Читать книгу Rayven's Keep - Kylie Wolft - Страница 5

Chapter 1

Nick Rayven hated Lodestone. The constant dust and fierce winds keeping it in semidarkness made his teeth itch. Hell, who was he kidding? He hated the whole damn planet. Whoever had come up with the name had a sick sense of humor and a distinct lack of imagination in calling both the port and planet the same. Far from a diamond in the rough, Lodestone was one miserable port of call on a thoroughly miserable world.

At least the hole-in-the-wall alehouse he found himself in had no such delusions of grandeur. He regarded the battered mug of local ale with distaste and slouched against the unforgiving metal of his chair. Hooking one arm across its back, he scrutinized the common room, noting the layout of every door and window, a habit that had saved his ass on more than one occasion. It was always good to know where the exits were just in case some idiot decided to start a fight.

Raised voices formed a raucous counterpoint to the hideous music piped through lousy speakers. The cacophony kept Nick irritated and on edge. He detested people, particularly in crowds, but his contact had insisted they meet here. Business was business and sometimes it required Nick to play nice and on someone else’s turf.

He unclenched his jaw as he snagged his mug and took a long swallow. The sour taste burned all the way down, a caustic fire lacking any hint of civilization. So much for ordering the good stuff.

A furtive movement near the door caught his attention. The man entering the bar was average in height, with ordinary brown hair and nondescript brown clothes. Nick suspected his easy to forget appearance was deliberate, and his interest sharpened. Taking another sip of his ale, he watched the man inch closer, stopping a scant meter away.

“Nick Rayven?” The question was hesitant, the voice high pitched.

“Depends.”

Nick studied the man in front of him and allowed a faint smile to curve his lips. Apparently, it was more predatory than friendly, and the other man flinched, eyes widening. Nick tried for non-threatening. Sweat broke out on the other man’s forehead. Sighing, he gave up.

“Yeah, I’m Rayven. Who’re you?”

“J–Jonas Spark.” He cleared his throat and eased onto the seat across from Nick. “My employer, Axyl Hargrave, instructed me to deliver the package to you.”

Straightening, Nick leaned his forearms on the metal table in front of him. “What of the payment arrangements? I assume the credits have been deposited into my account?”

Jonas nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “Half now, the...ah...balance when the package is delivered.”

Nick swore viciously, the variety and virulence of the words demonstrating a fine command of the seedier side of several languages. Jonas shrank back in his chair. Some of the bar patrons glanced at them to see if a fight would break out but returned to their drinks when Nick did nothing more than glare.

“That was not the agreement,” he ground out, when he trusted his voice.

“There has been a, ah, minor problem and a need to change the delivery destination. My b-boss is willing to double your fee for your trouble.”

“What kind of minor problem?” Nick scowled.

Jonas opened and closed his mouth, but nothing came out. His eye twitched. It was obvious to Nick he would rather be anywhere but talking to him. Jonas took a deep breath before he plunged on, words tumbling over each other in his haste to deliver the message. “Our primary competitor suspects we have found something but doesn’t know what we’ve discovered or where we found it. It is imperative we get this sample analyzed and our claim recorded before anyone else finds out what we have.”

Jonas took a shaky breath and wiped sweat from his upper lip. He visibly wilted in his chair as Nick stared at him. “Mr. Hargrave wants this sample delivered to Dendera Labs on Kaydet within a standard-moon cycle.” He pushed a small pouch across the table toward Nick.

Nick kept his eyes on Jonas rather than on the bag as he settled back in his seat to consider the offer. His company specialized in security, particularly escorting valuable or dangerous space cargo. Whatever the pouch contained must be valuable if Geotern Mining’s owner, Axyl Hargrave, wanted it delivered to one of Dendera’s most remote labs. Obviously keeping their discovery secret was of primary concern.

This job represented his ticket to expand the business, move it from the fringes to a more lucrative prominence. Kaydet was a small, insignificant planet on the outer rim of the system and about as far from Lodestone as anyone could get. He would need to push hard to meet the deadline, but it wasn’t impossible.

He nodded then drained his ale before he slammed the mug down. “Done.” Amusement twitched at the corners of his mouth as Jonas yelped and jumped.

