Sons of Abraham: Terminate (19 page)

              “Ah yes, that,” Bastiian replied, turning and walking towards the waiting ship.  “I need certain assurances for delivery.  As well as my way of sweetening this deal.  I hope that you approve.”

              As they closed the gap between themselves and the dark figure, Nathan began to recognize the thin, yet strong frame that rested beneath the silky cloak.  A part of him wanted to smile, but the mind of an Investigator always questions ulterior motives. 

              “Hello, Agent Calloway,” Tana whispered, her dark eyes peering at him through the shadow of the cloak.  “I hope my presence pleases you.”

              “I’m not sure yet,” he replied.  “I need to see this cargo before I can give a truthful response.”

              “I understand,” she replied.  “Shall we?  The air in your ship is quite muggy with all of the ventilation systems dormant.”

              Nathan lowered his head and nodded.  Tana bowed slightly to the Commander, then gracefully strode up the ramp of the Cirrus, leaving them men to part in private.

              “I cannot thank you enough, Agent Calloway,” Bastiian said loudly.  “I wish you a safe journey.”

              “Yeah, sleep well,” he muttered, storming up the ramp.

              The ramp closed as the Commander briskly walked to safer ground.  Nathan held the button, waiting for the seal to take shape as the sunlight fled from the floor of his cargo bay.  He took a deep breath, then turned to find the ‘cargo’ before taking off. 

              Tana stood a few paces away, the hood of the cloak resting upon her shoulders as she gazed upon him with her dark eyes.  The smile did nothing to correct his foul disposition as he witnessed several stacks of trunks secured against the wall.  Though he’d never married, he doubted that one woman needed so much luggage for such a short trip.  He brushed past the new passenger, stalking down the hall.  He ducked his head into the two-quarters that the ship held, the storage room, and weapons cache.  Nathan swore as he made for the cockpit, the last place on the Cirrus that was capable of holding passengers.  The inside of a Cirrus was spacious though the vast majority rested in the cargo bay.  Given that it was empty when he arrived, he doubted that anyone could hide among the narrow shadows the overhead lights cast on the floor.

              The view from the doorway of the cockpit did not please him though his mind had no recollection of the blonde haired, young woman who sat in the passenger seat of the Cirrus.  She wore a black cloak, similar to Tana’s though she’d already untied the front due to the humidity inside the ship.  Her legs were covered by a thin fabric that clung to her skin, showing every curve her legs had to offer.  The wrap continued over her flat stomach, arching outward over her breasts, tied at her shoulders.  Her face held a wide jaw for a woman, with a flat, upturned nose, taunt cheeks, and large blue eyes.  The blonde hair swept over her head, pressed tight against one side of her face. 

              “Hello, Agent Calloway,” she offered.  “I’ve been expecting you.”

              “Hello to you,” Nathan replied.  “Emilia Wilkes.”

              The blue sea vessel slowly crept to the dock, the waves making it difficult to gain the alignment.  The Captain swore as he edged the ship towards the dock, a large claw unfolding from the edge of the water, clutching onto the anchor bar of the boat.  The Captain breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the paint wasn’t scraped from the side, as shaky waters often caused.

              Bearden and James wasted no time, their luggage already in hand, as they waited impatiently for the ramp to be stretched down to the dock.  The magnetic seal locked in place as a white uniformed attendant slid the bar free from the railing, allowing for the couples to depart.

              “Please come again,” she said, a huge, fake smile painted onto her lips.

              Unlikely, Bearden thought to himself as he led Janys down the ramp.  Her thin sandals touched the sanded metal, her arm returning to his wrist as they walked towards the end of the dock.  The crowd had thinned as theirs was the only ship at the dock though a multi-deck vessel was quickly approaching.  The Sargent took advantage of the thin crowd, leading Janys to the overhang.

              The spaceport was vast, stretching out and up as far as Bearden’s eyes could see.  The structure was mostly transitional plastic, with white stucco covering the support beams.  Thin lights led their way, running parallel with the ceiling.  The walls were covered with marquees, each holding a view screen that switched from one advertisement to the next.  The first display showed a roll of toothpaste, a bright smile standing firm behind it.  It changed to a warning of Earth, showing the threat level had been raised since the Cyber attacks on the military courtroom.  They continued to walk, but Bearden continued to watch the advertisements they passed.  Somehow, watching them reminded him that society still existed, that simple things like toothpaste and where it was safe to vacation was somehow still relevant after the turmoil they’d suffered.  Somehow, it reminded him that life could go on.

              “That one,” Janys told him.

              Bearden snapped to attention, seeing a bright blue screen protruding from the wall, the letters telling him that trips to Earth were still available.  He pulled her towards the open doorway, which stood far wider than it needed.  The walls to the travel agency were made out of tall panels, each its own display screen.  The images were connected, showing a long star cluster, a red nebula slowly drifting across the long end of the wall. 

              A tall woman stood behind a black counter, the stars still lit upon the surface, giving the appearance that one stood in the middle of space as the floor and ceiling were reflective surfaces, continuing the ruse. 

              “Welcome to Holland Travel,” the woman stated, a bit too cheerful for Rolland’s taste.  “Where can I take you today?”

              Janys tried not to laugh at the thought of the wannabe model piloting their ship across the stars.  The woman’s height was somewhere between hers and the Sargent’s though she looked as thin as paper compared to either of them.  Her black dress was shorter than Janys liked, exposing far too much of her narrow thighs to be considered tactful.  The cut of her top was low though her chest was far too flat to display anything risqué. 

              “We need to get to Earth,” Janys informed her in a monotone voice.  “And don’t try to sell us, first class.”

