by S. J. Bryant
"Captain, yes."
"Wasn't sure if it was you or that one with the cold stare."
Kari glanced to where Aydin sat, eyes closed.
"He's been fighting to stay awake for hours," Gerbil said. "Watching over you lot. You're lucky to have him."
"Lucky to have him!" Kari hissed. "If it weren't for him and his friend, we wouldn't be in this mess."
Gerbil stared at her and his eyes seemed to see through to her very soul. Few wrinkles lined his face but his eyes had a depth to them that made it impossible to tell his age. "Clearly you have some things to work out with your crew."
"Clearly," Kari snapped.
"But he seemed to be looking over you from where I was sitting."
"Was that before or after you got close enough to slit my throat?"
Gerbil held up his hands. "None of us are armed. Your friend knew that."
"He's no friend of mine."
Gerbil tilted his head to the side. "In a place like this you quickly learn that whoever isn't your enemy, is your friend."
"Deep," Kari said.
"You know where we're going?"
"They mentioned the slave blocks."
"On Briox, yes."
"Great." Kari had never been to Briox but she didn't need to, she could picture the slave-trading place easily enough.
"It won't be long now. They can't fit many more down here and still keep us in good condition."
"Condition?" Kari said. "You're talking about yourself like a piece of furniture."
Gerbil shrugged. "I've been a slave a long time."
"How long?"
Gerbil smiled, although a sadness filled his eyes. "My whole life."
"Your whole life? Why haven't you run away? Fought them?"
"You can't understand until you've experienced it."
"Like hell I can."
"No," Gerbil said. "You can't."
Kari's heart raced but she fought down the urge to shake the man until his teeth rattled. Who would choose to bow down to a life of servitude? Where was his backbone?
"She's your sister?" Gerbil jutted his chin at Piper.
Kari nodded.
"I have a sister, or at least… I hope she's still alive."
"They took her?"
Gerbil nodded.
"Then how can you sit by and—"
Gerbil lifted his hand. "They only took her when I tried to fight back. All things considered we had a good childhood. We were fed, and we got to play, and we were safe."
Kari pressed her lips together. What he described was better than a lot of the children on Zenith got.
"But when I was thirteen, I was expected to take on adult jobs. It was generous of my owners; some insist that children begin adult labor at eight."
Kari tried to find words to argue, but how could she? Hadn't she and Piper been forced to work in adult jobs from much the same age? Although they were forced by society and the need to eat, rather than a specific 'owner.'
"I argued," Gerbil said. "I wanted to stay in the house and play with my sister, not work in the factory and risk getting my arm crushed by machinery."
"They gave me one warning. Obey, or face the consequences. Up until then I'd been punished as a child, but this time I was an adult." Gerbil's eyes gleamed in the dim light. "They took her and sold her to a buyer from off-world; a big man with a cruel smile."
Gerbil's gaze refocused on Kari. "Thinking about the life I forced her into has kept me awake every night of my life. So, before you decide to fight back… just remember that it may not be you that pays the price." He stood and shuffled into the huddled bodies of his fellow prisoners, placing his hand on a few shoulders as he passed.
Kari stared after him, her stomach in turmoil. What if she did something and Piper paid the price? Would she ever be able to live with herself? What if her loud mouth got Ryker killed? But what other choice did she have? She couldn't let herself—and her crew—get sold into slavery without a fight. Better to die than to give up. But at what cost?
Gerbil met her gaze from across the room and it carried the weight of a lifetime of regret.
He seemed to genuinely care about the other slaves, and no wonder. He was trying to clear a debt that could never be paid. Kari knew that no matter how many wretches he helped, no matter how many dying hands he held, he'd never be able to look himself in the eye. How did he smile and joke when he carried a burden like that on his back?
