They stood across from the warehouse, watching the guards.

  “Well, they’re definitely not Impies. That’s a good thing.”

  Kaine looked down at the girl’s serious face.

  “I don’t know yet, kiddo, but I’ll think of something.”

  He looked back at the two men who stood watch on each side of the door.

  “The question is, are these locals or Qevahri? That could make a big difference. The Qevahri hate the Imperium and would be more likely to help someone like me. A local... Well, it would depend on the individual, wouldn’t it? Is he a sympathizer or a convert? Is he by-the-book or corrupt?” He clicked his tongue. “Too bad I can’t read minds, eh? That’d be something.”

  With a sigh, he grabbed the girl’s hand and they started toward the warehouse.

  “Just follow my lead, okay kiddo?”

  He gave her a wink.

  The two men had tensed by the time they got there. Likely they heard the sound of Ondine’s metal leg clanking against the pavement before they even saw them. They definitely were staring at it.

  “What’s this?” asked the shorter one once they were within earshot. “Did you get her from a freak show?”

  His companion snickered.

  Kaine gritted his teeth. “This girl happens to be a good friend of mine, so I’d appreciate it if you showed some respect.”

  “Sure, sure, whatever you say.”

  “What are you doing here, anyway?” asked the other. “This is no place for tourists.”

  The short one elbowed his friend. “I think there’s a circus up the road.”

  They both burst out laughing.

  Kaine was about to snap when he felt the girl’s fingers squeezing his. He looked down and saw her shaking her head.

  She’s right. I can’t let this get out of hand. Not if I want them to let me in.

  “Look, guys, I just need to get my ship back, then we’ll both be out of your hair.”

  The guards looked at each other, then back at him.

  “Your ship? You got a ship in here?”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Yeah. Was seized by the Impies. Before... Well, you know, before this whole mess started.”

  “What mess?” The tall one looked at the short one. “Do you know what mess he’s talking about?”

  “The Qevahri,” Kaine said patiently.

  The short one shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me. Only mess I can think of is what’ll happen if we let in some strange dude and his freaky girlfriend.”

  “She’s not my...” Kaine stopped and took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s get to the point. Just tell me what it’ll cost me.”

  “Hmm. That’s an interesting question. What do you have?”

  Kaine gave that some thought. He still had some credits left from his previous job, though not much, and he needed to keep some for his expenses.

  “How about a hundred. Each.”

  The taller one squinted at him while the other laughed.

  “You should join that circus too. You got good jokes.”

  Kaine grunted. “Never mind.”

  He pulled on Ondine’s hand as he turned and headed off, fuming.

  It was only once they’d turned the corner that he looked down at her and found her staring up at him.

  “Don’t give me that look, girl. It’s not like we have a choice. You heard them. You know their type just as well as I do. They won’t give an inch. Not for a lot more credits than what I can afford to pay them. But lucky for us, I’m an expert at these kinds of games.”

  Kaine stopped walking once they were at the back of the warehouse. He considered the building for a moment and nodded, pointing at a window.

  “That’s my way in. It’s a bit high, but I—”

  She squeezed his hand. Hard.

  He winced as he looked at her. “What? No. You’re not...” He sighed as he saw her frown. “You’re gonna hit me again if I tell you to stay here, aren’t you? Fine. But you have to realize you’re making this much more difficult than it needs to be. Climbing up there won’t be easy. And it might be even more challenging for you.”

  The girl looked at the window. She let go of his hand and ran to the wall. Jumped on a crate, reached up to a protruding metal bar, pulled herself up, swung her feet onto a ledge, then quickly made her way up, from one crack to another. She stopped next to the window, and turned to look at him.

  Kaine stared in disbelief.

  He finally picked up his jaw from the floor and grunted as he walked up to the crate.

  “Show-off,” he muttered.

  With careful gestures, he made his way up—more slowly than Ondine had. She patiently waited for him. It was a strange sight to see her hanging there from the wall, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

  He pulled himself up to the window and peeked inside, but it was too dark to make out anything.

  “Okay. I got this.”

  Kaine pulled a thin piece of plastic from his pocket and applied it gently against the glass. He tapped on the material and it lit up. After waiting a few seconds, he tapped it again and the glow disappeared. Grabbing the edge, he pulled. The glass cracked and a large chunk came out. With one hand, he held the panel while he unglued the sticker with the other and tucked it back in his pocket. He stared at the glass, shrugged, and let it drop. It shattered into a thousand pieces when it hit the ground.

  By then, Kaine was already slipping through the window. He reached out with his hand to help the girl in.

  “Alright. Let’s see now if we can find my ship. Shouldn’t be too hard...”

  He tapped on his wristpad and a light came on.

  They stood on a platform that ran all around the warehouse, a dozen feet above the ground. Underneath them were a dozen gliders and four larger ships.

  Kaine nudged the girl.

  “See? I told you! There it is, right there.”

  He pointed at one of the four.

  Grabbing her hand, he started toward the nearby stairs, but he felt resistance and turned.

  She shook her head and pointed with her free hand toward the roof.

  Looking up, he saw a floating metal device, oval in shape, hovering above them.

  “Crap! They must already have picked up on our light. We gotta hurry. With some luck, we can make it to the ship before they send in anyone!”

  They ran.