Agent Arin (Epic Literary Universe Series)

Book summary

Arin Corali, a newly-minted Justice Keeper haunted by his dark past, seeks redemption on the abandoned world of Abraxis. Navigating criminal syndicates and ancient horrors, Arin confronts a formidable threat capable of turning starships against their crews, all while facing the darkness of his former masters in their subterranean lair.

Excerpt from Agent Arin (Epic Literary Universe Series)

A blaring klaxon echoed through the station, its persistent screams coming in time with the steady flash of red alarm lights. Men and women in gray security uniforms ran through a gray corridor, each one carrying a pistol with blue LEDs on its barrel.

Arin chased after them in plain clothes, bounding through the hallway with a long stride. A tall and broad-shouldered man with dark brown skin and a shaved head, he had been told many times that he was quite imposing. The officers who leaped aside to make way for him would seem to confirm that assessment.

Maybe it was his square jaw. Or maybe it was his “perma-scowl.” His friend Max had commented on that more than once. Or maybe it was their knowledge of his checkered past. In the end, it didn’t matter. They got out of his way, and that was good enough.

Arin took off at speeds that no ordinary human could match, reaching the end of the corridor and slamming himself against the wall. Inching closer to the intersection, he drew his sidearm and ventured a peek around the corner.

His quarry, a skinny man with a brown ponytail, was about halfway up the adjacent hallway, huffing and puffing with every step. He must have heard Arin’s collision with the bulkhead because he skidded to a stop and spun around.

Arin resumed his pursuit.

Gasping for breath, the other man danced backward and yanked a pistol out of his belt holster. This one did not have blue LEDs. Meaning that it was set for lethal ammunition.

Running at full speed, Arin waited until the very instant before his enemy lined up a shot. He dropped low, sliding along the tiles with one leg extended, grunting as bullets raced over his head.

With a steady hand, he took aim and fired.

An electrified SmartSlug struck the other man’s thigh, latching on with tiny prongs that dug into his skin. The surge it delivered was enough to knock out all but the hardiest of subjects. The poor fool flailed about wildly, his pistol falling to land at his feet mere seconds before he followed it.

Slowing as he closed the distance, Arin stood over the body with a tight frown – his so-called perma-scowl. “Idiot,” he muttered, nudging the unconscious man with his foot.

The security team finally came around the corner behind him. He could sense each of them as misty shadows, clouds of swirling fog that took on vaguely human shape, their features becoming sharper as they approached. It was much the same for the walls, the floor and the ceiling. Arin possessed an instinctive awareness of his surroundings. One of the many gifts offered by his alien partner.

Dropping to a crouch, Arin gently rolled his fallen adversary onto his back. This fellow was quite handsome: tanned with a neatly-trimmed goatee. Lying there with his eyes closed, he almost looked peaceful.

Arin patted the man’s chest, searching for the goods he had stolen. Pulling his jacket open, he reached inside to retrieve a thin shard of crystal that glittered under the flashing, red lights.

“Only one,” Arin grumbled. “His comrades must have the rest.”

One of the guards checked the multi-tool on his wrist, a grimace twisting his grizzled face. “They’ve almost reached the shuttle bay, sir,” he wailed. “Teams Two and Three are down. We won’t be able to catch them in time!”

Arin didn’t have to look to see the desperation in his eyes. Every wrinkle, every mole, every whisker that sprouted from the old man’s chin: They were all mapped in perfect detail. At this close range, his Spatial Awareness was far more accurate than his eyesight. If he focused his thoughts, the experience would intensify until it almost felt like a tactile sensation.

“Take this back to the security office!” Arin barked, tossing the crystal to the flustered guard. “And prepare the holding cells!”

“Sir?” a young woman asked. “Shouldn’t we go with you?”

“I hunt better alone.”

He was charging through the hallway again before they had a chance to argue, though that didn’t stop some of them from trying. Their shouts of protest barely even registered. He didn’t need them tagging along and slowing him down. Besides, if one of them got hurt during the fighting…

Squeezing his eyes shut, Arin forced such thoughts out of his head. “Focus!” he growled. Now was not the time to get caught up in hypotheticals.

He ran straight toward a set of double doors that parted with a hiss, revealing a dull, gray stairwell on the other side. Taking the steps two at a time, he descended to the next landing.

Another set of doors opened on the next level. Beyond them, he found an intersection that was nearly identical to the one above. The hallway in front of him stretched on for what must have been at least a hundred paces. Another ran off to his left. It was the latter that he wanted.

