The Miloran reached up and pulled something tiny out of his chest. He looked at Prax. “Can you walk?”
“I think so.” Prax took a few steps and managed to stay on his feet.
“Get Ogilvy,” Qualhuan said. “I’ll stay here with Tinibu.”
Prax managed to stagger all the way to the door of Mickey’s. He had to steady himself against the wall for a moment, and then he lurched through the doorway. He almost fell over when he stepped back into the noise and the dim, murky air. He grabbed an empty chair for balance, and then he felt someone standing next to him. He turned and saw that it was Ogilvy.
“What’s up, Prax?” Ogilvy demanded. “Where are Tinibu and Qualhuan?”
“They’re outside. Two men jumped us.”
Ogilvy left the bar at a run, with Prax stumbling after him. When Prax got back to the scene, he found Ogilvy bending over Tinibu.
“He’s okay,” Ogilvy said, standing up. “He’s just been stunned. How about you, Qualhuan?”
The Miloran was still on his feet. “I think it was a drug dart. I felt something sting, and I pulled this out of my chest.” He held out his hand. In the artificial light, it was hard to see the tiny dart in his palm. “I feel a little dizzy, but it’s not too bad.”
“What about you, Prax?” Ogilvy asked.
“It must have been a dart, too,” Prax said. “Something grazed my neck. I could feel it, and then I had trouble walking straight.”
Ogilvy frowned. “It sounds almost like a snatch.”
“I thought so, too,” Qualhuan said. “Let’s get out of here. They could come back any time.”
With Ogilvy’s help, Qualhuan managed to put Tinibu over his shoulder. Ogilvy picked up the two discarded weapons and then walked between the Miloran and Prax and helped both of them make it to the flyter. Qualhuan dropped Tinibu onto the floor in the back of the flyter cabin, and Ogilvy dragged the big man the rest of the way inside. After Qualhuan hauled himself into a seat, Prax followed his example. Ogilvy locked all the doors, then took the controls.
By the time they arrived back at the estate, Qualhuan was feeling much more in control. Prax was worse; Ogilvy had to help him out of the flyter.
They put Tinibu on his own bed. Prax sat down on a chair to watch him while Qualhuan went to call Rurhahn to report what had happened. Ogilvy fetched a medical kit.
An injection of a standard stimulant brought Tinibu around. The big Terran groaned and put one hand to his head. He let loose a string of epithets, many of which Prax didn’t understand.
Ogilvy grinned. “He’ll be okay.”
Qualhuan came back and found Tinibu sitting up on the edge of his bed, still cursing.
“He hasn’t repeated yet,” Ogilvy said. “What did Rurhahn say?”
“He said to call the doctor to get everyone checked out, so I did. He also said he was going to report it to the munis.”
“What about the chief?” Ogilvy asked.
“No sense spoiling his big night,” Qualhuan said. “I left a message on the com at his house. He’ll hear about it soon enough.”
RISHI was in her room, removing her jewelry and combing out her hair when the door chimed, and Hari came into the room.
“What’s up?” Rishi asked. “I noticed a couple of official-looking vehicles when we landed. Has there been another break-in?”
Hari looked around her room. “Not exactly. Where’s Lidiya?”
I sent her home before we left.” Rishi put her necklace back in its box and then did the same for the ruby headpiece. “I didn’t see any reason to make her wait all evening just to help me undress.”
“Hmm.”
Rishi moved to the niche in the wall beside her dressing table. She moved a slender statuette out of the way and pressed a hidden switch. A small compartment opened in the back of the niche. Rishi dropped the two jewel boxes into the compartment and pressed the switch again. The boxes would be deposited automatically in the safe in her office. The compartment was strictly a one-way drop. There was no way to get anything out of the safe from her room. “So, what’s going on then?”
Hari shrugged. “A few of the security staff went into Shembor for a drink. They were on their way back to the flyter when two assailants tried to jump them.”
