The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison: No More Lies (Book 3)

by Thomas Wright

  Instead of batting my arm away, she tried to go low, so I just pushed downward on her head, keeping my arm locked and her two inches short of hitting me. My mistake was smirking and laughing out loud. She came to her senses and moved faster than I had ever seen her move before. She was already in a slight crouch, so she went down a little farther, breaking the pressure and knocking my arm away. She jumped and wrapped her legs around me, trying to knock me to the floor. I slid my right foot back and for support and caught her.

  I thought she was going to bite me if she could. I saw there was one section of inner hull that had nothing in front of it and I headed for it, slamming her body into it. She had a handful of my hair, and when her head bounced off the wall she head-butted me.

  Lorelei and Binda were trying to break us up. It took a second for me to realize they were standing next to us. Two huge hands pulled me back from the wall and then four arms began to pry us apart. Taz unhooked her legs and let us be separated.

  “There'll be no foreplay on my bridge at any time unless we are all invited to participate,” Lorelei said, trying to ease the tension, I was pretty sure she partially meant it, knowing her. My childhood wasn’t so long ago that I didn’t remember being a kid. One thing I remembered was that someone had to get the last punch or word in, and it really couldn’t just end. Even if they made us shake hands and all that shit, something was going to happen later.

  Everyone walked back to their stations and Harry walked over to stand with Nedra at weapons. Taz was breathing evenly now that the situation was defused. I turned and walked out, leaving them to talk shit about me like I knew they would. I could live with that. It was natural. I could be a stone cold dick, make myself captain and treat them like second-class peons. They would hate me and when I wasn’t around they would still talk shit about me. I liked this better. At least they did what I said when I was serious, and would pull it all together when it got real.

  I could hear footsteps following me. I knew who it was. She would probably want to go another round away from everyone, so I decided the gym would be the best place. If she didn’t follow me all the way, I would work out anyway. The bad thing about traveling for days in space was boredom and fatigue from boredom.

  I was just at the door when I heard her stutter, step and run. The time between foot falls changed and I knew she would be on me in a second, so I turned the corner and spun. My foot caught her waist-high as she came through the door.

  She bent over, gasping for air. I grabbed her by the hair, turned her head with one hand and made a fist with the other.

  “It’s lights out, Your Pissiness,” I said, about to let it fly. I heard Buddy yell “hey” and I looked up at him. He was smiling.

  “That’s really a bad idea, boss,” he said, and I realized he was right. Looking at him, I nodded in acknowledgement and swung open-handed. The pop was so loud I saw his eyes get big as my hand connected with Taz's ass and the tight, leather-like pants she had on.

  My hand stung like crazy. She was doing some kind of thing where her body wanted to stay bent over but also wanted to stand up. I shook my hand, and after a few seconds pulled her over to the mat and pushed her down. She lay there looking up at me.

  I really couldn’t read her. Maybe I had just sent her over the edge and she had that calm psychopath demeanor going on. I would find out shortly, I was sure of that. I went to my locker and changed.

  The more you treat her with disrespect and violence, the more she seems to want you.

  C'mon, Imelda, why do you tell me this after I just put her down?

  Your lack of respect infuriates her, but when her anger recedes she has grown to like you even more. You should not have listened to the one called Buddy. You should have hit her very hard.

  You just said she likes that. It turns her on, is that what you’re saying?

  Yes, if I understand you correctly, it does.

  Then what are you talking about? You don’t make much sense.

  I'm sorry, it is selfish of me. I just wanted you to put her lights out.

  I turned and looked up to where Imelda was resting in her hammock of webbing.

  Now that I understand, I said silently.

  “She is talking to you,” Taz said. “No doubt she enjoyed what you just did to me, inflicting pain on her former master.”

  I looked at Taz and laughed. “She said it was okay, but would have been great had I not held back on my punch. Knocking your ass out would have made her day, maybe even her week.”

  “She hates me that much?”

  “You left them to die,” I told her. “To you they were expendable and not worth rescuing. They were my enemy and I treated them better, with respect, and they thought that was enough, for that they would die for me. There are members of my own species that wouldn’t die for another being. They are the kind of people I will be hunting down when we arrive at Athena.”

  “In all of our history a queen has never left to seek a new life,” she said. “As the Queen of Queens, I am the first to have one rebelled.”

  “Taz, were you listening to me? You left her, not the other way around, and she sees it as her freedom being earned through battle. Let me help you up. Should I get Ronnie to look at you?”

  “No, I will be fine,” she said. “The nanites are almost done repairing the damage here.” She rubbed her midsection. “This is a different story, though. They don’t see anything wrong, so they don’t lessen the pain. I believe you have left your mark on me Benjamin.”

  “It will fade, and you will be fine in an hour.” I turned to go and paused. “I was going to work out, but I think I will go clean up and get ready for our arrival at Trillond. Maybe you should do the same.”

  “Maybe I could join you?” she asked.

  “Maybe someday, but not today.”

  I helped her to her feet. She was able to straighten up and get to her room. I couldn’t win; I felt like shit. If the nanites were repairing something, then that meant I had hit her hard enough to break something — either that, or she was lying.

