I clenched my jaw and bit back the scathing reply that was dying to come flying out of my mouth. I had to resist telling him it was none of his business – even though it really wasn't. Instead, I decided the best – and safest – course of action was to just ignore him. I'd told him before that I didn't have family – none who were worth dealing with at least. For all intents and purposes, I was alone in this world. And for people like Sam – people who had the good fortune to have good family they could lean on – they'd never get it. They'd never understand what it was like to essentially be an orphan.
He'd never understand his privilege because he had it easier than I ever did. It was his daddy who'd given him a job after his football dreams ended. It was why he was a manager when he wasn't the least bit qualified for the job. He was barely qualified to be a Walmart greeter. But that was life. It was what it was. And I wasn't one who was going to complain. Even if I did seem to get shafted in the grand scheme of things. All I could control was what I could control and all I could do was play the cards I'd been dealt. Sitting around bitching and whining about it got me nowhere.
“Goodnight, Sam,” I said, not bothering to wave as I walked out of the cafe and wanting nothing more than to be out of there and away from him.
I rushed to my car, just wanting to get home. I needed to get home. I wasn't lying about having homework and an early class in the morning – that was the norm these days. Class all morning, work all evening, homework until the early morning hours. That was my life, such as it was.
It wasn't easy. In fact, it was as hard as hell. But it was what it was. Like I said, sitting around bitching and moaning about it wasn't going to get me anywhere. The only way I was going to get anywhere was by picking myself up and pushing myself forward.
But guys like Sam would never even be able to comprehend the shit I'd had to go through in order to survive. They'd never understand how hard I had to work just to get by. Just to tread water. And that was because they had mommy and daddy there to pick them up when they fell.
All I had in this whole, wide world was myself.
ooo000ooo
As I rushed out of the restaurant and toward my car, I was surprised to see another car sitting in the parking lot at that hour. It wasn't Sam's car and I was the only other person working that night – it had been pretty slow. All the customers had left about half an hour before closing, giving us plenty of time to clean up and do our side work.
As I looked at the car in the lot, I let my paranoia get the best of me. I felt my heart racing and my hands trembling, but I tried to push it out of my mind. After all, it was a public parking lot. It could be anyone.
A homeless person. A driver stopping to making a call. Somebody who'd broken down. It could have been anybody.
It didn't mean anything at all.
I climbed into the car and tried to stop my anxiety from getting any worse than it already was. But this time, I was having some trouble talking myself down. Despite my best efforts, the fear was still there. Heavy and oppressive, it was still there. It felt like someone was watching me from the darkness of the interior of that car, and I couldn't get rid of the feeling. I shivered, even though I wasn't cold. Keeping an eye on the vehicle, I started my car.
“Please don't die on me,” I pleaded with my car, watching the vehicle in my rear view mirror.
Sam hadn't come out of the diner just yet – but part of me was actually hoping he would. Just so I didn't have to be alone out there with the stranger in the strange car. But there was no sign of Sam.
I squinted my eyes and was able to make out a person sitting behind the wheel on the driver's side of the car. They were facing my direction, but were they watching me? Or was I simply being a paranoid freak? It was hard to tell. But given my history, it was understandable.
“Calm down, Riley,” I said, putting my car into reverse once it had warmed up. “It's not Mike. This car is unfamiliar.”
I kept trying to talk myself down, tried to stave off the panic attack that sometimes utterly crippled me. My ex-boyfriend, Mike, was always in the back of my mind. Lurking. He was a sinister and malicious presence in my brain – one I wished I could banish forever. But one I had never yet been able to.
Mike still scared the living daylights out of me – even though I hadn't seen him in months. The impact of our relationship – especially our parting – would forever be etched into my brain. There was no way I could ever not live in fear of him coming after me, not after the threats he'd made.
But it had been months – he had probably moved on by now, right? He had to have moved on. Besides, Mike didn't drive a black sedan – which was what was sitting in the lot behind me. That car was nicer than anything my ex could have afforded. By far. It wasn't him. Couldn't have been.
As I pulled out onto the main street in Sapphire Bay, I kept looking behind me, half expecting to see the black sedan pulling out onto the street behind me. When it didn't come out of the parking lot with me though, I breathed a sigh of relief and turned the radio on, allowing myself to relax as I drove the short distance to my apartment.
But my relief didn't last long.
As I prepared to turn the corner onto Oak Tree Road, I noticed that there was a car on the road behind me.
And it was the one that had been lurking in the parking lot.
“Shit,” I thought to myself, wondering if I should stay on the main street opposed to the small residential street I lived on.
This late at night, there was hardly anyone around. I quickly turned my blinker off, deciding to go straight instead. I didn't want to lead them back to my place and needed to lose them. When the light turned green, the black sedan behind me continued following close behind. I decided I had no other choice but to drive somewhere public, somewhere where there'd be people around this late at night.
A public place would be my sanctuary.
The Mahogany Tavern was up on the left and if Sam was right, there would be crowds of people there. But right before I pulled into the lot and parked before making a run into the public space, the sedan turned left onto a side street. It hadn't been following me after all. I let out a sigh of relief and a small nervous chuckle as I realized just how silly and unfocused I'd been.
That sedan might have been going this way all along, I thought to myself. It didn't have a blinker on to turn before, like I had. I just assumed it was behind me, assumed that it was following me. And for making that assumption, I was an idiot. A big, fat, paranoid idiot.
Still, my nerves were wrecked. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by people – at least to make sure I was safe, not because I particularly wanted the company. But my English paper wasn't going to write itself.
I made a quick U-turn and headed back toward Oak Tree Road, turning onto my street when I got there. I checked my mirrors and saw no sign of any cars behind me, which was a relief. I parked in my assigned spot, and even though I still saw no sign of the strange car, I hurried into my apartment, slamming and locking the door behind me.
I'm safe, I told myself. I'm alone. All alone.
The exhaustion of the day took hold of me quickly, and the siren song of my bed was beckoning me. But I had a paper to write. It was due at eight the next morning, first class of the day, and it was a large part of my grade. I had to get it done, no questions asked.
But the exhaustion and stress of my life took its toll on me, and I just wanted to curl up in my bed and sleep the days away. Heck, curling up in bed and never waking up didn't sound too bad either. Especially since there was very little worth waking up for. Besides my boring English class, anyway. A class I should be passing with flying colors – but a class I was barely scraping by with a C in.
But it was a basic class, I needed to pass it to move on to my other classes – classes that might land me a job somewhere other than the Lazy Hen Cafe working for douchebags like Sam. And I was aspiring to something a little higher than that.
I glanced over at my bed, which wasn't hard to do in my studio apartment, but settled in at my desk instead. My ancient computer took forever and a day to load up, so I walked into the kitchen to get a drink while it loaded everything up.
Grabbing a soda, I stared into my otherwise empty fridge. I'd been able to snag some freebies from work, so I wasn't starving, but the pickings were incredibly slim. And I was still slightly hungry. But I didn't have the extra income to get things like snacks. My paycheck had to go to rent this week, so my food budget was limited. Really, really limited. At the moment, I had two slices of cheap, processed cheese product, but no bread. I also had a box with a slice of apple pie from last night's shift – and that was it.
My stomach growled in protest as I stared into the empty refrigerator. I sighed as I grabbed the pie and my knockoff brand of Diet Dr. Pepper before sitting down at my desk and settling into my essay on The Great Gatsby. It was a book I hadn't had time to read, but I'd watched the movie and had internet to help with the rest.
It was going to be a long ass night, but hey – at least I had pie.
Some days, that was all I had going for me.
Chapter Three
Tarkonil
My job at the Ministry of Technology came with a lot of perks – including the fact that I had more freedom than others might have in a traditional job. I had the freedom to take long lunch breaks if I'd wanted to, for instance. I didn't typically abuse the rules and freedoms I had been given – but today, I'd decided to take a little trip down to the docks to see what I could see.
I knew a few guys who worked down there and thought maybe I could ask about any unusual ships coming in with cargo that maybe appeared human in nature. Or at least, not Optorion.
Dibic “Dibs” was an old friend of mine, someone who had worked with me long ago – long before I'd become an important government official. He was one of Optorio's port managers and was sitting to the side of a hangar, at a table filled with entirely too much clutter, honestly speaking. I wasn't sure how he managed to function in such a mess. But there he was, sitting amongst the scattered debris, eating a sandwich while he was watching a ship come in. It was lunch time for him too, so the timing couldn't have been more perfect.
“Hey, man,” he said, the moment he saw me walking toward him. “Long time, no see. What brings an important person like you all the way down here to the dirty old docks? Feeling the need to slum around a little?”
I cringed, hating how my new title seemed to have changed people's perceptions of me. I hated that the fancy sounding words seemed to bring more weight and prestige to it than there actually was. And honestly, I wasn't any different than I had been before. I was just the same old guy. I just happened to be working for the government now, trying to get things back on track and in order.
“Not much,” I said. “I was just curious to see how things were going down here.”
“Is this an inspection?” Dibs asked, looking at me with a strange expression on his face.
“No, not at all. Just a friendly visit for my own edification,” I said. “Though I do have some questions for you.”
“Figured,” he said, putting his sandwich away with a sigh. “Government types like you don't just come down to this part of town to chit-chat unless it's for a reason. You always want something.”
“Well, my questions are of a more personal nature. Off-the-record, if you will.”
Dibs cocked his head and looked intrigued. “Okay, ask away,” he said. “I can't promise I'll have the answers, but I'll do what I can.”
“That's all I ask, my friend,” I said. “That's all I ask.”
I looked around and realized that we were right out in the open where anybody and everybody could see us. Too many prying eyes and ears. I saw a couple of men look our way as they walked on, perhaps heading out on a break. But the fact that they'd seen me there made my stomach clench and a bolt of adrenaline shoot through my body. What I was doing – and what I was after – was incredibly delicate, not to mention dangerous. I needed discretion more than anything at this point and being so exposed made me nervous.
“Can we go inside somewhere?” I asked. “An office, perhaps?”
Dibs looked at me curiously for a moment before he nodded and motioned for me to follow him. A ship had just landed and a bunch of uniformed men were unloading boxes from it and stacking them on a small hovercraft. There was nothing unusual looking about the shipment being offloaded. And it certainly wasn't what I was looking for. From where I was, it looked like it was probably just some textiles from Xaradu, a nearby planet that was known to have some of the softest fabrics around. Only the richest of the rich could afford them, of course. Especially now. Which made the size of the shipment I was seeing curious to me.
With poverty and deprivation running rampant among the people of Optorio, who was buying all that material? It was a question that had to be answered later though. At the moment, it was low on the list of my priorities. There were larger things in play right then and I couldn't afford to take my eyes off the bigger picture.
Dibs closed his office door behind me before moving across the office to his desk and sitting down with a loud sigh. The expression on his face was one of irritation – whether it was because I was taking up his time, or because he believed I was one of those types who only came around when I wanted something, I couldn't be sure. But I needed his help and had to make sure to not alienate him.
I sat across from him and cleared my throat as I looked around, not sure where or how to begin. His office was tiny, but at least he had an office – and a job. Which was a whole lot more than some people – a lot of people, really – could say. Most of those guys out there working the docks weren't regular employees. Most of them weren't even from Optorio. They were day laborers brought in from off world, meaning not only did they not have an office – they might not even have a job come tomorrow morning. They were brought in because they were cheap labor and they didn't complain about much of anything.
