by Nolan Fury
They escorted me off the floor and into a private room. The door locked behind me. The room was drab and spartan. There was a table and a few chairs. It looked like an interrogation room at a police station.
I didn’t like the looks of it.
One of the goons took my game checks. The other goon frisked me and took my plasma pistol.
“Hey, what the fuck is going on here?”
“He’s clean,” one of the guards said. “No transmitters.”
“How did you do it?” the beefy guy asked.
“Do what?”
“You know what, you piece of shit.”
My eyes narrowed at him. These bastards thought I cheated!
“Come clean, and we’ll let you walk away. Without the money of course.”
“I won that fair and square!”
“Bullshit! Nobody gets on a streak like that. Not in this casino.”
“Oh, so you’re admitting you rig the games here?”
“Look, smart ass. Nobody steals from Mr. Lou.”
“I’m telling you. I didn’t steal anything. Go watch the tapes. I know you’ve got cameras all over this place. You’re not going to catch me cheating, because I didn’t.”
“You came in with the robot.”
“So what?”
“What do you have? Ocular and neural implants? Is he counting, then telling you how to play?”
My face twisted up, enraged. “No!”
“It would be a lot easier if you just came clean and told us how you did it. You’d be doing us a favor. That way we can catch scumbags like you in the future.”
“All right. You wanna know how I did it?”
The big ogre leaned in attentively.
“Well, first, I went over to your mom’s house last night…”
I didn’t even get to finish my little story. The beefy man’s face crinkled with anger. The veins in his neck bulged, and his big meaty fist careened toward my face.
21
The beefy man’s fist cracked me in the face like a wrecking ball. Bones crackled. Blood splattered from my nose and lips. The impact wrenched my head to the side, and I felt a jolt of pain run down my spine.
Another fist slammed my kidney. I arched around the blow while another fist buried itself in my gut. I doubled over and got a rather unwelcoming introduction to the beefy man’s knee.
My nose crackled again.
More blood spattered.
The tinny metallic taste filled my mouth. That was pretty much the last thing I remember.
I had always been able to hold my own in a bar fight. I had years of military experience and basic warrior training. But three goons in cramped quarters were too much for me.
Shit. If I couldn’t kick these guys’ asses, how was I ever going to defeat Severin?
I only blacked out for a few moments. When my vision and my wits came back to me I was flying through the air. I smacked the concrete in the alley behind the casino. The goons had hurled me toward a dumpster.
“Don’t ever set foot in this casino again!” the beefy one yelled. He pulled the alley door shut and locked it behind him.
I moaned and groaned as I lay on the concrete. Everything ached. My nose throbbed. My temples pulsed. I caught my breath and spit a pinkish mix of blood and goo onto the ground beside me. I tongued a tooth that wobbled. I hoped it wasn’t going to fall out. The inside of my cheeks had been shredded by my molars, having taken several blows to the face.
I attempted to sit up, but felt a little woozy. I sat there for a moment feeling devastated. The goons had taken all my winnings and my plasma pistol. That money was our last hope for Ruby.
I climbed to my feet and staggered out of the alleyway to the sidewalk. I glanced around, trying to get my bearings. Tyler was probably waiting for me in the casino bar, which I couldn’t get into. I had no way to communicate with him. I figured if I stood out front, maybe I could talk someone into going inside and getting him, or perhaps he’d come out, eventually.
I took a step and accidentally bumped into someone. The glaring sun was in my eyes, and I couldn’t see who it was. I hoped they weren’t bigger than I was. I wasn’t in the mood for another fight. “Excuse me.”
“Hey, it’s you,” a familiar voice said.
I turned away from the sun and saw Quinn’s beautiful face.
Her brow lifted with distress. “Oh, my God, what happened to your face?”
“I had a little disagreement with someone’s fist.”
“That’s terrible. Is there anything I can do?”
“No. But, thank you anyway.”
“What happened?”
I told her the story.
A frown tugged at her pretty face. “That’s just wrong!”
“Tell me about it.”
“I can’t believe you won 37,500 credits.”
“Apparently, neither could they. I really needed that money too.”
“For something important?”
I told her about Ruby.
“Maybe I can help? I owe you one anyway.”
“No, you don’t,” I said. “And you certainly don’t owe me 25,000 credits.”
“But you need the anti-venom to save your friend. That seems like a worthy cause to me. Think of it as a loan.”
“Really? You’d do that?”
“Sure.”
“But you don’t know me from Adam.”
“I like to think of myself as a pretty good judge of character,” Quinn said. “I’m confident you’ll pay me back. In one way or another.” She had a slightly flirty tone.
“25,000 is a lot of money.”
“I know.”
“I promise. You’ll get every last credit back,” I said earnestly.
“I trust you. Anybody who chases down a thief is okay in my book. Most people in this city won’t lift a finger to help you.”
We walked around to the front of the casino and I waited while Quinn went inside and found Tyler. Then we headed back to the apothecary and paid Raal for the anti-venom.
I took the tincture bottle from Raal and gazed at it with a healthy dose of skepticism. “And you’re sure this is going to work?”
“Positive,” Raal said. “Guaranteed, remember?”
