Chapter 7 - See Chapter 1 for rating and disclaimers
I couldn't believe it, I'd only been off the Maru for a couple of hours and I'd already got a job. What a difference it makes when you look healthy and have new clothes. It wasn't my dream job by any means, second engineer on a Perseid freighter. Not exactly the career move of the century but hey beggars can't be choosers.
The Chief, a tall grey guy, well all Perseids are tall and grey, called Kahl was escorting me to my new home. We were chatting away about nothing in particular, the way you do when you've just met someone, when I saw Beka Valentine being escorted by a trio of ubers. They were armed to the teeth which let me say is not unusual for Nietzscheans. The size of their weapons didn't impress Seamus Harper one little bit. Beka didn't look too comfortable about the fact that two of them were holding on to her arms with a grip hard enough to bruise.
I made one of those split second decisions that I just knew I was going to regret later. I turned to my new boss and told him that I'd just seen some friends that I really had to say goodbye to. I promised him that I would report for duty in a couple of hours. I even left all my worldly goods with him as collateral against my return.
I followed Beka and her escort at a discreet distance. Actually I didn't have very far to go, the ship they were heading for was practically next door to the Perseid freighter that I was now employed on. They went on board and I hid.
These guys are so sure of themselves they didn't even have a guard on the main airlock. I sneaked in and jacked into their computer. I'm always amazed at how easy it is to override and bypass controls and passwords. Neitzscheans aren't paranoid enough. I guess they assume that no one would dare hack their systems. I was soon well into their mainstream and thoroughly enjoying myself. I was looking to see where they were keeping Beka. Of course I totally forgot how vulnerable I am when I'm in virtual mode.
The next thing I knew I was back in the real world. A large hand was entwined in the collar of my shirt and I was being shaken like a puppy.
"Hey mind the shirt, it's new," I yelped. That was a mistake I got a slap round the face that left me literally seeing stars. Then I was dropped on the floor and kicked in the ribs. I curled up to make myself as small as possible. That seemed to annoy my assailant and he kicked me again for good measure. He grabbed my collar once more and carried me along a corridor. He opened a door and threw me into a room.
I hit the floor and heard a familiar voice calling my name. I grinned up at Beka. "Thought you might need some help Boss." She wasn't alone in the room. A tall good-looking man was there with her. He seemed to be amused by the whole situation; I was glad that someone was.
"Who's the boyfriend Boss," I queried? She gave me one of the looks that I had come to know well in the short time I'd been her Chief Engineer. "He's no friend of any sort Harper, meet my brother, Rafe Valentine. He's the reason I came back to this hell hole."
She explained the whole hostage situation. This was getting more complicated by the minute. I wondered why she hadn't told me this before; then I realised that I hadn't really given her the chance to. The minute the Dragans had been mentioned I'd made a run for it.
I tried to get the story clear in my mind. Beka had double-crossed the Dragans by not delivering a cargo for them. They'd taken her brother hostage to get her to tell them what she'd done with their goods. But, Rafe had been working with the Dragans and he wasn't really a hostage at all.
"OK Boss, I've got it so far, but what I don't understand is who sabotaged the Maru, it can't have been the Dragons cos that doesn't make sense?
Rafe laughed, most unpleasantly I thought. "Why don't you tell him the full story sister dear? You didn't only double cross the Dragans did you?"
Well I was officially confused. I didn't have long to worry about it though because the door opened and the head honcho Dragan came in. An alpha if I ever saw one. All chain mail, leather and bristling bone spurs. He had a couple of bodyguards with him. They were both carrying gauss guns and didn't look very friendly at all.
He gave Beka an insincere smile. One of Harper's little quirks; don't trust anyone who doesn't smile with their eyes. Trust the Harper he knows about these things.
"Captain Valentine, how pleasant to see you again, I'm sure that we can clear up our little misunderstanding about my cargo. You tell me where it is and I let your brother live. Beka looked him up and down; I'd seen her show more pleasure at the sight of a cockroach in the Maru's galley. She gave him an insolent look. "Sorry, Zeus my beloved brother couldn't wait to gloat about your little plan so if you don't mind I'll just take my engineer with me and we'll leave."
Uh oh big mistake there Beka. I'd been trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible but when she mentioned my presence the alpha turned his attention to me. The bodyguards trained their weapons on my stomach. Zeus sighed. "Kill him," he said.
Beka shouted at him. "No, if you kill him you'll never get your cargo back you need him and me both alive to retrieve it."
Zeus smiled. "Shoot him anyway," he growled. "Just damage him a little."
