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“This is a courtesy call, Captain Holden,” the voice on the other end said The video feed was the Outer Fringe Exports logo on a gray background “We’re withdrawing the contract, and youthat dock very, very soon”

“You can’t back out now,” Holden said, trying to keep his voice cal panic he felt “We’ve signed the deal We’ve got your deposit It’s non-refundable”

“Keep it,” his caller said “But we consider your failure to inform us of your current situation as a prior breach”

Situation? Holden thought They couldn’t know about Miller He didn’t think they could “I don’t—”

“The party that’s tracking you left our offices about five et off Ceres in a hurry Goodbye, Mr Holden—”

“Wait!” Holden said “Who was there? What’s going on?”

The call ended

A his pale, stubble-covered scalp with both hands He sighed and said, “We got a probleht back,” A till we can clear this dock?” Holden asked He loped across the bay to the entry hatch There didn’t seem to be any way to lock it from his side Why would there be? The bays were teo No need for security

“She’s war the obvious question Holden was grateful for that “Gimme ten to run the decouplin’ sequence, that should do it”

“Start now,” Holden said, hurrying back toward the airlock “Leave the ’lock open till the lastsure no one interferes”

“Roger that, Cap,” Alex replied, and dropped the connection

“Interferes?” Nao out there with a shotgun?”

“Those sketchy, scary gangster types we just signed on with?”

“Yes?”

“They just dropped us And whatever scared theuns are an overreaction”

Aht hand and an assault rifle in his left He tossed the rifle to Holden, then took up a cover position behind the forklift and aimed at the bay’s entry hatch Like Alex, he didn’t ask why

“Want me to come out?” Naoet past me and Amos,” Holden replied, thenstation It was the only other cover in the otherwise empty bay