Cavas gave a sharp nod. Dovis might not have meant to cause a fight but it had worked in their favor. “What’s the pay?”
The bartender held his gaze. “Three hundred a day. Free room upstairs included, and two meals.”
Cavas nodded and leaned down, grabbing hold of Dovis and hoisting him over his shoulder. The male kept his body lax. The bartender led him to the back of the bar and through one wide door before pointing out another. “Go down. Tell the guard that Mall sent you, and you’re new. His name is Grah.”
Cavas realized the second door didn’t hide stairs, but a lift instead. He entered, glancing around stealthily, but there were no signs of security measures to monitor them. He shifted Dovis’s limp body to a more comfortable position over his shoulder after the door sealed. “You weigh a ton,” he whispered.
“You punch like a child.”
Cavas fought a laugh and pushed the old-fashioned button to make the lift go down. “Interesting that they have a floor underground. Wouldn’t it be great if Crath is down here?”
“We can’t be lucky enough to find him that fast. They wouldn’t make it too easy for us.”
“I know. I just want to find him.” The doors opened and Cavas stepped out.
A large red male with horns stood from his chair, reaching for the gun strapped to his hip. Dolten aliens were dumb creatures, mostly known for hiring out their muscle to others and eating uncooked meat. They were strong, though, and excellent fighters.
“Mall sent me. I’m Jorgan. You’re Grah. I’m supposed to lock this one up. Mall said he’s a traitor. Did he work here before or something?”
The guard took his hand off his weapon and came closer, his black eyes scanning Dovis. “No. Never smelled him before. Probably law. That’s what we call them. They come here sometimes. We make them disappear. Good eating.” He turned, walked to a solid metal wall, and pressed his hand against a reader pad nearby. “Follow me.”
Cavas’s humor had faded as the alien talked. They ate law enforcement? It sent a shiver down his spine. What kind of planet was Yorlian Trevis running?
A far worse one than they had imagined, if he allowed his hired thugs to eat prisoners.
Cavas followed the large alien into a mostly lit corridor with a long line of cells. The three they passed contained various aliens. Grah pulled his weapon, pointing it at the two occupants of the barred cell he stopped in front of, and waved his other wrist over the lock. The door slid open.
“Toss him in there.”
Cavas tapped Dovis’s leg to warn him. He couldn’t see all the cells farther down, but he hoped Crath would be in one of them. But no way would he allow Dovis to be locked up—especially after the eating comment. “Sure thing. Just make sure you don’t accidently shoot me. That’s no stunner.”
“Right. Mine makes big holes in prisoners if they rush me.” Grah moved to the side, keeping his weapon pointed at the two males in the cell.
Cavas tensed as he stepped closer and gave three light taps in rapid succession for Dovis. His men knew what that meant, but he hoped the Amarian figured it out.
He reached the open cell—and suddenly twisted, dumping Dovis off his shoulder and lunging for the gun.
He grabbed the red alien’s wrist and shoved it upward. The gun discharged into the ceiling, chunks of debris falling around them. Pieces of it hit Cavas but he barely noticed. He was too focused on the guard.
The bigger male recovered from the sudden attack and tried to use his clawed fingers to tear at Cavas’s eyes. But Dovis was there, grabbing the red hand heading for his face and preventing it from doing damage. It took them both to steal his weapon and use it.
Grah wouldn’t be eating any more prisoners ever again.
Cavas turned to study the two males inside the cell. They were against the back wall, watching with leery expressions, but they didn’t try to escape through the open door. He pointed the weapon at the skinny blue alien he couldn’t identify. “What are you in for?”
“Being the wrong skin color.”
Cavas arched an eyebrow.
“Truth,” the alien swore. “They hate blue skin here.”
The yellow alien nodded. “They do. I’m here for not paying a bill—but they charged me four times for the same night. Nobody would listen to me.”
“Have you seen a Tryleskian my size? Longer hair, black? He’s probably going by the name of Brit?”
