Tann: Delti Utopia 6 (A Sci-Fi Alien Weredragon Romance)

by Celeste Raye

  "It's just a short jaunt to try out my new ride. Ya can go if ya want, but I gotta get sober first. Don't wanna wreck it before it gets used for carryin' cargo. I'm gonna need it for my treasure."

  "I thought I was treasure enough," Mariana pouted, hanging on his shoulder and kissing his wrinkled cheek.

  "You'll do for a start, but I'm old and require financial stability. Ain't that a kick, me using big words like that. I just learned 'em. It means I need lots of money to keep me fed when I can't work no more," he cackled and let out a burp. "I'll need me a woman too. Ya applyin' for the job, gal?"

  "It depends on how rich you are, sugar."

  "I can keep ya in style, for sure," Torbin slurred. He laid down his cards to show a winning hand. "I'm done here. Ya can have these winnin's if ya come with me."

  Mariana scraped the coins off the table, carefully gathering a few extra from unknowing players loose coins. "I'm right behind you, old man."

  Tann stayed nearby, yet out of sight, as Torbin met with Corsair. He was aware that this was a hard role for the old man to play. His personality and reputation would have called for him to shoot Corsair in the face without asking questions. To change that mindset and habit was asking a lot.

  "Hey, boy. It's good to see ya. Where ya been the last few days?" Torbin asked.

  "I ain't been feelin' so good. I holed up in a room above the tavern and slept away the hours. It must of been a bad batch of homebrew or somethin'," Corsair replied, imitating Torbin's way of speaking.

  "Or somethin'," Torbin mumbled under his breath. Aloud he answered, "Glad it didn't kill ya. I wanted to say goodbye and wish ya luck."

  Corsair's eyes grew speculative and devious when he asked, "Why ya sayin' goodbye? Ya going somewhere, boss?"

  "Everybody thinks I'm goin' on a practice trip in my new ship, but they're wrong. I'm lettin' ya in on my secret cause I thought of ya like a son, and treated ya that way too. I'll be takin' that trip alone and not returnin'. I done got too old for this life, so I decided to take my last haul and retire. Keep it under your hat, though. I don't wanna get robbed of my security. Stick with my boys, and you'll be fine."

  "I know I will. I learned from the best. Sorry, I don't have time for a drink. I've been laid up so long I gotta get some thievin' done if I want money to eat. I gotta pick a few pockets and make some deals. Goodbye, Torbin." Corsair was rubbing his hands together gleefully as he turned and scurried away.

  Tann nodded at Torbin, expressing his thanks for a job well done, and followed Corsair.

  The traitor practically ran through the streets to reach the back alley of the big casino. He demanded that the guard get a message to the big man. He was too excited to keep his voice down, so Tann heard every word.

  "Tell him Torbin's got a new ship, so he must have the gold. He told me he's retirin'. When the new ship takes off, he'll be in it alone and he ain't comin' back. He might even be betrayin' his crew and keepin' their share of the gold. It'll be easy to take the ship, the

  gold, and get rid of Torbin. It's the perfect setup. No one will know the old man's dead, cause he meant to disappear anyway. Ask him if I can join his crew now since Torbin's gone."

  Chapter Twenty

  Tann

  The unmarked space force ship landed without incident, though Tann knew its arrival was being monitored by the big man. He wanted so badly to catch one glimpse of him. Very few people had ever seen him or knew his name, at least the one he used. His anonymity kept him safe, while his minions did the dirty work. Torbin had spoken to him through COM links but was never told his name or allowed to see his face.

  Torbin's crew was in a tavern, drinking and eating with their boss, at his request. They didn't see the boys Tann had hired move empty crates from Torbin's old ship to the decoy one. It was an illusion for the big man's sake. The real gold remained on the old ship.

  Tann took a few minutes to become himself and share his thoughts with his fellow cops. "I guess I need to stay undercover for the time being. Maybe, I can help with discovering information on whatever you've found that's worse than the piracy."