Kari edged away from the waste hole and took her place near Ryker and the others. She stayed sitting, refusing to go to sleep while the others rested. Gerbil was probably wrong about Aydin. Why would he keep watch over them? But no matter, she was awake now, and as soon as Ryker and Wren woke up, they'd arrange some kind of roster. It wasn't that she didn't trust Piper or Atticus, but in a fight, she'd rather have Ryker or Wren awake at her side.
But what fight was she expecting? From everything she'd seen it didn't seem likely that the other prisoners would turn on her. Despite the scoffs of the other prisoners, Gerbil had some kind of control and he didn't seem like the violent type. That left the pirates… or whatever they called themselves. Kari didn't put it past them to come looking for some blood sport. Well… let them try. She'd show them their own intestines before they knew what was happening.
But Gerbil's last words rang in the back of Kari's head. Who would pay the price?
CHAPTER 11
"Is it just me," Ryker said. "Or does this gruel taste worse every day?" He dropped his metal spoon to the bottom of his empty bowl, and it made a dull clatter, barely discernible over the chink and scrape of the other prisoners eating.
"Well, it's not getting better," Atticus said.
"See," Ryker said. "Say what you will about the Imperium, but at least they never locked us in a bloody prison ship."
"That's only because they never caught us," Kari said.
"And speak for yourself," Piper added, her voice soft.
Awkward silence fell over the small group. Kari tried to think of something—anything—to say. She'd almost forgotten that Piper had been little more than a slave for most of her life. The only difference between her experience at the hands of the Imperium and now, was that she had to share her cell and there was no real bed.
"You were a slave before?" Aydin said.
"None of your business," Kari snapped. Piper didn't have to answer questions about her past, least of all from him.
Aydin's eyes narrowed and he leaned back so that he was near, but not part of their small circle.
"Kari," Piper said. "He has a right to ask."
"Like hell he does. If it wasn't for him and his friend, we wouldn't be here."
"I had nothing to do with it," Aydin said.
They spoke in harsh whispers, but they'd had the same argument so many times over the last three days that the other prisoners didn't even bother to look at them.
"And if anything," Aydin said. "You seemed pretty friendly with Taylor."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kari gripped her spoon so hard that her knuckles turned white.
"You know exactly what I mean. If I'm to blame for this, then so are you."
"I did try to warn you," Piper said, breaking Kari's concentration.
"What?" Kari said.
"I tried to warn you that I didn't like him."
"When?" Kari said, frowning. If Piper had tried to warn her about Taylor, she damn well would have listened. She'd been right about Wren after all.
"After Aydin and Ryker fought about Ryker going into Aydin's room. I told you I didn't like him."
Kari's stomach tightened. "I thought you meant Aydin."
Aydin snorted. "Of course. Everyone loves Taylor, but not me."
"I meant Taylor," Piper said.
Heat crept up Kari's neck. "You knew he was going to betray us?"
If Piper had known, and had tried to warn Kari in her own weird way… then wasn't it Kari's fault they were all here? If she'd just listened to Piper then they mig
ht have avoided this mess altogether.
"I didn't know exactly," Piper said. Her voice dropped to near a whisper and they all had to lean close to hear. "It was just an… inconsistency. His words didn't match his body sometimes. It was wrong."
Kari rubbed her eyes and tried not to scream. She knew Piper saw more than most people, and that she was clever. But then why couldn't the girl say what she actually meant? If she'd made it clear from the start that she didn't like Taylor, and why he couldn't be trusted then Kari would have listened. But instead Piper had given only half-sentences and hidden in her room. Kari drew a deep breath, struggling to remind herself that Piper wasn't like other people; she didn't communicate the same. And hell, after everything she'd been through, could she be blamed?
"You're different to most people," Aydin said, staring hard at Piper.
"Yes," Piper said.
Kari wanted to wrap her hand over Piper's mouth to stop her saying anything more, but that would only draw more attention.
"I see things that other people—"
"Piper," Kari said, staring at her younger sister. "I don't think everyone needs to know."
