Labyrinth (Deuces Wild Book 3)

by Ell Leigh Clarke

  Tabitha waved her concern away. “If you mean the fights, I already know about them. What I’m interested in is getting to the bottom of this, so how about you rewind back to when people started going missing?”

  The Torcellan shook her head. “The fights are not the main issue, although that revenue stream has also dried up a little recently. The revenue drop is a direct result of the adult entertainment workers’ union calling a strike. Of course, the Order doesn’t want to hear about the ins and outs of the industry, just that it is regulated and profitable.”

  The human rubbed his forehead with a hand. “Business has ground to a halt because the union is refusing to lift the strike until the cause of the missing courtesans is determined.”

  Tabitha nodded. “So you need me to find out what happened to the missing people. Do you have any idea at all what happened to them?”

  The Torcellan female nodded. “That was what we were discussing when you…arrived so suddenly. The issue is not confined to the upper levels, Ranger. There have been a few other worker disappearances across the station, and even the odd tourist, but we have been unable to link them to the missing courtesans, and we can find no trace of the missing. Thus we conclude the missing are being stolen and sold into slavery.”

  “I’m going to need to see everything you have on all of the disappearances.” Tabitha wished Achronyx was there to dig through the station’s security archives. “Then I want to speak to the workers, as well as anyone else who may have been involved.”

  “Of course, Ranger,” the human replied. “Although I do not think you will find anything of use. The fights are strictly regulated, but as you can imagine we cannot possibly monitor the adult entertainment areas closely.” His face was a deep shade of pink as he spoke. “We have to safeguard our better-known patrons’ personal comfort.”

  “Personal comfort—that’s a new one.” Tabitha holstered her JD Special and stood to leave. “You can make up for your rude reception by giving me what you have, and directions to the admin offices. It’s the one thing I haven’t seen advertised in this place and I cannot be bothered to hack you.”

  The elevator opened onto an ordinary, if tastefully decorated, atrium. Hirotoshi and Ryu followed Tabitha to the reception desk next to the elevator, where a human woman greeted them with a smile.

  “Hi. I’m afraid we’re not taking bookings at the moment.” She looked Tabitha up and down appreciatively. “More’s the pity.”

  Tabitha grinned and showed the woman her Ranger ID. “I’m here to talk about the disappearances,” she glanced at the woman’s nametag, “Stacy.”

  Stacy wasn’t quite listening. “Mmm-hmm?” She raised an interested eyebrow at Hirotoshi and Ryu, who flanked the elevator. “What are they here for?”

  Tabitha snapped her fingers to draw Stacy’s attention to her badge. “They are my guards. Focus, Stacy. You can drool over them later. Right now I need to speak to whoever runs things here.”

  Stacy dragged her eyes away reluctantly. “That would be me.”

  Tabitha nodded. “Were you listening? I’m here about the disappearances.”

  Stacy’s eyes widened when Tabitha’s words finally sunk in. “You are? Oh, at last! I’ll go and get the book. Wait here a minute, please.”

  Tabitha watched Stacy dash through a door behind the desk, presumably into an administration office. She glanced over her shoulder at Hirotoshi and Ryu. Please tell me I’m not that easily distracted.

  Oh, no, Ryu replied.

  That would be lying, Kemosabe, Hirotoshi finished.

  I’m standing on both your backs while you do your push-ups, you pair of smart-asses.

  I didn’t have any push-ups, Hirotoshi pointed out.

  The key word there is “didn’t.” Now you do, and I’m going to stand on your backs just like Bethany Anne would. In fact, I’m going to stand with one foot on each of you, and you can do them in sync until I’m satisfied.

  The men groaned. Stacy returned just as they made the noise and glanced at them with a small smirk just touching the corner of her mouth. “They are wasted on guard duty,” she told Tabitha. “Here.” She passed Tabitha a ledger. “This is the visitor log for the level.”

  “I’m going to need to take this with me,” Tabitha told her.

  Stacy nodded. “Okay, since you’re a Ranger. But please take care of it. If some of our patrons were aware we even kept this much…let’s just say we’d be out of business faster than you can say ‘lickety-split.’” Stacy clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she’d said. “I’m so sorry!”

