Free Ricochet by Sandra Sookoo

living.” He knew it was the wrong thing to say when her expression closed and darkened and those lush lips pressed into a thin line. Then he went in for the kill, the ultimate motivation that would keep Willa focused on the race. “Don’t worry. I’m sure your father will love to take care of you until some poor guy decides he wants to marry you.”
    She gave him a hand gesture that universally meant he should go pleasure himself. “Get your bald-headed ass into the ship. We leave in ten minutes.” As she climbed out of the rover, she leveled an icy glare at him. “We’re going to Megaris-8, we’re going to hit the next marker and damn it all, we will finish in the top three. I dare you to see if we don’t.”
    Once she’d stormed onto the Anomaly , Stratton grinned. That’s my girl. Flipping a switch on the dash of the rover, he watched as the back door to the ship slid noiselessly open; then, after crawling into the driver’s seat, he drove the rover into the hold. Yet the unease in the pit of his stomach wouldn’t dissolve. Megaris-8 had always been a hotbed of criminal activity, and as much as Willa could kick some serious tail if she had to, he didn’t know how she’d react if attacked by a band of thugs.
    Hell, even his considerable knowledge of the criminal network wouldn’t be a help. Hardened thieves that hung out in the Belt weren’t exactly inclined to negotiation.
    Once he’d eased out of the rover, he closed the cargo door. Afterward, he moved to a cabinet and pulled out two HEPPs. Better make sure they were fully charged. He couldn’t collect his bounty as a dead man.
     
    Stratton’s feet slid off the console where he’d propped them, and the subsequent crash jolted him fully awake. They’d been traveling for the better part of two days. Most of that time, Willa had chosen to withdraw into herself, not predisposed to talking, not even when he’d done his best to tease her. That had made for an extremely boring trip he’d spent in fitful dozes.
    “Welcome back, Ace.” Willa nudged his leg with her foot. Barbs of energy shot straight into his groin. “Hope you got enough beauty sleep— we’re about to enter the Sybaris Belt.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me before?” Stratton rubbed his eyes, dashing the last of the sleep away, then repositioned himself in his seat.
    “Not my problem. You’re the navigator, remember?” Her eyes sparkled like sunlight on the river back where he’d grown up. “Time to employ your HUD.”
    “My what? I haven’t heard that term before.” It was damned annoying that she knew more about the ship than he did. Of course, this kind of stuff was her whole life, whereas he’d actually lived his.
    She huffed her displeasure. “Your HUD, or Heads Up Display. We use it when maneuvering through tight spots that require intricate knowledge of the placement and movement of objects in relation to our ship.”
    “And this technology isn’t available on the display screen of the ship console?”
    “It is, but this particular way of navigation lets you really get into the nuts and bolts of complex work of steering through tight spaces. We’ll need it for the asteroid belt.” She slipped her helmet over her head, then pushed the visor down. “Learn it, live it, love it, Sin. This baby can be your only chance if you get into a bind in tight quarters.”
    “Is this something your father taught you?” He donned his own helmet and clicked the visor in place.
    “Yes. He used to pop it on my head and put me in the yard while my brothers threw soft-sided balls at me from all directions. My job was to try to run the gauntlet without being hit. Later, I advanced to rocks.” A trace of humor wove through her voice. “I like hands-on learning.”
    “I can see that.” Hooking up his slick suit, he felt the immediate cooling of the life-support system waft over his skin. “How do I work the HUD?”
    “There’s an activation button above your left ear on the