The Rush's Edge Page 2

  Hal returned a few minutes later. He’d changed into a green T-shirt and black cargo pants, hair still damp from his quick shower.

  “Take a seat up there.” Beryl gestured to the other medbed as she brought over supplies to disinfect his wound.

  “What did you find out?” Hal asked.

  “Not much, yet,” Ty replied. “Just a name. Vivian Valjean.”

  “So, what do we do with her?”

  “Just let her rest. I’ve got a meeting with LanTech in two days. We’ll take her to Omicron Station with us, then bring her back here. If we take her with us, we don’t miss the meet, and she’s safe from whoever was trying to snatch her. Might be an inconvenience, but at least she won’t wake up in some brothel somewhere, chained to a bed.”

  Hal nodded. “Sounds good. That a keycard for her room?”

  “Yeah. Looks like she’s rented a cube down the avenue from the bar. Think we should go pay for her room a few days?” Ty said.

  “Either that or get her things. You know how those managers are,” Beryl said. “If she doesn’t come for another day, they’ll take everything out of there and sell it. I’ll stay with her.”

  “OK. We’ll be back,” Ty said, glancing at Hal. His friend hadn’t taken his eyes off the sleeping woman during their whole conversation. Something in her had triggered Hal’s protective instincts. Anyone wanting to get to Vivian Valjean while she was on their ship would clearly have to go through Hal first.

  TWO

  She had a headache. A bad one. Did Noah find me? The thought caused her to open one eye, expecting to see her small cube of a rented room, or worse, her hab unit with Noah. Instead she saw a medical bay with metal floors and ceiling. Opening both eyes, she looked around. She was in a medbed, covered with a blanket. She could feel the pull of medical sensors on her arm and collarbone. Her fingers began to work at them in growing panic.

  “Where the hell am I?” she breathed, yanking harder at the sticky pads of the sensors. She had a vague memory of two men grabbing her and pulling her somewhere she didn’t want to go. Had she been taken prisoner? The room swam in her sight, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut with a groan.

  You are on the Loshad, Vivian Valjean. I am Runa, the ship’s computerized assistant. Please do not try to get up.

  Her eyes opened wide. The calm, steady voice seemed to come from above her, where the ship’s comms would be. If a ship’s computer knew she was awake, it would be alerting someone right now. “Yeah, well, sorry. Don’t take orders from computers. I give the orders.” She removed the last sticky pad from her collarbone. “I’m outta here.”

  Miss Valjean, you are suffering the after-effects of being drugged.

  “No shit, really?” Vivi slid from the bed, promptly falling on the floor. On her hands and knees she found her boots and sat back to jam her feet into them. It took a moment to regain her balance, and the sudden vertigo made her cling to the medbed until the world stopped spinning. “What the hell happened to me?” she asked, slurring her words.

  Lifting her head, she saw her bag. Her datapad and ID were on the counter next to it. She shoved them into the backpack, grabbed it and lurched toward the door. As she got there, it slid open, and she ran into a man standing on the other side. She staggered back, then tripped and fell to the ground.

  “Woah, there!” he said. “You shouldn’t be up yet.”

  She looked up at him through a haze. He was attractive, with short brownish-blonde hair, gentle eyes and a golden scruff on his face that softened his features. He knelt beside her, taking her arm gently. She could smell the clean scent of his soap.

  “I need to get you back onto the bed,” he said, helping her to a sitting position.

  “I… I remember you…” she said, uncertainly. Was he the man who had grabbed her arm and tried to take her out of the bar? Or was he that blur of grey and black she’d seen fighting her would-be attacker? She wasn’t sure. “You… were in the bar.”

  “Yeah. No need to be afraid.” The man helped her to her feet. When she took a sliding step backwards to put space between them, he was careful not to touch her again. “If you can just lie back down, we can talk.” He gestured toward the bed. Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she felt nauseous and lying down was probably a good idea. He followed her as she staggered her way to the bed and crawled up on it. “Nobody’s gonna hurt you here, Miss Valjean.”

