Whatever the former dancer expected, Susan now reaped her choice. She looked at the opened suitcase on the bed. Her bag lay on the bed from when she had removed her Renthaur X-89. She felt naked without it. At least she hadn’t detected a hint of anything among the crew that indicated she would need her weapon on the flight, as no sense of danger emanated from the three men. Now that robot was a different matter. She’d disconnect his diode in a skinny minute.
She sighed when rumbles sounded from her stomach. “Wonder what the food’s like?” she mused.
“Pretty good,” came Erik’s response from behind her.
She spun, resisting the urge to reach for the gun that was no longer in her bag on the bed.
“I thought I locked that door.”
He shrugged. “The captain has access to any part of the ship.”
“And you felt you needed access to my cabin, without knocking?”
“I did knock. You didn’t answer. I worried something had happened. Some women don’t adapt well to the idea of a long time in space.”
Susan gave him her most witheringly patronizing smile. “Why, I just don’t know what I would do without you big, strong men to worry about me.”
It seemed to take him a moment to realize she was bullshitting him. What century was this guy from? Probably the same as his ship.
“Why did you lie about having me on board? And please don’t say that you wanted to protect me. What are you hoping to gain?”
“Who says I want anything?”
“Right,” she said, hands on hips. “Everyone wants something, Captain Erik.”
“Let’s just say I don’t care for the authorities ordering me around for no reason. Plus, Charlie vouched for you. He evidently saw something in you that—sorry—made him want to protect you. That’s the kind of guy Charlie is, sweet and old-fashioned.”
Erik smiled, as grim a smile as Susan’s had been false. “Don’t think I suffer from the same characteristics. I lied about your being here, and my butt is in a sling because of it. If it turns out you’re wanted by the authorities for a good reason and I made a mistake trusting Charlie, I will hand over your beautiful ass faster than you can imagine. It’s in your best interest to play straight with me. Who are you?”
“Danessa Vanessa.” She held up her hand to stop Erik’s next words. “Or Shanna Ziegler, if you prefer.”
He snorted. “Stop lying. I just checked your fingerprints from the seat arm to the biometrics Ms. Ziegler submitted when she bought her ticket. Aside from your looks, which, as Dilly stated, are like a wet dream come to life, the one thing I know about you for a fact is that you are not Shanna Ziegler.”
“What a charming way you have about you, Captain.”
He shrugged again. “I speak plainly. In space, where decisions have to be made in split seconds, there’s little time for finesse. Maybe you haven’t experienced that in your own life.”
“You might be surprised. Now, whether you think you know who I am or not, I am a passenger on your ship. You’ve lied about that fact and then evaded a direct order to allow the government to board your ship. Whoever I am pales in comparison to the laws you’ve broken, so please don’t attempt to preach to me.” She gestured toward the bed. “Now if you’ll allow me privacy to unpack…”
“She’s a cocky bitch. I like that.” Dilly came up behind Captain Erik. He rubbed his crotch. “Let me spend some time with her, Captain. I’ll find out who she is.”
Erik shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Dilly, stop it. You couldn’t screw a woman if she was willing and handed you a screwdriver.”
“Besides, you stupid pile of rivets and circuitry, I’m GENvert.”
Erik studied her, brows raised. Dilly sputtered, “Pile of rivets and—” He narrowed his gaze. “Take off your clothes and spread your legs, and let’s just see if you’re GENvert.”
“Quite a ship’s steward you have there, Captain.”
“I am not a steward,” Dilly said with all the dignity he seemed able to muster. “I am an assistant.” He turned and walked away stiffly.
“He can dish it out but not take it, huh?”
“Dilly’s…sensitive, despite his believing that if he thinks something he also should say it. He does a good job of keeping the ship clean and in good basic repair, plus cooking and generally whatever else we need.”
“So I was right, he’s a steward.”
“As far as it goes. He’s also been with me for a hell of a long time. Don’t mistake his lack of verbal filter and sensitive nature for a lack of will or loyalty. If I tell him to secure you here in your cabin, he’ll do it without question.” He stared without blinking, emphasizing the threat. Susan hated that she looked away first.
“Understood. Now if you’ll excuse me?”
“Lunch is served in a couple of hours. Until then, I’d prefer you stay on the bridge with the rest of us.” He backed up a step into the passageway and waited, as though he assumed she would comply without question.
Captain John “John-is-too-ordinary-for-fabulous-me” Erik has no idea who he’s dealing with.
But damn him! He had thrown her off balance, something no man had managed in years. She was trained to prevent it, had been taught methods designed to protect her thoughts and feelings in all situations and had employed them all successfully, but he still confused her.
“I’d prefer not to.”
“Be that as it may.” He swept his hand in front of him, in effect brushing her out of the room. Other than an out-and-out fight, she had little choice. She preceded him to the bridge, where she took her seat and said nothing. Fury fueled her emotions, but she mastered them every bit as well as Captain Erik.
“I just wanted to let you know,” Erik said with a smug expression as he settled into the captain’s seat, “there’s another fact I can add to my information about you.”
“And what’s that?” Susan placed her hands on her hips and gazed back with all the authority she could bring to the moment.
