeus dived at Shaunte and tackled her as she was starting to say something. They rolled to one side as the huge machine thundered forward.
Thad ran after the machine. It plowed through the open bay door and put on the brakes to stop before going off the edge of the loading platform. The bulky metal feet and legs went up on tiptoes as Ike made the arms wheel backwards to keep from over-balancing. One fist smashing an awning during the wild gyrations.
Thad jumped and landed on the machine’s back. He climbed into the cockpit carrier and grabbed Ike by the back of his head, slamming his face into the control panel. Blood spattered the controls and he thought he saw a tooth fly out.
With his left hand, he yanked the emergency cutoff switch and the machine went quiet. He returned his attention to Ike and wrestled him backward, putting him in a chokehold. “Don't fight me, Ike. I could've killed you. That's what I planned to do. Consider this just a happy accident on your part.”
“Don't think I'll return the favor! I'll kill you first chance I get. Where do you think I learned to drive one of these things? I've done some hard labor in some hard places. I'm not going back.”
Thad applied pressure until Ike started to mumble and eventually quit talking altogether. “Are you better now?”
Ike made a sound that could've been agreement or compliance. Thad released some of the pressure. He waited until his prisoner spoke.
“It doesn't matter, lawman.” Ike's voice sounded tired. “The damage has been done. SagCon will need to hire a team of negotiators and probably three companies of Marines to get this place back in order. The Company Man will need a miracle to put things right.”
“I think she's up to it,” Thad said. He brought Ike down from the machine and patted him down for hidden weapons. With quick, practiced movements, he handcuffed him.
Ike glared at his little sister. “Keep her away from me. I don't want to talk to her.”
Thaddeus nodded to Dixie, who took Ruby's arm and led her away. The girl, for all her tough exterior, had tears in her eyes. Thad leaned close to Ike. “She came a long way to find you. Don't ask me why.”
“She probably needs money. Aren't you going to read me my rights or something?”
Thaddeus thought about it. “My memory is a little fuzzy on the details, but I think those rights only apply for custodial interviews. You're in custody, but I don’t really have anything to ask you. Maybe we'll get around to all that later. Meanwhile, I gotta get you locked down someplace.”
“What's the chow like in your jail?”
Thaddeus rubbed his chin. “My deputy is an Unglok. Not really sure what he will make.”
The sheriff had no energy left to celebrate Ike’s capture. Thad’s shoulder started to throb, and blood dripped past the bandage Ruby had put in place.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Manager of the Year
Shaunte Plastes had never appreciated her corner window. Located on the third floor of the Mother Lode, the only thing it showed her was a series of warehouses, workshops, and one empty field. There had been no reason to pay it any attention until Sheriff Thaddeus Fry arrived in Darklanding. Yesterday, she had been ready to have him run off the planet. Now the thought of him and her current situation, and they added to the warmth of the vodka as it went down.
She realized she was proud of her actions during the mining collapse. Thinking of the financial ramifications of paying the overtime out of her own income was painful, but she had gone down into the mine and taken charge. Would her father have done that? Could he have done that? She doubted anybody at SagCon would have even considered the possibility.
Three stories below, across the street, and in the center of the vacant lot, a heavy tractor tire slammed to the ground. She smiled over the top of her glass as she watched dust rise around Thaddeus Fry. He had his hands on his hips as he caught his breath. He flexed his sh
oulder against the wound. Then pressed a hand against it as if the bleeding had started anew.
Maximus, the thing that was not quite a dog or a pig, sat near the other tires where they were stacked haphazardly at the corner. Mast Jotham drew his blaster over and over and pointed it into the corner. She wasn't quite sure what he was doing but assumed it was something to do with learning to shoot. Except he never did any shooting.
Dixie walked down the street, her skirt reaching her ankles in the back but only her knees in the front. It seemed as though she had three extra layers of frills around everything. Nothing about the recent events had added to her income, yet she seemed to come out of it better than everyone. None of her new wealth, however, had been spent on adding to her blouse’s ability to cover her chest. It still pulled in all the wrong places and pushed everything up.
