While sitting at the bar of the Rusty Bucket, her, and some smuggling friends, including the bartender, drank toast after toast to the White Skull and his passing. Jesse had many friends, and admirers, who still could not believe a wormhole had claimed his life. Everyone would have guessed he would have gone down in a blaze of glory. The bartender was beginning to hope the toasts would soon stop, since he had originally said that the drinks were on the house. Hours later, Monica, and most of the people in the bar, were smashed drunk. Singing ancient pirate songs and shedding tears.
A stranger approached the bar and ordered a drink, “Whiskey, if you will?” said the man, with a deep voice. The man was most definitely either a smuggler or a pirate. He had dirty blonde hair, skinny, and looked to be about forty. He was dressed in worn blue jeans, as dark brown shirt, leather boots, and a long, black leather trench coat. The man had two guns on his hips and one hanging from shoulder. The stranger had a long scar running from the side of his scalp clean down to his lower jaw. The bartender wiped off a glass and poured him a drink. The stranger drank it in one gulp, as if it were water.
“Another,” the man said.
“Of course,” said the bartender, as he poured the drink. All eyes were on the intruder of their bar.
Conversations continued, but no one was looking at each other. The stranger looked at the people, who all had tears streaming down their faces, and he was confused, “What happened?” he asked the bartender.
“The White Skull died a little while ago,” the bartender whispered to the man. The stranger squinted his eyes in confusion.
“When?” the stranger asked.
“A couple of weeks ago, I think,” the bartender replied, while cleaning a glass.
“Doesn’t he fly the ship he called the Black Ice, and it’s shaped like a space rock?” asked the stranger.
“He did,” Monica butted in, slurring her words from too much alcohol.
“I just passed his ship not too long ago on my way here. He’s not dead,” the stranger confessed.
“WHAT?” yelled Monica, slurring her speech. She knocked over a couple of glasses as she tried to get up.
“Yeah, I passed by him less than a week ago. He looked fine to me. He was headed in the direction of Nemtox 8,” the stranger explained.
“ARE YOU SURE?” Monica asked, as she again attempted to rise to her feet.
“I’m positive,” he said, annoyed by her question. Monica swayed as she headed for the door.
“Monica, where are you going?” yelled the bartender.
“To find my man!” she slurred. Monica pulled out a small radio and called to her ship.
“Janet, get the Huntington ready, we’re taking off,” Monica ordered her pilot.
“Where to?” Janet asked.
“Jesse’s still alive,”
“You got it,” Janet replied. Back on the Huntington, Janet, and the other crew in Monica’s flight room, looked at each other, while shaking their heads. They were hoping the whole chasing Jesse thing was done and over with. Her crew was hoping that she would pay more attention to them.
She wasn’t sure if the stranger was telling the truth, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was the possibility that Jesse was still alive. She prayed that he was all right, and hoped that he would take her back. As she swayed and stumbled to her ship, she realized that Jesse knew that he would be fine going into the wormhole. Monica was surprised that his dirty little trick didn’t upset her. She felt that she had learned a powerful lesson in all of her grief. All she wanted now was to hold him in her arms and kiss him.
She used to go to Nemtox 8 with Jesse occasionally, so she knew the course heading. She figured she might be able to find out where he was heading by asking around at the space station. Monica contacted the Haven sisters, and told them the situation. She asked them to see if they could find out if anyone had possibly seen him, or knew the direction he was heading in. They gladly accepted the assignment, since they hadn’t heard from her in a week. The desperate woman sat in her command chair and instructed her female pilot to fire up the Huntington’s engines. They flew away from the Trading Post on her new mission, to seek out her love and beg for his forgiveness.
“Oh, my love, I promise, I will find you and beg for a second chance. I will do whatever you ask of me, and follow you around the universe, if you so wish. I will do anything for you,” Monica said out loud, as tears streamed down her cheeks, causing her mascara to further streak down her face, making her look a little scary. Her crew didn’t bother to ask her any questions, in fear she might shoot them, so they silently operated the ship.
