Read Online Reavers (Book 3) by Benjamin Schramm - Free Book Online

the rest of the crew slept, they would mop floors and scrub walls until their hands were sore.
    The second in command was an unassuming man.  He had an average height, an average weight, and a completely forgettable face.  Andreas seemed average in every respect, save for his attention to detail.  Nothing got past him.  If any of the new crewmembers missed a single spot scrubbing the floor plates, it would be the first place his eyes would wander.  Finally, Tardos finished.  This had to have been the third time he’d cleaned this particular section.  Andreas gingerly walked into the corridor and surveyed the job just completed.  Tardos waited for the bad news.
    “Good job,” Andreas said at last.  “You finally got it right.”
    “About time,” Rosalyn said with grin.
    Tardos spun in place.  He had been so focused on Andreas he hadn’t noticed her arrival.  He had known the captain was a beauty, but now she was flaunting it.  Her outfit hugged her curves while exposing a bit of skin here and there.  From the way Andreas stiffened, it was obvious he wasn’t comfortable with her attire.  As Tardos was about to address the captain, he realized she wasn’t looking at him.  In fact, she wasn’t looking at Andreas either.  Following her gaze, he found she was locked on Kevin. 
    Instinctively Tardos started biting his lower lip, a bad habit he couldn’t shake.  Kevin was sleeping against the wall.  Winking at Andreas, Rosalyn nodded toward the sleeping figure.  Tardos’ stomach started to churn as Andreas silently closed on Kevin.  Whatever the pair had planned, it wouldn’t be pleasant.  Andreas reached down and lifted the bucket of dirty water the two had been using to clean the floor.  As he brought the bucket over the sleeping man’s head, Tardos forced his eyes to remain open.  Just as he started to spill the bucket, Kevin’s eyes flashed open.
    Startled, Andreas jumped back sending the bucket flying into the air.  With a single graceful motion, Kevin rose to his feet, crossed the room, grabbed Rosalyn with one arm and spun around to catch the falling bucket with the other arm.  Not one drop escaped from the plummeting bucket.  Tardos had to blink to make sure he wasn’t dreaming the whole thing.
    For a while, they all stared at the young man in stunned silence.  After several silent moments, Andreas forcefully cleared his throat.  Rosalyn looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  With a shrug he gestured toward Kevin.  For the first time, she realized her close proximity to the man who still had his arm wrapped around her waist.  With a forceful shove and a mild blush, Rosalyn moved away from Kevin.
    “If you ever do that again I’ll . . .”
    “I didn’t want to ruin your dress,” Kevin said quickly, interrupting.  “Although, if you want, I’ll let the bucket land squarely on your head next time.”
    Again the three stared at Kevin in surprise.
    “So you can speak,” Andreas said, making a note on his pad.  “Took you long enough.”
    “You wanted us to learn the layout of the ship,” Kevin said, handing over the bucket.  “Didn’t think anything I could say would contribute.”
    “How did . . .”
    “Why else would the captain and her second in command personally watch us clean?” he asked as if it was obvious.
    “. . . If that’s true, did we pass?” Tardos asked.
    “You’re slipping, Andreas,” Rosalyn said with a snicker.
    “Just a fluke,” he said indignantly.  “They are the only ones to see through the exercise.”
    “I don’t really care,” she said with a quick shrug.  “It’s about time we got to business anyway.”
    “Business?” Tardos asked curiously.
    “We’ve had to wait two weeks for you and the others to fully join the crew,” Andreas said, studying Kevin.  “That’s two weeks of targets we’ve had to pass on while you got up to speed.”
    “So, do you have a target in mind now?” Tardos asked.
    “Why do you care?”