“Thinking of stealing,” Sky said. “Which one are you?”
“Janiya Coro,” she smiled.
“The wind farm mogul,” Sky said. Coro was the Pierce boss. She’d come a long way.
“That would be my husband, Damien,” she nodded, wandering back into the galley. Her long, silver-streaked hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and formed a single, exquisite curl at the small of her back. “And you are Sky?”
“Have we met?” Sky asked, following the woman into the galley. The Cadence’s galley was styled differently than Oriana’s, having a two small tables and no cooking island. Unlike Danny and Tray, the crew didn’t live on the ship full time, and didn’t rely on having a full suite of kitchen appliances.
“I’m not sure,” Coro said, her finger trailing one of the tables as she circled it. Her gaze returned to Sky and she arched one brow. “There is something familiar about you. You don’t want to steal this ship.”
“You don’t want to buy it,” Sky said, not sure what to make of the woman. She clearly didn’t see Sky as a threat.
“I don’t have to,” she smirked, her pink lips glistening. “If we give Alex Swift the land to park it on, it comes to Pierce free of charge. And we get control of our own port.”
“I sense a fight over fuel resources in that plan,” Sky said, feigning disinterest, though wanting to know more.
“I could use the wind technology I already have to pump oil,” she shrugged. Coro found the stairs and wandered up. She moved slowly, exploring rather than seeking a destination.
“You’re going back to Terrana?” Sky asked, following her up the stairs. The woman left an almond scent in her wake, and her slipper-style flats made scuff sounds against the deck plates.
“I hope, one day,” she said, tapping her fingers against the hand rails. “That does require the combined resources of the Domes. But Oriana came from somewhere. That fire—something was burning, and it wasn’t trees. It looked like an oil fire.”
“True,” Sky allowed.
At the top of the stairs, Coro considered the junction, and moved toward the engine room. Like Oriana, the Cadence had been retrofitted with a grav-drive, but the rooms weren’t divided here. The two systems cohabited one massive engineering space. Sky was jealous of the set-up, but then kicked herself for being so, because she had no plans to keep Oriana.
“Nomads like you come into the wind farm all the time,” Coro said, turning to give Sky a passing glance, then finding something else to explore. “They’re drawn by the obvious show of technology. We have dozens employed just to defend our borders from scavengers. They come from somewhere as well. Did you know that sixty miles west, there’s a farming village?”
“Cattle farmers? I’ve been,” Sky said, biting her lip.
“You have?” Coro asked, her interest piqued. “How did you get past the radiation zones? Only two of our trading party survived the journey, and they died less than a month later. Those farmers keep their cattle outdoors, so it must get safer somewhere along the path.”
Radiation hot zones were a relic of the war with Caldori, and more prevalent near Quin where the land was closer to the epicenter. Sky had Spirit protecting her, but that wasn’t something she could share. “A micro-runner could make the journey.”
“That’s what I say, but Damien is convinced they’ll steal the ship and kill our people,” Coro replied, pursing her lips. “But I don’t believe they want our technology, and we don’t have food to trade.”
“Your technology is only useful if they have a way to power it, and for that they’d be dependent on you,” Sky pointed out. “Offer them a cow.”
“They’re cattle farmers. They have herds of them,” she said.
“Genetic diversity is worth a lot. A single trade would do our small herds better than their large ones, but still be of value to both,” Sky said. “How did you get in here? You didn’t have trouble crossing from Pierce to Kemah?”
“Nah,” she laughed, sauntering out of the engine room, heading forward to the ward room. “Clover’s the only city blocking foot traffic at the moment, and it’s only because Ketlin killed Vimbai trying to show off.”
Sky choked at the casual way she dropped that bombshell.
“You’re surprised your employer is dead,” she said, a malicious smile curving her lips. “You’ve worked for Vimbai for many decades, haven’t you?”
“I worked with Sikorsky to dismantle their trade. Until I realized the battle was pointless, and I left,” Sky said. Although, she’d technically been friends with Clara Matthews before she’d ever met Sikorsky. “If Vimbai is dead, who has Tray Matthews?”
