Heart of a Smuggler Read online

  Heart of a Smuggler

  Smugglers steered clear of the Daamens.

  Except for this smuggler and her motley crew.

  “Well, well,” she said gaily. “Finishing some business, I see?” She waved past Shamon at Simon, who, Shamon saw from a quick glance over his shoulder, didn’t know whether to laugh or frown.

  To be fair, there was something about the wench’s tenacity and boldness that tickled the humour of the Daamens…along with annoying them at times.

  “I don’t believe I’ve met you,” she continued, sticking out her hand to Torkra, who was staring at her. “I’m Gabie.”

  Not knowing what else to do, and never one to embarrass a lass, Torkra gingerly engulfed her hand in his big palm and gave it a gentle shake.

  “We’re in the same business.” She looked slyly at Shamon and Heddam.

  “I strongly doubt that,” Shamon returned. “In fact, wench, I know ‘tis not true.”

  “Why, you big joker, you!” She gave him a hearty smack on one massive bicep.

  He’d sure like to return the hearty smack on a very pert bottom.

  “He’s such a joker,” she informed Torkra.

  “Ha,” Torkra said, totally at a loss.

  “So…” Gabie eyed the loaded hover trays near the merchants with whom the Daamens were dealing. “Business is good, huh?”

  “Our business is good.” Shamon eyed the bright-eyed wench with one upraised brow, torn between the desire to laugh or scowl, an emotion never far off when Gabie was around. The wench was outrageous. “Your business isn’t.”

  What They Are Saying About

  She has taken us to many worlds and fought many battles and yet she can still keep us on the edge of our seat and has us begging for more. I don’t know how she does it as long as she keeps on doing it I don’t care, I just want more. If sci-fi is your cup of tea, this story is one you cannot miss."

  Lydia Funneman

  Writers Unlimited

  "...a book written a little differently from the others in the series. Before, there was some humor, some lighter than others, yet the darkness inundated them till the end. This time, Angela has used a decidedly lighter touch, and it serves her well. Simon and Gabie are not a pair you can really take seriously, they are both inherently lighthearted, and that is not lost in the telling. Once again, I found The Heart of a Smuggler to be an exceptional read, and one that I know I will go back to again and again."

  Rose

  Romance at Heart

  "...is known for her futuristic adventure romance novels with strong characters, lots of action, and a mystery or two. Heart of a Smuggler has all that in spades! We also see a dash more of humor in this book than is usually found....has just the right formula for success with her Heart and Soul series. Heart of a Smuggler is a mighty fine example of the fact Angela’s star is still on the rise and will continue in that direction for a long long time.

  I’m loving every minute of the journey and hope the adventures in the Heart and Soul universes never stops!

  "Kelley A. Hartsell

  ck2skwipsandkritiques

  Other Works From The Pen Of

  Angela Verdenius

  Heart of an Outlaw February 2003

  An outlawed warrior saved by a Daamen trader. Love blossoms, a powerful enemy threatens. Passion, betrayal, bloody legends, and a shocking secret in a galaxy of enemies and friends.

  Soul of a Mercenary May 2003

  Reya walks the edge of insanity, her soul darkening beneath a bloody secret.

  For love, Maverk will follow the Reeka warrior into the nightmare reaching out for her.

  Heart of the Betrayed August 2003

  Betrayed once, Dana trusts no man. Garret will risk everything to prove his love – even if it means assisting her betrayer, and entering a country split by hate.

  Love’s Sweet Assassin November 2003

  Trying to discover the identity of his enemy, the ruthless Argon will pit his wits against the short, outrageous assassin. It should be straightforward…shouldn’t it?

  Soul of a Hunter February 2004

  The bounty hunter’s soul thirsted for vengeance, her life given to the hunt.

  He’d thought Sabra was dead. Now he’s found her again, Cam won’t give her up.

  Love’s Bewitching Thief June 2004

  Felys female: thief, feline-like, bewitching – and coming on heat. Argon: sensual, looking for revenge – and captivated. The Cyborg: he just wants to kill the Felys.

  Heart of the Forsaken December 2004

  First Sonja high jacks his ship, then his heart. But can Red battle the evil legacy from an old Empire that threatens to engulf her?

  Soul of a Witch June 2005

  In a bid to save a boy’s soul from powerful dark forces, a famous witch and a notorious pirate must unite. Will their growing love survive what is to come?

  Heart of a Traitor Dec 2005

  The Daamen trader shows mercy to the disgraced soldier who was flogged, branded traitor, and left for the outlaws. But now she’s committing treason – and the law is closing in.

  Soul of the Forgotten June 2006

  A forgotten Reeka, freed after long years of imprisonment. Now she has to learn to live again…and to love. But someone wants her dead.

  Love’s Beguiling Healer Dec 2006

  An Argon healer and a Felys officer…fur will fly and passion will flare. But Death is closing in, and now it’s a race against time.

