Chapter Four
Cara
I gritted my teeth. This wasn’t how my story was going to end. This wasn’t how Bane’s was going to end either. I breathed heavily, trying to quell my panic and anxiety and thought about my next move. I remained quiet, not giving myself away despite the screaming need inside me to run and to attack those who took Bane from me, but I bided my time, remaining unseen for a time until all the Association guards had left the dwelling before I emerged out of the hidden passages within the walls. I wandered through the sitting room and then into the front entryway, gazing at the hanging rack on the wall. Hung on one of the hooks was a long black cape made of a beautiful soft satin. I traced my fingers along its surface, marveling at its softness and I grabbed it, throwing it over my shoulders and pulling up the hood to cover my head and face.
Then I rushed out of the house. No one was outside. The place was abandoned. Not even the Syndicate guards were outside. I knew where they were. Most of them were either dead or passed out inside. The Association guards were gone, wandering far up the street as they walked back to the landing field not far from where I was now.
Credare wasn’t going to take the most important person from me. He wasn’t going to take my home from me. I wouldn’t stand for it. I’d only just found them both.
He was going to pay for this, but I was going to get Bane out first. His rescue was my first priority. I’d deal with Credare after that.
I lifted my head, watching as Association members made their way back toward the landing fields. I stuck to the shadows, thankful that the sun had fallen and nightfall was taking over. None of the misshapen, crater-stricken moons had risen either, making it much darker than usual at night here on Dryac. The only thing that lit the night was glittering little stars in the sky. It was almost serene.
I grinned. Perfect.
I followed Credare’s men, ensuring that I kept a fair distance behind them as I did so. The walk was longer than I had anticipated, but I kept diligent the entire way until I saw their ship rising up in the distance. The closer I got, the more I realized just how much pull the Association had gained since I had first met Credare.
The ship appeared to have originated as one of the Intergalactic Coalition fleets fairly recently. Everything looked brand new and far superior to the technology of any of the ships I’d ever spent time on. Someone had either owed the Association a great debt, or Credare had allies within the Intergalactic Coalition that were more than willing to support his monstrous reign of power. Neither option was any good. I chewed my lips, observing as the last of Credare’s men climbed the gangway into the ship. I had to move and soon.
Just as the steel gangway began to close, I sprinted forward with everything I had and climbed up it too, making my way onto the ship. The cargo hold clanged shut, effectively trapping me inside. Quickly, I hid behind a crate before I was spotted, but as I knelt there deep in the cargo hold, I realized that there was very little movement. There was no one still in the hold with me. It was quiet. Peaceful even.
I ventured forward, making my way through the cargo hold. Along the way, I marveled at the newness of it all, of the steel plates and bolts rust-free and pristine, of the neat and clean way the crates bolted together, of the complete lack of dust on every surface. It was almost unsettling how new it was. This had cost someone a lot of money and had set the Intergalactic Coalition back by several hundred billion credits. Arriving in a ship like this had been a show of force, as well as a clear message of the power Credare held to Bane and every single member of the Syndicate.
The lights in the cargo hold dimmed then, and I recognized the reassignment of power. The ship was preparing for takeoff. Credare wasn’t going to stay until morning then. He wasn’t wasting any time with Bane’s abduction.
Why hadn’t he killed him? What did he have planned?
I pushed those thoughts away then though. I couldn’t focus on that now. Instead, I had to find where Bane was being held. Had to free him from Credare’s clutches.
I explored the darkened cargo hold, finding a stairway that led up into the depths of the ship, as well as two additional hallways that led down either side of the cargo hold. I knew that Credare wouldn’t keep Bane anywhere near the ship’s command room. Too dangerous. He’d have to be somewhere down here on the lower levels, under guard.
How heavy would depend on how secure the prison on this ship was. Since this was a Coalition ship, I hoped it would be pretty secure... with minimal guard cover.
I searched the first hallway, finding nothing but storage rooms filled from floor to ceiling with more crates. Slowly, I approached the second and slowed when I heard voices not far away.
“Boss says this man’s dangerous. Bet the sleeping gas wears off soon and then we’ll be left watching an angry alien instead of sleeping beauty here,” one of the men said. I peeked around the corner, trying to gauge both their position and if I could take them.
I grinned when I saw them. They were human, and pretty scrawny ones at that. They didn’t appear to be heavily armed, just a single handgun stuck in a holster on both their hips. Likely regulation. Probably not biometrically programmed to either one of them. My own hand fell to my waist, fingering the knife and the small gun I’d taken to wearing on my belt.
“Fucking hell, man. I was hoping we’d stay a bit longer. I’d heard the girls on Dryac are second to none. Freaky little chicks that will do whatever you want for the right price,” the other whined, clearly disappointed that the ship was leaving the planet already.
I smirked, rising to my feet and throwing back my hood. I pushed my cloak open, revealing the scanty outfit that Bane had given me. I had never been more thankful for the scarce fabric as I was then. I closed my eyes for the briefest of moments, pressing my thighs together and remembering Bane’s promise that he would fuck me hard after this was all over.
He had better keep that promise.
I took a deep breath, adjusted myself to reveal even more cleavage than I thought possible, and rounded the corner. The guards were taken aback for a second, but then their eyes looked up and down my body and settled on my tits. One guard’s mouth opened wide and I pressed my breasts up, lazily tracing the curves of my chest and they practically started panting for me.
“Hi, there,” I breathed, taking care to make my voice as seductive as I could. Long ago, I learned that oftentimes, a woman was underestimated and thought as nothing more than a vessel for sex. I planned to use that against them.
“Well, aren’t you a pretty one,” the blond-haired scrawny one said, looking me up and down as he did so.
“The boss sent me down here to make sure you were taken care of. I’ve served the others and now it’s your turn,” I replied demurely, curling my hair around my finger. I licked my lips, gazing at them as though they were a meal and the two of them practically shook with excitement.
Fucking idiots. They didn’t know what they had coming to them.
I moved closer, dragging my fingers across the scrawny one’s wrist. He breathed in a rush of air and I had to remind myself not to shudder in disgust.
“One at a time,” I murmured. “Know an empty room down here?”