Children of Junk (Rogue Star Book 3) (4 page)

S
olomon couldn’t see
a thing in the back of the dark van and it stank of sweat and oil. Beside him Emily shifted, trying to get comfortable on the bare metal floor. Solomon leaned against her so she’d know he was still there, that she wasn’t alone. She leaned back and he sighed. A little ways away the kidnappers’ armor creaked when they shifted position. How could they see anything in the back of the van? Then he remembered their goggles, they must have a thermal mode. He considered and rejected trying to talk to them. These people didn’t seem big on conversation and he wasn’t charming enough to talk his way out anything.

Solomon took deep breaths and tried not to panic. He’d gotten kidnapped before so he had experience at this sort of thing. What had he done last time? Right, he got beat up then Marcus rescued him. That wasn’t especially helpful. He assumed by now someone had told Marcus they’d kidnapped him, which meant his friend would be looking for him. Solomon let out a second, slow sigh. Marcus would find him, and when he did these people would be sorry.

His revenge fantasies came to an abrupt halt at the same time the van did. A moment later the rear doors opened and light blinded him. Rough hands grabbed his ankles and dragged him out. He landed with a grunt in the dirt. “Get up!” A hand grabbed his collar and yanked him to his feet. A little squeak indicated Emily got the same treatment. He stifled the urge to fight them, it would accomplish nothing beyond getting him slapped around or worse.

One of the kidnappers shoved him and he stumbled forward, blinking, try to clear the spots out of his vision. They pushed him towards a trailer. He blinked again. It was a fifty foot long freight hauler hovering by the side of the road. The kidnappers must be worried about someone spotting their van. Probably the hotel had surveillance cameras. They must not have a hacker working for them capable of shutting the system down. Solomon almost stopped in his tracks. Maybe that’s why the kidnappers grabbed them; they needed a hacker for some job they had planned.

One of the masked men poked him in the back with his blaster barrel. “Move.”

At the back of the trailer the double doors stood open and a short step ladder waited to help them up into the back. Inside Solomon counted four pallets piled just short of the ceiling. The lead kidnapper gestured towards the stepladder with his blaster and Solomon needed no further instruction. He climbed up the ladder and got in the trailer without killing himself despite have his hands cuffed behind his back. From somewhere deeper in the trailer came a cool breath of air. They must have installed a cooling system to keep them from overheating in the trailer.

Emily came up next then four of the masked men. Two of the kidnappers held blasters on them while the other two positioned the pallets at the rear of the truck to block the view of anyone inspecting the cargo. The kidnappers still outside closed the doors, locking them in the dark again.

One of the kidnappers said, “If either of you makes a sound you’re dead.”

The hauler lurched forward and they were on their way again.

S
olomon didn’t know
how long they drove before the hauler finally stopped, but he really had to pee. The doors opened, once again dazzling him and blasting him with hot, humid air. The thrum of heavy equipment reached him and a moment later something removed one of the pallets. It only took a few minutes for them to remove all four, by which time Solomon could see again. Their captors in the trailer motioned them toward the doors and Solomon hastened to obey.

At the rear of the trailer an empty pallet held up by an antigravity forklift waited. On the ground, standing beside the forklift, a man in his mid forties, fit, and wearing military fatigues, stood with his hands clasped behind his back waiting for them. The newcomer didn’t have a mask and Solomon wasn’t certain if that reassured him or worried him, but something about the guy sent his danger meter into the red. One of the masked men poked him in the back, forcing Solomon on to the pallet. Emily joined him and a couple seconds later they stood on the ground.

A quick look around revealed the kidnappers had brought them to a clearing carved out of the jungle. The only sign of civilization was the rough, dirt road that brought them to the clearing and a large building covered in camouflage netting. The new man approached, a neutral, disinterested expression on his face. Small wrinkles surrounded dark, deep set eyes. The wrinkles combined with brown, leathery skin spoke of a man that spent a lot of time outside.

“I’m sure you’re curious why you’re here, but that’s my concern not yours.” His voice had a harsh rasp, like someone who’d breathed in a lot of smoke. Solomon’s eyes widened. That’s why the new man made him so nervous, he reminded Solomon of Vlad. He had the same air of control the Mars crime boss exuded. “I’ll make this simple for you. You do what we say when we say and you won’t get hurt. Cause me or my men any trouble and, well, use your imagination. I need you alive with your hands and arms functional, that’s all.”

