Warrior's Pain (Cadi Warriors Book 4)

by Stephanie West

  “Patrons of Distraho, we present to you an extremely rare species. This exotic human has never before come up for auction, and likely never will again. The rare female is physically compatible with class M and H species. She is genetically most compatible with M class,” the display droned in more detail than it had for the other species.

  Cyprian’s eye’s widened when a nude image of Riley appeared on screen. Her pale skin was covered in warrior’s ink that trailed down her back to her legs. He frowned when he saw that her nipples were pierced, like her ears.

  Who would dare do that to the female?

  “You sons of bitches,” Riley bellowed on stage, when she saw herself on screen.

  With a swift upward lunge, she struck her guard in his jaw, then kicked him between the legs. A pained groan echoed from the crowd, but was followed by an excited roar. The patrons chanted, goading Riley on. The doubled over guard quickly regained his composure and grabbed Riley, then roughly tugged her offstage, to the crowd’s displeasure.

  Cyprian was on the edge of his seat, as he watched the Verrater drag Riley through the rear door. He wanted desperately to follow, to make sure nothing happened to her, but couldn’t without looking suspect.

  “I’m going to find the facilities,” Cyprian excused himself from the table full of males, who were still laughing at Riley’s performance.

  Chapter 3. Striking a Bargain

  Riley

  Riley struggled against Ratso as he pulled her through the door into the back hall. She was livid. She couldn’t believe the way they displayed her naked body for everyone to see.

  What else did they do to me while I was knocked out? Perverts!

  She’d been doing good maintaining her composure as she was paraded on stage, like a show pony. When she saw the disgusting reptiles she nearly lost it. And she might have, if she hadn’t been struck dumb by the sight of the red demons sharing the same table. It was hard to see with the bright lights, but Riley was certain the short haired barbarian, was Spawn, from the landing strip. The sight of the demons, Spawn in particular, had her instantly worried about June and Ion. She feared her friends were suffering a similar fate on the planet full of warlords.

  Her fear and the unbelievable violation, instantly sent Riley through the roof. Her anger was a living breathing thing. All sense of self-preservation went out the window, thanks to the malfunctioning implant in her head.

  “You little cunnus,” Ratso snarled.

  Riley was too far gone to heed the threat. She didn’t care that Ratso gripped her arm so tight that it felt like it might break. His aggression fueled her own. Riley stomped Ratso’s foot with her boot heel, then elbowed him in the ribs, like she’d seen on YouTube. He released her, then slapped her across the face. Riley wasn’t a stranger to pain. She had countless tattoos and piercings to attest to that.

  “Is that all you’ve got?” she laughed as she wiped the blood from her lip.

  Ratso was already pissed by the shot to the nuts. Laughing at him added insult to injury. He pulled his fist back, and Riley prepared to duck.

  “No,” Exo screamed.

  Exo’s handler was rushing forward to intervene, but the foolish, sweet, Miran Sona beat him to it. Ratso’s fist struck Exo square in the chest, sending him flying against the wall. Riley watched in horror as he slid down the wall and crumpled to the floor.

  “Exo,” she cried.

  “What have you done?” the other guard yelled at Ratso.

  Riley knelt by Exo’s unconscious body, her hands moving over his chest.

  “He’s not breathing,” she screamed at the rodents.

  The Miran Sona weren’t built for combat. Riley tilted Exo’s neck, pinched his flat nose, and started breathing into his mouth. After several breaths, there was still nothing. She frantically felt around his chest, but couldn’t find a heartbeat. His sternum was soft, feeling like it had been shattered by the blow meant for her.

  “Exo,” she sobbed. Why did I goad the bastard? “Please. Come on. Don’t leave me here alone.”

  Riley continued doing CPR even though in the back of her mind she knew it was futile.

  “One and two and three and four,” she counted off the rhythm.

  Riley did chest compressions till someone pulled her off Exo’s lifeless body. She turned angrily on the guard.

  “Let me go,” she snarled, her voice coming out deep and guttural. “You.” She pointed to Ratso, who was being held by the other guards.

  She was midstride, ready to unleash her fury, when Hoda arrived.