  Heart of a Peacekeeper June 2007

  Escalating outlaw activity, savage attacks, and clashes between a handsome Daamen trader and a hot-tempered Head Peacekeeper, can only culminate in two things ……one hotly intimate, the other so very deadly…

  Soul of a Predator Dec 2007

  When predator meets predator, they wipe each other out.

  But when they’re forced to work together, the consequences of discovering dangerous secrets will be devastating.

  Love’s Winsome Warrior June 2008

  Twice the Heat, Obsession & Danger…where love and hatred exist… where the past claws into the present…and where murder is just one of the goals

  Wings

  Heart of a Smuggler

  by

  Angela Verdenius

  A Wings ePress, Inc.

  Futuristic Romance Novel

  Wings ePress, Inc.

  Edited by: Leslie Hodges

  Copy Edited by: Elizabeth Struble

  Senior Elizabeth Struble

  Managing Editor: Leslie Hodges

  Executive Editor: Lorraine Stephens

  Cover Artist: Richard Stroud

  All rights reserved

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Wings ePress Books

  http://www.wings-press.com

  Copyright © 2009 by Angela Verdenius

  ISBN 978-1-59705-349-5

  ISBN 978-1-59705-667-0

  Published In the United States Of America

  January 2009

  Wings ePress Inc.

  403 Wallace Court

  Richmond, KY 40475

  Dedication

  My Mum, Doreen Verdenius, as always. For being there when I needed you.

  To all my friends on the ‘net and here in town…you made m
e laugh and were there when I needed to come up for air.

  To my fur babies, who all had a hand in helping me write my books. I couldn’t do without your fur clogging up the printer, and your paws putting strange words on my computer screen. Thanks!

  And as always, Leslie Hodges for being my long-suffering editor yet again, and Richard Stroud for doing my cover once more.

  And to my readers everywhere - thank you for your emails! I treasure them all.

  One

  Gabie squinted up at the dark sky. Clouds covered the moon, but still she didn’t like it.

  “Damned stupid idea,” Olin muttered beside her. “Not a good night to be picking up goods.”

  “Not much choice, either,” she returned. “It’s pick-up now or forget the deal for another month.”

  “And you’re not prepared to wait another month.”

  “And I’m not prepared to wait another month.”

  Paz, standing on Gabie’s other side, stared morosely up at the dark ship approaching in the sky, a flicker of moonlight escaped the heavy clouds to shine off the hull. “We’re doomed.”

  “We’re not doomed,” Gabie replied.

  “We’ll end up on Cardrak, the prison planet.”

  “And you’ll be someone’s favourite pet, sweetie,” Misha’s voice came through the miniscule communicators they all had hidden in their ears. “You’ll have warm arms to snuggle into on cold nights. Big, brawny arms.”

  “That’s not funny,” Paz said.

  “Don’t fret. Just close your eyes and think of... well, there won’t be any dinnos to think of, will there?” She laughed loudly, making Gabie wince. “Just rely on memory while some big lug is heaving and grunting over you and holding you real close.”

  Paz shuddered. “We’re doomed.”

  “Don’t worry,” Gabie said. “I’ll shoot you myself before I let the law take you.”

  “We’re doomed.”

  Grinning, Gabie watched the big ship swoop low, hover, and finally land not far away. The ramp came down and shadowy shapes of the other crew appeared.

  “Misha?” Gabie queried.

  “It’s them and it’s safe... or as safe as it can be with Mazo.”

  Jerking her thumb at her two crew members, Gabie ordered, “Let’s move.”

  They walked forward, the dimness of their surroundings almost swallowing them up. Overhead came the rumble of thunder and a streak of lightning snapped through the sky to briefly light up the scene below them.

  Gabie didn’t need the brief blaze of light to know her surroundings. It was one of twenty spots that she knew of to collect contraband. Harsh vegetation, rocky hills, and bad weather almost permanently. Good cover for illegal transactions.

  It didn’t mean it was always safe and she didn’t want to hang around. Not only the vegetation could be harsh, but those she dealt with weren’t always the safest—or sanest—of people in the universe.

  Precisely why Misha was in the control cabin with all space ship lasers primed and ready to fire at a second’s notice.

  “I don’t like dealing with Mazo,” Paz muttered. “He’s unpredictable.”

  “Where’s your sense of adventure?” Gabie stroked the handle of the laser where it protruded from the holster at her thigh.

  “Trying to stay alive.”

  “And dull.”

  “Dull but alive.”

  Gabie laughed.

  The men in the cargo hold of the other ship didn’t pause in their movements. Now that she and her crew were closer to the ship Gabie could see the hover trays being loaded. The dim light in the cargo hold was just enough to see by, dim enough to be safe from prying eyes.

  A tall, thin man with a wisp of hair on his freckled scalp strode forward, a tiny disc in his hand which he handed to Gabie. “It’s all here.”

  “Really? How sweet.” Gabie slipped the disc into the handtronic she drew from her jacket pocket and scanned the contents. “Aw, Mazo, you come up trumps again.”