  “Who are you?” she asked before laying back down.

  “My name’s Hal Cullen,” he replied. “Should I get our medic?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “No, I’m just kinda… kinda dizzy.”

  “That normal, Runa?”

  Yes, Hal, the computer’s even tone replied. But I am not currently getting a reading on our guest.

  “Here, let me reattach the monitors…” Hal murmured, turning her arm to place the sensor inside her elbow. He was careful with her, moving slowly so as not to startle her.

  “Did… Did you guys kidnap me?” Vivi asked, still clutching her backpack to her with one arm.

  “No.” Hal looked up, startled. He shook his head as he moved to slip off her boots and cover her with a warm blanket again. “No. There were guys in the club who tried to snatch you, but I saw it and came after you.”

  She began to remember the blonde man attacking the one who had yanked her up from the floor with a hand in her hair. “Oh, right.” Vivi nodded, her eyes growing heavy again. “I kind of recall seeing you fighting with someone.”

  “Yeah. You’re safe now. Our medic said you’d probably need to sleep a little longer.”

  “But I’m not sleepy….” She lay there, feeling both nervous around this total stranger and more exhausted than she’d ever felt in her life. He took a seat beside the bed and she forced her eyes to stay open, wanting to keep an eye on him, but within moments she lost the battle.

  When Ty entered the common area, later that night, he saw Hal at the table eating a protein bar and drinking a bottle of water – his standard fare after a rush or a night of drinking. He was reading something on his handheld but glanced up when he saw Tyce.

  “Beryl with our guest?” Ty asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Ty raised an eyebrow. “You good?”

  “Five by five, Cap.”

  Ty was glad to see Hal was back to a calmer state of mind. The rush had been a short one.

  Like all vats, Hal was subject to a stronger reaction to adrenaline than those born normally – seeking the rush was built into his biology. Rushing vats were at the top of their physical and mental prowess, but it took a great toll on them. Ty’s regiment had been made up almost exclusively of vats, so he knew them well enough to help Hal manage the more aggressive facets of his nature.

  Vats were raised to serve in the military, so the rush compulsion wasn’t a problem until they got their walking papers from the service. They were discharged from their military duty after seven years. In the early days of the genetically modified soldiers, they’d tried to keep them enlisted indefinitely, but the nightly programming they underwent eventually made them violent and unstable.

  Ivor Nash was the last vat to have served eight years. He had been a model soldier, up until he committed the mass murder of his brothers and his commanding officers during his sleep cycle. Nash’s mind had fractured from all the programming, and he’d moved like a one-man death machine, wading through a sea of bodies. They had been helpless. The only one to survive was the highest ranking nat officer, to whom Nash proudly reported his victory over the enemy. The officer promptly shot Nash in the face.

  In his mind, Ty could still see the surveillance footage of the event he’d been forced to watch as part of his training, supposedly to show them what a vat was capable of. Ty had been just as shocked and saddened as his fellow officers, but he also knew there was a darker agenda at play; they’d been shown the video in order to sow fear and distrust of vats in the new officers, so that they would keep them on a short leash.


  According to the upper brass, Nash had simply malfunctioned. It showed Ty exactly how they thought of the men and women they sent out to put down uprisings and fight pirates in the meat grinder of the Edge – equipment only.

  With adjustments, and the cap on the years spent in service, the government promised that the problems with the vats were dealt with. Safe, effective, and ready to serve. Some of the officers stayed distrustful of the vats under their command, but Ty had never been that way. Especially not with Hal. After serving alongside each other in the ACAS, it had been natural that they stay together. Ty had gotten used to looking after Hal. Knowing the trouble vats could get into on their own, he felt responsible for his best friend. For a vat seeking the rush, the Spiral’s Edge had plenty of temptations to offer. While Ty didn’t follow Hal around every waking moment, he kept an eye on him where he could. Trouble tended to follow Hal wherever he went.

  Hal’s voice broke in on his thoughts. “Ty. That girl’s face? It didn’t happen tonight. Those bruises are a few days old.”

