And therein lay a logical reason why Gallant had held his tongue. If there was a spy among the Con reps and that spy heard about Cherry, wouldn't he consider her a threat to the secrecy of the mission and try to eliminate her? Gallant couldn't very well abide by his oath to protect her if he was on a different planet when someone went after her.
He almost regretted making that oath. If he dropped her off on Norona, she'd be out of his system in no time. She might even catch a ride back to Terra from there sooner than he could take her, which he knew would suit her wishes as well.
Might. If no one tried to kill her first.
Besides that, she now knew portions of his secret that he had not yet explained in any satisfactory way. No, even though it seemed to be in his personal best interest to get her off his ship, he couldn't risk having her roaming free either. Which meant he had to figure out a way to keep her secured on board while he met with Josep on Norona. He was contemplating whether there was any way she could be convinced to stay out of sight willingly when Cherry plopped onto his lap.
She caught him so off-guard that he was returning her kiss for several seconds before his voice of reason shouted its warning.
One moment Cherry felt Gallant's heat flooding her body, the next, she was kissing a block of ice. Drawing her head back, she scanned his face and frowned. "Hmmm. I see Captain Voyager's back in charge again, eye patch and all. Care to explain or should I draw my own conclusions?"
Gallant swiveled his chair to the side then nudged her off his lap. "My rest period ended two hours ago. If you're in need of more attentive company, I'm sure Mar wouldn't mind being awakened."
Cherry inhaled sharply but stopped short of slapping him. "That was extremely rude, Captain. In fact, you went a bit too far." She calmly walked behind him to Mar-Dot's station and pulled out their bench. Sitting down, she kept her eyes on Gallant's profile. "All you had to say was, 'Not now, Cherry,' or even 'Don't distract me while I'm on duty, woman.' Instead, you purposely insulted me. Why?"
Gallant studied his monitor as he answered. "We agreed that it would be a mistake to complicate our relationship. We can't go backward but I can avoid repeating the mistake in the future."
"Look at me and say that again. Tell me to my face that, in spite of how good it was between us last night, you have no desire to spend another eight hours in your bunk with me... and I'll accept it and leave you alone."
He turned toward her, met her gaze, and said, "I—"
"Wait," Cherry interrupted, then pulled off his eye patch before he could stop her. "Now, tell me the truth."
He glared at her. He looked away and back. "All right. The truth. I had no intention of sharing my bunk with you, but it happened anyway. It doesn't matter how good it was. I can't afford to do it again."
The pragmatic part of her personality accepted the fact that he regretted having sex with her even though he enjoyed it. Her active curiosity was not so easily satisfied. "Why?" When he hesitated, she prodded further. "What's with the patch? There's no one on board you need to deceive with your dangerous disguise. And as long as you don't intend to evade my questions by kissing me senseless, how about explaining what happened to Frezlo?"
When several seconds passed and she asked no more questions, he asked in a quiet voice, "Do you want to hear lies? That's all I can give you."
Cherry narrowed her eyes at him but his gaze held steadily to hers. He didn't seem to realize that by warning her rather than automatically lying, he had already given her more than he would have yesterday. For the moment, she decided to settle for that. "Save your lies, Captain. I said I'd leave you alone and I will. Here." She handed him his eye patch. "I wouldn't want you to feel naked."
As he replaced the patch, she studied the navigational monitor. "I don't suppose we're heading for Earth."
"No."
"Lore?"
"Not directly."
"No? You may as well tell me. Mar has taught me enough to figure it out on my own."
"We have to make a stop on Norona first. We'll reach there late tomorrow."
"Norona? That's great!" She bounced off the bench and gave him a big hug. "Thank you!" She released him and started circling the control panel. "How many days does it take to get back to Earth from Norona?"
Gallant glanced up at her. "Five, but—"
"Five! Oh my. That'll be cutting it close, but at least I should be back in time for the auditions. I shouldn't have doubted you, Gallant. I'm sorry."
