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INTERGALACTIC JUSTICE:
MAXIMUM VELOCITY
By
Marly Mathews
© copyright by Marly Mathews, July 2010
Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, July 2010
ISBN 978-1-60394-443-4
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com
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This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s
imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or
events is merely coincidence.
MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 3
New Jamaica
The Future
Chapter One
Samantha Cassidy ran down the dark alleyway. She spoke into her personal
communicator and pulled out her titanium Bo staff at the sight of the two thugs that stood at the
end of the alley.
“Where is she?” Samantha asked, as static filled the line.
“I’ve got a reading on her, she should be less than twenty feet from you,” Johanna’s voice
streamed out to her. Johanna as usual sounded remarkably calm, and yet Samantha was about
ready to do some heavy damage.
“Didn’t I tell her that we couldn’t take down the Anasazi Triad without all of us working
together?”
“And this is coming from the one woman ass-kicking machine,” Johanna retorted,
making a loud noise, which strangely resembled a snort. Samantha sighed heavily. She didn’t
have time for the two sumo-sized wrestlers that were now staring at her with blank expressions
on their faces.
“Samantha?”
“I’m still here, but I’ve got a wee bit of a distraction on my hands.”
“What kind of a distraction?” Samantha loved her sister, but she still didn’t like the tone
of worry in her voice. Johanna was constantly fretting over her welfare. It wasn’t as if she
hadn’t gotten herself in this kind of a tight jam before.
“Let’s just say, they’re both the size of....” her voice trailed off when she saw the large
explosive device that was rigged to the outside of the warehouse that stood behind the two thugs.
She eyed them impatiently, wishing that they’d just get up and take off. She hadn’t the slightest
idea why they were standing there still as statues. She walked up to them and fell into a fighting
stance. She held her Bo staff out, and then inhaled sharply as one of the security lights from the
warehouse settled on them.
“Oh, shit! ” she muttered. They were holographic projections. Groaning loudly, she
dashed to the explosive device. She pushed the activation button on her Bo staff, and smiled
when it shrunk back down to its easy carrying size. Hooking it onto her belt, she smoothed her
hair back and sighed.
“Hey, Johanna, you wouldn’t happen to know how to deactivate a Romanelli Bomb
would you?”
“You’ve got to be freaking kidding me! Please tell me that that isn’t the type of bomb
that is rigged. Samantha, for heaven’s sake, get your ass out of there. Those bombs are nearly
impossible to deactivate once they’ve been set. If you stick around much longer, you’ll become
part of the crater that Sullivan’s Warehouse is about to be.”
“Is Veronica still inside?”
“Yes, I still have her body signature on my sensors.”
“Have you been able to open a communication channel to her yet?"
“Nope.”
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“I can’t just leave. I have to get inside to her. I’ve got ten minutes until the bomb is set
to explode, I think I can just make it work.”
“JUST? Samantha, don’t you scare the living daylights out of me, with those nerves of
steel that you possess. I’m coming to help you, Eleanor says that we can make the distance
you’ve crossed on foot, in exactly five minutes.”
“Fine. Get down here as soon as you’re able, but I don’t have time to diddle fart around
while I wait for you. I’m sorry, Johanna, but I have to go in, and get Veronica’s ass out of the
fire. As much as I hate to admit it, she is part of the team now. And besides, poor Ross’s heart
would be shattered, if Veronica were to go to pieces.”
“And how dear sister, do you propose to get inside of Sullivan’s warehouse?”
“I’m going to break in.”
“Oh, yeah. Just give me a minute while I hit my head against the controls. Your idea of
breaking in will trigger the security systems.”
“Not to worry, Johanna. Dylan and Tyler have masterminded this nifty little gadget for
me. It will nullify the security system, and let me waltz right in.”
“Sorry to break this to you Samantha, but you never have waltzed into a room, and I
don’t think that you’re about to learn new tricks now.”
“Ha, ha. I’m like laughing on the inside.”
“Seriously, Samantha, BE CAREFUL! ”
If she had an Earth dollar for every time Johanna told her to be careful, she’d be set for
retirement.”
“Not to worry my beloved sis, I’ll be as careful as I always am.”
“Yep, that makes me feel a lot better. I wish you’d just get off your high horse, and let
Tyler or Dylan accompany us.”
