by Jaide Fox
She had to figure out some way to get loose from Sharmin and go home.
Despite what Sylo and Sharmin seemed to think, she knew Kerel must be looking for her. He might even have gone back for reinforcements ... or called for help.
But would they think to look for her on Ustbol? This Bubba the Futt Sylo and Sharmin kept talking about seemed to be some sort of galactic mob boss, and pretty well known. It was possible they'd figure it out and come to look for her, but she thought it was more likely that, as much as she hated the idea, she was going to have to figure out how to get back to Zampi, where they'd last seen her.
Realistically, there didn't seem any hope of escaping at the moment. It was a huge ship, and even if she did manage to get out of her cell, she doubted she'd be able to figure out a way off of it.
She would just have to bide her time and look for opportunities once they reached Ustbol.
It might not have been so bad if she'd at least had Fuzz to talk to, but with no real company beyond her thoughts, time dragged on her hands. The lighting in the room, naturally enough, never changed. She had no way to count passing time at all and there was little sensation of movement. There didn't even seem to be any particular schedule used to feed them. Apparently, whenever the guard happened to think about it, he brought something. Four meals arrived in a space of time Cole roughly calculated at three Earth days.
There was nothing to do but sit and stare at the walls, or think, or sleep. She didn't suffer deprivation, but it would've been nice to have found some sort of feeding schedule to help her calculate the time, or even for entertainment.
The only way she knew they'd arrived at their destination was the tramping of more than one set of feet along the companionway that separated the cells. The stomping feet stopped outside their cell and the door abruptly opened. The man in the doorway barked something at her that she couldn't understand, probably something like ‘on your feet!', but the order, if that was it, was unnecessary because she and Fuzz surged to their feet the moment the door swung open.
The lighting outside the cell was brighter and Cole blinked, trying to adjust her vision as she left her cell. Something cold and hard closed around her upper arm like a handcuff and she peered up to discover that it was a robot that gripped her. Looking around, she saw that there were four robots and two disreputable looking humanoid beings.
It was worse than being handcuffed. She might have been able to break loose and flee if she'd been handcuffed and then escorted by one of the humanoids. The robot served as both restraint and tether. She was fairly certain nothing short of chewing her arm off was going to get her loose from the robot.
They waited in the companionway while the door to Sharmin and Sylo's cell was opened. There was a scuffle inside, but it was a short one. In a few minutes Sharmin and Sylo, looking a little the worse for wear, appeared, escorted by the other two robots.
They were dragged down the companionway, passing through two airlocks before they arrived in what must have been a docking bay. Sylo's ship, looking none the worse for wear, had been pushed off to one side of what looked like a runway. On the runway sat a tiny cruiser that wasn't much bigger than an old luxury land cruiser, as they'd once referred to the huge cars built in the mid 1900's on Earth. They were seated inside and strapped down and the two humanoid's took the pilot and copilot seat in the front.
Almost immediately, the doors of the bay began to open. Beyond the doors, Cole caught a glimpse of space and a drab brown sliver that must be the planet Ustbol. The vehicle shot out of the bay doors almost soundlessly and dropped toward the planet below them.
As they hit the atmosphere, the cruiser began to buck so wildly Cole's heart leapt into her throat. It nearly shook her teeth from her head, but the bucking and shuddering began to subside within the space of a few minutes. Her stomach went weightless, righted itself and went weightless again as the vehicle dropped toward the surface like a stone. Just when she thought they were going to plow into the dirt nose first, the cruiser leveled out and began to race just above the surface of the world.
Cole couldn't see much from her position near the rear, but it looked arid and rocky. Ridges of reddish, rocky mountain rose up on either side of them, then dipped once more and finally petered out altogether. Abruptly, the rocky ‘outcropping’ Cole had glimpsed directly in front of them resolved itself into a stone city, or possibly something more like a fortress. This was nothing like adobe market she'd been in before. Her hopes immediately sank.
