Zero (19 page)

“
I don't know, Anita, can you?” Evangeline smiled again, leaning back in her chair and regarding the lieutenant through her lashes.

Rami shifted slightly, but lifted her head and did not break the fence's gaze.
“We were hoping for a run.”

“
Is that so?”

“
Yes,” Rami said. “There doesn't seem to be much business around the Lunar Strip at the moment. We...” Rami paused and Hugo kept his eyes locked on Evangeline. “We run well. And fast.”

“
I am well aware, Lieutenant. But, darling, I'm afraid you're hitching on entirely the wrong skyway here. I don't know what you heard,” her eyes narrowed ever so slightly and Hugo didn't miss the slight hardening of her posture. “But my line of work no longer encompasses anything small-time. No offence intended, Anita.”

“
None taken,” Rami replied. “But you must still...know people? Is there anyone that needs any business doing? And fast? We'll give you more than your standard cut if you can get it set up soon.”

Evangeline's eyebrows raised and she steepled her fingers.
“My usual cut is already rather steep, Lieutenant.”

“
You can have a half over again. If you can get us something within the week.”

Evangeline pursed her lips then pushed herself out from the chair and paced across to the window. She folded her arms and gazed out the glass, one finger tapping against the sleeve of her dress. The artificial light washing in made her look bloodless. When she looked back in their direction Hugo felt himself go cold at the smile on her face.

“You know, darlings,” she said. “I would never want anyone to say I don't come through for those in need. And you are in luck. If you'd come to me in a week it would be too late but as it stands, I may just have something for you. It's not a run and it's high risk but quick profit and right up your street.” She raised her head and looked down at them. “You know all about high risk, yes?” Rami nodded. Evangeline's icy eyes slipped from Rami to Hugo. “And what about your tall, dark and handsome stranger here, Anita? Does he understand?”

“
He does.”

“
And who is he, Anita? Does the
Zero
just collect heartbreakers out of habit?” she purred, eyes locked on him.

“
Captain Hugo, Mistress,” Hugo said, standing and bowing to her.

“
Such old fashioned manners,” she said as she sat back down. “Ex-Service, I'm assuming?”

“
Yes, Mistress,” Hugo said, remaining stood until she gestured for him to sit again.

“
Well it can't hurt to have an Academy-trained strategist aboard, I'm sure,” Evangeline said, starting to tap commands into the display on the surface of her desk. “Though I'd be careful who you tell around here, Hugo. The Service aren’t exactly going to win any popularity contests on this colony. Anyway. Lieutenant. Captain. As I'm sure you'll understand, I deal with verbal contracts only. But I have two guarantors at the door who make sure it's binding.” She lifted her head and smiled again, showing straight white teeth. “So. The deal. I have a client that could do with some high-grade munitions. I seem to remember young Ezekiel had a hand for them?”

“
Yes, Mistress,” Rami said, her manner staying cool.

“
Excellent. A double standard cargo at least, I would say. Get it through import and get it here...” Evangeline tapped at a spot on the colony map being displayed on her desktop. “They will pay you once they are satisfied.”

“
What sort of thing do they want?” Rami said, eyes locked on the map until Evangeline cleared it with a sweep of her fingers.

“
Does young Webb make red cement?”

Hugo wasn't entirely sure that Rami's flinch was acted.
“He knows how.”

Evangeline nodded.
“You get a double cargo of red cement to my client's storehouse at midnight tomorrow, it will be worth all our while.”

“
By tomorrow?” Hugo stumbled.

Evangeline's smile thinned.
“Darling, if it were easy it wouldn't be worth my time. Do we have a deal?” She held out her hand. Hugo wanted to run out the door. Instead he watched Rami move in slow motion and shake her hand before it swung round toward him. “Captain?”

Hugo hesitated one heartbeat. He saw the woman's eyes harden but then he leant forward and took her hand.
“Deal.”

“
Welcome to the big boys' club, Captain,” Evangeline smiled. “You pull this off I'll be happy to talk future business. But now, if you'll excuse me. I have to place a few calls.”

Rami and Hugo stood. Hugo bowed then turned and followed Rami back to the door where the security men, faces like stone, returned their weapons. There was no one to show them out. They moved down the corridor, boots muffled on the fine carpet and Hugo felt every beat of his heart in his head. They climbed back aboard the lift which took them back down to the club without being commanded. They wasted no time getting across the lounge and out the door.

“Lieutenant,” Hugo began but Rami lifted a hand and kept moving.

“
Not yet, Captain.”

Rami increased her pace back across the fountain square and to the block
of lifts. They were inside and zooming back down and Hugo once again opened his mouth but Rami shook her head, glancing above their heads. Hugo looked up and saw a camera in the corner and dropped his gaze again.

They came out on a different level and Rami led them on a twisting path amongst banks of boarding pods and budget residences. They came out on another shuttle platform just as one came heaving up. Rami stepped on and Hugo followed. This time Rami took a seat and Hugo sat beside her, watching her hard face.

“Do you think her client is the Splinters?”

“
I'd say so, Captain,” she said. “And we'll have to move fast. It sounds like they've nearly finished preparing.”

