Blaedergil's Host by C.M. Simpson (reading well .TXT) 📕

My hands were shaking, but I wanted more. The sooner I paid that debt, the sooner I would be free.

“Again,” I said, when Mack did not move.

I met his gaze, and pressed my hands on the table behind the Blazer, hoping he hadn’t noticed the fine tremors running through my fingers. I should have known better than to even try. Mack laid a hand over the nearest one of mine, and squeezed it lightly.

“Not tonight,” he said, “or Doc will have my hide.”

I lifted my chin, ready to argue.

“He’ll have your hide as well,” Mack added, and I sighed.

“Fine,” I said, “but tomorrow—”

“Tomorrow we go to the range,” he said, and his tone was final. “And, while we wait for your scan results, you can race Tens, Steppy and me to see who can do this faster. A hundred credits from each of us at the start of each round. Winner gets the pot. Ten rounds, then lunch.”

It was a fair deal, and I was curious to see which of us was faster. I guess there was more than one way to pass the time.

“And we need to go over the mission, once more,” Delight’s voice came to us from the doorway.

I don’t know which of us turned faster. I do know we were both locked and loaded, when we did. She gave us a smile designed to irritate, and raised one eyebrow.

“Didn’t Doc say no more than one firearm going off at a time?” she asked, and I was relieved to see Pritchard appear behind her, and lay a hand on her shoulder.

He was her keeper and shadow, a calming influence, if the stories were to be believed. He was also responsible for her recruitment, if those stories were to be believed. I didn’t know whether to be grateful or angry with him, or for what.

Delight turned her head, and met his gaze. Her smile faded, and her lips twisted into a pout.

“Time to eat,” Pritchard said, and flicked a glance to include us. “Cook’s getting twitchy.”

Now, that was something to be avoided. I looked at Mack, and holstered and harnessed my new weapons. Mack did the same, and we turned to the door.

“Cook also said no weapons at the table,” Pritchard said, “and Tens said to tell you Cook is in a mood, whatever that means.”

“A mood,” Mack said, and Pritchard nodded. “Well, we’d better leave our weapons in our cabins, then.”

He gave Delight a stern look.

“And that includes you, Agent.”

“We’ll meet you there,” Pritchard said, and turned away, taking Delight with him.

It was an education, and I made a note to dig a little into Pritchard’s history. Anyone who could make Delight toe the line had to be someone worth keeping an eye on. Beside me, Mack kept perfectly still, until they were out of sight.

“You will not antagonize that man,” he said. “He is all that stands between us and insanity.”

I didn’t want to know what Mack meant by that. I really didn’t.

14—Mission Prep

The next five days were spent in constant preparation—and Delight gate-crashed our weapons races. To my surprise, we occasionally beat her, although I was considerably poorer by the end of the week than I had been at the beginning. Mack was unsympathetic.

“Again,” he said, when I’d been cleaned out for the seventh round in a row, and I complied.

Doc had stopped by to watch us. My guess is that he wanted to deliver the results of my latest scan, but Mack made him wait until the tenth round was done. By then I’d won back half of my losses. Not too bad. Delight was disgusted.

“I’m getting slow,” she muttered.

“You’re getting old,” Pritchard said, and promptly pocketed the last round.

“Mats,” Delight demanded, and Pritchard rolled his eyes, as he stood up from the table.

“Anyone ever told you that you’re a sore loser?” he asked, on his way out the door.

“Nobody dares,” Delight retorted, as they disappeared from view. “Except you.”

The rest of us, just watched them go, and then Doc gave me the all clear for normal range practice.

“I’d like to see how she goes in mock combat,” he added, “but I don’t want to risk putting her out of action for the mission.”

“Does she have to go?” Tens asked, and both he and Doc looked expectantly at Mack.

I looked, too, but I was starting to feel like I was invisible.

“Corovan expects it,” Mack answered. “We haven’t told him we’ve destroyed his mine. Right now, he thinks he has us right where he wants us. I’d like to keep it that way, for a bit longer.”

“Will it be more dangerous, if she doesn’t go?” Doc wanted to know.

“I don’t know,” Mack said. “I’d rather not risk it. Also, it hides some of what we can do from him. If he doesn’t know we can deal with that level of tech, then he won’t try anything more difficult the next time. It reduces the risk for all of us, and I don’t want him coming after the ship.”

That made sense. I remembered the last time someone had gotten their hands on the ship... or, rather, personnel from the ship. It made me wonder how Rohan was, but I didn’t have time to ask. I added it to the list of things I had to do when I got back. Right now, I was just happy if the Shady Marie, and its people, remained out of enemy hands.

“I’m fine with going,” I said, before Doc could raise a protest.

He half-turned, raising one eyebrow, and eyeing me with consternation. I explained before he could ask why.

“I don’t want anything to happen to the people here. Couldn’t live with it.”

I could feel my face going red, and picked a spot on Doc’s shirt to stare at. It was better than staring at his face. Mack came to my rescue.

“That’s settled then,” he said. “She goes.”

And there was a finality in his tone that told me he was glad to be able to close the argument. Doc