  "I don't know. You're kind of in the spotlight as one of Torbin's crew. We need someone inside the casino: someone who can get close to the big man."

  "I've finally been in and with Mariana by my side, I can do so again. She's really good at pretense. I bet she'd be able to get close to him," Tann argued.

  "She might, but I don't think you'd want her to. From what we've heard, it would be too dangerous for her. Stay with the pirates for now. Don't make waves; just listen. We'll be watching and keep you informed. What we're learning isn't coming from our men; it's from families and friends of those involved. I'm not allowed to pass on the information to you yet. It's a separate case and confidential, but if you pay close attention to the pirates, you'll see what's happening. Torbin's crew wasn't involved. That's why we let you make this deal."

  "I may have seen something on Alpha Beta. They were offloading cargo behind racks of curtains. Obviously, they didn't want anyone to catch a glimpse of it. I wondered what could be more secret than stolen technology or government gold. You also might want to know that the men I dealt with there weren't your typical traders. They wore suits and were human, which isn't Alpha Beta's species. I got the impression my presence was a danger to them. I was truly afraid for my life," Tann admitted.

  "See, keep your eyes open, and you'll soon know the rest. We'll add Alpha Beta to the list of space stations and way stations involved. Believe me, this is a very large and profitable organization, and it started right here on Delti Utopia 6. It went so well, it spread quickly. Don't get involved or allow your band of pirates to join the rest."

  "I'll do what I can, but if it's that profitable, they're bound to want in. I suppose it's time to get Torbin and make it seem he's getting on board. Good luck," Tann said as he left the ship.

  Torbin was in a corner with Lolita when Tann arrived. He suspected the pirate was trying to convince her to leave with him. Her hand reached up to touch his cheek, and her eyes held regret as she shook her head. Why would she say no? Tann couldn't understand it. No matter what had ended their marriage, they still had feelings for each other and Torbin was offering her a life of ease. What could possibly keep her from saying yes? He'd have to keep watch. Whatever she had going must be really big.

  Tann gathered Mariana and Tika before breaking Torbin away from Lolita. "Are you ready to finish this, old man?"

  "Let's get it done, boy." He emphasized the word to get one final rise out of Tann, since he hated being called that so badly.

  "All right, I'll let you get by with it since you're leaving," Tann laughed. "You're still the boss until that ship's out of sight. Is Lolita going?" He had to ask just in case.

  "She said no. It makes my hard heart ache a bit to think I'll never see her again. She's determined to go ahead with her big plans and refuses to tell me what they are. Look out for her, will ya?"

  "We all will," Mariana promised. "Thank you for letting us go free."

  "Ah, hell. I didn't really own ya anyway. Slavery ain't my game."

  The docking station was darker than usual thanks to the space force. It was a simple task for Torbin to appear to be entering the new ship, alone. He rounded the back of it and walked in the shadows to his old spaceship and entered through the cargo bay. He'd stay there in the dark until all eyes were trained on the new one's departure, then leave among several others set to depart in the wee hours of the morning. The ship's codes had all been changed, courtesy of the authorities, so the big man wouldn't know it was the same ship leaving.

  Tann took a chance and allowed Mariana and Tika to go with him to the hidden COM link in the neon light control room. They would be able to monitor the pirate ship's takedown.

  Fifteen minutes after the decoy left Delti Utopia 6, another vessel left space dock. It was small and fast, meant to intercept the larger, slower decoy. "The big man must believe a small group is enough to take the
gold from Torbin. I think he intends to take the ship too because the gold's too heavy for that small ship," Tann remarked.

  "Imagine how surprised he's going to be when he loses the gold, his crew, and Torbin," Mariana added.

  "It's his anger I'm concerned about. How will he retaliate, and against who?" Tann replied. "We've got an uphill battle ahead as it is. Torbin's taken his ship. The only one left for his crew is the one I used: the rusty old tub. He left enough gold to turn it into a jewel, but that will take some time, and it can't be done here. The big man can't see the gold. We'll have to limp to Earth or another way station. You get your wish, baby. You're going to be a pirate for a while."

