Countdown

by John Walker

  Rita joined him. “Can I be honest?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “I don’t know how to respond to you.” Rita shrugged. “How are you going to trust me?”

  “I’m making you a ridiculous offer,” Loch replied. “Take the whole you have no choice off the table. Anyone would jump at this opportunity.”

  “I don’t want to be constantly under scrutiny.”

  “Think about it like this.” Loch leaned forward. “I found you once. I can do it again. I don’t mean to be unpleasant, but if you run off or whatever you’re worrying about, I’ll kill you. We don’t have to go there, though.”

  Rita looked away. That part worked for her. She had no intention of going without ending him first. Once he was gone, his people wouldn’t have a reason to chase her. They’d be too busy picking up the pieces their boss’s death left behind. She’d open up a dynasty to claim for the strongest bidder.

  And that should tempt them far more than bothering with me. A plan formed. A prepared shuttle, a seduction, a stabbing… then freedom. I can work that out once I get to the surface. Shouldn’t even take all that long. A little patience will go a long way toward wrapping this job up.

  “Fine.” Rita looked him in the eye. “I accept your offer. I’m tired of running all over the galaxy anyway. These pissant little jobs that barely pay enough to keep us going for a few weeks after all that work? I’m done. What you’re offering feels… I don’t know… stable. I’d like a little of that for a while.”

  Loch stood, grabbing her by the arm. He pulled her up, staring in her eyes. “Oh, it’ll be stable. Especially when you’ve come fully around. When you’re in my bed, that’s when you’ve paid back our little debt. But until then…” He backed away. “You’ll be something else. I have every confidence we’ll get to everything in time.”

  Rita loosened her fist, nodding her head. She fought hard to keep her temper under control. Putting him down sounded worth whatever trouble might come from it. I could fight my way to the hangar, take my own shuttle out of here. Snap his neck, kill the guards… She stopped. Drawing a deep breath… and smiling.

  “Me too. Thank you. I look forward to what happens next.” Rita hoped he didn’t detect the weight of that sentence, the double meaning it promised.

  “Excellent.” Loch backed to the door. “I’m sure you and I are going to have many fantastic adventures together, Rita. I look forward to testing your boundaries.” He left her alone. His presence made her skin crawl but the thought of sleeping with him flat out nauseated her beyond belief.

  “Forty minutes to orbit,” a woman’s voice spoke over the intercom. “Secure all belongings. Security prepare for departure. Contact with compound in ten minutes.”

  Just under an hour. Rita sat again, staring at the wall in thought. I need to admire my temporary lodgings. Find the best routes, memorize the layout, check on the security. And once I’ve done that, it’ll be time to leave. Shouldn’t be more than a couple days. A week at the most then I’ll be back at it.

  The war with the ervas may even be over by then depending on what her side decided to do. Their enemies had a good chance of causing some real trouble for the Gold Empire. Considering Loch’s home happened to be deep within their territory, buying into his rhetoric didn’t mean anyone was safe.

  Eventually, the enemy might show up there and when they did, Loch’s security wouldn’t repel them. No, this place was on borrowed time no matter who came out on top. That’s why it’s so important to get out of here ASAP. They’re going down one way or another. I only hope he dies by my hand before any of that happens.

  ***

  A message came through to the control center. Zem sent an automated response to let them know they were present and would reply shortly. Nostros was bringing Biggun. Waking him probably caused some trouble. The big bastard looked like he could conk out hard enough that a good kick would barely wake him.

  “Where the hell is this guy?” Zem shouted. “McCully? Torrence? We need to respond pronto!”

  “Relax!” Torrence shouted. “Nostros had to get the lug up! You don’t want him to sound all groggy, do you?”

  “Just get him here! I’ll worry about how he sounds!” Zem watched the computer, half expecting them to figure it out…to inform them they’d been made. “We’re on a serious time limit here. Shit, that guy’s had a half hour to get his lazy ass up!”

  “And I’m here!” Biggun grunted. “Put your tampon back in, asshole! For Christ’s sake!”

