The Hunt for Red Fluffy Page 14
"Did they phase it away?" Ness asked softly.
Julian just shook his head, obviously just as puzzled.
The scene repeated in rapid succession with every other Duomo cutter and shuttle. Some tried to run back to the Pinochet. They weren't fast enough. Whatever propulsion the octopus suits used, it was more than a match for ship propulsion.
The boards flashed an incoming warning, yet another player entering stage left. Shax shook his head. "System's getting a little crowded."
No question what the ships were when they broke through. Two ISE cruisers left C-space simultaneously, their bright red-and-blue chevrons declaring faster than any ident code, their comms blaring messages for all ships in the area to stand down.
Scans showed that the Pinochet had fired up engines and was turning, probably for an acceleration run to reach C-space.
Not fast enough.
The ever-growing cloud of spacers reached it before it could finish the turn and swarmed it, hundreds upon hundreds of them latching on to every surface. Three Arms reached out and took Shax's hand as if they couldn't stand the suspense. One minute, two, the spacers stayed with the Pinochet longer than any of the others, probably because it was so much larger.
When they finally dispersed, the Pinochet was gone.
Ness let out a long breath. "I don't—"
"Debris field," Julian cut him off with a sharp gesture at scans. "We didn't pick it up so easily with the smaller ships, but this one's hard to miss."
"The fuck just happened out there?" Verin growled from the doorway where the rest of the crew had gathered.
Shax blinked at the screen, then at the scans. "Well. Um. It appears that Three Arms Circling's family and friends have disassembled all of the enemy ships into teeny tiny pieces. Or in some cases, not so tiny." He turned to Three Arms. "I think I should say thank you?"
Three Arms wrapped five appendages around Shax and gave him a brief, somewhat disturbing hug before they flowed off the copilot's chair and maneuvered between crew members to get out into the corridor. Completely nonplussed now, Shax carefully moved Verin, then Corny, then Mac aside in the corridor to follow. He caught up to their guest at the airlock, where Three Arms gesticulated extravagantly at the controls.
"Of course." Shax went down on one knee to be on eye level. "You want to go home." He glanced up at the rest of the crew gathered in the corridor. "Leopold, my dear, does Three Arms have all of their tools?"
"I have the last ones. The ones from the guest-room tank." Leopold brought the bits of unidentifiable metal forward and said to Three Arms, "Don't go without them."
Three Arms took the little cylinder and the knobbed thingamabob from Leopold and tucked them away in one of their suit's many hidden pockets. At the same time, they used two arms to hug Leopold with great care.
Multitasking would never be an issue. Shax cleared his throat. "You're certain that your suit is uncompromised now? And honestly, it makes no sense to ask. You don't understand a thing I'm saying."
He hit the control for the inner door, and Three Arms barely waited until the portal rolled back before flowing inside. They gave a wave to the crew, then faced outward, arms undulating in what might have been anticipation or anxiety.
"Goodbye, Three Arms. Say hello to the folks." With an odd feeling of regret, Shax punched in the sequence for the outer air lock.
Through the nearby view portal, octopus spacers swarmed into view, heading toward the ship. Shax had a moment's panic, but they stopped short of Brimstone to greet Three Arms with a great deal of waving and touching. Three Arms broke away for a moment to return and pet the Brimstone as one would a favorite guinea pig. Then they waved to the crew watching at the portal and disappeared amidst the crowd of identical octopus suits.
"Captain, I think I need a vacation after this," Ivana said with every indication that she was fanning herself. "But you've got a call from ISE waiting."
"Oh, for pit's sakes." Shax turned to his crew. "Do I look positively awful?"
"A little worse for wear, love." Ness straightened his collar with gentle hands.
"Singed. Though on you it's rakish and piratical," Julian offered.
Verin shrugged. "So your hair's not fucking perfect. Take the call, genius."
Rather than going to his quarters or to the pilot's pod, Shax took the call right where he was standing with his amazing, how-were-they-not-shell-shocked crew around him. "This is Shax Goldner, captain of the Brimstone."
"Commander Irene Dunstan, ISE cruiser Indefatigable." A stern face with short-cropped silver hair filled the space above the holo plate. "What in all holy hells just happened here?"
"Ah. Well. Several things? Would you like to meet, and I'll explain the things I'm able to?"
"Too fucking right. Is your airlock operational, Captain?"
"Yes?"
"I'll be on my shuttle in five. Expect me."
