Read Online Living in Freefall (Living on the Run Book 1) by Ben Patterson - Free Book Online
Authors: Ben Patterson
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great was the gamble to place a real bet on. He
was a momma’s boy, and Ericca doubted he’d ever break those bonds to stand on
his own two feet. She smiled, dipped her head, then headed out leaving Jordon
there confused. Before stepping through the hatch, she stopped. She didn’t want
to look back, but then again, she did. What would she find if she did? Unable
to help herself, she glanced back over her shoulder. Jordon had followed her to
his door and leaned against the jam to watch her go. For a fleeting instant,
she wanted to go back to him. She didn’t know why. She certainly didn’t know
what to say if she did. All she knew was, seeing him standing there looking
like a lost puppy watching her go, tugged at something deep inside
her—something strange—something foreign—something new.
“Ericca,” Archer’s voice crackled in her ear breaking the
spell, “ship’s ready. Where are you?”
She touched her cheek and pressed the embedded mic. “Copy, Archer.
On my way.” When she looked back up, Jordon was gone. Torn, she sighed, and
headed for her little recon ship.
Ericca stepped from the hallway into the cargo deck.
Mara— heading the other way —saw the chest and met her
with a sour face. “Got your gold. Now . . . I don’t expect you’ll be
back.” Her tone sounded more like an order than an accusation.
Too happy to do anything other than smile, Ericca thumbed
open the chest, drew out three large gold coins and fanned them like playing
cards for Mara to see all three.
“I don’t want your money, child, nor do I need a tip. That
you’re leaving is enough.”
Holding her smile, Ericca pocketed the three coins, closed
the lid, and shoved the box into Mara’s hands. “I’ll be back for that. Count on
it, witch.” Ericca stepped past the older woman, bumping her shoulder as she
went. A few steps beyond, a thought stopped her cold. Turning, she saw the
older woman just standing there watching her go. Ericca spun toward her and
recovered the chest with a yank. “What am I doing? Hell, I don’t even trust
you. And I certainly don’t need to prove anything to you .”
“Doesn’t matter, child. You already have.”
With Ericca’s love of speed, and Archer’s ever ready desire
to blast something, Viper was the answer to their dreams. They were
always eager to slide down into its tight cockpit and give it a whirl. And with
Rachel and Jordon’s enhancements, flying it always proved interesting.
To accommodate the little craft, Jordon and Rachel had
removed Freefall’s forward landing skid. They had deemed it worthless
anyway. They then turned the well into a proper shuttle berth for Viper .
The fit was snug, but with her winglets retracted, Ericca and Archer’s little
ship now had a proper home.
Now in Viper’s front seat, Ericca looked up through
the canopy and watched Freefall ’s latches release their ship. A
mechanical arm, formerly the skid strut, lowered them down and out of the
mother ship, and released them to open space. As the arm retracted, maneuvering
jets blew small puffs of air to move Viper further away from the larger
ship, clear of the berth and other obstructions.
“That is so strange,” Archer said from the back seat.
“What’s that?”
“I get a sense that Viper will never again rest in
that berth.”
“What?”
“Never mind. I’m just being silly. This recon trip should be
short and sweet, right?”
Ericca didn’t answer.
“Right, Ericca? We’ll be back lickety-split, huh?”
“Yeah, sure. Lickety-split.” Ericca was doing her own bit to
shake off the same feelings. His saying that unnerved her a little. She
refocused and ran deft fingers across her console controls, touching one icon
after the other. The thrusters fired, as she throttled forward to leave the
larger ship. The new engines seemed responsive and eager to please. But that odd
feeling of loss wouldn’t leave her.
Archer studied his scanner. To test his aim, he found
was a momma’s boy, and Ericca doubted he’d ever break those bonds to stand on
his own two feet. She smiled, dipped her head, then headed out leaving Jordon
there confused. Before stepping through the hatch, she stopped. She didn’t want
to look back, but then again, she did. What would she find if she did? Unable
to help herself, she glanced back over her shoulder. Jordon had followed her to
his door and leaned against the jam to watch her go. For a fleeting instant,
she wanted to go back to him. She didn’t know why. She certainly didn’t know
what to say if she did. All she knew was, seeing him standing there looking
like a lost puppy watching her go, tugged at something deep inside
her—something strange—something foreign—something new.
“Ericca,” Archer’s voice crackled in her ear breaking the
spell, “ship’s ready. Where are you?”
She touched her cheek and pressed the embedded mic. “Copy, Archer.
On my way.” When she looked back up, Jordon was gone. Torn, she sighed, and
headed for her little recon ship.
Ericca stepped from the hallway into the cargo deck.
Mara— heading the other way —saw the chest and met her
with a sour face. “Got your gold. Now . . . I don’t expect you’ll be
back.” Her tone sounded more like an order than an accusation.
Too happy to do anything other than smile, Ericca thumbed
open the chest, drew out three large gold coins and fanned them like playing
cards for Mara to see all three.
“I don’t want your money, child, nor do I need a tip. That
you’re leaving is enough.”
Holding her smile, Ericca pocketed the three coins, closed
the lid, and shoved the box into Mara’s hands. “I’ll be back for that. Count on
it, witch.” Ericca stepped past the older woman, bumping her shoulder as she
went. A few steps beyond, a thought stopped her cold. Turning, she saw the
older woman just standing there watching her go. Ericca spun toward her and
recovered the chest with a yank. “What am I doing? Hell, I don’t even trust
you. And I certainly don’t need to prove anything to you .”
“Doesn’t matter, child. You already have.”
With Ericca’s love of speed, and Archer’s ever ready desire
to blast something, Viper was the answer to their dreams. They were
always eager to slide down into its tight cockpit and give it a whirl. And with
Rachel and Jordon’s enhancements, flying it always proved interesting.
To accommodate the little craft, Jordon and Rachel had
removed Freefall’s forward landing skid. They had deemed it worthless
anyway. They then turned the well into a proper shuttle berth for Viper .
The fit was snug, but with her winglets retracted, Ericca and Archer’s little
ship now had a proper home.
Now in Viper’s front seat, Ericca looked up through
the canopy and watched Freefall ’s latches release their ship. A
mechanical arm, formerly the skid strut, lowered them down and out of the
mother ship, and released them to open space. As the arm retracted, maneuvering
jets blew small puffs of air to move Viper further away from the larger
ship, clear of the berth and other obstructions.
“That is so strange,” Archer said from the back seat.
“What’s that?”
“I get a sense that Viper will never again rest in
that berth.”
“What?”
“Never mind. I’m just being silly. This recon trip should be
short and sweet, right?”
Ericca didn’t answer.
“Right, Ericca? We’ll be back lickety-split, huh?”
“Yeah, sure. Lickety-split.” Ericca was doing her own bit to
shake off the same feelings. His saying that unnerved her a little. She
refocused and ran deft fingers across her console controls, touching one icon
after the other. The thrusters fired, as she throttled forward to leave the
larger ship. The new engines seemed responsive and eager to please. But that odd
feeling of loss wouldn’t leave her.
Archer studied his scanner. To test his aim, he found
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