Nick lowered his voice to a gravelly menace. “You tell your boss this.” Leaning forward, he pinned Jonas Spark with a look. “If he thinks to cheat me in any way I. Will. Hunt. Him. Down. All of the money in the universe won’t be enough to protect him.”

Nick released the seal of his jacket pocket and pulled out a small data drive. He keyed in a sequence of numbers and smiled at the influx of credits to his account. With skilled sleight-of-hand, he replaced the device and pocketed the small pouch.

Pushing back his chair, he stood and tilted his chin toward the empty container of ale. “Tell your boss thanks for the drink.”

He didn’t wait around for an answer.

As soon as he stepped outside, he knew it was time to go. Lodestone’s weather was known to be volatile, restricting ship traffic with its violent and swift changing moods. Air transports crashed with alarming regularity, driven to ground by savage winds and poor visibility. Pilots demanded hazard pay whenever they landed here, which made for a profitable run that was almost worth the risks involved. Nick had built his business by taking calculated risks and the extra credits were a welcome bonus.

A severe dust storm warning had flashed to all pilots before Jonas Spark had arrived, and time was in short supply if Nick had a prayer of getting off this rock before being grounded for the storm’s duration. Nothing was guaranteed to piss him off more.

With ground-eating strides, he hurried through the narrow streets toward the spaceport and his waiting ship. Squat buildings sat crowded shoulder-to-shoulder in the deserted industrial area he passed through. Dust devils wobbled drunkenly out of the narrow alleyways driven by the brutal winds that would soon be scouring the pitted surfaces of the buildings with gritty debris.

Glow lights powered up as he reached the last row of buildings, providing dim beacons against the encroaching gloom. The red orb passing for a sun on this world offered little warmth to the inhabitants mining the planet. Now, it was barely visible through the dust cloud. It was no accident most activity occurred underground. People only lived on the surface because it was necessary if they catered to ship traffic.

Nick was being followed and had been since he’d left the alehouse. It could be a coincidence they were going in the same direction through a derelict district at the same time, but Nick wasn’t a big believer in coincidence. In addition to the unpredictable weather, Lodestone had a nasty reputation as a violent town. It was a safe bet the footsteps echoing behind him were more than another pilot with the same destination in mind. Robberies were common and transport pilots a favorite target, another reason most sane pilots avoided the place. Nick Rayven had no intention of becoming a Lodestone statistic.

Taking advantage of shadows between two buildings, he ducked out of sight, blending into the darkness. A gasp, barely audible over the wind gusts pinpointed his follower’s position.

He didn’t have long to wait before the huddled shape reached his hiding place. Nick threw a lightning-fast punch. The figure crumpled to the ground in a boneless heap. Shaking his knuckles he winced at the sting, glad he hadn’t needed to use his blaster. He didn’t need any more complications. Disgusted anyone would dare consider him a target, he contemplated the unconscious form and debated his options. Either desperation or stupidity had sent the youth after him. Regardless, Nick needed to deal with the situation and quickly. By his estimation, he only had a narrow window of time left if he wanted to get off this planet before the port was locked down.

Under normal conditions, he would prefer to tie up his stalker and leave him for the authorities to find, but the storm’s momentum was building at a deadly pace. Grit boiled across Lodestone’s surface, stabbing exposed skin and making it difficult to breathe. It would be certain death to leave anyone outside and unprotected during the planet-scouring devil screaming mercilessly across its surface.

“Damn it,” he muttered. With aching fingers, he retrieved the narrow cord he kept in his utility belt. Squatting, he made short work of securing the slender wrists behind the other’s back. Time enough, once on board, to get to the bottom of this without the worry of being grounded on Lodestone. If he didn’t like the answers, it would be easy enough to toss the bastard out the airlock. A clean and speedy end to a problem. The idea had merit as a threat, if nothing else.

He grunted as he hauled the limp body over his shoulder. He sprinted toward his ship, grateful his burden didn’t weigh much.

The Messenger was a small, ugly transport much like every other ship on the docking pad. He’d flown this one to his rendezvous counting on its very similarity to others to keep his presence concealed. Nick shifted his captive to sit a little more securely on his shoulder before pressing his palm against the security pad, begrudging the seconds it took to verify his identity. The door opened and a boarding ramp extended. Welcoming lights flickered on in the interior as he entered. He turned and hit the keypad, sealing the door behind him.