It was a disgusting practice on par with slavery, in my opinion. But that wasn't why I was there either. That would have to be just one more item on my agenda – but one I'd get to when I had the time. Which I didn't at the moment. But that time would come. I would make sure of it.
“So what's going on?” Dibs asked me, taking a sip from his cup. “If this isn't an inspection or official government business, why are you here? What can I help you with?”
I could see another ship coming in through the window. I watched it descending from the sky, its thrusters gently lowering it to the ground. As I watched it dock gracefully, I found myself remembering a time when I used to work on ships like that. I used to be able to take an entire engine apart – and then put it back together again – with my eyes closed. Once upon a time, I knew the ins and outs of most engines and machinery. It was one of my gifts, one of my talents, I supposed.
But ever since joining the Council, I hadn't used those gifts and talents all that much. I was feeling a little rusty and wasn't sure I'd remember how to get around an engine anymore. But then, part of me figured that it was second nature to me and once I rolled up my sleeves and got my hands dirty again, I'd fall right back into it with ease.
There was part of me that longed for those days. Everything had seemed – simpler – back then. I hadn't been saddled with reports and debate and oversight and everything else that being a part of Optorio's governing body entailed. And I certainly had never had to deal with the intrigues and subterfuge I was currently engaged in. No, back then all I had to do was fix what was broken and send it on its way. I missed those days.
Dibs cleared his throat, bringing me back to the present. He looked at me, eyes narrowed and an inscrutable expression on his face. I gave him a small smile and cleared my own throat before speaking.
“You monitor all shipments that come in and out of the port, don't you?” I asked. “You log the ships that come in and out and their cargo?”
“That I do,” Dibs said. “That, I do. That's my job.”
“And you keep records on them all?”
“Of course. As mandated by law,” he said, sounding offended that I would even dare suggest he was somehow derelict in his duty. “Would you like to see 'em?”
“Maybe. But first things first – I need to see what you might know,” I said. “Do you keep track of every item that gets shipped?”
Dibs narrowed his gaze. “Do I inspect every box that comes and goes out of here you mean?”
“Yes, just to make sure everything inside is exactly what's supposed to be there.”
Dibs let out a long breath, running a hand through his short-cropped hair. “You know we're too understaffed to open every container that comes through here. There's only so much time in the day. And given the volume of goods that come through this port, it's impossible to check every single box on every single shipment,” he said.
I cocked my head and looked at him. “Then how do you keep accurate records?”
“Well, we do spot checks. It's always worked before,” he said. “And for the most part, we trust the vendors we work with. They have to have the appropriate licenses and bonds, and prove to us that they are a legitimate operation before anybody on Optorio is allowed to do business with them. That's how it works.”
“Do you think any of them could be lying about what they're carrying?” I asked. “Or forging the necessary paperwork to offload their cargo?”
Dibs was quiet for a few moments and looked at me evenly. “I'm sure some of them are,” he said. “Especially these days.”
I sat back in my seat. “What do you mean, especially these days?”
He shrugged. “Never mind. Not really my business to dip into.”
“It very well could be,” I said. “Or I can make it your business by making it my business. What did you mean by that?”
He sighed and when he spoke, it was with tremendous hesitation. “I just mean that I've heard rumors...”
“What kind of rumors, Dibs?”
He looked at me, his eyes wide and pleading. “Look, I don't like passing on rumors. I don't know if they're true or not.”
I knew what he was afraid of and it wasn't passing on rumors. “Do not worry, Dibs,” I reassured him. “I will keep your name out of any official documentation. And whether or not there is any truth to these rumors will be for me to determine.”
He didn't look the slightest bit relieved, but I saw the look of resignation in his eyes. I believed that he was a good man and that whatever was going on, upset him. I knew Dibs well enough to know that he didn't like thieves and he didn't like liars.
“Look, Tarkonil,” he said. “You have to believe that we try to do things the right way here. I do my best to keep everyone on their toes. We have a zero tolerance policy for illegal contraband. And if any of my guys are caught transporting those things to or from Optorio, not only would they have to answer to you fine folks, of course. But first, they'd have to answer to me.”
“I understand,” I said. “And it's not your integrity that I am questioning. Believe me about that. But I need to know what these rumors you are hearing are.”
He sighed again. “From what I've been told, there are some port managers and inspectors who are being paid off to look the other way when certain shipments come in.”
His tone was angry, but there was a bit of relief mixed in with it as well. It was as if the burden he'd been carrying on his shoulders by keeping that secret had been lifted – and it felt good. Like I'd said, Dibs didn't like liars and thieves. But he also wasn't one to traffic in unfounded rumors, either. I got the feeling he'd never looked very deeply into it because he didn't want to know.
“What's being brought in, Dibs?”
He shook his head. “Couldn't tell you for sure,” he said. “Off world drugs, I assume. I hear some of the kids in the cities are going crazy for this new crystal drug from somewhere off world. Other than that, I really couldn't say.”
Drugs. That didn't surprise me in the least. I was sure there were all sorts of other contraband flowing in through our ports thanks to corrupt managers and inspectors. The drug problem would have to be handled, of course. Dibs was right, there was a drug craze sweeping through some of our biggest cities and it was destroying lives. It would have to be dealt with – and it would be. But not right then.
In that moment, I wasn't after drugs or the people running them. I was looking for information on the trafficking of people – Optorions being shipped out and alien beings being brought in.
“Have you heard rumors, regardless of how vague or unsubstantiated, of anybody trafficking in – living cargo?”
“Living cargo?” he asked. “As in wild animals? I've heard a few things here and there, but most of it's above board. Most of the ones I've dealt with had appropriate permits and all. I haven't heard of a big black market for exotic beasts from other worlds. Could be happening – I just haven't heard a whisper about it.”
“Well, not animals, exactly, but –”
“Listen, Tarkonil,” he started. “I don't know what you're trying to get at here, but you're asking me if I know of anyone transporting living cargo, and all I can say is no. I don't know anything about all of that. And I wouldn't condone it either.”
“Of course you wouldn't, Dibs,” I said softly. “I know that.”
I got to thinking – Dibs was only one man and he had a solid reputation as a straight shooter. And he worked days. If I were going to bring in illegal cargo, I'd likely do it in the dead of the night when Dibs wasn't around. When there wasn't really anybody around and security was a little more – lax.
“Who's the supervisor once you leave for the day?” I asked.
“Zavrik. He works the overnight shift, usually.”
“Zavrik, that name doesn't ring a bell,” I said, mainly talking to myself.
“He's only been managing the port for a few months now. Not long. New guy,” he said. “Not sure where he came from before he started here, but between you and me, he isn’t cut out for this job.”
“Why do you say that?”
Dibs shrugged. “I shouldn't say anything more,” he said. “Not if I want to keep my job.”
“This conversation is between you and me, Dibs. You can trust my discretion and that I will keep this all confidential,” I said. “Is he doing something illegal?”
“Not that I know of. Not that I can prove, anyway,” Dibs said. “He just can't do anything right. He has no experience, and his paperwork is always screwed up – which means I have to do twice as much work to try to get the correct information we need for our records. And we're so busy that I really don't have the time to go dig it all up. And that's exactly why you'll find documents with a ton of missing information coming out of this port. I keep telling Zavrik that he needs to go back through and fix them, but he never does. Always says he's too busy. But you know what this place is like at night. I'm pretty certain he's just off somewhere sleeping.”
Dibs' rant might sound like a typical workplace rant, but there was something there – just beneath the surface – that stood out to me. Maybe I was just looking for an excuse to believe in the worst case scenario, but this Zavrik sounded like trouble to me. And his incompetence sounded deliberate – not the shortcomings of a lazy, underqualified supervisor
“Thank you Dibs,” I said. “Would you mind if I took a look at those records myself? And please, do not worry. All of this is still very much off-the-record and confidential. You have my word.”
Dibs nodded. “Fine with me,” he said with a shrug. “All of my records are in order. Nothing out of place. I can't say the same about his paperwork though.”
“That's okay,” I said. “I'll sort it all out.”
Chapter Four
Riley
My alarm sounded way too early for my liking. I rolled over and felt like crying when I saw that it wasn't even six in the morning yet. But, that was the story of my life. My only consolation was in believing that one day it would be better. That one day, all of the hard work and long hours I was putting in now would pay off.
That one day, my life wouldn't suck quite as hard as it did in that moment.
I lay in bed, trying to find the strength and willpower to pull myself out from beneath my warm blankets. After several minutes of denial, bargaining, and finally acceptance, I managed to climb out of bed and make it to the shower. Not without plenty of moaning and groaning along the way, of course.
I was a zombie most mornings. A blubbering, incoherent and unintelligible mess on the best of days. And that morning was nowhere near my best of mornings. I somehow made it through my morning routine of brushing my teeth and getting dressed, all while half asleep. I poured myself a giant mug of coffee and downed it right before I needed to dash out the door for class. I was hoping it would help keep me awake through my first few classes, and at lunch time, I could sit in my car and take a quick nap. It wasn't like I hadn't done it before – more than a few times.
I was running late, so I rushed out of my apartment, hoping I'd locked the door behind me in my haste. Scurrying across the parking lot, I made it to my car and as I climbed inside, a chill rushed through my body. The hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end just like it had the night before, the feeling of being watched stole over me. I looked around but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
“You're so damn jumpy lately,” I muttered to myself and shook my head.
I tried to brush it off as nothing more than coffee jitters and a healthy case of paranoia, but as I pulled out of my parking spot I stopped the car and froze. Sitting across the street from my apartment complex was a black sedan. The same black sedan that had been in the parking lot at the Hen last night. And even through the tinted windows, I could see that somebody was inside the car.
Adrenaline coursed through my body and my hands trembled upon the wheel. Apparently, I wasn't nearly as paranoid and jumpy as I'd thought. I racked my brain, trying to figure out what to do. I couldn't go back into my apartment; I'd be a sitting duck. I'd be trapped. I could call the cops, but there was some small part of me that argued it could still be nothing and if you dragged the police all the way out there, it would turn out to be a misunderstanding and I'd look like a complete freak.
The longer I sat there, the more my anxiety grew. The best thing I could do was get moving. Getting myself into motion would probably ease my worries some. Surely, they wouldn't do anything to me in broad daylight. And once I got to school, there would be plenty of people around and I'd be safe in the crowds. Right?
“Get moving, dummy,” I said to myself.
Putting the car in gear, I pulled out of the driveway – a little too quickly. My tires chirped on the pavement as I accelerated away, my eyes glued to the rear view mirror. I was so busy watching the road behind me that I very nearly forgot to watch the road in front of me until it was too late. Thankfully though, I looked up in time to hit the brakes, very narrowly avoiding rear ending the BMW stopped at the light in front of me. I obviously had bigger things to worry about, but destroying my car and also having to pay for the repairs of a very expensive car pretty high on my list of things I couldn't afford to do.
My car squealed to a stop, a cloud of smoke and a line of rubber behind me. I quickly checked the rear view again and saw the sedan behind me. It was moving slowly, casually, as if it had all the time in the world.
“Shit,” I said. “Shit, shit, shit. Come on light. Come on!”
It seemed to be a law of the universe that when you were running late – or were running for your life – that all of the traffic lights were duty bound to work against you. And given that I was mere inches off the rear bumper of the car in front of me, I couldn't get around him to make a fast getaway.
The sedan stopped about twenty feet behind me. It was as if the driver were enjoying inspiring sheer terror in me and was making a game of it. Finally, the light turned green and the BMW sped away – very likely to get away from the crazy chick behind him that had almost ruined his day. And his car. I followed suit though and floored the accelerator, speeding away from the intersection.
