Shark Bait Cove: Sol Control, #4

By L. A. McGarvey

After the tragic banana incident, Rosemary's life is turned upside down. She must navigate the emotional turmoil of having inadvertently caused someone's death, while also facing the harsh reality that her own husband is a criminal serial killer. With the help of her colleagues at Sol Control, she dives deeper into the investigation and uncovers shocking revelations about her husband's activities.

 

Meanwhile, Kelvin Moby finds himself embroiled in a dangerous case involving the mysterious crash of Max Van Citra's spaceship. Despite the obstacles and resistance he faces from higher-ups, Kelvin refuses to give up on the investigation. As he delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a sinister plot that threatens the safety of the entire solar system.

 

As Rosemary and Kelvin dive deeper into their investigations, they find themselves grappling with their own personal demons. However, their separate paths soon converge as they uncover shocking revelations about common enemies who pose a threat to the entire solar system. Despite not knowing each other, Rosemary and Kelvin must work together to bring down the dangerous culprit before it's too late. Will they be able to save the solar system from imminent destruction?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trouble Twins Publishing
• Release date: Apr 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215957929

L. A. McGarvey

L. A. McGarvey is a goat wrestling, loader driving, horseback riding author with a unique sense of humour. Find her on Facebook @LAmcgarveyauthor  Email: [e-mail] 

Book preview

Shark Bait Cove

Sol Control #4

L. A. McGarvey

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Trouble Twins Publishing

Copyright © 2023 by L. A. McGarvey

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

1. Hendrix Dynasty

2. Rosemary

3. Hendrix

4. Rosemary

5. Hendrix

6. Rosemary

7. Hendrix

8. Rosemary

9. Crubs

10. Max

11. Hendrix

12. Crubs

13. Max

14. Crubs

15. Max

16. Rizwan

17. Crubs

18. Max

19. Matt Grimmer

20. Max

21. Kelvin Moby

22. Crubs

23. Kelvin

24. Sydney

25. Hendrix

26. Kelvin

27. Rosemary

28. Hendrix

29. Rosemary

30. Aturo and Baskin

31. Hendrix

32. Baskin and Aturo

33. Rosemary

34. Hendrix and Rosemary

35. Aturo

36. Rosemary

37. Rosemary

38. Rosemary

39. Rosemary

40. Sydney

41. Crubs

42. Max

43. Max

44. Max

45. Crubs

46. Max

47. Sydney

48. Max

49. Kelvin

50. Even Stevens

51. Even Stevens

52. Aturo

53. Kelvin Moby

54. Aturo

55. Even Stevens

56. Aturo

57. Crubs

58. Even Stevens

59. Kelvin

60. Aturo

61. Crubs

62. Aturo

63. Crubs

64. Kelvin

65. Control

66. Even Stevens

67. Moby

68. Even Stevens

69. Rosemary

70. Baskin

71. Matt Grimmer

72. Stella and Mitch Match

73. Detective Moby

74. Kelvin

75. Max

76. Max and Olivia

77. Max and Even

78. Crubs and Transistor

79. Kelvin

80. Kelvin

81. Max

82. Sydney

83. Kelvin

84. Sydney

85. Moby

86. Moby

87. Kelvin and Bentley

88. Control

89. Even Stevens

90. Control

91. Even Stevens

92. Rosemary

93. Even

94. Baskin

95. Rosemary

96. Rosemary

97. Rosemary

98. Darla's party

99. Max

100. Rosemary

101. Max

102. Rosemary

Also By L. A. McGarvey

About Author

one

Hendrix Dynasty

Hendrix Dynasty docked his sleek personal space yacht in the private docking berth he owned on Mireside, the old space station orbiting Mars. The clamps engaged and a few moments later his pilot console lit up, indicating the ship was now matched to the station atmosphere. He finished shutting his ship down, scheduled refuelling then went back to the lounge.

He could of course have simply hired staff and crew to do this for him, but he had some sensitive business to take care of on the station and the less interference the better. And he loved the challenge of piloting the ship himself.

Rosemary Deathly, his fiance was in the lounge, wearing the cream-coloured silk lounging pyjamas he’d bought for her. She looked up from the book she was reading on her datapad when he entered.

Stay on the ship. Mireside doesn’t use artificial gravity generators and you have no experience with weightlessness or fluctuating gravity. He ordered her.

