by Terri Pray
What bullshit.
Someone in the government needed to spend a few months on a ship then they'd realize that a good night in the bottom of a bottle once in a while was a damn good thing. If for no other reason than to remind yourself that you were really alive. What else was there? No adventure, no excitement, not even in space, the most fun she'd been given the chance to enjoy had come from the holo deck and even that was limited to the sanctioned programs.
She growled, trying to shut out the images of the holo program. All that work for nothing. How many weeks had she slaved over that work only to have it deleted? Her hands clenched into fists as she hurried towards the bar, jarring to a halt as she almost walked into a well built figure.
"Hey watch where you're going. Just what I need today, someone who can't be bothered to look where they are going."
Shannon frowned, looking up into the face of the male. Up? Now there was a change, most of the time she had to look down to meet their gaze, or looked straight into their eyes. “And just why should I?"
"Because you almost walked into me.” He took a step back into the nearest true pool of light. Thick black hair hung down about his shoulders, dark blue-grey eyes narrowed on her face. A basic tunic with no guild or family markings that she could see, though the cloth was better than a field hand or unclaimed male might normally be able to afford. Strange, most males backed down instantly. Something flashed across the depths of his storm claimed eyes. A look that hardened as the small lines around his mouth tightened. “Ah I see, one of those damn navy women. Great, as if my day hasn't been bad enough to begin with."
One eyebrow delicately arched. Had he just talked back to her? “What did you just call me?"
"Are you deaf as well as blind, woman?"
Alright, this had to be some sort of practical joke, or a test. Yes, knowing Claire this was a test to see if she'd try and bed this male. “I'm neither, but I am a member of the armed forces as you can well see and deserve a little respect from you."
"Why, ah of course because you're female and I'm a mere helpless and weak male?” His full lips twitched into a snarl. She barely suppressed a tremble at the way her body warmed as she caught herself staring at his lips. What would they feel like pressed against her body? They were full, sensual and twitched in a deep snarl. “Well forgive me if I don't bow down and automatically beg for your touch. Bloody spacers, you and your kind are all alike."
She peered a little more closely at him. Stronger than most males she'd come across, he looked as though he was used to physical labor but the clothing didn't match that theory. “Hm, I don't recall telling you to bow down and beg for my touch."
"Right, but you were thinking it. I know you were, all your kind are the same."
"Ah, so you can read minds? Interesting, well if you can then I suggest you try again. I have no interest in that at all. I'm here to get a drink and relax for a bit. So I suggest you get out of my way before I am forced to take action.” She rested her left hand lightly on the hilt of her bolt pistol.
"So much for the peaceful gender.” He muttered. “A woman like you wouldn't know what to do with a man anyway."
Man, woman? He didn't use the normal labels of males and females, nor did he appear the least bit afraid of the weapon she carried. “What's that supposed to mean."
"You're navy, you're all the type to just tell the man to lay there and be ridden.” He shrugged, letting his gaze wander openly over her uniformed figure. “Like the rest of your kind. Go on! Get back to your ship. You're not wanted here."
The government had taught her that such behavior from a male should never be tolerated, that a male who spoke out of turn like that, or acted in such a dominant fashion needed to be reminded of his place in society. Every lesson that had been drummed into her now screamed from the depths of her memory to drag him into custody and throw him into the care of the education department.
"And you think I should just turn around and obey your rude little commands?” Damn, what a breath of fresh air the male was. Here he stood, a male that actually wanted back chat her, to push for a better place and did so despite the risks. Or was he just some drunk sot that didn't know any better? “I could have your sorry carcass dragged down to the detention center in a heartbeat."
A trap?
Baited with a pretty piece of male flesh tempting her to turn against her training, but how had they known of her weakness?
Claire? No, her friend wouldn't have done something like this. Not after taking all that trouble to remove the program from the entertainment suite. It didn't make sense. Still there were others on the ship who might have figured things out, or had seen the program before it had been deleted.
"So go ahead then. Prove you're the strongest, the best, that you have the power of life and death. Flex those government backed muscles of yours.” He snarled, taking a step closer to her.
All right, so Claire wouldn't have been behind this, but hadn't she heard of there being spot tests on women? Some rumor from one of the back water planets? Maybe she'd stumbled into that?
Well it made sense. A real man wouldn't have dared to stand up to her the way this one now did.
"Back down, apologize now and this will all be forgotten.” Her gaze moved over his chest, lingering on the play of his well toned form beneath the material before she managed to force herself to meet his gaze once more.
"Like hell. I've had just about all I can take today from your sort. You think you can walk in here and order us all around on a whim?” His hands clenched into tight fists, a dark shadow passing over his gaze. “Do you really think I'm going to do what you want just because you're a bloody woman?"
"You will if you know what's good for you.” For a test he was certainly pulling out all the stops. She almost believed his overbearing attitude was real and not some act put on for her benefit. Where ever they'd found him from they'd done a damn good job.