I rocketed through town, heading for school, not caring that I was going over the speed limit. In fact, if I got pulled over for speeding, it might actually work out in my favor. With a cop there, I could point to the sedan that was very clearly following me at that point, and have them find out who he was and what he wanted.
Sapphire Bay Community College sat at the far edge of town. It overlooked the Bay and was a stunning campus – surprising for a junior college – but it also had a very good reputation for its academics. But none of that mattered to me at the moment. All that mattered to me was the safety and sanctuary it offered me. If I got there.
The one part of the drive that worried me was Sapphire Canyon Road. It was a long, lonely stretch of highway that ran from the heart of town and through a small canyon before emerging into the part of town where the school was located. Sapphire Bay was a small town and wasn't overly populated. Stretches of road like the canyon road were very seldom congested and in fact, were often deserted.
If the psycho in the sedan was going to make a move on me, he would likely do it in the canyon. Of course, maybe I'd seen too many movies or television shows and the idea of him speeding up and forcing me off the road was more fiction than fact. But still, it wasn't a comforting idea no matter which way you sliced it. My old car was falling apart around me and I worried about the added strain I was about to put on her, but my plan was to go as fast and hard through the canyon as I could.
The sooner I was off the lonely road and among people again, the better.
Traffic thinned out and then disappeared altogether by the time I hit the mouth of the canyon. My heart was thundering in my chest when I looked in my rear view and saw that the sedan was still behind me. And had actually closed some of the gap between us.
“Come on, baby,” I encouraged my car. “Don't let me down. We can do this.”
I pushed down harder on the accelerator and though my little beater shuddered, she dutifully picked up some speed and soon enough, we were racing through the canyon. And the sedan not only stayed with us, it drew closer.
“What in the hell do you want?” I screamed in the mirror.
Tears welled in my eyes as my terror grew to gargantuan proportions. My hands were trembling every bit as hard as my car was with the strain I was putting on her. But I thought I was going to make it. We were going to get out of the canyon before the sedan caught us. We were going to get to safety. I checked my rear view mirror once more and thought I saw a flash of blue light in the window. It was brief and perhaps it was just a reflection of light from the sun or something else entirely – or perhaps it was just my eyes playing tricks on me. But the flash was brief and then it was gone. And I continued on, knowing that in less than a mile, I would be free and safe.
Or so I'd thought. In a heartbeat, my whole world came crashing down around me. My car died.
Nothing blew. Nothing rattled. Nothing – happened. All I knew was that one moment we were racing to beat the devil and the next, everything just quit. The engine. The radio. Everything. It just – stopped.
“No!” I screamed as my car slowed down and began to coast.
The sedan didn't overtake me, but it continued to pace me even as my car continued slowing to a stop. I pounded on the wheel, frustrated, terrified, and feeling infinitely powerless. The walls of the canyon seemed to be pressing in on me, amplifying the feeling that I was trapped. I had nowhere to go.
Sure, I could try to climb the walls of the canyon, but on one side, there was a hundred foot drop to the jagged rocks of the coastline below. On the other was a vast wilderness I was half afraid I'd get lost in forever.
But all things considered, perhaps getting into the forest was the best option available to me. It was either that, plunge to my death, or try and face down whatever chainsaw wielding psycho was behind the wheel of the sedan.
That settled it. I had no choice but to make a run for it. I was in relatively good shape. I didn't work out much, but I had always been pretty quick on my feet. I had outrun more than a few people in my life. Of course, the difference between then and now, was that all those times had been in fun – this was a matter of life and death.
Taking a deep breath, I gritted my teeth. It was time to act. Jamming on the brakes, I brought my lifeless car to a stop and flung open the door. The sedan had already stopped behind me. I stood rooted to my spot as two men got out of the car. They were tall with skin paler than anything I'd ever seen and long, dark hair that beneath the sunlight seemed to have a purple sheen to it. They looked like normal men – and yet they didn't. There was something strange, something ethereal about them. They just looked too – perfect.
They stared at me with eyes that were dark – very dark. It was as if they didn't have whites to their eyes, which only added to their strange appearance. I willed my body to move but found that I couldn't. I couldn't do anything but stand and stare back at them.
“Please,” I said. “What do you want from me?”
They shared a look and then turned back to me and the first one spoke. “Come with us.”
His voice was cold. Emotionless. And yet, it still seemed to convey something sinister. The second man – the one who'd climbed out of the passenger seat raised his hand toward me. He was holding something – it looked vaguely like a gun. But not. Just as they looked like normal men. But not. There was something bizarre, something surreal about this whole thing.
But seeing the weapon – or whatever it was – in his hand, pointed at me, it broke my paralysis. I didn't know who – or what they were – or what they wanted with me, but I wasn't going down without a fight. I turned and ran for the far embankment.
“Stop,” called one of the men behind me. “We mean you no harm.”
Yeah, right. I reached the embankment and scrambled up. The dirt crumbled beneath my feet, making it slow going and hard to gain traction. I dared not risk looking back for fear that I would lose any momentum and find myself frozen with fear again. I just continued trying to crawl up this dirt wall, trying to reach the forest beyond it where, at the very least, I could hide.
“Stop,” the voice came again, this time sounding closer.
I couldn't help myself. Though continuing to scramble up the dirt embankment, I glanced over my shoulder and saw both of them coming toward me. They moved with a grace that was almost feline. They reminded me of dancers in a way. But like everything else about them – not. They seemed to glide – almost hovering a bit off the ground.
“What in the hell are you?” I screamed.
I looked both ways on the road but saw no cars. Nobody coming to help me. I was alone with two creatures closing in on me. I made it about halfway up the embankment and gritted my teeth, digging harder, scrambling faster. From the corner of my eye, I saw that they had both reached the bottom of the embankment and were staring up at me.
“Please,” called one of them. “Come down and come with us.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks and my body was racked with sobs, but I continued digging and clawing my way up the embankment. Like hell I was going with them peacefully. My breathing was ragged and labored and my energy was draining fast. The top of the embankment was close, but still seemed miles away. I wasn't going to make it before my body gave out. It was like trying to crawl through tar.
Sobbing, I dropped to my hands and knees. My hand landed on the hard edge of a jagged rock and a sudden idea, a final gambit, shot through my mind. Picking up the rock, I turned and fired it at the men. I thought that maybe, if I could hit them with the rock, it might give me enough time to get to the top of the embankment and into the forest.
I watched the rock sailing straight toward one of them and had a momentary flash of triumph. It looked to be on a trajectory that would hit him square in the face. It might disorient them enough to give me the time I needed to escape.
But then something happened that I could not comprehend.
The second man raised his hand and a beam of blue light shot from the device he was holding. It was a narrow beam that crackled like electricity and when it struck the rock, the rock simply vanished. Disintegrated. It just ceased to be. I stared at it, completely dumbfounded. I had no explanation for what had just happened.
I turned and looked at them and found that they were looking back at me, their faces devoid of any expression or emotion whatsoever. And when the man raised his hand and pointed the device at me, my heart felt like it was going to burst. I envisioned what happened to the rock and imagined it happening to me – just vanishing. Disintegrating.
As the blue beam of light flared and streaked toward me, I felt my eyes grow wide as I opened my mouth and screamed.
Chapter Five
Tarkonil
The night was dark and the twin moons of Optorio were high in the sky. It was late. Way too late. And I was way too old to be sneaking around in the dark playing these games of mystery and intrigue. But I had a duty to Optorio. More specifically, I had a duty to the people of Optorio. I strongly suspected there was corruption among the Council – I thought that some of them were even breaking the laws of our people. And it was my duty to bring that to light.
It was a fool's errand, of course. Considering who I was dealing with, I was likely going to get myself killed trying to expose what was happening. But it was a risk I was just going to have to accept if I wanted the truth to come to light. I'd come to realize that to do the right thing and to make the world a better place for everybody, it often meant that you weren't going to be there to see it.
It was a frightening and depressing thought, but what could I do? I couldn't continue living in this world, seeing the sort of depravity and deprivation I saw on the streets every single day and do nothing. I couldn't turn my back on the people who were suffering. Nor could I look them in the eye, knowing I had the power to do something to better their world but was too afraid to do anything.
“Soran, are you online?” I whispered to myself.
“As always,” Soran replied. “How may I assist?”
Soran was my artificially intelligent biocomputer system. It used to be that all Optorions, if they chose, could have a biosystem link up established and have the necessary components grafted into their bodies. It was a very useful tool to have. He was able to communicate with me through an implant in my head – nobody could hear him but me and I could communicate with him by simply thinking what I wanted to say.
But, for reasons I could never adequately explain, I often spoke out loud anyway. Baz had always said I was strange for that – though I'd often caught him doing it himself.
But now, the right to a biosystem was reserved for government officials and key members of the military. Ordinary citizens had their biosystems deactivated and scrapped. Everybody was cut off from the flow of information and technology the biosystems provided. Optorions had grown so accustomed to having a biosystem, that it was a way of life. People threw parties on the day their children were old enough for the grafting procedure. So to be denied that system and have it forcibly removed from your body – in a way, it was like having a limb cut off.
But the Regents had no pity. No mercy. The flow of information was theirs to control and control it, they did. They restricted everybody's access to our biosystem mainframes and had shut them down as a matter of security, they'd said. The biosystems were growing too powerful and they feared would aid people in starting a rebellion.
My thought to that though, was that if the Regents had been governing correctly, there would be no fear of rebellion to begin with.
Of course, they tried to make it more palatable by talking out our reliance upon the technology and our biosystems. They publicly lamented the fact that Optorions were no longer able to think for themselves, were unable to do anything of importance without having a biosystem backup. They couched in terms of a great educational revolution – one that would teach all of us how to think again. How to maximize our brain power rather than our computer power. They claimed they were giving Optorio back to the people by teaching them to educate themselves again.
Very few people actually bought it. Which sort of proved – to me, at least – that the people were already more than capable of thinking for themselves.
“Sir?” Soran asked. “How may I assist you?”
“I need you to scan the area,” I said. “I need to know if there are guards – and if so, how many.”
“Accessing surveillance feeds,” Soran said. “Might I inquire why you are in a place that requires you to hide from the guards in the first place?”
“No, you may not,” I replied. “Just get me the information I need. Please.”
“Apologies, sir,” Soran intoned. “No need for such hostility. Does this have to do with the information search you requested?”
“Information, Soran,” I whispered more insistently. “Now, please.”
Soran made a noise that I could only interpret as a sigh followed by a tsk-ing sound. As if he were conveying disapproval of my actions. Truth be told, I wasn't that crazy about what I was doing either, but it had to be done. And I was the one who had to do it.
I had slipped into the port bay through an open side door. There had been a couple of the port workers, but they'd been so engrossed in whatever game they were playing, I could have walked up behind them and cut their throats before they even bothered to turn around. Slipping inside of the bay had been simple.
It had taken a little doing, but after my conversation with Dibs, I'd spent a couple of days digging deeper and deeper into Zavrik. And it was his bay that I'd infiltrated and was watching. He wasn't nearly as incompetent as he made himself out to be and did a nearly masterful job of covering his electronic tracks. But I was lucky to have Soran on my side because he was better. He'd found the bread crumbs carelessly left behind by Zavrik and had followed them relentlessly.
