Page 11 of Stolen Fire (N.O.A.H (Nostradamus Outerspace Advancement of Humanity) #2)

“Captain?”

Varik roused from half-slumber to sit straighter in his captain’s chair in the center of the bridge. “What is it?”

“I found The Treasure . Or at least I found their docking request.” Karnek grinned, his teeth more off-putting than usual. “They’re stopping at Cassan with a delivery.”

“When?” Maybe he could reach the space station before that lumbering behemoth Cyra stole from him. “We have to be there first.”

Karnek’s smile faded. “We’re tracking to get there a cycle later.”

“Fix it.”

“But I’m a communications exp?—”

Varik stood. “And I’m an engineer. But I’m also the captain.”

“Yes, Captain. I’ll get the computer to run some scenarios.”

“Anything else?”

“No.” Karnek pounded away on the keys, his head hanging.

“You said they were making a delivery?” Varik tried for a more approving tone. Despite what he’d told Karnek earlier, it was tough finding good help.

Karnek slid a few screens off-view and brought up a manifest. One he shouldn’t be able to see. Maybe the communications expert had some value after all. “Small load from Kolben. Six crew. One passenger. One service animal.”

Service animal? “Wait, passenger?”

“Yes, sir. No name, but definitely says passenger. That ship is rated for universal transport. Few mods, and it could be a pleasure cruiser.” Karnek waggled his thick brows.

Varik clenched his jaw. Could have been his pleasure cruiser. But the passenger. And six crew members. “Can you pull up their manifest from when they left Cassan?”

Karnek leaned forward, fingers flying.

“Four crew, one humanoid transport.”

Varik paced across the short distance of the bridge and back. Cyra, the filthy whore. Veda, the bowl of pudding. Doc had retired. Blaize, the traitorous cunt. The pink-eyed freak. And a contracted delivery to Kolben. Humanoid.

Jarn had to be on The Treasure . There was no other explanation. He was alive. Varik’s chest ballooned. His steps lightened. He hadn’t killed his lover. Again.

“Alright, what’s the computer found? How fast can we get to Cassan? I don’t care how much fuel we burn. Any scenario.”

Karnek sat straighter and clicked away. “Three possible options.”

“Bring them fullscreen.”

The viewscreen that showed the stars and vast blackness of space shifted to an opaque white display before three maps were displayed, tiled next to each other. Varik closed in on the screen, examining each option. He stepped back to see all three at once.

“Fuel variance ten percent,” he called out.

A red overlay appeared on the second image. “That one. Program that route.”

“Another ER bridge?” Karnek grimaced. “But?—”

Varik glared at him, letting the man’s death fill his eyes.

“Yes, Captain.”

Varik left the bridge and locked himself in his quarters. Jarn. His lover was alive and would be in his arms, underneath him. The hum of the engines firing vibrated through the soles of his boots. If Cyra had managed to get Jarn off Kolben, he might let her live.

Soon. His love would be back in his arms soon.