Space Gypsy Chronicles

Chapter 3

Kaboom! The blast took out the top of the delivery van and knocked the woman to the ground.

"Shit." Talk about unexpected. How the f**k had someone snuck past his warning system?

You mean the system you haven't fixed since you spilled that beer on it a few days ago trying to fix the backup condensing unit?

So it hadn't been at the top of his priorities. Complacency ever was his enemy. Fixing it would make the top of his list once he extricated himself from his current dilemma.

Speaking of dilemma, he could hear a low whine. A peek around the rear end of the smoking truck showed dust rising in the distance, a distance shortly closing as the riders went full throttle on their crotch rockets. It wouldn't take them long to reach him. Of more concern was whether or not they'd stop and fire off another rocket. In either case, he should get his ass moving.

Fire on me, will they? He'd show them. They weren't the only ones with firepower.

Rafe darted into his trailer and dove for the sofa bench. Gripping the cushion, he yanked on it, pulling it free to reveal the storage area underneath. He tossed to the side the semi-automatic rifle, the handgun, and the three grenades. Useless human toys.

Leaning in deeper, he pressed against the false panel in the bottom until it clicked and popped loose. He reached into that hidden recess and pulled forth a real weapon.

Now that's a gun.

While not very heavy, it did have size. Rafe carted it two-handed to the door, really wishing he'd thrown on more than pants. He hated going into battle almost naked. At least his balls were covered. On some worlds, the wildlife liked to jump and pinch. It made him envy the ball-less species that had evolved. Of even more concern than a possible snipping of his sac were his feet. Toes were a particularly tasty treat for some hungry critters.

Not a problem in the desert. Out here it was just the spiders, scorpions, and snakes he needed to watch for. At least until now.

Peeking through his door, the big gun cradled in his arms, Rafe searched the horizon for the culprits behind the demolished truck. The metal edges still glowed red from the heated laser blast that had disintegrated it.

Nothing moved. Nothing fired. Even the whine of the motorbikes had gone silent. Could they have left?

Possible. The destruction of the truck could have been a warning that it was time for Rafe to move on. Or perhaps the attackers thought him dead in the blast. A wrong assumption only an amateur would make.

He let his eyes track the open sky and area around his trailer. No sign of any drones or paratroopers. The only thing organic in nature and of concern was the delivery girl still lying on the ground. She didn't move at all.

Did the blast kill her? I hope not. He'd feel bad. She was a nice girl who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As if sensing his stare, she stirred, pushing herself up to an elbow. Her head shook as she probably tried to dispel the woozy effect of her tumble. He'd done enough to know the look.

She peered upward and recoiled as she noted her blasted vehicle. A tough wench, she didn't remain on the ground. She scrambled to her feet and reached out to touch the hot truck.

Idiot. "Don't touch that."

At his words, two things happened. She turned and took a step toward him, and he heard the high-pitched whine of a bike popping out of a sound cloak, approaching from behind. Instinct made him whirl, but he could see nothing through the trailer. But the fact that he could hear the bike wasn't good. Most enemies only uncloaked to shoot.

"Are you holding a gun?" the delivery girl squeaked, reminding him he wasn't alone.

He turned his head to peer at her and noted her eyes rounded wide in shock. Her mouth opened, and he sighed. Just his luck, she was a screamer.

Except she didn't scream. She did something worse. She questioned. "You better not be thinking of shooting me with that thing. You won't get away with it."

"I'm not shooting you. In case you hadn't noticed, we're under attack."

"Attack from who?"

Good question. He really should start a list of people he'd pissed off, but he didn't have that kind of time. If he was smart, he'd stay away from things that might cause trouble, like people on cloaked bikes shooting lasers. Key emphasis on smart. His cousins always did say they'd dropped him on his head plenty when he was young.

The one thing Rafe didn't have a problem with was survival.

As the whine of the bike's engine grew louder, he took several steps away from his trailer home, moving to the corner so he could peer around it.

"Where are you going with that gun?" she asked.

Why, oh why, did some people feel a need to question when in dire situations? "Don't worry about the gun. Get your ass into my trailer."

"And why would I go into your place?"

"To save your life."

"There's a new line. Is this some elaborate scheme to get in my pants?" she huffed with her hands on her hips.

"No. But I might use this to my advantage later, though."

"I'm not - "

He dove in her direction and shoved her out of the way before the laser, a zinging red bolt of pure heat, sliced through the air, the heat singeing some of his short hairs.

The woman hit the ground first, and Rafe landed atop her. As landing spots went, his was rather nice, and being a man, he took a brief moment to enjoy it. He also couldn't resist a drawled, "How you doing?" And yes, he channeled his best Joey voice, which also sounded remarkably a lot like his cousin Emilian.

"Get off me." She shoved at Rafe, but he was already moving.

Rolling to his feet, he tucked the gun back against his body. He scanned the area and finally noted one of the incoming culprits. Riding a speed bike with a laser gun mounted in the center of the handlebars, the helmeted figure hunched over it, not bothering to cloak anymore as the rider waited for the laser to charge for another blast.