***
To Jesse’s relief, his code had worked on the star portal. Jesse and Jaime had spent most of the trip in Jesse’s and Jaime’s bedroom making love. They had also engaged in deep conversation and found out that they had quite a lot in common. Jesse had told her about his troubled past and childhood, and she had told him her life story.
“I think I’ve lost weight?” Jesse joked with her, as they laid in her bed with their arms wrapped around each other. Jesse’s watch, which was on the table next to Jaime’s bed, began to beep. He walked over and picked it up. “We’re three hours from Milingrow Depot. I’ll start trying to contact them now to see if they’ll let us dock,”
“I hope everything goes all right. What do you think the chances are that they’ll let us pick up supplies?” she asked, as they began to get dressed.
“About fifty percent,”
They sat in the flight room, as Jesse continually checked his radar to make sure they weren’t being followed. The pirate was growing worried. The Milingrow Depot wasn’t responding to his request to dock. Jesse stopped his ship one hundred feet away from the station. He continued to try to get through to the Depot. “White Skull to Milingrow Depot, requesting authorization to dock for supplies,” Jesse called over the radio.
There was no reply. Jaime stared in awe at the long space station. She was used to seeing the Kobia and Rockfield Space Station most of her life. She was amazed by how all the asteroids were ingeniously connected by long thick metal tunnels. Wrapped around each tunnel, vertically, were three strips of red and yellow neon lights. The largest asteroid was in the front, with multiple antennas resting on the top. Many starships were flying in and out of the space station, as Jesse and Jaime waited with hopeful patience. Finally, after half an hour, they were contacted.
“This is Milingrow Depot to the White Skull. Mr. Clayton has given you permission to dock in asteroid number seventeen. Sorry about the wait, it took awhile to find Mr. Clayton. Please proceed,” a voice said over the radio.
“Greatly appreciated, Milingrow Depot,” Jesse returned. He wasn’t sure if he believed him. Jesse had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Thank, God,” said Jaime, letting out a sigh of relief. Jesse smiled, keeping his suspicions to himself. He didn’t want to worry her any more than she already was.
“I’ll feel better once we stock up and leave,” Jesse said.
“I know what you mean,” she agreed.
“Do you want me to wait in the secret room?” she asked.
“No, you can stay in the flight room; I don’t think we have to worry if anyone sees you at this point,” Jesse commented, as he flew his ship, while looking for the seventeenth asteroid. Finally, he found the numbered asteroid and landed inside.
“I won’t be long,” Jesse said, as he kissed her.
“Hurry up, babe,” Jaime said, not wanting to stop kissing him. He gave her a smile and jumped out of the Black Ice.
Jesse wasn’t taking any chances. His guns were strapped around his waist, and he was ready to use them. Jaime closed the hatch behind him. The hanger that he was in was really dusty. The few people who were in the hanger were covered in dirt from head to toe. Jesse knew they were miners, but never really understood what they were mining. Since he had been to Milingrow before, he knew exactly where to go for the supplies he needed. He fig
ured he would pick up a few medical kits, some weapons, beer, movies, and some painkillers. Luckily, his food materializer produced water. It didn’t take him long to gather everything he wanted, a little under an hour.
The pirate pushed the large loading cart of supplies to the hanger bay, were his ship rested. “Nice and easy, just the way I like it,” Jesse spoke too soon. As he pulled around a corner, he saw something that made his heart stop.
“MONICA!” he yelped. His guns were drawn before he finished her name. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Jesse!” Monica yelled, then ran up and hugged him with all of her strength.
“Hey…Monica…how did you find me?” he asked nervously, putting his weapons away. Tears were streaming down her face.
“Someone saw your ship a few weeks ago. You big jerk,” She said, while crying. He was stunned that she didn’t seem mad. She couldn’t stop hugging him.
