Outerplanetary Sensations

by Jaden Sinclair

  Zane cleaned as much of the wound as he could before he spread a thick blue paste, called Nisten, over the deep cut on Kade's eye. This salve not only helped to curtail the bleeding but numbed the skin so Zane could stitch it up.

  He worked for twenty minutes, and lucky for them both, Kade didn't need any more stitch work. The rest of the cuts on his face were minor and only needed to be cleaned.

  "So did they say anything?” Zane asked.

  He helped Kade stand up so he could get dressed. Kade shook his head. “They busted in and started beating the shit out of me,” he said before going into the bathroom.

  "And they did such a fine job of it, too.” Zane grinned then chuckled when Kade flipped him off. “Look, I really came here to talk to you about Senator Mya, and from the looks of things, it's a damn good thing I did."

  Kade came out of the bathroom with jeans on and a shirt in his hand. “Something tells me this isn't going to be good."

  "You're right.” Zane took a seat on the sofa, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “Jovan wanted me to keep an eye on our good buddy, Volmer, in case the sneaky bastard managed to get out of jail, so I started to look closer at what or who he might be connected to. Let me just say, dear friend, that Volmer and a few others have their hands in the Senator ship as well as our government."

  Kade frowned. “What does Volmer have to do with me getting jumped?"

  "Ever heard of Preston Bernard?” When Kade shook his head, Zane went on. “Well, where Volmer was a sick prick, Bernard is a mean fuck. He also used to have one Noah Mya deep in his pocket until a year ago."

  "What?” Kade whispered with a frown.

  "And rumor has it he also has Senator Stan Sedgwick in his pocket as well.” Zane went on. “Bernard is prone to blackmail and strong-arm tactics to get what he wants."

  "And what the hell does he want?” Kade demanded.

  Zane shrugged. “Don't know, but I bet your father-in-law would."

  Kade headed over to the bed, but stopped. Zane looked over at him and then in the same direction where Kade was staring—an envelope on the floor.

  "What's that?” Zane asked, sitting up and forward.

  "Don't know.” Kade bent over and picked it up, ripping it open. He read it, and Zane waited. “I think we need to go and have a talk with Mr. Mya.” He peered over his shoulder at Zane. “Right now!"

  * * * *

  "Sir, sir! You can't go in there!"

  Kade ignored the yell from the woman sitting at the office door of Senator Mya's office. He was so pissed that he saw red the whole trip from Pluto to Earth, and he didn't give a damn what he looked like or who he had to go through to get answers.

  Zane was right behind him as he stormed into the office. Two other gentlemen were in the room with Noah Mya, and when Kade slammed the door shut on the woman who was still giving orders, everyone in the room jumped.

  "I think we need to have a talk, Senator,” Kade said slowly with a glare at the man behind the desk.

  They seemed to be having a stare-off, but finally Noah gave in and nodded. “Gentlemen, if you will excuse us.” The men stood up and slowly walked to the door, and Kade rushed up to Noah's desk. “I know about Sorsha...” he started to say when Kade slammed down papers on his desk.

  "Tell me about Bill Two-forty-nine. I believe it's to dissolve a certain law that our planets have together.” Kade banged his fist down over the papers. “And who the fuck is Preston Bernard?"

  Noah Mya clearly looked uncomfortable with what Kade was asking and even worse with the papers before him.

  "Now, Kade.” Zane sat down in a chair across from Noah. He put his feet on the desk and linked his fingers together over his chest. “Being harsh won't get us what we need."

  "Are you two finished?” Noah asked, his voice calm and almost sounding like he was bored with them.

  "I want answers, Mya.” Kade sighed, his temper rising. “That son of a bitch busted in my room, beat the fuck out of me and took my wife!"

  "I know,” Noah stated.

  "You know!” Kade yelled. He ran both hands into his hair and started to pace the office."

  "May we be enlightened, please?” Zane asked. “Before he pulls all his hair out."

