Operation: Marauder

Chapter 19

While Maliki and Zoey went to the engine room, Knox and Cas left to tidy up things that had fallen over during the attack.

Jack cleared his throat once he and Rowan were alone. "She wasn't too much trouble for you, was she?" he asked him. "I know Zoey can be a handful sometimes, especially when she doesn't get her way."

"Trouble?" He thought about nearly getting caught having her draped over the table at his mercy then shook his head. "None at all."

Jack smiled and patted his shoulder. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate you backing off. Zoey needs stability in her life, someone who can always be around for her, and as much as I try to be there, the job doesn't give much leeway. You understand."

Rowan did but didn't want to. All he wanted was her. He didn't want to think about anything else. When his Fever was over, he was sure he'd think more rationally and care more about his promise to Jack.

"I'm going to check on Mave," he said abruptly. He didn't feel guilty now, but he was sure he'd feel it later and he didn't want to be around Jack, look at him in the eye, when he did. He took pride in being an honourable male and today he had faltered.

Thankfully, there were plenty of other things that required his attention, so he didn't have to think about it. The Laxes may have stopped firing, but that didn't mean they had stopped searching for Zoey. With Earth undiscovered, humans were rare, a commodity. They wouldn't let her slip through their fingers easily.

Mave had his feet kicked back on the console, swiping through documents on his tablet. He glanced over his shoulder at Rowan, grunted a greeting, then turned back to his tablet. "Where's my co-pilot?"

"Helping Maliki fix the ship. It appears you have some competition."

Another grunt. "I found her first."

"I found her first," Rowan reminded him, slapping his feet off the console. He plopped down in the co-pilot's chair with a long groan. As thankful he was for his crew being so welcoming towards her, he missed when she had been his little secret. Now he had to share. He was never good at that. "Where are the Laxes?"

Mave handed him the tablet. "They're circling the planet. They really don't want to let her go."

"She's human, new to the Federation. They'd get a lot of money out of her." The thought of Zoey being sold off to some labor worker--or worse, a sex trader--and lost forever to him didn't sit well with him. "Any chance of them finding us again?"

"Unless Maliki fucks up in the back, no. Cloaking is still going strong." He reached over to scroll to the next page on the tablet and pointed at the slowly but steadily decreasing bar. "There is a matter of fuel. . . We can do two rotations then we have to head back or we're going to run out before we can reach Earth."

Rowan nodded, confident Maliki could get it done within the time frame but made a mental note to visit him later and light a fire under his ass. Just in case. "How are we for rations?" With one extra person on board, Rowan wasn't looking forward to dealing with that headache. It was hard enough to get Knox to eat only the rations provided. . . To cut back on his rations. . . there will be claws and blood.

Mave cracked a laugh at the worried look etched into his features. "That's the only thing we don't have to worry about. I packed some extras for Zoey. We'll run out of fuel long before we run out of food."

Well, at least Mave thought that far ahead.

"Everything is in Maliki's hands now, Captain. Get some rest while you can. You look beat."

He felt beat. It had been a long day and if everyone was safe, Rowan might take him up on his offer.

He stood, clasping his pilot's shoulder. "Call me if anything changes."