Pierce nodded. “Working on it.”
“Work faster, idiot.”
Pierce chuckled at that.
“What’s so funny?” Rodrigo’s eyes narrowed.
“Nothing,” Pierce said. “It’s just that a friend used to call me that all the time. ‘Idiot.’ I’ve come to like it.”
Rodrigo just rolled his eyes and refilled his mug. He retook his seat and stared off into the distance, occasionally stealing a glance back at Pierce.
The tension was interrupted by Letha’s arrival. “What’s all the fun about?” she asked.
“Your new pet,” Brink said, still laughing. “He says he’s an Interstellar Agent.
“So ridiculous,” Kale added.
“Who would leave behind a job like that for one here?” Aisha asked, spitting her drink out in between laughs.
Letha’s eyes bored into Pierce. “Uh-huh. Who the fuck would do such a thing?”
Pierce frowned and hung his head.
“Noob,” Letha ordered, “pour my drink.”
Pierce levered up off the ground and crept to the keg. He filled a mug for her but kept his eyes peeled. He gave it to her with both hands.
She downed the first cup with one gulp, like her loyal followers. “Another,” she demanded.
The others were no longer laughing at this point. They knew this was some kind of test.
Pierce obeyed and refilled her cup. He handed it to her once more.
This time, instead of drinking it, Letha raised the mug above Pierce’s head, tilted it over, and poured it out. The liquid dripped down his face, stinging his eyes.
“Would an Agent let a killer like me do this?” she asked mockingly, and smiled.
Brink, Aisha, and Kale burst out laughing in tears again, but Rodrigo kept glancing back and forth between Letha and Pierce.
Pierce had revealed much more to Letha. If the others knew what he’d shared with her, they wouldn’t have thought of his story as a joke. They would have known it was true. Which meant she knew. She was assuaging any concern that he was telling the truth. She was supporting his lie. That meant she had something to gain from helping him. Pierce just needed to find out what that was and attempt to provide it so that he could have a shot at her help, too.
“Enough with the fairy tales,” Letha ordered. “Anytime we’re not fighting to the death is a time we should be enjoying ourselves and not worrying.”
She then pushed Pierce aside and lowered her voice. “We have more to discuss come morning. Meanwhile, time for a little fun.”
On cue, the others began undressing. They showed no inhibition.
As the Noob, he was afraid of what they might require of him, but he’d come this far. He thought of his missing wife. He thought of the lessons Dregg had tried to teach him. He began undressing as well.
Before he could even get his clothes all the way off, Aisha had crawled over to him and ripped his shirt open. Within seconds, she was clawing at his chest and licking his neck like some kind of crazed and wild animal.
“No foreplay, huh?” Pierce said. “Just dive right in?”
“Shut up,” Aisha hissed, as she dug her teeth into his lips. “You jabber too much.”
“Force of habit. I’m into dirty talk.”
“Dirty talk is fine, but you’re just rambling.”
She yanked his pants off, revealing his bulge. At the sight, the side of her mouth curled up in pleasure and anticipation. “Never mind,” she said. “You can talk all you want. I’m going to get mine.”
“Oh good, because I could use some more warming up. Ease into it, you know.”
By then, Aisha had already sucked him into her mouth. As the moist warmth enveloped him, Pierce lost his train of thought. All he could do was wonder how the fuck she could fit it all in so quickly. Even that thought disappeared as his erection grew. He took in the sight of flesh and bodies pressed together. Kale’s fingers were gently pinching Letha’s nipples and Nurse had Aero’s cock in her mouth. Pierce was finally beginning to understand what Dregg meant about sex being currency here. Lost in ecstasy, none of them were thinking about what Pierce had shared regarding his mission.
Aisha’s hands caressed Pierce. Before long, there was more than one set of hands on him, touching every part of his body. Rather than show he was new to this, he decided to close his eyes and pretend he was overwhelmed with pleasure. This became a reality as he became more and more aroused. In the throes of passion and lust, Pierce could no longer tell who was touching him, or whom he was grasping. Only that everything felt divine. He had no idea he would even like something like this. His little robot harem was enjoyable, but these people were real, not just programmed. This was different and incredibly arousing.
