The Saha Declination by Julia Huni

Author:Julia Huni [Huni, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: IPH Media
Published: 2021-12-26T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Something heavy slammed into the door.

“We’re supposed to be stealthy!” I dragged the stunner from my pocket and yanked the door open again.

The man—obviously in the process of crashing into the door again—hurtled through the opening, barely missing me, and slammed into the wall opposite.

I fired my stunner, hitting him square in the back. He collapsed to the floor.

“Not a prison for explorers.” I crouched to check the man’s pulse. Strong and regular. “Now what?”

Lee checked inside the room. “It’s pretty bare in there—this guy could be a prisoner, too.” He stared down at the man.

The guy wore a sleeveless top and tight underpants, both more gray than white. Dark hair grew thick and bushy on his shoulders. I gingerly grabbed his equally hairy arm and rolled him onto his back. It was harder to do than I expected—the guy was a solid mass of muscle under a layer of fat. The white shirt rode up, exposing his furry belly.

“Did he have clothes in there?” I tried to focus on his face. He was older—probably late forties or early fifties. His hair was cut short, with a lot of gray in the brown and a bald spot on top. His slack face had heavy jowls and puffy eyes. “He doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the Gagarin military.”

Lee did a more thorough check of the room. “There’s a pair of pants and a shirt on the floor. No other clothes, no equipment, not even a toothbrush. And the bed doesn’t have a blanket—it’s just a plain mattress. And get this—there’s no handle on the inside of the door. Definitely a cell.”

The man snored again, his rank breath expelled in a loud rumble.

I waved my hand. “I’m guessing he’s here to sober up. I wonder why they don’t just give him a dose of BuzzKill.”

Lee shrugged. “Maybe they figure a hangover is part of the punishment. Let’s put him back in, shall we?”

I stood and unlatched my grav belt. “Help me get this around him.” I adjusted the belt to full length and stretched it out next to him. We rolled him on top then pulled and yanked to get the belt around him. Fortunately, these generic models were designed to be used by anyone in an emergency—all shapes and sizes. With a grunt, I got the clasp latched.

A few taps lifted him off the ground, with his head and feet hanging low. It would be wildly uncomfortable if he were conscious. We pushed him into the cell and dumped him onto the mattress.

A brief struggle got my belt free, and Lee shut the door. “Do we check the other two rooms?”

“You got a better idea?” I checked the stunner. “I’ve got one more shot before I need to recharge this thing.”

“Let’s make it count, then.” He grabbed the next door handle in his right hand and counted down with his left. On one, he flicked the unlock code and jerked the door open.

I lunged forward, stunner aimed into the dark room.

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