by Joanna Wylde
Chapter Eleven
“Fifty thousand credits. That’s my final offer,” Karinvass said, eyeing the two women standing before him. Their ship was worth at least 150,000 credits, but they obviously didn’t have any idea what they were doing. Clearly, they’d never been out of their home systems. Every time they saw an alien, their eyes widened. As he watched, the little one—the one with the brown hair and freckles—bit her lip, and looked at her friend for guidance. If he wasn’t careful, he might lose the sale…
“Here now, I don’t have all day,” he said roughly. It was always better to keep the upper hand in a negotiation like this. He didn’t want them to feel bullied, but he also didn’t want to give them too much time to think. They were ripe for the taking, and he wanted that ship.
“Either you like the deal or you don’t. I have other customers to help,” he added, despite the fact that they were his only prospects at the moment. It wasn’t often that he had the chance to acquire a ship like theirs, especially for such a price. It was stolen, of course, but that wouldn’t matter if he moved it quickly enough. There were plenty of customers who’d be interested in buying a prize like that one.
“All right,” the freckled one said, looking panicked at the thought of him losing interest. Karinvass gave her a broad smile, then held out his hand to shake on the deal. She looked at him, confused at the gesture, and for a moment he almost felt sorry for her. She really was green. These two were going to be eaten alive if they weren’t careful.
“I’ll be right back with your credits,” he said, and they smiled at him nervously. Shaking his head in bemusement, he turned and went into his back room. Once the door was locked, he activated a small control panel on the floor. A tile moved noiselessly across the floor, revealing his safe. As he counted out the thousand-credit chits, he briefly considered short-changing them. He’d bet they’d never seen a credit chit worth so much—it would be easy to pawn off some counterfeits.
Then an uncharacteristic wave of compassion came over him. He was already making a fortune off of them, he reminded himself. They were on the run, any fool could see that. Besides, if he let them go now, he could always make more money later if someone came looking for them. He smiled again at the thought, then closed up the safe and walked back out into his shop.
“Here are your credits,” he said, counting the money out carefully before them. “Fifty thousand, just like I promised.”
Their eyes widened, and the quiet one—she was taller—gave him a smile so lovely it took his breath away. She really was quite pretty, he realized. Maybe he could… Then he laughed to himself. He was getting too greedy, now. He’d already taken enough from these two little birds. Better to let them go.
“Here are the access codes,” the little one said, pressing a piece of paper into his hands.
“I’ll find you if they don’t work,” Karinvass said, although he wasn’t concerned. He was sure it had never occurred to them to double-cross him. They were too innocent.
They left the store quickly, turning out into the main corridor and out of Karinvass’ sight. Calindra station wasn’t really that large of an outpost, he reflected, if you knew the right people. If he changed his mind and wanted to find them again, he would be able to.
Deciding he had worked enough for one day, Karinvass left the store—locking it carefully, as always—and headed across the wide corridor. The station’s open gallery rose four stories above him, stretching as far as the eye could see. Either side of the gallery was lined with shops. Up two levels was his favorite drinking house, where the bakrah was cheap and the women were friendly. It was time to celebrate his newfound wealth, he thought with satisfaction. It had been a most profitable morning.
* * * * *
“Calla, I don’t trust that man,” Sarai said, looking at her friend anxiously. They were walking quickly along the wide boulevard that was the station’s center of commerce. Earlier that day, Sarai had watched all the activity around them with wide eyes, but now all she could think about was escape. “I think he knew we weren’t the real owners of the ship.”
“I think you may be right,” Calla replied. She clutched their bag of precious credits closer. People seemed to be watching them; they weren’t safe, she could feel it. “But we’ll be gone as soon as we find a transit. We just need to figure out where we want to go.”
“And what we’re going to do when we get there,” Sarai said faintly, her expression troubled. “Calla, I don’t know how to do anything. How am I going to support my children?”
“Sarai, we’ve been over this before,” Calla said, trying to stay patient. “If we can just find the right place, we’ll open a hostel. I know all about hostels, I’ve worked in one all my life. We’re going to be fine.”
“I’m sorry, Calla,” Sarai said. “I know, I’ve got to trust you.”
“That’s all right,” Calla said, flashing her a quick smile. She and Sarai had grown close in the two weeks since their escape from Bethesda base. A wave of sadness came over her, the same feeling she got every time she thought of the day she had left Seth behind on the asteroid. She missed him so much. Suppressing a sigh, she said, “Here we are—I think the hostel is down that corridor.”
Together they turned into the quiet corridor. In contrast to the busy boulevard, this area of the station was more residential. There were blocks of apartments, small food shops and even a book and vid store. Their hostel was nestled in the middle, a little gem of hospitality. A kind-looking pleasure worker at the space port had directed them there the night before. Not only was it quiet, it was inexpensive, which was important. They couldn’t afford to waste the few credits Calla had from Jess’ stash, or those from the sale of the ship, either.
When they walked through the door, a chime rang but no one was at the front desk. Calla could hear voices, though. Able and Mali were in the back, talking with someone animatedly and laughing. She looked over at Sarai, whose face had grown cold. They had told the children not to open the door for anyone, and now Able and Mali were out of the room completely.
