Countdown Read online

  Rita stared at the bodies. “You execute the people who fail you?”

  “The ones that do it as often as they did.” Loch shrugged. “Come on. You need to change.” He started toward the door. “What do you think? A dress? Maybe something especially feminine? Maybe I’ll remember you’re a woman and cut you some slack. Ever think of being a concubine?” He glanced back at her scowl. “Oh, you should see your face.”

  “Go to hell,” Rita muttered. “What do you want? Seriously?”

  “For you to be civil,” Loch replied. “And talk to me. You probably remember our conversation when you took my resources. Now you’ll have a chance to sell me on why I shouldn’t go through with what I said. After all, you lost what… two? Three people? Or was it four? I can’t remember.”

  “It doesn’t matter, does it? You don’t really care.”

  “I do. Or I would’ve had you shot the second you stepped off the ship.” Loch got to the door. Five guards waited there with weapons. “These men are taking you to quarters. When you’re ready, they’ll bring you to me. We’ll have a lovely meal and you’ll talk for your life. It’ll be grand. Like nothing you’ve ever done before. I promise.”

  “Oh, looking forward to it.”

  “Consider the alternative, dear!” Loch walked away, waving over his shoulder. “Tata!”

  Son of a bitch.

  Rita looked at the guys he left her with. They were far rougher than the two idiots in the hangar. Definitely real soldiers. The tough variety. Probably from one of the harder pirate crews. Not the standard Gold Empire fare. The gestured for her to move. She didn’t bother to argue… kept her snark to herself.

  I got what I wanted, Rita thought. A chance to live. Back to the pirate’s life. I’ve been bouncing between personalities so much I’m starting to feel like I’ve got a disorder. Now I have to keep it up. Well… piracy mode engaged. Depending on how reasonable he’s feeling, I may just walk out of here alive. Even if I’m in crippling debt.

  ***

  Zem sat on his shuttle near the pilot, tapping into their comm to reach the Morrigan. He tapped his foot in anticipation until Dorian finally picked up a good five minutes after Zem sat in a queue. The young man sounded frazzled, totally exhausted… both of which made sense after all he’d been through.

  I bet the whole ship is suffering after what they’ve been through.

  The added refugees likely made the trip back to Gallik fairly miserable. The life support system had to be tapped hard. He’d been on ships with that problem before. They got hot, the air stale.

  And after a big fight, no one has time for that shit.

  “Hi, Zem,” Dorian said. “Glad to hear from you. I hope everything’s okay on your end.”

  “Not entirely. Can you patch me through to Sergeant Torrence or Lieutenant Nostros? It’s urgent.”

  “Yeah, no problem. One moment.” Zem leaned to check where they were. They’d nearly landed. Another five minutes would put them on the deck. Dora happened to be there somewhere. He’d ask her in person about the mission. She was crazy enough to fly to ervas space. She might be up for this.

  “It’s Torrence,” the familiar voice gave him a moment of relief. “What the hell’s going on, Zem? You okay?”

  “Yeah, for the most part,” Zem said. “Listen, Rita went off with that asshole Loch. I need some help to get her back. Captain Markel gave me the go-ahead, but it’s volunteer only. You, Nostros, Dora. Think of this as a real crew that doesn’t have any limits. I’ll literally do whatever it takes to succeed so you’ve got to keep that in mind.”

  “Yeah? But the people we’re dealing with… they’re criminal pricks, right? Pirates?”

  “Likely,” Zem replied. “But if I have to deal with some sympathizing civilian…”

  “Yeah, I get it.” Torrence sighed. “Well… Nostros won’t like it much, but… sometimes he surprises me. I’ll bring it up. Get him on board. You sure just the four of us will do? I could probably convince a squad to come along. Get a couple more shooters at the very least. Loch has the numbers.”

  “They don’t have our training. Be ready. Soon as I land, I’ll grab Dora. We’ll rendezvous with the Morrigan and get out of here.”

  “What’s the big hurry? They’re likely still in hyperspace.”

