by T S Paul
Not that anyone on the Rossi ever got into many conflicts. They were a straight-laced group of smugglers. That might be why they were so good at what they did. Rea’s people didn’t mess around and kept a low profile. At least for the most part. Sure, a few liked to drink an adult beverage now and again but generally not excessive.
But ever since Taylor’s kidnapping, the crew has been relatively dry. Not that Rea had asked them to, but she understood. When a member of the team was taken from a bar, it really puts a damper on the activity.
<<<>>>
Parker ventured off the ship with Aldis in tow. They wouldn’t let her go into the city alone, and Steve was going to spend time with Lindsey. Gross, Parker thought. It wasn’t that she was opposed to the idea of dating. Just those two.
The whole thing perplexed Parker. It just didn’t make any sense to her. Steve had never appeared to be the kind of guy who was into dating. He seemed more of a “wham bam thank you ma’am” type. At least to Parker. Clearly, she was wrong and needed to adjust her opinion.
The young girl looked up to Steve. He was smart, worldly, and imposing. When he needed to be, he could be blunt, but if the time called for it, he could be caring. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that he was exactly the type who would swoop a girl off her feet.
“Where to?” Aldis asked. His hair was long and blond, just a different shade than her own. Parker never let her hair get as long as he did.
Back on New Detroit, she just couldn’t, since cleaning it would have been a nightmare. Maybe now, she would think about letting it grow out some. It might get her a guy, not that she had time on the ship to play around.
“I don’t know,” she said. All she knew was she was ready to explore a new planet and city. It didn’t matter where they went. “You have any places you want to go?”
The hacker nodded and smiled. Aldis enjoyed this too much in Parker’s eyes. This was going to be an amusing day.
“I do, but I’m not sure it is the best places for a child.”
Parker cleared her throat. “I’m not a child, remember. Birthday.”
Aldis titled his head. “Steve would kill me.”
The young woman laughed. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“Ugh.” Aldis stood and debated with himself silently. “Very well.”
The lanky man led the way into the city with Parker following him. With the tablet in hand, Aldis guided Parker through the town. It wasn’t the biggest one she had been in nor the smallest. However, it was larger than she expected since she wasn’t used to walking this much.
“Why didn’t we get a taxi?”
“Walking is good for you,” Aldis said. “After that cake for your birthday, you need to burn a few extra calories.” Aldis tapped his belly as if it was something he needed to work on.
Parker groaned. None of the crew was what she would call overweight, especially Aldis. For a guy who sat a lot, he was rail thin.
“We don’t need the exercise,” Parker said.
“Could have fooled me. You’re completely out of breath. Definitely, you need some more activity.”
Parker rolled her eyes. “You know that I’m going to start training with Steve.”
“I do, and this will help.”
Aldis continued on with Parker huffing behind him. She hadn’t realized how out of shape she had gotten on the Rossi. The hacker was right, and the young girl needed to be more active. Parker would talk to Steve about that when she got back to the ship.
“Here we go,” Aldis said. He stopped in front of a nondescript building. “Just the place I was looking for.”
“Uh. This doesn’t look like anything.” Parker wasn’t sure why Aldis didn’t want her to come here or why Steve would be angry with him for it. It was just some random place in the city among a bunch of boring buildings.
“Looks can be deceiving.” Aldis entered the building with Parker on his six.
What greeted her was a computer tech store. Again, she was lost as to why this was a bad place for her to be. What she did know was that this had to be a heaven for Aldis with all of the technology around him. He was in his domain and clearly loving it.
Parker, on the other hand, was disoriented. She started to read the book that Aldis got her, and it was helpful. The young girl wanted to learn more about computers and technology in general. Parker wasn’t sure she’d ever learn to be as good as someone like Aldis. At least not before she died, which she hoped was a long, long time away. It was all so confusing to her.
“Still don’t get why I can’t be here,” Parker said.
“You’ll see,” Aldis said.
The hacker went to the back of the store and rang a bell on the counter. A minute later, a short, pudgy man exited the rear of the shop. The man eyed Aldis over and then turned to Parker. “The girl isn’t one of us.”
Aldis shrugged. “She’s on my ship. You can trust her.”
The pudgy man squinted at Parker. It made her uneasy like he was deciding whether she would taste good or not. It brought back some horrible memories of her time on New Detroit and being under Viktor and her encounters with the twins.
“You sure?” the man asked. “She seems squirrely to me.”
Aldis smiled and leaned forward. “I’m a smuggler for crying out loud,” he whispered. “She’s on my ship. What does that tell you?”
“Fine,” Pudgy said relentlessly. “If she takes anything or gets me in trouble, it’s your head.”
Aldis turned to Parker. “Don’t touch anything.”
“I won’t.”
The man, who said he was called Cody, led them into the back of the shop. It was different, lined with even more equipment.
“Nice,” Aldis said. He turned to Parker. “Not that you would notice but most of this stuff is illegal and dangerous.”
“And? Isn’t that what we do?”
Aldis shrugged. “Yes and no.”
Parker was lost. They smuggled stuff, and most of it was stolen. She didn’t see how it was any different. Sometimes, people confused her. “If you say so.”
