by Abella Ward
Sildon chuckled as he set a course for the nearest system. Once they were there, he would steal another ship before heading out of Zon's reach. Wouldn't the warlord be surprised when he got the ransom demands?
"Congratulations, my boy," he patted himself on his back. "You've successfully ripped off the Zon Sanctuary. No one else could have lived to tell the tale."
He grinned broadly. Step one was done. Soon he'd have the funds he needed to find his father.
Chapter Three – Jada
This was the hangover to end all hangovers. Jada groaned as a spike drove itself through her brain. It must have been quite the party the previous night. Now she only had to decide what she was going to tell her mother when she—
Wait. She had been abducted from Earth years ago. Her mother was gone.
Jada cracked her eyes open. She was staring at the cool gray tones of metal. She was on a ship. Memories came rushing back and her heart jumped to her throat. She was on Sildon's ship.
She tried to jump up but got tangled in the blankets that were over her and fell on the floor instead. For a minute she just sat there, blinking. Her mind was moving too sluggishly. Probably because of this stupid hangover.
"Think, girl," she ordered herself.
Sildon had drugged her. Why would he do that? Was he afraid that she was going to change her mind about him? She glanced down at herself. Her clothing was still in perfect order, and other than her headache she didn't feel any pain. Hiking up her skirt, she saw she was free of bruises. So he hadn't drugged her to take advantage. A rush of relief poured over her. Good. Maybe he hadn't realized that the drink would hit her so hard?
Stumbling to her feet, she looked around. This was definitely a different place than where she'd had the drink. Sildon's ship wasn't big enough to hold a room like this in it. It had a queen-sized bed, a wardrobe, a toilet and a shower area. She moved to the sink and turned on the water, sticking her mouth into the flow to quench the dryness of her throat.
The door swished open and Jada straightened. Sildon stepped in. Jada frowned at him.
"I understand that you're probably frightened and upset right now," the T'shav said in his deep, gravelly voice. "But you don't need to fear me. I am not going to do anything to harm you."
Jada wiped her mouth. "I'm assuming that I'm not at the Sanctuary, then."
Sildon shook his head. "The wine knocked you out longer than I anticipated. We're four systems over now, and once I get this thing full of fuel, we'll be crossing through deep space. But as soon as Zon sends me the funds that I want from him, I'll send you back."
"You kidnapped me for ransom?" Jada wasn't sure if the balance of her emotions were quite right at the moment. She was definitely more insulted than afraid. Her nostrils flared and she put her hands on her hips. "So did you decide this before or after you saw my picture? What's the matter, wasn't I pretty enough for you?"
"What?" Sildon's head did a small jerky motion.
Jada decided she liked to see him off balance, especially since he had kidnapped her. "You decided I was only good to ransom money for."
"No, that's not what… I went to the Sanctuary in order to lure a human away. Everybody knows how protective Zon is and—" He cut himself off and narrowed his eyes. "Getting me to tell you everything? Clever girl. But there will be none of that. We're not far enough from Zon for me to send my ransom demands yet, but believe me, you'll be back home quickly once I do."
What was the best way to escape from the ship and this T'shav? She glanced around, and her stomach rumbled. Hmm. Well, she should at least be able to find out where they were in the galaxy.
"I'm hungry," she said.
"You can eat when I get back."
Get back? "From where?"
"Buying stocks for the ship."
"We're going on a trip through deep space?" Sildon gave her a look that made her feel like an idiot.
"Well, excuse me for not realizing we were on a planet." Wait, if they were on a planet, that meant she would be able to escape. She swallowed. There had to be a way she could get out of this. "Please, I'm really hungry. It's been days since I ate, after all."
"It's been less than a day."
"I didn't eat the day we were meant to meet. And I think I had a nutrient bar the day before and that's it." She grabbed her stomach and doubled over. Maybe too much. She just really needed to sell it.
