Hell to Pay: A Mercenary Warfare Adventure

by Zen DiPietro

  The doctor’s eyes widened. He looked quickly to the doorway, then whispered, “I’m sorry to hear that. He’s not been easy on us, either.”

  Meanwhile, Cabot discreetly used his comport to contact Peregrine. When he couldn’t access communications, he also tried sending a message to Fallon.

  No luck. They’d been squelched.

  He felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. Why cut off their communications, unless something bad was in store?

  The doctor set the scanner aside and held her hand in both of his, gently turning it one direction, then the other. In a normal speaking voice, he asked, “Any pain?”

  “Just a little soreness,” Nagali said.

  “Fortunately, you have no ligament or tendon damage. Just some inflammation. It’s usually best to let that resolve itself, but I can give you a mild pain reliever.”

  “I’m fine.” Nagali curled her fingers around the doctor’s. “What’s your name? How does a handsome young doctor like you get stranded out on an outpost like this?”

  The doctor froze, staring at her. Cabot knew exactly what he was seeing. A woman old enough to be his mother, sure, but with dark, liquid eyes, and long, lustrous black hair. Plus, a pair of full red lips pursed into a naughty expression somewhere between a smile and a pout.

  Nagali’s timeless appeal made her age just a number.

  If Cabot had thought she was serious about her flirtation, he would make their excuses and get them out of there. But she was looking for information, and she would have far better success at it than he would.

  “Just an assignment,” the young doctor said. “It’s good for experience. And my name’s Edward.”

  “Dr. Edward?” Nagali beamed at him as if the name was the best thing she’d ever heard of.

  “Um, no, Dr. Neussom, actually. My first name’s Edward.”

  “Even better. I’m Nagali, and now we’re on a first-name basis.” She still held the doctor’s hand, and he didn’t seem to notice.

  “I guess we are.”

  “So…” She looked down at the ground for a minute before pinning him with her gaze again. “Do you think we’re going to have a hard time getting through here? We’re not doing anything wrong. Just giving someone a ride to her destination.”

  Dr. Neussom frowned. “If you’re not doing anything wrong, I’m sure it will turn out okay.” His voice dropped low. “But it might be more difficult than it normally would be. Captain Rickart is very…thorough.”

  Nagali frowned at her wrist. “I’ve never had a PAC officer put their hands on me like that. I’d call that something other than thorough.”

  “I’m sorry that happened. Things have been unusual lately.”

  “Difficult times bring out the best and the worst in people,” she agreed. “It’s up to individuals to do their best to try to cancel out the bad.”

  He nodded, gazing into her eyes.

  “Do you think,” she said slowly, “you could include the cause of my injury in your report? By name?”

  He hesitated.

  “Just for documentation,” she added. “Should the situation continue to bring out the worst in the captain, isn’t it important to have evidence?”

  The doctor licked his lips. “I’ll review the surveillance footage. If I see what you’ve described, I’ll include a copy of it, along with my medical opinion, in the incident report.”

  She smiled at him as if he’d said something amazingly clever. “Let’s hope the captain is just having a bad day. But if not, at least we’ll have done our part.”

  She released his hand.

  Dr. Neussom nodded. “Yes. We must all do our part to ensure the safety of others. Now, are you thirsty or hungry? I can show you where you can have some refreshments while you wait.”

  “That would be lovely,” Nagali agreed enthusiastically. “Our friends are there now. I think they said something about meatballs.”

  As Cabot followed them like a third wheel, he admired Nagali’s nerve and power of persuasion. She’d have a cause of complaint to hold over PAC command, if she chose to. Not that such a report was anything major, but he had faith that Nagali could use it to good effect.

  3

  Together in the tiny mess hall of the outpost, Cabot, Omar, Nagali, and Ditnya sat.

  He’d expected Nagali and Ditnya to do some verbal sparring, and for Omar to get a little too loud and a little too humorous to try to smooth things over.

