to
this, Gem?”
She sighed. “We can’t take you with us. Not
this time. I’m sorry.”
He glanced to the side. “Take Jaq, then.” He
looked back at Gem, his eyes hard. “He’s an old man, but he’s still
good in a fight.”
“You getting in, ladies?” their driver
called out.
“Just a sec,” Gem replied. Brandy climbed
into the vehicle.
For a moment, Gem looked at Blue. She
pondered the dangers she’d already been subjected to, and what
might yet lurk in her future. After only a second she said, “Go get
him.”
Blue ran inside the inn and came out with
Jaq in under a minute. Whatever he’d said to the old man must have
been persuasive, because Jaq looked obstinate. The old man took one
look at Gem’s gun and held out his hand. “Give me that before you
hurt yourself, and get in. I don’t have all day.”
Gem did as he asked, slid into the transport
and watched as Jaq buckled her holster around his slim hips. By the
time she glanced out the window, the transport had already pulled
away from the curb. Disquiet settled in the pit of her stomach.
“What did Blue say to you, Jaq?” she
asked.
The old man looked at her sideways. “He
said, ‘That damn fool woman is leaving with her brainless sister
and thinks she’s protected.’ I put Helda in charge and came out to
babysit.” A small smile played at his mouth.
Brandy snorted in disgust and looked out the
opposite window.
Gem closed her eyes and smiled. Helda was a
formidable woman; skinny, silent and fierce, the old blonde could
terrorize the meanest drunk with a look, just by opening her eyes
wide. But that wasn’t why she was smiling.
“Do you like him, Jaq?”
The old man glanced at her sidelong. “He’s
all right.”
It was high praise, coming from Jaq. Gem
looked out the window and tried to think reasonable thoughts.
The town whizzed by, sleek glass-and-steel
blocks capped by some domes and spires. Here and there an old
stone-fronted building elbowed aside more modern structures,
testament to some rebellious architect. Gem loved the chaos, the
mix of styles of Polaris; it fit the residents. Human and alien,
all lived together in harmony most of the time.
There were a lot of people out and about,
many of them stained blue by mine dust. Some walked, some rode
motor boards or electronic bikes, and there seemed to be more of
them every day. Polaris was changing. It wasn’t much like when
she’d grown up.
She shook her head, dislodging the disquiet
growing there. It was only the recent troubles that had gotten to
her. She loved this place, never wanted to leave. It would take
more than an assassin out for her blood to drive her off. She
planned to hide herself in The Spark and let it protect her. She’d
never need anything else.
It was a fifteen-minute drive to the
military base that was their destination. Gem was belatedly glad
they’d brought Jaq: he made the check-in easy by flashing his
military ID. They were waved inside.
Jaq raised a brow as they stopped at the cop
shop. “You checking up on Blue?”
Gem met his eyes. “Wouldn’t you?”
The old man shrugged and got out. Wondering
at his unconcern, Gem paid the driver and followed.
Like most such places, the military police
station was strictly utilitarian and unfriendly. The austere
atmosphere of the base combined with the air of authority
intimidated her, but Gem concealed that fact as she walked up to
the receptionist and introduced herself. “I need to see someone in
charge,” she added.
“Concerning?” The woman looked at Gem
expectantly. Her short brown hair was held up with a number of
clips and matched the brown spots on her camouflage uniform.
“Concerning an ongoing investigation about
someone who’s shooting at me, and about a veteran I have working
for my family.”
The woman hesitated, her finger hovering
over a buzzer. She got up instead. “One moment. I’ll see if the
chief is in.”
They watched her knock on the chief’s door
and then
this, Gem?”
She sighed. “We can’t take you with us. Not
this time. I’m sorry.”
He glanced to the side. “Take Jaq, then.” He
looked back at Gem, his eyes hard. “He’s an old man, but he’s still
good in a fight.”
“You getting in, ladies?” their driver
called out.
“Just a sec,” Gem replied. Brandy climbed
into the vehicle.
For a moment, Gem looked at Blue. She
pondered the dangers she’d already been subjected to, and what
might yet lurk in her future. After only a second she said, “Go get
him.”
Blue ran inside the inn and came out with
Jaq in under a minute. Whatever he’d said to the old man must have
been persuasive, because Jaq looked obstinate. The old man took one
look at Gem’s gun and held out his hand. “Give me that before you
hurt yourself, and get in. I don’t have all day.”
Gem did as he asked, slid into the transport
and watched as Jaq buckled her holster around his slim hips. By the
time she glanced out the window, the transport had already pulled
away from the curb. Disquiet settled in the pit of her stomach.
“What did Blue say to you, Jaq?” she
asked.
The old man looked at her sideways. “He
said, ‘That damn fool woman is leaving with her brainless sister
and thinks she’s protected.’ I put Helda in charge and came out to
babysit.” A small smile played at his mouth.
Brandy snorted in disgust and looked out the
opposite window.
Gem closed her eyes and smiled. Helda was a
formidable woman; skinny, silent and fierce, the old blonde could
terrorize the meanest drunk with a look, just by opening her eyes
wide. But that wasn’t why she was smiling.
“Do you like him, Jaq?”
The old man glanced at her sidelong. “He’s
all right.”
It was high praise, coming from Jaq. Gem
looked out the window and tried to think reasonable thoughts.
The town whizzed by, sleek glass-and-steel
blocks capped by some domes and spires. Here and there an old
stone-fronted building elbowed aside more modern structures,
testament to some rebellious architect. Gem loved the chaos, the
mix of styles of Polaris; it fit the residents. Human and alien,
all lived together in harmony most of the time.
There were a lot of people out and about,
many of them stained blue by mine dust. Some walked, some rode
motor boards or electronic bikes, and there seemed to be more of
them every day. Polaris was changing. It wasn’t much like when
she’d grown up.
She shook her head, dislodging the disquiet
growing there. It was only the recent troubles that had gotten to
her. She loved this place, never wanted to leave. It would take
more than an assassin out for her blood to drive her off. She
planned to hide herself in The Spark and let it protect her. She’d
never need anything else.
It was a fifteen-minute drive to the
military base that was their destination. Gem was belatedly glad
they’d brought Jaq: he made the check-in easy by flashing his
military ID. They were waved inside.
Jaq raised a brow as they stopped at the cop
shop. “You checking up on Blue?”
Gem met his eyes. “Wouldn’t you?”
The old man shrugged and got out. Wondering
at his unconcern, Gem paid the driver and followed.
Like most such places, the military police
station was strictly utilitarian and unfriendly. The austere
atmosphere of the base combined with the air of authority
intimidated her, but Gem concealed that fact as she walked up to
the receptionist and introduced herself. “I need to see someone in
charge,” she added.
“Concerning?” The woman looked at Gem
expectantly. Her short brown hair was held up with a number of
clips and matched the brown spots on her camouflage uniform.
“Concerning an ongoing investigation about
someone who’s shooting at me, and about a veteran I have working
for my family.”
The woman hesitated, her finger hovering
over a buzzer. She got up instead. “One moment. I’ll see if the
chief is in.”
They watched her knock on the chief’s door
and then
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