by Lisa Lace
I stared at the screen, trying to interpret the data. The locator chip sent back information every ten minutes. I was looking at a map with flashing lights ranging from faint yellow all the way to dark red, showing where she had been. The brightest yellow indicated her first location and the red dot was a prediction of her current location.
After Emmy left my house, she made her way to the main city street. She made a couple of random stops, then headed directly to the spaceport. She intended to leave the planet.
The thought of her departure triggered a tremor in my heart. Why did that idea make my heart jump? I didn’t know her. It didn’t matter if she was my wife or not.
It seemed that she had moved around the spaceport. The darkest red dots showed her going away from the building again. Apparently she hopped into a car and was heading out onto the nearest freeway. That didn’t make sense. If she was leaving the planet, why would she take a joyride back into the city? The next flight left in less than an hour.
I drew in a sharp breath and set the coordinates of my car to the loop outside the spaceport. Emmy was in trouble.
Chapter Seven
EMMY
I adjusted the scarf, pulling it tighter around my head. I wished I was already on the spaceship. I purchased the scarf as a disguise. There wasn’t a place at the spaceport to buy something which could dramatically alter my appearance. I had no idea whether Abel’s men were still on the planet, but since they knew I was here, it made sense for them to keep watch on the spaceport. How else would I get off this world?
Unfortunately, the scarf itself was a little garish and conspicuous. It hid my hair and most of my face, at least. It would make me harder to spot from a distance.
I hadn’t seen anyone yet, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down. Abel had access to a lot of credits. He could easily pay for a couple of guys to watch the spaceport for a few days.
Morley and I had known Abel for a long time. There was a time when Abel followed the unwritten rules and played the game correctly. But as his wealth increased, he began to think rules didn’t apply to him. Once he had enough money, Abel wasn't interested in credits any longer. He turned his attention to the acquisition of ancient objects.
Once he revealed that his goal was to amass a collection so vast that three blocks of warehouses couldn’t hold it all. He was going to put everything on display for his eyes only. He claimed he had nothing else in his life.
Abel loved the hunt, tracking down clues and figuring out puzzles constructed to hide precious artifacts and keep them away from people like himself. The thrill of the hunt was what made his sorry life worthwhile to him.
I sighed and shifted from one foot to the other. I wondered if it was bad luck to think about Abel before I was safely away from his men. If I could get on this ship, I could catch the shuttle to Sector 72. I could easily get a ride to Heralla on a private spaceship from there, leaving no digital trace for Abel’s men to follow.
As long as I could arrive with enough of a head start, I could retrieve the ladle and bring it to the authorities. I was steps away from freedom, only one person away from getting on the spaceship, when I felt two men flank me. One was blond. The other had a square jaw.
“Hey there,” a blond man said in a soft voice. “Take off the scarf, pretty lady. Let us see your face.”
I felt fear gnawing at my stomach. I was sure Abel’s men surrounded me. “I have a scar. I’d rather keep my face private, if you don’t mind.”
“If we get her back to our room, she can take off more than just her scarf. The boss said she had to be alive. He wouldn’t mind if we played with her a little.”
“I get her first,” the blond man said, whispering so he wouldn’t attract attention.
“No way. I’m not getting seconds after you. Me first.”
“We’ll share her, then. She has three holes. Plenty of room for both of us.”
The jackasses started laughing. I ignored them, thinking about how I could get out of here.
Making a scene might get them arrested, but it might not either. I had seen police officers turn and look the other way while Abel’s men beat a guy and made him disappear. His money put him out of the law’s reach. It was even possible they already paid off the spaceport security. Something had made them bold enough to come up to me in the middle of the line.
As an alternative, I could let them take me and have them think I had given up. Once they thought I was docile, I could pull out the weapon I took from Ven. I wondered if it was possible to steal from your husband. Didn’t I own half of everything now?
They would take me somewhere, thinking they could use my body. I would stun them and run away. I put my hand into my pocket, reassuring myself the weapon was still there. I had previously set it to the highest level before a lethal shot. I didn’t want to kill anyone if I didn’t have to.
“I’ll go with you.” It didn’t take much effort to sound terrified. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“Don’t be scared, sweetie. It isn’t going to hurt. You’re going to be begging for more.”
“It might hurt if we both take her together.”
I tried not to vomit at the thought.
“Abel’s got a private ship flying in here with more people, but it will take a while for it to arrive. There’s plenty of time for some afternoon delight back at the hotel room. When the spaceship arrives, we’ll get on the shuttle, and you’ll show us the ladle of mystery. Once the boss man’s got his stupid spoon, maybe he’ll give me some time off.”
I tried to convince myself that I had the upper hand. We wouldn’t make it to the hotel.
“Let’s go right now.” The blond man was getting excited. I tried to keep calm and notice the details around me. It was often the smallest things that could make a big difference.
