Chapter 15
Nur had told Tasha he’d decided that nothing was as adorable as a child giggling. He must have been in heaven since Noelle trilled amusement at the moment. He grinned at the bubbly sound because as he said, it was impossible not to.
Sitting on the floor a few feet in front of the princess, he manipulated vid animals, a child’s program he’d found in the entertainment library of the clan’s vid subscription system. They were Noelle-sized creatures that ranged from realistic ronka calves to fantastical creations that were as cute as they were entertaining. The program allowed the user to customize the critters as well.
With the controller he held, Nur made the pink unicorn Tasha had constructed gallop across the sunlit common room and execute a flip over Noelle’s head. It landed in the lit firepit and danced around on its hind legs as it beat out the faux flames singeing its rear. The little girl screamed with laughter and clapped her hands. The other animals around her leaped about, raising their bleats and haws in shared amusement. Nur chuckled too, more at Noelle’s enjoyment than anything else.
Tasha sat on the nearby lounger, grinning from ear to ear. As far as being in hiding, Clan Falinset’s home wasn’t such a bad option. The last three days had offered bright spots like the one Noelle enjoyed now.
They spent most of their time with Nur. He fixed their hair and spoiled them with spa treatments. Noelle had discovered a love for having her tiny little fingernails painted while her feet soaked in soothing solutions. She delighted in having a different hairstyle created for her each morning. Tasha enjoyed Nur’s attentions too, though of a different variety. They got together during Noelle’s naps and after the child went to bed for the night. The sex was amazing, and their conversations allowed them to get to know each other better. They shared their pasts … to a point. Tasha had things she held back, things she never told anyone.
Nur had his own secrets. Despite their close encounters, she still hadn’t teased out the answer to what Maf had on the clan. Nur remained as buttoned up about that as the first day. She discovered she didn’t need to know what brought profound sadness to his eyes to despise Maf even more. It was enough that Nur wore that look of hurt because of him.
She liked the Imdiko, and not just because she’d had a delicious taste ... actually several tastes now ... of his sensual delights. Nur had moments where he was a tad fussy, especially when it came to how he and everyone besides Wekniz looked. But he had plenty of positive attributes to speak for him: he doted on Noelle and he looked after his clanmates with devotion. Outside of sexual play, he treated Tasha with the utmost respect. When she felt low over not being able to free Noelle and the women still under Ket’s thumb, he did his best to console her. More than once his kindness had kept her from collapsing into tears.
And in the bedroom, he was an amazing, demanding beast. Just thinking about the way he commanded her when they were intimate was enough to bring Tasha’s every sense to life.
She liked his Nobek as well from the little bit she’d gotten to know about him. Tasha had entertained some lustful thoughts of including Wekniz in their encounters. The man’s body looked like he’d been carved from rock, the scarred areas places where it had run like molten lava. He appealed to her with the evidence of his strength so fully on display.
As little as she wanted to be attracted on a deeper level, she had to admit Wekniz had all the positive attributes she appreciated. The way he’d protected her and Noelle when he’d come upon them in the woods was not an exception to his bravery or kindness. As fearsome as the scarred side of his face was, he made it a point to be gentle with Noelle. He took every opportunity to show her she had nothing to fear from him. The little girl never shrank from him now. Indeed, she sometimes took him by the hand to show him some interesting creature scurrying in view of the window vids. He listened to her carefully, spoke in a soothing tone, and took time even when it was obvious he had other things to do.
He was polite to Tasha. He kept her as informed of what was going on as possible, discussing the timeline of when they might attempt to get her and Noelle off the moon. Thus far, he’d not been able to get a com connection to Kalquor. A series of relay satellites had malfunctioned, according to the com agency in charge of off-planet transmissions. On that account, Wekniz was as frustrated as she and promised to keep trying to get hold of the home planet’s Global Security.