Then it happened. As tingling warmth spread along his legs, his muscles tensed. He was moaning, biting his lip, eyes closed, and his seed painted Aisha’s thighs. He had blown his load far too early.
There were a couple groans, and he knew they knew he was a rookie when it came to orgies. It didn’t matter. The party continued. Pierce mostly watched as the others attended to each other, knowing exactly what to do, with experienced hands. Pierce felt envious and wishing he’d been more open before. He could have lasted longer and returned the favor.
Pierce woke to a tongue licking his balls. Rather than open his eyes, see who it was, and accidentally express the wrong reaction, he kept his eyes closed and moaned with pleasure.
His moans were followed by laughter and snickering, though, prompting him to sit up and look around.
Rodrigo crouched nearby, but he wasn’t licking anyone’s balls. He was just holding a small knife atop his legs and staring at Pierce. Nor was there anyone else around. Pierce was hesitant, afraid of what he might find slurping at his cock. Once he mustered the courage, he forced himself to look. A fark was down between his legs. Farks appeared to be a cross between a bullfrog and a squirrel, with snake-like scales and a bushy tail. Harmless, according to Dregg, but they had a nasty nature about them. After eating, they’d vomit up their shit. Since their mouth was their asshole, they had an assmouth or a mouthass, depending on perspective.
Pierce cringed and backhanded the fark, flinging it ten feet away. The little thing had the gall to scowl and hiss at Pierce, as if it had been an affront to reject its overtures. Pierce just picked up a piece of bark and flung it at the little creature, causing it to scamper into the brush.
“Best rimjob in the universe,” Rodrigo teased. “Should have let the little critter finish. You would have enjoyed the climax.”
“I’ll pass,” Pierce said, embarrassed. “Wanna tell me why you’re creeping on me while I sleep?”
Rodrigo sneered. “I’ll creep where I want to creep, when I want, and how I want.”
Pierce sighed. “We’ll leave this for another day when I’m better armed,” he said. “For now, what’s your deal? Why do you keep giving me the eye?”
“You’re a liar.”
“That’s the truth, but what do you want?”
“I want you to give me a reason for sparing you or killing you.”
“Uh, how about there’s no need to kill a random person whose death won’t give you any credits or points?”
“You could be a snake. A traitor from Fireshot’s camp.”
“I got here on Reckoning Day. You were there for it.”
“No, we found you during the ambush away from the recruit arrival,” Rodrigo said. “You could be simply pretending to be new.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Pierce said. “I do not need this right now. At this point, I’d prefer it if you just get on with it and stuck your rusty dagger in my stomach. I can’t take another minute of your melodrama.”
Rodrigo scowled. “But then, if you are who you say you are, I wouldn’t get what I really want.”
Pierce realized Rodrigo had fallen for his bluff. The guy had even opened up about why he was really so interested in him. “Huh,” Pierce said. “Guess not.” But instea
d of pushing further, Pierce stood and began to nose around to see if anyone had killed some wildlife for breakfast. All this fucking had made him famished. “I could really go for some eggs and bacon right now.”
“Don’t you even want to hear what I’m proposing?” Rodrigo asked.
“Nope,” Pierce said, and scampered up the hill to see if anyone else was awake. No luck.
Rodrigo had followed him. “You’re going to listen to what I have to say, one way or another.”
Pierce spun around, shoulders slumped in annoyance. “Fine. Fucking go for it. Just spit it out, so I can decide if this is worth putting off breakfast.”
“I need to get a message to—”
Just then, Letha emerged from her tent, stretched her arms and legs, revealing her incredibly taut and luscious form. Both men stopped and stared. With a cough, she cleared her throat and took in the morning air. In response to a strange scent, her nose crinkled up, and she sniffed again.
“‘The fuck?” she asked, disgusted. “Who’s been letting a fark lick them?”
Rodrigo chortled and pointed at Pierce.
“Really?” Letha said, eyeing Pierce. “Do you really want pink eye?”
“No,” Pierce shook his head. “I was sleeping.”