He bumped into me, his hand squeezing my breast as he turned me around. They kept me trapped between them all the way out of the spaceport, leading me into a waiting car. The blond guy leaned forward to set the destination while the other man started feeling me up. The car pulled away from the curb, and I struggled to remain calm. Would I even get a chance to go for the gun?
The guy with the square jaw pressed something onto my upper arm. I tried to wipe it off, but it dissolved into my skin before I could do anything. I didn’t have time to figure out what he had done because I was beginning to realize I was in big trouble. Tomorrow’s problems would have to take care of themselves.
“You know something? We don’t have to wait until we get to the hotel. These windows are tinted.” He called out a command to make the glass dark so no one could see in. “She can start with a blow job.”
He began unbuckling his pants. I realized I had miscalculated. I thought I would have more time. The blond man sat back and without any warning, pulled my shirt over my head. I was left sitting between them wearing only a bra on top. At least it was a sports bra.
“Nice tits,” the blond guy said. Square Jaw was struggling with his zipper, which seemed to be stuck.
“Hold her right there.” After a minute, Square Jaw was finally able to unzip his pants. Getting dressed must have been a challenge for him in the morning.
I knew I had to act now, or it would be too late to change anything. I pulled out the gun and fired at Pants Impaired, who slumped back. The blond guy was so surprised that he didn’t react right away. I’m not sure he even knew what happened.
I aimed the gun at the blond man, ready to test my luck again. Before I could fire, he knocked it out of my hand. I jumped toward the door and was about to open it when he moved in front of me and slammed it shut.
Shit.
He grabbed the gun and pointed it at me.
“Turn around slowly and I won’t shoot you. It doesn’t matter to me either way, though. A woman doesn’t have to be conscious to get fucked.” His tone was conversational.
What a bastard.
I turned, trying to figure out my next move as I rotated. I didn’t want
to get shot. Even if the gun was set to stun, it could still damage my nervous system. After being hit, people often found they couldn’t walk or they lost control over their arms. I shuddered at the thought.
Another problem was that his gun might be set to lethal.
He was holding all the cards. I cursed myself for wasting my opportunity. I leaned against the door. I didn’t want to give up, but I already felt defeated. If I couldn’t even get off the planet, there was no way I was going to be able to get all the way to Heralla.
Unbidden, I heard Morley’s voice in my head, just as I had heard it many times in life.
“You won’t get anything by telling yourself you can’t. Whatever you tell yourself, your mind will try to make a reality. Fill your head with things that will help you, not hinder you.”
He always thought I was too negative. Maybe I was. Thinking about Morley made me put my chin up and look at the bastard in the eye. I was in a tight situation now, but I would get out of it.
“What now, sweetheart?” he said. “Are you going to come with me willingly or do I have to drag you away to have some fun?”
The lowest setting on the gun made people temporarily frozen. Much later, when they had regained the ability to move, their mind was groggy. A man must have designed the weapon. No one had realized they had created the perfect gun for rapists.
“Don’t shoot me. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“That’s quite a change of heart. I’m not sure I believe you. You killed my friend.”
“He’s not dead.” I crossed my arms over my barely-covered breasts and rolled my eyes.
“When I checked him, he wasn’t breathing.” He looked scared but had a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“A near-fatal stunning can cause a person to go into a practically catatonic state. The breathing rate slows down so much that you might not be able to see it. It doesn’t mean he’s dead.”
“Is something the matter with you? You sound like a textbook!”
I shrugged. I had memorized some weapons specifications for a previous search. That was one thing that held my interest.
“You should check his pulse.”
He slowly reached down to feel his companion’s neck. I waited for an opportunity. When he dropped his eyes for a moment, trying to find the correct spot, I had my chance. His gun shifted and pointed in a different direction. Even if he fired his weapon the same instant I moved, it wouldn’t hit me.
I lunged forward and smashed his hand, trying to either grab the gun or knock it away. He cursed, firing wildly. The blast missed me and hit the door. Something buzzed, and the aroma of burnt plastic filled the room. The idiot had fried the door shut.
We struggled against each other, both trying to get the gun. Then a thought occurred to me. What if he hadn’t sealed the door shut but only damaged the computer controlling the lock? Even if the door wouldn’t automatically open, the physical door handle might still work.
Of course, we were still speeding down a highway. Opening the door would lead to another set of problems.
The screen on my computer blinked, and I read a message, quickly twisting my forearm so my assailant couldn’t see it. I stopped trying to grab the gun and felt around in a search for the door mechanism. When I found the handle, I pulled on it and the door opened. The wind rushed in, filling the vehicle with noise. It was a good thing my hair was tied back, or I wouldn’t have been able to see anything. As it was, a few loose strands of my hair blew around wildly.
“What are you doing?” He didn’t even try to grab me. “Are you crazy?”
“Maybe.” I turned away and jumped out of the moving vehicle into traffic.
Chapter Eight
EMMY
Before I jumped, I evaluated the distance between the two cars. Ven’s message to me said to open the door. There weren’t any additional instructions, but what else could I do except jump? As long as the car next to me kept an even speed, I thought I could make it.
