In the Service of the Guild Read online

  “Affirmative, Paladin Reece.”

  Without thinking, I go to a set of drawers in the wall next to my bunk and pull out a medic box. Her once-white jumpsuit is now stained red through the middle. I zip the suit down to her waist, and she wiggles out of the arms to reveal a gaping wound on her side.

  I whisper almost to myself, “It looks like he missed any vital organs, so that’s good.”

  “So you have a medical degree or something?” she asks snarkily.

  “No, we’re all given basic anatomy and medic courses so we can do rudimentary triage in the field and—”

  “To make you more lethal killers.”

  I press gauze to her wound as she winces. “Yeah, so you can bet that he meant to keep you alive. Probably to slow me down.” I take her hand and guide it down to the wound and say, “Here—press hard here.”

  “Then you probably should’ve left me.”

  I rummage through the medic box and find a few bottles and tubes then put them to her side. I lift up her hand and the gauze, and the gash oozes. I grab the first vial and give it a good shake. “I thought that you might have good intel on Po, and it might give me a leg up on Tabor. Looks like I was right.” I position the vial over her wound and continue, “This might sting a little, but it will keep it from becoming a festering wound and you from becoming a bigger pain in the ass than you already are.”

  She barely gasps as I pour antiseptic on her cut. I find a tube and apply a thin bead of gel from it down the length of her wound then press the sides together. I finish up by wiping the area clean, and I don’t see any leakage from the wound site.

  “I think you’re going to live.” I help her sit up. “That wound sealant has some nerve blockers in it. You need anything else for the pain?”

  She lays her head back and closes her eyes. “I could really use a stiff drink.”

  “Sorry. This is a dry boat. Got to be at peak performance when doing a run.”

  She curls up her nose. “You damn paladins suck all the fun out of life.” She takes a few breaths, closes her eyes, and puts her hand gently on her middle. “I’ll be fine. It’s actually not that bad now.”

  I get up and rummage through another set of drawers next to my bunk and pull out some clothes. “I’m goin’ to the head to change out of this ridiculous uniform.”

  Before I turn to go, she asks, “Hey, you got a spare shirt? I mean unless you want to stare at me with my tits hanging out.”

  I scour through my meager belongings and find a shirt. I start to throw it to her but then hold back. “Hmm, I do like this view, though.”

  She laughs. “Just give me the shirt, perv.”

  I throw her the shirt and go to the cramped hygiene closet. These Scout-class Scimitars are meant to fit only one paladin somewhat comfortably and one prisoner uncomfortably. Changing in the hygiene closet takes quite a bit of maneuvering and bending in ways my body wasn’t meant to bend. While changing, I think about my accidental crew member, wondering what her deal is. There has to be something more to the story than Po stiffing her on a fare. This seems like a hell of a lot of trouble to go to for a deal gone bad. Then again, she’s smart, and though she looks to be maybe in her late twenties to early thirties, most independent transporters start fairly young. From everything I’ve seen, she’s savvy enough to know when a fare is worth chasing.

  Once out of the head, I throw the uniform onto a small couch across from the bunk. Kira has her eyes shut and is breathing slowly. I cover her with a wool blanket lying at her feet then head to the cockpit of the ship to check for any comm activity—nothing from the daimyos. I look at my nav charts and sensor screens—no hits on Gerr or Po.

  Damn.

  I stare out into the distance, trying to think of a plan. Failure is not an option, especially if Tabor is still on the case. There’s a good chance the daimyos put Tabor on this case to test me. My stomach knots and churns as I think of all the possibilities.

  The sound of boots clanking on the metal floor draws my attention from the din of thoughts rushing through my mind. Jeez, can’t that woman give it a rest for a minute?

  I yell back, “There’s some electrolyte replacement in the fridge by the couch. They suck, but it’ll do you some good to drink one.”

  In a few moments, I feel a cool hand on my neck and shoulders. She pulls herself close to me so that she can see my console over my shoulder. My heart beats faster, and I close my eyes to will it to slow down, but it’s no use.