“I won’t be needing Tyler’s help.” She thought back to how Tyler had become distant
toward her. Cold even. It had been six months since she’d rescued him from the noose Devlin
had waiting for him, and the last three months with him had been a total mess. They were going
down the road to divorce court…. She could feel it in her bones.
“I wouldn’t be so sure, Tyler’s slippery little fingers are invaluable when it comes to
intricate security systems.”
“He’s good where he is.” She rolled her eyes with the way that Tyler had been acting
since she’d rescued him from the noose, she felt safer knowing he was out of her way. He could
do a hell of a lot less damage cooped up on the Excalibur than he could running amok with her
on a mission.
“You know, you’re going to have to give in one of these days, and allow Tyler to be more
than just your lover boy.”
“Johanna, I don’t have time for this lecture right now.”
“I don’t lecture. I never tell you what to do, I only advise you.”
“Whatever. I’ve just found the security system. Wish me luck.”
“I’m not only wishing you luck, but I’m praying like crazy.”
Samantha studied the high tech security alarm, and reached for the magic key that would
let her in. She inserted it carefully into the card swiping area, and waited expectantly for the
door to slide open. She stared at the warehouse door, swallowing thickly when she saw no
change. “Freaking fantastic! ” She was sorely tempted to just pull out her pistols, and try
shooting her way in. But she doubted that would help her in any way.
Breathing deeply, she flipped the card around in her hands. Squinting against the
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encroaching darkness of night, she activated her powers against her better judgment and flooded
the alley with amethyst sparkling orbs of light. It gave her just enough light to see her error. She
had the card inserted upside down.
“Are you in yet?” Johanna’s voice startled her, and she nearly let go of the magic key.
“I’m about ready.” She didn’t want to tell Johanna that she couldn’t get in because of her
own screw up.
“Were you trying to put it in upside down?” Johanna asked.
She grunted, rolled her eyes, and swiped the card through again. Johanna knew her to
well. Here she was, trying her best to help Veronica, and Johanna had it all figured out. It was
as if the woman was a telepath. They already had two in the family, and she definitely didn’t
need another. Granted, Johanna had super senses that were attuned to things other people didn’t
pick up, but if she didn’t know better she’d of sworn that Johanna was an Alpha Psychic.
This time the heavily fortified door slid back. Grinning like a manic fool, she rushed
through the opening. “I’m in.”
“Right. Now remember to get those eyes in the back of your head working.”
“They’re always working.”
“Yes. Except for when you’re wearing your blinders.”
“This place is creepy! ” Samantha stared around at the warehouse. The thing that really
disturbed her was that it was empty. She shivered, and had a brief fantasy about a hot blazing
fire, with a dark haired man by her side, rubbing her....
“Samantha? ”
Samantha shook her head, and stopped running when she came to a dead end.
&n bsp; “Samantha,” Johanna continued, “I have the warehouse in my sights. I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
“How much farther do I have to go before I reach Big V?”
“You should be there already. Your life sign and Veronica’s life sign are showing up on
my sensors as being very close to each other.”
“You don’t say.” Samantha wrinkled her brow, and dropped her gaze to the trapdoor in
the floor. “I think I might have a glimmer of an idea as to where Big V is.”
“Samantha, you don’t have much time left. I’m getting a little worried.”
“Don’t worry, Johanna. I don’t have any foreseeable plans of becoming a song on the
wind.”
“Just make sure that you come out of there in one piece.”
Samantha reached down for the latch on the trapdoor, and pulled on it with all of her
might. She understood where Veronica was coming from when she’d decided to pursue the all
powerful Anasazi Triad, but one simply did not try to take down a criminal cartel, all on one’s
own. Now, she had known that Veronica was by all definition of the words madder than a
lunatic, but she hadn’t known that even Veronica would get this kind of a harebrained idea.
Finally, after a shit load of tugging, the trapdoor flung backwards, nearly knocking Samantha off
of her feet. She stared down, and judged the distance that she would have to jump. She leapt
down, and easily landed in a catlike crouch. She whirled around at the sound of some muffled
grunting.
Her eyes widened, when she took in the sight of a bound and gagged Veronica. She was
in a bird like human sized cage that was suspended from the ceiling.
