from the wanted announcements, or that the Warborne would be identified as aliens.
She needn’t have worried. No one gave them a second glance as they walked along the main street. Well, nothing more than was normal for a hauler crew from out of the system anyway. They attracted the usual level of attention. Eyes watched them from the shadows and shielded doorways, assessing whether they could be lured down a side alley and relieved of whatever valuables they were carrying.
That interest waned when Skinny and Zero brushed aside their outer coats, revealing heavily loaded weapons belts. Suddenly they became less interesting than the sand that swirled and danced around their ankles as they headed for the central plaza of the outpost.
“Anyone have a bead on the hole Beauty’s likely to have disappeared down?” Skinny asked over comms, his voice deep and rich in her ear. His tone and inflection were almost spot-on for Terran. During casual conversation she wouldn’t have picked up he was an alien, but the more she listened to the Warborne talk between themselves, the more she picked up the odd inflections and phrasing that marked them as non-Terran speakers.
Except Zero. His speech patterns were entirely human. It must be because of his cybernetics. He’d only told her a little about his internal systems, but if half of what he’d said was true, he wouldn’t have any problem picking up languages.
“He said something about checking out the market,” Red replied. “Something about getting some Terran history books or something.”
There was a collective groan from the others.
“Again?” Skinny shook his head. “He’ll have to sleep on the damn things soon.”
“He can download books from the communal servers,” Eris commented. “If it’s real books he’s after… yeah, he might get something from the flea market. There’s usually one in places like this.”
Skinny turned. Even though his face was covered, the horror was evident in his voice. “Terrans sell fleas? Seriously… what is wrong with you people?”
She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face, hidden by her scarf. “Are you kidding me? There’s a big market for them.”
“Right on,” Sparky joined the fun, a glint in his eyes behind his goggles. “Pedigree bloodlines and all sorts. A good flea will cost you your left bollock and then some. Breeding tips are passed down through generations.”
“Fleas…” Skinny shook his head again, only to have T’Raal punch him lightly in the arm.
“They’re teasing you, you dumbfuck,” he chuckled and then turned to check. “You are teasing. Aren’t you?”
“Yeah, we’re teasing.”
“Awww fuckit,” Sparky grumbled. “We could have kept that going for hours!”
“Really, you all make it too fucking easy,” she laughed, enjoying the moment. It had been too long since she’d had this kind of camaraderie… fifteen years. Her humor faded and she nodded toward the comms tower. “I’m going to need to head there to pick up my message. Catch you all at the flea market?”
“I’ll come with you.” Zero moved to her side instantly, his tone firm. She didn’t argue. It would be kind of nice to have someone to watch her back for a change. Especially in a place like this.
“Cool,” T’Raal nodded. “Stay alert and on comms. Any problems, shout… lurve machine.”
Zero flipped him the bird and the three Warborne ambled off with Sparky, still laughing, in the direction of the flea market.
Despite their casual act, she noted the aliens still moved as a team, aware of each other and their surroundings as well as the human in their midst. It was easy to see they had military training, but nothing about them or the way they moved pinged her senses—either those from her former life as a soldier or her current one as a security chief.
Correction, former security chief, and now wanted criminal and suspected terrorist.
Shit, that was going to take some getting used to...
12
“Let’s get going.” Zero nudged her arm and they started walking.
It didn’t take them long to reach the comms tower, just a few minutes’ walk, but by the time they’d reached it, all her senses were on high alert. Unfriendly eyes watched them. She just hadn’t worked out yet if it was the kind of unfriendly that would start shooting at them. If so, the new alien laser-blasters strapped to her hips were a reassuring weight. Even if they weren’t actually laser-blasters. Zero and the other Warborne had rolled their eyes when she’d insisted on calling them that. And she’d joined them, ignoring Sparky making pew-pew-pew sounds back in the ship’s airlock.
She