  "To start with, Mr. Tully, you have to understand there are facts you don't seem to be aware of. Did you know not everyone on Earth is enthusiastic over the treaty with your planet? Where we have the KKK on our planet, you have the supremacists on yours. There are men with great power who are trying everything they can to take the technology available here on Pluto, use it and not give anything back. Mace Volmer is funding a lot of takeovers on Pluto, and Preston Bernard has managed to get himself in with the politicians."

  "What does Volmer have to do with this?” Kade asked. He was busy pacing the floor and still feeling pissed off.

  "He's the president of the Deity. An organization that was built on preserving the female race from the men of Pluto, or at least that is what the majority of the membership believe.” Noah stood up and walked around his desk. He smacked Zane's feet down and leaned back with his arms crossed over. “There are three heads, so to speak. Mace Volmer, Preston Bernard and Stan Sedgwick."

  "Wait a minute!” Zane said. “Sedgwick. He's a member of the Senate Board."

  Noah nodded. “Yes, he is. The Deity wants to turn the law around and refuse Pluto a chance to marry and save its race. Sedgwick has created a law, and Preston Bernard has been putting pressure on me for years to pass it. My vote right now is all that stands between it passing or not."

  "And that is why he has Sorsha.” Kade moaned, rubbing the back of his neck and shaking his head. “Fuck!"

  "The bill is coming up before the Senate once more.” Noah nodded. “And if it is again rejected, it will be put aside for another five years this time."

  "Are you telling me that all this shit has to deal with is some damn law?” Zane asked, his brows frowning and his mouth open.

  "More than a law,” Noah went on, glaring at Kade. “If Bill Two-forty-nine passes, it will dissolve all marriages between Earth women and Plutoan men, business between the planets will go under, and a new government will come to play. Men who have hated the alliances want to do nothing more than take all Pluto has to offer and toss it over their shoulder like an empty can. You have no idea what that bill will destroy if it goes into effect.” Noah swallowed hard, and Kade lost his anger for a few minutes.

  If everything Noah just said were true then that bill would destroy everything. Earth had much of Pluto's technology. Without it, Earth would also die, but it appeared that these nuts didn't see it that way. The Deity thought they were saving human kind, but if they broke with Pluto then they might as well start digging fresh graves for the people.

  "Has he contacted you?” Kade asked.

  "Yes,” Noah answered. “As soon as I pass the bill, Sorsha will go free."

  Kade placed both of his hands on his hips and smiled cruelly at Noah. “Bullshit. You're not going to pass that law, and my wife is going free anyway."

  "Where is the Deity?” Zane asked.

  Noah turned toward Zane. “Mars. Senator Sedgwick's home, I believe."

  "You believe or know?” Kade demanded.

  "Each of the three men used their homes at one time or another as a meeting place. Volmer's place was the original, but after he was busted, they moved to Preston's. I doubt with the man having my daughter he is going back to Earth and wait, so that leaves Sedgwick. So yes, Mr. Dill.” He was curt when he said Zane's last name. “I'm pretty damn sure that prick is on Mars with my daughter."

  Kade peered at Zane, who shrugged his shoulders. “Guess we go to Mars,” Zane said.

  Kade sighed. “Here we go again."

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Twelve

  Kalisha Sedgwick hid in the shadows of the hallway by her father's office, listening to the raised voices as best as she could. She didn't know who the man was that had come here, b
ut she did know that her father was afraid of him.

  On the one rare occasion that she decided to visit her father on Mars, Stan Sedgwick had to shut her out like he had done so many times before. At age seventeen, Kalisha had known enough about her father to know he wasn't honest or trustworthy. And if it weren't for the persistence of her mother, Kalisha, now almost twenty-one, wouldn't have bothered with this visit.

  She didn't like how her father treated people, especially those from Pluto or anyone married to them. That hatred was enough for her mother to take their only child and run as far and as fast as she could. Obviously, it hadn't been far enough.

  Kalisha had enough. She came out of hiding and walked right into his office. All talking stopped, and her father, as well as a tall black man and a girl sitting in a chair, looked at her.

  "Kalisha, now is not a good time, honey,” Stan Sedgwick said with a smile on his face.