Shaunte didn't see Ruby Miranda but knew she was around. She wanted to make the girl a hostess or a bartender, but also wanted to avoid getting involved in Pierre or Dixie's business.
Ike and all the crew on his ship were now in custody of SagCon security forces. Thaddeus hadn’t liked that, but he came around.
She watched him flip the tire again, and then again, and third time in rapid succession. He stopped and bent over, holding his shoulder. Still, he seemed to be getting faster and stronger. Why he needed to strengthen himself was a mystery to Shaunte, since he had been more than able to handle everything Darklanding had thrown at him so far. As soon as she thought it, she regretted jinxing him. As she watched, she realized there was a lot more to his routine than met the eye. He had his demons, and was currently beating the crap out of them and pretending they were a tractor tire.
With a lazy smile spread across her face, and a drink in one hand, she backed away from the window and returned to her desk. She tripped but caught herself easily. It had been a small step reluctantly made. Not long ago, she hadn't cared about the window, but now she could stand there for a long time looking out of it.
She kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot to her desk. Paper composite documents and digital tablets formed a complex pattern on the wood-grained surface. She had spread them out like poker cards when the results of her recent acquisitions and sales came in. She understood Ike was not behind the attempted labor crisis. Maybe the people at SagCon would figure out who the culprits were, or maybe they would protect themselves since they probably were responsible. Either way, part of their plan had been to drive up the price of exotic materials coming from Darklanding.
She hadn't been too stunned by the events to think clearly. The moment that Ike was in custody and she had calmed her workers down, she brokered several large sales. In secret, in a warehouse that not even Thad or Pierre knew about, she brokered another deal with a select group of trusted miners and general workers in Darklanding. Without authority from SagCon, she negotiated a new deal. The tricky part had been explaining that this was not a result of the strike or anything that Ike and his people had done, but because she had faith in the workers…even those who had strayed from what was right. She took a chance on their loyalty and offered them a bonus if profits exceeded a certain level.
It could be a horrible precedent that she might regret. Or not.
The Ungloks got their own deal. That was going to be the most interesting part of this brave new era. Maybe she should have consulted Sheriff Thaddeus Fry, or her father, or almost anyone, but she hadn't.
This was all on her.
End of Episode 2.
Episode 3:
Outlaws
CHAPTER ONE: Her Name is Dixie
Thaddeus Fry saw the stranger before anyone else. Even if he wasn’t the sheriff of Darklanding, he would have noticed the out-of-place man. As the sheriff, the clue phone was ringing off the hook, and he picked it up like a professional sleuth.
First, the man’s rugged jumpsuit actually fit and had been pressed. Given his size, this was no small endeavor. Thad knew military grade carbon-weave when he saw it. Shined boots, well organized tactical kit, and gloves tucked in his belt—the man had seen real training somewhere. The SagCon Special Investigator stripe was the same color as the smoke-colored jumpsuit.
Second, the bullnecked man stepped to one side of the door after entering and surveyed the terrain—demonstrating unusually high situational awareness. The stranger narrowed his gaze at a few patrons, possibly making a mental note or perhaps wondering if he had made a mistake coming to the Wilok system. Moments later, just before the people in the room took notice—Thad was learning to predict such moments by the mood in the room or the lull in the conversations—the stranger walked toward Thad.
“Same as always,” Thad said as he pushed his empty shot glass toward Pierre.
“Set out another whiskey in ninety-three seconds,” Pierre and Dixie said in unison.
She shoved Pierre’s arm in frustration for reasons Thad neither understood nor wanted to understand. He took one step away from his barstool. If there was going to be a fight, or something worse like the serving of a class-action lawsuit from his ex-wives, he wanted room to maneuver.
At the same time, he acted unconcerned—as though he’d been expecting the man from SagCon.
Dixie took one look at the well-dressed brute and turned away with her chin held high.
The stranger—thick-jawed, broad-shouldered, and generally massive—stopped and stared at her naked shoulders and tight corset that accentuated her ample hips. He started to say something, then realized he couldn’t speak. A moment later, he was blushing and looking away from Dixie’s hourglass form.
