by Catty Diva
She wished he would answer and free her from him. A guard came in. “Sir, you have a call on line one.” He handed the com unit to her master.
“Hello? …Son?” The hopeful sound in his voice was so obvious. “No, clearly I’m not dead yet, you’re talking to me.” Pain filled his voice and she rejoiced. It might seem cruel, but this man was pure evil. “You can’t send someone here to take inventory of my possessions. It’s all going to charity now, anyway. You’ll not get another dime out of me.” He hung up and slammed the com onto the floor. Tears shone in his eyes but she didn’t feel sorry for him. “Get me another whiskey, Envy.”
As upset as he was, she knew to hurry. If he downed this one, mixed with his medicine, it would put him out. She would have made it through one more day and be that much nearer to freedom. Pouring the whiskey, she rushed it back to him. Shaking hands, weak with illness and disappointment, grabbed the shot sloshing just a few drops over the edge before he threw it back gulping it all down.
“You’re the only one who I can count on, Envy. Only you.” He whispered as he went under, losing himself to sleep.
“He’s ready to go to bed.” Envy said out loud. Two guards came in and picked him up, carrying him to his bedroom. They were told to do as she instructed when he was unavailable. He technically had her listed as his his caretaker, not slave. That was what would see her free, slavery was against the law anyway. Still, she had to be careful because the son was even worse than the father. Both were a blight on this world.
Envy made sure her master was tucked into bed, then she left to go to her own room. She made a cursory search finding the note she had been expecting for days now. Who left these notes in her room, she wasn’t sure. They claimed they were family and wanted to guard, guide, and protect her. A family was something she had never had. There was no doubt she had come from somewhere, but she’d never known where. The old pervert claimed she’d been the result of a breeding program and it was probably true.
Her mother had been bred by some male known only by a number, who had no idea how many children he sired. Her mother had died giving birth, too delicate to survive the hours she had labored to bring forth such a perfect female child. Envy couldn’t say what was true. She scoured the internet on the computer her master gave her, but access was limited.
Opening the letter, it was odd, which was usual. Have patience. You will be free soon, Justice will deliver you. Would the house be raided by police as the lab had been? So many had died that day, confused because they’d been told the police were there to kill them. In the end, the police had protected themselves, and the doctors and employees had escaped in the mayhem. One of those employees had brought her to her master.
Years later, her biggest dream was to be free of this house, but mostly of the man. She took a shower and tried not to think. Thinking led to remembering and that led to sadness. Sadness made you crazy and if you were crazy, they put you down. Life might not be what she wanted it to be yet, but she had a strong will to survive. Bring on justice and set her free.
Chapter 3
The Mark
Justice sat straight up in his seat as the buxom blond went right for his pride. He shooed her hands away. He’d not felt like female company since the old lady had spoken to him. Maybe she’d cast a spell on him, he knew nothing of such things. All he knew was he felt differently about the loose women that hung out at places like this bar than he used to. There was no rhyme or reason to the whole thing, it was just the way it was.
His com rang. Cash had some of the best tech around making it easy for him to reach Justice almost everywhere. This was even beyond what he had thought possible. “Justice here.”
“Make any progress yet?” Cash asked. He was sitting back in his desk chair with his legs stretched out on top of his desk. A big male, he radiated power and a sense of danger. No more so than Justice himself did, but Cash came close.
“I got lucky and found an informer. I have everything cased out and I’m planning on making the move tomorrow night. One more run through fast, just to be sure. Not like this is an easy job. The man’s got more money than Midas to buy all the best security. There was a rumor, guy said the son was an even bigger monster than the old man. Doesn’t sound like this will be the end of it.”
“That’s good information, but all we can do right now is proceed with caution. You may well be going back for the son in the near future. Do what you do best.” Cash suggested.
“How did you get me on the com?”
An Oison ship is halfway between here and Earth. We boomeranged off them and sent it to you. Cool, huh?”
“Smart.”
The com dropped the call so either there was interference or Cash was done talking. Everything that needed to be said had been. Justice took a shower and went to bed. He lay there thinking for what seemed like hours before he drifted to sleep.
Chapter 4
Well-Guarded
A noise woke Envy up and a guard tripped as he launched through her door. She stared at him, amazed he had the nerve to enter here. A thought struck her that brought out both terror and joy. “Is master dead?” She asked?
The male stepped closer and she caught the scent of whiskey, the fool was drunk. “Hey, Stan! Where the hell are you?” The newcomer stepped into the room. “Sorry ma’am, come on before you get into trouble.”
“She likes me. You like me, don’t you?” Stan asked looking at her.
“Doesn’t matter. The boss will have your balls removed.”
“J.J., you’re just teasin’ right? He don’t really do that, does he?” Stan asked his voice wavering.
“He has, and would right now if he knew you were in here.” J.J. led Stan out tugging on his arm, to get him to leave.
