Read Online No More Heroes: In the Wake of the Templars Book Three by Loren Rhoads - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Loren Rhoads
Ads: Link
and Vezali. This is something else.”
Raena scanned the street. Other than the people immediately nearby reacting to the unconscious bounty hunter, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“What do we do?”
“I need to get back to the ship and get myself armed up. Then we need to figure out who put a bounty on me and if there’s a way to settle it. I should’ve let him tell me what I was charged with, but his gun was too jittery against my head. I thought he’d shoot me before he spit it out.”
“What can I do?” Coni asked.
“Comm everyone. Keep them off the ship. If anyone’s looking for me on Lautan, they’ll loiter around the Veracity . I want you all to be safe. Why don’t you set us a meeting somewhere for a late lunch, so we can discuss whether we’re getting out of here all together or if I’m finding my own way forward.”
Raena stuck out her arm so suddenly that Coni jumped. A taxi pulled up in front of them.
Coni followed her into the car. “I’m coming back to the ship with you,” she said. “I’d feel better if I got armed up, too.”
Raena considered arguing, but Coni was mature enough to understand what she was getting into. She relented. “If I tell you to run, don’t look back.”
“I trust you,” Coni said. Raena hoped that would keep the blue girl safe.
* * *
Haoun wasn’t surprised to wake and find Raena gone. He knew she suffered from insomnia. Still, he felt disappointed to be alone. Already he had gotten used to having her warmth pressed up against him.
He crawled out of the nest of blankets and stretched. He had a little shopping left to do, some games he wanted to pick up for the Veracity , some snacks he wanted to stock up on. Who knew how long it might be before they made planetfall again? Wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.
As he looked for breakfast, he passed a shop that seemed to sell nothing but scarves. A hundred or so fluttered in the breeze blowing off the ocean. Must be a storm coming in, he thought.
He nearly passed the shop by before a scarf caught his eye. It mimicked the green of his scales, shot through with gold thread. The way the semi-sheer fabric flashed and floated on the breeze made him halt.
It was certainly too early in their relationship to be buying Raena gifts. Still, the color seemed so perfect that Haoun couldn’t resist.
As he paid the stick creature who owned the shop, a herd of Planetary Security tromped by. Both Haoun and the clerk turned to watch them go.
“Starting early today,” the shopkeeper muttered.
“What’s that?” Haoun wondered.
“Bullies flexing their muscles.” The stick creature folded the scarf into an elaborate bird, which lay flat and weighed almost nothing in Haoun’s hand. “Everyone’s tense about the lack of visitors, but Planetary Security has decided to stomp around ‘keeping order’ by intimidating anyone who’s left.”
Haoun’s comm bracelet chirped.
“Sorry,” the creature said brightly, changing the subject. “What I mean to say is: Enjoy your visit to Lautan.”
Haoun nodded, distracted. “Thanks.”
CHAPTER 4
D uring the course of their taxi ride to the spaceport, Lautan’s skies opened up. Rain beat down in sheets, punctuated by great tearing rumbles of thunder. Raena’s plan had been to find a way up onto the spaceport’s roof and go in over the top, avoiding anyone looking for her on the ground. Thunder put an end to that. She didn’t want to be a target for lightning up on the roof. She’d have to walk in at street level like everyone else.
Actually, a good hard rain could be useful. It would drive most creatures under cover to wait it out. There might be more people standing around than usual, but fewer would be moving around out in the wet. That would limit the number of moving pieces she needed to track.
She directed the taxi to pull over at the edge of the spaceport. This would be the worst part, she suspected. Plenty of watchers loitered under awnings or
Raena scanned the street. Other than the people immediately nearby reacting to the unconscious bounty hunter, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“What do we do?”
“I need to get back to the ship and get myself armed up. Then we need to figure out who put a bounty on me and if there’s a way to settle it. I should’ve let him tell me what I was charged with, but his gun was too jittery against my head. I thought he’d shoot me before he spit it out.”
“What can I do?” Coni asked.
“Comm everyone. Keep them off the ship. If anyone’s looking for me on Lautan, they’ll loiter around the Veracity . I want you all to be safe. Why don’t you set us a meeting somewhere for a late lunch, so we can discuss whether we’re getting out of here all together or if I’m finding my own way forward.”
Raena stuck out her arm so suddenly that Coni jumped. A taxi pulled up in front of them.
Coni followed her into the car. “I’m coming back to the ship with you,” she said. “I’d feel better if I got armed up, too.”
Raena considered arguing, but Coni was mature enough to understand what she was getting into. She relented. “If I tell you to run, don’t look back.”
“I trust you,” Coni said. Raena hoped that would keep the blue girl safe.
* * *
Haoun wasn’t surprised to wake and find Raena gone. He knew she suffered from insomnia. Still, he felt disappointed to be alone. Already he had gotten used to having her warmth pressed up against him.
He crawled out of the nest of blankets and stretched. He had a little shopping left to do, some games he wanted to pick up for the Veracity , some snacks he wanted to stock up on. Who knew how long it might be before they made planetfall again? Wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.
As he looked for breakfast, he passed a shop that seemed to sell nothing but scarves. A hundred or so fluttered in the breeze blowing off the ocean. Must be a storm coming in, he thought.
He nearly passed the shop by before a scarf caught his eye. It mimicked the green of his scales, shot through with gold thread. The way the semi-sheer fabric flashed and floated on the breeze made him halt.
It was certainly too early in their relationship to be buying Raena gifts. Still, the color seemed so perfect that Haoun couldn’t resist.
As he paid the stick creature who owned the shop, a herd of Planetary Security tromped by. Both Haoun and the clerk turned to watch them go.
“Starting early today,” the shopkeeper muttered.
“What’s that?” Haoun wondered.
“Bullies flexing their muscles.” The stick creature folded the scarf into an elaborate bird, which lay flat and weighed almost nothing in Haoun’s hand. “Everyone’s tense about the lack of visitors, but Planetary Security has decided to stomp around ‘keeping order’ by intimidating anyone who’s left.”
Haoun’s comm bracelet chirped.
“Sorry,” the creature said brightly, changing the subject. “What I mean to say is: Enjoy your visit to Lautan.”
Haoun nodded, distracted. “Thanks.”
CHAPTER 4
D uring the course of their taxi ride to the spaceport, Lautan’s skies opened up. Rain beat down in sheets, punctuated by great tearing rumbles of thunder. Raena’s plan had been to find a way up onto the spaceport’s roof and go in over the top, avoiding anyone looking for her on the ground. Thunder put an end to that. She didn’t want to be a target for lightning up on the roof. She’d have to walk in at street level like everyone else.
Actually, a good hard rain could be useful. It would drive most creatures under cover to wait it out. There might be more people standing around than usual, but fewer would be moving around out in the wet. That would limit the number of moving pieces she needed to track.
She directed the taxi to pull over at the edge of the spaceport. This would be the worst part, she suspected. Plenty of watchers loitered under awnings or
Similar Books
