Friction by R S Penney

Author:R S Penney [Penney, R S]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Beyond Time Books - A Next Chapter Imprint
Published: 2016-01-08T22:00:00+00:00

Jack pressed an ice pack to his chin, shutting his eyes tight. “Well, this is humiliating,” he muttered. “Beat up by some kid with a drug habit.”

The med-bay on Station Twelve was empty except for Dr. Katz who had wandered off to review some files. A set of double doors with clear windows looked out on a long hallway where people scurried back and forth even at this hour. The news of his fight at the banquet hall had probably gotten many people out of bed.

There were stacks of first-aid kits next to the emergency bed he had chosen, each one locked in a small metal case. The monitors that displayed his vitals – you only had to sit on the bed for them to activate – let out soft beeps as they tracked his heart rate.

The doors slid open.

Jena stood on the other side in track pants and a tank-top under a sweater that she left unzipped. Her hair looked like it had lost a fight with a pillow. “You okay, kid?” she asked, striding into the room.

Jack lowered his eyes to stare into his lap. “I'll live,” he said, nodding once. “What have we heard from the search teams? Have our people managed to corner and cage this asshole?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, there goes my morale.”

Jena did a quick about-face, pacing a line in front of him with arms crossed. The scowl on her face told him this was no time for jokes. “He's gone to ground somewhere,” she explained. “Witnesses saw him jump into a cab. We traced its route all the way to Lower Town, but no one knows where he went after that.”

Gritting his teeth with a hiss, Jack shut his eyes. He shook his head and let out a throaty growl. “This is my fault,” he muttered. “If I had been able to take him down, this would all be over.”

Jena stopped pacing.

Standing before him with arms folded, she looked over her shoulder. “Okay. Time for some tough love,” she said. “Kid, I know you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you're not doing anyone any favours.”

She rounded on him, and the ferocity in that scowl nearly made him fall backward off the bed. “This is not about you,” she said. “Get it through your head. You did exactly what you were supposed to do.”

“And he's still out there!”

“Welcome to the real world, son!” Turning her back on him, she marched all the way to the door before calming herself. “Sometimes, we can do everything right and still lose. Your guilt isn't helping.”

The instinct to reply with a quick quip was hard to suppress. Wrestling with all his emotions was even harder, but Jena had a point. He had done what he could, and now it was time to move on to the next thing. “You're right,” he said, hopping off the bed. “So what do we do now?”

Her shoulders slumped as she stood there with her back turned. “I don't know, kid,” she murmured.

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