by Lora Leigh
HE IS MALE THEREFORE…
Copyright Shadoe Simmons (Lora Leigh) 1999
She walked into the little bar as though she owned it. Her head held high, her cold eyes going over the occupants as she searched for one in particular. Dark, cold brown eyes, Kregar thought, in a face as beautiful as an angels.
Merinus Drako wasn’t just beautiful, she was uniquely beautiful. Her body was lean, tall and shapely, but he knew from experience that there was strength in the compact muscles beneath her skin. Her face was pale and perfect, her mouth a sweetly curved bow made for a smile, yet had never seen one. The cold eyes are a golden brown, tilted a bit at the corners beneath slight wing shaped brows.
She was dressed in the black figure hugging pants of a League Tracker. Her long legs shapely beneath the material, her feet encased in ankle high leather boots. She wore a plain black blouse tucked into the pants, instead of the typical white blouse with a League insignia.
She looked dangerous with her black hair pulled back in a long straight tail, and the leather utility and weapon belt strapped to her hips. She was dangerous and he knew it.
He didn’t help her for profit, because he knew there was very little capital in it. He helped her out of fear, because she was the best, and with a word she could have his life.
Merinus was a Tracker. The best the government owned. Her rate of success was unprecedented by any other Tracker in the League. When she accepted a contract it became the center of her attention, of her existence. She was relentless, merciless on a hunt.
It was because she was cold. Stone cold to the bottom of her black little soul, Kreger thought. She had no warmth, no life, no compassion outside her job. She might have been a robot, but he had it on the highest authority that she had been seen bleeding once, a very long time ago.
Knowing all this, he still couldn’t help the edge of respect and liking he had for her. It was confusing, and caused him several sleepless nights, but there it was, she terrified him, but he actually liked her.
“Hiding from me again, Kregar?” Merinus pulled out the chair across from him and sat down gracefully and she frowned at him. “I’ve had a hell of a time tracking you down this week.”
He knew the patient, gentle sound of her voice meant trouble. He might like her, but he sure as hell hated it when he had to talk to her.
“I just received your message a while ago.” he took a quick drink of the ale to fortify his courage. “I’ve been away for the last week.”
“Away, or avoiding me.” her eyes narrowed, and he swallowed tightly. “I haven’t enjoyed cooling my heels on this miserable little planet waiting on you.”
She was angry at him. He could see it in the cold, hard stare she gave him.
“Away.” he tried for a casual shrug as he lifted his mug once again, but casual wasn’t easy with his hands shaking so hard.
Damn, he wished he had been away, maybe he could have escaped this meeting.
“Just away, huh?” her lips tilted with the slightest mocking smile.
“Funny, I heard you were hiding up in that dingy little apartment you try to rent. I was heading there when I heard you were seen sneaking in here.”
He had tried sneaking into the bar when he received the tip that she was heading to his apartment.
“I wasn’t sneaking.” he could feel the sweat gathering along his back, and above his brow. “I was gettin’ ready to send you a message soon as I finished my drink. I swear.”
“Sure you were.” he didn’t like the way her eyes stared into him as though she could see his lies.
“I was.” he lowered his eyes, hoping she was in a good mood today and wouldn’t try to tear his throat out for hiding from her.
She shrugged as though the lie didn’t matter. “That’s okay I have you now.” he really didn’t like the way she phrased it, or the rapid jolt of fear it shot through him.
His eyes shot to hers. “Have me?” he whispered, “What do you mean? What do you want with me?”
“I want some info Kregar.” she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms beneath her breasts as she got straight to the point. “You heard anything about the Rebellions leader, Callan? I’m looking for him.”
Kregar nearly whimpered in fear. If there was one person on the face of the universe that he feared more than he feared Merinus, then it was Callan.
“Damn, you wanna get me killed don’t you, Meri?” he slunk down in his chair as fear threatened to get the best of him. “He aint around here. That’s all I know.”
He could feel the trembling that began in his gut. With a single word, she was signing his death warrant, if anyone else had heard her.
“Come on, Kregar.” she leaned forward, clasping her hands before her on the table. “You have info, so give it to me.”
“I don’t know nothin’, Meri.” he shook his head, lowering his voice as he looked around in fear, praying no one had heard the name. “I swear, I don’t know nothin’ about him.”
A slender black brow arched knowingly.
“ You hear it all.” her voice was soft and patient, a dangerous sign. “Stop lying to me and tell me the truth.”
“No one tells me nothin’ no more.” he shook his head. “They know you hassle me, Meri.”
