Sunscapes Trilogy Book 1: Last Chance

by Michelle O'Leary

  With a snarled curse, Del spun around and headed back to the Tank, calling Kai ugly things under his breath. Another slicer joined him as he entered the docking bay, but he didn't bother to check who it was until they landed.

  Cassie popped out of her slicer like she was on a spring and headed towards him, brow furrowed with concern. He might have been pleased except that she didn't even bother to look at him, bending immediately to the scoring on the Shadow's skin. With a snort of disgust, he opened the slicer and leaned out, not bothering to disconnect.

  "You okay?” she asked as she ran gentle fingers along the charred groove.

  "You askin’ me or the ship?” he grumbled, earning a sharp glance from her.

  "You look fine. Sin will be okay. Don't worry."

  "Sure she will. One Shadow against a whole pirate pack. Those are great odds!"

  She stood and frowned at him, hands planted on her hips. “We made sure that most were disabled before they ran. Do you really think Manny would have let her go alone otherwise?"

  "What if there's more where they're running to? And what the hell is she doing chasing after them anyway?” he snarled, knowing that he was taking his frustration out on her, but unable to help it. Kai wasn't here for him to take a swing at, so Cassie would have to do.

  She narrowed her eyes at him, but her voice remained even, if impatient. “I'm sure she's got her reasons. Start the diagnostic, Del."

  Muttering imprecations under his breath, he settled back in the slicer and started the diagnostic. Cassie leaned in to watch, muttering her own string of curses at the results.

  "All that stinkin’ work, and you go and get yourself hit,” she said, giving him a disgusted look.

  "Thanks for your concern,” he snapped, feeling the humiliation crawling back over his flesh.

  Cassie took a second look at him and sighed. “I didn't mean that. I saw what happened, and I'm glad you're such a good pilot or you'd probably be dead. I get wicked bitchy after a set to like this, because it scares me to see my friends in harm's way. Sorry I'm taking it out on you."

  Del shifted in discomfort, knowing he'd been doing the same thing moments before. “Well, I didn't see anybody else get hit, so I'd say your friends came through just fine."

  She stared at him with a blank look for a moment. “Del, you big idiot, I was talking about you."

  "Oh,” he mumbled, running a distracted hand through his hair and looking at her out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure how to take her declaration. When was the last time he had a friend? “Thanks. Um, glad you're okay, too."

  She rolled her eyes and snorted with what sounded like amusement. “Bib got scored, too. She's okay, but she had to dock pretty quickly."

  "Ah, damn. I hope she didn't take it too hard. She was so excited about being in a slicer."

  Cassie grinned. “She was swearing like a dockhand when she went in, so I wouldn't worry about her. It's when she cries that you've got to worry."

  Del grunted in response, but his attention was captured by the final results of the diagnostic. He cursed softly and disconnected, nudging Cassie out of the way as he levered out of the slicer. “Stabilizer's been compromised,” he growled as he inspected the damage visually.

  "The skin held, which is lucky,” Cassie said as she knelt next to him. “It was the pressure and heat that made the conduits rupture. But that's not so bad. It's not the stabilizer itself that's damaged, so we can probably get you up and slicing for the return trip."

  "No time like the present,” Del said as she rose to her feet. “Where's the parts and tools?"

  But she shook her head. “Later. I need to get spaceborne again, and Jinx could probably use your company. This kind of thing works his nerves, especially since he can't slice and has to watch from inside this hulk."

  Del frowned, following her as she headed back to her Shadow. “What do you mean, he can't slice? He's got a data port."

  "Blue destroyed too many of his synapses,” Cassie said, pausing beside her ship to gaze at him with solemn brown eyes. “I don't know how he held on as long as he did before the Shays pulled him out of the Core, but he came damned close to a meltdown. He might slice again, given time, but he hates being grounded."

  "Don't blame him,” Del muttered, wondering what he'd do if he was told he might never slice again. Before the Shadows it might not have devastated him, but now...

