Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

to the screen. It was an old man, much too old the be Cam.

“Sorry, wrong number,” Ace said, ending the call. She wobbled over to the bed, picked up her bottle, and went back to the desk. She tried two more numbers with no answers.

This might not work. It was a long shot. Taking another pull from the bottle, she saw she had accidentally started another call. Shaw, Camron J. Residence.

A warm yellow-orange glow filled the screen. A young boy blinked at her. “Hello?”

Ace reached up to end the call. “Sorry. Wrong…”

“Who is it, Calvin?” Another boy, this one older, leaned into the frame.

“I don’t know. Who are you?”

“Your name is Calvin?” Ace asked. Cam’s boys? “That makes you Tomas, right?”

Tomas cocked his head. “Do we know you, ma’am?”

“Is Shaw there?” Ace leaned in close to the screen, her excitement clear.

“We are the Shaw’s, yes ma’am,” Calvin answered.

Tomas looked at his brother with elder sibling disgust. “She wants to talk to dad.”

“Oh.” Calvin turned and ran off-screen. She heard him yell, “Dad, a woman is calling for you.”

Tomas stayed at the vidcom. “I’m sorry, what was your name? I’ll let my dad know you’re calling.” He had the same soft-spoken tone Cam used.

“Tell him… Tell him Red is calling.” Ace smiled. Cam’s got good boys.

“Just a moment.” Tomas left the screen.

Ace suddenly was not sure what she was going to say. How she was going to explain. It doesn’t matter. She heard a commotion from another part of the house. As Cam stumbled into the frame, his joy was obvious. Ace felt a wave of relief.

“Red! It is you! How’d you get my number?”

“Randomly calling the listings,” Ace confessed.

Cam’s eyes searched her face and the joy faded to concern. “You alright, Red?”

“Oh yeah, I’m good.” Ace felt her eyes tighten with the lie, but she refused to break. “Look, I just called…”

“What is it, Red?”

“Nothing. It’s fine.”

“Red?”

Ace could not hold it back; the crying came in waves as she explained that Mick was the closest thing to family. That they had made plans together and that Mick was dead.

“Oh Ace, I’m so sorry.”

“I found out today. Then Shonda gave me a box Mick wanted me to have,” Ace spat as she wiped her face with the back of her hand.

“Shonda? As in the spider-things Shonda?” Cam asked.

“Yeah. And she’s still a hussy.” Ace managed a small grin and absently took a swig from her bottle.

Cam asked in a soothing voice, “Been hitting the bottle like that all night?”

Ace nodded. “Got through two so far.”

“What’s the goal?” Cam asked.

“The case… or a new liver.” Ace saw the concern on Cam’s face. “Look Cowboy, I called because I know you’re trying to get your family off the planet. I want to help. I have credits. I never spent much, so it should be enough to get you off-world, or at least help.”

Cam’s eyes went wide with shock. “I can’t take your money.”

“Sure, you can. I’m not going to need it.” Ace took another swig.

A long heavy silence hung between them.

“What was in the box?” Cam asked.

“Mick’s rail revolver.” Ace looked over at the box.

“That’s it?”

Ace cocked her head. “No, there was some paper.”

“Paper? Who can afford paper?” Cam asked, surprised.

Ace reached over and grabbed the box. Setting the gun aside, she pulled out the first folded document and opened it. “It’s a letter.”

“What’s it say?” Cam asked

She started reading: “Ace, I’ve been floating in this can for almost eight years. It’s given me time to think about all kinds of stuff. I wasn’t very good in my life. I know I could have been a better person. I know you were the best thing that ever happened to me in this Verse. After your visit, I called in some favors and sold my part of the club. I bought us a ship…” Ace looked up at Cam. Oh shit, a ship?

“Keep reading.” Cam shifted forward, on the edge of his seat.

Ace had only known him for a few weeks, but even talking to him these few minutes, she felt better than she had all day. At his encouragement, she continued,“’…I bought us a ship. Well, I bought out my old partners and got my ship back. It’s ours now. I’m counting the days until you’ll be flying us around the Verse. I’ll be getting out in a few weeks, but I’ll mail this before then, or at least try to. I guess maybe this letter is really just for me, but in a way, it makes me feel closer to you. You are my family Ace. I love you. Stay Free, Mick.

Ace put the letter down. There in the box sat the paper title to a frigate-class vessel. She reached out and picked it up. Even in death, you give me hope, Mick.

“Well, congratulations, Captain!”

“Commander,” Ace corrected without thinking.

“Aye, aye, Commander. And where is this ship? Your ship,” Cam asked.

Ace picked up the letter again. “P.S. It's docked at Rosetta Station.” Ace looked up at Cam. “What am I gonna do with a ship.”

Cam smiled. “That’s easy. We’re gonna get off this planet and make new lives for ourselves.”

Ace felt her smile grow. “We? Sounds like you’re coming with me.”

“If you’ll have me. The mining company is stiff-arming me. I have to wait for the investigation to be finished and for the insurance claim to go through before I get paid. Whole thing is just infuriating.

“But Ace, I know people all over the Verse who need help with an odd job once in a while, and you got us a ship that can get us there.”

“What are you saying, Cowboy?” Ace asked, her new hope continuing to