“Just how much trouble have you been?”
I groaned. Seriously? I mean, seriously? The guy didn’t even know me.
“You wanta find out?”
He stirred restlessly under the console, and then pulled himself up onto the chair I was crouching behind. I watched as he took over the controls, and then watched as the pilot opened his eyes and jacked out, before working his way into the seat opposite. Only when the man had taken back control of the skimmer, did my initial escort answer.
“No. Thanks for offering. I’m Beckett, by the way. What do you usually go by? I’m guessing it’s not Sofia, and I doubt anyone calls you Jocelyn.”
It was curious that he didn’t follow that with a guess. Most folk came up with Joss. Those that knew Mack just called me Cutter, like anyone else.
“Cutter it is, then.”
“I’d just call you a pain in the ass,” the pilot muttered, but he didn’t look at me, and didn’t seem to care if I responded or not, so I let it go.
I couldn’t punch all the people in the world, right?
“And you can’t punch anyone with your hands behind your back.”
Thanks Beckett.
“You’re welcome.”
I stared out the window after that, watching the city slide past us as we entered one of the main fly lanes from the airport. It was hard not thinking, harder not to think that taking the main road from the shuttle port to the city was dumbest of dumb-ass ideas. I tried to concentrate on the lights, instead.
“Girl’s got a point,” Beckett said. “Take us up and over.”
Direct was pretty stupid, too.
“You are a piece of work.”
He was not the first person to notice that. Delight had already said the same—and Mack… well, Mack had a right.
“Delight… as in Agent Delight. Of Odyssey.”
Man caught on fast.
“Your point?”
“I… We’d really like to speak to her.”
No surprise there. She did kind of break into his HQ to retrieve me.
“She could have just asked.”
“I don’t think Simon was in the listening mood.”
He sighed.
“We’re going to have to review the whole damned mess.”
Yes! But what I said was, “Did you try making an appointment?”
“We tried, but Odyssey says she was out of the office.”
Well, that much was true.
I shrugged.
“You put out the call. She’ll find it.”
“You sound awfully sure of yourself.”
“She always finds it. Try telling her you’ve got me in custody. That might make her get here faster.”
He snorted.
“You’re that important?”
“No, but she always seems to turn up when I least want her to, and this would be pretty embarrassing for me—especially if you really want to charge her—so she’s bound to arrive.”
“Cutter, you say the sweetest things, but you really shouldn’t go giving out company secrets.”
Delight’s voice chimed through the cockpit and I stood up, and backed up, which meant I ended up pressed hard against the cockpit wall, staring at the cockpit-to-cabin intercom. Delight laughed.
“Nah. We’re not that close,” and I heard the faint sound of guns. “We’re running interference for your trip back to Sharovan HQ. Beckett, you’ll need to authorize clearance for a second skimmer to come down on the roof. I don’t want to be shot down when I’ve actually got an appointment.”
I relaxed, and slid into the jump seat. It was still not comfortable leaning on my hands, so I slid down to the floor, and indulged in a little calisthenics to bring my hands to the front. That was much better, and I sat back up in the seat, and stared out into the night.
Up front, Beckett and his pilot exchanged glances. As well they might. They hadn’t even sent their second invitation, but Delight was already here—and, as usual, she was here, right when I was in trouble. Again. Like so many times before. Now, why in all the Stars was that?
“Because I like you?”
Yeah. Right.
And Beckett turned in his seat, looking at me with raised brows. I raised mine in return and rolled my eyes, and then he registered that my hands were in front of me, and his pistol came out. This time, Delight intervened.
“Beckett, if she wanted you dead, that’s exactly what you’d be. Her cuffs have been out in front for the last ten.”
He put his pistol away, and I jerked my chin towards the window, and the skyscrapers flowing by below.
“Where do you think I’m going to go?” I challenged, with all the snark I could muster.
“You could just throw her out,” Delight suggested.
Thanks.
And she gave a brief laugh.
“Your tail’s clear, and we’re coming alongside.”
“Roger that,” the pilot acknowledged, speaking for the first time. “Rooftop is standing by for two.”
16—Depredides Dealings
Cascade was waking up, when we touched down. I was glad I’d got the leash on him, because it meant I could grab him just before he bolted for the door. I did not want to be explaining to Rohan how I’d let his dog run off the edge of a Stars-know-how-many story’s high scraper. Fortunately, the dog was happy with finding a corner to clear his mind in—it had been a very long flight.
Delight kept an eye on us, and an eye on Beckett and his pilot, and on the gunnery teams along the roof edge.
“They’re not automated?” she asked, and Beckett shook his head.
“Automation only takes you so far. These guys are on stand-by for things the guns’ programming can’t handle—and to deter saboteurs.”
He looked at her, and she smiled.
“Point taken.”
I got back to them, with a much happier dog. He caught sight of Beckett and snarled, until I laid a hand on his head.
“It’s okay, Cas. The mean man won’t shoot you, again.”
This earned me a wary look from Cascade, and a look of reproach from Bennett.
“At least I got to him before Simon did. He wasn’t set to stun.”
“And you thought you’d spare the dog, because…?”
“Because it seemed a shame to punish the animal because of who his owner was, and I figured I
