II. Job Interview
* * * *
Not long thereafter, Anjali and Mikhail were moving briskly through the labyrinthine passages of the main commercial spaceport of Metra Litko.
Few spared them a second glance. But those who did might have noticed that though they were dressed in civilian clothes, they carried themselves like soldiers. They might have noticed the slight bulk under Mikhail’s long black synth-leather coat, indicating a weapon in a shoulder holster, or that Anjali’s hand rested on her thigh, where she wore her dagger, the signature weapon of the Shakyri Corps. An observant person might even have noticed that they both seemed wary, constantly scanning their surroundings for the slightest hint of a trouble.
“A shipboard security gig? Aboard a freighter? Really?” Anjali exclaimed, looking up from her com unit.
Mikhail shrugged. “It’s an honest job. And it pays decently.”
“Honest and boring,” Anjali countered, “We’re way too good for this.”
“We need to eat,” Mikhail pointed out, “We also need a ticket off planet and this is nicely inconspicuous.”
He stopped, putting his hands on Anjali’s shoulders with the sort of easy intimacy that had grown between them over the past two months. He looked straight at her, blue eyes meeting black. “That Republican spy at the Plasma Café was a close call.”
“He didn’t recognise us,” Anjali insisted, “We handled it.”
“We did,” Mikhail agreed, “But it was still too close for comfort, especially with the prize on our heads. We need to get off this planet and fast.”
“I know.” Anjali pulled away and resumed her stride as if nothing had happened. “Damn, I hate it when you’re right. And I hate running.”
Mikhail fell in step beside her. “I know. Me, too.” He reached for her hand, squeezed it. “But then we always knew it would be like this.”
Anjali turned to him and flashed him a quick smile. “Yes, we did. But that doesn’t mean that I have to like it.”