It turned out that Dibs' rumors had some substance to them. Zavrik was hiding something. And though I couldn't prove it conclusively – yet – I was almost certain he was on the take. He was being bribed to either actively participate in bringing in illegal contraband, or just look the other way. It didn't matter which really, since he was complicit either way. I just needed to find out what was being brought in.
“There appear to be three security guards in the bay,” Soran said. “They are approximately 400 meters from your current position. Judging by the thermal scans I am seeing, they are in a room – asleep.”
At least that was going my way. “Thank you, Soran,” I said.
“Sir, that is not to say there are not others in that particular bay who are armed,” Soran said. “I merely ran a check for security personnel on file. I did not – ”
“Wait,” I hissed. “Quiet.”
Soran fell silent and I strained my ears. Listening. And soon enough, the distinctive sound of a transport's engine filled the air around me. It was happening.
During his search of Zavrik's records and hidden correspondence, he'd discovered that there was a manifest for ships that did not exist. Or at least, ships whose presence had been expunged from the records. It was never many. Two or three a week at most. It was if whoever was running this operation knew that any more than that might draw some unwanted attention.
The ships in question though, did not appear in the bay logs. Procedure dictated that all ships must be recorded in the bay's manifest upon arrival. But Soran had found a second log buried deep in an electronic jungle. If you knew what you were looking for, it was relatively simple to get to. But if you were ignorant to its existence, you might never find it at all. But when I saw it, I felt a surge of energy in my chest and something akin to excitement flow through me. It was a secret manifest that listed the arrival of ships dating back to just after the Regents had been established.
So, I had evidence that somebody – or perhaps, multiple people – on the Council were bringing in ships in secret. They had altered official logs to hide the existence of these transports. That much, I could prove. I also had proof that a port manager was complicit in the cover up of these mysterious transports.
What I didn't have though, was any idea what was actually being brought to Optorio. Yes, I had heard plenty of rumor and speculation. Such as the trafficking of women from offworld for the sole purpose of forcing them into the sex trade. But as of yet, I had not one shred of actual evidence. If I took this to the Council now, they'd laugh it off and tell me they were bringing in coffee or rugs. Something completely benign.
Which was why I was in Zavrik's bay in the middle of the night – to get that proof.
I tucked myself behind a stack of crates and peered around the corner as the transport entered the bay and gracefully set down. A moment later, the ramp came down in the back and the two pilots walked out. They talked for a couple of minutes with the port workers – and judging by the laughter and backslapping, were apparently swapping jokes.
“Sir,” Soran said. “I took the liberty of scanning the transport and there are sixteen life forms aboard. They all appear to be female and of Gevonian origin.”
“Gevonians,” I whispered to myself.
The pilots disappeared back into the ship and I waited to see what would happen next. Though, I had a fairly good idea already.
“Soran,” I said. “Are you recording?”
“Of course,” the computer intoned. “I've already begun curating all surveillance images as well as saving the recordings through your retinal lenses.”
Excellent. I was going to get the proof I'd been looking for. The next step was to find out who exactly was behind the operation, but I had a feeling that wasn't going to be too entirely difficult. The Regents were cowards and when I began squeezing with all of the information I'd collected, they would begin turning on each other. They would be falling all over themselves to make a deal by implicating somebody else.
It was just a matter of applying pressure to the right places.
From my vantage point, I watched as a line of Gevonian women – their distinctive blue skin and thick, white hair – were marched down the ramp, being prodded by the pilots. One woman broke out of line and started to run.
But she didn't make it very far. One of the bay workers caught her – he actually reached out and grabbed her by her thick mane of hair. He'd pulled so hard, the woman had been yanked off of her feet and landed flat on her back, the breath very likely driven out of her.
The bay worker slapped her across the face, yelling a string of curses at her. Gevonian women were known to be feisty and this one certainly lived up to that reputation. Though trying to regain her breath, she spit in the worker's face. Outraged, the worker reached back and balled up his fist, ready to deliver a blow to her.
“Stop,” one of the pilots called, his voice echoing around the mostly empty bay. “Do not damage the goods. There are to be no marks or wounds to them.”
The worker growled something and then yanked the woman to her feet by her hair. She squealed in pain as he dragged her along, back toward where the other group of women waited. They looked resigned. Defeated. I couldn't help but imagine what sort of horrors they'd been exposed to.
The woman being dragged back to the group struggled though and tried to break the man's grip. He responded by delivering a vicious punch to her midsection. She doubled over and even from where I was standing, I could hear her retching and gasping for breath.
“What did I just say?” the pilot screamed.
“You said no marks or wounds,” the worker replied. “Look at her. Not a mark on her. But I got my point across.”
I watched as the men herded the women together and ushered them down a corridor. I wasn't certain where they were going, but I had a fairly good idea. I was heartsick by what I saw. For some reason, I'd thought that getting confirmation that I was right would have felt better. But believing something and seeing it in front of you were two very different things.
Seeing the abuse and mistreatment of the Gevonian woman only steeled me further. Made me angry. Made me remember exactly what I was doing all of this for – to stop that sort of treatment. To make life better for everybody.
“Soran,” I said. “Finish compiling all of the data and send it to the secure location.”
“Right away, sir.”
I gave one last look at the corridor where they'd taken the women. Part of me wished that I were a skilled fighter. That I could throw myself into the fight and free them all on my own. But I was smart enough to know my limitations. I was not a fighter and would end up getting killed – which would help no one.
No, I had to take solace in the fact that I was doing what I could to help. And I would continue doing just that until my dying day.
Book 2 – Caged
Chapter One
Riley
My head was spinning and my body ached. When I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling of the room I was in, I found that the whole world seemed to be spinning actually. As I lay there, taking an inventory of everything that hurt on me, I felt my stomach roiling and was sure that I was going to be sick. I turned over quickly. Too quickly. My stomach lurched and I vomited up some bile, a pool of green liquid and foam spewing all over the cold floor of the room.
“Help me,” I slurred, reaching out and grabbing onto something in front of me that felt like a cold metal bar. “Someone, please help me.”
“Ain't no one gonna help you here, doll,” a high pitched female voice with a Southern accent said softly. “In here, there ain't nothin' but misery.”
I wasn't alone.
I tried to turn to where the voice came from, but my vision was blurry and it took my eyes some time to adjust. All I could see was the vague and blurry outline of somebody sitting on the floor across from me. But as my eyes gradually adjusted and my vision started to come back to me, I felt my eyes widen in shock.
No, I wasn't alone. There were others. Many others. All women. Some were like me, on the ground and just waking up. Others were still out. And there were some who were awake, sitting against the wall with their knees to their chest. There were roughly two dozen women in all sitting or laying in the cell with me.
My first thought was that I had somehow ended up in jail. The room around us was a stark white color. It was cold and there were no windows. Or light fixtures. But as I looked around and started to become a little better oriented, I realized that there was light – somewhat dim – but light, in the room. But where was it coming from? As I looked around, I realized that it looked like the light was coming from the walls themselves. They seemed to glow with an inner light.
It was strange. Beyond strange. And I had no explanation of it.
“Where am I?” I choked, my throat raw and dry. “Are we in jail?”
The woman across from me scoffed. “We ain't in jail, honey. At least, no kinda jail I've ever seen before,” she said. “None of us knows where in the hell we are. We all just woke up here. Just like you.”
I was finally able to put a face with the voice. She was small blonde woman with a bob haircut and smeared mascara running down her cheeks. She was pretty in a way, but looked like she'd lived a hard life. She looked like she was in her thirties or so, but something told me she was actually younger than that.
Unable to stand and walk just yet – my limbs felt like they'd been injected with cement, I crawled on my belly, inching my way over to the woman – the only person talking to me. None of the others who were awake would even look me in the eye. They simply sat against the wall in silence, a faraway look in their eyes.
It felt like it took forever, but I finally made my way over to the woman. She reached out and took hold of me, helping me into a sitting position against the wall. She was small and petite, but a lot stronger than she looked.
When I was finally in a sitting position, my body screamed in agony. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, willing the pain to go away. It took some time, but it eventually faded to a dull aching sensation. Once the pain had died down, I became aware of a different sensation – and immediately felt my face flush with heat. Tears welled in my eyes as I realized the back of my jeans were cold and damp. I'd wet myself. Probably during the attack.
“Happened to us all, honey,” she said. “Ain't no shame in it. Don't let it worry you none.”
I kept my eyes shut and leaned my head back against the wall, trying to remember everything that had happened. I remembered the dark sedan. And the men who'd chased me. I remembered throwing a rock and one of them using – something – that made the rock just disappear. And then he'd turned it on me.
And yet, I was there. Still alive. Not disintegrated. I looked over at the woman like she had the answers to the million questions firing through my mind. She simply gave me a small smile and shook her head.
“Yeah, most of us are still trying to piece it all together too,” she said. “Most of us remember the men who grabbed us – ”
“They were tall and so pale, their skin almost looked translucent,” I said as my memory came flooding back in to me. “Their hair was dark, but had a purple sheen.”
“Pretty much,” she said. “Only, the creeps who grabbed me had a blue sheen to their hair. Sounds like it's different guys but part of the same group.”
The same group. So we were dealing with a group and not just a couple of random creeps. And given the number of women in the cell with me, it seemed like a highly organized group. I didn't think that random creeps would have the wherewithal to grab and keep so many women. But then, what did I know?
“You said that nobody knows where we are. What did you mean by that?” I asked. “Someone has to know something.”
“Oh, I'm sure someone does, but they're not talking to us,” she replied. “Haven't seen anyone in hours, and when I do, they just throw in some food without saying a word. More of those tall, pale assholes.”
“How long have you been here?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Probably a few days, I guess? Maybe more. Ain't exactly like we got a calendar in here, honey.”
Running a hand through my hair, I felt my confusion growing even deeper. “How long have I been here?”
She smiled. “Almost a day, seems like,” she said. “You must've put up a hell of a fight because you've been out cold. Don't know what they did to you, but you got a real nice nap out of it.”
I stared at her, trying to puzzle it all out and coming up empty. I shook my head, frustrated. All of this seemed like it was straight out of some horrible dream. I needed to think. Needed to clear my head and focus. But with my thoughts and emotions swirling around like a vortex from hell, I was finding it more and more difficult.
“What's your name?” I asked.
“Nicole. You?”
“Riley. Where you from?”
“Chicago,” she said with a sigh. “What's it matter though?”
“Chicago?” I asked, not sure if I heard her right. “Then why are you in California? Were you taken while you were visiting somebody?”
Nicole cocked her head and gave me a strange look. “I'm not in California. Never been to California in my life,” she said. “Why? Is that where you're from?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I'm from a place called Sapphire Bay. Kinda near San Francisco,” I said. “So, you're telling me that you were in Chicago when you were taken then?”
“Yeah, I sure was,” she said. “I was having drinks with some friends and called a cab to come pick me up at the bar when we were done. But the last thing I remember is a black sedan pulling up at the curb and those two pale ass creeps getting out. And the world just went black from there.”
A black sedan. Yeah, that sounded all too familiar to me. But I racked my brain and it just wasn't adding up for me. If that black sedan had been in Sapphire Bay, how in the hell had they also been in Chicago at around the same time?
That lent credence to the idea that we were dealing with a highly organized group. But there was something that still wasn't adding up in my head. Which could have been because of my hard earned paranoia. Maybe her sense of time was wrong. Maybe she'd been here longer. Maybe I hadn't been here as long as she'd thought. There were a million maybes, but there was one thought that kept coming back to me.
