“What was that, miss?” asked the vendor of the pretty little Tennar who’d come to his stand.
“Dark,” she said. “I like it dark.”
And over the comm she could hear their blasters, the blasters of Alpha Team leaving the last clue for Nilo, whoever he was, to find.
You’re not safe, Nilo. Whoever you are. We are out to get you. First the freelancer Bowie in your hidden sanctuary of dirty secrets. Then your doer of dirty deeds. Reiser on the street like a dog. Bowie sacrificed at the scene. A message.
“Done,” said the Team Leader a second later. “He’s down. Pictures to confirm. Transport teams moving in to collect.”
“Is this good?” asked the vendor as she slithered one delicate tentacle around the cup he’d offered her.
She nodded. Her eyes were big, bright, and beautiful.
“Very good. Yes,” she said. “Very good.”
CARTER
INLAND KUBLAR
38
“Hey, baby.”
“Oba’s ears, Carter. You’re okay.”
Mel is tearing up. And even though I called as soon as I could, I can’t help but feel like I dropped the ball. Because it wasn’t really as soon as I could. It was as soon as I could once I got some other stuff done. Things that needed doing. Or at least seemed to at the time. Now that I see Mel fighting with her emotions, I’m not so sure.
This is going to sound jacked up but… I’m kinda glad she’s reacting this way. It shows she still cares, right? Which is good because a lot of what’s been keeping us at odds is getting cleared up. Credit transfers underway. Debts paid.
Big Nee was true to his word and while I might not be rich, I’m the closest to it I’ve ever been.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Wanted to call sooner, but…”
“Yeah.”
A silent pause pushes its way into our conversation. I was excited to make this call. Still am. Just not… just not capturing that enthusiasm as well as I thought I would. It’s not coming naturally.
“Hey, so, good news.”
Mel’s face brightens. “You’re coming home?”
“Ooh. Uh… no. Not yet. But this is better news than even that, I think.”
The oh-so-familiar traces of skepticism mingled with disappointment cross my wife’s face. Her eyebrows arch and she turns her head away, still looking at me but pulling away. Slightly. Almost imperceptibly.
I guess I’ve given her cause to make that face for most of our marriage. Missed birthdays. Extended deployments. Lonely anniversaries. That look is how she mentally preps herself. Like she can sense trouble and doesn’t want to be close enough to it that it might hurt.
It wasn’t until our second year of marriage that I actually realized it was even a thing. Now I can practically see it in my sleep.
“Hey, don’t give me that look, Mel.”
“What?”
“You know what. You’re always…”
I cut myself off and sigh. This is always the way, isn’t it? Even the good news feels like it has to get tainted by bad.
“Never mind,” I say. “I’m sorry. Hard as it might be to believe after a rocky start, but this is going to be a good call. One we’ll both remember.”
Mel is agreeable to that. Willing to drop it and move on. And that’s a good sign, too. “Okay. Spring it on me, Carter.”
“Got a big raise. Team performed well and we’re being recognized for it.”
Mel smiles, but weakly. Not that big megawatt smile she uses when she’s really happy. Our wedding day. That time when we took that vacation cruise through the mid-core resort worlds. When she found out she was pregnant with Tria.
“Well, we can use it,” she finally says.
I nod. “We can. But… I mean a big raise. Like… check the mortgage statement.”
Mel’s look gets a little quizzical. I motion with my hand for her to go ahead and do it.
“I’m serious. Check it.”
I see her pinch our call into the corner of her datapad so she can bring up our banking info. Her mouth drops open and her eyes go wide.
“Carter, are you kelhorned kidding me?”
I smile and shake my head. “Not even a little.”
And then that big smile comes back and she lets loose a squeal of joy that gives way to peals of laughter. Immediately everything is good and right and I’m feeling so warm and happy that I think there may be a little dust in my eyes.
“Carter, this is unreal!”
I just smile.
Her face freezes in a mask of joy and I see the skepticism come back. Only this time it’s playful. Loving. “You didn’t… commit any crimes, did you?”
That makes me laugh. “No, babe. At least not anything that would be considered a crime since the House of Reason fell apart. It’s legit. And, even better it’s—”
I’m interrupted by the sound of my youngest daughter running into the room. She wants to know why her mommy was “screaming.” She gets an answer but has already moved on once she sees me in the datapad.
“Daddy!”
“How’s my little princess?”
“Good. I lost a tooth yesterday.” She shows me the gap where her tooth once was, bringing her little mouth up close and personal with the datapad’s holocam.
“You’re growing up!”
She nods. “Uh-huh.”
“Listen, sweetie,” her mom interjects. “Daddy and I have some things we need to talk about. But if he still has time at work after we’re done, I’m sure he’d love to talk more.”
The holocam refocuses on Mel.
“How’re the girls doing?” I ask.
“Fine. Tria’s been a little better. I think she’s trying.”
“Good.”
Mel nods in agreement then says, “I just can’t believe this. I thought we’d be in our eighties before this house was paid off. Guess that’ll be when the credit accounts are finally back at zero.”
“That’s next month. Just gotta finish up this job but… we’re doing good, Mel.”
The thought seems to bring a sense of peace over my wife’s face. It’s been so long since either of us could say that.
We’re doing good.
But then the tranquility of a life moving in the right direction, income arrows moving up, debt moving down… all that
