Resolution

by Ell Leigh Clarke

  She made the jump, the rush of wind that enveloped her gone as quickly as it had hit her. She landed silently on the roof.

  I'm not happy about staying up here, Grim grumbled over the Etheric comm.

  Nickie looked up at him, gripping the Pod as though his life depended on it. She lifted her hands, then turned and stepped onto the lip of the roof. Sorry, Grimmie. No time to wait.

  Nickie switched the Etheric comm off to cut off Grim's protests and hopped over the edge of the roof, making her way down to ground level in blissful silence.

  A quick glance around showed Nickie she was alone in the alley opposite the bar. Meredith, I need access to Harrison's eyes.

  Working on it, Meredith replied. Done. Looks like it’s getting busy. Are you sure about using Darius? You two didn’t part under the best circumstances.

  Nickie scanned the drone feeds in her HUD, testing the temperature of the crowd on the street. Trust me, he’ll be more than happy to see me once he gets that I’m not here to kill his lying ass.

  Meredith chuckled. If you say so.

  I do. There he is. Nickie reached around and tightened her bra a notch, then popped another button on her top before slipping into the crowd and heading toward her prey.

  Never hurt to make sure.

  She found Darius outside the bar, talking to a couple of hooded figures. He’s not as hot as I remember.

  Meredith sniffed. He wasn’t anything special in the first place.

  Well, he’s useful now. Nickie fixed an excited expression on her face and ran over to where Darius now stood alone. She leapt into his arms, almost knocking him over. “Darius! I knew it was you! Where’ve you been? You look good!”

  Darius was too dazed to notice her drop one of the drones Harrison had given her into the pocket of his long coat. “Nickie? What are you doing here? I thought you died in that Federation raid on Balakis.”

  “So does the Federation,” Nickie lied smoothly, tracing his jaw with a fingertip. “I wasn’t too happy to leave you behind…”

  Darius’ eyes drifted downward. “I wasn’t too happy to be left behind. Or to get six months’ hard labor after your little vanishing act left me high and dry.”

  That’s what you get for selling stolen rejuvenation packs, asshole. Nickie pouted and dropped her hand to stroke his chest. “Poor baby,” she purred. “Let me make it up to you. We can start with a drink.”

  Meredith snickered when Darius let his lower brain make the decision. My bad. You were right. He hasn’t changed a bit.

  Told you. Nickie slipped her arm through Darius' and steered him toward the bar entrance. Now all I have to do is act like a dumb blonde, and we’re golden.

  The heavies on the door looked right through Nickie, too caught up in fawning over Darius to register her as a threat.

  Nickie squeezed his arm as they entered the building. “You must be doing pretty well for yourself.”

  Darius puffed his chest out. “I’m doing great. I fell into a lucrative logistics opportunity after I got out.”

  “Oh, yeah? How, um, interesting.” Nickie repressed the urge to vomit. Instead, she fluttered her eyelashes while smiling vacuously at Darius

  “It is if you know the right people,” he explained, grinning at her like he was the second coming.

  Dumb fuck didn’t even manage the first one.

  “Tell me more,” Nickie simpered, somehow maintaining her syrupy tone instead of breaking his face when he put his hand on her ass.

  Darius was happy to oblige, which gave Nickie the opportunity to get a read on the place with the part of her focus that wasn’t on saying “Wow,” “Ooh,” and “How smart!” in all the right places.

  She’d been in so many dives like this during the early part of her sabbatical that they were almost generic to her. There were the regulars crowding the taps and the barflies all over anyone who looked even half-willing to buy them a drink.

  And the gangsters.

  They huddled together, doing their business in the shadowy booths behind walls of muscle, away from prying eyes.

  Darius stopped in his tracks when his name was called from one of the booths a few steps from the bar. “One minute,” he told her, dropping her arm. “Wait here.”

  Nickie saw the Skaine who had summoned Darius glaring at her. “I’m gonna get us drinks.” She turned to the bar, surreptitiously releasing the rest of the drones.

  The bartender noticed Nickie waving for attention and served her quickly before moving on to the next patron. She sat and sipped her drink while she listened in on Darius’ conversation with the Skaine.