“Christ Almighty, Captain,” Webb said. “We let you out to broker one deal and you end up having me make red cement for the Splinters?”

“
We'll just have to make sure we bring them down before they get a chance to use it.”

“
Fucking right we will,” Webb muttered, adjusting his crouch to get a better angle on the bike's wheel. “What does Rami think?”

“
She and Spinn are trying to dig up all they can about the area the storehouse is located, seeing if they can find any contracts or names.”

“
There won't be any,” Webb said, tossing the spanner back into the toolbox.

“
Nevertheless,” Hugo said. “We can at least find out what names they’re using on credit accounts. We may be able to find out more from there. Can you get this done?”

Webb sighed and levered himself upright on his stiff ankle.
“Yes. I can do it. But we should send someone to the storehouse tonight, see what's what. We might get lucky and not have to hand over anything.”

Hugo nodded, jaw looking tight.
“Has Harvey come back?”

“
She's not with you?”

Hugo shook his head.
“She went to talk to some contacts.”

“
Fuck,” Webb said. “She better not have got herself caught.”

“
What were we saying about faith, Ezekiel?” Harvey's voice echoed through the hold from the top of the ladder. She grinned as she clambered down and moved to join them, pulling off her visor and cap.

“
Find anything?” Webb asked.

Harvey frowned and pulled the tie from her hair, shaking out the curls.
“There's shit going down alright. Half my folk are running scared.”

“
Your folk?” Hugo asked.

“
Haven folk, Kaleb,” Harvey said, patting his shoulder. “I know this is all new but try to keep up.”

“
What's happening, Marilyn?” Webb said, frowning.

“
I had to make sure I didn't sound too interested, but what I could gather from the few Haven types there are left is that everyone's keeping their heads low. Those that are still in business are sticking to the legitimate kind.”

“
Not wanting to tread on Splinter toes?”

“
Aye,” Harvey said, face grave. “They've spread their net pretty far from the sounds of it. Stamping out or scaring off competition. If I were to go with my instincts I'd say they're gonna try and seize the colony.”

“
For whom?” Webb asked, going cold.

“
I don't know. That's all I got and I was lucky to get that.”

Webb felt a chill rise up from his belly and threaten to choke him.
“We have to stop them.” Hugo looked grave and even Harvey didn't argue. Webb looked away, rubbing at his forehead to try and stop the spinning. He felt the captain's eyes on him.

“
How are you feeling?”

Webb blinked back to him.
“Okay, Captain. It's just... we
have
to stop them.”

ɵ

Webb managed to persuade Hugo to make More and Rami the ground team for going to size up the storehouse that night, with Bolt along for backup.

“
This is better done quick, Captain,” he said. “And they know what they're looking for. Besides, I'm going to be elbow-deep in explosives. Someone's going to have to stay on the comm.”

Hugo agreed, though he didn't look pleased. If Webb didn't know better he would say the captain was developing a taste for the work. Either that or, more likely, Hugo chafed at taking a back seat whilst sending his crew into danger. Webb could sympathise. He watched Rami, More and Bolt leave the docking bay in dark clothes, guns at hips and night goggles round their necks, then made himself go down to the cargo bay to start on his own work.

He sat himself at a workbench, closed his eyes and took a few breaths. He willed every muscle to relax, even the ones still tight and aching from healing. When his hands were steady he pulled on a pair of heavy gloves and some goggles, re-tied his hair so it wasn't in his eyes and set to work. He sunk himself into it, the smell of the solder and bloodgrease burning in his throat, the weight of the tools. The cement darkened from pink to red in the crucible and he took the heat away just at the right moment and set about wiring up detonator cages.

“
Guess this sort of thing never leaves you, huh?”

Webb swore and glowered at Harvey over his shoulder.
“It's really not a good idea to sneak up on me when I'm playing with this shit.”

Harvey chuckled before coming and perching on a stool next to him.
“Couldn't you knock up fake stuff, just in case?”

“
They’re bound to have a dip-test at the hand-off,” Webb murmured.

Harvey leant in to watch as Webb threaded the wires through the cage, making sure nothing touched.
“Decent folk don't touch stuff like this.”

“
Ain't many of them round here.”

“
Hey, Zeek?”

“
Hmm?”

“
What's the deal with Hugo?”

“
What do you mean?”

“
After that Akmar character, I didn't think you'd ever let an ex-Serviceman near your helm again.”

Webb pulled another connector through the grid, clipped it off and tied to the cage.
“What can I say? There aren't exactly swathes of spacers lining up for the position.”

“
Bullshit,” she said. “I'd take it in a heartbeat.”

“
What and leave the
Phoenix
?”

She exhaled through her nose.
“You
know
what I mean.”

Webb loaded the completed cage into the frame and started another. He didn't reply.

“Whatever,” Harvey said. “It's your ship. I just hope he's up to it is all.”

“
Time will tell, I guess.”

“
The next twenty-four hours will tell,” she mumbled.

Webb sighed and looked at her, pushing aside creepers of doubt.
“Marilyn, I'm kinda busy here...”