They both shook their heads.
“Stay put. We’re releasing everyone soon, but I’m checking the other cells first. We stand a better chance of escaping if we all rush out of here together. Understood?”
The blue one wrung his long, skinny hands. “Truth?”
“Truth. Just stay put for now while we search. Then we’ll leave. Everyone goes.”
The yellow alien pushed off from the wall. “Don’t release the green beast! Leave him.”
Cavas frowned. “Why?”
The yellow alien shuddered. “He kills anyone they put in with him. Crazy. No control. He’ll attack us all.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Leaving Dovis at the open cell, Cavas moved to the next, peering in. Three prisoners were in the small space, all staring at him with hope. He guessed they’d overheard his conversation. Crath wasn’t amongst them.
“Did you see—”
“No. Your kind run this planet. They don’t get locked up,” one of them said before he could finish.
Cavas moved on, peering inside each cell and asking about his brother. No one had any information to share. So far, all he’d learned was that Yorlian Trevis must have hired every dishonorable Tryleskian he could find.
Seven cells down, a Parri male stood holding on to the bars of the door. Cavas kept out of reach.
“I’ve seen Brit.”
Cavas wanted to believe him. Most Parri were honorable. “When? Where? What do you know of him?”
The Parri hesitated. “You’re letting us all out? I didn’t do anything but visit. They grabbed me in the bar and brought me down here. Been here for a long time. Over a week. Maybe ten or eleven days. They do hate blue-skinned aliens here.”
“We’re letting everyone out but the green whatever he is. I’ll toss him a weapon as we go. He can free himself after we’re gone.”
“Lost in rage,” the Parri muttered. “They torture him when they get bored by shooting at him with electric sticks.”
The news sickened Cavas but didn’t surprise him. “Tell me about Brit.”
The male pressed his face against the bars. “His eyes are blue, and he’s got a scar on his neck. Left side.”
Excitement filled Cavas. It sounded like his youngest littermate. Brit was the name he used when on questionable planets, to avoid someone attempting to ransom him as a Vellar. Crath had gained his scar three years before when someone had tried to grab him for that very purpose. And Flax had a lot of Tryleskians living there who’d easily identify their wealthy family name.
“Tell me everything.”
“I met Brit the first night I was here, in another bar. He likes to drink and have a good time. Big on telling jokes and laughing. He also likes to fight.”
That sounded like Crath. “What else can you tell me? He went missing. Do you know anything about that?”
“Sure do. We were drinking when a large group of security came looking for him. I don’t know why. He seemed confused, too. I tried to help him get away, along with Kneello. They pulled out stunners and got all three of us. I woke up here.”
Cavas wanted to snarl. “They didn’t bring Brit here with you?”
“No. Kneello was. They took him away a few days ago. I heard one of the guards say it was to fight in the pits. He warned me that my turn would be coming soon.”
“The pits?”
The Parri gave a grim nod. “I didn’t believe it until they dragged Kneello out of here. Word is, they’re illegal fights. I’m not rich enough to see them, nor am I into blood sport. A Crippon told me anyone who
pissed off the owner of the colony disappears and ends up having to fight—to the death.”
Cavas tried to remain calm. Trevis would want to keep Crath alive if he didn’t want to piss off Beltsen Vellar. It was probably why his younger littermate wasn’t in the holding cells under the bar with guards who tended to eat prisoners. “Thank you for the information.”
He moved to another cell. The enraged green alien he’d heard about snarled at him, pacing the cell. He was a big creature of a few alien races, by the look of him, and the damage to his body made Cavas flinch. The guards had done a number on him.
“We’re all getting out. Can you calm enough to talk to me?”
The green beast snarled and lunged. He hit the bars and reached through, trying to claw at him. Cavas leapt back, narrowly avoiding being hit.
“I guess that would be a no.”
The next cell stood empty, and all the lights were turned off in the last six cells. He almost returned to Dovis before hesitating, wanting to make certain they’d left no males behind. He removed his goggles and went to the next one, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dark. It stood empty. So did the next two.