  Zem clenched his fist, glaring as the man entered. “You’re lucky you’re needed…”

  “Or what?” Biggun interrupted. “Listen, fella. Your threats don’t mean shit to me. We’ve got a deal; I’m holding up my end of the bargain. Kiss my ass if things ain’t happening as fast as you’d like.” He took a seat at the computer console. “Shit, they’ve just pinged us. They’re not ready for comms anyway. Dammit!”

  “Better you’re here and ready,” Zem said. “Never mind. Just do your part. Get them down here.”

  “You want me to break protocol and call them?” Biggun asked. “Or can you shut up long enough for me to do my part, huh? Seriously, bro. Settle yourself down. Go have a drink or something. There’s plenty around.”

  Zem met Torrence’s gaze. She shrugged, holding her hands up. He called after her, “where’re you going?”

  “I figure I’ll be back in position now that we know they’re coming in.” Torrence grinned. “That way, I don’t have to be here for all… whatever this is.”

  Nostros chuckled.

  “Great,” Zem muttered. “Now this is comedy. You guys are fantastic.”

  “Everyone relax!” Biggun held his hand up. “This isn’t normal.”

  “What?” Nostros nudged him. “What’s not normal?”

  “They’re reaching out right now.” Biggun tapped the comm. “What’s going on, guys? You okay up there? Got an emergency?”

  “Everything’s fine, man.” A male voice came over the speaker. He sounded like he’d been on drugs he was so calm. “Boss wants you to prep one of the big suites. You know, the ones we use for dignitaries? The high rollers. Shit, man! The nicest rooms we’ve got! Right? You get what I’m saying?”

  “If you’d shut the hell up,” Biggun replied, “yes, I would’ve said I know. What for?”

  “Got a big wig on board, ya dope.”

  Biggun rolled his eyes. “Who is it?”

  “What’s it matter to you?”

  “Louie…” Biggun’s tone carried a warning. “You’re a nice enough guy but I’m on the verge of giving you a serious kick to the nuts if you don’t stop being so cagey with me. Who the hell’d the boss bring back? I thought he was after that chick that screwed us over a bunch of money.”

  “They made some kind of deal, bro.” Louie chuckled. “I think the horizontal dancing kind, ya hear?”

  “Uh huh. How long before you guys are in orbit?”

  “Oh, we’re at top speed,” Louie replied. “Boss wants to be home quick. Get back to business. Shit’s stirring up out in the dark. Apparently, the Gold Empire’s on the verge of a situation with those ervas things we’ve been hearing about. I think we’re about to secure the hatches for a long haul if you know what I mean.”

  “Shit. You think they’re coming here?”

  “No clue. Did the guys get back from the city yet? If not, send a request for double the supplies. We might need them if we have to stay under the radar.”

  “Yeah, I’ll contact them.” Biggun hummed. “Seems like a bad time to come for a visit here, huh?”

  “Meh, she’s supposedly badass. She can help us with our training problem. You gotta admit, we’ve got some serious screwups. If someone can whip them into shape, I’m all for it.”

  “As long as it ain’t you, right?”

  “Hey, I’m a flyer, not a fighter. No one’s gotta tell me how to kick it. I’m calm and in charge up here. I told you, flying is the way to go. Knew it from t
he moment I left school. Got my license and I never looked back. Not a single time. It’s been fabulous too. Never gotten dirty before. You know that?”

  “I can imagine,” Biggun said. “I’m getting off the line so I can call those others. Let me know when you’re in orbit and coming down.”

  “Should be about… twenty minutes, man.”

  “Good. See ya soon.” Biggun muted the connection. “There you go. Twenty minutes before they descend. You assholes sure you’ve got this?”

  “Place might be a bit messed up,” Zem said, “but it won’t be anything you can’t afford to fix.” He grabbed his rifle. “Nostros, watch this guy. Make sure he sticks with the plan. You know what to do if he doesn’t. Hold up the bargain, Biggun. You’re about to inherit an empire if you do.” He hurried after Torrence, jogging down the hall.

  As he caught up, she glanced over her shoulder. “They on their way then?”

