Rogue Pursuit: A Space Opera Adventure (Shades of Starlight Book 1), page 27
A vacuum filled her chest. She never should have let herself hope they could’ve had anything, not with their backgrounds.
Surely the Confed would literally kill for that tech. Whichever government controlled it would control the galaxy.
Question was, would Tai kill for it?
“We have to stop them,” Perrin said.
“I came here to destroy the device,” Kel said, “but I didn’t expect so many soldiers. I told them I was with the Network. Since I knew the codes and other members, they believed me. They asked questions about Confed security, so I fed them enough to keep them happy and lied about the rest. I’ve been waiting for my chance, but the device is always guarded and I haven’t had an opportunity.”
One good thing about this situation—her ex wasn’t the villain she’d been fearing the last several days.
“I’ll help you,” she said.
She knew with those words, her partnership with Tai was over. His goal would be to secure the device and give it to his mom. To capture Kel. She’d known this was coming, from the second she saw Kel’s face on Tai’s ship computer the day they’d met. Now that it was here, though, she found she couldn’t look at Tai. Seeing his familiar face, a face she’d grown used to, grown attached to, would only make this harder.
She focused on Kel as she said, “We better do it fast before anyone else arrives.”
“Who else is coming?” he asked.
“Everyone,” Perrin said. “An Amber agent, although I should’ve slowed him down by sabotaging his ship. A Cobalt guy who tried to kidnap me, and if I see him again, he’s getting a good kick in the—”
“And my mom,” Tai said quietly.
Kel sighed. “She came herself? Shades, I’m screwed.”
“What was your plan for after?” Tai asked, arms still crossed, watching the two of them plot against him in front of his face. “You had to know at least the Confed would come after you.”
What was he thinking? He wasn’t looking at her, either. He was probably analyzing how to stop them, now that lines had been drawn.
“I wanted to destroy the device,” Kel said. “After that, nothing mattered.”
Stupid, brave, sacrificial Kel, who didn’t care what happened to himself as long as he did the right thing. Why had she doubted him?
“Well.” She cleared her throat. “I’m glad you’re okay. Now that I’ve taken ex-girlfriend loyalty to whole new levels, and should definitely earn a medal, let’s figure out how to stop these guys. If that’s okay with you,” she said to Tai.
“I am well aware I’m outnumbered here. But I don’t want the mercs taking that device to Ruby Prime, so I’ll help.” He didn’t have to add for now since all three of them knew it was implied.
“What do you know about the device?” she asked Kel.
“It attaches to the deflectors of any ship, uses them to create a beam. Like a laser cannon. It’s ready to install. The scientists have been prepping to move it. We can’t hurt the scientists, though. One is helping the Network, but the rest… the mercs kidnapped their families to force them to cooperate. They’re innocent.”
“What’s the Network coming to?” she asked. “I thought we were helping people. Mercs and kidnapping and threats to the galaxy. This is not what I signed up for.”
If the weapons in the desert hadn’t been enough, and a device to destroy wormholes, kidnapping was the final straw. How could she justify continuing to work with these people? But then, how would she continue to help people on her own, without suppliers and contacts?
“Three versus fourteen.” Tai uncrossed his arms and pushed away from the table. “What’s the plan?”
“One good blast will take care of the device,” she said, and Tai’s jaw clenched again.
Kel shook his head. “There are always scientists around it.”
“Besides,” Tai said, “once you fire at it, every merc here will turn on you.”
So they needed a way to destroy it sneakily.
“They have to load it on a ship,” she said. “Can we take control of that? Or board with them and sabotage it in the engine room?”
Kel nodded, though he frowned. “I don’t see another choice yet. Besides, they’ll be searching for us soon. We need to go back out there.”
Tai rummaged in a drawer and pulled out a med-kit. “We’ll look suspicious if we don’t use this.”
He ran a regenerator over his chin and wrists. Moved toward Perrin, stopped and glanced at Kel, then tossed her the device.
