Read Online Fool's Gold: Carson Lyle's War - Part One by Thomas J. Rock - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Thomas J. Rock
Tags: Military science fiction
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to tell you. Maybe they realized they didn't have a legal leg to stand on for charging me with anything, but Grey Corp's name is all over that contract. I would bet they're probably not so lucky. Someone might want to give them a heads up on that."
"Don't worry about them. Not your problem," said the man to his left.
Lyle scoffed. "The Authority has the ship and the cargo. If you want it so bad, you know where it is. I'm done with this job!"
Kagan laughed. "You're half right. We do know where the ship is, but you're not done with this job."
Lyle pointed to the tumbler on the table. "Have you been drinking this stuff?"
"So you're all talk, then?" Said Dex, the man to his right. "See? I told you guys, didn't I?"
"What the hell does that mean?" Lyle said, looking at the man and almost forgetting the situation he was in.
"Aren't you Carson Lyle? You're supposed to be the best. You deliver on time, every time."
Lyle stared at him, irritated. This whole deal was a fiasco fit for one of the bottom feeders. If he got out of this in one piece, he'd have a tough time living it down. This would follow a hauler's reputation around more than most other screw ups.
"And," Varga continued, "Carson Lyle is supposed to be the guy that does it better than the rest while telling the Authority to kiss it, all at the same time."
Kagan nodded. "He's got a point. You're not supposed to be one to tuck tale when the Authority throws a little interference your way."
Lyle shrunk, in the booth, just a little.
Kagan went on. "We're going to steal that ship, and our cargo, back. It would all work better if we had the ship's captain driving her." He looked around the room at the drunken malcontents in the bar. "That is unless you want one of these guys taking your best girl for a ride."
Lyle laughed. "I don't know how far you're going to get regardless of who's at the helm. I nearly ripped a booster off, coming through the gate. You'd make escape speed like it is, but not fast enough to steal a ship."
"The booster's fixed," said the man on the left. "They plan on taking the ship and the cargo back to Atlantia tonight."
Lyle was stunned. Not about the quick turnaround on the repair, but that they were able to get into the ship in the first place. The lock on the hatch should have blown a hole in the side of the ship too big to fix in two days. Dammit, it was the agents! Authority scumbags just having their way with the Old Girl…it was infuriating.
"I think the real Carson Lyle would want to take his ship back, and moon the Authority pukes with his cheeks pressed up against the cockpit glass as he flew off. Don't you think that would make a great story for your legend?"
"The real Caron Lyle has had kind of a bad week," Lyle said, picking up the drink, and turning it up to finish it off in one shot. It didn't burn as much this time. The nerve endings in his esophagus were probably shot already.
"The timetable is pretty tight. So we need an answer. You agree to help and we make it back to the Outer Rim, you'll still get paid…with the bonus," Kagan said. "How's that sound now?"
The offer caught his attention. Walking away from this mess with a million creds would help ease the pain, for sure. But stealing the ship from Authority impound? Who were these guys? Even if they did manage to get off the ground, the local Air Authority patrol would be on them before they got up to speed and they'd forced down or worse. On the other hand, helping would build some trust. Maybe he could use them in some way to find that mech commander after they got to the 501st?
"So what's your plan?"
"Unlike you," Kagan said, "Grey Corp doesn't like failing a customer. They've maneuvered things behind the scenes, at great expense, to give us a window of opportunity."
Lyle scoffed.
Kagan smiled. "It's all in the preparation."
Dex said, "Let's just say it won't be their pilot that'll show up at the dock on schedule tonight."
Lyle raised an eyebrow. "Do you know
"Don't worry about them. Not your problem," said the man to his left.
Lyle scoffed. "The Authority has the ship and the cargo. If you want it so bad, you know where it is. I'm done with this job!"
Kagan laughed. "You're half right. We do know where the ship is, but you're not done with this job."
Lyle pointed to the tumbler on the table. "Have you been drinking this stuff?"
"So you're all talk, then?" Said Dex, the man to his right. "See? I told you guys, didn't I?"
"What the hell does that mean?" Lyle said, looking at the man and almost forgetting the situation he was in.
"Aren't you Carson Lyle? You're supposed to be the best. You deliver on time, every time."
Lyle stared at him, irritated. This whole deal was a fiasco fit for one of the bottom feeders. If he got out of this in one piece, he'd have a tough time living it down. This would follow a hauler's reputation around more than most other screw ups.
"And," Varga continued, "Carson Lyle is supposed to be the guy that does it better than the rest while telling the Authority to kiss it, all at the same time."
Kagan nodded. "He's got a point. You're not supposed to be one to tuck tale when the Authority throws a little interference your way."
Lyle shrunk, in the booth, just a little.
Kagan went on. "We're going to steal that ship, and our cargo, back. It would all work better if we had the ship's captain driving her." He looked around the room at the drunken malcontents in the bar. "That is unless you want one of these guys taking your best girl for a ride."
Lyle laughed. "I don't know how far you're going to get regardless of who's at the helm. I nearly ripped a booster off, coming through the gate. You'd make escape speed like it is, but not fast enough to steal a ship."
"The booster's fixed," said the man on the left. "They plan on taking the ship and the cargo back to Atlantia tonight."
Lyle was stunned. Not about the quick turnaround on the repair, but that they were able to get into the ship in the first place. The lock on the hatch should have blown a hole in the side of the ship too big to fix in two days. Dammit, it was the agents! Authority scumbags just having their way with the Old Girl…it was infuriating.
"I think the real Carson Lyle would want to take his ship back, and moon the Authority pukes with his cheeks pressed up against the cockpit glass as he flew off. Don't you think that would make a great story for your legend?"
"The real Caron Lyle has had kind of a bad week," Lyle said, picking up the drink, and turning it up to finish it off in one shot. It didn't burn as much this time. The nerve endings in his esophagus were probably shot already.
"The timetable is pretty tight. So we need an answer. You agree to help and we make it back to the Outer Rim, you'll still get paid…with the bonus," Kagan said. "How's that sound now?"
The offer caught his attention. Walking away from this mess with a million creds would help ease the pain, for sure. But stealing the ship from Authority impound? Who were these guys? Even if they did manage to get off the ground, the local Air Authority patrol would be on them before they got up to speed and they'd forced down or worse. On the other hand, helping would build some trust. Maybe he could use them in some way to find that mech commander after they got to the 501st?
"So what's your plan?"
"Unlike you," Kagan said, "Grey Corp doesn't like failing a customer. They've maneuvered things behind the scenes, at great expense, to give us a window of opportunity."
Lyle scoffed.
Kagan smiled. "It's all in the preparation."
Dex said, "Let's just say it won't be their pilot that'll show up at the dock on schedule tonight."
Lyle raised an eyebrow. "Do you know
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