Galactic Gale

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Fight of Flight

"I do not want more trouble." Don shrunk back. The iron shackles around his wrists clattered against the floor. The two Red Runners at his side exchanged sneers at his defeat. Kael refused to let his frustration and discomfort caused by the ill company show.

"Good. Everyone is on the same page," Amara said with a smile. "Tell us about this king."

"A big ship. Many people are onboard. Everyone is welcome and they can stay as long as they like if they work. I worked with Meldrom. We guard the King in our ship, but we got caught in the wind and dragged to the city."

"The aiming system is off on this weapon, then." Amara spared a nod to Cyre and Kael before adding, "What's wrong with this waste-thrower of yours?"

"Nothing. It does what it supposed to do. Only we have not finished building yet."

"Why?"

"Not finished."

Light bounced off the blade in Retch's hands. "Why isn't it finished?"

Recoiling in his chair, Don held up both his hands, fingers spread wide. "No trouble. The weapon is much too big for the King. It needs more room. Not enough room to finish the building."

"Is it close? Nearby?"

Don held his breath.

"Is it close?" Retch repeated. His tone had shifted, softer and lighter, the voice one would use with a small child. The next words were a sharp contrast. They were snapped, his features twisting, his volume more than doubling as he repeated the question once more. Even Cyre flinched at the outburst.

"The Watch – the Watch, they followed us. The King will follow the Watch. One after one. They will be here." Don's round eyes met Retch's blade and his blue shoulders curved inward. "No trouble," he whispered.

In an instant Amara had a hand on her blaster. "Liar. There's no way the Watch were tailing the Rapid. I would have seen them. Or picked them up on our scanners."

"Meldrom had prison chip from when she was jailed. She said if she try and remove it, the chip would become a – I - the word! It would send signal. Like a, like," he stamped, helplessly looking to Kael.

"Like a beacon?" Kael tried.

"Beacon," Don agreed, fingers pulsing as if to imitate a flash. "Watch can track the chip." Swallowing, he nodded to his dead friend. "Even now they can still."

There was a moment of silence in the bay. Kael held his breath and avoided meeting anyone's eyes. The Red Runners could take Amara's and his companions' heads for leading the Celestial Watch to Paradise. Kael and his friends could end up like Don – or worse. He refused to think of Amara in Meldrom's place on the floor.

Focusing on flexing his fingers, Kael took a deep breath as Retch shifted on his feet.

"Celestial Watch," Retch sneered. "Coming here? To my home? What kind of drivel is this? What kind of show are you running, Captain Lee? I want everyone out. Out! Get out!" He spun, snapping his fingers in quick succession. "Alex, get my new toy running. We're getting out of here."

No chances could be taken. Not for Retch, anyway. Even if Don was only trying to frighten them, which Kael doubted the young man was, Retch had too much to risk. If he was caught in one of those waste gales and killed, things would get messy. The Red Runners would rip themselves apart without him overseeing them and other far worse gangs would swoop in to fill the power vacuum left after the Runners were no longer operational.