Poisoned Pawn Read Online Free

black pits above his thin lips. “You nearly destroyed it with your stunt in that courier ship.”
    “The Patrol cleared me of any charges,” I answered, my teeth clenched against what I really wanted to say. “A bar fight is not the same. One I didn’t start and was trying to resolve when my pilot punched me. Fine her for the damages. She broke contract.”
    “A bar fight is the least of the damage,” he answered, his voice rising to a cold snarl. “We have information that you are working for the Targon Syndicate. We have evidence of sabotage against my station.”
    I shut my mouth and tried to think of a good explanation. Considering I had no idea what was going on, it was a bit difficult.
    “This time you aren’t going to weasel out of the charges.” The Administrator rose to his feet. “I am personally going to space you and the pirates you work for.”
    “I don’t work for pirates,” I said, my anger rising even as the sick feeling in my gut grew.
    “Belliff,” he said, sitting back down with satisfaction.
    “Belliff is, was, part of the Targon Syndicate,” I said, understanding dawning. “Blast.”
    “You’re caught in your own lies,” the Administrator said smugly.
    “Sir, I’m sorry I ever set foot on Viya.” I leaned over the desk. “I am not, and never did, work knowingly or willingly for the Targon Syndicate. Throw the book at Letha whatever her name really is, but leave me out of it. And I promise never to come back here again.”
    “You’re banned from this station either way,” he said. “And I’m putting you under arrest until the Patrol can collect you.”
    “Commander Lowell put you up to this, didn’t he?”
    He frowned. A light blinked on his desk. “What?” he snapped, annoyed at being interrupted. He shot me a glare and turned on a privacy screen. I could see him talking but didn’t hear anything. I watched his face go from triumph to frustration to anger. He swung his chair away from me, talking into a handset, after shooting me a searching look.
    I shifted from foot to foot. I was running out of time if I still wanted to be able to pay docking fees and leave. I kept glancing at the wall screen. Time crawled by. The Administrator finally swung his chair back around and dropped the privacy screen. He looked pale and resigned. His nostrils had gone back to a more normal size.
    “Your ship is cleared to undock,” he said, words clipped short as if they tasted very bad.
    I stepped back. I was puzzled, but unwilling to question him in case he got offended and decided to make good on his threat to arrest me and shove me out an airlock without a helmet.
    “And Captain Dace? If you ever come to Viya again, you will be placed under arrest immediately. Go away and don’t come back.” He savagely punched buttons on his desk. I had been warned and dismissed. I went.
    Jasyn was at the ship when I got back, loading cargo through the larger back hatch.
    “Did someone die?” she asked as she paid off the cargo hauler, dropping credits in its robotic mouth until it rumbled away.
    “I wish Letha had.” I shut the hatch and sealed it. “She convinced Station Admin that I still work for Belliff’s pirates.” We headed for the airlock. “I’ve been banned for life from the station. That I don’t mind. What do you think of the pilot I found? Although it doesn’t matter, he’s the only one available.”
    “You have got to be joking,” Jasyn said as the airlock door swung open.
    I shook my head and entered my ship.
    “How about I deal with the dock supervisor and pay our fees?” she said. “Maybe I can avoid being fined just for being named Dace.” She shook her head as she took a credit chip out of the ship’s safe. “Jerimon wasn’t joking when he warned me away from you.”
    I stuck out my tongue.
    She laughed. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
    The ship hummed underfoot. The engines were on, warming up. I went to the cockpit. Clark leaned over my half of