"He's not inconsistent," Piper said.
Kari tried not to let her full frustration show, but it was like holding back a wall of water with a cracked dam. Piper might be clever, and maybe she could see inconsistencies, but that didn't mean they could trust Aydin. He'd acted suspiciously from the start. And what about that box that he hadn't wanted anyone to see? And besides, even the most trustworthy person could be persuaded with enough money, and the reward for returning Piper to the Imperium would be very high indeed.
"I just don't think—" Kari said.
"It's my story to tell."
Anger and impotent frustration bubbled in Kari's stomach but unless she physically restrained Piper, she couldn't stop her from talking. Piper leaned closer to Aydin and started telling him about her time as a prisoner, and the things she could do. Kari's hands clenched and unclenched on her knees, futile.
"Family," Ryker said, voice low.
Kari shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.
"Although, I don't think he's all bad," Ryker said. "Not as bad as we thought anyway."
"We can't trust anyone."
Ryker snorted. "Yeah, you made that clear when you confined me to my room."
Heat spread over Kari's cheeks. She should never have doubted Ryker. How many years had they been together? How many times had he saved her? But she'd been so worried, and seeing her ship sabotaged… "I plead temporary insanity."
"You've got that right. Would you relax?" Ryker pulled Kari away from Piper. "It's done now."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Kari focused on her meal and scraped the last of the brown gruel into her mouth. It tasted like dirty dishwater with a dash of salt.
"Look on the bright side," Ryker said. "It can't get much worse than this."
"Ha!" Aydin said. "You know nothing."
Ryker raised an eyebrow. "I think you'll find I've been around the block a few times."
"Not in this neighborhood," Aydin said. "Have you even heard of Briox?"
Both Ryker and Kari shook their heads.
"It's not just a slavers' block. It's a cesspit of the worst criminals in this part of the galaxy. You won't find nice slavers that will give you half of Sunday off and feed you three meals. No, Briox is where you go to die."
"Great," Kari said. She noticed Gerbil glaring and a few of the nearby prisoners shuffling away from their group. "Enough of that talk, you know the others don't like it."
"Tough," Aydin said. "You're not planning to let them drag you there without a fight, are you? I thought you had more spine than that."
"I have plenty of spine."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," Kari said. She glanced at the roof where Piper had said there were three cameras watching their every move. "I just don't think now is a good time to discuss it."
"You got a better place?" Aydin said.
"Yes," Kari said on reflex.
Aydin raised an eyebrow.
Kari's mind raced. She couldn't afford to make Gerbil and the other prisoners angry or their lives could get very uncomfortable, even compared to the current hell they lived in.
"When it's time, I'll tell you," she said.
Aydin stared at her and Kari had the sinking suspicion that he could see right through her and knew that she had no plan, no way out, not even the seed of an idea.
She kept her face stony but inside she begged that he'd let it go. She needed more time, more space. She needed a way to plan and talk with Ryker and Wren without the other prisoners and those damn cameras listening. Dammit! Why was it down to her anyway?
But she already knew the answer to that. The role of captain came with a lot of responsibilities. She'd chosen to take these people on, and that made her responsible for them. If they died—even Aydin—that was on her.
Aydin stared at her for another long moment then half nodded. "Right," he said.
Kari didn't need Piper's powers of observation to know that he wasn't agreeing with her story, more that he saw through it but for the moment agreed not to push the issue. He'd let her come up with something, but Kari got the impression she'd better do it fast, or he'd start coming up with his own ideas.
Hell.
What she wouldn't do to be back on Ghost, gliding through the peaceful blackness of space, instead of rotting in this dungeon until the bastards in charge decided it was time to take them to the slavers' blocks.
Time was running out.
CHAPTER 12
"Up, newbies. Time to get cataloged," said the guard who'd just entered the area outside the cells. He pointed a grimy finger at Kari and her crew. "Up."