“Do you happen to know a guy named Mike Bailey?” I asked.
“Not that I recall,” she said with a shrug. “Doesn't ring a bell at least. Why?”
“Just a bad feeling, I guess. Paranoia, maybe,” I said. “He's an ex of mine. Real bad guy. I'd always feared that he was going to abduct me and leave me in a shallow ditch somewhere. But even I have to admit that I can't see him collecting a couple dozed of us. His hatred was always directed at me.”
“Think he hated you this much?” Nicole asked. “To abduct you like that and bring you somewhere like this?”
I started to say, “Yes,” but I heard footsteps coming down the hallway.
Nicole's eyes grew wide and she seemed to have involuntarily started to shake. She was shaking so hard in fact, that she looked like she had palsy. She looked over at me and I couldn't help but see the fear in her eyes.
“Pretend you're still out of it,” she told me. “Lay down and pretend you're still out.”
“What? Why?”
“Just do it. Pretend you haven't woken up yet or they might take you,” she said, closing her eyes and doing the same.
Still, I could see her shaking in fear. Others followed suit, so I did as she'd told me to do. I laid down with my head not far from where I'd thrown up and closed my eyes – my nose filled with the pungent stench of my vomit. All I could do was listen to what was going on.
Voices. People were talking, but not in a language I could understand. I'd never heard a language like that before. Just random clicking and clucking sounds, but there was an obvious back and forth going on. It was obvious that there was more than one man beyond that doorway. The sound of the doors opening caused me to start and set my heart racing once more. Against my will and acting over their own volition, my eyes flew open.
What I saw next was something straight out of my worst nightmares. The men – if you could even call it that – were dragging women from the cell across from ours. I hadn't noticed it before because it looked like a blank wall – an optical illusion of sorts. So it surprised me when I realized I could see through it. I could see the tall, pale men as they stepped into view. I watched as they went into what I assumed was another cell across the hall – just like ours. I watched the scene unfold, completely stunned. I hadn't even contemplated the idea that there might be others.
I heard screams and the voices of women talking in a language I couldn't understand. But I didn't need to be a translator to understand the sheer terror I heard in those voices. I watched as they dragged women out of the cell by their limbs, their hair – whatever they could grab hold of. The women screamed and cried, they struggled and fought, but the pale men dragged them out of the cell and down the corridor anyway.
But what struck me was that these women didn't look like any women I'd ever seen. Their voices were higher pitched and feminine, but their skin was blue and their hair was stark white. I couldn't make out specific features and details, but I didn't really need to. Their bodies were lithe and trim and looked somewhat human-ish.
Had our captors painted their bodies and dyed their hair for some twisted reason? Was this all part of some sadistic game to them? What in the hell was going on? Unlike the two men who'd taken me, these women did not appear to me to be – well – human. Though strange looking, my captors could conceivably pass for human. But the women they were dragging out of the cell across the hall – no chance of it.
My mind swirled and my heart raced as I tried to figure out what in the hell was going on. I racked my mind but nothing made any sort of sense. There were two of those men in the hallway – not the ones who'd taken me. They were facing away from me, so I kept my eyes open long enough to keep watching what was going on.
But then one of them turned around and my heart nearly stopped in my chest. I promptly closed my eyes again, praying they didn't catch me with them open. I didn't want them knowing I was awake. There was a long, tense moment as I wondered if my ruse had worked – or whether they were going to come in and drag us out by the hair as well.
“These ones are still out,” the voice grumbled, this time in English. “The hunters went overboard with the stun shots. Humans aren't as hearty as Gevonians. Idiots should know that.”
“They should,” I heard another voice say. “But they don't care. They're getting paid so long as they turn up with the product still alive.”
“Makes our job twice as hard,” the first voice said. “We're transporters, not babysitters.”
“We are being paid well. Stop complaining,” the other voice growled. “And send somebody from medical in to make sure they're alive. If any of them do turn up dead, remove and destroy them.”
“Yes, sir,” the second voice said, the disdain readily apparent. “Right away, sir.”
“And lose the attitude, Berlith. I don't need it,” the first voice replied. “But since you're so surly today, make sure you toss some food in there with them. We would not want them to starve to death during transport.”
The figures retreated back down the hallway and were gone, leaving us alone. Some of the tension and fear that had been hovering in the air dissipated – slightly. There seemed to be a general understanding among all of the wide-eyed faces I saw that we were in real big trouble.
Nicole started sobbing, shaking violently as she did so. Sitting up, my first instinct was to comfort her. I reached out to embrace her, but she pushed me away.
“Just stop, okay? There's nothing anyone can do to make this better,” she said, wiping at her eyes, taking some of the mascara away with the tears. “This shit ain't right. It ain't right at all.”
I cleared my throat and sat back against the wall. I didn't know why I'd reached out for her. I wasn't ordinarily the nurturing type. Hard earned experience and a lot of bad things had formed a thick and hard shell around me. It protected me. Kept me safe and out of harm's way.
But maybe being caught up in all of this – madness – had loosened something within me. Had formed a crack in that tough outer shell, had released some long dormant instinct inside of me that sought to bring comfort and care to those who needed it.
Or maybe I just needed the human contact to make myself feel better. To ease some of my own fears.
“W – where did they take them?” a voice piped up from nearby. “And – what were they?”
A girl who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen was laying nearby. She had wide blue eyes, a thick mass of red hair, and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She looked like she should have been in school, or maybe babysitting somebody's kid – not locked in some cold, hard cell, held captive by things I wasn't even sure where human.
The girl looked at me, seeking comfort, seeking answers. Her eyes were open wide and filled with fear as she stared at me. What in the hell made her think I had answers to any of this? I was nobody.
“How in the hell am I supposed to know?” Nicole snapped. “All I know is they take 'em away and they never come back. At least, that's how it's been in the time I've been here – which ain't all that long, sweetheart.”
The girl was biting back tears and my heart went out to her. I couldn't help it. She looked like somebody's kid sister – somebody's absolutely terrified kid sister. I looked over at Nicole and pitched my voice low.
“Did you see what they pulled out of that cell across the corridor?” I asked softly.
Nicole nodded, fear in her eyes. “I sure did,” she said. “And they may sound female, but they didn't look like no human woman I ever seen.”
“Exactly,” I nodded. “But if they're not human woman – what are they?”
She snorted, a rueful grin touching her lips. “I ain't got no idea,” she said. “And I sure as hell don't want to find out. I just want to get the hell out of here and get my sweet ass back home.”
“You and me both, Nicole,” I said. “You and me both.”
I pushed myself slowly and laboriously to my feet. My body ached and my head was killing me, but I needed to start moving. Needed to start coming up with a plan to get – as Nicole put it – my sweet ass back home.
All eyes were on me as I walked toward the doorway I hadn't realized was a doorway. As I drew nearer to it, I could hear the hum of electricity and a slight crackling noise coming off of it. As I looked closer, I could see that there was an almost invisible field of energy stretched across the opening.
“Careful,” said a woman. “I saw somebody touch that once and it blew her back about ten feet. She was out cold, layin' in a puddle of her own filth for hours.”
I felt my eyes grow wide as I listened to the woman's story. “What is it?”
She shook her head. “Dunno,” she said. “But it's all bad. All bad.”
“Be careful,” Nicole called from behind me. “They mentioned bringing food, so they'll be back. And we have no idea when.”
With that invisible, electric forcefield – for lack of a better word – securing the doorway, it was hopeless. If you couldn't even touch it without getting knocked out, there was no way of getting through it that I could see. With a sigh, I sat back down on the ground, but turned toward Nicole.
“How long have you been here again? You seem to know a lot.”
She shrugged. “Like I said, I don't know for sure. What's the last day you remember?” she asked me. “The day you were taken?
“Wednesday the third.”
Nicole looked surprised. “So... I guess it's been about four days. I've been in here for four days now.”
My heart sank as I watched the look of resignation and defeat descend over her face. I wanted to tell her I was sorry, but again, the sound of footsteps in the corridor stopped me. Nicole heard them too and laid down, playing dead again. It was the only defense we really had and was something she'd obviously had to have done well in order to still be here four days later.
With no other real options open to me, I followed her lead.
The guard stood outside the cell. I opened my eyes slightly, just to get a look at him. Though he, and the people like him – the people who'd taken us all – were normally stone faced and showed no emotion, I could see the look of disgust on his face. Expressionless or not, just the way he stood and the air about him radiated his utter disdain for us. He carried a box with him – food, I assumed.
“Time to eat,” he called.
No one budged. There was a sound, a small electronic chirp and then the man – or whatever he was – was among us. He walked through the cell, stepping around and over the mass of women who were playing dead, silently hoping he'd just go away.
I closed my eyes as he passed me, but felt something hit me – food of some sort, probably. I didn't open my eyes to see what it was.
“Come on now, you can't pretend to be asleep forever,” the voice said, sounding as if it came from directly above us. “We know you're awake. And they'll come for you sooner or later, might as well not starve to death in the meantime.”
He laughed, a dry, brittle sound that sent shivers down my spine. He'd called us out on faking it. He knew. Of course, I figured it was only a matter of time. We couldn't pretend to be asleep forever. Finished with his rounds, the man walked back out of the cell and another chirp sounded. I assumed he was reactivating whatever forcefield was being used to keep us in that cell.
As soon as the guard was gone, Nicole broke down crying again. This time, I didn't bother to try to comfort her. I just stared at the women in the cell with me, everyone shaking and scared.
And not a single one of us had any idea where we were at. Or what we were going to do.
Chapter Two
Tarkonil
This had to stop. Seeing those helpless women in cages like animal being dragged around by the hair and beaten before being sold on the auction block to the highest bidder was tearing me apart. I'd gone back to the bay several times during the following couple of weeks and every time, I encountered a transport bringing in another load of women.
Soran said I was getting reckless and I couldn't dispute that any longer. I'd gone so far as to pose as a bay worker just to get closer to them. To see if there were some way I could help break them out. As of yet, I had not been able to do anything. Nothing but stand and stare at them helplessly.
I couldn't get the sight of their faces out of my head – those eyes begging and pleading for help. The tears, the sobbing and wailing. Regardless of what planet they were from, they all had the same terrified and heartbreaking reactions to what was happening to them.
And my hands were tied. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't save them all, I couldn't even save one. The prices on their heads were far more than I had in my pocket. And besides, purchasing one of them would only put money in the pockets of those doing the deed and continue the sex slave trade I was working so hard and risking so much for to shut down.
No, it had to be stopped. But I knew I couldn't do this alone. It was too big for one man and I needed help in the worst way possible. Which was why I traveled back to Earth to visit Bazarok. I knew my friend was a good man. He loved Optorio and would never willingly stand by and allow for something like this to happen on his home world. I knew he wouldn't – even though he'd built a nice home and life for himself on Earth with his wife, Paige.
I knew he was the only person I could trust. Perhaps the only person who could help me in this. And being in love with a human himself, he would also probably have plenty of sympathy for their kind and be outraged by what was being done to them – more so than others back on my planet.
I stood on their front porch, anxiety coursing through my body as I tried to figure out the best way to explain myself and what I wanted from them. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, I just hoped that Baz would listen to me with an open mind and heart.
“These humans make a pill called Xanax,” Soran said. “It apparently helps with anxiety. Perhaps you should acquire some.”
“Perhaps I should acquire a new biosystems,” I said softly. “One who doesn't think they're funny.”
