by Heidi Skarie
***
Toemeka stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring at her reflection. Amaretta, who was finally allowed to attend to her again, was helping her dress for the party. “You look stunning,” Amaretta said.
“I look indecent, not stunning.” Toemeka hardly recognized herself. The metallic-gold gown had a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit. “Michio would be shocked to see me in this dress.”
“Your husband?”
“Yes, he wouldn’t like all this makeup either.” She wore heavy makeup and false eyelashes with flecks of gold glitter dusted over her face and hair. Her long black hair was piled high on her head with gold chains woven through it. She also wore dangling ruby earrings and a matching ruby necklace.
“I don’t look or feel like myself, so it will be easier to act like a different woman,” Toemeka said. She felt strangely calm, considering she was planning to escape from Cadmus during the party, one way or another.
She twisted her wedding band. It was the only thing that remained of hers, symbolizing the bond between her and Michio. She closed her hand into a fist. I love you, Michio. I’m still me.
“Cadmus will want you tonight. Yield to him and he won’t hurt you.”
Toemeka’s stomach twisted. She had no intension of yielding. She hugged Amaretta, wishing she could help her in some way. “Thank you for everything.”
A sharp rap on the door proceeded Cadmus’ entrance into the room. He wore a well-cut silver jacket and slacks. He motioned for Amaretta to leave and she hurried from the room. Then he addressed Toemeka. “Turn around, slowly.”
The way his eyes feasted on her made Toemeka’s skin crawl yet she did as he asked. He crossed the room in a few long strides and drew her close.
Playing the part, Toemeka laughed huskily. “You’ll have to wait, Cadmus. I’ve spent hours getting ready for the party.”
“To hell with the party.” He leaned down and kissed her.
Pushing back her panic, she slipped out of his arms and reapplied her lipstick. “You’re meeting associates tonight. We don’t want to be late.”
“I suppose not and it’d be a shame not to show you off. I’ve brought you a present.” He handed her a small jewelry box. Inside was a finely crafted ruby ring.
She felt drawn to it and picked it up, despite her reluctance to accept such a personal gift. “It’s exquisite.”
“It matches your necklace and earrings.”
He clasped her hand and she recoiled as he started to remove her wedding band. “Leave it and put the ruby ring on the other hand,” she said.
“You’re my woman now.” He tossed her wedding ring onto the dresser and slipped the ruby ring on in its place. “There’s one more thing you need to wear before we leave this room.”
He squatted down and locked a silver chain around her ankle. Standing up he said, “There’s buzzer in that ankle bracelet that will sound if you get more than thirty feet from me.”
Toemeka’s heart sank as Cadmus put a stole over her shoulders. In the hallway she said, “I forgot my evening bag. I’ll only be a moment.” She hurried back into the room and slipped her wedding band into her small evening bag before rejoining Cadmus.
***
As Cadmus flew his aircar between tall buildings in the heart of the city, Toemeka wondered how to escape. A small key swinging from the key fob caught her attention. If it was the key to open the lock on her ankle bracelet, she could use it to get away from Cadmus without setting off the alarm.
“Terrko lives in the penthouse,” Cadmus said as the aircar approached a tall building. He flew the aircar through the open door of the top level of a parking ramp and pulled into a stall. As they walked from the aircar to the skyway, he dropped the key fob into his jacket pocket.
Toemeka gazed out the skyway windows at the city lights. Henotaux reeked of power and money. A doorman welcomed Cadmus by name as they entered and took Toemeka’s stole. The party had already begun and they soon merged into a crowd of guests. Many were dancing to loud, electronic music that blared from a live band. Toemeka’s head pounded from the music and heavy smoke-filled air. She felt pulsing, dark magic in the room. Cadmus introduced her to beings from different worlds, showing her off like a trophy.
“Cadmus!” called a well-dressed humanoid man with disturbing round yellow eyes and brown scaly skin like a reptile. He pushed through the crowd until he was in front of them. “This one is quite a find. When you tire of her, I’ll buy her from you.” He stood uncomfortably close to be heard over the music. His eyes devoured Toemeka, then his tongue darted out and he licked her cheek. Toemeka gasped and jerked away.