              “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she informed them, the beaming smile still locked on her face.  “We have three trips from which to choose, with second and third class still available.  Do you prefer to pass by Eden, Draeden, or the Black Hole Nebula?”

              Bearden tried to do the math though he couldn’t decide which trip would be quicker.  His eyes were dry and fatigued, a side effect of last night’s poor sleep.  It wasn’t that the bed was uncomfortable though it could have been a bit bigger for his liking.  It wasn’t the waves of the sea as the rocking was soothing to him.  No, it seemed that, in her deep slumber, the Corporal’s hand had difficulty remaining still, her soft touch tracing the hairs on his chest for hours on end, leaving him too aroused to sleep.

              “Whatever is shorter,” Bearden informed her.

              “Let me see,” the thin, tall woman declared.  Her hands slid across the screen, shoving one display after another to the right.  “It seems that Draeden would be the best bet.  The distance is longer, but there are less scheduled stops.  Will that be second or third class?”

              “What’s the difference?” Janys asked.  “Is it just meals and smaller rooms?”

              “Pretty much.  However, second class allows access to the pool, the exercise facility, and the spas.  Woman to woman, I’d highly recommend the spa.”

              Janys scowled at the thought of some strange man named Ivan, his hands groping her skin, asking where all the bruises were from and remarking the amount of tension in her shoulders.  Still, she liked the idea of being pampered. 

              “Second class,” she replied, slipping her datapad onto the black surface.

              Bearden watched the transaction take place, curious as to where her credits were coming from.  He tried not to scowl as he saw the name of one of Divinity’s lab techs, a thin kid he’d talked to on numerous occasions for hacking into the camera to the woman’s showers.  He shook his head, not wishing to know how she managed to obtain his account.

              “I’ll need to see some I.D.” the woman informed them, looking to Bearden. 

              The Sargent froze, looking to his partner for an out.  She nodded, her hand sliding down his side, tapping the tablet in his pocket.  He pulled it out and turned the screen on, welcomed by the sight of his picture, and the name Trevor Denniston, the name on Janys’ credit account, and the troubled young lab tech. 

              He handed the tablet over, trying to recall how many years he’d spend in prison for offering a false identity and stealing from another person’s account.  He was thinking the punishment was ten years, five with good behavior when the thin woman handed the tablet back to him.

              “Thank you,” she offered.  “I’ve downloaded your tickets to both of your tablets, just in case.  Your ship is docked at gate thirty-two, and it leaves in thirty minutes.  Thank you for choosing Holland Travel, and enjoy your journey through the stars.”

              Janys had a thought, one that involved punching the fake smile off the flat board of a woman, though she quickly realized her training would shatter the woman’s brittle bones.  Bearden felt the anger in her tight muscles as he clutched her bicep and led her back to the hall. 

              “Didn’t like her?” he asked.

              “Woman to woman, I recommend the spa,” she mocked.  “I could have slugged her.”

              “Well, I don’t know how I feel about some strange guy rubbing his hands all over my wife’s back,” he replied.  “But if it’s what you want….”

              She laughed, leaning into his shoulder as they passed other agencies, two restaurants, and several of the boarding docks.  He switched the bags to his left hand, draping his right around her back, his hand wrapping around her arm. 

              “Actually,” she started.  “I felt kinda bad.  You look so exhausted, so I just thought that you could use a bigger bed.”

              “You spent extra credits renting me a bigger bed?” he cried.  “You know better than that.”

              “You need it, you’re enormous.”

              “I’m a soldier, I don’t even need a bed to begin with.”

              She stepped out in front of him, cutting off his path.  Her pale blue eyes locked into his, determination forming on her face.

              “Don’t feed me that bull,” she hissed.  “You’re still injured.  That concussion won’t go away if you’re sleeping on a floor.  I also need to look at that shoulder.  Can’t have you getting an infection.”

              “I’ll be fine,” he informed her, leaning down to display his dominance.  “I don’t know how you got his credits, but they’re all we have til we get back to Earth.  From here on, you use them wisely instead of wasting it on pampering me.”

              “You deserve it,” she said, trying not to cry.  “I’d be…….I mean, if you weren’t there, I’d…..”

              “Don’t,” he said, leaning back and relaxing his scowl.  “Don’t go second guessing what could have happened.  You’re here, I’m here, and there’s a monster out there we gotta bring down.  That’s it, end of the list.”

              “I can’t see it like that,” she whispered.  “Yeah, I get the monster thing.  I wanna bring Divinity to their knees right now, but I have to take care of you first.  I owe it to you.”

              “You don’t owe me,” he muttered, the stone face of a Sargent returning.

              “Can it,” she snapped.  “That pissed of look might work on a new recruit, or some wuss ass civilian, but I know better.  We’re not Sargent and Corporal anymore, remember?  They basically fired us yesterday.  So we’re just two, tough ass civs, trying to survive.”

              He wanted to tell her to fall in line, to remember her training and be a professional.  He wanted to, but her words stung too much.  She was right.  They weren’t soldiers anymore, at least not on paper.  You can never take the soldier from the man, but you can take the man out of the soldier.  He wasn’t her Sargent anymore, which meant they had to start being equals. 

              “Let’s go,” he replied, stepping around her.  “I want to see that ship in the dock before I start relaxing.”

              She held her head high, knowing that she’d won the argument.  Her sandals skipped across the floor as she hurried to catch up with his long strides.  She reached out and grabbed his arm again, the action becoming more of a reflex than a forced ruse.  Somehow, that big, hulking arm inside of hers brought comfort to her worries. 

              “So, first time taking a cruise?” she asked.

              “Yeah,” he laughed.  “And first time buying with stolen credits.”

              “Eh, I wouldn’t say they were stolen,” she replied, a sheepish smile forming on her thin lips.  “I’d say I earned them.”