I unscrewed the top and smelled the concoction. It had a spicy, minty smell.
“Keep that sealed tight and out of direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to either will weaken its effectiveness.”
I nodded and sealed the tincture, then slipped it in my pocket.
I thanked Quinn profusely for her generosity. But she thought nothing of it. To her, it was the equivalent of buying a friend lunch. I figured she must have been loaded.
“You really should let me take you to a hospital and get your face looked at. Your nose is broken.”
I shrugged. “It will add character.”
“You’ve got enough character.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the apothecary.
Her hand was soft and smooth. It felt warm and almost radiated energy. There was something different about her.
Quinn flagged down a cab, and we went to a minor emergency clinic. My military health insurance wasn’t going to be accepted here, so Quinn generously picked up the tab.
The whole facility was automated. I signed in, and moments later a robotic nurse ushered me to a triage center. The robot waved a piece of smart glass in front of my face, creating a 3D scan that appeared on the display. The computer spit back a list of injuries. Broken nose, mild cerebral contusion, fractured orbital bone.
I was in a lot worse shape than I thought.
The robot sprayed a fine mist in my face. The tiny droplets absorbed through my skin. A moment later I couldn’t feel my cheeks. None of the cuts or scrapes on my face hurt. It was an advanced anesthetic.
The robot adjusted my crooked nose and straightened my septum. I didn’t feel a thing.
Another quick spray, and my nose felt like an icicle.
“That will help reduce swellin
g,” the robot said. Then the mechanical nurse gave me an inhaler. “Take a few puffs on this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a fast acting regenerative compound. It will heal the fracture and reduce brain swelling.”
I puffed on the device that looked like in e-cigarette. It tasted minty. After a few puffs, I started to feel pretty good. The regenerative compound combined with its anti-inflammatory properties brought the swelling down within moments.
We checked out and were ready to head to the spaceport when Quinn asked, “Where are you staying tonight?”
I shrugged. “I figured we’d get back on the road.”
“Nonsense. You had a full day. You need to get some rest. Let yourself heal. Modern medicine is pretty miraculous, but nothing beats good old-fashioned rest. Why don’t you guys stay with me tonight? I’ve got plenty of extra room.”
I was torn. Every minute wasted was another minute that Ruby had to suffer in captivity. But I knew I had a long journey ahead of me, and I wasn’t going to be able to complete it without being in tip-top shape. It would be foolish to turn down a spare bed for the night. It beat sleeping in a rack in one of the berthing compartments aboard the Warbird.
“If it’s not too much trouble,” I said.
Quinn smiled. “No trouble at all.”
22
Incredible.
That was the only way to describe it.
Quinn had the penthouse suite at the top of the Hurley Tower. The design was sleek and minimalist. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city that was breathtaking. Lights flickered and shimmered in the distance. She had a large terrace with an infinity pool. A kitchen with every gadget a chef could need. A fully stocked bar. A giant flat-screen display. An omni-phonic sound system that made it feel like a live band was inside your head. A Picasso hung on the wall. I don’t know how it got here, or how she could afford it. But there it was.
“I guess 25,000 credits is nothing to you,” I muttered.
“I’ve been fortunate. I’ve made some good business decisions.” She smiled and left it at that. “Guest-rooms are down the hall, take your pick. The master bedroom is over here,” she said, pointing. It was information that she didn’t need to add. I wondered if it was a subtle invitation. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Sure. Whiskey.”
“Coming right up.” She moved the minibar. “Ice?”
“Sure.”
She scooped a few cubes into the glass then poured the amber liquid. The ice crackled and popped. She made one for herself, then we toasted.
“To new friends,” Quinn said.
“To new friends!”
We clinked glasses and sipped the whiskey.
“This is good stuff.”
“It’s all the way from Ceti Zeta 3.”
I didn’t even want to ask how much it cost. “I figured you’d have some type of service bot to take care of a place like this.”
“I do. But I gave Conrad the week off. I sent him on a star cruise. He had never been on one before and I figured he could use a break.” She took another sip of her drink and gazed at me with those big blue eyes.
There was an awkward pause.
“So, I really don’t know much about you. And since you are staying in my home…”
“What do you want to know?”
She shrugged, pondering it for a moment. Then she changed subjects. “I love the view at sunset. Come on.”
She grabbed my hand, pulling me to the terrace. We leaned against the railing, and the wind fluttered her pink hair. She stared at me with a quizzical look on her face. “So, what’s your most embarrassing memory?”
I arched an eyebrow at her. “Really? That’s what you want to know?”
“Yeah. I can tell a lot about a person by whether they’re willing to expose their vulnerabilities.”
“Hmm. Let me think about this one.”
“I take it you’ve had quite a few?” She grinned.
“I’ve had my fair share. What about you?”
“I asked you first.” She paused. “Okay. I’ll give you an easy one. What’s your greatest memory?”
“Graduating the Naval Air Station. I’ve never felt so proud in my entire life.”
“What’s your worst memory?”
I didn’t have to think hard about that. The question hit me like a punch to the gut. It brought that painful moment rushing back.
Quinn could see my obvious distress. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. You don’t have to answer.”