  Instead, they remained mostly silent. He and Nagali sipped some water, but Omar and Ditnya had finished eating by the time they’d arrived.

  “Can’t get any messages out,” Omar said to him in a low tone. “We’ve been blocked.”

  Cabot nodded, feeling like the weight of everything that was wrong with the galaxy was pressing against the station in all directions, threatening to crush it. He felt oppression and prejudice and abuse of power.

  Why did it bother him so much? He’d always known that no group of people had a populace of people who were one hundred percent of anything. All peoples, all groups, all governments had a mix of both good and bad, with most people landing in the space between.

  He’d met bad officers before. So why was this experience hitting him so hard?

  It wasn’t just him, either. His companions sat quietly, gazing at their hands or at the small porthole at the side of the room.

  Maybe it was that they were doing something to benefit the PAC and its citizens, and they were being treated like scum for it.

  He wondered what it would look like if it came to them fighting for their lives. The odds were not in their favor, unless Peregrine showed up.

  He’d feel a whole lot better once he saw her.

  He glanced in Ditnya’s direction. She had to be feeling this the most. In most any other situation she might be in, she could crush this guy with a single order. Now, she had to simply sit and wait. Or maybe she was just biding her time until she could get out of there, at which time she’d ensure that Captain Rickart disappeared.

  The PAC would be better off if he did. In such precarious times, they didn’t need someone like him tarnishing their image.

  On the other hand, if war was coming, a heavy-handed brute like him might be just what the PAC needed. Wars were won by the people who reveled in it. That was what made them good at it.

  He didn’t know what to make of that sobering realization.

  He was saved from his thoughts by the arrival of a lieutenant.

  She gave them a proper bow. “Apologies for your delay. I hope you’ve all been comfortable.”

  Omar and Nagali shrugged. Cabot was about to speak up when Ditnya said, “Well enough.”

  The lieutenant nodded. “It’s been an unusual day. I wish it had gone differently.”

  Cabot straightened with a sense of alarm. “Is something wrong?”

  “Nothing more than what you’ve already experienced.” She looked behind her, as if worried she might have been overheard. “Your ship has been cleared, and Peregrine’s on her way to meet you. You’ll be permitted to depart shortly.”

  Cabot suspected there was a lot more she’d like to say to them. She and the other crewmembers of the outpost had probably found Captain Rickart just as unpleasant as he had. Professionalism would prevent her from discussing it, though.

  Hopefully, Peregrine would be able to fill them in once they departed the outpost.

  There were far more good PAC officers than bad. Knowing that made him feel a little better about this experience. He’d feel best of all once he got back on the Outlaw and away from Rickart.

  “Thank you,” was all he could say. Anything else would risk putting her in a difficult position.

  She bowed again and left.

  Less than two minutes later, Peregrine arrived. The knot of apprehension that had grown to reach from Cabot’s throat to his knees eased.

  Her face was tight, her lips pressed together. “You all okay?”

  She looked from one face to the nex
t. Once she was assured, she nodded. “Let’s get out of here. If I have to stay here any longer, things are going to get ugly.”

  They were already ugly, from Cabot’s perspective, and he definitely didn’t want to see things get worse. He rode her heels through the airlock and all the way onto the Outlaw.

  His knot of apprehension eased again.

  He accompanied Peregrine up to the bridge, wanting to know exactly when they’d gotten away from Outpost 10358.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here,” she muttered.

  He had many questions, but held them in for the time being.

  When they finally eased away from the outpost, crossed the threshold distance, and increased speed, he let out a sigh of relief.

  “Yeah,” Peregrine said. “Me too.”

  “What happened back there?” he asked.

  She turned from the navigation controls to face him. “Someone climbing the ladder of the hierarchy by stepping on the backs of others. I hate people like that. What’s worse was that he only knew my cover identity’s service record, which doesn’t reflect the fact that I actually outrank him in any mission that involves intelligence—which is all my missions.”

