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you, Samantha.” Quinn looked disturbed.

She wanted to hit him.

“Shut up, Quinn,” Johanna snapped. “The shuttle is ready to dock.” Johanna stood up.

“Are you coming with me, Samantha?” Samantha nodded her head and stood up. She followed

Johanna down to the docking bay. They stayed clear until it was pressurized again.

“I just can’t get over how easy it was to get the Alo.” Samantha looked at Johanna.

Johanna bit her lip.

“I was thinking the same thing. I think that maybe Charlotte knew this would

happen…so she had Sterling as insurance. Almost as if she had everything arranged just so.

Samantha, I don’t like this. You know how volatile she has been for the last five months.”

“I know. Ever since she returned from Estara she’s been a different woman. I just can’t

believe she got a boyfriend for insurance. I felt quite sure when she was fooling around with him

in Hawaii that she was doing it just as a lark…I mean she can’t very well get seriously involved

with anyone while she’s pursuing a life as a certified psychic.” Samantha shook her head.

“She’ll do anything to achieve her set goals won’t she?”

“Well…in my experience, Charlotte has always worked in mysterious ways. Sometimes,

she doesn’t know for certain that things will come to pass, but she has an inkling if you get my

drift.”

“I get your drift,” Samantha groaned. “This isn’t going to be any fun at all.”

“Besides, Sterling and Charlotte were never a serious item. He just wanted her because

she’s a novelty. A pretty thing on his arm. And she wanted him because he’s a dipstick.

Besides,” Johanna continued, “Sterling would never seek to look for the sort of commitment that

Charlotte is prevented from giving while she’s with her sect.”

“Dipstick is right! He’s pretty bloody thick.”

“It’s true. I don’t think Charlotte will be getting cozy with Sterling anytime soon

anyway. She more or less exposed his addiction to everyone on his yacht. Even with his simple

mind, he had to have been mortified.”

“When you think about it…it’s kind of amusing,” Samantha chuckled.

“Yes…she had a Samantha moment,” Johanna laughed. Samantha stopped laughing and

gave Johanna a dirty look.

“That wasn’t nice.”

“I couldn’t resist.”

The shuttle pod opened its door and standing on the threshold was Charlotte. She smiled

at the both of them. Picking up the two pieces of luggage at her side, she nodded to the pilot.

“See you later, Mo. Have fun at the races.”

“I sure will. I’ve already laid my bet. Oh, by the way, Charlotte, watch out for open

airlocks. I wouldn’t want you to slip and fall out one.”

“My sentiments exactly you little drug dope.”

“Fuck you, Charlotte, no one messes with Sterling and gets away alive.

“Now is that any way to say farewell to me?” Charlotte murmured, giving him the finger.

“Let’s get to the bridge. Mo is about to get antsy. Trust me, we don’t want to be here

when he gets antsy.” Charlotte shooed them toward the gangplank.

MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 56

“Hello to you too.” Samantha hurried up the plank. Within minutes they were back on

the bridge.

“Here’s the Alo.” Charlotte reached into her purse and handed it to Johanna.

“I’m getting down to Med Bay on the double.” Johanna ran to the medical room.

Samantha sighed.

“Oh…hell, I’m going with her. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s good to know that

Veronica will pull through.” Samantha fell into step beside Charlotte. The swish of Charlotte’s

long dress caught Samantha’s attention.

“That dress must have cost a pretty penny.”

“I wouldn’t know. Sterling bought it for me.”

“Oh,” Samantha muttered in reply. They entered the sickbay and found Johanna already

administering the Alo. Ross looked haggard. He hadn’t gotten much sleep since Veronica had

been drugged. “How long will it take to work?” Samantha asked, looking anxiously between

Ross and Veronica.

“The effects should be almost instantaneous.” Johanna patted Ross on the shoulder. “It

will be okay soon, Ross. Veronica will be up and running before you can count to ten.”

“Really?” Ross looked excited. Samantha looked to see if all the breakables were out of

Ross’s distance.

“No…well, that is to say she’ll be feeling better, but she certainly won’t be doing

cartwheels,” Johanna clarified.