The stranger jerked his head toward the building. “Let’s get the hell out of this heat.”

They walked together toward the building, Solomon sandwiched between the head kidnapper and Emily. Behind them the armed men followed, blasters leveled at their backs. Sweat drenched Solomon when they finally reached the cool, shadowed interior of the building. There was nothing terribly impressive inside the shelter, eight cots, a desk with a portable computer, a pair of racks to hold their weapons. At the very back was a door with a dead bolt. Their cell he suspected.

The leader led them to the cell door, undid the bolt and motioned them inside. The guy wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Solomon went in first with Emily right behind. Their captor followed them in and removed their cuffs before leaving and slamming the door shut. The bolt slid home, trapping them in the little cell. Solomon sighed, home sweet home. They had two cots, two chairs, and a small folding table. In the back they set up a privacy screen. Solomon sent a silent prayer to the universe and looked behind it. Bingo, a small chemical toilet.

Solomon emerged from behind the screen feeling much relieved. He barely moved out of the way before Emily raced to take his place. He shook his head, some gentleman; it never crossed his mind to see if she wanted to go first. Solomon sat on a cot and a few minutes later she emerged from behind the screen.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded and sat beside him. “What are they going to do with us?”

Solomon shrugged. He simply had no idea. “Whatever they want they seem to need us in one piece. My best guess is there’s a system they want hacked. Why else kidnap a pair of hackers? They certainly didn’t take me hoping to get money. What about you?”

“My family isn’t rich. I doubt they could raise more and a few thousand credits on short notice.”

“So it’s a job. We do the job then they let us go, hopefully.”

“Hopefully?” Her voice raised a notch.

“I’d be more confident if the leader had worn a mask. We know what he looks likes now so that’s a bad sign.”

She whimpered and pressed tighter against him. Solomon put his arm around her in a rough imitation of offering comfort. He should have kept that last observation to himself.

I
n the little
windowless room time meant nothing, they sat, they dozed, and generally tried to keep from going insane. Solomon’s stomach growled and he wished they’d kidnapped him after breakfast. After the universe knew how long the bolt slid open. Solomon sat up and swung his legs over the side of the cot. He glanced at Emily, it looked like she was asleep, but he wasn’t sure. The door opened and the leader stepped through the doorway. “Get up.”

Solomon hopped to his feet, Emily groaned, and rolled off her cot. She didn’t look too steady when she got to her feet. Her nap must have left her fuzzy headed. He hoped she’d snap out of it soon.

“Turn around.”

Solomon did as he said. He wanted to go and steady Emily, but didn’t dare. A second later they jerked his hands behind his back and the cuffs replaced. A masked man repeated the procedure with Emily. Once they were secure a kidnapper grabbed his arm and led him through the shelter and out into the clearing. Dim sunlight created long shadows of the jungle trees. It wouldn’t be long before dark. In the clearing sat a sleek, black and white star ship about half the size of the
Star
. It looked fast and sported a pair of heavy, forward facing, blaster cannons under the cockpit. It could probably put up a good fight if it came down to it.

He frowned. The side of the ship said planetary security along with a serial number. Did they have a friend on the inside or did they steal a patrol craft? The rear cargo bay door opened and a figure in a security uniform walked the ramp. He wore a helmet with an opaque eye shield covering half his face. From what Solomon could see he looked human, or close enough. Everything about the ship and pilot looked legit which led him to believe the pilot was a corrupt security officer.

“Is this the cargo?” The pilot gestured at Solomon and Emily.

The boss kidnapper nodded. “You have the coordinates?”

The pilot nodded. “I’m meeting them at—”

“I don’t need to know. My part of the deal is done. The sooner they’re gone the better. Load’em up.”

Two of the masked kidnappers shoved them up the ramp into the ship. Unlike the
Star
this ship had a small hold dominated by six cells used to hold individual prisoners during transport. His guard shoved Solomon into the first cell on the right and Emily into the second. He pushed a button on a control panel built into a pillar in the center of the hold and the cell door slid shut and the lock snapped in place. Solomon sighed, he’d hoped they might remove the cuffs. Having his arms behind his back made his shoulders ache. He was getting sick and tired of being locked up somewhere new every few hours. Hopefully this would be a short trip.

“Where are they taking us now?” Emily asked.

He wished she wouldn’t ask him things like that as though he had some idea what these people had in store for them. He didn’t and he sucked at offering strong, comforting words. Solomon was so far out of his depth at this point he feared he might never surface. “I don’t know. Emily. I just don’t.”

