The cyborg sobered, his pale, strange eyes locking with Flint’s. “First we’d have to locate where they sent him. They could be keeping him prisoner on one of their war vessels but my estimation would be that they wouldn’t wish him contained near all that technology with his active implants. On a ship they couldn’t effectively shield all the access points to the main computers. If it were me, I’d keep him drugged while transporting him to a secure location on Earth where they could restrict his abilities. Their smartest move would be to hold him in one of the detention centers where they kept us once if any of them are still operational. We know the locations of them if that’s what they’ve done. It’s also logical they wouldn’t believe we’d willingly risk returning to Earth under any circumstances to retrieve him. It means surprise would be in our favor.”
“If he’s there, what is next? Hacking into their security systems to find him shouldn’t be too difficult. Humans were always too dependent on them to store all their information.” Flint took a deep breath. “It’s getting on and off Earth to break him out that will provide a challenge.”
“We can’t take the Star or the Rally within range of Earth. They obviously know we didn’t legally obtain them after that insurance company tried to retrieve one of them once. They’d send a warship to intercept us as soon as we entered the system.”
Flint’s blue gaze locked on Jill. “Coal did say she’s in the trading business. We could use this shuttle to reach Earth without triggering alarm. They allow Earth ships to land on the planet.”
Jill’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. An instant protest formed but she never got the words out. Coal released her hand and stepped in front of her to block the stare of the other cyborg.
“No. She believes Earth Government has a warrant issued for her arrest. She once had a run-in with a few of them. I won’t put her at risk in any way. Think of something else, Flint. She saved my life and I gave her my word no harm would come to her.”
“Belief and fact are not the same.” Flint’s voice grew cold. “Rescuing Councilman Zorus is paramount.”
“Not to me.” Coal’s body tensed, his arms tightening until the ridges of muscle seemed to strain. “Her safety and well-being are my priority.”
Jill inched to the left a little to peer at the four cyborgs facing off against Coal. Flint had an angry frown fixed on his features and his eyes seemed to darken. He held Coal’s gaze, never even glancing her way, and then crossed his arms.
“I sympathize. I don’t wish any harm to come to the female but we must go after Zorus.”
“Find another way.” Coal’s deep voice sounded his anger. “She’s done enough already to risk her life for a cyborg. That freighter came after this shuttle intent on killing her for taking me away from them. She had no reason to do what she did yet she still stole me from them. I’m sure they reported my theft to Earth Government.”
“That wouldn’t be logical,” Onyx spoke. “She stated the captain of the freighter didn’t hand you over to the authorities and hid your existence. It would be detrimental for them to admit they’d done that. They can’t report a theft of something they refused to state they were in possession of in the first place.”
Chilly dark-blue eyes shifted to Jill. “Why do you believe you’re wanted by Earth Government?”
She hesitated. “About ten months ago I did a trade with a small government outpost. They realized I didn’t have a crew and decided they could force me to return the payment they’d made, figuring they could pocket it themselves, and wanted to sell me into one of the nearby whorehouse ships to gain some extra profit. I wasn’t stupid enough not to go in armed and managed to get to my shuttle but they followed me straight into an asteroid field. I couldn’t outrun them, they were gaining on me, and I’d grown desperate enough to fly into it, thinking they wouldn’t follow. They did. Their newer shuttle didn’t have as much shielding as these older models, which have it to make up for the sluggish navigational controls. They blew up after a few direct hits from the asteroids while I just suffered a lot of dents to the hull. I’m sure they reported it before they came after me.”
Onyx shook his head. “It sounds as if they were attempting to steal money from the government and ruin a trade contact. They wouldn’t have reported any illegal actions they took to their superiors. It would be foolish. We know enough about Earth Government to be certain they would have taken swift action to make an example out of their men for disobeying their code of conduct.”
