by Stone, Layla
Adelia lifted the knife and flipped it close, but she didn’t put it away. A semi-friendly greeting. “Yeah?”
“You any good with that thing?”
Adelia didn’t answer, only gave the Demon an unamused frown.
“I’m looking for a female fighter. You interested?”
Adelia didn’t hesitate to shake her head. “No, thanks. I’m not staying long.”
“Are you sure?” Pointing at the small divots in the dirt, the Roth Demon added, “Because these lead all the way back to the docks. And I hate to break it to ya, but you’re not the first person to have made the walk of shame.”
“Is that what the locals call walking from the docks to the city? Because I hate to tell you, the Terrans already coined that phrase, and it has a much funnier meaning.”
The Roth looked confused. “I don’t care what the Terrans say. On Adaamas, this is what we say. And I’m offering you a good deal. Fighters make good money, at least my fighters do. And as long as they win, they get the best of everything.”
“I’m not a fighter.” Adelia was terrible at it. The several hundred times she’d sparred with Rannn, she always lost. It was why she hadn’t bothered to attend the Federation Academy. Her parents had thought she was lazy, but that wasn’t it. It was because she wasn’t interested in always being in her adoptive brother’s shadow. He was great at everything—even at being a decent individual.
There was no competing with that. Her only other option was to accept a marriage her parents had arranged, or be exiled. Yunkin was strict. You either worked in the Federation, or you supported a family member who worked for the Federation.
As Adelia brought her thoughts back to the present, she realized that the other female wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “You should try it. I bet you’d surprise yourself.”
“No, thanks,” Adelia said again with an unmistakable tone, letting the Roth know the conversation was over. For extra measure, she scratched the side of her temple with the folded-up knife.
“Fine,” the female replied as she revved the hopper’s engine and took off.
Adelia watched the Demon’s blue hair flip and flop in the air as the hopper got smaller and smaller in the distance. The road was not heavy with traffic like the planet she had grown up on. She only saw two hovering land transporters headed towards the docks. No one was going into the city.
Two hours later, she had forgotten all about the female Demon and watching the road. Until a Daamus Rounder pulled over near her. The vehicle was a free-riding, automated land transporter that hovered four inches off the ground. This one was blue with silver speckles. The curved door popped open and rose into the air. Adelia felt her blood rush through her veins, and her hand tighten around the knife as she waited to see who got out.
No one.
Cautiously, she moved to her left to peek in, not wanting to be ambushed. The interior had rounded, blue bench seats. But no one was inside. Then Adelia heard an automated female voice say, “Pick-up for female with a knife.”
Moving closer, Adelia noticed that there was a black screen at the front of the ship—at least what could be the front of the oval. The voice repeated itself, and as it did, the screen flashed colored, asymmetrical shapes, making it look like the design changed with the cadence of the electronic voice.
Lying under the monitor was a large bottle of water and three food ration packs.
Adelia’s mouth was dry, and she wanted the water badly. But she couldn’t trust that it was safe to drink.
It could be poisoned. Drugged. Or worse, it could be cool and refreshing, and in the end, Adelia would find herself owing someone for their generosity. She couldn’t take that risk.
“Pick up for female with a knife,” said the automated female for the third time.
Shaking her head, Adelia stepped back. Her heart fell, knowing she was turning away something that could take away her thirst and hunger and aching feet. But she couldn’t be indebted to anyone. Backing up, she told the automated Daamus Rounder, “Go away.”
The door lowered and sealed with a snick. Gradually, it picked up speed, leaving her standing by the side of the road.
Adelia mentally pushed herself forward, ignoring the thirst, hunger, and blisters. She had made it far enough that she could see the city’s buildings. It didn’t look that far away anymore. Even though she was tired, she didn’t feel hopeless. And that was enough to keep her going.
The next Daamus Rounder stopped an hour later. The door lifted up, and the automated female voice said, “Pick up for stubborn female with a knife.”
It was the same empty vehicle with water and three rations. With a raspy voice, Adelia turned the Rounder away. Again.
A third Daamas Rounder stopped three hours later. Shaking her head, thinking the female had to be the most persistent one on the planet, Adelia stopped with a huff. The city was not far, maybe five miles at most. It wouldn’t be long before she could sell the homner and finally rest with plenty of water and food.
The door lifted. Adelia almost screamed for the vehicle to leave, but the automated voice was clearly male this time.
“Please enter your destination.”
Adelia backed up to give herself some room to peek inside and ensure it was empty. Leaning in, she checked. The interior was empty, no bottle of water or rations.
Adelia wasn’t sure what to do with this. Who sent it? Why? Or did this particular model pick up pedestrians?
“Please enter your destination.”
Adelia didn’t trust anything on this planet. “I’m not getting in there. If you want me, you’ll have to kidnap me, you psycho.”
“Please enter your destination.”
Adelia stepped closer and looked at the monitor. Instead of it displaying colors as it talked, there was only a GPS map and a blinking green ball depicting the Rounder’s current location.
Thoughtfully, she commanded it, “What are your primary orders?”
