Free Finding Lara (Distant Worlds Book 3) by Kelly Lucille Page B

turned
and looked at Lara, studying her as she might a puzzle or a broken engine. 
Then she shrugged coming to a decision apparently.  “Jax.”  She looked like she
had worked the week originally quoted with no sleep, or food.  Her delicate
face looked hollow and her eyes shiny with the last dregs of manic energy. 
Lara recognized the look of someone who had spent a great deal of energy too
fast.
    “Well, Jax, am I right in
assuming your sensitivity to tech is not your only gift.”
    The woman blinked at her
and then her face went blank. Lara did not give her a chance to lie.  “You are
a whisperer.”
    Jax’s shoulders tightened,
her hand going to a pocket of her oversized coverall.
    “I am no danger to you,”
Lara said soothingly and watched as some of the tension left the woman.
    “Why do I believe you?”
    Lara shrugged.  “Maybe
because you know the truth?”
    Jax tilted her head and
turned fully from the comp screen.  “You are something of a whisperer yourself,
aren’t you?”
    Lara laughed, “I am Heti,
we calm with our presence, but I am no whisperer.”
    Jax sighed and dropped
her hand.  “I should kill you,” she said mildly, but it was more tired than
threatening.
    “I am no danger to you,”
Lara said spreading her hands wide.
    Jax snorted.  “So you
say, but your friends look to be less than savory.”
    Lara laughed and teetered
a bit on her heels.  “They are disreputable, I will give you that, but they are
not in the market of flesh peddling.  And since you made repairs in a time that
only a whisperer could, you have to know they will figure it out.”
    “Maybe,” she said, “but I
am counting on your mercenary friends seeing more value in knowing a solid mech
than selling me to the highest bidder.  He seems overly attached to his ship.”  Then
she shrugged. “And I need him out of here before he wakes up.  I doubt he’ll be
as easy to take down when he knows what I can do with an enhanced shock lance.”
    Lara tilted her head,
studied the woman with the clear eyes and conflicted emotions.  “Why do I think
I missed something when I was at the bars with Barnos?”
    “Did someone say my name?”
Barnos asked, coming onto the bridge with Tolan Lark unconscious over his
shoulder.  Lara blinked at the sight and then turned to look at Jax.
    “You did this?”  She
could not keep the disbelief from her face. 
    Jax nodded with a shrug. 
“I stunned him, yes.”
    Barnos snorted, hefting
Tolan Lark a little higher.  “No stun weapon I have ever seen will take out a
Shakien in full warrior form.”  He raised a brow at the mech.
    “I made a few
modifications.” Jax shrugged those delicate shoulders again.
    Lara looked her over
carefully.  “I don’t suppose you have one you are willing to sell to me?”
    Ignoring another doubtful
snort from Barnos, Jax eyed her and then shook her head.  “Sorry, but it would
be too easy for the unprepared to stun themselves.  A Shakien might get knocked
out, but someone as slight as you would probably be killed.”
    Lara narrowed her eyes.  “You’re
smaller than I am.”  Maybe not in height but the Dainaree were slighter of
build than most.  Even the Heti.
    “But I know what I’m
doing, and I’m Dainaree.  I can take an energy blast.”
    Lara let it go with an
effort.  It was seductive to think there was a weapon that might allow her to
take care of herself against bigger and badder opponents, but she had no desire
to electrocute herself either.
    Jax turned to Barnos and
handed him her comp pad.  “Repairs are finished,” she said.  “I need your
signature here for the transfer of held credits.”
    Barnos blinked down at
the little mech.  “Repairs are finished?  You said days.”  He looked like he
was prepared to hold the big figure of Tolan Lark as long as necessary, as if
he weighed nothing, when it was obvious from his size and armor he would be
heavy.  It was somewhat impressive, Lara thought, eyeing