Sildon frowned at her but nodded. "Fine. I can make you something to eat before I leave. Just—"
"I'm not eating anything you give me. The last time I was stupid enough to do that, you drugged me."
The T'shav rolled his eyes. "I'm not letting you have free rein on the ship. I don't have time to deal with this right now."
He turned and Jada rushed at him. She swung her fist, but he spun around at the last second and caught her. He narrowed his eyes at her, and her heart jumped to her throat. Oh, boy. That had been a mistake. Despite the fact that her headache was getting even worse, being held in the sexy kidnapper's arms wasn't exactly something she was all too distressed about. If anything, the distress came from the fact that she wouldn't mind if he carried her to bed… or even if he just pushed her against the wall and had his way with her.
What is wrong with me?
"Once we reach my destination, you'll be free to leave the ship. Until then, I can't risk it." Sildon pushed her away.
"I'm not asking to leave the ship." Jada looked past him. There was a small food prep area across the way from her prison-room. A thin railing wound around the center island. "Look, can't you chain me to that railing? Just one hand so I can still move around and get myself some food, but I won't be able to get away."
Sildon frowned at her and then at the railing. He clamped one large hand over her bicep and pulled her from the room. Jada went silently, hoping that he would decide the request wasn't too risky. If she was a better actress she would have tried to pull up a few fake tears, but she hadn't cried since she was a teenager. Instead, she stayed quiet and hoped that she looked meek and contrite as Sildon tested the strength of the railing. His fingers probed her bicep as he did so.
"You're too weak to break it," he decided eventually. "And don't even think about trying to call for help on that control panel. I've coded it to my DNA."
Jada nodded, heart thumping. Sildon pulled her to another section of the ship and pulled out a pair of energy shackles. Soon she was secured to the island and he was gone.
The first thing she did was try to get into the controls. They rejected her, but then she had expected that. Tugging at the railing proved it was just as strong as Sildon had said. However, he had underestimated her. In this case, the rail didn't have to be stronger than she was.
It had to be strong enough to hold her.
Jada scrambled up onto the island, kneeling on it as she positioned her feet. She wedged her toes between the rail and the island, so that the balls of her feet were on the rail. Then, she merely straightened herself and put all her weight on the railing. It held. Grimacing, Jada bounced tentatively. She felt it bend beneath her, so she jerked up as high as she could and then brought all her weight down upon it.
A sharp crack rang through the ship as the railing snapped. Jada tumbled down, hitting her head on the floor. Everything spun above her and she laid still for a moment, trying to calm the churning of her stomach before she sat up.
Probably dehydrated, she thought, but pushed it away. She didn't know when Sildon would be back and needed to take advantage of his absence while she could. Her favorite pair of heels were missing. Oh well. It was easier to go barefoot than to run in those things, anyway.
Scrambling to her feet sent another bout of nausea to overtake her, but she breathed through it and headed for the gangplank. Luckily, Sildon hadn't keyed those controls to his DNA, and she was soon out. The planet she stepped onto was purple. Everything from the sky to the rocks beneath her feet: all purple. Trees of various shades of violet lined the docking area. It was almost enou
gh to make her throw up.
There were some men working on a transport nearby, and Jada ran towards them.
The dockmen stared at her as she came up to them. "You have to help me. I've been abducted."
One of the men jumped down and grabbed her arm. "Another escaped slave? The market needs to get better security."
Jada jumped. "What? I'm not a slave."
"Then why do you have slave cuffs on you?" The man tapped the energy shackles. "I'll get her back to the market. You really shouldn't have run, miss. A pretty girl like you would have been sold to the high bidders, but I know for a fact that they treat—"
"I'm not a runaway!" Jada tried to pull her arm away from him. "I was stolen from the Zon Sanctuary—"
"Yeah, right." The man rolled his eyes. "As if that's possible. Come on. Back to the market you go."