“I promise that if you take me back, I’ll give up everything and do whatever you ask, forever. When I thought you were dead, I vowed I would give up my desires of being rich, and would do what you wanted to do, and help people. Sweetie, I’m sorry that I’ve put you through such hell. I didn’t realize what I had until I lost you…really lost you. My love, if you take me back, I will retire, like you wanted, and we can travel and explore the universe. I will give up all of my women, and we can even get married right this second. I love you so much; you are the man I’ve always wanted,” Jesse had wanted to hear those exact words for a long time. He felt so bad for tricking her, and dreaded what he was about to tell her. He was at a loss for words. The pirate cared about both women, and wasn’t sure what was the best thing to do.
“Monica, those are the words I’ve longed to hear for a very long time. I still love you…” Monica cut him off.
“But,” she dreaded what he was about to say.
“But, I’ve met someone,” Jesse said, as he waited for her to freak out, but she didn’t. She fainted instead.
“Monica!” Jesse caught her before her head could hit the deck. Jesse sat on the ground, rested her head on his lap, and brushed his hand against her hair, the way he used to. She slowly came to.
“Jesse, did you say you’ve met someone?” Monica asked in a weak voice.
“I’m sorry, Monica, but I did meet someone.” At this point Jesse felt beyond guilty, and Monica couldn’t believe her ears.
“How in the world have you found time to meet someone?” Monica asked.
“I was transporting her. She’s from the Rockfield Station. I met her right after I went through the wormhole,” Jesse explained. Monica felt as if her heart had just exploded.
“What about me, sweetie?” she whimpered, as she put her hands on his arms.
“Monica, I swear if you would have come to me earlier like this, I would have taken you back, but I can’t just leave this woman, I’m helping her. I’m sorry, but you’re timing really stinks. I have to go away for some reasons I can’t tell you right now, and I’m not coming back. I’ve officially retired from pirating and smuggling. I’m going to follow the path of the Horizon, and Jaime and I are going to try to find a place to live, either with them, or on a planet. That is why I’m here, to pick up some last-minute supplies. If you want, I can give you the frequency to my private secure line. The Black Ice can receive long-range transmissions, when I have my system activated. I’ve never told anyone about it. I will give it to you only on the condition that you don’t tell anyone that I’m leaving. I know its short notice, me leaving and all, but you know it’s what I’ve wanted for a very long time. I’m tired of the government, and the life I lead. I need a change for the better, you know? This girl is willing to come with me wherever I go,” Jesse explained, as he wrote down his frequency number and handed it to her.
“Thank you. I want to meet her,” Monica simply said. Not in an angry way but in a courteous, requesting manner, which he was not accustomed to. It frightened him.
“What…Huh…Why?” Jesse asked, as he raised an eyebrow, and stepped away from her.
“I just want to meet the woman who is replacing me, that’s all,” Monica stated. He wasn’t sure if he believed her.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I don’t want you to shoot her or something,” Jesse explained. Monica giggled. She pulled out some lipstick from one of her pockets and coated her lips.
“I promise I won’t do anything to her. I just want to see what she looks like, that’s all. I love you so much that I want you to be happy, even if it means without me,” Monica said. The space pirate was stunned, and had no idea who had taken over Monica’s body. Jesse realized that women were a mystery that he would never unravel.
“Have you been smoking crack? What have you done to Monica?” Jesse joked with her.
“I told you, Jesse, I’ve really changed this time. I do want to ask you a question. If she leaves you, would you take me back?” She seriously asked him.
“Yes, Monica, but not if you kill her right now, or if she mysteriously vanishes. Then, I’ll know you did it,” Jesse explained. Monica had hoped that one of those things would happen.
“All right, you can meet her, but don’t be too surprised if she doesn’t warm up to you. She knows a little bit about some of our history together. It‘s been on the fucking news,” Jesse advised.
