that we can let your daddy know that you’re here.”
Adam reached for a handful of her hair and gave it a tug.
Who was she kidding? This was going to take forever.
Summer 2527
Strom poured two mugs of syntho-coffee and handed one to
Jake. What he wouldn’t give for a double espresso. But there wasn’t a planet
within several hundred light-years that had the real thing and it would
probably cost him a month’s salary.
“We’ve received intelligence reports that Raoul is out of
hiding. He’s been lying low on Tarsus Four, but he’s on his way back to
Cyraelia.”
“That’s great, Strom, but—”
“But what, Jake? Soon you won’t have to pretend to romance
Tanith anymore and we can deal with Raoul, permanently this time.”
Jake shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “That’s just it,
Boss. I’m not pretending…”
“Are you out of your tiny mind, Jake? Have you forgotten who
her brother is? How do you know she’s not a spy, for god’s sake?”
“I don’t believe that she is and I’m worried about what
Raoul will do to her when he gets here. I want to move her onto the ship.”
“Onto the ship?” Strom’s chair rocked beneath him. “You want
to move the sister of a Cyraelian terrorist onto my ship?”
“I don’t see why not. You would do it for Ingrid.”
“Don’t you dare bring Ingrid into this.”
How could he? How could Jake mention her name to him? Didn’t
he know that he couldn’t seem to forget her, that every night his dreams were
filled with her? He hadn’t looked at another woman since he’d left Ingrid, and
the thought that she might be with someone else now made him ache.
“The situation with Ingrid was impossible, Jake.”
Strom’s face was impassive, but Jake wasn’t fooled for an
instant. “Nothing is impossible. How many times have you told me that? Have you
been happy for a single day since you left her? Well, I have no intention of
ending up miserable like you.”
The door swished closed behind him and Strom was left alone
in the briefing room. He watched through the porthole as a shuttle craft
departed for the planet below. Light-years away on the other side of the
galaxy, Ingrid was going about her daily life. She couldn’t still love him.
Could she?
Winter 2527
Jake swayed with the drunken gait of someone who had one too
many Cyraelian ales. The streets were dark and slick with rain, and in the
white dress suit he was lit up brighter than Sirius. Strom followed behind,
creeping quietly along the alley, staying in the shadows. They had almost
reached the spaceport. If the Cyraelians were going to make a move on Jake, it
would have to be soon.
Pete, he commed, can you see anyone ?
I count two on his tail, Boss , Pete replied. Want
me to pick them off?
Not yet. Any sign of you know who?
Negative here. Hold on a minute, Pete commed back. I
think we’ve got a third, but I can’t see his face.
Strom took the safety off his weapon. There was no way that
Raoul would send someone to kill the man who had behaved so disgracefully with
his sister. He would want to do that himself. Take care of the others ,
he commed. I’ll deal with Raoul .
Within seconds, the dark alleyway was lit up with laser
fire. Pete winged one of them and watched as the injured man dragged himself
behind a parked hover-pod. Jake was the prime target, and in the white dress
uniform he was dangerously visible.
“Stay down, Jake,” he shouted.
Strom took careful aim and took the second one out,
vaporizing him. “Guys,” he shouted. “Where is Raoul?”
“I’m right behind you.”
Strom turned slowly. Raoul waved his weapon, motioning him
to walk to the middle of the street.
“Drop your weapon and tell the others to do the same.”
Guys , he commed silently, no matter what happens,
don’t even think about it.
Jake, Pete commed. I can’t get a shot from this
angle.
Jake eased out of his white jacket. Okay. Let’s see if I
can distract him.
“Why are
Adam reached for a handful of her hair and gave it a tug.
Who was she kidding? This was going to take forever.
Summer 2527
Strom poured two mugs of syntho-coffee and handed one to
Jake. What he wouldn’t give for a double espresso. But there wasn’t a planet
within several hundred light-years that had the real thing and it would
probably cost him a month’s salary.
“We’ve received intelligence reports that Raoul is out of
hiding. He’s been lying low on Tarsus Four, but he’s on his way back to
Cyraelia.”
“That’s great, Strom, but—”
“But what, Jake? Soon you won’t have to pretend to romance
Tanith anymore and we can deal with Raoul, permanently this time.”
Jake shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “That’s just it,
Boss. I’m not pretending…”
“Are you out of your tiny mind, Jake? Have you forgotten who
her brother is? How do you know she’s not a spy, for god’s sake?”
“I don’t believe that she is and I’m worried about what
Raoul will do to her when he gets here. I want to move her onto the ship.”
“Onto the ship?” Strom’s chair rocked beneath him. “You want
to move the sister of a Cyraelian terrorist onto my ship?”
“I don’t see why not. You would do it for Ingrid.”
“Don’t you dare bring Ingrid into this.”
How could he? How could Jake mention her name to him? Didn’t
he know that he couldn’t seem to forget her, that every night his dreams were
filled with her? He hadn’t looked at another woman since he’d left Ingrid, and
the thought that she might be with someone else now made him ache.
“The situation with Ingrid was impossible, Jake.”
Strom’s face was impassive, but Jake wasn’t fooled for an
instant. “Nothing is impossible. How many times have you told me that? Have you
been happy for a single day since you left her? Well, I have no intention of
ending up miserable like you.”
The door swished closed behind him and Strom was left alone
in the briefing room. He watched through the porthole as a shuttle craft
departed for the planet below. Light-years away on the other side of the
galaxy, Ingrid was going about her daily life. She couldn’t still love him.
Could she?
Winter 2527
Jake swayed with the drunken gait of someone who had one too
many Cyraelian ales. The streets were dark and slick with rain, and in the
white dress suit he was lit up brighter than Sirius. Strom followed behind,
creeping quietly along the alley, staying in the shadows. They had almost
reached the spaceport. If the Cyraelians were going to make a move on Jake, it
would have to be soon.
Pete, he commed, can you see anyone ?
I count two on his tail, Boss , Pete replied. Want
me to pick them off?
Not yet. Any sign of you know who?
Negative here. Hold on a minute, Pete commed back. I
think we’ve got a third, but I can’t see his face.
Strom took the safety off his weapon. There was no way that
Raoul would send someone to kill the man who had behaved so disgracefully with
his sister. He would want to do that himself. Take care of the others ,
he commed. I’ll deal with Raoul .
Within seconds, the dark alleyway was lit up with laser
fire. Pete winged one of them and watched as the injured man dragged himself
behind a parked hover-pod. Jake was the prime target, and in the white dress
uniform he was dangerously visible.
“Stay down, Jake,” he shouted.
Strom took careful aim and took the second one out,
vaporizing him. “Guys,” he shouted. “Where is Raoul?”
“I’m right behind you.”
Strom turned slowly. Raoul waved his weapon, motioning him
to walk to the middle of the street.
“Drop your weapon and tell the others to do the same.”
Guys , he commed silently, no matter what happens,
don’t even think about it.
Jake, Pete commed. I can’t get a shot from this
angle.
Jake eased out of his white jacket. Okay. Let’s see if I
can distract him.
“Why are
Similar Books