"If you want me to back down then make me.” His chin lifted up, his gaze locked tight with hers. “Or can't you?"
"Aaron, what in hells name do you think you're doing. She's navy. She could have you dragged into confinement before you could say boo.” The second voice broke free of the shadows, another male, around the same age, quickly stepped into the light. “Please excuse him, Ma'am. He's had a rough day and doesn't know what he's saying."
"Stay out of this Daniel. It's got nothing to do with you."
"Do you know this brute?” Two of them, interesting. Okay so one was staying in the traditional role of women in charge, but she had to admit this was an odd set up. Just how had Claire been able to get all this set up with such little notice?
Simple answer. She hadn't.
"Yes, Ma'am. Please believe me he's not normally like this. He's had a—a bump on the head earlier in the day, put him in a really strange mood. Please, let me take him home and he'll be no more bother to you at all. I promise. His family will be expecting him."
Whoever Aaron was she knew it would be best if she walked away from him, ignored him and tried to forget he ever existed. She stared at him and knew she needed to shut him out. His physical appearance, the way he acted, the way he spoke to her all showed her that he was the type of man who would eventually be taken away for re-education.
And a part of her didn't want that to happen.
"Best you take him back to them before he steps any further over the line tonight.” Good, whatever was going on she didn't want to be caught up in it. Better if his friend took the over the top male well and truly out of the way. “Last thing he needs is to end up with a report following him through the coming years. Not when it can be—hey!"
Aaron had moved without her even being aware of it. One hand had locked on her upper arm, the other quickly fastened over her mouth before she had the time to struggle free or scream for help.
He held her tight against his chest, and despite her better judgment her body shivered in delight.
Goddess, what was she thinking?
He was attacking her and she was imaging just what it would feel like in his arms. Picturing him as the bold ships captain from her holo game instead of fighting back against him with every breath in her body.
"Aaron, what in hells name are you doing?"
"Getting a little payback in.” He pulled Shannon tighter against his chest. “Now are you going to help me get her back to the camp or not? I think she might serve as some light entertainment for a few days. Maybe more if she shows any aptitude. I'm betting a woman like this one could be shown how to react to a real man given just a little of the right level of tuition."
"Aaron! You're out of your mind!"
"Maybe, but you can't tell me that you've never wanted to take one of them on your own terms. This one, or another, it doesn't matter. It's about time we started balancing out the odds here.” He was walking, forcing her to stumble away from the lights, from the safety of the area and further into a more run down part of town.
She tried to kick, to struggle free of his grasp but even with all the years of physical fitness, the training and her time on the ship he outmatched her with sheer brute force. Once locked in his grasp there was no way free unless he permitted it.
"Quit it, if you keep this up I'll be forced to knock you out!” Aaron hissed into her ear. “And I won't hesitate in doing so. Is that clear?"
She nodded and fought to keep her fear under control as the man dragged her into the darkness. What did he plan on doing with her? Goddess, what about Claire? Her friend would only assume that she'd changed her mind and wandered off somewhere, or worse that she'd completely forgotten her agreement to meet for dinner.
Would she put the word out that something had gone wrong? Or just write Shannon off until she got back to the ship and realized her friend was missing?
"Cover her eyes up at least. I don't need her escaping and dropping us all in it just because you fancy getting a nice piece of ass.” The other man turned and nodded towards them both. “Aaron, I can't stop you from bringing her with you, but I can at least make sure you don't get us all killed in the process."
"Hold her then.” He shoved her towards the other man, the grip on her mouth vanishing just long enough to allow her one full fledged scream.
"Shit!"
"Keep her quiet!"
No matter what her body wanted, or how a part of her had enjoyed being held so tightly in his arms she wasn't about to let him get away with this. She sucked in her breath ready to scream again only to find herself staring at the balled up fist that now slammed through the air and connected directly with her jaw. Pain lanced through her face, bright lights danced across her vision even as she felt herself being rocked into the waiting darkness.
Chapter Four
Her head throbbed and she struggled to open her eyes. Lights still moved in random patterns beneath her closed lids as she rolled onto her side. Chains clinked as she moved, knocking one against the other but even with the noise it took her a moment to realize that she had been secured.
Shannon reached beneath her. Soft tendrils of fur brushed against her fingers. Her feet were cold, bare for some reason and she buried them into the fur. She shivered and struggled against the urge to just nestle into the fur, to relish in the soft delight that now caressed her skin. With a slight frown she pushed those thoughts to one side and inhaled. The scent of burning wood and cooking meat filled the air, the sound of voices, distant, as if she had been separated from them by a room or more, caught her attention all before she managed to force her eyes to open.
She blinked, slowly, her vision sluggish as her eyes tried to find their focus. How hard had she been hit? Enough that she'd blacked out but how long had she been out cold?
She glanced down towards her wrist.
