Pax Contentio

By T.E. Sharp

Jack and Tam have found relative peace building cloaks and running missions for the Association, but their peace, and lives, are put in danger by conflicts created by the Alliance, Syndicate, and a secret from Jack's past.

Book two of the epic Pax Lorem series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: T.E. Sharp
• Release date: May 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310771040

T.E. Sharp

T.E. Sharp grew up in Dallas, Texas, and has lived in Chicago, Boston, and New Hampshire. She now resides in Alexandria, VA with her son, dog, cat, bird, and worm farm.Please feel free to contact me here, at [e-mail], @tesharpwriter on twitter, T.E. Sharp on facebook, or find me on goodreads.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1

March 1, 2098

When are we going to be there? Dave whines.

I clench my fists on the arms of my chair. Shut up, Dave.

We will be there in twenty-nine hours and thirty-two minutes, Jack responds evenly.

I don’t know what will annoy me more for the next twenty-nine hours, Dave’s facetious questions or Jack’s sincere responses. I’m going to the gym.

Dave starts to rise.

I shoot him a dark look. Alone.

My mind wanders as I punch the heavy bag. Sure, we need additional help. Sure, we need someone with the right skills, who won’t use them to slit our throats in our sleep. Sure, we need someone smart enough to evade capture and think their way out of a jam, but not smart enough to ask too many questions. Sure, we need someone with experience who isn’t also wanted by the Alliance for any serious crimes.

But once again I wonder why it has to be Dave. I can deal with his macho, misogynist routine. I can deal with his crude language and even cruder sense of hygiene. I can deal with his constant complaining. When you put them all together though, I’m pretty sure one of us is going out the airlock.

A few minutes later Jack pokes his head through the door. Feeling better? he asks hesitantly.

I grunt.

Just ignore him.

I roll my eyes and punch harder.

We need him.

Don’t tell me what we need. I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you. We don’t need him. I land a particularly hard kick on the side of the bag.

Jack winces. Maybe not, but until we have a replacement we still need his help on this mission.

I hit the bag a few more times, although my arms feel like lead. Maybe if I ignore him he will leave.

Jack clears his throat. You know we have other options.

Don’t start, I grumble.

Tam, you cannot have it both ways. Guys like Dave are hard to find. Really hard to find. They are all going to be…rough. Most will be worse, much worse. If we used the general’s men we would not need Dave.

No. I grimace at the thought. Anyway, the general found Dave, remember?

But Dave is not a soldier. A soldier is going to follow orders and stay out of the way the rest of the time.

Okay, I admit that sounds really good right now, but I still shake my head. I said no. No soldiers. No rebels. We do the mission, we leave. They’re the client. We aren’t joining the damn Association.

Jack sighs. Using their men does not mean we joined the Association.

Inwardly I cringe. Jack is brilliant, but naive. He spent his whole life in wealth and privilege. He really does see the Association as Christmas help. He doesn’t see the strings that come with their involvement.

Jack walks over and kisses me lightly. I know you are frustrated, but we will be there soon. I can cover the bridge for a while. Go relax.

I raise an eyebrow.

Jack laughs. Okay, then go review the specs for the shield adaptors. If everything looks good we should be able to start building tomorrow.

That raises my spirits. If we can drop off the finished product when we return, we will get paid for the mission and the delivery. That will set us up for a few months, long enough we may actually have time to replace Dave. Or kill him. Whatever.

Jack laughs tentatively. That smile worries me.

I’m just looking forward to finishing the project, I lie.

We may not be able to finish in four days. We have to prep for the mission too.

I wince at Jack’s pragmatism. That means more time with Dave. But maybe it won’t matter. Maybe Dave will give me a reason to kill him first.

A few hours later Jack pokes his head in my office. How do the plans look?

Jack, this is brilliant. You’ve cut the installation time in half.

Jack doesn’t even smile at the compliment. Sometimes I don’t know if he is unassuming, or assumes he is a genius. Or both. But we need to test it, and it needs to work perfectly. Did you find any problems?

Not so much problems as potential failure points. Let me show you.

Jack sits down next to me. We walk through the plans and changes until my stomach starts rumbling.

Jack stands and stretches his arms over his head. I think that is it. We can eat then start building tomorrow.

Tonight.

Jack winces. Tonight?

Yeah, I can start on the frame after dinner.

Welding?

One word answers and Jack is never a good combination. What’s going on? I ask suspiciously.

Jack looks down. Nothing. Never mind.