“That’s all right, I just want to see what she looks like,”
Jesse still wasn’t sure what to make of her. He prayed to God for help. After loading all of the supplies in his cargo hold, he used his watch to open the hatch of his ship. Monica entered first, and saw Jaime sitting in Jesse’s flight chair. She wasn’t too happy about it, but she kept a smile on her face. It wasn’t easy seeing another woman sitting in her man’s seat. A million different torture methods raced through Monica’s mind. Jaime rose out of the chair as soon as she saw the two of them enter the flight room. She had a bewildered look on her face, and looked to Jesse for an answer. Jaime had a bad feeling deep within her stomach.
“Hello, I’m Monica, Jesse’s ex-girlfriend. I just wanted to meet…you,” Monica said, as she stared at Jaime, and sized her up with a dazed look on her face. Jaime was speechless.
“You are so beautiful, Jaime. Jesse does have excellent taste in women,” Monica said.
“Knock it off, Monica,” Jesse said, in a whisper.
“Thank you, I’ve always thought that you were gorgeous. I’ve seen you on the Solar News a few times. You look like a model, or even a movie star. I’ve actually followed your career; I’m sort of a fan of yours. I hope you don’t harbor any ill will toward me,” Jaime said.
“Thank you, sweetie, and no, I’m not upset with you. I just wanted to meet you to tell you that Jesse is a good man, and that you’d better treat him well. He deserves a woman who will take good care of him. Don’t let him get away, because I’ll be waiting on the sidelines,” Monica said, as she grinned.
“I promise, I will. Thank you, Monica,” Jaime had the sense that Monica was warning her. Monica momentarily phased out, as she continued to stare at Jaime. Monica had her head cocked to the side, and had a strange smile on her face.
“Monica, are you all right?” asked Jesse.
“Yes…yes…I’m…okay,” Monica grabbed Jaime by the head, pulled her close, and gave her a strong kiss on the lips. She let go before Jesse could react. Jesse and Jaime had stunned looks on their faces, and they weren’t really sure what that kiss meant.
“It was nice meeting you. Jesse, will you walk me to my ship really quickly?” Monica asked.
“Sure…Monica,”
“Uh…it was nice meeting you…too,” Jaime was still in shock from Monica kissing her. She could taste Monica’s lipstick, and wiped it off when she wasn’t looking. Jesse told Jaime he would be back in a second.
After they left his ship, Jaime locked the hatch. Halfway through hanger bay seventeen, Monica stops him.
“Jesse…something is wrong with her. I get the sense that she is
hiding something from you. I don’t know what it is, but I swear I will find out,” Monica said, calmly. Jesse knew Monica was gifted when it came to reading people, but he wasn’t sure if she was just saying it to get him back.
“Come on, Monica, don’t make this any more difficult than it already is,” he said.
“Jesse, it’s woman’s intuition. Where did you meet her?”
“I was doing a job for Luis. I’m supposed to be transporting her someplace, but we hit it off, and now we were going to leave in search of the Horizon. You’re wrong about her, though. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. I shouldn’t even be telling you this, but out of respect for you, and the fact that you have proven to me that you have changed, I feel I can trust you,” Jesse explained. Monica appreciates his comment.
“You know you can trust me, love. But, be careful, I have a bad feeling about that girl; she may not even know she has a hidden secret, but I feel something deep in my gut. I know what you’re thinking, too, that I’m jealous, and I just want you back. I do want you back, but I’m not lying about her. I will be waiting for you, though, just in case things don’t work out between you two,” Monica told him. He placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Listen, Monica, I know this doesn’t help, but I do love you. I hope you respect that I have made a promise to Jaime, and I can’t dishonor that.”
Her eyes watered, as she gazed into his eyes, “I understand completely, even though I can’t have you…yet. I thank you for opening up my eyes and helping me to re-open my heart. I’m surprised at myself, but I’m not concerned with money or power. I just wanted to let you know that I want you to be happy, but I hope things don’t work out, and I’ll be waiting. I’m sorry, but you can’t expect me to give up so easily. I love you,” Monica smiled, and put her hand on his cheek.
Voyages of the White Skull Book 1 Page 16
