Read Online Children of Junk (Rogue Star Book 3) by James Wisher - Free Book Online
Authors: James Wisher
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an old, wrinkled man, with a long face and white chin whiskers. Foot long, spiral horns jutted from his brow and he wore a fine, blue silk robe.
“You! Did you go to all this trouble just to get back at us.”
The horned man brayed a harsh, deep laugh. Solomon tried to remember his name. He hadn’t seen the old guy in three years and then only for a few minutes. “You and your friend’s interference with my marriage was a minor setback, nothing more. No, you’re here because I have need of your particular skills. Any discomfort it might cause you and the good captain is just a pleasant bonus.”
“What’s Emily got to do with this?”
“Emily is here to assure your compliance. If you cause me any difficulties she will pay the price. Keep that in mind should you get any foolish thoughts. Now follow me.”
The horned man, Dorn something Solomon finally remembered, turned away from the ship and walked away. Now that he’d recovered from the shock of seeing the old man again Solomon looked around at their temporary home. They’d landed in a large hanger. A pair of black, two seat, fighters, cannons under their cockpits and missiles under their wings, sat on the far side of the hanger. At the opposite end a wide opening loomed with nothing separating them from the vacuum of space except an invisible forcefield.
Emily screamed and Solomon turned toward her. “What is it?”
“When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it.” Dorn held a small remote in one clawed hand. “Now follow me.”
Emily gasped and sagged, a trickle of smoke came from her stun cuffs. Dorn walked off again and this time Solomon and Emily hastened to keep up. One way or another he’d make Dorn pay for hurting Emily. An automatic door slide open at their approach and they left the hanger behind. Solomon just caught the roar of the transport’s engines powering up before the door closed behind them.
Beyond the doors they entered a plain, steel hallway that branched to the left and right. Nothing indicated another soul lived in the place, wherever it was, but he couldn’t imagine Dorn living without servants and other comforts. They passed three metal doors, before the old man stopped and gestured them inside the fourth. Solomon entered at once and automatic lights flicked to life. The room was stark in its lack of decoration. Unadorned walls, smooth, steel floor and ceiling, all paint a neutral gray. Two cots sat against one wall and a desk with a computer sat next to the opposite wall. A second door, he assumed, led to a bathroom. All in all it was a good room to commit suicide in.
Dorn removed a collar from a hidden pocket in his robes and snapped it around Emily’s neck. “Turn around.”
Solomon did and a moment later the cuffs came off. His shoulders screamed when he moved his hands around to the front for the first time in he knew not how many hours. Dorn removed Emily’s cuffs and backed away toward the door. “Rest. Food will be brought for you shortly. I need you at your best for what I require. You will begin in ten hours.”
“What—” Dorn stepped out the door and it snapped shut. “Do you want me to do? Guess he’ll tell me later.”
Emily sat on the edge of the cot nearest the door and Solomon sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “The stun cuffs hurt, but only when the current runs through them. What are we going to do? How do you know that awful man?”
Solomon frowned. Where to begin? “Marcus and I did a job a few years ago. There was this girl, a little younger than you, on her world she was a princess, rich family, you get the idea. Somehow this guy, Dorn, arranged with the girl’s family to marry her off world then claim her money. Well she got wind of it and somehow got in touch with Marcus. She hired us to smuggle her back to her home planet. It was a near thing, but we managed it. The rulers of her planet, Tricella Prime, didn’t appreciate
“You! Did you go to all this trouble just to get back at us.”
The horned man brayed a harsh, deep laugh. Solomon tried to remember his name. He hadn’t seen the old guy in three years and then only for a few minutes. “You and your friend’s interference with my marriage was a minor setback, nothing more. No, you’re here because I have need of your particular skills. Any discomfort it might cause you and the good captain is just a pleasant bonus.”
“What’s Emily got to do with this?”
“Emily is here to assure your compliance. If you cause me any difficulties she will pay the price. Keep that in mind should you get any foolish thoughts. Now follow me.”
The horned man, Dorn something Solomon finally remembered, turned away from the ship and walked away. Now that he’d recovered from the shock of seeing the old man again Solomon looked around at their temporary home. They’d landed in a large hanger. A pair of black, two seat, fighters, cannons under their cockpits and missiles under their wings, sat on the far side of the hanger. At the opposite end a wide opening loomed with nothing separating them from the vacuum of space except an invisible forcefield.
Emily screamed and Solomon turned toward her. “What is it?”
“When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it.” Dorn held a small remote in one clawed hand. “Now follow me.”
Emily gasped and sagged, a trickle of smoke came from her stun cuffs. Dorn walked off again and this time Solomon and Emily hastened to keep up. One way or another he’d make Dorn pay for hurting Emily. An automatic door slide open at their approach and they left the hanger behind. Solomon just caught the roar of the transport’s engines powering up before the door closed behind them.
Beyond the doors they entered a plain, steel hallway that branched to the left and right. Nothing indicated another soul lived in the place, wherever it was, but he couldn’t imagine Dorn living without servants and other comforts. They passed three metal doors, before the old man stopped and gestured them inside the fourth. Solomon entered at once and automatic lights flicked to life. The room was stark in its lack of decoration. Unadorned walls, smooth, steel floor and ceiling, all paint a neutral gray. Two cots sat against one wall and a desk with a computer sat next to the opposite wall. A second door, he assumed, led to a bathroom. All in all it was a good room to commit suicide in.
Dorn removed a collar from a hidden pocket in his robes and snapped it around Emily’s neck. “Turn around.”
Solomon did and a moment later the cuffs came off. His shoulders screamed when he moved his hands around to the front for the first time in he knew not how many hours. Dorn removed Emily’s cuffs and backed away toward the door. “Rest. Food will be brought for you shortly. I need you at your best for what I require. You will begin in ten hours.”
“What—” Dorn stepped out the door and it snapped shut. “Do you want me to do? Guess he’ll tell me later.”
Emily sat on the edge of the cot nearest the door and Solomon sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “The stun cuffs hurt, but only when the current runs through them. What are we going to do? How do you know that awful man?”
Solomon frowned. Where to begin? “Marcus and I did a job a few years ago. There was this girl, a little younger than you, on her world she was a princess, rich family, you get the idea. Somehow this guy, Dorn, arranged with the girl’s family to marry her off world then claim her money. Well she got wind of it and somehow got in touch with Marcus. She hired us to smuggle her back to her home planet. It was a near thing, but we managed it. The rulers of her planet, Tricella Prime, didn’t appreciate
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