  "The good news is the Tank has more sensitive long-range scanners than the slicers, so you'll know first that Sin's on her way back."

  "Why are you so sure she'll make it back?"

  She gave him a smile that was both knowing and secretive. “Faith. You should have more in our employers.” Then she patted his arm and slid into the slicer.

  With a grimace, Del headed towards the passageway to the control room as Cassie's Shadow rose behind him on her way back out to space. One of these days, he was going to corner the little woman and find out exactly what she knew about the Shays.

  Jinx looked around with a welcoming smile when Del entered the control room, but his face was a bit more pale than normal. “Hey, Del, close call out there, huh?"

  "Yeah,” Del replied as he slumped into the second's seat. “My own damned fault, though."

  "Don't sweat it, man. You did great for your first time out. How's the Shadow?"

  "Fixable,” he answered shortly, running aggravated fingers through his hair.

  "Good news,” Jinx said with faint hesitation, his expression wary.

  Del grimaced a bit and settled back in his seat, reminding himself not to take his irritation out on his young companion. “Yeah, good news. You got any idea why Sin would run after that pack?"

  "Naw, but I ain't worried. They do this kinda thing all the time, and they always come back.” He didn't look the least bit concerned, grinning with complete confidence and turning to the controls.

  "So what happens now?” Del asked, watching the youngster as his fingers danced with precision over the panels.

  Jinx shrugged. “We keep going. Don't know what we'll do when we reach the separation point. I s'pose Manny'll have Cass take this team till Sin catches up."

  Del had all sorts of things he could say about that, but he held his tongue. He didn't think Jinx would have answers to his questions anyway. He was quiet for a moment before he said, “You handled the Tank really well through the attack, Jinx."

  "Thanks,” was all Jinx said, but he grinned at Del with a hint of hero worship.

  "Do you always fly the haulers?"

  "Yeah. I can't slice no more ‘cause my nerves is shot from Blue.” He made a face and shrugged with youthful defiance. “Don't matter. I like hauler duty."

  Del wondered who he was trying to convince, Del or himself. “You're young yet. The damage might not be permanent."

  "Sure,” Jinx responded, but his tone was glum.

  Del would have liked to ask him more about his past, not only because he was curious about Jinx himself, but also his answers might give Del clues to why the Shays did what they did. The hopeless expression on the youngster's face decided him against asking, though. Wracking his brain for something that would perk Jinx up, he finally asked, “So how far did you get with the Tenth Hell of Arse?"

  "Karse,” Jinx corrected with a snicker. “Quan's a trankin’ kick ass wingman! We got all the way to the end of level five..."

  He rambled on happily about the VR game, going over the highlights in some sort of gaming language that Del didn't understand. He didn't need to, though. All he had to do was nod and make an appreciative noise every once in a while to keep Jinx going, while trying to hide his own anxiety. Where the hell was she?

  This went on for some time until one of the control panels beeped insistently. Jinx jumped a little and fell silent as he checked it. Then he grinned over his shoulder at Del. “Toldja she'd be back."

  Del sat forward, tensing as he caught sight of the Shadow on long range scan. “How's she look?"

  "Gorgeous as al
ways,” Jinx said with a wink and activated the com. “Manny, Sin's on her way back."

  "'Bout time. Thanks, Jinx,” was Kai's indolent response.

  "There's nothing wrong with her Shadow?” Del persisted.

  "Nope, looks good as new."

  Del sagged back in his seat with a wave of relief. As it receded, though, it was replaced by anger. Damn her—what the hell did she think she was doing chasing after a bunch of bandits? Was she trying to kill herself? He chewed on his fury as he watched her approach, grinding his teeth together when he heard her voice over the com say, “Hey, Jinx,” with cool calm.

  "Welcome back, boss."

  "Thanks. Open her up—I'm coming in."

  "Already done."