"As you like, Commander. Please don't power up any weapons. The, ah, denizens of this area of space don't seem to appreciate it."
The connection cut out. Shax frowned at the holo plate, trying to think if there was a reason he shouldn't let ISE on the ship. Force of habit. Not letting law enforcement board.
"Come on then, highness," Julian said with a hand on his arm. "Let's get your hair brushed and your shirt changed, at least. You don't have to look parade perfect, but I know you'll feel better."
Shax looked down at himself with a sigh. "I need some shinier boots, too."
"So let me see if I have this." Commander Dunstan did not put her head in her hands, though she looked like she wanted to. Instead, she pointed to where Fluffy leaned against Shax. "You pick up a new pet, origin unknown, even though you believe she's a plant, are then shocked when hostile ships track you, barely escape with an injured member of an alien species, maroon an entire, probably dead now, hostile crew on an unincorporated planet, and finally have your asses saved when aforementioned alien species comes to pick up their kid because they took apart the hostile ships by hand."
Shax took a genteel sip of coffee. "Yes. I think that covers it rather well."
Dunstan drummed her fingers on the galley table. She'd forgone the coffee but had devoured two cinnamon rolls while Shax had explained. Perhaps not every detail, but Ness didn't think she wanted a novel.
"You either play the odds better than anyone alive, or you're the damned stupidest luck-blessed captain I ever met."
"A little of both, I expect," Shax said with a self-effacing grin. He'd taken a humble stance with the commander. So far, it seemed to be the best approach.
Dunstan snorted. "I should charge you for the transport, since I'll have to send my people to investigate the possibility of survivors on that planet."
"But you won't, Commander," Julian said in a pointed tone.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "I suppose I won't since there are certain codes involved. This is all above my pay grade, if I'm honest. So transport you'll get. This sector is going under quarantine for uncertain interspecies contact, and somehow I have to report the death of Federico Duomo by angry…what did you say they were called?"
"I'd need four arms to try to say the name they call themselves." Shax chuckled. "And I'm sure I'd get it wrong. We've been referring to them as octopus spacers, though that's not accurate, of course."
"Octopus spacers it is for now." The commander rose with a gusty sigh while she gathered her dress gloves and hat. "We'll get you snug into one of the repair bays, but make sure you batten down regardless. We don't have any cushy dampeners on ISE ships for Copernicus maneuvers."
Shax scrambled up and shook her offered hand. "Understood, commander. I'll brief the crew. And thank you."
He stood smiling while Julian led her back to her shuttle, though he slumped against the wall with a scowl once she had gone. "Cushy dampeners? What does she think this is, a pleasure yacht?"
"She was just annoyed, love. It's nice that we're getting a ride." Ness opened his arms, pleased when Sha
x snuggled into them. "But we get to keep Julian? He's ours now, isn't he?"
Shax's soft laugh didn't have much humor in it. "Julian's his own. Once we're clear of all this mess, he'll go back on the job. He's ours while he's with us, but we can't insist that he stay."
Why not? Ness didn't say that, though. "My love, he won't say it, but he's tired and he's lonely. He's mentioned more than once that he's past the age of expected survival in the field. They need to let him go."
"Julian needs to let go." Shax snuggled closer, holding on tight. "It's all he's ever done. I think he's afraid to stop."
That was, naturally, the moment Julian picked to bounce back into the room with a huge smile. "Orders, captain?" The smile slid sideways. "You were talking about me. I can tell by the awkward."
Shax held out an arm and waited until Julian had joined them in their snuggle. "We were conspiring. But we do need to talk."
"About what?" Julian pushed back far enough to see them both, his eyes suddenly wary.
"Boundaries, my sweet. Boundaries." Shax gave Julian a tender kiss, then stood on his toes to offer one to Ness. "While I am admittedly greedy and like to be included in most things, I have no issues if you two would like time together. Alone time. Just let me know. Julian?"
"Same. That is, I like being included, but I'd have some nerve saying that you and Ness can't be alone together." He held up a hand when Shax sighed. "I don't mind at all."
"Ness?"
He didn't answer right away because it needed to be a true answer, not the answer he thought they wanted. Ness cleared his throat. "I, ah, I'm afraid I do mind. The possessive thing. I don't think I'd do well with the two of you alone. But—" He had to clear his throat a second time out of embarrassment, heat climbing up his face. "If you want to have sex, just the two of you, I'd like very much to watch."
