by Sarah Noffke
“What’s your status, Ladybug?” Pip asked over the comm. “Do you need me to come back?”
“No,” Bailey said, doing her preflight checks. Even with sweat pouring from her, she still was taking care to meticulously follow protocol. “We’re lifting off now. Everything is still to plan. Get those kids onboard Ricky Bobby.”
“So you’re alright?” Pip asked. “I saw you on the rooftop lying down.”
“I was napping,” she joked, lifting the Q-ship into the air, as a set of guards rushed in their direction. They would be discovered in only a matter of seconds.
“I prefer little nooks in libraries for napping,” Pip said. There was an obvious tension in his voice, but he was trying to stay positive.
Lewis was doing the same thing as he scooted up close to the controls, his eyes constantly on Bailey.
“We’re on schedule. Let us know when you’re on board Ricky Bobby.” She flew the ship higher, her breath rattling like a box of matches being shaken. Her hands trembled on the controls.
“We’re landing now,” Pip stated.
Lewis let out a breath of relief. They’re safe. That was at least something.
“Holmes will give you a countdown,” Bailey said. “Ricky Bobby shouldn’t jump until our mark. Remember, timing needs to be perfect.”
“We noted that there were flyers approaching,” Pip said over the comm.
“Or as I’d like to call them, ‘witnesses’,” she joked, grabbing her abdomen from the laugh.
The Q-ship circled around the gigantic balloon filled with K-factor. Lewis knew that Bailey was trying to position the Q-ship in the right place. Timing wasn’t the only thing that needed to be perfect.
She shot him a tentative expression. “Are you almost ready?”
Lewis nodded, tightening his hands on the weapons controls. “We need to be a little farther away.”
Bailey agreed, steering the ship perpendicular with the balloon. According to Hatch, the weak spot of the balloon was in the middle, but even still, this balloon was built to withstand a giant amount of force. That’s why they’d loaded bigger weapons than the Q-ship originally had. Something that would make a big bang.
Bailey didn’t have to say anything when they were in place. She simply gave a curt nod to Lewis, which he thought was about all she could manage anyway.
“Pip we’re launching on my count. Get ready,” he stated.
“The gate engines are ready. Sequence will commence on your count,” Pip answered back, his voice more serious than Lewis had ever heard it.
“Three, two, one.” Lewis launched several missiles as Bailey banked the Q-ship around the balloon, offering multiple places for the shots. The missiles flew, homing in on their target.
“Okay, we’ve got to get the eff out of here,” Bailey said, punching several buttons, jumping the Q-ship before the missiles found their target.
It was crucial they were gone before the explosion, and it was crucial that Ricky Bobby was there when it happened. Timing was key.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bridge, Ricky Bobby, Planet Kai, Tangki System
Jack stared out at the floating skyscraper suspended by the giant balloon filled with K-factor. One of the first things Lewis had done after locking down the building was to take the systems out that camouflaged the building, making it visible to anyone close by. Jack needed to be able to see it. He needed to know they’d fulfilled their mission.
“The missiles have been deployed,” Ricky Bobby informed him overhead.
“And Bailey and Lewis?” Jack asked.
“They have supposedly jumped, although comms will be down during this time,” the AI answered.
Bailey was shot.
It soured Jack’s mouth that she was still out there on this mission, fulfilling her responsibilities when wounded. She was going to make it, though. She had to.
“Gate engines are ready,” Ricky Bobby stated.
Jack nodded, looking at Liesel standing next to him. “Prepare, but we can’t go yet. On my mark.”
Liesel slipped her hand into his. This was dangerous. They all knew it. K-factor was an unknown agent in this quantity, but they knew something without a doubt: it was highly explosive.
Hatch had reviewed this plan thoroughly. He believed it would work. Hatch had worked tirelessly to add a new mod to the jump engines for this mission. This was a one-shot affair that they would never attempt again so deep in a planet’s gravity. However, if Hatch thought it was safe on this occasion and wouldn’t put the children in danger then that was good enough for Jack. He looked at Hatch and gave him a curt nod of appreciation.
