Free Voyage of the Sanguine Shadow 1: Shadow Galactic by Erik P. Harlow Page A

after she disengaged and returned to her place at the
table.
    “I know,” she said with a wink.  “But you love
it.”
    As the table dissolved into bawdy jokes and war
stories, he stole a glance toward Valerie.  He startled to find she was already
staring directly at him.  With a smirk and a shake of her head, she looked away
and focused on whatever Zerki was saying.
    His shoulders sagged, and Gavin poked at his beef
mash.
     

Chapter
08
     
     
     
    “ Air power
is like poker.  A second-best hand is like none at all – it will cost you dough
and win you nothing. ” –General George C. Kenney
     
    The following morning,
Valerie met Gavin in the rec room.  He wore jeans, though his chest and feet
were bare.  She wore gray sweat pants, socks and a dark green sweatshirt, with
her carnation hair pulled back and clipped in place.  “You ready?” she asked,
and she picked up a bucket of tennis balls.
    “Not exactly,” he answered.  “What are we doing,
again?”
    “Captain wants me to test you for the Awareness.”
    “I know that, but…  You’re going to be trying to
bean me with tennis balls?”
    Valerie smiled and nodded.  “At first.  Just close
your eyes and let your extra senses guide you.  Ready?”
    Gavin blew out his cheeks, closed his eyes and
nodded.  “I’m—ouch!”  The tennis ball made a loud smacking sound as it struck
his tensed, distinct abs.
    “Keep your eyes closed,” said Valerie, and she
retrieved another ball.  She pitched it, striking him in the shoulder.  As
quickly as she could, she grabbed and hurled, hitting him in the chest, the leg
and in the shoulder again.  But the sixth one sailed wide, as did the next, and
the one after it.  He moved easily, fluidly, as if he knew instinctively where
the next ball was going to strike and how to position himself to avoid being
hit.
    He cheered, his eyes wide as he grinned.  “I’m
doing it!” he cried, just before a tennis ball struck him full force between
the eyes.  He stumbled back and sat heavily on the ground, rubbing his stinging
forehead.
    Valerie hissed, her hand over her mouth, and she
said, “Sorry, Gavin.  Are you OK?”
    He shook it off.  “Yeah, I’m fine.  I think I’ve
got the hang of the tennis balls.”
    “Great!”  She gripped another ball.  “Just a few
more.”
    Handily, he rolled away into a crouch, rose to
stand and threaded Valerie’s volleys of tennis balls with a curve to the side
here, an arched back there, and a will-timed duck.  At last, he stood before
her and took her hand in his, squeezing firmly.  “I’m really done with the
tennis balls,” he whispered.
    Her chest heaving, Valerie lowered his hand
slowly.  She breathed heavily, her face near his neck.  Closing her eyes, she
said, “Fine.  Table tennis is next,” and she pulled away.  With some effort and
with Gavin’s help, she unfolded two halves of a ping-pong table and set them
against one another.  As he put the net in place, she took up a bright orange
plastic ball and a pair of paddles.
    Hours passed, and he consistently demonstrated his
Awareness in multiple games of table tennis, air hockey and boxing.  At last,
Valerie called an end to the exercises.  Her breath coming in gasps, she
stooped over her knees and said, “I think you’re ready.  You definitely have
it.  Grab a shower and meet me on the bridge in an hour.  Captain will show you
how to use the jump rig.”
    “Sure thing.”  He offered a breathless smile. 
“That was fun.  Thanks, Valerie.”
    Halfheartedly, she tossed her sweat-moistened
towel against his chest.  “No problem.”  She winked playfully.  “Yeah, it was
fun.”
    Gavin pulled on his shirt, his socks and his
boots.  Before long, he had reached his cabin, shed his attire and stepped into
the shower.  The pressurized mist felt luxurious against his skin.
    ·· • ··
    An hour later, D’Arro met Taryn, Takeo and five
others in the forward hold under the main