The fourth one, though, had a small form on the floor.
“Wake,” he ordered. “Have you seen a Tryleskian named Brit?”
The form didn’t move. It was covered in a blanket, and the smell of unwashed male bodies was the only thing he could pick up. It made him regret breathing deeply.
“They brought her in sick a few days ago,” the Parri called out.
Her?
All the other prisoners had been male.
He used the bracelet he’d stolen off the dead guard and waved it at the door, unlocking it. The metal slid to the side. He stepped into the cell, prepared for an attack, but the form on the floor didn’t stir.
Cavas crouched and lifted the blanket slightly, shocked by what he saw.
She was human. Cathian and his crew had mated to a few of them, and he could easily identify them by their tiny curved ears and delicate facial features. She lie curled in a ball on her side, facing him.
He reached out and brushed back her light red hair. It was a curly, snarled mess. A large bruise showed on one cheek. Her breathing was slow and even.
“Female?”
She didn’t stir at all. He carefully pulled the blanket off her upper body. He saw more bruising on her pale arms and growled softly. Someone had beaten her. Her delicate-looking wrists had damaged skin from restraints. The cuts were inflamed, red and infected. The dress she wore had rips in the front at the top, exposing one rounded breast, but it was covered by material, a thin white cup.
He shifted his position, braced his knee against the floor, and carefully rolled her onto her back. It was easy to slide his arms under her and lift, blanket and all. She didn’t weigh much and wasn’t a big female.
He carried her out of the cell, her body limp in his arms.
Dovis approached him, looking furious. “That’s a human.”
“I know. Start opening the cells, except for the green alien. We’ll toss in the guard’s bracelet after the others flee. It should take him a minute or two to figure it out. Hopefully.” He lowered his voice. “They can fight their way out together and give us cover. Everyone up in the bar should be too busy with them to notice us.”
“We can’t go without her.” Dovis stared at the female’s face. “My Mari would want us to save another of her kind.”
“I wasn’t planning on leaving her. I wouldn’t be carrying her otherwise.”
Dovis gave him a brief nod and took the bracelet.
“Signal the others to get to the shuttle and fire up the engines. It might be a good idea to leave the surface immediately while they hunt for their escaped prisoners.”
Dovis nodded. “Can I shift?”
Cavas shook his head. “A Tryleskian traveling with one of your race is too memorable. We don’t want anyone to suspect what ship we’re on.”
Chapter Two
Jill woke to bright lights and the terrifying sight of a human-like robot standing over her. Her mouth opened, a scream ready to tear from her throat.
“It’s a medical android. He’s repairing your injuries and wiping out the last traces of infection from your cuts. Just hold still,” a deep voice stated.
She twisted her head and saw a tall, large male. He wasn’t human—but his race wasn’t unknown to her. She’d met an alien like him before. “Did the other one send you?”
He stepped closer. “Other one?”
“He was like you, only he had black hair. You look similar in the face.”
“What was his name?”
“He never said.”
He came even closer. “Tell me about him.”
“Where am I?” She glanced around again, leery of the robot, but he wasn’t hurting her.
“You’re safe on The Vorge. My name is Cavas. We found you unconscious inside a holding cell under a bar on the planet Flax. No one here is going to hurt you. Please tell me about the male. I believe it may have been my younger brother.”
She felt a tinge of sympathy for him. She didn’t have any family left alive, though she wished it. “Earth sold me. They claimed they’d passed a law that made being jobless illegal. I was put on a transport, kept in a cage, and ended up being sold to some rich alien who already had other slaves.”
“Human slaves?”
She shook her head. “They were various alien females. The man who bought me was on a business trip when I arrived at his house. The head slave, Cia, got me implanted with a translator, gave me a rundown on what was expected of me, and warned me to do everything I was told if I wanted to live. I was kept on a twenty-foot leash with a collar around my neck to make sure I couldn’t run away. I was there for a few weeks before he came back.” Revulsion made her shudder. “You should have seen him. He wasn’t anything like you.”