Uh oh. Jack, nothing is nothing. Never mind is not nothing, it’s something.

Nothing. Really nothing.

Tell me.

He pauses a moment, looking towards the door. I just thought we would do something together tonight.

We are, we’re having dinner then working on the shield adaptor.

Right, and I love working with you, but I meant something, you know, more… Jack trails off.

Jack, we always have sex after welding. You really like watching me. It seems to be some engineering guy thing with you.

You noticed that? Well okay, yes, but that is not what I meant. He pauses then takes my hands in his. I wanted to celebrate.

Celebrate?

Yes. But really it is no big deal.

Was this something I should have known? What are you celebrating?

Jack looks sad. Or hurt. Something not good. It was one year ago that we escaped from Capitoline, he responds quietly.

Well that kind of seems odd to celebrate as it left Jack with a fractured leg, dislocated shoulder, and potential nemesis, but he did escape almost certain death. I hadn’t realized it had been a year. Sure, we should celebrate. It’s not every day you cheat death.

Jack lets go of my hands and stands up. I wanted to celebrate us, emphasis on the word ‘us’, deciding to be together.

Us?

Yes Tam, us.

Oh. Great, now I have caught the one-word-answer disease.

Jack shakes his head and walks towards the door.

Wait, that came out wrong. Of course I want to celebrate… I realize I am talking to an empty office.

Hell, I probably had that coming. I lean back in my chair at stare at the ceiling. How am I going to apologize?

I head back towards the bridge. Jack, please, let’s talk.

Not now, Tam.

Yes now, Jack. This is obviously important to you.

And it is obviously not important to you.

I wince when I realize I’m making things worse. Then I wince again when I hear a throat clear behind me. Well I’ll just go check the cargo bay for, um, rust. Dave rises from his chair and crosses between Jack and me to leave, winking as he passes me by. Great.

I turn back to Jack. I’m really sorry Jack. I didn’t remember the date. That doesn’t mean it isn’t important. That you aren’t important. We aren’t important. I have no idea what the right answer is.

Jack looks ready to bolt, but to his credit he doesn’t move. Is it Tam? Or is it just something convenient until something better comes along? Jack looks pointedly at the door where Dave just exited.

I roll my eyes. Oh come on, really. You are nothing like Dave. Sure, I want to replace Dave, but he’s an ape.

Jack shakes his head as if he is going to argue with me, then sighs. Look, I kind of do understand. We have never really talked about this. You gave me two months. It has been twelve. I thought it was because you wanted me to stay, that you accepted me as part of my life. Maybe I was being naïve. Maybe I was afraid of the answer. But now I need to know. Do you want me here?

Yes Jack, of course I want you here, I respond earnestly.

Do you want me here forever?

I start to answer, then stop. Forever?

Yes Tam, forever.

I don’t know the answer, and I can’t make my seized-up brain start trying to figure it out.

Yeah, that is what I thought. Jack rises to leave.

I don’t know, Jack. I haven’t thought about it. I’m sorry.

Jack looks down at me, almost smiling.

You’re happy now? Really? Do you want to leave? I’m suddenly angry, even though I’m the one who messed up. I think.

Jack does smile now. Hearing ‘I don’t know’ is a heck of a lot better than ‘no’. But Tam, you will think about it, right?

I will. I have a feeling I won’t stop thinking about it.

That is all I ask. Will you join me for dinner?

Jack surely realizes that his cooking provides a strong motivation to ask him to stay, and he would be right, I don’t even want to think about returning to cryo meals.

I’d like that. Let me grab a bottle of wine from the safe. I pause. Can you find something to occupy Dave?

Sure. The bearings need greasing.

Perfect.

Chapter 2

March 2, 2098

Damn it, I can’t tie this thing, I grumble.

Jack sighs. I could never do these looking in the mirror. Please try again?

Ok. I fumble with his bowtie, trying to follow his instructions.

Oh for goodness sakes, let me do it or we will be late. Dave pushes me out of the way.

What are you doing? I ask, but it’s rhetorical since Dave has it tied in about ten seconds. How the hell do you know how to do that?

Dave winks. Knots are my specialty.

I groan. Then I notice Dave has on a bow tie, and a tuxedo, and looks, well, not like Dave. You look different. And smell different.

Thank you for the compliment. Not that I meant it that way, but he continues. And thanks for the lube job last night, by the way. I spent three hours trying to get the smell of rancid grease off my skin.

You’re welcome. Best not to mention to which point I’m responding.

