Manhunt Across the Stars: Frontiersmen, #2

By A.D. Grant

Jackson August and his new crew of Coyotes must clear his old mentor's name when a heinous crime is committed. In doing so, they uncover a dastardly plot set in motion by the devious Cassian Fawkes, who works across the galaxy to dismantle humanity's defenses for unknown reasons.

 

Can Jackson learn to trust his new team or will they all perish like the old one? Can he repair his relationship with Addi after her betrayal?

 

What is Cassian Fawkes planning and how does it all come back to Jackson?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Champagne Book Group
• Release date: Mar 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781959036142

Book preview

Manhunt Across the Stars

A. D. GRANT

CHAMPAGNE BOOK GROUP

Manhunt Across the Stars

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Published by Champagne Book Group

712 SE Winchell Drive, Depoe Bay OR 97341 U.S.A.

~~~

First Edition 2023

eISBN: 978-1-959036-14-2

Copyright © 2023 A. D. Grant All rights reserved.

Cover Art by Sevannah Storm

Champagne Book Group supports copyright which encourages creativity and diverse voices, creates a rich culture, and promotes free speech. Thank you for complying by not scanning, uploading, and distributing this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher. Your purchase of an authorized electronic edition supports the author’s rights and hard work and allows Champagne Book Group to continue to bring readers fiction at its finest.

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Chapter One

To Fly Again

That’s a bad man who wants to do bad things. Jackson pointed at the bottle resting in the rusty Martian sand thirty strides away.

What did he do? Meegan asked.

She held the massive, low bore axis revolver Jackson called Peace. She clutched the white grip as tight as she could, but the weapon’s heft made the LED-embedded iron sights sway. The slightest deviation and the bullet would miss the bottle.

It’s not about what he did, Jackson said. The smell of liquor on his breath affronted her nostrils. He held another bottle half-full of brown alcohol. It’s about what he’s going to do.

What’s he going to do? She shut one eye and focused on wrangling the sights.

He’s going to hurt people. Lots of them, he replied. Not just random people either. He’s going to hurt the ones you love. Your mother. Your father. Your friends. Nephew. He’s gonna make them hurt too. You’re the only one who can stop him. If you don’t put a bullet in him, he’ll put a bullet in you.

Eyes closed, she squeezed the trigger. An enormous round exploded from the barrel. The recoil stung her palm. The gun kicked to the sky, wrenching her wrist. She opened her eyes in time to see a plume of red dust erupt three feet away from the unbroken bottle.

Damn, she said under her breath.

And you’re dead! Jackson laughed. He took another swig from the bottle in his hand.

It’s too far! Not even you could make that shot.

Wanna bet?

I’ll bet you another bottle of cheap Martian booze.

In a flash, he threw the bottle in his hand into the air and drew his second revolver, War, from its holster on his left thigh. He fired two consecutive rounds from the hip. The first bullet shattered the bottle she had missed. The second collided with the other bottle before it touched the ground, making cheap whiskey rain from the sky.

Oh, lefty too! Damn, I’m good! Jackson smirked. I believe you owe me some whiskey.

How do you do that?

Years of practice.

I bet I could do it from the holster.

You would just shoot yourself in the foot if you tried.

How do you know?

Because that’s what happened to me the first time I tried it, Jackson whispered in her ear.

You shot yourself in the foot? I can’t wait to tell Nephew.

He’ll never believe you. Jackson’s lips twisted into a devious grin. Now come on, try again. Aim for the rock twenty-five strides out.

She raised the gray revolver again, putting the rock in her sights. They had been on Mars for three weeks executing Slumlords and helping the locals establish a new government. Assassinating evil men in the streets was exciting, but forming a government was boring. She found herself gravitating toward Jackson, who seemed equally restless. They left the meetings to Addi and Nephew.

In that time, she learned much from Jackson about what it meant to be a Frontiersman, though she still knew little about him.

Is this the kind of thing you did with the Coyotes in your downtime? she asked.

Mentioning the Coyotes around Jackson was a gamble. He would either shut down and drown himself in liquor or launch into a story about his past exploits. Meegan prayed this time would be a tale.

Anything we shot at had a tendency to shoot back, though we once rigged the dueling arenas on Talaran, he said.

She breathed a sigh of relief. How did you rig them?

We had someone who couldn’t lose on the team. He entered. We put money on him.

Those duels don’t end until someone is dead, right? He would gamble with his life for some money?

For him, it wasn’t gambling, and it wasn’t just for the money. He helped Meegan level the weapon. Now focus. The gun has to be an extension of your arm. Don’t grip it so tight. That only makes you waver more.