I hoped there weren’t any intersections ahead.
The distance between the two cars was small. The computers allowed them to drift much closer together than a biological driver could. I thought it was about two feet to the next car. Even though I didn’t have far to jump, we were still speeding down the freeway. If I missed, I was as good as dead.
I didn’t stop to think. I took a moment to envision myself landing safely and jumped, sailing through the air. I knew I was moving quickly, but during the time I was airborne everything seemed to slow down. When I tumbled through the open door of the other car, I crashed and fell into a heap.
Ven closed the door behind me immediately and told the car to move in a different direction. The vehicle shifted into another lane and exited the freeway. We were now driving on a road leading back to the spaceport.
It felt good to lie on the bottom of the car floor. I was still trying to make myself believe I was safe. My only regret was not getting to see the look on the blond guy’s face. I missed it because I was focused on staying alive by jumping between two cars racing down a twenty-lane freeway.
“Emmy? Are you all right?” he asked, putting his hands on my shoulders and shaking me a little. His purple stripe seemed darker than before, and I wondered what made it change color.
I nodded, hoping I seemed calm.
All the fear of the past few days hit me at once, and I started to shake uncontrollably. I saw him search my face. It was easy to get lost in his eyes. Without warning, he pulled me into a tight embrace.
I surprised myself when I let him. I had never been held by a man before. My mom raised me. She was an only child, and her friends were all women. I had never had a real boyfriend, except Christopher. He was all about making out, not hugging.
I had no idea it could be such a pleasant experience.
My eyes closed and my arms moved by themselves, wrapping themselves around his waist. I buried my head into his chest and enjoyed the feeling of something bigger than myself.
His chest felt firm under my cheek. I loved how his arms held me closely like he was worried about me. Did he care for me? It seemed impossible because we had just met. I drew in a deep breath and let it out. The stress and tension left my body as his presence comforted me.
It felt good and safe. The sensation was so much like home that it scared me. The memory made my mind begin to function again, and I sat up, pulling away.
I smiled at him. Would he know that meant thank you? I sat back on the seats of the car. Ven turned to look at me directly. “Emmy, what are you doing?”
“Leaving?” I said hopefully.
“Why? We just got married. I wanted to get to know you.” He glanced out of the window for a moment and looked at me again. “I thought you were going to stay.”
“I married you because I thought I could do you a favor. It’s nothing personal. I’ve helped you out, but I have a list of things to do for work. I’m sure you wouldn’t be interested in it.”
“Does your work usually involved being kidnapped?”
Shit. “My job can be dangerous sometimes.”
“What’s the job? You should be able to explain that, at least. Are you ex-military?” Ven had an odd expression on his face.
“No way.” I laughed at his misunderstanding. “Not that kind of dangerous.”
“If you could give me a kernel of truth, it would explain a lot.”
“I’ve been honest. I told you everything I said would be the truth. There were some things I don’t feel comfortable talking about.”
“You said you’d see me in the morning.” He looked unhappy. “That seems deceptive, at the least.”
“Not really. I’m seeing you right now,” I pointed out.
“Why did you climb out the window instead of using the door?”
“I didn’t want you to know when I left. I thought using the window would make it harder for you to find me.”
“That seems reasonable, but you should have read up about Stalwart's weapon lic
ensing regulations. If you didn’t want anyone to locate you, it was a mistake to take a gun with a built-in tracking chip. I wish I could have been here sooner.”
“I would have figured something out. I always find a way. No worries.”
“No worries?” He said the words in an intimidating tone. His purple stripe nearly became black. I shifted away from him, not wanting to take the brunt of an outburst. “I think they were going to kill you, Emmy. They were trying to kidnap you, weren’t they?”
He looked at me for confirmation. I thought about their threats and shuddered. “You’re half-right. They were going to take me somewhere against my will.” I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “But they won’t kill me.”
“How do you know that?”
“They have to keep me alive. I have some information they need.”
He shook his head. “It better be information that can save the galaxy, that’s all I have to say.”
“It’s complicated, and it’s not your problem. If you could let me take care of a few issues, I could return and pose as your wife for a while, if that would help you out.”
“That’s not how it works. We have to live together and be together. If you go off somewhere for some undetermined time, the executors will assume I only married you to keep my uncle’s fortune.”
“That’s remarkably perceptive,” I murmured.
He made a face at me. “They’ll declare the marriage a sham, and the entire exercise will have been pointless.” His voice sounded like he was losing hope. Part of me felt bad that I was deserting him in a time of need. But I had no reason to help him any longer.
“I’m sorry, Ven. I wish I could help you more. Would it help if you faked my death?”
When the words left my mouth, blasts of laser fire hit the side of the car, making it start to swerve wildly on the empty back road. Abel’s men were back, and they meant business. Maybe Ven wouldn’t have to fake my death after all.
VEN
Emmy was nuts. Why would she want to fake her death? I had a good plan, and she had blown it to pieces with a single crazy jump.
