Ghost Squadron Omnibus: The Complete Series

by Sarah Noffke

  “Let’s take it for a ride and try to find a bright light.” Julianna suggested.

  Eddie shook his hand, hoping the thing would let go. When it didn’t he said, “Okay, but this thing hurts like a bitch.”

  “Well, maybe next time, you’ll listen to me when I tell you to not touch the native animals.”

  “Yeah…’next time’,” he said, following her out the door and into the empty hallway.

  Penrae was still running when she rounded a corner, nearly colliding with a man in a smart, black suit. He reached out and grabbed her arm to keep her from falling back, and his gray eyes slid over her. The box nearly fell from her grasp.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “I’m fine.” Trembling, Penrae pulled out of his grasp and took several steps backward, leaving a trail of blood from her shoe.

  “You’re bleeding,” the man said, closing the distance quickly.

  “I-I-I fell,” she stuttered.

  “And why were you running?” the man asked.

  “I’m late,” she lied, hurrying around the man.

  He sniffed loudly. “That smell…I recognize it.”

  Penrae whipped around. “I was working in the tropical desert when I fell on a cactus. That’s what you smell.”

  The man sniffed again, this time more fervently. “No, this isn’t a plant smell. Your smell…it reminds me of someone.”

  Penrae’s eyes widened. No. He couldn’t be. She nearly stumbled as she backed away, frantically reviewing her options. The man reached out for her, but she made space between them. He snatched her anyway.

  His gray eyes narrowed, and his lips pinched together. “Penrae, is that you? Have you come home for your punishment?” Verdok asked, his tone sharp.

  A hot pain shot down Penrae’s spine, and she spun around, doing the only thing she knew. She fled.

  Julianna had been right. The bright light in the hallway instantly made the deceptive furry animal release its death grip on Eddie’s hand, and it scurried off in the opposite direction.

  “I think someone might notice a bloody animal on the loose,” Eddie said, wrapping his wounded hand in a piece of cloth he’d pulled from his shirt.

  “Then we’d better hurry,” Julianna stated, pointing at a door at the far end. “The client is through there.”

  Eddie pulled his gun from its holster. “I sort of doubt that it won’t be heavily guarded at this point.”

  “Then we’d better be ready to deactivate it and run like hell,” Julianna said, pressing her comm. “Penrae, do you copy?”

  Silence.

  “Penrae?” Julianna tried again.

  When there was no answer, she strode for the far side of the hallway.

  “What’s the plan?” Eddie asked, scanning the space at their backs.

  “Get the client and get the fuck out of here.”

  “Have I told you lately how much I appreciate how uncomplicated you are?” Eddie asked, a laugh in his voice.

  “Tell me later,” Julianna said, raising her gun. “We’ve got company.”

  Two guards strode around the corner, at first not seeing Julianna and Eddie. Jules fired twice, knocking them out swiftly. They fell to the ground, almost instantly morphing into their snake forms.

  “So you’re not sharing, are you?” Eddie teased, picking up the pace and running on his toes beside Julianna.

  “The next ones are all yours,” she promised, sliding around the corner to check the next hallway, as he did the same on the other side of her.

  When they’d checked that all was clear, they slid back the door to the large room where the Tangle Thief was located.

  It was the size of the landing bay on Ricky Bobby, but was crammed with crates and clear cases. The room was incredibly orderly, with the rows stacked at an even, middling height so that they could see to the far side. In the center sat a single case, and suspended in the middle of it was the client.

  Eddie started forward, but Julianna stopped him. He gave her a curious look.

  Silently, she pointed to the device in her hands. It showed that the client wasn’t straight ahead of them, as it appeared to be, but rather in the far corner of the room.

  Eddie smiled. It was a decoy. The Saverus had either been expecting them, or the fake had been there for a while, serving as bait for anyone who would try to stop the plan.

  Julianna nodded to the right, indicating the closest route to the client, and the two set off soundlessly.