Moving quickly through the small lobby and living area, Calla and Sarai walked into the kitchen. Mistress Bannings, the hostel’s owner, and her daughter, Erika, were sitting at a table with the children. Erika’s children were there, too, and the entire group seemed to be playing some kind of board game. Erika looked up and smiled.
“I hope you don’t mind that we invited the children into the kitchen to play,” she said brightly. “We don’t usually get guests with children, and my girls were so excited to meet them.”
Calla’s heart melted at the sight, but Sarai’s lips were tight. Erika shot a concerned look to her mother for support.
“Now, Sarai,” Mistress Bannings said kindly. Her gentle face was covered in wrinkles, most of them from laughing. She looked every inch a beloved grandmother; Mali and Able had been utterly charmed by her from the start. “Don’t worry. The children were perfectly safe, and I knew they must be hungry. Speaking of which, neither of you have had anything to eat yet today. Would you like something?”
Mistress Bannings so obviously meant well that Sarai couldn’t stay mad. She sighed, then said, “Yes, that would be very nice. Thank you.”
Erika immediately jumped up and started fixing them some food, while Mistress Bannings gestured for Calla and Sarai to join her at the table.
“Why don’t you girls take Able and Mali into your room to play,” she told her grandchildren. They jumped up, and all four ran off together laughing. “The girls will keep them occupied while we talk. You have lovely children, Sarai.”
“Thank you,” Sarai replied, unable to keep herself from smiling at the compliment. Erika brought them plates of food, then joined them at the table.
“Mother and I wanted to talk to you,” she said, glancing at Mistress Bannings. “We’re worried about you.”
Calla’s head snapped up, and she looked at the women suspiciously.
“Now, don’t get all de
fensive with me, young one,” Mistress Bannings said, her face kind and understanding. “We’re on your side. Both of us know what it’s like to be a woman alone in the world. I’m concerned about you.”
“Why would you be concerned?” Calla asked, trying to evaluate their motives. Both Mistress Bannings and Erika met her eyes with calm, friendly expressions. They seemed to be genuine…
“I can tell you’re running from something,” the elderly woman said after a moment. “Or someone. And I can tell that you don’t know where you’re running to.”
Sarai opened her mouth to protest, but Mistress Bannings just smiled and raised a hand to silence her.
“I don’t want or need to know the reasons,” she said. “If I don’t know, I can’t tell anyone. But I would like to offer to help you, if there’s any way that I can. I know you sold your ship this morning—”
Calla looked up at her, startled. “How could you possibly know that?” she asked.
“This station is smaller than it looks,” Erika said with a smile. “One of my friends works in a tavern not far from Karinvass’ shop. He was in there, buying rounds for the entire house not ten minutes after you left. She called to tell me all about it before you got home. If you had let us know you were trying to sell it, we probably could have sent you to a more reputable trader.”
Calla and Sarai exchanged startled looks. This wasn’t what they had expected.
“What we’re trying to tell you,” Mistress Bannings said quietly, “Is that if you’re hiding from someone, you’re not doing a very good job. We can help you. Now tell us what you plan to do with yourselves.”
Calla looked to Sarai for guidance, but the young mother simply shrugged her shoulders. Then Calla decided to take a chance and trust her instincts. Mistress Bannings and her daughter seemed like good people, and they really did need the help.
“Let’s just say we’re trying to rebuild our lives,” Calla said slowly. “We’re looking to move somewhere far away, and start a business.”
“What kind of business?” asked the elderly woman.
“I’d like to open a hostel,” Calla replied. “I have some experience in running one.”
Mistress Bannings nodded her approval of the idea.
“Running a hostel is a good trade for a woman on her own,” she said. “Do you have enough money to buy a hostel?”
“I think I might,” Calla said slowly.
“Good,” Mistress Bannings replied. “Now, how about location? Do you know where you want to go?”
“No,” Calla said slowly. “We haven’t decided yet.”
Erika and her mother exchanged knowing looks.
“My aunt, Lilith, has a hostel on Hector Prime,” Erika said after a brief pause. “It’s a lovely planet, an ecological preserve and wildlife sanctuary. There’s a great need for hostels, because so many students go there to study each year. The population is constantly changing, and it’s quite far from here. It might be a nice place for two women to build a new life for themselves.”
“Is it in Saurellian space?” Calla asked quickly.
“It’s actually in a neutral zone,” Mistress Bannings replied, one eyebrow raised questioningly at Calla. “It’s not really of any value to the either the Saurellians or the empire. Neither side has taken the time or interest to garrison it. It’s under the political control of one of the trans-system universities, which has branches on both sides of the conflict. I doubt you’d run into any Saurellians there, if that’s a concern.”
“We need to talk about this privately,” Calla said. “I don’t know if that’s the right place for us or not.”
“Think about it,” Erika said. “You can learn more about the planet from the terminal in your room. It’s called Hector Prime. If you’re interested, let me know. We can help you arrange to travel in an inconspicuous way, and I know that Aunt Lilith would be willing to help you get settled when you arrive.”
“Thank you,” Calla said. “We’ll let you know.”