“I do,” Aldis said.
Eventually, they ended in the basement of the building surrounded by not only illegal and stolen property but an open ring.
“Wait. Is this a fight club?”
The pudgy man groaned. “Not what you are thinking.”
“Steve won’t be pleased.” Parker knew the Marine well, and he wouldn’t appreciate a fight club.
Aldis nodded. “He wouldn’t, but the one who would kill me is Nicole.”
Then it clicked with Parker. All the equipment and the people didn’t look like fighters, plus the tech here was next level stuff, more advanced than some of the stuff on the Rossi. “Robot matches.”
“Not like Nicole.” Aldis didn’t sound convinced, but he was right from what Parker could see. “These ones are controlled by humans, but still, it’s outlawed.”
The part about them not being like Nicole was a relief. Parker would run for the door and forget about this place if she thought it was even remotely like the CATT. It was illegal and frightening to think about. She wanted nothing that might draw the ire of the Empire. Not that smuggling didn’t bring its wrath, but it was more than just the Empire when it came to the CATT and Drones. Anything that might resemble life was protected.
It wasn’t long before more and more people came into the room. Parker was beginning to regret letting Aldis pick where they went, but knew she was about to see something different.
Once the room was packed to the brim, in the center of the ring, if that was the right term, two robots arrived. They were built to fight, to kill. They existed for no other purpose except to commit mayhem.
Watching them, the battle was interesting. The night turned into a blur as Parker sat taking it all in. Each match was bloodier or rather oilier than the previous one. As it went on, Parker understood why Aldis didn’t want Steve to know. This was violent, nasty stuff. Nicole
, the CATT, would be furious. She’d make sure it was raided in a heartbeat.
Chapter Four
Steve and Lindsey left the ship together, and he wasn’t even sure what was going on. Was it a date or just hanging out? They had been flirting and stuff, but he wasn’t sure what this was, and he didn’t want to ask.
If he did and it was, questioning her was sure to doom it, and if it wasn’t, that might ruin the friendship. This was something new to Steve. It had been so long since he even flirted that he was surprised that Lindsey didn’t run away.
Now that they were off the ship, Steve was lost and worried about it not working. He wanted to enjoy his time with her. He breathed in deeply and let himself relax.
“What is the plan?” Steve asked.
“No plan,” Lindsey said. “Let’s just play it by ear.
Steve’s eyes shot up in surprise. He wasn’t used to that, and it frightened him half to death. Plans were a part of his well-structured life. They made it go smoothly, and Steve thrived on them. “Uh…”
Lindsey tapped him on his bicep and laughed. “Lighten up,” she giggled.
“I’m loose.”
She burst out laughing so hard that she nearly dropped to the ground. They weren’t even ten feet from the Rossi, and this wasn’t going well in Steve’s mind already.
“I’m sorry,” the engineer said. “You just have a look of terror. You see a group of ten men armed, and it’s no problem. A trip into town with no plan and you look like you are about to die.”
“I’m just used to plans is all,” he grumped.
Lindsey turned and took his hands. “I know, but sometimes letting whatever happens, happen, is good.”
The Marine nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Hand in hand, they went into the city and let fate take them for a ride. Clearly, this was a date, and that made Steve happy. This was a new and exciting experience. He was going to enjoy this and see where it went.
Lindsey went around like a honey bee from shop to shop with no purpose other than to be off the ship. Steve could see the appeal of it all, not that he was completely as free as she was. He could not help being aware of the people all around them. It was part of his DNA.
Once lunchtime arrived, they stopped at little café with a pleasant aroma wafting out. Steve’s stomach rumbled. He was ready to eat.
“This place looks good,” Lindsey said.
It was a pleasant day, and they sat outside of the café at a small table. The server was a young, bubbly girl, not much older than Parker. “What can I get you?”
Steve couldn’t remember much about the New Philly, but he did remember one thing about the system. They had this sandwich they had carried over from Earth. “You have the sandwich?”
The waitress laughed. “Of course, we do.”
“I’ll have one of those,” Steve said.
“I guess I will too,” Lindsey said.
“Good,” the waitress said. “Two Phillies coming up.”
After she left, Lindsey leaned over to Steve. “What is a Philly?”
The Marine smirked and leaned toward Lindsey. “You’ll see,” Steve teased. It was nice to be the one who knew what was coming for a change.
Steve and Lindsey talked while they waited for the food. It really was fun for Steve, and he was having a blast. This “no plan” thing just might be something he would let happen occasionally.
Lindsey was definitely making this better, but they also had a mission and a job. Steve wouldn’t forget that. That was the life of a smuggler.
It took a while, but when their sandwiches arrived, a beef steak one covered with onions and peppers with lots of cheese. Both could not help staring, it looked like it was a good one. And the smell alone teased them with its flavor.
Lindsey took a large bite. “Not bad.”
“Nope. Not bad at all.”
Together, they ate and enjoyed each other’s company. It was a great afternoon and one that Steve wouldn’t forget anytime soon.
Chapter Five
Rea woke early and readied for the day. They were going to meet the contact for the job. A time and a place had been set up late last night. Aldis did learn a few things about this Eric Spacey. He worked directly for the Governor of New Philly.
