by Sara Fields
Fuck.
How the hell was I supposed to function today?
Groaning, I took another drag and lifted my eyes as I saw Talor walk in to the cargo bay with me. His expression was pensive, as he explored mine for hints at what I was thinking.
“You regret our new acquisition,” he began once he was standing in front of me, his gaze searching mine. As our leader, he’d always been far too fucking good at reading my thoughts and right now, it kind of grated on my nerves. But he had my loyalty, earned after years of military experience between us, so I kept my thoughts to myself.
“No,” I mumbled, scuffing the heel of my boot against the floor.
“Then why are you hiding down here, Ejan? Afraid?”
“Fuck that. I’m not afraid, Talor.”
He was quiet for a long moment.
“If it makes you feel any better, the rest of us feel the same. There’s something about her. She’s not like any human I’ve ever seen,” Talor said thoughtfully.
“I’m not going to let her get to me,” I scoffed.
Talor stared at me, the lines around his eyes crinkling a little as he studied me. He shook his head and I looked away, unable to stand his scrutiny any longer.
“She already has,” he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.
I bit my tongue. I’d prove him wrong. If it was the last thing I did, I’d fucking prove them all wrong.
I didn’t respond and walked out of the bay, knowing his eyes were plastered on my back. I went up to the main navigation headquarters, checking on our progress to the Underground. By the ship’s calculations, we’d be arriving shortly, another fifteen to twenty minutes and I sat down, preparing myself.
I programmed the ship’s robots to gather the cargo we were going to unload today and by the time I saw the Underground rise up through our lookout, our goods were ready.
The Underground was a giant, circular station, shaped just like a planet, with large metal rings meant for ships to land and dock quickly. It was designed so that we could get in, unload our cargo, and get out just as fast.
The shield that guarded the space station made it invisible on radar, except to those who knew where it was, what coordinates were needed to find it. The Underground drifted and was never quite in the same place on any given day, but we knew how to get there. My comrades and I knew the signature to look for.
The Underground had been in existence for a long time and still, to this day, had evaded any kind of interstellar law. It was really rather incredible.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway and Talor and Dex entered the room with me.
“Biran is with Mya, preparing her for our trip into the Underground,” Talor said, his tone steady and calm.
“What do you mean? She’s coming with us?” I replied, trying to stem the level of paranoia and anger brewing within me at his words.
“She is. I don’t want to leave her on the ship alone,” Talor responded.
“So, one of us stays behind!” I exclaimed.
“We all have business to attend to,” Dex said. “We’ll get in and out faster if we just bring her along with us, rather than leaving one of us behind on the ship with her.”
“She’ll be escorted by one of us at all times,” Talor added.
I grunted.
I still didn’t like it.
“She stays with me then. I’m only going to see my brother and I know she won’t get hurt there,” I said, and I frowned when I caught just the hint of a smirk playing at the corner of Talor’s mouth.
“Bastard,” I murmured and the two of them chuckled.
“Come on, let’s go,” Talor said.
We all walked out together, meeting Biran in the cargo hold. Mya was by his side. She was dressed in a simple set of black pants, boots, and a body-hugging black t-shirt. Her curves made me want to rip every stitch of clothing off her body. It was a pity to cover up her gorgeous skin. I licked my lips, turning away.
How the hell was I going to get through today?
I could feel the ship descending, automatically flying into the nearest dock on the rings of the Underground. Once the ship landed, I heard the shield billowing over our ship, closing us into the station and protecting us from the vastness of space. The cargo door began to open and all of us straightened, knowing we needed to be focused on the mission.
Get in. Sell at top dollar. Get out.
“Communication between us is now to be carried out solely through our link to one another,” Talor commanded, using our telepathic connection.
As far as I knew, no other species we’d encountered had such an ability. It made working with one another in multiple battle scenarios much easier and it bonded us as Vakarrans together, leading us into a successful mission time and time again, including making money on the Underground. From what I understood, our scientist had developed the ability through genetic engineering and it had proven useful for the Vakarrans ever since.
I didn’t like bringing Mya along, but Talor’s reasoning was sound. Although the Underground was a great place to do business, it was still dangerous. Even with armed guards defending the ships in the bays, sometimes bad things happened. People were beaten and murdered every day. Ships were stolen. Cargo taken. None of us liked being here longer than necessary.
“What is this place?” Mya asked, her curiosity clearly getting the best of her.
Biran leaned in and whispered something in her ear and she grew quiet. After a moment, she smiled softly and thanked him. I looked away, trying to stem my feelings of jealousy. I wanted her to look at me like that too.
Fuck me. Why was I thinking things like that?
I shook my head and walked down the ramp, my cargo goods flying behind me as a delivery drone picked them up. The rest of the group followed, and I turned back toward Mya then, steeling myself against those ocean blue eyes and brilliant red locks.
She looked at me with curiosity and a quiet sadness.
I took her upper arm in my grasp and forcefully guided her along.
“Meet me at the back of the pub. I shouldn’t be long,” I said.
“One hour. Not a minute longer,” Talor commanded.
