by C. R. Daems
"Coward?" Louie gasped.
"Yes, Louie. A coward who is afraid to face me so he resorts to kidnapping and sending others to deliver his message. Let's go see if he has the balls to get in a cage with me." I left them standing there as Shadi and entered the ship. They had to run to catch up. I went directly to the Flight Deck and began making preparations to go to Lietzow. I had about three days to come up with a strategy to survive my encounter with Uzomo.
Shortly after I had exited Tyrus space, Jimmy entered with Louie, both had their guns drawn. You need to lock that cat in one of the rooms," Jimmy said, grinning. "We don't want to see her hurt. Mr. Uzomo wouldn't like that."
I took that to mean Uzomo had given the pair specific instructions not to damage Shadi, which meant he did plan to force Shadi and me, or maybe just Shadi, into the cage fighting—until we or she lost. Survivors won't suit his plans.
"Why would she get hurt on the Tykhe?" I asked, thinking I already knew—if they accosted me Shadi would come to my defense and they would have to kill or wound her.
"She might think you didn't like our company." Jimmy laughed. Louie had a strained grin. He liked the idea but was nervous about my response and Shadi's. I picked up my tablet and tapped it three times.
"What are you doing?" Jimmy shouted, taking a step toward me.
"You think this ship flies itself. I'm putting it on autopilot and setting up instructions in case we encounter an emergency, like an asteroid field." Jimmy relaxed somewhat as I continued to type my password. When the icons appeared I hesitated. Clyde had said it would take approximately thirty to forty seconds for the gas to work. I took that to mean fifteen seconds for the gas to fill the air sufficiently to breathe it, and fifteen to thirty seconds to take effect. Based on that, I had practiced holding my breath. My average appeared to be about ninety seconds. I hoped I was right or they might wake before me. I tapped on the Cloud Icon.
"All right, lets go," I said and took a deep breath as I headed for the hallway with Shadi following. I took my time walking, patting Shadi as if I were saying goodbye. At the door to my room, I hesitated. Not necessary as both men were hanging on to the walls for support and unsuccessfully trying to draw their Mfws. I went in, opened a cabinet and pulled out one of the gasmasks Kraig and I had distributed around the ship in case of this type of emergency. I pulled it to my face and lay on the bed, taking deep breaths. Shadi was out cold on the floor. Eventually I secured the gasmask, went out into the hall, removed Jimmy and Louie's Mfws, tied their arms and legs, went into the galley, and had a couple of beers while I waited for the pair to recover.
* * *
"Are you two rested enough?" I asked after watching them for several minutes trying to come to grips with what happened. "I've been debating whether to space you or give you a couple of hours’ oxygen and leave you on an asteroid or put you in the cargo hold with Shadi. It's about her meal time."
"You can't!" Jimmy screamed. "Without us, Mr. Uzomo will kill your partner."
I laughed. "You think Uzomo cares about you two. He wants me on Lietzow. He could care less whether you survive or not. And your intentions toward me were certainly not friendly."
"It was Jimmy's idea," Louie said in a rush. Jimmy turned toward him, his face twisted in hate.
"What were your instructions?" I asked.
"Mr. Uzomo hoped you would choose to go to Lietzow without any trouble. If not, we were supposed to kill you but not the cat. Jimmy thought that meant Mr. Uzomo didn't care if we had some fun with you," Louie said. "I told him that wasn't right."
"What do you think, Shadi?" I asked, looking down at her. She sat next to my chair, looking up at me. As if on cue, she growled. "I agree," I said, burying my face in her luxurious fur.
"I wish Jimmy and you were half as important as Jimmy thinks. In that case I could trade you for my partner," I said. They were frantically nodding their heads up and down. "You're paid help. Uzomo wouldn't trade my partner for any or all of his sheriffs. I damaged his oversized ego. No, you're worthless to Uzomo and me." I herded them into the cargo hold and secured them.
"What are you going to do with us?" Jimmy asked, looking much less confident.