  Tabitha snorted. “Don’t be. You’re wasted behind a desk, Stacy.”

  Stacy twinkled at Tabitha. “I’m happy here, Ranger. Or at least I will be when I know what happened to my friends and colleagues. You’re going to find out, right?”

  Tabitha nodded. “That’s why I’m here. You can help by telling me everything you know.” She leafed through the first few pages of the ledger and frowned until she saw the key written out painstakingly on the inside back cover. “Starting with who went missing and when.”

  Stacy smiled again and motioned for Tabitha to come around the desk to the room beyond. “I was about to take a break. Have you eaten yet? You’re welcome to join me.”

  Tabitha grinned. “It would be rude to refuse.” She turned to Hirotoshi and Ryu. “She’s right, you guys are wasted on guard duty. I’ll be fine here with Stacy. Go explore the station and have some fun. Just keep your eyes open for anything suspicious. I’ll meet you back on the ship later.”

  Hirotoshi and Ryu nodded and left. Tabitha made her way around the desk and followed Stacy into what turned out to be a tidy little office with a couch and a small food preparation area off to one side. Stacy headed over to the fridge and took out a stack of tubs. “Take a seat, Ranger. I hope you don’t mind sandwiches?”

  “That’s great,” Tabitha replied. “And you can call me Tabitha.”

  “I could never, Ranger.” Stacy brought two plates over and handed one to Tabitha. They ate as Stacy answered Tabitha’s questions.

  “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re here,” she told Tabitha. “At first when Lucia and Bardoc went missing, we thought they might have eloped. It happens from time to time when people fall in love and decide to start fresh. But then it happened again, and that’s when we started to get worried. We all knew the Loren wouldn’t leave.”

  Tabitha tilted her head in question. “I’ve never seen a Loren. What’s so special about them?”

  “You would have to meet one to understand. Let’s just say tentacles in all the right places and leave it at that. When the Loren vanished, we all got so scared we got together with our rep and demanded she do something. The strike hasn’t kept us safe, though. There have been three more disappearances since it went into effect.” She bowed her head, her voice quiet. “None of us feels safe. How can we?”

  Tabitha sighed. “The Order didn’t mention any of this. Neither did the station leaders.”

  Stacy frowned. “That surprises me. The people down there on the planet rely on the income this station generates.” She shrugged. “I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but a big chunk of that is earned by the sex workers. It’s a point of pride among the courtesans that we do so much good all around. We need to work to earn a living, but we can’t work in fear. It kind of spoils the mood for most, you know?”

  Tabitha could imagine. She patted Stacy’s hand and stood to leave. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this. You can relax, knowing you helped, and I can start building a list of suspects using the ledger. Contact me if you think of anything else, okay?”

  Stacy nodded sincerely as she picked up their empty plates. “I will. Thank you, Ranger.”

  Tabitha tucked the ledger under her arm and took her leave of Stacy. She spent another hour chatting with a few of the courtesans before she made her way back to the ship. The consensus was clear; they were all afraid, and none of them h
ad a clue who was behind the disappearances. This had not turned out to be anything like the assignment she’d imagined when Bethany Anne had sent them out here.

  Hirotoshi and Ryu were nowhere to be seen aboard the Achronyx. She decided to give them a little longer. “Achronyx,” she called as she entered the bridge. There was no reply. “C’mon, quit sulking, Achronyx. I know you’re not switched off, I can feel you at the back of my brain.” She dropped into her captain’s chair and opened the ledger. “I’ve got a mystery for you.”

  Well, I suppose they can’t find me here.

  “Achronyx, are you scared? The dampening field doesn’t affect you. You’re safe.”

  Of course not. I do not have the capacity to feel fear. However, my algorithms for self-preservation are working overtime in this place. The absolute opposite of safeguarding my continued existence would be to announce my presence in a system where I am an illegal entity. I examined the defense system the Empress provided. She wants these people safe, and while the planet’s field cannot harm me, some of the other features in the network can. I will remain here, thank you, Ranger Tabitha.

