by Juno Wells
Griggs picked at some of the wild grains on the tray of food, nibbling at them in a distractingly cute manner. "What did you learn from all the rowdy boys downstairs?"
"There's a lot of weird happenings in the city the past few days." Vrix handed her a spoon with a wink. "Don't eat with your fingers, that's gross."
She scowled, but there was also a hint of relief in her gaze as she took the spoon. Glad he was back to joking, perhaps.
Vrix pulled his hair back so it didn't tangle in his spikes. "There are a lot of rumors that the Fleet showed up and immediately went to ground, which is unusual when they usually announce their presence and kick in doors. People have disappeared without a trace, and anyone with connections to the Alliance has gone quiet. There's definitely something going on, but everyone is trying really hard not to notice so they can't be a witness to anything. We need to be careful if we start asking questions about Fleet officers or Earthers."
Griggs chewed the grains, scooping up more as her stomach made a strange growling noise, and peered at the small dish of red paste on the tray. "What about the Slasu? Any of your buddies have information on them?"
He almost didn't want to tell her. If the rumors were true, there were a lot more women than Heidi in need of saving. "There's definitely a new Slasu slaving ring that sprang up a few weeks ago, and they've been very active acquiring new... talent. The Xaravians are irritated as hell and trying to hunt them down, but the Slasu clan has the protection of someone high up in Caihiri or at least someone with deep pockets buying them time. There's enough attention that the Slasu can't leave the surface or move their slaves anywhere without drawing fire to themselves and risking getting taxed by the Caihiri."
Vrix took a deep breath, toying with the liquor bottle. Maybe a few more gulps would at least help him sleep. "We have a few days, but not much more. Some of the guys heard about Earthers being in the Slasu cargo, but they didn't have anything definite or descriptions. I didn't want to sound too interested. It's a place to start."
Griggs dared some of the red paste, though she made a face and ate the rest of the grains as fast as possible to cover the taste, and eventually put the spoon down. "So we have a plan for tomorrow. Ask this contact about the Slasu ring and how to find a missing Earther, then follow up with your contacts."
She hesitated again and Vrix's hearts sank. "What else are you not telling me?"
Griggs got up and went to her bag. "I wasn't hiding this, I just don't know what it means. I found this in my clothes from that store. They want to talk to me again. Maybe they'll know something about where to find Earther women as well?"
Vrix studied the business card, peering at the script as he tried to decipher it. Something about making her disappear. It could have sounded ominous, if he didn't have a visual of the three women who wrote it. He figured there was something unique about that store, since Pyix recommended it, and Vrix very much wanted to find out what it was that made them so interesting. "Then maybe you go back tomorrow afternoon, pick out a few more outfits."
He waggled his eyebrows and Griggs actually cracked a smile, though she quickly turned that into a disapproving frown. "I hardly think so."
"The red looked nice on you," he said as mildly as possible, and smiled a touch as she shoved to her feet and nearly tripped over his boots in the process. Her cheeks brightened as she put the business card away and hesitated near the foot of the bed.
Uncertainty flustered her as Griggs searched for words, and Vrix reveled in the spectacle as she gripped the post of the bed and fumbled for words. "I don't mind sharing. If you promise to be a gentleman. And keep your clothes on. And I don't cuddle."
He laughed, setting the bottle on the window ledge so it could stay cool, and retrieved a pillow from the bed. "Don't worry. I'll sleep on the floor."
Her eyebrows rose as she looked dubiously at the dingy floor. "Are you sure? You might…catch something."
"I'm sure I'll be fine." He was used to sleeping on rocks and sand, so wood floors and rolling up in his robes provided enough coverage to be comfortable. Plus he knew she wouldn't sleep a wink if they shared the bed, and she'd probably be tense as hell too, so neither of them would be able to relax. "Just don't kick me on your way to the facilities."
Griggs sat on the edge of the bed, uncertain, then crawled under the covers. "Good night."
