Queen of the Savages - Complete (5 page)

"Well, you acted like a proper whore, enough to inspire Ennhr to a spectacular show. I might keep you around." He walked behind her and undid her binding. "Get dressed. I don't want to see your slut body now."

Tracy stood on shaky legs, picked up her clothes, and put them on. Kor disappeared into a side room.

Ennhr looked spent. He slumped weightlessly in his cage, but he opened his eyes to look at Tracy.

"He wasss wrong. He's alwayssss wrong."

"What do you mean, Ennhr?"

"I felt what isss in your heart. It'sss beautiful, a true union. That is why, why my sssong the way it was. I'm sssorry. I'm sssorry I defiled it with that."

"That," said Tracy, "was not your fault. You didn't defile a thing. You gave song to the passion I have for Rev. It was beautiful."

The Jer'hym bowed his head.

"You are too graccciousss."

"Besides, you are as much a prisoner as I am. You do what you have to do to survive."

The more Tracy listened to the alien, the more normal his speech sounded.

"Yes," said Ennhr with a hard glint in his eyes. "I do what I can to survive and get revenge for my females. One day I'll be free, and I think you can help me with that. It might be even today."

"How can I help you?"

"When Kor comes back to the room, think your most passionate thoughts about Rev and hold onto them. We will see if a theory I have about the Captain is correct. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, I'll try, but I don't see how that will help."

"We'll see. Sit and start thinking. He won't be in the bathroom long."

Tracy sunk to the floor and started thinking the sexiest thoughts she could about Rev. She thought back to that night at the Staukub's mining camp, where she and Rev started their lovemaking in the hot springs deep in the miner's caverns. That passionate night started with her easing herself on Rev's cock as her arms wrapped around his neck. She proceeded to the thought of him taking her again and again, pounding her against the wall of the pool and sinking his fangs in her neck. They ended up in some bed.

She didn't remember all the details, but what she did remember was one orgasm on top of another with Rev sinking his fangs into her each time, his venom heightening her ecstasy.

The Jer'hym started trilling then, much as before, and Tracy was swept with another wave of intense emotion, including her feeling of love for Rev.

The door of the convenience opened, and Kor stepped out wrapped in a towel. He stopped when he heard the song of the Jer'hym.

"Again? The slut really does inspire you."

With that, Ennhr let out a long low blast of his trumpet sound, but this one lasted longer than the other ones. Tracy felt her heart thump hard in her chest, straining against her body.

She heard Kor gasp, and she saw him clutch at his heart. With horror, Tracy saw the blood leave his face.

"Stop," he gasped. "Stop!"

But Ennhr would not. He let out another long blast directed right at Kor, and the pirate captain stumbled, grabbing for the wall to stand up. He failed and fell to the floor.

Ennhr's wings fluttered as he lifted himself with effort in his cage.

"Good," he said weakly. "Check him. Is he dead?"

Tracy, still breathing hard, bent over and checked for his pulse but could find none. She stood.

"I think so," she said.

"He had no love to protect him and his heart failed when I blasted the frequency of love. His body would have failed soon; he had no heart, and his behavior damaged his soul. This way, I got to see it with my own eyes before my body fails me. Thank you, mate of the Kerdim." He shuddered then, his wings faltering, and he slumped unmoving in the weightless suspension.

Tracy stood in the darkened cabin of the pirate captain with two dead bodies. She had no idea of what the right thing to do was. She had to get to Rev, and they both had to get off this ship somehow.

She hoped that Rev had some idea of how to get them out of this mess, because here, in the middle of space, surrounded by aliens, she had no clue.

Suddenly Tracy heard a different voice in the room.

"Captain. Captain Kor?"

Tracy looked around and saw small speakers in the ceiling.

"Captain, please answer. Zywth is here to pick up the tracker. He wants to see you. Captain, is something wrong?"

Tracy was in trouble.

At her feet lay the dead body of a pirate captain.

To her right, in a cage, was the corpse of a freakish alien.

Outside the room, people were calling the captain's name.

