Galactic Gale

Chapter Twenty-Seven

One Hit

For someone who had never been in Paradise before, Meldrom seemed to know an awful lot about the base's layout. She swerved away from the central room, crossing into the private quarters of Retch's top agents, and hurled through room after room.

Struggling to keep up, Kael forced himself to stay on her heels.

He was breathing heavily – too heavily. If they were to continue this run any longer, he feared he would lose her. Worse yet, if she stopped and attacked, he would likely be the one left on the floor, some terribly injury immobilising him. Or worse.

The metal bridge rattled as Kael drove himself across. Below two members of the Red Runners looked up in time to see he had cleared the crossing and trespassed into the bedrooms on the other side.

Retch's own room was an oversized, over decorated space, but Kael had no time to inspect just what the paintings on the wall were representing, or what oddities were piled on the shelves. He only guessed everything was valuable. The air stunk of perfume.

Out the second door, Kael tumbled down a set of narrow steps, twisting his ankle on the way. His cry caught the attention of a passing gang member.

"Prisoner!" Kael gasped as loudly as he could, pointing at Meldrom.

She was working her way towards the rear hanger where Retch kept a stash of advanced escape pods. If she reached there, there was a good chance she would escape their clutches.

It did not take any more prompting for the stranger to pick up where Kael left off. As the Red Runner member flew the length of the hall, closing in on Meldrom, Kael straightened and started a steady walk. He winced at the pain in his ankle, but he refused to stop.

He took a corner a sharply and bumped straight into Amara and Alex.

The blaster in Amara's hand struck his chest and she cursed. For a moment Kael considered telling her he was quite alright, but what little concern had flicked across her fade quickly faded. She rolled her shoulders and opened her mouth to talk when Retch marched out of the archway behind them.

"My jacket is ruined. I'll have that green witch's head," he snarled, marching by with a slim gun in his hand. "I want all my people blocking that exit. I don't pay you weapon-wielding idiots for nothing."

At his back, Alex relayed the message into a communicator on her collar, then sped up to match Retch's pace. They made a strange team. Not that Kael and his fellow crew mates looked any less mismatched. She spared Kael a glance on passing.

"Don?" Kael asked Amara. It was hard to fall into step beside her, but he did so, biting back the scream which longed to leave his mouth with each step.

"Secured. What's wrong with your foot? You're walking all jumpy like." She raised her eyebrows and pouted; the question forgotten about with a new arrival in the hallway.

"There's a shortcut this way," Cyre said. She herded Amara and Kael through a shower room, out the far end and to another metal bridge. This one was part of a roofing structure and had only metal sheets below it.

They were moving faster with each step, Cyre urging Amara to keep up. While Cyre and Alex had been waiting for Amara and Retch, Alex had given Cyre a tour of Paradise. The station had been designed with dozens of tunnels, most of which led to the main hanger or various escape pods. Retch was paranoid about being trapped.

Checking their backs as they climbed over a railing to the next section of the roof, Kael nodded to himself. He was sure he could make the climb, but if he put too much pressure on his ankle, he might stop himself from walking for weeks.