"Good night." He grumbled and moved around, turning off lights and figuring out the best escape routes, and it was only when her breathing went deep and even and he knew she slept, that he finally settled down near the door. No one would get in without tripping over him, so he'd be able to protect her even in his sleep.
Vrix checked his dagger and the high-tech stunner, then plumped the pillow under his head. Not bad for a day's work. Not bad at all.
Griggs
Griggs woke a couple times during the night, uneasy with sleeping in a strange place, and each time saw the massive bulk of a sleeping Vrix near the door. His presence was a comfort, though that itself made her more uneasy. Griggs knew she'd leaned on him a few times the previous day, which wasn't something she'd normally do, and she wondered if it would just get worse from there. She didn't have time for infatuations or relationships. She had work to do.
So she was already half-awake by the time Vrix stirred and sat up, his hair mussed and wild but his eyes clear. He yawned as he rolled to his feet and adjusted the complicated robes he wore, stretching hugely until his muscles bulged even under the bulky fabric. Griggs refused to be impressed.
She didn't wake up nearly so quickly or easily, and wanted to drag the covers back over her head for just a few more minutes of shut-eye. Even with an appointment to keep, she hated mornings. She also didn't want to face the contact and whatever trouble he'd bring.
When she didn't bounce out of bed as chipper as a jaybird, Vrix squeezed her foot over the covers. "I'll get breakfast. It's just before eight bells now, so we can't dally."
She grumbled what could have been agreement, and the Xaravian chuckled as he left the room. Griggs dragged herself out of the bed and to the facilities so she could splash water on her face and try to get her wild hair under control. The humidity in Caihiri did her no favors, and smoothing it into a ponytail or bun wasn't working. She had both hands full when Vrix returned with another tray of food, and a slow grin spread across his face as he saw her. "I was wondering what you looked like without the severe hairstyle. Leave it down."
"Not on your life," Griggs said, muttering around a mouthful of pins and clips. "It gets in the way and I can hardly see when—"
"It's a good disguise," he said. The tray smelled heavenly—maybe a little too spicy for so early in the morning—but the damn Xarav food was all hot enough to curl your toes, no matter what time of day you ate it. Vrix poured them both tall cups of Hyderapid coffee and started filling a plate. "No one who knows you will recognize you between the hair and the clothes."
Griggs paused, frowning at him. Maybe he was right. She couldn't remember the last time she left her hair down, even for a party or social event. It was so much easier to take care of in space. She could just whip it into a braid or bun and not think about it for a day or two. Griggs spat out the pins and clips and glanced at herself in the mirror. She could try leaving it down, just for a day.
"Fine. We'll see how this goes." Griggs shuffled over to her chair, still fighting a little bit with her hair, and glanced up as Vrix handed her the full plate. She blinked a few times but eventually took it. "Thanks."
"You're most welcome." He made contented sounds as he started inhaling the rest of the food, and Griggs studied him as she picked through the strange breakfast. At least the grains weren't tongue-meltingly spicy.
Too soon, they left the hotel and headed back into the streets, which were far less crowded so early in the morning. That was one good thing about being on a planet that specialized in illegal occupations: most of them occurred at night, so the day belonged to anyone who could drag themselves out of be
d. Griggs wore the purple outfit again, since at least it had something like pants, but covered it all over with the odd Xarav robe that Vrix pulled out of the bag. It covered her a lot more comfortably and at least had a pocket for a knife. She wondered if it meant something, since any Xaravian who saw her gave them a wide berth and nodded to Vrix.
They walked another circuitous route to the far side of the city, almost back to where the ships were parked, but to a more genteel neighborhood filled with shops and street cafes. One of the twisty streets provided a great deal of concealment, and they nearly missed the small cafe that was listed on Jess's paper. Griggs stopped short under the pretense of looking at the small menu posted near the door, and glanced at the single alien who occupied a corner table, invisible from the street.
