Fringe Runner (Fringe Series Book 1) by Rachel Aukes

tone was dead serious. “Promise me you’re coming back.”
    He flipped off his speakers without responding.
    On her tenth birthday, he’d had no gift for her. Instead, he’d promised her that he would never, ever lie to her. He’d kept his word, which meant he couldn’t make her this new promise. He swallowed, opened the airlock, pushed himself out of the safety of the ship, and grabbed onto one of the many zip lines strung across the docks.
    He pulled himself down a line until he reached a motorized handle, which then zoomed him into the deepest interior of the dock, just outside Nova Colony’s airlock. He hit a switch on the wall. A second later, it turned green and the door opened. He entered, immediately feeling the stronger gravity that was bolstered by EM fields, much like what the Gryphon used. A moment after the door behind him closed, a screen flashed the words Pressurization Complete. Welcome to Nova Colony. Obey all Coastal laws or forfeit your life.
    Reyne tugged off his helmet and crossed through the internal door. The caverns inside smelled of human sweat and sounded like bustling activity. There was no atmosphere on Nova Colony, requiring the caverns to be tightly sealed and the air constantly recycled. It didn’t smell pleasant, but there were far worse smells in the universe.
    Everyone stared at Reyne, and he fought the urge to reach for his photon gun. Taking a deep breath, he began walking. It took him several long steps before he found his stride in the stronger gravity. Several more steps and he reached his destination. A neon sign that read UNEVEN BAR flashed above its door . The sign was askew, fitting for its namesake. The bar was the first commercial establishment in Nova Colony, having been built even before the EM fields were in place. Everyone who’d ever passed through the Space Coast ended up at this bar as some point or another.
    Reyne entered the bar to find it hadn’t changed much. It was still dark and dirty and reeked of alcohol and sex. The tables were filled, like they’d be filled every hour of every day. The only things that had changed were that the bar was completely silent and everyone was watching him.
    He could cut the tension with the blade he had strapped on his boot. He found it surprising he was still alive, considering how many faces he recognized—and knowing that every single one of them wanted him dead.
    Yet he was still alive. Hell, maybe his luck was changing.
    A man who’d been sitting at the bar turned and stood to face Reyne.
    Like the bar, the man had changed startlingly little. He still had scars covering his face, still had the same brown hair, though the streaks of gray were new.
    “Hello, Critch,” Reyne said.
    A smile tugged at the corners of Critch’s mouth.
    Reyne’s eyes widened. He spun around but was too late. Blinding pain erupted in the back of his head. He fell as blackness claimed him.
     

Chapter Eight
    A Hazardous Proposition
     
    Reyne came awake with his head throbbing twice as hard as it had that morning. He gingerly touched the back of his head. “Son of a bitch.”
    “I’m surprised you showed up.”
    Reyne cracked open his eyes to find two Critches standing in front of him. As Reyne’s vision came into focus, the shape solidified into a single man. He hadn’t seen the pirate in twenty years, but he’d seen his picture on the news plenty—each time, the bounty higher than the time before.
    “And miss the chance to see your ugly mug again?” Reyne responded. “I never would’ve taken you for a nostalgic man, but the Uneven Bar? Choosing the place we first met makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.”
    Critch grunted. “I didn’t want to make it too hard for you to find, especially considering you don’t come out this way often.”
    “Knowing that damn near everyone on the Coast wants me dead tends to put a damper on my travel plans.” Reyne looked the room over. They were alone, but he didn’t miss noticing that