The Complete Razia Series, page 11
Helmsley shook his head and looked down his nose at her.
"I have," Lyssa said dumbly.
"When you die," Helmsley whispered dramatically, "your soul will travel to the place where it was created, the Great Leveman’s Vortex. And it is there you will pay the price for your miscreant, evil deeds!"
"You lying, deceitful child!"
She knew they were right; deep down, she knew. There was no escaping her fate now—she had indisputable evidence from the Great Creator himself. Their words in her ear were no comparison to the terrible fear she kept locked in her mind. The fear of falling into that damned river of fire—the ground giving way beneath her, and no one there to catch her. Nobody was ever going to catch her again.
"You see, Lyssandra, this is what happens when you lie. The Great Creator does not reward bad little girls. He punishes them."
Her evil soul was repulsive, and everyone knew it. First her father had left her, then her mother and her siblings had abandoned her. Even when she'd a gun against her head, even when she'd begged them to save her from the terrifying pirate keeping her hostage, they'd abandoned her.
"Mother, please. He's gonna kill me."
"Then perhaps you should call your father and see if he'll come for you."
M-mother…"
"I hate that it has come to this, but you have persisted in your lies and now you have to face the consequences. Call your father. I'm sure he will be obliged to pay whatever ransom this…miscreant is asking for."
"Mother, I swear, I don't know where he is. He just left and—"
"Then I suggest you find him."
She looked up, eyes wide and breath caught in her throat, the imaginary barrel of a gun held to her head. But she wasn't on that ship, she was standing completely alone in the silent dock, accompanied only by the quiet sounds of the servant patching the walls and a river of fire coursing in the back of her mind.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Razia stared at her reflection in the window of the drab shuttle, trying to force a smile onto her face.
She was supposed to be happy, right?
She was the thirtieth most wanted pirate in the universe, off probation, and able to hunt any pirate she pleased.
Not to mention she had plenty of money to burn. She'd made a pit stop at the Academy—she did, after all, have a fully excavated planet to sell—and, thanks in part to the shocking kidnapping of Vel Peate, she'd sold the planet for one hundred and fifty thousand credits to a prospector eager to learn the sordid details.
That money was needed, as Razia had yet to be added to whatever list the parking managers on D-882 used to provide prime parking to the top pirates, and was forced to park out in the outskirts of the city again. For some reason, she couldn’t even bring herself to even be the smallest bit annoyed by the hour and a half ride.
She looked at her reflection in the shuttle window and heard her mother’s voice in her head.
"God in Leveman’s Vortex," she whispered, looking at the ceiling of the shuttle. Her mind had been replaying those memories over and over again. She'd tried so hard to bury them, but spending just a few minutes at the Manor was enough to dredge it all back up.
She let out a loud sigh in the empty shuttle, trying to clear her head. Lyssa Peate was officially done—a ghost. Now, she was going to be Razia, the best bounty hunter in the universe.
She forced herself to smile, hoping that the happiness would follow. The shuttle pulled into the station and she popped up, adjusting her jacket and holding her head up high as she stepped into the dim light.
***
"Well, I guess you didn’t need Evet Delmur after all." Harms was alone and grinned broadly when she slid into his booth.
"I still found him anyway," Razia said, before giving him a knowing look. "Did you know that he was still in contact with Dissident?"
"I…" Harms withered slightly. "I might have."
"Yet you still let me go after him." Razia shook her head.
"Oh, come on," Harms said, lightly batting her shoulder across the table. "You weaseled your way back into the web anyway."
"That I did," she said with a pleased grin. "Figured Jukin had it coming, you know?"
"How did you break into that place undetected?" Harms asked.
Razia shrugged, figuring that vagueness was better than trying to make up some ridiculous story.
"Be careful, or people will think you’re a good pirate." Harms winked. "So, Miss ‘Off Probation,’ which lucky gentlemen gets the honor of being your first bounty capture?"
Razia stared at him. She hadn’t even looked at the pirate intraweb, let alone picked which pirate she was going to hunt first. She couldn’t very well tell him that she'd been moping—what did Razia have to mope about?
"Oh, well," she said, trying to buy herself some time. She opened the pirate intranet news, scrolling down the list of pirate activity to look for a name—any name she could give Harms.
4) Stenson, Eli
Wanted in connection with hijacking of transport. Estimated cost of stolen materials: 4,100,000C
Stenson was part of Dissident’s web—she couldn’t capture him.
17) Teon, Sage
Wanted in connection with break in at the UBU Antiquities Museum. Estimated cost of stolen artifacts: 500,000C
She tried not to smile—it would be nice to turn in Sage and get him back for all the grief he gave her. But, unfortunately, since he was in the same web, he was off limits.
25) Jamus, Dal
Wanted in connection with aggravated assault on U-POL Special Forces. Two officers seriously injured.
Without even opening his profile, she said the first name she could find: "Dal Jamus."
Harms did a double take, nearly spitting out his drink. "Wh-What? You can’t be serious."
