Playing Their Parts: A Kindred Tales Novel

by Anderson, Evangeline

  Aware that time was of the essence, she began sifting through the metal balls that filled the box as quickly and quietly as possible. She found the one that she and Stone had done at once—it was right at the top of the pile. She picked it up and placed it carefully between her feet to keep it from rolling away and resumed looking for The Beast’s snuff film.

  In the dim lighting, she was glad for the fluorescent markers that had been used to write the title of each vid. Otherwise she would never have been able to read them.

  Daring, was the first title she saw.

  Well that must be an interesting one, Cassie thought.

  The next title she read was Provocative and then the more prosaic, Hot Stuff.

  There were some more porny names too like Squlids in Heat and Scratching Jumbo’s Itch. She wondered if that one had anything to do with the weird plants Dr. Sslwx had showed her. If so, she felt sorry for Jumbo’s costar—whoever it had been.

  There were some titles that were worse though.

  Slime in every Crevice, Cassie read and shuttered. And the next one she saw was Moldy in all the Right Places. Fondled by Feelers, was next and then, Tentacle Torture. She tried really hard not to imagine what that one was about.

  Finally, about halfway down in the middle of the chest she found the small silver ball marked, Deadly in bright blue letters.

  Ugh! She felt dirty just handling it, but it was, after all, what they had come to get. She scooped it up, shut the lid of the chest as quietly as possible, and then picked up the ball at her feet which contained the vid she and Stone had done. Then, moving as silently as a cat on her bare feet, she left the stage and rejoined her partner.

  They were very close to being done with this mission. If only the last part could be as easy as the first two…

  Fifty

  “Mission accomplished,” Cassandra whispered triumphantly as they made their way out of the backstage area.

  “Almost,” Stone reminded her grimly.

  “Yeah, but the last part is easy. Guys like The Beast always think with their dick—I’ll have him out to the ship before you can blink!” she told him.

  “Just remember, you promised to use the panic button on your communicator if he tries anything—anything at all,” Stone reminded her. This was the part of their mission he had been dreading the most—letting his partner be alone with a murderous rapist.

  Of course, he knew that Cassandra could handle herself in a tight situation—he had respect for her capabilities. But he preferred to be with her anyway, to get her back, as she always said. They would only be separated for a little while—just long enough for her to lure The Beast out to their ship, but Stone still felt a wave of anxiety when he thought of leaving her.

  Unable to help himself, he leaned down and gathered her into his arms.

  “Stone!” she exclaimed under her breath and stiffened at first. But then her soft, curvy body melted against his own. “It’s all right, you know,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m going to be just fine.”

  “I do not like leaving you.” Stone nuzzled the vulnerable side of her neck, kissing her gently there. He had an almost overwhelming urge to bite her—to sink his fangs in and inject her with his essence, Claiming her as his own.

  But he knew he couldn’t do that. If he did, he would want to bond her to him and Cassandra had said over and over again that she only wanted them to be friends.

  If that was all she wanted, though, why did her heart pound so much faster when he held her close as he was doing now? Why did her breathing quicken and the sweet scent of her feminine desire fill his nose?

  “Cassandra,” he murmured, “At the end of this mission, we will still be friends?”

  “Of course we’ll be friends, Stone,” she whispered back. “How can you even ask that? We’re best friends and partners—forever.”

  “Forever.” Stone sighed. He would be back in the zone of friendly acquaintance with no hope of getting out of it.

  “Does that upset you?” Cassandra asked, sounding worried. “You do want to still be friends, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do,” Stone made himself say. But he couldn’t help adding, “I will miss being able to hold you, though. And taste you between your legs.”

  “Stone…” She wiggled in his arms and he could feel her soft, nearly-bare breasts against his chest. Her voice expressed displeasure but the scent of her desire intensified considerably.

  She likes it when I speak my desires aloud to her, Stone thought—not for the first time. It arouses her when I tell her what I want to do to her.

  But now was probably not the right time. Although, when would he ever get another chance to speak his desires to his partner after this mission was over, Stone reasoned with himself.

  “I know you don’t like the idea of beneficial friends,” he murmured in her ear. “But maybe I could still taste you sometimes, when we get back to Earth. We could turn off the lights and you could pretend it was someone else lapping your soft little pussy and making you come with his tongue.” He kissed her neck again, sliding the tips of his fangs very lightly down the vulnerable column of her throat to feel her shiver against him.

  “Stone!” she protested again, shifting restlessly in his arms. “Don’t talk to me like that right now—you’re driving me crazy and we still have to finish this mission!”

  “So you admit the idea appeals to you?” he asked, pulling back to search her eyes with his own.

  She shifted again and looked away.

  “I mean, of course it appeals to me! I’d have to be crazy not to find that kind of, uh, offer appealing. But I just don’t know if continuing that kind of thing would be, you know, good for our friendship.”

  “Of course, our friendship,” Stone muttered. Once again, she was placing him in the friendship zone. If only he knew how to get out, damn it!

  “I’m sorry.” Cassandra reached up to cup his cheek with her soft little hand. “Sorry, Stone, but this isn’t the time or place to talk about this and you know it.”

