Star Runners: Dark Space

Chapter 8

8

Josh knew he'd made a mistake.

When the new arrival with the lifeless eyes escorted them at gunpoint into the dining hall and made them remove the creatures’ bodies, Josh wondered why he ever felt the need to return the ship. Then he thought of Austin and remembered he was trying to help his friend. Taking another look at the machine gun, however, forced him to consider he'd never see Earth or anyone from there again.

"Ease into those seats," the man said, both of them. "Real slow like."

"Can't we talk without the gun?" Matta asked with a sigh as she slid into the seat.

The man put the weapon on the table and folded his arms over his chest. He wore a black outfit with many pockets containing gadgets. A small blinking red light on a rectangular device about the size of a garage door opener was attached to his chest. Josh figured it was the power supply for the personal shroud he’d used to dispatch the terrifying creatures. Whoever this guy was, he was well funded.

"Better?" he asked, looking at Josh. "Now, we talk."

"What do you want to know?" he asked. "It's not like there's much to tell."

"Right. You draw out attackers like that and then say you have no story? You're ignorant, or you're lying."

"Tis true," Matta said, her voice rising. "We don't know anything."

"Names," he said. "Now."

They hesitated. The man sighed, his hand hovering on his weapon. "This is going to be a disappointing day."

"I'm Matta." She c****d her head to the side. "This is Josh."

"Both Barracudas?"

"Yes," Josh said before Matta could reply. "We are."

She glanced at him but said nothing.

Josh remembered how the Tyral Pirates reacted when they realized they’d captured a Star Runner. He became a prized possession and received too much attention from his captors as a result. If he could pose as a smuggler, for the time being, all the better.

The man studied them both for an awkward moment but finally nodded. He stared at the table in silence, a look of disappointment falling over his face.

“You weren't looking for us." Josh glanced at Matta. "Were you?"

"No," he said, exhaling as his shoulders slumped. "Had this lair of yours staked out with drones, hoped you might be able to lead me to my target. They let me know when you arrived and here I am.”

"Who are you?"

He pursed his lips. "Not important."

"Yeah, it is," Josh said, pointing back to the hangar with his thumb. "I just saw you take out things I've only seen in nightmares. I'd like to know who you are."

"I said it doesn't matter."

"Are you with the Legion? Zahl?"

"Freelancer."

Josh frowned. "What's your name?"

"Just call me Douglas Foster for now."

"What are those things that attacked us?”

“Heard they’re called Pisceans.”

“What are they?”

Foster lifted his chin as if considering his words. "I don't know for sure what they are,” he said in a low voice, "but I've heard plenty of stories of biological experiments, mutations—whatever. You travel around space long enough, and you see some crazy stuff.”

Sighing, Foster suddenly looked very tired. Dark patches puffed under his eyes, and his skin was pale. "I'm here because I'm out of options."

"Options?" Josh frowned. "For what?"

"I took a job to find an individual," Foster said, wiping his face with both hands. "The price was too high to turn down, but he’s been vanishing every time I’m close.”

Intrigued, Josh leaned forward. "You're a bounty hunter."

"Hardly.”

Matta snorted. "He's an assassin."

Josh grew rigid. "An assassin?"

"Yep," she said, eyeing Foster as if he were a poisonous snake about to strike. "Heard about you. Got a dozen names. You kill targets—hard targets—others can't find. You after my Waylon? Huh? Or Tocol?"

Foster smiled, shaking his head. "Hardly worth my time."

"Well," she said, looking at Josh, "I'm not helping you find my people. No way."

"Enough," Foster said, his voice rising. "You were my last resort. I need to know why those things came here to kill you.”

"I don't know," he admitted. "Who are you looking for?"

Foster hesitated. "Dax Rodon."

"Rodon?" Matta and Josh said unison.

Her jaw dropped as she looked at Josh. “That man who took you?"

Josh winced, but it was too late.

"Took you?" Foster asked, energy returning to his face. "When? How?"

Holding up his hand, Josh nodded. "I was a captive, yes. So were some of the other Barracudas. But Rodon’s dead.”

“No, he’s not. When was this?"

"A while back."

"Before the attack on the third planet in the Solar System?"

“Yes.”

"Listen," Foster said, softening his voice, "I'm not here to hurt you or your friends. I want Rodon. That's it, and that's all."

Memories of being Rodon’s captive flooded back as Josh looked at Foster. "Who hired you?"

"I don't reveal my clients."

"And I bet you usually don't fail to find your targets." He waited for a heartbeat before adding, "Tell me."

"I was hired to hunt down Rodon and take him out," he said plainly. "I started searching out any group in Quadrant Eight that might’ve had dealings with him and the Tyral Pirates including you and many of your competitors."

"Great," Matta said. "Lotta nice people."

“Rodon’s been rampaging all across Zahlian Space and Quadrant Eight,” Foster continued as if Matta hadn’t spoken, “killing those who’ve wronged him. Then, it was like he had disappeared. Knowing he’d had dealings with the Barracudas in the past, I knew he’d come after your people eventually. I thought I’d be able to use you to find a lead to Rodon. Those Pisceans got here first, I'm afraid, and the survivors disappeared before I could place a tracker on them.”

Josh swallowed, remembering how he and the Barracudas helped bring down Rodon’s entire operation while helping to disrupt the pirate leader’s attempt at conquering Earth. If Rodon were alive, he’d be coming for blood. A chill rippled down his spine. “You going to kill us?"

"No," Foster said, grabbing his gun and standing. "I've got no beef with you. You were a means to an end."

"What if I could help you find my boss?” Matta asked.