Letha grimaced and glanced at Rodrigo and his drawn knife. “Okay, cool,” Letha said. “Anyway, don’t. Only lone wolves and weirdoes let the wildlife do that. It’s creepy. So as long as you’re aligned with me, just no.” She shuddered. “And Rodrigo…”
“Yes, milady.”
“First, never call me that again. Second, as soon as you’re done deciding if you want to fuck him, help him, or kill him, send him into my tent,” Letha commanded. “I have unfinished business with the Noob.”
Letha bent back into her tent and out of sight, leaving Pierce alone with Rodrigo again.
“You were saying?” Pierce said.
“Forget it, I don’t believe you’re capable.”
“Oh, fuck off. Reverse psychology bullshit is for idiots. Come out with it.”
“Promise not to tell the others what I ask for?”
Pierce saw Rodrigo in a new light when he said that. All this puffed-up demeanor and overcompensating was a means of survival. He felt some sympathy for the other man. “Yeah,” Pierce said. “I fucking promise.”
“I was ashamed at first, for wanting to come here. But now, there’s no way I could live any other life. This is home. I just want my family back on Earth to know that I’m happy. It’s not the kind of thing you can say over a viewer, or in the middle of a battle when the cameras are rolling. I only want them to stop worrying about me.”
Pierce marched over and reached out his hand. “It’s a promise. I’ll do it.”
Rodrigo shook his hand, a social norm he likely hadn’t performed since arriving. “And in return?”
“In return?” Pierce asked. “I was going to do it because it’s the right thing to do, but if you have something to offer, all the better.”
“I’m hearing rumors that you’re searching for your missing wife. I may know how you can find her.”
“Wow,” Pierce said. “Not bad. Whatcha got?”
“Show me her picture, and I’ll tell you what I know.”
“That’s risky. You could just go and take her hostage. Maybe use her as bait or try to sell her to me.”
“Good idea. That’s much better than what I was thinking. I’ll go with that instead.”
“Now just wait a goddamn minute,” Pierce said. “I didn’t mean that. Don’t do that.”
Rodrigo snickered. “Show me a picture of her already, so you can go pleasure the Queen Bee.”
“Fine. Here.” He swiped at his wristband, and an image appeared. A kind-looking woman. She had both wise eyes and a youthful face. A button nose. Luscious lips. Long, curly red hair.
Rodrigo’s eyes went wide. His mouth gaped.
Pierce took notice. “You’ve seen her?”
Rodrigo stumbled back and almost tripped over his own feet. “I don’t know, maybe,” he muttered.
“That’s bullshit!” Pierce shouted. “Where is she?”
“If I t-tell you, I, if I tell,” he stuttered. “W-what if she doesn’t want to be found?”
Pierce took a deep breath and forcibly relaxed his aggressive posture. “Then I’ve come a long way for nothing, but at least I’ll know the truth.”
“You’d leave her alone?”
Pierce’s face crumpled a little, but then he regained control. “What good is being with someone who doesn’t want to be with you?”
“Not all people see it that way.”
“Tell me about it.”
“These factions, these clans,” Rodrigo said, as his eyes roamed Letha’s camp, “they don’t understand that. They think lone wolves are unwanted or incapable of joining a camp. That’s not always true. Most of us just want to be left alone. Every second I spend here is torture for me. The sounds, the smells, their constant needling. All I want is silence. And they don’t get that.”
“I do, trust me,” Pierce said. “I don’t feel that way, but I get it. To be honest, the more time I spend on this planet, the more I question if I’ll ever fit in back home.”
Rodrigo nodded, pleased with what Pierce had said. “All right then,” Rodrigo said. “I’ll tell you. I can’t say for certain, but I believe the reason you haven’t seen her all over the viewers is that she’s like me. Out there, alone. Hiding in the neutral territories, surviving off the land. The girl I met who looked like your wife didn’t want to kill. I watched this girl fight against a straggler, a survivor from Reckoning Day. He’d picked a fight with her. This girl defeated him, crushed his skull with a rock. But she didn’t enjoy it. She didn’t fight for points. She puked. Hurled all over the ground. So I helped her. She was skittish at first, but she came around when she realized I was helping her so she wouldn’t turn into a threat or enemy. I didn’t want her as an ally, either. I just wanted her to leave me alone, and she’d crossed into my domain. She learned fast. I don’t know for sure, but that could be her. Same features, same face. But this place changes a face. Maybe. Not sure. But if it’s her, she’s in the neutral territories, or as Letha’s group would call it—no man’s land.”
