Free Heart of Stone by Cathryn Cade Page A

Mauritian had a reckless streak
as wide as his blue forehead. He gambled with his life, those of
his crew, and anyone unwise enough to get in his way. He was one of
the old breed who would flaunt his illegality in the face of the
ISF, including running a ship from the most hated army in the
history of the galaxy—the Quark Ogre'n.
    "He couldn't know it's here, could he?"
Jark rumbled.
    Stone exchanged a look with his pilot.
"Won't do him any good if he does. We can beat him in a fight.
Besides, he'll be leaving soon, if he knows what's best for
him."
    Jark grinned and flexed his huge hands.
"I'll hold the door. I know he saved your life once, Boss, but I
never liked him."
    The three passed a long row of
containers to enter a small, bunker-like office.
    A huge cerametal and titanium safe was
built into the wall and floor. At first glance it had no openings,
hinges or fastening of any kind. But MacNeil keyed in a code, and
Stone added another. The safe hummed quietly, a crack appearing on
the right side of the face. It widened until the front stood
open.
    Stone stepped inside and retrieved a
flat, silvery cerametal carrier from one shelf. He handed it to
Jark, who tucked it inside his leather jacket and fastened it. No
one looking at him would know he carried anything out of the
ordinary on his person. They stepped back out.
    "All right. Close her up." The safe
shut at MacNeil's command.
    Jark patted his chest. "Huh. Not very
big, considering how much those Indigons charged you for
it."
    Stone smiled grimly. "It will pack a
big punch when we install it and they upload the software to our
sat system." And with the installation, he would close the door on
his own past—or as much of it as he could.
    He looked at MacNeil. "Call Yael. I
don't want any surprises."
    In a few seconds, a tall, lanky man
appeared around the corner of the nearest pile of containers,
wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Hey, Boss. Jark. Ready
to load up?"
    Stone nodded. "Stay inside the front
entrance. If we're all outside, it'll be obvious we're transferring
something important."
    Yael nodded. "Got it. I'll be
watching."
    Jark led the way back out of the
warehouse, weapon held down at his side. MacNeil followed Stone,
his weapon drawn as well. The three men scanned the small area they
could see through the swirling snow as they crossed the short
distance to the cruiser. Then the other two chatted as Stone
quickly boarded, stowed the container in a concealed safe in the
hold. He listened briefly at the closed cubby where Rose slept,
heard nothing, and climbed back out.
    The two men waited, shoulders hunched
against the icy wind. Stone looked past them at the squat Ogre'n
cruiser. He scowled as his conscience niggled at him. He owed
Mobius, at least enough to warn him the sat-com would be going live
soon.
    "MacNeil, we're going up to the lodge.
You'll stay and watch the cruiser."
    "Be careful, Boss. Don't like the looks
of some of the scum Mobius dragged in with him."
    Jark growled, showing his teeth. "Could
be this is the day to settle that piece of space trash."
    Stone shook his head. "There'll be no
trouble, just a quick word. Mac, you've the code to the cruiser.
Take her up if you have to."
    MacNeil nodded, and the other two men
put their heads down and strode up the icy road to the lodge just
visible through the blowing snow. As they passed the hangar Mobius
was using, Jark paused to sniff the air.
    "What's the matter?" Stone
asked.
    "Thought I smelled Jango."
    Stone peered into the shadows beside
the hangar. The slinking off-worlders used by pirates and slavers
to do their dirty work were universally distrusted and reviled by
the rest of the galaxy. But they hated the cold and were rarely
found anywhere that wasn't hot and dry.
    "Probably just some bad fuel," Stone
replied. "Come on, we're in, we're out."
    The two men walked up the broad steps
under the flapping skrog hide, and Jark made a sound of disgust.
"Could o' smelled dead skrog, too.