  Tabitha screwed up her nose. “Yeah, well, it’s discrimination, and it sucks. We need to get out of here for a while.” She closed the ledger with a clap and opened a mental link to Hirotoshi and Ryu. Hirotoshi, where are you guys?

  We are currently engaged in competition, Kemosabe. Do you need us?

  No. I’m going to leave the system to call Bethany Anne. Will you guys be okay for a few hours or do you want me to wait for you to get back here?

  Go ahead. We will be fine, Ryu told her.

  Okay. You two play nice, now. She closed the mental link. “Okay, Achronyx, let’s get our asses out of here so you can breathe easy and I can call Bethany Anne.”

  Achronyx came out of hiding the moment they reached the boundary of the defense system. “Thank you. I know this was not strictly necessary.”

  “Couldn’t have you getting cabin fever,” Tabitha teased. “We can’t stay out here too long, though. I don’t want to leave Hirotoshi and Ryu alone on the station any longer than we have to. Open a secure link to Bethany Anne, please.”

  “Very well,” Achronyx acceded.

  The Empress was somewhat surprised to see her. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you just yet. Did you find out what the issue is?”

  Tabitha threw her hands up. “Which one?”

  Bethany Anne sat forward, instantly concerned. “That bad? Do you need backup?”

  Tabitha shook her head. “No, it’s nothing the three of us—”

  “Four of us. You always forget me,” Achronyx complained.

  Tabitha would have snarked him into submission, but she was still sore about the treatment he’d received on Zaphod. “Four. Sorry, Achronyx. The four of us have got it under control. But Bethany Anne?”

  The Empress tilted her head expectantly.

  Tabitha let it all out in a rush. “This place is weird as all hell. They enforce their tech ban with the tech you gave them. They don’t recognize digital entities as having rights, and they all act freaky. I can’t show you proof because my HUD was disabled at the time, but I met all these monks—”

  “The Order,” Bethany Anne cut in. “Yeah, they do things a little differently there. Was it Silan’s tonsure that did it?”

  Tabitha nodded wide-eyed. “Understatement much? So they sent your communication as normal, or so they said. Personally, I think the Skaine had something to do with it not getting to you.” She shuddered. “I’ve got to ask—did you check this place out before you gave them the planetary defenses?”

  “No, Tabitha, I just had BMW design a defense system for a planet I knew nothing about.” Bethany Anne arched an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

  “I think you must have sent Bobcat to look the place over. Only a drunkard would think this setup is nothing to bat an eye at.” Tabitha shrugged. “What? You asked. Do you know how the Order pays for all the charitable work they do?”

  Bethany Anne waved a hand. “Of course. They have all the entertainments on the station. They pay for everything that way. I liked the idea. Is that not working out?”

  “All except the adult entertainment,” Tabitha expanded. “The courtesans have been vanishing without a trace. Which, added to your missing communication just screams of people trafficking, and oh look, there’s a Skaine in the picture.”

  Bethany Anne pressed her lips together. “It sounds like your deduction is missing a few steps. What makes you think the Skaine is involved?”

  Tabitha huffed in exasperation. “Well, it’s not going to be the harmless human monk. I’m pretty sure he’s too high on good deeds to even think impure thoughts. The Yollin was the same. Nope, my money is on the Skaine.”

  Bethany Anne pursed her lips. “What bet did you all make?”

  “I bet that the Skaine is the bastard doing this. Ryu refused the bet at first, but Hirotoshi took it and went for the human. He’s wrong, though. It’s definitely the Skaine. There’s no such thing as a good Skaine.”

  Bethany Anne shrugged. “I’m inclined to agree. However, you are operating as an ambassador of the law, and you have to act like one. Do you have any proof the Skaine is involved?”

  Tabitha winced. “Well…not yet. But I’ll find it, and I’ll find out what happened to the missing workers.”

  Bethany Anne nodded. “I know you will. I also know that you would never take action without proof.”

  “What do you take me for?” Tabitha leaned in. “And when I’m done, I’m going to have a serious talk with the Order about their prejudices.” Tabitha folded her arms. “Poor Achronyx is too traumatized to even sass me.”

  “That is not true,” Achronyx cut in over the speaker. “You just don’t deserve my snark today.”

