Poisoned Pawn

by Jaleta Clegg

  “And drown yourself? Jasyn, don’t. I’ll call again. I’ll tell them we’re moving on. Lowell can look for us.”

  “He’ll courtmartial you.” Jasyn sank back into her chair. “He doesn’t have a heart.”

  “Tell me about him. I’ve only met him once.”

  “Dace knows him better.” She buried her face in her hands.

  He didn’t push. He turned back to the computer and his interrupted searching. The message light blinked. He answered it.

  “Major Trevyn Clark?” It was the precise voice of the local Patrol base receptionist. “Orders are on their way to you.”

  “Orders from whom?” he asked.

  “They don’t specify. Your ship has been put under special status by the Enforcers, though. Good luck, and my condolences.”

  “Thank you.”

  The receptionist signed off. Clark had never learned her name.

  “Lowell gets what he wants,” Jasyn said. “He confiscated the ship?”

  “Not if I can help it.” Clark was beginning to hate Lowell and his methods as much as Dace and Jasyn did.

  “He will take it. Since he can’t have Dace.” She stood up abruptly. “I need… I need to wash my face.” She left, going back to her cabin.

  Clark shut down the computer, moving automatically to secure the loose items he’d left scattered. None of it mattered. He hadn’t found any clues to Dace’s disappearance. It could have been Targon who pushed Dace over the balcony. It could have been a local thug. It could have been a bounty hunter. He hadn’t mentioned that to Jasyn. A bounty hunter would have killed Dace and taken the evidence with him as proof.

  He tucked his stylus away with his notes, realizing the futility of his efforts. Dace was gone, and it was his fault for not protecting her better.

  There was a knock at the hatch, a polite thumping on the outer door. He used his fingers to comb his sandy hair into place. He’d spent too much time at the computer. It was limp and needed a wash.

  He opened the hatch. The air was perfect, as always, fresh with ocean scents he could no longer stand. They brought back too much of that horrible night when things had gone so wrong.

  “Major Clark?”

  He was greeted by an older woman in a black uniform. Her mahogany skin glistened in the sunlight. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight braid. One of Lowell’s pet Enforcers, he thought sourly. She wore a pilot’s comets on her collar. Behind her was another Enforcer, a square man with thumbs hooked in his belt. Clark nodded, knowing he should probably salute or something. They didn’t mention it. The woman smiled and held out her hand.

  “Juen Montgomery, pilot first class.” Her smile never wavered when he didn’t take her hand. Instead, she pointed over her shoulder at the other man. “That’s Ilod. He won’t admit his rank, but he’s one very good engineer.”

  He stepped aside so they could enter, baffled. This was not what he had expected. He closed the hatch, hand touching the plate out of habit. The engineer immediately started checking the ship over, thumbs still tucked away. The pilot looked Clark up and down.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but you look beat,” she said. “I heard what happened.”

  “Why are you here?” he asked.

  “Orders. You have cargo to deliver. Right?”

  He nodded.

  “Our orders are to help you deliver it and then deliver you and Jasyn Pai to Commander Lowell. How soon can you lift?”

  “Why should Lowell care about our cargo?”

  “I have no idea. I didn’t ask him.”

  “Where is he?”

  “My orders are to help you fly to Cygnus and then to Kimmel. Commander Lowell was going to leave us orders there, based on his investigations.” She looked around, taking in the homey touches Jasyn had added in the decorating. “Nice ship. Very comfortable.” Her eyes came back to Clark. “Where do you want our gear?”

  “The end cabin’s empty.” He hesitated over Dace’s cabin. He didn’t want a stranger in there. He could imagine exactly what Jasyn would have to say about it and cringed at the thought. “The engineer can bunk with me, in there,” he said pointing at his own door. “What was his name again?”

  “Ilod. Call me Juen.” Her smile was friendly. She walked across the lounge, thumbing open the cabin door. Something she’d said tugged at his mind.

  “What investigation?” he asked. “You said Commander Lowell was investigating.”

  “He’s looking into the disappearance,” she said. “Other than that I can’t say. He doesn’t confide in me.”