But I was hoping to see the Halloween Festival. I have never been. I keep hearing how amazing it is, she stood up and crossed the lounge to where he was standing. She put her arms around his neck, drawing him down for a kiss. I wanted to go with you,

Annoyed with the distraction, he pushed her away. I don’t have time for this. I have an important meeting and I’ll be back in a few hours. Stay here. When I get back, we need to head back to Earth to prepare for the wedding. It’s going to take months of planning and I don’t need you getting lost in the crowd, or running into the gang on Mireside. Trust me, you don’t want to meet anyone from the Zero-G Rats.

Hendrix moved around the ship, preparing for his meeting. Rosemary pouted a little, but not seriously. She knew her place in his life, and she would do as she was told. He left the ship without a backward glance.

Mireside was packed to the gills. If the Space Safety Commission ever bothered to send officers to the station, it would certainly face hefty fines for being seriously over capacity. Hendrix had heard that the SSC hadn’t been to Mireside in years and didn’t even have a branch office on site anymore. It showed. The station was old and quietly falling apart. The reactor core had been leaking for at least a century. Overcrowding would probably be the least of the SSC’s concerns.

The Halloween Festival was in full swing and it brought in a lot of tourists from all over the galaxy. The festival got more popular every year. Although the station was seething with the tightly packed crowd, Hendrix had no difficulty navigating. The crowd parted, instinctively feeling his presence and moving out of his way, exactly the way a school of fish parted around a shark. He paid no attention to it. He owned half the galaxy and was used to it. Soon, if this meeting went the way he knew it would, he would own most of the galaxy in a few short years.

He checked his location. The Watney Cantina was across the corridor. He went inside to wait for his contact to show up.

two

Rosemary

Rosemary only waited a few minutes after Hendrix left before she plugged her datapad into the ship. She set a program to run, then changed while she waited. She put on a simple outfit that would blend in. It was generic and non-descript and once she bought a mask at a kiosk in the station, no one would even notice her.

The program finished. She unplugged her datapad, leaving the video loop playing and went out into Mireside. If Hendrix checked, he would only see her sleeping in the enormous bed in their bedroom.

There were several mask and costume vendors and she bought a mask from the first seller she passed. It too was a generic, popular design and as she moved through the crowd, no one paid her any attention.

Following the instructions Control had sent in an encrypted message, she went directly to the storage unit, tapped in her code and went inside. She locked the door and went to work.

three

Hendrix

Hendrix ordered the Cantina’s specialty, potatoes and stripey sausage while he waited. The waitress set the plate on the table just as one of his expected companions arrived.

Mr. Dynasty. Pleasure to meet you in the flesh.

Crubs. You want me to call you something else? Hendrix asked.

If it suits you. It doesn’t matter to me if people know I have dealings with you. Crubs said and helped himself to one of Hendrix’s sausages.

Hendrix shoved the plate over to Crubs, then motioned for the waitress to bring another plate.

What do you want? Crubs asked, around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

We are waiting for someone else to get here. Enjoy my potatoes while we wait. The waitress dropped another plate off in front of Hendrix.

The two men ate in silence, watching each other and the crowd. Hendrix checked his datapad several times. The waitress came and cleared their table, then brought them a jug of beer. It was half gone before Crubs said, I don’t think he’s going to show up,

Hendrix made a call and spoke to someone for a moment before hanging up. No. Seems he has disappeared. Looks like it’s just you and me. Shall we retire to the back room to discuss things privately?

Crubs shrugged. Sure,

Hendrix stood up and went to the bar, Crubs tagging along behind.

four

Rosemary

Rosemary, dressed in Nanoflage exited through the secret entrance at the back of the unit and left the storage unit behind. Her suit camouflage wasn’t activated yet, and she put the helmet up on her suit as she reentered the flow of the crowd.

Her HUD showed her a schematic of the station and the last known location of her target, Huber Huff. Huff was a member of the Zero-G Rats, the notorious Mireside gang Hendrix had warned her about. But Hendrix was wrong, she absolutely did want to meet someone from the Zero-G Rats.

Huff was on his way to have a meeting with Hendrix. Hendrix thought she didn’t know, but she had tapped his comms some time ago. He was meeting Crubs as well, she knew, but another Control agent, Aturo Oneal, was assigned to observe that.