  "You get yours too. The crew trusts you now. You're the new second-in-command, so you'll see more of the operation," Mariana stated.

  "It's not their operation I need to see now. My job, when it comes to them, is to keep them out of whatever this new organization is into. I wish I'd seen what was behind those curtains on Alpha Beta."

  "I saw," Tika spoke up. "I know you said to stay hidden, but I had to look outside. I'd never been to a space station, and this one belonged to aliens. I was only in the control room for a minute or two. Please, don't be mad."

  "Tika, if you don't want to be left with the orphans, you've got to start obeying me. The danger is going to get worse, and everything I tell you to do is for your safety," Tann said in frustration.

  "I know, and I did obey when the attack came. But, I was up high enough to see over the curtains. It was women that came off that ship. All species."

  "Slaves? Were they auctioning them off?" Tann wondered. "Why hide them? Why only women?"

  His thoughts were disrupted by the explosion of noise on the COM link. The smaller ship was firing on the decoy at close range. They heard the authorities say, "Let them think the shields are compromised. Set off the small explosion in the lower level. They'll think it was a direct hit on one of the engines."

  The boom echoed out of the COM link. "Slow us down to a crawl and let them come aboard. Make them enter close to the fire we set on level two."

  "Everybody ready? Don't allow them to see you. Close in behind them as they get near the control center," another voice declared. "Once they're aboard, communication will cease. They can't learn it's not Torbin until it's too late."

  The COM link grew quiet except for the screech of metal as the shuttle connected with the ship. Thuds of running feet came next. "Torbin! Open the control room doors! You ain't got a chance."

  "That's Corsair," Tann told the girls. "The fool's leading the raid."

  As the doors slid open, they heard the first shot fired. An answering barrage nearly burst their eardrums. "Drop your weapons! You're under arrest for attacking a space force vessel and attempting to steal government cargo worth a billion in gold."

  "You ain't taking me!" Corsair shouted as his gun went off. The answering shots were followed by silence. The traitor had received his punishment.

  "Anyone else care to defy us? Look behind you. There's no retreat."

  "I ain't fighting no more."

  "Me neither."

  Other voices declared the same.

  "How many are still onboard your ship?"

  "Ain't nobody there. It's on autopilot. None of us trusted the others around the gold."

  "Who do you work for? Who owns the ship?"

  "The big boss, but we don't know no name. We ain't never seen him. So, there ain't no need in torturing us. We ain't got nothing to tell."

  The space cop ordered his men, "Move away from the interceptor, then blow it up. We can at least cost him a bigger loss. He'll get mad enough soon to begin making mistakes and then we'll bring him down."

  "That's it, ladies. No more excitement for today," Tann told them. "We need to leave. There's going to be trouble here when word of this fiasco reaches the big man. I say we get the crew onto the rust bucket and leave along with Torbin. We'll come back when it all dies down."

  "I don't want to leave York and Drake," Tika cried. "Can't we take them and keep them safe?"

  "They're kids. Pirates don't recruit kids or protect them. I just became trusted. It's going to be hard enough to keep the two of you with the crew."

  "But, Tann, they need us. They're good boys, and this way station will ruin them if it hasn't already. I'd rather they raided with pirates than end up with the derelicts or the big man's crew. Please, convince the crew to let them come too," Mariana begged. "Do you want one of them to be like Corsair?"

  "That was a low blow, baby. You know how to get to me, but I can do you one better. I'll let you find them, and I'll convince the crew to allow them on board on one condition. When we reach our destination, you have to marry me. Do we have a deal?"

  Mariana replied with a mind-blowing kiss, leaving him breathless before she answered, "I would have insisted on it anyway, my love. However, you're not going to like it when we're back in the casino and men try to touch me while I'm gathering information."

  Tann growled and replied, "Dragon fire will make them move their hands off or lose them. Either is fine with me."

