Planet Desire

by Delilah Devlin

  Akron led him to the top of a knoll. In the gray light of dawn, there wasn’t any sign of a struggle, no scorched earth, or even bits of sheep’s wool or blood to mark the place from which the sheep disappeared.

  “You think it’s really large enough to lift one whole?” Darak asked, worry creasing his forehead.

  “Looks like it.” Cantor glanced up at the large Scotsman. “Akron, you’re sure one’s gone?”

  “Aye, Cantor. I’ve counted heads twice.”

  “If the creature’s large enough to carry a sheep,” Cantor said, “it’s large enough to take a slender woman, wouldn’t you think?”

  The men looked at each other.

  “It’s nocturnal,” Darak murmured. “We’ve been here for months but haven’t seen it.”

  Cantor stared down the hill at the quiet settlement. “The women will have to be kept inside at night until we’ve figured out what we’re facing.”

  “We’ll need to put together a hunting party, wouldn’t you say?” Darak said.

  “Aye. Ivan, do you have the topographic maps of the surrounding region on file?”

  “Aye, sir. What are you thinking?”

  Cantor reviewed their scant clues. “The creature flies. It’s large. The forest beyond us is too dense for so large a creature to travel through it… Look for higher ground.”

  Ivan touched the side of his wrist computer, and a holographic image of a file list appeared before them. “Open the planet maps,” he said to the computer. “Show us our present coordinates.”

  An image of the settlement and pastures as seen from the sky blinked into view in front of them.

  “Find the nearest mountains,” Cantor said.

  Images flickered in rapid succession, until the program halted its search on a dark, craggy peak.

  “I say we start our search there,” Cantor said. “How far away is it?”

  “A day, as the crow flies,” Ivan said, “but since Drago left with The Intrepid, we’ll have to hoof it.”

  Excitement, like nothing he’d experienced since his last pirate raid, surged through Cantor. Here was true adventure. “Ivan, plot the route. Darak, choose six men for the hunt and break out the weaponry.”

  “We can’t leave the women unprotected,” Darak murmured. “We’ll need electro-stuns for the men left to guard the settlement. We’ll carry laser-swords, guns, and small artillery.”

  “Ivan, since we aren’t sure what we face, or even where to look, bring what instruments you need for heat seeking and environmental analysis.”

  “Aye, aye. I’m in, then?” The youngest of the pirates, his smooth cheeks glowed with pleasure.

  “You are,” Cantor assured him. “I’ll need you the most. Now, let’s get back. We’ll tell the others at breakfast.”

  “Will we tell them everything?” Darak asked.

  “There’s no need to cause a panic. We’d better get back quickly though, before Nicky and Travis have everyone thinking we have a reign of fire coming down on our heads.”

  “But what will we say to the women?”

  “We’re going hunting.”

  Chapter Seven

  ‡

  “So tell us, Fahgwat, was he gentle?” Kirsten asked, a grin turning her normally stern countenance almost pretty.

  Martha listened for the answer from her seat at the end of the trestle table. She’d lingered over her breakfast, waiting for Fahgwat to come down the hill. By the time she had, the galley was full, and Martha knew they wouldn’t have a chance to talk privately about last night’s results until later.

  In the meantime, the other women had crowded around their table for the juicy details.

  Fahgwat’s cheeks flushed. “Can-torr is a verr-y giving man.”

  “I bet,” Kirsten murmured, taking a bite of onion cake. “You stayed the whole night?”

  Fahgwat nodded.

  Sighs sounded around the table.

  “You aren’t walking like a man shafted you the night through, and you were a virgin,” Pingat said, her narrow, black eyes alight with curiosity.

  “Although he did many wonderful things, he did not take me that way,” the girl said, her voice soft with embarrassment.

  “Ahhhh.” Knowing looks were exchanged around the table.

  “He’s a sly one,” Kirsten said. “He’s still trying to slip the noose. Probably figures if he takes you, he has to keep you. It’s a good thing I’ve turned my attentions elsewhere, or I’d be gray waiting for that man to settle down.”

  Pingat turned to Kirsten. “Elsewhere? Have you found someone delicious?”