  “Does he know who killed her?” Clark asked, his voice harsher than he intended.

  “He’s looking for a body?” She sounded surprised. “I didn’t get that impression when I talked to him.” She let her duffel slide to the floor. “He didn’t sound like he was looking for revenge, either.”

  “Then what is he looking for?”

  “Beats me,” she said and went into the cabin.

  “What’s going on?” Jasyn asked, her door sliding open. She looked slightly better; her hair was combed but her eyes still looked empty and hollow.

  “We have a crew and some very strange orders. Do you think Dace may have survived?”

  “Don’t even say that,” Jasyn said, her face twisting in pain. “It isn’t possible. You saw the drop. She’s gone.”

  “I’m sorry, Jasyn.”

  “Don’t apologize again. I can’t stand it anymore. Just tell me who these people are and what they’re doing on my ship.”

  Juen had come back out of the cabin, watching everything with eyes that hid their curiosity behind friendly interest. Ilod emerged from the engine access, looking happy. He headed for the cockpit.

  “Stop right there,” Jasyn ordered him, hand raised. She looked wild, bruised with grief. Ilod stopped.

  “Lowell sent them,” Clark answered. “Pilot and engineer. They’re supposed to be crew while we deliver our cargo. And then we’re supposed to meet Lowell somewhere.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She turned her attention on Juen. The older woman smiled, like an animal waiting for a pat on the head.

  “Juen Montgomery,” Juen introduced herself. “Commander Lowell wants to meet with you.”

  “Who’s paying you?” Jasyn demanded.

  “The Patrol,” Juen said patiently. “Your docking fees and other expenses have also been taken care of. Supplies should be arriving soon.”

  “I don’t want Lowell’s money. I don’t want his people on my ship. I want him to feel guilty for what he did to Dace. I want him to hurt.” Jasyn crumpled into a chair, arms wrapped around herself. “I want him to hurt like I do, but I doubt he can.”

  Clark put his hand on Jasyn’s shoulder, offering comfort. She didn’t push it away.

  Ilod whistled in the cockpit, a low sound of surprise. “Where did you get the scanners?” he asked, oblivious to the emotions in the other room.

  “Lowell planted them for us, didn’t he?” Jasyn said, realization dawning. She hammered her fist on the table. “Damn him and his meddling!”

  “I am authorized to take the ship whether you cooperate or not,” Juen said evenly. “It would be more pleasant for all of us if I didn’t have to.”

  Jasyn wiped one cheek with an angry swipe of her hand. “We can lift as soon as your supplies get here. I’ll cooperate. I want to see Lowell’s face so I can spit in it.” She rose to her feet and stalked into the cockpit. Ilod moved out of her way, squeezing as far to the side as he could get.

  Juen watched Jasyn’s back as she folded her long legs under her in the nav chair.

  “Don’t mess with her when she’s angry,” Clark said.

  He surprised a smile out of Juen. “I almost feel sorry for the Commander.”

  “I don’t,” Clark said, all humor gone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I spent a fruitless morning trying to dismantle the viewscreen on the bed. It was solidly atta
ched. Without tools, I couldn’t reach anything. After breaking my third nail trying to pry off a side panel, I gave up and lay on the bed.

  I stared at the ocean in the viewscreen. Waves rolled in, over and over. There was nothing else, no creatures soaring in the sky, no plants, only sand and endless water. It was monotonous. I almost fell asleep, but shook myself awake when I heard the outer door shut. I jumped off the bed and ran into the other room. Breakfast was gone and a new tray waited on the table.

  Lunch was salad and a bit of bread. I ate it all and wished for more. Apparently rich young women had little appetites, probably from doing nothing all day. I went back to the bed and climbed up the headboard shelves.

  I couldn’t get behind it. It was built right into the wall. I sat on the top and looked down at the bed six feet below my dangling toes. The spread was rumpled slightly where I’d lain on it before. The sounds of the ocean came from beneath me, only noticeable because of the absence of any other sound. I spread my arms wide and let myself fall onto the soft mattress. Vidbots watched me. Had I given myself away already? Not much to do about it now.

  I rolled onto my back and stared at the ocean. “Show me something different.”