"Cherry—"
"I've got to tell you though, I wish I wasn't in such a hurry to get back. I'd love to tag along and see how this mission works out. Do you think you could send me a note or something later on?"
"Sit!"
She froze in her tracks. "I wish you would stop talking to me like I was your pet dog!"
"Pet bird," he mumbled then said more clearly, "Please sit down."
Cherry returned to the bench with a sense of wariness. "What is it?"
"I'm glad you're interested in my mission," he began slowly. "I didn't thank you properly for your help back on Zoenid."
He was speaking so formally, she couldn't help but giggle. "I don't know, I thought your improper thank you was just fine."
He started to grin but attempted to hide it by clearing his throat. "At any rate, I am appreciative."
"I certainly hope so," she countered with a lascivious eyebrow wiggle.
"Cherry, you're making it very hard for me—"
"Again? Why, Cap'n Voyager, y'all are the most remarkable man!"
Gallant gave an exasperated sigh. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because you're acting like an ass. Just give me whatever bad news you're trying to sugarcoat and I'll try not to go nuts when I hear it."
Gallant braced himself. "You can't get off on Norona." Before she could react, he hurried on. "You heard Frezlo. It was a Con rep that ordered the Weebort's assassination. He could order yours as easily. I promised to keep you safe and I can't do that while the spy is free, unless you stay on board."
"That's very gallant of you, Captain, but I hereby relieve you of any responsibility for my safety. Just head me toward the ticket counter after we land, then forget you ever set your eyes, or should I say, eye on me."
"I can't do that."
She opened her mouth to continue the debate but decided to drop it instead. It really didn't matter what he said, she was getting off his ship the minute it landed on Norona. "How about a game of cubit?"
As he pulled out the table and set up the game, he asked, "What's going on in that devious mind of yours?"
Cherry smiled. "As a considerate man recently said to me, do you want to hear lies?"
He muttered something under his breath that Cherry assumed was an obscenity and chose to ignore. "You can toss first. Points only."
Rolling the cubes between his palms, he casually said, "By the way, I'd like my cheats back."
"I'm sure you would, and I'll return them... right after you explain what you meant when you said you made the drillfly disappear." The way his cheekbones bronzed told her two things—what he had said was very important, and he was upset she had remembered it.
With neither of them willing to let the other know what they were thinking, the rest of the day dragged by until Mar-Dot joined them. At Mar-Dot's prompting, Gallant and Cherry filled them in on what had happened on Zoenid, even managing to make some of it sound entertaining.
The mood lightened considerably during those latter hours. However, when Gallant's rest period drew near, Cherry sensed his rising tension and spared them both further embarrassment.
She yawned, stretched and got up from the bench. "My goodness. How time flies when you're having fun. Good night, y'all." With a smile for Mar and Dot and an indifferent glance toward Gallant, she headed for the facility chamber, then to Mar-Dot's cabin. When an hour had passed and Gallant hadn't knocked on the door, she knew he had meant what he said about not repeating his earlier mistake.
Woul
dn't you know it, she thought with considerable annoyance. She had finally found someone whose passions ran as deeply as her own and he wanted nothing more to do with her.
It was just as well, she supposed. In about twenty-four hours, she'd be on her way back to Earth, ready to embark on an exciting new phase of her career and Gallant would be somewhere on the other side of the universe, continuing his own adventures.
Her last thought before she fell asleep was that it really was a shame the audition was scheduled so soon. It might have been a kick to see what other strange places Gallant's mission took him to.
* * *
Twenty-four hours later, neither Gallant's sternest order nor his gentlest plea could get Cherry to sit still, let alone take her rest period. She had been keeping track of their progress toward Norona all day, and now that the planet could be seen in the distance, her excitement was boundless.
Unlike Zoenid, Norona looked the way Cherry thought a planet should, and what a magnificent sight it was. There was no cloud cover to mute the brilliant greens of the land and blue of the waters. As the ship got closer, she could also see the radiant glow that marked each city where the sun reflected off the crystal prisms of the buildings.