  “There’s no need to double-check it.” Mazo’s eyes narrowed. “It’s all here.”

  “Of course it is. Never doubted it for a second.” Gabie pocketed both the handtronic and the disc. Rubbing her hands, she peered around his thin frame to the cargo being loaded. “Quite a nice load.”

  “Top quality.” Mazo paused. “Sort of.”

  Gabie laughed outright.

  Paz and Olin stood by the ramp as the first of the hover trays descended. Paz led the first hover tray back towards Gabie’s ship, Larceny, and Olin followed with the second hover tray.

  When one of Mazo’s men made to move with the third hover tray, Gabie shook her head and smiled sweetly. “Sorry, honey, you know the rules.”

  “You’re paranoid, Gabie,” Mazo stated.

  “Of course I’m paranoid.” Gabie tapped her fingers on the big crate and looked at the crew member. “Now back off, honey.”

  He gave her a sour look before stomping back up the ramp.

  Standing to one side, Gabie watched as Olin and Paz took the hover trays to their ship, scanned the contents for anything dangerous or anyone hiding within the crates—it wouldn’t be the first time a more powerful smuggler raided another smuggler’s ship from the inside by hiding in crates—and unloaded the cargo onto their own hover trays.

  Gabie didn’t trust other smugglers—thieving lot of bastards, and she should know—and she didn’t trust their equipment, either. A smart move she’d learned a long time ago.

  Rain started to patter down by the time all the cargo was unloaded and repacked into Larceny.

  Gabie handed over the dinno chip that Mazo would later cash for the amount paid for the cargo. “As always, Mazo, a pleasure doing business with you.”

  He stared at her long and hard and she smiled widely back. With a grunt he turned and moved back to his ship.

  No fool, Gabie backed towards her own ship, never once turning her back on her fellow-smugglers. Gaining the safety of Larceny’s ramp, she finally turned and strode up into the cargo hold, the ramp rising up and locking shut behind her.

  Pleased, she looked around the cargo hold at the neatly secured stacks of illegal goods. She’d paid a lot for it but she’d get a darned sight more in the Lawful Sector. Feeling immensely pleased with herself, she went up to the control cabin.

  Misha looked up from where she was scanning for other ships in the area. Her long braid flicked at her waist when she turned her head, the white mohawk riding high on her scalp. Her skin shone white in the cabin lights, her pale, pink-rimmed eyes studying her captain.

  “Let’s go, Misha.” Dropping down into the captain’s seat, Gabie kicked back, swung her heels up to rest on the console and crossed her ankles. Stretching her arms above her head, she bent them at the elbows and rested linked palms behind her head. “We’ve goods to sell!”

  “Good deal, huh?”

  “Mazo might be a psycho, but he deals in nothing but top-quality looking but bad-quality stuff.” Gabie gave a sigh of contentment.

  Misha rolled her eyes and flipped the controls that made the engines roar into life. The ship shuddered and creaked.

  “This heap will fall apart one day,” she shouted above the roar of the engines.

  “Nonsense!” Gabie yelled back. “Top ship!”

  “You think?” Misha’s hands trembled along with the ship as it shuddered.

  The cupboard door behind them fell off its hinges.

  “Oops,” said Gabie. “Must get Olin to fix that one day.”

  “He’s already done it.”

  “Not well enough, obviously.”

  “The only thing left he can do is nail it shut!”

  “My goodness, you do exaggerate.” Gabie held up one finger. “See? The engine is dying down—”

  “It’s dying, all right.”

  “Indicating we’re ready to go.” Gabie smiled widely as silence descended on the ship, the engines recovering enough to resume normal operations. “Let’s move it.”

&
nbsp; Shaking her head, Misha steered the spaceship up and off into the night sky. Within minutes nothing but stars surrounded them, and the Lawful Sector was theirs for the taking.

  ~ * ~

  Standing in the centre of the Trade Building, Shamon rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting while Aamun and Simon, his captain, finished sealing the trade with the merchant. Stifling a yawn, he glanced around.

  The Trade Building wasn’t busy. The only ones there were the two merchants and his own fellow Daamen traders from Simon’s ship.

  “Won’t be long now.” Heddam raked one hand through his shaggy fall of hair and stretched leisurely. “The last of the cargo is coming in with Mikal, Kel and Etol. Then we can head for the tavern for a hot meal and a cold drink.”

  “Aye.” Torkra straightened from setting the last sack down on the bench. “And a warm wench.”

  “Lust-crazed youth.” Shamon grinned in amusement and rubbed his close-clipped beard.

  “’Tis just you old uns growing a little slower and softer,” Torkra retorted. “We young bloods have to keep up our reputation of wench-lovin’, brawl lovin’ traders.”

  “Is that right?” Heddam winked at Shamon. “I reckon we can teach the young bloods a thing or two yet, don’t you agree, Shamon?”

  “Oh, aye,” Shamon replied, flexing his bulging muscles. “And less of the old, Torkra, I’m only thirty.”