“No. It’s okay. Sometimes the things you don’t want to talk about are the things you need to talk about.” I paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “I was sent in to extract a squad of special operators from a pretty hot LZ. We took heavy fire. A .50 cal round ruptured the fuel line. The helicopter went down in a twisted wreck.”All the sounds, smells, and imagery of the moment came back to me. “My copilot’s head looked like a pumpkin that had been dropped from a 10 story building. I had picked up two Marines already. One had a broken leg, the other had a fractured hip, and a shattered femur. The helicopter caught on fire. I was able to get Cooper out. I went back for Murphy, but the bastards hit the wreckage with an RPG before I could get to him. I watched the wreckage explode in a brilliant amber ball of flames. The concussion knocked me to the dirt. There was nothing I could do. But I still felt responsible. For months, I kept running the scenario over and over in my mind, trying to work out a way that I could have saved both of them.” I paused, solemnly. “I don’t know. You can drive yourself crazy thinking about that kind of stuff.”
“I’m sorry. That must be a terrible feeling.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get Ruby back. You’ll save her.”
“I hope so. I couldn’t live with myself if I failed her.”
“She’s a very lucky girl.” Quinn sighed. “Why are all the good men taken?”
“I’m not exactly taken. Ruby and I have an open relationship.”
Quinn looked curious. “How does that work?”
“I’m not sure. We’re still figuring it out. But there’s always room for more.”
A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes. “Hmm. So, I don’t have to feel guilty if I have a little too much to drink and accidentally seduce you?”
“Nope. No guilt.”
She smiled and took a sip of her drink. “Ready for another?”
23
I thought I had seen everything—demons, tiger ladies, elves, warlocks. I was sure there was nothing left in the Ultraverse that could shock me. I was wrong.
Quinn poured me another drink, and we had a seat on the couch. One thing led to another, and our lips were locked. I liked the taste of her strawberry lip gloss. My hands traced the subtle curves of her body and fondled her perky breasts. Her silky tongue stroked mine. I licked her ear and sucked on her neck. She had the cutest moans.
Her petite hands found their way between my legs and she stroked my hardness. Then she unfastened her top and slipped the straps from her shoulders. Her perky breasts bounced free. She had creamy skin and pretty pink nipples. My mouth was drawn to them. I sucked and flicked and nibbled gently.
Quinn moaned with ecstasy.
I worked my tongue down her toned abs and circled her bellybutton. Then I plunged toward her waistline. I pulled her skintight silver pants down over her hips. She wasn’t wearing any underwear. She had a tiny landing strip of pink hair. The curtains matched the drapes.
She kicked her legs in the air as I pulled her pants off. Her round ass and her glistening peach looked glorious. She spread her legs, and her big eyes smoldered at me. She looked so innocent and naughty, all at the same time. She spread her legs, commanding me without words.
I dove between her thighs. My tongue slithered its way up to her core. I slid my tongue all around her warm wet center, lapping up her juices. She tasted like candy.
Seriously.
Like a cherry sucker.
I could eat her all day long.
She rocked her hips and her body writhed. It didn’t take long before a wave of ecstasy washed through her. I felt her warm juices flow over my tongue. She quivered and her legs tensed. She screamed with pleasure.
Quinn grabbed my hair and pulled me up to her lips. Her mouth engulfed me, licking her own juices from my lips. “I need you inside me. Now!”
I peeled off my clothes, and Quinn ogled my package. She licked her lips then plunged for my rod. Her mouth took me in with sweet strokes. Her pink hair fluttered as she bobbed her head, and her moans vibrated my shaft.
She pulled her lips away and gave me a naughty glance. “Don’t come too fast.”
“I won’t,” I said, trying to be optimistic. With as talented as this girl was, that was going to be a challenge.
She wrapped her lips around me again and I struggled not to blow. I was ready to spackle her face with my honey.
I guess she could sense I was on the brink. She pulled away, stood up, and sauntered into the bedroom. I watched her pert ass jiggle.
When I got into the bedroom, she was on all fours. Her back was arched, and her ass was in the air. She looked back at me with innocent eyes, “Take me,” she cooed.
I grabbed her hips, and I rubbed myself between her sumptuous cheeks. She reached her hand between her legs and grabbed hold of me. She lined me up with her slick center and guided me in. She clenched down as I pushed inside her, and she let out a passionate moan.
She was so tight, I was worried I was going to hurt her. But she thrust her hips back against my pelvis and took my length. Her silky smooth core hugged me like a glove. Her ass cheeks slapped against my pelvis.
I reached my hand around and fondled her mound, making her even wetter. Sweat covered our bodies, and my fingers were slick with her love. Her moans crescendoed into a scream, and her muscles contracted. Her warmth flowed over me as she came again.
She rolled onto her back, spread her legs and gently massaged herself. I climbed on top of her and slid myself inside. Our slick skin rubbed against each other, her nipples pressed against mine. My hands grabbed her ass and her breasts. Our mouths melted into each other. I closed my eyes as I kissed her. We clasped hands and our hips continued thrusting passionately. The most bizarre thing happened when I open my eyes.