  Penrae ran, not daring to look behind her. She had no idea how she’d escape Verdok.

  Of course he found me. I was foolish not to consider that he’d be here. His vengeance will be overwhelming when he catches me. If he catches me…

  Penrae knew it was dangerous, but she whipped her head over her shoulder to check her progress, and nearly stumbled from the shock. Verdok was so close. He slithered rapidly behind her, having shifted into snake form.

  Since she was carrying the box, her movement was limited. Still, none of it would matter if she didn’t survive to get it back to Julianna and Eddie. She slipped into the form of Sebastian the ferret, and the chrome box clattered to the ground. Small and agile, she scurried up a vent shaft that ran along the wall and ceiling, moving the way she’d often seen the ferret do. When at the top of the shaft, Penrae slipped through the slats of the ventilation system.

  Verdok hissed, his shadow swaying back and forth. “Don’t forget that wherever you hide, I’ll be able to sniff you out.” He disappeared.

  Penrae wasted no time, speedily climbing through into a nearby room. It was lined with shelves that were filled with jars. Running along the crammed shelves, Penrae’s ferret eyes made out seed-like objects in the jars.

  The door to the room creaked as it opened.

  “Penrae, I smell you,” Verdok sang, glee in his voice.

  Dammit! I couldn’t have fallen into a room with a hungry, serpent-eating dragon? Seeds are useless!

  She scurried between the jars, making a few teeter. She worried she was leading Verdok straight to her. And I’m a damn ferret, something he can gobble up in an instant!

  But Penrae didn’t know what else to do. She’d been intimidated by Verdok since she could remember. He’d always bossed her around. Made her take the blame. Bullied her.

  And in the end, he’d murder her.

  She backed up, watching his swaying shadow near from the far side of the aisle.

  “You know, Penrae,” Verdok began with a hiss. “I knew you’d return. I knew, when Savern was about to disappear, that you’d want to be a part of our great planet.”

  Penrae nearly slipped off the other side of the shelf, having backed up blindly. The sound of Verdok’s voice made her insides vibrate with fear. It always had.

  “The thing is, I can’t have you joining us on the new planet,” Verdok hissed. “You mess up everything; I can only imagine how you’d screw up the new Savern. Not to mention the lies you’d tell about me.”

  Penrae carefully climbed up the side of the shelf, making her way to the next level. She had a plan, but she wasn’t sure it was a very good one. Actually, she was mostly unsure of whether she could pull it off, but she had nothing to lose at this point.

  “Do you remember when we were younger, how you told the Elders it was me who made the mistake on the mission?” Verdok asked, disapproval heavy in his tone.

  It was you, Penrae thought bitterly.

  “And then later, when we were assigned this mission, you tried to get me to accept your plan.” Verdok laughed. “You tried to get me to let the old doctor go, thinking he’d lead us to a clue. You were so shortsighted; you are even more so now.”

  Verdok slithered around the corner. He was directly below Penrae’s shelf.

  “Come out of hiding and take your punishment like a good girl. Your time has come.”

  I’ll come out, alright, Penrae thought, and she took off running, knocking against each of the jars as she went, sending them tumbling over the si
de of the shelf to rain glass down on Verdok’s head.

  He shrieked his disappointment, slithering quickly to avoid the falling objects, but still staying in the line of fire. Taking a deep breath, Penrae leapt off the end of the shelf, morphing into a figure who she looked up to, a human she wanted to be just like.

  Verdok halted. Glass shards punctured his scales in many places, and his eyes fumed with anger.

  In the form of Julianna, Penrae held up her gun and pointed it directly at Verdok. Before he could react, she released the safety, as she had seen the commander do a number of times.

  “It’s your turn to be punished,” Penrae growled, then she pulled the trigger with zero hesitation.

  According to the tracker, the client was only a short distance ahead. There were a few crates, but Julianna went for the closest one, pulling off the lid, making more noise than she should.