She was almost relieved when they landed. None of them had even attempted to talk from the time they'd been taken from their cells. It had seemed pointless to risk it when it appeared pretty obvious they weren't likely to see any opportunities for escape any time soon.
Cole glanced at Sharmin. He was looking grim, and so was Sylo. That didn't bode well. “Any ideas?” she whispered.
"Bubba's a trader. We're going to feel him out and see what we might have to trade for our freedom."
Relief washed through Cole. It hadn't occurred to her that they might actually have a chance to barter for their freedom. “You think he'll go for it?"
Sylo shrugged. “With the right incentive, yeah."
They didn't have another opportunity to talk. They were unloaded by the robots and escorted off the landing platform across a narrow rock ‘bridge’ that spanned a gully between the landing area and the fortress. There was nothing really remarkable about the fortress itself beyond the fact that it looked more like a natural formation of rock than the result of design and labor. Once inside, however, that changed dramatically.
The floor of the hallway they found themselves in was paved with what looked like pink marble tiles about two feet square. The hallway itself was wide and tall, probably ten to twelve feet high. Light pink, ultra sheer curtains fluttered from several doorways along the hall. Beyond, Cole glimpsed hazy images of chambers draped with gauzy curtains and piled with plumb cushions—sort of an Arabian Nights theme except she doubted they generally decorated with shades of pink.
Finally, they came to a set of double doors. The taller of the two bounty hunters tapped on the door. The door opened a crack and a low voiced conversation ensued. The door was closed again. Minutes passed. At length, the doors swung wide and they were ushered into an enormous room with a vaulted ceiling. At the far end, a throne or dais of sorts had been erected. Gauzy pink drapes fluttered all around it, ruffled by the breeze vented into the room via dozens of arrow slit narrow openings that Cole supposed passed for windows. The ‘throne’ that sat upon the dais was almost completely obscured by the mountain of fluffy pillows surrounding the creature that lounged there.
Chapter Twelve
The creature lounging on the throne looked like little more than a glob of undulating fat with two tiny pig eyes barely visible in the round face. It wore a “wife-beater” tank top that was distastefully stained stretched over its gullet part way, covering its chest but not its belly, and scraggly brown hair cut in a mullet framed its round face. As they approached, it grinned and giggled, clapping its pudgy hands together in delight, then waving away the attendants who'd been busy fanning it with huge feathered fans.
Raging homosexual.
Cole resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This had to be the villain, Bubba the Futt—fat and homosexual. She was surprised he wasn't smoking. The really evil villains always smoked.
As if he'd read her mind, he summoned a slave forward. The slave offered up something that bore a striking similarity to a fat cigar and held flame to it. Bubba puffed on it, then waved the creature away.
"Sylo!” the creature exclaimed as they neared the dais, and then turned to study Sharmin speculatively. “And who is this ravishing creature?"
Sharmin paled and then turned three shades of red as Bubba batted long, curling eyelashes in his direction. Obviously, he didn't remember seeing Sharmin from before. Cole wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Maybe he just had a really bad short term memory...?
Sylo cleared his throat uncomfortably. “My friend, Sharmin—and that's Fuzzy and Cole, an Earth woman."
Bubba didn't even glance in her direction, or Fuzz's for that matter. “Really?” he giggled, looking Sharmin up and down. “I didn't recognize you."
He frowned then, looking more like a pouting baby than a real threat. “But I don't know why I'm so glad to see you! You've been naughty, naughty, Sylo! Whatever made you think you could steal from me and get away with it?"
Sylo shrugged, grinned wryly. “A fast ship?"
Bubba stared at him a long moment and finally began to giggle, flicking a limp wristed wave at him. “Oooh, stop it! You know I think you're just so cute when you tease me like that, but, really, I have to punish you. If I was to let you get away with something like this, before I knew it I'd have all sorts of creatures stealing me blind.” He placed one pudgy hand to his mouth thoughtfully. “I'm just not certain what I should do with the two of you. I don't suppose you've got the money you owe me? Of course, there would also be a fine of say....” He broke off and thought it over and then mentioned an amount that was undoubtedly staggering. Both Sylo and Sharmin blanched.
