Depot-14: Dead or Alive

By J.J. Mainor

A constable from Marsden arrives with a warrant for Jakarta’s arrest. Her innocence is not in question, but with the lawman’s reputation, Jakarta may not survive long enough to clear her name.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.J. Mainor
• Release date: May 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370785247

J.J. Mainor

I can talk about my characters and stories far more easily than I can talk about myself. The best way to learn about me is through those stories. Writing primarily science fiction, I enjoy worlds and universes that aren't so black and white. Every story has something to say, and every message is not as straight-forward as it seems. We tend to boil ourselves down and define ourselves according to neat labels, whether by race, gender, political identity, or whatever; and the truth is, we're more complicated than that. I try to write worlds and characters that reflect that complexity and diversity of belief.

Book preview

Depot-14: Dead or Alive

Copyright 2017 by J.J. Mainor

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 1

That tone disturbed Jakarta’s peaceful sleep! A slight chime piping into her room through the intercom told her a ship approached requesting attention. One eye opened to check the time, and finding a quarter of the night lay ahead of her, the young woman briefly considered ignoring it.

It wasn’t unusual for ships to arrive during her night. After all, time did not exist in space as it was marked in the human world and on the tiny supply depot she and her partner operated according to the artificial clock of the central office on the planet below. Traffic was coordinated according to that clock as best as the depot company could manage, many ships and their captains, especially those operating from other worlds and other time zones, were simply not considerate toward this sleep schedule.

She opened her other eye and reached for her console that she might open a channel to this ship and learn their business. Normally they waited for these ships to dock but at these late hours, she was more interested in getting them in and out as it were, so that she could return to her dreams.

A middle-aged man with a couple days’ worth of stubble around his chin appeared on the tiny screen of her personal terminal.

Is this Supply Depot-14, he asked bluntly, getting right down to business.

It is, she replied. Jakarta Jones at your service. What can I do for you?

Jakarta Jones, you said?

Yes. The way he asked that left her a bit uncomfortable. Most captains looking for her or Colton by name knew of their reputation. They were sought out for business, and the mood was always cordial. When someone sought her by name with a short mood as this man wore, it never meant for pleasant business. There was something familiar in the way he asked though, that her groggy mind could not place. It was as if she had heard others asking for identity in the same cold way, but she could not recall who or where. The man didn’t even have the courtesy to identify himself before severing the channel. Only way she was to learn was to drag herself from the bed and get to work.

His ship wasn’t all that far out, and it was at the airlock by the time Jakarta threw on her gray jumpsuit and climbed down. Colton, always the early riser between the two of them, was already bright-eyed and waiting for her with the same curiosity.

Any idea what this is about? he asked her. Usually, he was the one to jump on the communications before Jakarta had the chance, but this was one of those few times she beat him to it…and it left him more curious than she was.

Wouldn’t say, just that he seemed interested in me before he cut out.

You? What did you do now? he asked with a smile.

It’s too early for your jokes, she complained.

The panel on the floor beside the airlock indicated the seal was tight, and soon the hatch opened to bring their guest aboard.

The man stood about as tall as Jakarta, and he carried a bit more weight…not overly fat, rather enough to give a stocky appearance beneath his vest and coat. What stuck out to both of them was the badge pinned to the chest, half-visible as the coat flopped about during his climb.

Welcome, Colton greeted, shoring up a measure of respect for this apparent lawman. I’m Colt Wells, and this is my partner Jackie.

The man kept his eye firmly planted on the young woman as he handed over a data tablet to the young man beside her. The screen held a document with lots of tiny words and Colton wondered if he was meant to read the whole thing to get his answers.

Chad Granger. I’m the constable on Marsden, he finally told them. That is a warrant for the arrest of Jakarta Jones.

On what crime! she snapped. It was inconceivable that she could be wanted on Marsden. She had spent a little time on some of the other worlds under the Republic flag, but Marsden had so far eluded her visit.

Murder, Granger told her coolly.

Murder! she shouted. It was an accusation no one dared make lightly, and it offended her that she was thus accused. There was no possible way Marsden could charge her for such a crime. Sure she had killed a fair number of outlaws in defense of the depot, the ships, and the passengers, but that was all far from Marsden’s jurisdiction.

What ran through her mind was the corruption of some lawmen in the worst of the jurisdictions throughout the sector. There were those bought and paid for by the most successful of criminals. In her mind, this charge was orchestrated by some major off-world gang seeking revenge for a foiled plot against her station. And she was ready to fight this man to prevent it.

Colton sensed the anger seething within her, and he stepped in before she did something terrible.

Who was she supposed to have killed? he asked the constable. When did this supposed murder take place?

Six months ago, Granger explained. A drug facility was hit by a group. They killed two security guards and stole a shipment from the warehouse worth a half million credits.

Jackie couldn’t have done it, Colton proclaimed. She was here on the depot with me. Station logs will prove that.

And these station logs of yours can be altered, fabricated even. If you click to the appendix, he said pointing to the tablet in Colton’s hands, you’ll see the evidence I have confirmin’ Miss Jones’ involvement. Security cameras picked up Miss Jones personally pullin’ the trigger on both guards. We found security footage from a local hotel showin’ that same woman checkin’ in under the name Jakarta Jones.

Colton looked over the still images from the footage and struggled to see the similarity between that woman and his best friend. The image was blurry enough that he could cast doubt in the match, and he turned to Jakarta, confident this charge was bogus.

His friend was not so confident. Her movements went uncharacteristically still. Her face lost all its anger and her mouth hung open. She knew something upon seeing that image, something she feared, something she fought to contain.

Get those logs, she told her friend with a voice void of all emotion.

You’re not seriously considerin’ this? he asked her.

Only way to clear my name is to go with Mr. Granger and have my trial.

It’s a sham and you know it. He made all this up just to get you away from Durango.

It’s no sham, she told him. Her sullen acceptance of these facts transferred to Colton a new fear, a sense of dread that his friend was not the woman he knew. Yet that seemed foreign to him. Had this crime occurred years ago before they ever met, he might have understood her attitude; but as he told this constable, the two of them were together – there was no possible way for it to be true.

If we get him to drop it, she went on, "it’ll only come back to haunt me later when someone else picks it up. Only way to put this to rest is to let the law run its course. Those logs and your testimony will cast enough doubt for a judge, and once