Breakout (31 page)

38

Future Perfect

After a long luxuriant bath, Dred put on the white robe and went out to see what kind of dress she could design. Pace's hospitality was top-notch because he didn't limit the cuts or fabrics she could access. In the distant past, she recalled staying in hotels that required a credit stick to unlock the better options.

She took this mission seriously, every bit as much as any murderer she'd ever hunted. It was about more than creating a gown; it was also directly linked to reclaiming her identity as a person, as a woman, completely apart from the Dread Queen. She input ideas, discarding them almost as fast. Dred lost track of how long she was at it, but eventually she entered the production code and waited for her dress to be finished.

When it was done, the style came to a round collar in front and left most of her back bare. This couldn't be worn with anything beneath it, but Perdition had left her more than lean enough. In fact, as she slipped into it, she wished she had more curves. She touched her shorn hair and peeped in the mirror. The result was . . . beautiful, sleek, and slightly dangerous.

Jael had gone first since suits didn't take nearly as long. He was waiting in the other room, so she called out to him. “I'm ready.”

He came to the doorway and stopped, wearing an inscrutable look. “Words fail me.”

“I hope that's a good thing.”

“You've no idea. Let me . . .” Jael pulled out her chair, and she sat, oddly shy.

In the real world, there had been no romance for her. With Cedric, it was pretense, one that made her feel guilty the whole time. So she didn't know how to act. Part of her wanted to rip the gown off, but they'd promised each other elegant clothes and a posh meal. So even if things went hideously awry later, that pledge should be kept.

“Thank you.”

“I'll get the food. I already programmed the menu.”

Maybe someone else would've preferred a fancy restaurant, but other people would've just made Dred more anxious at a time like this. Quietly, she watched him set out dishes in rich-smelling sauce, noodles, bright fruits and vegetables, plates of creamy sweets. Then Jael joined her and took up his cutlery. For the first time she noticed that his hands were trembling.

He's nervous, too.

That helped. She had no confidence that she knew how to live as a free woman and as half of a working romantic partnership. It was one thing in Perdition, where all the rules were clear, and survival always took precedence over emotional entanglements. This felt like a series of traps and snares waiting to trip the unwary. Trying to hide her tension, she served a little of everything on the fine china plate.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

She ate a bit, marveling at the quality of the food. “We'll probably make ourselves sick. Apart from the meal on the
Stargazer
, we haven't had anything but paste in forever.”

“
That's
what you're worried about?” From his expression, he didn't believe her.

Fine, I shouldn't lie.

“I don't know how to do this.”

“What, eat?”

“Be a real person. I've no idea what role I can play in a future with you. I mean, you have plenty of credits. And I'm not good at anything besides killing.”

“So protect me.”

Dred laughed. “You don't need me for that.”

“Sure I do. You think I can watch my own back all the time? I have to sleep occasionally. And you're the one person I trust above all others.” He ate a few bites, seeming unconcerned with her existential crisis. “I intend to offer jobs to Calypso, Tam, and Martine if they're interested.”

“Doing what?”

“Tam's a natural analyst. Calypso and Martine would make the perfect security team. They can decide who's in charge.” Jael grinned in abdicating the decision.

“But . . . what business are you contemplating?”

“Venture capital. I'm particularly interested in biotech for obvious reasons. The way I figure it, if I can't get away from what I am, I might as well embrace it.”

“So . . . you'll fund your own bioengineering research?”

Jael smiled. “Life will get easier if I'm not the only one, don't you think? I'd also like to look for survivors who might need a safe haven.”

“Why didn't you do this before?” she asked.

“Lack of resources. Which I have, now. If you're worried about pulling your weight—and I suspect you are—tell me what training you want. We'll get it for you.”

Suddenly, it occurred to Dred what she could do, beyond sex or violence. “Could . . . would my talent come in handy? I can read people. That might help screen out bad investments.”

“Definitely. I'll want your opinion after every presentation. Don't worry so much, love. I have a sense for these things, and . . . Gehenna will treat us right.”