"Not sure. If I were you, I wouldn't go back to the Ranch unless you enjoy cage fighting. I don't think Uzomo is going to be pleased with your performance." I locked the door into the ship proper and went to bed.
* * *
When I landed and had secured the Tykhe, I called Uzomo. He was smiling when his face appeared on my monitor.
"I see you decided to accept my offer."
"No. I called to make you a counter offer—"
"You will come to the Ranch or your friend dies," he growled.
"So you are selecting option two. That's the alternative option if you reject my compromise."
He stared at me in silence for several seconds before speaking. "What’s option one?"
"I’ll call a friend of mine who is a professional fixer. I'll send him a bonus to make sure the fix is unpleasant and drop out of sight until he fixes my problem."
"What about your partner?" he asked in disbelief.
"That’s the dilemma you've created. I can't let my competition or enemies think I will do their bidding if they kidnap one of my crew or even a junior partner. On the other hand, I can't let them think there is no consequence for messing with my crew or partner." I paused, pursing my lips in thought. "Actually, option two might be a great example for future idiots." I cut the connection and notified customs I'd like a quick inspection as I planned to depart as soon as possible. Before customs responded, Uzomo called.
"What's your compromise?" he snarled, but from the sound of his voice he was nervous.
"Let Kraig go and I will agree to a shootout match with you in the cage. That's a match that should net you a million credits, provided you don't freeze or shoot yourself." I smiled. His face muscles momentarily twisted in anger but slowly turned to an evil smile.
"How can I trust you?" he asked, eyes narrowed in distrust.
"My reputation. Not to mention you would put out a contract on me if I didn’t show. Besides, I'm looking forward to killing you."
"All right. I'll release your partner and give him the date and time."
* * *
"Are you crazy?" Kraig shouted as he entered the Tykhe six hours later.
"Since I've agreed to work with the AIA to find Raiders and tippy-toe around with the Black Hand, I'd say that's a definite, Yes. And agreeing to come to Lietzow removes any lingering doubts."
"Why didn't you run?"
"To be honest, because it wouldn't solve the problem...and you are my partner. It would make me look bad if I let them kill you."
He laughed as he went into the galley and retrieved two beers and handed me one.
"Thank you, anyway. He wants the contest to be held three days from now. What do you have planned?"
"Kill him," I said and shrugged. "If Uzomo cheats, I want you to send the code 4Balance to the man in this envelope. I've already contacted him. He will know what to do if you contact him." I had sent Jere a message indicating I had set up an account for him and explained my problem with Uzomo. If Uzomo cheated, he would get the password for payment for the contract to kill him.
"A friend?"
"No. More of business acquaintance." I smiled at the thought. Kraig nodded.
"Insurance?"
"To ensure the scales are balanced."
He nodded. "Balance is important."
* * *
When Kraig and I entered the Ranch that evening, the place was standing room only. Signs were hanging everywhere:
Uzomo in the cage with Zenaida, the Snow Leopard Lady.
I had told Kraig to wager one hundred thousand on me. The current odds were three to one in favor of Uzomo. He apparently had a reputation as a deadly fighter and an excellent shot. Getting to see him fight someone in the cage was the big attraction and I was certain he intended to make it an event to remember.
>
When he saw me he rose and swaggered toward me. "Welcome, Zenaida. Are you prepared to be taught your manners?" He frowned as he scanned the area. "Where is Shadi?"
"I'm afraid Shadi is too old to be returned to the wild and I'm too old to learn new tricks, but in the event I'm taught an illegal trick, option two will come into play. Balance is very important Mr. Uzomo."
"You don't mind a bit of theatrics do you, Zenaida? Our audience is anticipating a good show," he said. I nodded my head. "Good, I thought a bit of target practice for the audience's sake."