  “Anything yet?” she asks.

  “Nada. Looks like we’re in this for the long haul.” I clear my throat. “I mean, uh, I am, at least. I have to stay out here until either I find Tabor or Po or the daimyos answer my call. I can’t go back empty-handed without permission.” I sigh and rub my temples. “I can drop you where you want. It’s going to take me a while to figure out next steps when none of my superiors are answering my damn calls!” I flop back in my seat, the weight of all that has transpired weighing heavily on me. I need to find this mark.

  She whispers in my ear, “You always do what you’re told?”

  I close my eyes and shiver at her breath on my neck. I grunt, trying my damnedest to ignore this woman. “Mostly, that’s what paladins do: execute orders.”

  She playfully rubs my shoulders and whispers in my ear again, “I don’t know. You don’t seem like Tabor. You think things through more. They don’t like that, do they?”

  I squirm in my seat and attempt to change the subject. “So you want me to drop you back on Persephone to get your ship? We’re just over an hour out of orbit. It won’t be any trouble to take you back.”

  “Why, Mr. Reece, are you trying to get rid of me?”

  “No.” Yes.

  “Eh, I think you might need me. So I’ll stay put for a while.”

  “Need you?”

  Her playful massage becomes more intense. Despite myself, I start to relax in her hands. She says, “They don’t let you guys have much fun. Do they?”

  I clear my throat. “We’re allowed recreational activities whenever we want.”

  “Uh-huh. I’m sure all you’re able to fit in between runs is a few quick screws with paladin-screened courtesans. That’s no fun.” She pulls herself in closer and brushes her lips against my neck. “Damn, Reece, you’re so tight you’re gonna break something. Those courtesans haven’t been doing their job. That’s for sure.”

  She’s actually not wrong. Forcing words out of my mouth takes all my strength. “Kira, why are you doing this? I could be some sick perv. You don’t know me.”

  She lifts her hands from my neck. I kick myself for saying anything at all, then her warm round ass lands squarely on my lap. She turns to face me.

  While her hips make tiny movements on my lap, she says, “I don’t know—I think we’re pretty similar. And I figured if you were some sick perv, you would’ve been on top of me, doing what you wanted, when I was passed out on your bunk and not covering me up with a blanket then offering me electrolyte replacement.” She brushes her lips down my neck. “I’m out here for weeks, sometimes months at a time, alone. When I do get into a way station, I’m mostly surrounded by sicko pervs. Believe me, I know a sicko perv when I see one. You’re just an overworked, somewhat heartless merc. That’s an altogether different thing.” She traces my earlobe with her fingers then lets them flit down my neck. “You, my friend, need to relax. Something will come to you if you just relax.” She takes my one good hand and puts it on her right hip then somewhat cautiously reaches for my robotic hand. I start to pull away, but she doesn’t relent and puts it on her other hip. Her middle starts to move against mine again.

  I can’t control the groans that emanate from me. “Kira…”

  “I’m not after anything. I gave you access to my comm-tile so you can tell that I’m not hiding anything from you. I just sensed another overworked kindred spirit in you. If you don’t want this—”

  Before she’s able to get the rest of the sentence out, I put my mouth on hers. After a few seconds, I pull away. “I told you there was nothing on the comm report. We’re gonna be out here for a while. Might as well do something to kill time.”

  “That’s the spirit, Mr. Reece.”

  I put my arms around her and lift her out of the chair but not before saying, “Call me Hannibal.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Our bodies are a tangle in the tight confines of my bunk. A desire I didn’t even know existed has been sated. She is lying next to me, breathing slowly and quietly. I smile and run my fingers through her ebony locks. Every moment since I was sold to the Guild has been planned and overseen—except this one singular moment with her, the embodiment of chaos. Not even the Guild could harness or predict Kira Dresden. Now I know why they keep such tight reins on us. Her eyes flick open, and she takes my hand and brushes it across her lips.

  “So… when should I plan the ceremony?”