“If you say so.”

Relaxing, she ate the rest of her dinner. Jael was quiet, watching her more than his food. Her heart thudded wildly. Finally, he took away their plates and stacked them in the cleaner. After that, he drew her to her feet and cupped her face in his hands.

“Do you trust me?” he whispered.

Normally, that question preceded horrific betrayal, but he was the one being hunted. The injustice of it made her feel frankly murderous. But if he could be cool and consider their course, she could keep from hunting those assholes down. Dred nodded.

“That's all I needed to hear.”

In a bold move, he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed, which was all romance, all the way, down to the red flower petals scattered on the white coverlet. Happiness poked tiny pinholes in the skeptical armor that kept her from living in the moment.

Dred circled his neck with her arms, then touched his cheek. “You did all this for me?”

“I do everything for you,” he said softly.

•   •   •

AS
Jael set Dred on her feet, he half expected private security goons to kick the door in. But the suite was quiet. He unfastened the high collar of her gown, so the top fell away. Things had never been so clear between them. She wasn't staying because she needed to; this was pure, heady choice. The minute the
Stargazer
touched down, she could've gone her own way.

“It's been a while,” she whispered.

“Not as long as it has been.” Those long turns where he didn't even hear a human voice, for instance.

“Let's not waste any time.” With eager hands, she pulled at his jacket.

Jael blessed his speed as he got out of the rest of his clothes in seconds. And then he rolled with her onto the mattress in a flutter of perfumed petals. The linens felt incredible against his bare skin, a level of comfort and indulgence that he barely remembered. Surely, there had been nights before, with the occasional paid companion, but he couldn't recall now.

There was only her. Now.

She kissed him first, a little surprising, because she usually went straight to sex. The preliminaries were welcome, though, and he touched her, relearning the shape of her body. She was leaner than she ever had been, the curves of her breasts shallow, her ribs more prominent. But she was probably thinking the same thing.

The wide bay of windows threw rosy light across their twined bodies. Hunger burned in a low, banked fire in the pit of his stomach. For the moment, it was enough just to touch and kiss. There was no need to rush, no emergency calling for their intervention, no risk of imminent bodily harm. So Jael took his time, kissing and stroking, until she stirred, restless, and clutched at his shoulders.

But he should've known she wouldn't take without giving. Soon her hands were all over him, touching his new scars. The raised, puckered flesh made him self-conscious in the best possible way each time she brushed her mouth back and forth. It changed how everything felt, frissons of pleasure breaking like waves over him. Her nails bit into his back as he kissed just beneath the delicate line of her jaw.

“How's that?” he teased.

“Not bad. But I could use a little more.”

“Too slow?”

In answer, she wrapped one bare leg across his hip and drew him fully against her. She took his mouth in a deep, lush kiss, moving with each dart of her tongue. His lungs went crazy, and he forgot how to talk. One shift, another, and he pushed into her. This way, curved together, it had to be sweet and slow. The need for restraint maddened him, but with her green eyes so close, lashes fluttering, clouded with pleasure . . .

He rolled, bringing her on top, but he didn't let her sit upright. Still joined, she could only move in tiny increments, not enough to drive either of them over, but he could touch her, feel all of her, while still watching her face. Sheer joy kindled in her expression, and he hoped she was seeing it back but he couldn't think straight. Jael forgot why he was going slow and moved with her, faster, more, harder. Her breath skipped. She bit her lower lip, and he pulled her down for a long kiss as they lost control together. Long moments later, she tumbled sideways and bounced on the mattress beside him.

Reluctant to let go, he drew her in, smiling lazily as she drew circles on his chest with idle fingertips. “That was . . .”

“It was,” he agreed.

“How's sex as a free man?”

“Perfect. I may get a doctor's note establishing it as necessary for survival.”

Dred kissed his shoulder. “You don't need a prescription for this, love.”

“
What
did you call me?”

“Don't make a big thing of it,” she mumbled, “or you may never hear it again.”

