Unchained by C.J. Barry Read Free Book Online

change of subject.
“Right this way.”
     
    Cidra left Barrios and
Decker in the crew lounge and headed to her quarters. The cabin
numbers were clearly marked on the sleek silver doors of Calíbre ’s main corridor.
As she stepped up to her cabin door, it slid open for the
personalized comm unit Decker had given her.
    The room was small and,
like the rest of Calíbre , puritanical but comfortable.
Cidra punched up the adjustable lighting. Standard silver metal
comprised most surfaces except for the blue mat flooring. One
narrow bed occupied the farthest wall. A small desk sat between the
bed and a single upholstered chair.
    Two doors flanked one wall. To her relief,
the first revealed a small private lav and shower. She had expected
trips to a public lav on a ship this size.
    When she pressed the controls to open the
second door, there was a faint click but the door didn’t budge.
After several failed attempts, she gave up and made a point to ask
Decker about the mystery door later.
    Instead, she stretched out on the bed. It
was small, but surprisingly comfortable. A grin crossed her face as
she wondered how well Barrios would be sleeping in these diminutive
beds, if only for the duration of her mission.
    The mission. Now that she was out from under
the dark cloud of Avion, excitement shimmered through her. It was
more than she could have ever hoped for. Finally, a chance to find
the answers to the questions that had haunted her for ten years.
Regardless of the evidence, it had never once occurred to her that
her father had deliberately withheld that shipment. Now all she had
to do was convince Grey. As much as she hated to admit it, she
needed his help, his ship, and his expertise. What would it take to
convince him?
    A gentle chime interrupted her thoughts.
Cidra hopped off the bed and walked to the door. It opened
promptly. A young woman stood smiling at her. Her black hair framed
her face like a bowl. Even standing still, she seemed to be in
motion.
    “ Hi, I’m Leena. Welcome
aboard.”
    “ Thank you,” Cidra said.
Leena looked back at her expectantly.
    Cidra hesitated. “Would you like to come
in?”
    “ Sure.” Leena bounded past
her and surveyed Cidra’s cabin with interest. “I’ve never been in
this cabin. It’s nice.”
    “ Isn’t it like all the
others?” Cidra asked as the door slid shut.
    “ Mmm, pretty much. A little
bigger, I think.” Leena nodded, agreeing with herself.
    Cidra glanced around the
tiny room and wondered how it could possibly be any smaller. She
sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Leena to take the
chair. “I see. How long have you been on Calíbre ?”
    “ Oh, about a year.” Leena
flopped into the chair. “Captain was looking for a gunner from
Vaasa. I was lucky enough to get the job.”
    Cidra eyed her. “Are you the gunner that hit
the Victor?”
    Leena flashed a proud smile. “That was me.
They were so close on your tail that Decker didn’t think I could
pull it off. You gave me an edge though. They were too busy trying
to keep up with you. Those were some pretty slick moves.”
    Cidra shrugged and looked away. “I didn’t
have much choice. It was move or die.”
    “ Whatever the motivation,
you sure impressed the deck crew. I know Coon will be happy to give
you the helm. Piloting is not his forte.”
    “ No? What is his forte?”
Cidra asked.
    “ If you ask him, he’ll say
penetration.”
    Cidra’s eyebrows shot up and Leena laughed.
“You’ll grow to love him. We all do. He’s our sweeper.”
    Cidra’s eyes narrowed. “A sweeper. Let me
guess. He probes a region for something. Using sensors?”
    Leena nodded vigorously, her hair bobbing
away. “Yup. It takes talent to pick up a specific object hiding in
a bunch of junk floating around in space. He has infinite patience
and stamina.” She held up her hand. “Don’t mention stamina to him
either.”
    Cidra laughed. Dinner promised to be an
adventure.
    A stray thought hit her. Pointing to