Revenge: (Space Outlaw 3) Read online

  He would win the battle, save the day, and prove to his father that he was a better man than Portendorfer senior had ever been.

  Another explosion made the lights in the room flicker.

  A whimper escaped Holger's lips as he clutched his pistol close to his chest, hoping that it would still his beating heart.

  How has it come to this?

  He was the son of one of the most feared men in the known galaxy. A man who made planets bow down before his feet. Yet here he was, hiding under a table. Life just wasn't fair sometimes.

  A crash in the room made Holger jump up and fire his pistol wildly. As he scanned the room he noticed a servant cowering in the corner.

  "You there," Holger whispered. "Are you alive?"

  The servant girl turned to face him and nodded slowly. She pushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

  "Why are you here?"

  "The same reason you are, my lord," said the servant.

  Holger nodded his head; his eyes darted to the door as voices drifted through it. Backing away further, he ducked back under the desk. Footsteps approached and he saw a pair of legs whose upper portions were blocked from his view.

  A face surrounded by golden locks came into view. It smiled at him in the most benevolent way. It reminded him of someone, but he didn't know whom. A face from his past that he had tried to block out.

  "What's your name?" asked Holger.

  "Claire, my lord."

  Holger's childhood flashed before his eyes, and he was lost in a smile that had tucked him into bed at night. That always told him it would be alright. That never shouted, never accused, and always hugged.

  "When I was younger...a servant called Claire looked after me. She was the only friend I ever had. But my father...my father made an example out of her because she betrayed the family. I always wondered if that was true."

  Claire nodded her head and got under the desk with Holger.

  She placed her finger on Holger's lips, cutting off his words. Bringing herself in close, she wrapped her arms around his frame and placed his head in the crease of her neck. Tears rolled down Holger's face. He wanted to wipe them away but the bliss he felt in her arms promised to make everything better.

  "Ah!" Holger's eyes widened in shock, as a sharp sensation began to spread through his back. "What...?"

  He felt it again and again, as his body spasmed uncontrollably. "What?"

  "This is for all the women who suffered before me, and all the women who suffered after," said Claire.

  She pulled away from Holger, and he saw the bloodied knife clutched in her hand. He looked up at her as the darkness spread from the edges of his vision and began to take over.

  The blade descending towards him was the last thing he saw.

  59

  Phoenix walked through an open door of an office and looked around with disdain. Everything, from the sleek carpet to the cushions scattered about, spoke of a life that wanted for nothing, of ease and leisure.

  As he walked further into the room, he noticed a large pool of blood forming behind the desk. He walked towards the source, pistol at the ready, and found Holger's lifeless body.

  He appeared to have been crawling forward when his life gave out, and now he lay face down on the carpet. Multiple wounds covered his back.

  Phoenix let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was expecting to feel something--anything. But staring at Holger's corpse now brought nothing. He didn't feel any joy, hope, anger or bitterness.

  Nothing.

  It was just hollow.

  A hollow victory in a game he wasn't even sure he'd won.

  Footsteps brought him out of his reverie. Saoirse made her way over to him, looking a lot bloodier than when he had last seen her.

  "Are you okay?"

  She looked down at herself and nodded. "I'm fine. Most of this isn't mine." She stood next to him and looked at Holger, pointing at Phoenix's knife, which lay next to the body. "I see you ended it."

  "That is my blade, but it wasn't me that accomplished the deed. That honour goes to someone else."

  "Do you know who?"

  "Does it matter?" said Phoenix.

  Saoirse looked at the body once more and tilted her head his way, wearing an expression that he couldn't decipher. "I guess not."

  Phoenix knelt down and picked up his knife. He wiped it on Holger's clothes before putting it away. "How goes the battle?"

  "After he fled, they lost all the fight that they had. When one doesn't fight with honour, breaking one's will is easy."