Jada's heart sank as he dragged her along. She fought against him, but he was an Ernesian. The hairy aliens were among the strongest in the galaxy, and she couldn’t break his grip. She screamed and cursed, but he ignored her. As did everyone who passed by.
Ah, hell! She growled as she fought. I've just made things worse.
Chapter Four – Sildon
Sildon typed his docking information into his order form so the purchases he had just made could be delivered to the ship. He nodded at the teller and continued on his way through the marketplace. He was scraping the bottom of his funds getting these supplies, but if he needed to, he could steal what he needed or take a job on the next planet they landed on. T'shav were best known for their mercenary skills, and Sildon was no different. True, his crimes were mostly on the petty side, although he had had the opportunity to be heroic from time to time: killing drug lords, beating up gangs. That sort of thing. He had been involved in several kidnappings before this, and they'd always gone off without a hitch. As long as the people returned home unharmed, his conscience had nothing to say about it.
Jada, though…
In the past, all of Sildon's targets had been spoiled, insufferable rich idiots who treated their kidnappers like servants. Jada was savvier than that. And there was also the fact that she was a beautiful woman and still managed to find him interesting enough to respond to his application…
He shook his head. Maybe he could buy her some small trinket to prove he wasn't going to harm her. Not that she seemed very afraid of him. He had to smile as he remembered her rushing him, as though she could fight her way out of this. Beauty. Bravery. She had everything. But these were dangerous feelings to have. She was a mark, nothing more. Sildon shook his head. He wasn't going to waste any money on her.
A crowd had gathered near the center of the market. Quite a few people stood around it, holding up signs and shouting. It didn't take long for Sildon to realize that these were protestors, and there was a slave auction going on. He had to roll his eyes. If these protestors actually wanted something to change, they should come with blasters and swords and eliminate the demand for slavery.
He pushed through the crowd towards the large platform where the energy cages full of slaves waiting to be sold were housed. As he got closer, he saw that their first auction was already going. And when he saw who the slave was, his blood ran cold. It didn't take long for the ice to boil over, though.
Jada, with the cuffs he'd put on her, stood at the front of the stage, held in place by two burly guards. One was a yellow-skinned Dibat, the other a toady Rlabek. Both of them were having a hard time holding onto her as she twisted and kicked her feet. The gag in her mouth did little to hide what she felt about all this. She caught sight of Sildon and her eyes widened.
The T'shav glared at her. How had she managed to get herself tangled up in this situation? He had half a mind to leave her here, to show her the consequences of tricking him. But he needed money from the Sanctuary, and if he didn't have a living human to send back to Zon, the warlord would no doubt skin him alive.
Sildon shoved aside two bidders and leaped onto the stage. He glowered at the petite Dibat who was the auctioneer. "Why are you selling my human?"
The Dibat blinked at him. "Sir, I assure you, we have the papers – "
"You do not. This human belongs to me, and if you don't give her back, things will get ugly." Sildon drew his sword as a threat, then turned to Jada.
If she looked terrified before, she was furious now. Her throat worked furiously, her intelligible, muffled voice raising in pitch. She kicked both feet out, nearly hitting him.
The T'shav rolled his eyes. "I will deal with you once we're back to the ship. I told you to stay put, and now look what you've gotten yourself into! Your backside will be so bruised you won't be able to sit for a week after this."
A look of indignation crossed her face, but the auctioneer cleared her throat and tapped Sildon's arm, turning his attention back to her.
"What?" he snapped.
"Sir, you are disrupting my auction. I have the papers proving that the human was legally obtained, and if you do not leave immediately, there will be consequences."
Another T'shav stepped up behind her, a sneer on his lips. His skin was a darker red than Sildon's, and he had a multitude of scars that were poorly hidden by tattoos. The tattoos themselves were badly made. Clearly, this was a prison job. Sildon had been fortunate enough to avoid prison for the most part, but he knew that those who had gone deep enough to have an appearance like this T'shav were to be feared.
