Big Surly flops into the captain’s chair. The crew doesn’t need to acknowledge him. Their role is to get the ship to Space Dock come hell or black holes.
Customs swarms their approach.
Big Surly sweats. This load is legal, but he has a reputation. All the warrants are suspended for the duration of this mission. Crewmates are angry he agreed to it. They don’t know it wasn’t a choice.
Clustered lanes clear for their approach. Cop ships join Customs, weapons pods bristling. Big Surly’s trigger finger twitches on the armrest. Law enforcement is protecting him, not chasing.
His crewmates breathe faster. He tastes their fear. For all they know, it’s a trap. He wishes it was. It doesn’t matter. They’ll let the kids go once the delivery is made.
His archenemy meets him at the docking hold. Sheriff Jones is ashen.
“You did it,” Jones says.
“Can’t let ‘em murder children.”
He doesn’t tell Jones two of the school kids are his. They’re why the school has been targeted. Big Surly is the only one who can pull this off.
The FedCon sends the ransom without delay. Big Surly has to wait until the kids are released before he and his crew are allowed to leave. If the kidnappers reject the payment, Big Surly is dead.
They find out from the news vid. Sobbing children run from the school. Payment accepted. Communications devices of all varieties go off, but Big Surly keeps his eyes on the broadcast. Several hundred little kids are scooped up by waiting family and police. He searches the faces, panic rising.
Then they appear. The twins are the last ones out.
Big Surly drops to his knees. Tears run off his face to pelt his leather-clad hands. Relief washes the terror away.
A hand settles onto his shoulder. He looks up and sees the sheriff’s cheeks are wet.
“You too?” Jones asks.
Big Surly can’t speak. He nods, chokes on emotion.
“What was in the delivery?”
There was nothing left to lose. The kidnappers took care of that.
“A family treasure worth more than all the Noble Families combined.” He stood, each excess pound draining his strength. “Don’t thank me for giving it up. It’s the worst crime I’ve ever committed.”
“What?”
“I just bought our kids’ lives with the key to the galaxy’s destruction.”
* * * * *
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