Poisoned Pawn Read Free Page A

me. It still hurt to think about that. My relationship with the Patrol Enforcer Malcolm Tayvis was complicated, to say the least.
    “His name’s Darl. He said to remind you of Professor Commandant Ludviga. Whatever that means.”
    My mouth twitched. Darl was an old classmate from the Academy. “Darl made it into station security, then. Good for him.” He’d been dock supervisor the last time I was here.
    “He sent me here from the brig,” Trevyn Clark admitted. “Told me you would need a pilot. Seems yours skipped station, leaving you in trouble. He did it as a favor to me and you. Or so he said.”
    “What were you doing in the brig?”
    “I wasn’t arrested, if that’s what you’re asking.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Are you hiring me or not?”
    “Do I have a choice?” I ran a hand through my hair. “Get your gear. The ship’s right across the dock.”
    “Don’t I have to sign papers?”
    I muttered a very bad word. I hate paperwork. I sat back down and punched up the proper screen.
    “Captain Dace of the Phoenix Rising,” I said at it. The proper blanks filled in. “Hiring Trevyn Clark as pilot, temporary status. Contract—confidential agreement.” I jabbed my thumb onto the pad for recording prints.
    “Trevyn Clark, accepting employment as stated,” he confirmed and added his thumbprint.
    The computer beeped and clicked. Two copies of our agreement slid out of the slot. I dropped in the proper amount of credits, the last two in my pocket. “Welcome aboard, Trevyn.” I couldn’t keep the irony out of my voice.
    He took my hand, his was firm and a bit cool. “It’s Clark, if you don’t mind.” He let go. “Do you prefer Captain or Ma’am?”
    “Don’t push your luck. I’ll take you to the ship, before I file the rest of the papers.”
    He followed me out of the interview room. I paused by the outer door of the hiring office, watching him. He talked to the receptionist, the same one who’d barely been civil to me. She flirted with Clark. He collected a duffel from her then crossed the room.
    “Waiting for me, Captain?”
    “Saves time.” I stalked away, towards the welcoming door of my ship, through the tangles of cables and cargo that littered the wide docking bay. I wondered what Jasyn would have to say about the pilot I’d hired. I wondered what he’d have to say about her. I wondered just what Darl had said about me. I wondered if the smugglers that backed Belliff would really hunt me down. I wondered how far I’d have to go to get away from them. I wondered if the nagging voice in my head would ever shut up and leave me alone.
     

 
Chapter Three
     
    Clark looked around the ship and whistled. “Nice ship.”
    She was. I was very proud of the job we’d done refitting her. “The third cabin is free. You can have the end one if you prefer, but it’s got a med unit in it.”
    “Third one’s fine,” he said and went in.
    Jasyn had done the cabins and lounge area. The hatch, which doubled as an airlock, opened into the lounge. Towards the front of the ship was the cockpit, with a door that could be closed. The cockpit held four people, two pilots, a navigator, and a com tech who also ran scanners. It was small enough that one person could reach all the controls from one chair, though. The seating area between the hatch and the cockpit had cushions in a green striped print Jasyn had made. I knew how to sew, I’d been forced to learn in the orphanage where I grew up, but until I’d watched Jasyn, I’d never believed it would ever be useful or enjoyable to do it. She’d painted the storage lockers above and behind the benches in a soft cream. She planned to add flowers sometime.
    To the rear of the room was a small galley, an actual cooking area. Most small ships had the dispenser unit that took freeze dried foods, added water, and heated them up, producing sludge that was barely edible. Jasyn liked to cook. I liked to eat. Both of us had felt the money