Steel Coyote Read online

  They went down one more level to the engineering core. Katie opened a hatch in the floor and pointed.

  “The transponder is down there.”

  The opening was no more than eighteen inches wide. There was no way he’d fit in there. “Was it made for elves?”

  “No, dumbass, it was made so people couldn’t get down there.” Katie strapped a light on her head from the toolbox. After tightening her belt, she got on her knees and pulled a pair of pliers from her pocket. “Hold my feet.”

  He knelt and waited while she wiggled through the hole then held her ankles while she hung upside down.

  “You owe me so much for this.” Her voice was muffled.

  “I’ll give you whatever you want.” Max realized he shouldn’t have promised that when Remy frowned at him.

  “I wasn’t talking to you, fool. Remy. I’ll be thinking about what she owes me for days.”

  The captain sighed. “Hell, Katie, we’ve done worse than this.”

  Her reply echoed off the chamber she hung in. “No, I don’t think so. We’ve got hell licking at our asses, and you’re fucking with the military. You should just hand him over.”

  Max nodded in agreement.

  “You don’t mean that.” Remy touched the top of Max’s head, her fingers curling through his hair softly.

  “Yes, I do.” Katie was pissed.

  “I’ll give you the peppermints. I hid them from Foley.” He needed them all to work together.

  A snort of laughter followed. “Thank God. That man farts like a water buffalo.”

  A measure of relief skated through him. He’d made Katie laugh, at least. One day, maybe they could be friends instead of wary allies.

  “Hand me the jumper in the small blue box.” Katie hadn’t finished talking before Remy was digging through the blue box for the jumper. She dropped down beside Max and leaned through the opening as far as she could, reaching in to hand the part to Katie.

  “You know, I had a fantasy like this once.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

  Remy straightened up and pinched his arm hard enough to make his eyes water. “Asshole.”

  He shrugged. “Someone has to be. The military won’t be here to serve that purpose.”

  She shook her head with an amused smile. “You need anything else, Katie?”

  “No, I’ve got it.” A few more curses and a zapping sound. “Well, it’s definitely offline now.”

  “Do you want us to pull you up?” Remy peered into the hatch.

  “Might as well. We can use a fried transponder as an excuse if they catch us. This is burned to shit.”

  Max pulled her up with great care until she was able to reach the rim of the hatch and push herself to a sitting position. She held a black box in her hand and the smell of burnt electricity rose from her and the transponder.

  “Thanks.” He was grateful, even if she didn’t want to hear it.

  The redhead’s gaze narrowed. “I didn’t do it for you. Remy ordered me to, and I always follow orders.”

  She’d turned to leave when Remy tugged at her friend’s arm. “Don’t do that.”

  Katie stopped and folded her arms. “I’m sorry. Today was a rough day. The babies, the danger, the goddamn military, and now the transponder. Plus, I heard you two laughing— Well, never mind that. Suffice it to say it’s been a shit storm.”

  “I know and I’m sorry. We’ll get through this together.” Remy put her hand on Katie’s shoulder. “Did you take care of our wee passengers?”

  “Yes, they’re fine. Mason and I took care of them because someone was busy in her cabin.” A pointed look at Remy. “We also put the tires and straps around the cases to protect them.”

  “I could have helped with that. Those tires are damn heavy.” Guilt swept through Max.

  “No, really? I didn’t know.”

  “Mason was able to lift them? He’s barely bigger than you.” Max had underestimated the boy.

  “He might be skinny, but he’s strong. We took care of it.” Katie handed the transponder to Max. “Here. You can take charge of this in case the military comes calling.”

  He took the box, surprised at how heavy and hot it was.

  Remy glanced at it and then him. “Get up to the bridge and be ready to use the hyperdrive. We need to haul ass to Haverty.”

  “Why?” Katie blurted.

  “Why what?” Remy scowled.

  “Why don’t we just save the babies and disappear into the quadrant? Why are we going to Haverty?” Katie’s voice cracked. “You’re risking everything for him.”

