Read Online Dark Run by Mike Brooks - Free Book Online

head. ‘No. But when I don’t know the cargo and I don’t know the employer, I start to get a little . . . twitchy.’
    ‘A long time ago, when we first started working together, you said the only thing you wouldn’t ’ port is slaves,’ Drift reminded her. ‘The cargo isn’t alive, so . . .’ He shrugged, trying to hide the sudden uncomfortable realisation that actually he had no idea if that was true. He’d have assumed that Kelsier would have said, but . . .
    ‘I also don’t like not knowing who I’m working for,’ Rourke sighed, eyes drifting along the ceiling, from ventilation unit to light fitting. Her gaze had a tendency to wander upwards no matter where she was, Drift had noticed. It had confused him until he’d realised it was probably an old reflex; looking for bugging devices indoors, searching for snipers on rooftops outside. ‘And I’ve got to say, given that, I think you should have gotten my opinion before you committed to this.’ Her eyes snapped back to his. ‘Or did you forget the last time we took on a job without knowing our employer?’
    Drift grimaced. They hadn’t even been doing anything that illegal: the booze they’d been moving wasn’t contraband in and of itself, they’d just been asked to slip it past customs to avoid tax. Unfortunately it had transpired that the warehouse they were delivering to belonged to the gang Apirana had run with in his younger days, and they didn’t take kindly to ‘deserters’. The sight of the big Maori’s distinctive t a¯ moko when he appeared with a crate over each shoulder had sparked off a fight which had left Rourke with a bullet in her shoulder, two of the warehousemen bleeding and one probably dead, and Apirana in a blistering rage which had seen him destroy most of the galley before Kuai had been able to calm him down. The only mercy was that the incident had flown completely under the radar of the local Justices, since neither side had been eager to attract their attention.
    ‘There won’t be anything like that,’ Drift assured her.
    ‘Then why are you so twitchy?’
    Drift adopted an expression of puzzlement.‘What?’
    ‘I’ve flown with you longer than anyone else,’ Rourke said levelly, ‘and I know you better than anyone on this boat does. You haven’t been yourself since you came back from High Under.’
    ‘I . . .’ Drift’s usual carefree grin didn’t seem to want to materialise. He was so used to Rourke’s emotions being virtually unreadable that he’d almost forgotten she could still pick up on other people’s. ‘No, that’s . . .’
    ‘The way you yelled at the Changs,’ Rourke said, ‘the way you fronted up to Micah; you’ve never given him an ultimatum like that before.’
    ‘Maybe I should have,’ Drift muttered.
    ‘I’m not necessarily disagreeing,’ Rourke allowed, ‘but it’s not like you . You can’t even string a sentence together to try to convince me you’re fine. The only time your silver tongue usually stops is when you’re asleep, and I’m not even certain about that.’
    Drift affected an affronted glare. ‘When have you watched me sleeping?’
    ‘Don’t try to change the subject.’ Rourke’s dark eyes were steady, but there was something odd in the lines of her face. Sweet Jesu, I’ve kept her in the dark about this job and she’s worried about me! His stomach twisted again. He’d always tried to be careful about developing attachments to his crew, because if someone wasn’t pulling their weight then sentimentality could endanger everyone, but he couldn’t even pretend to himself that Rourke hadn’t become a friend. A taciturn and reserved friend, certainly, and not exactly a shoulder to cry on, but a friend nonetheless. For a moment he had an impulse to tell her everything, to explain about the barrel Kelsier had him over and the threats which had been made.
    But for someone to understand all of the threats, they need to understand what’s at stake for me. And