Chapter 32

“Shit!” Dusty swore.

“Not here; it attracts flies, and I’m trying to get some work done,” Zeke chuckled.

On a more serious note, he said, “Look, Dusty, I’ve lost nearly two days because your people have no control of the criminal element in space. It is becoming a serious problem. The level of your patrols in Earth’s space alone stinks.”

“Us freighter owners are not allowed to have weapons to defend ourselves. So, we do the best we can. Fortunately, I have and make the best shields money can buy. Yet, here you are, crucifying us when we try to help the very people who tried to rob and kill us when they get into grief.”

“The law of space is that if you’re the closest ship, you go and help a ship in trouble. If I had waited for you lot to turn up, Baraz and Lou would have died. They had less than four hours of air. You took nine hours to get here.”

“I’m still waiting on the real ESC. That Major Fuchs said they would be here by now. I wonder where they are?” Zeke asked snidely.

“So, yes. I saved Baraz’s and Lou’s worthless arses. The thanks I get is that you people now think I’m one of their ilk. Getting attacked by two ships in two days while in Earth’s orbit is ridiculous.”

“No wonder UNSEC agreed to my terms to clean up Earth’s mess in space. It’s a thankless task if I have to spend half my time waiting for the criminals to go away, arrest them, or wait for your lot to turn up.”

“Tell me how you really fell,” Dusty shot back and instantly regretted it.

“Look, take you crims, their ship, and your buddies, and piss off and leave me alone. I’ll even forgo salvage rights just to get rid of you all. I’ve had enough of playing good Samaritan.”

Dusty had the decency to look contrite, knowing what she was about to tell him would piss him off more.

“I can’t do that. You and your friend, Raul, have to come to Morpheus with us.”

Zeke put his hands on his hips and leaned forward in a more threatening pose as he narrowed his eyes, “Why?”

Dusty stood straighter in response to his intense glare. “The others believe you were meeting Baraz here. They also believe the other ship was a legitimate UNSEC patrol ship. They wish to hold you in protective custody.”

Zeke threw his hands up and out in disgust. “Oh, for crying out loud. Dusty, I have two ships meeting me here tomorrow. I can’t just bugger off. You will have to arrest me, as I’m not flying my ship anywhere until I’m good and ready.”

Dusty implored, “Zeke, you are not under arrest. They just need to question you some more to gain the truth. It’s going to take time to investigate your story. Spinning around out here isn’t the place to do that.”

Zeke folded his arms across his chest. Belligerently, he informed Dusty, “Arrest me or fuck off. And if you leave either of our ships out here, you had better be prepared for the media storm my business partners and attorney on Mars and my partners and attorney on Armstrong Station will unleash.”

Just to shock her some more, he added, “Not to mention what my dad, Ambassador Antonio Dioni, and my big brother Wizard Kyle Vella will say and do, let alone my cousin, Queen Lee Watson. I hate to drop names, but I did nothing wrong.”

Exasperated at her mulish look, he added, “Dusty, I have told you four times what happened. If you can’t believe your Lord Wizard, that is not my problem. Now sort it out and find the real criminals, mage.”

Dusty could only stare at him in shock and amazement.

It took Dusty a few moments to gain her equilibrium.

“How come you are my, Lord Wizard?”

Zeke grinned, “Well, technically, I’m not. However, Lee did say I’m the Lord Wizard for Mars and that the rookies who are freighter people are mine to look after as well. She also said that if I come across mages and rookies who don’t serve under a wizard, they could become my responsibility too.”

“So, James and I are yours to command, is that it?” she asked petulantly and folded her arms in response.

Zeke shook his head. “No, I’m to look after you. However, in this solar system of intolerant mundanes, your obvious position grants you more protection than mine. All I’m asking is that you leave me out of your games and all of the political shit associated with them.”

“Dusty, I have not done anything wrong. Raul, Sofia and I are the innocent victims here. We are just doing the job we were contracted to do. End of story. I don’t give a rat’s-arse if that lot doesn’t believe me. The evidence is indisputable.”

“By the way, I don’t trust that Captain or the Suit. You do know who he is, don’t you?”

“Yes. Yarram Vance is an UNSEC JAG. Captain Baker brought him with us in case we had jurisdictional problems. We were not in a position to argue, and it’s supposed to be his area of expertise.”

“Wrong. While he may claim to work for UNSEC, he actually works for the Sol System Government. He was recently given the position of the Minister for Defence. However, that may not be common knowledge.”