“But one day, she will.” Charlotte smiled.

“I can’t ever repay you for bringing this to Betsy. You are our lifesaver.”

“I’m glad I could help, Ross. Veronica and you are like Sam and Johanna’s family

now…we don’t bail out on family.” At this remark, Charlotte gave Samantha a pointed look.

“Like family, my ass,” Samantha muttered.

Samantha let out a grunt when Charlotte elbowed her in the ribs.

“Cut that out, you two.” Johanna gave them a chastising look.

“Yes, mommy,” Samantha quipped.

They all shut up when Veronica began to mumble incoherent words.

“Tiger…big…teeth…jaw…lunch. Crazy…assed…broad…cage…dagger. GO BOOM!”

Samantha nearly jumped. She didn’t know Veronica could hit that high note. Ross rubbed

Veronica’s arm.

“It’s okay, Betsy. You’re safe.” Veronica’s eyes flew open. She looked panicked until

her eyes focused on Ross.

“Ross…honey.” She glowed with love.

Samantha stepped forward, and Charlotte did too. Veronica’s eyes fell on them. “Whoa.

Johanna, Johanna! There is something wrong with my eyes! I have been poisoned, I tell you!”

“Veronica, calm down. It’s okay. There’s nothing to get upset about.”

“I feel awful…and I’m seeing double! Two Samantha’s what a waking nightmare!”

Ross seemed to find this latest statement of Veronica’s rather amusing for he actually let

out a bellowing chuckle.

“Oh, Betsy.” He wiped tears from his eyes. “You aren’t seeing double. It’s only

Samantha and her identical twin sister. You remember Charlotte.”

“Oh…yeah. Just what we need…double the trouble.”

“And the fun,” Samantha quipped.

“Johanna?” Veronica asked.

MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 57

“Yes, Veronica?” Johanna moved to the side of the bed.

“Do you have anything for a headache?”

“Yes, why? Do you think you are having a reaction to the Alo?”

“No…I’m having a reaction to seeing them, side by side. It’s enough to give a gal a heart

attack, not to mention a headache. I thought we left that headache back on Earth. Funny how

these kind of things follow you.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Johanna smirked. Just then, the intercom buzzed to life.

“How’s Veronica?” Tyler asked.

“She’s fine…she’s on the road to recovery.”

“Good to know. Charlotte saved the day again,” Tyler murmured. The com signal stayed

active.

“Was there something else you wanted, Tyler?” Johanna asked.

“Well, that’s a loaded question. Actually, we have a bit of a situation up here.”

“Oh, crap.” Charlotte groaned. “I was afraid this would happen. I was just hoping that

Sterling would be a bigger man.”

“What’s going on?” Samantha exchanged a glance with Charlotte even as she began

running from the room. She didn’t like the tone of Tyler’s voice.

“That little shit, Sterling…tagged us.”

“Oh…what else is new?” Samantha’s day just careened from bad to worse.

MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 58

Chapter Ten

“Any idea what kind of a bomb he attached to our hull?” Samantha asked, emerging on

deck.

“No.” Tyler shrugged his shoulders. “Dylan has Lucy running the necessary scans as we

speak.”

“I should have seen this coming.” Charlotte looked stricken with guilt.

“Don’t worry, Charlotte. The
Excalibur
isn’t going to go boom on my watch.” Samantha

walked toward the lockers that housed all of their supplies. “I guess I’ll just have to suit up and

go outside.”

“Are you nuts?” Devlin asked. “You can’t do that!”

“Devlin’s right.” Tyler looked like he’d just chewed on broken glass. “The device might

be emitting some toxic energy…that even your suit won’t shield against. You never know with

these new fangled bombs.”

“Indeed.” Devlin nodded his head in agreement. Samantha felt like she’d crossed over

into another reality. She couldn’t believe that Tyler and Devlin were actually finding common

ground. Right now with the way she was inclined to feel toward Tyler she wished Devlin hadn’t

found common ground with him—still, she wouldn’t let anyone else know that. Not even

Charlotte, for the first time in years, she was shielding her mind from Charlotte’s probes and

man, was she trying to be nosy!

