red hair immediately responded. “Come inside, have a cup of brew.”
She shot through the door even before it slid open completely, Rygard a half step behind her.
“Boggle, please tell me why the corridor is freaking sub-zero.” Her voice pitched to be pleasant, but Boggle was a smart little techno-geek. He had the grace to look nervous and wisely handed her a steaming beaker of richly fragrant coffee.
“We had some intruders prowling.” Boggle turned and sloshed another serving of coffee into a fresh beaker, before turning his servo-driven chair to face them, holding it out to Rygard. “The usual precautions weren’t a sufficient deterrent, so we adjusted the environmental controls until they responded as desired and took themselves out.”
“Were they humanoid?”
Boggle shoved a handful of snack crisps in his mouth, crunching loudly. “Remotely.”
She held her breath to avoid the combination of masticated carbs as his words sent crumbs toward her. She wondered if he’d had the same visitors she and Rygard entertained earlier. “Feline characteristics?”
He gulped down coffee in a loud chug, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before shaking his head. “Reptilian.”
“Sket’zes.” Rygard didn’t bother to hide his distaste. “If they’re on base, the black market auction will be held soon.”
“You looking to buy something?” Boggle belched and turned to his console.
“More like reclaim some merchandise before it goes off station,” she clarified.
Chubby fingers froze on the console, then a few screens cleared and new ones were brought up as Boggle reset his parameters. “Specs on the merchandise?”
“Live.” She wasn’t sure what sort of specifications to provide, but figured she’d give it a try and he’d let her know what else he needed. They were still working out this whole friends-with-information thing. “Small feline cubs, probably to be sold as exotic pets.”
Staccato taps beat out a speedy rhythm on the console as he entered the search parameters and began hacking through various databases. He talked while he worked, his attention fastened to the display. “Very unusual merchandise, exotic animals for pets. Only wealthy buyers for those, with the means to put the animals through decontam and bypass customs procedures on their home planet. Means the merchants are specialized too, with characteristic systems set up for maintenance and care of the animals while they’re on station. They’ll have sophisticated security and private guards.”
“Find them.” Kaitlyn didn’t worry. Anything on station, she could handle alone. “Any intel you can give me to locate them is key, additional support for planning to get them out is bonus.”
“You just going to walk in, take them, and walk out again?” The incredulous tone of Rygard’s voice pushed an internal button…or three. “I know these types. Shady isn’t the word for them.”
She turned, slowly, to look at him for the first time since they’d left the hotel room. The entire journey—and she’d made sure to take the long and confusing route to Boggle’s safe house—had provided time to find her center again.
“You might have intimate knowledge of me, but you don’t know me. You’ve made that abundantly clear.” She held up the comp holding Rygard’s background data. “I’m about to study up on you and make a few communications. While I’m gone, I suggest you absorb a few truths about me. Boggle will give you my background files.”
The best she could make herself do. She couldn’t tell him her story, couldn’t open up enough. Not face-to-face and not when he obviously thought of her as out to ensnare him. But she could still provide the answer to his earlier question.
“Boggle.” She made his name a request. Her new friend didn’t disappoint her. His focus still on the display, he nodded and made a shooing motion with one hand.
She turned on her heel and left.
Hell. To be
She shot through the door even before it slid open completely, Rygard a half step behind her.
“Boggle, please tell me why the corridor is freaking sub-zero.” Her voice pitched to be pleasant, but Boggle was a smart little techno-geek. He had the grace to look nervous and wisely handed her a steaming beaker of richly fragrant coffee.
“We had some intruders prowling.” Boggle turned and sloshed another serving of coffee into a fresh beaker, before turning his servo-driven chair to face them, holding it out to Rygard. “The usual precautions weren’t a sufficient deterrent, so we adjusted the environmental controls until they responded as desired and took themselves out.”
“Were they humanoid?”
Boggle shoved a handful of snack crisps in his mouth, crunching loudly. “Remotely.”
She held her breath to avoid the combination of masticated carbs as his words sent crumbs toward her. She wondered if he’d had the same visitors she and Rygard entertained earlier. “Feline characteristics?”
He gulped down coffee in a loud chug, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before shaking his head. “Reptilian.”
“Sket’zes.” Rygard didn’t bother to hide his distaste. “If they’re on base, the black market auction will be held soon.”
“You looking to buy something?” Boggle belched and turned to his console.
“More like reclaim some merchandise before it goes off station,” she clarified.
Chubby fingers froze on the console, then a few screens cleared and new ones were brought up as Boggle reset his parameters. “Specs on the merchandise?”
“Live.” She wasn’t sure what sort of specifications to provide, but figured she’d give it a try and he’d let her know what else he needed. They were still working out this whole friends-with-information thing. “Small feline cubs, probably to be sold as exotic pets.”
Staccato taps beat out a speedy rhythm on the console as he entered the search parameters and began hacking through various databases. He talked while he worked, his attention fastened to the display. “Very unusual merchandise, exotic animals for pets. Only wealthy buyers for those, with the means to put the animals through decontam and bypass customs procedures on their home planet. Means the merchants are specialized too, with characteristic systems set up for maintenance and care of the animals while they’re on station. They’ll have sophisticated security and private guards.”
“Find them.” Kaitlyn didn’t worry. Anything on station, she could handle alone. “Any intel you can give me to locate them is key, additional support for planning to get them out is bonus.”
“You just going to walk in, take them, and walk out again?” The incredulous tone of Rygard’s voice pushed an internal button…or three. “I know these types. Shady isn’t the word for them.”
She turned, slowly, to look at him for the first time since they’d left the hotel room. The entire journey—and she’d made sure to take the long and confusing route to Boggle’s safe house—had provided time to find her center again.
“You might have intimate knowledge of me, but you don’t know me. You’ve made that abundantly clear.” She held up the comp holding Rygard’s background data. “I’m about to study up on you and make a few communications. While I’m gone, I suggest you absorb a few truths about me. Boggle will give you my background files.”
The best she could make herself do. She couldn’t tell him her story, couldn’t open up enough. Not face-to-face and not when he obviously thought of her as out to ensnare him. But she could still provide the answer to his earlier question.
“Boggle.” She made his name a request. Her new friend didn’t disappoint her. His focus still on the display, he nodded and made a shooing motion with one hand.
She turned on her heel and left.
Hell. To be
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