Star Road Read Online Free PDF Page A

conversation.
     
    “Not an option, Humphries. I’m going. I just hate surprises.”
     
    And now she saw Humphries glance at the man standing next to him.
     
    She knew another surprise was coming.
     
    Annie stood there, not saying another word.
     
    Let Humphries bring it up.
     
    “Okay. You leave in less than an hour. One more thing, though. This is Bill Nahara.”
     
    Annie still said nothing. She had a feeling she wouldn’t like where this was going.
     
    “He arrived on the shuttle just now. He’s going with you.”
     
    “Why?”
     
    “World Council orders, I’m afraid.”
     
    “For what goddamned purpose?”
     
    “You gotta stop at the mining station.”
     
    “Oh. It gets even better, doesn’t it?”
     
    “Nahara will carry out an investigation there. Nothing big. Just taking a look. Then you’re on your way.”
     
    Annie turned away and walked to the office’s wall-sized window that overlooked the terminal. She looked out, staring blankly at the ant-sized people moving around below.
     
    “Guess I have no say in this after all, huh?”
     
    “Not if you want to leave.”
     
    “Council orders,” Nahara said. She didn’t like the sound of his voice. Too nasally.
     
    “You can still say no.”
     
    “But then your clearance will be revoked,” Nahara said.
     
    “Just following orders, Annie,” Humphries added, as if that would help.
     
    She stepped closer to the window. The loading was almost done on the SRV. The passengers lingered outside or were in the bar, ready and waiting to board, and then: she noticed something.
     
    First, just one of the passengers milling about.
     
    His movements jerky, odd.
     
    Never good to have anyone fidgety on board. Even at their best, Road trips were never a smooth ride.
     
    Then she looked over at two security guards at the checkpoint where passengers entered the security area once they’d been through the security scan. Both of them had pulse guns slung over their shoulders.
     
    She didn’t recognize either of the guards.
     
    “Hang on. Who are those”—she put a finger up to the glass—”those newbies?”
     
    “Probably just rotated in. Your point?”
     
    She looked closer at the man below. Now he was circling the passenger area, and her instincts kicked in.
     
    Something’s not right with that guy.
     
    And the two newbies aren’t paying attention. They might have something to do with it.
     
    She turned for the door.
     
    “Nahara goes!” Humphries called out as she ran past.
     
    She didn’t stop, but said over her shoulder, “We leave in thirty minutes. Be the hell on board, or we go without you.”
     
    ~ * ~
     
    Ignoring the elevator—she couldn’t wait that long—she took the staircase down, hitting the steps two at a time.
     
    On the ground floor, she pushed the emergency door open and raced to the enclosed area where the passengers were waiting.
     
    The two newbies gave Annie a look, scanning her ID tag.
     
    How the hell old are they? she thought. Eighteen ... nineteen? Kids...
     
    Annie slowed her pace when she got close to the other passengers, a few at the bar, most sitting at tables or milling around, guarding their luggage.
     
    Going to get to know each other real well soon enough, she thought.
     
    But first she was going to get to know the man in the long coat with the twitchy eyes.
     
    As she got close, she could almost smell the guy’s anxiety.
     
    Maybe, she thought, a Road trip isn’t in the cards for you.
     
    She moved to a position so that when the man turned to resume his shuffling steps, he’d be facing her.
     
    And when he did ...
     
    “Sir,” she said, extending a hand as if to block him. “Hold it right there.”
     
    The man looked directly at her.
     
    She fired a quick glance at the two young guards who—so far—had taken no notice.
     
    “Are you booked for my SRV, sir?”
     
    The man’s eyes went wide. Bug-eyed.
     
    And the guards just let him sail in?
     
    I don’t