The screen changed from a map to an outline picture of the island. “Primary objective is transportation.”
“To where?”
“To each passenger’s desired destination. Please enter your destination.” The image changed to a slideshow of pictures that Adelia had seen before. The first was the city buildings, another was the large cinemas, then the fighting clubs. The screen blinked back to the GPS map.
Feeling more confident, Adelia stepped in and sat down in the seat closest to the door. “Where is the safest part of the city?”
“Eastend has the least amount of crime. Please confirm your destination.” The map zeroed in on the eastern part of the island. Several rectangular buildings showed. They looked like warehouses.
“No. First, I need to find a black merchant dealer. I need to sell something valuable.”
“There are five hundred black merchant dealers on Lotus Adaamas. Please enter your destination.”
The automated vehicle was pushy and lacking in the finer points of conversation. “Who is the best seller?”
“Merchant Z has the best ratings.” The image on the screen changed again, this time showing a photo of a male with thick, wavy, dark hair. He had medium brown eyes, a straight nose, an angular jaw, and beautiful, olive-toned skin. She knew that face. She had seen him on the docks when she was stranded.
His picture was crap and a little grainy, but she would know that arrogant smile anywhere. And who wouldn’t be an arrogant prick with the name Z?
Talking to the picture of the male, she said, “Merchant, you’re about to get the deal of a lifetime.”
“Please confirm your destination.”
“Take me to Z’s office.”
“Destination confirmed.” The Daamas Rounder’s door slid down, and the small engine moved forward at a steady, albeit slow pace. Adelia let herself breathe. Her spine and shoulders sagged into the seat. Eyes closed, she soaked in the moments of silent contemplation.
Almost there.
4
; Meeting from Hell
Around dusk, Adelia was dropped off in front of a warehouse. She cautiously stepped out of the vehicle and scanned the area, not wanting to be caught unaware again. The building she stood in front of didn’t have a curved top. It was large, wide, and grey with horizontally slanted paneling. She stood in front of the entrance with its dark-tinted glass and a face recorder on the door. She walked up and grabbed the handle. The recorder snapped a photo of her face, and she expected the door to open. It didn’t.
She waited another minute, and the door took another picture of her. She wondered if that was a result of the recognition program, or if the arrogant prick was laughing at her.
Five minutes later, she decided that Z wasn’t going to open his door. Peering to the side, she saw a large, yellow, roll-up door ten feet away. There were two others spaced evenly apart from the first.
Adelia knocked.
No answer.
“Seriously?” she yelled at the building. It isn’t even late, where the hell is this guy?
About to go looking for help, she suddenly heard a whirring sound.
A black Grummer pulled into the parking lot. It was bulky, hovered off the ground about twelve inches, and was big enough to hold eight. It had a single engine with dual exhaust pipes on either side of the vehicle that pointed skyward.
The vehicle stopped abruptly by the last yellow door. The drivers-side door popped open, and Z got out. He didn’t see Adelia standing by the entrance—or maybe he did and didn’t care.
He punched his finger against the paneling, and a grey box emerged. His index finger moved over the face of the panel, and a second later, the yellow door hummed and lifted. Z turned from the entrance of the warehouse and moved back to the Grummer.
Adelia crossed her arms, waiting for him to notice her. She was going to give it another ten seconds before she called out to him. Just as she had that thought, she saw him pulling something out of the vehicle, something long.
A body.
Adelia felt her mouth close, and her right foot slide back. The body Z dragged into the building had a red, swollen face, deep gashes on his cheek, and was either dead or about to be.
Another vehicle, a Hampton Dwarf, rounded the parking lot and double-parked next to the Grummer. It was smaller, a two-seater, but they were fast and could travel on any terrain. Without turning off the vehicle, another male got out. He had dull, grey-white skin, and horns protruding from the back of his jaw—the defining characteristic of a Night Demon.
The Night Demon shouted, “I’m coming, Z, hold on! I’ll help you get him into the container.”
“Hurry up, then. This bastard’s heavy.”
Adelia took another step back, glad that they hadn’t seen her standing there.
“You need to spend more time in the gym, Z. That guy is a lightweight, and he got in several good shots during the fight.”
Z dropped the body. His white button-up shirt was stained red. His tan pants had dark stains on them.
With his arms wide, he said, “And yet, here I stand.” He flicked his fingers at his accomplice. “Shut the door.”
As the door lowered, Adelia watched the males closely to make sure that she was safe. She backed up a bit because she didn’t want to get caught.
Z’s eyes caught the movement. His dark gaze captured hers, leaving her immobile for a second. He was dangerous, and yet his striking handsomeness made his arrogance downright scary. Her mind started screaming for her to move, her self-preservation forcing her to break eye contact and run.
She had no idea where she was going, but she didn’t really care. She just needed to get as far away from Z and the Night Demon as she could. They were murderers.
Her feet sounded heavy as she ran. She pushed past the pain of the raw wounds in her feet.
Turning a corner, she ran right into a body. Bouncing off the hard muscle, she looked up, saw who it was, and scuttled backwards.