“Six seconds?” Jack asked him in confirmation.
Hatch nodded. “That should be enough time.”
The explosion started at the balloon.
One.
The boom echoed through the ship and for many miles.
Two.
The fiery orange shot out and down, engulfing the twenty-five-story skyscraper.
Three.
Apparently, the blast radius for this explosion would be so vast, anything within fifty miles would be gone. The planet of Kai would be fine since it was mostly water and its facilities under the ocean’s surface. Who wouldn’t be fine were those in the building; all people who knowingly worked on evil projects, like child experimentation and nuclear weapons.
Four.
The blast would continue to spread, second by second, until it vaporized everything in its range. That was the power of K-factor.
Five.
The waiting was intolerable, but Jack knew it was necessary. They had to be seen next to the blast until the last possible second. The orange of the explosion was nearly on them, about to swallow Ricky Bobby.
Six.
“Now!” Jack yelled.
“Ship gating now,” Ricky Bobby confirmed, taking them away before they joined the destruction of Starboards Corp.
Bailey didn’t wake when the Q-ship jumped to the rendezvous spot right outside the gate to Precious galaxy. Lewis didn’t know if she was going to at all. Her head lolled forward, and her pulse was weak.
“Pip?” Lewis asked over the comm.
There was no answer. The comms were still offline, apparently. He stared at the controls with uncertainty. He didn’t know how to fly a ship, even if he’d watched Bailey do it a hundred times. Maybe he’d been studying her, rather than how she flew the ship. Right then, he couldn’t remember.
He tried to open a comm link directly to Ricky Bobby from the Q-ship. “Hello, this is Holmes. Does anyone read me?”
No answer.
He shook Bailey’s shoulders. “Come on. Wake up!”
Her eyelids didn’t even flutter this time. She didn’t make any attempts to stir.
“Dammit!” Lewis yelled. Yes, we did what we set out to do, but at what price? Did Bailey give her life for this mission? That’s not fair. She’s supposed to live. And where’s Ricky Bobby?
Lewis looked out at the darkness. He was floating alone in space with no clue what to do. What if the crew of Ricky Bobby hadn’t gated in time? What if they had been collateral damage in the explosion? The explosion he’d caused. What if he was the only one left?
He couldn’t stomach that reality. No, not when he was getting his life together, he couldn’t lose it all. This was a life he liked a whole lot more than the one he’d had before Melanie ruined it.
He tried to remind himself of the positives. They’d saved the orphans…well, maybe if Ricky Bobby gated in time. They’d all known it was going to be close. And Starboards Corp, with all its evil technology, was destroyed. It could no longer churn out horrible technology or take over children’s lives. Melanie may have been its CEO, but now she owned a corporation that didn’t exist. She probably survived the blast on Kai, but that was fine for now. In a matter of seconds, Lewis had taken everything from her, as she’d done to him. And because she had a big mouth, he knew exactly where the etheric diamond was.
> Everything had gone perfectly…until now.
He shook Bailey’s shoulders. Her breathing was faint. “Come on, Bailey. Don’t give up. We have so many more adventures, but you’ve got to hold on for me.”
Lewis was about to close his eyes to pray, something he hadn’t done since his dad died, but a giant flash stole his attention. He shielded his eyes and blinked at the object hovering outside the Q-ship.
His pulse quickened. All hope wasn’t lost. He turned off the cloaks to the ship and tried to connect to Ricky Bobby again.
“Hello? Ricky Bobby?”
“Hello, Holmes,” Jack said over the comm. “I see you made it.”
“And you,” Lewis stated, more than relieved to hear his uncle’s voice.
“How is Ladybug?”
“Not good,” he admitted through a knot in his throat. “I’m going to need to be retrieved.”
“Not a problem,” Jack answered. “We’re coming for you right now.”
“Thanks,” he said with a sigh.