Cadmus snorted. “That’s just Casesteel’s way of greeting women.” He glowered at Casesteel. “I don’t think I’ll tire of this one.”
“It won’t matter if you did, I’m not for sale!” Toemeka said. “I’m not a slave.”
“Then when you tire of Cadmus’ company, be sure to give me a call.”
“Find a different woman. She’s mine,” Cadmus said with a glint in his eyes.
“Ah, she must be newly acquired. You’re always possessive until the newness wears off. I believe we have some business to discuss. I’ll be at the bar when you have a free moment.”
“Let’s dance, Toemeka.” Cadmus guided her onto the crowded dance floor.
“I can’t dance in these stiletto heels.”
“Take them off.”
She removed her shoes, set them by the wall, then slid her small handbag into her skirt pocket. Cadmus took her in his arms and held her close as he began dancing to the music. She didn’t know the steps, but followed without much trouble. During the second dance, a four-armed creature bumped into them, knocking her into Cadmus’ chest.
“Watch it, you clumsy fool,” Cadmus growled, glaring at the man. Pressed against Cadmus, Toemeka slid her hand into his pocket and pull out the key fob.
“You bumped into me,” the creature replied, its four arms waving wildly as Toemeka stepped away from Cadmus.
Cadmus gritted his teeth. “You’re mistaken.”
A handsome man with a purple scar across one cheek hurried over. “No need to be so touchy, Putish. It was just an accident. Go have another drink.”
“I think I will.” Putish pushed his way through the crowd.
The man turned to Cadmus. “I didn’t see you come in. I’m glad you could make it. Who’s your lovely companion?”
“Toemeka.” Cadmus looked at her. “This is our host, Terrko.”
“Amazing party,” Toemeka said, tightening her hand around the key fob.
“She’s enchanting,” Terrko said. “Where have you been hiding her, Cadmus?”
“I brought her here quite recently.”
“That explains it.” Terrko turned to Toemeka. “How do you like our city so far?”
“This is my first night out,” she said, beginning to sweat.
“You’ve been remiss, Cadmus. You shouldn’t hide away such beauty. Don’t forget our meeting. Casesteel is already waiting.” He turned away and greeted another guest.
“Terrko doesn’t like fights at his parties,” Cadmus said. “Let’s sit down.”
He led Toemeka over to a curved couch. On a small table in front of them was a brass container with long tubes coming out of it. The couple sitting on a cushion across from them smoked from two tubes and stared into space.
Having little exposure to this kind of depravity, Toemeka had trouble remaining detached to all that was going on around her.
“I can’t stand Casesteel. I never did trust anyone of his race.” Cadmus picked up a tube and inhaled deeply.
Toemeka uneasily watched the people in the room. The men were armed with an assortment of lethal-looking weapons and the women seemed to be in competition for the most outrageous clothing. A woman with pink hair walked by wearing a multicolored shimmering dress with live butterflies sitting on her shoulders.
“You were right about my dress. It’s not out of
place,” she said. “I’ve never seen such unusual clothing and hairstyles.”
“One could even say your dress is conservative,” Cadmus replied. “Here, try this.” He handed her the tube.
“No, I−”
“I insist. You need to relax and enjoy the party.” He put the tip between her lips and she accidently drew a breath. She started coughing, which made her fractured ribs hurt. Cadmus handed her a drink and she took a swallow to soothe her lungs before she realized it was alcohol.
“Drink it all,” Cadmus said, taking another puff on the tube. A woman came over and sat down next to him on the opposite side of the couch from Toemeka.
“Hello, Cadmus.” She put her arms around his neck and started kissing him. He kissed her back while fondling her breasts.
Taking advantage of his distraction, Toemeka slid the key fob into her purse, then headed toward the nearby restroom.
A burly man with a steel-colored eyes stepped in front of her.