  “So you had to play along, being some random commander?”

  “That’s right. He had a lot to say to me about how I’d better not get any ideas about consorting with your type. Ridiculous. He’s the kind of person who is everyone’s enemy.”

  She cursed under her breath and said, “He’s the kind of person who started all the problems we’re having. He’s just working a different angle. It’s not about trying to keep peace or do the right thing, for him. It’s about amassing the type of power that beckons to him.”

  He’d never seen her angry before. In most situations, it would have made him wary. In this case, he agreed with her and was just glad they were on the same side.

  As unlikely as that might seem.

  War made for strange business partners. That wasn’t one of his rules of sales, but he’d have to think about making it one.

  She gave her head an angry shake and blew out a breath. “Whatever. He’s nothing. An obstacle. We need to forget about him and focus on what comes next.”

  “Getting Ditnya to Jamestown?”

  “No. What happens after we arrive.”

  ON A SHIP the size of the Outlaw, it was inevitable that, at some point, Ditnya and Nagali would cross paths. Cabot had hoped that when that happened, he’d be well out of the blast zone.

  This just wasn’t his week.

  He sidled into the mess hall at a time when most people would still be sleeping. It was deceptively quiet, and by the time he heard Nagali speak, it was too late.

  “You may be in charge of a lot of things,” Nagali said, drawing the words out slowly, “but you’re not in charge of me or this ship.”

  Ditnya wasn’t one to be baited. She sipped her tea and gazed into the cup as she said, “I control more things than you realize.”

  She looked to Cabot. “Isn’t that right?”

  And there he was, caught between the two. There was only one thing to do. He slipped into his friendly shopkeeper persona and smiled blandly. “You’re both captains of industry, as far as I’m concerned.”

  He wished he could be enough of a smartass to say something like, Now, now, ladies, you’re both pretty. Omar probably would, and he’d get away with it.

  Cabot was no Omar. He had to work with his own strengths.

  They both smirked, and he knew he’d dodged a bullet. He just hoped he could keep dodging, because these two women had a full arsenal of razor wit and sharp tongues.

  He busied himself with putting food into the heat-ex. Maybe he could take his food back to his room, claiming…well, he wasn’t sure what he could claim. It wasn’t like he had important business waiting for him.

  “I hope you take care of that Captain Rickart,” Nagali said, stirring her half-full bowl of stew. “He deserves to be one of the people you make disappear.”

  Cabot looked to Ditnya. He’d been wondering if she’d do something about him for treating her as he had. He wouldn’t have come out and asked so bluntly, though.

  Nagali was nothing if not blunt. She shared that quality with Peregrine, though both of them would resent the observation.

  On the bright side, Peregrine was flying the ship at the moment and unlikely to come to the mess hall and make this an even more unfortunate gathering of mismatched people.

  “I’m disappointed,” Ditnya said. “I thought you’d know that a man like Rickart can prove very useful under the right circumstances. I have no plans to kill him at the moment, but I’ll be keeping my eye on him.”

  Nagali shrugged, as if she didn’t care, but she wouldn’t give up her grudge against the guy that easily.

  She wasn’t good at forgiveness.

  “So,” she said blithely, “how do you like Peregrine?”

  Cabot tried not to cringe. He didn’t want to be put in the position of overhearing a negative conversation about her. He pulled his hot food out of the heat-ex and debated whether taking it back to his room would be received poorly.

  “She’s fine,” Ditnya answered. “As far as PAC officers go, anyway. She doesn’t talk too much, and when she does, she gets right to the point.”

  Nagali frowned. She’d apparently been hoping for a negative report.

  “Besides,” Ditnya added, “Omar likes her, so there must be something worthwhile about her.”

  Nagali scowled, which made Ditnya smile.

  “What, you don’t like her?” the older woman asked sweetly.

  “I don’t see the appeal,” she muttered.