  “It’s not here,” she said, moving on to another crate.

  Eddie nodded, his eyes scanning. Footsteps clapped on the concrete, making Julianna tense.

  “Keep going,” Eddie encouraged. “I’m going to go cut these guys off.”

  Julianna looked up to argue, but catching the serious look in Eddie’s eyes, she nodded instead. She dove back into her search, with only two more crates to go.

  Eddie sprinted in the direction of the sound of the footsteps. Five guards stopped in the center of the large room as soon as they spotted him.

  He halted too, taking in his surroundings. When he noticed a side door, he turned to face the guards. “Hey, guys. How’s it going? I was looking for the little snakes’ room. Can you help me out?”

  They lifted the weapons they held, not looking as comfortable holding them as seasoned soldiers would. But there were still five of them and one of him.

  “So, no to directions?” Eddie joked, and he darted behind the closest shelf as the gunfire started.

  Not only were they horrible shots, but Eddie was incredibly fast. He was at the door before they even realized he was no longer hiding behind the crates. He whipped it open, intent on drawing the imposters as far from Julianna as possible so she could find the client.

  He slowed when he arrived in the next room. It was more of a greenhouse than a storage room, like the one he’d just exited. Rows and rows of plants that resembled ferns lined the short room. A quick glance around told Eddie that he’d picked the wrong place to hide; it was a dead end. He spun back to the door he’d come through.

  I’ll just have to pick these guys off one at a time.

  From the corner of his eyes, he noticed the plants start to sway slightly. Thinking it was a hallucination, he chanced a glance. The leaves of the plants were indeed unfurling; a stem reached up from each center, with a bud at the top.

  Curious, Eddie watched as all the buds blossomed on the different plants. It was mesmerizing, but he was trying to keep one eye on the door.

  And then music emanated from the plants—a soft, melodic tune that instantly put him at ease.

  His eyelids nearly slipped shut, and he was shocked at how quickly these plants’ effects worked. He took a step forward and stumbled, feeling drunk for the first time since being enhanced.

  It was precisely at that moment that he realized that he couldn’t fight the sleep-inducing effects of the plants. He was powerless against them.

  His legs gave out, sending him flat to the floor. He tried one last time to fight the urge to sleep, but decided it would be best to shut his eyes for a moment while he got his strength. He took a deep breath, satisfied with this plan, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Penrae’s hand shook as she stared at the dead body before her.

  Verdok’s.

  I did it. I finally faced my demons! Rather, Julianna did…Does my form matter, as long as it was my hand that slayed the beast that haunted me my whole life?

  Penrae shifted back into the form she’d taken when she entered the warehouse, but didn’t move from her spot.

  “I’ve got the client,” Julianna’s voice echoed over the comm.

  Penrae stayed frozen, continuing to stare at Verdok’s dead body.

  “Penrae? Are you there?” Julianna asked.

  “Y-Y-Yes, I’m here,” Penrae stuttered, backing up for the door.

  “Do you have the vault?” Julianna asked. “We need to get out of here.”

  Penrae looked down at her empty hands. The vault was in the corridor where she’d dropped it.

  “I can get it to you,” she said, not wanting to let Julianna down.

  “Hurry. I’m in the main room.”

  The guards stood outside the door the trespasser had disappeared through.

  Mon shook his head at the other men. “That human had no idea where was he was headed,” he said, handing the others headphones from where they were stored beside the room.

  “Think he’s sound asleep by now?” one of the other guards asked.

  “Probably, but let’s give it another minute,” Mon said with a laugh.

  They’d normally just bust in there and capture the trespasser, but, unluckily for this guy, they’d been given orders to quickly eliminate anyone interfering with the day’s mission.

  Julianna let out a huge sigh when Penrae hurried over, carrying the vault. Her face was pale, and one pant leg was covered in blood, but otherwise, she looked unharmed.