"Why wouldn’t I be?"
If Harms thought that Dal Jamus was too tough for her, it was definitely a good choice. She put down her mini-computer, as if she had been planning this all along.
"He’s…a big bounty," Harms said, leaning forward nervously.
"He’s like, twenty-five? So what?"
"I mean, a big bounty."
"I can handle it," Razia said, downing the rest of her water, and starting to get excited about this guy Harms obviously didn’t think she could take down. "After all, this is my very first bounty off probation. I want to make sure I make an impact."
"Just make sure he doesn’t make an impact out of you…" Harms muttered.
***
Razia could barely wait to begin searching for Jamus. Something about the way Harms was pleading with her to change her mind, told her that once she brought this guy in, she would be flying high.
She didn’t have to search very hard to find literally everything there was to know about him.
25) Jamus, Dal
Wanted For
Engagement in piracy, aggravated assault
Reward
7,505,079C
Known Aliases
None
Known
Accomplices
None
Pirate Web
Affiliation
Insurgent
He had just one bank account, which he also used to pay his rent and buy his morning coffee around the corner. She tried to find any information on the charge that he'd beaten up a police officer, but there was no record of it.
She considered calling Harms, but he hadn't seemed too happy with her when she left, so she thought better of it.
Turning back to his bank statements, she wondered why he hadn't been caught yet. New pirates were normally this sloppy—they didn’t all realize the importance of having multiple aliases or trying to hide from bounty hunters. But someone this high for this long was usually a little more careful—or had already paid the price.
Perhaps she was just the only one paying attention.
He frequented a bar near his place nearly every day, so that was the first place she decided to check. She walked through the door and was bathed in darkness. The smell of old alcohol and dirt permeated the air, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark bar, she took stock of the place. The bar itself was against the wall, with dusty bottles lining the back, some barstools (bolted down) in front, and a crusty barkeep reading a paper in the corner.
"You lookin’ for a job?" he asked her.
"Not particularly," Razia replied, continuing to look around. There were a few tables lining the wall, and a few old men scattered around. But no sign of Jamus.
She checked her mini-computer again. He hit this place every day, and he hadn't been there yet. So it was only a matter of time.
She sat down at one of the tables to wait. In the meantime, she pulled up her news to see what the rest of the pirate community was doing.
2) Relleck, Royden
Wanted in connection with piracy (bounty hunting)
15) Conrad, Conboy
Captured by Royden Relleck
18) Journot, Santos
Wanted in connection with piracy (bounty hunting)
9) Bullock, Jeam
Captured by Santos Journot
Santos Journot had jumped ten slots in about two weeks, she noted curiously, but there still wasn't a picture of him. He'd nabbed two of the top ten pirates—
She felt a presence behind her.
Acting normally, she pretended to scroll through her mini-computer, mentally readying herself to beat the living crap out of whoever dared to cross her now.
The presence got closer, and she could feel a hand reaching for her.
Without a sound, she stood up, grabbed the hand and flipped the man over her shoulder, splaying him out on the floor next to her.
"...that was uncalled for," Sage said, eyes shut, lying on the floor.
"Shouldn't sneak up on people," she grumbled, sitting back down and pulling out her mini-computer.
"Wasn't trying to," he grunted, sitting up slowly and dusting himself off. "You're off in la-la land."
"What do you want?" she snapped, not looking up at him as he sat down next to her.
"Thought I would pop in for a drink," Sage said, motioning to the barkeep. "Water, please."
"Really?" Razia narrowed her eyes at him. "Pretty odd coincidence that we both happened to go to the same, out-of-the-way bar. Because, you know, there are a billion places to get water and you stopped here."
"Pretty genius move, kidnapping your own brother," Sage said quietly, but loud enough that Razia quickly forgot her suspicion and looked around nervously.
"Shut up!"
"Oh, relax." He chuckled as she growled at him. "What happened anyway? I thought you hated your family."
"I do," she mumbled. "It's a long story. Bottom line is that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Sounds to me like he was in the right place," Sage said. "I mean, you did get Dissident off your back."
"Yeah, I did."
"See?" Sage nudged her. "I knew you’d figure it out eventually."
"No thanks to you," Razia said, pulling out her mini-computer to continue ignoring him.
"Please," Sage said, tossing her a dirty look. "Who’s the one who helped you figure out how to find Evet Delmur?"
Razia glared at him, but didn’t respond.
"You know, for a bounty hunter, you're pretty blind sometimes. I mean, how do you know Dal Jamus hasn't already been here and left since you've been staring at that stupid thing of yours."
She looked down at her mini-computer then back up at him. "You know, I'm not going to take criticism from you. Besides, I know he hasn't come in because—" She stopped, her eyes narrowing. "How did you know I was going after Dal Jamus?"
Sage was momentarily saved by a loud slam. The door was wide open, and blinding light streamed in around a figure that took up nearly the entire doorway. He walked inside, and grew about six more inches as he stood tall. The door shut behind him and he came into focus.
