Lana's Comet (Outer Settlement Agency) Read online

  “We leave them on the floor. We push them together and together pull one back. One remains stationary the whole time. We take a break and together return them to the housing.”

  Lifting up was one thing. Putting them back into very precise places would require more strength than he had at the moment. He wished for his meds. Yes, they were Kin meds, but they made him the best he could be. He’d never miss a dose again. Breathless and with his upper back quivering, he flopped down and leaned against the rear of the backrest. “Toss me a few calorie tabs.” She joined him instead, sliding in and leaning on his shoulder. It hurt too much to shrug her off. “Lana, there’s a chance they’re still able to watch this.”

  “Small chance. And there’s an even bigger one that there’s an audio recorder here still working. I don’t care. Do you?”

  He should. It could jeopardize what he’s worked so hard for all his years. But Lana needed him more than he needed OSA. Hell, she was about to save the universe. She could do whatever she damned well pleased. The decision – the question – of what mattered most in his life tilted so fast that his aching head spun. He traced the outline of her jaw and brought her over until his lips hovered over hers. “Nope.”

  He punctuated it with a kiss, then held out one of the meat-flavored calorie tabs.

  “You want to know what’s weird,” she said still chewing, “I’m not scared. I should be. I’m in a shuttle that may run out of oxygen with a man who’s in terrible danger, about to piss off the biggest corporation in the solar system and I’m not scared. Kinda happy, minus all the bad bits. Am I oversharing?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh.”

  “But I need to hear it. It’s good to know what you’re fighting for. That’s the last lesson of training, by the way. Let’s try to make it home, okay? We’ll deal with the consequences of everything else when we get there.”

  “If we get there.”

  “Way to keep positive.” He kissed her again and arm in arm, they walked over to the panels and rehearsed the plan. They’d push, the boxes would connect and they’d pull, reversing the polarity. Easy.

  Kinda, sorta, confident they could both do what they needed to, they turned their heads away, closed their eyes and pushed.

  She kicked until her calf slammed against him. She kicked until the reverberation rang up her leg and into his body like a hammering sound wave. Ignoring the pressure on his upper arms, he waited a half second, then pulled with the little strength he had left. By the will of some unknown maker, he’d done it.

  He got up to celebrate, but a blast knocked him against the walls and the panels together. He turned in time to save his eyes, but Lana’s scream indicated that perhaps she hadn’t been so lucky.

  Chapter Eleven

  Medical training goes out the airlock when you’re the patient.

  Her limbs trembled and although her back was on the floor, dizziness set in as if she’d been running in circles. She redirected all of her energy to her vision, now blurred with flashing white and blue spots.

  Cyprus called out to her, but she didn’t answer. She had to center herself first, get herself together or risk spiraling down a crater of panic and agony.

  His hands patted her face.

  His lips dragged across her forehead.

  And still she did not move.

  “I really need you to say something, Lana.”

  “The panels?”

  “Shifted back together. I’ll have to do it again.”

  She tried to get up, but strong hands on her shoulders shoved her down. She ought to have said something – tried harder to be of assistance – but everything hurt too much. She couldn’t even turn her head to follow the sound of him running and grunting with effort.

  Another blast. This one with more force than before.

  More expulsions of air, more grunting and he was back at her side “Keep talking. Let me know you’re still with me.”

  She retreated to the clinical and knew the precise moment his concern turned to terror. The hands that touched her went clammy and his voice dropped to a whisper. Each breath that came out of him was more of a gasp and every word had a heartbreaking tremor to it. “Lana?”

  “I can’t see.”

  He flinched against her and the hands that cupped her face dropped to draw wide circles on her back. Something whirred behind her. Had he done it? “Did it work? Do we have power?”

  “Some. Oxygen and lights.”

  But the words dropped like stones in the pit of an empty well. He was lying. Her faculties weren’t so far gone that she couldn’t sense it. Yes, the blast reduced her world to a series of shadows, but none quite registered as proper light. “We’re still at half systems. The light doesn’t feel bright enough. I’m a big girl. I can handle the truth.”