Clever ploy. It will tell him how good a shot I am as well as providing a chance to intimidate me.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, if there are any in attendance, and to the rest of you bums. This lady is Zenaida. She and her snow leopard have a reputation as being dangerous and deadly. Tonight we are going to test that reputation in the only way one can...a no-rules duel to the death." He had to stop to let the roar of the crowd die down. He pointed to two standing six-foot dummies, which looked to be made from a clear rubberized material. I followed him to a white line, where he drew his Mfw. "Standing target practice," he shouted and fired off a burst of pellets, which began hitting the dummy in the belly button and ran up the body through the chest, neck, and head. A very impressive demonstration that he could shoot. I raised my Mfw and attempted to duplicate his pattern. I was intentionally two centimeters off to the left, hit the chest and neck close to the center and knocked off the dummy's ear, to loud hoots and shouts. I frowned for effect. Uzomo smiled if for no other reason than I was twice as slow as he.
"Next the fast draw," he said and looked at me. I nodded. "On three. One...two... three." I didn't use the swivel feature of my holster but raised it like drawing it from a regular holster. We shot at about the same time. Uzomo might have been a quarter second faster. The audience was quietly evaluating our performances. I watched as the odds began to coalesce around four to one.
"And lastly, moving targets," Uzomo said, pointing to two disks around the size of a man's head—forty centimeters. When the two began swinging Uzomo nodded to me. I took careful aim, shot three times, and hit the disk only once. Uzomo shot immediately afterward, also hitting the disk once. But he had fired three times as fast. I stood there frowning. Uzomo was the clear winner of the demonstration. What he and the audience had to take into account was whether I had done my best or had intentionally tried to look the worse contender. Judging by the look on Uzomo's face and the odds now standing at five to one, he and the onlookers decided I had faked it but wasn't capable of duplicating Uzomo’s overall performance, which was impressive. I had to admit he was my equal. If I had an edge it would be my swivel holster and his over confidence, which I hoped to encourage with several subtle signs of stress.
"This is almost as good as having you and your cat in the cage with the Rock Dragon," Uzomo said, sounding pleased and confirming my previous thoughts. Regardless of what happens, Shadi would be safe. I had bequeathed her to Mr. Stanfield in the event of my death.
"That implies you win," I said, followed with a weak laugh.
"Hope my first shot kills you, bitch. Because the rules don't stop me from having a bit of fun while you live." His smile was one of evil anticipation and his eyes glared in hate." He pointed to the cage. He laughed when I closed my eyes, which he thought in fear.
I walked slowly, maintaining my second thoughts about the upcoming duel. Hopefully his confidence would tempt him to do something stupid like wounding me so he could lengthen my suffering and give the audience a great performance. I climbed the five steps into the cage. It took all my self-control to walk to the rear of the cage before turning around to face Uzomo, not trusting him to shoot me in the back. He probably would have except the audience would be upset and want their money back plus interest—his hide. We stood facing each other while the referee, who stood outside the pellet-proof glass cage, explained there were no rules and we could begin with the sound of his gunshot.
I didn't think he wanted to kill me on his first shot. I thought it would be to my stomach area—nonlethal but potentially disabling enough for him to begin using me for target practice. If I were right, he would jump to his right or left while drawing his weapon and firing to ensure I didn't have a stable target.
"Bang!"
Uzomo threw himself to his left while drawing his Mfw.
I stepped back with my left foot while swiveling my Mfw into firing position. Ironically, I only had to swivel it less than thirty degrees as he was falling toward the ground. I aimed slightly below his head. Stepping back had changed my profile to expose my leg, arm, and side. We both fired a short burst of pellets. He was going for a disabling wound. Only two scored: one tore stomach skin while another ripped through my side. Two of my pellets hit him in the head. He lay unmoving as I shot him again before staggering to the cage door and exiting.
The audience was silent as I left the Ranch with Kraig's help.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Star System: Samxor
"You're a very rich woman," Kraig said two days later when I was released from the hospital. "I didn't do so bad myself. I placed our bets when the odds were five-to-one. You made five hundred thousand and I made two hundred fifty thousand. But you risked the mission and thousands of lives."
"You would rather I had left you at the Ranch. And gone where?"