  “Aw, Achronyx, that’s sweet,” Tabitha cooed. She put a hand to the side of her mouth and stage-whispered to Bethany Anne, “See, totally out of character. If he were organic, I’d take him to the doctor.”

  Bethany Anne lifted an eyebrow. “Remember what I said about keeping things quiet, Tabitha. I will speak with the Order about making an exception for our EIs, but otherwise, you need to respect their wishes. You are not actually hurt, are you, Achronyx?”

  “No, my Empress,” Achronyx answered sheepishly. “I am simply bored.”

  Bethany Anne nodded. “So suck it up. You’re a big EI. Tabitha, see your assignment through within the strictures of local law, then get your ass home.”

  Tabitha sighed. “You’ve got it.”

  Chapter 4 Tabitha and Nickie

  K’nthel System, Traveler’s Rest, Entertainment Level, Arena Three

  Hirotoshi and Ryu stood back to back in the center of the wide oval and worked a less deadly version of their craft than usual. The crowd bayed as one opponent after another fell at the hands of the ancient Japanese vampires.

  The fighters surrounded them but lost the advantage of numbers when they attacked in twos and threes, which made it easier for the Tontos to defend. Why do they always want to play the big hero? If they all rushed us at once, they’d maybe have a chance. Ryu punched a Yollin in the mandibles, pulling his fist back on the snap before the Yollin bit down. Surely they know they can’t win this way. We’ve been fighting for over an hour now. It’s obvious we’re not going to tire.

  Hirotoshi’s eyes sparkled as he spun and kicked the unknown alien in front of him, then followed through with an elbow to the face of the one who replaced it. This is the best workout we’ve had in a while.

  At least since we broke up that Skaine slave meet, Ryu agreed. I’m getting bored with this. Want to do the wall of death?

  Only if you promise to never tell Tabitha we cut loose like this. I have a reputation to uphold. Hirotoshi chuckled. The fighters appeared to have realized their lone-wolf tactics weren’t working. They are closing in a little. You may do the honors. They rotated a few steps and linked arms, then Hirotoshi lifted Ryu and spun him in a fast circle
. Ryu stamped and kicked his way around the fighters, sending them flying like bowling pins.

  Hirotoshi released Ryu, and they closed in to protect each other once again. The only way to get backstage was to fight and win, and newcomers were expected to lose quickly. The fight boss had seen the potential and thrown everything he had at the Tontos. Consequently, they were surrounded by thirty fighters of varying disciplines and species.

  These odds aren’t exactly fair, Ryu bitched. Only thirty? Where’s the challenge?

  The challenge here is not to kill anyone. Hirotoshi punted the oncoming Yollin into the crowd. He knocked down a pair of burly humans, who promptly dragged the Yollin to his feet and began laying into him.

  True. Shall we end this? Tabitha will be returning soon.

  Hirotoshi agreed, and they stepped up their speed to vampiric levels. The fighters dropped like flies around them faster than the crowd could see. The crowd began to howl and throw their trash into the ring, skating the edge of uproar.

  The referee decided enough was enough and signaled the end of the fight. Of course, there was no way a tinny whistle could be heard above the melee. The klaxon to end all klaxons blared, dropping everyone present to their knees with the ear-splitting noise.

  The fight boss nodded to Hirotoshi and Ryu and waved them over, then handed them an envelope each and patted them on the back. “Great fight. I’d love to talk to you both about becoming regulars here. You know Harry will take good care of you.”

  Hirotoshi didn’t break the human’s hand since that would have been rude and they needed him for the moment. However, if Harry kept referring to himself in the third person, Hirotoshi wasn’t sure he would remain so restrained. “We might consider such an offer if the circumstances were right. Is there somewhere we can clean up before we speak?”

  The boss summoned a young man. “Take these gentlemen to the VIP changing area. Bring them anything they ask for.”

  The kid inclined his head and led Hirotoshi and Ryu through the maze of brightly-lit corridors in the backstage area to a sumptuous suite. “There are robes to wear while your clothing is in the autocleaner,” he told them enthusiastically. “And the bar is stocked with human-friendly food and drinks.” He dipped his head and left them to get settled.