  “Yeah, and if they kill her during that, then we’re screwed—but I want to be where they’re likely going. Back to his little hole in this sector. I’m hoping that The Bounty is faster. We might even beat them there.”

  “What happens if they killed her in transit?”

  “Then I’m burying Loch.” Zem scowled as he said it. “You got a problem with that?”

  “No, I just wanted to understand the limit.”

  “As I said, no limit. The job gets done. Save Rita… or kill Loch for being a piece of shit. That’s it.”

  “Okay. See you soon then.”

  Zem tapped his foot as the shuttle entered the hangar. He stood, moving to the loading ramp. He felt the eyes of the others on him, staring intently. They don’t understand urgency. They’re about to get some rest. But for me, this situation is far from over. The second they stopped rumbling from their landing, he disembarked.

  Okay, Dora. I hope you’re up for this. I don’t know what I’ll do if you turn me away.

  ***

  Dora sat on the ramp of The Bounty, staring out at the MerCon hangar. There was too much foot traffic to leave so she stayed out of the way, waiting to see if anyone needed her help. Graff immediately departed, heading down to the surface for a look at the damage to the settlement.

  Chatter in the hangar made it clear he wasn’t going to like what he found. A lot of people had died. Confeds, Gold Empire, the militia Graff had trained… the survivors had been allocated to the different ships in orbit to get them medical attention. She heard some of them had been maimed, while others still fought for their lives.

  I hope most of them are cleaned up before that old man gets down there. Dora wanted to ensure he got out of the fighting and moved off to a place where he could retire. Major Peck felt like he could convince him. Whatever he does, he needs to do it before someone fills Graff’s head with delusions of staying involved in this fight.

  “Ship checks out mostly,” Ronnie said, “hyperdrive is fine now. Did a few tweaks. Would be nice to have a couple hours with it. Everything else is as good as it’s going to get without some extra parts and time. I figure we don’t have much of either so… I’d call the thing combat operational.”

  “Yeah? Seriously?”

  “Well…” Ronnie shrugged. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to go up against a battleship or anything.”

  “You mean again?” Dora smirked. “I think we’re in the clear.” She paused as she caught sight of Zem advancing on them. He was moving with a serious purpose, eyes fixed on her. “Uh oh. I might’ve spoken way too soon just now.”

  “What?” Ronnie crouched beside her. “Why? I don’t see anything?”

  “Zem. Eleven o’clock.” Dora pushed to her feet. “What’s going on?”

  “Rita’s gone,” Zem said. “And we gotta get her back. Torrence and Nostros are in. Will you take us? Markel said it’s your call.”

  “Um… wow.” Dora rubbed her eyes. “Way to ease a girl in on that. Where exactly are we going? Who took Rita? Can I get some information?”

  “Loch. That pirate asshole. He got her.”

  “Got it. And we’re going?”

  “To his place to get her back.”

  Dora looked at Ronnie. “Seems simple enough, huh?”

  “I’m going with you,” Ronnie said. “You can’t take the ship up without me in fact.”

  “I thought you said it’s combat operational,” Dora replied.

  “Yeah… and…” Ronnie shrugged. “You know how it goes. I’ll keep working on it as we head out. Most of the systems that need attention won’t be in use during a hyperspace trip.”

  “I haven’t decided if I’m going,” Dora s
aid. She approached Zem. “Do you have a plan? Because this sounds like some crazy ass fools rush in kinda shit. I’m not up for that.”

  “The plan is to get there ahead of Loch,” Zem replied. “Get into their base, wait for them, get her back. It’s pretty simple, but we have to move fast. That means pretty much hopping in the ship right away, getting to the Morrigan, and falling out.” He took her arm. “I wouldn’t push if it wasn’t important. If it wasn’t imperative we go now.”

  Dora sighed. “Yeah, I get it.” She looked at Ronnie. “You sure were quick to volunteer. You sure about this?”

