Beyond Galaxy's Edge (7 page)

Nissa stilled. Had she guessed why they were there?

“We’ll keep looking around.” Justyn tugged Nissa closer. “I’ll see if I can talk my girl here into something a little sexy.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Nissa wanted to smack him.

Lady Curiosity tapped a long
red fingernail against her lips. “I don’t think you’ll want the pearls for her. She needs wooing.”

Wooing? What the hell? “No, really that’s okay—”

The woman spun. “Come, follow me.”

Justyn shrugged and reluctantly they followed the swish of Lady Curiosity’s skirts.

“Here.” The woman waved an arm above a small, circular table cluttered with tiny vials and bottles. “Take a look at my sensual
oils. Find a scent that appeals.” She eyed Nissa again.

Nissa had the uncomfortable feeling the woman’s eyes—mechanical or not—could see straight through her.

“I think this one—” her long-nailed hands plucked out a tiny bottle made of amber glass that had a long, slender neck. “My own special blend of senawood and geisha blossom.” With a final nod, she walked away, headed for the next group
of shoppers.

When Justyn picked up the bottle, Nissa gripped his arm. “What are you doing?”

“I just want to smell it.”

She scowled at him and turned to scan the tent, looking for any sign of Solomon.

“Huh, the woman was spot-on. This reminds me of you.” He sniffed the tiny bottle again. “Strong, sensual, with a hint of vulnerability underneath.”

Nissa stared at him for a moment, a fluttering
in her throat. “Can you please get your mind back on the mission?”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” He put the stopper back on the bottle.

Nissa turned away again. Her gaze skated over Lady Curiosity and the group of young men clustered around her, peppering her with questions. A movement in the shadows at the back of the tent caught her attention.

She couldn’t see who was hiding back there, but it
was definitely a man. Tall and lean, wearing an outfit similar to Justyn’s but with an outlandish red waistcoat. He shifted, like he was waiting impatiently for something…or someone.

As the man moved, Nissa caught the glint of gold hair in the light from a nearby gas lamp. The description matched Solomon, but she wasn’t quite sure.

Until he turned a little and she saw the cylindrical titanium
document holder slung over his shoulder.

Excitement gripped her. “Justyn, at the back, in the shadows.”

Justyn casually turned and while pretending to pluck something from her hair, he looked in the direction.

A grin broke out on his face, but this time there was nothing casual or charming about it. It was sharp and predatory. “Solomon.”

Justyn sauntered toward Solomon, his arm linked with Nissa’s. Just a couple out for a stroll through the market.

They neared the young treasure hunter and Justyn felt the flex of muscles in Nissa’s arm.

Three meters from their prey, Solomon’s head snapped up.

The treasure hunter’s height and muscular build had made Justyn forget that Solomon was young. But seeing the clean
lines of the man’s handsome face made him remember that Solomon was only twenty-three years old. He’d entered the treasure hunting scene three years back and was steadily making a name for himself. He went after the most valuable, well-known treasures, and took on the most dangerous hunts.

Another young man out to prove himself to the galaxy. No doubt his rich daddy didn’t love him enough. Or
he was locked in a basement with his brothers as a child and beaten.

But Solomon had dark-green eyes that didn’t just look old, they looked ancient.

And instincts honed very fine. He took one look at them, turned, leaped over a table with impressive athleticism, and ran.

“Fuck.” Justyn lunged forward. Heard Nissa’s muttered curses behind him.

Solomon sprinted through the tent. He crashed
through a small crowd of female shoppers, leaving them in a perfumed heap of upended skirts and high-pitched screams.

Justyn dodged around them. Then swore.

Solomon slowed long enough to grab the edge of a large bookcase packed with heavy leather-bound books and tip it over.

It crashed to the ground, blocking Justyn’s path. Books tumbled everywhere and he caught a quick glimpse of hand-painted
covers featuring lovers in various embraces.

On the other side the bookcase, Solomon shot him a feral grin before he was off and running again.

Nissa raced up beside Justyn and in a fluid move that had the air catching in Justyn’s throat, vaulted the bookcase.

Shit.
Justyn clambered over the top and followed her.

Nissa was damned fast and was gaining on Solomon. Tables, trinkets and sex
toys were sent crashing. Justyn didn’t want to run into Lady Curiosity at the end of this.