“As sure as I’m a man, you’re absolutely not GENvert.”
“GENvert!” Charlie sounded disbelieving.
When Erik swiveled toward the front screen, Susan couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
* * * *
“GENvert! Who the hell is she kidding?” Erik muttered to Adam as they entered the wardroom, or dining area.
“Since there’s only one ‘she,’ I know who you mean, but what’s this about being GENvert?” Adam had already plotted a path to their delivery point that avoided the flight plan they registered with the Galactic Flight Authority on Earth. The two of them took a quick break for coffee, an ancient drink that Erik insisted they have on board.
“That’s what she claims to be.”
Adam snorted a laugh. “You don’t need to be a psychic to know that’s a lie. I couldn’t read her thoughts, but the pheromones she threw off when she thought we might be boarded were all potent female.”
“She’s one cool woman in tight situations, used to control. I kinda like seeing her off balance.” Erik grinned at Adam. “I just left her speechless.”
Adam considered that. “Not a common occurrence, I’d guess.”
Erik didn’t like leaving the woman on the bridge with only one of them to watch her. His cup full, they hurried back.
“What’s got Dilly so pissed?” Charlie asked. “He’s throwing things around in the galley to the point we can hear him up here.”
Erik stared pointedly at their passenger. “Our guest insulted him.”
“Oh. Well, that’ll pass soon enough then.” Charlie turned serious. “What are we going to do about the GFA? They know where we’re going, no matter how we change the flight path to get there.”
Erik rubbed his jaw. “I know. How’s that new plan coming, Adam?”
“The best I can come up with will shoot the fuel supply all to hell. Unless…”
“Yeah?”
Adam looked at each of his companions before speaking.
“We can cut a day off that flight plan if we cut through Heron’s orbital area.”
“Oh, man,” Charlie breathed at the same time Erik said, “Fuck!”
Erik stood and paced before the console, hands on hips. “Are you sure?” he asked tightly. He glanced at Danessa, but she stared out the front viewing screen, seeming to study the blankness of space stretched out before them.
“I’ve checked it twice. I don’t see any other way without running the risk of free-float. Emptying our fuel tanks will leave us vulnerable until we can contact someone to tow us in, and that leaves us open to that someone being the agency we’re trying to evade.”
“Damn, I should have handed her over.” An inelegant snort sounded behind him. He ignored her.
“I assume I am able to go to the bathroom?” she asked.
“Of course,” Erik responded. “Dilly!”
“You bellowed, Captain?” Dilly appeared on the bridge as though he’d anticipated being called.
“Escort our guest to the head, please.”
“With pleasure.” He glared at her. She returned it with a withering look.
“Just escort her, Dilly.” Erik called after them, “No peeking!”
Charlie frowned. “I’m sorry, Captain. I know I recommended we protect her.”
Erik stopped and gazed out the front screen into the blackness. “No, you were right, Charlie. She’s not the most likeable female, but she definitely needs someone. It’s just our luck we ended up being the ones.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “The question is how to deal with the situation I’ve put us in.”
Charlie settled back in his chair. “Can we get through Heron’s space without detection?”
Adam shook his head. “Not likely.”
“Can we negotiate?”
“I won’t ask those bastards for anything,” Erik said. “They not only didn’t pay me for the load I brought them but stole the rest of the freight we had on board while we sat in a Heron jail. Have you forgotten the shape we were in when they finally let us go?”
Adam nodded. “And not only us but the ship. If it hadn’t been for Dilly, we would have broken apart in open space.”
Charlie sighed. “Yeah, okay. If I ever forget, all I have to do is look in a mirror to see the scar across my chest.”
“If not for Jackal and the Herons, I’d have a new ship.” Erik patted the console lovingly. “Not that there’s anything wrong with you, girl. You’re the only woman in my life that hasn’t screwed me royally, one way or another.”
What the fuck should they do? They barely escaped with their lives after the last encounter they had on Heron. This time they would be looking for treachery, but would that help? Shit! This was supposed to have been an easy run.
Danessa stomped back onto the bridge. “I resent being treated like a prisoner. I paid for transport.”
“Someone did,” Erik muttered without really paying attention.
“I wanted to go back to my cabin for a moment, and do you know what that…that thing did?”
“I tried to stop her, Captain, but the female was insistent on retreating to her cabin.” Dilly came right on her heels.
She turned on him. “And don’t try to restrain me again, you tin-can computer.”
“Captain, I want to object to keeping this woman on board any longer. Can’t we put her off at the next port?”
“Dilly, be quiet.”
“But—”
“Quiet!”
Dilly harrumphed and shot a disdainful glance at Danessa before leaving.
Erik shook his head and addressed her. “You’ve only been on board a few hours and already I have a killer headache.”
She crossed her arms, emphasizing those fabulous breasts. “Just keep your steward away from me.”
He looked to Adam and rolled his eyes. How would they ever make it through months in space without someone getting hurt?
“Captain!”
It was all Erik could do not to groan. “Yes, Dilly.”
“I found this in the guest’s suitcase.”
Danessa shot to her feet. “What were you doing going through my things?”