Rishi stared. It sounded so unlikely. “Was anybody hurt?”
“No. No permanent damage. Tinibu was stunned. Qualhuan and Prax were shot with a dart gun, but it was just a tranquilizer; they’re fine, too.”
Rishi’s heart skipped a beat. “Praxiteles? He went out tonight?”
“Why not? You were busy. It was just a few drinks in a bar, Rishi.”
She waved a hand impatiently. “I’m not jealous, Hari. I just think it was too soon for him to be running around Shembor.”
“He was probably just restless. He’s used to being pretty active.”
Rishi frowned when she thought back to the original question. “But why would anyone attack them? No one carries cash, and why attack three big, strong men who probably have nothing worth stealing?”
“That’s a good question. It sounded to me like a snatch.”
Rishi sat down again and began to brush her hair. “You mean a kidnapping? But why would anyone kidnap three members of our security staff?”
Hari grunted. “I don’t think they intended to kidnap all of them. I think Prax was the bundle.”
“The what?”
“The bundle, the kidnap victim. When kidnappers snatch someone on the street like that, they have to get the victim away quickly. We call that making him into a bundle. They don’t usually knock him out completely; that would make him quite a burden. They give him something to make him too groggy to fight or protest, but still able to walk on his own.”
Rishi frowned even more. “You think they were trying to kidnap Praxiteles? But why? He has no money.”
Hari sighed. “No, but you do, girl. What would you do if Prax went missing and you got a message that he’d be dead unless you turned over a sizable amount of cash on the spot?”
Rishi put down her brush. She would pay the money, of course. But if the wrong people knew that, it was a terrifying thought. “You mean someone knows about me and Praxiteles, and they tried to kidnap him to get my money?”
Hari nodded grimly. “That’s my guess. But something went wrong for them. I think whoever planned this didn’t know Qualhuan would be there. Milorans are resistant to standard stun guns. You can fire at a Miloran all day, and it just gives him a sort of tingle. Even the tranquilizer dart wasn’t strong enough for a Miloran. It must have been intended only for Prax.”
Rishi was upset. “But Hari, how could they know? The only people who know about us are here in the house, and Dr. Warchovsky!”
Hari pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “It doesn’t fit. The doctor probably knew about you and Prax, just from being in the house for a day or two. But whoever set this up also had to know who was going into town and where. Dr. Warchovsky left early this morning; there’s no way she could have known.”
“Then it couldn’t be Beecher,” Rishi said, disappointed. “We let him go too long ago for him to know about me and Praxiteles, and he wouldn’t know about Praxiteles going to the bar, either.”
“It’s got to be someone currently on the Security staff. The staff may have thought you two were just having a fling at first, but anyone who saw you the other day when we found Prax wounded got clued in pretty quickly how you feel about him.”
Rishi nodded, remembering how everyone had felt compelled to reassure her. “I did rather give it away, didn’t I?” She shivered when she considered the implications of this latest development. “It’s scary to think that the people you’re paying to protect you are the ones you have to worry about.”
Hari frowned. “We can eliminate some of them. Nakamura and Murthy were with
you all evening. They didn’t know Prax was going out. Qualhuan foiled the snatch completely, so we can say he’s definitely not involved. I don’t know about Tinibu and Ogilvy; I’ll have to check out the circumstances.”
Hari looked at the niche that hid the safe drop. “I’m glad you put that stuff away. Someone around here may be desperate for money.”
Rishi nodded, then had another thought. “Will this make the munis stop suspecting Praxiteles?”
“I don’t know. For all I know, Arnuchh may see this as a ploy, a diversion of some kind.”
“Should I talk to her?”
Hari debated but shook his head. “Not unless she asks for you. I’m going to go talk to Tinibu and the others now. You go to bed and get some sleep.”
Rishi shivered and hugged herself tightly. “I don’t think I can sleep now. Too much has happened.”