It was a relief when Stan staggered out with J.J. helping him. This wasn’t the first time a drunk or high guard had wanted to claim extra privileges. Usually, she was forced to remove them. She might look weak and delicate, but something in her blood made her strong and an excellent fighter. That was something she’d proven more times than she could remember over the years.
Once she was sure they were gone, she changed her clothes and got ready for one more day. It was the only way to survive this hellhole. One day at a time and she would make it through. Envy headed to the kitchen. She would check to see if the master’s meal was prepared and pick up hers. He wanted her with him at every meal time. For some reason he believed she loved him despite his wicked treatment of her or maybe because of it. That only showed he didn’t know her at all.
Everyone looked up when she entered the kitchen. The cook rushed to get the master’s meal ready. Half the staff was new replacing experienced kitchen staff that had abandoned his service, because they all knew he was dying. They preferred the certainty of a new job to the worries of being caught here when he was gone.
“Here you go. All his favorites.” The cook pointed out unnecessarily. Her plate was also put on the tray with about half the food he had.
Carrying the tray down the hall, she balanced it carefully as she opened the door. He sat up looking healthier than he had in a while. Disappointment shot through her as she feared the new treatment might be working. It didn’t matter, change was in the air and she just knew it would visit them soon. She just hoped it would be soon enough.
“Hurry up and bring the tray here, Envy. I’m starved half to death!” her master demanded.
She moved faster knowing it never paid to disappoint this man. It made her remember the rages he used to go into back when he still had his health. No one would have believed back then, that he would be like this now. Setting his tray in front of him, she moved away sitting as far from him as he would allow. As she watched him, she shivered with revulsion. It would be so easy to kill him, but she would be suspect. Best to let nature take care of him as long as it was soon.
“Eat, Envy. You’ve lost weight. I know you want to continue to look beautiful for me.”
Her master irr
itated her to no end, but she refused to show it. She’d hung on since she’d been little more than a child, just a little longer and her life would improve. Something was coming that would change everything and it wouldn’t be long now. It made her think about the note from yesterday. Justice was on its way.
Envy ate her breakfast like she’d been instructed to do. She’d learned a long time ago not to upset the master. He was mean as a one-eyed rattlesnake and twice as poisonous. It made her remember when she first came to him.
“What you waiting for Girl, eat!” She didn’t let his tone disturb her, she was used to much worse. The food looked funny and she sniffed at it. A medicinal scent made her uneasy so she pushed the plate away. Her face stung as the strange guy backhanded her. Tears came to her eyes, but she refused to cry. “Next time you’ll eat when you are told. Take her away.” The guards moved forward and she stood to follow the first one. The other one followed behind so she wouldn’t escape. Why would she try when she had nowhere to go?
“Where did you just go, my pretty?” He asked.
“I was just enjoying my food.”
“Enjoy it faster. I have a new movie to watch.” A movie, one of the few things that she liked, but she acted bored and as if he had to force her to watch. Had he suspected she loved them, he would never allow her to watch them again. She finished her food long before he finished his. He had to eat slowly or it wouldn’t stay down.
“You know your family didn’t want you.” He said cruelly.
“I thought my father was a seed donor and my mother died when I was born?”
“That’s true, but your mother had family nearby.”
“I thought she was taken without a choice?”
“That’s true too. It was for the common good. She should have been proud to be given the chance to help research progress. Your mother was an ungrateful and rebellious bitch. They tried to breed her with my seed, but it wouldn’t take. We feared she was barren, but she had so many unusual traits, we had to try. The next time it took right away. A case of like calling to like. They were both wild creatures hard to keep locked up. Your father escaped but never came back for the female he claimed. Broke her heart like she broke mine. Only fitting, it was a shame to see her brought down like that in a way.” His eyes took on a glassy look as they stared unseeing at the wall. Whatever he saw, it wasn’t the here and now.
Another reason to hate the man. He had destroyed her mother because she didn’t want him. Pathetic was the new word of the day and it fit him perfectly. How had he held this in all this time? Was it a sign that death stalked him? She certainly hoped so because this man had taken far too much from her already.
“Nothing to say about your ungrateful mother or the man that deserted you both?” He asked hatefully.
“You said he never knew about me, never met my mother, and didn’t live in the facility.”
“I was trying to spare the feelings of a frightened child.”
“What’s changed now?”
His eye slowly moved over her from head to toe. “You’re clearly no longer a child.”
“I haven’t been for several years now.”
“I suppose that’s true. It’s been years since I thought about her. She was beautiful, you know. Not quite as lovely as you are, my dear. Neither did she have your sharp intellect or your physical skills. The resemblance is there, but she was a shadow of what you are, of what I made you.”
“It hurt your pride that she wanted another.”
“See, you are too smart for your own good. Yes, she wanted your father. She said she had no control over her heart. It killed her when he disappeared and never came back.”
“You killed him?”