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and waited.
I couldn't believe it, I'd only been off the Maru for a couple of hours and I'd already got a job. What a difference it makes when you look healthy and have new clothes. It wasn't my dream job by any means, second engineer on a Perseid freighter. Not exactly the career move of the century but hey beggars can't be choosers.
The Chief, a tall grey guy, well all Perseids are tall and grey, called Kahl was escorting me to my new home. We were chatting away about nothing in particular, the way you do when you've just met someone, when I saw Beka Valentine being escorted by a trio of ubers. They were armed to the teeth which let me say is not unusual for Nietzscheans. The size of their weapons didn't impress Seamus Harper one little bit. Beka didn't look too comfortable about the fact that two of them were holding on to her arms with a grip hard enough to bruise.
I made one of those split second decisions that I just knew I was going to regret later. I turned to my new boss and told him that I'd just seen some friends that I really had to say goodbye to. I promised him that I would report for duty in a couple of hours. I even left all my worldly goods with him as collateral against my return.
I followed Beka and her escort at a discreet distance. Actually I didn't have very far to go, the ship they were heading for was practically next door to the Perseid freighter that I was now employed on. They went on board and I hid.
These guys are so sure of themselves they didn't even have a guard on the main airlock. I sneaked in and jacked into their computer. I'm always amazed at how easy it is to override and bypass controls and passwords. Neitzscheans aren't paranoid enough. I guess they assume that no one would dare hack their systems. I was soon well into their mainstream and thoroughly enjoying myself. I was looking to see where they were keeping Beka. Of course I totally forgot how vulnerable I am when I'm in virtual mode.
The next thing I knew I was back in the real world. A large hand was entwined in the collar of my shirt and I was being shaken like a puppy.
"Hey mind the shirt, it's new," I yelped. That was a mistake I got a slap round the face that left me literally seeing stars. Then I was dropped on the floor and kicked in the ribs. I curled up to make myself as small as possible. That seemed to annoy my assailant and he kicked me again for good measure. He grabbed my collar once more and carried me along a corridor. He opened a door and threw me into a room.
I hit the floor and heard a familiar voice calling my name. I grinned up at Beka. "Thought you might need some help Boss." She wasn't alone in the room. A tall good-looking man was there with her. He seemed to be amused by the whole situation; I was glad that someone was.
"Who's the boyfriend Boss," I queried? She gave me one of the looks that I had come to know well in the short time I'd been her Chief Engineer. "He's no friend of any sort Harper, meet my brother, Rafe Valentine. He's the reason I came back to this hell hole."
She explained the whole hostage situation. This was getting more complicated by the minute. I wondered why she hadn't told me this before; then I realised that I hadn't really given her the chance to. The minute the Dragans had been mentioned I'd made a run for it.
I tried to get the story clear in my mind. Beka had double-crossed the Dragans by not delivering a cargo for them. They'd taken her brother hostage to get her to tell them what she'd done with their goods. But, Rafe had been working with the Dragans and he wasn't really a hostage at all.
"OK Boss, I've got it so far, but what I don't understand is who sabotaged the Maru, it can't have been the Dragons cos that doesn't make sense?
Rafe laughed, most unpleasantly I thought. "Why don't you tell him the full story sister dear? You didn't only double cross the Dragans did you?"
Well I was officially confused. I didn't have long to worry about it though because the door opened and the head honcho Dragan came in. An alpha if I ever saw one. All chain mail, leather and bristling bone spurs. He had a couple of bodyguards with him. They were both carrying gauss guns and didn't look very friendly at all.
He gave Beka an insincere smile. One of Harper's little quirks; don't trust anyone who doesn't smile with their eyes. Trust the Harper he knows about these things.
"Captain Valentine, how pleasant to see you again, I'm sure that we can clear up our little misunderstanding about my cargo. You tell me where it is and I let your brother live. Beka looked him up and down; I'd seen her show more pleasure at the sight of a cockroach in the Maru's galley. She gave him an insolent look. "Sorry, Zeus my beloved brother couldn't wait to gloat about your little plan so if you don't mind I'll just take my engineer with me and we'll leave."
Uh oh big mistake there Beka. I'd been trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible but when she mentioned my presence the alpha turned his attention to me. The bodyguards trained their weapons on my stomach. Zeus sighed. "Kill him," he said.
Beka shouted at him. "No, if you kill him you'll never get your cargo back you need him and me both alive to retrieve it."
Zeus smiled. "Shoot him anyway," he growled. "Just damage him a little."
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and waited.