“They search all incoming and outgoing vessels that want to land on Earth,” she warned them. “Even if I’m not wanted, there’s no way to get you to the surface undetected. They’d board the Jenny and find you when they scan it for illegal contraband. It’s protocol to do that to anything incoming.”
“I’m not risking her life.” Coal shook his head and directed a furious glare at Flint. “Your argument isn’t valid, considering humans are not known for being logical. She could very well be wanted by Earth Government and therefore, that is putting her at risk of arrest or death.”
Flint took a deep breath and said, “I see. She means something to you.”
Coal jerked his head. “She does.”
Jill’s heart soared when he said the words but his next ones left her feeling cold.
“I gave her my word that I’d release her shuttle as soon as I found you. I swore on my honor no harm would come to her. She had no reason to take me from the humans who abused me, yet she did. We owe her a debt we will not repay by putting her in danger.”
“No one is mentioning that she’s seen us and knows of our existence,” one of the cyborgs standing in the back by the docking doors said softly. “You shouldn’t have promised to release her, Coal. She knows too much to safely allow her to go free.”
Fear inched up Jill’s spine and she subconsciously moved closer to Coal, her hand touching his back. He didn’t glance at her but his hand reached back, wrapping around her hip, and tugged her behind his body until only her head peeked out from behind him.
“I will fight anyone who attempts to harm her,” Coal snarled. “She goes free. She isn’t an enemy of our people.”
“Easy,” Flint’s tone softened. “Stand down, Coal. We won’t harm the female in any way.” He shot a glare at the cyborg who’d suggested they not release Jill. “Earth Government got living proof that some of us survived when they took possession of Councilman Zorus. It’s irrelevant if she were to make a statement to them now that she’d been in contact with a group of us. When we attempt to retrieve him from them they are sure to understand he’s not the only surviving cyborg.”
“She could warn them we are coming.”
Jill opened her mouth to deny it but Coal spoke first.
“She would not do that.”
Sky sighed. “It would be a hell of a way for her to get them to drop an arrest warrant on her if she bargained that information with them.”
Coal growled, his body trembling. “She is not our enemy. She risked her life and her shuttle to rescue me.”
The gray-haired cyborg threw up his hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just stating the obvious, man. I had to say it since Flint ordered me to be all logical. I didn’t say I believe it but it is an option we have to consider.”
Flint sighed loudly. “Agreed.” He turned toward Coal. “I have a solution. One of our men will remain with the female to monitor her transmissions until after we’ve rescued councilman Zorus. She will be safe, unharmed, and it should only take us a matter of days to execute a plan to retrieve him. We will allow her to go free when we pick up the male assigned to stay with her.”
Coal’s mouth opened but Flint cut him off.
“We’ll pay her generously for her time to compensate her for the days she is detained here. This is a safe location for her shuttle, she is far from Earth, and we scanned the area. No other ships are within range. That’s a fair resolution, Coal. You can’t disagree with the logic of it.”
Coal’s body relaxed and his grip on her hip eased. “I want your word of honor that no harm will come to her, Flint.”
“You have my word, Coal. I’m fond of human females, if you will remember.” He smiled. “I joined a family unit with one. I’ll have her treated the way I would my Mira.”
Coal stared deeply into Flint’s eyes and nodded. “I believe you.” He turned his head to look down at Jill. She appeared paler than normal. “Is this agreeable to you?”
She hesitated and her hand on the small of his back eased but she didn’t pull it away. “I trust you. It sounds reasonable since I get why they’d be worried. They don’t know me.”
He nodded before meeting Flint’s waiting gaze. “I’ll remain with her.” He resisted smiling. While he experienced elation at being back with his cyborg brothers he didn’t want to say goodbye to Jill. The thought of never seeing her again made him ache in his chest and suffer depressed feelings.
Flint jerked his head, moving toward a corner. Coal hesitated before following him, not wanting to break the physical contact with Jill but realized Flint wished to speak to him privately. He faced Flint when both men stood far from the others.
