The Star Thief (5 page)

Reluctantly, Myka let go of her hand and followed the man through a nearby door. She tried to ignore the crawling of her skin and turned back to the major.

“A good name is always the most important thing when you’re terrorizing the galaxy,” she said, letting her gaze drift around the space, careful to not seem too interested in anything. She shifted her weight to the right and watched a series of numbers scroll past on the nearest holovid screen. The data made no sense to her. It seemed to be tracking ship movements in the outer traverse, but along no path she’d ever seen.

Beyond the vid, two more workers bent over a holo-graphic simulation of a planet she didn’t recognize. Renna played with the end of her ponytail. This was the most advanced tech she’d ever seen. The Coalition government was always screaming for money; there was no way in hell they could afford a facility like this. Whatever else MYTH was, they were obviously well funded.

But if they’d had all of this tech, why hadn’t they been able to retrieve the kid themselves? Especially if they’d sent the ninjas after him. She’d seen those guys at work; they could have sliced and diced their way through that warehouse in seconds.

She tucked her hands into her pockets and nodded to the end of the room. “Mind if I take a look?” she asked Dallas.

“Of course.” He waved her on.

The workers paid no attention to her, but Renna’s scalp prickled as the ninjas’ gazes followed her across the room. She squared her shoulders and made her way toward the map on the far wall to trace the curve of the traverse, the Outer Rim planets marking the edge of the Confederated Coalition of Territories. They contained every form of life and every manner of race. Humanity had implemented space travel three hundred years ago, taking their place in the galactic government a mere hundred years later. They’d soon become leaders in defense and military action.

If nothing else, humanity excelled at war.

She chewed her lip as she studied the map. A glowing red line circled three planets grouped around a large star at the fringes of the traverse. Renna tapped her fingernail against her tooth. Something tickled the back of her mind, something about this cluster.

“Miss Carrizal, have you found something of interest?” Major Dallas asked.

She half-turned to look at him. “More than you can imagine.” Her eyes drifted down the captain’s trim figure. The guy was old enough to be her father, but she was willing to do whatever it took to get out of this mess.

Behind them, Captain Finn stood at ease, his blue eyes trained on her, taking in every subtle movement. Including her checking out the major.

Renna thought she heard him growl.

Dallas smiled, either oblivious to Renna’s flirtation or ignoring it. “Would you like to have that cup of tea?” he asked, gesturing to one of the doors.

Renna followed him into a small, comfortable room. Instead of the office furniture she expected, there were two plush chairs and a low, white table. Someone had already set a tea tray on it with two ceramic cups. How very cozy.

“Please, have a seat, my dear. Captain, you can wait outside.”

“But, sir…” Finn’s lips thinned as he glared at her. The muscles in his jaw pulsed, like he had to grind his teeth together to stop himself from disagreeing with his superior. But the threat in his eyes, the promise of violence etched in every tense line of his body was all too real. And it was all directed at her.

She fought back a shiver. The Hunter she’d known had been different. Less serious. Kinder. He’d been one of the best soldiers-for-hire in their gang, but he’d never been so hardened.
This
man gave the impression that he’d kill first and ask questions later. What had happened to change him so much?

Dallas held up a hand. “Everything’s fine, Captain. Renna is our guest.”

Finn saluted and marched from the room, though the look he threw over his shoulder made Renna swallow as she sank into one of the chairs. She relaxed into its cushions and crossed her legs, trying to appear unruffled. In reality, her mouth was dry and her palms sweating as she scanned the room, taking in the smallest details—the lack of windows, the carefully neutral furniture, the slight bubble in the ceiling that showed her they were being watched.

She needed to stay on guard. She also needed to stay on this guy’s good side. For now. “Where’s’ Myka?” She pitched her voice to seem unthreatening.

“In the next room. I thought you’d like to keep an eye on him.” Major Dallas picked up a small remote control and pressed a button. The wall on the far side of the room, which had looked as solid as the rest, went translucent.

Myka sat at a long table, a bowl of some sort of food in front of him. He kicked his heels against the legs of the chair as he ate.

She bit back a smile. “Nice clothes.” Someone had found the boy a spare uniform, with pants rolled up to his ankles and a button-down shirt long enough to be a dress on him. They had scrubbed him clean and at least he’d stopped shivering. Maybe MYTH wasn’t all bad.

The major took a sip of his tea before setting the mug down on the table with a
thunk
. His amiable expression melted away. “Now that you’re assured we’re not harming the boy, why don’t we get down to business?”

“I expected nothing else.” Renna took a sip of her own tea, gazing at him over the rim of the mug in silence. Nothing like a long, purposeful pause to put a person on edge.

For such a high-ranking military man, Dallas cracked sooner than she’d expected. The faster they jumped to break the silence, the more important the situation was. Based on this, his organization needed her more than they’d like to admit. Men were always so easy to read.

His dark eyes bore into hers. “Miss Carrizal, I have a proposition for you.”

FIVE

“How come I’m not surprised?” Renna took another sip and leaned back in her chair. “Was Myka’s rescue a test?”

Dallas nodded. The bastard didn’t even have the grace to hide his satisfied expression. “I had heard you were sharp. We used your fence Boyd to offer you a job retrieving the destabilizer, which we’ve been trying to track down for months. We made sure it was an offer you couldn’t refuse.” His pleased smile showed a row of shiny white teeth. “I don’t know why I was surprised by your success. You did steal the Seralline Star Sapphire two years ago, did you not?”

