Edge of the Stars1 Read online

  out of a Martian jail.”

  The other three laughed. “Well,” Axel said, “it wouldn’t be the first time somebody bailed us

  out.” Each one took turns recounting their version of getting arrested on Luna with General Yates’s

  daughter, Scarlett, and having her mother show up with JAG officers to bail them out.

  Kamryn went to the galley and returned with beer for everyone.

  Axel made a trip for the next round of beer. Pausing on the way back, he listened to the raucous

  laughter of his friends as their high-spirited voices carried in the quiet ship.

  The storytelling grew more elaborate as the number of beers was consumed.

  Axel heard more laughter and giggles coming from the rear of the ship. The three MAVREK

  women returned with their escorts, after a shopping spree and dinner, which included a few drinks.

  As everyone crowded into the conference room, the mouthwatering aroma of Mexican food filled

  the air.

  “We brought gifts,” Eva said, slurring a little as she plopped two insulated bags of food in front

  of Axel. He pushed one toward Sorayne.

  With a campy grin, Petra delivered the last two, then spun around showing off her new

  holographic tunic with skin-tight black leather pants. Standing still, her tunic looked like blue-

  green watercolors fading together. Moving, the colors changed to flames of reddish-orange, which

  matched the tips of her hair. “Don’t I look divine?” More giggles.

  “You certainly do.” Mark grabbed his tablet, and Petra posed so he could capture an image for

  posterity.

  Sorayne waved the military escorts out to the passenger seating area in the rear of the ship. They

  ate while the ladies jabbered about their evening on the Station.

  Axel noticed Sorayne tilt her head sideways, as if listening to her comm. Amid the chatter, she

  left several seconds later without anyone noticing, except Axel. He followed her back to the

  soldiers, who stood as she approached.

  “Report, Sergeant Griffin.”

  The eldest of the three, Griffin stepped forward. “Yes, ma’am, per your orders, we kept a tight

  surveillance on the protectees, and noticed something we consider a little, um…creepy.”

  Sorayne held up one finger, pulled out her tablet, triple tapped the screen, “I’m recording this.

  Start from the beginning, Sergeant.”

  “First, they went to a shop called Star Crossed Leathers on Deck 2. We weren’t there five

  minutes, before a man, big guy, came to sit on a bench in the middle of the concourse. He sat out

  front looking inside the whole time. I got an image of him, just in case. Next, we went to an Asian

  restaurant, the Golden Pagoda, I think they have one on Luna. It’s a franchise. At least the food

  was good. Anyway,” he said, pointing to Eva’s escort, “Dixon saw the same guy hanging around

  out front, but wearing different clothes. I got his image, too. On the way back to the ship, the ladies

  heard live music. Oh, boy. We had to go into the Club Galaxy so they could listen. They had a

  drink or two. Not us, just them. And I’ll be damned…uh, sorry, ma’am. I’ll be darned if the same

  guy wasn’t holding up the wall on the other side of the concourse, wearing a janitor’s uniform this

  time. I have three images of what looks like the same big guy, dressed in different clothes. We

  stopped to pick up carry-out at the last restaurant before the Security Gate to Deck 2.”

  Axel’s blood chilled as he listened to Petra’s escort. He’d been standing beside Sorayne.

  Leaning over he whispered, “I think increased security for the ship is in order. Then we need to

  sober up our cybers. We need them to start encrypting data for Dimitrios.”

  Axel stepped forward to shake hands with each man. “Thank you for keeping our friends safe.

  You’ve exceeded my expectations. Now, please show me the images you took.”

  With the recording and images on his tablet, Axel returned to the conference room. In his best

  sergeant’s voice, he said, “Attention!” When everyone rose, he smiled inside, gratified his

  command voice still worked. “We have a situation.”

  “What a buzzkill,” Ohashi muttered.

  “You ladies were stalked this evening, by not one, not two, but three cyborgs. If it hadn’t been

  for your sharp-eyed security detail things might have ended much differently.”