  Kirsten’s face turned pink. “I have. He’s a fine, strong man. Kind to animals—so I know he’ll be good with children. He doesn’t know it yet, but his exceptional cock is mine.”

  “Then you’ve already had him?” Pingat asked.

  “No. He scarcely knows I exist. And I think he’s a bit shy.”

  “Who?” Martha asked, relieved the woman no longer had her sights set on Cantor.

  Kirsten leaned over the table, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Akron, the shepherd.”

  “Akron?” Pingat laughed. “He spends his days with the animals doing who knows what. And he has no beauty to speak of. How can you give up Cantor for him?”

  Kirsten shrugged. “I’m just being practical. We can’t all share the same man.”

  “I wouldn’t care if Cantor took a different wife for each day of the week, if I had that luscious man to myself for one of them,” Kamilia said with a toss of her blonde hair.

  “Cantor is no prize,” Kirsten said. “The man’s spoiled. When he does settle, he’ll expect a wife to do everything for him. Look at him, now. He has his choice of women, and they fall all over him to please him.”

  Everyone turned sympathetic gazes to Fahgwat.

  “But why choose Akron?” Pingat asked, a smile curving the corners of her lips.

  Kirsten tossed a furtive glance over her shoulder before whispering, “Because he has the most amazing cock!” At their interested stares, she continued, “I’ve seen it. It’s massive! The man would only have to cram it inside me, and I’d come.”

  Pingat shrieked with laughter. “How did you see it? You said the man’s hardly spoken to you.”

  With a conspiratorial smile around the table, she said, “I was at the river yesterday, preparing to wash Cantor’s old curtains. I was walking through the trees when I heard a noise coming from the water. He was standing in the river—naked—washing his big cock.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Just looking at it made my toes curl. The man’s made for me.”

  Martha smothered a smile. Kirsten was indeed Akron’s perfect match. The two were of a similar build—tall, broad, and stocky. “What did you say to him?”

  “Nothing! I didn’t want to embarrass him. Like I said, I think he’s shy.” Kirsten smacked the table with her broad palm. “But I will have him. Mark my words.”

  “The man is doomed. Congratulations.” Pingat gave her a hug. “He’s as good as caught.”

  “But what of Cantor’s young miss, here?” Kamilia turned her attention back to Fahgwat. “That man really needs to be brought to heel. He’s toyed with all our hearts.”

  “Martha and I have a plan,” Fahgwat admitted, flashing a smile at Martha.

  “A plan?” Pingat’s small slanted eyes narrowed to slits.

  “We are not going to trick him,” Fahgwat said. “Nothing so devious. We are simply showing him the possibilities.”

  Martha recognized her own words. She should have been pleased at Fahgwat’s solidarity with her plan, but a twinge of guilt niggled at her conscience.

  “Well, someone needs to bag him,” Kamilia said. “Lord knows, I’ve tried. I wish you both luck.”

  “They will need more than luck,” Pingat said, her mouth drawn in a tight line.

  “They’ll need help,” Kirsten said. When everyone looked at her, she raised her hands. “Look, we all need mates. It could be our project�
�our work—to ensure every one of us finds what we need. If we pool our resources and help, rather than competing with each other, we can accomplish more.”

  Pingat tapped her chin. “If we put our minds together—our criminal minds—we can’t fail.”

  “What do you say, Martha, Fahgwat?” Kirsten said. “Since you’ve already agreed to share your prize, would you like a little help?”

  Fahgwat’s eyebrows rose, worry creasing her forehead. “I am not sure it is right to play with his affections. He did not seem very pleased to learn of last night’s scheme.”

  “You told him?” Martha said, her stomach plummeting.

  “He was so kind. I felt bad,” she said, distress making her eyes large and liquid.

  “Was he angry?” Martha released a relieved breath at the slow shake of her co-conspirator’s head.

  Kirsten laid her hand on Fahgwat’s arm. “Honey, you have to look at it this way—are you doing anything illegal?”

  Fahgwat shook her head.

  “Are you planning to harm him?”

  Her dark eyes rounded. “Oh no! I only want him happy.”