The pilot came up the ramp a few seconds later and the doors closed behind him. He walked past the cells, paying his prisoners no more heed than Solomon did the cargo he and Marcus hauled. Two minutes later a vibration ran through the hull when the engines fired up. The ship lurched and they took off. Solomon chewed his lip. How would Marcus find them if this stupid ship took them to the other side of the planet?

They flew for a while, the artificial gravity and acceleration compensators made it impossible for him to tell which direction they traveled. The vibration from the engines went down to a dull hum. They must be close to wherever they were going. They hadn’t flown for more than ten minutes so most likely they were still on the same continent. After the brief pause the engines powered back up. So much for that theory. A deeper, more powerful thrum filled the hold.

“Solomon, what’s that?” Emily’s anxiety clawed at him.

He focused on the sound and his heart sank. “It’s the hyperdrive.” How would Marcus ever find them now?

M
arcus sat
on the railing outside the strip club and waited. Above him the hologram buzzed as the image shifted. He had no idea how far the bouncer had to go to find his boss or what she was doing. Maybe they’d just make him wait until eight, that was one way to enforce their rules. He sighed and forced down his impatience. The bouncer had only left five minutes ago. He couldn’t expect instant access even using Vlad’s name. There were rules dictating this sort of thing, the Nine Dragons had rules for everything. They had to, otherwise they would have murdered each other by now. That would have been a shame.

Ten more minutes passed before the lock clicked open. He hopped off the railing and the door opened. Instead of the bouncer a female, ruby skinned Etherian, the race regarded by pretty much every other race as the most physically flawless, stood on the other side of the door. This one was a typical example. Long platinum hair hung down to her waist, framing a heart-shaped face. Smooth, silky skin, colored a pale pink was covered by the absolute minimum amount of clothes, all of them shear and leaving nothing to the imagination.

Marcus couldn’t hold in a grin. It was a good thing Iaka hadn’t come with him, she might have beaten him to a pulp. If she could have read his mind she would have done worse than that. “You’re certainly an improvement over the old doorman.”

She smiled a flawless, pearly smile, revealing a pair of elongated eye teeth. “Madam Margret insisted you receive every courtesy. After your meeting I’d be delighted to entertain you in private. No charge.”

Marcus swallowed and the sweat that beaded up on the back of his neck had nothing to do with the heat. An Etherian prostitute probably cost ten thousand credits an hour. “That’s very generous, but I’m spoken for.”

Her smile broadened. “I know. Congratulations, you’ve proven yourself an honorable man and have passed the first test. Lucky for you we only count actions not thoughts. Follow me.” She winked, turned, revealing a backside every bit as flawless as the front, and led him into the club.

“That’s a good policy; otherwise you’d have to kill every man that laid eyes on you.”

She laughed, warm and bright, it made him want to make her laugh some more. Stop thinking about her! To distract himself from his guide, Marcus turned his attention to the club. There was a polished wood stage with four brass poles for the girls. A bunch of tables of various sizes sat empty in the well lit room. He figured it would be a lot darker in there at night. Opposite the stage was a bar behind which rested row upon row of bottles, intoxicants for the various beings that visited the club.

At the rear of the club was a staircase. One set of stairs led up and a second down. His guide went up and Marcus hesitated, not sure how close he should follow to avoid getting an up close view of things he shouldn’t be looking at. She noticed his reluctance and laughed again.

“Don’t be uncomfortable. I’ve had hundreds of men staring at me wearing less than this. Your gaze doesn’t offend me. In fact, I find it charming that you worry about a whore’s feelings.”

“You’re a person like any other,” Marcus said. “What you do for a living shouldn’t affect how people treat you. I’ve seen enough people judged by their line of work to not want to do it myself.”

She stepped back off the step and placed a hand on his chest. “Your lady is lucky to have you. Why don’t you lead the way? We’re going to the third floor.”

Relieved, Marcus climbed the steps. At the second floor landing a door blocked his path deeper into the building. From behind it he heard faint, feminine giggles. He turned up the next flight of stairs and behind him his guide said, “That’s where the girls get ready and later entertain their guests.”

Marcus assumed as much and didn’t comment. At the third floor landing she resumed the lead, brushing against him as she moved to the front. Somehow Marcus found the willpower not to react. The sparkle in her eye when she looked back at him said she knew just how much it cost him. Was she testing him again or just playing. He didn’t dare ask.