He looked like a Tyluk merchant, almost as tall as Vrix but twice as wide, with yellow-gray scales and beady eyes and a long tail curled around the legs of his chair. Vrix also peered at the menu, then nudged her in the direction of the Tyluk. Griggs wasn't cut out for the kind of life Jess obviously lived, because her knees knocked together as she approached the stranger. Give Griggs a shootout or fistfight any day, but this whole sneaking around and meeting strangers in mystery cafes... It just wasn't for her.
One of the Tyluk's eyes rotated to study her as she walked up, and he put down the complicated newspaper screen he held. But he didn't say anything, so she couldn't even tell if his voice matched who she spoke with the night before. Griggs cleared her throat and hoped she got the phrase right. "I'm looking for the Tyluk ship. You said you might have a Tyboli?"
"Yes," he said, the sibilants drawn out into a hiss. "I can help you with that. Why don't you and your friend get a drink inside and then join me?"
Griggs nodded and gestured at Vrix that the Tyluk was the right guy, and the Xaravian meandered over to retrieve a few drinks from inside the cafe while Griggs stood at the table and tried to come up with something to say. She really wasn't meant for subterfuge. "Thanks. Do you need anything?"
The Tyluk's thin lips parted in what could have been a smile, and blinked his eyes separately. "No. Where is the other Earther who shows up? The short one."
"She's on a different mission," Griggs said, uncertain of whether maybe Jess used a different name with this guy. Griggs sure as hell didn't want him knowing her name or anything. The Tyluk weren't nearly as bad as the Caihiri or the Slasu when it came to trading in illicit and illegal goods, but they weren't known for being particularly upfront about their various schemes.
Vrix returned and dragged out a chair for Griggs before he got his own chair, maneuvering so he was able to see part of the street and still get between her and the Tyluk if things went bad. Griggs cleared her throat and wrapped her hands around the steaming mug of something that Vrix handed her, so at least her fingers wouldn't shake as she faced the Tyluk. "We heard there's a new Slasu slave ring operating around here. What do you know about it?"
The Tyluk's sticky tongue flew out and captured a pastry on the table, though he grimaced in something like disgust. "They are making a great deal of trouble for everyone. The barbarians are reacting and getting aggressive with anyone they don't like." The Tyluk gestured at Vrix when he said barbarian, and Griggs braced herself for some sort of reaction. But the Xaravian pretended not to understand, despite speaking a universal language. The Tyluk wiped crumbs from his robes. "The Caihiri are jumpy about any cargo arriving or leaving the planet, so we can't get any goods through immigration until something is sorted out. Either the Slasu will have to pay off the Caihiri, or move their operations elsewhere."
Griggs started to sip the steaming drink but changed her mind when she smelled it. Vrix wasn't great at a wide-eyed innocent look, so obviously there was something weird and possibly terrible in her cup. Griggs put it down and leaned forward. "We need to find an Earther female who arrived on the planet a few days ago and then disappeared. We think the Slasu might have found her. Have you heard anything about Earthers being taken?"
The Tyluk's eyes rotated and peered around the cafe as foot traffic on the street picked up and a few more people wandered inside the cafe. "I heard a rumor yesterday, but I didn't care enough to pay attention. I can go back to those people and see what I can find out. That will take some time, though."
"We don't have much time," Griggs said. "We need to find her quickly."
"She won't leave the planet for another few days if the Slasu have her," the grayish alien said. "There is some time, but not much. You are right to be concerned. Nothing has left the planet, so if she was here within the last few days, she's still here. I will ask my people and see what they know, but you should consider going to the Slasu club, near the fish market."
"They have a club?"
"Oh yes." Again the Tyluk's hissed words sent shivers down her spine. He sure didn't seem like someone who could be trusted. "A secret club where they do some of their trade, and have their slaves dance for whomever might want to purchase them. It is not a .... nice place, but since your Xaravian appears to already own an Earther, they would probably welcome him if he flashes enough money. If they have your Earther friend and the barbarian asks for more Earthers, it's possible they will offer to sell her to him. That might be the fastest way to find your friend. But there is a price to pay to get in. Do not expect it to be an open door."
