BooksBarbecue
Back The Long Sunset
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Prologue
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. 28.
  33. 29.
  34. 30.
  35. 31.
  36. 32.
  37. 33.
  38. 34.
  39. 35.
  40. 36.
  41. 37.
  42. 38.
  43. 39.
  44. 40.
  45. 41.
  46. 42.
  47. 43.
  48. 44.
  49. Epilogue
  50. About the Author
  51. Copyright

“Beth,” said Hutch, “you worked for TransGalactic, right?”

“Until a couple of years ago. I liked life at Union and an opening developed here, so I made the change. It made life a bit easier for us. I got to see my husband once in a while.”

“Do you guys actually live here? On the station?”

“Oh, no. We have two kids, and this is just not a good place for them. I do occasional missions, but I’m not out constantly running all over the universe like it was before we got married.”

Somebody snickered. “So now you’re leaving town with us?”

“Yeah. I know. We talked about it before I got on board. This could be a historic mission. I almost passed, but the kids will be okay and I know Ken wanted to do this.”

“And it pays pretty well,” said Clay.

Eventually, Hutch excused herself and walked over to the docking area. Two vehicles that she’d taken out, the Phyllis Preston and the Harold Wildside, were in view. There was no sign of the Eiferman, but the docking area was big. The roof was open allowing her to see a slice of the moon.

She missed the old days, when there were more missions than she could handle.

•  •  •

She slept soundly, got up with the alarm, and was checking out at the desk when her commlink sounded. “Gotta move,” said Derek. “They’re waking people up to get a stop order signed. As we speak. Get over here right away. Where are you now, Priscilla?”

“Just leaving the hotel.”

“Okay. Hustle it up. The others with you?”

“No. I’m alone at the moment.”

“All right. Just get here. I’ll call everybody.”

Hutch grabbed her bag and hurried out through the front doors. But she’d only taken two steps onto the concourse when she realized she didn’t know where the Eiferman was docked. She dug out her commlink again. “Ops,” she said.

A male voice replied, “This is Operations. What do you need, Captain Hutchins?”

“Where’s the Eiferman?”

“One second, please.” He clicked off, then came back. “Romeo.”

On the far side. There were no transport vehicles in the station, but it had a moving walkway. She carried her bag over to it—there was no time for the delivery service—and got on it. As she moved forward along the concourse and the Starview started to curve out of sight, she saw Beth and Ken charge out through the front doors and look wildly in both directions. Then Beth was on her commlink.