by Tia LaBeau
“Somebody help! Get another motherfucking scanner,” I yell.
Nobody moves. Bastian is trying to say something. I put my ear to his mouth.
“I was trying to save you,” he whispers. It sounds as if it takes every ounce of the rest of his life to get the words out to me.
He knew the Governor was coming, and he was trying to save me by getting me out of the palace. He must have known that I wasn’t going to run.
Everyone’s eyes turn away from Bastian. I turn around to see what they’re looking at. They’re looking at Bastian’s ex, Saffri—the one who left him for Luce.
Saffri runs over to Bastian, puts her red face on his. She begins to cry. “What happened to him?” she asks. She wearing a thin black gown, almost see through. I guess she came to make amends now that Luce is out of the picture.
“The Governor happened to him,” I say. My voice breaks the silence.
Saffri smirks. “What’s this human woman doing here? Is she the pink whore that I’ve heard so much about?”
I snap. I mean I fucking snap, and I jump on her. I try to pound all my anger into her face. She fights me back. We’re kicking and scratching, pulling hair, and throwing punches until some pirates pull us apart.
We both kick and scratch at the air as we’re being held.
“It’s your fault my Pirate King is laid out here. Get her out of here. I am his next of kin. I will say what is to be done with him now.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” I say. “You deserted him. You can kiss my pink ass.”
The pirates don’t haul me out. I’m surprised. I would think that surely they’d do whatever she tells them to do, but they don’t.
Bastian startles us all when he pulls himself off of the table he’s lying on. This is a bunker of some kind I realize. Bastian is prepared for almost anything. Such an overachiever.
Bastian hobbles towards me and puts his arm around me. “Bastian, you shouldn’t be standing up,” I say. “Lie back down.
“No, no, I’m fine.”
“We got him. We have him in the dungeon,” one of the pirates says to Bastian.
“Take me to him,” Bastian struggles to say.
“No. You’re not well. You stay here. Get better,” I tell him.
I’m sweating, and I assume that I’m bleeding from the face since Bastian’s ex got a few good scratches in.
“Whore!” Saffri screams from the arms of a pirate.
I leap towards her.
“Don’t fight, don’t fight,” Bastian says putting his hands out. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. She called me a whore twice. Once was more than enough.”
“She’s no whore. She’s going to be my wife,” Bastian says with his arm still around me.
Saffri’s eyes widen.
“You’d choose her over me?”
“Yes, I would,” Bastian says. “Get her out of here.”
The pirates drag Saffri out of the room and out of the palace I guess.
Two pirates come round to Bastian. “Let us help him to the Governor,” one of them says.
“I’m coming too,” I say. “But are you sure you want to do this now Bastian? You’re injured.”
“Makes no matter. I have to see this to the finish.”
I follow behind Bastian and the pirates helping him out of the emergency hovel or whatever it is. Saffri struggles with two pirates off to the side of the chamber. I give her the evil eye and keep walking.
I hear Bastian say, “Where’s Bingo?”
“Bingo is dead,” one of the pirates say.
Bastian speaks in Havener with a hurried deep tone. I have no idea what he’s saying, but I can tell that he’s not happy.
27
Freda
The pirates have the Governor in the dungeon, and Cleo’s stooping down in front of him. Guns are pointed at the Governor from all directions. What a priceless smirk the Governor wears.
“So this is the bitch who murdered my son?” Hiternum Furmi says. His eyes are red and heavy. They almost sag. He’s got black hair and almost plastic looking skin. I’m not sure how old he is, but it’s clear that he has had the modification. Too bad for him he hasn’t been very good about taking care of it. You wouldn’t know that from watching him on the media feed.
I step in front of the Governor. Thank the universe, he’s tied down, so I guess in some ways that makes me feel bold. “I did not murder Zeid,” I say. “I was defending myself. To do so, I stabbed him.”
“Move a muscle, and I’ll blow your head off,” Cleo says to the Governor before he can make any sort of movement. “And call your dogs off this place and me, or you may never make it back home, not even to see the Juris to face your crimes.”