  "I forget sometimes that you have another, more intriguing form. Can I have a ride on my weredragon once in a while?"

  "Anytime," he replied. His expression told her his answer had a double meaning, one of which she would enjoy in privacy. She blushed from head to toe, and he laughed.

  Tika appeared confused and full of questions.

  "You'll understand someday, little one. You're not ready for our kind of love yet. Give it a few years. For now, our adventures have just begun," Tann ended the conversation.

  Talonian Warriors Collection (Sneak Preview)

  (A Collection of Weredragon Romances)

  KELAN - BOOK 1

  By Celeste Raye

  Chapter One

  Michelle

  Michelle carefully applied her makeup. She needed to hide the bruises from last night's argument with Jackson. Concealer covered the blue spot next to her left eye. She chose a bright eyeshadow to draw people's gazes away from that area and into her deep brown eyes. The swelling of her lip was a little more difficult to disguise. Maybe if she added enough layers of lipstick, it would appear as if she had received lip augmentation instead of a slap to the face. Nobody commented on cosmetic enhancements, whereas bruises and a split lip would be questioned. Her long black hair was arranged to hide the small mark beside her ear.

  Her boss, Kelan Rankin, had a keen eye. Michelle felt the need to hide her situation from him the most. The man had made speeches against abuse at colleges and high schools. He encouraged the girls to get out of abusive relationships and believe in themselves. There was no way he would tolerate it happening to his personal assistant. He was adamant that a woman should learn to depend on herself and not be forced to rely on a man, especially a cruel one. Michelle knew he would be frustrated by her inability to leave Jackson. Kelan would tell her to find the courage hidden deep inside her. She wished it wasn't so hard to find.

  Michelle admired Kelan's forthright and courageous attitude. His ideals were straightforward, and he never second-guessed his choices. How wonderful it would be to always have an answer to every problem, and have no fear of what others thought about your decisions. You would think that such an opinionated man would be intimidating. To other businessmen, he was, but not to Michelle. He made himself approachable to his staff at all times. Kelan was a rich and powerful man. However, he never failed to show kindness and understanding to those in need. His speeches against abuse were just the tip of the iceberg. He had a strange obsession with supporting a clean atmosphere. She found it quite odd in a man who dealt in weapons.

  A noise from the bedroom brought Michelle's thoughts of Kelan to a quick halt. Jackson was waking up from his drunken stupor of the previous night. A flash of fear went over Michelle's face. He would either be apologetic for the abuse he had rained down on her, or he would be angrier than ever when he saw the bruises. She never knew what he was think
ing or what his reaction would be from moment to moment. Sometimes, he even forgot there had been an argument. Those were the times she preferred.

  Jackson entered the bathroom with just a grunt as a greeting. He was rubbing a hand over his shaved head and scruffy, brown beard. The piercings in his eyebrow and ears sparkled in the bright lights. They were the only thing sparkling so early in the morning. His blue eyes showed anger, though whether at her or himself, Michelle had no idea. In a gruff and gravelly voice, he demanded, "Get out of my way, Chelle. In fact, get out of the room. I don't want to see your sorry, sad face this morning. I have other things to deal with. Get your ass to work and make some money. You know I don't have a job anymore."

  Michelle definitely knew it. That was what the entire argument had been about. It was the third construction job he had been fired from in the last six months. He had lost the first one fighting the boss's son, the second mouthing off to the company owner, and this latest one by showing up drunk. She doubted he would find another job in that industry. Word would have spread about his lack of work ethics by now. He was a hopeless case, and she needed to let go of her dream to change him. He refused to go to counseling, take an anger management course, or go to AA. Jackson wouldn't change on his own, so it was time to give up. Michelle just required the courage and opportunity to act upon her plan. Jackson had repeatedly warned her against trying to leave. He swore she couldn't hide from him and he would kill her for defying him. She believed every word. After all, she had the scars to prove it. He had caught her packing a bag once. The cigarette burns had left puckered marks all over her back.