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

systems.  The ultra-EMP won’t affect them.  But propulsion, weapons, everything like that will be out.”

“Speaking of weapons,” Biddy said, “is there anything we need to worry about?”

“Shouldn’t be,” Elvis said. “Although…”

“What?”

“This guy just exploded a mine that is ten miles across.  A starglider wouldn’t come with weapons as standard, but that’s not to say that he wouldn’t want to customize what he has.”

“But you couldn’t fire missiles from something like that, could you?” Hastings asked.

“Probably not.  In fact, with the sails and everything, I don’t think they could fire anything from the ship.  There’s nothing to say that the osmium mine next to it isn’t chock full of missiles.  But I’m more concerned with any smaller weapons that might be on board.  Even if we disable the ship, there’s nothing to stop them coming at us when we board with whatever hand-held weapons they have.”

Biddy frowned. “Okay.  Phil, I want you to focus on what we do once we’re on board the ship.  Make me a tactical plan for taking custody of the Augment and neutralizing whoever else might be there.”

“What weapons do you want us to carry?”

Biddy grimaced.  She hated carrying lethal weapons. “See if you can get me a scenario where we just need our stunguns.  Otherwise I’ll have a rethink.”

Phil nodded and hunched over the console, already lost in his task.

“Right, Elvis, I like the idea of these ultra-EMPs, how long to launch them?”

“Less than ten minutes when we’re in range.  Captain?”

“We can be in range in twenty minutes, but he’ll know that we’re there,” Hastings replied.

“Hang tight for now,” Biddy said.  Her heart was racing but it didn’t worry her.  This was it: the thrill of the chase.  This was the reason she had become a detective.

“Just one thing,” Macleod said and Biddy couldn’t help but let out a groan. “I want to board the ship with you.”

“Out of the question,” Biddy replied. “It’ll just be me and a maximum of two crew members.  All trained in close quarters combat.  Not that we’ll need it.  We’re also trained in how to bring about resolutions that don’t require that sort of training.”

“Now listen to me, little newbie ‘tec,” Macleod hissed, “I know exactly how you have been trained because I wrote the god damned manual.  Literally.  They asked me to do it twenty years ago and it doesn’t look like Scotclan have learned anything since.  I’m a Very Reverend member of Scotclan and that means no one can teach me anything, not even the Chiefs.  You want someone who knows how to think on their feet, someone with a whole lifetime’s experience of catching scumbags, and that’s me.”

She panted a little as she finished the speech.

Biddy raised her eyebrows.  For the first time she had managed to get the old woman rattled. “Fine then.  I will admit it, I hate to ignore any useful resource.  But if you take one step out of line when we are on that spaceship I will stun your ass, got it?”

“Got it.”

“I just need you to sign a little something for me first.”

As if she had prepared it already – which of course she had – Biddy pulled out her datapad with a document already loaded up.  Macleod scanned it for a moment, then shrugged and placed a finger to be scanned.

“It’s done,” the old woman said. “Are you finally happy now?”

“Ecstatic.  Okay, Hastings.  Begin the approach.”

It was a tense half hour.  Hastings’s right leg was jittering, and Biddy was gripping the edge of her console so hard her knuckles were white.

It’s going to go wrong, she thought.  This wasn’t the way she usually ran her missions.  She was a hunter, yes, but not some sort of savage predator.  Normally she would spend hours planning this sort of capture.  But the explosion on Eritree had changed things.  So had the presence of Macleod and the constant threat that Scotclan were about to intervene.  All she wanted was to come out of the next hour with her crew alive.  The Augment too, if at all possible.

“We’re coming close, Mackay,” Hastings shouted from the helm. “If they haven’t already spotted us, they will in the next few minutes.”

“All right.  Everyone stand ready for the occupation of the starglider.  I’m just going to try one thing first.  Francesca, will you open a call to the spacecraft?”

“What?  You’re just going to call them up?  What about the element of surprise?” Macleod was practically dancing with rage.

“I’m going to give them a chance to surrender,” Biddy said firmly.

“Stupid,” Macleod muttered.  Biddy ignored her and waved to Francesca to carry on.

“Placing call.”

 Everyone looked up at the viewscreen.  It went black, then a broad face grinned back at them.

“Yes?”

Biddy stepped forward. “I am Biddy Mackay from Scotclan.  We believe that you are harboring a wanted criminal by the name of Lu Tang.  We are here to place him under arrest.”

A pair of bushy eyebrows went up. “Is that right?”

“You would be advised not to impede our progress.”

Still the man didn’t seem impressed. “Would I?”

“Be aware that Scotclan has absolute interstellar jurisdiction in this matter.  We would rather not have to act with force.”

“I would rather that too,” Tibo said.  He had pulled a tiny metal implement from his pocket and proceeded to pick at his teeth.

“Then hand over the Augment.”

“Ah, did you say an Augment?  Yes, I do have one of them onboard.  He told me he needed a quick ride off the surface, and paid me handsomely for it.”

Biddy felt flutters of excitement in her stomach. “I’m afraid he is wanted for murder.”

“Is that right?” The man said once more.  He didn’t seem overly concerned by the news.

“Where is the Augment just now?”

“Taking a nap.”

“Do you think you could wake