  Remy shook her head. “No, I’m standing up for those who can’t. How can I not try to stop these monsters? Making babies for slaves?” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can’t walk away from this, Katie. If I do, then darkness wins. We get to Haverty and make sure he can never do this again. That son of a bitch deserves to have his evil empire shoved up his ass.”

  Max was surprised at the vehemence in her voice, but damn, was he proud of her.

  Katie blew out a breath. “I wanted to hide and start again.”

  “We can’t. If we don’t see this through, we’ll never get another job. And we’ll be lucky if we aren’t hunted like rabbits and blown out of the airlock. You know this is what we have to do.” Remy’s voice rang with truth.

  “You’re right. I just didn’t want to hear it.” Katie managed a ghost of a smile.

  Remy nodded. “Check the engine and make sure we can push it. The farther we get, the quicker we get there, the better it is.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.” Katie gave them her back, disappearing into the bowels of the engine room.

  No matter their reasons, Max planned to stop his father for good. Kill his pater, if necessary. Slavery had to stop. He refused to let another child, another babe, be fed to the monster who had sired him. It was time for action.

  Max saluted Remy and went to the bridge, bounding up the steps with a sense of purpose. He’d get them to Haverty as fast as he could. They could get their battle plan in place before then. For now, he’d be on the stick.

  …

  Four days passed in a blur. Max used the hyperdrive as much as he could. No sleep, little food, and only enough water to survive. His eyes were hot and gritty, and he stank. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d worked ’round the clock—it wasn’t for someone else’s benefit, that was for certain. Now it was, which surprised him.

  The transponder sat on the navigator’s chair, his constant companion. The small black box had been the victim of many one-sided conversations and quite a bit of cussing. He’d spoken to the thing as though it could listen to him, understand his choices, and offer him the absolution he craved.

  Alas, the transponder never answered, didn’t hear, and certainly didn’t forgive him all his sins. No one could do that.

  Max set the autopilot and stretched. His neck ached, and his hands were too tired to get the kinks out.

  When cool, female hands touched his skin, he groaned aloud. Her strong fingers massaged his tight muscles, easing the ache. A sigh of pure bliss slipped out of his mouth. He closed his eyes and reveled in the brief respite.

  “Are you falling asleep, Fletcher?” Remy’s voice cut through the haze of sweet pleasure she’d brought to him. “Not that I don’t think you need shut-eye, but not while my hands are on you.”

  Max snorted a laugh. “I don’t think I’d be able to sleep if you’re touching me.” His body had relaxed under her ministrations, but it would only take seconds for that to change. He heard the thwip of Saint returning to the hologram’s wrist control, leaving Max alone with Remy.

  “Glad to hear it.” She withdrew her hands and picked up the transponder, sitting down in its place. The small black box seemed incongruous with her homespun brown trousers and the gun she wore on her hip. She wore a blue shirt that was too large for her, one he’d not seen before. Her hair was messy, sticking every which way with smears of somethin
g black over her left ear.

  She was beautiful.

  “You’ve had your ass pasted to that seat for too long.”

  He rubbed his gritty eyes again. “I figured your friend Gina may try to call in another ship, but there’s not much between Azesus and Haverty. I doubt any other ship was close enough to intercept us. We had to make up time and put as much distance between us and the damn military ship.”

  She looked up at him. “And did we?”

  “Damn straight. We left streaks on the universe. This turtle has wings.” He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. Even his face was tired.

  “Katie is the smartest person I’ve ever met.” Remy looked as tired as he felt. “She’s brilliant and my best friend.”

  Max refused to feel jealous of what Remy had with the engineer. They were close, they had history. He had just written the first pages of his book with Remy. There was much more to come.

  He reached for the smear in her hair and tried unsuccessfully to remove it. “What have you been doing?”

  She chuffed a laugh. “Lording over Foley while he fixes the water purifier.”