Cavas gave her a questioning look.
“You’re mostly human-looking. Two arms. Two legs. This alien…wasn’t. He resembled a big bug, with four legs and six arms.” She shuddered. I was told lots of horror stories about what would happen to me if I acted up or refused to take orders from our master. I didn’t want to end up in a sex house being raped by dozens of aliens every day. Cia, the slave in charge of me, said it was the second worst place a slave could end up. She also said because I was human, they might rent out my womb to birth alien babies. I believed her. At least, enough to think submitting to one alien sounded better than many. She assured me our owner didn’t want young. That was a bonus in my mind. Why bring a new life into that hell, right?”
He nodded. “That would be tragic. But what about my brother?”
“I’m getting to that. The alien who bought me returned from his trip. Then I saw him—and I just couldn’t let him touch me. He undressed and ordered me to lie on the bed.” She shook her head. “I’ve always hated bugs. The thought of allowing him to crawl on top of me was too much. I flipped out and tried to run away from him. That pissed him off. He grabbed my chain and started pulling me toward him, yelling about how he’d make it extra painful for me. So, I fought harder.”
The robot backed away and went to the wall, where it seemed to shut down.
Cavas held out his hand to her. “It’s done. You’ve been treated for all your injuries. Did the alien who bought you cause your injuries?”
She hesitated only briefly before deciding to trust him. He’d gotten her medical help, after all.
Of course, it might be a trap…but the other alien who’d looked like him had tried to save her. She was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Jill let him help her sit up. His big hands were gentle. He released her as soon as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
She took stock of her body. Her clothes were torn and dirty, but her bruises were nearly faded. The cuts were sealed. Her skin wasn’t red anymore where the cuffs had broken her skin. “No,” she finally continued. “That happened late
r. While I was fighting bug alien, he fell and impaled his head on some stupid piece of sharp sculpture in his bedroom. This horrible screeching sound came from him, and four guards rushed into the bedroom. Two of them tried to help him, and the other two grabbed me.”
Cavas cocked his head, listening patiently.
She openly studied his eyes. They were pretty, for a cat guy. He was also huge. “When the guards tried to pull the alien bug free from the sharp sculpture…his head came off.” She watched Cavas closely, unsure how he’d react when she admitted to accidently killing the jerk who’d bought her.
“Good. That means there’s one less slave buyer.”
His response surprised her. “You’re not mad?”
“No.”
“What do you plan on doing with me?”
“I’ll get you food, give you access to a shower and clean clothing. You’re safe here. No one is going to sell or harm you. Please answer my questions first, though. My brother is missing. What do you know?”
She hoped he was telling the truth. “After the bug alien died, his guards were pretty mad. They were supposed to turn me over to the authorities for execution. One of them said they should claim his death was an accident, and sell me instead to earn money, since they were out of a job. The other guards agreed. They took me to this super nice house. I heard one of them say something about it belonging to the alien who owns the planet.”
“Yorlian Trevis.”
By his snarled tone, she could guess Cavas didn’t like whoever that was. “No one said that name. They asked to speak to the ‘overlord.’ The overlord wasn’t there, but the big red-skinned alien who answered the door bought me. I was taken into a basement and locked inside a large cage. That’s when I saw the one who looks like you. I mean, same race. His hair was black and his eyes were blue. He was already locked up down there.”
“He didn’t tell you his name?”
She shook her head. “We weren’t allowed to talk to each other. There were other red-skinned guards watching us. When the guards weren’t paying attention, the one who looked like you would use his hands, trying to signal to me. He wanted the metal decorations in my hair to pick the lock on his cage. I removed them and tossed them to him when it was safe. It worked. He got his door open, beat down both guards, and then let me out of my cage. It happened super fast. He said he was going to help me escape.”
Cavas (The Vorge Crew Book 5) Page 2
