He lifted her easily and carried her to one of the bunks bolted to the wall. She slept deeply without stirring when moved. Placing one knee on the pliant surface he shifted her against his chest one armed while he unbuttoned and removed her work jacket. He tossed it to the foot of the bunk and then removed her boots, letting them drop to the floor with a soft, metallic thud. He opted to leave the remainder of her clothing alone.
He got his MedKit and then did a quick scan using the portable MedScan. It showed her vitals were good, and her concussion nothing to worry about. She’d dropped into a restorative sleep. Some of the tension eased out of his shoulders as he put the device away.
Restless, he cleaned up the table then paced to the bridge to double check the coordinates. He settled into his chair and ran a long-range perimeter sweep to look for anything out of the ordinary, a habit ingrained from years in the military. Satisfied no one followed, he initiated a random scan program, and then pulled up a haloviz screen to do a little research on his sleeping guest.
His business relied on information and he was an expert at finding deep wells of it. All his ships were retrofitted with specialized, proprietary equipment, which interfaced with databanks scattered across the solar system. It gave him a competitive and personal edge, particularly since the technology was from his home world and not available on the open market. The beauty of it was even if someone did manage to steal it, it would be useless unless they understood the language of Tonlith. The likelihood was remote; few had escaped the planet’s destruction.
Nick was no fool and always judicious in his use of his technology. He made sure he didn’t trigger any warnings or leave a trace of his inquiries behind. It didn’t take long to find the information he sought.
Her family had offered a reward for her safe return. Escaping family was common enough, but whatever had her fleeing seemed more complicated than family problems. His mouth tightened in a jaw-popping clench as he read about the reward offered for information on him. Tru Creighton had better have a good explanation. How in the hell had his name become linked with hers in the Alert Notice?
Scowling, he slumped back in his chair, going over the events of the day, scouring his memory for any detail he might have missed. He’d been careful, respecting his client’s request for secrecy. The only one to follow him back to his ship had been Tru. He was certain of that. With no witness to their “interaction,” there was no discernible reason for their names to be connected, no reason for anyone to think they might travel together. None. Nothing quite added up, and he didn’t like loose ends.
The connection might have come from her, but there was another possibility. A firm believer in going to the source, Nick shifted into a more comfortable position and delved into the particulars of Lodestone Mining Consortium, a fierce competitor of Geotern. He followed poorly hidden threads and traced the Alert to them.
Companies had been known to go to great lengths to undercut a competitor. Using a young woman to steal information or goods was nothing new. Having him arrested on a kidnapping charge would prevent him filing Geotern’s claim and give Lodestone the opportunity to swoop in and stake their own. He didn’t like the thought of being played, but there wasn’t much he could do about it until he talked further with Tru.
His hand hovered over the keypad while he debated his next move. A grim smile curved his mouth, and he shifted his shoulders in response to the familiar visceral thrill of the chase. Leaning forward, Nick began the tedious job of opening a back door into Lodestone Mining’s databanks. The reverberation of the ship’s engine and creak of his leather chair faded into the background. Even the annoying blue backlight on the helm console was only a minor distraction.
The final sequence of code launched, taking with it the urgency that had kept him working. He’d be warned if anyone accessed the data he’d just manipulated. Input of his name or Tru’s would start a catastrophic wipe of information. The “records” would download to his data storage for safekeeping, which afforded him a great deal of satisfaction. Two could play at this game and Nick always played for keeps.
He’d done all he could for the moment. It had been a hell of a day and he still wasn’t sure what to do about Tru Creighton or Lodestone Mining. Relaxing his neck and shoulders, he slouched comfortably in his chair and gazed out the ship’s viewscreen.
Space fascinated him, its vastness humbling and exciting. It was the reason he’d been an eager recruit for Tonlith’s space military and had shot up through the ranks. There hadn’t been a machine on Tonlith he couldn’t fly. Nothing he couldn’t push to its limits and make sing.
A decorated warrior, he’d been one of the best fighter pilots around, but in the end no amount of talent could have prevented what happened. He’d watched his world burn, helpless to do anything about it. It was something indelibly etched in his mind and heart.
His pleasant lethargy vanished, replaced by the all too familiar rigidity of muscles holding emotions at bay. Teeth gritted so hard his jaw ached was just punishment, in his mind, for allowing himself to think about Tonlith and the horrors of war. Nick didn’t often let thoughts of his past intrude, preferring to keep that part of his life where it belonged. Shut away. His memories of the war buried deep. It was the only way he continued to move forward.
The crackle of the ship’s communication frequency snapped his attention back to the present. Scooting upright, he hit the console to open the secured channel.
“Rayven here.” His voice a rough growl, the gravel undertones pushed through his tight throat like granite cracking under brutal pressure.
“Whoa, what flew up your ass?” Seth Mandekor responded. “Is there a problem, boss?”
“Yeah, there’s a slight change of plans. I’m headed back to base.”
“The cargo?”
“On board, along with an unexpected guest. I’ll explain when I get back.” Nick rubbed the back of his neck, kneading knotted muscles.
“Do you want special accommodations for our guest?” Seth asked.
Nick frowned. Seth alluded to the secured rooms located below ground. “No. I don’t think she’s dangerous.”
“She?”
The one word held plenty of interest and speculation, which Nick chose to ignore. “For now I need you to keep a tight rein on my recent whereabouts. If anyone gets curious make sure they hear I was somewhere other than Lodestone.”
“Sure, no problem. Now what about your passenger?”
Nick severed the link.
In a black mood, he wandered to the crew quarters to check on his sleeping “guest”. She hadn’t moved, her slight form barely visible under the covering. He studied her for a moment. What had she gotten him into?
He crossed to the food unit, snagged a hot drink, and stood sipping it in brooding silence. Amazing, how his day had turned to shit when he landed on Lodestone. He would have some answers before he returned to base.
After draining his cup, Nick placed it in the scrubber and then headed to the tiny shower cleanser. He wanted to remove as much of Lodestone’s pervasive dust as possible. The cleanser would do an adequate job, but he really wanted to spend time under the water spray at home, letting the bad memories and grime wash away in the warm slide of the water on his skin. He’d have to make do with the ship’s accommodations for now.
Feeling better, he dressed in loose drawstring pants and considered putting on a loose shirt for the sake of modesty. “Screw it,” he muttered under his breath, tossed