Heads whip around, and I see Mr. Drek, standing with his hands behind his back. He’s short and bald. He dressed in tight blue pants, a white shirt, and a tight blue jacket. He was the one who interviewed me after Zeid’s death. He also tidied up some affairs as far as the Juris was concerned regarding Cleo’s charge. The Governor was so busy trying to get me that he hadn’t pushed back too hard on that. He wanted to be able to take matters into his own hands and kill us without having to obey the law.
“Call them off!” Bastian yells. “Now.”
The Governor grabs his comms from his breast pocket. He tells whoever it is on the other line to fall back, to go back home.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you now,” Cleo says standing with the gun pointed in Hiternum’s face.
Mr. Drek walks over to Cleo and places his hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t how we handle things is it Governor?” he asks, looking the Governor square in his eyes.
The Governor shakes his head.
“And what about my Havenu? You haven’t been supporting the exodus as it is your duty to do so,” Bastian says. “I don’t know what you’ve done with the funds and resources you were supposed to be using to help with the exodus, but whatever you’ve done, you need to undo it and continue the exodus as it is supposed to be done.”
Mr. Drek smiles wickedly. “Is that so, Hiternum? Corruption? Embezzlement of Teron High funds? This goes to super high Juris, doesn’t it? The punishment for embezzlement will be death.”
Hiternum shakes his head. “Listen, listen. You’ve won. Let me go. I’ll put the funds where they ought to go. I’ll continue the exodus. I will carry out all that is supposed to be carried out.”
“How do we know you’re not lying?” Bastian asks.
“I’ll make a statement at a media conference. I’ll explain the problem and reassert my commitment to making sure that the Haveners make it to Mars as planned. I promise.”
Mr. Drek nods his head. “Okay, Hiternum, for now.”
“What? That won’t do!” I yell. “He needs to go to lock-up forever for what he’s done. All of it.”
Mr. Drek fans me away.
Cleo stands up. “Yeah, he had Olivinia Evawa killed. He’s got to pay for that.”
Bastian hobbles to me and puts his arm around my waist. I put my arm around his shoulder.
“You have no proof that I’ve done anything of the sort,” the Governor says.
Cleo rolls her eyes. I stick my finger in my mouth and pretend not to gag.
“You killed my pet,” Bastian says. “And for that, I think you must pay.”
“You killed his pet, Governor?” Mr. Drek asks. “That’s cold.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the Governor says.
Bastian hobbles towards him. “When you came to my home and began blowing up things, one of those things was my beloved pet Bingo. I’ve had him since childhood.”
“I can get you another pet if you’d like,” the Governor says.
“Bingo is irreplaceable. So, I must take something of yours for recompense.”
I hear a scream and blood squirts out all over the Governor’s face. Bastian steps back. I can’t believe it. He’s sliced off the Governor’s finger.
>
“Thank you. Now that that’s settled,” Bastian says, stepping away from the Governor.
The Governor wails for a while, then stops. His eyes glass over as if he’s resigned to the pain. I have to give him one thing. He’s a tough sonofabitch.
Cleo doesn’t waste any time picking up where Bastian left off. Cleo steps forward and gets in the Governor’s face. “How do I know I won’t be hearing more from you, Mr. Governor?” Cleo asks. “I’m tired of watching my back, and I want my sister to be able to live her life without fear. Come on Mr. Drek, can’t I at least shoot him in the juts. He can get it fixed with some of his crooked creds. I’m sure he’ll be replacing that finger.”
Mr. Drek pulls a cloth from his pocket. He uses the cloth to pick the finger up off of the floor.
“She and her sister need not fear me anymore,” Hiternum says to Mr. Drek. “You have my promise. Only, please, keep my finger so that I may have it reattached.”
It is disturbing that Bastian sliced off his finger, but the Governor did kill his pet, and he did intend to kill all of us. The Governor would have killed all of us if he had the chance.
“Please, Bastian, I know this is your home,” I say. “But would you mind if I had a word with the Governor alone?” I ask.