His scarred face became fiercer as he told her about the soldiers searching shuttles leaving the moon. “There’s been a big hike in drug trafficking. Every shuttle is searched for contraband by the military, men who might be working for the Basma,” he said. “As for seeing the governor, I’m told his schedule is booked solid. The same with the governing assembly. I’ll keep trying though.”
Despite Wekniz never having good news when it came to getting Noelle off Lobam, Tasha often wished he’d sit and talk to her more. She thought he might be good company … even if lust wasn’t on the menu. He was smart and dedicated to his job, his clan, and keeping her and Noelle out of Ket’s clutches. She thought he was riveting. She sometimes thought he wanted to spend more time with her too, but he never pushed for it. He often seemed on the verge of saying something to her, something more friendly than the reports of how he was being foiled in his attempts to have them rescued.
Falinset was another matter. Though his earlier apparent dislike had settled into the same politeness Wekniz offered, he was far more distant. Tasha was fine with that. So what if he had that brute look of big jaw and heavy brow that she liked? So what if he displayed consideration and patience with Noelle, even when she interrupted him in his office? He’d made his unhappiness with their presence more than plain that first night. Tasha had no interest in the son of the Basma.
Fantasies of the scarred Nobek and disinterest in Falinset mattered little one way or the other. The pair were rarely around as they carried on with their work and usual activities, trying to throw off Ket’s suspicions. Nur had been called away by a vacationing client once. Like the other two, he’d been stopped by one of Ket’s armed goons and forced to answer questions with a fuming Wekniz glowering nearby the whole time.
The Nobek might have elected to challenge the men who kept interrogating them every time they stepped out of their home. However Falinset forbade it, especially since more armed men now surrounded the house. Wekniz hadn’t needed to send out his drones to discover it; they strolled all over the property in plain view.
At first Tasha couldn’t figure out how Ket could spare so many guards to patrol Clan Falinset’s property unless he’d had all the women in the containment killed. She wept over Sonia and Amy and the rest, feeling guilt despite there was nothing she could have done to help them. They had been aware of the danger getting Noelle out had meant.
The window vids that played the outdoor scenery often displayed the menacing soldiers. As Tasha looked at the vicious faces, she became sure many of them were unfamiliar, men she had not seen at the camp. When she mentioned it the day before, Wekniz had opined that Maf had sent in reinforcements to keep an eye on things.
That meant the other abductees might still be alive. Tasha was not surprised to discover that idea hurt almost as much as thinking of them as dead. Were they still enduring abuse and starvation, living now on the hope that rescue was on its way? Rescue Tasha had not been able to call for yet? Rescue that might never come after all?
“Why the sad face?” Nur whispered.
He’d slid across the floor to sit at her feet. Though most of his attention centered on Tasha, he continued to manipulate the animals for Noelle’s amusement. At the moment, they appeared to be playing a form of leap frog. Hopping and soaring, they sent the little girl into fresh gales of laughter. She rolled on the floor, her face flushed with rare joy.
Tasha whispered back, “I’m just thinking about the situation.”
Nur nodded his understanding. “It’s wearing on us all. Not that I mind having you here.”
Tasha smiled. Except for Command
er Bifen, she’d been around Nur longer than any previous lover. Getting to know him had been enjoyable and not because of the sex. He was a genuinely good man, one she felt at ease with all the time. The haunted look he often wore tugged at her heart. Probably too much. As one day melted into the next, Tasha had begun to worry she might be getting a little too invested in Nur.
So why can’t we remain friends, like I am with Bifen? She liked Nur. He seemed safe enough. There was no worry of commitment, not really. Especially not since she hadn’t found the same connection with Wekniz or Falinset.
She reached over to stroke Nur’s hair, which lay in a gleaming ebony sheet down his back. His gaze warmed at the contact. He liked it when she touched him with casual affection. She liked that he reciprocated, as he did now by rubbing her calf.
She told him, “Despite the situation, I’m enjoying your company too. I’m worried about the rest of the women and Noelle, though. We’ve got to get them all out of here.”