She suspected he would’ve done it for her if Kel hadn’t been there. She saw Kel note the action. The memory of the last time Tai had tended her wounds made warmth pool in her chest. But the new caution in his eyes matched the warning in her brain.
As she ran the regenerator over her lip, her wrists, her shoulders, she missed being able to count on him. Now he was a wild card, an unknown element. Yes, he’d help for now, but ultimately, he was on his own side here. And he was clever and cunning and capable. They’d have to keep an eye on him.
It felt weird having Kel on her team and not Tai. He was in the room, and she already felt the loss of him, a galaxy of impossibilities growing between them with no wormhole to bridge the distance.
An alert rang out through overhead speakers.
She jumped and tossed the regenerator on the table.
“That’s the proximity alarm,” Kel said. “They have a watch on the wormhole. It’s how we knew you were coming.”
They hurried into the corridor.
Half the mercs—she refused to call them soldiers because that would mean acknowledging the cause she’d supported had become a military uprising—were pushing a plasma cannon toward the door.
Half remained behind with the scientists, squashing her plan to use the distraction to free the innocent people and smash the device to bits.
The leader of the mercs waited near the door, eyes on Kel. “The Confed is demanding we hand you over, Drake.”
Kel shrugged. “It was to be expected. I worked inside the government. They were going to notice I went missing. You plan to give me to them?”
The commander held his gaze for a long moment. “Nah. Boys, light ’em up.”
Blasts erupted from lower on the mountain where the ships sat, and more mercs on this level aimed the cannon.
If it was the Confed, that meant the soldiers were firing on Tai’s mom.
She sensed him tense as the same realization hit him.
Red pulse weapons targeted the ships below, the return fire shaking the mountain.
The familiar Confed ship came into view, weaving, dodging blasts.
Perrin’s mind raced, processing what Kel had told them about the mercs and their plan.
“Wait,” she said.
The leader scowled at her. “Problem? Are they friends of yours?”
“Of course not. But that’s a Confed ship. And you—we’re heading for Ruby Prime, right? If we can take their ship intact, it might be useful.”
She refused to look at Tai, though she felt him watching her. She wasn’t sure why she was trying to help Confed agents, except she couldn’t let these people, who were sort of her people even though they weren’t, kill his mother in front of him. Not when she knew all too well what it felt like to lose both parents. More shots rained from above. She was surprised they weren’t already dead.
“Think about it,” she said. “That ship might help us get past outposts without raising alarms.” She used every ounce of her lying experience to appear sincere.
The leader studied her. “Fine. Not a bad idea.” He activated his comm. “Use the tractor beam on the ship. Bring them in.”
“Aye, sir,” said a voice on the comm.
The mercs’ shots stopped, and a light beam sprang from the mountain below them, snagging the ship.
The Confed ship’s return fire concentrated on the source of the beam. Perrin hoped Tai’s mom didn’t bring down the mountain.
And the beam blinked out.
So much for that idea. Although it had been possible the mercs would shoot Tai’s mom in person the moment her ship landed, anyway.
The ship retreated before sending another volley.
If they wanted to survive, it was time for a bigger risk. One she hoped Tai would forgive her for. And one she hoped wouldn’t put him in danger.
“Hail them,” she said.
“I didn’t realize I took orders from a smuggler.”
“You want them to blow up the mountain? I can end this.”
As long as she didn’t look at Tai. This was for his good as well as hers. Surely he would forgive her.
She almost snorted. They were well past that.
She’d had no idea betraying him would feel this terrible, and this betrayal was for a good cause.
The head merc hailed the ship, and Perrin took the comm from him. “Hello,” she said, then realized she didn’t know his mom’s last name. “Madame Director.”
Tai grunted.
She wouldn’t be able to go through with this if she so much as peeked in his direction. “Your son is here,” she said, extending the comm to him while avoiding eye contact.
Tai’s fingers brushed hers as he eased the comm from her hand. “Mom, stop, it’s me.”
