Chapter 29
Sawyer had decided there would be one witness only – JI. The mech had an acute interest in people behavior.
He had her kneel before him, in an out-of-the-way niche beneath the building overhang.
“Should I let you go?”
“You promised. A man doesn’t go back on his word.”
He knew a lot of men who did, but she was correct, he wasn’t a man who did. He just loved torturing her.
“You’re free to go and are no longer my slave. Go to Osta’s man who holds the supplies. He’s inside the warbug. Get yourself clothes and so on.”
When she merely nodded and turned to go he called out. “Stop. Those are mine.”
He pointed at the cuffs and the collar. She blushed but came forward. The locks would prevent her from taking those off herself.
He used his key to undo all the locks then slipped the accessories of a slave from her neck, wrist and ankles, even going to one knee to remove the latter.
The last bit of intimacy, she’d be thinking.
Little did she know he had devious plans. When you couldn’t pull a fish in straight away, you let it run, let it tire itself out, then you reeled it back in, took the hook from its mouth, and you ate it.
She walked backward a few steps then turned and almost ran. No thank you, of course. He smiled as he watched her ass disappear around the corner. The simile went a bit far.
What do you think, JI?
I think I should stay on your side. I know your plans. What if you lose?
I don’t intend to lose. Though if I do, I’ll accept the loss. I love challenges.
I think I might also, Sawyer. I appreciate my life more now that I have to struggle. If these mechs die or are dislodged, I will die instantly.
Sawyer studied the connections showing on JI’s neck. He could see a small section of blue tubing on either side of his neck, where JI plugged his brain into the mechlings.
“I’ll get the armorer to check that out. He might be able to add protection.”
“Thank you, sir.” JI bowed his head. “I will be most grateful.”
“Not a problem.”
I was also vastly interested in the feeling you experienced as you came inside Ari.
“What! You were in my head then?”
JI shrugged his big shoulders then spoke aloud. “I was nearby...it was impossible not to notice. I wish I could try sex also.”
“Yeah.” Sawyer raised an eyebrow. “You’d like it. If you ever get a chance to grow a cock, jump on it.”
“I could make a joke about jumping on cocks, but...”
“Don’t. Man.” He shook his head. “Come on, let’s find that armorer. So...you were the one who fetched Osta?”
“Yes, Sawyer, I could see you were about to get into trouble.”
“Thank you. How in hell did you stop them shooting you? A mech, appearing out of nowhere?”
“I made a sign on my body.”
“I cannot imagine. What sign?”
“It said...” JI stopped to mimic writing on his chest. “Sassik Helstom has a big dick. Please don’t shoot, I like you.”
Sawyer chuckled. “That would work. You have a thing about cocks...”
“They do seem useful.”
“Hmmm. That they are.” Maybe he should get the mech a strap-on. Ye gods.
Bantering with JI had distracted him from the journey ahead of them. The warbug was big but not so large inside that he wouldn’t be bumping into Miss Ari every single day.
This was going to be an interesting experiment.
He didn’t have a lot of packing to do before climbing aboard the warbug, which gave him plenty of time to observe as he strolled up later that morning. Supplies were being loaded. Less than a hundred people would make up the crew and other personnel...
A body was stretchered past him as he negotiated the stacks of boxes waiting to be loaded. Supplies in. Body out.
“Who?” he asked. Maybe this was someone shot the night before, and they’d just been found? He glanced at the face and upper torso revealed at the edge of the covering cloth. No, it was a woman...
It was...
The one who’d been with Osta, mostly naked. The livid marks on her neck seemed even more pronounced.
Food for thought.
Not good food though. It left a bad taste in his mouth. Out with the old Caligula...in with the new?