Anja's Star (Outer Settlement Agency) (2 page)

She’d just started to lower her weapon, but that sent it right back up again.

“Oh, don’t be stupid. You can’t kill an officer.”

“Of course I can. All I have to do is push. Anyone who goes after their own family deserves it.“

“I’m not going after him. Look, comm him, he’ll vouch for me.” The man stopped, grimaced and shook his head. “Don’t. Not until I get his ship back.” Then his face split into the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. Oh boy.

“Now what’s your name?”

“Anja.” Oh, why had she said anything!

“Dear Anja, you’re in a little pot of trouble too. Father left that ship in your care.” To her shock, he dropped his arms and walked straight towards her. Her shaking the weapon didn’t stop him. No, instead, he pressed his finger to the barrel and eased it out of the way. “That was his first ship. His baby. It’s slow, old and very close to useless, but it was a gift from his grandfather. He loves that damned thing. More than me, even, and you lost it. Well, I lost it, more or less, but you’re still responsible if we don’t get it back.”

“We?”

“We. Now, holster your gun and let’s get out of the rain.”

“How?”

“Crost cheated me out of it at the card table. As long as I pay back what he claims I owe him, I’ll get the ship back.”

“Hold it right there.”

More swearing now, this time from the both of them, as armed dock guards stormed the landing. She was at a loss here, but not him, this Retzi. The guy was smooth.

“She’s an ex. You know how they are.”

“What?”

But they only laughed as Retzi raised upturned hands. “Maybe I visited the Blue House,” he said, elbowing one of the men conspiratorially. “Look, any of you know a place, nice and quality, where uh, I can make it up to her?”  He patted the side of his tunic and leaned in.

She couldn’t hear what was said beyond that point. The group of idiot men crowded around each other, one popping up every so often for a tongue hanging lecherous look. She stared them down, all of them, grateful for her sidearm.

Something had worked though. The guards allowed her and Retzi to leave with a stern warning to keep private things private and a wink for their troubles.

Clever boy.

He’d latched his arm through hers and hadn’t let go, pulling his cowl over his head as he guided their way through the water logged winding streets.

This was deeper into the area than she’d ever been. They’d gone past the merchant district, to a paved city center and then, after another eternity of walking, into another shopping district. This one, however, was far different than the one she knew so well. This bespoke of a higher class clientele. Shuttles owned the streets, with drivers opening doors for their blue robed inhabitants.

“You want me to carry that for you?

“Shut up and no.”

“Have it your way.”

About the time her legs melted into complete mush, he stopped. With the little energy remaining, she raised her head to see a multilevel accommodation complex. “This was the place they mentioned. If we don’t come, they’ll put a look out for us. But if a couple matching our description shows up, well, they’ll move on.”

She, however, was less certain. “You sure about that?”

“Nope. That’s why we’re checking in and getting right back to finding the ship. Ladies first.”

“How long is that going to take,” she asked, beating her fist against a thigh threatening to cramp up. His jaw flexed, but when he released it, most of its harshness melted away.

“You’re shivering.” He pointed to a chair in the lobby. “Sit. I’ll get us a room. We’ll rest up first, then get out of here.”

***

T
he thing hadn’t stopped complaining since they got to the room. There’d been a momentary reprieve when she’d used the necessary, but she’d come back out in fighting form.

This ached, that hurt. Why couldn’t she see the light in things? At least she was dry.

Now. And warm.

Mostly.

She must have used the gel shower, not a speck of smudge remained on her jumpsuit and she smelled like a too sweet dessert. If anyone had anything to complain about, it was definitely him.

“I’m soaked through. If you’ll give me two minutes to use the gel shower and get nice and pretty, I’ll buy you dinner. How’s that? My treat.”

She took his peace offering, spat on it, essentially wiped her ass with it and threw it right back. “Dinner?
Dinner?
Why that’s awfully nice of you. I’d prefer, if you don’t mind, my flipping ship! But noooo. I am stuck in a room—”

“-Nice room.”

“Shut up. You don’t get to talk until you return what you lost.”