His thinning hair was dark around the sides of his scalp. Body hair curled up on the other places that showed—neck and knuckles mostly. He smiled as he returned a furtive gaze in Dixie’s direction.
Thaddeus approached the man. Warily he stood back more than an arm’s length. “Can I help you?” Thaddeus asked.
“You’re Sheriff Fry?” His voice was as deep as Thad expected and his bluntness reminded Thad of an agricultural worker or a rancher.
“I am,” Thad said before pointing with a tip of his chin. “And her name is Dixie. “Who might you be?”
Out of the corner of his vision, Thad saw Ruby start down the stairs, stop, eyes going wide, and then turn back the instant she saw the SagCon stranger. A door slammed upstairs.
“Special Investigator Michael Hammer. Friends call me Sledge.”
“I see,” Thaddeus said, cocking his head as he contemplated why an investigator was sent now, when the Company never bothered sending one to investigate the murder of Thad’s predecessor. “What can I do for you?”
“Is the Company Man in residence? Have to admit, this feels like a wild goose chase or a practical joke. Ha, ha, everyone laugh at the SagCon SI.” His voice rumbled with good-humored confidence. Thad couldn’t help but smile. He’d had the same thoughts.
“She’s busy. Unless you have an appointment, which you don’t,” Pierre said, wiping down the bar and talking without looking at the SI. “Do you have a place to stay, stranger? I think we might have one room left.”
Sledge studied Pierre and seemed to ponder the information, then met Thad’s eyes.
Thad shrugged and raised one eyebrow as he looked at Pierre. He knew there was more than one room remaining, but Pierre would jack the price up for the unwary SagCon employee.
Sledge put his fists on his hips. “The Company Man is a she?”
Dixie swiveled her stool around, shoulders back and cleavage aimed at the newcomer like a weapon. “Is there a problem with that? You have something against women?”
“No, madam. Not at all. Love ‘em, in fact,” Sledge said.
“But not if they have real power and influence?” Dixie said, clapping her hands together, a movement that had the effect of pushing her breasts together. “You should learn to think before you speak, Special Investigator Michael Hammer.”
“Call me Sledge.”
“Humph.” She slid off the stool and walked away, s
tarting to work the tables with cheerful greetings and an extra swing of her hips. She checked on her girls and took drinks from them. “Chelsie, you know my policy on drinking with guests.”
“But, Dixie…”
Thad slid onto his stool and reached for the glass Pierre pushed toward him.
“I sure would like one of those,” Sledge said.
“You have an expense account with SagCon?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
Pierre poured a drink that was probably as sour as his expression and handed it to the big SI. “We have rules here at the Mother Lode.”
“I’m sure you do,” Sledge said. He tossed back his drink and watched Dixie’s progress around the room.
Thad nursed his whiskey and curbed his jealousy of the SagCon special investigator and his expense account. Dixie eventually made her way back to her usual place near Pierre at the bar, ignoring Sledge and Thad.
Ruby never returned from upstairs. She was either hiding or had climbed out a window.
“None of my business,” Thad said without thinking.
“Pardon?” Sledge asked.
“Nothing.” Thad pushed the empty glass back to Pierre, then scanned the chip in his wrist to pay for his drinks. He faced Sledge. “You never told me why you’re here.”
Sledge rubbed his chin. “Pissed off my boss, I think. My predecessor came this way quite a bit ago, or he turned in travel expenses to that effect. Lot of fugitives in Darklanding.”
“Dangerous fugitives?” Thad asked curiously. He already knew most of the people in Darklanding and none of them caused him too much concern.
Special Investigator Michael “Sledge” Hammer laughed. “Not really. I’ll let you know if I need help.”
He didn’t come across as being arrogant or overconfident, only resigned with a less-than-challenging mission.
* * *
The red light of dawn painted the canyons of Ungwilook, driving the shadowy twin moons from the sky and welcoming the industrious activity of desert creatures. Cold morning dew coated fields of wildflowers in the shadows of high cliffs. Shallow rivers, pink in the morning light, twisted across the landscape where animals came to drink. A surprising diversity of birds and other creatures sang to each other.