  My eyes go wide, and my heart beats wildly. “Wh-What are you talking about?”

  Her mouth turns down and she swallows hard. “Hannibal, we shared a beautiful time. This was my… my first time. We need to commit ourselves together.”

  I squirm in the close confines. “Hold on now. I thought—”

  She busts out in laughter. “Oh c’mon. Are all paladins so gullible?”

  In an instant, my body relaxes, and I push her. “That wasn’t funny.”

  “You didn’t see your face. It was hilarious.” She untangles herself from me to sit up at my side, and as she does so, she winces. She puts her hands on either side of my face and kisses my lips. “Don’t have much of a sense of humor, do
you?”

  “I do when it’s funny.”

  “Trust me. It was.” She arches her back and stretches as I watch in appreciation. She looks me up and down. “Seriously, though, I had fun. After all of this is over, I’ll give you my comm signatures. Feel free to catch up with me when you can.”

  Fun—something I thought I knew about but really didn’t until now. All my life with the Guild has been protecting my ass from the likes of Tabor and Daimyo Corbin between doing whatever bidding the daimyos and elders saw fit to give me. The last time I can remember having fun was screwing Daimyo Corbin’s wife—not because she was particularly good at it but because I knew it would piss him off. Kira’s gray eyes flicker with the promise of something dangerous that’s been held from me. I know I’m playing with fire, and I don’t care.

  “You can count on it,” I say. “But for now, I think we need to figure out what the computer’s found. It’s been chiming for a while now.”

  “Ugh. I know. Probably about our third or fourth time into it, I heard it go off. I will have to say you do have some stamina, Hannibal.”

  “Why, thank you, Kira.”

  She hops out of the bunk and swipes one of my shirts from the floor and throws it over her head. Her hair is a disheveled mess, and she doesn’t even bother to straighten it before she heads out to the cockpit. I put on a pair of boxers I find on the floor and head to the cockpit too. I sit in the captain’s seat. Instead of sitting in the copilot seat next to me, she settles on my lap.

  My hands flit across the console as I say, “Computer, display messages and findings.”

  The first message is displayed. Daimyo Raines’s face is displayed. I hit Play.

  “What the actual fuck do you think you’re doing out there? You were given orders to execute. How dare you black out your comms for three fucking hours! I don’t care what your bullshit excuse is. Get your fucking mark, or there will be hell to pay.”

  I lift an eyebrow. “Three hours—not too shabby.”

  She laughs, and I continue with the next video message on queue. This time, Daimyo Corbin’s face is displayed, and he’s grinning from ear to ear. That smirk makes my stomach drop. This can’t be good. I hit Play on my console.

  “You fucked yourself good this time. Daimyo Raines is pissed at you. Your stock is plummeting with all the daimyos. My man is on the job, and he has a lead, which should get the job done you failed to do. I’m sure to be the next elder installed now.”

  I sink back in my seat and groan. Kira screws up her face and says, “So I take it his ‘man’ is that Tabor guy?”

  “Yeah. Now I need a stiff drink.”

  “What’s he mean about your stock plummeting?”

  I sit back up and shrug. “Kira, I’m old—”

  “Not much older than me.”

  “No, not really, but for a paladin, I am. I never had much stomach for politics. I love being in the field. I think I would die behind a desk, so I never even considered a run for daimyo. Pretty much, I thought I’d be long dead before now. I think everyone else did too. Now, I’ve reached an age where I’m viewed as diminishing returns.” I lift up my robotic hand and add, “Especially with this thing. So I have to work harder to prove myself on every run. The other choice is go for daimyo, but then I’d need backing by other daimyos, elders, and a Keeper faction. That ain’t happening. I guess I should’ve seen this coming.”

  Her shoulders slump. “So like, they’ll execute you once you reach a certain age?”

  I chuckle. “Nothing that obvious. Mostly, they send the older guys on a bullshit run, and maybe there’s a ship malfunction or their ‘mark’ gets the better of them. Everyone knows, but no one talks about it.”

