An Ancient Peace Read Free Page A

sitting on the floor in the corner, wrists and ankles secured. She wore a pair of deep green coveralls over a striped sweater and had shaved her head so a single ten-centimeter tuft of dark curly hair waved over her crown. She looked unharmed, but very pissed.
    â€œThe MDCs only work against organic material,” Mashona snorted. “Your buddy’s just decontaminated the other side of the hatch.”
    The next impact felt like a heavy body slamming against metal.
    Torin exchanged a long look with Mashona that contained all the contempt she felt for anyone who felt they could shoulder their way through a pressure door, then she leaned both KC-7s she carried against the wall. “When I give the word, unlock the hatch and open it.”
    Two. Three.
    Another slam.
    â€œNow.”
    Two. Three.
    Unable to stop in time, a middle-aged man with a red ponytail and a tiny silver ring in one nostril stumbled over the lip and right into Torin’s hands. She dragged him clear and slammed him to the floor as Mashona re-secured the hatch. He whimpered continuously as she secured him and she fought the urge to ask him what he thought would happen when he joined a group that killed to support speciesist bullshit. He couldn’t possibly have believed the Confederation would allow them to exist unopposed.
    â€œYou didn’t have to hit him!” Tuft-girl protested, sliding her ass along the floor until she could support Whimpering-guy’s head on her leg.
    â€œTechnically, the floor hit him.” Torin straightened and walked over to the control panel where she leaned over the back of a chair so close to collapse that it made the duct taped pilot’s chair in
Promise
look shiny and new. She dragged her thumb along the plastic trim. “So, how did you subdue Tufty over there?”
    â€œSmiled.” Craig grunted without taking his eyes off the board. “Flashed a bit of arm.”
    Both were admirable, Torin had to admit. The smile came with dimples and pale gray eyes that crinkled at the corners, and while she considered herself hard to distract, the heavily muscled arms had caught and held her attention more than once.
    Craig’s hands skimmed over the touch screen and froze in place. His left hand moved two centimeters to the right. His thumb tapped the screen twice, and he let out the lungful of air Torin hadn’t been aware he’d been holding. “Okay. I think I’ve got control of the base sysop.”
    â€œYou think?”
    He snorted. “You want definite, you should’ve brought Ressk or Alamber.”
    â€œBecause short and green or tall and blue would pass as Human.”
    â€œI’ve seen both.”
    â€œYou’ve gotten around.”
    â€œI have that.” He glanced back over his shoulder at her and narrowed his eyes. “You’re hurt.”
    She rubbed at her hands “It’s rust.”
    â€œAnd the split lip?”
    â€œRight.” Torin touched her tongue to it, then bit his probing fingertip, ignoring Binti’s comment about where the finger had likely been. “Forgot about that. It’s nothing.”
    â€œDon’t rubbish me. You’re slurring your sibilants and there’s blood on your boot.”
    â€œIt’s not mine. What about you?” She couldn’t see any damage. They both knew that meant nothing.
    â€œI got the drop on the kid Varga had standing security. She . . .” He nodded toward the corner without taking his eyes off Torin’s face. “ . . . didn’t touch me.”
    â€œI wouldn’t touch you if you were the last Human male in known space!” Tuft-girl sneered.
    Craig rolled his eyes. Torin ignored her. “Are you okay? Not physically,” she added before he could protest. She’d have never asked him for violence if they hadn’t needed all three Humans on the team to complete the mission.
    â€œAces.” His brows dipped in.