  “I’ve come this far,” Ronnie said. “Yeah, I’m in. I like Rita. She shouldn’t be left in the hands of that asshole any longer than is necessary.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Dora paced up the ramp. “I’m confirming this with Markel but if he genuinely gave you the go-ahead… then yeah, I guess I’m in.”

  “Great.” Zem hurried off. “I’m grabbing some gear! Make sure we’re ready to go when I get back! I won’t be long!”

  “He’s intense,” Ronnie said. “Do you think this is legit?”

  “Yeah, I do… unfortunately.” Dora motioned toward their Engineering section. “Give me a preflight check. I’ll get us a quick refuel. Techs up here better hurry too or Zem’s likely to shoot them.” She made her way to the bridge, taking her seat. Her eyes burned with exhaustion as she brought the computer online.

  One of these people he’s bringing better know what they’re doing behind a flight stick. Dora established a connection with Ronnie, feeding her information about the various systems. She then set up a quick communication request with the Morrigan. I’m sleeping on this thing when we get to hyperspace.

  Dora appreciated what they were about to do. An honest combat mission sounded good. Get in, drop a team off, provide some air support… she felt like she hadn’t done anything like that in a while. I don’t know why I’m excited about going behind enemy lines with no backup here. This is a freelance mission more than anything sanctioned.

  She’d never been part of such a crew before. Not until they went into ervas space, at least. That had been the most dangerous thing she’d ever participated in up to that point. It felt like doubling down to rush after the pirate into his own territory. Zem may have had a plan, but that guy had an army.

  Determination may make their numbers pointless. It all came down to who he brought with them.

  A message came back from the Morrigan. Markel approved the mission. Moreover, Nostros and Torrence were on board with the operation. That makes me feel better. Those two were solid. They knew their jobs and hopefully, they’d keep Zem from leading them into anything too outrageous.

  Though I guess I can’t say too much. I took a prisoner back to his people, flew around, and narrowly escaped with my life. Dora smirked at the thought. I need some data on Loch. On the planet we’re going to. Maybe I can settle my nerves if I know everything. But that wouldn’t come until Zem returned.

  Until then, she had plenty to do. Launch preparations promised to take at least fifteen minutes. The refuel crew attached a line to her vessel, starting the process. They’d be on their way inside of thirty minutes depending on how fast Zem came back. Then… off to whatever destination.

  She wished they had the coordinates. The longer she had to plot a course, the faster they could get to their destination. Yes, it would be bumpy but that might be a small price to pay if they could get a jump on their opponents. With such a small team, they needed every advantage they could muster.

  At least this thing’s well-armed. May not be able to take on Loch’s ship, but it’ll certainly give ground defenses a real headache. Dora leaned back in her chair, waiting for all the processes to fall into place. She spent the next few minutes relaxing, watching the various system lights turn green. We’re on our way, Rita. Hang in there!

  ***

  Zem filled up on gear, grabbing plenty of weapons and explosives for a protracted engagement. He didn’t anticipate needing it all, though once they left, they’d be scavenging anything they needed. Two duffel bags and a trolley carried everything he needed. Getting it back to the ship alone promised to be difficult.

  “I can help.” Quartermaster Blenz proved to be a reasonable guy. He received word from Erris to let Zem take what he needed and offered a few suggestions here and there. When everything was ready to go, he took up position behind the trolley. “It’s no big deal. No one else needs to requisition anything for a while.”

  “Thanks.” Zem hefted the bags. “I appreciate it.”

  The vibe on the MerCon vessel differed dramatically from Confed military ships. Their crew felt more laid-back, as if they were just doing a job. They moved slower and chatted idly as they strolled whereas their naval counterparts did everything with a serious purpose. Those who slacked off on duty tended to hear about it.

  “You guys don’t get up to much combat,” Zem said, “am I right?”

  “No, not really. Truth be told, we offer support for Confed military vessels most often. That’s not to say we don’t fight in smaller battles. Small uprisings, that kind of thing. Generally, our involvement in conflict comes down to how much it’ll cost. Let me tell you, it’s all about money on a MerCon boat.”