Arin didn’t bother to catch his breath before taking off at full speed again. There was no need. The lifeform that resided in his cells offered more than just Spatial Awareness. It also enhanced his body, imbuing him with strength, speed and resilience.

The Nassai shared many gifts with their human partners in exchange for the chance to travel beyond the confines of their small moon. By Bonding with a human, they gained access to a wealth of experiences they never would have had on their own. Something as simple as the joy of a good meal was a wonder to a Nassai. But they chose their partners with care, reserving the power that came from such a union for those who would use it wisely. Normally, a Bonding could only be achieved with the mutual consent of both participants.

Not so in Arin’s case.

The next hallway opened into a large concourse with a domed ceiling, half of which was consumed by a window that looked out on the vastness of space. A million tiny stars twinkled in the endless, empty night. On any other day, this place would have been bustling with people: travellers disembarking from shuttles, residents of the space station who operated cafés and other businesses. The Adunian restaurant with its large, green sign should have had a sizeable lineup, but today, it was empty. Everyone had retreated to their quarters when the alarms started screeching.

He entered another passageway with windows along the wall to his left, each separated from its neighbours by metal dividers. This one was much wider than the last. No doubt that was to accommodate the heavy traffic that would come through here whenever a passenger ship docked.

As he neared the shuttle bay, he saw its bulk through the windows. It was a large, box-like structure protruding from the side of the station, visible to him only by the absence of stars behind it.

His supervising officer was waiting at the entrance.

Tall and slim, Rel Dorilu was a handsome man with short, brown hair that suited his olive complexion quite nicely. Though his pointed chin stood out, it only made him look more distinguished. Like Arin, he had a youthful appearance – yet another benefit that came from his symbiont.

“They’re inside,” Rel said. “They’ve got a chokehold on the entrance; we’re not getting in there without a fight, but Station Ops has locked the space doors. They can’t escape, and they know it’s only a matter of time before we overrun their position. Donal and Gia are on their way with a full security team.”

“I’m going in,” Arin declared.

The other man grimaced and shook his head vigorously. “Absolutely not,” he said. “They came well prepared. Our scans indicate that they have flyer drones covering the entrance. Illegal tech. You go in there alone, and-”

“We don’t have time to wait!” Arin growled.

“Stand down, Agent Corali! That’s an order!”

Shoving his supervisor out of the way, Arin stomped up to the door. “Agent Arin,” he barked, drawing his pistol. “Pol Corali is dead.” He would not allow them to address him as Arin Corali. That had been the name his father had used.

He slapped his palm against the scanner, and the heavy doors slid apart with a faint chugging sound. Ducking out of the way, he slammed his shoulder against the wall only an instant before a volley of bullets sped through the opening. Each slug drilled through the wall on the other side of the hallway.

Breathing hard, Arin lifted his pistol up in front of his face, its barrel pointed at the ceiling. With a flick of his thumb, he selected stun rounds, and the LEDs on his weapon turned blue.

He extended his free hand out to the side, stretching his fingertips toward the open door. All he needed was an inch of exposed skin and a clear line of sight.

Awareness of the shuttle bay’s interior took shape in his mind. He perceived each surface as a cloud of roiling mist with clearly defined edges. The thieves had placed cargo containers near the entrance, and they crouched behind them, pointing automatic weapons into the hallway.

Further back, he saw sleek spacecraft with pointed noses and curved wings; most were parked against the sidewalls, but a bulky transport ship sat alone in the middle of the room. Doubtless, the thieves intended to use it to make their getaway.

Small, disk-shaped robots floated in the air, each with a round aperture on its outer edge that could fire pistol rounds. They flitted back and forth, searching for a target. He retracted his fingers before they could get any ideas.

Rel had been correct; the thieves had established a heavily fortified position. But some clever tactics might even the odds.

“You’re insane!” Rel hissed, pressing his shoulder against the wall on the other side of the door. The glower he directed toward Arin made it clear that they would be having a lengthy discussion about this if they both survived.

“Perhaps,” Arin said. Pulling his coat open, he exposed another disk-shaped device on his hip. This one was smaller than the drones, but in some ways, it was far more powerful.

He unclipped it from his belt, squeezing it tightly and pressing a button as he thrust it through the doorway. A flickering screen of electromagnetic energy appeared before his outstretched hand. Like a blizzard of tiny sparks that came together and formed a wall. It crackled and buzzed, the air seeming to vibrate as bullets flattened themselves against it.