  The door to the vault stuck slightly when she tried to open it, but it came open with a bit more effort. Julianna dropped the client into the vault and was flooded by a huge wave of relief.

  She pressed her hand to her comm. “Black Beard, we’ve secured the client. We’re ready to go.”

  There was no answer.

  I’ve downloaded the location of the receiver from the tracker, Pip informed her.

  Oh, good. That was fast.

  Well, I’m pretty talented.

  Send over the coordinates to Ricky Bobby and inform them we’ll be back soon. She reached out to Eddie again over the comm. “Black Beard, do you copy?”

  Once more, the comm remained silent. Penrae gave Julianna a cautious stare.

  Pip, will you check on the captain? Julianna asked him. It’s important, she added a moment later.

  Yes, of course, he answered.

  Julianna directed Penrae to the exit, and they snaked their way to a less traveled corridor, where the lights were dimmer. They needed to get out of the building and to the Q-Ship.

  The captain appears to be passed out, Pip stated.

  Julianna halted. What? How?

  His vitals show he’s fine, but sleeping, Pip said. In a patch of plants, he added a beat later.

  Those can’t be normal plants.

  I suspect you’re right.

  Piiiip, Julianna said, drawing out his name.

  Yes, Jules? he asked innocently.

  Pip, she bit on the word now.

  Yes, yes, fine, fine. I’ll go and save the day.

  Mon eyed the door handle. He didn’t have much combat training, which was why he was glad the invader had run straight for the comatose-fern room. “Alright, take this guy down to the holding cell, and we’ll deal with him there. No blood on the plants.”

  The others nodded before clapping their headphones over their ears.

  The world went silent as Mon opened the door.

  Something charged through it, bowling Mon over. He was shoved back into a large case, the air knocked out of him.

  The man who should have been asleep threw a foot across one of the guard’s faces, knocking him to the ground. When two more guards raced for him, the intruder reached out, grabbing them by the chin with either hand, and sent them flying several yards. Like he had eyes in the back of his head, the trespasser then reached for his gun at his waist and spun around to the guard charging at him. He shot once, killing his would-be attacker dead.

  Mon hadn’t dared to move, only stared paralyzed at the man who appeared almost robotic in his actions.

  The trespasser pivoted and faced Mon
, a mechanical sort of smile on his face. “See you later,” the man said, firing at him.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Saverus Ark, Planet Savern, Tangki System

  Where is he? Julianna ordered.

  He’s on his way, Pip answered, sounding bored.

  Julianna started the preflight checks, her mind buzzing with adrenaline.

  There are two more guards at the exit. Hold up while I show them how I tap dance.

  Pip, just get out of there.

  ‘Tap dance’ is another way of saying ‘kick some ass’.

  Julianna let out a heavy breath. She initiated a connection with Ricky Bobby.

  “Strong Arm here. Do you have the coordinates for the Saverus fleet?”

  “Yes, Strong Arm,” Jack’s voice came over the comm. “We’re waiting for your arrival.”

  “The Saverus have to be onto us at this point,” Julianna murmured.

  “I fear you’re right.”

  “I think you better head off without us.”

  “Okay, I think that’s a smart move. We’re set to gate,” Jack responded.

  “The Saverus fleet is huge and well stocked,” Julianna said, tapping her fingers on the controls.

  “And they’ll shift to look just like us, but we’re prepared,” Jack said.

  “And the flyers?” Julianna asked. She should be onboard Ricky Bobby when they attacked the fleet.

  “Everything is in position,” Jack assured her.

  “Okay, we’ll meet you there,” Julianna stated, inputting the coordinates so they could gate after leaving Savern’s atmosphere.

  How much do you like the captain’s face? Would you like it with a few more scars? Pip asked.

  Don’t play games with me, Julianna warned.

  I’m only kidding. He’s pretty much unharmed, except for a kick to the groin, but it couldn’t be avoided.

  The hatch door opened, and, like a robot, Eddie strode into the ship.