She loosened her grip and inhaled through her nose. With a sharp exhale, she squeezed the trigger again. Keeping her eyes open this time, she didn’t try to fight the weapon’s recoil. The bullet shot through the air until it ricocheted off the side of the rock.

A spark flashed against the red sand. I hit it!

Not bad. You grazed the bad guy. He gave her an approving nod. It wasn’t a kill shot, but wounding your opponent certainly has its merits.

Would you take me on as an apprentice now? She beamed at him. The question came up before, but Jackson always refused. Maybe now her aim was improving, he would consider it.

I’m not even sure I can have an apprentice. I am disavowed after all.

She frowned at the red dirt.

Besides, you don’t want to be an apprentice. The bio-monitor is more of a leash than anything. Trust me. It’s better to be off the leash.

The bio-monitor was a device implanted in every Frontiersmen. It allowed the Bureau of Cartography to track their movements and vitals, aiding in the mapping of the universe. Having one was the mark of a true Frontiersman.

Hey, guys! A voice called from the top of the ridge behind them.

Addi waved at them from the crest. Her sergeant from their days in the Wall Guard, Addi hadn’t spent as much time training Meegan these days as she had in the past.

Jackson scowled at the ground. Meegan remembered how happy the two of them were when they left Asclepion. She wished her sergeant would reconcile with the Frontiersman, but he scarcely glanced at her.

Hey, Sarge! Meegan cupped a hand around her mouth and called to her. What’s up?

"Commander Lewis wants to talk to us. He’s on the Dawn’s communicator," she yelled back, beckoning them to her.

Well, fun’s over. He held out his hand.

I wonder what he wants. Meegan handed his revolver back to him. He may have let her borrow it, but he would never allow her to keep his precious gun.

Nothing good, he said under his breath.

Maybe we’re finally moving on from Mars. That could be nice, right?

Depends where we move on to.

As they hiked Meegan felt her new armor was much lighter than her old Wall Guard armor. Commander Lewis informed them the prototype material in its construction made movement more comfortable. It worked like a charm. She scampered up the hill with Jackson hot on her heels. They met Addi who led them back to the Dawn a few dozen meters away.

Jackson’s black ship reflected the light, gleaming against the rocks. It had transported them across the red planet the past few days but was designed to travel across the galaxy. He spent much of his downtime on Mars repairing the ship, making improvements, or resupplying it with crates filled to the brim with food and ammunition.

Have you been drinking again? Addi asked him.

Yep.

Meegan’s skin crawled at the malice in his voice. It reminded her of how he behaved on Europa when he hunted Crem Carson’s crew of smugglers. She experienced what Jackson could do to his enemies and hoped Addi wouldn’t get on that side of him.

They strolled up the ramp of the Dawn, through the cargo hold until they entered the common room. Meegan smiled when she spotted Nephew sitting on the circular couch. He smiled back, standing to embrace her.

Welcome back, Captain. Anna’s computerized voice echoed through the ship. I have Commander Lewis on the communicator.

Thanks, Anna. Patch him through, Jackson said.

The holo-table in the middle of the couch projected a holographic waveform with Commander Lewis’s name. It would typically display location too, but the encrypted line listed it as ‘unknown.’

Coyotes, Lewis said. The waveforms twisted and bounced with the word.

Commander, Addi greeted him. She straightened her spine and clasped her hands at ease.

Old habits die hard, don’t they, Sarge?

"Twelve hours ago, an Outer Colony prison transport designated the Caged Bird was found dead in space between Forestar and Elio," Lewis said.

Prison break? Jackson asked.

All of the prisoners listed on the manifest were found dead. Executed in their cells, Lewis replied.

The crew?

Also dead.

Then what happened?

That’s what we need you to investigate. Intel says the ship was taken to an Outer Colony shipyard on Oshiam. I need you to go there, find the ship, and search for evidence. Earth cannot officially investigate due to the strenuous tension between the Outer Colony Council and the Wall Guard, Lewis said.

So you’re asking us to risk life and limb. Why bother? Jackson shook his head.

Because whoever is behind the attack could be planning another. Earth needs to be prepared. We need to know why those people were killed so we can protect our own, Lewis said.

If it’s aliens? Nephew asked.

Assess the threat and report back. Eliminate if you can without starting a war. If it’s humans, try to make an arrest. Though I know that isn’t your style, Lewis muttered. You should have taken the Slumlords of Mars into custody, not execute them in the streets.

We all know if they went to trial, they would be anything but fair. The Slumlords would corrupt any judge or jury. The people of Mars are better off now with those bastards dead, Addi said.

Maybe. But that’s not how the Wall Guard does things, Lewis said.

Good thing we aren’t Wall Guard, Jackson shot back.