  The screen obliged with a garden scene full of big pink flowers. One flower nodded slowly, up and down, over and over. There were no sounds. I told it to show me something more lively. The picture shifted to a forest with a waterfall murmuring in the background.

  There were only a dozen scenes, all of meadows or lakes or placid places with nothing whatsoever happening. I didn’t want to watch nature scenes. I wanted to contact Jasyn.

  “Screen off.”

  It faded to a soft silver that reflected the room in a fuzzy sort of way.

  “Is there any music?”

  The room remained silent. I rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom to play with the fixtures. That occupied me for maybe an hour. I learned every water setting for the shower and the sinks and got wet before I was done. Then played with the clothes. Then watched the sunset and wondered what my captors would bring for dinner. And how long I’d be left in the rooms. And how long I could last with only the sound of my own voice for company.

  The door opened and Rinth entered. His fur, which covered everything except his face, glowed tawny orange in the sunset light. He blinked his gemstone eyes at me, the gray clear as crystal.

  “You will dress for dinner,” Rinth said in a breathless monotone.

  “I am dressed.”

  Rinth blinked. “You will dress for dinner,” he repeated.

  The evening gowns. Did rich people spend all day planning what they were going to wear for the next hour or so and then spend that hour changing into yet another outfit? The amount of clothing in the closet suggested just that.

  The dress I found was sleeveless but high necked, a pale pink with delicate white beading. It swept the floor, but had a long slit up one side that showed everything up to mid-thigh. I found a pair of tiny sandals that seemed to match. If Jasyn had been there… I didn’t let myself finish that thought. I couldn’t afford to be Dace. I had to be Miya, whoever she was.

  I sat at the vanity in the bedroom and ran a comb through my hair, spending time to make it look like hair instead of an animal nest. I opened half a dozen of the cosmetics, trying to figure out what they were for. I settled for copying what I’d noticed Jasyn doing. I brushed pink stuff lightly over each cheek, touched gold powder to my eyelids, and used lip coloring, a very pale pink. I looked different in the mirror, more sophisticated. It wasn’t obvious I was wearing cosmetics. I wondered if that was the whole point of wearing them.

  I’d stalled long enough. My stomach was in knots. I wiped sweaty hands on my dress and took a steadying breath.

  Rinth stood in front of the door, like a fuzzy statue. He gave no sign that I had done anything unexpected. He opened the door, taking my arm in his incredibly strong three-fingered grip. We walked along hallways softly lit by hidden sconces similar to the ones in my rooms. Rinth took me down the wide stairs and into a different part of the house. He opened another large door and pushed me through.

  I was in a long room, with a very high ceiling, that faced the sunset. Another incredible sweep of windows showed a view very similar to the one from my window, miles and miles of unbroken forested hills. Streaks of clouds across the sky were colored purple, mauve, magenta, and gold. The long table, with room for twelve but only set for two, was dwarfed by the sheer scale of the room. My gaze came to rest on the man who held my life in his hands. He stood between me and the table.

  Luke Verity was elegant in dark silks. His full sleeves danced with every gesture, flowing gracefully from shoulder to wrist. He lifted a delicate glass half full of clear pink liquid.

  “You look splendid, sweet Miya.” His voice was smooth, his accent cultured. He sipped his drink. “I have heard of your, shall we say, unorthodox hobbies? While I applaud your initiative, I do not approve.”

  I interlocked my fingers to keep from fidgeting while my stomach twisted itself up. What had I done? Had I given myself away? His eyes were like cold glass.

  “You will not attempt to dismantle, rewire, or otherwise damage any of the circuitry in your rooms. If you insist on continuing in your efforts, I will have them shut off.” His voice was steely, threatening. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” I said, my voice small and high with nerves.

  “Yes, sir. Or I think I prefer yes, my lord.” He waited, sipping his drink.

  I knew what he wanted. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

  “I’m waiting, Miya. May I remind you,” he said, taking my arm and pulling me close to him, “you are not the one with the power here? Your life hangs on my whims. And your father’s money.”

  I spit in his face.

