CHAPTER 15

Hera: Hide Number 2, A little past daybreak

Used to be I could run all night, then all day too. All this creepin’ around’s startin’ to grind me down. Might be about time to break out the stims, cain’t afford to be slow later on. Naw, hold off on those til just afore the party starts. Gonna pay for usin’ em after, always do.

God......all over nasty this mornin’. Get this crud cleaned off ‘fore it stinks. Cammie top ....prolly won’t get all the blood out. Toss it, britches too. Got a fresh set in the box. Knife needs cleaned, gun, shotgun too, even though it ain’t been fired.......... Just so many fun things to do. .................................................

And so we take a rummage in the ration stash and come up with..... ham and mammies. Well, that’s surely a letdown. Anything else in here? Couple units of protein mush.....candy bars, have one of those for dessert.......can of pork and beans. That’ll do.

Run the opener ‘round the edge ........don’t THINK it’s supposed to be growin’ hair like that. Take a sniff..ughhh. Definitely WAY past the expiration date. Dig a cat hole and bury that. Looks like mush for breakfast again.

Wonder if I should take the Remington? Got the range and punch for serious sniping, but that won’t really be the job, will it? Idea is to make ‘em duck, then come on out to play. Callahan’ll make the range if I dial up to max, but accuracy won’t be so good. Lot of drop at three hundred yards. Might not matter. Might think I’m a lousy shot, be careless. One less thing to drag along, slow me down. Yeah, leave it.

And our mystery meal today is.......chicken flavor. Not bad, prefer the beef. Hell, all tastes about the same after awhile anyway.

Figger it oughtta start soon. Call over to the ship, get no answer. I’ll hear that on the com I took. Check it out.....recon in force? Likely use the hover, search the ship. Fall back, consolidate.

Give’em time to come down off the jazz, then zap ‘em.

Barty’s Ship: The Black, 15 Months Ago

Hold the book in front of the pickup. Want that to be the first thing he sees.

“ Yes? ....You have it! Excellent, Mr. Smiley”

“Mr. Smiley cain’t talk right now. He’s busy tryin’ to get loose from his cell.” Take the book out the way and stick my face into view.

“Jacob.”

“Correct. Tell me Mr. Barty, was spacin’ me part of your plan, or did Smiley come up with that all by himself?”

“Oh dear. Mr. Smiley can be a bit.....over-zealous. No, you were to be returned to your cabin for the trip back. Unharmed.”

“Uh huh. Well, we’re gonna go with MY plan from here on in. I’ve got the book, AND your ship, don’t really want either one. Just want my walkin’ papers, and my coin. I’ll call again to set up the exchange.”

“Ja...”

<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>

Pilot’s been good. Ain’t twitched a muscle with this gun in his neck.

“And now it’s time for YOU to join your friends. Let’s go.”

Sure was a pleasure seein’ Smelly’s face when I pulled the little automatic on ‘im. Severely pissed off don’t half cover it. And yup, just like I figgered, one of ‘em was waitin’ beside the inner hatch to club me down.

Got ‘em all out where I could see, ‘cept the pilot. Interruptin’ a fella while breakin’ atmo ain’t a good idea. Guns on the deck, stick ‘em in the cabins. Hate to be locked up with Smelly, cain’t be pleasant in a LOT of ways.

Stay outta reach as I march the pilot to the cabin.

“Awright, just hold it there. Go ahead and unlock it, then get in.”

Pushes the unlock, slides it open and...THUD. Catches Smiley’s ham-sized fist right in the puss. Saw THAT comin’.

Step into view, center the forty-four I’ve got now right on Smiley’s forehead.

“Bad Smiley, no cookie for you. Pick ‘im up, get ‘im in there, then shut it.” He does, but surely ain’t happy about it. None too gentle, either. Lock the door again.

Find me a sitdown til the shakes go away. Now to figger out how to get paid without gettin’ killed.