  “You don’t need to, if Omar does.” Ditnya arched an eyebrow at her, wiped a spot on the table with her napkin, then stood. “Do you?”

  “You don’t think it’s problematic for him to get involved with a PAC officer?” Nagali demanded.

  Ditnya took her time cleaning her teacup and putting it away, and dropping her napkin into the pulper.

  “You don’t think being involved with him could be problematic for her? That seems like a bigger issue to me. But you keep on with your short-sightedness.” She turned to face Nagali straight on. “Did it ever occur to you that having someone of her position and means could be incredibly useful for him at some point? Think about the long term.”

  She gave her head a small shake. “I’ll see you later, Cabot.”

  She pointedly did not say goodbye to Nagali before sweeping out in grand style.

  Nagali grumbled something under her breath and pushed her bowl away. “She made me lose my appetite.”

  Cabot didn’t point out that she’d eaten almost all of the stew, anyway. He sat down with his own rapidly cooling food. “It isn’t wise to antagonize her.”

  “I didn’t. She antagonized me. I just refused to roll over and play dead.”

  “If you say so. Just be careful,” he advised.

  She smiled. “Why? Are you worried about me?”

  Uh oh. “No. I just happen to be on this ship with you, and don’t want to die as an innocent bystander.”

  She laughed. “I’ll try to avoid that.”

  “Good to hear.”

  As he ate, he marveled at how quickly the mood had changed. He wasn’t sure if that was a testament to the strength of Ditnya’s character or Nagali’s.

  Most likely both.

  “Do you think she’s right about Omar and Peregrine?” she asked, sounding thoughtful.

  “I try not to think about their personal involvement,” he admitted. “But, in general, I think when Ditnya makes an assessment, it’s worth serious consideration.”

  “Hm.” She pursed her lips.

  “Have you talked to him about it?” he asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

  “No. I felt like it might lead to something more serious than our usual arguing. I thought it best to avoid the subject altogether.”

  “So, you do have some sense, after all,” he te
ased.

  She laughed.

  They chatted and laughed, and it turned out to be an altogether pleasant meal. Ironic, considering how inauspiciously it had started.

  “Where are you off to now?” she asked when he’d finished and cleaned up.

  “Back to bed for another couple hours of sleep. I thought I’d sneak in here early, but it didn’t work out, and I’m still tired.”

  She shook her head at him, but her eyes were smiling. “You put a lot of effort into avoiding conflict.”

  “Yes. Yes, I do, and I credit that effort with my continued survival. How you’ve managed to make it this far, I have no idea.”

  She gave him a little shove. “Go get some sleep before I have to hurt you.”

  “I will. See you later.” Surprising himself, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek before retreating.

  Her shocked expression was worth it, though. That must have been why he’d done it.

  Yes, of course it was.

  “CABOT, I NEED YOU UP HERE.” Peregrine’s voice brought Cabot instantly awake. “We have a situation.”

  When he got to the bridge, Omar arrived right behind him.

  “What’s going on?” Omar asked, frowning at the screen.

  “Incoming hostiles. Won’t answer my attempts to communicate. We’re probably going to have to fight our way out of this.”

  “How do they stack up against us?” Omar asked.

  “Slower, but fast enough that we can’t just outrun them. An older ship, less maneuverable, but it has plenty of firepower to be a threat.”

  “Damn.” Omar rubbed his chin. “Where do you want me?”

  “I’m guessing you’re my best bet on weapons. I’m not a fantastic pilot, but I hope I’m better than their pilot.”

  “Wait,” Cabot said.

  They looked at him.

  “Go get Ditnya,” he said. “If they’re any kind of criminal, they’ll know who she is and that she can track them down and squash them. She’s our best weapon right now. Try her first.”

  Peregrine frowned, but didn’t say no. After a long moment, she nodded to Omar. “Go get her. I don’t know that they’ll listen to her message either, but it can’t hurt to try. And if it doesn’t work, then we’ll fight.”