“All alone, baby?” he said.
“No, I’m here with Cadmus Rochambeau. Let me by.” Toemeka tried to push past him.
“You’re quite a sexy dish.”
Toemeka glanced toward Cadmus, wondering what to do. Now he had a woman on each side of him. One kissed him while the other unbuttoned his shirt.
“Jealous?” the man asked.
“Of those women with Cadmus?”
“Yeah, it looks like he’s pretty busy with them.”
“I don’t care.”
Another man walked up. “What’s up, Scrub?”
“Cadmus left his latest unguarded. I think we should sample the wares.” He grabbed the strap of Toemeka’s dress and ripped it off. Toemeka tried to move away, but the other man blocked her retreat.
“Cadmus!” she called.
He looked up and immediately came over. “Leave her alone,” he snarled.
“How about sharing her?”
“Get out of here, both of you.”
The two men walked off, grumbling.
“Why did you wander off?” Cadmus asked.
“I need to use the restroom.”
“Come back when you’re done. I’ll be watching the door.”
The marble floor of the bathroom felt cold on her bare feet as she stepped inside and locked the door. The spacious room had a large mirror over a bowl sink, a toilet, a Jacuzzi and a narrow window. Heart pounding, she pulled the key fob from her evening bag, slid the key into the ankle bracelet lock and turned it. As the bracelet snapped open, relief flooded through her. She kicked the bracelet behind the toilet and slipped the evening bag into her skirt pocket.
She glanced anxiously at the door, concerned that Cadmus might start pounding on it any second. She opened the window, which wasn’t more than a foot wide, hoping it would be just enough for her to squeeze through. Her stomach flipped as she looked out. The building was at least a hundred stories high.
The sky was completely dark now, but the city was lit well enough for her to see a six-inch ledge outside the window.
Standing on the toilet, she squeezed through the window sideways until she stood on the narrow ledge. She glanced up and saw a design etched in the building wall that she could use for hand- and footholds. For the first time she was glad her dress had a high slit. Without it, she’d never be able to climb to the roof.
Adrenaline pumped through her as she balanced on tiptoes on the ledge and slid the window shut. A closed window might buy her some time. Reaching up, she found a finger-hold and started climbing. She pushed the long skirt out of the way and ignored the pain in her ribs as she moved upward.
A strong wind blew against her, threatening to tear her from the side of the building. She paused until it died down a little, then continued climbing until she finally reached the top. Hoisting herself up with her arms, she swung her leg over and pulled herself onto the roof.
A nearby pool was surrounded by lounge chairs and potted bushes. She ran across the roof to where the skyway was located. Looking over the edge, she saw it was about six feet down. She lowered herself over the side of the roof and let go, landing with a soft thud on the glass top of the skyway. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Below her a crowd of people hurried to the party. If even one of them looked up, the jig would be over and she’d be recaptured. Toemeka moved silently toward the parking garage.
Once she reached the garage wall, she climbed onto the flat top roof, then dashed over to a metal shed and pulled open the door. Inside was a service stairway. She tore down the stairs and emerged on the top floor of the parking garage.
Glancing around, she spotted Cadmus’ aircar and hit the unlock button on the key fob. The driver’s door rose as she ran over, then slipped inside and started the engines.
“Keto,” she said to the voice activated display panel. “Take me to the spaceport.”
A map appeared on the display, then the autonomous aircar rolled toward the open parking garage door. At the entrance it opened its wings, lifted off the ground then shot into the night sky. The aircar flew into the middle traffic lane, heading in the direction of the spaceport dome.
Toemeka bit her lip. Had Michio and Erling found a way to Devil’s Eye? If they hadn’t, she’d have to steal a spaceship. She gave Keto Michio’s communicator code and told her to call him.
On the third ring Michio said, “Night Wanderer here.”
His voice immediately eased the tension in her chest. “Are you in Henotaux?”
“Yes, where are you?”
“Headed to the spaceport. Meet me there.”