“I told you not to go on your own,” she chastised, quickly crossing the distance between
them. Her mind reeled as she tried to decide the best way to free Veronica. “Big V, you have
become the bane of my existence.” Veronica’s eyes widened to dangerous proportions, and she
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was blinking rapidly. “I know, I know, I have to get you out of there. The Romanelli Bomb is
due to go off in five minutes, and for the life of me, I don’t know how we’re going to get out of
this fix.”
She reached down to her belt, and pulled out a little something that had aided her many
times before. She shot one of her grappling hooks onto the cage, as it swayed precariously. She
retracted it, and went sailing upwards. She fastened her gadget around the metal bars of the
cage, and watched fascinated as it worked its magic. The bars melted away giving her a big
enough space to get in and get Veronica out. She swung into the cage, and landed firmly on her
feet.
If their circumstance hadn’t been so serious, she would have been tempted to laugh her
ass off at the predicament that Veronica had found herself in. “Don’t worry, Big V, we’ll keep
this little incident between you, me and Johanna. I don’t think that Ross will be overly thrilled if
he hears what happened to you. Still, I don’t think you’re going to sing like a songbird when I
remove this.” She removed the gag from Veronica’s mouth, and was about to untie the ropes
around her wrist when Veronica’s ear splitting scream cracked through the otherwise still and
quiet room.
“LOOK BEHIND YOU!!! ” Veronica finally managed to spit out. Whirling about,
Samantha nearly dropped her mouth open and felt her stomach lurch.
“Okay, this is bad! Very, very BAD!!! ” She turned back to Veronica and pulled out her
trusty Celtic dagger from her boot. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m going to use it to cut your
bonds, not you.”
She quickly sliced through the ropes, and then felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck
from the God-awful noise that reverberated through the room. It sounded like a lion’s roar, but it
was so loud that it literally made the cage shudder beneath them. She groaned feeling nauseous.
“Samantha? I’m waiting for you. Why don’t I see you?”
“Because, Johanna, I’m sort of stuck in the middle of something right now.”
“I don’t like the sounds of that. What kind of a thing are you stuck in the middle of?”
“It would seem that the Anasazi Triad left a little bit of a calling card behind for us.”
“Well, take care of it, and get your ass out of there.”
“Easier said than done. The calling card happens to be a New San Francisco Tiger.”
“I’m coming in after you, you can’t take that on alone.”
“I have Veronica with me. She’ll help.” She freed Veronica’s legs, groaning when
Veronica took a step forward and nearly landed on her face. “Strike that one. Veronica definitely
won’t be helping me. But not to worry, I should be able to take down Giant Kitty here all by
myself.”
“Samantha, I don’t feel comfortable about leaving you alone.”
“I’ll be fine. Right now…you need to help me from afar.”
A huge sigh filled the com link. “In that case, you’re going to need time. I’m going to
open a link to Dylan, Tyler and Ross and see if they can help me in getting this bomb
deactivated. What did you say, Eleanor?”
Samantha grunted, as she carefully settled Veronica up against the wall of the cage.
“You stay put. You can’t do anything in your condition, and I don’t really feel like watching
Giant Kitty have you for a little nighttime snack.”
“Queenie, you’re really getting on my nerves.” Was it just Samantha’s imagination or did
Veronica look a little green?
“Don’t get started with me, Big V. We’re in this mess because of your inflated head. If
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you hadn’t gotten the brilliant idea to go after one of the most powerful triads in the known
galaxy, then I’d still be back on the Excalibur living the high life.”
“Well, excuse me, for going after one of the biggest prizes in history.”
“Yeah, and instead of capturing the prize you found yourself in the middle of a surprise.”
The elephant sized tiger roared again, and finally broke free of its metal chains. “Oh look, now
my life starts to get interesting! ” She turned, just as Veronica tried to stand up. Her legs
wobbled like jelly beneath her and she fell into a slump. Samantha frowned. “I have it covered,
Veronica. What did they do to you?” Her heart thudded.
Please, God, she didn’t really know if she wanted to know. She’d heard a great many
tales about the darker side of the Anasazi Triad. Their practices in the way of torture and the
occult would make a hardened criminal shake in their boots. And Veronica had decided to cross
them. Her mouth grew dry.
“What are you going to do now, hot shot?” Veronica asked. “You can’t take that
monstrosity down on your own.”
“Big V, there’s a time and a place for your big mouth, and right now, isn’t the time nor