  “I warned you about your temper,” Hoda croaked at Ratso. “Now you’ve killed one exotic, and injured another.” Hoda stood inches from Ratso, her eyes bulging in anger, as her slimy tongue licked her lips.

  “Hoda, please. I will reimburse the client and the house,” Ratso begged, his mangy hair standing on end.

  “Stupid Verrater. You couldn’t make that much in two lifetimes,” the frog-woman countered.

  Hoda’s long tongue struck out lightening quick, and lapped at Ratso’s face, leaving a slime trail behind. The overgrown rodent instantly started to convulse and foam at the mouth. The other guards released him, then watched dispassionately as he twitched on the floor.

  Riley backed up when Hoda turned toward her. She wanted to stay well out of range of the freaky amphibian’s poisonous tongue.

  “I saw the stunt you pulled in the gallery. Don’t do it again.”

  “Or what? You’ll kill me too. Or maybe you’ll give me some new implant that won’t work right,” Riley snarled in response to the threat. “Honestly, I don’t really care,” she challenged the alien woman, stepping forward threateningly.

  Hoda attempted to stare her down, but Riley refused to divert her eyes or blink. These assholes thought they held all the cards, and they did, but Riley had dealt with a few bullies in life. The moment you let them know you didn’t give a shit, it quickly took the wind out of their sails. This was the same, but on a more dire scale.

  “Someone take this body to the morgue. Now I have to report to the Overseer,” Hoda croaked.

  “No need. I’m here.”

  Riley turned to see Cuttles. The blue marks on the tentacled man’s head were flashing wildly. He was pissed.

  “What would you like me to tell the Jurou Biljana?” Hoda asked.

  “’We will forfeit our commission on the female, though I doubt that will appease them,” Cuttles huffed.

  The bastards were entirely motivated by money. They could care less that Exo was dead, or they’d just executed one of their own. If Riley wanted leverage against them, she had to use their greed to get it.

  “Can you heal my lip and Exo’s broken bones?” Riley asked.

  “Yes, but your companion is dead. It is pointless,” Cuttles replied, the valves on either side of his head flaring as he spoke.

  “I understand that. I have a bargain for you. I want my necklace. In exchange, I will behave, and tell the Jurou Biljana that Exo collapsed from a heart attack. I’ll tell them that he couldn’t handle the strain. It will be more believable coming from me.”

  “I don’t bargain with chattel. Even if I did, the Jurou Biljana will still want compensation, since his death happened under our supervision,” Cuttles replied.

  Riley did her best not to yell in frustration. She had to convince him to give her back the necklace. Exo said he’d encrypted the star map and the file couldn’t be copied, but as long as someone else had the thumb drive, the colony was at risk.

  “Fine, I will continue to fight with everyone. I will injure myself and do everything in my power to make sure you lose money,” Riley snarled. “Or you can give me my necklace, and I will willingly get on that stage, and do my best to get you top dollar. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot.” She smiled sweetly.

  “How do you propose to do that?”

  Riley had only intended to imply that she wouldn’t fight and cause trouble, but clearly Cuttles expected more. An i
dea occurred to Riley as she thought about how the aliens responded to her while she was on stage.

  I can’t believe I’m about to suggest this.

  “I can dance to my exotic music.”

  She had a feeling the giant squid had already downloaded the files from her thumb drive. Riley almost laughed at the image of some strange alien thrashing to Rammstein’s Du Hast.

  Cuttles tilted his head, considering her proposal.

  “You could even auction off the opportunity to eat with me face to face, before the auction. A personal meet and greet with the foreign girl.”

  That last idea was driven by her stomach. Riley couldn’t stand the thought of what they might be serving the prisoners when they took her back to her cell. Riley held her breath, while trying not to appear desperate. This was the best she could come up with on the fly.

  Please agree. It was taking the Overseer forever to make up his mind.

  “That is an intriguing idea. It would be pure profit,” Cuttles said thoughtfully. “You can’t lose your temper like you did with my guard. No striking my guests.” He eyed her sternly.

