Pandora's Chase

Chapter Thirty-Six

Port Luness had evolved into a highly sophisticated space station, complete with self-sustaining life support systems and engineering systems that converted power from the sun into usable energy sources for the entire station. The economy created by tourism alone recouped the cost of the station's upkeep and allowed it to expand whenever the demand was high enough.

Inside Port Luness were endless public pathways lined with the sort of commercial life you'd see in any major city. While traveling through Port Luness near the residential sectors, you could find large observation decks that provided a bird's eye view of the stormy planet below.

Lendar wasn't interested in sightseeing or vacationing. His destination was the residential sector, so he headed to the nearest elevator and rode it to platform 400. After he stepped off, he found his way to living bay 435d. When he arrived at the front door, he heard several people inside laughing and chatting. Which was something he hadn't expected. So he decided to enter quietly.

He hacked the door's security using his tablet and a program created by Nazarus, and then slipped inside silently after the door popped open. The conversation grew in volume as he advanced down a short hall. The people were loose on drink and involved in some kind of betting.

Lendar slipped his gun from its holster, counting four different voices. Two male and two females. Without a sound, he approached the living room, then waited flush against the wall beside the archway leading inside. He held his position until a young woman he didn't know walked past him, out into the hall. She looked strong for her size, but Lendar had a gun, so he raised it toward her and whispered, "Psst!"

She froze, eyes going wide as she noticed the gun, and didn't make a sound.

Lendar waited for a moment, but no voices called out in alarm. Good, no one noticed, he thought.

Lendar motioned for the woman to come towards him. She complied, reluctant, and let out a shaky breath when he stepped behind her and put his hand over her mouth. Gun at her head, he proceeded to walk into the living room, where the others were sitting around a table filled with cards and poker chips.

"Anyone moves," he announced, "and she dies."

Sitting at the table were two men and one woman. Lendar knew the other woman and one of the men: they were the people he'd come for. The other man was part of the station's maintenance crew, judging by his work overalls.

A second of silence engulfed the room, and then Lendar's friends started laughing. Lendar released the woman and pushed her away, toward the maintenance man, as his friends rose from the table and shuffled toward him. The woman and maintenance man looked on in confusion and fear, unsure of what was happening.

Lendar embraced the woman he'd waited a long time to see. "Sika, good to see you, girl!"

"Glad you made it, Lendar," she replied.

"Razz, how are you?" Lendar asked the other man. "I hope you're a good sport." He bowed apologetically to the woman he'd nearly scared to death.

"You look well for being in prison for so long," Razz said, looking Lendar over.

"Yes, well, I had several days to get cleaned up and back in shape," he replied. "I overstayed the prison; we need to get moving. It's begun." He patted his chest, where the marking was, and shot a curious look at Sika and Razz.

Razz turned to his frightened poker partners, Sasha and Bruno, and addressed them. "Sorry, we have business, so we're gonna have to cut the night short."

The confused pair gathered their belongings and slowly headed for the door, unsure of what exactly they'd just seen. They muttered goodbyes to Sika and Razz, who reciprocated, and offered to join them another time. Sika and Razz both shrugged at the invitation. They'd only come to stay here temporarily, and their time was up, so odds were, they'd never see their poker buddies again.

Once the two were out the door, Lendar scolded Razz and Sika. "I thought I told you two to keep a low profile."

"We didn't think it'd hurt to make a couple friends," Razz said. "It's been almost eight months. Have you ever been crammed in a small place alone with that for an extended amount of time?" He pointed at Sika.

She scowled at him but addressed Lendar instead, "Did you really break out?"

He nodded back, as if to say, 'Was there ever any doubt?'

"And they fixed up Naz?" asked Razz.

"Absolutely," Lendar said.

"You broke out of a prison space station and stole your ship back too." Sika was impressed his plan had worked.

"Of course," he said, shrugging.

"I can't believe it," Razz said, plopping down onto a plush chair. "You not only got IPAC to arrest you but had them fix and fuel our ship."

"Did they find Nazarus?" Sika asked, sitting in the other chair by Razz.

"No, I shut him down before I fired the first shot," Lendar said. "They know nothing about him, me, or you guys. We're still free and clear, unless you guys mucked it up on your end."

"No, we're good," Sika said. "There was a close call with Brick, but it got smoothed out once Razz paid off the officers."

"Great. Where is he?" Lendar asked.

"He's been having a lot of 'luck' at the casino, betting on the Galactic Games." Razz used actual air quotes on luck. "He's prolly in the casino up in the vacation sector right now."

"Go get him," Lendar said. "And meet us back at Dock Nineteen A34. We're leaving in ninety minutes." He turned to Sika. "You and I will pack up here and head down there."

Razz rose from his chair and hurried out of the the living quarters. Sika started to pack up all the belongings that her, Brick, and Razz had there. It wasn't much, so Lendar sat down with his comm and called Dock Nineteen A.

"Docking master," said the voice through the comm.

"Yeah, this is Champ Jones with Night's Page."

"Yes, sir. How can I help you?" asked Doc Sams.

"My plans have changed, and I'll have to leave right away. Can I get a clearance to push off in about ninety minutes?"

"Let me see." A short pause. "Looks like we should be okay. Check in with me fifteen minutes beforehand for confirmation?"

"Yes, I'll do that. Thank you."