  This earned her a kiss, one she leaned into, suddenly desperate for more contact. But a blast rocked the shuttle and the warmth of Cyprus’s body disappeared. He swore above her, cementing that more trouble had come. “We’re being fired upon.”

  “Meash?”

  “This thing isn’t built for offensive action.”

  “You’ve got to be freaking kidding. It’s an OSA shuttle.”

  “Yeah, for training. The panels will give us just enough power to burst out of here. Maybe.”

  “Don’t waste it on that.” Even with her vision shot, she could sense that golden eyebrow jutting upward. “I know you want to get me back to base and you can’t see past that. Oddly enough, I can. Use whatever power we have left to send out a distress call. We’re running on batteries and the solar panel converters are useless. The only thing we know we can get out for sure is sound. Actually, not for sure, but it’s our best chance and you know it. Maybe we should send the files first.” Cyprus sighed and the sound of flesh hitting metal assaulted her ears. “Are you punching my ship, sir?”

  “I am, Madam. And to whom shall we send the files? How many people knew we were destined for this ship? A dozen, maybe.”

  “You’re not insinuating that your brother is in on this?”

  “Of course not,” though the concern in his voice was undeniable. “But he ordered plenty of people to ready the ship and I can’t trust them. It’s done either way. I’ve coded the distress beacon for heavy fire. Someone will hear it. The question is whether they’ll come or not.”

  “So what do we do until then?”

  “We find out what the hell is going on.”

  New sounds crackled to life as Cyprus sent out an audio pulse to the other ship. “State your purpose!”

  “Purpose? To kill every damned lunar sheriff we find.”

  The good news? Their attackers weren’t representatives of Meash Two.

  Bad news? They were definitely pirates.

  On hands and knees, she crawled, shushing Cyprus the whole way. The cruel laughter stopped – Cyprus must have closed the connection. Soon, strong arms lifted and held her close. “It’s all right, Lana.”

  “With all due respect, shut up and listen.”

  “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

  “Now? Really, Cyprus?”

  He laid his forehead against hers and dropped a series of feathery kisses, light as dew, across the bridge of her nose. If not for their jacked up circumstances, she’d have called him out on doing something so cutesy.

  “Talk,” he said.

  “Agree or disagree that our new friends are pirates?”

  “Agree.”

  “Agree or disagree that our new friends hate OSA agents?

  “Agree.”

  “Agree or disagree that we are OSA agents?”

  The lips against her temple curled into a smile. “Disagree.” He sat her down and reengaged their would be captors. “I’ve killed men for calling me less.”

  She cringed at disbelief falling like the most torrential of rains from the other side. “Where’s your proof,” the gruff voice asked. “You’re in an OSA ship.”

  There was a rustling of clot
hes and she yelped as her hands were jerked and bound.

  “Open up visual to see what I found,” Cyprus said. The video panel pinged and was soon followed by hoots and whistles. “Her partner had an unfortunate accident with an airlock and an open door. I kept for her…conversation. You’ll forgive my state of undress.”

  “What kind of numbskull steals an OSA ship?”

  “I wouldn’t say steal so much as escaped. But you’re right. I need off this vessel,” Cyprus said. I don’t have any hard currency, but I do have her. Give me passage to Mars. Take the girl. I’ll have untraceable credits waiting for you when we land. Vesuvian Night.”

  Genius and terrible.

  And stupid.

  The pirates asked for clarification for that last bit, but Cyprus brushed it off as a hometown curse. She knew better. One day someone might make a time machine. She’d use it to go back to the third day of training and kiss Cyprus for making her miserable.

  Granted a Vesuvian Night was a long shot, but she trusted him. If he thought they could manage to take out these pirates, then they would. Done. How hard could it be? She’d only heard two distinct voices anyway.

  Ugh, maybe three.