Flint’s voice lowered. “I’d feel better if Onyx stayed. I’m aware you’re sensitive about the damage you suffered but there’s no way for you to constantly monitor this shuttle. I know you don’t have the ability to control your emotions or thought processes but please attempt to right now. He will follow my orders, he won’t harm her in the least, and he can make certain she is unable to send a warning to Earth. With his implants, he will uplink to the onboard computer to block all transmissions. I’m sorry.”
“Jill wouldn’t do that.” Coal’s temper flared. “I trust her with my life.”
“I don’t know her and it’s not just your life at risk.”
He hated logic at that moment but he couldn’t deny Flint had valid points. “I’ll stay as well then. Onyx can monitor all communications and I’ll finish some repairs on the shuttle I wished to do for Jill as repayment for saving me.”
Flint shook his head, his gaze softening. “You’re very protective of her, Coal. I’d go so far as to state you’re unstable. It’s not a surprise after everything that has been done to you and all you’ve had to endure. I need to know if you’ve asked her to join a family unit with you. I saw the way she touched you and the way you touched her. Say so now if that happened.”
He fought the temptation to lie. “I haven’t.”
Flint nodded. “I’m ordering you to return to the Star then. Onyx will be assigned to stay here. I’ll make it very clear that he isn’t to harm her in any way.”
Coal’s breath seemed to freeze in his chest at the idea of leaving Jill. He turned his head, meeting her curious gaze across the cargo hold, but he didn’t see any fear, though he had left her standing near three cyborgs. His attention shifted to Onyx. The man openly stared at Jill with interest but he saw no animosity toward the human. As a matter of fact, Onyx’s gaze drifted up and down Jill’s form, taking in every inch of her body while Coal watched. Anger and a sudden urge to go punch the other male gripped him hard. Onyx’s gaze had definitely stalled upon Jill’s breasts to linger there longer than necessary to assess her.
“Coal?” Flint gripped his arm.
“What?” Coal tore his glare from Onyx. His voice came out harsher than he meant it to and he realized his hands were fisted.
“Return to the Star. I swear the female will be fine.”
“I have to return control of her droids to her. I had her give me total control of them.”
“Onyx will hack them and do that when we pick him up on the return trip to Garden. You turning over control to her would be a useless waste of your time since he’ll have to do that anyway. Say goodbye now and leave. We need to rescue the councilman as quickly as possible. We can’t remain here any longer.”
Anguish gripped Coal. He nodded, knowing he had no other recourse.
Chapter Nine
Jill knew when Coal walked toward her with his grim expression that he’d say goodbye to her. She could see it in the way his shoulders sagged and she swore she even saw sadness dulling his beautiful dark gaze. She fought to hold back tears while stiffening her spine. Life sucks.
He stopped in front of her. “I’ve been ordered to return to one of the other ships. Onyx will remain with you. Flint is, at this moment, ordering him to treat you very well. He won’t harm you, Jill. You will be safe. If I didn’t know that with certainty I wouldn’t have agreed to allow him to remain.”
She couldn’t find her voice around the emotion that choked her. Regret, heartbreak, and the desire to beg him not to go all mixed together until she didn’t know which one she felt the strongest.
“Thank you for deciding to risk your life to save mine. You’re unique and wonderful for a human.”
Damn, I’m going to cry, she thought, still fighting the urge hard. “Thanks,” she whispered. “You’re pretty unique and wonderful too.” She forced a smile she didn’t feel. “For a cyborg.”
He didn’t laugh. “I wish I could have fixed you.” His voice lowered. “The lessons weren’t completed but I hope you remember them.”
“I always will,” she swore sincerely. There would never be a day that passed when she’s ever forget touching Coal, his kisses, or the way he’d made her feel when he showed her how wonderful it could be between two people. “I won’t ever forget you.”
His hand rose but then halted mere inches from her face. “I will never forget you either. I wish we had more time.”
