Page 5 of Pact with the Alien Devil

“You’re lying.”

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Lenz is one of our informants. He doesn’t deal in tech.”

A flush spread across her cheeks. “Fine. It was a woman named Dara. But everything else is true.”

I studied her face. Humans showed so much in their expressions, even when they tried to hide it. This one wore her defiance openly, but fear flickered beneath. Not terror, though—she wasn’t panicking. Just the healthy fear of someone who understood the danger they faced.

“Better,” I acknowledged. “Though still not the full truth.”

Her jaw set. “I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

“Start with why you took a job delivering stolen Alliance tech through Vinduthi territory without checking out your clients properly.” I leaned forward. “A smuggler of your caliber should have known better.”

She glanced away, a tell. “I needed the money.”

“For what?”

“Does it matter?” Her voice sharpened. “Docking fees, fuel cells, repairs—theStarfallisn’t cheap to maintain. And I’ve got a loan shark breathing down my neck.”

Now we’d reached the heart of it. I nodded. “Money problems. How much do you owe?”

“Ten thousand credits.”

“That’s significant.” I sat back, the chair creaking under my weight. “And the payment for this delivery?”

“Three thousand.” She frowned. “Not enough to clear my debt, but enough to keep me flying another month.”

I considered her situation. A desperate smuggler with a ship to maintain and debts to pay. Useful. Exploitable. Under different circumstances, I might have simply eliminated her, but something about her intrigued me. The way she’d warned me before Miggs fired. The courage to face down Vinduthi soldiers without breaking.

“Tell me about theStarfall,” I said.

The question surprised her. “What about it?”

“Specifications. Modifications. Range.”

Her eyes grew suspicious, but she answered, “Modified Stellar Rim freighter. Custom engines, reinforced hull plating. Shielding that doesn’t register on standard scanners.” Pride crept into her voice. “She’s fast, maneuverable, and can slip past most security checkpoints undetected.”

“The ship that made the Caraxis Blockade run,” I mused.

“So you keep saying.” She shifted in her seat. “What does my ship have to do with anything?”

“Everything.” I tapped my fingers on the package. “The Fangs have need of a smuggler with your particular talents.”

She narrowed her eyes. “For what, exactly?”

“I’m offering you a choice.” I kept my voice steady. “Work for me—exclusively—for one month. Make the deliveries I require, gather the information I need, and in return, I’ll clear your debts.”

“All of them?”

“All of them.” I nodded. “Ten thousand to your loan shark, plus enough to cover your operating costs. You’ll end the month with a clean slate.”

Her eyes narrowed. “And if I refuse?”

“Then I turn you over to Alkard for interfering with Fang business.” I let the implication hang in the air. Alkard’s methods of dealing with those who crossed the Fangs were legendary. Not all of the stories were exaggerated.

Iria crossed her arms. “Doesn’t sound like much of a choice.”

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