The Fringe Wars

2.6

Adventures Gone Awry

When Reyne and Sixx reached the Gryphon's ramp, Sixx froze.

Reyne motioned to the ship. "Come on. The faster we get off this rock, the safer we'll be."

"I'm not going."

"What?"

"I've got to find that girl who knows about Qelle."

Reyne pursed his lips. "I don't know the game Lincoln is playing, but you can't believe anything he says. I can guarantee that he'll make sure you won't get any additional information, not without his chubby hands in the way."

Sixx snarled. "In my gut, I've always known Qelle was alive. Now, to think she's been a slave on Myr all this time?"

"You don't know that."

"It's the only lead I've got. I have to follow it. I'm sorry, boss." He turned to walk away.

"No, Jeyde. I'm sorry," Reyne said. He grabbed Sixx by the shoulder and swung. His fist connected solidly with Sixx's cheek, and the man collapsed. He'd never seen the blow coming. Reyne dragged him up the Gryphon's ramp, to his quarters, and dropped him on his bed.

Reyne entered his captain override code to lock Sixx in his quarters, and headed to the bridge. He strapped in without looking at Throttle. "Get us out of here."

"Hey, Throttle. It's great to see you. I knew you'd be worried since we were gone a few hours and patrols kept cruising by," she rattled off in a low-pitched voice.

"I'll fill you in after we launch," Reyne said.

"Fine." She went through her takeoff procedures and launched from Devil Town's space docks.

From the bridge, he could hear the pounding on Sixx's door.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Throttle asked.

"Sixx isn't too happy with me right now," Reyne replied.

"Why?"

"I punched him." Then he went through the series of events that had transpired in Devil Town.

After he finished his story, Throttle leaned back. "Poor Sixx. Do you trust Lincoln?"

Reyne looked up from the scans he'd been running. "Never. A man doesn't become stationmaster of the largest fringe station without playing both sides. Even so, I believe he was honest about the information with the Space Coast. There was nothing for him to gain by sharing that information, but it could save lives. That's assuming the colonists out there aren't too hardheaded to evacuate."

"What about Sixx's wife?"

He ran a hand through his gray hair. "I don't know. It doesn't make any sense. Her transport ship reported a cat fail—catastrophic failure—but the ship and crew were never recovered. While it's possible she survived and was picked up by a Myrad crew, the odds would be low since nothing was ever reported."

"But it is possible." Throttle blew out a breath. "No wonder he's all torn up inside. I'm worried about him."

"I am, too." Reyne looked down at his bruised knuckles. "I am, too."

"Well, let's see if he's come to his senses." He tapped a command to unlock Sixx's door. Immediately, the pounding stopped, and he heard running down the hallway.

Sixx stormed onto the bridge. His hair was disheveled, and a bruise was forming under his eye. "You son of a bitch. You can't force me to not look for my wife. It's my wife we're talking about!"