Hunter (24 page)

"Cal! I don't
want to do shots," Nova groaned, laying her head back in her
arms.

"This isn't a
shot," Cal said. "At least not of the kind you think. This is brand
new out of the Science District."

"They're
still making things?" Nova asked, lifting her head once more. As
far as she knew, the Science District was made up of middle-class
druggies who spent their days trying to find new ways to get
high.

"Not much,
but this one was relevant to them. It's supposed to be the perfect
hangover cure."

"Really?"
Nova brightened. She straightened her back and took another look at
the amber liquid. It glowed with a soft orange light. "Has it been
tested?"

"The
scientists were the first to try it. According to them there have
been no extra deaths."

"Reassuring,"
Nova said, with a raised eyebrow.

She reached
out and took the glass from Cal's hand. She held her breath and
threw the liquid to the back of her throat.

She was
expecting a burn, much like hard liquor. Instead she felt a
soothing coldness. It splashed around her mouth, before sliding
down her throat. The cold extended up into her nose and eyes. The
sensation was invigorating. Her bloodshot and aching eyes were
overcome with the soothing sensation and when she blinked them
open, the whole world seemed to have taken on a brighter range of
colours.

Her head was
next. The cold seeped into every recess of her brain and laid a
soothing blanket over it. She felt every neuron relax and the
pounding headache disappeared. Even her arms and legs relaxed and
the tension from the previous day melted away.

"This is
better than a Parapem" Nova said, her eyes wide.

"So I guess
I'll save that formula to the food generator;
many other functions
," Cal said,
hovering back to the machine.

"You bet."
Nova nodded. "But keep an eye on the Cloud would you? Just in case
there are any unforeseen side-effects."

"I'll run a
monthly search."

"Good! Then
let's get out of here. Wherever here is," Nova said, frowning down
at the controls as she tried to piece the night's events
together.

"We're at The
Jagged Maw," Cal said.

"How did we
get here?" Nova asked, still frowning.

"According to
Crusader we challenged Aart to a race. First one back to The Jagged
Maw wins."

"We..?" Nova
asked.

"You said it
yourself, I was matching you drink for drink," Cal admitted
sheepishly, as he turned away from Nova and pretended to examine
the wall.

"So… did we
win?" Nova asked.

"According to
Crusader," Cal said with a pause. "Aart has yet to arrive, so
yes."

Nova laughed
and slapped her hand down on the dashboard. "Make sure we leave a
message for him when he gets here. He probably got pulled over by
some Confederacy big wigs, driving in manual or
something."

She chuckled
and inwardly congratulated herself for winning the illustrious
space-race. She felt like she'd been reborn; the amber liquid had
worked a miracle. While she had woken up feeling half-dead, she now
felt ready for anything. She strolled away from the command centre
and straight to the shower.

***

An hour later
Nova felt better than she had since first landing on Boullion Five.
She bounced into the pilot's chair and threw her legs up onto the
controls.

"Dial
Tanguin," she said.

A moment
later Tanguin appeared on the front screen. She looked the same as
she always did.

"I see you
came out of last night unscathed," Nova said with a
grin.

Tanguin
nodded, but didn't smile. "You know I don't really
drink."

Nova frowned,
sensing something in Tanguin's voice. "What's wrong?"

"Aart is
still MIA," Tanguin said. Her tone was light, but her expression as
she looked at Nova was stern.

"He probably
just got lost on his way here," Nova said, waving her
hand.

"No. There's
no trace of him. I can't find Sylar's signature
anywhere."

"What?" Nova
said, her brows drawing together. "But it's been hours. Even if he
was pulled over by the Confederacy, we would have heard from him by
now."

Her mind
raced. Did he say anything about having a mission on?

"I didn't
want to worry you," Tanguin said. "I'm sure he's just sulking about
you winning. He's probably just spending his time on
Vix."

Tanguin's
expression gave her away. It was clear that she did not think Aart
was okay. Nova bit her bottom lip. He could be anywhere.

"Put a trace
on his ship; call in a few favours if you have to. I'm going
straight to the Pleasure District to see if I can get hold of
him."

Tanguin
nodded.

Nova's
victory turned to ash in her mouth at the thought of something
happening to Aart.

The screen
went black. Crusader lifted up into the air and shot off. There
were some extra shakes and a few new noises but the ship held
together and they broke atmosphere without blowing themselves up.
That was always a good sign.

Nova sighed
and tapped her fingers on the control panel. Tabryn and the
Pleasure District was probably the very last place she wanted to
go. Her home planet had too many memories; too many ghosts. But if
she didn't go and Aart was in trouble… she'd never forgive
herself.

Nova's Journey
Continues…

When Aart
goes missing Nova is forced to travel back to her hated home planet
of Tabryn.

Her latest
job to solve a casino heist takes her deep into the fetid
underbelly of the corrupt planet, as faces from her past start to
resurface.

It will take
all of her strength to stay afloat as the past tries to pull her
back to where it all began.

Discover the
planet that made the bounty hunter in Book Four:
Gambler.

Find out more
at:

www.saffronbryant.com/books/gambler

http://www.saffronbryant.com/free-books

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them!

Find all of
Saffron's Books At:

www.saffronbryant.com/books

The Lost Child
Saga - An Epic Fantasy Series

The Fallen Star

The Herald of Darkness

The Hordes of Anarchy

The Nova
Chronicles

Survivor

Pilgrim

Hunter

Gambler

Justice

Junkie

Adventurer

Prisoner

Stranger

ABOUT THE
AUTHOR

Saffron
Bryant
was born on the 17th December 1990
in a small town in North Queensland. In 2010 she was diagnosed with
a brain tumour. After extensive, life-saving surgery she returned
to her home in Queensland to recover and finish The Fallen Star.
She received a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2011.

Saffron has been
interested in fantasy and science fiction writing from a very young
age, writing her first story at the age of seven. She has always
been fascinated by fantasy stories and has a passion for The Lord
of the Rings and The Hobbit. Saffron currently lives in Sydney with
her partner Michael Lee where she is completing her PhD in
chemistry.

Connect with
Saffron:

WEBSITE:
www.saffronbryant.com

EMAIL:
[email protected]

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@SaffronBryant

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