Renna’s throat closed at the mention of that job. She’d been so careful to keep her identity a secret. She forced her hand to relax around the handle of the mug instead of creeping to the sapphire necklace beneath her shirt. Her tone was carefully expressionless as she said, “I’m so glad I’ve met with your approval.”

Dallas leaned back. “We knew the Cordozas were holding Myka captive. After chasing him across five different planets, we figured this was an opportunity to combine two projects into one. So we hired you to retrieve the destabilizer, hoping you’d also rescue the boy.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean you’re doubling my contract as well then?”

Dallas laughed. “Let’s discuss money later, shall we? I think MYTH may have something better to offer.”

Renna shrugged, swirling her rapidly cooling tea to mask the trembling in her hands. “How long has your organization been tracking me?”

“Long enough to know you’re the best mercenary in the traverse. Your clients are always extremely satisfied with your work. So much so that they’re extremely reluctant to talk about services rendered.” His lips twisted into an amused smile.

Damn right they were. Most of the time, the things she retrieved were illegal on so many levels. A word from her and her clients could end up on a prison planet digging for minerals for the rest of their lives. “So how did you find out about my particular skills then?”

“We have many resources at our disposal. But honestly, it wasn’t difficult.” He dropped his hands to his lap, bracing his forearms on his thighs as he leaned forward to meet her gaze. “Five planets have permanently banned you, another three will execute you if you’re caught on-world. Not to mention the standing warrant across the traverse for whoever did the Seralline job. You’ve made quite a name for yourself, Miss Carrizal.”

Her pulse jumped, but she forced her face to stay expressionless. The whole Star Thief thing had been nothing but trouble since she’d finished the job two years ago. The money hadn’t been worth her newfound infamy. Even if no one knew she was actually the Star Thief, she lived in constant fear they’d discover the truth. And yet she let Boyd keep talking her into contracts she knew she should turn down. That shiny retirement dream was looking further and further away by the second.

She let a strategic sigh escape her lips before saying, “Call me Renna. I think my detention is enough for us to be on a first-name basis.”

Major Dallas inclined his head. “Because of your exceptionally impressive skills, we have another job for you, Renna.”

“Let me guess, refusal is not an option?”

“Very astute of you. We need your help, and I’m afraid you’re the only one who will be able to pull this off. The universe depends on you.”

Renna rolled her eyes. Did he really have to be melodramatic? “The universe depends on a cutthroat mercenary who can’t be bothered to care?”

“I think you’ll find you care quite deeply after I tell you about the job. And what we can offer you.”

She sat back in the chair, crossing her arms beneath her chest. It didn’t hurt to emphasize her womanly qualities at a time like this. He was still just a man, and they always tended to underestimate her. Star Thief or not.

“Let’s hear it then,” Renna said with a smirk. “Make me care about the fate of the universe.”

Major Dallas tugged at the collar of his jacket. “I’m afraid it’s not that easy, Miss Carrizal. This information is so top secret even the President of the Coalition doesn’t know about it.”

Renna sat up, adrenaline rushing through her veins. This was going to be worth a small planet’s gross domestic product to a couple of her clients. She was already calculating the new numbers in her bank account. “I give you my word that what you say will stay in this room.”

He blew out a lengthy breath. “Unfortunately, your word is worth less than nothing. I’m not stupid, my dear. MYTH is offering you a choice.” He stared at her for a long minute. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, Renna. I assure you it’s not a threat.”

Her eyes narrowed. “When you have to say something like that, it usually means it is.”

Dallas got to his feet and paced the room, his hands deep in his pockets. “The Seralline Star Sapphire heist is one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in the traverse. Until now, no one has been able to discover who did it.” He paused, pinning her with a matter-of-fact stare. “I possess information tying you to the theft. I also have three orders on my desk for your execution. If you help us with this job, I can assure you all of your wanted ads will be pulled, the books wiped clean. We’ll give you enough to retire comfortably to Paradisio Prime and live on the ocean for the rest of your life. We’ll help you disappear.”

Cold fingers wrapped along her spine. How the hell had they been able to find the evidence to pin this on her? She’d been more than careful. Did they know she’d done the job? Even worse, how had they discovered her retirement plans? She hadn’t told anyone about them, not even Boyd.

“So, what I’m hearing is I can either be your pet thief, or I can learn to enjoy the benefits of prison food for the rest of my life. Doesn’t sound like much of a choice to me.”

“We need you, Renna. You’re the only person who can pull this off. Your past just provides an appropriate amount of leverage to make sure you have proper incentive.”

She arched an eyebrow. “And no hint of what I’m getting into before I agree? I can think of several instances where execution might be better than helping you.”

Dallas stopped pacing and turned to face her. “If we succeed, I can assure you, you’ll be set for life. Help us, Miss Carrizal.”

“Renna,” she said automatically. Her mind whirled. If she agreed now, maybe they’d let her out of this little compound to get the job done. And once she was out… She might not have enough money to retire the way she’d planned, but she could definitely disappear. Especially with the little security blanket on the chain around her neck.

“Fine. I’ll help you. I don’t really have a choice.” She glared at him. “But don’t think I’m happy about this.” Wouldn’t do to give in too easily. Dallas might get suspicious.

He grinned. “Good answer.” He pressed the receiver in his ear. “Bring the papers, Captain Finn, Miss Carrizal has agreed to help us.” Dallas sank into the chair he’d recently vacated, his shoulders relaxed and loose for the first time since she’d met him. “Now that that’s settled, we can get down to business.”

She shook her head. “No business on an empty stomach. I need food first or you’re going to find yourself with one grumpy thief on your hands. And you really don’t want that.”

Dallas pressed the receiver again. “Finn, bring lunch as well.”