The cargo area to his left would hold his captive until he was off-world and had time to figure out why he’d been followed. Nick dumped his burden onto a pile of heavy covers behind a cargo net. He nudged the body with his booted foot. When there were no signs of returning consciousness, he shrugged. Not willing to waste any more time, he locked the cargo door behind him and loped toward the main cabin.

He skirted the small crew quarters and entered the bridge. Strapping in, he initiated the launch request to the port tower. He coughed metallic dust from his lungs as he tapped on the arm of his chair and waited for clearance. Every little delay and redundant launch protocol demanded by the tower increased his irritation. Powerful blasts of wind buffeted his ship, debris thumping against its exterior as he ran through another system check. How friggin’ long would it take to gain clearance to leave Lodestone? He snapped his responses to the tower drone while he kept a wary eye on the storm.

Authorization lit the onboard computer screen. The ship’s engines thrummed with building power readying for departure. Nick punched in the final coordinates and sank into his seat, braced for the bone-jarring force of liftoff. His ship bucked hard, fighting the planet’s gravity and the turbulent storm doing its best to ground him. He adjusted his trajectory as the planet’s atmosphere released the ship and reached the cold expanse of space. He relaxed into weightlessness and grinned when the artificial grav force kicked in.

Nick unbuckled his chair harness, leaned back in his seat and stretched. He rolled his shoulders and muscles popped as tension released. Fatigued, he rubbed grit from dry eyes and scratched the itchy, rough stubble along his jaw. He felt like hell and probably looked worse, but it was an unavoidable consequence of pushing himself so hard.

He levered himself out of his chair and headed toward the crew quarters. Once away from the helm, he brushed the worst of the dust from his clothing. He removed the small pouch from his pocket and stored it in a hidden compartment for safekeeping. Time to wake up his unwanted guest and get some answers.

* * * *

Tru Creighton regained consciousness slowly. She felt like she had been hit with a mining hammer. It was the only explanation for the ferocious headache pounding behind her tightly closed eyes. Her limbs felt heavy, weighted down by an unnatural pressure, and she frowned trying to figure out why. Grav force. Which could only mean she was on board a ship.

The odd thrumming of a powerful engine beneath her ear provided another clue she was off-world. While that sank in she struggled to put more pieces together. Her last clear memory was of trailing the large man moving like a shadow through the storm. She prayed she hadn’t made a mistake because if he wasn’t Nick Rayven, her chances for survival were close to nil. A shiver raced up her spine.

She tried to sit up, gasping as glass-sharp needles of pain shot through her abused skull and shoulders. Her hands were bound behind her back and no amount of struggle would release them. Tru panted through the pain and took stock of her surroundings. Information meant the difference between remaining alive and the alternative. She was all about surviving.

The soft whoosh of the door opening froze her in place. She closed her eyes to mere slits. Buying some time, she feigned unconsciousness.

Large, booted feet stopped in front of her and Tru’s heart danced a spastic tango against her rib cage. If the size of the feet were any indication, her captor was a big man, and she was in serious trouble.

“I know you’re awake. No use pretending.” His voice was flat, cold.

A scarred, calloused hand grabbed her nearest arm and yanked her to her feet. Tru bit back a groan and tried to wrench her arm out of the implacable grip. Dizzy and fighting nausea from the foolhardy action, she prayed she wouldn’t throw up. Sweat trickled from under her cap and stung her eyes. Perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to follow him after all. Maybe he wasn’t the kind of man she’d imagined when searching through the data files. Reality painted a much different picture, one with wide brush strokes of barely-contained power and potential violence. He was much bigger up close than he had looked from her hiding place near the alehouse.

Much bigger. Angry. Too bad she hadn’t considered that possibility when she’d hatched her desperate plan to escape Lodestone.

His silent regard stretched her nerves until she wanted to collapse into a whimpering heap on the floor. Deep-rooted determination locked her knees, but couldn’t prevent the unsteady sway of her body. Mouth dry, unable to think, she kept her head lowered and waited. What else could she do?