Making a concerted effort to ignore Soran, I knocked and it wasn't Baz who opened the door. It was Paige. I'd met her once before, though judging by the look on her face, she didn't remember me. But I could see why Baz had fallen for her. She was beautiful.
“Yes?” she said.
“I'm here to see Baz,” I said softly as I tried to give her a small smile. “I'm an old friend of his.”
She cocked her head and looked slightly concerned – probably because many of Baz's old friends weren't human. And if she guessed I wasn't human – which, judging by the guarded look in her eyes – she'd be right about that.
Baz always said she was incredibly sharp.
“A friend?” she said, biting her lip and looking more concerned by the second.
“It's okay, I – ”
Paige looked behind me – and then behind her, the expression on her face outright worried. She seemed to be wondering whether or not she should go and grab her husband.
“I'm sorry,” she said. “He just never mentioned any friends coming by.”
“He's not expecting me. And I'm terribly sorry to drop in unannounced like this,” I said. “But just tell him it's Tarkonil. It's okay, I can wait. Out here, of course.”
Paige gave me a long look and then scanned the land behind me before she closed and latched the door. I supposed I couldn't blame her given everything she'd gone through at the hands of my kind – both here and back on my home planet. And considering what they were doing to her kind now, I definitely couldn't blame her for being suspicious and on guard. She, of course, didn't have any idea what was going on right now, but still. I wouldn't trust me or any other Optorion at the moment either.
A few moments later, I heard footsteps quickly approaching just before the door opened again. I had to admit to feeling something like joy upon seeing my old friend Baz standing there. He looked at me, a wide smile plastered on his pale, white face.
Paige stood just behind him, watching me warily from over his shoulder.
“Tarkonil, my old friend!” he said, pulling me into a hug. “What a wonderful surprise. Come on, come inside. You've met Paige already, I presume?”
“Briefly,” I said, not bothering to mention we'd met once before. “She seemed to be a bit terrified of me to be honest. Not that I blame her. I'm sure it's still taking some getting used to – the whole beings from other worlds thing.”
“No, of course not,” he said. “But Paige, this is Tarkonil, he's one of the good guys, I promise. One of my good friends and the reason I was able to get back and save you. I'd dare say without Tarkonil, there would be no us.”
She smiled, a friendly smile and her entire demeanor changed. No longer suspicious and wary, instead, she seemed to exude a warmth and welcoming grace I was thankful for. What I had to say was going to be difficult enough without having to face the open hostility of somebody's wife.
Baz ushered me inside and took me to the back deck of his home. There, he sat me down and let me bathe in the sunshine – and I had to admit, the warmth felt nice upon my skin. The sun on Optorio was never something I cared for too much. It was usually too hot for my liking. But here on Earth, with the light pouring down over me and the scent of the sea in the air – I could see why Baz had been so insistent on making a life here.
“Can I get you something to drink? Something to eat, perhaps?” Baz asked. “I know your journey was a long one.”
I shook my head. “No, I'm fine. But thank you.”
Baz nodded and sat down in the seat next to me and Paige pulled a chair next to him and sat down. They leaned forward and I could feel the weight of their eyes upon me. It was as if they both knew my presence there did not herald good news and they were waiting for – to use a human phrase – the other shoe to drop.
“So what brings you here, my old friend?” Baz asked.
I looked around at the deep forest that ran behind his home. It was dark and foreboding – and yet, charming at the same time. We did not have forests like these on Optorio and I recalled that on my earlier brief visit to this planet that I had been awestruck by the sheer size and depth of it. That feeling had not abated in my time away from this world.
“Well, it's a long story, Baz,” I said, glancing back at Paige. I really didn't want her hearing what I had to say.
As if she could read my expression and didn't want to hear what I had to say any more than I wanted her to hear it, Paige excused herself.
“You know, I have some errands to run,” she said, standing up suddenly. “Need anything at the store, sweetie?”
“No, nothing I can think of,” Baz said, standing up to kiss his lovely wife goodbye. “But thank you.”
They had such a simple life there on Earth – and they seemed very happy. I knew all too well that there was some appeal to a simple life. Especially for a man like Baz who had never taken the whole royalty thing anyway. The life he'd carved out with Paige was more relaxed. There was less pressure and he didn't have to make big, important decisions that affected his people. It was a job he'd never felt qualified for and one he never believed he'd measure up to. His biggest decision anymore was what they were going to have for dinner on any given night, more than likely. And that seemed to suit him. He seemed to have found his peace and happiness.
Yeah, I could certainly see the appeal in that. And for that, I was not only happy for him, but envious of him.
“So what's up?” Baz asked, leaning back in his chair, an inquisitive look on his face. “You seem – tense.”
I hated to bring him into this mess, but it had to be done. I had no allies and no other alternatives. So I took a deep breath and tried to explain it as succinctly as possible, without leaving anything of importance out of my story. And the more I said, the wider his eyes grew. A look of disbelief crossed his face – which was followed by one of anger.
But Baz being Baz, he contained his emotions and he quieted down his anger, putting on an air of thoughtful neutrality once more. Though he'd never admit it, there was more of that regal bearing in him than he ever believed.
“And you believe they're selling these women? As sex slaves?” Baz asked, scratching his chin. “But why? There are plenty of women on Optorio to go around. Prostitutes as well. Why humans?”
“Why not?” I said. “And it's not just humans, Baz. It's women from any number of planets. There's just something exotic and maybe a little taboo about a new species that some men are just – drawn to. And other men, knowing this, are making a very lucrative business out of it.”
Baz sat back in his seat and rubbed the bridge of his nose – a very human gesture I'd never seen him make before. In a way, it was interesting to see him changing the more time he spent on Earth. But it also made me a little sad since the man I knew, my friend, was becoming somebody else. Would I even recognize him when his transformation was complete?
“I can tell by the way you're looking at me that you think this is my fault.” Baz actually seemed a little offended.
I sighed. “It's not your fault, Baz. Not really,” I said. “But in a way, it is. You exposed Optorio to a human woman for the first time. They're so much like us, unlike some other species, and yet so different in ways that our kind find attractive. Humans are a novelty now. And given that our king gave up his throne for a human, now some want to see what the fuss is all about.”
“I didn't give up my throne just for Paige,” he said, sounding defensive. “I never wanted the throne to begin with.”
“I know that, Baz,” I replied, trying to soothe his ruffled feathers. “But many of the others don't. Not that it matters why it's happening, it's just important that you know it is happening. And it's not pretty, Baz. Let me tell you – ”
“Have you been spying on these people?” Baz asked me abruptly.
“Yes, it's the only way I could get the information and evidence I needed.”
“You may have put yourself in danger, Tarkonil,” Baz said, stating the obvious.
“Yes, possibly,” I said softly. “But I can't, in good conscience, let this continue. You're my only hope, Baz. I know you don't want anything to do with the governance of Optorio – you've made that very clear. But as someone who loves a human, I figured you'd be more sympathetic to what's happening and might possibly help me do something about it. I mean, what if it were Paige?”
Baz was quiet for a few moments as he stared off into space, a horrified look on his face. “No, I agree. It's disgusting and can't continue. I just don't know what you want me to do about it, Tarkonil. I have no power on Optorio anymore. No influence.”
“Come back, Baz.” I said. “Take the throne back and punish those who are doing this.”
I knew it was asking a lot. Possibly way too much. But I didn't have very many options. Baz was my only hope. He very well may have been Optorio's only hope.
“Absolutely not,” Baz said, standing up and pacing the room. “I'm not going back there. Paige and I are married now, Tarkonil. We're in the process of adopting a child – I can't leave now. And I can't take the throne back. I have no desire to be king. None whatsoever. That's why I left Optorio to begin with.”
“I know that better than anybody. But your people need you, Baz,” I begged. “And not just your people, but Paige's people as well.”
Baz threw his hands up in the air. “Listen, I want to help you. I really do. But there is nothing I can do. Like I said, I have no power and no influence on Optorio, Tarkonil. And I can't just come storming back in to retake the throne. I abdicated. I have no authority there. You have my full support and if there's anything I can do to help, I'll absolutely do it. But I'm not going back there. Not tomorrow, not the next day – never again. Earth is my home. I belong by Paige's side.”
My heart sank. I could see it on his face, there was no talking him into it. I knew the chance of success had been small to begin with, but he'd crushed that out very effectively.
“Very well.” I felt defeated, as if someone had gut punched me. Baz had been my only hope and without him, I was alone. “I guess there's nothing left to say. I'll be going now, I have a lot of work to do. Please give Paige my best.”
Baz grabbed me by the shoulders as I walked out the door. He held me there, staring me in the eyes. I could tell he wanted to do something – anything – to help, but he felt like his hands were tied.
“Tarkonil, be careful. Please. If you ever need somewhere safe to go, you're always welcome here. We can find you somewhere here on Earth – ”
“No, I'm not leaving those people up there like that. I have work to do, Baz.”
I pulled away from his grasp and walked out the door, not so much as looking back.
Chapter Three
Riley
The guards hadn't come back for some time, but when they did, they carried in more women – human women – and dropped them off in the cell across from us. We did our thing and pretended to still be asleep. But as the guards walked away, I heard them chuckling and knew that our time was running out.
With my eyes still closed, I heard the electronic beep that announced the arrival of our guards. I kept my eyes shut and listened to their footsteps as they walked among us. Anger surged within me and I had the irrational idea of standing up and leading a revolt against them. But I knew that I would be the only member of that revolt.
“That one will do,” a gruff voice said. “Giboc likes the blonde humans the most, he'll pay top dollar for her.”
“But she looks like she's still out cold from whatever the hunters did to her,” another voice said. “Either that or she's dead.”
There was a pregnant pause before some shuffling around. Finally, a voice said. “Check to make sure she's alive. She's been here for four days now, so there is no way she's still out from that. She's either dead or faking it.”
My heart sunk. Blonde? Been here for four days? They didn't mean...
Shrill screams echoed throughout our chamber, and without realizing I was doing it, I opened my eyes. They had Nicole by her hair and were pulling her into a standing position.
“She's alive, sir,” the guard said. “See? They're faking it. They're all faking it and we need to be more diligent. Want me to punish her?”
“No, she can't have any marks on her flesh,” he said. “It's fine. We already have a buyer who's interested in her now anyway. He's willing to pay good money for this one.”
Nicole was sobbing and crying, pleading with them to let her go. I so badly wanted to do something, anything, but I was frozen in fear. There were two of them and one of me. I was a tough girl, but I didn't think I'd be able to stand up to the both of them. I was so helpless, there wasn't anything I could do as they dragged her out of the cell, kicking and screaming the entire way. She was a fighter, that was for sure. But I didn't think her fighting spirit was going to get her out of this mess.
My heart was breaking as I listened to her cries becoming more and more distant until I could no longer hear them. The electronic beep sounded again, letting us know that the forcefield over the doorway to our cell was back up and operational again. When the guards had departed and we were alone again, several other women started freaking out.
As did I.
I thought back to what our captors had said. Buyers? People were actually buying us? I wondered how long it was going to be until a buyer came along asking for a woman like me. Then, it obviously didn't matter what I did or didn't do, I'd be taken away. And what would happen to me after that? What would happen to all of us?
I couldn't turn my brain off and a million different scenarios ran through my head and I imagined all of the different ways we were being used by these people. My eyes filled with tears as I curled up in a fetal position against the wall, trying to hide myself away. I just wanted this to end, even if that meant I didn't survive it. I just wanted it to end, one way or the other. I didn't want to know what these creeps were using us for after buying us. I had a feeling I'd much rather be dead than be owned by someone.