Jael closed his eyes as incredible sweetness swept over him. But he couldn't revel in the feeling long. A few minutes later, the bell rang, signaling a visitor. Dred was out cold beside him, so he pulled up the covers and put on a shirt and trousers.

Checking the view screen revealed Domingo Pace, quite alone, so he opened the door. The other man couldn't be a match for them, even if his partner was currently dead to the world. He stepped back with an inviting gesture.

“I take it your efforts bore fruit?”

Pace nodded, moving past him. “I've explained your circumstances and set up an introduction tomorrow morning if that's convenient.”

“Excellent. I'd prefer to conclude this matter in a timely fashion.”

“I'm always interested in making potentially helpful connections.” Pace was good at saying the right thing without revealing his agenda.

Could be, it's that simple.
He went over to the Kitchen-mate and ordered a carafe of wine, the same kind the man had offered them in the club.
That should appeal to him and establish my acuity.

“A business like this one could always use a little more cash flow,” he observed.

“Indeed. You might have noticed the half-completed renovations outside. A silent investor would make my life easier.” Pace accepted a glass of wine.

Jael smiled. “If this meeting proves helpful, we'll talk terms. What can you tell me?”

“Fatima Sorush has a finger in most of the pies in Gehenna. If you need intervention or protection, she's your best bet.”

“That's a good start. Anything specific I should know about her?”

“Be courteous. Don't rush the niceties. Her family is one of the original settlers of the dome, so she takes such things seriously.”

“Got it. I won't insult her.”

“Please don't. My reputation is riding on your finesse.”

At that he raised a brow. “Why take that risk for a stranger?”

Pace offered a faint smile, lifting his glass for a toast. “Old Gehenna tradition, my friend. Your bank balance attests to your good character. Obviously.”

39

Not in the Stars but in Ourselves

Jael was prepping with Domingo Pace for his meeting. He'd told Dred it was a big deal, and if he brought anyone with him, it might offend his tetchy hostess. So she slipped out to see a little more of the neighborhood, wearing a casual outfit that she'd chosen and the wardrober produced fresh this morning.
Small pleasures,
she thought, heading downstairs.

The club was in full swing, despite the hour. Of course, with no sunrise and no sunset, time was arbitrary on Gehenna. So people could sleep whenever the hell they wanted, really. Therefore, the men who were drinking, complaining about their lives, and watching the dancer on stage didn't seem so odd, on second thought. She passed through the bar and out onto the street, where she drew up short, astonished.

Tam, Martine, and Calypso were coming down the street toward her. It felt like much longer than a day. Pleased, she ran toward them. They'd all bathed and changed clothes, and from the looks of it, they'd had a relaxing night.

“How did you find us?”

Tam smirked. “I have my ways.”

Then she remembered Jael shouting the name of the club as they ran from the security team. “Whatever. You just want me to think you're amazing.” He shrugged, belying the twinkle in his dark eyes, and drawled the reply, elongating the single word into multiple syllables. “Maybe.”

“Have you had any trouble from those goons at the spaceport?” Calypso cut in.

Dred shook her head. “Not so far. Jael's talking to someone this morning about some potential business.”

“Sounds shady,” Martine said.

“This is Gehenna. Wouldn't you be surprised if it wasn't?” Tam said.

Calypso slung an arm across Dred's shoulder. “I'm down for whatever as long as we don't get locked up again.”

“Credits are power here. We should be all right,” Martine said.

“So what should we do today?” Tam asked, taking Martine's hand.

Dred took a minute to soak it in. Her friends were walking down a street outside Perdition in new clothes, all healthy and safe.
This feels like a dream.
Like, it was all too good, and suddenly her hands were shaking. She pinched her own arm, hard.

“It's real.” Martine smiled at her. “Don't feel bad, I kept doing that yesterday. But look . . .” She flashed a smile and Dred saw that her teeth had been capped. No more terrifying smile, just a pretty, brown-skinned woman with bright eyes.