“Well…will wonders never cease,” she muttered beneath her breath. “I might have no

other choice.”

“Yes, you do.” Charlotte looked serene. She had curled her legs up underneath her in

Samantha’s Captain chair. Samantha wandered over to her.

“Oh, sure make yourself at home. What is mine is yours and all that crap.”

“I know,” Charlotte said.

Samantha narrowed her eyes at her. She didn’t like the look in Charlotte’s eyes, she

didn’t like the way Charlotte sat in her chair and she didn’t like the way she’d popped out of

nowhere to ‘help’ them out. It just didn’t sit well on her stomach.

“Okay, sister mine…spit it out.”

“I could remove the device. Really, Samantha, even you could remove that device if you

put your mind into it, but then, you don’t exactly like exercising your mind much, do you?”

“How can the two of you be twins when this one here seems to revel in goading you,

Samantha?” Devlin looked distastefully at Charlotte and then settled his eyes on Samantha.

Charlotte’s words stung to the quick. “No.” Samantha folded her arms across her chest.

“Out of the question, we’ll have to find another solution.”

“What other solution is there? We’re light years away from an Earth Space Military

Outpost. You know that only their demolition experts could help us, now. Our goose is cooked

unless you let me help.” Samantha wanted to have a war of wills with Charlotte, but whenever

they did it always came down to a draw. Sometimes, Charlotte could be as stubborn as

Samantha. That had never made their mother’s life easy. Double the trouble, indeed.

“You can’t take the strain. Besides, it just might be a fake bomb.” Samantha walked over

MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 59

toward Tyler and stood next to him. Before she could react, Devlin approached her on her right

side.

“I can so. I’ve undergone many changes within the last few years, Samantha. You need

to trust me. If I don’t do this, we will be facing a pretty grim fate.”

“She’s got you over the barrel,” Tyler muttered. Samantha frowned down at him.

“It’s nice to know I’ve got you to be my voice of bloody reason, Tyler, dear.”

“Anytime.” Tyler winked at her.

“I’ll be going into a meditative trance. If all goes well…and it should…I’ll have that

nasty assed bomb detached from our hull in a matter of minutes.”

“I don’t think I like your twin sister....” Devlin frowned.

Samantha snorted, “Well, I don’t really like you, but let’s not get into that barrel of

apples, right now. Do you think we could drop him off at the nearest flea market? I hear they

have some pretty stunning ones over on New Taiwan.” Despite her words to the contrary, she

wanted to throw herself at Devlin more than ever. He was really warming her heart toward him.

Tyler shook his head. “You got us into this mess with Devlin, Samantha. Now you have

to take your medicine.”

“Some husband you are,” she grumbled.

“Well,” Devlin drawled, “You could always rectify that matter, Samantha. Maybe you

need to start embracing your true destiny.” He gave her a pointed look that set her heart racing.

“I don’t like it when Charlotte wants to try something so risky—what if her plan

backfires in our faces?” Samantha chewed on her lower lip.

“I think Charlotte can handle herself. She trusts you to take care of business. You need

to start reciprocating,” Tyler said sternly.

“I can’t help myself. Charlotte needs to be protected from her own ego.”

“And what makes you think that? Tell me, have you ever stuck around long enough to

see how she can handle herself under the line of fire?”

“No. I’ve never really seen her do the things that fancy school taught her to do.”

“Why didn’t you graduate from that fancy school?” Tyler asked.

“I thought we agreed not to discuss that part of my life....” She gave him a stone cold

look. He was undeterred.

“Well, now’s as good a time as any.”

She gritted her teeth together. “I don’t like dredging up the ghosts of the past. After my

father’s death I lost my interest in anything that the world of Charlotte’s could offer me. I had

my feet planted firmly on the ground. I didn’t need to have my head in the clouds like so many

of her friends did. I had to fight for justice.” She knew that Tyler never really could understand

her decision to turn her back on everything that she’d been training for in the months before her

father’s murder. But she had made the right decision. She knew that without any qualms of