Greenshift Read Online Free Page B

They were still twitchy because they knew they had
no reason to be here. Of course, most contractors he met never missed an
opportunity to flaunt their authority over an Armadan, at least those Armadans
not in uniform. Even contractors steered clear of any military involvement.
David didn’t know how or when the cultural tension between Armadans and
contractors began, but it had been gaining momentum recently.
    The thought gave him pause. He
needed to end this before Ward and his friends stopped taking directions from
Killian.
    Out of the corner of his eye,
David caught Sean meandering toward them. The two latecomers noticed, too. Their
attention split between David and Sean. As far as Ward was concerned, though, David
was the only thing in the world right now.
    “I’d tell your crewman to
back off,” the female contractor said.
    David almost smiled, thinking of
the string of expletives that would roll out of Sean Cryer’s mouth if he heard
that comment.
    “I wouldn’t worry about him.
He’s a harmless mech tech.” Though David suspected Sean could be
dangerous, especially if he had been dosing recently.
    David leaned in close to Killian
and hid his face so the voyeurs wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop. “We both
know you have a mark against you after that fight last year. The Embassy is
going to throw you out of the guild if this incident goes any further. I may
not enforce it, but I do know the law and so do all those viewers catching our exchange at home. Is getting back at me really worth your
job? Why don’t you just take Ward, get him tucked into bed before it gets dark,
and relax for the rest of the evening?”
    Killian’s expression was blank.
Contractors gave new meaning to stoicism. “You’re bordering on harassment,
Anlow.”
    “I know how to keep on my
side of the fence,” David said. “Does Ward?”
    They both knew the answer to that
question. Ward was bristling for a fight, and Killian couldn’t afford for that
to happen in plain view of the system.
    David made a motion for Sean to
hang back a bit, which to David’s surprise he did.
    Killian took a moment longer to
regard both men before smacking his shoulder into David’s chest as he pushed
past. “I’d watch my back if I were you. These docks can be
dangerous.”
    The other contractors followed
Killian’s lead, all except for Ward who stared at David and flexed his fingers
around the grips of his guns.
    “Let’s go, Ward,”
Killian called to him.
    David stood his ground and didn’t
take his eyes off the group. Sean sidled up beside him, not speaking until the
four contractors slipped back inside the security kiosk.
    “What the hell was that all
about?” he asked.
    David’s appreciation for Sean
backing him up evaporated as soon as the younger man opened his mouth.
    “They just wanted to say
hi.”
    “We’re not staying here a
couple of days,” Sean said. “We have to pick up Geir.”
    “Geir’s good to go until the
end of the week.”
    “We’re not staying
here,” Sean repeated as they walked down the boardwalk.
    “I think that’s a decision
to be made by everyone. I know Kenon and Soli asked if it would be possible to
spend a little more time with their amours. And Mari likes any excuse to be
off-ship. I guess that leaves you with the only dissenting vote.”
    “Do you think they’d vote
that way if they knew this was all just an opportunity for you to dick over
those contractors?”
    David ignored Sean as they neared
the Bard . Mari’s gaze met them. Even with David standing lower than her
on the sloping gangway, she still had to look up at him slightly. She lightened
his mood considerably. “This the last one?” he asked.
    “Last one,” she said.
    David gave her a fast once over,
lingering on the bit of leg peeking between her short skirt and thigh high
boots. He quickly diverted his attention to her face. “We’re going to stay
the night.”
    “Soli will be happy to spend
some extra time with Trala,