Easier said than done.
In the movies there was always a sharp edge nearby to cut ropes on, but Harriet knew she could spend hours rubbing her bonds against the rounded metal tubing and it would barely leave a mark. She would have been searched before they left her there, of course, and she guessed her effects had been taken away. The cheap penknife she'd bought, the bars of melted chocolate, a few credits in pocket change, and, worst of all, her Peace Force commset. Not that it would have helped: she wasn't sure of the range, but she guessed it wasn't designed for deep space.
As she lay there in the darkness, still slightly groggy from the chemicals that had knocked her out, she wondered what Smith was playing at. It made sense to capture her if he wanted to exchange her for Alice, but capturing her and then flying off into space was just crazy.
Like Bernie before her, Harriet came to the only possible conclusion: Tyron's thugs had grabbed the wrong person, and they'd fled Dismolle thinking they'd captured Alice. Thinking back to the crash, she recalled how they'd dragged her from the wreckage and put the bag over her head. It had all happened so quickly, and she hadn't seen Smith amongst the three or four people who'd surrounded her. No, he'd have been sitting in the flight deck, waiting impatiently with his finger on the launch button.
What a mess, she thought. Still, it could have been worse. Bernie had been right behind her, and would have raised the alarm by now. Alice … well, she'd be safe with Bernie. Once Smith realised his mistake, he'd have to take Harriet back to Dismolle, and …
An unpleasant thought crossed her mind. She tried to push it away, but it lingered like the memory of a bad nightmare.
Would Smith bother to take her back?
No, he wouldn't. Not when it would be so much easier to push her out the nearest airlock.
Chapter 16
Alice had been expecting a typical Family vessel: a bulky old freighter held together with mismatched spare parts and sticky tape. Instead, she found herself looking at a sleek, deep-space fighter. The ship towered over her, fast and deadly, and she could just see a transparent canopy on top, covering the cockpit. The fighter was ex-military for sure, since Alice could see lighter patches on the wings where the original weapons had been removed.
Slowly, she grinned. All of a sudden her rescue mission seemed a lot more promising. With a ship like this she'd have Harriet back in no time!
As she stood there, studying the ship's graceful lines, a ladder extended from the bottom of the hull. Teresa climbed down to the landing pad, moving gracefully, and Alice could only stare at her transformation. Instead of jeans, a blouse and high heels, the woman was now clad in combat boots, black leather pants and a matching flight jacket. Her expression was different too, harder and more focussed, and she'd tied her hair back, accentuating her cheekbones. "You look different," said Alice lamely.
"Oh, I see what you mean. I didn't want to attract attention this morning, so I put on the civvies."
"You told me you shared a freighter with your parents!"
"Yeah, well, you saw through that one, didn't you?" Teresa laughed. "The soft approach works sometimes, but you're a bit cannier than most." She stuck her hand out. "My full name is Teresa Smith, by the way."
"Alice."
"Yep, Harriet told me you preferred that."
They shook, and Alice couldn't help thinking Teresa was rather cool. Harriet was nice, and kind, and a good role model and everything, but … Teresa had a much harder edge to her. She found herself admiring the woman, despite her initial doubts. "Are we really related?"
"We are, but it goes back a long way." Teresa eyed her shrewdly. "I'm guessing you're not here for your family tree, so what's up? Why did you track me down?"
"Smith's taken Harriet."
"What does he want with her?" Teresa's face cleared. "Oh boy, his goons snatched the wrong one. That's not going to improve his mood."
"Yes, and he's already lifted off." Alice gestured at the sky. "They're on the way to one of the outer planets."
"Oh, so that's what the ruckus was all about. Car crashes, ships lifting off in a hurry … this place has been buzzing. I should have known Tyron was behind it."
"Can you help?"
"Help?"
"I'll do whatever you want. I'll rejoin the Family, call myself … Rebecca. Anything! Just help me save Harriet."
Teresa stared at her. "I think you've got the wrong idea, kid. I came after you for one reason, and it has nothing to do with having you join the Family."
"What was it then?"
"I'm after the cargo your uncle stashed away."
Alice felt a rush of relief. She'd been prepared to walk away from the Peace Force, but instead she was being asked to give up something that might not even exist. Then, before she could blurt out something silly like 'take it all', her natural instincts kicked in. "Fifty-fifty."
"I get eighty percent, and that's final."
Alice turned and walked away. "Wow, look at all these ships," she called over her shoulder. "I bet some of them would do it for ten percent."
"They'll never catch Smith."
"You won't catch him either, if you're just going to stand around arguing about money."
"Wait! It's daylight robbery, but I'll settle for seventy percent."
Alice hesitated. "Sixty-forty."
"What about my fuel?"
"Should have thought of that before you bought a gas guzzler."
Teresa grinned. "All right, you cunning little ratbag. Sixty-forty it is."
Alice returned, and put out her hand. "You have a deal."
"Not so fast. I've got to get my hands on the box, and you've got to stick around and open it for me."
"All right, done. Can we go now?"
"Sure. You've got yourself a pilot."
They shook, and then Teresa gestured towards the ladder. "After you."
— ♦ —
Harriet was doing
