"Jane Lindskold - Endpoint Insurance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

of the stars.тАЭ
тАЬWell,тАЭ I said, feeling pretty satisfied with myself, тАЬweтАЩve found them. What next?тАЭ
тАЬThe pirates wonтАЩt have unloaded whatever goods they smuggled in,тАЭ Spike said
promptly, тАЬnot until their rendezvous with the Absolute is completed. Therefore,
thereтАЩs certainly something incriminating in the hold of the factory ship. When we get
there, IтАЩll go take a look.тАЭ
I stared at him, unable for a moment even to speak.
тАЬYouтАЩre not planning on going aboard alone?тАЭ I finally managed. тАЬTwenty trained
spacers-twenty marines!- would consider that foolhardy. You donтАЩt know how many
pirates are aboard, but I doubt that the Absolute is traveling without a bodyguard.тАЭ
тАЬTwenty marines,тАЭ Spike mused aloud, his expression wry and mocking. тАЬWould
twenty-one be enough, then?тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt be an idiot!тАЭ I shouted, then I went on more calmly. тАЬJust how do you plan
to get aboard, anyhow? I doubt they have time for traveling insurance salesmen right
now.тАЭ
тАЬThose ships donтАЩt have just one entrance,тАЭ Spike said, valiantly ignoring my
sarcasm. тАЬI plan to enter via a service port near the engine room. Once aboard, IтАЩll
shut down the shipтАЩs drive. Then, once the ship canтАЩt get away, youтАЩll signal for the
Silent Watch.тАЭ
тАЬAnd how will you get through the entry port?тАЭ I said. тАЬThey arenтАЩt usually left
unlocked.тАЭ
In reply, Spike produced a mag-key from one of his coverallтАЩs voluminous pockets,
tossing the rather routine piece of equipment from hand to hand as if it were some
great amulet.
тАЬThis one is set to decode a wide variety of locks,тАЭ he explained, as if I wouldnтАЩt
recognize the make.
тАЬAnd the shipтАЩs engine?тАЭ I asked. тАЬDo you think the engine crew will just sit by
while you turn the engine off?тАЭ
Spike scowled at my doubt, but produced a packet of gas pellets from another
pocket.
тАЬI thought IтАЩd put these in the ventilation,тАЭ he explained. He brightened and reached
in his coverall again. тАЬI have a mask.тАЭ
I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face. He probably had a weapon of some
sort, too, and a coil of rope and who knows what else. The man had seen too many
action vids.
тАЬItтАЩs my fault for not asking in advance what you planned,тАЭ I admitted, тАЬbut I never
dreamed you planned on taking them on alone. Listen, I have another idea.тАЭ
I told him. Spike looked interested, but slightly disappointed. I think heтАЩd been
looking forward to playing the hero and capturing a pirate vessel single-handedly.
When I finished, he only had one question for me.
тАЬAnd if they wonтАЩt come?тАЭ
тАЬI think they will,тАЭ I said with more certainty than I felt. тАЬAs youтАЩve noted, theyтАЩve
been hurt by the pirates, too, and hereтАЩs a chance to get back something of their
own. And if they donтАЩt show, well, we can always fall back on your plan.тАЭ
The three ships we were tracking-a third had joined the convoy while we were
arguing-headed in the direction of a large planetoid just beyond a broad asteroid belt.
The backside of this planetoid was a favorite place for smugglers to linger before
bringing in a cargo, since it gave them a chance to scan the system and make certain
that the black ships were patrolling elsewhere. Most successful smugglers carried
legal goods as well as illegal, but who wanted to risk a search if one could be