He saw Nissa’s muscles bunch and she dived. She caught Solomon around the knees and they both went crashing to the ground.

“GSS.” Nissa’s voice was breathless but held a ring of command. “You’re under arrest and I want the damn document.”

Solomon tried to buck her off, but Nissa was well trained and
she managed to get on top of the treasure hunter, straddling his hips.

Something hot and nasty flared at the sight of them, but Justyn swallowed the unfamiliar emotion down. As he reached them, he saw Solomon raise his arm. He clutched some sort of sculpture carved from a dark rock in his hand. He hesitated for a second…

Justyn realized what the jerk was about to do. “Nissa, watch out—”

The man slammed her in the side of her head.

Nissa tumbled to the floor. Solomon sprang to his feet, hitching the document holder securely over his shoulder. Then he pulled out a wicked-looking electro-knife. Blue electricity crackled along its blade.

“Stay back.”

Justyn breathed through his nose, fighting the urge to deck the man. Ignoring Solomon, he knelt beside Nissa. Blood flowed down
her temple and right cheek. “You okay?”

With a wince, she nodded and looked at Solomon. “No!”

The treasure hunter had just cut a long slit in the side of the tent and was climbing out.

“Go!” Nissa urged. “Catch him. I’ll follow in a second.”

Justyn helped her up. She was unsteady on her feet but her eyes were clear and focused.

“Go. That’s an order, Phoenix.”

Damn, she was sexy when
she was tossing orders. He spun and dove through the opening.

He barreled through the market. Ahead, he glimpsed Solomon’s red waistcoat. Justyn jumped, and dodged, bumped into unsuspecting shoppers, but he was gaining on the treasure hunter.

As he sprinted down one aisle of shops, he caught sight of a pair of Mackon’s guards in the distance. They spotted the commotion of the chase and with
a few shouts, started in Justyn’s direction.

Great
. He hurried on, racing around a corner and into another aisle. He paused, searching the crowd.
There
. A flash of red ahead.

This area was cleared of tents. Instead, there were stacks of crates and boxes, piled high. It looked like some sort of market storage area. Solomon slowed to a walk, reaching the edge of the platform. He leaned over
the black railing and glanced down.

Justyn slowed as well, his heart still pounding. “It’s a very long drop. Not much chance you’d survive the fall, but if you did, the native sharks, genetically-engineered kraken or Mackon’s mechanical giant squid would get a tasty little snack.” Justyn gestured with his fingers. “Hand it over.”

Solomon raised a brow. “Why the hell would I want to do that?”
He jiggled the holder. “This is going to make me the most famous treasure hunter in the galaxy.”

Justyn snorted. “I think that title is taken. And I have the unfortunate duty of being related to Dathan. He won’t want to give it up.”

Solomon’s face remained impassive. “You’re a Phoenix?”

“Justyn Phoenix.”

“The smuggler?”

“Ah, my reputation precedes me. Well, I’d be happy for you to take
the title of most infamous smuggler on the edge.” He thought of Nissa. “It causes me a lot of hassle.”

“You’re going to take this and sell it the highest bidder,” Solomon said.

“Nope. The woman you clobbered back there—” he thrust a thumb over his shoulder “—she really is GSS. She needs to return it to the Institute.”

Something flashed in the other man’s eyes. “Is she okay?”

Justyn didn’t
want to see the man’s regret or concern. He wanted to take a swing at him. “Probably got a nasty headache, which won’t improve her temperament. She won’t be gentle about throwing you in the brig.”

Solomon’s lips twitched. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” And he’d probably have the dubious pleasure of having her do it again sometime. Then he frowned. Except
after this, she’d get that cushy posting back in the central systems and he’d never see her again.

“Why are you helping her? And the GSS? You’re a criminal.”

Justyn straightened. “That’s a fine accusation coming from you. Look, give the document over to me.”

Solomon’s face hardened. “Not today.” In a quick, agile move, he leaped over the railing and off the side of the platform.

No, goddamnit
. Heart pounding, Justyn raced to the railing.

He saw the treasure hunter’s big body falling. The ocean wasn’t visible below, obscured by clouds.