Foster paused. "What do you mean?"

She turned, a twinkle in her eye. "What if I could trace their position? Would that help you find Rodon?”

Scowling, Foster glared at her. "You better start making sense. What do you know?"

“We might find them if we had a long-range comm relay but mine’s shot, and we got nothing like it here,” she stammered, her hands shaking as she glanced at Josh. “We could try tracking their signals.”

Foster glanced at Josh and then stared at Matta. "What signals?”

"Waylon had trackers implanted on all of us after he was captured by Rodon, said he never wanted the same thing to happen to any of us.”

“Rodon must know that. It’s probably how those Pisceans tracked you here.”

Josh remembered Matta sending him a frequency when they first made contact upon his arrival. His stomach turned. This attack was my fault. I almost got Matta killed.

Foster moved closer to Matta. “Give me the frequency.”

She shook her head. “You’ll just kill me.”

Foster sighed, pointing the gun at Josh. “Give me the code or I kill your friend.”

Josh closed his eyes, awaiting the blast.

"Stop!" Matta shouted. "He's not a Barracuda!"

"What?" Foster asked.

Josh glared at her, mouthed the word, “No."

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes darting from Josh to Foster. “You can’t shoot him. He's a Star Runner, and you know the Legion would be all over you if you killed him.”

Josh winced, burying his head in his hands.

Foster grabbed his shoulders. "A Star Runner? I didn't think I'd see a pretty boy like you way the hell out here? You on a covert operation? Name."

"Lieutenant Josh Morris."

"Morris?" Matta blurted out. "Since when?"

"QUIET!" Foster and Josh yelled.

Foster eyed him, his brow lowering. "Quite a bounty out recently for people in your line of work. Some Zahlian agents were looking for Star Runners a while back and paying handsomely for it. Too bad I'm on another job.”

"No," Matta said, standing between them. "You can't do that."

Josh placed his hand on Matta's shoulder and squeezed. “Everything else we told you is true. I was once taken captive by Rodon, we escaped, and the Barracudas took me in as one of their own. It's a long story, but I gave my word I’d return this ship. That’s all there is to it.“

Matta nodded, staring at the deck. “It’s true."

Foster snorted. "All right," he said, gesturing with the gun toward Matta, “What's your name?"

"Matta."

"Matta what?"

"Just Matta."

"Never had a last name?"

"Never needed one."

“Where are your colleagues?” Foster asked.

“They disappeared.”

“Interesting.” Foster stared at the hangar deck and said to himself, “Rodon must have gotten to them, too.” Looking back at Matta, he asked, “Where was their last destination?”

Matta nodded. “Ashia. We do business there."

"When?"

"It was their last stop," she said. “Before my ship’s battery died, their signal ended there. They’re either out of range now or—”

“Dead.” Foster frowned. “You need a stronger relay than what you’ve got in this thing, anyhow. So Ashia’s where you lost contact with them?"

"Yes. You think Rodon’s taken them?"

“If he has, Rodon’s new attitude probably means he’s taken out some of his anger on your friends.”

“My stars,” Matta breathed, grabbing Josh’s hand.

"What kind of business you do there?" Foster asked.

"Supplies,” Matta whispered, her eyes fixated on her feet.

Foster laughed. "Guns, I bet." He crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing for a long moment. “I’m going to Ashia.”

With a kick of his boots, Foster marched across the hangar toward an empty corner near the energy shield. He yanked a cylinder from his thigh pocket, held it high in the air and waved it like a magical wand. A sleek yacht materialized, the hull glittering as the shroud deactivated.

As Foster marched away, Matta climbed out of her ship and grabbed Josh's arm.

"We’ve no ship here now,” she whispered. “If he leaves us—"

"Foster!" Josh yelled, starting toward the yacht. "You can't just leave us!"

"Sure I can.”

His mind raced. "You'll need me to pilot your ship if you're going to the Fringe alone."

"Ha!" Foster barked, turning halfway around. "Been a spacer longer than you, boy. I'll be just fine, thank you."

"But you need us!" Matta cried.

With that, Foster halted and spun on his heel. "Why?"

Josh closed the gap between them and looked at Matta.

“Um,” she said in a raspy voice. “What if Waylon’s still alive? There’s a chance, isn’t there?”

“What’s your point?” Foster demanded.

Matta shuffled her feet. “Waylon could be Rodon’s prisoner. I can punch in the trackers’ frequency again when we’re at Ashia. Maybe we’ll get a location to help you find your big payday?”

“Yeah,” Josh said, realizing Matta’s plan. “You need her because she's the only one who can track the Barracudas' position when you’re close enough to locate them. If Rodon’s got them, Matta could lead you right to his front door."

Foster sighed and rubbed his chin.

"Besides," Josh pressed, "going out there alone might not be the best idea."

"I always work alone."

"Consider this a new opportunity."

Foster glared at him. “I understand why I need her.” He touched the gun in his holster. “Not you.”

Matta stood at attention. “Cause I’m not going without him.”

“We’re wasting time.” Foster stared at both of them. "You two do anything to compromise my mission, and it'll be the airlock for both of you. Got it?"

He nodded. "We understand. We just want to get our friends back."

"And you!" Foster pointed at Matta. "I have a terminal on the ship with a signal booster that'll allow you track your crew farther than anything you ever had here.”

She took a deep breath. “Understood."

Foster strolled toward his yacht, his boots echoing in the empty hangar.

Matta leaned close to Josh. "You sure this is a good idea?"

"You'd rather die on this rock?” he asked. "I don't think we have a choice."