  Del watched on the viewer as she sped over them like a flash of black lightning, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. But her casual tone infuriated him and he shoved to his feet, stalking out of the control room. He was going to give her a piece of his mind and get answers out of her if he had to shake ‘em out. Marching down the long corridor, he entered the docking bay to see her striding towards him. She didn't look like she had a scratch on her, and that only enraged him more.

  About to let her have the rough edge of his temper, he was surprised into silence when she started shouting at him.

  "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

  Since that was damned near word for word what had been on the tip of his tongue, he blinked at her in mute astonishment.

  She slowed to a stop in front of him, her lips pressed together and a frown between her brows. Then she made an abrupt gesture with one hand. “Forget I said that,” she said in a clipped tone. “What happened was more my fault than yours. I shouldn't have pushed you into this run with so little training.” With that, she brushed by him and headed towards the exit.

  "Wait just a damned minute—” he started to say, bafflement and anger making a confusing mix inside him.

  "We'll talk later,” she snapped over her shoulder and disappeared from the bay.

  He hesitated only a moment before righteous anger won out over his confusion and he stalked after her. “The hell we will!” he snarled at her retreating back as he stepped into the corridor. “You're gonna tell me right now why in the Sun's name you'd fly off after those pirates."

  She didn't pause, saying over her shoulder in a tight, cold voice, “I'm not answerable to you, Del."

  "The hell you're not!” he shouted as he followed her. “Get your ass back here, or—"

  She whirled, eyes blazing green fire as she whispered, “Or what?"

  There was danger in every line of her sleek form, the edges of her face tightening with predatory sharpness, and a belated cautionary light began blinking in a distant corner of his mind. But it was too late. The primitive challenge in her eyes touched off wildfire in his blood, catalyzing his aggression to a raging need that was heedless to any warnings. He continued to stalk towards her, a primal growl rising in his chest, and he was a step away from grabbing her when the door to the control room opened.

  Jinx stepped hesitantly out into the corridor, his eyes wide and expression wary. “Hey, Sin ... Manny's on the com for you."

  Del hauled himself to a stop with an effort, clenching his hands into fists and breathing hard. From the faint alarm on the kid's face, Del guessed that he'd heard the shouting. The need within him snarled and raged at the interruption, but the more rational part of his mind acknowledged grim relief. He ached to put his hands on her, to press his body into her softness and taste her again, but that kind of action held more than one danger.

  Sin gave Jinx a sharp nod, her dark lashes sweeping down over the fevered battle-light in her eyes. Her lips were pressed together in a grim line, and there was a faint flush over her cheekbones, but there wasn't a hint of fury in her tone as she said, “I'll need to speak with Kai alone, so go get yourself—and Del—something cold to drink.” Her lashes lifted for a moment as she said his name, and the icy flicker of reproach in her eyes struck him like a lash. Then she spun on her heel and stepped past Jinx, the door to the control room sliding closed between them with chilly finality.

  Chapter 17

  Sin sank into the pilot's chair and touched the com with fingers that shook visibly. She grimaced at this sign of how eroded her control had become and shivered to think of how close she'd come to losing it entirely. Del, why do you have to be so ... But there were too many ways to finish that thought, and most of them were disconcerting, so she said her brother's name instead.

  "I'm here,” he said, and she drew in a shaky breath, grateful as always for the steadying influence of her twin.

  "We were right. They were Griffin's dogs."

  "Why am I not surprised?” he retorted with acerbic humor, but after a short pause his tone softened. “Any trouble?"

  "No. They were pretty whipped."

  "You sure?"

  "Yes. Why?” she responded, unable to help the defensive note in her voice.

  "Because you sound as if there was trouble."

  She grimaced again, sourly aware that the same closeness that allowed him to be her rock in difficult times also made it impossible to hide things from him. “Not with them,” she said in a clipped tone.

  There was another short pause, and then Kai murmured in an amused tone, “Let me guess ... Del?"

  "Spot on, brother,” she sighed, rubbing weary hands over her face.

  "And here's the part where I say I told you so. Don't suppose you left him in one piece?"