  It took a moment for her to isolate the two voices from the background noise. The Skaine sounded two seconds away from murder—and also somewhat afraid.

  “You told me you could do something about Bloat’s…indiscretion.”

  “And I can,” Darius assured him. “The plan is going forward. I just need one final piece in place to ensure nothing leads back here. This isn’t the Federation, Doxie. There’s nothing to prevent Baba Yaga from coming here for her revenge.”

  “Nobody wants that,” Doxie agreed. “Fucking Bloat. My mother always said that no-hope, rotten idiot would get himself killed and leave me up to my neck in shit.”

  “She’d know,” a new voice piped up. “She did give birth to him.”

  “I shoulda listened to her,” Doxie moaned. “Fucking family. You try to look out for them, and the next thing you know, there’s a bunch of fucking humans in your basement. Just find a way to get them out of here before somebody turns up looking for them. And Darius?”

  “Yes?”

  The Skaine’s tone was dispassionate as he spoke. “You don’t need me to remind you how I feel about being lied to. I want a resolution, and you have one chance to be that resolution before I consider you to be part of the problem. Do we have an understanding?”

  Nickie smirked into her drink as Darius mumbled his reply. Meredith, are you getting this?

  I am, Meredith replied, and so are Lieutenant Commander Harrison’s drones.

  Good. Now let’s see… What’s the fastest way to get Darius out of here? I want to know exactly what plan he has for the crew and how I can fuck that up for him.

  Darius returned a moment later, his confident grin belied by the ashen tone of his skin.

  Nickie slid his drink along the bar, and he downed it in one gulp. “Someone giving you trouble?” she asked, feigning concern.

  Darius looked askance at her. “No one. It’s nothing.” He caught the bartender’s attention and waved for one of the bottles on the top shelf.

  He grabbed the bottle, waving his wrist holo carelessly in the bartender’s direction, then turned to Nickie. “Wanna take this party somewhere quieter?”

  Nickie drained her glass and put it back down. “Thank fuck for that.”

  He didn’t take long at all, Meredith remarked.

  I remember that being one of the reasons I didn’t try too hard to save his ass last time around. Nickie’s mouth quirked as she squeezed Darius’ bicep. “Let’s go.”

  Darius smirked and moved in to nuzzle her ear. “Still impatient, I see.”

  Nickie forced her jaw to unclench and smiled brightly. “You know me. Who has time to wait around? I thought you were gonna drag this out all night.”

  The cocky grin returned to Darius’ face. “Baby, I plan to drag this out all night long.”

  This time Nickie almost did throw up.

  “Are you okay?” Darius asked. “You look sick.”

  Nickie grinned, waving a hand at Darius. “Yeah. Just my body arguing about yet more alcohol. You know how it is.”

  He laughed. “I know there’s a damn sight more than alcohol in your body right now. How you’re so healthy-looking is a mystery.”

  Nickie winked and skipped a few steps ahead. “Maybe I had a few of those rejuvenation packs stashed away for rainy days.”

  “Rainy days, sure,” Darius snarked, picking up speed when Nickie
disappeared into the corridor that led to the ground floor rooms. “Not to pull your ass back from the brink when your latest bender takes you there?”

  Nickie turned back, smiled sweetly, and gave him a double middle finger salute. “Same fucking thing, isn’t it? Now, what did you have in mind? I’m getting bored.”

  Darius waved the bottle vaguely at the ceiling. “I have a room upstairs.”

  Meredith sniffed. A room that’s probably got more bugs than half the people in this place.

  Nickie snorted. Wow. Judgmental much, Meredith?

  Just saying.

  Darius frowned, his hands dropping to his sides. “You don’t like the idea?”

  Nickie shrugged. “Didn’t say I didn’t like it.” She nodded at a plain door. “I’m impatient, remember?” She took his free hand and pulled him through the door into the small maintenance closet. “It’s gonna be a squeeze, but that’s half the fun, right?”

  Darius dropped the bottle on the nearest flat surface and came at her with greedy hands. “Sweetheart, half the fun with you is not knowing what crazy shit you’re gonna pull next.”

