If there were any feeling that absolutely annoyed Kalico Perez, it was the sensation of being trapped. She’d felt that way on Turalon. Now she felt it again as she tramped down the main avenue. As if there were no options but capitulation.
Behind her, Privates Finnegan and Tompzen followed along through the morning, nodding at the locals they passed, returning greetings.
Kalico kept her frosty gaze ahead, not that she needed to keep her expression severe. The damned hangover saw to that.
She shot an evil, narrow-eyed glance at Inga’s as she passed, asking herself, What the hell was I thinking last night?
But she knew full well why she’d done it. She’d gone and taken Perez’s stool, knowing that no one would bother her there. That she could just sit and listen to people being happy, sharing fellowship. From her isolated stool, she could imagine herself part of the crowd, share the companionship, if only vicariously through the whiskey.
“My God, I can be a blinking idiot on occasion, can’t I?” she growled under her breath.
What if Perez hadn’t shown up? What if she’d climbed down off that stool, done something really stupid? Tried to make herself one with the rabble? Stumbled, slurred her words. Thrown up on herself or someone else?
“You are a Supervisor, you stupid bitch,” she muttered under her breath.
Worse, she owed Perez now. Bad as that was, the woman had saved Kalico from herself. That could not be allowed to happen again. One more mistake, and Kalico could lose it all.
As could happen with the shuttle at any instant.
What the hell had she been thinking?
She pushed open the door to the admin dome and started down the hall. Finnegan and Tompzen tromped along behind her, looking tough in their dress uniforms, combat rifles slung over their shoulders.
At Yvette’s office, she found the woman in conversation with two farmers. The man and woman couldn’t have been more obvious if they’d had signs across their chests, given their chamois shirts, pants, and wide floppy sun hats.
“I need to see you and Shig,” Kalico called in the door. “Five minutes, conference room. Have coffee sent.”
Without waiting for confirmation, Kalico let herself into the conference room, ordering Tompzen and Finnegan. “I only want Shig and Yvette in there. No one else is to disturb us.”
Both of her marines snapped out perfect salutes, taking position on either side of the door, grounding their rifles as they stood at attention.
Kalico walked back to the farthest chair and pulled it out. An unwelcome tickle in her gut made her pull a trash can close. Not that she’d need it—but better to be safe than hurl her breakfast all over the floor.
For long moments she sat, her headache down to a dull throb after the aspirin Perez had given her.
She went over her proposal. Trying to work through the fading whiskey fog to the most advantageous terms.
What am I missing?
Or, should she try and blast out more mountain to create a bigger landing field and keep the second shuttle there?
On the verge of making that decision, Shig and Yvette entered, each smiling.
“Good morning, Supervisor,” Shig greeted, that eternal and enigmatic smile plastered across his face. “How can we be of service this morning?” He seated himself across from her.
Yvette had a sardonic look on her face as she dropped into a chair, saying, “Oh, no problem at all, Supervisor. You didn’t interrupt a thing. In fact, Ollie was just saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if the Supervisor ducked in this morning and disrupted our meeting? That would be uncommonly kind of her.’”
Kalico blinked. “Excuse me? Who is Ollie? And why on Earth would he be—”
“They call that sarcasm, Supervisor,” Yvette told her. “Never mind. It’s not important. Now that we’re here, and coffee is ordered, what can we do for you?”
As Yvette spoke, Shig’s bushy black eyebrow had lifted in subtle amusement. He now sat with this hands steepled, fingertips pressed together.
“I have a proposition.” Kalico ordered her thoughts. “To date, our relationship has proven fruitful for both sides. I have been pleased with the cooperation that you’ve shown me and my people. I would like to expand on that relationship.”
“Very well,” Shig said mildly. “What did you have in mind?”
“You will remember that we came to an agreement over the Turalon food rations. It has come to my attention that my people are finding the rations somewhat, shall we say, monotonous.”
“Not to mention about to run out,” Yvette said dryly.
“I would like to expand the choices available to my cafeteria. I am also aware that a good many transportees, finding their contracts untenable, have allowed you to expand your agricultural production. Rather than make demands that would be upsetting to your agriculturalists, I will be happy to leave the transportees to labor for your farmers. In return I would like the ability to purchase their produce at fair market value.”
“Done,” Shig said easily.
Kalico saw Yvette’s slight smile. Ignored it. Plunged on. “Recently it has become apparent that my medical facilities, not to mention my med tech at Corporate Mine, are not up to the challenge of caring for my people. Our original agreement has been that Felicity Strazinsky has flown down to Corporate Mine to work in my clinic three times a week. Instead, I would like to initiate an air ambulance to immediately lift my sick and injured to the Port Authority hospital.”
“Of course,” Yvette told her. “You can call in the nature of the emergency while you’re in the air. Raya will have everything prepared upon arrival.”
Kalico shifted, the first fingers of suspicion slipping past her fuzzy brain. Not a single dissent?
“In our initial agreement, we laid out lines of separation between your people and mine.”
“We did,” Shig agreed.
“I would like the ability to offer employment to your people on a case-by-case basis.”
Shig smiled and nodded. “Granted.”
“Why aren’t you at least counteroffering?”
“We are libertarians, Kalico,” Yvette said softly. “In our original contract, we stated that your people would stick to Corporate Mine. That if they came to Port Authority without authorization, we’d send your people back. If you go back to the paperwork, the only stipulation you made was that you would deny entry to any of our people at your discretion. Our people are welcome to do anything, make any deal they wish. It is not our responsibility to tell them they can’t.”
“So I can hire anyone I want?”
Shig spread his hands. “Hire away.”
What the hell else had she misread about Port Authority? Damn it, there had to be a trap here somewhere.
“So you will grant me free rein in Port Authority to do as I wish?”
“Within reason,” Yvette told her. “If you come in and start impressing people, seizing their belongings, infringing on their private property rights and denying them free will . . . Well, unless of course, it is their free will and choice to deny themselves such freedoms. We really don’t care.”
“What else did you want to discuss?” Shig asked amiably.
“I have only one shuttle on the planet, but ten berthed aboard Freelander.”
“That is correct,” Shig told her as coffee was brought in. Conversation stopped while cups were dispensed and filled.
Over a steaming cup of black coffee, Kalico said, “I need space to park another. I don’t have room at Corporate Mine. You have a shuttle field. If something happens to my A7, I’d be planet-bound. Unable to ascend to orbit to recover a replacement.”
“That would indeed be the case.” Yvette’s lips quirked slightly.
“If you would allow me to park my spare shuttle in your landing field, I would allow you to use it on occasion, with my approval.”
“That would be very kind of you,” Shig told her. “Of course you may park as many shuttles as you would like at Port Authority. In return for the use of one at our discretion, we will accept the responsibility for its maintenance and upkeep.”
Still feeling as if she were missing something, Kalico said, “Well then . . . I guess we have a deal.”
Shig and Yvette locked eyes, some silent communication passing between them as Yvette said, “Yes, I guess we do.”