The girl nearby me – the one who seemed so very young – started screaming. She jumped up and was headed for the doorway – and the forcefield covering it, screaming and freaking out. If she hit that energy field, she was going to get fried. There was no chance of her getting through the field and she was doing nothing but drawing attention to herself – and us.
I jumped up and grabbed her, riding her to the side an pinned her against the wall to the side of the energy field.
“Please,” I begged her. “Please stop.”
She didn't listen to me. Hell, maybe she didn't even hear me because she continued screaming like she'd lost her damn mind. I slapped her across the face. Not hard – just a little something to get her attention on me.
“Just let me go! I have nothing, let me go!” she wailed.
I pulled her away from the wall, holding her tiny, fragile figure in my arms. “What's your name?” I asked her, trying to distract her from her panic attack.
“Melissa,” she said through choking sobs.
“Melissa, my name is Riley. And I'm scared too. But listen, you're just calling attention to all of us – not just yourself. And you don't want the attention of these creeps. Believe me. Did you see them take Nicole away? That could be us if you're not careful. Think about your family and stay strong.”
“I have no family,” she cried out. “No one is going to miss me.”
A chill went down my spine. Her story sounded all too familiar to me. “No family? Why's that, Melissa?”
“I ran away from home when I was fifteen. My mom died, my dad was an abusive drunk. I've been on my own ever since.”
I also didn't have a family and I began to wonder – was that the common link here? Were we all women with no one who would be looking for us if we disappeared? No one who'd miss us? As soon as I calmed Melissa down, I went around the cell.
“Anya. Family lives in Russia, we hardly speak since I moved to the US.”
“Tasha. Raised by a single mom who died last year. No siblings.”
“Chloe. Family disowned me when I came out as a lesbian. Been on my own ever since.”
And it went on and on. Women from all over the world – some didn't speak English so I couldn't get their story, but there was enough of us that did. And as I rolled it all around in my mind, the pieces started to fall into place and the entire picture started to come together in my mind.
The one thing that tied us together and made them choose us?
We were all women who wouldn't be missed.
Chapter Four
Tarkonil
As I flew back to Optorio, I racked my brain for any and all of my contacts – people who could help me. One man came to mind, a diplomat and old family friend. It had been several years since we'd last spoken, but we'd parted on good terms. He'd been friends with my father and I thought if anyone could help us – or would be willing to help us – it might very well be him.
Upon landing, I secured my ship and decided that there was no time like the present. Though I was tired and wanted to rest after such a long trip, it was the first place I went. When I arrived after a short walk, I knocked upon the door, prepared to greet my friend. But instead, someone else came to the door – his son, Jendrish.
“Yes?” he asked, his expression was one of confusion and I felt like I was back at Baz's place all over again.
“Greetings,” I said. “My name is Tarkonil. I'm a friend of your father's. Is he home?”
Jendrish and I looked like we were around the same age, though if I remembered correctly, he was actually slightly younger. He was also a former member of the Royal Guard and an avid supporter of Baz's before he'd abdicated the throne. With the Royal Guard having been disbanded in the wake of no longer having a royal family, I had no idea what he was up to. But it couldn't hurt to ask, if the conversation ever came up.
“Oh, I'm sorry,” Jendrish said. “Did you not hear the news? Dad's currently ill. And to be honest, the doctors don't expect him to make it very much longer at all,” he said. “But I remember you, Regent Tarkonil. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I'm very sorry to hear that, Jendrish,” I said with all sincerity.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
After a long, awkward moment between us, Jendrish invited me inside. Only, I wasn't sure how to approach the subject with him. I didn't really know him. I knew where he stood regarding Baz – he'd been on the “right” side of things. And knowing his father, I also knew there was no way they'd be involved with such things.
The house was just as I remembered it to be – beautiful, tastefully decorated, but there was obvious money in the family. Though their home was not ostentatious, nor did they seek to rub your nose in the fact that they were well off. Jendrish lived a lavish life thanks to his father's career, and later his own. And in many ways, he reminded me of his father. Albeit, a much younger version.
Jendrish was tall, with a strong build. His bluish black hair tumbled down to his shoulders. Whenever I saw him, his hair was usually pulled back. But he was at home today and appeared to be relaxed. I suppressed a smile. In all the time I'd seen him over the years, I realized that this was the first time I had actually seen him at home, relaxed and casual.
“Would you care for something to drink, sir?” he asked me as he sat me down in a formal sitting room with carved furniture built into the house itself. All of it was very white, pristine and perfect.
“No, but thank you,” I said, sitting across from him in a chair large enough for two more of me to share. “I appreciate your willingness to speak with me. I honestly don't know where to start – ”
“How about the beginning?” Jendrish asked with a laugh. “I'm taking over much of dad's work these days and I'm pretty up to speed on most things. But, if for some reason, I don't have the answer for you, I can get it.”
“What I'm about to talk to you about isn't something you can mention to anyone within the government – or to anybody else for that matter. Is that perfectly clear? It's for your ears only,” I said, trying to read his face to decide if I could trust him or not. “I trust your father, and I know you're a good man, so I'm going to trust you too, Jendrish, but I swear to you, if this gets out, my life – and the lives of others – will be forfeit.”
He raised an eyebrow, his interest obviously piqued. “Go on, Regent Tarkonil. You have my word that this stays between us.”
I decided to test the waters a little first, asking if he'd heard rumors about strange shipments coming in from offworld. He said he had not. I'd watched his expressions closely, looking for any sign of deception or anything that was a red flag that he couldn't be trusted. I saw nothing.
Like his father, I believed I could trust Jendrish.
I took a deep breath and laid out the entire story for him. When he asked what was in these shipments, I told him straight forward that I suspected they were humans from Earth and some of the planets surrounding Optorio.
“What would they want them for?” he asked.
“Well, I suspect they're selling them into sex slavery from the looks of it.”
Jendrish looked absolutely disgusted by this, and in that moment, I knew I could trust him implicitly. “What do you want me to do about it, Regent Tarkonil?”
“I want your help in shutting it down,” I said. “I'm going to be honest with you and tell you that I have no one else to turn to since you're father isn't well, and I'm running out of time, I can feel it.”
“You have my support,” Jendrish said. “My father would find this despicable, and I have to agree. If you have proof that this is going on, I'll do whatever I can to shut everything down.”
“Oh trust me, I have proof. I have enough proof that it very well could get me killed, I'm afraid,” I said. “Which is exactly why I need you – just in case something were to happen to me.”
Chapter Five
Tarkonil
After leaving Jendrish's home, I felt a little better. A little more at ease. Having an ally made all the difference – especially if something were to happen to me. As I walked home, I noticed there was a man not too far behind me. Call me paranoid, but I felt like he was following me – just a little too closely. I kept an eye on him, and when he turned and went into a nearby shop, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I was almost home, and kept watching for him, but thankfully he never reappeared. Taking one last look up and down the street, I unlocked my front door, rushed inside, closing and locking it behind me, feeling safe once more.
A light flickered in my security system, alerting me that it was about to go off. But that flicker had been caused by me coming in. I just needed to verify it was me by placing my palm on the system – a small electronic chirp sounded and then it went dark, accepting my identification.
My entire place was dark now, in fact. I punched a code into the keypad on the wall, and then tried adjust the settings for the lights, trying to get some illumination in my place. But it was all to no avail. Something was wrong with my settings – I had a feeling Soran had messed with something. But after all my traveling, I just wanted to go to bed and sleep the next three days away.
I walked through my house, heading toward my bedroom, stripping down as I went. I grabbed my night clothes, figuring I was going to take a quick shower before falling into my bed. And that was when I noticed that not only were the lights in my place not working, neither were any of my other electrical components. I picked up my communicator and tried to make a call, but had no luck. I tried to send a message but got the same result.
As tired as I was, this was an issue that needed to be investigated. Now. Something was amiss. I walked from my bedroom and down the stairs into the small control room. I opened up the box and saw that everything had been shut off. It wasn't an error – someone had manually turned everything off. And I knew it wasn't me.
I felt the presence of another person before I could turn around and see him. Their breathing was light, as were their footsteps. But they were quick on their feet. As I turned, ready to fight, I realized that it was going to have to be hand-to-hand. All my weapons were upstairs, removed from me when I got dressed for bed.
And this man – someone wearing a black mask to obscure their identity – had a knife. It was a unique piece long, serrated blade that glowed blue. I was familiar with that kind of weapon and knew that it would slice through the skin, burning the flesh as it went – and I was determined to avoid it.
As I dodged the first attempt to stab me, I ended up near the stairs. Climbing them without looking, I tried to rush up from the bottom floor and up to the first floor, figuring if I could get outside, all would be well.
But as quickly as I moved, the man was behind me. And then he was on me, pulling at my legs. I kicked at him, but missed. And it got me off balance enough that the man in the mask gave my leg a good yank and dragged me back down the stairs
As I fell, I hit my face on a stair on the way down and immediately began to see stars. I was lightheaded and felt my world fading to black – but I wasn't completely out. I fought to stay awake and coherent, knowing that passing out would be a death sentence. I was still wide awake. Not out enough to miss it as the man raised the knife to my neck, pushing the blue fire into my flesh until I screamed in pain.
But as he pressed down harder, the pain went away. And then the darkness consumed me.
Chapter Six
Jendrish
The call was sent out to everyone who worked for the Regents, so the message wasn't just intended for me. Tarkonil was dead. Only moments after leaving my house – not even a full hour afterward – and he was gone. Wiped from the face of this planet by who knows, and I was the last person who'd spoken to him.
The cause of death wasn't disclosed, but I had a few ideas.
I'd walked the streets, I saw the growing disparity between the rich and the poor. Being part of the elite meant I was safe in my ivory tower, protected from the crimes of the common people. But it didn't mean I wasn't a witness to the horrors of my world.
And with this new information, I knew there was no way I could stay sheltered forever. Nor was there any way for me to stay silent forever.
As Tarkonil showed me the images he'd taken – of women tied up and naked, bruised and bloody and thrown into cages – I was literally sick to my stomach. There were no words to describe the horror captured there.
And I'd meant it when I told him that if there was anything I could do, I'd be willing to do it. Because this was my world, a world I signed up to protect and serve until everything went to hell.
I wanted to play a part in bringing it back to glory. I wanted a role in creating a world I was proud to call home. Because after everything I saw, there was really nothing left to feel good about. I was sitting comfortably in my home, away from all of this madness, while the poor huddled in the streets, worried about where their next meal was coming from.
And these women were suffering horrible degradations and being sold like property to the highest bidder.
I had feared for Tarkonil – as I did for myself. He knew too much and there was no way the Regents wouldn't be on to him. I knew them well. I could tell that Tarkonil was a good, but was he good enough to play this game of intrigue and not capture the attention of the enemy? A high-tech enemy who was literally watching everything we did? I doubted it and had told him as much.
And unfortunately, I'd been proven right.
Which meant I was also in danger – but that didn't concern me all that much. I'd signed up for the Royal Guard knowing I could die for my planet and my king, and that had been fine with me. Because as long as I was making a difference and doing what was right, it was worth it to me.
And the same went for this. If I was killed trying to save these women, so be it.
But this wasn't the Optorio I was born into, and this wouldn't be the Optorio I'd die in either. I was going to see to it.