“His kids. Zenzele is their mother’s name,” Coro said, poking at the dark screens. Aside from the paint job, this room looked exactly like its sister ship. The thin stripes seemed to be a running theme. “You seem awfully protective of Tray Matthews for someone who fought against his family.”
“Clara Matthews’ kids don’t know anything about her business,” Sky said. “She gave up the trade when she had them.”
“The trade, yes. Not the money,” Coro said. “That’s what Ketlin is after. It always comes back to money.”
“You still haven’t told me how you got in here,” Sky said.
“I was thinking of buying the ship,” Coro shrugged. “Actually, I was thinking of buying you. If you fly the Cadence to Pierce tomorrow morning, I will have a micro-runner fueled up and ready to take you to Terrana.”
“Intriguing offer,” Sky said, feeling her body flush, knowing the promise of escape had destroyed her poker face.
Coro smirked, seeing she’d struck a chord. “I thought Captain Swift suggested the trade to get his own ship back. Glad to know I don’t have to kill him.”
Sky blinked at the information influx. Alex Swift would only know to offer her a micro-runner if Danny had suggested it. That meant Danny had found his friend.
“Are you saying Swift is in danger if I don’t take your offer?” Sky checked.
“He’s not a hostage, if that’s what you’re asking,” Coro replied.
Sky cocked her head, wondering if that tidbit was another trigger she’d learned through Danny. “I have no problem with hostages. Prisoners and slaves are where I draw the line. He told you what you wanted to know, and now he’s free, right?”
“I’m a prisoner,” Coro said, her smirk disappearing, her expression stone-cold. “Clara Matthews sold me to Damien.”
Sky flinched with pity. “You’re saying your marriage is not consensual?”
“I married him on purpose,” she said, running her hand over her fine, silky gown. “He’s given me a decent life, but that history—that feeling of being a slave never goes away. And… Ketlin’s hunting people like me. Terranan refugees. She’ll make us slaves again. Or worse. I won’t be sold again. I need to go home to Terrana”
“Damien won’t let you?” Sky asked.
Coro looked over her shoulder, as if she heard someone calling her name. “I have to go,” she said. “The micro-runner only seats two. Can you leave your friend behind?”
Sky stuttered, still processing the request. “I asked if Alex Swift was safe.”
“You also asked how I got on board,” Coro smirked.
Sky crossed her arms. “I can get Sikorsky here in under two minutes.”
The woman considered the threat, but failed to be bothered by it. “Tomorrow morning? I’ll send you the location.”
“Coro!” Sky cried, about to threaten again, but before she could get a word out, the woman blinked out of existence. She teleported off the ship, right in front of Sky, like it was nothing worth hiding. Sky dropped into the nearest chair, trying to convince herself that she’d hallucinated the encounter. But Spirit reeled in reaction to the motion through its realm. And as if to confirm, her Virp beeped with the coordinates Coro had promised.
Sky had been brooding about Coro’s blatant teleport all afternoon, and the only person she could reasonably talk
to about it—Danny—had disconnected his Virp from the network. She understood why he couldn’t be tracked, she just wished they’d had time to come up with an alias to communicate under before parting ways.
She didn’t know whether Hawk would be excited or if he’d freak out to know there was another hybrid lurking in Quin, but when she’d come in, he was gone. His journal sat on the galley table, next to a brand new engine wearing a brand new long-sleeved shirt. Sky didn’t know why he’d put the shirt on the engine.
Hearing a noise upstairs, she climbed to the engine room and was surprised to see Chase, buried up to his elbows in the engine, his smooth backside giving her a warm memory. “Where’s Hawk?”
Chase backed out of the service crawlway and sat on his heels. His shirt was off, and shreds of wire stuck to the olive skin of his chest. He picked up his Virp from the console, checked the time, and raised his eyebrows. “Uh oh. I left him at the pub over an hour ago,” he said, leaning a covering over the access crawlway, and shoving his tools into a pile.
“He knows the way back,” she said, using her boot to nudge loose pieces onto the pile. “Any trouble with Genova?”
“No, thank goodness. Didn’t even see a gun.” Chase rolled to his feet, putting his hands on his knees as the blood rushed to his head. Once the disorientation passed, he donned his shirt.