When Hari left, she sat for a long time, staring in the mirror. She hadn’t realized that having someone she cared so much about made her vulnerable in a way she had never been before.
PRAX wished very much that Captain Arnuchh would go away. The Shuratanian woman stood at the foot of his bed. Prax felt at a disadvantage talking to her half lying down, but he couldn’t manage to sit up all the way.
“Now, citizen,” she said, “how many times had you been to that bar?”
Before Prax could answer, the door chimed.
“Come,” Prax said, hoping it was someone who could make the captain go away.
Hari strolled in. “Hello, Prax. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay,” Prax said. “At least now I don’t fall off the bed every time I move.”
Hari looked at Arnuchh. “The Shembor force is calling out the heavy guns for a simple street assault.”
“Two incidents concerning the House of Trahn within three days is too much coincidence,” she said. “I have to consider that the attempted kidnapping may be related to the break-in.”
Hari frowned. “Aren’t you jumping to conclusions? There’s no evidence that it was a kidnapping.”
Arnuchh smiled an unpleasant smile. “I’m not a fool, Citizen. You know the pattern of a street snatch as well as I do. Perhaps better, considering the nature of your business. Street robbery is rare in that part of Shembor. The middle class don’t carry cash, and they rarely wear or carry anything worth stealing. Bar fights are common, and of course there is the occasional drug-crazed lunatic who becomes violent. This was quite different—a deliberate attempt to incapacitate three grown men. Men who were trained to defend themselves, but who were unarmed and unsuspecting because they weren’t on duty. If the Miloran hadn’t been there, we’d most likely be awaiting the ransom demand right now.”
Prax was having trouble following her meaning. “Are you saying those men attacked us in an effort to kidnap me? Why would anyone do that? If they were friends of the man I killed, they’d try to kill me, not take me prisoner.”
Arnuchh looked surprised, as if she hadn’t considered revenge as a motive. After a moment, she shook her head dismissively. “It isn’t likely that scum like that would have friends who’d take a risk to avenge their deaths. I don’t know that the two incidents are directly related. It may be that the same person is leaking information to two different outside concerns, or it may be two separate leaks.”
Prax was still uncertain what the captain was suggesting. “But I don’t know anyone in Shembor. And I have nothing worth stealing.”
Arnuchh looked just slightly incredulous. “You really don’t get it, do you? They were trying to snatch you for ransom. If they’d succeeded, they’d have demanded money from Mistress Trahn for your safe return.”
Prax was thunderstruck. He sat up, swaying just slightly, and shook his head. “But I’m no relation to her. How would anyone even know about me?”
“Precisely,” Arnuchh said. “That’s what we have to determine.” She looked to Hari. “I want a record of who was here at the estate this evening, who made calls, and who went out after dinner.”
Hari nodded agreement. “I’ll get the information for you tonight.”
“Good.” She glanced back at Prax. “You’d do well to keep him under wraps as much as possible. Even if we find the leak, the word is out now.”
Hari nodded again. “I know.”
After Captain Arnuchh left, Prax lay back down on his pillows, feeling dazed. “What was she talking about?”
The security chief grinned, but he didn’t look amused. “You. If the Shembor underworld is now aware that Mistress Rishi Trahn would pay damn good money to keep you safe, then you have to be as careful as she is. I don’t want you to leave the estate alone. The rules are the same for you as for Rishi.”
Prax wished he could stand up to argue, but he was afraid he would fall on his face if he tried. “But I’m on the security staff. I can take care of myself.”
Hari grinned. “All right. Let’s see you stand up and take me on.”
Prax flushed but didn’t reply.
“You see my point?” Hari said. “I don’t want you to leave the estate at all for the next few days. After that, don’t go alone. Always have at least two of the staff with you, and make sure you’re all armed.”
Prax was indignant. “That’s not in my contract. I know because I read it over twice after I could read well enough.”
“No, but following my orders is.”