  Chapter Twelve

  Cyprus kept the vidlink open as a show of good faith and led Lana out by the leash he’d made for her. In the half breath of privacy they had between vessels, he ripped the edge of her tunic and planted a kiss on the exposed skin of her shoulder. “We’ll have one chance,” he said.

  “I can do it.”

  “I know.”

  When the secondary gate opened and he walked in dragging her behind, she played her part, fighting against the belt that bound her, much to the delight of their hosts. His voice played the role of compass and she angled her head towards it, feigning sight.

  “Thank you. Would you like to inspect my…uh…fare? She’s a fleshy one. I’m sure she can handle the three of you.”

  Three?

  “Actually, you’re more our flavor.”

  Oh….

  “Now be a good boy and drop your trousers.”

  “Drop my – one problem,” Cyprus said, voice still solid and confident as ever.

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t get on my knees for free. What are you offering?”

  A deep voiced pirate cleared his throat. She didn’t need sight to know he grinned from ear to ear. “Same terms. A ride for a ride.”

  She could sense Cyprus shaking his head and could almost picture his grin when he said, “I’ll need more than that. You’re huge.”

  Laughter rippled through the group, but this was all taking too long apparently. Voices raised, tempers flared and someone’s hand cinched around her throat. Its owner, a man with roiling breath, bumped his miniscule penis against her bum. “I ain’t picky. You’ll do.”

  She probably should have waited for Cyprus to give the go ahead, but she’d be damned if she let this unwashed animal get away with touching her again. She hooked her foot, took out his knee and smashed the rat bastard’s kidney to kingdom come – a perfect Vesuvian Night…

  “Down!”

  She ducked at Cyprus’s shout and the rancid smell of her singeing hair. That was a little too close.

  A series of thuds and grunts had her reaching out for a wall. “Cyprus? CYPRUS!”

  “Busy at the moment.”

  More scuffling and a shadow fell upon her. She kicked like a crazy woman, putting every stitch of power into her leg. It worked.

  Unfortunately.

  Cyprus strung together a chain of swears between groans.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine. You did the right thing. Two are out cold and the third, well, the third deserved what he got.” He pressed something into her palm – a weapon – and she maneuvered her fingers away from the trigger. “I’m going to drag them over to our shuttle and vent it.”

  “What about oxygen? They may not be alive when backup comes.”

  “I’m heartbroken over it. Listen, I’m busted up. I can only move them one at a time. If anything stirs while I’m gone, start spraying.”

  *****

  He dumped the last goon and made his way over to Lana, who still weaved the weapon in all directions. “Just me. How are your eyes?”

  She let go of the gun, along with the check she’d had over her emotions. “I need you,” and her head dropped to his chest as she cried. “If I don’t get to a medipod soon, it’ll be too late.”

  “So I’ll get you there.”

  “I know. You haven’t let me down yet.”

  “But I have. Lana, I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you—”

  “You had a job to do. You’re also a jerk, but your heart is in the right place.”

  “Even for a clone?”

  “Don’t start.”

  “I’m kidding.”

  “Right.”

  He shifted, but didn’t break contact, keeping one hand wrapped around her waist while the other tried to make sense of the non-standard communications system. The screen beeped, and then blinked to life. “We have an incoming message.”

  “Are you going to answer it?”

  “I don’t have a choice. If OSA picked up our distress call, it could be them. If we say nothing they’re liable to shoot first, thinking we’re the bad guys.” He flipped the switch and prayed for familiar faces.

  Well…he got ‘em…

  And they all stared back at him in open-mouthed surprise. All three of them: the two well dress men they’d fought with that night in the 22nd and one very slackjawed Michi Yoshisumi.

  The smaller thug – and that being completely relative – pointed at the screen. “It’s them, the two that got away from us. What are you doing on my cousin’s ship? Clash? Where are you boy?”

  Cyprus chuckled under his breath. “And I thought my name was bad. Who names a baby Clash?”

  “Where is my cousin?”

