Free The Rift Rider by Mark Oliver Page A

With a look of bitter disappointment, he tore off a
few strips of fabric. "You better be worth it," he said, as he
arranged the fabric in a sling and placed it around Charlie's shoulder. Then he
turned to Awani, and said, "We'd better get a move on."
    She nodded,
placed her rifle on her the ground, and withdrew a second explosive coin from
her belt. Then with the poise of a ballerina, she took a few steps back, raised
her hands and threw herself forward into a perfect somersault, ending with an
upwards leap. Mid-air she stretched and secured the explosive to the ceiling.
    She landed with
a soft thud, stretched her arms to the side and bowed low.
    "No need to
show off," Bei said.
    "I'd move
that wrinkled arse of yours," she said. "Detonation in three, two,
one."
    This time the
device exploded with a soft, unsatisfying puff.
    For a few
seconds nothing happened. Bei shot Awani a raised eyebrow. But then there was a
crack and a cylinder two feet wide and a foot thick, crashed to floor between
them.
    It landed next
to Charlie's bare foot. "It almost hit me," he said, chuckling.
    Awani shook her
head, her hair swaying like pendulum. She looked at Bei. "When will the
initial effects wear off?"
    "Any
minute."
    "Good,"
she said. "Because I can't put up with much more of this. I liked him
better when he was scared shitless."
    "Ready?"
Bei asked.
    When she nodded,
he crouched down, and bridged his hands.
    Charlie watched
on as Awani placed one foot in the cupped hands fingers, and took hold of the
blue man's shoulders. He took a breath and then flung her through the hole in
the ceiling.
    Charlie stepped
towards Bei, raising a foot. The blue man, chuckling, unclasped his hands.
"Patience, kid. She needs to scout the area first."
    A minute later a
pair of pink hands appeared through hole, followed by a mop of blonde hair.
From somewhere inside, came Awani's voice. "It's clear. Rifles
please."
    Bei handed her
the two rifles and she disappeared back through the hole.
    "Ready?"
Bei said, turning to Charlie.
    Charlie smiled.
The dreaminess caused by the drug had largely worn off. He stood alert, ready
for anything. An electric, fearless positivity flowed through his veins. If a
tiger had suddenly appeared carrying a rugby ball, Charlie would have taken him
down with a textbook tackle without batting an eyelid.
    He looked at the
blue man, waiting with his hands bridged together. "Hell yes," he
said, and leapt, grabbing Bei's soldier with his good hand. The instant his
feet landed in Bei's palm, the blue man grunted and flung him upwards, sending
him flying through the hole.
    Just as he thought
he would tumble back into the darkness, two pink arms reached out and caught
him around the waist. Awani spun and, holding him hard but gentle, placed him
on his feet beside the hole.
    Charlie looked
around. They were standing between the landing gear of what Charlie guessed was
a huge spacecraft of some kind. Outside, beyond the triangle of wheels and
metal legs keeping them hidden from view, lay a docking bay.
    Charlie looked
past his feet, peering into the hole, curious as to how Bei planned on getting
up without someone giving him a boost. Down in the corridor, the blue man
seemed to be performing some kind of sultry Latin dance. He was twisting,
rocking his hips and swaying his body from left to right. Charlie watched,
mesmerized by the man's movements.
    Bei ended the
dance by bringing his head within a foot of the floor and springing upwards.
Charlie pulled his head back just in time.
    The blue man
landed noiselessly on the opposite side of the hole. "What's the
story?" he said, straightening.
    "The ship's
empty," Awani said, handing him what looked to Charlie like the electronic
beeper his mum used to open her BMW.
    "And the
bay?"
    "It's
coming to life. But most of the crew and soldiers still look half asleep.
They're not taking much notice of the alarms."
    Bei nodded.
"I doubt they expected anyone to make it this far. Still, the Executive
back