She pushed the door open and led the way down a corridor paneled in dark hardwood. Erotic paintings hung every ten or so feet and spaced between them were closed doors, each numbered with a bronze plate. The corridor ended at yet another door exactly like every other one he’d seen. His guide knocked and the door swung open.

She smiled and his heart melted a little. “This is where I leave you. Best of luck.”

Before she could leave he asked, “What’s your name?”

“Mina. It was good to meet you Marcus Drake. If things don’t work out with your lady friend, look me up.”

She walked back down the hall and he couldn’t help watching the play of her muscles under her meager costume. He loved Iaka. He loved, loved, loved Iaka. Marcus tore his gaze away from Mina and entered the office. The only lights in the room were directly over a large steel desk with a single chair in front of it and a figure shrouded in loose, black garments sat behind it. It didn’t take a genius to recognize the invitation.

Marcus focused straight ahead, trying not to imagine how many blasters lurked in the darkness. He reached the desk and a slim, feminine hand emerged from the folds of cloth to point at the chair. Marcus bowed and sat.

“You know something of our ways, Captain Drake.” She spoke in a husky voice not much above a whisper.

He smiled. “Enough, I hope, not to give offense. Thank you for seeing me.”

“Of course, always a pleasure to see one of the Silver Fox’s associates. May I offer you a drink?”

“Thank you, that would be nice.”

Seconds later, so fast he had to be standing in the dark waiting, a human of Asian descent in a black suit stepped into the light, a tumbler full of whisky on a silver tray. He held it out to Marcus who took the glass, nodded his thanks, and sipped the amber liquid. He held it on his tongue, savoring the smoky burn, before swallowing. “That’s some good whiskey.”

He couldn’t see the woman’s face, but felt certain she smiled. “Good, now to business. How can the Nine Dragons help you?”

“You heard about the kidnapping this morning?”

“Yes, bad for business. We’re doing our best to keep it quiet.”

“So it wasn’t your people who took Solomon and his girlfriend?” Marcus’s hopes rose. If the dragons didn’t do it maybe they’d help him.

“Of course not. We don’t do that sort of thing here. This planet is our sanctuary. Whoever did this, did it without our permission.” The cold tone she used made Marcus glad he had done nothing without her permission. Unfortunately, it didn’t sound like she knew who was responsible.

“It doesn’t sound like you know who’s behind it.”

She leaned forward into the light and Marcus got his first good look at her. Black shoulder length hair framed a classically beautiful Asian face, almond eyes, full lips, small chin. The only flaw he saw were some fine lines around her eyes. She could have been Iaka’s mother. Somehow that made him feel better. “I can’t give you a name, but I can give you a location. My people tracked their ship’s unannounced arrival three days ago.”

Marcus frowned and she nodded. “Yes, the same day you arrived. Not a coincidence I think. They’re mercenaries, not a group we’ve used or even dealt with, also not a coincidence. Whoever sent them for your friend knew what they were doing.”

Marcus nodded, mind working, trying to figure which of his enemies had the money and connections to pull this off. The list shrank a little, but it was still way too long. Right now it didn’t matter who was behind it. They could figure that out after he rescued Solomon. “You wouldn’t object to me talking to the mercenaries?” They both knew what he meant when he said talk.

“Not at all. In fact it saves us the trouble of having to talk to them ourselves. When you’re finished I expect they’ll never talk to anyone else again. Clear?”

“Crystal. I’m working with a security officer named Smith. Should I tell him about this before or after?”

She leaned back into the shadows and he caught snatches of whispered conversation. She leaned forward again. “Smith is one of ours. Tell him whatever you like. We’ll instruct him to provide whatever help you need.”

The man with the silver tray stepped out of the shadows again. This time he had a data chip on his tray. Marcus got up, took the chip, and bowed again. “Thank you for this.”

She nodded. “Deal with the mercenaries and we will call it even.”

Behind him the door opened. As dismissals went that one was pretty clear. Marcus backed a few paces away from the desk then turned and walked toward the rectangle of light. He stepped out into the hall and the door shut behind him. A little ways as away, leaning against the wall, waited Mina.

Marcus smiled. “Waiting to see if I made it out in one piece?”

She stepped away from the wall and moved to walk beside him, a little closer than he was comfortable with. As they headed toward the stairwell she said, “You wouldn’t have been the first person to go in and not come back out. I’m pleased you’re intact.”