“You got it,” I replied, towing Mya along with me as I walked into the station. I didn’t even look at her as I stalked along the gangways, descending down into the pit, my drone following me just a few feet behind us.
“You can let go of my arm. You’re hurting me,” she squealed.
“Not a chance,” I replied. “You’re with me and you’ll do what I tell you, now move. I’ve got business to take care of.”
Chapter Six
Mya
Ejan was gripping my upper arm so tight I could hardly stand it. I tried to pull it away, but his grip was firm. I stared at the back of his horned head, seeing a vein pulse in the side of his neck. He was tense, that much was clear, and he seemed rather annoyed to have to drag me along into this little world of black market crime and depravity.
“At least, don’t squeeze so goddamn hard,” I growled and finally, he listened. He lightened his grip a little, enough where I didn’t think I’d bruise anymore from him anyway.
I kind of wished one of the others had taken me with them instead. Ejan was an angry mystery to me.
I would have stayed angry at Ejan’s seemingly cruel treatment, but I couldn’t focus on him when the world of the Underground opened up around me. Towers rose up on other side of the alley we were rushing down. Clotheslines connected windows across from one another, hung with blankets and all manner of clothing that I could imagine. One was even hung with hats, showcasing a rather grungy looking hat shop to our right.
We passed antique stores, art exhibits, and a multitude of jewelry stores. Alcohol of all kinds was readily available, and I heard female voices calling out to the men below, asking them if they were looking for a good time. I swallowed, watching alien life of all forms look out and wave at us passing by. High above, in what would be the sky on a normal planet, were small overhead li
ghts that resembled the night sky. Not much of the light made its way down to the streets below though, so dim lampposts provided light at constant intervals ahead.
It seemed like its own city center, trapped in a declining sense of urban decay.
It was dirty. Garbage lined the streets and I was suddenly glad for the heavy pair of boots that Biran had shoved onto my feet. I bit my lip, following Ejan as quickly as I could, when he stopped in front of what was clearly a very seedy looking drinking establishment.
“A pint of mead for the pretty lass?” some green alien woman asked, tentacles whirling around the top of her head. She leered toward us, and I moved closer to Ejan then.
His grip loosened its hold on my upper arm, instead curling around my waist, pulling me in close.
“Nah, I need to see Grissom. Tell him that his brother Ejan is here with a special package, just for him,” Ejan replied and I shivered. The drone behind us whirled to life.
The alien woman’s orange eyes widened, and she nodded quietly.
“Head to the back to the VIP room. Tell the soldier that Zaza sent you,” she replied, and her tentacles twitched a little.
Ejan led me inside. All around us, men and women screamed and yelled, clearly enjoying themselves and their drink. Sounds of sex echoed in the corner and I couldn’t help myself, as I witnessed a group of women sucking off one man’s multiple cocks.
I tore my eyes away, remembering that I probably shouldn’t capture anyone’s attention here. Biran had told me that this place was dangerous, far more so than the four of them and that I should be wary of anyone else.
I believed him.
A gunshot echoed and I flinched, pressing closer to Ejan and he curled around me tighter, protecting me.
He may play a cold soul, but he did care. He cared enough that he didn’t want me hurt.
The two of us rushed to the back room, stopping for no one. Ejan’s glare must have been icy enough to scare off the majority of the people in the bar.
The armed guard at the back begrudgingly let us in, once Ejan told him that Zaza had sent us. Ejan’s drone followed us in, carrying whatever he had to sell with a quiet hum. The back room was luxuriously decorated, in what I would have imagined a brothel would look like this far out in space.
Dark red velvet curtains lined the walls and plush circular lounges surrounded tables. In the corners were a few private closed curtains.
It was silent. Ejan and I were here alone, at least for now.
We waited for a good five or ten minutes and Ejan took a seat on the closest lounge chair. He released me, and I held my arm to my chest.
He glared up at me, his frown seemingly permanent. All I could see was disgust written into his features. His iciness was beginning to grate on me and I couldn’t stand it any longer.
“The four of you steal me away and then all you do is stare at me like you can’t wait to be rid of me. Why not just send me back where I came from if you hate me so much?” I murmured angrily, and his expression softened just a little.
“I don’t hate you,” he answered.
“It doesn’t seem like it,” I replied. He sighed and was silent for a long time. He didn’t answer.
The door opened behind us and I quickly sat down beside him. Even if I didn’t trust him, or really even like him right now, he was my best bet at protection in this dangerous world.
Another Vakarran walked in the door, his dark purple skin extremely distinctive and recognizable. His copper-colored eyes curled up in a grin upon seeing Ejan and even more once he saw me. His face and what I could see of his arms were riddled with scars. Knife cuts, claw marks, gouges, burns. It looked like this Vakarran had led a rough life and survived through it all. I swallowed, looking on nervously.
“Finally bought yourself a human then, brother?” The man laughed.
“Found this one on the way. Talor thought she’d be good for us,” Ejan chuckled.
“Mhhhmmm. If I didn’t already have one myself, I’d ask to sample yours. She’s a pretty one with that red hair of hers,” he murmured and Ejan stiffened beside me, but he played it off by chuckling again.