“Hassle you?” she smiled sweetly, and his stomach clenched. “Kregar, when do I ever hassle you?”
“Meri, I swear I don’t know nothin’ about him.” he shook his head desperately as his voice lowered to a near whisper. “No one sees him, no one knows where he is. If I had heard, I would have already told you.”
“Would you?” her voice was growing dangerously soft, and his hands shook harder. “Why don’t I believe you, Kregar?”
“No look Meri, I’ve always told you honest.” he whispered desperately. “I don’t lie to you, I know better. I don’t know where that one is. He stays hid, every Tracker in the League wants him and he knows it.”
“What about a mate?” she asked him. “Who is she? Where can I find her? Any little cubs running around?”
“No mate.” he shook his head. “Everyone knows he swore not to take one when he escaped the League scientists. No mate, no cubs, you know that Meri.”
His eyes met hers, his breath hitching in his throat as she continued to stare at him quietly.
“I have his contract, Kregar.” she told him coldly. “I want him.”
He cursed silently. Dammit, he didn’t want a part of this. He sure as hell didn’t want to be dragged in between them. Callan would savage anyone who got between him and his quest for freedom for his people. Kregar did not want to be a casualty.
“You don’t want no part of him, Meri.” he leaned forward as he fought to make her understand. “You’re good. You’re the best, but he’s better, and he’s savage enough to make it stick. He’ll destroy you, do you understand that?” Damn, he wished he was the more callous sort. He could just send her to him, and watch her blood fly. It was a bitch, liking this one.
“Why Kregar, I didn’t know you cared.” that sweet curve of her lips had him blinking and moving back quickly. It wasn’t quick enough to avoid the long, graceful fingers that gripped his windpipe tightly.
As he gasped for air, she pulled him across the table, until they were nose to nose, her eyes staring relentlessly into his.
“No you listen to me you little rat.” she sneered. “You’re lying and I know it. I want to know where he is, and how to get to him, and I suggest you start talking now.”
His hands gripped her arm, his strangled pleas mere gurgles
trapped in his throat.
Just as quickly as she grabbed him, she release him, throwing him back into his chair with a careless twist of her wrist.
“I sw
ear...” he wheezed desperately, swallowing painful now and losing a bit of those more tender feelings he had for her moments ago.
“I don’t know. I swear I don’t know...”
“Save it.” she rose from her chair and stared down at him in disgust.
“I’ll be sure to give him your regards when I do find him.”
“God, no Meri.” he whimpered weakly. “I don’t know nothin’. I been honest with you, I swear.”
“Not this time, Kregar.” she said softly. “And this one was more important than the others.”
She turned and walked leisurely out of the bar, her head held high, her back straight. Kregar breathed roughly, fighting the panic rising inside him as she left the building. As he watched her disappear through the doorway, he began rethinking his reluctance to see her dead.
Damn, from the sound of it, she wanted Callan bad. He had seen her intense over a contract more than once, but this went beyond her usual dedication to her job.
From the far corner, the shadows shifted, a figure rose from his seat and began to walk slowly across the room. He was dressed as any other miner on the small colony in the rough cotton pants, and long black cape. But the eyes that stared at him from beneath the hood were anything but ordinary. Kregar shook his head. Damn, this just wasn’t his day.
The figure walked slowly past him, the whispered words as he paused at the table were a direct order.
Kregar trembled from head to foot, and he silently counted the minutes before he rose from his chair as well, and headed up the stairs that the shrouded figure had taken.
“My name was mentioned, Kregar.” the rough, purring quality of the voice was filled with menace as Kregar reach the top of the stairs.
From an opened doorway he glanced into the room, and saw Callan watching him coldly. Kregar entered the room slowly, closing the door behind him.
“She’s looking for you.” he swallowed tightly. “I didn’t tell her nothin’, I swear.”
Callan nodded as he rose from the edge of the bed he had been sitting on, he walked to the window, looking out of broken wooden slats with interest.
“She knows you’re lying to her. You must be losing your edge.” he gestured to the window, and Kregar walked over slowly.
From the gap in the slats, he watched as Meri gave a large force of soldiers orders. She stared at the Inn as she did so, a smug smile on her face.
“She’s good, Callan.” he whispered. “She’s tough too.”
“Not really.” the lazy humor in the voice had Kregar’s stomach slowly settling. Callan wasn’t mad at him, that was all that mattered.
Meri would blast his brains on the wall, but it would be quick and painless. Callan could put a world of hurt on him, and make him beg for death.
“Don’t let it fool you, just cause she’s a woman...”
