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Chapter Two
Adreax
“Ha! They should know better by now,” I said with a chuckle, clapping my navigator on the back. “Well done, Herod.”
“We’re not out of the woods yet, Dre.”
“But you’ll get us there! I’ll be in my cabin if you need me. You’ve got the bridge.”
Herod glanced at me over his shoulder, but his eyes returned to his view panel before I was even out of the room. He was an excellent navigator, and a better friend.
As I ducked out of the cockpit, headed toward my cabin, looking forward to a nice long steam session to wash away the grime of the day, I felt our little cutter lurch. She wasn’t a very sturdy ship to begin with, but all things considered, she’d served me well. Just like Herod. And he knew how to handle her so as not to put any more stress on her old bones than strictly necessary.
We lurched again, and I cursed under my breath, throwing my hands up to keep from bouncing off the narrow walls of the hallway. The ship returned to an upright position and I grumbled, but I continued walking. Herod would call me if he needed me.
In my cabin, I started the water and went to undress, taking my time until I saw light billowy clouds of steam escaping into my sleeping area. I pulled the leather straps of my armor over my head, catching only a quick glimpse of my scarred and tattooed chest in the bathroom mirror before I disappeared into the fog. The muscles of my broad shoulders bunched as I flexed, secretly proud that I still clung to the strength of a much younger man. I slid down through the steam, taking deep breaths, until I was resting against the cool tile of the wall, and my muscles relaxed.
The ship gave another bump, jarring my head against the tile, and I bit my tongue hard.
“Sorry, Dre. The bastards took another shot at us. We should be in the clear now.”
His voice came crackling through the radio in my room, only faintly audible from inside my steam chamber. I would not get up to respond. All I wanted was to close my eyes and think about our next stop.
Kychek, the planet where love and money flowed freely. And guns. Lots of guns. If I could get my ship, currently loaded with cases of weapons, to Kychek in a timely manner, I was set to have a grand payday. All I had to do was evade those pesky patrol ships that were tailing us and get there in one piece, which was proving a bit more difficult than I anticipated.
Still, Herod knew what he was doing, and as captain of this ship, I could make some calculated risks.
I closed my eyes and settled in again, daydreaming about all the booze and women I could buy when I finally got this cargo into the right hands. A nagging thought disrupted my daydreaming. It started with an ache in my lower back, and I stretched, willing it away. But it persisted. I was getting too old for this. Maybe a tiny part of me was actually considering what it might be like to set some of this money aside and settle down someday. The thought was short-lived. I shoved it out of my mind.Thiswas the life for me. The money from this run would be more than enough to make some much-needed repairs and improvements on theGreedy She-Devil,which meant we could take on even bigger runs in the future. There was no stopping us now.
Another lurch of the ship, and I slid sideways, banging my shoulder painfully against the wall of the steam chamber.
I toweled off, went to the comm bank beside my bed, and mashed the button with my palm.
“What’s going on up there, Herod?” I demanded.
“They’re back, Dre. I don’t know where they came from, but they’re back.”
I stood for a moment, suddenly even more exhausted than I had been before my bout in the steam chamber. I shook it off and reached for a shirt.
“How many?”
“Can’t tell. They just keep coming.”
“I’m coming. Prepare to make a run for it.”
“I was already making a run for it.”
I could hear the tremor of worry just beneath his words. That wasn’t good.
I pounded down the hall, hands out to catch me as the ship rocked from side to side. I took wide steps to counter the movements and burst through the doorway onto the bridge. Herod’s eyes were locked on his view panel as he tried to outrun the pursuit. I dropped into a chair beside him and jumped into the action.
“Focus on driving. I’ll give them something to think about.”
He nodded, and I armed the first torpedo, searching for the perfect target. Unfortunately, theGreedy She-Devilwas a bit outclassed by these patrol ships, and I had to wait until they got close enough for me to get a clean shot. My ship wasn’t exactly made for this type of thing.
Finally, I spotted a patrol cruiser coming in from one side, and I took aim, patiently counting the seconds down in my mind until I could fire. At last, I unleashed the torpedo and watched with bated breath as it sailed out and away, lumbering through space with painfully little speed.
“Come on…”
