by T. M. Catron
Rance gestured to the seat across from her. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”
Wheeler sank down and looked regretfully at his empty glass. “Nothing to tell. I just thought you ought to know.”
“Know what?”
Wheeler looked up. “What?”
“What do I need to know?”
“Weren’t you going to ask me a question earlier?”
At this point, Rance had lost the thread of the conversation, but she seized her opportunity. “I wanted to know who runs this area. I need to find something I lost. I know its general location, but I don’t know what I’ll find when I get there.”
“It’s not true love, is it?” Wheeler asked, slurring his words. Whatever drink he had ordered was making him more inebriated by the minute.
Rance shook her head. “Nope.”
Wheeler put his glass down and looked up at Abel, who was still on guard. “Where are we talking about?”
Rance pulled out her handset to show Wheeler the map. “Here,” she said, pointing to the blinking red light.
Surprised crossed Wheeler’s face, then fear. “You don’t want to go there. Whatever it is, you’re better off without it.”
“Why?”
“Because Calliope is crazy.”
“Who is that?”
“A woman who eats her young.” Wheeler stood, wobbled a bit, and then walked over to his original table.
Chapter Fifteen
Rance blew air out of her mouth in frustration. “This has been helpful.”
Harper looked at the countdown on her handset, and her meaning was plain: they couldn’t waste any more time.
The captain led the crew out into the street. The wind had changed, turning the air fouler.
“What do you think, Captain?” Abel asked. “We could find another bar.”
Rance shook her head. “We don’t know if that will yield any results, either. We have a name, though.” She tried to access the planet-wide network with her ZOD, but it required a password, and the password required money.
Harper seemed to know what Rance was thinking. “Not a good idea, Captain. A search for Calliope could trigger alarms. If this system is as corrupt as everyone says it is, certain search words can be booby-trapped.”
Rance called up the tracking beacon’s signal instead. Despite their change in location, it was still far away. “We don’t have time to walk there, and flying there would announce our arrival. We need stealth.”
“How about that, Captain?” James asked, nodding down the street.
A subway entrance jutted up from the sidewalk. No lights lit up the tunnel, and the steps descended into inky blackness. A faint vibration told them the subway was still running.
“A darkened subway station at night,” Rance said, leading them toward it. “That doesn’t sound risky at all. Everybody look sharp.”
They descended in a huddle, feeling rather than seeing the steps. At the bottom, a faint light flickered. As they exited the stairway, they were met with dirty walls, floors, and people. A guard stood inside an armored station, watching them walk by.
Despite the dirt in the station, the tracks seemed to be in good repair. Rance and Harper studied a holographic map on the wall while Abel and James kept a lookout. Harper found their train, which would require an hour-long ride to their destination.
Because Rance’s funds were low, Abel bought the tickets, shaking his head all the while at the exorbitant sum. Rance vowed to pay him pack, but he waved her away.
After a few minutes of nervous waiting, the crew watched a black train soundlessly arrived. The changing hum of the magnets caused a small vibration as it stopped. A few people trickled off, and Rance and crew got on with the others. They found seats close to the exits, angling their bodies to watch for trouble. The train doors closed with a ding, and the car shot off, pulling a couple of g’s as it launched into the tunnel. Surprised, Rance leaned into James, who held on to his seat to keep from falling off.
Apart from a few curious looks, no one bothered them. When the train finally stopped at District 11, the four of them were surprised to exit into a well-maintained, well-lit station. Rows of green plants grew in planters along the walls, casting off a fragrant, earthy smell. After the foul stink of the last district, Rance was grateful for the change in air quality. The platform was empty except for an android and the guard inside the station. Both watched them as they passed, and Rance tried not to notice how the guard studied each of the crew as they ascended the stairs.
“Creepy,” Harper said.
James glanced back as they exited the station. “We need to find an alternate route back after we find Roote. Those subway stations are too easy to shut down. We would be trapped.”
Rance nodded. “If it comes to it, Tally will come get us.”
“Captain,” Abel said, nodding at a nearby building. Despite the late hour, hovercraft and transports zipped overhead, and bright light flooded the streets. “Look at that.”
The building was twenty stories high—the tallest around. Atop it sat three large guns, perfect for shooting aircraft out of the sky.
“Tally won’t have a chance against those,” James said.
“Then we don’t give them a reason to use them,” Rance said. “We get in, get out, and get off this cursed planet.”
She looked at the map, and the blinking dot showed the tracking signal coming from three streets over. Rance walked ahead, keeping to shadows as much as possible. As they crossed over to another block, the intense lights faded, lending them more cover.
The darkness carried more horrors. Rance studied every shadow, every piece of trash blown on the wind. Her senses heightened, putting her nerves on edge until the tension was almost more than she could bear. The rest of the crew behaved as if they felt the same. Rance knew the mission was folly, that she’d only just met Solaris. Risking the rest of her crew could end in tragedy.
They volunteered, she thought. In the next moment, she felt swells of pride and panic competing with each other. She had a loyal crew, willing to follow her into danger. Willing to follow me into danger.
