Read Online Hard Luck Hank: Delovoa & Early Years by Steven Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Steven Campbell
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asleep, just resting my eyes.”
I wanted to hit him, but I needed him. That was
a cushy job being smart. You could be as big a prick as you wanted and no one
could do anything to you.
The Rettosians were coming to Belvaille.
The Rettosians were an empire distinct from the
Colmarian Confederation.
Their entire race looked like they were
perpetually melting. As if a normal Colmarian had been made out of wax and was
being heated. Yet they never slumped or exhausted themselves. They just oozed.
They were a well-established race and it was very peculiar for them to be
visiting a place such as Belvaille, which was far from their empire and of no
strategic importance.
They were sending a whole diplomatic envoy. For
what purpose, it was unknown.
The station went into high gear, however. We
expected them to arrive within a few weeks and we wanted to have all our
operations, legal and otherwise, in order.
The Rettosians had a reputation of being snobby
and only preferring the finer things in the galaxy. They wouldn’t stand a dirty
casino—at least that’s what we expected.
Even the Knuckle Squads stopped knuckling once
word got out about the impending visit. The soldiers marched wherever they went
and they wore their dress uniforms.
I was eager for the ship to arrive, as I hoped
that might help our current problems with the Adjunct Overwatch.
Time passed and we finally got word the
Rettosian ship had passed the Portal. It was only a matter of it navigating the
last bit to Belvaille and docking.
“Hank,” Delovoa whispered to me on his tele.
“What?”
“The Adjunct Overwatch is here.”
“Where?”
“My house. In my living room.”
“Now?”
“No, in the future, I’m a time traveler. Yes,
now,” he hissed.
“I’ll be right there!”
I hustled to the train as fast as I could. This
wasn’t how I had planned things.
“Adjunct Overwatch Monhsendary, what are you
doing here?” I asked, as he emerged from Delovoa’s home. He had three soldiers
accompanying him.
“Where I go is none of your concern,” he
replied.
“But shouldn’t you be welcoming the Rettosians?
They’ll be here any moment.”
He squinted at me, as if I were some perplexing
creature.
“Just because we spoke once, do not think we
are on familiar terms. Go back to your home or your place of employment before
I have you chastised.”
The soldiers puffed themselves up, showing they
were ready for a fight. I didn’t have time for this.
I reached into my jacket and pulled out my
four-barreled shotgun.
The soldiers drew faster and fired at me.
Blam! Blam! Blam!
“Ow! Ow! Ow!”
I aimed carefully and fired a tube of buckshot
at one soldier, roughly in the legs. He screamed and fell in a bloody mess.
The soldiers unloaded now and I covered myself
with my arms.
“Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!”
When I heard their guns clicked empty, I looked
up and pointed my shotgun at another soldier.
“You want to do this the easy way or the hard
way?”
He began to reload his gun.
“Really?”
I fired another buckshot tube, this time aiming
for the chest, which was partially covered by his arms and the gun he was
reloading.
He went down without a sound, his arms and
chest mangled.
I pointed the shotgun at the last soldier.
“Same question.”
He dropped his gun. So two out of three
soldiers had some level of common sense.
“What is the meaning of this? This is treason!”
The Adjunct Overwatch declared. As if he was shocked that he wasn’t the most
popular guy in the city.
“Delovoa!” I yelled.
I had seen him peeking from his doorway.
“Yes?”
“Tie this guy up,” I said, indicating the last
soldier.
Delovoa looked at him. The soldier looked at
Delovoa.
“No.”
“What? Come on, I need to get going.”
“I’ll have tea with him. Would you like some
tea?”
The soldier blinked, gazed at his injured
companions.
“Sure,” he said, as if there was a choice.
He walked over to Delovoa’s front
I wanted to hit him, but I needed him. That was
a cushy job being smart. You could be as big a prick as you wanted and no one
could do anything to you.
The Rettosians were coming to Belvaille.
The Rettosians were an empire distinct from the
Colmarian Confederation.
Their entire race looked like they were
perpetually melting. As if a normal Colmarian had been made out of wax and was
being heated. Yet they never slumped or exhausted themselves. They just oozed.
They were a well-established race and it was very peculiar for them to be
visiting a place such as Belvaille, which was far from their empire and of no
strategic importance.
They were sending a whole diplomatic envoy. For
what purpose, it was unknown.
The station went into high gear, however. We
expected them to arrive within a few weeks and we wanted to have all our
operations, legal and otherwise, in order.
The Rettosians had a reputation of being snobby
and only preferring the finer things in the galaxy. They wouldn’t stand a dirty
casino—at least that’s what we expected.
Even the Knuckle Squads stopped knuckling once
word got out about the impending visit. The soldiers marched wherever they went
and they wore their dress uniforms.
I was eager for the ship to arrive, as I hoped
that might help our current problems with the Adjunct Overwatch.
Time passed and we finally got word the
Rettosian ship had passed the Portal. It was only a matter of it navigating the
last bit to Belvaille and docking.
“Hank,” Delovoa whispered to me on his tele.
“What?”
“The Adjunct Overwatch is here.”
“Where?”
“My house. In my living room.”
“Now?”
“No, in the future, I’m a time traveler. Yes,
now,” he hissed.
“I’ll be right there!”
I hustled to the train as fast as I could. This
wasn’t how I had planned things.
“Adjunct Overwatch Monhsendary, what are you
doing here?” I asked, as he emerged from Delovoa’s home. He had three soldiers
accompanying him.
“Where I go is none of your concern,” he
replied.
“But shouldn’t you be welcoming the Rettosians?
They’ll be here any moment.”
He squinted at me, as if I were some perplexing
creature.
“Just because we spoke once, do not think we
are on familiar terms. Go back to your home or your place of employment before
I have you chastised.”
The soldiers puffed themselves up, showing they
were ready for a fight. I didn’t have time for this.
I reached into my jacket and pulled out my
four-barreled shotgun.
The soldiers drew faster and fired at me.
Blam! Blam! Blam!
“Ow! Ow! Ow!”
I aimed carefully and fired a tube of buckshot
at one soldier, roughly in the legs. He screamed and fell in a bloody mess.
The soldiers unloaded now and I covered myself
with my arms.
“Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!”
When I heard their guns clicked empty, I looked
up and pointed my shotgun at another soldier.
“You want to do this the easy way or the hard
way?”
He began to reload his gun.
“Really?”
I fired another buckshot tube, this time aiming
for the chest, which was partially covered by his arms and the gun he was
reloading.
He went down without a sound, his arms and
chest mangled.
I pointed the shotgun at the last soldier.
“Same question.”
He dropped his gun. So two out of three
soldiers had some level of common sense.
“What is the meaning of this? This is treason!”
The Adjunct Overwatch declared. As if he was shocked that he wasn’t the most
popular guy in the city.
“Delovoa!” I yelled.
I had seen him peeking from his doorway.
“Yes?”
“Tie this guy up,” I said, indicating the last
soldier.
Delovoa looked at him. The soldier looked at
Delovoa.
“No.”
“What? Come on, I need to get going.”
“I’ll have tea with him. Would you like some
tea?”
The soldier blinked, gazed at his injured
companions.
“Sure,” he said, as if there was a choice.
He walked over to Delovoa’s front
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