  “And now you can wash up after your exertions.” He managed a chuckle.

  “I had to give him the peppermints.”

  He winced. “I promised those to Katie.”

  Remy waved her hand in dismissal. “She stashed some away in her cabin but gave up the rest for the blackmail.”

  “Wily old codger.” It was a good thing Max wasn’t in charge of the crew, or Foley and his sorry old ass wouldn’t be fixing anything on any ship. He’d have to be content sitting and reading, or whatever it was he did while hiding from work.

  “He is that, but he flew with Gunnar for forty years. Foley is the closest thing I have to family.” Her eyes asked him to understand.

  “I guess the twins are now family for me, if they stay. That is, if they don’t rob me blind and leave me naked on some space station.”

  Remy chuckled. “Morgan can’t stop talking about her new big brother. I think Mason hid to get away from her chatter.”

  He was pleased to hear he’d won over one of them, but the boy would be the harder one to convince. They’d be at Haverty before that would happen. All Max could do was be honest with the kid and hope for the best.

  “Are you hiding now?” He wanted to reach over and touch her, taste her, to soothe the aches and pains she suffered from. But it wasn’t his right. There was no agreement between them, even to find pleasure in each other’s arms. That included something as simple as comfort.

  “A little, but truth is, I wanted to see you.” She set the transponder on the nav panel and crossed her arms. “You’re going to run yourself into the ground, and then I’ll have to pilot this ship.”

  He took a moment to absorb what she said and then told himself not to be hurt by it. She was absolutely right, and nothing she said wasn’t true. Yet he wanted her to seek him out for other reasons, not because he was putting her at risk for taking over the piloting of the ship.

  “Fine. I’ll go hit the rack, and you can keep her steady on. The course is set. The hyperdrive has another two hours before we can reengage.” He yawned so hard his ears hurt.

  Remy’s expression was pensive. “Then go sleep. We’ll wake you when it’s time.”

  He wanted to invite her to join him, even if his cot was too narrow for him. Max had passed tired two days earlier. His body would have trouble waking if he went to sleep now. Yet she was right. The closer they got to Haverty, the more alert he had to be.

  “If you insist, Captain.” He got to his feet and pain ripped through his legs. Max grabbed the edge of the pilot’s seat to support himself.

  “I told you that your ass was pasted to that seat.”

  “I’m just sore.” He shuffled and limped his way off the bridge and down the stairs.

  It took every ounce of energy he had, which wasn’t more than a thimbleful, to make it to his cabin. To his disappointment, a light burned inside. Annoyance flared, reviving his flagging body. He slammed the door with his hand, ready to chastise whoever had invaded his private domain again.

  Mason sat on the empty bunk, his eyes wide with surprise, but he remained seated.

  “What are you doing in here?” Max was in no mood to dick around with the boy.

  “I wanted to talk to you. The captain said you’d be down presently and I could wait for you.” Mason’s voice betrayed a small tremor. He wasn’t as calm as he seemed.

  Remy had set him up, that unconscionable wench. She set him up to talk to his half brother when he wasn’t running on all thrusters. Damn it.

  “Then talk. I need rack time.”

  Mason cleared his throat. “My sister seems to think I’m being an asshole about your offer.”

  Max couldn’t stop the rusty laugh that burst from his throat. “The females on this ship have put marionette strings on us.” He landed heavily on his bunk and stretched out. His body nearly wept from relief. Sleep tugged at him, but the boy had been the one to come see him. He had to hear him out.

  “I reckon that’s true, but I ain’t gonna let them control me.” Mason was full of a young man’s bravado. Max envied that.

  “You want a different deal with me than what I offered.” He struggled to keep his eyes open as the uncomfortable cot cradled his overtaxed body. Remy had been right—he’d pasted his ass to the pilot seat for far too long.

  “You know what life I’ve had so far. I protected Morgan as much as I could, but with the bio chips in our hands, they can always find us if we get within three kilometers of any of the Corporation’s outposts or orbs.” Mason was smart, sadly so. There were things a seventeen-year-old shouldn’t have to know.

