face.
“No, thanks,”
Esther said. “You’re a sore loser, Luke. Not worth the drama.”
“Do I know you?”
the young man said.
Confusion replaced
the leer, and Esther knew for sure he was the same boy who’d quickly become
contrite after a lecture about fighting from his mother, Rachel.
“What’s this?”
said the bony man. “Another lady friend you’re going to claim you don’t
remember?” He slapped Luke on the back.
“Pretty sure he
paid the last one to talk about the ‘great night’ she had with him,” said the
third man, a short, dark-haired fellow who was probably a year or two younger
than Luke and Esther. He had round features that gave him a babyish appearance.
He also wore a green jacket, though his was sewn with dozens of pockets.
Luke punched his
friend in the arm and ducked a retaliatory swing. He jumped behind the other
man and put him in a headlock, all while shooting glances back at Esther. Finally,
recognition lit his brown eyes.
“You come to the
bazaar sometimes!” he said.
Esther smiled. “I
buy parts from your mom.”
Luke smacked his
friend’s shoulder. “Knew it! Esther from the Canberra .”
“ Catalina .”
“That’s what I
meant. What’s up? Looking for a crew to join?” Luke’s voice was relaxed and
good natured, even as he struggled to maintain the headlock on his buddy.
“The Harvesters
hire women?” Zoe asked.
Luke eyed Zoe up
and down. “Yeah, first mate on my ship’s a gal. Not as pretty as you, mind.”
Luke’s smile was all teeth against his tanned face.
His friend took
this opportunity to extract himself from the headlock.
“She’d open your
guts for saying so, though,” said the bony man. “She’s a cold, hard bitch.”
“Sounds like
someone we know,” Cally whispered to Esther.
“She rejected you
is all, Rawlins,” said the baby-faced young man. He jerked reflexively when the
bony man chucked his dice at him.
“Shut up, Cody,”
Rawlins snapped.
“We’re not looking
to join a crew,” Esther said. “We need help.”
“Yeah? What kind?”
Luke nudged Cody with his elbow, and Cody shoved him back.
“We’re going after
the Calderon Group,” Esther said.
The men grew
serious.
“Look, Esther,”
Luke said, “you don’t want to mess with the Calderon boys.”
“I think they
kidnapped one of our friends,” Esther said. “We have no choice. Can you give me
any information about them? I could also use a few men to help navigate our
patrol ship and possibly fight, if you’re game.” She wasn’t sure how she’d get
control of the Lucinda for the
mission, but she knew it would be stupid to go after David without a few people
who had faced the Calderon Group before. “There will be a reward for whoever
helps us.”
Zoe shifted beside
her.
“We’re not
mercenaries,” the bony man, Rawlins, said. “The Harvesters operate a legitimate
business. You’ve come to the wrong guys.”
“Yeah, but you’ve
also dealt with a lot of shit from the Calderon Group lately,” Esther said,
remembering the rumors from the bazaar. “Don’t tell me you’re not already talking
about going after them after last night’s attack.”
Luke and Cody
exchanged glances.
“I’d say you’re
fed up,” Esther said, “and you want to take action.”
“Those bastards
crossed a line when they attacked the Amsterdam ,”
Luke grumbled.
She had thought
she could count on him. He grew up on the Amsterdam ,
and the Harvesters needed it to facilitate the metal trade. They wouldn’t want
anyone to tamper with the Coalition. Though Esther would have thought the Calderon
Group needed to maintain good ties with the Amsterdam too, until now.
“Why don’t you
come with us then?” she said.
“They aren’t going
anywhere on that baby patrol ship,” said Rawlins, who clearly outranked Luke
and Cody. He fixed Esther with a hard stare. “Don’t think I can’t tell what
you’re doing. You’re trying to split our group, lure us away
“No, thanks,”
Esther said. “You’re a sore loser, Luke. Not worth the drama.”
“Do I know you?”
the young man said.
Confusion replaced
the leer, and Esther knew for sure he was the same boy who’d quickly become
contrite after a lecture about fighting from his mother, Rachel.
“What’s this?”
said the bony man. “Another lady friend you’re going to claim you don’t
remember?” He slapped Luke on the back.
“Pretty sure he
paid the last one to talk about the ‘great night’ she had with him,” said the
third man, a short, dark-haired fellow who was probably a year or two younger
than Luke and Esther. He had round features that gave him a babyish appearance.
He also wore a green jacket, though his was sewn with dozens of pockets.
Luke punched his
friend in the arm and ducked a retaliatory swing. He jumped behind the other
man and put him in a headlock, all while shooting glances back at Esther. Finally,
recognition lit his brown eyes.
“You come to the
bazaar sometimes!” he said.
Esther smiled. “I
buy parts from your mom.”
Luke smacked his
friend’s shoulder. “Knew it! Esther from the Canberra .”
“ Catalina .”
“That’s what I
meant. What’s up? Looking for a crew to join?” Luke’s voice was relaxed and
good natured, even as he struggled to maintain the headlock on his buddy.
“The Harvesters
hire women?” Zoe asked.
Luke eyed Zoe up
and down. “Yeah, first mate on my ship’s a gal. Not as pretty as you, mind.”
Luke’s smile was all teeth against his tanned face.
His friend took
this opportunity to extract himself from the headlock.
“She’d open your
guts for saying so, though,” said the bony man. “She’s a cold, hard bitch.”
“Sounds like
someone we know,” Cally whispered to Esther.
“She rejected you
is all, Rawlins,” said the baby-faced young man. He jerked reflexively when the
bony man chucked his dice at him.
“Shut up, Cody,”
Rawlins snapped.
“We’re not looking
to join a crew,” Esther said. “We need help.”
“Yeah? What kind?”
Luke nudged Cody with his elbow, and Cody shoved him back.
“We’re going after
the Calderon Group,” Esther said.
The men grew
serious.
“Look, Esther,”
Luke said, “you don’t want to mess with the Calderon boys.”
“I think they
kidnapped one of our friends,” Esther said. “We have no choice. Can you give me
any information about them? I could also use a few men to help navigate our
patrol ship and possibly fight, if you’re game.” She wasn’t sure how she’d get
control of the Lucinda for the
mission, but she knew it would be stupid to go after David without a few people
who had faced the Calderon Group before. “There will be a reward for whoever
helps us.”
Zoe shifted beside
her.
“We’re not
mercenaries,” the bony man, Rawlins, said. “The Harvesters operate a legitimate
business. You’ve come to the wrong guys.”
“Yeah, but you’ve
also dealt with a lot of shit from the Calderon Group lately,” Esther said,
remembering the rumors from the bazaar. “Don’t tell me you’re not already talking
about going after them after last night’s attack.”
Luke and Cody
exchanged glances.
“I’d say you’re
fed up,” Esther said, “and you want to take action.”
“Those bastards
crossed a line when they attacked the Amsterdam ,”
Luke grumbled.
She had thought
she could count on him. He grew up on the Amsterdam ,
and the Harvesters needed it to facilitate the metal trade. They wouldn’t want
anyone to tamper with the Coalition. Though Esther would have thought the Calderon
Group needed to maintain good ties with the Amsterdam too, until now.
“Why don’t you
come with us then?” she said.
“They aren’t going
anywhere on that baby patrol ship,” said Rawlins, who clearly outranked Luke
and Cody. He fixed Esther with a hard stare. “Don’t think I can’t tell what
you’re doing. You’re trying to split our group, lure us away
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