“
Fine,” she said throwing her hands in the air. “Just don't come running to me if you blow the whole sector into drift.”

“
We won't be able to,” Webb said, smiling.

Harvey shook her head and pushed herself up off the stool.
“Space-crazy,” she repeated. “I always suspected. Now I know.”

ɵ

Hugo paced between the bridge and his cabin, checking his wrist panel and the bridge's display for messages every few minutes. He tried to tell himself that no news was good news but the tension from waiting was reawakening all the aches in his shoulders and head. He took Kinjo's repeated advice and went down to the medbay for some painkillers but then returned to the bridge to once again check the message banks.

The night-cycle was easing into day when the three crew members returned. Hugo had them report in the galley where Kinjo had hot tea and some of their fresher rations ready. They all looked tired, faces drawn and clothes dusty.

“What did you find?” Hugo asked the minute they'd all sat themselves down and started in on the rations.

“
The warehouse is a Splinter stronghold, Captain,” More said, after swallowing a mouthful. “I'd bet the
Zero
on it.”

“
Can you be sure?”

“
They have a night patrol,” More said.

“
Lots of industrial units do.”

“
Not armed with AG19s, they don't. Haven-made too, I'd say.”

Harvey stiffened.

“They have three patrols on at any one time,” Rami said, setting down her flask of tea, “split into four hour shifts. Our scans didn't show any electronic sensors so they're not scanning comms, but there are cameras and motion-sensors around the entries and exits. As well as the patrols, there was foot traffic between it and the apartment block next door, none of it civilian.”

“
Doctor? How does this tie in with what you've found?”

Spinn was twiddling his board marker and squinting at schematics on the wall display.
“It would appear that they have some of that apartment block under their control also.”

“
Just some?”

Spinn nodded.
“The top few floors still look to be civilian residences.”

“
Bastards. They'll be counting on that to protect them from assault,” Webb ground out. He hunched forward on his elbows. “What's the warehouse for?”

More
rubbed his chin. “Stockpile, I'd say.”

“
How integral do we reckon it is?”

“
It's difficult to tell without knowing what they've got in there,” More said. “But given how heavily they're guarding it... and the size of the place...”

Bolt swallowed his mouthful.
“I'd say there's a fuck-tonne of munitions in there, cap'n. I could smell the gun grease.”

“
Do we think it's their command base?”

Webb shook his head.
“No way they'd put all their eggs in one basket.”

“
I'd say the commander's right, Captain,” Spinn continued, leafing through pages of colony layout on the screen. “Taking the names and credit codes used to secure the warehouse and apartments, I can tell you there are a dozen other areas where they have control of buildings and depots. And that's only the ones they aren't worried about being found.”

“
This cache is big though,” Rami said, finishing off her tea. “And it's where they're storing the cement. I think if we destroy this building we could scupper whatever it is they're planning for the colony.”

“
Maybe is not good enough. We have one strike before they're after our blood,” Hugo said. “I'm assuming you've tried scanning and hacking into their camera feeds?”

Rami nodded.
“Spinn and I both tried. As far as we can tell there are no cameras inside the building. Or, if there is, they're on a closed system. And I don't know what they've put in the walls but our scanners were not getting through.” Rami paused, tapping her finger on the side of her empty flask. “If we want to find out what's inside we're going to have to make the hand-off.”

“
She's right, Captain,” Webb said. “Don't let this go to your head or anything Hugo, but I agree with you. We need to be sure our move is going to count before we make it.”

“
And what is our move?” Hugo said.

“
I can engineer an isolated blast that'll take out the whole building,” Webb said, levering himself to his feet and limping closer to look at the plans. “If we plant some low-level foundation charges here, here and... here,” he drew some circles on the plan with Spinn's display marker, “that'll get it going. Whatever they've got stashed in there should take care of the rest. Hopefully it'll take some of the fuckers along with it. But, either way, if they're not scanning comms, the ground team should keep their wrist panels locked to transmit,” Webb said. “We can monitor vitals and communication without them having to check in.”

“
What are the chances of damage to the surrounding area?” Hugo said.

Webb shrugged.
“Minimal. If it's done right. But we'll have to get the cement back out of there and far away first.”

“
How?”

“
We break in and grab it and get it out of there before setting off the charges,” Webb said. “Spinn, is that a drain there? How big is it?”

“
It would be too narrow for crates of cement,” Spinn said, shaking his head.

“
We can program our crate lifters to life right up and over the wall, Rami put in. “But it would take time.”

“
Sir... I really think you should let me do this,” Webb said, after a pause.

Hugo weighed him up.
“What's your status?”

“
I'm fine.”

“
Lieutenant?” Hugo said. “What do you think?”

Rami finished chewing a mouthful of fruit without looking at either of them.
“I don't think the commander is fit for fieldwork yet, Captain.”

Webb stared at Rami but she took a deliberate bite of apple and didn't look up.

“Very well. Lieutenant, Crewman Bolt. We will make the hand-off and establish what's inside. Then we will report in and move from there.”

“
Won't this be fun,” Harvey grated.

“
You're not involved with this, Captain,” Hugo said. “You might be recognised.”