  “I bet.” Zem smirked at the thought of how much he and his crew cost the company. He doubted this guy cared much. One thing about the corporations was that their management staff generally only worried about their immediate budgets. Everything else was out of their hands. “How do you feel about what’s happening?”

  “My briefing was vague. I think we’re getting more details soon, though. Then I’ll probably freak out. Right now, though… well, I’m ready to do my part. Whatever that entails.”

  It may well involve blowing up. Zem kept his pessimism to himself. The ship may have been state-of-the-art, but if they weren’t experienced with fleet tactics, they’d be pretty useless. Former military personnel wouldn’t be much good with total civilians manning different stations. I wonder what the real soldiers think.

  “How about working with the Gold Empire? You ever think that would happen?”

  “Oh, we’ve done joint operations with them.” Blenz shrugged. “No point in hiding it now that we’re all working together, I figure.”

  Boom. And just like that, I get proof they’ve been doing what everyone guessed all along.

  “Wow. I had no idea.” Zem smiled. They arrived at the hangar, moving toward their ship. “Thanks for the help, Blenz. And good luck out there. I think you guys are going to be fine.” They shook hands.

  “No problem. I’ll help you unload this stuff and take the trolley back.”

  Zem headed up the ramp, nearly running into Eleanor McCully. She stepped aside, following him into the cargo area.

  “What’re you doing?” Zem asked.

  “I’m going with you,” McCully said. “Rita got me into this mess. She’s not escaping her responsibility while I’m still alive.”

  “That’s noble.” Zem stowed the bags in the back then directed Blenz to put the weapons in a cargo box. “You sure about this? We’re going to do some pretty shifty stuff. Might even involve killing people that don’t necessarily deserve it. I don’t want you trying to talk me down in a tense situation.”

  “They’re all pirates as far as I’m concerned.”

  “I mean, I’m glad to hear you’re on board, but that’s a little disturbing.” Zem rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, lady. You sure this is the right mission for you?”

  “I’m not sticking around here. Chances are good this whole battle will be in space. I’d rather be on the ground with you guys.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.” Zem stepped close to her, meeting her eyes. “But know that if you’re pulling my leg, if you give me any shit out there, we’ll have a serious problem. The kind that doesn’t end with a conversation. Are you hearing me loud and clear?”

  “You were a sergeant before, weren’t you?”

&nb
sp; Zem nodded.

  “I thought so. Special Forces, if I recall. Look, I know how you guys operate. I know your tough guy mentality. Save it. I want her back; I’ll do whatever it takes but…”

  “Let me stop you for a moment,” Zem interrupted. “This is my op. We’re running it like a crew, not a military organization. I’m in charge. Rank means jack shit this time around. So keep that in mind. I accept advice. When I’ve made up my mind, that’s the direction we go. Got it? There won’t be arguments.”

  “Yes.” McCully sighed. “I’m with you on this, okay? Just… we need to make it happen.”

  “We do.” Zem gestured to the cargo as Blenz finished unloading the trolley. “We’ve got plenty of weapons, some of the MerCon armor, comms, and explosives. Familiarize yourself with it while we head over to get our other members.” He headed toward the bridge. “Let me know if you have questions. We’re launching shortly.”

  “Dora!” Zem shouted before he stepped up behind her. “How’re we doing?”

  “We’re ready to go.” Dora gestured behind her. “Ronnie’s all set. She’s got a few more repairs to do on our way out so we probably won’t see her for a while.”

  “That’s fine.” Zem took the copilot’s seat. “Let’s get out of here then.” He leaned his head back, trying to calm down. They had hours before they’d be able to do anything, but he felt jacked up… ready for action.

  I need to take a deep breath. I’ll burn up all my adrenaline long before we arrive.

  Losing Letty and Rutger bothered him. He couldn’t lose another one. Not Rita. Not after everything she’d done for him. But stressing about it wouldn’t help anyone. And he knew it.

  Oh well. I haven’t cared about much before. I guess this is what happens. I’ll feel better when we’ve entered hyperspace. Until then… I get to worry.