“I was being a good steward, helping you unpack.”
“Snooping, you mean.”
“Whatever.” He held out a vial. “This was hidden inside the lining. An unmarked vial can only mean something regulated.”
“What?” She stared at the vial as though it held a venomous Earth creature. “You found that in her suitcase?”
Erik laced his fingers and folded them under his chin. “Don’t you mean your suitcase?”
She blinked rapidly and thinned her lips in a frown. “That shit isn’t mine. I would never—” She grabbed for it, knocking it from Dilly’s hand. It fell and splintered on the floor of the bridge.
“Oh, shit! Oh shit, oh shit,” Danessa said.
“Was that glass? Who the hell uses glass anymore? And what is that green stuff?” Erik asked, staring at the mess on the floor of his bridge.
“Don’t touch it!” She sank to her knees, her hands hovering over the greenish liquid pooled amongst the glass.
Dilly tsked. “Last-millennium glass is the last thing to bring on board a modern ship, you foolish woman. I’ll take care of it.” He picked up the largest piece of glass at the same time she waved him off. The glass sliced the tip of her thumb.
“Shit! You cut me, you—” Danessa leaned back on her heels and all color drained from her face. “Oh, my God, you cut me!”
What’s the problem now? The woman was one bit of trouble after another. Erik looked at the other two men. They looked as confused as he felt. Even Dilly looked perplexed. “I’m sure we can take care of a minor cut like that,” Erik said.
“It’s not the cut, you idiot, it’s what was on the glass. And it’s in the air. We’re all exposed, we’re all affected. Though”—she examined her thumb—“I don’t know what will happen to me. It’s in my bloodstream.”
“For God’s sake,” Erik exploded. “What the fuck are we talking about?”
“Pheron,” she whispered. “We’re all infected with Pheron.”
Chapter Five
Pheron! Susan revised her assessment of Danessa Vanessa. She had seemed nervous but also a little innocent, despite having been a dancer and being willing to hop off to a planet she’d never visited to marry a man she’d never met. If she knew how to get Pheron, however, Danessa was no innocent.
Then she remembered Danessa’s saying something about having to get her husband’s juices running. He was old, she’d said. The fool probably thought Pheron, combined with her “dancer’s” body, would be enough to make even an ancient man get it up. She must not have known that Pheron worked on whatever hidden emotions a person harbored. Her new man could just as easily have slapped her around as fucked her.
Good thing Danessa hadn’t had the chance to use the Pheron on her hubby.
Bad thing Susan had the poison working its way through her bloodstream.
“What does this mean, exactly?” Erik asked.
Susan wanted to vomit. No denying it, she was scared, more afraid than when she’d been running from those guys back in Centre City. Guns and shooters she knew, she understood. This was her first personal experience with Pheron. What she knew secondhand had been enough to frighten her half out of her mind.
“It’s not good news. Considering where she’s from, there’s no guarantee it’s not some kind of homemade batch.”
“So you admit that you’re not Danessa Vanessa, the woman who was supposed to be our passenger.” Dilly sounded way too smug, but then why not? As a robotic life-form he was unaffected by the Pheron.
“If it hadn’t been for you, you useless bucket of bolts, we would all be safe right now.”
“You mean, if it hadn’t been for you, sneaking onto our ship. We would—”
“Enough!” Erik’s tone brooked no argument. “What does this mean for us, being around the Pheron?”
Susan s
tood, accepting the piece of material Charlie conjured from somewhere. She didn’t know whether to stop the bleeding or try to leech the Pheron out by forcing the wound to bleed more. Squeezing her thumb to encourage the flow of blood, she hoped most of the Pheron would flow out, too.
“You know the effects, generally?” Erik, Adam, and Charlie nodded, almost as one. “It somehow discovers your deepest inhibitions and does away with them. The thing you most keep from the world, it unleashes.” She held in a shudder, thinking of the violence she needed for her work but tried hard to keep hidden. “The Pheron is usually poured into a small bowl and inhaled. The effects take place on a single person or a roomful. How long it takes for it to work and how long the effects last depends on the amount and time of exposure. This is, I’d say…” She examined the volume of liquid still on the floor. “There might be enough there to start work within an hour.”
“Right.” Erik sounded grim. “Dilly, get this mess cleaned up, please. Contain the glass and liquid, but don’t discard it. We might need it later as evidence for the police. Then—”
Susan straightened up and shot an indignant glare at Erik. “Wait a minute! I didn’t buy this crap, and I didn’t bring it on board!”
He glared back. “Technically, you did. And lady, I don’t have any idea in the world who the fuck you are, so forgive me my little paranoia.” He scraped his gaze across Charlie and Adam and then back to Dilly. “Give your keys to the weapons locker to Dilly. Dilly, get out a P38 and keep it with you at all times. If one of us gets out of hand, stun us, using whatever power it takes to secure the ship and all of us.”
“Do you think that’s necessary?” Susan asked, knowing that with her background and tethered emotions it really was a good idea. Erik ignored her. She watched as Adam and Charlie handed over their keys without question.
Knight, Dee S. - Bride of the Pryde (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4