Sildon, however, never let fear stop him. "This is my human."
"And what are you going to do about it with that little toothpick?" The other T'shav laughed. "A sword like that… You're not even a proper T'shav warrior. Go home and plow your fields until you learn how to craft a proper sword."
It was a father's job to teach his son how to forge his sword. If there was no father in the boy's life, as there often wasn't, then it was the mother's job to find a man who could take his place for her son. A brother, grandfather, uncle. All were suitable replacements. If she had no male relatives, then she would find a strong male to take as her mate until her son learned the art of forging, the final step in being a true warrior.
All of that had been taken from Sildon when he was a child. The T'shav he now faced had no knowledge of that, but that meant nothing to the rage bubbling in Sildon's chest. He snarled as he struck. His blade pierced through the other man's shoulder, cutting neatly through sinew and bone. The T'shav howled in pain; Sildon withdrew the sword and stabbed through his other arm. The male wouldn’t be using his own sword for a while.
He turned towards the Dibat. "Give me my human."
"Give her to him!" the Dibat squeaked. "Take the human and be gone."
The two guards roughly shoved Jada at him. He ripped off her gag and threw it to the ground before he slung her over his shoulder, sword still in his free hand. Rage burned through him as he stalked through the crowd. Jada was silent and still. Good. He wasn't sure he'd be able to contain his temper with her if she dared speak. If it wasn't for her stupidity, none of this would have happened!
On the outside of the crowd, he set her down again. He glared down at her while she gazed up at him with wide eyes. He could see her pulse beating in her neck. Forget trinkets and promises that she wouldn't be harmed. If she was afraid for her life, then maybe she would behave. He should keep her locked up for the rest of the trip…
"You're lucky I need you, otherwise I'd leave you here to your fate," he seethed at her. "Now get moving."
She began to turn away, but suddenly gasped and grabbed his arm. He growled, but before he could repeat his order, the thin wail from a baby broke the air. He turned despite himself. The wounded T'shav had left the stage, and now the Dibat auctioneer was displaying a small, red-skinned baby. A T'shav infant.
"They're selling a baby?" Jada sounded horrified. Her grip on his arm tightened. "You have to buy it."
Sildon stared at her. "What?"
"Please. I'll behave. I won't do anything to jeopardize your whole ransom thing. Who knows
what sort of home that poor thing will go to? Please, if you buy it, I'll pay you back. I can find a good home for it in the Sanctuary, just please—"
"Stop." He held up his hand. "I don't like the idea of leaving it here, but somebody else will probably take pity on it. Babies usually don't end up as full slaves."
Jada's eyes narrowed. "If you don't buy it—"
"If I could afford to purchase it and find it a new home, I would. But I can't. Why do you think I kidnapped you? I don't have the funds to take care of my own business, let alone purchase slaves. Now get moving."
She didn't speak again all the way back to the ship. Once they were there, he shook his head at the broken railing. Apparently, it hadn't been as strong as he had thought. He pushed Jada into her room before releasing her from the shackles.
Her palm flew into his nose before he saw her move. Sildon stumbled back, cursing that he'd let her get the drop on him again. Jada rushed past him and grabbed one of the kitchen knives. She pointed it awkwardly at him. Sildon massaged his nose, glowering at her.
"Put that down before you hurt yourself."
"No! If you're so heartless you'll let a baby grow up a slave, I have no choice but to think that you're going to kill me as soon as you get your money."
Sildon shook his head. "I told you, I can't afford—"
"You couldn't afford me but here I am."
The T'shav ground his teeth together. He really ought to just take the knife away and lock her in her room for the rest of the trip… but wouldn't he have liked to have someone like Jada step up to the plate when he had been an orphaned child? He threw his hands into the air, hating himself for his weakness.
"Fine! We'll get that baby. But you had better be prepared to pay me back."
Chapter Five – Jada
