Children of Junk (Rogue Star Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

brick buildings three stories tall with shops or restaurants on the bottom and apartments above. It was still mid-afternoon, so he doubted anyone would bother his ride, but he also didn’t want to walk back to the air strip, so why take chances? Leaving his bike Marcus climbed a short flight of stairs to a set of closed double doors. A sign said open at eight. He sighed, not wanting to wait until eight.
    A wrap on the door brought a bald, beetle-browed near human with enough muscle to wrestle a Gort. The man scowled at him. “Can’t you read? We’re closed. Come back at eight.” He slammed the door in Marcus’s face.
    He knocked again. When the ugly man opened the door Marcus said, “I’m here to see Madam Margret.”
    “What makes you think the boss wants to see you?”
    “Just tell her the Silver Fox sent me. She’ll understand.”
    The unfortunate bouncer’s brow crinkled even more, probably debating whether to toss Marcus to the curb or go ask his boss. “Wait here.” The door slammed again.
    Marcus sighed, relieved the bouncer asked first. Now he just had to hope Vlad’s introduction would get him through the door.

4
    S olomon couldn’t see a thing in the back of the dark van and it stank of sweat and oil. Beside him Emily shifted, trying to get comfortable on the bare metal floor. Solomon leaned against her so she’d know he was still there, that she wasn’t alone. She leaned back and he sighed. A little ways away the kidnappers’ armor creaked when they shifted position. How could they see anything in the back of the van? Then he remembered their goggles, they must have a thermal mode. He considered and rejected trying to talk to them. These people didn’t seem big on conversation and he wasn’t charming enough to talk his way out anything.
    Solomon took deep breaths and tried not to panic. He’d gotten kidnapped before so he had experience at this sort of thing. What had he done last time? Right, he got beat up then Marcus rescued him. That wasn’t especially helpful. He assumed by now someone had told Marcus they’d kidnapped him, which meant his friend would be looking for him. Solomon let out a second, slow sigh. Marcus would find him, and when he did these people would be sorry.
    His revenge fantasies came to an abrupt halt at the same time the van did. A moment later the rear doors opened and light blinded him. Rough hands grabbed his ankles and dragged him out. He landed with a grunt in the dirt. “Get up!” A hand grabbed his collar and yanked him to his feet. A little squeak indicated Emily got the same treatment. He stifled the urge to fight them, it would accomplish nothing beyond getting him slapped around or worse.
    One of the kidnappers shoved him and he stumbled forward, blinking, try to clear the spots out of his vision. They pushed him towards a trailer. He blinked again. It was a fifty foot long freight hauler hovering by the side of the road. The kidnappers must be worried about someone spotting their van. Probably the hotel had surveillance cameras. They must not have a hacker working for them capable of shutting the system down. Solomon almost stopped in his tracks. Maybe that’s why the kidnappers grabbed them; they needed a hacker for some job they had planned.
    One of the masked men poked him in the back with his blaster barrel. “Move.”
    At the back of the trailer the double doors stood open and a short step ladder waited to help them up into the back. Inside Solomon counted four pallets piled just short of the ceiling. The lead kidnapper gestured towards the stepladder with his blaster and Solomon needed no further instruction. He climbed up the ladder and got in the trailer without killing himself despite have his hands cuffed behind his back. From somewhere deeper in the trailer came a cool breath of air. They must have installed a cooling system to keep them from overheating in the trailer.
    Emily came up next then four of the masked men. Two of the kidnappers