“No,” Cleo says. “You can’t be with him alone. He’s not to be trusted.”
“He just got his finger hacked off. He’s tied up. His backup is gone. What can he do? But if you’re so worried, give me a gun. I can handle myself. Right, Bastian?”
Bastian is silent for a while. He indicates with a motion of his head that he agrees with me. I’m pleased at that.
Cleo shoves her gun at me. “If he moves, blow his fucking head off.”
“Wait, wait,” Mr. Drek says. “You’re not staying in here with him alone.”
“Fine, then stay, Mr. Drek. I just want to have a few words with him. I won’t shoot him in the juts or the face. I promise.”
I examine the gun in my hand. Cleo showed me how to use this gun at the shooting range too. It’s her own personal gun. She’s had it for quite a long time. As a matter of fact, this gun used to belong to my father.
“Go on. Everyone clear the room,” Bastian says.
Everyone files out of the room, and now it’s just me, Mr. Drek, and the Governor alone.
I pace the floor with at least one eye on the Governor. “Your son tried to rape me, you know? What was I supposed to do?
Hiternum says nothing.
“You don’t care, do you?” You’re a necessary evil. I’m not sure why, but I think I’ll make it my life to find out. How does that sound Mr. Drek?
Mr. Drek shrugs. The Governor still says nothing. He’s quiet all right, but that doesn’t stop him from glowering at me. His finger continues to bleed. I feel sorry for him. He must be in pain, but he put himself in the position he’s in.
“I could blow your brains out,” I say. “But I won’t because that’s not in me. What?” I ask, jerking forward. “Did you move? Because if you move, I can shoot you. Leave my sister and me alone. Leave the Haveners alone. Leave Moon Company alone. Do what you’re supposed to do? Are we clear?”
The Governor shakes and shrugs too. I’m not as hot-headed as Cleo. I stare at him for a while. As I stare at him, I wonder what makes a person so cold. What makes one think that their life is that much more important than another’s. A man inconsiderate of others is a scary man indeed.
“Why are letting this scum bucket go again?” I ask Mr. Drek.
“Because he’s a small potato compared to the other French fries,” Mr. Drek says. He rubs his mole.
There’s something commanding about Mr. Drek. He seems so sure of himself and completely unafraid. If only I could be completely unafraid. I suppose it’s not feeling the fear that matters anyway. I can’t see into Mr. Drek’s heart or mind. For all I know he’s terrified. But his actions tell me that he continues anyway. That’s what I intend to do.
Teros is large. The system is filled with many planets and many moons. There are many Governors and many senators. There are the Juris, huge corporations with presidents, and of course, there are those that I can’t see, others who do things under the radar.
I figure it might be in my best interest to trust Mr. Drek. He’s had our back. He knows more than I know, so if he’s keeping the Governor ticking, there must be a reason.
Cleo, I’m sure, is not so convinced.
“Your son tried to rape me,” I say again. “He was a monster. I’m sure you’re proud.”
I turn to go.
“I’m not proud,” the Governor says.
I whirl back around. “Well, then why did you try to kill my sister and me?”
The Governor remains silent. I try to avoid making eye contact with his finger. His skin is turning pale.
He gasps. “I will leave you and yours alone now. That is a promise. Now if Mr. Drek could promise to give me back my finger?”
I turn back around. “I don’t think you’re really in control of the negotiations here, dude. Once you decided to blow this place up, you turned in your bargaining chips. I walk on towards the door. I don’t want to see the Governor’s face ever again, but I know that’s virtually impossible unless I stop watching media feeds, and if the news feeds are on, I’ll likely see his heavily made up face with his fake, lying smile plastered all over.
I walk out of the room as composed as I can be under the circumstances. I can’t say I got what I wanted from the Governor, but you can’t force a real apology out someone who doesn’t want to give one. Well, you can, but what would be the point? A forced apology means nothing.
When I reach the group, I give Cleo back her gun.
“I didn’t hear your weapon fire, so I guess you didn’t have to split his wig,” Cleo says.