  Showered, dressed in clean clothes, I cleaned my boots. I realized they were the only thing I had to wear on my feet, these and the boots with my armor. Then I began to wonder if I should wear my armor. I'd hate to scare to old man into an early grave. But it might be better to go prepared, since without I wasn’t sure how long I would last if they decided to lock me up.

  I changed into the armor. The king wanted to speak to Reaper, not Benjamin Jamison, regardless of how it was said. I put on my weapons, checked myself over and headed out. Taz was in the corridor waiting.

  “Are we going to war with Trillond?” she asked.

  “I'm going prepared. Are you okay with that, Prin. . . .Your Highness?” I let the word die on my lips.

  “It just seems like too much.”

  “How about other than the meeting the king, I act as your body guard? That would give me cause for being dressed this way. Do you anticipate being here long?”

  “No,” she answered, “this is a courtesy stop I wanted to make. I think your princess has been given a larger role in the Trillond government, and it would be good for her and me to establish some mutual respect as rulers.”

  “Is she the queen now? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “No, I believe she is called Regent. The Princess Regent of Trillond.”

  “How do you know she has a new title, when we don’t, and we are her friends?” I was a little bit irritated.

  “Now, you have finally asked an interesting question. How would you think I would know this?”

  I thought to myself that she either had spies on Trillond or received a message from the Trillond government in the form of an announcement — one that we wouldn’t receive, being nobodies. It was also very possible that both assumptions are correct.

  “You have spies on Trillond, would be my first guess,” I said slowly. “I bet you have them on Allond also, and then they have spies and Trillond has spies, and so doe
s the Alliance.”

  “Very good.”

  “Not really,” I shrugged. “It’s not that far a stretch, and has been going on for thousands of years between enemy and ally alike.”

  “Taz,” I added, “I'm sorry if I hurt you. It’s one thing to bandy words and throw insults at each other, but if I caused you some real injury then I'm sorry.”

  “You had intended to put my lights out, remember?”

  “Yes, you do a good job of making me angry,” I said.

  “We have things to discuss, but they can wait until we leave Trillond,” she said. “My injury was minor, and your concern is very much appreciated.”

  I took in how she was dressed. Her clothing was beautiful and covered more of her than I was used to seeing. There was no low-cut v=neck or slit-up side to the waist, exposing her long legs; it was very conservative for her.

  “Benjamin,” Binda said, “I just received a message that Alona Aok and Emily Brous will be arriving tomorrow. There will be a state dinner to celebrate the peace treaty between Allond, Trillond, Cjittan and the Alliance.”

  “Who is attending from the Alliance?”

  “The Ambassador to Trillond will be the main political figure for the Alliance. Ben, it seems the queen already knew about this, since the invitation addressed to her has you as her escort.”

  “I should have kicked her harder, Binda.”

  “Probably, but unless you've pledged not to, there will be many opportunities of that, I'm certain.”

  “Yeah, I just apologized for hurting her,” I said. “I know she knows I hate that political shit. What happened at the last one — I think I busted some crystal glassware in someone's face?”

  “Message Alona’s transport and have her tell Emily to be careful. Her departure from the service has not been forgotten, and the ambassador will be in a position to do something about it.”

  I saw Shawna walking in my direction wearing a side arm. My bet was that she was our pilot, since she had an overnight bag in her other hand.

  “You're not just dropping us off, what's the plan?” I asked.

  “You don’t know?”

  “That's an answer in itself that something is going on,” I replied.

  “You may be the queen’s bodyguard, but I'm responsible for making sure she gets back to the Claymore safely. So I will be accompanying the two of you.”

  “Okay, that’s not a big deal.”

  “The captain says you are on your own. She doesn’t think anything will happen to Queen Tazleaha, but she isn’t sure about you. The queen is flipping the bill to get us back home. You are just eating up the profits. I'm quoting here,” she added, “so don’t shoot the messenger.”

  “I understand, Shawna. Go get the shuttle prepped and I’ll be along shortly.”

  “What are you going to do?” Shawna asked, giving me the eye.

  “Going to visit a friend in the brig. No worries, Lorelei is mostly right. Don’t worry about me, I will make arrangements if you have to leave without me.”

  I went to see how the clone-turned-pirate was doing. I didn’t think she could put down her second raid in the win column. She was lying in her cell, staring at the ceiling. She noticed me standing outside her cell.

  “How do you like the view? Seems our positions have been reversed. I’m staring at you through the bars now.” I gloated a little, but I figured I was entitled.

  “What would you like me to say, I'm sorry?”

  “No, because I know you're not. We are in orbit above Trillond Prime. “Do you have any reason why I shouldn’t turn you over to the authorities for killing the citizens in the yacht?”

  I could tell she hadn’t put two and two together. She was thinking about it now. “You just sit tight,” I told her. “I may need you later, and you will tell the truth about what happened. If it gets handled without your help, then I will figure out what to do with you when I get back.”

  I turned and walked away and was almost to the door when she yelled at me. “Wait! Come back!”

  I walked back and stood in the same spot. She was standing just on the other side.