“And, Lew…” Jack’s words hung in the air.
“Yes?”
“She’s going to be okay. Just get her back, breathing.”
Lewis clamped his fingers around Bailey’s pulse, which beat, but only faintly. “I’m trying.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jack Renfro’s Office, Ricky Bobby, Hapeti System, Precious Galaxy
“I’ve sent a lot of close calls to the Pod-doc, but Lieutenant Tennant takes the cake,” Jack said, pacing his office.
“That she does,” Lewis stated. “So she’s going to be all right?”
His uncle shook his head. “We won’t know anything until she wakes up.”
Lewis pulled at the collar of his shirt. He hadn’t slept in almost two days. How could he?
“The children?” he asked.
Jack looked up, like he wasn’t sure what his nephew was talking about. Then understanding sprang to his face. “Oh, right. Yes, they were sent into Federation space before we went through to Precious galaxy.”
“And they’ll be okay?”
“I’d say better than okay,” Jack answered. “They’ve all been assigned to homes that have been checked out, and an officer who will check in on them regularly and train them weekly. The children aren’t normal, so they aren’t going to be treated that way; however, I hope that they will lead normal lives one day.”
“Will the Federation use them?”
Jack shook his head. “Not the way that Starboards was going to. They’ll be offered opportunities to help when they are old enough. However, for now, they are children and deserve to have a real childhood.”
Lewis wanted to smile, but he didn’t. It was too much for him.
“Lew?” Jack said, gaining his attention. “I offered to find a home for DJ.”
The detective shook his head. “She wouldn’t want one. She wants to stay here on Ricky Bobby.”
“That’s absolutely true,” Jack stated. “However, she did want to be adopted. I get the impression that she wants someone to belong to.”
Lewis blinked back at his uncle, not understanding. “Belong? Like the way Ricky Bobby belongs to this ship?”
Jack shook his head. “Like the way you belonged to my brother and your mother. Like the way Liesel and my child will belong to us.”
“Oh, like parents.”
Jack shook his head. “She said she wanted the ones who rescued her to be her pseudo parents. She wants to belong to you and Bailey.”
“Wait, are you saying she wants me to be her father? That’s crazy.”
Jack smiled tenderly. “Not really. She’s young enough to be your child. And she really just needs someone to make decisions on her behalf—it could be me, since I’m in charge of Ricky Bobby, but she wants it to be you two.”
“What does it involve?”
Jack shrugged. “Not much. I mean, it does take a village to raise a child…or a ship, in this case. Everyone here is invested in her well-being.”
“But it must involve something,” Lewis pondered.
“Well, yes. Someone has to make decisions at some point on her education, maybe even discipline her. She will be entering her teen years soon; DJ is wise for her age, and powerful, without a doubt, but she does need someone to guide her. And she’s picked two somebodies.”
Lewis gulped. “Can we wait for this until…”
Jack nodded. “Yes, we should wait until Bailey wakes up.”
Lewis wanted to say, ‘if she wakes up,’ but he stopped himself.
“You’ll be happy to know that it appears our plan worked. Starboards Corp is no more,” Jack stated. “The shockwave from the explosion was considerable. The ocean is still suffering from tsunamis forces, and nothing in the sky is reported to have survived within fifty miles.”
“So Monstre Corp will think we’re gone?” Lewis asked.
“That’s right,” Jack answered. “Which means they won’t see us coming.”
“And as a bonus, I think I know where the etheric diamond is,” Lewis stated.
Jack’s eyes brightened with curiosity. “Do tell.”
“Melanie slipped and said she traded it for Starboards,” Lewis stated.
“And there’s only one person she could have traded for that company,” Jack said triumphantly.
“None other than Soloman Vance.”
Jack rubbed his hands together eagerly. “I do love how this mission keeps fulfilling extra goals.”
“Yes, so free the crew, take down Vance and get the diamond back.”
“And then you’ll have your reputation back along with your freedom,” Jack stated, hesitation on his face. “However, I do hope that when all that happens, you still choose to stay with Ghost Squadron. We could use a mind like yours.”