Noelle’s demeanor throughout the majority of the day was why moments like this, when she could laugh so freely, felt all the more heartbreaking. The little girl often asked why she couldn’t go home, not quite understanding why she had to stay on Lobam. She frequently dissolved into tears, crying for her parents and grandparents. Tasha and Nur poured their efforts into giving her some measure of happiness, but only succeeded for minutes at a time. Wekniz and even Falinset were kind when they spoke to the princess, treating her with warmth and respect. But it was never enough, not for the homesick, heartsick little girl.
Nur’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at Noelle. Anger flashed across his face. “It’s awful what’s happened to her – what’s still happening. I’d like to smash Maf and Ket’s faces through the backs of their skulls.”
A deadly calm settled over Tasha’s heart as she told him, “They are both dead. If I get even half the chance, I will kill them.”
Nur patted her knee. “You’re too sweet to do such a thing. Don’t worry; someone sooner or later will take care of that pair. Then we’ll all gloat over their end.”
Tasha didn’t look at him or respond. Nur was wrong. She knew damned good and well what she was capable of when it came to men like Maf and Ket.
* * * *
Falinset stared at the vid readout of a new start-up’s stats without seeing it. He listened to Noelle’s laughter coming from the common room, and his mouth twitched. It was a sweet sound, so much better to his heart than the grief-stricken sobs that drifted through the nights. He’d give anything to keep the little princess from crying any more tears.
He thought about Tasha and wondered if she cried too. Probably. She put on a good face in front of everyone, particularly Noelle, but that face was always drawn and the eyes worried. Tasha was a brave woman to be sure, but he could see the strain. He feared it would break her if he didn’t figure out a way to get them to Kalquor soon. That he hadn’t figured out a solution to the problem made him crazy.
His com went off, startling him out of his reverie. “Display frequency,” he told the device. It did so, and a familiar address wavered into view. “Apparently the faulty com satellites are fixed. Good, because I want to talk to your sorry ass anyway,” Falinset growled at Maf’s frequency.
Before he answered, he ordered the office door closed. From the number of soldiers patrolling his property, it was clear to Falinset that Maf suspected he had the princess and Tasha. He didn’t want to confirm that fact. He needed to buy time to figure this mess out.
Once the sounds of Noelle’s temporary fun cut off, he answered the com, turning on the vid feed. Maf’s hated visage appeared before him. Falinset’s stomach curdled at the smiling, hopeful expression on the other man’s face.
“Falinset, my son. How are you?”
“Fine,” he snapped, not bothering with any pretense of politeness. “Or hasn’t Ket informed you of my health?”
Maf’s warmth faltered. “Ket?”
“He seems to think I have something belonging to him. Is that his small army or yours spying on me? Interrogating my clan every time we step out our door?”
Maf sighed, the anticipation fleeing from his face. “Falinset, there is something I need to tell you. Before I do, you should know everything I’ve done is for you. For you and Kalquor.”
Falinset’s stomach squeezed tight. He had no doubt of the truth of Tasha’s assertion that his sire was the Basma. Yet if Maf told him so himself, that would make Falinset complicit. To not attempt to turn Maf in would be an act of treason to the Empire.
He spat, “Save your confession. I already know more than I want about you.”
Maf’s brows lifted. “Such as?”
“Such as fathering a child on a woman belonging to another clan. Blackmailing people to embezzle funds and fix government defense contracts to your benefit. Blackmailing desperate men into illegal drug manufacture and dealing. Shall I continue?”
Maf’s tone turned lofty and cold. “What you talk about are small sins committed for a higher good.”
Falinset barked a hard laugh. “What kind of good can come of your illegal activities? Of running people’s lives like some sadistic puppet master?”
“Keeping Kalquor pure, for one thing. I am the Basma, my son.”
The dread words rang in Falinset’s ears. So here it was, in all its awful lurid horror. He was the son of the Empire’s greatest criminal.
Maf nodded after a few silent moments. “I see you are speechless. You will need time to sort out how you feel about the matter, but it is true: I lead the revolt that will save Kalquor.”