She spotted Huff skulking in the crowd. He hadn’t bothered with a costume. As a native of Mireside, the Festival got tiresome after a while and it was mostly something for the tourists to do.

Rosemary ghosted up to him. He frowned and fiddled with the device he was holding. It wasn’t a datapad, but something cobbled together with leftover parts.

The ZGRs were known for their skill at working with scavenged parts, as well as smuggling anything and everything, the local drug trade and theft. If it was illegal on Mireside, you could bet the ZGRs had their fingers in it.

Control had heard hints and rumours that Huff, a tech wizard who was high up in the Zero-G Rats, had invented a device that could detect Nanoflage. Rosemary wondered if that was what he was holding. If it was true, it could change everything for Control operatives and not for the better.

She followed Huff, unnoticed in the crowd. She knew Hendrix was having his meeting at the Watney Cantina, and Huff was getting close. He didn’t pay attention to the crowd around him but focused on the device in his hand. Rosemary knew she had to snatch him soon or she would miss her chance.

She turned her Nanoflage on.

Huff stopped dead, staring at his device. He spun in her direction and stared right at her.

five

Hendrix

Hendrix led Crubs to the bar where he spoke to the bartender, passing over a handful of credit chips. The barkeeper motioned for a server to take over. He came around the bar and led the pair of them through a door to the back.

Right this way, gentlemen, He opened a door off the hallway. Everything you asked for. Quiet, and spook-free. It’s soundproof and no one will spy on you.

You’re sure? Hendrix asked.

My tech guy, best on Mireside, confirms it. You will have complete privacy, he pointed to a menu. You want anything, just let me know. I’ll be the only one taking care of you.

Hendrix dismissed the bartender. There would be time for drinks later. Once inside the private sealed room, Hendrix sat on one of the plush armchairs and Crubs sat across from him.

You said you had an offer for me? Crubs asked getting straight to it.

Yes. It’s something I think you will enjoy,

Crubs sat back in his chair, waiting. If one of the most powerful people in the galaxy had a job for him, he was all ears.

I want you to destroy Van Citra Conglomerate assets. I already know all about your petty theft of Sydney’s coffee and wine shipments. That’s just a minor annoyance. What I’m talking about is something that will have a much bigger impact on his bottom line, Hendrix stared at Crubs, eyes cold and calculating.

Crubs didn’t want to seem too eager, but he would kill for the chance to destroy Sydney Van Citra. What exactly are we talking about?

Hendrix sat back in his chair. I want you to blow up his Outposts. Start with a small one. A less profitable one, something under construction. Do it in a way so that it looks like a construction accident. Think you can handle it?

Sure. It’s not a problem. Not something I normally do, but easy enough.

Good. My last contractor accidentally blew himself up.

Crubs watched Hendrix thoughtfully for a long moment. Outposts 7 and 13. That was your doing?

Hendrix gave him a thin smile in answer. What do you think?

What’s your angle? What do you get out of it? Crubs asked, not really expecting an answer.

Hendrix smiled. I will get everything. Sydney is much closer to bankruptcy than people realize. He’s been very good at hiding it, but his father, who has retired from the family business suspects things are not well with the company and has threatened to take over again. Sydney can’t allow that to happen. I can’t allow that to happen. He has already approached me for loans. If he has ‘accidents’ on his Outposts, he will need even more loans, and soon, I will own Van Citra Conglomerate and everything else in the galaxy.

What do I get out of it? Crubs asked.

Hendrix laughed. Aside from the downfall of Sydney Van Citra, your sworn enemy? Will a shit ton of money do the trick?

Crubs nodded.

I thought so. You will have salvage rights, and I will see that cash is funnelled your way,

I will need a lot. An operation on this scale will be expensive,

Not a problem. This is what I had in mind, Hendrix showed Crubs an amount on his datapad.

Crubs frowned.

Not enough? Hendrix tapped in another number. This one was more than double the previous one.

Crubs nodded, Now we’re getting closer,

six

Rosemary

Huff turned to Rosemary unerringly. His device must work. She shut off her suit and moved away from where she had been standing. Huff frowned and shook his machine and walked over to the place in the crowd where Rosemary had been. He waved it around, scanning the area. A couple of people, tourists based on the elaborate costumes, asked him what he was doing. Rosemary heard him say he was conducting a routine radiation check. Mireside’s leaky core was old news and a well-known problem. No one paid him any attention after that. Curiosity turned to boredom.

