Salvaged Destiny by Lynn Rae Read Free Book Online Page A

submit. Submit, that was her term, submit to
their procedures here. It’s unacceptable and I need you to come—”
    Serra disappeared. The clinic only offered a set amount of
time for the patients to communicate with the outside. It was one of their many
techniques to encourage the patients to improve self-control.
    Despite her moans for help, Lazlo wouldn’t and couldn’t stop
everything and make ten jumps to see to Serra’s perceived needs, even if he were
still involved with her. Which he wasn’t and he’d made that clear to her several
times during her lucid moments. And Serra didn’t want him back anyway. He was
just one more person on her list of those to use. She’d never been faithful, or
free of controlled pharmaceuticals, in the whole time he’d known her. Serra was
being cared for perfectly well even if it wasn’t the care she thought she
should have.
    Lazlo sighed and wished fervently that this time the
treatment would work, that this time the doctors would be able to find just the
right spot in the young woman’s brain and tweak it just enough to eliminate her
inability to control herself when it came to so many things—drink, drugs, sex,
gambling. She was a master at destroying herself and others with each and every
vice.
    If only she could be well. Her poor mother deserved a child who
wasn’t going to steal from her and blame her for her troubles. Lazlo was just
coming to accept that he deserved to fall in love with someone who treated him
well in return, not someone who had betrayed him and damaged his reputation
with every move she made. His counselor would be so pleased.
    Not for the first time, Lazlo wished he had a friend to talk
with about it—to express a little of the frustration and guilt, to hear someone
say it wasn’t his fault. His counselor cared, but it was just professional
concern. He looked around at all of the disorder in his life and felt
overwhelmed. The door pinged with the custom tone he’d programmed the day he’d
moved in and he rose and walked over.
    Checking the monitor, he saw his mentor Detective Chin,
smiling and holding up one of the items Lazlo hadn’t been able to locate from Citizen
Browen’s list—a respirator filter. Feeling much better, he opened the door and
caught the faceplate as his coworker tossed it to him, then sauntered into the
apartment, taking in all of the debris with quirked eyebrows.
    “What the crack is all this?” he drawled, his Obregon slur
elongated for emphasis. Chin was dapper, contained and darkly suspicious. Lazlo
always felt like a badly shaved bear whenever they went out together—he was
lumbering and too eager to please while woman after woman bypassed him and
fluttered to Chin’s side. But the man was resourceful—witness the filter Lazlo
had needed. And Chin knew all there was to know about how things worked on
Sayre, which was a great asset to Lazlo.
    “I’m trying to pack for a hike. That’s why I needed the
filter and messaged you when I couldn’t find mine.”
    “No wonder you couldn’t find it. This place is a mess.”
    “It’s not so bad. It’ll be fine once I pack my bag for
tomorrow.”
    “I’m sure packing a bag will make a dent in it.” Chin
wandered into the kitchen and opened the chiller, looking for an ale, Lazlo
would bet. Soon enough he returned, shoving aside a pile of uncoiled rope and
taking a seat on the sofa as Lazlo looked over the filter.
    “Thanks again for the filter. Have you used this?”
    “Never. I don’t plan on ever leaving this port until I can
ship off. Therefore, I have no need for that fungal filter. This planet has
more infectious spores than any place on this arm of the galaxy.” Chin took a
drink and peered at Lazlo. “Why do you need all this equipment?”
    “I’ve been assigned the task of testing some new
surveillance equipment. In the Outlands.”
    “From Sekar? Sounds perfect for you and your little bot
friends. Isn’t Trixie going with you?”
    “Can you