They glanced at each other. Finally, Sylo forced a laugh. “Actually, this is all a big misunderstanding, Bubba. Me and Sharmin were just going back to Vulkahn to get the money we owed you. If these morons of yours hadn't picked us up, we'd probably be halfway back now with your money."
Bubba studied him petulantly. “I hate it when you lie to me, Sylo. You know very well you were headed in the opposite direction when you were captured."
Sylo's lips thinned. “Well, it ain't like Sharmin here isn't good for it. You know he is. I tell you what, why don't you just let us go get the money for you?"
Bubba waved that suggestion aside. “That would involve trust, though, and I don't trust you Sylo."
Sylo shrugged. “Then send an escort with us."
Bubba studied him a moment and finally grinned. “I don't think so. Really, I believe I'd much rather have you and Sharmin work it out in trade."
Sylo and Sharmin abruptly made their move. Whirling almost simultaneously, they darted toward the door across the room. Before Cole could do much more than gape at them, the bounty hunters whirled and fired a half a dozen shots at them. Both men went down. Cole screamed and tried to wrench her arm free.
"Such theatrics!” Bubba exclaimed. “They're not harmed. What use would they be to me then? Of course, I really have no use for the two of you."
He began speaking rapidly to the bounty hunters. Cole couldn't understand any of it and in any case she was too caught up in fear for Sharmin to have noticed if he'd been speaking a language she could understand. Sylo and Sharmin's limp forms were lifted and carried away. A servant came forward and handed each of the two bounty hunters a bag, which Cole saw as they opened them to check the contents, were filled with some sort of gleaming jewels.
Securing the pouches to their belts, the bounty hunters gestured to the robots that still held Fuzz and Cole and the robots obediently began to drag them from the room. Cole's fear for Sharmin jostled with fear for herself. She had no idea what was happening or where she was being taken.
It looked very much like Sylo and Sharmin were about to meet with ‘the fate worse than death’ if she and Fuzz couldn't figure out some way to rescue them, but there was no telling what the bounty hunters might have in mind for her and Fuzz.
"What's happening?” she demanded as they reached the corridor once more. “Where are you taking us?"
One of the bounty hunters glanced at her. “Slave market."
Cole gaped at him. Again? She thought, outraged. It suddenly dawned on her, though, that that might not be the worst thing to happen, at least for her. It was possible Kerel had traced her to the market. If he was still there looking for her....
That seemed far fetched, though. He'd have to know she had already been sold.
In any case, that wasn't going to help poor Sharmin and Sylo. From the way Bubba was salivating over the two of them, they would already be....
She couldn't bear to think of it. There didn't seem to be any way out of their current situation, though.
As they crossed the rock bridge to the landing pad, she caught a glimpse of a ship that had arrived after they'd landed. Something about it seemed vaguely familiar and hope surged inside her. It began to dwindle as they came nearer and nearer to the ship the bounty hunters had brought them in and nothing happened.
She was caught completely off guard when the bounty hunters opened the doors of their vehicle. Fortunately, the bounty hunters were caught off guard, as well. Both bounty hunters and their robots went down in a hail of gunfire. Cole ducked, too stunned to assimilate what was happening. When the dust settled and she looked up, she was even more stunned.
Emerging from the bounty hunters craft was Kerel and Ryan and Luna—her brother and sister!
Letting out a joyous whoop, Cole launched herself toward her brother and sister. “How did you get here? My God! I'm so glad to see you two, and your timing couldn't have been better. They were taking me to the slave market again."
Kerel grinned. “I needed reinforcements. It took us a while to track you down."
Cole shook her head. “I'm just glad you came when you did."
"Let's get the hell out of here before somebody discovers us,” Ryan said.
Cole shook her head. “Bubba's got Sylo and Sharmin. We can't leave without them."
Kerel gaped at her. “Sharmin's here?"
Cole frowned. “You know him?"
