by Lisa Lace
We wouldn’t have to spend too much time together. In the shower, I had decided it was time for me to start working again. If the marriage didn’t work out, I would have to find something else to give my life meaning.
Work was the next best thing to a happy marriage. Emmy might be beautiful and intelligent, but she would never be a wife like Montana.
My dream of a happy marriage was over.
EMMY
I wondered what Ven was doing over in his room by himself. I hoped he was sleeping and not imagining me naked. I shook my head and went back to assessing the climbing equipment I borrowed from the front closet.
Since I didn’t have access to a shop, the climbing gear I gathered in a little detour after I went to the bathroom would have to do. Thank goodness I happened to have a large carabiner on me. It was big enough to reach around one of the poles of the canopy bed in my room. It attached tightly with a sharp click. I yanked the rope, and it seemed to hold, so I took the remaining line and dropped it out the window.
I was capable of using the front door like a normal person, but I had reservations about it. There was a sophisticated alarm system attached to the house. Although Ven had keyed my biometric signature into the security system, if I walked out the front door he would know too much information about me. He would be able to determine exactly when I left and maybe even the direction I headed.
My plan was to climb out the window instead. In the morning, when he found the rope, it would be obvious how I escaped. By then I would be on the next spaceship to Heralla and out of his hair.
He said he needed a wife. Now he had one. He could keep his fortune. The only thing I would take was some climbing equipment and 500,000 credits from our joint bank account.
I wondered if he would notice the missing money. The number of credits was nothing to someone with his wealth. It was the same amount I gave to his fiancee. I would be getting back the money that was supposed to fund the rest of the expedition to get the ladle. I needed the money for space travel. I didn’t think Ven would begrudge me a few credits as long as I helped him keep the rest of them.
But I still didn’t ask him about it.
I felt mildly guilty about leaving in the middle of the night without saying goodbye. Ven seemed like a good man, but I had an agenda. Getting married and playing house wasn’t a part of it.
I lowered myself out the window and climbed down the rope. I didn’t bother with a harness because I was only descending three floors. If I couldn’t go down three floors without falling, I deserved to die. There were a few dangerous-looking rocks at the bottom, but everything was rocky on this planet.
I had faith in my arms. I possessed plenty of upper body strength, and I had always been good at rope climbing. In school, I would quickly go all the way up to the ceiling of the gym on the climbing ropes and hang at the top for a while before coming back down.
My life was spent taking risks, not like Ven. I imagined him sleeping contentedly in his bed, not wanting anything in his dull luxurious life to ever change. Part of me pitied him. He was attached to material possessions and his lifestyle. I could see that a spark had left him a long time ago.
I imagined he might have been more fun earlier in his life, before he became a stickin-the-mud. For a moment, I wondered what would happen if I stayed around long enough to help him remember who he could be. But I shut down the thought as soon as it made an appearance in my mind. I didn’t have time for a man in my life, in any way, shape, or form. Right now, my work was my life. It was up to me to continue Morley’s legacy now. I didn’t need any additional complications.
Getting married wasn’t the best decision for me. It had been a favor for a stranger, nothing serious.
Now it was over. It was time for me to leave and find Zelia’s ladle.
My feet hit the ground, and I drew in a deep breath of warm night air. It tasted like freedom. I wasn’t a prisoner in the house, but I didn’t think he needed to be involved in my life. I wished I could stash the rope somewhere and hide my tracks, but in any event, it wouldn’t take Ven long to figure out what happened. If he didn’t know when I left or where I was going, he couldn’t answer anyone’s questions about my whereabouts.
Abel’s men wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Ven if they thought they could get to me through him. I wanted him completely out of the picture for his protection.
When I reached the edge of the property, I turned and shook my head at the big, empty house on the rock. It seemed lonely. Even though the exterior was beautiful, I could sense desolation beneath the surface.
Too bad things turned out this way.
There was a flight off the planet to Heralla tomorrow morning, and the next one wasn’t until three days later. I had some things to do to get ready.
I didn’t want to miss the spaceship. I didn’t have any time to waste. I began slowly jogging toward the nearest major street.
Stars and possibility filled the night sky. I glanced up at them, smiling and feeling excited once I had left the dejected house that was not a home. I was moving toward the future and the accomplishment of a lifetime goal. I was finally getting somewhere and felt a sense of satisfaction for the first time since I had been forced to leave Heralla the first time.
I didn’t look back.
Chapter Six
VEN
I tossed and turned, thinking about my life and wondering if I had ruined things by using TerraMates. Maybe I could have convinced one of my female friends to marry me and help me out. Surely it would have been easier than living with a stranger for the next year.
Something didn’t sound right. I froze, holding perfectly still. There was noise coming from Emmy’s room. I listened patiently for a moment, then got up and put my ear to her wall.
I wondered if she was ill, but the noise didn’t sound biological. She was quiet. If I had been asleep, I wouldn’t have heard a thing.
Click.
I frowned, wondering what could have made a sound like that in her room. It felt familiar, like something I had heard a hundred times before. Was it the closet door? Her suitcase, maybe? Something she brought with her?