  Zem nodded. “Sure are.”

  “And we’re… well…”

  “Taking them out. Rita’s alive.” Zem smiled. “She made a deal with that piece of shit to get here. Probably has a plan of her own to get out. Won’t she be surprised?”

  “I figured she’d be up to something. If they didn’t kill her outright.”

  “Well, now she’s got help.” Zem tapped his comm. “McCully, we’re on our way to your position. The enemy’s here. Twenty minutes before they land so wake up.” He put his hand on Torrence’s shoulder. “This is it. I want to thank you for coming here. I appreciate it more than you know.”

  “It’s cool.” Torrence patted his hand. “Rita’s a friend of mine too. It wasn’t hard to convince me. Now we just have to take out what… twenty guys? Give or take? Piece of cake after what we did to take this place, right?”

  Except I have a feeling they’ll be better at their jobs. Zem kept that to himself. He wanted optimism. They don’t expect anything. Biggun wants this place. He’s not going to screw us over. And Rita’s ready as well. It can’t go wrong. I won’t let it.

  ***

  The door opened to Rita’s room. Her silent guards waved at her to follow them. She huffed as she complied, falling into pace just in front of them. Crew members hustled by them, rushing along to whatever they considered duties on the vessel. She watched a couple of them, noting they pointedly ignored her.

  “So what’s up, guys?” Rita asked. “You know I struck a deal with the boss. I’m going to be training people and stuff? Hanging around, acting as a bodyguard? Ring a bell?” They didn’t reply. “Am I being an insensitive bitch about something? Are you guys… deaf? Mute? Something else?” They continued to be silent.

  “Well, shit.” Rita clasped her hands behind her back. “I’d love to get to know some people. We’re going to be here for a while. I don’t know where he plans on hiding this big ass ship, but it will need to be stashed for a while. Until the ervas die down… or conquer the galaxy. Whichever comes first. Either of you have an opinion about that?”

  “They… don’t talk,” Loch called out. He hurried to catch up. “Sorry I didn’t tell you. It’s not that they physically can’t. Doctors have cleared them but for whatever reason, they choose not to. I assigned them together so they didn’t unnerve anyone else. Plus, I think they prefer it that way. They don’t have to nod and wave at people.”

  Both men looked damn similar. Dark hair, about the same height. One wore a thick beard, the other went clean shaven. “Are they related?”

  “Twins,” Loch said. “Decent enough guys. Been with me since they were teenagers. What is that… six years now? Seven? I don’t remember. Doesn’t really matter too much most of the time. We don’t exactly have tenure payments or anything. When a guy wants more money, he just asks… or takes it. Then he dies.”

  “That’s… fairly simple math, yes.” Rita bit the inside of her lip to avoid saying more.

  “You ran your crew the same way, I’m guessing.”

  “No one took anything,” Rita said. “And if they did, I would’ve assumed they needed it more than me. We were a unit. Friends. Family, if that’s not too tacky to say.”

  “Oh, I know how you spacers get. Especially the former military kind. Everything’s kinship, brotherhood, fraternity, sorority… whatever the hell else you call it. Bullshit, ultimately. Men take what they want. That’s just how it is out here. We have to keep our own law and order. And most people don’t respond well to anything short of death.”

  “How do they respond to execution? I’m curious.”

  “I take your point… but you and I both know criminal punishment has nothing to do with the criminal and everything to do with determent.”

  “Works great,” Rita said. “Since the population of prisons continues to rise.”

  Loch shrugged. “Deterrence is a silent statistic. You never know how well it’s working because you can’t read people’s minds. If you could, then you’d measure the success of an execution. How many guys decided not to dip their fingers into my pocket because they saw what happened to the last guy? That’s the question we’d love to answer. Here we are.”

  They entered the hangar. Her shuttle was off to the side. Loch led them to a particularly large craft in the center of the bay, a luxury class vessel she’d seen online before but never in person. This one had enough room for six to be seated comfortably with a couple bedrooms and some space for servants.