Justyn slammed a hand against the railing. Solomon and the Constitution were lost.

Then Solomon grabbed something off his belt and aimed upward at the main city platform.

A grappling hook flew through the air, trailing a metal cable. It hit the
base of the platform with a
thwack
. A second later, Solomon was swinging through the air and whizzing upward as the line retracted.

“Cheeky upstart!” Justyn took off again, heading to the ramp.

“Phoenix?” Nissa was running toward him.

“Back to the city platform,” he yelled. “Solomon dove off but made it safely across.”

“We have another problem.”

He heard the shouts behind her. A whole
gang of Mackon’s guards were in pursuit.

“You’re popular,” he said.

She didn’t even slow down as she passed him. “It’s my winning personality.”

With a chuckle, he sprinted behind her. And damn, he had a fine view. That synth-leather looked like black liquid licorice coating her butt and legs. He’d loved licorice as a boy, and let himself imagine eating the treat off Nissa’s golden skin.

They made it to the ramp leading to the city.

A bolt whistled past his head and slammed into the ramp’s railing.

“Fuck me.” His little fantasy dissolved in a puff of reality. A quick glance showed most of the guards still giving chase, and two lined up on the edge of the market platform holding crossbows.

Another bolt headed in their direction. Aimed for Nissa’s back.

Justyn dived, taking
her down near the end of the ramp. They rolled in a tangle and spilled onto the city platform.

“What the hell?” she yelled.

The bolt whizzed overhead and hit the ground.

Her eyes widened. “Right. Let’s keep moving.”

They helped each other up. “That way.” Justyn pointed. “He’d have come up near the airship docks.”

They ran through the streets. Most people barely gave them any attention,
so used they were to seeing pickpockets racing around the crowds. Keeping the tethered airships hovering above in their line of sight, they ran in a wild twist through the back alleys, trying to lose their pursuers.

They burst out of a narrow alley, right at the entrance of the docks.

“There!” Nissa pointed.

Solomon was sprinting down one of the finger wharves, the sunlight glinting off
the document holder bouncing on his shoulder.

As they gained on treasure hunter, Justyn noted the airship at the end of the wharf with a scarlet-red balloon.

The guy clearly didn’t believe in subtle. He wanted to be noticed.

Nissa yanked her disguised laser pistol from her hip. “Solomon! Stop or I will shoot you.”

The treasure hunter spun. Eyed her pistol and Justyn’s double-barreled weapons.
He had both his pistols aimed at the younger man’s head.

Solomon raised his hands. Then he looked past them. “Looks like Mackon isn’t going to just let you walk out of here.”

Justyn saw the guards coming.
Damn
.

But Nissa’s calm face didn’t show a flicker of worry. “Hand me the document.”

Solomon swung it off his shoulder. Hesitated.

Nissa stepped forward and shoved the barrel of the
weapon in the center of his chest. She held up her hand.

With a deep sigh, Solomon handed it over.

Nissa swung it over her shoulder. “You’re under arrest.”

“You have no jurisdiction here.”

“Maybe not. But once we cross the galactic border, I will.”

“How we going to get out of here?” Justyn asked. The guards were getting closer.

“I have a plan.” She nodded to the ship. “Onto Solomon’s
airship.”

They boarded the cargo cage sitting on the wharf. A quick tug on the chains and the cage lifted off the ground with a rattle.

“Anyone going to fight to help you up there?” Justyn asked.

“It isn’t my ship or crew. I just paid for passage to New Venice.”

Another floating city not far away.

“Then I don’t need to shoot anybody,” Justyn said.

On deck, they stepped out of the cage.
The crew had a hardened look, and most of them had mechanical enhancements of some type. They gave Justyn and Nissa’s weapons a brief glance before going back to their work.

A short, barrel-chested man with hair the color of a sunset leaped down from the rigging above. “I was only paid passage for one. I’ll need more coin to take all three of ya to New Venice.”

“We aren’t staying,” Nissa said.

The captain shrugged. “Suit yourself. We set sail in an hour. Be off me ship before then.”

“You going to share your plan to get out of here?” Justyn asked.

Nissa glanced at the bulky timepiece on her wrist. “Not yet.”

“And we’re going to escape the guards who’ll be here in a few minutes, right?”