  "Well, I guess we're done here. Tell Plowstow and the crew that they can take whatever they want. Have L land. We have some people that I offered safe passage," Phoenix said, walking away.

  Phoenix lifted his head to the rain coming down on his shoulders. A light shower danced down from parted clouds, with beams of sun already piercing the sky. Each one looked like a spear thrown from the gods above.

  He shook his head, sending a flurry of raindrops flying as he stood on the ramp of the PH1. Women made their way back and forth as Saoirse and L escorted them to and from the ship. The women huddled together, looking around wildly, as L encouraged them forward.

  There was a fear in their eyes that Phoenix wasn't sure would ever leave. He crossed his arms over his chest and bit his lip.

  "They'll be fine. Whatever wounds they have, I shall be able to heal."

  Phoenix looked at Freyan, whose white body almost glowed in the sunshine. "What about the wounds that you can't heal?"

  "Like the great philosopher T.G. once said, 'Time heals all wounds'. And if it doesn't, try alcohol."

  Phoenix smiled as the women passed him on their way into the ship. "Has Plowstow got everything we need?"

  "As you well know, I'm not a fan of that man, but I must say he is most resourceful when it comes to getting his due. He would strip the paint from a starship, if he thought there were credits in it. After he is done with this place, I doubt there shall be anything of value left to take. Of course, I sent Kai with him, just to make sure he leaves the crew their share."

  Phoenix nodded his head and laid a hand on a frightened woman's shoulder. He gestured towards the ship with the biggest smile he could manage.

  "That reminds me," said Phoenix. "On Tortuga, Plowstow received a message from you, but he never told me what it was about. I didn't know that you two were close enough to be sending messages to each other."

  "Did I? I can hardly remember with all that has gone on..."

  "He did look like he was about to shit himself. Maybe I should talk to him."

  "No need, no need. I remember now. It was just a message telling him to remember who his friends were. That was all," said Freyan.

  "Oh, I see."

  "That reminds me, how did your and Plowstow's whereabouts get around Tortuga so fast? It was almost as if the masses were tipped off as to where you would be."

  Phoenix smiled and patted Freyan on the shoulder. "Doc, there is more than one way to skin a cat," he said, walking away.

  "Was it worth it?" asked Freyan.

  Phoenix stopped in his tracks, his back to Freyan. His head lowered ever so slightly before lifting back up, as he walked aboard the PH1 without saying a word.

  60

  Phoenix and Florin walked side by side; the lush valleys of Lavera offered a backdrop second to none. The fragrant breeze rolled over the hills and made the grass a moving carpet. Phoenix breathed in deeply and allowed it to pass back out slowly through his lips.

  "I shall never tire of this place," said Florin.

  "I can see why. I'm glad to see that you're up and running again. Saoirse would have never forgiven me if you had died on my ship."

  "Ahh, that one is...loyal to a fault. Sometimes it endangers her, but that is what makes her her. Yes, I am not quite back to my old self, but I really don't have time to be leisurely. With what happened here, and my cousin Sindee up in arms, there is more than one fire that I have to put
out. Not to mention the business with Holger, which we must discuss--"

  Phoenix held up a hand, stopping Florin. "Anything that concerns Holger will be discussed with my crew. I dragged them into this, so it's only fair that they know whatever information you have at the same time as I do."

  Florin cocked his head to one side and sent a faint smile Phoenix's way. His hands were clasped behind his back and he lifted his head up towards the sky. "You are an interesting captain, Phoenix Jones."

  "How so?"

  "You are a man... Never mind."

  They continued to walk in silence, both men trying not to dwell on their problems and failing.

  "Will the women that Holger held be safe? I gave them my word that they would be. I offered safe passage."

  "Yes, they have been--"

  "I don't want them working for some other rich asshole. I want their needs taken care of financially as well."

  Florin stopped and stared at Phoenix with a slight fire in his eyes. Phoenix matched him stare for stare, his lips pressed firmly together. Neither man gave ground until a bird screeched, breaking the silence.