“I only have one son,” came the voice, “so I won’t bother asking if this is Tai. Instead I’ll go for, what in all the shades are you doing here?”
“Can I explain later? And can you please not blow up the mountain while I’m standing on it?”
The head merc seized him, drew his weapon, and grabbed the comm from Tai’s hand. “Good to know you care about your son. I don’t know who you are or whose side he’s on, but I am now holding a plasma rifle to his head, and if you don’t land immediately, I will kill him.”
Perrin balked.
Well, that wasn’t part of the plan.
29
Tai had to admit, Perrin’s plan to keep them from getting blown up by his mother hadn’t been a bad one. The quick thinking impressed him. Although he wished it hadn’t resulted in a merc with a gun to his head. Disarming the man wouldn’t be hard. Avoiding all eight of his armed friends… that would be trickier.
Before Tai could decide what to do, and before his mom could reply to the man’s threat, a blast came from the mountain behind them.
Tai used the distraction to duck, seize the merc’s arm, twist, and steal his gun. He stepped away before the man tried to grab him again.
Half the soldiers swung to face the mountain, while a few hovered near the cannon as if uncertain who to fire at.
Tai tugged Perrin toward the edge of the plateau. The rock wall gave them cover at their backs. He shouldn’t allow himself the distraction of worrying about her, but he had to keep her safe.
Shots rained from above. All from one spot, with a break before more followed from another location. A single gunman, then.
Tai kept the weapon ready but until someone fired at him, didn’t want to risk a fight with mercenaries when he didn’t know if he could count on anyone to be on his side. He wanted to run for the door to grab the device, but every route he assessed meant passing eight mercs who would surely try to stop him now that they knew who he was.
Several mercs fired at the hillside above. Bursts of rock exploded, along with water from the falls. He scanned the plateau, clambered over a rock, and crouched at the edge of a pool.
After a glance at Kel, Perrin followed, clutching her dying stunner. Her gaze darted from place to place—hill, mercs, sky.
Could he rely on her one last time? Or was it too late for that?
“Here.” He gave her his newly acquired gun and took the old one from her.
“What are you doing?”
“I honestly don’t know. Just take it.”
She swapped, her movements slow, angling her head away from him. “Sorry about that. I didn’t want them to hurt you.”
“I know.” Surprisingly, he did.
She nodded and watched the scene.
Two mercs were down. The others had assumed formation behind a wall of shields. His mother had stopped firing and, for the moment, so had whoever was on the hillside.
The nearest merc craned his head, spotted Tai. “Was this you? Did you bring them here?”
A shot forced the man to duck away before Tai could decide if it was worth the risk of shooting him.
The shots from above returned. A figure launched from the hill, sailing toward the plateau on jet wings.
McCombs.
Of course. He’d probably jetted in while Tai’s mom provided a distraction. She wanted to capture Kel, interrogate him, not kill him. No wonder the mountain was still intact. If she’d wanted them dead, it would’ve been a smoking crater.
Another merc fell to McCombs’s stunner.
All the mercs were returning fire, except Kel, who stood in formation to maintain his cover, but Tai hadn’t noticed him use his weapon. He was edging closer to the facility door.
Taking this chance to make a move for the device?
Tai was okay with them being on the same side until the device was secured. But he couldn’t let his partner destroy evidence. Even if Kel’s motives for leaving had been noble, he had betrayed them. Not just now, but for years. Who knew how many Confed secrets he’d revealed? Tai had to take him in. He had no choice.
Tai climbed over the rock, back to the plateau.
“What are you doing?” Perrin hissed.
“Trying to reach the door.”
She opened her mouth, closed it, and followed him. To help him or Kel, he wasn’t sure. They edged along the side of the plateau, keeping close to the rock.
Three mercs must’ve had the same idea, though. They beat Kel to the door, used the cover to shoot at McCombs, who apparently had one of the fancy new shielding devices. Energy bolts bounced off the field guarding him and made yellow lightning flicker around the man as the jet wings lowered him toward the ground.