  “The ride on this thing is fabulous,” Loch said, “whenever I return home, I prefer to do so in a good mood. We can have a drink together on the way down.” He turned to the guards. “You ride in that one over there.” He pointed at her ship. “Get on with yourselves and hurry up. Don’t keep the pilot waiting.”

  The bearded one didn’t move immediately. He stared pointedly at Rita for a long moment before Loch patted him on the shoulder. “She’s on our side now. We’ve made a deal. Don’t worry about her. We need to talk in private anyway. Nothing’s going to happen between here and the surface.” He looked at her. “Assure him?”

  “You’re cool.” Rita held up her hands. “Plus, you don’t mess around on luxury ships. They’ve got security for shenanigans.”

  Loch chuckled. “We’ve disabled some of the troublesome measures. You know… for proximity.” He waggled his brows. “Yes, before you say it, the damn thing went off when people got intimate. I suppose it thought the noises were some kind of… violent act. Who would have thought?”

  I’m not surprised, considering what you look like, Rita thought. She smiled with him though, playing along. This is the second time some idiot thinks I’ve gone over to his side. At least I had to sell it with Loch. Whitaker assumed. Well… I don’t have to work hard for much longer.

  “How long till we make it to the compound?” Rita asked as they walked up the ramp. “I’m kind of done being in space for a while.”

  “Oh, no more than fifteen minutes. It’s a bumpy entry then smooth sailing directly to the pad. Piece of cake. And you can take a few days to recover if you’d like. I know it was hell on Gallik.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  “Anything for my new bodyguard.” Loch patted her on the ass. Rita struggled with every bit of discipline she could muster not to punch him in the face.

  Play along, idiot. Don’t let him get to you. Laugh. Chuckle. Do something cute. Be cute, dammit! Rita smiled at him, hoping it didn’t look like she wanted to bite his face off. That’ll have to do… I guess.

  Chapter 8

  Three shuttles plunged toward the planet. Zem tied his computer into the compound’s scanners so he could watch their approach. There were four landing pads; two on either side of the main structures. Biggun suggested that once they deployed their people and cargo, they’d head back up to the ship.

  Will those ships leave before the first idiots set off the traps? Zem kind of doubted it. McCully rigged the turrets to a rudimentary AI. When turned on, they’d blast the hell out of the shuttles. None of the three looked particularly maneuverable, es
pecially the luxury version. Rita’s probably onboard or I’d kill that son of a bitch right now.

  “Five minutes to landing,” Biggun’s voice echoed through the halls. “Be prepared to receive some visitors.”

  Zem ran a scan of each of the ships to get a sense of their numbers. The luxury ship only had five people. Biggun made it clear that would be Loch, his guest, two pilots, and a server. The other two contained combatants, the closest thing they had to soldiers. Armed men who were expected to unload the vessels, stowing equipment.

  If they were only after Rita, I doubt they’ve got much to deal with. They might immediately come inside. Zem hated waiting around for a conflict. His mind wandered, creating a dozen possibilities. He’d never been able to get over it, never could clear his mind. Not until the shooting started. Then things became clear.

  They took up position on the balcony overlooking the audience chamber. Double doors on the opposite side of the room led to the courtyard beyond. Doors to the left and right gave access to the pads. Loch seemed like the type who would go around, to enter like a victorious emperor returning to his castle.

  Either way, they had a solid field of fire not only on the entrance but the side passages as well. Their immediate flanks were protected by trip mines just at the ends of the hallways. McCully spaced them perfectly to give three layers the enemy had to plow through. If they had enough to use them all, they’d hopefully assume there were more and slow down.

  McCully guarded the hallway on the left side of the compound where the two vessels with the largest number of troops planned to land. The right was left to defensive measures, bigger explosives that should have sealed the hallway when they blew. The explosions were meant to funnel their opponents into the audience chamber.

  All roads lead to this kill box. Zem would’ve liked Nostros to be on the right side but they needed someone to guard Biggun. Much as the man seemed motivated by the promise of running the empire after Loch’s demise, they couldn’t trust him. It would be quite the boon for him to take us down after we succeed… the guy who avenged his boss then took over.