  “The dancing will work off my aggression. As long as they don’t get grabby, I’ll behave. But I don’t eat anything that’s living, was humanoid, butchered in front of me, or uncooked,” Riley added.

  “You are picky female. You are doing all this for a necklace? The jewels attached to the data chip are worth nothing, just a bit of cut glass.” His eyes narrowed on her.

  Think Riley.

  “It has sentimental value. It was a gift from my brother,” she lied. “But I also have vested interest in seeing that I sell for an obscene price. The more someone pays for me, the less likely they are to hurt me. It’s a win win situation.”

  Riley couldn’t fathom how she was going to get out of this place. She was one person among several thousand, who were all working against her. Her best insurance, was a buyer who spent a small fortune. Prison back home wasn’t looking so bad now.

  “Very true, human. I agree to your terms.” Cuttles’ beak gaped in an odd way.

  Jesus, is that a smile? That’s awful.

  Cyprian de Praefectus

  Cyprian found a quiet alcove outside the boisterous viewing gallery and hailed his Daimio.

  “Cyprian, I’m glad to hear from you,” Kagan instantly answered. “Let me connect with Ashtoret and Tytus.”

  The image of all three Cadi warriors appeared on Cyprian’s handheld communicator.

  “Alright, report,” the Daimio requested.

  “We are at the auction. Ashtoret should have the coordinates of the asteroid,” Cyprian started.

  “I do. I’d like to be stationed closer, but I don’t want the Jurou Biljana or smugglers to detect us,” Ashtoret replied.

  “You are right. It’s best that you stay back. Let me show you what I’m up against.” Cyprian held out his handheld and panned the massive vestibule, pausing on the numerous guards. “This is nothing like what I expected, and the security is top notch. I think we’re going to have to bid on the Toufik, Miran Sona and human. I should have enough credits to acquire Riley and Exo, but not all of them.”

  Cyprian brought a hefty sum, just in case it was necessary. He was now glad he had the credits. It was going to be difficult bidding on Exo, without Mave noticing, but he’d find a way.

  “So, you’ve seen them?” Daimio Kagan asked.

  “I’ve seen Riley and Exo in person, and the Toufik are listed in the catalog.”

  “I concur with your assessment. You and Vintor can’t take on the entire establishment, and I don’t want to make an enemy of any new species. It would be best to buy everyone, then crackdown on any Cadi that think to profit from this auction in the future,” Kagan instructed. “Cyprian, I thought you’d like to know, we captured the smugglers that remained at the Bremin landing strip. Most of them know nothing. And the ones who do, aren’t talking. I wish you were here to question them.”

  Cyprian remained silent when Kagan alluded to his past. His sire had been the Vidya Cadi interrogator, serving Kagan’s father. Yenor’s skills were passed down from sire to son for generations. Cyprian learned the family trade well, but it stopped with him. He chose a different path, joining the Anzac Guard instead.

  This mission could be swiftly resolved if Cyprian took up the old ways. He’d considered it more than once already. Except, that was a side of himself he didn’t want to feed. Cyprian preferred hand to hand combat, where both opponents were on equal footing. You killed, or were killed. Then it was done. That was the honorable way. No mind games.

  “Have you discovered who’s working as Mave’s silent partner or partners yet?” Kagan continued.

  Based on the cruiser, equipment, and the number of smugglers being paid, Mave was backed by someone who had serious credits. Whoever it was also had the ability to contact the Jurou Biljana.

  “No. Mave is as tight lipped as the ones you apprehended.” Cyprian shook his head. “I’m starting to wonder if the male even knows himself.”

  “I suppose I can’t come to the auction and bid on our people, without blowing your cover?” Ashtoret asked.

  “No,” Cyprian replied. “There is a way to communicate bids to the auction house. I’ll have Vintor forward you the information. You’ll need plenty of hard currency.”

  “We have some palladium, but we’ll need more to buy all the Toufik. That’s going to take a few days to get here. When are the actual sales?” Ashtoret asked with a frown.

  “Riley and Exo are being auctioned off as exotic species starting tomorrow evening. Then the Toufik should sell a few days from now, amidst more common species.”