"Aster described it perfectly," she said, standing as close to the glass as she could get without pressing her nose against it. "I know Innerworld is made up to look exactly like Norona, but it's still exciting to get to see the real thing." She turned to Mar with a bright smile. "Will you be deboarding this time?"
"No," Gallant answered quickly and firmly. "They'll be staying here... with you."
Cherry flashed her smile at him but didn't say a word. Several times during the day he had repeated his reasons for wanting her to stay hidden while he went on his appointment. Sticking with the policy of saying nothing rather than lying, she simply had not made him any promises to abide by his order.
As he had been doing all day, he frowned at her and shook his head. "Take her down, Mar. I'm going to change. Cherry, feel free to use my chair to enjoy the landing."
"Golly gee, what a treat!" she exclaimed in a little girl's voice, but took advantage of his offer the moment he left the bridge. "So tell me, Dot, do you ever get to leave this ship?"
With Mar concentrating on their landing, Dot could not fully face Cherry as she spoke. "Of course we do. Sometimes it is our choice to remain behind, however. You remember how you stared at us when you first saw us."
"Oh my, I didn't realize—"
"It was not offensive, I assure you. But there are times and situations that are not quite... comfortable. Also, if a hasty departure is required, we stay on board to facilitate same."
"Ah, you're the getaway driver who keeps the motor running in the back alley."
"I beg your pardon?"
Cherry laughed. "Never mind. Why do you need to stay behind here? Norona's civilized and it sounds like the captain has a legitimate business appointment. You probably could use a little stroll around town." She hoped the suggestion sounded enticing.
"The captain—" Dot began.
"The captain said he would not be gone long and requested that we stay on board," Mar finished.
"But surely, you could take a few minutes... unless... did he order you to stay behind to make sure I don't leave?" As the seconds ticked by in silence, she had her answer without them having to speak aloud. "I see. I don't suppose either of you are susceptible to bribes."
"I am sorry, Cherry," Dot said sincerely. "But the captain has explained it is for your own safety."
Mar turned to her with a purposeful leer. "What sort of bribe did you have in mind?"
Dot twisted toward her. "Do not pay heed to his foolishness. We have our orders."
Cherry nodded her understanding, while she tried to figure out how to circumvent those orders. Moments after they touched down, Gallant reappeared on the bridge. Cherry swiveled the chair around and inspected him from head to toe. He was wearing a fitted white jumpsuit, like hers, and had exchanged his black boots and eye patch for white ones also. With his dark hair neatly tied at the base of his neck, he looked extremely dashing, and somewhat respectable, despite the white streaks.
Rising, she complimented him with her best wolf whistle. "Very chic, mon capitain. Too bad I can't go with you. We could play the odd couple." Her humor was lost on him, as usual.
"Cherry, I need to speak to Mar-Dot alone for a moment. Would you mind?"
She smiled sweetly, wanting to show him how cooperative she could be. "Of course. Perhaps I should step outside?" Gallant merely smirked at her. "You can't blame a gal for trying. Okay. I needed to freshen up anyway." As she made her way down the corridor past the exit door, she figured the best time to slip away would be immediately after Gallant left. If she timed it right, Mar-Dot might think she was still in the facility chamber and not check on her for a while.
Standing inside the chamber with her ear pressed to the closed door, she listened intently for the sounds that would mark Gallant's departure from the ship. What she heard instead was a soft click very close to her ear. Jumping to the worst possible conclusion, she pressed the door opener then pushed on the door itself... to no avail.
The dirty rat had sealed her in.
Chapter 11
"You son-of-a-bitch!" She pounded her fist against the door. "Let me out of here! I swear I'll make you regret this until the day you die, Voyager." As she stood there waiting for some kind of response to her threat, she heard the unmistakable sound of boot heels walking toward the exit door.
