Bounty Hunter at Binary Flats — John Bowers

When Colonial Senator Gil Prater of Alpha Centauri receives a wanted poster with his name on it, he calls in Nick Walker, U.F. Marshal. Nick travels 2000 miles to investigate the threat and walks into a whirlwind of conflicting characters and agendas. Within hours of his arrival he finds himself at odds with the local police chief, a pair of small-time thugs, a Rukranian mercenary…and even the Senator himself seems a little flaky. Aided by beautiful journalist Cybele Gannon, Nick tries to make sense of a baffling case: who wants the Senator dead, and why? Or is the whole thing just a giant hoax? Nick quickly realizes he can trust no one, then learns the stakes are even higher than he ever imagined. The only person he can truly count on is his fiancée Suzanne, but she's back home in Trimmer Springs. He's called for backup, but backup is always late.This time he's on his own.