  Nickie welcomed him into her arms. “You don’t get this much hotness without at least a little bit of crazy,” she giggled, walking her fingers down Darius’ chest toward his waistband.

  Um, isn’t this going a little further than you planned?

  Nickie snickered in her mind. Nope.

  “Is that good?” she asked, tilting her head up at him.

  Darius groaned. “Mmhmm…”

  Nickie raised an eyebrow. And her knee.

  Darius’ moan of pleasure morphed into a wheeze of pain as his legs gave way on contact.

  “How about now, you dirty no-good lying sack of shit?” she demanded, kicking him as he fell to the floor in the fetal position.

  Darius curled up tighter with each blow she landed.

  “Logistics opportunity, my enhanced left ass-cheek. You’re a fucking smuggler, Darius. And not even a decent one. Those are people’s lives you’re playing with.” She laid a boot into his ribs for good measure. “Get up, you fucking coward. Were you going to look those people—those human beings—in the eye when you ‘got rid of them?’ Explain to Jennie that her child will never know her because your fucking profits are all that matter?”

  Darius pulled his head out of his arms. “No! I got dragged into this!”

  He’s lying, Meredith told her.

  Oh, I know that. It’s easy to tell—his mouth is open. Nickie bent and grabbed Darius around the throat. She lifted him easily, pinning him to the wall with her face bare millimeters from his. “The only reason you’re still fucking breathing,” she ground out, “is that I need your sorry ass alive to get my aunt’s people the fuck out of here and back to their families.”

  Darius looked at her like she’d just shit on his favorite shoes. “’Your aunt’s people?’” The outrage melted away, replaced by fear. “Oh, fuck. I can’t believe it. You went home.”

  “Fucking right, I did,” Nickie snarled, her breath hot in the narrow gap between their faces. She shook Darius and released him. “Now listen up, because I want you focused on your investment in my plan, and I’m only going through it once.”

  Darius’ hands dropped to his groin, his knees buckling as the aftershock of Nickie’s nutshot went through him. “You wanna suck up to the Federation, that’s your business. I don’t have any investment in your plan.”

  “Course you do,” Nickie told him cheerfully. “You’re gonna be the first to die if anything goes tits-up, so I’d call it an investment in your continued ability to breathe.”

  Darius glared at her, his knees still trembling a bit. “What the fuck, Nickie?” He leaned against the wall and groaned in pain again.

  Nickie flourished a hand. “You could be a little more grateful. I’m being nice here.”

  “Nice?” Darius gaped at her in disbelief. “How is a knee to the balls nice?”

  Nickie looked at him with pity, tapping her nails together. “You still have them, right? In fact, considering that you don’t have any way to come through on your promises to that Skaine, you should be on your knees thanking me for pulling your dumb ass out of the shit.”

  “How do you know about that?” He narrowed his eyes, straightening his clothing angrily. “You were listening.”

  “No kidding.” She smoothed her hair with a hand. “You can thank me later by making sure I never see you again. Until then, this is how it’s gonna go. I’m gonna get my ship, you’re gonna wait five minutes after I go to tell Doxie you got the humans a no-strings ride, and make sure you look like you just got fucked within an inch of your life, or he might just work out what kind of worm he’s dealing with.”

  Darius glared at her as he obeyed. “It’s not gonna be a stretch to pretend.”

  Nickie straightened Darius’ shirt collar, ignoring the flinch when she pushed a comm bud into his ear. “Attaboy. It’s showtime. The sooner you get what I came for, the sooner you can go back to fooling yourself that you’re King Dick around here.”

  Darius sneered at Nickie. “Fuck you, Nickie. I should’ve remembered what a bitch you are.”

  Nickie snorted, wiggling her fingers over her shoulder as she left. “Should've, could have, and I’d be a bitch all the same. Now be a good little lowlife, and remember—I’m listening.”

  Nickie shuddered, hurrying to leave the bar. Fuck my life, Mere!

  Meredith’s snickering devolved into what Nickie would have called a belly laugh if EIs had bellies. Never mind your life. I thought for a moment that you were going to—

  Nickie cracked up, drawing a few looks from the people in the corridor. Ew. No. She ignored the looks, making her way past the guards on the door onto the street beyond. Besides, it was priceless!