He was, without a doubt, the biggest, burliest man Razia had ever seen. He was so tall his head had to be scraping the ceiling. Not only that, but he had muscles so thick that he looked like he could break Razia in half with his fingers. He had a deep, brooding expression, and a thick, grizzled black beard. Three people sitting at the bar ran away when he looked in their direction, so he took up the three barstools that they'd vacated. He banged his thick hand on the table and the bartender shakily handed him a drink the size of Razia’s head, which he promptly downed in one gulp.
She started to understand why he'd been in the pirate web for so long.
"Well, Lyss, go get your bounty," Sage joked, giving her a nervous look.
Razia swallowed and tried to hide her apprehension. Sure, he was big, and muscular, and could knock her over with his breath, but that probably meant he was slow.
"Are you seriously considering this?"
"Why else do you think I'm here?"
"Lyss, I'm saying this as a friend," he said quietly. "You really should reconsider this."
"Oh, that is so typical you," she snapped. "I got this. And quit calling me Lyssa—"
"Oi, barmaid!" Dal Jamus' voice boomed.
Razia looked around for the barmaid, but she was the only girl in the room. It was then she realized that Jamus' beady black eyes were fixed on her, and he had a lascivious smile curled under his beard.
"Oh for crying out...I am not a barmaid!" she barked at Jamus.
"Well then," he grumbled, finishing his second drink. "Come on over here, and I’ll make you one."
Sage couldn't help but snort, and Razia rolled her eyes in disgust.
Jamus didn't like that answer, and took two giant steps to stand in front of their table.
Razia craned her neck slowly upward until she reached his eyes, two black orbs staring down at her mercilessly.
"Hi."
"You do what you’re told!" He swung his huge hand back, attempting to strike her, but his heavy hand was too slow for Razia. She ducked before it hit her, and instead it caught Sage flat on the face, sending him flying.
Razia scrambled out of the way, and climbed up onto the bar so that she was eye level with him.
He laughed, his voice echoing. "What? Are you some sort of bounty hunter?"
"Yeah, actually I am," she said proudly.
He was taken completely unawares when Razia leaped off the bar to land a foot square in his gut. He staggered back a few feet, stumbling backward until he fell into the table with a loud crash.
Razia jumped down to the floor, and he stumbled around, catching his breath, before stopping and growling at her.
He roared forward, but she ducked and threw a punch into his stomach—the highest she could reach.
He started laughing.
"Mmm!" She grabbed her throbbing knuckles. He was built like a brick wall.
Still laughing, he grabbed her by her legs, pulling her upside down. She dangled helplessly, blood rushing to her head, one foot caught in his hand and the other flailing.
"Hey! Put her down!"
For a split second, Razia thought she'd been knocked for a loop. Because that almost sounded like the annoying intern she'd left at the Manor last week.
But that was impossible. Because she'd left him at the Manor last week.
What a crazy thought that Vel Peate would be at a pirate bar on D-882. Or that he could possibly have found her on this planet. Or that he would be there, in any capacity, and not out with Dorst or one of her other brothers on a perfectly normal planet excavation.
Because that would be impossible.
Against all of her smarter instincts, she swiveled her head, and her eyes nearly flew out of her head.
There was Vel.
And he was, in fact, standing in a pirate bar.
Eyes wide, standing in front of a man five times his size, his tiny little fists up and ready for a fight.
"What is this?" Jamus laughed, swinging Razia a little bit. "Is this your little boyfriend here to save you?"
Before Vel could respond, Razia’s heel connected with Jamus’ inside elbow and his arm crumpled, dropping her. She landed on her hands, rolling forward, to face Vel, who looked oddly impressed with her skills.
"What in Leveman's Vortex are you doing here?" she screamed at him.
"Look out!" Vel grabbed Razia and ducked down as a giant fist came swinging just above their heads.
"Stay out of the way," Razia growled, shoving Vel out of the line of sight. She quickly scanned the room, looking for anything that could help her. Jamus lunged for her again, but he was slow, thanks to his gigantic size. Razia easily sidestepped him as he landed on a table.
She spotted a couple of thick black wires hanging from the exposed rafters and got an idea.
He came thundering toward her again, and she ducked between his legs, climbing up on one of the last unbroken tables and reaching for the wires. She tested them for a second, making sure they wouldn’t come out, and waited, a smirk on her face.
When he turned to come for her again, she jumped and grabbed the wires, swinging back and slamming her two feet into his face with all of her might.
Her feet imprinted on his face as he fell backward, hitting his head on the hard bar then on one of the barstools before finally landing on the ground and lying still. Razia jumped down, breathing hard, waiting for him to get up. He didn’t move, so she hopped to the floor, walking over to kick him.
Letting out a deep breath, she reveled in what had just happened.
If that didn’t make a statement…
"Are you out of your mind? Vel barked, running up to her. "He could have killed you!"
"And what in Leveman’s Vortex are you doing here?" Razia said, turning on him with the meanest, most angriest face she could muster. "And how?"
