Rayven's Keep. Kylie Wolft

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      Nick Rayven hated Lodestone. The constant dust and fierce winds keeping it in semidarkness made his teeth itch. Hell, who was he kidding? He hated the whole damn planet. Whoever had come up with the name had a sick sense of humor and a distinct lack of imagination in calling both the port and planet the same. Far from a diamond in the rough, Lodestone was one miserable port of call on a thoroughly miserable world.

      At least the hole-in-the-wall alehouse he found himself in had no such delusions of grandeur. He regarded the battered mug of local ale with distaste and slouched against the unforgiving metal of his chair. Hooking one arm across its back, he scrutinized the common room, noting the layout of every door and window, a habit that had saved his ass on more than one occasion. It was always good to know where the exits were just in case some idiot decided to start a fight.

      Raised voices formed a raucous counterpoint to the hideous music piped through lousy speakers. The cacophony kept Nick irritated and on edge. He detested people, particularly in crowds, but his contact had insisted they meet here. Business was business and sometimes it required Nick to play nice and on someone else’s turf.

      He unclenched his jaw as he snagged his mug and took a long swallow. The sour taste burned all the way down, a caustic fire lacking any hint of civilization. So much for ordering the good stuff.

      A furtive movement near the door caught his attention. The man entering the bar was average in height, with ordinary brown hair and nondescript brown clothes. Nick suspected his easy to forget appearance was deliberate, and his interest sharpened. Taking another sip of his ale, he watched the man inch closer, stopping a scant meter away.

      “Nick Rayven?” The question was hesitant, the voice high pitched.

      “Depends.”

      Nick studied the man in front of him and allowed a faint smile to curve his lips. Apparently, it was more predatory than friendly, and the other man flinched, eyes widening. Nick tried for non-threatening. Sweat broke out on the other man’s forehead. Sighing, he gave up.

      “Yeah, I’m Rayven. Who’re you?”

      “J–Jonas Spark.” He cleared his throat and eased onto the seat across from Nick. “My employer, Axyl Hargrave, instructed me to deliver the package to you.”

      Straightening, Nick leaned his forearms on the metal table in front of him. “What of the payment arrangements? I assume the credits have been deposited into my account?”

      Jonas nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “Half now, the...ah...balance when the package is delivered.”

      Nick swore viciously, the variety and virulence of the words demonstrating a fine command of the seedier side of several languages. Jonas shrank back in his chair. Some of the bar patrons glanced at them to see if a fight would break out but returned to their drinks when Nick did nothing more than glare.

      “That was not the agreement,” he ground out, when he trusted his voice.

      “There has been a, ah, minor problem and a need to change the delivery destination. My b-boss is willing to double your fee for your trouble.”

      “What kind of minor problem?” Nick scowled.

      Jonas opened and closed his mouth, but nothing came out. His eye twitched. It was obvious to Nick he would rather be anywhere but talking to him. Jonas took a deep breath before he plunged on, words tumbling over each other in his haste to deliver the message. “Our primary competitor suspects we have found something but doesn’t know what we’ve discovered or where we found it. It is imperative we get this sample analyzed and our claim recorded before anyone else finds out what we have.”

      Jonas took a shaky breath and wiped sweat from his upper lip. He visibly wilted in his chair as Nick stared at him. “Mr. Hargrave wants this sample delivered to Dendera Labs on Kaydet within a standard-moon cycle.” He pushed a small pouch across the table toward Nick.

      Nick kept his eyes on Jonas rather than on the bag as he settled back in his seat to consider the offer. His company specialized in security, particularly escorting valuable or dangerous space cargo. Whatever the pouch contained must be valuable if Geotern Mining’s owner, Axyl Hargrave, wanted it delivered to one of Dendera’s most remote labs. Obviously keeping their discovery secret was of primary concern.

      This job represented his ticket to expand the business, move it from the fringes to a more lucrative prominence. Kaydet was a small, insignificant planet on the outer rim of the system and about as far from Lodestone as anyone could get. He would need to push hard to meet the deadline, СКАЧАТЬ