Polaris Read Online Free

They would have to find a way to come back and change them out later.
    â€œYou there,” one of the Nuvali guards called as he reached the exit. “Where do you think you’re going? You can’t remove tokens from the floor.”
    Jeth halted, eyeing the gun at the man’s side. Instinctively,he pulled the false token out of the carrier, keeping it hidden in the palm of his hand, as the guard looked him up and down.
    â€œWhy are you in such a hurry?” the man asked, his gaze narrowing.
    Trying not to think about how much he would regret this, Jeth threw the token carrier at the man’s face then bolted through the door.
    All that money gone . He gritted his teeth against the thought as he ran down the deserted corridor beyond to the elevator that would take him to the mid-level decks. The money didn’t matter. Not when his ship was in danger. His ship and all the precious cargo she was carrying. His crew. His uncle. And both his sisters.
    He made it inside the elevator before the guard could catch him.
    Panting, Jeth said through the comm, “Talk to me.” When Lizzie didn’t immediately answer, fear made his head spin. He leaned against the back rail to steady himself. He’d been in dozens of fights and close calls, but nothing like this. Everyone in the galaxy must’ve seen his face by now. And all of them would know his ship.
    Lizzie finally answered, her voice calmer than before, though still with a note of breathlessness. “I’m trying to get us unhooked from the dock, but they’ve turned on the automatic override. It’ll take time for my hack to complete.”
    â€œWhat about the others?”
    â€œShady and Flynn were already back before the bulletinaired,” Lizzie said, forgetting to use their call signs. The lapse made Jeth’s fear spike again, and he took a deep breath. The elevator had almost reached K Deck, and he needed to be calm and focused before the door opened.
    â€œThe rest of you are trapped outside,” Lizzie went on. “There’s a bunch of dock security goons blocking the dock on both sides. They’re trying to get into Avalon , but that ain’t happening without explosives.”
    Jeth licked his lips and stepped toward the front of the elevator as it came to a stop. He had no doubt that the guards wouldn’t get through the security on Avalon ’s door—Lizzie had designed the code herself—but with ten million unis on the line, he didn’t think explosives were out of the question.
    â€œCan you shut down all the elevators to K Deck and close off the corridors to the dock?” Jeth said, a plan forming in his mind.
    â€œSure. Elevators are no problem, and I can trigger the bulkhead doors to seal the corridor.”
    â€œDo it then, but far enough away none of the guards outside Avalon notice.”
    Jeth turned right out of the elevator and moments later came across Sierra, Celeste, and Vince holed up in one of the observation nooks in between the various docks. He slipped into it, joining them. Avalon was moored several docks down, blocked from sight by the nearest ship. He scanned all he could see of the open space beyond the window, looking for incoming patrols, but so far the area remained clear, nothing but black dotted with starlight.
    â€œDid you stop for some sightseeing?” Sierra said, stepping close to him automatically, their shoulders touching. A relieved smile crossed her lips, and he leaned into her, drawing comfort from her nearness.
    â€œRan into trouble with a casino guard.” Jeth inclined his head toward Avalon ’s dock. “What’s it look like?”
    â€œFive on each side, give or take,” said Vince from where he stood next to Celeste. “Didn’t get much of a look before they turned us back. But I think it’s all local security.”
    Jeth nodded, processing the scene in his mind. Local security was better than