“I got a visit from Coro today. Also no gun, but still… chilling,” Sky said, her thoughts trailing when she noticed white and gold box among Chase’s tools.
Grinning, Chase snatched the box and took off running, his wicked smile saying he wanted her to give chase.
“Mine, mine, mine!” Sky crowed, eager for the chocolate she knew he’d brought. She jumped on his back when they reached the landing.
“Hawk picked these out for you. You have to wait for him!” Chase laughed, spinning and holding the box away.
“Not a chance,” Sky replied, climbing higher on Chase’s shoulders until she could reach the box, then snatching it from him. “Look, you got your greasy finger prints all over it!”
Laughing again, Chase went to the sink in the galley to wash his hands. His eyes twinkled as he watched Sky open it.
“Hawk picked out all my favorite chocolates?” she teased, giving him a flirtatious wink.
“I may have given him guidance, but he taste tested one of each and these flavors have his stamp of approval,” Chase smiled, shaking the water off his hands. Selecting a piece from the box, he held it to her lips. Sky opened her mouth, her anxiety easing the moment the exquisite piece of chocolate with caramel and almonds hit her tongue. Her mouth watered and her body arched, her stomach fluttering like she was experiencing a tiny orgasm.
“Make love to me, chocolate,” she groaned, then turned her lusty eyes on Chase. “If you didn’t have a lover, I would tear your clothes off right now.”
Chase blushed, letting her lick the residual chocolate off his fingers. “I should be going. I can drop by the pub on my way out and tell Hawk you’re here.”
“Don’t go. I’ll make us dinner,” Sky said, her voice getting raspy with need. She wanted to lie with him and let him feed her chocolates for another hour.
“As much as I love your cooking, I’m going to have to say no,” Chase said, heading out, pausing when he reached the catwalk. “When I come back tomorrow, you’re not dumping him on me again.”
“What do you mean?” Sky asked, hugging him from behind.
“I’m not a nanny. Whatever you have planned, you either cancel it or you find someone else to look after Hawk. I’ll help him fix his glider—”
“You’re helping him with the glider?” Sky asked, sitting on the stairs, setting her chocolate tin on her lap.
“It’s important to him,” Chase shrugged. “It’s also fascinating to me. Based on what he’s said about Rocan’s poverty, I can’t believe he found a way to build it.”
“He has a natural intuition for machines. When we were in Boone, he was fixing things he’d never seen before,” Sky said, running her finger over the chocolate pieces, looking for one with the soft, pink filling. She found one wrapped in dark chocolate and put the bite-sized candy piece into her mouth.
“He thinks he’s magic. I’ve never met someone so skilled at mechanics with so dense a worldview,” Chase said.
Sky stopped mid-chew, putting a hand over her lips to catch her drool. “He told you he used magic?”
“That was before he was drunk,” Chase nodded. “The way you dressed him, I was not prepared for him to go into hysterics about having a new shirt.”
“That’s why his journal was out. He was upset,” Sky realized, bitter sadness overwhelming the sweetness of the chocolate.
The back door opened, and Hawk stumbled in, cackling softly and whispering. He didn’t look upset anymore. Hawk hung drunkenly off a freckled hunk, barely of legal age to be a prostitute. The other man was shorter than Hawk, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and skin-tight clothing showing off every bulging muscle. Sky could tell he was a prostitute by the minimal attention he gave Hawk’s wandering hands, and the nearly mechanical return of physical affection. It was hard not to laugh.
“Hawk, if you’re trying to sneak in, you have to be a little quieter,” Chase said. His brow furrowed at the sight of the prostitute, his manner turning from casual and friendly to irate and overprotective.
“Hey,” Hawk laughed loudly, waving at Chase. “This is, um… Tony?”
“I’m whoever you want me to be, baby,” Tony answered in Lanvarian, sliding a hand over Hawk’s backside.