My room was eerily quiet all of a sudden. If Emmy was awake, she must have gone back to sleep because I couldn’t hear any more sounds coming from her room. I went back to my bed, full of curiosity about what she had been doing.
When I thought about it, I realized I knew nothing about my new wife. Perhaps she had other peculiar hobbies. I didn’t know much about Earth women, but it seemed strange that she was interested in weapons. Despite our differences, apparently it was one thing we had in common. I had used guns frequently in the military, but I was familiar with physical weapons such as swords, daggers, and the bow and arrow.
Since I became independently wealthy, I had spent some time acquiring and learning how to use old Stalwartian weapons. I had even started fencing lessons. I had the time and the money, so I thought I should put it to good use. I set up a training dojo for practicing martial arts and working with a fencing instructor. A target for archery practice was located outside the dojo.
Sleep eluded me, so I decided I should use my time productively and run through my sword kata. I pulled off my pajama pants and donned a pair of shorts, leaving my chest bare. It was a warm night, and I would be hot soon enough. At the training studio, I picked up the meerkif hanging on the wall. It was a curved sword and a traditional weapon on Stalwart.
The meerkif was my favorite blade. It was heavy, but I was used to the balance. I hefted it and centered my weight correctly, assuming an opening stance. Taking a deep breath, I flipped the sword out, facing the blade away from me and carving an arc through the night air.
I lifted the weapon over my head and brought it down with a controlled swing. I slashed horizontally to the left and the right, moving backward each time.
When I finished the exercise, I bowed and replaced the sword on the wall. I padded slowly up the stairs in my bare feet, feeling calmer and more relaxed.
Perhaps I would be able to sleep now.
As I lay in bed, about to drift off into a deep sleep, I realized what made the loud clicking noise. The epiphany jolted me awake.
The sound came from one of my largest climbing clips. I used it for hauling large amounts of cargo up and down cliffs. Stalwart was a rocky planet, and everyone knew how to climb. I knew it as well as I knew the sound of my voice, but I hadn’t recognized it immediately due to the context.
Why would that sound be coming from Emmy’s room?
I wasn’t going get any sleep now. I hopped out of bed and was in the hall in seconds, positioning myself outside her door. My hand was poised to knock when I hesitated.
What if I imagined everything? Was she sleeping peacefully in bed at this moment? What if I woke her up, demanded to know about a vague clicking noise, and she told me to get the hell out of her room? It would not be an auspicious beginning to our union. Along with the chaste wedding night, it was shaping up to be an evening full of bad omens.
The security camera footage would let me see what was happening without disturbing her. It would also make me feel like a creep. It felt like invading her privacy and if she ever found out, she would be justifiably upset. Spying was out.
On the other hand, if something was wrong and she needed my help, I would kick myself for not going in sooner. My life had gotten pretty complicated in a few hours of marriage. I pressed my lips together and made a decision.
I knocked on the door and waited. I imagined Emmy would come sleepily to the door and ask me why I was bothering her. I had a story prepared that was mostly true. I could tell her I heard a suspicious noise in her room and wanted to investigate.
She would probably think I was coming in to seduce her. Would that be a bad thing?
The door wasn’t opening. I waited, frowned at the door, and knocked again. No answer. When I tried opening the door, I discovered it was locked.
Either she was a sound sleeper or something was terribly wrong. What was happening inside that room? I scanned my retina on the lock, and the door slid silently open. I crept in quietly, not wanting to wake or disturb anyone in the room. It was dark and I felt like checking the window to make sure it was closed. The security system in the house was state-of-the-art, but you never knew what might happen.
I tripped and found myself falling onto my face, but I tucked and rolled at the last minute, avoiding a painful fall. I smiled to myself. The reflexes were still there.
Why had I tripped? I spoke a command to activate the lights, revealing a mess on the floor. I had tripped over one of my climbing ropes, which someone had clipped to the pole of the canopy bed. The line led to the window.
There wasn’t a sign of Emmy anywhere.
Some of her clothes were still here, but her backpack was missing. I couldn’t tell if she had taken any clothing with her, but it seemed clear she was gone. I didn’t know where or why, but I had to get her back. Otherwise, this marriage would have been for nothing.
It took eight hours to retrieve the location of the gun. The information was available, but I had to go through a lot of government red tape to get it. If I had foresight, I wouldn’t have needed to wait at all. I could have put a tracker under my control in the gun instead of relying on the government-provided chip. The decision could have saved me hours.
Instead, I had to wait until the office opened, then wait some more because there was a line of people in front of me. When it was finally my turn, I had been standing around for hours while someone else found my information and decrypted it. I never thought anyone would steal my weapon.
I stared at the screen, trying to interpret the data. The locator chip sent back information every ten minutes. I was looking at a map with flashing lights ranging from faint yellow all the way to dark red, showing where she had been. The brightest yellow indicated her first location and the red dot was a prediction of her current location.
After Emmy left my house, she made her way to the main city street. She made a couple of random stops, then headed directly to the spaceport. She intended to leave the planet.