“So no shower? Like your men dirty?” He’ll be damned if the cute little thing’s lip didn’t twitch. “It’s alright to smile. It shouldn’t hurt too much. Not as much as your leg and feet and – hey!”

He caught the first pillow and dodged the second. “Be right back.”

Before she lobbed any more projectiles his way, Retzi skittered away. On the other side of the door, however, he hesitated. Strip and take a water cleansing, or stay clothed for a gel one? Tricky question. The first would give him a little time to...rub out some kinks. The other, well, something told him that the longer he kept her waiting, the longer he’d have to hear about it.

He was out in three minutes.

“Come up with a plan?”

“No, but I don’t stink as much. Hmm, no smile this time?”

“No. I’m still almost unemployed and almost about to be killed by your father. So unless you have come up with something, I don’t see much cause for celebration.”

“One, you’re cute when you’re pissed. Two, I did think up a rather fantastic plan, thank you very much. Quite simple actually, we buy it back.”

“How is that a plan? It’s the offer he made you in the first place.”

“What have you got? Actually, how much have you got? Really?”

Anja shrugged. “Six thousand credits more or less.”

“So, not a secret heiress then.”

“Maybe if you treated this a little more seriously we’d get somewhere.“

“Look, OSA doesn’t take lightly its officers indebted to criminals, alright? Bad enough my father’s one of the biggest. I tried to take down Crost, he beat me at my own game and I’m not proud of it. Forgive me for shooting for a little levity.”

She had the grace to look contrite.

Kinda.

“The only way to get that much money in a couple of weeks, is to steal it.”

“I’m an officer.”

“Do you want to stay one? Wait, when he said weeks, was he specific? You OSA guys use Earth measurements, but Meash is world specific and if he’s using Saturnalian times...” her voice drifted off while she drew invisible numbers in the air.

“I’ve got half that,” he said, cutting her off. “Less, even. Six, Earth days. Okay, so perhaps I was a bit hasty. It’s not technically stealing if we take it from criminals, is it?”

“Shouldn’t think so,” Anja answered, arms crossed.

“More like a community service, wouldn’t you say? Just my luck. The first time you truly smile is with mention of criminal action.”  He reached around her for the pack, pulling out his omnitablet and scrolling through OSA files.

“Looking for victims?”

“Criminals in need of correction,” he said, with a wagging finger. “For instance, this guy.”

When Anja leaned over to look, her dark brown hair cascaded across his arm. The image of her hair draped over other parts of his body did things to him that required a bit of discreet shifting. He cleared his throat and enlarged the image.

“Prio Grantly Jr.,” she read. “Looks posh. What did he do?”

“He owns a gambling hall in the 38
^th
Quadrant known for racing cloned horses.”

“That’s not illegal.”

“Not unless you stole the DNA from a rare breed Earth dealer with certain genetic sequencing copyrights.”

“Is that civil or criminal?”

He turned to her and flipped his hands upwards. “Bad guy has money. We need money. Problem solved. Let’s go and follow my lead.”

They kept their voices just high enough that the attendant should hear them arguing over which establishment to choose from. Outside though, they used the darkness of the fading light and hung close to the shadows. He guided her back the way they came, though opting for parallel streets whenever possible.

He’d use his badge if he needed to, but out here and at this time of night, it could do a hellva lot more harm than good.

Anja’s grip tightened as the shadows lengthened and her body brushed closer and closer to his with every step. He didn’t mind, but hated that something could make the little thing tremble.

“What the hell are you doing on Titan, anyway,” he asked and not only to keep her mind off things. “If you’re so good my father would hire you, then you should be on Mars or Venus.  Businesses pay good money for mechanics. That would be good, legal, credits. Legal, being the word of the day.”

“Money’s better here. I’ve spent enough time with a Meash company to know I don’t want anything to do with another corporation. I like being able to talk to the guy who pays me.”

“Because my Dad’s so approachable.”

“Well, no, but I like this life. I’m out here under my own control. It’s good for me. I’ll make some fast money with Attila and pewwww,” she let out a whoosh of air like an uplifting rocket, thrusters and all. Hmm, so crime
and
independence animated her. What else?