“You always said you'd do that first chance.”

The smaller woman nodded. “I had my reasons for doing it, but I'm ready to let that part of my past go.”

“Our destinies lie not in the stars but in ourselves.” Calypso sounded like she was quoting something, but Dred couldn't place it.

No matter.

“If you don't mind, I'd like to head to the market outside the spaceport.” She glanced at the others with a tentative expression.

“What, you're asking?” Martine grinned to allay the sting. “Queenie.”

“Don't even. I'm not the boss of you. Hell, I never was.”

Tam seemed thoughtful. “Let me guess, you'd like to ask around. Find out about who's chasing Jael.”

“Got it in one.”

Calypso nodded. “Questions aren't illegal. Any information we can gather will probably help him later.”

“Let's try not to cause trouble,” she said in a cautioning tone.

Martine grinned guiltily. “Are you talking to me?”

“Maybe.”

That settled, she hurried down the street to the stop she and Jael had used to get here. She scanned the credit stick she'd borrowed from Jael for the fare—and damn, that rankled. Dred had never been a kept woman in her life. Privately she doubted her Psi sense would be worth much, certainly not enough to warrant a full paycheck and damned if she'd let anyone own her.

Not even you, love.

The others hopped on behind her. At this hour, there was plenty of room on the vehicle though public mass transit couldn't take you to the expensive aeries in the best part of the city. For that you had to hire a private car. Transport had tiers in Gehenna; the cheapest ran on the ground, midlevel hovers could take you to industrial and business districts, and only the priciest ones got access to the highest altitude, where there was little traffic.

Eventually, they jumped off near the port market, bustling as it had been the day before. They'd also cleaned up the damage created by the chase.

Dred beelined for the stall Jael had destroyed. It looked like only half the creatures had been rounded up, a definite loss to the tired, dispirited man running the place. He looked up, hopeful, as they approached. She bowed her head in quiet apology.

“I'm sorry, sir. I'm partially responsible for the losses you suffered yesterday.”

“What?” He leapt to his feet with an angry shout.

“If you'll add up the cost of the merchandise, I'm happy to compensate you.”

His outrage drained away into stunned silence. Martine grabbed her arm, and whispered, “Are you crazy?”

Tam added, “Please make sure to give us an official item list as well, in addition to the verifiable credit value. If there are any discrepancies—”

“No problem, none at all,” the vendor assured him.

While Dred waited, the merchant tallied and named all the wee beasties that Jael had unleashed on the market. “Some of them were poisonous,” he confided. “So the guards just stomped on them instead of helping me. How was any of that my fault?” He appealed to Calypso with a sad look.

“It's not, that's why we're paying you for the trouble,” the tall woman said.

“You have no idea how much I appreciate your honesty. It's rare on Gehenna.”

Once he had the credits, he was even more talkative, exactly what Dred had hoped to accomplish—all the benefits of a bribe with the added perk of taking the moral high ground. “So . . . what can you tell me about the guards you mentioned before? Who do they work for?”

Now a couple thousand credits richer, the merchant happily spilled everything he knew.

•   •   •

THIS
house loomed impressive even amid the others in the aerie, adorned with stately columns and a terraced approach. Jael climbed like a hundred stairs before they reached the front doors. A manicured garden sat to the side, a luxury of both botanical achievement and space. Buildings were incredibly close together in the dome, so dominating this much territory told him everything he needed to know about Fatima Sorush.

A real human servant led them to an expensively appointed antechamber, where Jael straightened his jacket and squared his shoulders. Pace gave an approving glance, and nodded at the glossy, lacquered double doors before them. Jael preceded the other man, as requested, and stepped into a lavish temple of femininity. With his acute senses, the sweetness of the perfumed air felt like an assault, and he struggled not to let his eyes water.

A woman with a fall of dark hair rose from a white chair, clad in a red robe. Everything about her was dramatic, from her beringed hands to the pattern painted on her right cheek. Her lashes were too long to be real, but she used them to good effect. He couldn't even guess how old she was, but Rejuvenex had been kind to her. Broad, pleasant features belied the sharpness of her dark, deep-set eyes, and her wide mouth was painted with a crimson shine.

