thunder are we here, Ericca and I? You
like paying top dollar for nothing?”
Now Ericca’s attitude of late was starting to make sense to Mara.
Jordon rubbed his face with both hands. “Mr. Riley, I see no
reason to look for trouble when it can be avoided. There are, however,
occasions like this one where we’ll truly require your services. When we pass
by Enri, we’ll need you and your sister in Viper flying cover. Just get
us through the straits safely and you’ll have earned your pay for the year.”
“Very well.”
“Look, I keep you and Ericca on retainer because this sort
of thing is bound to crop up from time to time. Your pay will double where
hazards truly exist and triple if you need to face hostile fire.”
“Sis and I just thought it would happen more often.”
“Honestly? Do you two really have an issue with my playing
it safe?”
“No. No. Play it safe. Avoid danger. Take no risks. Just
don’t expect Ericca and me to stick around if that’s all you’re going to do.”
“Are you saying what I pay you isn’t enough to keep you?”
“It isn’t the money. Saturn’s rings, the pay is fine, better
than fine actually. I don’t expect to get near as much working for someone
else. But this life, this always playing it safe, it’s too poon tarded dull for us. Pardon my language. I can’t speak for Ericca, but I’d like to see more
action even if it means less money.”
“I see I’m going to have to rethink everything.”
“No disrespect, sir, but loads of money isn’t going to keep
us here if all we’re doing is twiddling our thumbs.”
“I see.” Jordon considered the young mercenary for a moment.
“You’re right. I’ve been unfair to both of you. Stick around. Let’s complete
this mission, and, from here on out, I’ll see to it that your lives are more
interesting. Fair enough?”
“I’m willing to stick around and at least see what you have
in mind,” Riley said. “But I can’t promise Ericca will.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Jordon said.
“Let her go, Jordy,” Mara said.
“Mom, I’ll talk to her.”
“It might be best if she found work elsewhere.”
“She goes, I go,” Archer said.
“Enough!” Jordon’s face was red anger, his eyes flicking
from Riley to Mara and back again.
Mara favored him with the faintest of smiles, and he turned
his attention to Josh.
“Alright. Setting that aside, let’s get back to business.
Let’s assume the Talons are a trap—let’s try turning this situation to our
advantage.”
Josh cocked his head and raised a sheepish smile. “Since
we’re on the subject, I could stand a raise.”
“Me too,” Nate piped up.
“Nice try, boys. Can we talk about that later? Right now we
have a job to do.”
“Yes sir. Where do we start?”
“We have a shipment bound for Saigus.” Jordon said, patting his
mother’s hand. “And I’ll need help. It’s high time we paid a call on relatives,
don’t you think, Mom?”
Mara leaned closer to him and spoke softly, “I don’t like
believing this ship is on the Prias’s ‘ To find ’ list, but seeing that as
so would be prudent.” She turned to Riley. “But first things first. Shouldn’t
our recon team prepare to drop?”
Startled to wide-eyed readiness, Riley perked up. “Right
now? We’re not even close to Enri.”
With her motherly instincts fully engaged, Mara turned to
the young strategist. “I may be wrong, Josh, but shouldn’t we find out if those
two Talon pilots made it to Hawthorn?” In her mind, she saw the two inspectors
as boys their own mothers might miss should something bad have happened to
them.
The teen smiled. “Yes. I think it would be best if we
assumed nothing. We should tie down that loose end before anything else.
Tracking down those two pilots—knowing what really happened to them—would put
us ahead of the game.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jordon said. “Riley, grab your sister
and put that issue to bed, then catch up to us when
like paying top dollar for nothing?”
Now Ericca’s attitude of late was starting to make sense to Mara.
Jordon rubbed his face with both hands. “Mr. Riley, I see no
reason to look for trouble when it can be avoided. There are, however,
occasions like this one where we’ll truly require your services. When we pass
by Enri, we’ll need you and your sister in Viper flying cover. Just get
us through the straits safely and you’ll have earned your pay for the year.”
“Very well.”
“Look, I keep you and Ericca on retainer because this sort
of thing is bound to crop up from time to time. Your pay will double where
hazards truly exist and triple if you need to face hostile fire.”
“Sis and I just thought it would happen more often.”
“Honestly? Do you two really have an issue with my playing
it safe?”
“No. No. Play it safe. Avoid danger. Take no risks. Just
don’t expect Ericca and me to stick around if that’s all you’re going to do.”
“Are you saying what I pay you isn’t enough to keep you?”
“It isn’t the money. Saturn’s rings, the pay is fine, better
than fine actually. I don’t expect to get near as much working for someone
else. But this life, this always playing it safe, it’s too poon tarded dull for us. Pardon my language. I can’t speak for Ericca, but I’d like to see more
action even if it means less money.”
“I see I’m going to have to rethink everything.”
“No disrespect, sir, but loads of money isn’t going to keep
us here if all we’re doing is twiddling our thumbs.”
“I see.” Jordon considered the young mercenary for a moment.
“You’re right. I’ve been unfair to both of you. Stick around. Let’s complete
this mission, and, from here on out, I’ll see to it that your lives are more
interesting. Fair enough?”
“I’m willing to stick around and at least see what you have
in mind,” Riley said. “But I can’t promise Ericca will.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Jordon said.
“Let her go, Jordy,” Mara said.
“Mom, I’ll talk to her.”
“It might be best if she found work elsewhere.”
“She goes, I go,” Archer said.
“Enough!” Jordon’s face was red anger, his eyes flicking
from Riley to Mara and back again.
Mara favored him with the faintest of smiles, and he turned
his attention to Josh.
“Alright. Setting that aside, let’s get back to business.
Let’s assume the Talons are a trap—let’s try turning this situation to our
advantage.”
Josh cocked his head and raised a sheepish smile. “Since
we’re on the subject, I could stand a raise.”
“Me too,” Nate piped up.
“Nice try, boys. Can we talk about that later? Right now we
have a job to do.”
“Yes sir. Where do we start?”
“We have a shipment bound for Saigus.” Jordon said, patting his
mother’s hand. “And I’ll need help. It’s high time we paid a call on relatives,
don’t you think, Mom?”
Mara leaned closer to him and spoke softly, “I don’t like
believing this ship is on the Prias’s ‘ To find ’ list, but seeing that as
so would be prudent.” She turned to Riley. “But first things first. Shouldn’t
our recon team prepare to drop?”
Startled to wide-eyed readiness, Riley perked up. “Right
now? We’re not even close to Enri.”
With her motherly instincts fully engaged, Mara turned to
the young strategist. “I may be wrong, Josh, but shouldn’t we find out if those
two Talon pilots made it to Hawthorn?” In her mind, she saw the two inspectors
as boys their own mothers might miss should something bad have happened to
them.
The teen smiled. “Yes. I think it would be best if we
assumed nothing. We should tie down that loose end before anything else.
Tracking down those two pilots—knowing what really happened to them—would put
us ahead of the game.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jordon said. “Riley, grab your sister
and put that issue to bed, then catch up to us when
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