“So you make your money and then, what?”

“Open a garage, serving shuttles, launchers, you name it.”

Retzi clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “So you want to become the evil corporation you despise? Terrible.”

“No, no, no.  My place is small, strictly civilian and just me.”

“Sounds boring.”

Something crossed her face and he felt like absolute shit. Her back stiffened and she started to pull away, but he held firm and rounded another corner. “I can be boring too. It’s tough being this beautiful. Sometimes I stare and stare at the mirror—”

“You finished?”

“No. By the way, I think we’re being followed,” he said against her ear. “When I give you the signal, pull out your blaster and aim to your left. I’ll take the right.”

The rigidity in her back slackened. Not at all what he expected. Most people’s bodies did the exact opposite with the threat of battle. “I’ll be damned, you’re not the least bit scared, are you?”

“Terrified,” she whispered back. “But I was an expert at hand to hand in the Meash security training module and I still practice with plasma and laser weaponry. Though, only when I feel myself inching towards becoming boring.”

He gave her another squeeze. “Now you have jokes. Listen, we’ll give him an opportunity to pass. If he takes it, fine. If not, well...one...two...”

Three went unspoken, unless her gasp at being lifted from the ground counted. In a single, unbroken action, he’d pushed her against a building, wrapped one of her legs around his waist and reached for his sidearm with the free hand. He threw her a wink before pressing his lips against her half opened mouth.

Sweeter than he expected. Softer too.

He’d kept his eyes open though, and despite the obvious and rather pointed attention she demanded, Retzi didn’t miss the form inching closer.

“To the right,” she said against his lips.

“And the left,” he whispered against hers. “Three?”

“Three.”

They broke apart to slam together once again, only this time back to back. He had no idea what she saw, but the guy in front of him grimaced and withdrew a plasma gun from his inside his tunic. Retzi didn’t give him a chance to fire it.

He pivoted to back her up, but she’d already reholstered her weapon, a cloned half-man at her feet. Impressive, but he’d have to tell her later. For now he took her hand and ran for the hopper, still several lengths away.

“Watch my back.” Retzi placed his face against the eye scanner, until the small shuttle hummed to life and opened its door.

He sent her in first, head swiveling back in forth. “Get her ready?”

“On it.”

After a few mumbles about ‘government issued crap,’ she called him and they headed up to the relative safety of the upper mesosphere and west to the 38
^th
Quadrant.

Her stomach was growling ten minutes into the trip. He shot her an apologetic look. “I meant for us to eat on our way out.  I have some calorietabs in that compartment over there,” he said, pointing.

She scrunched her nose and shook her head, though she took a few and dropped them into her pack. “For just in case. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Nope.”

Anja didn’t have to move for any of this. Every time she turned, her arm brushed against his. “At least I don’t have to worry about you trying anything in here.”

“I don’t know. I’m pretty flexible. That was good work back there.”

“Told you I could shoot.”

“That too. Nothing for me? That was some of my best work.”

Anja head tilted to the side. “So, so.”

“I meant the kissing,” he said, not bothering to keep the grin off his face.

“That too.”

“Ouch. We’ll have to keep practicing then.” He typed in one of the back up call signs, something OSA recently allowed for officers who’d put in enough time. When not on official duty, the hopper’s registration number could be cloaked for personal use. Each time it had to be explained and if he made it through this, he was sure he’d come up with a good one.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, switching piloting shifts at half clock turns. His sleep was interrupted every few minutes, but he reviewed maps and schematics to occupy his time. Before landing, he convinced Anja to have at least half of a calorie tab. “Just in case we need to run again,” he said, popping one of the dried blocks into his mouth. He swallowed repeatedly to get the scratchy square pass, but would have killed for a glass of water.

Anja gagged from the piloting chair unable to keep hers down at all, grapping a biowaste bag at the last possible moment. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. This is my fault. All of it. But before I ask you to commit several major crimes, I intend to at least feed you. Bring us down while I find you a more suitable weapon.”