The Golden Token #9
Charlie rose in one smooth motion, drilling Cade through the head with a bolt from his blaster before pivoting to take out the other four terrorists. He vaulted the bar and ran to kneel beside Rose. “Are you hurt?”
“I—I’m fine, twisted my ankle. Thank the Lords you came.” She clung to him.
Keeping his blaster loosely pointed at Kumisarc and the others, Charlie said, “I’m Special Forces Sergeant McBrire, retired. If someone could let the Station Security guards in—”
“I’m not trusting them or anyone who works on this Station.
” Kumisarc gestured at one of his surviving employees.
“Call the ship, get the crew here now. Tell the captain to issue a distress call to the Star Guard. This place is going to pay for allowing those lowlifes to make a kidnap grab on me.” His voice was low and steely.
Charlie picked Rose off the deck and carefully deposited her in the nearest chair.
“You’ll find I’m grateful for your prompt and efficient rescue, sergeant,” Kumisarc said as he poured himself fresh wine. “Name your price.”
Charlie took a moment to stare at him in cold disbelief. “I didn’t rescue you, I rescued her. You’re incidental to me.” Making an ice pack out of some napkins and ice from the serving bowl on the table, he gave Rose the neatly tied sack for her rapidly swelling ankle.
“Well then.” Raising the glass in Charlie’s direction, the billionaire laughed. “I’m getting off cheap.”
“Not so fast.” Still holding his blaster, Charlie moved to stand over the man.
“Since you owe Miss Caludi your life, I want you to cancel the remaining three years of her contract and pay her three years’ salary right now, no deductions, no charges for living expenses.
And then—” He pointed to the Casino Manager, “I want her transfer clearance because she’s going with me, and I’m leaving on the freighter docking now on Level C. That’s my ride, our ride.”
Kumisarc blinked. He looked at Rose, who was sitting wide eyed. She nodded.
After sipping at the wine, the tycoon set the glass down with precision and laid his hands flat on the table.
“Just a moment, soldier. I’m appreciative of your expertise in resolving the hostage situation but that in no way nullifies a legal agreement between me and one of my employees.
” Eyes narrowed, he pointed at Rose. “This woman is a valuable corporate asset. I have need of her professional services to fill a vacancy on my own ship.”
Unimpressed, Charlie shrugged. “Get someone else.” He eyed his opponent. “Everyone’s replaceable to a man like you. Rose isn’t just a corporate asset to me.”
The two men stared at each other for a moment, apparently at a standstill until Charlie suddenly threw back his head and laughed. “All right, you know what? Someone like you, generational billionaire, entitled, got it all—how about I add a sweetener to the deal just for you?”
“What do you mean?” Kumisarc leaned back in the chair, swirling the wine in its glass. “What can you possibly offer me that I don’t already have?”
Waving one hand at the sprawled corpses and the scorched casino furnishings, Charlie said, “You can be the hero here, spin it any way you want, and neither Rose nor I’ll ever say differently.
Sure, you took on the rabble singlehandedly, saved the situation.
Kumisarc—interstellar badass and hero. The Sectors media will fall all over themselves for a story like that, you know they will.
” He shot a glance at the managers and hangers-on seated at the table.
“This lot’ll never contradict you. They know where their credits come from.
Who’s to say what publicity like that is worth to an ambitious man like you? ”
Kumisarc blinked. “I like the way you think. Too bad you don’t need a job, soldier.” Spine straight, cheeks flushed, he turned on his subordinates. “The man’s right, that’s what happened here. I singlehandedly put down the revolt. You’re all going to testify to that, aren’t you?”
As if they’d been hypnotized, the men nodded.
“Good. Your year-end bonuses going forward will reflect my continued appreciation of your discretion.” Patting his lips with the napkin, the tycoon seemed content.
“We have a deal, sergeant. I assume deposit of the funds you requested on behalf of Miss Caludi to an account based in New Switzerland will be acceptable?” He gestured to his lackey.
“Get this done before the soldier forgets who his enemies were.”
Charlie returned to Rose. “You good with this?” he asked, low voiced. “I got a call earlier, that my ship made up the lost time, was arriving here ahead of schedule.”
For answer she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. “Do we have time to stop by my quarters? There are a few things I’d like to keep. And I need to send a forwarding address to my gramma’s nursing home administrator.”
“Yeah, I gotta retrieve my duffle anyway. But we won’t be lingering.”
“Nothing to linger for,” she whispered, stroking his cheek. “Everything I need is right here in front of me.”