  Priceless, indeed, Meredith offered dryly. But do you think Darius will follow instructions?

  Nickie shrugged as she left the street for the alley. It’s going to suck much, much worse for him if he doesn’t, but I fully expect him to try to pull something stupid.

  As if on cue, the comm bud she’d given him went dark.

  You should turn your comm back on, Meredith advised. Grim will be worried.

  Grim's always worried, Nickie complained, activating her comm as she began the climb up the building.

  What happened in there? Grim cut in. Did you find out where the crew is being held?

  Nickie rolled her eyes. Yeah, they’re in the building, underground. Darius is going to deliver them to me.

  Grim didn’t try to hide his relief. That’s great news! What’s our next move?

  Nickie scanned the wall for the next handhold. Get with Harrison. I want his team all over the handoff site.

  There was a pause before Grim came back. He’s on his way.

  Nickie hauled herself onto the roof of the building, squinting up to where the Pod hovered overhead. Good. Hit me up when you’re all in place. I’ve got a knife in the back to keep watch for.

  Will do, Grim replied as the Pod shot upward. Just…be careful, okay?

  Nickie dropped the link and crouched by the edge of the roof, where she had an unobstructed view of the bar front.

  He’s behaving like someone who has something to hide, Meredith noted as they listened to the audio from the drone she’d hidden on Darius.

  Uh-huh, Nickie replied. This would be easier if I was feeding him lines. If he fucks it royally, I’ll step in and negotiate for Jennie and her crew myself. Otherwise, I don’t want to blow Harrison’s efforts. She wrinkled her nose in frustration. At least the Skaine won’t get too suspicious, since Darius was already shiftier than quicksand to begin with.

  True, Meredith conceded. I’ve had word from Sayomi. Harrison and his team are in position.

  Nickie touched her ear as Meredith fed the team’s comm into her HUD. That was fast, guys. Welcome to the party.

  Harrison chuckled in her ear. We don’t fuck around, Captain Grimes.

  Shame, Nick
ie teased. There I was, hoping you were good with weapons. She grinned to herself when Harrison’s team catcalled over the open channel. Our asset is currently persuading everyone’s favorite neighborhood kingpin that I’m a good bet for solving their little human problem.

  “Ass” describes him better, Meredith snickered.

  You’re an ass, Nickie told her fondly. Where’s Grim?

  He’s coordinating on the Sayomi.

  Avoiding the fight, you mean. Nickie’s annoyance almost made her miss the end of Darius’ explanation. Shit, they’re almost done talking. I’m going back in.

  Ready and waiting for your word, Harrison confirmed.

  Good to hear. A few minutes later, Nickie was back in the bar, sidling up to Darius at the booth with a wide-eyed pout. “Baby, where did you go? I thought we were gonna blow this place, and then you disappeared. I can’t wait around forever, you know.”

  Darius turned to the others at the table and rolled his eyes at the petulant tone in her voice. “Females. What are you gonna do?” He stiffened momentarily when she slipped into the booth beside him and put her hand on his leg. “I told you I had some business to wrap up first, remember?”

  Nickie applied a touch of pressure to the nerves around his knee with her nails to remind him which one of them needed to respect the other in this situation. “I don’t mind. Who are your friends?” She flashed a bright grin at the gangsters around her. “You don’t need him anymore, right? I’m pressed for time in a way a few thousand credits isn’t going to make up for if I have to wait much longer.”

  The Skaine waved Darius away, much to his disgust and Nickie’s amusement. “Yes, take him.” He waved one of his Zhyn guards after them. “Escort them down to the holding floor. Give them whatever help they need to get the humans aboard the female’s ship.”

  The Zhyn nodded and gestured for Darius and Nickie to follow him.

  Nickie raised an eyebrow when the guard avoided eye contact with her. “Aren’t you just the friendliest!”

  The Zhyn continued to pretend she didn’t exist, which suited Nickie down to the ground. She kept up the spoiled human act while the Zhyn led them out back of the bar and down two flights of stairs to the sublevel where the crew was being held.