Poisoned Pawn Read Free

wife’s family. Their other pilot was still finishing school. They never let me in the cockpit.”
    That one made sense. Regulations required a certain number of pilots, depending on the ship’s size and rating. Terellian ships were huge things, trading ships that carried generations of the same family. If you weren’t family, you weren’t crew. They married only with other trading families, so I’d stayed away. I hadn’t run into them much, I’d never been to the territories they usually worked. No profit in it for me.
    “How far back do you want me to go?” Trevyn Clark asked. “I’ve had a run of bad luck finding a solid berth.”
    I looked down his list. And stopped. I recognized a name. “What happened on the Iniori Matsura?”
    He raised his eyebrows. “I was on the ship two months. I filed charges against Captain Calligan. For harassment.” His mouth pinched with anger. Whether it was over the situation back then or my asking about it, I didn’t know.
    I laughed. I knew Isidora Calligan. I’d flown as a cadet on her ship a few times. Her predation of male pilots was well known even though the rest of the crew tried to keep it quiet.
    “I won’t ask about any of the rest,” I said. “You wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t really flown with her.”
    “You don’t trust my credentials?” He still didn’t look very happy.
    “I’ve had bad luck in the past.” I leaned forward on the table. “What are you looking for?”
    “What are you offering?”
    “I need a pilot. I’m desperate now, yes. Viya won’t let me go without one, but they want me gone within,” I glanced at the time display on the wall, “two hours.”
    A grin spread over his face, his eyes greedy. “I could take you to the cleaners.”
    “And I’d break both your legs.” My grin was just as steady.
    He threw back his head, laughing and slapping his leg. “Who else is on your crew?”
    “The navigator.”
    “Plenty of overtime. This could be good.”
    “You get passage to wherever it is we’re going. And maybe some bonus, if we manage to turn a profit on our cargo. Then we talk about a possible contract. If I still like you when we get there.”
    “Hard bargain,” he said, still leaning back. “What if I don’t accept?”
    “Then we both get to sit here and rot. Take it or leave it.” I stood.
    “There aren’t any other pilots. Even the ones that are available won’t fly with you. I’ve heard stories. You’re a legend on the station.”
    “Not a good one. Is there a point to this?”
    “Beggars can’t be choosers. I’ll take it.”
    I was suddenly very suspicious. “Are you running from something? Outstanding warrants? Bloodthirsty pirates? Smuggling partners who want your head? What am I missing here?”
    “From the stories, you’re the one with the price on your head. I’m just down on my luck.” He was still lounging back, looking at ease.
    “Who wants my head now?” I couldn’t help asking. Curiosity runs my mouth sometimes without any help or guidance from my brain.
    “The former owners of Belliff.”
    “How do you know that?” Cold prickles ran up and down my spine.
    “Public record, what you did. Anyone with half a brain knows Belliff management got away, at least the ones with the power. You ruined their entire operation. It makes sense they’d be gunning for you.”
    “Are you this way with all your potential employers?”
    “Are you this suspicious of everyone?”
    “Yes.”
    His amusement disappeared, wiped clean. He studied me from green eyes as hard as stone. He finally blinked. “Passing on a warning, Captain Dace. From a friend in station security.”
    “I wasn’t aware I had one.” Warnings coming from the Patrol would be suspect. Especially ones from a certain Commander Grant Lowell. He’d been trying to recruit me to work undercover in his top secret organization since I’d gotten mixed up in a nasty piece of business on Dadilan. He’d even sent Tayvis after