  Reluctantly, he nodded. “I know.”

  She looked at her chronometer.

  “Look, it’s almost time for The Beast to meet me. You’d better get to the ship and wait for us. If he sees you with me, he’s just going to turn right back around and leave.”

  “I know. Because he is a fucking coward,” Stone growled, feeling his eyes get hot and red. He hugged Cassandra as tightly as he dared and looked into her eyes. “Be careful. If you feel you are in any danger at all, call for me—I will always come for you.”

  “I know you will.” Leaning up, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, partner.”

  “You are welcome. And please be cautious.”

  “You know I will be but don’t worry—we’re on a roll, Stone, I can feel it.” She grinned at him. “Nothing’s going to stop us now—we’ve got this mission in the bag.”

  Stone hoped she was right but as he at last released her and turned to go out to the ship, he had a deep feeling of apprehension in his gut, as though the good luck they’d had so far that night was about to desert them.

  Fifty-One

  Cassie waited impatiently, looking at the chronometer strapped to her wrist every few seconds. Where was he, damn it?

  She wished that Stone hadn’t gotten her so worked up right before he left. If he just wanted to be friends, why did he insist on holding her so close and kissing the side of her neck while he whispered dirty talk in her ear? They were going to have to stop that once they got back down to Earth—it would definitely lead to an attempt to be friends with benefits or “beneficial friends” as Stone called it, which would undoubtedly ruin their friendship and their partnership.

  Cassie wished again they could be more than just friends. But if he wanted that, Stone would have voiced a desire to bond her to him, and he had never done that. He had only said that he shouldn’t bite her because then he would want to bond her. And since he had specifically kept himself fr
om biting her in order to avoid that fate, she had to assume he didn’t want to bond her to him and have her as more than a friend and a partner.

  She sighed deeply. If only—

  “Well, there you are!”

  The familiar voice behind her immediately doused the flames of desire her partner had woken in her. In their place, she felt a shiver of revulsion. But this was no time to let her true feelings show. Cassie plastered a welcoming smile on her face and turned to face The Beast.

  “I was wondering if you were going to stand me up!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been waiting to show you the new equipment in my ship.”

  “I don’t see your body-slave anywhere around,” The Beast remarked, looking around expectantly.

  “No, of course not—I left him back in my room. I don’t take him with me everywhere I go.” Cassie laughed lightly. “So, are you ready to go?”

  “Oh, I’m ready to go, all right.” The Beast tucked her arm through his—a bit more firmly than Cassie liked. Still, she kept up her smile.

  “Good! We’re going to have a lot of fun.”

  “More than you know,” The Beast gave her a wolfish smile and began walking, pulling her along with him. But he wasn’t headed to the entrance of the palace, Cassie saw in dismay. Instead, they were going back towards the throne room.

  “Hey, the ship is that way,” she said, pointing.

  “Yes, but we’re going this way, beautiful.” The Beast made a motion and the round golden disk doors rolled apart.

  “Why?” Cassie tried to laugh as she attempted to free her arm unsuccessfully. “Did you forget something?”

  “Not at all. You on the other hand, are about to learn a lesson you’ll never forget.” The Beast’s smile had grown white and sharp and frightening and he was dragging her into the throne room forcefully now.

  “Stop it!” Cassie exclaimed, deciding to fall back on her haughty Mistress persona. “How dare you treat me this way? I am a Yonnite Mistress—take your hands off me at once!”

  “You are no Yonnite Mistress—you’re a Kindred spy.” This time it was Gozeriam speaking. The Slimerian’s deep, burbling voice made Cassie gasp. Looking up on the stage, she could see that Gozeriam was wide awake and watching them.

  Crap! Our cover’s been blown! Got to warn Stone!

  She tried desperately to reach into her bodice to touch the panic button located there, straining to get her fingers to the small device. But it was on the side The Beast was holding her arm and she couldn’t get to it. She struggled anyway, kicking out at the big asshole.

  “Let go of me! You’re crazy—why would I spy for the Kindred?”

  “This is exactly what you are going to tell us,” Gozeriam said. “Tie her to the frame.”

  “Frame? What frame?” Cassie demanded. But even as she spoke, she saw several of the Slimerian’s guards bringing out a tall silver frame.

  It wasn’t like the flogging frame. Instead of being rectangular, this was a large round hoop in a kind of swivel frame. There were leather thongs at its top and sides and a strange kind of metal and leather U-shaped seat in the middle.

  “What is that thing? Let me go! You’re all crazy!” she insisted. She was determined to protest her innocence until they believed her.

  Then someone stepped out from behind Gozeriam’s bulk and she saw with a sinking heart that it was their contact, Pocker.

  “Pocker?” she gasped, before she could stop herself. “What…how…?”

  “Good day,” the pig man said, bowing to Cassie. “Forgive me for turning you in to his Slimefullness but I was, after all, just doing my job. He ordered me to make myself available as a contact to your Commander Sylvan and relay to him anything that transpired.”

  Cassie felt her heart sink. They had been made from the moment they stepped in the door. Their cover had been blown from day one!