  Eva, the smallest, stood in the middle of the trio. She put her arms around the others to hug

  them close.

  “You two, sober up,” he said, pointing at the cybers. “All our data needs to be encrypted and

  sent to Dimitrios ASAP. Let me know when he responds.”

  Chastised, the two cybers hurried off to the galley for coffee.

  Axel queued up the recording, playing it for the rest of them while he finished what was left of

  his Mexican dinner. When the recording ended, he transferred the images to the other tablets,

  giving everyone access.

  Petra brought in a carafe with mugs. Eva cleared the table of refuse. Ohashi began setting up a

  myriad of electronic equipment for her work.

  In the interim, Axel left to double-check the military presence guarding the ship. Once

  convinced his people were secure, against his better judgment, he made an unusual suggestion. “I

  think we need to go for a stroll.”

  Mark and Kamryn chorused, “Hell, yes.”

  Surprise registered on Sorayne’s face, although she refrained from making a comment.

  “We might even stop in for a drink at the Club Galaxy like normal people would on a holiday.

  In case I have to say it, don’t get carried away. This is an undercover reconnaissance mission. We

  need to know if just the women were under surveillance, or if we all are.”

  Kamryn strapped on twin sidearms, grabbed her black long coat and gave Sorayne a burgundy

  leather tunic to camouflage her gray military one.

  Axel drilled Mark with a look. “No repeat of Lunar 3.”

  “I’ve only had two beers, and I haven’t been gambling.”

  He did the same with Kamryn. “No replay of San Francisco.”

  “Oh, come on, that fight wasn’t my fault.”

  Sorayne gave him a sidelong glance. “You travel with a rowdy bunch.”

  Poking fun at her, Axel said, “Oh, I suppose you never started a fight.”

  “I’m drawing a blank on that one. I distinctly remember finishing a few, though.” Sorayne

  winked at him.

  Axel commed Ohashi to make sure her new ship surveillance system was operational. Before

  leaving, he spoke with their soldier escorts, who remained on duty inside. “Those three women

  back there are like my sisters.”

  “Sir,” Griffin said, “nothing’s coming through the hatch while you’re gone.”

  “Well if something does, and it doesn’t get you, I will.” Axel joined his three companions as

  they left through the airlocks, down two decks to the Galaxy Club.

  Onlookers might have thought Axel’s party were ordinary travelers out to enjoy the evening.

  On the contrary. He realized a part of him might be spoiling for a fight; a thought he pushed aside.

  They were simply gathering additional intel for the report to Dimitrios. If necessary, he was

  confident they were capable of delivering as much lethal force required to bring down a cyborg or

  three. Axel hadn’t had a good fight since before his augmentation surgery. For a scientist, Mark

  never shied away from one, either. He’d gained fifteen
pounds of muscle working out with Axel

  during his recovery. Kamryn, who held expert ratings in everything, nearly died after she’d been

  shot in the neck by one of Coulter’s operatives. So, the three of them were looking for a heavy

  dose of payback. He’d never seen Maeve in combat, except when she’d rolled a cyborg off Mark

  at the BioKlon plant in Houston. It made her Axel’s equal, or better.

  Chapter 3

  The deafening beat of music could be felt as well as heard before the lift doors opened on Deck

  2. With no cyborgs in sight, they strolled down the mall, drifting into the Club one at a time.

  Meeting at the far end of the bar, they ordered drinks, while monitoring the door and scrutinizing

  each patron for replicas of the stalking cyborgs.

  “Well, if it isn’t Captain Mark Warren.”

  Both men heard the voice. They spun around with hands on their guns.

  Facing them was the attractive auburn-haired Lieutenant Scarlett McDonnell, daughter of the

  former Luna Defense Commander, General Forest Yates.

  Mark tilted his head, eyebrows raised. “Susie?”