She and Sarai exchanged small talk with the women until they finished their food, then went up to the room.
“What do you think?” Sarai asked as soon as they were alone.
“I don’t think they mean us any harm,” Calla said slowly. “And I don’t feel like we have that many options. I can’t believe they heard about the ship so quickly. If they know all about it, who else will? I don’t think we’re safe here.”
“I agree,” Sarai said. “I don’t see how we can afford to stay here much longer, and I have no idea where to go if we don’t take their advice.”
“Let’s do it, then” Calla replied, closing her eyes. An image of Seth’s face came into her mind, and she ruthlessly pushed it away. “There’s no reason to stay here any longer than we have to. Let’s go tell Mistress Bannings that we’ll take her up on her offer.”
Chapter Twelve
“Do you want a food pack?” Bragan asked Seth, holding up one of the small plastic pouches. “This is the last sweetened one.”
Seth looked over at Bragan with amusement. The man seemed like such a child at times, although Seth knew he had survived terrible things. Despite his suffering, Bragan still took joy from something as silly as a sweetened food pack.
He had gotten to know Bragan pretty well over the past three weeks, and no longer worried that the former slave would turn against him. They were actually doing pretty well for themselves, although it was tedious to sit and wait for rescue in the small, portable pressure bubble Calla had left for them. Of course, they were grateful for the bubble, part of the ship’s emergency survival kit—otherwise they would have been forced to live in their pressure suits, not a pleasant prospect.
“Are you sure you’re a doctor?” Seth asked Bragan. “I thought those sweet packs were supposed to be unhealthy.”
Bragan swallowed his food, then grinned at him. “No, getting trapped on asteroids with no hope of rescue is unhealthy. Sweetened food packs are the least of our worries.” He cackled quietly at his own joke, then took another bite.
“You’re right about that,” Seth said, his mood darkening. Calla had promised she’d send for help, but in reality Seth knew she might not have. There certainly hadn’t been any sign of rescue so far. If he and Bragan died alone in the ruins of Bethesda base, no one could ever learn how the women had betrayed them. Of course, if Calla and Sarai had wanted the men dead, they could have killed them weeks ago. It was hard to know what Calla’s motivations were, Seth realized. For all he knew, she in love with Jess, and the two of them had coordinated the whole thing. The thought filled him with anger, and he scowled into the silence.
“Snap out of it,” Bragan said. He took another bite of his food, them wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I’m tired of your moping. Either we’ll get out of this or we won’t, but pouting won’t make it any better.”
“I am not pouting,” Seth said coldly, glaring at the doctor.
“Really?” Bragan replied. “I wouldn’t bet on that. She did what she had to do, you know. I told her to do it. An escaped slave can’t afford to have feelings for a man like you. If she’d been smart, she would have killed us. She loved you too much for that, though.”
Seth turned away, unwilling to let Bragan see how much his words hurt. If Calla had loved him, she wouldn’t have left him to die.
“It was her only choice,” Bragan continued. The man was perceptive as hell, something that didn’t always endear him to Seth. “She had to save the children. She had no idea that you were planning to lock Calvin up. It takes a strong woman to give up the man she loves to save a child.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Seth said, gritting his teeth in frustration. Thinking about Calla made him crazy. He wanted to strangle her. He wanted to roll on top of her and thrust into her again and again. He dreamt of them having a child together, something that was biologically impossible. At times he thought he might lose his mind.
Abruptly standing, Seth stalked across the small open are
a to their sleeping mats, inflatable cots from the same survival kit that had contained the pressure-bubble. For the thousandth time, Seth thanked the Goddess for leading him to outfit his ship with the highest quality survival equipment available. At least he and Bragan were relatively comfortable in their exile.
“I’m going to take a nap,” he said shortly, lying down on the mat. Turning away from Bragan, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He knew he would dream of Calla, something he both anticipated and dreaded. Her silken thighs, her sparkling laugh, even her freckles… She was always with him in some way. Trying to reign in his anticipation, Seth closed his eyes. The dreams were all he had left.
* * * * *
“Seth, wake up,” Bragan whispered in the darkness. Seth was alert instantly, his warrior instincts honed from a thousand battles. “There’s something going on at the landing field. That little motion alarm thing you set up is blinking.”
A burst of adrenaline shot through Seth’s body—were they about to be rescued? A list of all those it could be raced through his mind: Pilgrims, Saurellians, the escaped slaves … Perhaps even an innocent trader, as he had pretended to be. Each possibility carried its own risks.
“We need to get into our suits, then head for our hiding place,” Bragan whispered, furiously shoving supplies in a little bag. “Do you have your blaster?”
Seth did. He’d found it in his carryall, right next to the photos of his niece and nephews. Its presence was just another piece of the complex puzzle that was Calla. In the dark times, when he wondered whether she had ever cared for him at all, he looked at it. At least she hadn’t wanted him to die, had given him something to defend himself with. That was something.
When they were both dressed and ready, the two men checked each other’s suits, then quickly made their way through the bubble’s tiny air lock. It was manually operated, and Seth chafed at the delay. It took ten full minutes for each of them to pass through, time that their new guests might use to discover them.