  "You demand... No, you are right. They will all be taken care of. None of them will ever have to work again. I have given them to my cousin Sindee. She has a thing for female rights, so she will either offer them employment if they still want to work, or pay those who want to retire. I do not blame them if they choose the latter, after what they have been through."

  "No, neither do I. They have suffered enough. It's about time the Council paid for their crimes," said Phoenix.

  "Yes. I am working on that."

  Phoenix scratched his chin and gave Florin a sideways glance. "Err...your cousin. Sindee, was it? What is she like? As a person, I mean. Not that the question is all that important, just she seemed like the kind of person that you wouldn't want to cross. She seems brave... Well, of course she is. What I mean is she doesn't appear the type to, to..."

  "Ah, Sindee did tell me you two had a run-in. She doesn't think very highly of you, I'm afraid. What phrasing did she use? Ahh, yes. Head so far up his ass I am surprised he can see," said Florin with a smile. "Her words, not mine."

  "Can't say that's she's wrong," Phoenix said, bursting out laughing. "Has me pegged."

  "What happened to Holger? Saoirse told me you didn't kill him in the end, that he was already dead when you got to him? Do you have any clues who it may have been?"

  Phoenix thought back to the image of Holger and his blade lying next to the body. The same blade he had given... "No, I don't have any clues. Most likely one of his men. Holger wasn't one for making friends. Shall we head back and meet up with the rest?"

  Florin held Phoenix's gaze for a second or two before giving him a slow nod; they walked back the way they had come.

  Florin stood in front of the oblong table that Phoenix's crew sat around. Phoenix looked at each face and was proud of what he saw. L caught him looking and stuck her tongue out at him. He gave her a wink in return.

  "I am glad that all of you could make it," Florin said.

  Saoirse stood with her back straight, her hands clasped in front of her, giving him a smile. "It is our honour to be here, Florin."

  Plowstow reclined with his feet on the table and his hat pulled down over his eyes. Saoirse threw an angry glare his way when a snore came from under the hat. Phoenix flicked a round orange berry at Plowstow, hitting him on the chin. Plowstow woke with a jerk, waving his hands in front of him. He leaned too far back in his chair and went crashing to the floor with a thump.

  "Wha...what! I ain't sleeping, just resting my eyes, that's all. What's with all the accusations and stares?" Plowstow said, getting back to his feet.

  "Can we please continue? I apologise for our uneducated friend here," said Freyan.

  "Yes...it wasn't--"

  "Who you calling uneducated? I went to school! Didn't finish many classes but I still got smarts."

  "Smarts! You prove my point. Any dim-witted fool who uses the word 'smarts' to prove the validity of their intellect shouldn't really be round this table," said Freyan.

  "Why not?"

  "I'd rather not explain myself."

  "Listen, you tin pot--"

  "Hey, come on, Doc, that's a bit unfair to Plowstow. It's not his fault he was dropped on his head as a child," L giggled.

  "Why doesn't everyone just chill out? I mean..." Kai waved his hand in the air, losing his train of thought.

  "You going to allow this Soul zealot at this meeting and not me?" asked Plowstow.

  Stunned silence met this statement as everyone looked at Plowstow with an opened mouth.

  "Yeah, I've been reading words," he said, throwing his hands in the air.

  "Zealot? Bro, that's a bit strong--"

  "Here, watch how you speak to my brother!"

  "I need to study you further. If someone of your low intellect can read, then everything I know about evolution is false."

  "What's that supposed--"

  Saoirse slammed her hand down on the table, bringing silence to the room. She glared around the table. "Enough! One more word, just one," she said, showing her index finger to the table, "and I will not be responsible for my actions. Is that clear?"

  Phoenix smiled as nods went around the table. He looked back at Florin and waved his hand for him to continue. Florin looked at the room with a bemused smile, while he ran his hand over his head.

