Jax and Naomi exited the diner and headed off toward Hasim’s. According to the mapping app on Jax’s gPhone, they had a twenty-minute walk ahead of them.
The sun was high overhead and the temperature just shy of uncomfortable. Jax wiped his brow. “How is this place so muddy and so damn hot?” He smacked the back of his neck. When he moved his hand, he looked at the dead something crushed there. “Gross.”
Naomi shrugged. “Human computer hybrid experiment, not a climatologist.”
Jax looked at her. “Wouldn’t that be a meteorologist?”
“No, dummy. Meteorology is weather,” she tutted as she kept walking.
Jax tapped his earpiece. “Skip, you all there?”
Naomi heard the call in her earpiece. “Yeah, boss. Good to hear from you. Everything okay?”
Before Jax could answer, Rudy added, “Good to hear your voice.”
Jax smiled. “Back at ya, buddy. Everything okay there?”
Kori answered. She sounded winded. “Oh, you know, killing time. We found your old dart board. I can’t believe you kept that thing!”
Naomi looked at Jax as they waited at a crosswalk. Most of the ground and hover cars were older models, likely exported from the core shortly after the war settled down.
Jax smiled. “Memento. Anyway, listen, I think we have a problem.” He looked up and down the street. No other pedestrians nearby. “I think we got played. I think we stole that ore from a bunch of small operations, as part of a plan to pressure them to sell to a syndicate.”
Steve said, “What? How?”
“Come again?” Kori added.
Naomi answered, “We found a source for local gossip. She was pretty sure.”
“Well, damn,” Kori said.
“What now?” Rudy asked.
Before Jax could answer, Skip cut back in, “Oh, before you answer, we picked up an Imperial ship in orbit. Not a big one, but probably should factor into whatever plan you’re cooking up, boss.”
Jax groaned, “Great.” The light changed and he and Naomi crossed the street. They were entering what must be part of Salma’s luxury shopping district. Several store fronts were advertising high end clothing and home goods. “Obviously, we can’t let our client have the ore.”
“Obviously?” Steve repeated. “They paid us. We did the job. I get you’re not thrilled that he lied to you and all, but what’s the problem? We have a timetable. Kori needs to get back to work, and Marshall will be waiting for me. Plus, we barely pulled off stealing this stuff once. Now you wanna, what? Put it back?”
Over the line, the sound of Steve yelping came through loud and clear. Kori said, “So, what’s the plan? The client’s representatives will be here in…” She trailed off, likely looking at the time display on her gPhone. “Seven hours. Just past sundown.”
Jax looked in a store as they passed. It was a technology store: latest model gPhones and tablets, home security rigs, and more. “I’ll think of something. Just keep your eyes and sensors open. Now that we know who we’re dealing with, assume simply paying us and being on their way isn’t the plan. I’m guessing it’s either a setup, or we’re not supposed to survive the pickup.”
* * *
Steve and Kori looked at each other, then turned, making slow turns, taking in their current setting. The valley that up until then had seemed like an excellent place to avoid detection now looked like a great place to ambush the crew of the Osprey . Kori tapped her earpiece. “Baxter, you heard all that?”
“Of course,” the combat droid replied.
“I’m thinking it might not be a bad idea if you patrolled the area a bit more. I’m looking at these valley walls and thinking we’re in a distinctly high-ground-free situation.”
“Agreed.” The channel closed.