Lewis sighed. Indeed. Find the perpetrator of the prison ship attack. Put an end to the threat. Lewis out. The waveforms cut out, and the holo-table went silent.

Forestar and Elio are a long way apart. That prison transport would have been in jump-space. If nobody on board was the perpetrator, then how did an outside force interrupt a jump-space flight? There’s no technology I know of that can do such a thing, Jackson said.

We could follow that lead. Investigate any colonial corporations or alien civilizations that might have the tech, Addi suggested.

Getting into that shipyard will tell us more. Jackson stretched his arms. Anna, set a course for Oshiam.

Right away, Captain.

He turned to go upstairs to his bedroom usually spending most of his time there, isolated from the rest of the crew, especially Addi. His presence in the common room or even the cockpit was a rare sight. Without far-fetched tales from his past or training, Meegan had to entertain herself most of the time. Today’s shooting session was a rare treat. He took the first step on the stairs, but Addi lunged at him, gripping his sleeve.

Are you ready for this? she asked.

Meegan prayed Jackson wouldn’t pull a gun on her.

What do you mean? He raised an eyebrow.

I mean we might be heading into combat. I need to know if I can count on you. Addi nodded toward the bottle in his hand. We need to be a team.

He wrenched his arm free. This isn’t a team. It’s a suicide pact.

He stormed up the stairs, closing the door to his room. The atmosphere in the common room was quiet and thick. Meegan trained her gaze on the floor.

Meegan, Addi said after a moment. Meegan glanced at her sergeant. I may need to lean on you more. Jackson lacks faith in our abilities. Let’s prove him wrong.

Yes, ma’am. She nodded curtly.

Can you blame him for having trust issues, though?

Addi had put a knife in Jackson’s back before. He hadn’t forgiven her yet. She chose Chet over him too many times. Jackson barely spoke to her. In combat, communication was vital. He made his feelings toward his new team clear.

The old Coyotes consisted of six of the most legendary Frontiersmen the Wall Guard could find each with their own ship. The new crew consisted of one Frontiersman, a cartographer, and two former Wall Guards crammed into one vessel.

They had to prove to Jackson they were capable of surviving to save him from reliving past nightmares.

Chapter Two

Rules To Live By

Ask any Frontiersman worth their salt, and they’ll tell you the rules they had. Frontiersmen were notorious for being unpredictable but they each had their own set of rules to help themselves and others survive in the wilds of the Frontier.

Cassian Fawkes was no exception. He spent years on the Frontier but wouldn’t have lasted a minute without the rules he learned to abide by. His number one was to always make an entrance. The galaxy was vast. The Frontiersmen were few. He couldn’t always count on help.

More often than not, he was outnumbered, outgunned, and outmatched. He learned quickly if he made an entrance, using shock and awe to disorient the enemy, the ensuing battle was more like cleaning a mess than an actual fight.

This was the reason he trudged through the Venus night toward a well-guarded Wall Guard outpost. Dark trees sheltered the animals that croaked and growled on either side of the dirt road. Rain fell from the heavens but not a single drop soiled Cassian.

The water was impeded by the Last Dusk hovering overhead. Against the black clouds, his trusty ship was invisible. Hovering this low prevented any scanners from detecting it. On autopilot the vessel followed Cassian’s every stride and would never leave him.

Status update, Captain? Ral’s voice came through the communicator in Cassian’s ear. The Dusk’s first mate was positioned on the other side of the human encampment with the rest of the crew. They were armed to the teeth, eager for the operation to get underway.

Almost there. Wait for my signal to breach the wall, Cassian said. The armored gate of the outpost came into view.

Aye, Captain, Ral replied.

As Cassian strode closer to the gate, a spotlight switched on to illuminate his position. He raised the robotic prosthetic serving as his left arm to shield his eyes. The black hood and mask hid his face. A long, tattered cloak concealed the custom low bore axis revolver on his right thigh. The spotlight only made it more challenging to identify the ship that floated silently above him in the darkness.

Stop right there! Identify yourself or we will shoot you! a voice called from atop the wall. The mechanisms of the outpost’s turrets swiveled and whirred, scanning the sky in a fruitless search.

Cassian did not identify himself. He only lowered his left arm to his side and stared into the burning spotlight, listening to the rain hit the ground around him. Taking a deep breath, he allowed the adrenaline in his veins to take control.

Fallen Angel Protocol, Cassian whispered into his earpiece, careful not to move his jaw too much.

The Last Dusk responded with the automated cannons under its hull. Dozens of explosive shells whistled through the sky from the invisible ship. They impacted on the gate, the wall, and the base’s turrets. Even from the ground, he knew there were dozens of casualties.

The dust settled to reveal a hole in