"I think we could manage that." Julian's smile turned wicked as he played with the buttons on Ness's shirt. "In fact, I think we'd both like that."
"Mmmm." Shax leaned in as if his knees were giving out. "Just the thought's almost enough."
Ness brought his wings around to hold them both close. "After we get to Triton for repairs. I'm not comfortable with the thought of someone else watching."
"Yes. Right. ISE ship." Shax sighed. "I wouldn't mind putting on a show for the officers in red and blue, but I know you'd rather not. After. Yes."
He ducked out of their embrace abruptly, reaching for his data pad on the table. "And I need to make a list. Hull repairs. Engine repairs. Need to check with Mac on specifics. Aft gun needs to be replaced most urgently. And I want forward guns. Two of them. Perhaps a port gun if we can find a good spot. I wonder if Heckle should have a rifle. He's awfully good with the pistol, though."
Still holding Julian, Ness found himself laughing softly. "You're forgetting something, love."
"What? No, that's everything."
"No, Ness is right." Julian was chewing on his lip, a grin trying to peek through. "One more thing."
Shax's puzzled frown melted into a positively wicked grin. "Oh, yes. We're going to need a bigger bunk."
He swaggered off, Fluffy following at his heels while Julian shook against Ness with silent laughter. Ness bent to kiss the top of Julian's head and whispered, "And while he's busy, I'll show you my toy box. Give him some of his conspiring back."
Julian's surprised laugh was clear and warm, with no trace of weary bitterness at all.
Dear Reader
Thank you for purchasing Angel Martinez's The Hunt for Red Fluffy. We hope you enjoyed it. Please consider leaving a review where you purchased this ebook and/or on Goodreads. Reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are vital to independent publishers.
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If you enjoyed this story by Angel, then you may also enjoy her story, Safety Protocols for Human Holidays, or you may want to explore J. Scott Coatsworth's, The Autumn Lands.
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About Angel Martinez
While Angel Martinez is the erotic fiction pen name of a writer of several genres, she writes both kinds of gay romance – Science Fiction and Fantasy. Currently living part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware, (and full time inside the author's head) Angel has one husband, one son, two cats, a changing variety of other furred and scaled companions, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.
For more information on Angel's work, please visit:
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Also by Angel Martinez
BRANDYWINE INVESTIGATIONS
Brandywine Investigations: Open for Business (Omnibus)
Brandywine Investigations: Family Matters (Omnibus)
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BRIMSTONE
Potato Surprise #1
Hell for the Company #2
Fear of Frogs #3
Shax's War #4
Beside a Black Tarn #5
The Hunt for Red Fluffy #6
The Brimstone Journals: Collection One
The Brimstone Journals: Collection Two
* * *
THE ENDANGERED FAE SERIES
Finn
Diego
Semper Fae
No Fae is an Island
* * *
ESTO UNIVERSE
Vassily the Beautiful
Prisoner 374215
A Matter of Faces
Gravitational Attraction
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LIJUN Trilogy (with Freddy Mackay)
Fireworks & Stolen Kisses
Trysts & Burning Embers
Detonations & Devotion (TBD)
* * *
INTERPLANETARY MULTISPECIES PACT (IMP)
A Christmas Cactus for the General
A Message from the Home Office*
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*Currently awaiting republication
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THE WEB OF ARCANA
The Mage on the Hill
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OFFBEAT CRIMES
Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters
Pill Bugs of Time
Skim Blood & Savage Verse
Feral Dust Bunnies
Jackalopes & Woofen-Poofs
All the World's an Undead Stage
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SINGLE TITLES
The Color of His Crest
Hearts & Flowers: A Tale of Hay Fever and Bad Decor
Restoration
The Line
Meteor Strike: Serge and Een
* * *
AURA UNIVERSE (with Bellora Quinn)
Quinn's Gambit
Flax's Pursuit
Kellen's Awakening
About Mischief Corner Books
Mischief Corner Books is an organization of superheroes… no, it's a platinum-album techno-fusion group… no, hold on a sec here…
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Ah yes. Mischief Corner is a small press publisher offering queer romance and fiction for readers, intent on making some mayhem with our books. Diversity and positive representation for all members of the queer community is important to us, and MCB works to make those voices heard because those who travel the off the beaten path are a gift and their stories make the world a more interesting place.
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In ad
dition to making mayhem, we live to break molds. MCB. Giving voice to LGBTQ fiction.
Website:
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