  "It never is with you,” Kalisha remarked, looking at the girl then the other guy. “I'm going home."

  "Kal, can we discuss this later?” Stan's voice lowered, giving her the usual warning that she needed to back off, but this time Kalisha wasn't backing down.

  "This is your later.” She crossed her arms over her chest, standing her ground. “Mom wanted me to come. I came, and you are now ass deep in your business. I'm going home."

  "She has some spunk.” The black man chuckled. “I'll give her that."

  "Shut up,” Stan hissed. He pushed past the man and grabbed Kalisha's arm tightly. “As usual, Preston, you've brought my family into your shit. Bring the girl, and come with me."

  Kalisha's father yanked her around and dragged her from the room. Behind her, the man her father called Preston, was pulling the girl's arm, and Kalisha's gut told her that whatever her father was into this time was deeper than anything she could ever dream of.

  "What the hell is going on?” she demanded.

  Stan didn't answer her. He turned a corner, took the stairs two at a time and instead of going to her room, he took her down the hall to the one room that she didn't want to be in. As a child, she was locked in there when she was bad. The punishment room.

  Stan Sedgwick had set up one room in the house for not only his sick sexual pleasure, but also for punishment when Kalisha was bad. It had a mixture of sex toys and things to give a body extensive pain. Once Kalisha had been sent there and whipped terribly for getting caught in the back seat with a boy. It would have been a simple beating if Stan hadn't taken things a step further and had her checked out. Once he learned she was no longer a virgin, he'd beaten her until she passed out. It was then that her mother left him. Just the thought of going back to that room gave her chills.

  "We can lock them in here until I figure out a way out of this mess you put us in,” Stan said.

  "You can't lock us in there!” Kalisha yelled. She tried to yank her arm free, but his grip was too strong.

  "It won't be for too long, honey,” Stan said, stopping in front of the door. “As soon as I get this mess straightened out, we can continue our time together."

  Kalisha shrugged off his hand and glared at him. “You are out of your mind if you think I'm going to just brush this under the rug. You're locking me in a room, for fuck's sake."

  Stan smacked her so fast and hard across the face that Kalisha took a step to the side as her hand came up to her cheek. It wasn't unheard of for her father to strike out, but it had been a long time since he had done so. Not since the day he beat her in that room had he laid another hand on her. The scars on her back seemed to remind him of how far he'd taken her punishment.

  "Don't you ever speak to me like that.” Stan huffed. “I'm still your father."

  "No,” Kalisha whispered, glaring up at him. “You're nothing more than a sperm donor, not a father."

  She was pushed hard into the room. So hard that she fell down, but Kalisha didn't get up, only stared at him as the other girl was also shoved into the room.

  "When I'm finished, I'll come back to finish this talk with you,” Stan told her. “It seems that when it comes to respect, your mother is somewhat lacking in the department of discipline, and it shows with your manners."

  The Senator slammed shut, and Kalisha quickly got back up to her feet. “Like hell,” she said. “You're not touching me again.” She rushed to the only window and peered out, hoping that her father would leave the house. “Come on, leave,” she whispered.

  "Um ... excuse me, can I ask who you are?"

  Kalisha turned to the girl standing on the other side of the room. She was pretty with her wavy, auburn hair down the middle of her back and sparkling green eyes which held much fear. Kalisha frowned, thinking that she had seen the girl somewhere before.

  "I know you, don't I?” Kalisha asked.

  She shook her head no. “I don't think so."

  "Well, I'm Kalisha Sedgwick.” Kalisha said. “Used to be that son of a bitch's daughter."

  "I'm Sorsha Tully."

  Kalisha checked her out again and noticed the necklace around her neck. “You're married to a Plutoan man."

  Sorsha nodded. “Yes. And I'm very worried about him.” She hugged herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “They beat him up so badly."

  Her voice broke, and Kalisha rushed over to her. For some unknown reason she wrapped her arms around Sorsha and held her. “Shhh.” Kalisha sighed. “Those guys are tough."

  "What's going to happen to us?” Sorsha whispered.