  “Have you found the Miran Sona ship?” Tytus asked.

  “No, but Vintor will continue to look.”

  “I will see if Ion has any more information about their vessel,” Tytus replied.

  “Do that. I should probably go.”

  “Alright. Try to check in tomorrow,” Kagan requested then signed off.

  Cyprian headed back into the viewing gallery. He paused as he came face to face with a creature that was as tall as himself. The odd male looked like his bones were on the outside. The plates covering his arms, legs, and skull, had knotty ridges. The bony beast wore a tight suit and crisscrossing belts equipped with numerous weapons, like most of the patrons. The male’s red eyes looked Cyprian up and down, assessing if he was a threat or not.

  Kagan didn’t want to turn any foreign species against Cadi. That meant Cyprian had to be cautious not to offend. One never knew, with foreign customs, what someone might read as a challenge.

  “Pardon me,” Cyprian said with a polite nod, as he stepped around the male.

  The gallery was more crowded than when he’d left. Cyprian nearly ran into several more patrons, as he wove through the crowd, heading back to his table. One gray humanoid was very aggressive and loud about it. The dumb bastard followed Cyprian for several paces, when he walked away rather than rise to the challenge.

  “I ordered for you,” Vintor said when he rejoined the group.

  There was a plate of some unusual meat and vegetables, along with a bright green bubbling beverage.

  “Thanks. Did I miss anything?”

  “No, just a parade of creatures up for auction. They did announce a special performance, but I didn’t hear what it was.”

  Vintor casually slid his handheld under the table. Cyprian glanced down and read the message. Vintor overheard the Jurou Biljana tell Mave about the Miran Sona ship. They confirmed it was stationed somewhere on the asteroid.

  Good.

  Cyprian summarized his conversation with Kagan, then subtly passed the communicator back.

  “I saw a few items in the munitions auction, that your friend might be interested in,” Jyk, the Jurou Biljana, mentioned to Mave.

  Cyprian concentrated on his food, but didn’t taste a bite, as he listened.

  “Really?” Mave replied looking intrigued.

  “
Take a look.” Jyk handed Mave a tablet.

  “They’re automated,” Mave said in surprise.

  “And small enough to not attract attention,” the reptile added.

  Cyprian wondered what listing the males were looking at. Whichever it was, a small automated weapon didn’t sound good.

  “I should contact our mutual friend, though I’m not looking forward to it. He wasn’t pleased after the incident at the airstrip. However, this might help.”

  “Let your partner know, he won’t come across a better item to accomplish his goal. Either way he needs to hurry it up. We’ve been very patient, but my Ministro would like to resume our partnership with Cadi,” Jyk commented.

  Cyprian took a drink to cover the scowl twisting his face. If he wasn’t mistaken, Mave’s mysterious partner was plotting an assassination.

  “Jyk, our goals are similar, but that sounded an awful lot like a threat,” Mave growled.

  Everyone at the table turned their attention to the pair.

  “Do we have a problem?” Adeoda leaned in.

  The warrior was always bristling for a fight. He was the kind of foolish male, that would cause a brawl without thought for the consequences. Cyprian glanced at Vintor, who nodded. They both had to be ready to act, before any of the smugglers caused a fight, and got them kicked off Distraho.

  “Do you recall the package we passed to you, when we first met? The items your friend requested came with a price. The Toufik you’re auctioning, aren’t going to cover your debts,” Jyk hissed, his throat swelling red with anger. Then the reptile just as quickly relaxed and leaned back in his seat, his scaly tail flicking idly. “But, because Cadi has been such good customers, minus the unfortunate incident a year ago, we’d prefer to resolve this in a mutually beneficial way.”

  Cyprian closed his eyes as the weight of this situation hit him.

  Son of a metcor. We should’ve seen this coming, when the Jurou Biljana didn’t retaliate after we confiscated their vessels.

  The flesh merchants had been biding their time, looking for a more insidious way back into Cadi’s good graces. If they declared war, they’d turn potential customers into enemies. But, if the reptiles covertly incited another civil war, or deposed Daimio Kagan, then it would be business as usual.