Living in Freefall (Living on the Run Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

it refused to re-engage. It was then that Jordon saw
and realized what had happened. Startled, he sat up. Mara pushed him back down
with one hand, and grabbed the bedspread with the other to hide his face.
    One enforcer glanced back toward them, and looked at Jordon
before focusing on her. Disconcerted and suspicious, his brows pinched
together. “Woman, what are you doing?”
    Mara looked down. Jordon was once again an old man. She lowered
the blanket and patted his hand. “There you go, Daddy. Better?”
    Jordon nodded as he pulled the blanket up around his chin
and shivered.
    The inspector turned away to once more study the
certificate.
    Though his projector was dark, without it Jordon’s disguise
had somehow returned. Then Mara remembered the ship. At the mobile holo-projector’s
failure, Freefall had jumped into action. Remembering the script and her
role in it, Mara took a breath and left Jordon’s side to stand beside the
officers. Still trembling, she offered the men a feeble smile, and spoke softly
as if to keep her father from hearing. “About a year ago pirates took all we
had. This certificate was the only thing Daddy could hide well enough to keep.
The scum took all his metals, war mementoes, and certificates of valor, ‘cept
this’n of course. They had no real value ‘cept to me and Daddy. Pirates is just
mean that way.”
    The enforcer read it carefully, and then reverently returned
it to the wall. Turning, he patted her shoulder reassuringly then went back with
his partner to stand beside Jordon’s bed. “This man is Justice Ashton.” he
said, his words filled with respect.
    “I saw that,” said the other. “Iron-Justice himself, right?
Impressive.”
    Without tearing his eyes from the old man, the first shot a
thumb over his shoulder. “That certificate honoring his victory at Odeedum is
quite the keepsake. That battle, this man’s strategy to win it was definitely
one for the books.” He leaned close to the old curmudgeon. “You have been my
hero since I read of your exploits at the academy. The story of Odeedum took my
breath away. It would be a great honor to shake your hand, sir.” He leaned over
the old man and took his hand.
    The old man’s grasp was feeble. Through his struggling to
breathe and wheezing, he tried to speak clearly.
    “I don’t shake a good man’s hand lying down— gasp —I
needs to sit up, son.”
    With great effort he threw off the blanket and tried to
rise, and as he leaned to pull himself out of bed, without warning he coughed
straight and hard into the enforcer’s face—then fell back in bed exhausted, and
gasping for air.
    The enforcer straightened and wiped the expectorant from his
face in disgust then turned away to leave. His partner followed close behind.
The old woman went with them to the bay and, once there, the enforcer, with a concerned
smile, assured her their inspection was over. He wished her luck with their
continued journey. Replacing his helmet and pack, he, with his partner, jetted
back outside the ship.
    The two enforcers waited and watched as the old woman closed
the cargo bay door. Freefall moved away—the bright cherry red heat of
the Ion converters could be seen well after the ship disappeared from sight.
    “See that?” said one enforcers to the other. “Still using
Ion converters. Blast if that ship ain’t old. I say, when we come across
another ship that ancient, from here on out, let’s just say we inspected it and
give it a pass.”
    “I hear ya,” said the other. “I left that old freighter
feeling pretty dirty. I don’t think a week of baths will get me clean.”
    “The maintenance crew will have to sanitize my cockpit
thoroughly if I’m ever to fly that Talon again.”
    “Mine too.”
    “I’ll have to burn this suit.”
    “I’d rather float in space forever than have to put my tail
in another old ship like that one.”
    “I just hope I didn’t see my future. That guy was a great
Confederate war hero, but just