Chase You To The Sun Read Free

pad down so she wouldn’t keep staring at Bruce like an idiot.
    Tori’s mouth curled up in a smile. “Well, what did you expect? An eye patch and a peg leg?”
    Lana bit back a giggle. “Don’t be stupid. Pirates like that don’t exist anymore.”
    “No.” Alen put his pad away. “He’s far more dangerous than the pirates who used to roam the seas. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more intimidating man than Bruce Randall.”
    “You actually met him?” Lana stared at Alen. “What, you arrested him or something?”
    Alen hesitated for a second. “No, I worked with him. A long time ago. Just for a few months.”
    “You...” Lana trailed off, glancing aside to catch Tori’s gaze.
    “I’ll tell you some other time,” her friend mumbled, looking a bit flustered.
    “Let’s just say I’ve been on both sides of the law,” Alen explained. “But I decided to stick to the good side some years back.”
    At that moment, the waiter showed up with their drinks. Lana was relieved Tori changed the subject to something safe – their trip to Earth and the places they’d visit.
    “Let’s take the first available flight out tomorrow,” Tori suggested. “If we’re delayed, at least we’ll be able to get to Earth as soon as possible. Where do you need to go for your trade negotiations?”
    “Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital,” Lana replied. “Mr. Stockton booked me a hotel room there for the next six days. I can’t wait to see Greenland. People always say it’s so beautiful.”
    “Can you believe it was once completely covered in ice?” Alen mused. “Before the poles shifted, the entire country was an Arctic region.”
    “Then why did they call it Greenland?” Lana inquired with a frown.
    “I think it was a marketing ploy,” Tori said. “When the Vikings were trying to convince their countrymen to colonize the island, they made it sound more inviting than it actually was.”
    Lana chuckled. “Good business move, I guess.”
    After lunch, she left Tori and Alen to spend some time packing for her trip. Actually, she hadn’t even unpacked everything yet since arriving at the station. Where was her small travel bag? Maybe she’d left it in storage back on Mars. She couldn’t remember.
    With a sigh, Lana flopped down on the couch and decided to settle for her old suitcase – the one she’d always brought along on summer camp. Maybe it was meant to be. This suitcase had been her faithful companion during her previous trips to Earth, so it was only fitting she should bring it along now.
    “We’re gonna have fun together,” she whispered, patting the bag as if she had to reassure her suitcase instead of herself.

2.
    T he next morning, an enormous crowd had gathered in front of Airlock Nine. Apparently, Tori hadn’t been the only one with the idea of catching the early flight – eager travelers were all huddled around the ticket desk, waving wads of bills or brightly-colored cards in order to buy a seat on the first outbound flight of the day.
    “Now what?” Lana put down her suitcase with a frustrated grunt. “We’re never gonna get out of here. I do have a ticket, but that’s for tonight’s flight.”
    “Yeah, and that’s just one ticket,” Tori said sulkily.
    Alen pursed his lips in thought. “I might have an idea. You girls stay in line while I try something.” He stalked off in the direction of the Boulevard.
    “What’s he gonna do, commandeer a spaceship?” Lana teased her friend.
    Tori snorted. “What’s with the pirate lingo?”
    “Well.” Lana bit her lip. “He used to work with a famous pirate, right?”
    Tori shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah – about that. Alen was part of the Croatian resistance when he was young, and then he turned to a life of crime. He spent six years in jail, but he tried everything to leave his past behind. I guess he knows Bruce Randall from some job he did back then.”
    Lana tried her very best not to blush when she heard that name again. She was