Kari stood but stayed away from the bars. "What do you mean, 'cataloged'?"
"Means our sellers want to see what you're worth. Now get your asses out of there or I'll knock a few credits off your faces."
Kari glanced at Gerbil. "What does he mean?"
"You need to be priced for prospective buyers. And Blanchard will want to make sure she can get as much as possible for you."
"What are they going to do?" Ryker said. "Check our teeth?"
"It's best to go with them and do what they say," Gerbil said. He met Kari's gaze. "Remember what I said."
Kari made no indication that she understood. Gerbil's advice was to stay quiet and accept the life of a slave. Well, there was no way in hell she was going to do that, and neither would her crew. If they had a chance now of getting out… she'd take it. She caught Ryker, Wren and Aydin's eyes, hoping they understood—if there was a chance to fight, do it.
"Out!" the guard said, his ears turning red. He looked ready to explode.
They shuffled to the door and he opened it, letting them into the corridor where they were surrounded by men and women in ridiculous clothes; all too bright and too puffy. But they carried guns which they aimed at the prisoners' backs.
"This way," the big man said, leading them away from the cell.
They went up a set of steps and down a short corridor to a large room, bigger than even the dining room on Kari's ship. After the stink and close confines of the cell, it was like stepping into an open field. At one end, on plush chairs with leather cushions, sat Blanchard and Taylor. A camera behind them blinked. Blanchard sat with one leg sprawled over the arm of her chair, gold buckles gleaming on her leather boots.
A thin man stepped out of the shadows behind them. He wore simpler clothes than the rest—almost normal—but he had a narrow nose that seemed to sink into his face between sharp, cruel eyes. "Listen up," he said. "Because I'm not going to repeat myself."
Kari scanned the room. The door they'd come in through was the only exit, but it was big and there weren't many guards. If she and Ryker managed to get hold of a couple of guns, they might be able to buy enough time for Wren to work her magic. She'd be able to dispatch the rest of the guards in a few minutes, then they just
had to find Ghost and get out of there. If Gerbil and the rest didn't want to be saved, then fine, that was their choice.
"My name is Krispen and I'm Captain Blanchard's chief valuer. I take my job very seriously. Don't think for a second that you can fool or mislead me. I could price each of you to within ten tokens. You're here to prove your worth."
Kari only listened with half her attention, the rest of her focused on how she could edge close enough to the nearest guard to take his gun. He was gazing off into the middle distance—daydreaming, she assumed—so it wouldn't be hard. But there were ten other guards in the room that would pump her full of plasma blasts before she got a chance. She needed some kind of signal so that the others would react at the same time. Dammit, they should have discussed this earlier, in the relative safety of the cell.
"There are a few types of slaves," Krispen said. "Prove that you're valuable and you'll be treated like it. However, if you have no skills, no talents, nothing of value, then you will be sold for basic labor where I'm sure you will die within a year. Do I make myself clear?"
Kari and her crew mumbled agreement.
"Good." Krispen stalked down their ragged line and stopped in front of Ryker. "You look like you can fight. Correct?"
Ryker glanced at Kari, she shrugged.
"Yes," he said.
"Slaves that can fight are valuable. Show me your skills." Krispen waved to the open area in front of Blanchard and Taylor.
Ryker held up his hands. "What do you expect me to do? Wrestle myself?"
Krispen's eyes narrowed. "No initiative. That will work against you for most buyers, but I might be able to make it work."
Ryker's nostrils flared. "Look, buddy. I'll show you exactly where you can shove your initiative. You—"
Krispen flicked his wrist and one of the guards strode forward. In one smooth movement, he pulled a cutlass from his belt and swung it at Ryker's neck.
Kari took a half-step forward but even if she'd had a weapon she would have been far too late.
Ryker's eyes opened a half-inch then he dove forward. He ducked under the blade and came up inside his attacker's reach. Ryker buried his fist into the man's stomach, making him bend double, gasping for air.