  “None of your concern,” Lana interrupted. He kissed her. One, because he wanted to, but two, as an excuse to put his hand on the back of her head and angle it in the right direction.

  Another look of surprise from the Yoshisumi girl, but still, she kept quiet.

  Clash’s cousin cracked his knuckles and leaned back in his chair. “Either you produce my cousin, or I blow you out of the sky. See, I’ve known that boy my whole life. You’d have to kill him to take his ship. Hell, I’ve tried to kill ‘em to take it. So I’ll ask one more time. Clash or your life, Mr….”

  Cyprus didn’t reveal his name. The whole thing was beyond insane. If they survived this, he’d add the scenario to one of the training simulators. This was one for the ages. He backed away, eyeing the control panels and calculating. This ship could take a hit and probably deliver a good wallop in the process. If could mean killing Yoshisumi, but the little brat deserved it.

  “Nothing? Well, I am at a loss,” said the captain. I now have to tell my dear auntie that her son is dead.”

  “He isn’t. He’s on a dying OSA ship not too far from here. You should be able to find it. You don’t want to get mixed up in killing agents, so go and get your cousin. Forget you ever saw us.”

  “Not dead? That’s a pity. No help to you, either. If I can’t have the ship, neither can he. Michi, girl? You want to be a proper pirate? Here’s your chance. Smoke that ship.”

  At the sound of her roommate’s name, Lana gasped and held her hand out to the screen, as if touching the image would burn an imprint of the girl’s face in her mind. “My Michi? Can’t be. What is she doing?”

  “At the moment?” He checked the boards. “Turning their guns on us and…well…that’s something.”

  “What? What is it?”

  “She’s just pulled out a weapon.”

  “You said that already.”

  “Of the handheld variety…right. And the screams you just heard? That’s her taking out four men.”

  “You’re full of it.”

  “I’m full of jealously. The girl�
�s an ass kicking machine.” He tapped the comms again and Michi’s wide-eyed innocent face jerked up. “Yes, sorry to interrupt your somewhat, that is to say, totally unexpected rampage, Yoshisumi, but—”

  “That’s not my name. What’s wrong with your eyes, Lana?”

  Lana shook her head next to him. “Blind. Let’s stick to the big picture issues. Michi, why are you in a pirate’s cousin’s ship? What the hell is going on?”

  “I thought you were some sort of genius. Think, Lana.”

  “It’s not a coincidence that you were my roommate, is it?”

  “Meash has more tentacles than you can begin to imagine,” the girl said.

  “They can’t possibly pay you enough to do this.”

  Michi grinned and started to pin up her fallen hair. “They try. They really, really try and it’s not bad money. So there I was, all set up to kill you, when I figured out why they’d hired me for the job. I hate when that happens. I go to war with myself, kill ya, not kill ya…it took weeks to decide, but it got me to thinking. If they do this, this whole infect the ‘verse thing, the demand for my services takes a nosedive. Who needs an assassin in a viral apocalypse?”

  “I ask myself that all the time. To confirm, you’re not going to kill me or Cyprus?”

  “Not if you do your job.”

  “But how did you now I’d be here? At this place, this moment?”

  Not-Michi snorted. “Girl, everybody’s got a biochip in you. Meash. OSA. Me. You don’t think Meash ever lets people go, do you? Oh and the datacell you’re using in my old omnitablet, that helped. I didn’t leave it behind by accident. It’s cute that you tried to secure it. Look, you’re good at doctoring, stick to that. Leave the spying and murder to me. And as for you, Officer Dhoma—”

  “Yeah?”

  “If I ever see you on the street, I’m going to break that pretty face of yours into teeny, tiny bits. Now I’m off. I can’t have any part in saving humanity. I’d never find work again. Oh, incoming.”

  The screen vidlink went blank, but the radar blazed with new activity. Oh, c’mon. What now?

  “I have no idea what you’re seeing, Cyprus, but why does it sound like every ship in the universe is locking their guns on us?”