Forbidden Fruit (5 page)

“Do the Enders know?”

“Some do,” Rook said. “The ones who want things they aren't supposed to have, like vid screens, communicators and blasters. There're more compounds springing up on this world every day as more Enders arrive. Some of them aren't as dedicated as you'd think.”

* * * *

They arrived at the small town built around the illegal spaceport. Tamara spotted six spaceships docked at fueling stations and one gigantic transport parked off to the side.

Rook stopped them just outside the town. She pointed to Renate. “You're naked. This ain't a great place for a naked woman. There's Tong here, and Spetznaz and galactic mafia. They're always looking for pleasure slaves.” Her eyes took in Renate's yonis. “Even women who aren't really women. There's tastes and then there's tastes.”

Renate's eyes narrowed. “I'm a woman.” She touched her yonis. “This is a reproductive organ. All the Frangeni women have one.”

Tamara nodded. “She said the men have a long thin organ that enters the yonis and deposits pollen to fertilize eggs.”

Rook covered her ears. “I don't need to hear this. I'm just telling you two to wait here while I check things out. I'd hate for you to have made it out of the pan to fall into the fire.”

Tamara grabbed Renate's arm. “Sit on this rock with me and wait. Rook is only trying to keep us safe.”

They watched the space woman saunter into town. She wore only the loose, transparent shift given to all of them by the Gelfs, but she wore it like it was a uniform. She had style.

“Why are we trusting her?” Renate finally asked.

“You have any better ideas?”

“Well…no,” Renate said. “But at least with the Gelfs we knew they loved us.”

“Seriously, you're back on that again?”

Renate looked at her feet, wiggling her long toes. “I'm just saying, we've put a lot of trust into someone we barely know. She brought us here to this den of iniquity. Who knows what kind of riffraff populate an illegal spaceport, and we're trusting her to treat us with honor.”

Tamara sighed. “I know, Renate, but what choice do we have?”

Renate shook her head. “None, I guess.”

They only had to wait for a short time. Tamara was the first to spot the flitter rising from the center of the spaceport. “Someone is coming.”

They hid behind their rocks and watched as the flitter grew closer. It landed within spitting distance and a huge man stepped out. His head was shaved and he was shirtless. His entire body was covered with intricate tattoos. He wore a gold earring in one ear and a sparkling stud in his bulbous nose. Two more aliens emerged behind him. They had an oriental cast; dark hair, slanted eyes and tan skin.

“I don't like this,” Renate whispered. “I think we should run. They look like criminals.”

“Where to?”

“I don't know,” Renate hissed.

When Rook stepped out of the flitter, now dressed in a spacer's uniform with the sun and stars emblem on the right shoulder and several stripes on the sleeves, Tamara stood up. “It's trusting time.”

Rook strode over to them carrying two robes. “Put these on. Grimes, Chang and Depok are men and have male attitudes about naked women.”

Tamara and Renate donned the robes. “Are we safe now?” Renate asked.

Rook took her hand and smiled. “Sure, Renate. You're safe with me.”

The men grinned in a way Tamara found frightening as they all loaded into the small aircraft. “Are these your men?” She asked Rook who was in the pilot's seat.

“They are now. I hired them.”

“To do what?”

“Salvage,” Rook said with a grin. “We're all going to be rich fuckers when we pull that big son of a bitching space ship out of the crater.”

“We are?” Renate asked.

Rook looked back at them and smiled. “That ship could have technology in it no one's seen before. All we gotta do is kill us one ugly motherfucking alien. And that's what these boys do. They kill. We're in this together. You're with us, right?”

For the first time in many days, Tamara felt relief. Trusting Rook had been the right choice. “We are.”

Melanie Thompson

I always loved reading, so it seemed natural to write. I became a reporter, where I learned a lot about people, to be a better writer, and to edit my own material. I attended writers' conferences where I honed my novel writing skills.

I've lived all over the world, worn many hats, been many different people and learned a lot of crazy skills. Horses were always my passion. I worked as a groom and a handler before I became a reporter. I now live in the country with four dogs and my husband. It's quiet, and I can paint and write to my heart's content.

For your reading pleasure, we invite you to visit our web bookstore

TORRID BOOKS
www.torridbooks.com