Z’s amused, male voice said, “And just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better. You’re a fast-walker, Pet.”
Frantic, her mind searched for anything she could use to stop him from pursuing her. Under her hand, she felt sharp, volcanic rocks and small bits of stone and sand.
She grabbed a handful and flung it at his face. She didn’t wait to see how well she had aimed, just got up and ran in the opposite direction.
“Wrong way, Pet, that’s the way to my warehouse,” Z called.
Adelia veered to the other side of the street and didn’t hear him behind her. A heartbeat later, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and fling her back. She somehow ended up over his shoulder, her legs held tight as she tried to kick. Her small movements did nothing.
“You came all the way out here, it would be silly to waste the trip. Let’s catch up, what have you been doing since this afternoon?”
She tried to dig her elbow into his back.
In return, he hopped, and his shoulder dug into her gut, causing her to lose her breath for a moment.
“Don’t make me restrain you, Pet…wait, you might like it, so keep digging your elbows into my back. Please give me a reason to tie you down.”
The bastard was not going to restrain her—now or ever. Digging her elbow in harder, she hissed, “Never gonna happen, you pathetic limp-licking parasite.”
Z snorted. “What did you just call me?”
“You heard me.”
The lights were on inside the open warehouse when they walked in. Z set her on her feet, and she caught the streaks of blood on the floor. Reality hit hard. She was at the murderer’s place of business. Where he would have the best advantage.
She had to be smart. With a voice as calm and poised as she could manage, she told him, “I won’t tell anyone about the body.”
Z’s dark eyes were suddenly on her, his gaze not cold and glazed over as she had expected. But she had been wrong before about males. He didn’t smile victoriously or smirk at her. Just as calmly as she had spoken, he told her, “I appreciate that, Pet, but even if you did, no one would punish me. This is Adaamas.”
Which meant, he was going to kill her anyway? She didn’t know. But she did know that it was only twenty or so feet to the outside, and she needed to make a break for it.
Z’s head tilted to the side. “I’ll catch you again.”
She still had to try.
Three steps into her escape, Z’s hand wrapped around her arm, and he whipped her around, calling out as he did. “Shine, get over here and close the damn door.”
Struggling to get free, Adelia watched the Night Demon with the jaw protrusions move from behind a tall pallet, glance over at her struggling form, and then hit a button. The large doors began to descend.
Z pulled her into his chest to keep her still. “And get me some rope.”
No. Not rope. Adelia struggled harder.
Shine looked at her and then at Z. Surprise and a mixture of contempt on his half-curled lip, he asked, “Rope? Are you sure?”
“What do you mean, am I sure? Of course, I’m sure.”
A snort. “A chair, a gun, and a glare will do. She’s terrified, she’s not going anywhere.”
Z didn’t seem upset about the push-back. “Fine, get me those.”
Adelia screamed as she struggled. She used her elbows and feet and tried scratching his face.
Z wrapped his arms around her more firmly and pressed his head against hers. “Stop struggling, Pet.”
“Screw you.”
Shine walked back behind the pallets. Seconds later, she heard him yell, “Is she a spy for Trent?”
Z grabbed a chair, turned it around, pushed her onto it, and held her shoulders to keep her in place before responding. “No. She was left at the docks this afternoon.”
“And you’ve captured her because you want her business?” Shine yelled back.
“No, just thought I would catch up, see how she ended up here.”
Adelia stopped struggling. Z noticed immediately.
“Look who just started listening.”
She didn’t trust him, but she would give him what he wanted. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything. I’m a big-picture and details kind of guy.” Then he looked at her nose and said, “I can see one thing you’ve done. You’ve spent way too much time in the sun.” He moved his hand near her cheek but didn’t touch. “You’re going to need burn cream.”
To the day she died, she would always remember this murderer talking about sunburn cream.
She turned her head to ensure that his hand never touched her face.
Shine came back with a small gun and an extra chair. The gun didn’t look like anything she had ever seen before. It had a blue, marble-looking handle with a series of small lights on top of the barrel.
Z moved a chair in front of her and sat down with his legs wide open. Shine handed him the gun. Instead of pointing it at her, he kept it in his hand, his finger off the trigger but the weapon on his lap.
Z’s voice was casual when he said, “All right, Pet, I’m dying to know how a thief gets kicked off her ship and winds up on my side of the island.”
Adelia didn’t know if it was worth it to try and explain that she wasn’t a thief. The male may or may not believe her, and she didn’t know if it would help her predicament.
“I’m not convinced you’re too scared to answer. So, I’ll ask again nicely. How did you end up on my side of the island?” This time, he held up the odd gun and pointed it at her. “This is called a vibrant pistol. It shoots ultraviolet rays into the body, cooking you from the inside out, and making your death horribly painful. But in the end, your body will glow, hence the vibrant part.
Adelia didn’t want to die that way. Just imagining it was horrific. Answering his question, she said, “I walked most of the way, and a Daamus Rounder picked me up closer to the entrance to the city.”
Z circled the muzzle of the gun, a gesture to continue.