Space Rescue One by Atk. Butterfly Read Free Book Online

cabin. Each technician went to one of the hostages and quickly escorted them out. After less than a minute, only the gunmen and team members remained in the room. More technicians from Rescue Team Two entered to take care of the wounded gunmen while the Chief, Shelly, and Richard kept them covered with their guns.

    ***
    On board the Space Rescue One, Chief Dickson waved Richard to his side. Richard came over.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Yes, Chief?" asked Richard.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "I've got a question for you. Were you the person who shoved me in that cabin?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Yeah, I shoved you," Richard responded.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Why?" asked the Chief.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Richard answered, "Well, it seemed like a good time to do it."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "You're not making sense, Saber. Why'd you shove me?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Shelly answered, "He did it to keep you from getting your head blown off. I could see one of the gunmen lining up on you, but I didn't have a clear shot at him. He got his shot off, but missed since you wasn't standing there any longer. Didn't you see the bullet scoring on the bulkhead behind you afterwards?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Uh, well, thanks then, Richard," Isaac said.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Don't thank me. You don't owe me a thing," Richard said.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "I owe you my life."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "I don't want your thanks. I just want you off my case," Richard stated flatly.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "I'm sorry you feel that way. Regardless, I still owe you for what you did. Will you let me buy you a drink?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Richard looked at the Chief with suspicion in his eyes. Then Richard shook his head slowly after thinking quickly. "No way, Chief. I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to get me to drink so you can get me dismissed from the team. Forget it. Keep your thanks to yourself."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Okay, be that way. You don't have to accept my thanks. I'll just leave you alone for now since that's what you want."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Good," replied Richard.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â As the Chief walked away, Shelly said, "Richard, you're becoming just as bad when you're sober as you are when you're drunk. What's wrong with you? Can't you be sociable enough to accept the man's thanks? He really meant it as that."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "I know what he meant," said Richard.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Well, I don't know what you mean anymore. Maybe you ought to return to the bottle. I was just getting to like you a lot."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Richard stammered, "But, he, I . . ."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Forget it, Richard. I don't want to hear your excuses. You probably had excuses for when you drank, too."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â He said, as she walked away, "Well, as a matter of fact, I did have my . . ." He mumbled the remainder to himself, "reasons. I guess you don't want to hear them though."

    ***
    Captain Shortner listened to the briefing concerning the gunmen presently in his brig.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "So, when the gunman was caught burgling the cabin, he panicked and shot his way out. He took hostages on the way back to his cabin. His partner was in their cabin putting away what he'd burgled just moments earlier when the gunman forced his hostages inside. They figured that they could outlast the crew by taking turns watching the hostages and doorway. Apparently they left that open so food could be delivered to them. Possibly for negotiations, too, though they had a cabin phone. Had he headed for the bridge instead, he might have succeeded in forcing the Captain to negotiate. No Captain wants to have his ship sent off into deep uncharted space by a desperate gunman," Chief Dickson said.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "Don't they keep their bridge shut off to prevent terrorist acts and hijack attempts?" Shortner asked.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â "No, they were busy letting