  Irritated at the gloating hilarity in his voice, Sin sat forward and snapped, “Do you want to hear the details of the drop or not?"

  "Man, that's a tough choice. Do I wanna rub it in some more or hear about the—"

  "Kai!” she interrupted in a warning growl, and he relented with a chuckle.

  "All right, lay it on me."

  She started with what had happened when she'd followed the fleeing pirates, where they'd gone and what they'd done when she'd caught up with them. Then she explained the details of the agreement that they'd eventually reached. When she finished, the haulers had entered the Corteca System and it was time to separate.

  "Good work, Sinsi. I'll see you on the other side."

  "Give ‘em hell, brother mine."

  "Don't I always?” he responded with laughter in his voice, and she chuckled as she severed the connection.

  Setting the hauler onto its new course, Sin swiveled out of the pilot's seat and left the control room, relieved to see that no one was in the corridor. She wasn't so lucky in the docking bay.

  Del and Jinx looked up from where they knelt next to Del's wounded Shadow. Sin nearly flinched as her gaze collided with midnight intensity, a wave of heat flushing through her and making her skin tingle. With grim resolve, she looked away and seized the ragged edges of her self-control.

  "The Tank's all yours again, Jinx,” she said with a calm that was pure fabrication. “We've split, and I've changed our course to the mining facility."

  "'Kay, Boss,” he said and scampered towards the exit as Sin turned away and headed for her Shadow, ignoring Del as best she could.

  He didn't let her escape, though. “Sin,” he said just as she reached her slicer.

  She paused, turning her head, but not enough to meet his gaze. His deep voice added chills to the heat rippling over her skin, and she was sure he'd see it in her eyes.

  "I was out of line earlier. I apologize."

  Damn you, she thought irrationally, can't you even let me keep my anger? But not trusting her voice enough to speak, she only nodded and climbed into her Shadow. Starting it up, she waited long enough for Jinx to open the bay doors for her before heading out to join Cassie and Quan in the dark of space, trying to ignore how much it felt like running away.

  The last part of the journey to the Cortecan mining facility was relatively short and passed without incident. As they neared the facility, Sin contacted them and got a respectful response, the official giving h
er instructions on where to dock in a deferential voice. Thanking him, Sin ordered the other two Shadows back to the Tank, but she waited until the last second to return to the hauler herself.

  Climbing out of her slicer, she felt the Tank go through its docking maneuvers and land. Not bothering to go to control, Sin exited the hauler by the side hatch in the bay and met the Cortecan official waiting for her. She saw his eyes take in her dark attire with an uneasy flicker, but he greeted her with gracious professionalism. She was gratified to see the Cortecan unloading crew standing ready nearby.

  "You are aware of the special circumstances of this cargo?” she asked him as her own crew began to appear, Cassie herding them with her usual brisk bossiness to the loaders.

  "Yes, ma'am,” he answered with a respectful nod, but his eyes had taken on that uneasy flicker again.

  She gave him a reassuring smile. “I know it seems unusual, but there's no need for concern as long as my instructions are followed to the letter."

  "That will not be a problem, Ms. Shay."

  "Good. Let's get on with it then, shall we?"

  The unloading of the Abantium was much more subdued than the loading had been. Part of it was that this was a more dangerous location than the supplier's system, but from the furtive glances Sin received from members of her crew, she guessed that they'd heard about her confrontation with Del. Jinx was not known for keeping secrets, she thought with a wry twist of her mouth as she caught Cassie studying her for the fifth time.

  But Sin couldn't complain about the efficiency with which the cargo was removed from her ship and deposited in the appropriate holds. Both her crew and the Cortecan workers performed admirably, and she made a point to compliment them all when the work was done.

  The Cortecan official made an offer for Sin and her people to join them in a late meal, and though she declined for herself, Sin drew Cassie aside to discuss giving the crew leave.

  "Can you make sure the men will come directly back here after they've eaten?"

  "No problem,” Cassie answered, the calm certainty in her eyes reassuring.