God's Bounty Hunter (Biddy Mackay Space Detective Book 1) by T Olivant (reading in the dark .txt) 📕

“Once a pilgrim always a pilgrim,” Lu Tang replied.

“You shouldn’t have a problem there then,” Tibo said.

It would take the work of a bare second to smash his nose into his brain, Lu Tang thought as Tibo’s blank face stared back at him.

“I’m not here as an Augment, remember.  I am just a human.”

“Sure,” Tibo said again, not realizing how close he was to an instant lobotomy. “Would you like to see the weapon?”

Now Lu Tang smiled and this time it went all the way to his eyes.

“Indeed I would.”

Chapter 13

A message had arrived from Scotclan: Our Observer will meet you at the information stand in the arrivals hall on Joker, the satellite station of Pratchett Cinque, 15:00 earth time tomorrow.

Biddy wondered if the text had been deliberately phrased to piss her off.  As she stood in the tiny arrivals hall watching blank-faced miners shuffle into shuttle craft, she thought that it probably had.  Mind you, life could be worse.  She could be like the men around her, backs bowed from working deep under the ground on an alien planet.

It was five to three.  Phil fidgeted beside her.

“Any sign?” her bodyguard asked.

“Not yet.  Just be patient.”

Phil grunted, then scuffed his feet on the metal floor.  He was normally pretty good at waiting, but he was on edge.  This place and its air of quiet desperation was getting to both of them.

A miner staggered past, the irises around his pupil bright white.  Biddy tried not to stare.  She had heard about the new drug sweeping the mines.  Keepup they called it.  It was a stimulant that meant you only had to sleep once a week.  The miners took it so they could work longer shifts.  Officially the mine owners didn’t allow it, but most encouraged its use.  After all, the people were there to work, so why shouldn’t they work a little harder.  And if there was the odd side effect?  Well, no one really cared about the miners anyway.

Were the miners on her home world just as miserable?   Probably, but it would be different when we own Tirnanog once more, Biddy told herself.  Then the mines will be owned by the people that work in them.  And we’ll do it right.

15:00 came and went.  Biddy looked around the hall.  There was no one there apart from the groups of sullen miners and an elderly lady wrapped in an enormous scarf.

“Where the hell is he?” Phil asked, his hand reaching towards his weapon.

“Calm down,” Biddy said, watching the old lady as she looked around the stalls, keeping the scarf tight around her body against the cold.  The tartan scarf.

“Ah.”

By the time Biddy reached her the woman was already smiling in recognition. “You’ll be the Detective?”

“Biddy Mackay.”

“Cher MacLeod.”

“So you are our observer,” Biddy said to fill the silence.

“That’s right, dear.” The woman looked like a kindly grandmother from a fairy-tale with curled grey hair and a sagging, wrinkled face that seemed to be set in a permanent twinkly smile.  But this was a member of Scotclan, and Biddy was under no illusions that this woman would be anything but a hard case.

“Let me show you onboard.”

“Oh, I can show myself around.  Please, just act as if I’m not here.”

Definitely a secret hardass, Biddy thought as she watched the woman bustle up the ramp onto the spaceship.  She just had to hope that her crew would not be easily fooled.

The Detective walked back to the ship, aware that the woman was following her.  Phil stayed by her side, casting suspicious looks as if the old lady was about to thrust a dagger into Biddy’s side.  Mind you, it was probably best not to rule it out.

Biddy started off by walking more slowly than usual, but when it became clear that the old woman was still pretty spritely she upped her pace.

“Do you know why they call this satellite Joker?” The woman named Macleod asked as they walked towards the Black Maria.

“No idea.”

“They are all named after a deck of cards.  Ace of spades and so on.  Ever played a card game?”

“No.  Is it an old Earth thing?” Perhaps the woman was a little addled, Biddy thought, unless there was an ulterior motive to the small talk.

“Yes.  I once played an Admiral at Rummy in orbit of Saturn.”

“This is the ship,” Biddy said, cutting short the conversation with more than a little relief. “Do you want to do a walk-around, I can show you the engine room?”

“No thank you, I’m not here to examine the starship.” Macleod climbed up the steps to the airlock, leaving Biddy convinced that she was going to be observing a certain Scotclan detective and nothing else.

“Bring it on,” Biddy muttered under her breath as she climbed up behind the woman.  Phil came up and sealed the airlock behind them.

“I’ll show you to your cabin and you can drop off your luggage.  We’ll be leaving the station in half an hour or so, perhaps you’d like to observe from the command room?”

“Of course.  I’ll see you there.” The woman disappeared into her cabin and the door clanged shut.

Biddy looked at Phil and shrugged. “I guess they could have sent somebody worse.”

The bodyguard took a knife from his boot and examined the blade thoughtfully. “Could be.  But I’ll keep close to you just in case.”

Biddy doubted that Macleod was likely to attack her onboard her own ship, but she knew that it was better to have an overcautious bodyguard than a lazy one.

“Thanks.  Now I need to make a quick call.”

This time when she answered the call, Biddy’s mother was wrapped in a pink toweling robe.

“This isn’t really a good time,” the older woman said.

“I can see