Read Online In the Black by Sheryl Nantus - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sheryl Nantus
Ads: Link
somebody’s screen for chuckles and giggles. And you know there’s people who will do that.”
“Unfortunately I do.” Danforth put one hand on the hatch leading out of the hallway. “I’ll treat her as if she were my own daughter, take care of her right. Least I can do for her and her family.”
“Thank you.” Sam glanced upward. “Belle, let him out.”
The door unlocked and Danforth carefully crossed the threshold into the landing bay, placing his feet on the metal panels as full gravity took hold. The door swung shut as soon as he cleared it.
Sam glanced up and down the corridor, suddenly feeling self-conscious. The silence was uncomfortable, more suited to a library.
Or a morgue.
“Security Chief Huckness is waiting outside. I told him you were occupied. Now that Dr. Danforth is exiting, I’ll let him in.” Belle’s voice was soft but firm. “As you requested, he is alone.”
“Good.” Sam ran her palms over her thighs, wiping the sweat on the thin shorts. The cool air coming out of the vents didn’t seem to be making any difference. “Thank you.” She waited by the dead courtesan’s door and offered up a fast prayer for Halley. The woman might have been frustrating as hell but very few people deserved to die.
She went through another series of breathing exercises to settle herself and focus on the task at hand. Last thing she needed was to look like a weakling in front of the security chief.
Her ship, her responsibility.
She didn’t have to wait long for the chief. The hallway door swung open and shut within seconds. Belle was doing her best to make sure no one saw inside—not that there was anything to see other than Sam floating in front of a door.
Huckness swam toward her at a fast clip, the older man’s movements giving him away as a military veteran. One of the first things you learnt in boot camp was how to get the most out of every action in zero-g, and Huckness knew all the tricks. He’d kept his mag-boots turned off, choosing to get more mileage with measured movements in zero-g rather than exhaust himself walking down the center of the corridor making contact with the metal plates.
He wasn’t wearing the same grey jumpsuit everyone else was, and his black T-shirt and matching military-style pants marked him as someone not to mess with. There was no rank or insignia on his uniform but the way he carried himself said it all.
The chief stopped next to her, hovering in the air.
“Heard you got a problem bad enough to lock the base down.” His eyes flickered to the door before going back to lock with hers. “How bad we talking?”
“Dead woman.” There was no easy way to say it. “One of my girls.”
Huckness sucked in his breath through coffee-stained teeth. “Shit.”
“Indeed.” Sam spotted a fraction of a tattoo on his bicep peeking out from the black sleeve. “Third Corps?”
He grinned and tugged the fabric up to show the smiling skull. “Retired five years ago with full benefits. Just doing time here until I get enough saved up to go to a colony.” He squinted. “You got one?”
Sam smiled. “Not for public viewing. First Corps.”
“Ground pounder central.” He nodded. “Now that we’ve exchanged secret handshakes, what do you need from me?”
“M.O. already declared and I’ve put in the mandatory calls to the Guild and the Service. But now we’ve got a lot of horny miners sitting in our loading bay waiting to find out if they’re going to get laid or not. And we have to tell them it’s not. ” She pointed at the other cabins. “I know a few of the women still have customers. I’m going to send them out one by one to join the rest of the crowd but I need you to take statements from them first about what they may or may not have seen or heard. These suites are supposed to be soundproof but something might have gotten through or they might have spotted something on the way in for their appointments.”
He eyed her. “You’re thinking
“Unfortunately I do.” Danforth put one hand on the hatch leading out of the hallway. “I’ll treat her as if she were my own daughter, take care of her right. Least I can do for her and her family.”
“Thank you.” Sam glanced upward. “Belle, let him out.”
The door unlocked and Danforth carefully crossed the threshold into the landing bay, placing his feet on the metal panels as full gravity took hold. The door swung shut as soon as he cleared it.
Sam glanced up and down the corridor, suddenly feeling self-conscious. The silence was uncomfortable, more suited to a library.
Or a morgue.
“Security Chief Huckness is waiting outside. I told him you were occupied. Now that Dr. Danforth is exiting, I’ll let him in.” Belle’s voice was soft but firm. “As you requested, he is alone.”
“Good.” Sam ran her palms over her thighs, wiping the sweat on the thin shorts. The cool air coming out of the vents didn’t seem to be making any difference. “Thank you.” She waited by the dead courtesan’s door and offered up a fast prayer for Halley. The woman might have been frustrating as hell but very few people deserved to die.
She went through another series of breathing exercises to settle herself and focus on the task at hand. Last thing she needed was to look like a weakling in front of the security chief.
Her ship, her responsibility.
She didn’t have to wait long for the chief. The hallway door swung open and shut within seconds. Belle was doing her best to make sure no one saw inside—not that there was anything to see other than Sam floating in front of a door.
Huckness swam toward her at a fast clip, the older man’s movements giving him away as a military veteran. One of the first things you learnt in boot camp was how to get the most out of every action in zero-g, and Huckness knew all the tricks. He’d kept his mag-boots turned off, choosing to get more mileage with measured movements in zero-g rather than exhaust himself walking down the center of the corridor making contact with the metal plates.
He wasn’t wearing the same grey jumpsuit everyone else was, and his black T-shirt and matching military-style pants marked him as someone not to mess with. There was no rank or insignia on his uniform but the way he carried himself said it all.
The chief stopped next to her, hovering in the air.
“Heard you got a problem bad enough to lock the base down.” His eyes flickered to the door before going back to lock with hers. “How bad we talking?”
“Dead woman.” There was no easy way to say it. “One of my girls.”
Huckness sucked in his breath through coffee-stained teeth. “Shit.”
“Indeed.” Sam spotted a fraction of a tattoo on his bicep peeking out from the black sleeve. “Third Corps?”
He grinned and tugged the fabric up to show the smiling skull. “Retired five years ago with full benefits. Just doing time here until I get enough saved up to go to a colony.” He squinted. “You got one?”
Sam smiled. “Not for public viewing. First Corps.”
“Ground pounder central.” He nodded. “Now that we’ve exchanged secret handshakes, what do you need from me?”
“M.O. already declared and I’ve put in the mandatory calls to the Guild and the Service. But now we’ve got a lot of horny miners sitting in our loading bay waiting to find out if they’re going to get laid or not. And we have to tell them it’s not. ” She pointed at the other cabins. “I know a few of the women still have customers. I’m going to send them out one by one to join the rest of the crowd but I need you to take statements from them first about what they may or may not have seen or heard. These suites are supposed to be soundproof but something might have gotten through or they might have spotted something on the way in for their appointments.”
He eyed her. “You’re thinking
Similar Books