  “Yeah.” Ty nodded. “She say anything?”

  “No,” Hal replied. “But… someone hurt her. Then those guys tonight…”

  “Beryl noticed she’s a tecker from her node. Maybe she’s looking for work?” Ty said.

  Hal read him right away. “We could ask her?”

  “Yeah. Let’s see how she’s feeling in the morning.” Ty got up and headed toward the door. “Let me know if you need me for anything. Otherwise, I’ll be in my quarters. Runa can monitor our jump.”

  “Ok, Cap.”

  “Get some sleep, yeah?” Ty said.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  THREE

  Vivi awoke to see her rescuer sitting by the medbed, absently tapping on his handheld. He didn’t notice she was awake until she pushed the blanket off and tried to sit up.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “I’m OK. Just my head…” She looked around, finally sitting up and groaning. “Where am I?”

  “The Loshad. Our ship. We brought you here to keep you safe,” he reminded her, adjusting the bed so she could sit up more comfortably.

  “I’m not sure how to thank you,” she said hesitantly, as she sat back to take her first good look at him. He was dressed in military-type cargo pants and a green shirt that looked good with the golden blonde scruff on his chin.

  “There’s no need for that.” Hal’s eyes were fixed on her bruises. She turned that side of her face away. He started to reach out toward her cheek, but she drew back so quickly he immediately dropped his hand and frowned. “Who’s after you?”

  Her eyes widened as she realized what he meant. “Oh. The bruises… If I said I got them in my job as a cage fighter would you believe me?” On her trip out to the Edge, she’d been asked about them a couple of times, and it had been the first thing to pop into her head.

  “How about you try again?” he said, with a soft laugh. She smiled but didn’t feel comfortable enough to talk about her past with this stranger. She didn’t want to even think about Noah and how her ex had turned abusive when she’d discovered he was hacking for Echo, one of the three galaxy-wide hacker groups. She’d ruined Echo’s attempted heist of BromCorp, and Noah had erupted in violence.

  Apparently, Hal sensed her hesitation and backed off. “Look, whatever it was, it’s OK. You’re safe with us, Miss Valjean.”

  Maybe, she thought. “It’s…Vivi. My name’s Vivi,” she said.

  He nodded. “OK, Vivi.”

  “We’re not on Jaleeth anymore, are we?” she asked. “I can hear the ship’s engines going.”

  “We had a meeting on Omicron Station, so we – uh – brought you with us on our ship. But we’ll drop you back by Jaleeth when we’re done. Hope that’s OK… because it’s a bit too late now.”

  She sighed softly, not feeling like she had the strength to do anything else. It wasn’t like there was anything she could do about being taken aboard their ship, even if it had been without her knowledge or consent. They seemed to have had the best intentions so far. There was something about this man that made her want to feel safe in his presence, but after Noah she was hesitant to trust her instincts, especially around men. “It’s OK, I guess. I have nowhere to be. Could I… get some water?”

  He nodded, going to a cabinet and retrieving a bottle of Clear. The IV was doing its job, but the electrolyte enhanced water would also help. “Drink it slow,” he warned her, as an older woman with greying auburn hair entered the medbay.

  “Glad to see you awake,” the woman said as she came over, checking her readouts. “I’m Beryl McCabe, medic around here. You were slipped a pretty strong tranquilizer by those men back on Jaleeth. It might take a while to wear off.”

  Vivi felt more at ease, knowing another woman was on the ship. “I don’t – uh – I don’t know what to say. Thank you for helping me?”

  “Hal’s been keeping a good eye on you,” she said. “But we’ve all been taking turns.”

  “How long have I been asleep?” Vivi asked between sips of water.

  “Seventeen hours,” Hal said.

  “Wow,” Vivi replied, surprised.

  “How are you feeling now?” Beryl asked.

  Vivi shook her head uncertainly. “A headache and still… dizzy.”

  Beryl nodded. “Hal, do me a favor. Go see if Ty’s up and let him know our guest is back with us.”