But the incoming rider wasn't the only problem, a second one remained cloaked. Again, not the biggest issue. That was reserved for the small cruiser that hovered a few hundred yards behind his house, just high enough off the ground that it could drop its cloak and avoid any radar in the area.

A two-pronged attack, ground and air. Even at this distance, he spotted the hole in the hull of the ship peeling open. Out came the gun, a big one, and no way to avoid it. Gun propped on his hip, Rafe prepared to shoot and wondered if today he'd get to meet his maker - and explain his many sins, most done in the name of, well, supporting himself. He'd long ago abandoned home and family. It was now Rafe against the universe, a universe that had finally caught up to him.

As he prepared to go out in a blaze of glory, it occurred to him he had nothing to lose. Except maybe his tongue, but that didn't stop him from grabbing the delivery girl and planting a kiss on her full lips.

"Wha - "

He swallowed her protest as he embraced her, figuring if he was going to die he might as well do it having fun. ExceptÉthe expected pulverization didn't happen.

With a bit of reluctance, because she did taste sweet even if she nipped his lip, he raised his head and noted the smoke curling from the cruiser's weapon.

Misfire! My god is watching over me. The trickster deity once again hadn't let him down.

A malfunctioning gun, though, didn't mean his attackers were done. From under the ship, specks appeared. Floating toward them, using gravity-powered wings, a trio of hunters came zinging at them.

A slap distracted him. "How dare you kiss me!" she huffed, in full indignation.

"We're under attack and you're worried about a kiss? Maybe you should worry more about that. And that." He pointed at the incoming problems.

"Who the hell are they?" Finally, Miss Oblivious noted their aerial company.

"Galactic bounty hunters would be my guess. Lucky for us, their aim sucks." The best warriors in the galaxy chose a mercenary way of life. It paid much better. Those who couldn't shoot joined the guilds, like the one for bounty hunting, for a steady paycheck.

"Bounty hunters?" Humans could achieve such high, incredulous notes - but the best ones happened in bed. "Why would they be after you, unlessÉ" Her eyes widened. "You're a criminal."

"Can we discuss my illegal habits later? We really should move before they get off a lucky shot and turn us into dust. These guys don't fool around when it comes to eliminating people wanted on bounties and warrants."

"Maybe you're wanted, but I haven't done anything. I'm just an innocent bystander." She shoved away from him and moved out into the open, waving her arms. "Hey there, Mr. Bounty Hunter. I'm not with him."

Idiot.

Zing. The mini laser bullets peppered the ground in front of her, short of their target but showing their wicked intent with the puffs of dust they raised.

"They shot at me!" she squeaked.

"It's what you get for associating with a known criminal. They now consider you my accomplice." He smiled. "Welcome to my world."

"This is your fault!" She yelled the accusation as she ducked behind him, moments before more laser bullets hit the ground where she'd stood.

Of course this was his fault. Way to state the obvious. Even more obvious was the fact that they'd end up as particles of ash if they didn't get to safety.

"Get into my trailer." Rafe shoved the woman in that direction before he leaned back and took aim.

Rat-tat-tat. It took two hands to hold his rapid-fire laser weapon steady, and his aim wasn't any better than the hunters. Stupid gravity and wind made a mockery of his years of practicing on the space stations.

Rafe did manage to clip one of the incoming brutes, but all that did was put his attacker on the ground where it dropped to all fours and sprinted.

Meanwhile the motorbike was close enough for him to see the bright red glow of the barrel, meaning it was ready to fire.

Shit.

He sprinted after his delivery gal, who hesitated before going in.

"You're not a vampire. You don't need a special invitation to go inside," he growled as he shoved at her. "Move."

"I don't see how your puny trailer is going to protect us," she muttered with a glare over her shoulder.

"Then stay outside. Right now, I really don't give a fuck."

For all her protesting, she apparently didn't want to remain outside either, especially since the ground behind them was getting riddled with holes as the two remaining flyers got close enough to improve their aim.

She went into his trailer, and he dove in right after. As soon as he was inside, he pushed past her to his bedroom.

"I don't think this is the time for a nap," she remarked.

"I don't intend to sleep until we've escaped from this situation." Preferably alive. "Right now, we need to break camp and get out of here."

"And how do you plan to do that?" she said, ducking as the ping of laser fire peppered his trailer, punching holes through it and letting daylight leak in. "You can't exactly drive off with this thing and hope to outrun them."

"Not with this thing I can't." He hauled back the worn, stained carpet in his bedroom and slapped his hand on the floor. The panel sank down a few cubits then slid sideways, revealing a hatch and a dark tunnel down.

"Is that a bomb shelter hiding under there?" she asked.

"Better. That's the access tube to my spaceship." How many guys could claim to own one of those? Cue the impressive music and get ready for her swoon of appreciation.

What he got instead was laughter.