He laughed. “Me too. Thanks for worrying.”

They retraced their path to the front door, no further conversation passed between them. Marcus stepped out on to the front steps, the sun sat low in the sky, and turned to face her. “Take care of yourself, Mina.”

She flashed an eyetooth. “Actually, it’s Margret.” She closed the door, leaving him staring at the blank steel door.

M
arcus tightened
the final strap around his bike. He hardly remembered the ride back to the landing field. Mina’s, no Margret’s, final words stunned him. He knew the dragons had nonhuman members, but to have one running a planet spanning operation… He’d say this for her; she was one hell of an actress.

Iaka entered the hold from the cockpit. She stopped by the door, crossed her arms and frowned. Looked like she was still mad at him for not taking her along. He left the bike and went to join her. “Well, you’re alive, that’s something. How’d it go?”

Marcus told her what happened, leaving nothing out, but glossing over a few details, most related to Margret’s costume. When he finished Iaka said, “The Nine Dragons’ leader is an Etherian?” Iaka incredulity matched Marcus’s.

“I know, it surprised me too. That’s probably the best thing she’s got going for her, no one would expect her to be in charge. The thing that matters most is I know where to find Solomon. Let’s contact Smith then head out.”

Marcus started toward the cockpit. Iaka grabbed his shoulder. “Did you really pass on a chance to hook up with an Etherian for me?”

Marcus grinned. “I told you, you’re the only woman for me.”

She kissed him and they continued on towards the cockpit. “Was she as hot as they claim?”

Marcus glanced over his shoulder. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to answer that?”

She laughed. The cockpit door hissed open at their approach. Marcus dropped into his chair and punched comm number into his console. It took a few seconds, but he finally answered. “Marcus, word is you have some good news.”

“Hopefully. Did our mutual friend fill you in on everything?”

“Everything I needed to know. There won’t be any patrols in the area until you call me. When it’s done we’ll handle the clean up.”

“Sounds good. We’re heading out now.”

Marcus powered up the
Star
and slipped the data chip into the reader. All that came up on his screen were a set of coordinates. Iaka typed them into the navigation system and a guide appeared on his heads up display. Looked like they were only half an hour out. Anxious as he was to find Solomon he wanted to get there after dark, it would make their stealth system even more effective. He did a quick search. Sunset was an hour away. No problem, he’d just fly slow.

They blasted off from the landing field and Marcus set a course that would take them on a long loop out wide from the target. He kept his speed under mach one and when they flew far enough away from civilization activated the cloaking device. He grinned. The mercenaries would never know what hit them.

When the sun finally set Marcus swung the ship towards the coordinates Margret provided. He came in slow and silent, using the antigravity generator and maneuvering jets to position the
Star
directly above a clearing in the jungle. On his scanners little figures loaded gear into a hauler. It looked like they planned to move again soon.

He turned to Iaka. “I’ll go down with Gruesome, you stay here and watch the scanners. If anyone tries to escape blast them.”

“Be careful. These people look like professionals.”

“Don’t worry. After everything we’ve been through I don’t intend to buy it on some jungle pleasure planet.”

She smiled. “We really don’t have very good luck with jungle planets, do we?”

“I don’t know. If not for a certain jungle planet I might never have met you. Still, next vacation I vote for a water world.”

“I second that.” She squeezed his leg. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” He left the cockpit, relieved Iaka hadn’t insisted on coming down with him. He doubted she’d approve of what he agreed to do for the dragons. He reached the hold and walked over to Gruesome. “Wake up.”

The war bot’s photoreceptors flashed green then glowed steady indicating it was ready. “War mode.”

The light went from green to red. Blunt fingers designed to handle cargo lengthened into rending talons. Banks of micro-missile launchers slid out of concealed compartments in its shoulders and lower legs. A pair of heavy blasters emerged from forearm slots followed by the plasma cannon in its chest. “War mode confirmed.” Gruesome’s voice was so deep it vibrated in his chest.

“We need three prisoners for questioning. There are potentially two noncombatants so watch your field of fire. Lethal force is authorized.”

The crimson lights in Gruesome’s eyes flashed once. “Acknowledged.”

Marcus went over to the storage cylinder where his armor waited and typed in his access code. The cylinder spun around revealing the gleaming black armor. He and Gruesome should make quite an entrance. “Black Dragon, armor up.”