  “We all do,” Kirsten said. “He’s a stinker, but not a bad man.”

  All glances swung toward Martha. If she wasn’t on board, they’d stop pressing. Martha gazed at Kristen who arched a brow in challenge. Then she looked at Fahgwat, who still looked unsure. But the longer they locked glances, the straighter Fahgwat’s back grew.

  The girl had grit. And she was kind, clean, sexy as hell. Martha knew she’d never earn her heart’s desire without her help. Feeling as though she was stepping off a ledge, she took a deep breath. “Fahgwat, haven’t you heard all’s fair in love and war?”

  Fahgwat nodded.

  “Baby girl, this is both.”

  They shared a slow smile.

  Suddenly, a commotion at the doorway drew their attention. Cantor entered followed by Darak and Akron. The stern set of his jaw and his purposeful stride told Martha something was up. Others sensed the tension emanating from the men for the room quickly fell silent.

  Cantor glanced at their table as he passed, and his gaze sought the girl’s for a brief moment. Not a look was spared for Martha. Her heart fell, but her hungry gaze continued to cling to him as he walked to the front of the room. He was everything golden and good in her life; she wasn’t ready yet to let go of the dream.

  When he faced the group, he raised his hand for their attention. “I’d like a moment of your time. Something’s happened you need to know about. I don’t want rumors starting that make this into a bigger problem than it is.

  “Over the past few weeks, we’ve lost three sheep after nightfall. Last night, I set a guard on all the herds. The sheep were attacked by a large predator and another was taken.”

  “Where was the guard?” one of the men seated near Cantor asked.

  “Travis attempted to repel the attack, but was unsuccessful.” The room erupted in a rumble of whispers. “He wasn’t injured,” he assured them, “but we still have a problem we can’t name. I’ve assembled a hunting party, and we’re going into the interior to try to find this animal. While we’re gone, I’m instituting security measures to ensure the safety of the women.”

  The rumble became a roar, and Martha felt the first stirring of unease.

  Cantor raised both hands. “Let me finish. We think the creature is a nocturnal hunter. So the women are to remain indoors at night. If the men venture out, they’ll be armed. These measures are temporary, and I don’t want you reading too much into them. I simply want everyone to use good sense and remain cautious until we’ve investigated. Do you have questions?”

  “How long will you be gone?” The question came from the back of the room.

  “Perhaps as much as a week.”

  “Did Travis say what sort of an animal attacked?”

  “We aren’t sure, but the creature flies, and it’s large enough to carry a sheep.”

  Martha immediately understood why he didn’t want the women about at night. Then she realized what else he’d said. He’d be gone a week—long enough to steel himself against the girl’s allure and to forget about Martha altogether.

  “Who is accompanying you?” the man at the front asked.

  “The three of us, Ivan, and six volunteers.”

  Kirsten raised her hand. “When will you leave?”

  “As soon as we’re packed.”

  Martha stared at Kirsten. The woman’s eyes were narrowed in concentration. She had something in mind.

  Darak stepped close to Cantor and whispered into his ear.

  “We have preparations to complete. While I’m gone, Doc’s in charge.” With that, Cantor left the room without a sideways glance.

  Kirsten leaned over the table. “Martha, our men are leaving,” she whispered harshly. “What do you want to do about it?”

  Martha stared at her. “You heard him. He wants all the women to remain in safety. They’re going hunting. What can we do?”

  “Did you see how he looked at the girl?”

  Martha nodded slowly.

  “He won’t forget her while he’s gone.”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “They’re looking for volunteers, aren’t they?”

  “Cantor won’t take women. He’ll want fellow pirates along with him.”

  Kirsten rose from the table, stretching to her full, ominous height. “What’s the harm in asking—first?”

  Martha rolled her eyes. “But we don’t know the first thing about hunting.”

  The tall woman lowered her eyebrows. “You were a thief; I was a gangbanger. I’d say we’re plenty tough and smart. We’ll figure it out as we go.”

  “And when they refuse us?”

  Kirsten grinned. “We follow.”