The thought of her departure triggered a tremor in my heart. Why did that idea make my heart jump? I didn’t know her. It didn’t matter if she was my wife or not.
It seemed that she had moved around the spaceport. The darkest red dots showed her going away from the building again. Apparently she hopped into a car and was heading out onto the nearest freeway. That didn’t make sense. If she was leaving the planet, why would she take a joyride back into the city? The next flight left in less than an hour.
I drew in a sharp breath and set the coordinates of my car to the loop outside the spaceport. Emmy was in trouble.
Chapter Seven
EMMY
I adjusted the scarf, pulling it tighter around my head. I wished I was already on the spaceship. I purchased the scarf as a disguise. There wasn’t a place at the spaceport to buy something which could dramatically alter my appearance. I had no idea whether Abel’s men were still on the planet, but since they knew I was here, it made sense for them to keep watch on the spaceport. How else would I get off this world?
Unfortunately, the scarf itself was a little garish and conspicuous. It hid my hair and most of my face, at least. It would make me harder to spot from a distance.
I hadn’t seen anyone yet, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down. Abel had access to a lot of credits. He could easily pay for a couple of guys to watch the spaceport for a few days.
Morley and I had known Abel for a long time. There was a time when Abel followed the unwritten rules and played the game correctly. But as his wealth increased, he began to think rules didn’t apply to him. Once he had enough money, Abel wasn’t interested in credits any longer. He turned his attention to the acquisition of ancient objects.
Once he revealed that his goal was to amass a collection so vast that three blocks of warehouses couldn’t hold it all. He was going to put everything on display for his eyes only. He claimed he had nothing else in his life.
Abel loved the hunt, tracking down clues and figuring out puzzles constructed to hide precious artifacts and keep them away from people like himself. The thrill of the hunt was what made his sorry life worthwhile to him.
I sighed and shifted from one foot to the other. I wondered if it was bad luck to think about Abel before I was safely away from his men. If I could get on this ship, I could catch the shuttle to Sector 72. I could easily get a ride to Heralla on a private spaceship from there, leaving no digital trace for Abel’s men to follow.
As long as I could arrive with enough of a head start, I could retrieve the ladle and bring it to the authorities. I was steps away from freedom, only one person away from getting on the spaceship, when I felt two men flank me. One was blond. The other had a square jaw.
“Hey there,” a blond man said in a soft voice. “Take off the scarf, pretty lady. Let us see your face.”
I felt fear gnawing at my stomach. I was sure Abel’s men surrounded me. “I have a scar. I’d rather keep my face private, if you don’t mind.”
“If we get her back to our room, she can take off more than just her scarf. The boss said she had to be alive. He wouldn’t mind if we played with her a little.”
“I get her first,” the blond man said, whispering so he wouldn’t attract attention.
“No way. I’m not getting seconds after you. Me first.”
“We’ll share her, then. She has three holes. Plenty of room for both of us.”
The jackasses started laughing. I ignored them, thinking about how I could get out of here.
Making a scene might get them arrested, but it might not either. I had seen police officers turn and look the other way while Abel’s men beat a guy and made him disappear. His money put him out of the law’s reach. It was even possible they already paid off the spaceport security. Something had made them bold enough to come up to me in the middle of the line.
As an alternative, I could let them ta
ke me and have them think I had given up. Once they thought I was docile, I could pull out the weapon I took from Ven. I wondered if it was possible to steal from your husband. Didn’t I own half of everything now?
They would take me somewhere, thinking they could use my body. I would stun them and run away. I put my hand into my pocket, reassuring myself the weapon was still there. I had previously set it to the highest level before a lethal shot. I didn’t want to kill anyone if I didn’t have to.
“I’ll go with you.” It didn’t take much effort to sound terrified. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“Don’t be scared, sweetie. It isn’t going to hurt. You’re going to be begging for more.”
“It might hurt if we both take her together.”
I tried not to vomit at the thought.
“Abel’s got a private ship flying in here with more people, but it will take a while for it to arrive. There’s plenty of time for some afternoon delight back at the hotel room. When the spaceship arrives, we’ll get on the shuttle, and you’ll show us the ladle of mystery. Once the boss man’s got his stupid spoon, maybe he’ll give me some time off.”
I tried to convince myself that I had the upper hand. We wouldn’t make it to the hotel.
“Let’s go right now.” The blond man was getting excited. I tried to keep calm and notice the details around me. It was often the smallest things that could make a big difference.
He bumped into me, his hand squeezing my breast as he turned me around. They kept me trapped between them all the way out of the spaceport, leading me into a waiting car. The blond guy leaned forward to set the destination while the other man started feeling me up. The car pulled away from the curb, and I struggled to remain calm. Would I even get a chance to go for the gun?
The guy with the square jaw pressed something onto my upper arm. I tried to wipe it off, but it dissolved into my skin before I could do anything. I didn’t have time to figure out what he had done because I was beginning to realize I was in big trouble. Tomorrow’s problems would have to take care of themselves.