  “We can see by the look on your face that you know our faithful agent,” Gozeriam burbled at her. “So why do we not dispense with the pleasantries, Officer Cassandra Steel? Tell us everything and we will make certain your death is quick.”

  Cassie lifted her chin as The Beast and several of Gozeriam’s guards strapped her into the strange machine.

  “You can’t frighten me or get me to talk just by offering me a quick and painless death, Gozeriam.”

  A sound like rubber boots squelching in deep, oozing mud emanated from the Slimerian’s lipless maw. After a moment, Cassie realized he was laughing.

  “Now then, Officer Steel, we never said your death would be painless. I fear that it will be very painful indeed. But how long the pain lasts will depend on your willingness to cooperate. Now, call your partner so the two of you may die together.”

  “Never!” Cassie glared at him. Now that she knew what Gozeriam had planned, she would never call Stone. She wouldn’t let her partner walk into a trap!

  “Beast, find him,” Gozeriam ordered.

  “I think she was trying to reach him earlier. Weren’t you, baby?” Without warning, The Beast grabbed the top of her dress in both hands and ripped it apart. The deep V neckline had already been wide enough that it barely covered her breasts. Now it parted completely, baring her utterly to everyone in the throne room.

  But worse than her sudden exposure, in Cassie’s view, was the fact that the tiny communicator/panic button flew out and skittered to a stop at the Beast’s feet. Bending down, he picked it up and examined it with satisfaction.

  “Now we’ll see your body-slave—or should I say your partner?” he sneered at Cassie.

  And then he pushed the button.

  Fifty-Two

  As soon as Stone got back to the ship, he stowed the two silver camera drone balls and strapped on a blaster. He was clipping some cuffs to his belt to restrain The Beast with when he saw a sudden, scurrying movement from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw the oily shine of a beetle-black shell and heard a distinctive scratching sound as the creature disappeared.

  Cursing under his breath, he went to a supply cabinet and pulled it open. Reaching inside, he grabbed a flat packet of compressed sodium spray. He was fairly certain the creature he had seen was a wall-crawler—a type of space insect that could withstand the intense cold of space and liked to stow away on long-range shuttles.

  Wall-crawlers were essentially harmless if there was only one of them—but there was never just one. And if a pilot allowed an infestation of the little bastards to overtake his ship, they would bite through wiring and happily make a meal of the ship’s engine. Which meant that if you saw one, you had to drop everything and hunt it down right away before things got worse.

  The thing that made wall-crawlers so hard to kill was the thin layer of oily slime that covered their flat, hard-as-nails outer shell. The slime could withstand the intense cold of space and the fiery heat of re-entry—you couldn’t kill them by freezing them, burning them, or stepping on them while they were still encased in slime. In fact, about the only thing that worked was to melt their slime layer with the salt spray Stone was currently holding. Once de-slimed, they were vulnerable to the elements and could be killed.

  “Where are you, you bastard?” he muttered, looking behind the seats and then checking the food-prep area. “You’re not getting away from me! I’ll hunt you down and—”

  And then the panic alarm went off on his communicator. Cassandra was in trouble!

  Shoving the sodium spray into his back pocket, Stone drew his blaster and ran for the door of the shuttle. If that bastard The Beast had so much as laid a single finger on her, Stone was going to break it off.

  Break it off and feed it to him.

  “Hold on, Cassandra,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m coming, sweetheart!”

  Fifty-Three

  She wasn’t outside the ship or in the entrance to the palace, which was surprisingly unguarded. It wasn’t until Stone saw that the huge, heavy gold disk doors of the throne room were open that he knew where his partner must be.

 
He was about to charge in, blaster drawn, when he felt the cold muzzle of a weapon against the back of his neck.

  “Be careful with him,” the burbling voice of Xempi Gozeriam called. “We want him alive—for now.”

  “I’ve got him, your Slimefullness—don’t you worry,” The Beast said from behind Stone. He added, speaking to Stone himself, “Don’t try anything funny, Kindred. We’ve got your partner in the fucking-frame and you’ll play along if you want her to live at least a little while longer. Now hand me the blaster.”

  “Where is she?” Stone’s voice was hoarse in his own ears as he fought the Rage that tried to overcome him. He was no use to Cassandra as a mindless beast—he had to retain his reason!

  “Like I said, strapped to the fucking-frame, up on the stage. Come on, give me the blaster and we’ll go see her together.”

  Stone didn’t see that he had any choice. Slowly, he handed his blaster over to the Beast who tucked it into his own belt.

  “Good. Now come on—straight to the stage,” he told Stone, giving him a shove.

  When he got closer to the stage, Stone saw what was going on. Cassandra had been fastened to some kind of silver hoop, her arms and legs splayed out helplessly. Her dress had been ripped open to show her bare breasts and there were tear tracks on her cheeks, as though she’d been crying. Her panties, at least, appeared to be intact—it was easy to see since her legs were spread. She appeared to be seated on some kind of thin metal frame seat, which kept her from sagging in her bindings.

  Stone abruptly found his Rage a little bit easier to control. If The Beast had hurt her—raped her—he would have lost control completely. But it appeared that no permanent damage had been done, which made the possessive, protective berserker part of himself less likely to break free and create havoc—or get them both killed.