Gone, the time piece had been removed? What else? Her boots obviously with the way her toes were now cold. And why would he take her time piece? It wasn't as though she had any form of tracking device in it.
Just a way of keeping her disorientated? She could recall something about those methods from basic training, but without any palatable threat to civilization she'd seen no point in keeping up to date on such things.
Everything else, clothing why, was still in place and other than the bruise on her face there was no sign of any abuse. Good, at least she hadn't been raped whilst she was unconscious. Not that she thought the male would have gone that far, even with the glint in his eyes he just wasn't that type of male.
The darker ones, the rapists, the abusers, they had all been removed from the population though just like the ones that had proved to be unwilling to accept how things now no one knew where they had been taken to.
Had they been killed?
No that didn't fit with the ruling government's view point.
A prison planet perhaps?
With a low groan she sat up and looked around the room again. No light, not within the room itself at least, but a small amount had filtered into the room from beneath the closed door. A chain had been locked around both of her ankles, which was why her boots had been removed. Though she couldn't see where the chain had been attached the small amount of movement so far had been enough to figure out it had been locked to something else.
Shannon bit into her bottom lip.
How many times had she dreamed about being held against her will, touched, loved and seduced by a strong man?
Strange, it didn't feel so wonderful now.
All right, enough of that, she was chained, but still dressed except for her boots and put in a room without any light. She wasn't lying on a bed, but on a couple of animal skins, real fur from what little she had been able to make out, and that meant someplace that didn't have access to modern furniture.
Or someplace that didn't want to attract attention by bringing in equipment so they had fashioned their supplies from the world around them?
Her head ached as she tried to make sense of the situation.
Men who had struck out at a woman?
Who didn't want to bring attention to themselves?
Who had the strength to knock her out with a single blow when the men around her, the men of her existence, wouldn't have been able to strike out at a flea let alone a fully grown woman, would they?
But that would make them—oh goddess she had fallen in with rebels.
No, that wasn't possible. Such people didn't exist. Nothing more than rumors spread by malcontents ... by people like her?
The shadows slowly withdrew until she could make out the shapes in the room. A dresser of sorts sat against one wall, a chair against another along with a large bowl and pitcher? Isn't that how people used to wash themselves before there was plumbing? She could recall something about that from her lectures in school. The days when women had been forced to haul water up by hand from wells whilst men sat around and did nothing. Had that been why she had been dragged away from the town? To become nothing more than a forced labor slave just like the women of the past?
If so they had a shock coming to them.
Nothing they could come up with would reduce her to one of the weak willed...
Shannon swallowed hard. Less than a day ago she had been telling Claire that things really couldn't have been that way and now here she sat planning on how to defy the men and show them just how strong she truly was.
Claire would have had a field day with this.
She reached down along her leg, touching the chain between her ankles as she tried to focus on just where the chain had been attached to. It took a little while but eventually she was able to make out the small metal ring that had been buried into the floor.
Strange. How had they known they would need a point to secure prisoners?
Unless they had captured women before now?
Or planned to long before she had stumbled into their grasp?
Footsteps. Outside the room?
Shannon settled back down on the fur and closed her eyes. Maybe if she feigned sleep she would be able to learn a little more about t
he men and her situation?
A key scraped against the lock on the other side of the door. The metal lock clicked open but she ignored the urge to peer at the figure, even through semi closed eyes. Better that she kept them fully closed and use her other senses to learn what she could.
The door closed, footsteps carried the newcomer over to the empty chair, ones that she thought were too heavy to be those of a woman.
"Open your eyes.” His voice. Aaron. At least that was one thing, she hadn't forgotten the sound of his voice.
She didn't move.
"I know you're awake. Sensors detected you moving earlier. So you can stop with the games. Open your eyes and sit up."
Sensors? Shit, all right maybe they weren't as backwards as she had first thought.
"And just what sort of games do you think you're playing at?” Shannon pushed into a sitting position on the furs. “You do realize that by attacking a woman you could face the rest of your life in confinement."
"They'd have to find me first. Or be aware of just who took you and I can't see that happening any time soon.” He reached behind him to turn on the small light. He hadn't lost any of the rugged charm she'd noticed in their first encounter. “You're not the first person to go missing from the settlement and you won't be the last."
"But I am the first woman."
"What makes you think so?” His brow creased.
"There'd be alerts out if there had been others. The Navy would have been amongst the first notified about the problems. We'd have then been brought in to help track your sorry asses down."
"You can lose that attitude right now, woman. I'm not about to take any shit from you. None of us are.” He shook his head, his jaw set. “You're right though you are the first woman to be taken from the settlement but it was going to happen sooner or later."
"And just who you? Other than a fool named Aaron who decided it made sense to attack and kidnap a woman. No, not just any woman but one that is a serving member of the Navy?” She growled and pushed up to her feet. “Now you've got one chance here. Unlock me and show me the way out of here or you'll end up with the entire Navy down here hunting for your sorry little ass."