The Rig Read Online Free

nose in a violent torrent. He ducked low and felt Grey’s fist swing through the air above his head. No stranger to brawls, Drake launched a crippling kick into Grey’s shin. If he didn’t end it now he’d find himself with worse odds later.
    Grey groaned and fell to one knee. Drake spun on his haunches, swiped the bully’s other leg out from under him, and slammed his fist into Grey’s mouth. He hit the spongy floor of the exercise area hard and cursed.
    Where are the guards?
Drake glanced up and saw Brand making his way slowly down the stairs. He had a smile on his face and seemed to be taking his time. The rest of the officers watched from above, pointing and jeering.
    One of Grey’s friends came in from behind and wrapped his arms around Drake’s chest, squeezing him tight as Grey got back to his feet.
    â€˜Hold him.
I’m gonna break his damn jaw!
’
    Drake hauled his legs up into the air as Grey lunged at him. He timed it right and his feet connected with Grey’s chest. Drake thrust his weight back, using Grey’s momentum against him, and the bully went down a second time, gasping for air.
    The boy holding Drake was thrown back too, striking his head against one of the metal support pillars. Drake broke free.
    With a roar, Grey rose again, glaring at Drake. For a moment Drake thought he saw an actual flash of furious red in Grey’s eyes, but then Brand stepped between them and blew a shrill whistle.
    â€˜Enough!’ He glanced over his shoulder. ‘You need to calm down, Mr Grey. And Mr Drake, fighting is prohibited. You’ll both be fined fifty credits. Now walk away.
All of you
.’ Brand wasn’t carrying his gun, but a long baton that hummed softly.
    Electrified
, Drake thought, wiping his bloody nose with his sleeve.
    â€˜This isn’t over,’ Grey growled. He walked away, the rest of his gang following in his wake. Mohawk offered Drake a sly grin and flipped him off.
    His tracker beeped.
    Lessons: 1015–1215
    â€˜What does that mean?’
    â€˜It means we’ve got lessons until lunch,’ Michael Tristan said. He was looking at Drake in amazement. ‘Then work and dinner, followed by two hours’ free time in the common area. Standard day in paradise. Do you know where you’re working?’
    â€˜Tubes, apparently.’
    â€˜Wow. You’ve been here five minutes and already made the worst possible enemy and been assigned the worst job on the Rig.’ Tristan chuckled. ‘Need to keep your head down, Drake.’

5
    Lessons Learned
    Heading up through the platform, Drake stemmed the blood from his busted nose with his sleeve. The bleeding stopped, thankfully, and it didn’t feel broken. He was more concerned about a gash between the knuckles of his right hand, where he’d hit Grey in the face. He hadn’t felt it at the time, but he must have struck one of the bully’s teeth. Drake held his hand up and a steady trickle of blood pooled along the edge of the tracker from the gash.
    â€˜Any bathrooms nearby, Tristan?’
    Tristan nodded. ‘Next level up. This way. We’ve only got five minutes to get to the classrooms up top or we’ll be fined, though.’ He held up his own tracker. Tristan was actually in positive credits. His screen read:
$134 AC
.
    Drake checked his own. With the five credits lost in Warden Storm’s office and the fine imposed by Brand, his screen now read
$-250 AC
. ‘How long have you been here then?’
    â€˜A year and three months,’ Tristan said, with a grim smile. ‘Only three and a half years to go – almost there. Heh.’
    â€˜Yeah, me too.’ Drake was given a wide berth by the string of other inmates making their way up through the platform to wherever lessons were held. A steady clang of soft heels on steel rang up and down the large, near-hollow structure. ‘So what are you in for?’
    Tristan shrugged