  Kalisha looked toward the window when she heard a door close. She pulled out of the embrace and peeked out, just in time to watch her father and that other guy get into a car.

  "We are getting the hell out of here,” Kalisha said. She glanced over her shoulder at Sorsha. “And I'm going to bring that prick down."

  She walked back to the door and pulled out a switchblade knife from her back pocket. She popped the blade open, knelt down and started to pick the lock. It took less than five minutes before the lock turned and the door opened. Kalisha smiled at Sorsha, took her hand and together they raced from the room and back down the stairs.

  "Do you have a way to get hold of your husband?” Kalisha asked.

  Sorsha shook her head. “But I can get in touch with my father,” she said. “He has a cell, and I'm sure Kade must have gotten in touch with him by now."

  Kalisha stopped in front of her father's office and easily opened the door. She looked around, making sure they were still alone before slipping inside, tugging Sorsha with her.

  "Give him a call, and have him or whoever meet you on Pluto, near the marriage temple.” She started to open drawers and flip through files.

  "What are you doing?” Sorsha asked, picking up the phone.

  "I'm looking for something to get us off this shitty planet,” Kalisha answered. She pulled out a set of keys and smiled. “And I found it. Our own private car and passes to the transport station. You should be home by tonight."

  Sorsha took a deep breath and smiled. “That sounds great to me. I'm going to owe you one."

  Sorsha made her call, and Kalisha left her there to go out to the closet for a jacket and bag. When she came back, Sorsha was finishing the call, and Kalisha went to a painting on the wall. She took the painting down and grinned at the hidden safe behind it. Some things about her father never changed. One being that he didn't know how to change the combination when necessary.

  "What are you doing now?” Sorsha asked.

  "Disappearing,” Kalisha answered. “I've seen you, and even though he's my father, I'm a threat now. So I'm going to take some money and get as far away as I can get.” She opened it and whistled. “Damn, he still likes to hoard it. And just think, my mother has been working her ass off to support us because that dick refused to give us more.” She shoved the stacks of money into the bag and was about to turn once she had it all, but stopped. Underneath the money was a folder with one word on it—Deity.

  Kalisha picked it up and opened the folder, and her eyes widened
in surprise. Earth born supremacy forms, members and so much more was in it as well as plans to repeal the law that allowed the men of Pluto to marry Earth women.

  "Son of a bitch,” Kalisha whispered. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, but now wasn't the time to be looking at it all. “Come on. We need to get the fuck out of here before the shit hits the fan."

  "Don't have to tell me twice,” Sorsha said. “And my father is going to meet us. They were about to come here, but I managed to head them to the temple instead."

  "Good,” Kalisha said, stuffing everything from the safe into her bag. “Then let's go. I have a strong feeling that after my father discovers what I just took, he's going to be on my ass like stink on shit."

  * * * *

  Noah Mya sighed a breath of relief as he hung up his cell phone. “She's okay."

  Kade didn't show any emotion, only kept his eyes on Noah. Zane stood by his side, also quiet.

  "She says some girl is helping her and will meet us at the marriage temple on Pluto,” Noah went on.

  Kade nodded. “Okay, we'll go back to Pluto. You stay here on Earth and get to the senate meeting and stop that bill."

  "Now wait a minute.” Noah grabbed Kade's arm when he started to turn away. “That's my daughter, and I want to make sure she's safe."

  Kade looked down at the hand and jerked his arm away. “She's also my wife, Senator.” Kade spoke slowly, showing the man that he was still pissed over the shit the man had gotten his daughter mixed up in. “So don't act like I can't take care of her. If you had told me what the hell was going on in the first place, none of this shit would have happened."

  "Boys, play nice,” Zane said. Kade turned to him and frowned when Zane took out a cell phone. “We'll call you as soon as she is back safe.” He pushed Kade back. “Let's go."

  Kade turned to go. “Kade,” Noah called out, stopping him. “Don't mistake my love for my daughter. She means the world to me."

  Kade didn't turn around. “Then don't let the Deity win, Senator."