Scent of Treachery by Smith, T.L. (free books to read txt) 📕

is worth more than all this steel and plastic. If your own people don’t order you out of here, Nick will yank you off this station himself.”

“He needs to mind his own business.”

“Lady, you’re crazy! I’ve got final checks to do.” Breeze moved away talking into her comm in low hissing tones.

Jayda wrinkled up her nose at the pilot’s back, then realized she faced a surveillance node. She gave it the same sneer, before turning to face the docking portal. From the computer terminal she watched the approach of the GR vessel, her uneasiness only growing.

She opened a comm-link. “GR8541, you’re inside my surveillance net, but coming in too hot. I already got one damaged ship to deal with. Slow it down!”

“This is GR8541. Slowing approach speed. Sorry, Dr. Maldonado, our pilot forgets protocol after a long stint out here. He’s really quite good, just hard on the stick.”

The computer was already recalculating trajectory and speed, slowing for a proper docking. “That’s better. Have him calibrate to my approach signal. Once you’re past the last marker my system will bring you in.”

Jayda muted the comm-link, turning to Breeze, squinting.

Breeze didn’t need to be lectured. “No Alliance pilot forgets protocol, especially a GR pilot. They know better than anyone to come in slow until they map local hazards.”

“Even then.”

“I agree, but we’re still speculating.”

“I’ve had hot-shots to break in.” Nick kicked in.

Jayda shrugged, focusing again on the incoming ship. Maybe she was being paranoid. The ship was at the last buoy, the two computers syncing up for final approach.

Breeze joined her at the terminal watching for a moment, then nudging her with an elbow. “If we all have tells, you’re showing yours.”

“What?”

“Biting your lip. I’m surprised you have one left after gnawing on it the last five days.” Breeze smiled as Jayda covered her mouth with fingers. She leaned in close. “If it’s any consolation, I’ve never seen Nick so… perplexed either.”

“I’m not perplexed!” Jayda hissed back at Breeze. She stared at the woman, resisting the urge to roll her lip between her teeth again. “Focus!”

Gritting her teeth she watched the GR vessel being manipulated to align their docking portals. Magnetic clamps extended out around the portal to grasp the ship once it was close enough. The computers lined up the two docking rings and secondary clamps latched on, securing the ship to the station’s hull.

A pressurization tube extended to the small ship, forming a third seal. Lights made their transition from red to yellow, then green as the tube was oxygenated.

Jayda and Breeze inhaled in unison. “Docking protocols are green.”

A pasty-white face appeared in the portal on the other end of the tube. “We have green lights too, Doctor.”

“Great!” Jayda’s hand hovered over the door release. Every instinct in her screamed to hit the clamp release instead. Even a nudge from Breeze didn’t help.

“Permission to board?” The face in the portal frowned, and twitched.

“Oh, yeah, sorry. My tech was chatting in my ear.” She released the door and stepped back as her portal cycled open. The knot in her stomach wanted to throw up the coffee she’d only gotten a few sips of.

The man she’d only seen through comm-link took the few steps through the tube to her deck. Jayda bowed her head. “Again, sorry for the delay. He was assuring me there were no fluctuations in the energy leakage.”

“Yes…” Capt. Snead half-jerked his head towards the derelict Dolan 4. “…we picked up the disturbance, but she seems a safe enough distance.”

“She is.” Breeze stepped forward. “If there’s any changes the station tech can jettison the ship completely.” She held out her hand. “I’m Capt. Breeze. Thank you for responding to our mayday.”

Capt. Snead took her hand, shaking it. “Happy to be of service.” He rolled his pale cold eyes towards Jayda, smiling a bit too broadly. “If I’d known there were two beauties out here in distress, I’d have had the engineer pushing us to top speed.”

Breeze gave his hand another shake, before extracting her fingers from a grip that had already lasted longer than politeness dictated. “I’m hoping you can take some of our wounded out of here, particularly the two patients in stasis. The sooner we get them to a real hospital, the better.”

The odd man seemed to remember his reason for being here, nodding solemnly. “Yes, I’m sure we can take as many as we need to.” He looked over his shoulder to the tube. “Our medic wants to evaluate your patients, make sure we get them out of the… harm’s way.” He shifted out of the portal. “Hendrix should be here any second.”

The thudding of boots announced someone approaching the other portal. A heavy step, not betrayed by the large man who instinctively ducked his head as he stepped over the threshold. He stood up, well over six-foot tall and brawny. Unlike Snead, he’d seen sunlight recently, there was a faint trace of a tan line along his temples from sunglasses.

He bowed his head to Breeze, then to Jayda. “I’m Hendrix, the ship’s medic. You have wounded?”

“We do!” Breeze answered. “Multiple burn and smoke inhalation injuries.” She held her hand out to invite him to walk with her and started towards the med lab. “We have two in stasis and several others that would benefit reaching a medical facility sooner than the evac ship will get here.

The medic had fallen in with Breeze, leaving Snead with Jayda. She felt him watching her as she shut the portal. She pretended not to notice and took the extra strides to catch up with Breeze.

From behind she watched the big man’s stride. Confident, though like Snead he drifted a bit in the lighter gravity. The GR captain bumped into her a few times. “Sorry, it takes a few minutes to adjust. Why are you not at full-g?”

“Dr. Taylor’s orders.” Breeze answered over her shoulder. “Less pressure for the burn wounds.” The medic silently nodded. A few more steps led them into the med lab.

Snead stopped at the doorway,