  “Well, that’s bullshit.” She gets up from my lap and clicks on the console until Daimyo Corbin’s video is displayed again. She looks at it closely, zooming in on sections, studying. Then she says, “That’s what I thought I saw. You see it?”

  I walk over to her and peer over her shoulder and see a map with a blip on it. “What of it?”

  She shakes her head then zooms out and points at the time stamp on the video. “See that? Corbin sent that less than hour ago.” She zooms back in on the map. “What’s that look like?”

  “Tabor!”

  A giant smile comes to my face. I can’t believe I missed this. That’s clearly an icon for a Scimitar. Those ships are used exclusively by paladins on runs.

  She continues. “Uh, yeah, Corbin was too stupid to clear his screen behind him. I’d bet you a bag of that electrolyte replacement he was just on his comms with Tabor and called you to gloat.”

  Her face becomes focused as she clacks and swipes on the console. She looks like a completely different person from the playful smartass I met in the VR bar. A star chart floats in front of her alongside a map, which is an extremely blown-up version of the one behind Corbin. She leans back in her chair and swipes and clicks at her comm-tile. Then she looks back at me. “Look at this. According to my calculations and what I can discern from this shitty picture and your half-assed star charts—and how you even get decent routes with these things is beyond me—is that Tabor is still in Alpha Quadrant. He looks like he’s close to a Liu Kahtri hole.”

  “That is impressive. Where is he going?”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty good with charts and calculations. Did you think I was some dingbat screwing random dudes I meet in VR bars?”

  “Uh…”

  “Best not answer that. In answer to your question: I’m not sure where he’s going. Give me a sec to figure out where that hole leads and cross-reference it with known hideouts of Jake Po.”

  Again, she focuses, intent on a goal. She doesn’t speak a word but just looks at her charts and clicks on her tile. Then she looks up at me and says, “Seriously, these charts suck the big one. You care if I upload some decent ones on here? It’ll make my job a lot easier.”

  I wave my hand. “Feel free to do what you need.”

  “Good man.” Again, more silence and calculations. She leans back in her chair and smiles. “Well, fuck me. I know where he’s going.”

  “Where?”

  “It has to be the Beta Quadrant, smack dab in the Cygnus system. There’s a little shit planet there, where Po got his start. Practically owns the whole fucking planet. He always dodges there when shit gets deep. I should’ve thought of that in the beginning. I’m so stupid.”

  “I’d say you’re the complete opposite.”

  “Aw, compliments will go miles in getting you laid again.”

  “How long to get there? There’s no way we’re going to beat Tabor to the punch since he’s got such a head start on us. We need to figure out a way—”

  “Do you trust me?”

  I narrow my eyes at her. “I don’t trust anyone at all, but since you got skin in the game, I guess I don’t totally distrust you.”

  “I respect that. I’m guessing all your paladin ships have the same shit maps that you had here.” She zooms in on a spot in her map, which really is much better than mine. “There’s sort of a shortcut here. It doesn’t sound like it because we’re going to have to traverse a hole that takes us into some backward territories, but there’s another hole there that cuts off parsecs from the route he’s taking. So if you don’t mind, set a course while I’m in back, getting decent.”

  As she passes me, I grab her around the waist and pull her tight. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “I’ll show you later.” She pats my cheek. “Besides, I couldn’t have my favorite lay being executed.”

  She wiggles free from my grasp and goes back to the head.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Kira’s charts, navigation intuition, and calculations all prove to be spot on. We’re within a few hundred million klicks of our mark’s home planet. We see no sign of Tabor yet, but according to Kira’s calculations, we’re at least an hour ahead of him if he stayed his course. Po’s headquarters is just a few hours away. I look over at Kira, who is perched in the seat next to me. She has a shirt of mine draped over the uniform we took from the VR bar. The top half of the uniform is pulled down to her waist, and she’s using the arms as a sort of makeshift belt wrapped around my gigantic shirt. Her hair is now combed and fashioned into a tight plait. She looks much more businesslike now than earlier.