Hawk snickered and kissed Tony lightly on the lips. “He doesn’t speak Trade. But I’m trying to explain that I wanted to purchase a drink. I don’t know all the money words.” Sliding his hands over Tony’s pecks, Hawk said the word ‘money’ in Lanvarian, then pointed to Sky. Setting her chocolate tin aside, Sky trotted down the stairs to help Hawk navigate the encounter. At least he wasn’t moping over a shirt.
“Are you purchasing the night for him or for the pair of you?” Tony asked Sky.
Sky laughed out loud and waved her finger between Chase and Hawk. “How much for the pair of them?”
Chase clamped a hand over Sky’s mouth. “No one is purchasing a night for anyone. Take your business off my ship,” he growled.
Sky brushed his hand away. “Who died and made you Captain? Hawk deserves a night of fun,” she said. Gesturing with two fingers, she said to Tony: “Let’s see your health certs.”
“His health certs?” Chase cried, blustering after her. “You have no idea what Hawk could give him! He might have some alien disease we’ve never even heard of!”
“Rocan has pretty rigid testing for sexually transmitted diseases,” Sky said dismissively, more for Tony’s benefit that Chase’s. “I don’t think he’s going to get Tony pregnant.”
Chase turned his plea to Tony. “Trust me, this is trouble you don’t want. Just leave.”
Tony frowned, looking from Sky to Chase. Hawk was tracing Tony’s abs with his finger and whispering excitedly in his ear.
“I’ll leave when we’re squared,” Tony decided. “I paid his tab.”
“That’s a lie,” Chase huffed under his breath.
Sky gave Chase a sideways glance. “You paid?” she asked Tony.
“It was a business arrangement; not an act of generosity,” Tony said arrogantly. “I was promised reimbursement.”
“Either the bartender played you or you’re a liar,” Chase said. “I set up his tab, and I get notifications of every drink he orders. Including the three he ordered for you.”
“Hawk, I veto this one,” Sky decided, drawing her grav-gun.
“Sky, no! What are you doing?” Hawk squealed, charging Sky, trying to wrestle the weapon from her.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Chase sighed.
“Trouble I don’t want,” Tony agreed, backing out of the bay.
“Tony! Where are you going! She’s like that to everyone,” Hawk cried,
chasing after Tony. Sky wasn’t sure if it was a problem of the language barrier or the situation, but the man ignored Hawk and kept walking.
“What did you do? Why?” he cried, running back to Sky, smacking her arm.
“Hawk, are you familiar with the concept of prostitution?” Chase asked.
“Come on, Chase, he barely understands money,” Sky said, sitting on the stairs. “Hawk, Tony wanted your money; not you.”
“I have no money,” Hawk moaned, disappointed.
“Oh, yes, you do,” Chase said. “Here you have lots.”
“He was so nice. And his stomach was all lumpy and muscled,” Hawk said, looping his arms around Chase’s waist and running his hands over Chase’s abs.
“Whoa!” Chase cried, jumping away, hopping foot to foot like his shoes were on fire.
“Ooh. Let’s see your health certs,” Sky teased, loving the way Chase’s ears went red.
There was a knock at the rear hatch, and Chase twisted free of Hawk to greet the newcomers.
“What is this?” Sky asked, keeping a hand on her grav-gun just in case. Two deliverymen carried a dull red-orange, six-foot couch into the bay.
“Another thing Hawk picked out,” Chase said. “The furniture store was the final freak-out of the day, but by that time, I knew to go second-hand.”
“It’s here!” Hawk cried, skipping in a circle, his drunken glee having found a new muse to focus on. “Isn’t it perfect? It’s just like the one John and I have at home. We can put it in the lounge and watch flickers! Do you think Tray will like it?”
Sky bit her lip, her distaste for the off-putting color mitigated by his enthusiasm. “Just set it there. We can secure it later,” she instructed the deliverymen. They accepted Hawk’s thumbprint on their confirmation Virclutch, and headed out.
Hawk panted and paced in circles, rubbing his hands against his bright yellow shirt.
“And with that, I’m out. Enjoy your couch, kid,” Chase said, slapping Hawk on the back. Hawk went instantly green, making a grab for Chase, then vomiting on Chase’s leg.
The Gray Market: A Space Opera Adventure Series (The New Dawn Book 5) Page 15