Rosemary turned her suit on again. Huff immediately spun in her direction. Standing close to him, she punched him in the face, slapped a med patch on him, and turned her suit off again.

Hey, is your pal ok? Someone passing in the crowd stopped to ask.

Yeah, someone dropped this from the catwalk up there. Hit my friend. I’ll get him taken care of, thanks, Rosemary replied as she picked up the device and shoved it in a pocket.

Well, people should be more careful with their spare parts. Maybe the station should put some safety mesh up there. They probably would if the Space Safety Commission ever came here. The woman said. Are you sure you don’t need help?

No, I’m good. I work in the high-G ring. He’s not a problem, but thanks, Rosemary slung Huff’s arm over her shoulder and easily hauled him away.

Rosemary ducked into an empty corridor, checked for the security cameras and turned her suit back on, enveloping Huff in the suit’s camouflage field. She hauled Huff to a hotel room close to the Watney Cantina.

Tapping the code Control sent her into the lock pad she dragged Huff inside as soon as the door opened. Dropping him into the single metal chair she zip-tied his arms and legs to the chair. She peeled the med patch off and slapped him across the face.

He was groggy and moaned as he woke up.

Huber Huff, wake up,

His eyes cracked open, and he licked his lips. What the hell hit me?

I did, Rosemary said from where she was standing in front of him.

His eyes flew wide open and he fought to get free. He rocked the chair back, but Rosemary caught him and tipped it forward so the front legs slammed into the floor with a thud.

Huff’s teeth snapped together with a click. He stared at Rosemary.

Who the hell are you? He spat the words and blood at her.

Names aren’t important. How many devices did you make?

You’ll never know, he spat at her, this time splattering the front of her suit with blood.

Rosemary calmly took a tissue from the box on the nightstand beside the bed and wiped off the front of her Nanoflage. I am authorized to use any means I see fit to get the information from you. As I’m sure you have already guessed, I am a Sol Control agent. Now, shall we start again?

Huff glared at her, a triumphant smile trying to break out on his face. I knew it was working.

Yes. But it didn’t do you any good, now did it? Rosemary stared down at him. How many devices did you make?

Huff glared at her, fighting the smirk.

Rosemary shook her head. Sorry about this, but I really need to know, She reached out her hand and, dialling up the electrical field on her suit, touched him.

He screamed in agony through clenched teeth as the shock hit him.

How many devices did you make? I can turn up the heat if you want. It’s up to you.

Huff panted and stared at her, eyes sparking with fury. I won’t tell you. You really think a little juice can make me talk? I’ve run with the ZGR since before I was born. It’ll take more than that.

Rosemary shrugged and hit him again with the electrical shock.

Huff twitched and screamed. Someone pounded on the wall from the next room.

Keep it down in there or I’m going to call the management!

Rosemary did not need the complication of having to cut her interview short by moving some place else. Her time was tight enough already.

How many devices did you make? Does anyone else know how to make them? She asked Huff again.

He smiled at her and said nothing.

She checked her time. She needed to hurry this up. Hendrix wouldn’t be gone forever, and she needed to get back to the ship before he did. She wished that whoever had stocked this suit had remembered to put the truth serum patches in the pocket. She glanced around the room for something to keep Huff quiet as she shocked him again.

Spotting a bowl of fruit she grabbed the closest piece. She shoved the banana in his mouth as he opened it to scream when she touched him with her electrified glove once more.

She took her hand away, but Huff continued to convulse. She checked her suit settings. They were still well within the safe zone. He should not be convulsing like this from the mild electrical shock.

He started foaming at the mouth, around the banana. She yanked it from his lips and saw with horror that his lips were swollen, and his entire face had swelled up. His eyes were now swollen closed and his lips were huge. He was covered in hives. Enormous red welts were everywhere.

Shit, she said as she realized Huff had just gone into a serious anaphylactic shock. He must have been allergic to the banana. Quickly she searched the pockets of her suit. There was no epinephrine.

She cut the ties from Huff and got him on the floor. He had now stopped breathing. She gave him CPR, but it was no use and she was about to try something else when her alarm buzzed. Out of time. She needed to get back to the storage unit to change and get back to the ship. She had no time for anything else. It was imperative that Hendrix didn’t know she was gone.

Rosemary quickly cleaned up. There was nothing she could do about the deep marks left by the zip ties