Someone was going to check on the captain when he didn't answer, and there were two dead bodies in the room with her. Tracy didn't understand everything that happened here, but she knew one thing. As the last person standing, she'd be blamed for their deaths.

There was a light knocking at the door.

Running was out of the question. Her last experience on an alien spaceship taught her that she was no good at trying to navigate ships she knew nothing about.

Tracy's eyes lighted on the restraints that the captain had used to tie her up and got an idea. The bindings didn't have to BE tight; they just needed to LOOK tight.

The light knocking turned into a loud pounding.

She hated to do it, but she tore off her clothes. Tracy grabbed the ropes that had once restrained her and started wrapping them around her arms and ankles. She looked at her limbs skeptically. The cords were a little loose, but it was the best she could do. She tucked her legs under her body and moved her wrists behind her back

With a bang, the cabin door was forced open. Halc, a tall alien that had prepared her for Captain Kor's show, and Tul, a short, hairy alien, finally pushed their way into the cabin. They were shocked at the sight of dead bodies and one captive prisoner.

"What happened here?" shouted Tul.

Tracy kept her head down and said nothing.

Halc moved over to the captain and put his hand on Kor's neck, checking for a pulse.

"He's dead."

Tul moved past Tracy to the cage of the Jer'hym.

"The flappy little twerp isn't doing much better," he said. "It's hard to tell, but I think he's dead too."

Tul went to Kor's body and gave it an experimental kick. The body of the red-skinned captain barely moved.

"Yep, dead all right."

Tracy kept her head down, but rolled her eyes. These guys weren't the best examples of extraterrestrial intelligence.

"Well," said Tul, "I guess that makes me captain."

"Says who?" said Halc.

"Says me," said Tul.

Tracy forced herself to remain still, refraining from any movement that would draw their attention. She was glad they fought between themselves, but she needed to find a way to get out of here alive.

Halc finally realized that there was one additional living creature in the room. "What happened in here?" he said, finally turning his attention to Tracy.

"I don't know. The bird guy there was singing his head off, and the captain collapsed. I'm just happy to be alive."

Halc gave Tracy an incredulous stare. "Are you as stupid as you look?" said Halc. "Aliens." He shook his head sadly.

Tracy couldn't stop herself. "You know what they say," she said. "It takes one to know one."

A look of rage flashed across Hal's face. He raised his hand to smack Tracy, but Tul grabbed his arm.

"Watch it. Don't damage the merchandise," he said.

Halc reluctantly dropped his hand while glaring at Tul.

Tul stroked his beard. "Facts is facts. The captain, rest his black-hearted soul, is dead, but business needs to be done. Lock her in the brig while I handle the exchange for the tracker."

"Who died and made you captain?" complained Halc.

"Idiot! The captain did. I am the first mate. Well, I was until this terrible tragedy happened." Tul grinned. He didn't seem too broken up about his promotion.

"You can't be captain until the crew approves it," Halc whined.

"Until then, let's lock the female in the brig."

"Wait a second," said Halc, his face brightening. "Maybe Zywth will want her too. This way we can get more money. And we won't need to share it with anyone because no one else will know about it."

"We can sell her ourselves later."

"Yeah, but until then we'd have to feed her. You remember what Kor said about feeding extra people."

Tul started pacing the room, thinking about what to do.

Tracy was rapidly becoming more alarmed at the turn of the conversation. Being stuck on this ship was bad, but at least it was a known problem, and she thought she might be able to outwit these guys. She had no idea who they were thinking about selling her to. If her new handlers were intelligent, she was going to have a more difficult time escaping.

Watching these two pirates discuss her fate like she was a piece of meat was the last straw.

She looked at Tul carefully as he walked closer to her. A laser pistol hung from his hip. It stuck out from the impossibly large beard hanging over his body. Tracy eyed the pistol as the hairy, gnome-sized man moved closer to her.

She carefully slipped out one wrist from the loops holding her wrists, eyeing the distance between her and the weapon. If he got close enough, she'd grab that pistol. She didn't know what she'd do after that. Hopefully she would be able to figure out how to fire it.

"What is going on here?"

A rough, deep voice broke her concentration, and her head turned to the source of the disruption.