So I don't forget she'd happily eat my heart.

Jael bowed deeply at the waist as Pace murmured a greeting and ducked out. He waited for Madame Sorush to acknowledge him, counting to thirty in his head.

At last, she said, “Please, sit. It's always a pleasure to receive a visitor that dear Domingo deems worthy of my attention.”

That sounds like a threat. Disappoint me, and it's
his
head.

“Thank you. It's only good manners to pay your respects when you move.”

“Ah. Should I welcome you to Gehenna, then?”

“I hope that you will be so kind,” he murmured.

“Domingo gave me to understand that you knew his grandmother. How is that possible?”

“I'm older than I look,” he said, smiling.

“As am I. Domina and I were . . . friends, of a sort.” She reminisced a little, and her stories were amusing, so it was no hardship to laugh at the right times.

They made polite talk for half an hour more with Jael doing his best to keep up on the topic of arts and fine wine. Eventually, Madame Sorush tired of the pleasantries. Her smile sharpened as she set down her fine china cup. “Shall we be a little more precise?”

That had to be an invitation to set his cards on the table. So he explained the situation without coming right out and saying that he was Bred. By her expression, she understood more than he'd articulated.
She probably looked into me.

“You could apply for citizenship,” she said, studying him.

“That tends to be time-consuming.”

And it's not nearly enough protection.

“There are ways to cut through the red tape. Gehenna has a soft spot for investors. Someone who feeds the local economy with his credits, for instance, is eligible for immediate citizenship with all benefits. From what Domingo said, you're certainly a candidate.”

“That would be an excellent start,” he replied. “But I suspect you already know, I need more of an ironclad guarantee. I want to live and work here. There are those who have made my life difficult in the past.”

“You want me to take care of them for you and seal our borders.” Her dark eyes didn't reveal how she felt about such presumption.

“Simply make it clear that I'm not to be touched. In return, I'll happily support any cause you advise.” In time, he could build his own empire. Right now, he needed her.

“I'll think about your proposition,” she said.

There was nothing more he could say to sweeten the deal. Credits only went so far, even in Gehenna. But he could prove he wouldn't be a weight around her neck. “Then I'll get started on the citizenship investment. I suspect Mr. Pace can assist me with that.”

A faint smile curved her mouth. “I do enjoy nothing so much as initiative. Thank you for calling. My people will be in touch.”

Pace was waiting outside in the car on the platform. “Did it go well? You're ambulatory, so that's a good sign.” When Jael raised his brows, Pace said, “She broke somebody's kneecaps once for being uncouth.”

“I need someone like her backing me.”

“You certainly do.”

“How much do I need to put into the bar to qualify for citizenship?”

When the other man named the figure, relief spiked strong enough in Jael's temples for it to feel like a headache, something he ordinarily didn't suffer from.
I can afford to set everyone up.
The others could pick their own properties, but the sooner they all qualified for Gehenna's protection, the better it would be. As a real person with papers, he'd have legal means for the first time to drive the consortia back, and if they sent extraction teams after him onto private property, he'd have the legal right to defend himself.

Funny how much status mattered.

“You must feel like I'm a windfall straight from Mary's arms,” Jael said then.

“Somewhat. But my mother always said living right is its own reward.” The serious expression sold the joke.

“Gehenna's one of the few colonies that doesn't have any qualifications to its citizenship eligibility, did you know that?”

That mattered more than anything. To live with Dred as an equal, he had to achieve personhood officially. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter how many credits his account contained. The threat would never end.

“Can't say I did. Did
you
know we have more prostitutes than any other settlement?”

Jael grinned. “I did not.”

“Happy to educate the newcomers. Let's get back to Hidden Rue. Unless I miss my guess, you intend to give me a lot of money today.” Rapping the roof, he signaled to the driver to take them off the platform.