Rance focused on putting one foot in front of the other, breathing deeply, and watching her surroundings. They hadn’t encountered any trouble yet. When they found it, she wouldn’t have time to contemplate her life’s choices.
There would only be time for action.
A man crossed the street ahead, and Rance slowed to watch him. She held up a hand to stop the others.
“What’s up?” James whispered.
“That man is dressed all in black.”
“So are half the people on this planet. Red or black.”
Rance blinked, wetting her eyes so she could see better. Something about the man’s shape wasn’t right. “Black armor?”
According to her ZOD, he was fifty meters away, just at the limit of its abilities. Rance began walking again, casually, but she let her NNR do its work.
The black armor was similar to Unity’s, but sleeker, more fitted. Upgraded. And, Rance didn’t see any insignia on the back. “He’s either a pirate, another outlaw, or he’s Unity. Otherwise he wouldn’t get away with wearing armor.”
“The last police presence we saw was that guard at the subway station,” Abel said. “I don’t see any cameras or drones here, either.”
Rance nodded. “We’re in the right place. Let’s follow him and see where he goes.”
She kept the tracking signal on her ZOD, and wasn’t surprised when the man headed in the same direction. “Spread out,” she whispered.
James stuck with Rance. Abel and Harper crossed the street.
The armored man led them down another street and turned. Carrier-sized warehouses lined the street, their windows dark, their doors barred. Rance swallowed her fear, feeling they were approaching something, getting closer. The beacon flashed brightly, indicating that the tracker was inside the warehouse directly in front of them. The man in black ignored those doors, however
, and turned to follow the street to the corner.
James touched Rance’s elbow, and they moved into the shadow of another doorway. “More of them,” he whispered into her ear.
Two armored guards blocked the warehouse door, holding rifles and surveying the street. They had probably had already seen Rance and her crew, but they didn’t move.
Across the street, Abel and Harper ducked into an alley. Rance could no longer see them, which meant the guards couldn’t, either. It was comforting, but not comforting enough. She no longer saw the original guard and assumed he had turned the corner down the street. Or he could have turned the opposite way and doubled back, ready to surprise the crew from behind.
“We’re paranoid,” Rance whispered.
“Better than dead,” James said.
Would it come to that? Rance wondered if they were blowing the circumstances out of proportion. Then she remembered Kai lu and his crumpled body. Whoever held Solaris was willing to kill for what they wanted. Confronting them could be disastrous.
Rance waited. Sweat trickled down her back despite the cool air. If they had been spotted, the problem with hiding was that it would only draw more attention to the crew. If they acted like they didn’t care, perhaps they could pass without confrontation.
Except they needed to get into that warehouse. Rance was certain of it. The building was large enough to house a Destroyer, and the captain wondered if warehouses that large were common on Cronus.
After several minutes of waiting, the guards began moving in front of the doors as if talking to each other. One of them gestured upward, and Rance followed the direction of his arm. The dirty clouds above reflected the city’s lights. No stars shone out, no moon. The atmosphere felt oppressive, as if the entire planet was waiting for something. At least on Xanthes Rance had been able to see the stars.
While Rance watched, the clouds parted, revealing a small, black space cruiser with wings that reminded Rance of a glider. It landed on the roof of the warehouse, its profile low enough that it disappeared behind the edge of the roof. On the street, the door opened, and two more armored guards exited to relieve the others.
Rance seized the opportunity and left the doorway. James followed. Across the street, Abel and Harper left the alley. Rance wished more than anything that Abel was wearing his armor, but it made her that much more determined not to start a firefight.
They passed the doors and walked down the other side. It took them fifteen minutes to circle the warehouse. Rance studied every opening, every window, every barred door. She used her ZOD to look for heat signatures, and then checked the opposite warehouses to see if they could get in. But the place was locked down tight. The only doors were at the front, and those were guarded.
“Only two guards, boss,” Abel said as he crossed the street back to Rance.
“Two armored guards. And they won’t leave their post. Even if they did, I’m guessing we would find more on the other side.”
“One thing,” James said. “Do those look like the mercs on Coru?”
“Hard to tell in the dark,” Rance answered, “but it could be the same armor.”
“What about that ship?”
“Don’t know. Looks like stealth tech, doesn’t it?”
“Why would mercs have that?”
“Why do mercs do anything they do? Maybe they’re working with pirates.”
James ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, smoothing it down as a look of concentration creased his face. “I don’t have any suggestions. You?”
Rance shook her head. “If we could land on the roof, maybe we would find it easier to get in.”
“Too bad Solaris isn’t here to disguise the Streaker again.”
“If Solaris were with us on the street, we wouldn’t need to break into that warehouse.”
The harder the captain thought, the faster the ideas slipped away. She needed a brilliant plan, but so far they had only frustrated themselves with the lack of options. She stepped back to look at the brick walls, wondering if they could be scaled. Rance wasn’t a climber, and she didn’t think the rest of the crew was either.