In the doorway of the cabin stood a tall, dark man, his skin a shade of blue. His eyes and lips were black as coal. He wore a jacket and slacks that looked to be black leather, though there was a pattern in the leather that reminded Tracy of snakeskin.

Tracy felt queasy.

"Zywth!" said Tul. "We've been waiting for you!" His voice trembled.

"What is all this?" Zywth stepped through the threshold and entered the room. Tracy caught sight of a powerful green man entering behind him.

For a second, Tracy's heart lifted, thinking that this was Rev. While his face bore a resemblance to Rev's, there were obvious differences. His nose was a little crooked. Perhaps it had been broken in the past and never set properly. He was also thinner. They were both the same shade of green, though. Probably a Kerdim, like Rev.

"We found the captain like this." Tul stammered.

Zywth stood over the body of the pirate captain. He glanced over to the Jer'hym's cage.

"It's a shame about the Jer'hym. I definitely could have found a use for him, possibly even a buyer. Well, get your men together. Tell them to pack what they need. We'll be leaving here in thirty minutes."

"Who says? I'm captain now," said Tul.

Zywth bore down on Tul immediately and slapped him so hard that he stumbled.

"I'm doing you a favor by allowing you to join my crew. Don't abuse my generosity. I can get disagreeable quickly if my good nature is unappreciated."

Tul swallowed hard. "Yes, sir."

The green man had been staring at Tracy the whole time.

"And what's this?" he growled.

"The tracker's mate," squeaked Tul.

Bending toward Tracy, the green Kerdim male drew in a deep breath. His expression was unreadable. Suddenly he hauled her to her feet and untied her ankles. He removed the bindings on her wrist, shaking his head.

"You don't even know how to secure a prisoner properly. You're lucky she didn't kill you all. Get dressed," he said roughly. "No one wants to see your sickly pink ass hanging out all over the place."

"Go easy on the merchandise," said Zywth. "No marks."

"Yes, sir," said the Kerdim.

Tracy pulled on her shirt, pants, and sandals quickly. Everyone in the room was watching her. When she caught the Kerdim's eye, he growled at her.

"And you," said Zywth to Halc, "take me to the tracker scum. Now!"

"Yes, sir," said Halc unhappily. He had quickly adjusted to the new chain of command.

"Come along, whore," said the green man.

Tracy shot him a nasty look. This man wasn't like Rev at all.

Zywth couldn't stop giving orders. "Make sure your people are aware of who's in charge now," he said to Tul.

Tul couldn't get out of the room fast enough.

"Come on, Tev." said Zywth. "Stop worrying about the pink female. Let's get that tracker, he's the one that is worth a lot of money."

Tev?

Tracy's mind raced. Was this Rev's brother? What was he doing acting chummy with this nasty Zywth?

And why was he calling her a whore?

Something didn't make sense.

Tev grabbed her arm with a jerk, pulling her along. Halc led them through the corridors of the ship. At the end of the corridor, they took skinny metal stairs single file that led deeper down into the bowels of the ship. Tev walked behind her. Tracy heard him sniffing and felt his hot breath at her neck.

It creeped her out, but there was nothing she could do about it with criminals to the front and back of her.

As they walked through the ship, it grew darker and darker. Tracy found it difficult to make out the details around her and was confused about her actual location in the spacecraft; even if she escaped imprisonment, it would be hard for her to get out of here. It felt like it took forever to stop walking, but when they did, what she saw broke her heart.

In the hold, Rev was held spread eagled between thick chains that hung from the ceiling. His head lolled to the side.

"Rev!" she cried.

Tev marched up to Rev and smashed him in the gut with his fist. Rev opened his eyes, gasping at the blow.

"The bounty on your head requires you to be alive," Tev spit. "They're not going to care if you have any internal injuries."

"No, leave him alone!" Tracy rushed forward and launched herself at Tev, smashing her fists into his back, but she only met hard muscle. Her blows were useless. He swung her around and she struggled against him.

"YOU want to defend him against ME?" Tev laughed. He swung her around and gripped her arms tightly. He turned Tracy's head, forcing her to face Rev.