“Where’s the money to be made in that? I sold him to another company that researched genes. Who knows what happened to him, who cares? He’s probably long gone. Research can be hard on people.”
The man told so many stories it was hard to know what to believe, but she sensed he was finally telling her the truth now that death nipped at his heels. It pushed out the memories she hid deep inside.
Envy closed her eyes unable to look at her adoptive mother any longer. The beautiful woman was blonde haired and blue eyed, her skin had once been flawless and pale as milk. Now the sores where her skin rotted away covered her. Her teeth were almost all gone and her eyes bloodshot and full of despair. Her hair fell out in clumps and her scalp was covered in sores.
“I’m dying Sereta,” Jill said. “We need to find you a new mom to look out for you.
“Don’t want a new mama. I only want you.” She had said stubbornly.
“I know, Baby. The problem is I’m already gone. It’s only for you I try to hang on.”
Tears fell down her face as Jill sighed out her last breath. She’d tried to hang on, but death had stolen her away. Sereta became Envy years later when the master stole her away. In one form or another, history repeated itself.
“You’ve been daydreaming a lot lately, my girl. What is it that takes you away from me?”
“Nothing, Master. I just wish I could walk in the gardens as I did when I was younger.”
“I’ve told you I can’t protect you when you leave this building. The world is a cruel place you are not prepared for. Men will want you, but you are mine and they can’t have you. I’ll make sure of that.”
His words were like a threat, did he plan to take her to the other side with him? Envy knew she’d best be careful if she wanted to escape. Everything was ready for when he passed on, she just wished he would hurry.
“You do wish to be with me, don’t you Envy? No one else can have you, not now, not ever.” The anger he felt at the thought of losing her wore him out and he slumped in his seat, asleep instantly.
Chapter 5
Going In
Justice stretched out his legs sticking his booted feet on the table in front of him. Hanging out at bars on Earth was getting old, but tonight he was going to make his move. Just a few more hours and this nasty backward planet would be seen in the rear facing window on some space ship. He had definite thoughts about telling Cash not to send him here again. There were only a couple places considered worse as far as assignments went. As a mercenary, he’d been to all of them and personally considered this the worst.
Another female looked ready to approach him so he growled. She backed off quickly and ran back to the protection of the table filled with females. Hmpf, as if he couldn’t take on all of them and win. Even Cyn, with all her training and incredible flexibility and grace, was no match for his strength and speed. He downed the last of his beer. He’d get a couple hours sleep, clean up, and move on to his target. The funny feeling he was getting in his belly and the tingle between his shoulder blades was new. Not sure what it meant, he was certain it boded ill for someone. Hopefully, that someone wouldn’t be him.
The hotel he was staying at was a dump. If he was honest, it made dumps look good, but they asked no questions and payment was up front. There was no deposit, no ID required and that was what counted to him. Someone, probably the hotel manager’s pretty daughter, made an attempt to keep things clean and odor free. He’d leave a tip for her to show that even hard men can notice a good effort.
Pushing the door open, he stepped quickly to the side. Hearing no shots or sounds of any kind, he cautiously entered his room. A deep breath told him that only a female had been in here. The cleanliness of the room confirmed it was the maid. It was the way he always entered hotel rooms like these. Not just for any enemies that might have tracked him here, but the neighbors were untrustworthy and might kill him, just for the chance at his possessions or any money he might carry.
Lately, certain aspects of his chosen career had begun to grate on him. Maybe part of it was seeing all the bliss among newly mated Mazlans. There was something to say about having a lovely and comforting woman at home waiting for you. Justice had even begun to think about a child or two. He knew he shouldn’t, his life was too dangerous. It just
seemed nothing he told himself stopped the thoughts of a happy home life from entering his head.
Maybe once this job was done, he’d step back from the Moon Hunters and run a business of his own. Many times he’d thought about opening a self-defense school. He’d still work a few jobs a year like his contract called for and training others would keep him sharp and in shape. This wasn’t the first time he had thought of becoming more respectable, but the need had never manifested so strongly.
Once he was in his room with the door closed and security measures in place, he showered with unscented soap. It was just a precaution since few had the sense of smell he, his fellow mercenaries, and the Mazlans did. He dried off and brushed his teeth with plain toothpaste that would remove any scent of the beer he’d recently drank. Pulling a special bag from his case, the clothing inside had no scent either. Justice didn’t worry about his boots, they smelled like dirt.
Now it was time to gather everything from the room including the key. It was a safety measure so he’d have someplace to go if he needed it in a hurry or if he failed to get the target on the first try. His motto was always have a plan B.
Once everything was packed, he attached it to the special carrier on the back of his bike. His weapons were loaded too, all over his body. There was something for any situation, he just hoped he wouldn’t need them. This was one of the times he didn’t want any proof of his presence left behind. The son would suspect, which Razar hoped would send a message. Justice was pretty sure it would not have the desired effect. Before long someone would be making the trek back to Earth to finish the job. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be him.