The moment I wrapped Okay and Reunion, I turned my focus to the final Patreon tale of the month—science fiction. As soon as I saw the genre top the poll, I knew the next story had to pick up where Fraught Wait left off. Rather than bog the pacing down with negotiations, I dropped us into the middle of the mission, where the stakes, and suspicions, are already rising. With news of Tia’s recovery fresh in hand, Charles agrees to a simple job. He and his healthy crew are to transport a nervous client and a mysterious woman to another station. The client promises no trouble once they depart—just a quiet run through space.
But Charles should have known better. Charles had believed his client and hoped for a quiet job to pad their accounts and wait for news that might ease the weight on his shoulders. And when a shadowy ship tails the Drifter II, that promised peace threatens to shatter.
Find a comfy spot on your couch and join me as we’re exposed to the latest installment of the Drifter’s crew.
As Charles seeks to transport a nervous client and a female passenger to safety, a strange ship settles in behind the Drifter II…
Charles kept his hands on the controls as his gaze flicked between the sensors and the minor weapons systems available for him. A ship had slipped behind the Drifter II and been following their course. With a deep inhalation, the captain’s gaze flicked over to the wiry stranger perched upon the co-pilot’s seat. The stranger’s gaze lingered through a nearby viewport, watching as the stars streamed past them.
The atmosphere in the cockpit was so thick it was palpable. If Charles wasn’t careful, he’d choke on the silence looming between them. He rubbed his lips before making a slight change to the ship’s systems to satisfy a feral need deep within him. With an alarm established, he turned toward the stranger and clapped his hands to get his attention. “Consider relaxing. You’re making the ship and me, by extension, nervous.”
The man chuckled softly as he wrung his hands. “Just… not used to space travel.”
“I picked you and your client up in a space station!”
“That doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with it,” the man said, tugging at his collar.
Before Charles could respond, an ominous alarm blared, filling the cockpit. With a curse, Charles’s eyes snapped to the scanners.
.
.
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