  “I won’t make you stay with me, but I want you to.” Max felt closer to them, not because they had the same bastard father, but because they had had similar childhoods, or lack of one. He’d struggled for ten years to escape his past, and his siblings were fresh from the hell they’d lived through.

  “I won’t take orders.”

  “I won’t give any, unless it’s to protect you.” Giving orders was Remy’s job as captain.

  Mason was silent for a few moments as he studied Max. Perhaps he was looking for a sign of dishonesty, or he might have been gathering his thoughts.

  “Where will we live?”

  Max breathed an inward sigh of relief at the boy’s use of “we.” “For now, we stay with the Steel Coyote. After we’re done with the business in Haverty, we can decide together.”

  Mason nodded. “Sounds fair enough.”

  “Good. Now get out so I can sleep.” Max wasn’t going to put on airs for him. If they were to be a family, it was in good or bad times.

  The young man stood. “What should I call you?”

  It was a simple question, but one Max wasn’t sure how to answer. “You can call me Max or Fletcher or sir. Your choice.”

  “Our names aren’t really Morgan and Mason.”

  This made Max’s eyes pop open. He propped himself on his elbow. “I don’t understand.”

  Mason looked at the wall and swallowed hard. “We took those names when we left Haverty and stowed away on a transport ship. We thought it would confuse anyone who was searching for us.”

  “How did Jean St. Pierre get into all this? He’s the one who sent us to fetch you.”

  “The transport ship captain found us and then sold us to the holding pens at Azesus. Someone there must have contacted St. Pierre. They told us he’d pick us up and bring us somewhere safe.” Mason’s scowl grew deeper. “They lie. They all lied. We were there for a week waiting on St. Pierre.”

  Max knew the anger and fear the boy was feeling. He suspected someone, perhaps Coddington, paid Jean St. Pierre to bring them back to Haverty. “Well, he didn’t pick you up but you are somewhere safe.”

  That seemed to deflate Mason’s anger. “I know that now.”

  “So what are your names?”

  Mason’s h
and was on the door and he paused. “Seven thirty-four and seven thirty-five.”

  Max’s heart pinched. The children had been treated as a number in a heinous industry that needed to be stopped. If he ever had a doubt, this erased it. Completely.

  “Do you like the names Mason and Morgan?”

  “I reckon they’re okay.” Mason’s knuckles were white on the hatch door handle.

  “You can take the name Fletcher, too.” Max’s throat tightened as he thought about truly having these two as family. They were now his responsibility.

  “Okay.” Mason’s voice was barely a whisper, then he darted out the door, closing it hard behind him.

  Max lay back down, his arms behind his head.

  That settled it. Life had taken a number of right turns since he’d seen Remy at the bar on Station Twenty, but this was the hardest. Slammed him against the wall and left him gasping. From now on, everything was different. He wasn’t sure he was ready, but it didn’t matter if he was or not.

  …

  They were one day away from Haverty, so close the air in the ship nearly shimmered with tension. Everyone was short-tempered and grumpy. Remy tried to keep her distance from everyone, especially Max. She wanted to lose herself with him, but there was too much at stake and she needed her mind clear.

  She walked into the galley and found Katie sitting with Morgan, each of them nibbling on what looked like toast. Their expressions were as tight and glum as she expected her own was.

  “Any left over?” She sat down and snatched a triangle of toast from Katie’s plate. The engineer made a huffing sound but didn’t make a move to reclaim that part of her breakfast. “Where is everyone else?”

  “Mason is playing chess with Foley,” Morgan said around the bite in her mouth.

  “I didn’t know Foley played chess.” The toast tasted like ash in her mouth, dry and tasteless. Anxiety had taken hold of her, and she wouldn’t be able to shake it. She didn’t seek out battles, but she would and could be a fighter when she needed to. This would be, by far, the biggest fight she’d ever been involved in.