“Women are by far the superior of the species, Kregar, it would pay you to remember that. That’s why she makes such an excellent hunter. Her instincts are excellent. She knew I was there, knew I was watching her.” the was an edge of respect, of curiosity in his voice.
Damn. Kregar’s stomach tightened once again.
“She’ll kill me.” he sighed.
“No she won’t, or she would have done so downstairs.” Callan informed him thoughtfully as he continued to stare at the street below.
“She’s been here a week already, why haven’t you left?” Kregar questioned him. “You knew she was after you, didn’t you?”
“Of course.” Callan turned back to him with a smile. “The contract has been out for years, Kregar, it was just a matter of time before she decided to take up the challenge.”
“So why are you still here?” the question was redirected at him.
Kregar knew that if he lived to be a hundred, he would never understand some mens need to jump into the thick of a fight. Callan refused to run, and save the fight for another day.
“Perhaps I just enjoy the challenge.” broad shoulders shrugged as he turned back to the window and stared down at the street once again.
“Just as she does.”
Kregar shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. He didn’t need this, his life was upsetting enough without Merinus and Callan making things harder on him.
“What will you do now?” Kregar finally asked. “I know you, you have something planned.”
“I always have something planned.” he was told softly. “ I’ll take care of Merinus Drako myself, that is if the assassin doesn’t get to her first.”
“Assassin?” Kregar glanced towards the window, surprised.
“Who put out a contract on Meri?”
“Who wouldn’t want to.” the thin mouth tilted into a sarcastic smile.
“In this case, the League has suddenly decided they can do without her family on the council board. Her father is now on the run, as are several other League council members. Three were killed last night.”
“Damn.” Kregar muttered, running his fingers through his short red hair. “That’s bad. Meri really likes her dad. Real close to him.”
He remembered years back, hearing how close they were. One of her contracts had tried taking him hostage to get her off him. It hadn’t worked, but Kregar heard it had really pissed her off.
“She’s shouldn’t be my problem for much longer.” Callan turned from the window and shrugged back into his cape. “If she gets out of that mess, then I will take care of her.”
Kregar shook his head. He wasn’t certain why, but he knew he would have to try to warn her. He liked Meri, she was honest, and didn’t kill for sport as many of the Trackers now did. He just wondered how he could manage to do it, and still keep his own skin.
She had one last meeting, then she could head back to the cruiser and take a much needed nap. She probably should have taken care it before meeting with Kregar, but the little rat had been avoiding her all week. It had been a mere stroke of luck that she had learned he had been seen sneaking into the back of the bar.
Not that the meeting had gone exactly as planned. It seemed there was something Kregar feared more than he feared her. She was amused at the small pinch of jealousy she felt over that.
She turned the corner into one of the little, dirty back streets of the mining town, and came to an abrupt halt. She would have found her surprise amusing had some part of her not been expecting this all along. That bad feeling in the pit of her stomach was never wrong.
“Why Kyle.” she tried for a friendly smile, but was afraid it was more a snarl as she faced the League assassin. “What are doing here?”
She looked around, and managed to sight over half her squad backing him in the narrow little street. If she wasn’t mistaken, there would be several behind her as well.
Kyle’s handsome features held a shade of regret as he shook his black head at her. “This is going to be easier than I thought it would be.”
“What did you expect?” she arched her brow at him mockingly. “I’m not psychic.”
“That’s surprising.” he smiled just slightly. “I always imagined you were.”
She glanced around at the soldiers who had accompanied her on her trip, supposed support, she sneer silently.
“So, is it a League hit, or something personal?” she sighed. “I was unaware I had made an enemy of you.” She had always respected him in some odd way, even cold blooded killers had a few good points.
“I believe it’s League business, my dear.” he raised his weapon, a lethal black nerve disseminator. Damn, that would hurt. Those little babies weren’t made for quick kills, but rather painful ones.
“And did the League choose your weapon for you?” she asked him on a sigh. “Hell, I thought we were friends. The least I deserve is a quick kill.”
“That you do.” he nodded, “but as you suspect, the League chose the weapon.”
“Want to tell me why?” she was thinking furiously, praying to distract him long enough to come up with at le
ast one viable avenue of escape.
“I’m not really certain why.” he shrugged as though it didn’t really matter to him. “Who have you pissed off recently?”
“Plenty.” she sighed, knowing this was not going to be an easy one to get out of. If he managed a direct hit with that weapon, her nerves were going to fry. It wasn’t a pleasant way to go.
Then there were the soldiers with their lasers drawn, and she was certain each weapon was set at its maximum power.