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t jettison you into space without a suit.”

Horror snapped her head up. Chills sprinted along her skin, tightening muscles already trembling with too much adrenaline. Her lungs labored to draw her next breath. His eyes widened, then narrowed as he searched her face. Tru guessed her disguise was blown.

“Sonofabitch,” he snarled. “Who the hell are you?”

“I c-can explain. G-give me a minute.” She swallowed hard. The only thing keeping her upright was his iron grip on her arm

“Barf on my boots and I’ll throw you out the nearest air lock.”

Tru didn’t doubt for a minute he would do as he threatened. She nodded and sucked in deep breaths, willing her stomach to settle. With her vision still blurred from the blow to her head, she fought to bring his face into focus, and then wished she hadn’t succeeded.

“Well?” he demanded.

Words failed her. The dark cavern of her mind only echoed with the roar of the headache pummeling her brain like a punch-drunk miner. A quick, hard shake from Nick did little to help, nor did the potent curse he uttered when she lost her balance and fell against him.

A strong arm clamped around her back, giving her the opportunity to find her footing. Unable to do anything else, she rested her aching head against his hard chest and closed her eyes. Weariness dragged at her as the shock and fear from the past few days drained away. She trembled in his embrace and hated her weakness.

Nick Rayven had a reputation as a dangerous man to cross, but her careful inquiries had also shown him to be fair and well respected. She was betting her life on it. He was her best shot at getting out of the mess she’d found herself in. That is, if she could persuade him he needed to help her. A big if at the moment. Gathering herself, she straightened and pulled away.

It wasn’t easy meeting his eyes. Somewhere in her mind it registered they were brown, but there was no warmth in their depths. Intense, missing nothing, his sharp regard made her squirm. When he pulled a knife from his boot, her luck might have just run out.

She opened her mouth to scream. Nothing came out but a mewling squeak. She jerked in his hold, but he tightened his grip until her shoulder felt as if it was being crushed. Heart racing, barely able to breathe through the panic constricting her throat, she shut her eyes and waited for the end. Awareness narrowed to a pinprick concentrated on the man in front of her. He stepped closer and she was surrounded by the heat of his body, heard his inhale and felt the brush of displaced air when his arm moved. She gulped a breath, drew in the taste of her own fear.

Time slowed and stretched each second into a lifetime. Nothing happened.

She peeked from one eye, wondering if her cowering posture had stopped him. “What are you waiting for? Go ahead and kill me. It isn’t as if you’re the only one trying.”

“You aren’t worth killing, little girl.” Contempt spiked his voice and she cringed. “But if that was my intent, I wouldn’t use a knife. I’d have to clean up the mess and that would just piss me off. If you want your hands free, it’s faster to cut the ties.” He shifted his grip on the knife and slashed the bindings around her wrists.

Her numb arms flopped to her sides and she sucked in a breath. Why was she still alive? Pathetically grateful, she turned, took a wobbling step and swayed.

“Now then. Who the hell are you?” Nick barked.

“Tru. Tru Creighton.” Feeling began to return to her arms and razor-edged needles of agony shot from her shoulders to her fingertips, pulsing with the pounding in her head. She clenched and unclenched her fists, desperate for relief. Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked rapidly to prevent them from falling.

“Okay, Tru Creighton.” Nick enunciated her name as if he doubted she was who she claimed to be. “Why don’t you explain why you followed me and we’ll take it from there. I’m warning you, I’d better like the answers.”

“No need to be snide. I’ll get to it.” She lifted her chin and scowled in his general direction, not quite daring to meet his eyes before looking away.

Silence stretched between them while she stalled. Intimidated and trying not to show it, Tru rubbed her wrists. Unable to stop herself, she stole a glance at him, stunned to see something perilously close to a grin and all coherent thought fled. Gathering her scattered wits, she tried again. “I...ah...need your help,” she whispered.

He raised an eyebrow, his expression mocking.

Her spirits sank further. “I can pay.”

Nick crossed his arms over his broad chest and snorted. “You don’t look like you have two credits to rub together to me.”

Her shoulders slumped. Nothing was going the way she planned. Licking dry lips, she stared into Nick’s hard face. “Please.”