“We’ll be waiting.” He cut the connection.
She wished he hadn’t, even though she knew it was too dangerous to stay on the line since communicators could be traced. She took a few calming breaths. She’d taken a gamble and Michio didn’t let her down. He made it and somehow managed to land without alarming the authorities. She might actually make it off this cursed moon.
She scanned the radio stations and heard that Cadmus’ vehicle was reported stolen. A description and a large reward was offered to anyone who spotted and reported its location.
Damn! How had Cadmus figured out she’d stolen his car so quickly? She overrode the controls on the aircar and cruised to the top lane where traffic was lighter, the aircar would be harder to spot and she could make better time.
Twenty minutes later, she reached the tunnel connecting the main dome to the spaceport dome. After parking on the landing strip in an unlit area, she cautiously walked across the tarmac, looking for the Blue Lady.
A flashing light caught her eye. Turning, she saw a spaceship a short distance away.
A light flashed twice, stopped, then flashed two more times — Erling’s signal. But the ship wasn’t the Blue Lady. It looked like a pirate ship. Was it a trap? She cautiously walked toward it, sticking to the shadows. She couldn’t see anyone near it, but its engines were running. The light flashed on and off twice more.
Toemeka paused, debating what to do when she heard a soft step behind her. Before she could turn, a hand was clamped over her mouth and a strong arm grabbed her around the waist.
10 Reunited
Toemeka stamped the heel of her bare foot into the boot of the man holding her and jabbed her elbow into his chest. His hold loosened and she spun around and slugged him in the gut.
“It’s me,” he gasped.
“Michio?” She gazed at his dark form for a second, then moved into his welcoming arms.
“I’m sorry I surprised you. The spaceport is heavily guarded and I didn’t want you to cry out when I came up behind you.”
“Oh God, Michio, I can’t believe you made it.” She pressed her face into his shoulder, overwhelmed at being with him again and terrified they wouldn’t be able to escape.
“We need to get to the ship.” He kept his arm around her as he started forward.
“Wait!” she exclaimed. “I dropped my evening bag when you grabbed me.”
“You don’t need it.”<
br />
She stooped down, feeling around for the small bag in the dark.
“Come on, hurry.”
Her hand touched the bag. “I’ve got it.” She snatched it up and began running toward the ship, wincing in pain when she stepped on a sharp rock with her bare foot. Michio ran alongside her, staying protectively close.
They crossed the tarmac and charged up the ramp leading into the ship. Once inside, Michio hit the control button and the door slid shut.
“Erling, get us out of here!” Michio yelled as he started down the hall. Toemeka followed, throwing a hand against the wall to steady herself as the ship lifted off the airfield.
Michio led her to the cockpit and sat down beside Erling in the copilot seat.
Erling glanced back at her. “Buckle up, Toe.”
She slid into a seat facing the defence control panel and fastened her seatbelt, watching out the window as their ship soared upward toward the top of the closed dome.
“How are we going to get them to open the dome so we can fly out?” Toemeka asked, her heart in her throat. So much could still go wrong.
“I brided an air traffic controller,” Erling said. “Let’s hope he keeps his word.”
“Open. Open. Open,” Toemeka whispered, clenching her fists as they neared the upper part of the dome.
Miraculously it opened and their ship shot through.
“We made it!” Toemeka exclaimed, relief flooding through her .
“Our first hurdle crossed successfully,” Erling said.
Toemeka gripped the arms of her chair as they flew away from the moon.
Lights started flashing on the ship instrument panel. “We’ve got four bogies on our tail,” Michio said.
“They’re coming up fast,” Erling said. “Begin calculations for a space jump.”
Michio’s fingers flew across the control board. “I’m on it.”
Toemeka turned on the shields. “Rear shields at full power.”
“Let’s hope this ship is as good as that trader told me,” Erling said.
Toemeka watched as their pursuers drew closer. “Should I fire on them?”
Michio held up one hand. “Hold off. Let’s make radio contact; see what’s the problem.”