Today’s Completion—Rogue Retrieval

Writing is happening, but slowly. In amongst the editing and blogging, I’ve just finished a second short story for the month. Set in the Mack ‘n’ Me universe between The Depredides Dance and Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil’s Host, this short story is a novella-length tale of one of the many missions they ran between Books 1 and 2 of the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series.

These are the first 500 words – before they go through the editing process:

Rogue Retrieval

The last person I expected to see when I stepped into the restaurant with the first meals of the night, was Mack—yet there he was, large as life, and twice as mean. When I caught sight of his seven-foot figure leaning against the wall just inside the entrance, it was all I could do not to drop what I was carrying and bolt for the alley out back.

He was waiting for something, and somehow I didn’t think it was for the concierge to check the bookings in case there was a free table. The way his eyes moved over the patrons enjoying their meals, he was looking for something else. Given I’d jumped ship three months back, and he’d have been trying to find me, ever since, it wasn’t hard to work out what.

Despite the sudden spike of adrenaline and tremor running through my hands, I kept it all together, making my head think thoughts of who was getting what meal, and how fast, as I went through my implant looking for intruders.

Not that I relaxed when I didn’t find any. Mack might have discovered some new tricks since the last time. Him or Tens. It was hard not to search the room for the communications engineer, but I managed it. I even kept my pace to the usual level of efficient waitress, until I was back through the door to the kitchen.

“Chief,” I called, as soon as the door had swung shut behind me. “Chief.”

I’d stripped off my apron, and the cute little wait-cap we all wore and headed for the door, dropping by the small office connecting to the kitchen, before I left.

“I’m sorry, but something’s come up. I’ve got to—”

Can’t say the sudden grip around my bicep and blaster muzzle pressed hard into my temple came as a complete surprise, but I’d been hopeful.

Chief looked up from where he was counting out my wages, stuffing them into an envelope as he rose from his seat. I wondered how he expected to give them to me, but he offeredthem to someone standing just out of sight around a filing cabinet. Man, I hated his office.

I always had, right from when he took me on to now. Next time, I was going to walk if I didn’t like the boss’s office. If there was a next time…

I hated the office a lot more when Delight stepped into view, taking the envelope from Chief’s fingers as she came.

“Thanks, Chief. Odyssey appreciates your understanding on this matter."

Odyssey… which meant…

I shifted my gaze as best I could without turning my head. I really needed to see who had hold of my arm. It was both a relief and not when Pritchard came through the door behind me, the look on his face melting into relief when he saw me.

“Nice work,” he said, although I thought it was anything but.

Tens slid into my head, like he’d never left it. Boy had learned new tricks.

“Watch who you’re calling ‘boy’,” he said, his grip tightening on my arm, and I was tempted to try kicking his ass right then and there.