The Huntress by Michelle O'Leary Read Free Book Online Page B

the other rear seat, Mea turned to Terrik. “Up and out, handsome. It’s my turn.”
    He got to his feet smoothly, pulling his goggles back on, and Mea had to consciously pull her eyes away from him. He moved with all the powerful, magnetic grace of a hunting cat.
    But before she could sit, Warren said, “Ah, Mea? We still don’t have clearance to leave.”
    Hissing impatiently, Mea stomped back over in front of the screen. When it lit, a young woman gave her a tight smile. “Yes, Hunter Brin?”
    “Tower, if you don’t clear me a path within the next thirty seconds, I’ll clear one myself,” she stated, staring into the controller’s eyes with grim challenge.
    The woman lost her smile as she looked down briefly, making adjustments to the panel in front of her. Her mouth was pinched when she looked back up. “You are clear, Hunter Brin. Safe voyage.”
    “Thank you.” It hurt her lip, but Mea still smiled with sweet spite at the woman and cut the transmission. “Okay, let’s do this.” She sank down into the chair and activated the VR gear, hooking herself up. Darkness enshrouded her. “Warren, let me know when you’re ready.”
    Gravity shoved her down in the chair for a long moment when the
Starfire
leapt into space. She smiled in spite of the pain to her split lip at the almost inaudible throb of the engines. It was a good ship—sleek, powerful, and reliable.
    A few moments later, she heard Warren say quietly, “Can you fly this thing, Terrik? Nothing fancy—just need you to keep from running into any suns while we do this.” He must have gotten an affirmative. “Ready, Mea.”
    “Don’t let them sneak up on me.”
    “You know I wouldn’t.”
    Color bloomed around her as she activated the virtual reality. She still felt the seat beneath her, but the optical illusion of the VR made it seem as though she was floating before a huge, three-dimensional menu. Reaching out with the VR gloves, she moved quickly through a tree of selections until she was racing through hunter territory. Categories flipped past her with gut-wrenching speed until she came upon “List Records.” Here were the names and info of anyone ever sought by hunters. A tiny voice asked for authorization.
    “Mea Brin, alpha two three six one gamma.” A retinal scan caused momentary disorientation and then she was in. So far, she’d done nothing out of the ordinary. She was well within her rights to seek this information.
    “Search: Terrik, Seth.” A box floated out of the vast rows in front of her and she placed a hand on it.
    “Search: Stone, Baynard.” Another box made an appearance. “Secured station.” A little glowing room formed around her. In here, she was safe from any prying eyes, but she would also be unaware of anyone coming. She refrained from telling Warren again to keep a close watch.
    Opening the boxes with a delicate touch, she made a thorough inspection of the contents, fingering the three-dimensional symbols. When she was sure she knew all of the sections that needed to be switched, she sketched a careful line around each. “Release.”
    The system chimed a query, confused. She had entered as a hunter, not a programmer and the usual activity of a hunter here was data retrieval only. Mea repeated her command and the system allowed the various pieces to float free of the boxes. With quick, firm movements, Mea placed the sections in their new location.
    “Secure.” The system dutifully enfolded them, but Mea had no time for sighs of relief. Her work here was not done and she was running out of time. Closing the boxes and punching through the side of the little room, she raced across the rows of information.
    “Mea, you’re about to get company.” Warren sounded as tense as she felt.
    “Stall ‘em. Another minute is all I need.”
    “Make it a quick minute.”
    She fetched up against the Log Record, and it asked for authorization in an impersonal tone.
    “Michael Conley, alpha zero nine five four