Prax shook his head. “You can’t give me orders when I’m not on duty or on call.”
Hari laughed out loud, finally sounding truly amused. “Teaching you to read may have been a mistake. All right, if you want to play it that way, I’ll have to get sneaky.”
“What do you mean?” Prax asked.
“I’ll have to go to Rishi and explain that you refuse to be reasonable. Then she’ll come to you with those big, amber eyes open wide, and she’ll ask you to promise to do what I say.”
It was, Prax realized, a likely scenario. “That’s not fair! My feelings for her iare none of your business.”
“It is now. And I don’t care if it’s fair or not if it gets the job done.”
Prax mulled it over. After all, he didn’t feel like going anywhere right away. He could wait to assert himself when he had somewhere he wanted to go. “All right. I agree not to leave the estate for the next three days. After that, I’ll ask at least two people to go with me, and we’ll all take our stun guns, but I won’t agree to do that forever. Just until we find out who has betrayed us.”
“I’ll settle for that for now. We’ll see what happens later.”
The door chimed and Prax called for it to open. When it did, Rishi walked in.
Prax lurched to his feet. Hari reached out a hand to steady him when it looked as if he might fall.
Rishi rushed over to help. “Sit down, Praxiteles.” She pushed him back down onto the bed and took a seat next to him.
Prax was distressed. “Lady, you shouldn’t be here.”
“Why not?” Rishi asked. “Why is it less proper for me to come here than for you to come to my room?”
Hari grinned. “I’ll leave you two alone. I have to get that information for the captain. You remember what I told you, Prax!”
Prax nodded without speaking.
Rishi watched Hari leave and then turned back to Prax. “What did he tell you?”
“He thinks the two men were trying to kidnap me. He wants me not to leave the estate for a few days.”
“I think he’s right. Captain Arnuchh does, too. She just asked me if it was true that I’d pay a ransom if you were kidnapped.”
“What did you say, lady?”
Rishi gave him an affectionate smile. “I told her of course it was true. I’d never let anything bad happen to you if I could stop it.”
Prax sighed. His debt to her was already immense, and now she wanted to make it larg
er. “If it ever happens, you mustn’t do that, lady. My job is to protect you, not to put your House in danger.”
Rishi touched his cheek with one finger. “We won’t argue about it. We’ll just make sure it never comes up.”
Prax felt very weary all of a sudden, as if sitting up were too much of an effort.
Rishi seemed to realize it. “Come on. Let me help you get into bed.”
Prax was too tired to protest when she unfastened his shirt and pulled it over his head.
She took off his boots, and then chuckled as she helped him remove his trousers. “Good thing I’ve had some practice at this.”
Prax just smiled. It took effort to stand up so that she could pull down the bedclothes. When he lay down, Rishi pulled the covers up over him.
Prax managed another smile. “You remind me very much of my mother right now, lady.”
She leaned over and kissed him gently, but definitely not a maternal kiss. “We’ll get that straight in a few days when you’re feeling better. Go to sleep, Praxiteles.”
Within a few seconds, Prax did as he was told.
Chapter Seventeen
The next day, Prax overslept. When he finally woke, light streamed in the window of his room. He realized he must have been too late to get breakfast in the staff dining room.
He washed and dressed with less difficulty than the day before. He had performed the exercises Dr. Warchovsky had recommended quite faithfully, because he wanted to go back to work, and he knew he would need to be able to use both hands.
Thulan was busy lining up ingredients for lunch when Prax came into the kitchen.
“It’s you,” she said, without enthusiasm. “Slept late, did you?”
“Yes. If I’m in the way, I can leave.”
“No, don’t bother. There’s a plate in the larder all ready for you. I figured you’d be along soon enough.”
Prax would have gotten the plate himself, but she brushed him out of the way as she retrieved it.
“Sit down and eat,” she said brusquely, slamming a cup of coffee on the table next to the plate.
Worlds Apart (ThreeCon) Page 33