  Her jaw dropped open. Scarlett looked like she might burst into tears.

  Realizing he’d played it a bit too straight-faced, Mark flashed a smile. “Scarlett,” he said,

  opening his arms to hug her.

  She swatted him first, then allowed the hug and two kisses. “What are you boys doing way out

  here?”

  “We came to watch Eva’s terraforming experiments. What about you?”

  “I’m looking for killer cyborgs.”

  Mark scanned the crowd, checking if anyone overheard Scarlett’s comment. As the band started

  to play a slow song, he seized her by the arm, propelling her out into the least congested area of

  the dance floor. “How the hell do you know about cyborgs?”

  “I’m an intelligence officer,” Scarlett said, dripping with conceit.

  “You’re a spook?” He damn near spat the word out, remembering his run in with the ‘spook’

  back at his house in Portland. Mark had threatened to hit him, if Axel hadn’t stepped in, he would

  have been court-martialed for it.

  “Oh, don’t play dumb, Mark, or do you prefer Mr. Mavrek Enterprises? You’re all muscled up,

  carrying some heavyweight hand cannons and came to Mars with two TMD warships.”

  Mark yielded a little, to see how much she knew. “Where’d you get all this information?”

  “When I enlisted in the TMD, my first choice was Intelligence. But my step-father didn’t agree.

  He had pull, so it never happened. Since his retirement, my parents moved to Key West. They

  bought a boat rental business. I called in a few favors of my own. Managed to get transferred into

  Intelligence.”

  “You need to leave before you get hurt. A Martian undercover agent was murdered by a cyborg

  this morning.”

  “I’m not on some weekend trip, Mark. This is my job. Like it or not, I’m here.” Scarlett’s tone

  became belligerent and she tried to break away.

  Mark pulled her closer, remembering how well they fit together, and that redheads had fiery

  personalities. His mind raced, along with his libido. She’d been like an aphrodisiac from the

  moment he’d seen her on Luna. He’d met Scarlett the second day after he’d been transferred there.

  They’d played a sexy catch-me-if-you-can game, which was consummated the last afternoon

  before he’d been recalled to Terra. He’d like more, but not here, not now.

  “When they did a background check on me, they discovered we had history,” Scarlett explained.

  “My CO said it would be a shame if I didn’t use it to keep track of you, so here I am. It’s amazing

  how you seem to attract cyborgs and clones like a magnet.”

  Mark led her off the dance floor to an empty table. “You’re in way over your head, Scarlett.

  Even Axel and I came close to getting killed—more than once.”

  “I know.”

  “What?”

  “Everything,” Scarlett said.

  “About?

  “You. All of you.”

  “My father? Kamryn? Axel? Coulter?”

  “Yes.” She reached out to take Mark’s hand. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was drenched in syrupy

  sweetness.

  Mark’s anger sparked to life, grew like a wildfire he could barely control. “Do you remember

  what I said back on Luna about being monitored twenty-four/seven, spied on constantly, chipped,

  with no privacy? I felt like a bug in a petri dish. The TMD owned me then. I had no recourse. Well,

  I’m not in the military anymore; they’re still trying to exert the same kind of controls over me.

  Now you’ve decided to use our single sexual encounter to boost your new career. You know what,

  Scarlett? You can take your “sorry” and stuff it. Quit following me. Leave me alone. I will not be

  responsible for your death.” Mark stood, fished in his pocket for a crisp Terran one-hundred-dollar

  bill, and smacked it on the table. “Here, buy yourself a drink. We’re done.”

  Incensed by his own stupidity, Mark’s hands balled into fists, as he skirted around couples on

  the dance floor. Back at the bar, he slid in between Axel and Kamryn, signaling for the bartender.

  “Blue Agave Tequila. A double. Keep 'em coming.”

  They both twisted around to face Mark.

  Axel leaned his elbow on the bar. “Didn’t go according to plan?”