McCombs landed, a gun in both hands, aiming after the mercs who’d run inside. His blasts melted the surface of the pre-fab walls.
Then he spun.
McCombs spotted Tai. Eyes widened in rage. Scowled further when he spotted Kel a few feet away.
This basically guaranteed McCombs would never believe Tai hadn’t helped his partner.
McCombs scanned the platform. His shots had forced the mercs to take cover along the rear end of the plateau. Kel had left formation and stood between them and the facility. McCombs’s shield protected him from the mercs’ shots.
Tai spotted in the man’s eyes the moment McCombs realized his path was clear—stun Kel, grab him, use his jet wings to escape. And leave Tai to face mercs who now suspected him. McCombs didn’t know about the device. He simply saw Kel dressed as a merc and assumed what he already believed. McCombs swung his weapon.
Tai shouted.
A blue blast sailed through the air, heading straight for Kel’s chest.
A black blur dove.
And McCombs’s shot hit Perrin square in the face.
As she crumpled, before her limp body even hit the ground, Tai was firing. Icy hot determination swept over him. Instinct ruled his body.
He aimed for the slanted roof of the facility. His shot ricocheted perfectly off the metal, bouncing to hit McCombs’s unprotected back. The man had just long enough to contort his face in rage before he slumped to the ground.
Turned out the weapon did have enough juice to knock him out.
The mercs glanced his way. Hesitated. He couldn’t have shot them if he wanted to. He tossed the dead gun aside and raced to Perrin’s side.
Another proximity alert sounded.
He ignored it and the mercs, who were now racing for the facility, leaving him, Kel, and Perrin’s still form on the plateau.
He should have followed the mercs. But his heart overruled that idea as he knelt next to Perrin. She looked so small, her dark hair spread in the dirt around her face.
Kel glanced toward the facility and the mercs before joining Tai and kneeling beside him. “She was right. She does deserve an ex-girlfriend medal.”
Tai’s fist was swinging for Kel’s face before he made a conscious decision to punch his friend.
The blow knocked Kel backwards into the dirt.
Tai was vaguely aware of mercs racing around him as he checked Perrin. Breathing fine. Steady heartbeat. But a burn marred her cheek from the stunner blast, and she was out cold.
Kel righted himself, rubbing his face, but made no move to fight back. “Guess I deserved that.”
He didn’t. Not for this, anyway. Kel hadn’t forced Perrin to take the shot meant for him. She’d acted on instinct—brave, strong, willing to risk herself for the people she cared about. Tai smoothed hair out of her face.
He straightened. “We can sort that out later,” he said. “Now, we have to stop them.”
Tai checked on McCombs to confirm he was unconscious, too. When the man woke, Tai was going to be in so much trouble. But the man had hurt Perrin. Tai couldn’t contain the tiny curl of satisfaction in his chest at the sight of McCombs’s unconscious form.
Shades. The truth hit him like a stunner blast. He was emotionally compromised. A good spy never let his feelings interfere with the mission. Yet, that’s what had just happened. He and McCombs should’ve been on the same side.
Tai was in dangerous territory. Not to mention these feelings were ones he shouldn’t have with Perrin’s ex three feet away.
More shots erupted from the hill below.
Tai moved Perrin to the edge of the platform, out of the way.
He and Kel made their way toward the facility, dodging three still-unconscious mercs. Yet again, Tai was forced to work with someone he’d once trusted and now didn’t. He and Kel eyed each other.
“I won’t try to arrest you until the mercs are under control. Deal?”
Kel’s lips twitched upward. “Then I won’t try to escape until then.”
Tai narrowed his eyes.
“Partners?” Kel asked.
“Don’t push it.”
They helped themselves to the fallen mercs’ weapons, and Tai ensured they were set to stun. His mom would want answers, not dead mercenaries, and he’d rather not kill unless he had to.