I forgot my cufflinks. Be right back. Jack heads towards our quarters.

Tam, can you help me with my earpiece? Dave asks.

I raise my eyebrows. You can tie one of those but you need help inserting the earpiece that you use on every mission?

Well it’s really hard to do by yourself.

I ignore Dave’s smirk. Fine, hand it over. I take the earpiece and insert it into his ear roughly. Sorry, I mutter, quite insincerely.

Dave smiles. Don’t apologize, you can insert anything, anytime, anywhere you like.

I shudder. Shut the fuck up Dave, or I’ll insert my foot and make it as subtle as that comment. Thankfully Jack returns before I kick him. He might actually like it.

As usual before a mission, Jack looks nervous. Let’s review the plan one more time. A nervous Jack is a pedantic Jack.

Dave groans. Really?

Yes. I plan to make it out of there with my life, and my sanity.

I try not to laugh. The last time Jack had to go to a dinner party he found out that he had become quite a celebrity, and ended up cornered by eccentric, rich, blue-haired biddies for hours. This time we have a carefully planned ship emergency to call Jack away once the mission is accomplished.

Please let me just go in and kill him, I plead once again. This whole subterfuge is unnecessary.

Jack actually appears to consider it. No Tam. We do not have enough information. We do what we were asked to do by the general. No more, no less.

Fine, but it’s your cheeks that are going to get pinched. I cast a knowingly look both up and down. Now Jack groans.

We will review the plan on the way. Dave, can you make sure the gear is stowed? Jack asks.

Already done, Dave mumbles, not looking up from the fingernail he is inspecting.

I realize that I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dave’s hands clean before. Just do it Dave.

Dave’s head snaps up. Uh, right boss. Dave heads towards the shuttle bay.

Jack puts his hands on my shoulders. Tam, I want to make sure you know that I love you and I do want forever. With you.

Jack always gets nervous before a mission, even the kind that only involves talking. Since I don’t know what to say, I kiss him. Jack finally pulls away, looking flushed.

We will talk when I get back. Jack heads for the door.

Great.

Chapter 3

March 3, 2098

But when are we going to be there? Dave whines.

I toss a wrench at his head. Dave barely ducks in time.

Hey! he shouts.

Next time I won’t miss.

Dave grumbles something and looks back down at the com panel. Where is Jack anyway?

Asleep, and Jack never sleeps late. What did you guys do last night anyway? I expected you back hours earlier. You didn’t even use the distress call.

Aw, you were worried about us.

Hardly.

Aw, you trust us and know we can take care of ourselves.

Are you done complimenting yourself?

Dave ignores that. Want to see?

See what?

What we did last night. Dave pulls out a tablet.

I watch as a video of a room full of people appears. You stole the security footage? What the hell were you thinking?

I didn’t steal theirs. I took my own. I’m not a complete idiot.

Apparently you are. Do you know what they would have done if they caught you?

Dave gives me a funny look. I know exactly how they operate. That’s how I knew how not to get caught.

If we were six hours from the planet and still alive, chances were that he wasn’t caught. Did the general ask you to do this? If he gave a secondary mission to my team I would terminate our arrangement immediately. And then terminate Dave for not telling me.

No, I just thought it would be insightful.

Dave only uses big words when he has something. It’s one of his many poker tells. Show me.

Dave hands me the tablet.

At first I just see a crowd of well, if antiquely, dressed men and women standing in groups, holding cocktail glasses and talking stiffly, their smiles as disingenuous as their hair color. I’m so glad I don’t have to go on these missions.

Are you sure? Dave forwards the timeframe a few minutes, and the camera angle shifts to the left, showing a dance floor.

I don’t see the target, I ask, confused at why Dave took such as risk to record a completely benign event.

This was after we completed the mission. Keep watching, Dave responds.

I notice that this side of the room feels different. People talk and laugh, almost sparkling with gaiety. The music and movement unfolds into a magical scene. I look at Dave in surprise. If you were done, why didn’t you signal me for the emergency?

Dave just smiles and points back to the tablet. Jack waltzes by. Literally waltzes. I didn’t know he could dance. Then again, having sparred with him in the gym I’m not surprised at his grace. Then Jack turns away from the camera and I see his dance partner. Not old. Not blue. Not a biddy. But her hands are dangerously close to…

What the hell? I blurt out. I don’t even care that Dave is smirking and surely intended to cause a rift between Jack and myself.

You guys fighting again? Jack grumbles from the doorway. Is there coffee?