“Thank you, Tarkonil, I'll see what I can do,” were the last words I'd said to him. I'd watched as he walked away, afraid for him. And I'd had every right to be. He had been on borrowed time, and that's why he was desperate for help.
And there was no way I could let him – or those women – down. Not now. Not after everything he'd gone through.
Chapter Seven
Jendrish
Tarkonil had told me where to go and what to say. I could pass as one of them, especially since I had the money to flaunt. I also had the power. I could slip right in amongst the others, people who I'd worked beside day in and day out, oblivious to their secret life. But no more.
In the center of the room was a large stage. Men of all ages stood around it, shouting and calling out their demands, “Any with red hair?” and “You need to bring out women with some boobs!”
It was like they were placing an order at a restaurant, just listing off the things they wanted in their product. It was disgusting, but I had to play along. I couldn't give myself away.
I stood near the back, and once they brought in the first woman – a scared, curvy woman with big breasts and a small waist, something we didn't see on our planet – the crowd went wild. But I wasn't there to bid on her.
“Her name is Jasmine,” the announcer said. “Not that it matters, of course. You can call her whatever you like once she's yours.”
The room broke out in laughter as the bidding got underway.
I was more interested in where they were coming from, because that's likely where the women were being kept. Once I saw the doorway from which they came, I made my way to the back of the room, pushing and shoving past men of all kinds. I slipped down the hallway, hopeful that perhaps I could pass as someone working there.
Tarkonil had told me how to dress, how to act and even a name to give if it came to that. The doors flew open and another woman was being dragged out. This one was tiny, absolutely skinny and looked to be starved to death. Her eyes were sunken in and she looked at me with such pain in her eyes that it broke my heart.
“Should offer a discount for this one,” I overheard somebody say. “Damaged goods and all.”
“She refused to eat, what could we do?”
“They don't like 'em skinny, I'm afraid. Not this skinny, anyway. Looks sickly”
“If she doesn't sell, just dispose of her,” somebody else said. “What a waste. But hey, we can't keep 'em – ”
Their voices trailed off and I fought the urge to go back, to fight and save the girl. But I took a moment to get control of myself. I had to master my emotions if I wanted to survive this whole ordeal. As I stood there breathing, I heard the announcer talking over the loudspeakers once more.
“And here we have Tasha, but as you can see, she's damaged – which means one of you lucky gentlemen will be getting a discount for her! Let's start the bidding – ”
I blocked the rest of it out as my anger surged through me. Part of me hoped the woman sold, so she wouldn't be disposed of. But what would the men do to her after they paid for her? Maybe death was a better alternative to that.
I came to the end of the hallway just as someone else opened the large metal doors. Adrenaline coursing through me, I flashed my fake badge at him and he held the door open for me. Breathing a small sigh of relief, I walked inside and down another long hallway. Another door, another guard.
“I came to get the next girl,” I said, flashing my badge.
The guard opened the door with a yawn. “Do you know which one? I can tell you where to find her,” he said.
“Uhhh,” I stammered.
“Never mind then, just grab one and go. I don't care.”
I rushed down the hallway, and on both sides of me were women in cages. Just like in the photos Tarkonil had showed me. They looked sick and scared, some of them even appeared dead. The ones who were awake stared at me with fear in their eyes and terror upon their faces.
“Please, God. No, Please,” a woman muttered to herself, her eyes closed, as she rocked back and forth on her feet.
I stopped at a random cell and stared inside. All of the women inside appeared to be sleeping except for one. A woman with dark hair, nearly black and larger than life doe eyes. She stared back at me with a look of pure hatred as she held one of the other girls close. Another woman had her head in her lap and she stroked her hair.
I stared for too long, mainly because I couldn't believe my eyes. There were cells of women, all scared and crying. Yet, there she sat not only tear-free, but glaring at me. And she was comforting others while she was at it, almost protecting them. She looked at me as if she dared me to step inside the cell and take one of the women away.
I looked both ways, to make sure I was alone in the hallway before I whispered to her. “I'm going to get you out of here, all of you,” I said. I fumbled with an old tool of my trade as the Royal Guard – an electrical device that would open any lock. We needed to use it in the Guard fairly often when rescuing our people from other planets. But I never imagined I'd be rescuing slaves from my own people.
But there I was. The times were most definitely changing.
I placed the device up to the lock and there was a series of bees before things clicked into place and the cell door swished open. I pushed it all the way open and spoke the one woman who wasn't afraid.
“Get everyone up. We need to hurry,” I said.
“How do I know this isn't a trap?” she asked me, not moving, though her eyes looked toward the open cell.
“It's not, I don't work for these people. I'm here to save you, now let's go,” I said. I started nudging some of the women, a few of them begged me to leave them alone. “I'm not going to hurt you. I'm helping you escape.”
A few women stood up and ran for the cell door, but they obviously had no idea where to go.
“Turn left!” I shouted. “Not right. That's where they're at, left is an exit.”
I handed my electrical key to the dark-haired woman. “Here, place this against the lock on the door and press here. It'll unlock the cell doors. We need to hurry before they come back.”
The woman stood up and did as she was told. I could hear the cell doors opening one by one and next came the sound of women piling into the hallway. But time was running really short and we had to go. Any minute now, they'd be coming for the next woman to be auctioned off. Any second, really. And we couldn't afford to be caught down in the cells letting everybody out.
I grabbed the device from the woman's hand and told her to follow me. Together, we walked to the back door, where I unlocked it with my device.
“There's a ship out there with the doors open,” I said. “Climb aboard and I'll be there in just a second.”
“Here,” I handed over a gun to the dark-haired woman. “If someone tries to take you, shoot them with this.”
She stared down at it, wide-eyed and confused. “I don't even know what it is.”
That's right. They didn't have the same weapons on Earth as they do here. It was killing me because I could feel the time slipping away, but I stopped and showed her how to use the weapon.
“Just point and shoot, but please, be careful with it,” I said. “The aim is incredibly good, but it will kill a person, so use it wisely.”
“Why are you doing this?” she muttered.
“Just go!”
She led the women out the door, while I stayed behind. There were several cells still locked, and I'd planned to go back for them once the first group was gone. But the door at the end of the hallway opened up and I knew I was about to be in trouble. I shut the back door to keep them safe and hidden as I faced down one of the guards – he was early for his shift.
“What the hell?” he said. “Where'd they all go?”
His eyes zeroed in on me in an instant. I'd given my best weapon to the woman, but I still had a knife. Pulling it from the sheath at my side, I prepared myself for battle. The guard lunged toward me, a stunner in hand but nothing more.
As long as he didn't touch it to my skin, there was no problem. But if it did touch me, I'd go down and he could kill me at his leisure.
Better not let that happen, I thought to myself. The man pressed a button on the wall as he came toward me and alarms sounded. I knew it was only a matter of moments before more guards came – which meant they would likely find the women outside. One gun wouldn't be enough to protect them, I had to get them out of here and fast.
But the eyes of the others watched me, hopeful. They too wanted their freedom and I was their only hope. I had a choice. I could stay and fight to rescue the rest of these women – and probably be killed in the process. Or I could run and save those on my ship. If I ran, who knew when I'd be back – and what security systems would be in place when I did.
That is, if they stayed there. After my break-in, they very well could be different.
I didn't have much time to think, however, as the doors opened and more guards rushed through them. More than I could take on – some carrying guns.
“I'm sorry,” I muttered, feeling the tears in my eyes.
If it weren't for those already outside, I'd have gladly risked my life to save the others. But I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and I had to save at least some of the women.
“I'll be back for you, I promise,” I said.
I knew it was a promise I couldn't keep with any sort of certainty – mainly because they could be sold or even dead by the time I got back. But with me dead, there'd be no one fighting for them. Many more would die.
I stabbed the first guard in the gut, twisting the knife and pressing him against the wall. He screamed in agony as his blood, thick, blue, and warm, rushed down over my hands. I watched the light leaving his eyes as he died in front of me.
“I wish I could stay and kill all of you, but really, I must be going now,” I said.
I didn't have time to retrieve my blade, since it was buried inside the guard's gut. I opened the back door again and rushed out, running to my ship and hitting the emergency ramp switch to close it up and seal the ship.
I was safe.
These women were safe.
I was greeted by the woman with dark hair. There was no word of thanks, no words of appreciation – there was nothing. But she held the gun up and pointed at my head.
“Careful,” I said, hands raised. “I'm the only one who can drive this thing.”
“Where the fuck are we?” she asked.
“It's a long story, but please, put the gun down and let's get out of here before they catch up to us,” I said. “Then, I'll tell you everything, I swear. You can't drive this ship, so if you kill me, you're all back to being prisoners and there will be no one to help you.”
She looked uncertain, but another one of the women put her hand over the would-be shooters hand and pushed it down.
“He's right, Riley,” she said softly. “We need him.”
With the gun no longer pointed at my face, I hurried to the cockpit and started the engines. Luckily, the ship was one that started up fast. We were already off the ground and in orbit less than three minutes from initial ignition. The security guards around the place didn't have ships as fast as mine – one I'd acquired during my time in the Royal Guard.
Once my course had been charted, I could step away from the controls. I went back and found the woman called Riley sitting on the floor, once again comforting some of the women. As her eyes locked onto mine, I saw so much fire and fight in them. She was so different than I was. And yet, remarkably, very much the same. I found that I couldn't stop staring. I admired her for that. After everything they'd seen and been through, she still had life and fire inside of her.
“Riley, is it?” I asked her. “My name is Jendrish. Nice to meet you, I only wish it had been under more – ideal circumstances.”
Riley stood up and walked toward me. Luckily, she had no gun in her hand this time, or else I'd be in trouble judging by the look in her eyes. She just stared into my eyes for a long moment.
“Tell me where the hell we're at and what's going on,” she said, her voice ice cold. “Now.”
“Alright, alright,” I said, hands up in self defense.
And I told them – everything. About how they'd been abducted and taken to another planet to be sold as sex slaves. I saw disbelief in most of their eyes, but after everything they'd witnessed – and the ability to look out the ship's windows and see nothing but stars for as far as the eye could see – it was hard for them to argue with me.
“Too much too soon?” I asked Riley.
“Maybe for some of them.” She looked worried, biting her lip as she watched some of the others. “But we needed to know the truth. So, thank you for that. Even if it does sound crazy – I just don't know what else to believe at this point.”
And then she laughed. A sound of pure amazement and disbelief – not one of pleasure or joy. But still, she laughed as she looked over at me and the sound was beautiful.
“You're stronger than them,” I noted.
“Nah, I just know how to pretend I am.”
“Isn't that what being strong is?” I asked, feeling a smile tugging at my lip.
She didn't say anything. There was pain in her eyes – a pain I found myself wishing I could wash away. There was something different about this Riley. Something very – intriguing. She had a story and I was more than a little curious to hear it.
“What is it?” I asked.
“The others,” she said. “The ones we couldn't save. What's going to happen to them?”
I sighed. “I wish I knew,” I said. “I wanted to save them so badly, it's why I stayed behind as long as I did. But I couldn't save them – there were too many guards. And I had to make a choice. Staying to fight would have left me dead and all of you back in the cages.”
“I understand. It's hard, but I understand,” she said softly. “I just keep wondering – why me? Why was I saved? And why were so many others left behind?”
Honestly, the reason for that was my fault. When I saw her, I'd gone to her first. I knew she was strong. I could see it from the start. But there was more to it than that, and I knew it. I'd been drawn to her from the moment I first saw her. She was the first one I chose to save, – and yes, it was a choice. And one I didn't regret.