  He left, and Beryl came to stand beside Vivi. The older woman swept the tecker with the medscanner, saying nothing as the tension between them built. Vivi could tell that Beryl wanted to ask her some questions but didn’t want to pry.

  She sighed. At least it would be easier to talk to a woman about this. “Look. It was my ex. After he did this,” she gestured to her face, “it was over. I came out here to get away from him when I ran into those guys who spiked my drink.”

  Beryl nodded. “Is your ex the type of guy who will be coming after you?”

  Vivi shook her head. “I… I don’t think so. Noah’s too much of a narcissist for that.”

  The medic smiled gently in understanding. “OK, then you just rest, kid.” She patted Vivi’s arm before turning to put away the medscanner. “Ty and Hal went to your room on Jaleeth and brought your things. They’re over there.” She gestured over to the other bed where Vivi’s larger bag lay.

  Vivi was stunned. “Why… would they… Why would they help me like this? I mean, just go out of their way and everything?”

  “Oh, that’s just what they do. Hal and Ty were ACAS soldiers. Hal saw you were in trouble and stepped in. He hasn’t met a fight he would back down from.”

  “Oh,” she nodded as the door opened and an unfamiliar face entered alongside Hal.

  “Hi,” the brown-haired man said. “I’m Tyce Bernon, captain of the Loshad.”

  “Vivi Valjean.” He reached out his hand and she shook it. His grip was firm, but gentle.

  “I know you must have a lot of questions,” Ty began, “but let’s start with how much you remember.”

  “I- I had just gotten to Jaleeth to look for work. I’m a tecker, and I decided to get the lay of the land.”

  Ty nodded. “OK.”

  “There were two guys in the bar that kept coming up to me, to see if I wanted to dance with them. I told them no, but they kept trying. Finally, I told them to piss off, but they still didn’t want to take no for an answer. I drank the rest of my drink before I realized it tasted different than the first two. That was when I fell out of the chair and the two guys were trying to drag me away. Then… Hal, here, came to help and–” She put a hand over her mouth. “Ohmygods. Did I throw up on you?” Her eyes went wide as she remembered what had happened.

  Hal shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, shaking her head as her cheeks colored. “Who… Who do you think they were?” she asked, wondering for a moment if it could have been someone sent by her ex’s hacking group, Echo. But that�
�s stupid, right? Echo had no way of knowing where she was. She’d been careful to use scrilla, not her credit accounts. Of course, they could have hacked security cams. Hal’s next words interrupted her worries.

  “They were most likely paid kidnappers,” Hal replied. “Guys like that comb the stations all the time for females fresh off the boats from the Inner Spiral. Probably to sell to the black-market brothels on Dela Prime.” Vivi paled at the very mention of the planet’s name. Everyone knew that Dela Prime was a place where the laws of the Coalition simply did not apply. In fact, the planet was reputed to be the nexus of all crime in the Spiral. “Oh my gods,” she breathed.

  “Shit, I’m sorry.” Hal said. “I didn’t mean to say it so bluntly.”

  “No. It’s OK.” She shook her head. “I guess it means I really do owe you guys my life.” She laid her head back, feeling dizzy again.

  “We’re not concerned with that,” Ty said. “You can rest easy enough on our ship. Those guys won’t be looking for you again.”

  “That big guy won’t be looking at anything until the swelling goes down,” Hal smirked, getting up to go. Once again, Vivi seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes open.

  “See you in the morning, Miss Valjean,” Ty replied.

  She nodded as they left.

  “Night cycle lighting,” Beryl said, and the room lights dimmed to a watery glow. “I’m going to let you get some more sleep, kid.”

  Vivi looked around the darkened room nervously, but the older woman reassured her with a warm smile. “If you need me, just let Runa know. I’m right down the hall.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, pulling the blanket up as Beryl adjusted her bed for sleeping.

  “You’re very welcome.”

  The next morning Ty was up early. He located the coffee and set up a pot to brew because he knew the crew would need it and he was the closest thing to a morning person on the ship.