“You could stay on the shuttle too.” Hope flared inside her. “Two cyborgs watching me are better than one, right?”
His hand dropped to his side. “I asked but Flint has ordered me to return to his ship. I have to follow orders. We need to make our way to Earth to rescue the councilman. The longer they have him at their mercy, the higher the risk that they’ll make him talk. He knows too much about my people. Time is of the essence.”
“Couldn’t you just watch me?” She wasn’t willing to give up so easily on any possibility of keeping Coal on the Jenny. “I would feel so much safer with you than with a stranger.”
“I’m damaged and unable to monitor the shuttle as Onyx is capable of doing. I requested that job but Flint made valid, logical points that I couldn’t argue with.”
“Coal?” Flint had moved to the docking door. “Let’s go.”
Coal visually tensed. “I must go.” His hand reached for her again, his fingertips brushing her cheek lightly. “Goodbye, Jill. I will think of you very often.”
She grabbed his hand when he tried to pull it away, keeping hold of him. Her mind struggled to come up with a way to prolong her time with Coal and she spun, facing the cyborg in charge. “Hang on. May I call you Flint?”
Flint frowned. “Yes. What is it?”
“I have an idea on how to get your Zorus back.”
Interest sparked in his eyes. “I’m listening.”
She had to release Coal, hated to do it, but she walked closer to the scary, leather-clad cyborg, her mind still running plans through her head, hoping to nail one down.
“I have a few contacts on Earth. That’s who I buy my supplies from. I can’t shuttle you directly to Earth but I meet up with another trader I buy those supplies from right on the outer edge of the solar system. Those sellers are real slimeballs with no conscience if the price is right. They trust me not to screw them over if I deal with them directly. I would have to go with you, hire them to take you to Earth, and you could just give me the money to pay them with if you have it. They will do as they are told as long as we make it clear they don’t see any of it until you’re safely returned.”
“Slimeballs?” Flint frowned. “What are those?”
“See what I deal with?” Sky chuckled when Jill glanced at him and he winked at her. He shook his head, shooting Flint an exasperated look. “It is a term humans use for unsavory characters. She’s saying that
, for the right price, they’d kill their own family members and we could bribe them easily to do whatever we require. I also have to admit I like her plan better than anything I’ve thought up so far.”
Coal gripped her arm from behind, spun her around, and stared hard at her, an angry expression on his handsome face. “That would put you at risk. You’d be too close to Earth.”
“I go that close every time I have to resupply and I haven’t been caught yet.”
He hesitated. “Your line of work is far too dangerous.”
“I know.” She smiled, happy that her plan gave her a chance to keep company with Coal longer. “But it’s useful right now since it really could work. They could fly right to the surface of Earth and then take off again without being searched. I’m sure they know which officials to bribe to look the other way. They sell me all kinds of illegal goods they smuggle past the checkpoints.”
“How do we know these slimeballs won’t see us, realize what we are, and try to cash in a reward with Earth Government?”
The cyborg named Onyx really had a talent for annoying Jill. She eased out of Coal’s hold and turned to face the jerk. She shot him a dirty look. “I’ll tell them what Earth Government did to that captain of the freighter who had Zorus. They just took your friend away from that ship without paying them a single credit and threatened to blow it up his they tried to stop them.”
She turned to Flint then. “These guys I buy from will believe me. If there’s a way for the government to rip people off, we all know they will. I have no idea how much you know about Earth these days but the government has become so corrupt it’s not funny. Nobody trusts what they say and it’s a joy to most to screw them over if given the opportunity. These guys may even give you a discount on doing this job if you stress how badly it will piss off the high-ranking officials on Earth to steal your friend back.”
Flint glanced at Sky. “You’re our expert. Is she correct?”
“She’s right.” Sky flashed a grin. “Humans are more likely to trust the contacts they make over anything Earth Government states. There’s an honor code amongst thieves.”
Stealing Coal Page 12