Griggs swallowed a hint of bile at the idea that they would have to walk into a den of snakes filled with Slasu slave traders, and potentially find Heidi among the slaves. She kept her expression neutral, though, since it was possible the Tyluk participated in the same business, and judgment wouldn't get them his help any faster. "Maybe we'll try that."
The Tyluk sighed with an eerie hissing sound, then handed her a few slips of paper. "This is the club. When you get there, the door guard will stop you. The barbarian is the only one who speaks to him, do you understand? If you speak, they will know you're up to something and will kill you both. Well, they'll kill the Xaravian, but they'll sell you to someone terrible. Ask the door guard for this man, Vertio. He is a Tyboli who manages their books. He can be trusted not to double-cross you right away. He will still take advantage if you give him the chance, but he will not go out of his way to see you robbed blind."
Griggs handed the papers to Vrix and they disappeared into a fold in his robes. She felt so much better that he sat there, silent and imposing, as she faced the calculating Tyluk. "Thank you. We'll consider it. Meet us tomorrow at the same time with information on the Slasu and any Earthers they have."
She didn't want to give him too many specifics on Heidi, in case he'd fabricate her location just to get another payday and maybe double-cross her and Vrix. Plus, if there were any other Earther women who'd fallen into the traps of Caihiri, Griggs was damn well going to get them out, too.
The Tyluk moved and his chair creaked, almost collapsing under his bulk, and he handed another paper to them. "Tomorrow, but not here. This is a little too... exposed. This market will give us many opportunities to find a secure place. Meet me at the stand with Verigo silks."
Vrix didn't look happy, but he took that paper as well. Griggs wished she could offer a different location, since she didn't want to trust the Tyluk to know all the exits and traps before they did. He could set an ambush and they'd never see it coming. But she didn't know any other places they could meet without risking more exposure, and maybe using the same cafe two days in a row was too much of a security risk. Griggs started to think she needed a class from Jessalyn on how to do this shit properly.
Griggs absently sipped from her drink and nearly gagged, putting the cup on the other side of the table. It tasted like hot garbage. She had no idea what Vrix ordered, but she was tempted to knock him to the ground and dump the drink all over him. She tried to cover her disgust with a polite cough. "We'll consider it. I have your number if we need to change the location or the time."
The Tyluk nodded, eyes half closed, and he reached for his news screen. "One more note, so yo
u don't get all of us killed. You carry yourself as a free woman and not one who's been beaten and subdued by a barbarian owner. Start behaving like a slave, Earther, and not a Fleet officer, or you might find yourself in a great deal of trouble. The market price for Earthers continues to climb, and someone might find the payday worth attacking your barbarian bodyguard. Be careful."
"Right." Griggs pushed to her feet, still wanting to retch from the vile drink that coated the back of her throat, and walked away into the early morning crowd on the street. She felt dirty and in dire need of a shower. She needed to get the hell out of there.
Vrix caught up fairly quickly and caught her arm, tugging her to a slower pace as they walked through the nicer neighborhood. "Hold on. Don't go running off or I'll be forced to beat you."
By the light in his eyes he meant it as a joke, but Griggs frowned anyway. "I don't like this. It's too…fake. Why can't I just beat him up and force him to tell me what he knows?"
"Because that only works once, and I'm guessing whoever gave you his information is probably interested in a longer-term relationship. His utility is in consistent access to that kind of information, and to the people we'd rather not meet with directly." Vrix draped his arm over her shoulders and looked around at the different shops and storefronts. "So let's take our time and find a place where we can figure out what to do next."
She wanted to run until her lungs burned and her legs ached, or scream in frustration at the world. But that wouldn't get them any closer to finding Heidi, and she didn't want to waste a day waiting for that Tyluk to get back to them with potentially not more than they knew already. She wasn't leaving her friend's life in a lizard's grabby little hands. "Fine. And I need something to get this awful taste out of my mouth. What the hell was in that cup?"
"House specialty," he murmured, leaning closer until he kissed the top of her head. "Some sort of fermented worms and dyloq milk. I thought you'd like it."