Pierce couldn’t bring himself to speak at first. He’d maybe found a lead far sooner than he’d hoped for. If it were true, he could at least get to the truth. What if she had changed? What if she didn’t love him anymore? It didn’t matter. He had to find her. He owed himself that. And then she could decide. He had to try.
“Thank you,” Pierce said. “If it’s true, I’ll owe you more than you know.”
“We already made a deal,” Rodrigo said. “Information in exchange for you sending a message to my family. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. We made a deal.”
“Right,” Pierce said. “And I’m grateful. Really. I will get your message to your family. Just give me their names or addresses or whatever, and I’ll make sure of it.”
Rodrigo shook his head and narrowed his eyes. “Addresses? No. Just one place. Rio International Cemetery. They’re all there. When I came here, they protested. They were peaceful, but someone mistook them for subversives, the violent protesters who use fear to incite people against the Planet Kill system. You’ll have to go in person, of course. They’ll appreciate that.” He stopped talking about it at that point, as if there was nothing more to elaborate on, despite Pierce having a million questions.
So Pierce awkwardly patted him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
Rodrigo tilted his head with a confused expression, as if sympathy was an odd thing to express in this moment. “You should get to it,” Rodrigo said, acting as if what he’d said wasn’t shocking at all. “And you’d better do a damn good job making her climax, or Letha will retract her offer of help to you.”
As Pierce pushed past loitering volunteers still hoping to gain Letha’s favor, he reached Letha’s inner circle. She was guarded by he
r generals, and impenetrable. His mind filled with images of depraved sexual acts Letha was likely about to carry out with him. As he was about to enter, Redwood lunged up and put a blade to his throat.
“It’s fine,” Letha called out from the depths of her tent. “Let him pass.”
Once inside, however, Letha curled her right arm up under Pierce’s shoulder and flung him to the ground.
“What the hell?” Pierce shouted. “I thought you invited me in.”
“You’re a fucking Agent,” Letha hissed. “You solicited my help on the lie that you’re here to rescue a forced volunteer. You manipulated me.” She slammed her heel down into his shoulder, sending a wave of pain through his body.
“I didn’t lie,” Pierce insisted. “I just didn’t tell you everything.”
“Same thing,” Letha said, as she kicked his face.
“No, no it’s not.” Pierce blocked a back elbow and threw a jab but missed. “If you were an Agent, would you think it was a good idea to share that? No! You wouldn’t. Not to…”
Letha plowed into him, cutting his words off, slamming him into the ground.
Pierce gasped, the air knocked out of him. He kept trying to explain himself between rough gasps. “I thought … by the orgy you initiated … that you’d see it as a joke … or that I was telling you.”
Letha planted her forearm into his neck and pushed down. “You’re not here to charge me for my crimes?”
“Crimes?” Pierce choked out. “What crimes? You’re on Planet Kill.”
Letha didn’t loosen up. “You’re telling me I’m supposed to believe an Agent would risk everything for one person?”
Pierce tried to shrug, but he was pinned down too tightly. He tried to push her off, but couldn’t get her to budge. Despite all his training, he was no match for her. “That’s my choice,” Pierce barely was able to say. “Not your problem, not your place to judge me.”
Letha let up at that comment. “You really are fucking crazy.”
Pierce took in a deep breath. “You’re one to speak. Blow a guy, then try to kill him less than an hour later. Shit.”
“I never went down on you. Trust me. I never will. Your station here will never be high enough for me to even let you go down on me. I just watched. What you felt was Aisha being turned on by you having saved Brink. She was showing her gratitude. You saved the life of someone she actually gives a shit about. You don’t deserve a harem. I doubt you’ll ever know what that feels like, or about the responsibility involved.”
Planet Kill Page 19
