Pirates of the Outrigger Rift by Gary Jonas, Bill D. Allen

this?”
    Hank stiffened. “Of course! I’m even better when I’ve got a
bit of lubrication. Besides, to tell you the truth, Elsa does most of the work
on the takeoffs and landings. But I can’t leave any earlier than tomorrow
night.”
    “But I have to leave now.”
    “Darlin’, can’t you just lay low for a bit? Maybe hide on
board? But do not, I repeat, do not clean up my stateroom again. I can’t
find anything now.”
    “Things are too hot right now.”
    “Corporate?” he asked.
    “Yes. I think there’s a corporate hit team looking for me.”
    Hank nodded, appearing to sober somewhat. “You’re in a fine
state, then. There’s many that would agree to take you just to turn you in. It
won’t take long for the company to send out a bounty notice to the docks.”
    “Then you understand my problem.”
    Hank grumbled. “Yes, I understand it. But damn it! I can’t
leave early. I just can’t. I appreciate you taking the chance on me darlin’, I
needed the break. But I’d be pissing it away if I let this deal fall through. This
shipment will put me in the black for a good, long time if I don’t do something
stupid. This is also a matter of survival. I don’t want to end up sleeping in
some starport gutter. Besides, we just got here. I have to refit the ship and
refuel. That takes time.”
    Sai nodded. “I understand. I’ll find someone else.”
    As she got up to leave, Hank stood. “Sai, I said you can
hide out on the Elsa . Even Nebulaco Corporate Security doesn’t have the
balls to order a ship-by-ship search of the entire port. The trading guilds
would have a conniption fit.”
    Sai shook her head. “Don’t feel bad, Hank. I know what I
have to do. I appreciate the offer, but I have to go.”
    “But, Sai …”
    She knew he was right. He couldn’t risk his future just to
help out some damned fool girl. If nothing else, Elsa would never let him hear
the end of it.
    Sai stood to leave, and as she turned, she saw three men
entering the bar armed with pulse pistols.
    “Sai Collins, you’re under arrest!” the lead man shouted.
    “Women,” Hank said. “Nothing but trouble.”
    Sai made it to his side just as Hank drew his pistol from
his shoulder holster and took aim at the lead man. He fired and the man tumbled
to the floor in a heap. The other two tripped over him.
    Hank grabbed Sai’s hand and together they fled toward the
back door. “You really pissed them off,” Hank said.
    Sai burst through the door into the alley behind the bar as
a large, well-muscled man swooped down on a hovercycle. Hank pulled her out of
the way. The man stepped off the bike. He wore black leathers with the insignia
of some biker club emblazoned on his back. “Sorry about the close call,” he
said. “I didn’t see you.”
    “Nice bike,” Hank said, and then stomped on the man’s foot. The
polite biker howled in pain. Hank leaped on the cycle. Sai climbed on behind
him and they took off. “Sorry,” Hank called back.
    Below, they saw the men who had been chasing Sai exit the
bar. The men pointed upward, and one of them took a wild shot that sailed
harmlessly to one side.
    Hank turned the cycle toward the starport, skimming along
just above rooftops. The wind whipped his hair as buildings whizzed past below
them in soft blurs. “Do you think they have friends waiting at the dock?”
    Sai shrugged. “At this point, nothing would surprise me.”
    Hank activated his comlink. “Elsa!”
    “Yes, Hank.”
    “You haven’t noticed any unusual activity, have you? Strangers
hanging around for no good reason?”
    “As a matter of fact, there are five men with entirely too
much time on their hands. They’ve been cruising the launch pads for the last
few hours.”
    “Great. Change of plan. Do an emergency dustoff and meet me
north of town.” Hank closed the link.
    Sai saw something flash out of the corner of her eye. She
looked back over her shoulder. A black sedan pulled up behind them, cruising at
the same