She had underestimated him. Again. Only this time, perhaps he had also underestimated her... or at least her acting ability. She gave him ten minutes to be well on his way, during which time she set aside her anger and concentrated on becoming a helpless, near-hysterical woman.
In a high-pitched, frightened voice, she whined, "Gallant? Please don't do this to me. I can't stand it. Please talk to me. Mar? Dot? Somebody? Oh, dear God," she cried a little louder. "Don't tell me they left me alone in here!"
"You're not alone, Cherry," Mar-Dot said close to the door. She couldn't tell which was speaking, but she guessed it would probably be Dot.
"Please, Dot, let me out of here before it's too late." She wailed pitifully and scraped the door with her fingernails.
"Cherry? Are you all right?"
"It's... it's happening already. The walls are moving! They're closing in on me. No-o-o!"
"Cherry, are you claustrophobic?"
Wheezing and gasping for air as loudly as she could, she knocked over a chair then waited silently beside the door.
"Cherry? Are you hurt? Say something!"
Exactly as planned, Cherry heard the click of the seal being removed and the door slid open. The second Mar-Dot appeared, Cherry used her robotic arm to yank them into the room, over her extended foot. As Mar-Dot stumbled to the floor, Cherry snatched the seal and hopped out the door. Before they could right themselves, she had locked them in.
"I'm sorry," she called through the door. "I hope I didn't hurt you, but I had no choice. Say good-bye to Gallant for me, and... and I hope his mission is a success. And, um, take care." When she didn't get a response, she had to stop herself from reopening the door to make sure they were all right but guessed that they were probably only trying to turn her trick around on her.
Seconds later she was outside of the ship, surveying her surroundings. She had observed the landing carefully and knew that they were parked at the edge of a sprawling city beside several other ships of about the same size. A few hundred yards away there was a large building where a number of people were moving about and an air shuttle bus had just floated in. Since there was nothing else nearby, she decided that had to be a terminal or greeting center of some sort and set off for it.
"Could you help me?" she asked the first woman she encountered inside the building. "I need to arrange some transportation." The woman directed her toward several uniformed people standing behind a long counter. It looked like she had
found the ticket counter without much effort at all.
She approached the man with the friendliest face. "Hi. I'm trying to get to Terra. Can you take care of that here?"
"Sorry. This is strictly a local commuter station. The only ships leaving the planet from here are privately owned. Of course, the owners occasionally take on passengers. In fact, someone just landed who said he'd be departing again within an hour or two. You could wait here and check with him. Let's see." He scanned the monitor in front of him. "His name is Captain Voyager."
"Oh, I've already spoken to him," she said, not hiding her disappointment. "He's going in the opposite direction. Where would I be able to catch a regular flight?"
He pointed toward the other end of the building. "The D shuttleway will take you to the main transport center. Someone there should be able to help you."
Cherry thanked him and hurried away. She wanted to be as far away from there as possible before Gallant returned.
She was about halfway to her destination when a very familiar person walked past her going in the opposite direction. It was so unexpected she continued walking for several more steps before she realized who she had just seen. Whirling around, her gaze immediately latched on to a statuesque woman with a gorgeous mane of silver hair.
"Aster?" she asked herself, then called the name aloud. But the woman didn't turn around. Cherry had heard the saying that everyone has a twin somewhere, but this woman was also pregnant and wearing a dress exactly like one Aster owned. It didn't make any sense but her eyes told her Aster was here, on Norona. Her transportation problems were solved!
She called Aster's name several times as she tried to catch up but apparently her voice wasn't carrying far enough. For a pregnant woman, she was walking incredibly fast. In desperation, Cherry broke into a run as Aster exited the building.
Racing toward the parked ships, she never took her eyes off Aster but, in a heartbeat, the woman was gone—vanished into thin air. Cherry halted in midstride and blinked at the vacant space in front of her, half expecting Aster to reappear again.
GALLANT (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 3) Page 14