His title, Assistant, was vague. That made Rea nervous and worried about the job. Not that Rea was opposed to working for a dirty Governor. She had in the past, but sending an underling was what concerned her and gave her a pause.
She left her quarters to meet the crew. Before she arrived, Nicole arrived and pawed at her legs.
“Yes?” Rea asked.
“Be careful,” the CATT said, “This system isn’t known for anything good.”
Rea sighed. “You going to tell me how this is going to help with Drake and Taylor?”
“I would if I knew,” Nicole said.
The CATT’s face was not its usual teasing one. She might actually not know this time. Typically, Rea figured she did but didn’t want to share. She assumed all of the CATTs knew as they appeared to have access to everything.
That wasn’t what Rea wanted to hear. “What does that even mean?”
“I was told it would help,” Nicole said.
“By?”
Nicole sat and started to lick her rear paw. Rea rolled her eyes and left. Once Nicole went into cat mode, she wasn’t going to answer. The CATT was so damn frustrating at times.
At the rear of the ship, the team was waiting for her. Steve was there, pacing. He had his ‘I’m going to kill anyone that tries to cross me’ look on his face. From what Rea gathered, Steve and Lindsey had gone out on a nice date, and he had relaxed more than normal. That was nice to hear.
What worried her was that Parker didn’t talk much about what she and Aldis had done, but Rea didn’t have time right now to investigate.
“Ready?” Rea asked.
“We are,” Lindsey said.
The whole team nodded and indicated that they had what they needed.
“Good.” Rea went to the haul lever and lowered the ramp to leave the ship. The coordinates weren’t too far from the bay where the Rossi was. It was close enough to walk, which was nice since Rea didn’t like relying on taxis. One of these days, she was going to get a land vehicle for the Rossi.
As per usual, Steve was at the lead of the team and Rea at the rear. Ever since Steve had joined. He had instilled his Marine training. Rea was thankful for that and how it kept them safe.
The meeting was at an office building, and Rea and her team entered and were greeted by a secretary, a young man. When he looked up, he asked, “Ah, Captain Dodge?”
“Yes,” Rea said.
“Good.” The young man smiled. “Mister Spacey is waiting on the tenth floor in the conference room.”
“Thank you.”
They rode up and found the room with ease. When the team entered, Rea saw a tall man with balding hair and a mustache. “Mister Spacey?”
“Yes. Captain Dodge and crew, it is a pleasure.”
Rea couldn’t help but think this man oozed slime and was corrupt. What he wanted to smuggle could be anything. He was the type who might be trying to get them to smuggle out something that belonged to his boss. It wouldn’t surprise Rea.
“Our pleasure,” Rea said, trying her best to sound like she meant it. “What is it you want to smuggle out?”
He smiled. “Right to business. Just as I was told.”
It didn't surprise Rea that he knew of them. That was how they got many of their jobs. The Darknet and the people on it talking to each other would send rumors of a top-notch crew. The gossip would get back to her, either through Aldis or Nicole.
“I don’t like small talk,” Rea said. She could tell he did. She was going to nip that in the bud before it started.
“So, I can see,” Eric said. He pulled out his tablet and handed it to her. “What I want to be smuggled off is secret. The Governor and I have a side business, one that will let us retire earl
y and wealthy.”
Glancing at the tablet, Rea’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Is this a list of people?”
“It is,” Eric said.
Steve stepped forward. “Slaves?”
Eric shrugged. “The filth of New Philly. Think of it as making our planet a better place.”
Before Rea should stop him, Steve punched Eric in the face, knocking him to the floor, out cold.
Chapter Six
Steve turned and left the man on the floor. “I don’t care. I’m going to let the Governor know what I think.”
The Marine didn’t even bother to check to see if the rest of the team was coming with him. He knew the crew well. They didn’t traffic in people or deal with slaves. That was rule number one. He wouldn’t stand for it and was going to make sure the people here knew what the Governor was up to.
At the reception, Steve stopped and looked at the young man. “Do you know what Mister Spacey was doing?”
“Sir,” the young man said, “what are you talking about? He’s an assistant to the Governor. That’s all I know.”
Steve gritted his teeth. “If I find out are lying to me, I’ll find you and rip you apart limb by limb.”
The man gulped. “What is going on?”
Parker arrived. “Slavery.”
The man’s eyes showed confusion and surprise. “Not here. No way. No how.”
Steve stomped outside, ready to storm the capitol building of the planet. This time, they would need a ride over. It was too far to walk.
Rea reached for him. “Breathe.”
The Marine grunted. “I am. If he is a part of this, I will kill him.”
The rest of the crew was outside with him now. None of them appeared to be happy. That was no surprise to Steve.
Lindsey walked up on his other side and patted him on the arm. “Disgusting.”
“It really is,” Steve said. It was beyond disgusting. It was unforgivable.
It had been a long time since Steve wanted to truly harm someone this bad. It had taken everything he had not to pound Eric to a pulp. Knowing that the leader of the planet was part of it forced him to leave. That alone had saved Eric’s life.