  His eyes grew harder, narrowing with anger. He pushed me to Rinth. “Take her to the cave until she has a chance to learn manners.” He pulled a cloth from his pocket to wipe his face.

  Rinth’s chubby hand closed on my arm, like steel coated with fur. I couldn’t have fought my way free of that grip if I’d tried. Rinth pulled me out of the room. If I’d dug in my heels, I’m sure he would have dragged me. I kept as much dignity as I could and walked, half running to keep up with his deceptively quick steps.

  My imagination ran wild as Rinth took me to a disguised door under the main stairway. It opened on a narrow hall that ran straight back, dimly lit by a single bulb. At the other end was a small plain door. Rinth touched a plate set in the wall and the door at the end swung open. I saw only dark beyond. Rinth pushed me through the door, his expression implacable. The door swung shut, cutting off all light.

  I landed on a smooth surface that yielded slightly. It was curved, like a bowl, with me at the bottom. I sat, wrapping my arms around a stomach that now protested it was empty. This wasn’t too bad, I thought. I could handle complete darkness and hunger. Luke Verity wouldn’t leave me in here long enough to really suffer. I was still a valuable hostage, as long as he believed I was Miya.

  The room tilted. I flung out my arms, trying to catch my balance. The room spun a different direction. I tipped backwards. The room kept moving. I was completely disoriented, nauseated and dizzy with no light, no reference points. For all I knew, the room had an artificial gravity field that kept reorienting itself. I lay spread eagled on the curved floor and tried to stay still. The room slid in unexpected directions. I dug my nails into the flooring but found no purchase.

  “Stop!” The sound was swallowed by the room. Had I really shouted? “Please!” My ears felt clogged. I was blind, deaf, and dumb. I fought the urge to vomit as the room kept changing.

  It went on for a horrible eternity. I don’t know when it stopped, I was screaming and begging hysterically by then, but gradually the room quit moving. I curled up in a ball at the bottom of the floor.

  The door opened, flooding the room with dim light. I squinted and covered my eyes. I saw a blurry, furred outline aga
inst the light. I scrambled to my feet, stumbling to the side as my tortured sense of balance tried to decide where up was.

  Rinth’s hand caught my arm and pulled me out of the room. I welcomed it as an anchor to saner dimensions. I stumbled next to him as he took me back to my room. He opened the door and pushed me through. The door shut behind me, locks clicking into place.

  The sky beyond my window was ablaze with stars. A single moon hung like an uncaring yellow eye. I fought the urge to drop to the floor and cry myself to sleep again. I went to the bedroom, one hand on the wall to steady my still upset sense of direction. The bed was turned down, with a satin nightgown laid out for me. I kicked off the shoes and unfastened the dress, letting it slide to the floor. The nightgown was skimpy, but I wore it anyway, crawling in under the soft sheets to huddle in the middle of the bed.

  I let myself go only after I was hidden. I couldn’t do this, couldn’t hope to pull off the charade. I could never act like a rich, pampered woman and make Luke Verity believe me. I never wanted to go into Luke’s cave again. I wanted supper. I curled up in a ball and wished morning would never come.

  I woke feeling groggy and unsettled. I’d had dreams, fragmented images that made no sense. I wanted my ship. I wanted out of this nightmare. I didn’t care how opulent the mansion was, I wanted my familiar life back. Even when the Sessimoniss had dragged me off to their homeworld and kept me locked in their temple I hadn’t felt this homesick. But there I’d had other people, Jasyn, Jerimon, and Tayvis. Here I had myself. I was lousy company.

  I used the shower, wasting water with abandon. I found soap with a bright smell that blew some of the fog from my head. I dressed, wearing rich fancy clothing, feeling like the impostor I was fastening a shirt whose gemstone buttons cost more than a new engine.

  A tray with lunch waited in the sitting room, a tiny sandwich of pasty white filling and bread thin enough to see through, a single piece of yellow fruit, and water. Punishment. I ate it all and licked up the crumbs.

  Sitting with my knees pulled up to my chin on the floor in front of the windows, another day passed. I toyed with the idea of marking a calendar on the wall, one mark for each day, but had nothing to mark it with.