“Nope, no wig splitting,” I say. “Besides, I had a babysitter,” I say looking back towards the door. Mr. Drek is still inside of the room with the Governor. He hasn’t come out yet
Cleo sighs. “You’re staying with him, aren’t you? The pirate? Dude, I can’t believe you chopped off the Governor’s finger. You should have picked it up and threw it in the waste.”
“He gets the idea. I’m sure when he gets it put back on, he’ll remember me. I needed some insurance in the transaction,” Bastian says with a grin. Bastian reaches into his pocket and holds up my comm.
I rush over to him. “Hey, where did you get that?” I ask.
“One of my crew members found it under a seat. There is some very interesting material on here,” Bastian says, holding my comm up in the air. He turns it towards me, showing me my comm book which includes lots of different potential boyfriends with their pictures along with a synopsis of what I think about them. There’s no picture of Bastian in there, so at least I’m safe. I have to say my descriptions of the men are pretty candid and embarrassing.
I glower. “Are you serious? I bet you’ve kept that hidden from me all this time.”
“No keeping things from you ever again,” Bastian says.
“Uh huh.” I hold my hand out.
He shakes his head no. He’s working on my comms.
“Who are you comming?” I ask.
“Uh yes,” Bastian says. “Is this Moon Company Brides. Yes, may I please speak to… Who should I ask for?” he asks looking at me.
“Celeste,” Cleo yells over my shoulder.
Bastian continues. “Um yes, may I please converse with the one called Celeste.” He rolls his eyes around like he has been waiting for someone to come to the comm for a long time. “Hello, Celeste. Yes, this is Bastian the Pirate King. I have an interest in one of your brides. Her name is Freda Chou. Uh huh, I’m aware that she is already promised to another, but no contracts have been signed yet, am I correct? Good. I’d like to have her for myself. I’ll pay any price.” Silence. He nods his head. “Yes, I know that she went against protocol. I have it on good authority that she’s very sorry. Can I come in? Yes, I can. We can be there ver
y soon. Thank you. Uh, huh, got it. I will pass the message along.” Bastian turns to me and grins. “Celeste told me to tell you hello. She also says that she is going to kill you when she sees you.”
I lower my head. I know Celeste is going to chew me out when she sees me, but it looks like I’m now going to be visiting the hall of ceremonies with Bastian the Pirate King. Who’d a thunk it?
“We’re going to get the Governor back to Mars,” Mr. Drek says, coming out of the room. “He has a statement to make. Expect that the exodus will continue as planned, Bastian.”
“I will be traveling to the Moon, but I will be back to make sure that everything goes smoothly with the transition of my fellow Haveners to Teros,” Bastian says.
“Very good. You know,” Mr. Drek says. “If the two of you are interested, I think I might have some space on my team for a Havener Pirate King and another Chou. Besides, Haveners are allowed to use their mind abilities as long as they are being used under the sanctioning of a security agency or under the command of the juris. The pay for such abilities is undoubtedly high. Unfortunately, even though we’ve tried, I don’t believe any security agency has had the ability to procure a Havener for their team.”
“I understand,” Bastian says. “There are many who are hesitant to integrate into the new system, but they will have to get over it. I will consider it.”
My eyes brighten. I had a little bit too much fun in the fray, wielding that gun. My heart races at the prospect that I too can become a security agent.
Cleo groans. “Come on Mr. Drek, isn’t one Chou enough?”
“There will never be enough Chous for Rock security,” Mr. Drek says. “When the little one grows up, I’d be willing to offer her a job too.
“Me,” Xerxes says coming out of nowhere. “Not my dautra.”
“Are your parents safe?” I ask Xerxes.
“They’re fine. A little shaken up, but they are fine. They’re settled on the transport ship with the baby. My madra is having quite the time with Jules, and my padra, well, he is too. I’ve never seen him be so doting.”
“Wait,” Cleo says. “What do you mean you?” she asks Xerxes. “I thought we agreed that at least one of us was going to stay home with the baby.”