“Yeah…maybe,” he said absently, unable to think about the future.
Medical Center, Ricky Bobby, Hapeti System
“How do you feel?”
Ricky Bobby’s voice was too loud. The lights were too bright. Everything was intensified. Bailey pressed her hands to her closed eyes.
“I don’t know. Everything is too much.”
“That’s normal. It will take some time for you to adjust,” Ricky Bobby stated.
“Being back alive, you mean?”
The AI snickered slightly. “Yes, coming back from near-death can take time to reorient.”
Bailey attempted to open her eyes and was immediately taken aback by her vision. “I can see…”
“So much better?” Ricky Bobby supplied.
“Yes. And I can hear…” She turned her head one way and the other, picking up on noises from all over the ship.
“Are you happy?” Ricky Bobby asked.
“That I’m alive?”
“You have wanted a full upgrade for a long time.”
She flexed her hand, feeling a strange power pulsing in her fingers. “Yes, that’s true. I felt limited before, but I took your advice.”
“About allowing yourself to feel vulnerable so you could establish a better partnership?” Ricky Bobby asked.
“Yes, I’ve never liked the idea of being saved.”
“And yet, no matter how strong you were, if the detective hadn’t been there…”
“I’d be dead.”
“Sometimes our greatest assets aren’t what’s inside of us, but the connections we have to those around us.”
Bailey nodded, pushing up off of the table, since Ricky Bobby had finished the examination and scans. “That makes more sense to me today than I ever would have expected.”
“So, ironically, you got the upgrade you wanted the moment you allowed yourself to be saved.”
Bailey smiled. “I’ve always enjoyed irony.”
“Me too,” Ricky Bobby said thoughtfully. “And, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, Ricky Bobby?”
“I’m glad that it worked out the way it did.”
“You mean you’re glad I got my upgrade?” she joked.
/> “Yes, but mostly, I’m glad that, in the process, you had an emotional evolution.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said, hearing footsteps approach. Soft-soled shoes. Size ten, maybe. “And I’m glad I’m not dead.”
Lewis peeked his head around the corner. “I am, too.”
Bailey’s face brightened. She found herself rushing forward. Throwing her arms around Lewis’s neck. Pulling him in tight.
His arms hung uncertainly at his sides and then, after a few seconds of recovery, he wrapped his arms around her.
“Thank you,” Bailey said, peeling away from him and taking a couple of quick steps back.
“You’re welcome,” Lewis said. “I mean, I didn’t do much. I did argue with you while you were on death’s doorstep.”
“Yeah, but I’m glad that we finished the mission instead of bailing, so thanks for listening to me.”
“I’m not sure if you realize how impossible it is to argue with you,” he imparted.
Bailey smirked and gave him a once-over. He looked awful. Exhausted. “No offense, but you look like you haven’t slept in days.”
Lewis combed his hand through his hair and laughed. “Well, to be honest. I haven’t. I was waiting for you to wake up.”
She held out her arms. “Here I am.”
Lewis smiled with relief. “And I’m glad for that.”
Bailey noticed the bandage on his hand. “You all right?”
He looked at his hand and held it up. “Yeah, you wouldn’t believe it. I broke three fingers on the first guard’s face. Then I broke the other one and my thumb on the second guy’s face.”
“Sounds like I need to continue to teach you how to fight.”
Lewis pursed his lips and nodded. “It hurts like hell, so yeah. Still can’t believe that I broke all my fingers. I mean, talk about luck.”
“Are you kidding me?” Bailey asked. “I was shot three times and fell into a coma when the ship jumped, and you’re complaining about broken fingers? Oh man, your pain is so much worse.”
“Well in my defense, I was awake to deal with my pain, although I wished I could have passed out over the last couple of days,” he said with a laugh. “And I wish they’d stick me in the Pod-doc for a broken hand. Now I’m just a poor mortal who might not be able to keep up with you.”