“That will doom it to extinction,” Falinset muttered dully, his numb lips somehow forming the words.
“Our greatness, undimmed by the infection of Earther-Kalquorian hybrids, will live forever. You can be at the forefront of making our legacy what it should be.” He waved a hand when Falinset’s mouth opened. “Do not give me an answer yet. You have much to consider. The welfare of your clanmates’ families first and foremost. Ancestors help them if someone informs on their illegal activities.”
The air left Falinset’s body as if he’d been punched in the gut. Yet again, Maf used Wekniz and Nur like pawns, playing at his old games and not caring who it hurt.
Maf sighed, his expression filling with regret. “I do not want to threaten you, Falinset. You are my son. I want us to be like other fathers and sons. Why won’t you give me a chance?”
His hurt fell on deaf ears. Falinset seethed. “You threaten my clanmates and expect me to accept you?”
“It was my threats that gave you those clanmates you dote on so, Falinset. I can give you even more.”
“You have nothing I want, Maf. Nothing.”
Maf winced, but his attractive face, so at odds with the deformed body, formed a smile. “I think I do. I have something beyond the continued safety of your clanmates’ parents to offer you. All you have to do is hand over what belongs to me.”
“What would that be?” He had nothing to lose by holding onto the pretense.
“You know what I’m talking about. You can’t get them off Lobam. The moon is under my control. No coms, no shuttle, nothing can get past my forces. If I wanted to, I could easily take what I want. I have not yet done so because I want us to come to an agreement, something that will benefit us both.”
Falinset froze. He’d agreed with Wekniz that Maf’s reach on Lobam was probably enough to present a serious danger to them. But to have control over the entire moon? Over its elected governors and city assemblies? Over all the military installations? Over the off-planet com system itself? Surely his influence didn’t extend that far.
Maf followed up the stark threat with the fatherly tones that set Falinset’s teeth on edge. “I wish to reward your loyalty to me. The exchange I’ve arranged is to your greater benefit. Sitrel will visit in a few days with my offer.”
Falinset wanted to tell Maf what he could do with his offer. However, the elder Dramok looked pleased with himself and utterly s
ure of Falinset. What could Maf offer that would convince him to give up the princess and Tasha?
At any rate, he needed whatever extra time he could get. He had to find some wiggle room to get the princess off Lobam.
Falinset tried to talk to the other man, but he could barely breathe, let alone speak. He wasn’t even sure what he could say. After Maf’s claims of controlling the whole of Lobam, he couldn’t find his voice.
Maf chuckled, so sure of himself that he found humor in the situation. “Give my regards to your clan and guests. I will be in contact soon.”
His image winked out as the frequency was broken. It was a full minute before Falinset could move from his chair.
* * * *
Night fell on the home of Clan Falinset, ending another day of siege. Wekniz’s heart was heavy as he wandered into the common room, and not because Nur’s cologne still reeked at the front part of the house. Life had been fraught with difficulty for what felt like forever. Still, with Falinset and Nur to share his days and nights with, existence had tipped in the favor of being worthwhile. The last three days, that balance had noticeably shifted in the other direction.
Feeling helpless was alien to most Nobeks. Members of his breed were notorious for trying to force their way out of untenable situations, even if the odds meant they had no hope. It was better to fight a losing battle than to not fight at all.
Yet that was what Wekniz was being forced to do. Fighting meant getting his head blown off by Nobeks who had no honor at all. Then his clan, a young woman, and a little child would be left utterly defenseless, with no one to champion them. He could only bide his time and hope the opportunity would come when he could wreak vengeance on those who were stripping away his dignity one painful layer at a time. Until then, Ket and his men were having a field day stomping on his self-respect.
He stopped short when he realized Tasha sat on the lounger, staring into the crackling firepit. She was lost in thought. From the expression drawing her pretty face long, those thoughts were not good ones.
Alien Hostage Page 18