Kerel gave her a strange look. “Of course I know him! What's going on?"
Cole shook her head. “I don't know exactly. I didn't understand everything that was going on, but apparently when they bought me at the slave market, they didn't have enough money. Bubba's bounty hunters tracked us down and now Bubba's decided to keep Sylo and Sharmin and ‘take it out in trade'."
Kerel looked like he was going to puke. “We can't leave them here. That's all there is to it."
"But what can we do?"
Kerel thought it over for several minutes and finally looked Cole and her sister over speculatively. “We'll need disguises. I've got a couple of transformers on the ship."
Confused but willing, they followed him back to the ship that had been parked behind the bounty hunter's craft. “You might not have noticed, but Bubba's got a ... uh ... thing for males."
"It would've been hard not to notice,” Cole said dryly.
"Well, the one thing he likes even better than good looking young men is pretty boys. Me and your brother are too big to pass, but you and Luna, with the help of the transformers, could be boys. Me and Ryan will pose as slave traders and go in to offer the two of you for sale. Once we're inside, we'll grab Hahn and Hauk and blast our way out."
Cole looked at him blankly. “Hauk?"
"Yeah. Lord Sharmin, Hauk—"
"Wait just a minute,” Cole said, feeling her temper begin to rise. “You're telling me that Hauk is Lord Sharmin? That guy in there doesn't look a thing like Hauk!"
Kerel shrugged. “He's probably still using the transformer.” Moving to a console, he pulled out two objects that looked very similar to the translators they wore around their necks. He placed one around Cole's neck, adjusted something and then stepped back. Immediately, she felt her muscles begin to contract and bunch. Nausea washed over her until it was all she could do to keep from being sick. Waiting, apparently, until the effects wore off, Kerel caught her shoulders, then guided her to one of the cabins and turned her so that she could look at herself in the mirror.
Cole felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She looked like a boy. Her breasts had vanished, her hair was shorter, even her face looked rounder—like a young boy.
A red tide of fury washed over her. “I'll kill him!” she growled.
Kerel studied her uneasily. “I'm sure he had a really good reason for ... uh .. keeping the disguise."
"Wha
t's going on?” Ryan and Luna demanded almost in unison.
Cole glanced from one to the other and tamped her anger. “Nothing. Never mind. Let's just get this over with."
It made sense now. That was why Sharmin had reminded her so strongly of Hauk, even though he hadn't looked anything like Hauk—except around the eyes.
She dismissed it. She didn't have time, at the moment, to consider what his motives had been—she had a fair idea what they were anyway.
She pulled Kerel aside as they were leaving the ship. “Swear to me that you won't let on that you told me about Hauk's disguise!"
Kerel shook his head. “No way. I'd just as soon not be in the middle of this anyway. Hauk's going to be really pissed off when he finds out I spilled my guts."
Cole's eyes narrowed. “You just leave Hauk to me."
Kerel seemed all too happy to do just that. Once everyone was disguised, he produced small weapons and hid them in Cole's and Luna's clothing. Bubba's guards were bound to search Kerel and her brother, but nobody, they hoped, would expect the two slaves to be carrying weapons. Taking two more for show, Kerel and Ryan bound her and Luna's wrists behind them loosely and escorted them back inside Bubba's fortress.
It was probably the smoothest any plan of Kerel's making had ever gone. As expected, the guard searched both Kerel and her brother and relieved them of their weapons before allowing them to enter the throne room.
Cole began working surreptitiously at her bindings as they slowly crossed the room toward the dais. A sense of intense satisfaction filled her as she saw Sharmin—correction—Hauk and Sylo. Clad now in nothing more than tiny loincloths that barely covered their jewels and left their buttocks bare, each man now sported an ankle manacle and a heavy chain that linked them to Bubba's throne. Bubba was idly twirling a finger through Hauk's long, blonde hair as he watched them approach.
A lascivious look crossed his features as they came nearer, however, and he released Hauk's hair and sat forward, staring at Cole and her sister as if they were tasty bits of food.