  “I need you to do something for me,” she asked.

  “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “No, Benjamin, I'm not kidding.”

  “Then you're out of your mind if you think I’ll doing anything for you at your request.”

  “It is a simple thing, and only requires some thought on your part.”

  “What do you want?”

  “A name,” she said, looking up at me. “I have no name except Blue Eyes. I don’t think that would be a proper name to die with. I would like to have a real name before I die. Will you help me?”

  I shook my head. “I’ll think about it.” How did I get roped into things like this? I do it all the time though.

  A few minutes later, I boarded the shuttle. Shawna and Taz were sitting up front in the two pilots seats so I stretched out in the back.

  “Hey, you buckled in and ready to go?” Shawna asked.

  “I am,” I answered, still thinking about my conversation with Blue Eyes. I'm the worst with names, doesn’t she get that? I already named her Blue Eyes what more does she want?

  “Your Highness, I don’t think he wants to be planet side a minute longer than he has to,” Shawna said to Taz.

  “You can call me Taz, like the rest Shawna, when it’s just us or our people. When we are with the Trillond, Your Highness or Queen Tazleaha will be just fine. As for your observation, I know you're correct.”

  “He is armed to the teeth. It could be bad.”

  “Yes, it could be bad for the Trillond,” Taz said, cracking a smile.

  “Excuse me Taz,” Shawna said, touching her com to listen. “Oh, that is interesting. I wonder who invited them to the party. Yes, I'll pass it on.” She turned to us.

  “Ben, Binda picked up some chatter between an Alliance destroyer and one of its shuttles. The destroyer is holding orbit on the other side of the planet out of sight. The shuttle is parked in the same section we've been directed to.”

  “This just keeps getting better and better,” I mumbled to myself.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.”

  “What's the phrase — you have skeletons, Benjamin?” Taz asked.

  “A graveyard full,” I said. She frowned, of course not understanding.

  “He means a lot, a large number, Taz,” Shawna said.

  “Shawna, I'm sure she understands, thank you,” I said.

  “Thank you, Shawna, I do understand many things and I am learning more every day,” Taz said. “Him, I am not sure I will ever understand.”

  Shawna replied. “Get in line, sister, he's only happy when he's killing something, someone, or a bunch of someones.”

  “Thanks again for that, Shawna,” I muttered. “Now will you get us on the ground before I strangle you and land the shuttle myself?”

  “See what I mean, Taz?” Shawna said. “It’s like he has this ability to see the problem then . . . kill it.”

  “What do you think, Benjamin,” Taz asked. “Do we have problems waiting for us here tonight?”

  I didn’t answer. It was a stupid question, she knew damn well something would happen. I could think of three or four times I had just scared the Trillond so bad they had broken down and cried. I wasn’t sure the backbones were any stiffer here at the home world.

  She was still looking at me, waiting for an answer.

  “Yes,” I answered, staring down at the deck plating.

  Chapter 12

  “We've got company,” Shawna yelled from the pilot’s seat.

  “How many?”

  “Looks like ten, and they are all dressed real flashy, shiny metal armor like in the old stories.”

  “Maybe an escort or honor guard of some kind,” I replied. “You ready to go?”

  “Yeah, I have everything on standby, so it shouldn’t take long to get in the air if things go sideways,” Shawna sai
d.

  I pushed the button and lowered the ramp. There were two rows of five facing each other, except for the first in the row on the right — he faced the shuttle.

  “Stay behind me until I say otherwise,” I said to Taz and Shawna.

  I stood at the top of the ramp, looking down at what I assumed was an officer. The honor guard did a good job of standing very still. They did not use a weapon as part of their routine, although they did carry some type of ceremonial sword.

  “You must be the one they call Reaper,” he said.

  “I am.”

  “The others are Queen Tazleaha of Cjittan and your pilot.”

  “It is.” I could see he didn’t care for my attitude.

  “You will all leave your weapons on the shuttle and follow me.”

  “Not happening,” I answered.

  “Then you will not go before His Highness the King of Trillond.”

  “Sounds good. Tell him we are sorry we missed him, but we have other places we have to be.” I started reaching for the button to close the ramp.

  “Wait! Do you agree with this, Queen Tazleaha?” the man said. “We would be happy to escort you and provide guards for you and your pilot. There is no need for you to depart.”

  “Thank you for your offer,” she replied, “but Benjamin is my security and will attend to me throughout my stay. I would not ask him to submit to your orders when it would clearly put myself, my pilot and himself in a compromising position, increasing the risk of bodily harm to us all.”

  “Are you expecting an attempt on your life, Your Highness?”

  “You have an Alliance destroyer in orbit and their shuttle parked right next to ours . . . Captain, is it?” she asked.

  “Yes, your Highness, I am a captain of the Royal Guard and of the Honor Guard.”

  “Yes, it has been a very long time, but I remember rank insignia. We are at an impasse, Captain. Benjamin is somewhat of a hero to the people of Trillond, is he not?”

  “I have heard it mentioned,” the captain said with a scowl. “Follow me.” He began walking.

  “He didn’t answer you about the destroyer and shuttle,” I said softly.