  *

  “I think I would’ve been better off wearing my sandals than these ill-fitting boots,” Kirsten said over her shoulder as she slogged down a rough-cut trail through the forest.

  “Stop complaining,” Martha said, tugging at the waist of the breeches she’d nicked from Ivan’s wardrobe. For the hundredth time, she wished she’d thought to steal a belt along with the rest of his clothing; the trousers fit snugly at the hips, but bagged around her middle. “There aren’t many men with spare boots to fit your big feet.”

  Kirsten halted and turned to her, a scowl darkening her face. “My feet are in proportion with my body. They get me where I need to go.” The scowl cleared and Kirsten looked into the canopy of leaves above them. “Do you think we’re still on the right trail?”

  Martha snorted. “Do you really think any animal on this planet cuts trails with laser-swords?” She changed the bag she carried from one shoulder to the other. She’d packed light, but her bag seemed to grow heavier as they walked.

  “How come we haven’t caught sight of them, yet?” Kirsten, who’d been so eager to start this adventure, had kept up a steady stream of complaints for the last hour.

  She was wearing on every last one of Martha’s nerves. “Because you keep wasting our time on bitching.”

  Kirsten scowled. “I’m hungry. Do you have any more of the bread Pingat stole from the galley?”

  “Yes, but you aren’t having it.”

  “Why not? I’m hungry.”

  “You’ll be hungrier in the morning when there’s nothing left to eat. Besides, you could stand to go hungry for a few days,” Martha said nastily. “Now, pick up your feet.”

  Kirsten headed back down the trail. “Do you really think we won’t catch them before dark? I don’t like the thought of bedding down by ourselves.”

  Martha didn’t want to face that possibility yet herself. She was a city-girl, born and raised in the Dallas-Austin metropolis. She’d rather walk down mean-streets at midnight than spend a night alone in the woods. “We have the electro-stuns I stole from the armory. We’ll be fine.”

  Kirsten stopped again. “But what if one of those giant bats comes after us? Will it be enough?
”

  Martha shoved her onward. “Keep walking. I’m sure they’re not bats. You heard what Trina said. She had her ear to the door the entire time Doc was in there with Travis and Nicky. Besides, whatever they are, they’re too big to fly through this thicket. You’ll be fine—you’re considerably larger than a sheep.”

  “Are you calling me fat?”

  “If the shoe doesn’t fit…”

  “Do you think we did the right thing?” Kirsten asked in a small voice.

  “Probably not, but I’m not going back with my tail between my legs. Not after everyone pitched in to help us sneak out of the dorm. Of course, they wouldn’t have put a guard on our doors, if someone hadn’t cried discrimination and threatened to mount a female hunting party after Cantor and Darak refused to take us.”

  “You know I was right,” Kirsten said, her expression mulish. “How dare they decide we couldn’t come, just because we’re females?”

  “That’s not what Cantor said, and you know it.”

  “It’s what he meant.”

  “What he said was he needed a well-trained team, skilled in close combat, to accompany the expedition. Honey, that’s not us.”

  “We’ve plenty of skills.”

  “Sure, I can pick any lock made this side of Omega Centauri, and you can flatten them with a single thigh.”

  Kirsten aimed a hard glare over her shoulder. “I never realized you were so weight intolerant. You’re not exactly svelte yourself. Your ass is so large—”

  “Did you hear that?” Martha halted in the center of the trail.

  “What?”

  “Shhh.” She pointed down the trail they’d just traveled. She’d heard something—like the crackle of a footstep, just beyond the curve of the trail.

  Kirsten’s eyes widened, and she flipped the safety off her gun with shaking hands.

  Why had she acquired a gun for Kirsten? Lord, she was more likely to shoot her own foot than anything in this forest. Martha pointed to a pair of large bushes on the side of the trail and indicated that Kirsten should take up position behind them.

  Kirsten gave her a blank stare then quickly nodded her head and pushed between the bushes. She made so much noise while she was doing it, Martha decided to use her as the bait for whatever followed them. She stepped off the path and made her way back parallel to it, her progress stymied by vines that snagged her feet. When she crossed the trail again, she found no trace of a creature—man or beast.