What the hell is this? I yell at Jack, pointing at the tablet.

Jack mutters something and walks over to the tablet, taking it from my hands. He backs up the video. His face transforms from sleepy to awake, then from anger to guilt, then back to anger. Dave, you are off this ship when we get back to the base. Jack heads for the galley.

What the hell? I follow Jack back to the galley. No way you are blaming this on Dave. What the hell was that about? I take a few breaths to try to calm down. After all, there could be a reasonable explanation related to the mission. Was that part of the mission?

Jack bangs the cabinet door open, and pulls out the coffee. No.

Okay, what else. A potential customer?

Jack slams down the lid to the coffee pot. No.

A supplier? Now I know I sound desperate.

Jack slams down an empty coffee cup. No.

I sink down into a chair, and my head sags to the table. I’m trying to be reasonable here Jack. Calm. Not jump to conclusions. You know, not like me. Like you want me to be. Give me something here. Why were you dancing with that woman after the mission was over? And now that I think about it, where were all the blue haired biddies you complain about? That didn’t look like the torture chamber you described at all.

Dave should not have done that.

Tell your secrets? I’m fuming.

Record the mission, Tam.

Yeah I’d be pissed too if I got caught.

Jack pins me with a stare. Nothing happened.

You changed the mission. Something most definitely happened. Help me understand.

Jack pours some coffee. Irina is an old acquaintance.

I wait for more, but he just sips his coffee. Acquaintance? I prod.

I knew her at university and through our families as well.

Girlfriend? So he had a past. I knew that.

We dated briefly.

You two certainly seemed like you had danced together before. A lot, I comment.

Yes we danced together before. It was expected, Jack retorts sharply.

I didn’t know you could dance.

You never asked.

This conversation suddenly sounds dangerously close to veering into ‘Tam’s lack of sensitivity’ territory. Time to get back on track. So you ran into an old friend.

Acquaintance.

Whatever. Acquaintance, and had a dance, then left?

Jack shakes his head, finally starting to show more guilt than anger.

Two dances?

Jack doesn’t respond.

Tell me. Please. I amend the barking tone in my voice.

We danced a few times, talked, and had a few drinks. Jack sips his coffee and grimaces a bit. Maybe more than a few drinks.

That explains why Jack slept late and didn’t wake me. But he is still staring into his coffee. What aren’t you telling me? I don’t want to mention it, but I can always ask Dave.

Irina has been at other parties.

Whatever control I had on my temper shreds. I slam the palm of my hand down on the table. So let me understand this. You’ve been going on missions, dancing, dining, and drinking with a beautiful ex-girlfriend, while I’m stuck here on the ship building your latest shield adaptor and hauling your ass out of trouble?

Our shield generator.

Don’t start that ‘we’re in it together’ crap with me. Obviously we are not in it together. One of us has a life outside. I guess it’s nice to have options.

Jack sits down and sags. His voice softens. I should have told you. I know. I thought you might be jealous. Jack puts up a hand to halt my next torrent and hurries on. Not about Irina, but about the missions. They are not glamorous and they really are painfully boring. You would hate it.

Right, because I really hate fine food and good music and talking to interesting people that aren’t also trying to kill me.

I am not saying there are not nice perks, but there is also a lot of listening to blowhards and pretending to enjoy self-aggrandizing conversation. The food and music get old pretty quick.

Says the man who has had a lifetime of it. I’ve never experienced that. Not once, I retort.

Tam, we do that here. We have a wonderful kitchen, music, wine, and each other.

Yeah, here on the ship. But you also have it out there. I point towards the door. I don’t. And that disturbs me more than I would like. Not because Jack can do these things and I can’t, but because I even want to do them. I’ve never needed anything outside the ship before. I’ve always been happy here.

Tam, you cannot go on these missions. You are a fugitive. You would never get through the front door.

You’re a fugitive too.

But you are an assassin. They are scared of you.

And what are you exactly?

That is not what they see. They see an engineer. Safe, academic. Someone who has what they want.

It’s true, I don’t like it, and I can’t change it. As usual.

So what is the deal with Irina? Has slumming with fugitives become trendy?

Jack swirls his coffee dregs around a few times. She wants to help.

Help you?

Help the Association.

What? Why? I ask suspiciously. Why would anyone risk their comfort and safety? What a fool, I mutter.

I did, Jack points out.

And just like that the conversation returns to my apparent lack of tact and sensitivity. That was different. You were threatened.

I changed course long before my brother came for me, Jack defends.

True. Maybe