“I don’t know, Grissom. I think Talor is rather fond of her already,” Ejan joked.
The hearty laugh that emerged out of Ejan’s brother unnerved me.
“Anyway, Zaza said you have something for me? She’ll bring in the credit gained from your last haul. I took my usual twenty-five percent.”
“Good. This time I have something better. What I’ve got is only the finest cocaine from the Venassathi jungle, Grissom,” Ejan replied with a cocky grin. His brother looked taken aback for a long moment.
“Those trade routes have been closed for years! How did you get such a fantastic haul?” Grissom asked with disbelief.
“We all have our secrets, brother,” Ejan smirked and his brother snickered.
“Indeed, we do,” Grissom replied.
Zaza came in then and the two men were quiet while she opened the safe and handed Ejan what looked like a thin metal card.
“As soon as you insert this into your system, the tech will run a program, transferring money from Grissom’s account to yours,” Zaza offered and Ejan nodded, like this was a usual part of the process. She left then, leaving the three of us alone again.
The drone moved forward, landing on the floor between the two Vakarrans. It was rather large, the size of a large narrow bed, but it opened like a box, the outer shell falling away and disappearing, folding into itself like a transformer. Inside were several plastic wrapped white packages. I counted at least twenty.
Grissom sucked in a breath.
“Holy shit, Ejan. This is several millions worth,” he said.
“I know. I want it sold for top dollar. This is the best coke money can buy,” Ejan replied and his brother nodded.
“I want twenty-five percent to sell it for you,” Grissom offered.
“Twenty,” Ejan countered.
Grissom was quiet for a long time, just staring at the drugs.
“Deal,” he finally said, offering Ejan his hand. The two shook hands on it and Grissom once again looked me up and down.
“Well, if Talor ever wants to share, I’d pay good money for a night with her,” Grissom murmured, and I recoiled against Ejan, who took my hand in his.
“Mya isn’t for sale,” Ejan countered and I glared back at his brother, who simply chuckled.
“Have it your way then. Until next time, brother,” Grissom replied.
“It was good to see you, Grissom. Do me a favor and don’t add any more scars to that terrifying collection,” Ejan replied.
“No promises,” Grissom laughed.
Ejan led me by the hand out of the room, leaving his expensive cargo and his brother behind. I was grateful to leave.
We walked back through the pub and I couldn’t stop myself from looking around. A human girl was serving a rather ugly blue alien some beer and another green bumpy male tripped her, causing her to spill the drink all over the blue one.
He raised his hand and backhanded the woman so hard she flew backward, slamming into the wall behind her and she crumpled to the floor. The beer-soaked blue alien moved toward her again, muttering a string of curses before one of his four legs lifted up off the floor and he kicked her.
I didn’t think, I just acted. Ejan hadn’t expected me to leave his side, his grip soft, but I pulled away in a flash and wove through the crowd until I was behind the blue alien. I dropped down to a crouch and swung my leg around, sweeping all four of his legs out from underneath him. I could hear Ejan screaming behind me, but I put him out of my mind as I focused on my target.
The crowd roared around me.
“Look! A human!”
“Fucking bitch kicked Bluey.”
“Whore deserves a knife to the throat.”
“Bet she’s got a pretty cunt under those clothes.”
I shivered away my disgust, pummeling the blue alien square between his four eyes. He did
n’t even try to defend himself. He never saw it coming and slumped to the floor. I rushed over to the woman he’d beaten and pressed my fingers to her throat.
She was alive.
“Fucking idiot,” Ejan roared as he rushed to my side. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from her. The woman’s eyes blinked once and then twice before she groaned, pushing herself upward from a seated position.
“Are you insane?” he asked, shaking me in the process.
“He was going to kill her,” I countered, narrowing my eyes in his direction.
The crowd roared around us, calling for me to be put in my place, to be punished and others called for my death for raising my hand to a superior race. Someone close to me whipped out a gun from his belt and pressed it against the side of my skull.
Ejan’s eyes opened wide with fear and he suddenly pulled me against him, my back to his chest so that I was facing the inhabitants of the pub, a motley crew of angry aliens that were screaming for someone to teach me a lesson. He curled around me in a protective stance, gripping the hair at the base of my scalp and wrenching my head backward while I yelped in pain.
With his other hand, he gripped my shirt and tore it down the front.
The crowd went wild. He shifted, slowly but surely toward the exit, all the while toying with my bra, revealing my breasts and pinching at my nipples.
“Fucking start screaming, you idiot. Make it look like you’re terrified,” he whispered in my ear.
I obeyed. I was scared, not of him, but at the eyes that were calling for retribution, at the weapons pointing directly at my face and I screamed.
I screamed bloody murder as he forcefully guided me out of the pub. Apparently, the two of us put on enough of a show that the rest of the crowd yelled out with glee at seeing someone manhandle me. At seeing someone teach me a lesson.
Once we made it outside, I quieted down, but he didn’t release the hold he had on my hair. Instead, he pulled me around the corner, until we were on the backside of the pub.
He twirled me around and pushed my back up against the wall, staring into my eyes, seething with fury and if I looked close enough, a sense of fear.