  Mark growled under his breath, “She’s Military Intelligence. A spook. Been following me—

  us—for months.” Mark downed the double shot. “And don’t say it.”

  “I wouldn’t.”

  “You knew she was trouble.”

  Axel shrugged, motioning for the bartender to bring three more doubles.

  Kamryn muttered some vicious obscenities pertaining to redheads.

  “They told her all of it. Everything.” Mark downed another glass.

  Axel shook his head frowning. “She’s going to get herself killed.”

  “Exactly what I told her.” Mark kicked himself for ever getting mixed up with Scarlett. He

  slumped on the bar until his next drink arrived. It was gone in one gulp.

  Kamryn downed her tequila. “What you need to do is get drunk and kick some ass.”

  “No.” Axel glared at Kamryn. “Definitely not. We’re on a recon mission for intel only.” Axel

  emptied his glass.

  Maeve returned from the ladies’ room. “Don’t look now, but I spotted metal by the door.” She

  moved in front of Axel. “Can you see them over my shoulder?”

  “Yeah. A pair. Same ones Griffin saw.”

  Maeve moved in front of Mark.

  Mark did a turkey peek around her neck. “Axel, my friend, we have twofers.”

  “Kamryn, can you see them in the mirror behind the bar?” Maeve asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. I spotted them the minute you mentioned it. One on each side of the front door.

  Like bouncers.”

  “We need to leave before either one of them ID’s us.” Maeve signaled for the tab. “The TMD

  is buying tonight.”

  One by one they blended into the crowd, moving toward the rear exit.

  ***

  Damn. As if two cyborgs weren’t enough, Axel spotted two more occupying separate benches

  in the middle of the mall. This changed things. Where there were four—there might be more.

  Maybe the bar was their clubhouse. He commed the others with the information before teaming

  up with Maeve, on the left side. Pretending to window shop, Maeve, in turn, commed he
r second-

  in-command, Major Lino Essex, ordering him to send a dozen heavily armed undercover

  reinforcements down to Deck 2.

  Axel kept an eye on the alleyway, watching as Mark emerged to join Kamryn on the mall. They

  walked along, acting like a normal couple taking in the sights. Confident things were going as

  planned, Axel turned around in time to see Scarlett McDonnell leaving by way of the Galaxy’s

  front door.

  The redhead spotted Mark. She maneuvered around people to follow him without a backward

  glance.

  Shit. Axel turned Maeve around toward Scarlett. “See the redhead over there? She’s about to

  derail our plans.” He skimmed over the Mark-Scarlett situation, hitting the high points.

  “No. She won’t. Leave it to me.” Maeve looked through the cliques of people until she

  recognized two of her troops. They wore faded blue dockworker uniforms, ribbed skullcaps, gloves

  and looked unisex from across the mall. With skilled sleight of hand movements, she beckoned

  them. When they arrived, Sorayne slipped the comm unit off her ear.

  Both women in their mid-twenties did as well.

  “This is an off the books intervention. We’ve identified a TMD Intelligence agent, whose

  ineptitude will get one of us killed. A ginger-haired woman, fifty feet away on the far side. DT-

  RCnR, do you understand?”

  They exchanged knowing looks.

  Sorayne cautioned, “If you’re ID’d, there will be heavy blowback.”

  They gave her a subtle nod before shuffling off in the general direction of their target.

  “I’m unfamiliar with that acronym,” Axel said, as they monitored the two trackers.

  “Detain Trespasser-Remove Comms and Restrain.”

  “Never heard it before. I’ve only been out of the military four months. Already I’m obsolete.”

  While they resumed walking, Sorayne reattached her comm unit. “Handsome men are never

  obsolete.”

  Axel started to reply, then stopped himself. Scarlett had disappeared. He scanned the thinning

  crowd. Nothing. Meanwhile, another cyborg advanced from the opposite direction. It collected the

  two on benches. They entered the Club, followed by four people who didn’t look old enough to

  drink.