  "Yes, yes... It's quite all right, Saoirse. As I was saying, I'm glad that you could all make it here today, and I must humbly thank you for all your help. Without you all, I would be dead, and Holger would be one step closer to getting what he wanted. So, I must thank you again for taking care of that threat. But alas, the work is not done.

  "There are still those who want me dead, and to stop the good work I do for the people. I humbly ask you for your help in making my dream come true. A dream...that many people," he said, waving a hand at Freyan, "don't believe that I can achieve. But with your help, I believe I can get there."

  "What's in it for us?" said Phoenix.

  "Wealth, resources, adventure. A chance to do something that can change the course of history. A chance to be more than a footnote."

  "That sounds all well and good, but we are still wanted by the Council for the bombing which killed your father," said Phoenix.

  Florin gave him a small nod, letting out a sigh. "I have tried my best to clear your names, but the courts are slow. The right people know that you are innocent, and that's all I can offer you, at the moment. I shall give you names that you can offer if you are ever caught by the law.

  "But what I have planned for you all means that you have to operate outside the law. So, to make things seem legitimate, I'm afraid that being wanted may be the best thing for you. So you can go where the Council and law can't."

  Phoenix drummed his fingers along the table, looking at his crew. No one said anything; all eyes watched him. He knew that they would be happy with whatever decision he made... Well, some would, but he had gotten them in enough trouble to last a lifetime. He couldn't ask them to do any more for him. They had helped him above and beyond what was reasonable to expect.

  "Well...what do you all think? I have asked a lot of you lately, so this choice is purely down to you," said Phoenix.

  "I'm in," Saoirse said unsurprisingly.

  "Wherever Midnight goes, I go."

  "I can't leave my sister to face the troubles of the galaxy by herself."

  "You had me at credits," said Plowstow.

  Phoenix looked at Freyan, whose arms were crossed over his chest. "What you say, Doc?"

  Freyan looked along the table, then returned his attention back to Phoenix. "I shall need new equipment for my lab. Also...I will need a few hard-to-get items...things that may raise an eyebrow or two."

  "It shall be provided," said Florin.

  "Well, I guess that's a yes," Phoenix said, extending his arms out to the table. "But first, I think we need a well deserved brea
k. Do you know anywhere?"

  Florin smiled at the group before pressing a button on the table. It brought up an image of a small blue planet over the table. "I have just the place."

  Epilogue

  Guards lined the wall, rank after rank. They stood to attention, hands gripping their rifles, eyes staring straight ahead. No one spoke. No one turned their heads at the sound of the beeping from the descending elevator. They appeared to be statues--statues that were tasked with an undying mission to guard the hallway at any cost.

  The elevator dinged and came to a stop, and its doors slowly opened. A man with hair so grey it was almost white pulled at the sleeves of his uniform. It fitted the contours of his muscular body like shrink wrap over stone. No medals decorated his breast pocket. No stains or marks could be seen on the pressed military uniform.

  A single pistol at his side was the only visible firearm.

  He walked along the lines of men, each one snapping off a salute as he walked past. He stopped halfway and turned to a fresh-faced man who tried to control his trembling hands. The buttons on his jacket gleamed.

  "Jerkins, how is your mother?"

  "She's... She's...fine, my lord!"

  The older man tilted his head to the side and looked at Jerkins with narrowed eyes. "Jerkins. The truth, boy."

  "She's...not doing too well, sir. The doctors say she may not have long left, if she doesn't get the right treatment."

  "Ah, I thought as much," said the older man. He took out a slip of paper from his pocket and placed it in Jerkins's breast pocket. "When you're off duty, give that number a ring and tell them I sent you. Tell them the situation with your mother, and it shall be taken care of."

  Jerkins's bottom lip quivered, and tears forced their way out of the corners of his hands. He dropped his rifle to the floor and dropped to his knees, hugging the man before him. "Sir! Sir! I...thank you, thank you. I can't..."