"I'm grateful but..."
"If I'm killed you and the AIA can figure a way to continue. But if you die I can't continue."
Kraig laughed. "Sherman would find you another partner. I'm afraid, in the scheme of things, you are more important than me."
"You were in danger because of me so I couldn't leave you and sleep nights. Besides, if I hadn't agreed to show, Uzomo would have taken a contract out on me and eventually someone would collect. Better to address the issue head on."
"Since your gambit worked, everyone will agree it was a good idea. And if it didn't there is no satisfaction in confining a corpse," Kraig said and grinned. “And I now have a retirement nest egg. What now?"
"Leave Lietzow." I've seen enough of the planet to last a lifetime. How about Samxor?"
"What's in Samxor?" Kraig asked, looking down in thought.
"Mr. Salgodo is paying us to go there to get some papers signed. Sounded legitimate. I think he was feeling guilty when I told him the reason Uzomo wanted me on Lietzow. And it will mean we have to return to Tyrus."
"Samxor sounds good. I haven't been there so it's worth a visit and Tyrus appears to be the Raiders distribution center," Kraig said. "It might be interesting to see how popular you are."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Whether the Black Hand has people on every planet watching for the Tykhe and know what you are carrying."
"That's a damn depressing thought. Makes me feel like a drugged-out-of-her-mind addict who doesn't know she’s available for free on-demand fucking," I shouted and slammed my beer on the table so hard it shattered. Kraig choked on his beer and it took several minutes before he could speak.
"That's an image that's going to be hard to forget," he said and began laughing again. "Sorry. The Black Hand has earned your hatred and I hope you eventually get your retribution."
* * *
The trip to Samxor took four days, giving me a chance to heal. I spent several hours each day in the ship's medical unit. The unit wasn't nearly as good as the one in the hospital, but it was sufficient to accelerate the healing process, and I was feeling relatively fit by the time we reached Sidon.
"What now?" I asked after the customs inspector had finished their inspection of the Tykhe. They were extra thorough as we had no cargo and had come from Lietzow, which was considered the drug smuggling mecca of the Rim.
"I'll get these documents processed, look for some work, and deliver them back to Tyrus."
"Why do you need work? You're a rich woman." Kraig looked serious. "Work could get you jail time or worse."
"I'm hurt that
you think I would transport anything illegal. I'm an abandoned puppy struggling to survive in a dog-eat-dog world." I pushed out my lower lip up and squinted as if ready to cry. Kraig choked on whatever he was eating.
"I'm sure Uzomo thought just that—a feisty puppy to entertain him. What he discovered under that puppy dog exterior was a mature and very scrappy pit bull." He laughed. "Shadi enhances the illusion you're only feisty because you have the cat to protect you, whereas in reality you are the pack leader and the more ferocious of the two."
I smiled, liking the comparison. "Thank you. I prefer being thought of as a snow leopard rather than a pit bull or such. Well, I'm off to earn a living. Lock up when you leave."
* * *
I caught a taxi to the address on the package, the Law Offices of Osborne and Armstrong, which was located in the center of the city in offices on the top floor of a modern ten-story building. To my surprise, I had only a short wait before I was ushered into a large corner office with floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the city. A distinguished-looking elderly man with a round face and a warm smile rose from behind a large mahogany desk. His expensive cream-colored suit complemented his dark complexion.
"Miss Zenaida, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Gerry Armstrong. Would you like something to drink?" he asked, waving to a small round table with two padded chairs. When I shook my head he continued. "My secretary said you had a package from Mr. Salgodo."
"Yes. He asked me to deliver this package to you, wait for it to be signed, and transport it back to him." I handed him the package. After inspecting the seal he opened it and scanned the contents.
"Are you a friend or do you work for Mr. Salgodo?"
"Neither. I'm an independent merchant. I transport people and things around the Rim."
"You must have a good reputation, since Mr. Salgodo trusted this package with you. I should have it processed in two days. Is that all right?"