Her gaze fell on one of the hovercraft overhead. It flew down the street and settled near an apartment building. “How high can those hovercraft go off the ground?” she asked.
Harper followed her gaze. “Depends on the number and weight of passengers. One might be able to clear the warehouse rooftop, but no more.”
Rance nodded and took off down the street. The others ran to catch up with her. Ahead, the driver got out of the small craft and went into his building.
“Captain,” Harper said, “I know what you’re thinking. Let me go. I’m lighter and have a better chance of landing it up there.”
They reached the hovercraft. It was smaller than Rance had thought, which meant getting inside would be cramped. But it had four seats with harnesses that rested over the occupants’ shoulders.
“No, Harper,” Rance said. “I sent Roote away. It’s my fault he got captured, and I’m not going to allow that to happen to someone else.”
Harper sighed. “I was afraid you would say that. Roote knew what he was doing.”
“Yes,” Rance said, trying the door handle, “so do I.”
The hovercraft was locked. No surprise there. Rance turned to Harper. “What’s the best way to pry this open?”
Harper was already on the ground, wriggling between the hovercraft and the pavement. “There’s a panel down here. If I can pry it off, I know how to reprogram the locks.”
Rance raised an eyebrow. “Where did you learn that?”
“Roote isn’t the only one with secrets, Captain.” Harper stuck her head out from under the craft and winked. “I cut my teeth on learning how to do this.”
James sniffed. “Don’t let Tally hear you say that.”
“Relax, Pilot. And be quiet—this isn’t as easy as I make it look.”
While Harper fiddled around beneath the hovercraft, Abel distributed weapons. They each had a small foldout rifle, ammunition, and a handful of smoke grenades. Rance made a mental note to ask Abel how he hid the weapons once they got out of this mess.
“While I land on the roof,” Rance said, “I need the rest of you ready to create distractions in case I get into trouble. Abel, do you think you could lob one of these grenades through a window up there?”
“I could try, boss, but if security is as tight as I think it is, the window won’t break.”
“Okay, then. Be prepared to throw it down the street in front of those doors. All I need is for you to draw them away from wherever they are inside. Use your best judgement, but don’t do anything until I say.” Rance looked up at the roof’s edge. “With any luck, I’ll have a few minutes when I get inside to find Solaris.”
James shot Rance a look. “Captain—”
Rance shook her head, anticipating his objections. “We don’t know he’s there. But we’ll never know unless we try.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Find a place to hide near the front. Use your weapons to draw their fire if necessary, but don’t shoot directly at the door in case I need to exit that way.”
“Shoot at the door but not at the door. Got it.”
“Got it!” Harper hissed. She crawled out from under the craft and tried the door. It opened softly. “If you try to bring Solaris down from the rooftop, the two of you will sink like a rock in water, Captain.”
“Maybe we’ll float gently. We need an escape plan, though.”
They looked around as if one would appear before their eyes.
“The subway is far away if we’re running.”
“Captain,” James said, snapping his fingers, “give Harper and me a few minutes. There have got to be more of these in the streets. If we bring enough around, we can at least use them to get away.”
“Or,” Harper added, grinning, “we can use them to launch from the roof.”
“What do you mean, ‘launch?’”
<
br /> “You take the first one up, Captain. Abel will be in position to draw them to the doors. James and I will find more hover cars. Trust me. We’ll be ready when you get Solaris out of that building.”
Harper grabbed James’ arm and pulled him away. He nodded to Rance once as if to say be careful, and then allowed Harper to lead him on a search for more cars.
Abel looked like he didn’t want to go.
“Keep in touch,” Rance said while folding herself into the driver’s seat. She had driven these a few times, and the controls were simple. The captain didn’t look at Abel as she pushed the button—the worried look on his face was too much for her to bear. The hover car started quietly, and Rance swung it around to face the opposite direction, toward the warehouse. Abel waved as she eased forward, keeping to the darkest side of the street. She waved back, and then concentrated on keeping her eyes peeled for mercs on patrol. She didn’t see any, but she hadn’t forgotten that lone merc who had led them to the warehouse. He hadn’t turned up again, and Rance braced herself, knowing he probably wasn’t far and would provide backup should the mercs in the warehouse sound the alarm.
The hovercraft responded to her touch and jumped forward. As she approached the building, she tilted the nose of the craft upward, flipped a switch, and rose into the air.
The hover cars weren’t meant to fly more than a few feet off the ground. The farther away from the pavement they moved, the less powerful they became.
The street dropped away. Rance passed the first row of windows without trouble. She tried to peer inside, but it was dark. The same for the second row of windows. The hover car slowed as it lost its ability to push away from the ground. Rance didn’t let up on the wheel, pulling it toward her, angling the nose up.
The car stalled just below the roof. Rance cycled it off and then back on, hoping to coax more power from it. But it didn’t move.
She rolled down the window and looked up. The roof was about four feet above the top of the car.
So much for landing there. Rance pushed her harness up, grabbed her bag, and slid through the window. Once she sat on the window edge, she slung the bag over her shoulders and positioned it behind her.
