She rustled the covers.
"What is it?" A deep, husky voice played with her senses.
Lucky tried to compose herself. It wasn't easy after that last experience with him. Piloting a space ship as a kid wasn't nearly as much fun. Slick took gaming to a whole new level. The Playstation XXI had nothing on him.
"It's SpinDrift. Someone's trying to contact the ship. I better get up on deck."
She started to rise.
A strong arm went around her waist forestalling her.
Kerreth gently nibbled across her earlobe. "Can't the Floop get it?" To punctuate his suggestion, his sleep-warmed lips placed tiny, honey kisses along her collarbone.
"We're talking about SpinDrift. Sure, he can take a message—but you'll never be positive what was actually
said
. Besides, it could be that Heiner guy about the miadne. I should check it out."
"Good point, I suppose." He lifted his arm, releasing her. "I'll go with you."
"It's not necessary. You can stay here; I'll be back in a few." Lucky's facial expression let it be known she was not finished with her personal Masterstroke yet.
Kerreth held his groan in check.
He hated to admit to his masculine pride that he was close to being worn out. And by an inexperienced lover! Lucky Red was a wild and adventuresome package of grade A trouble.
And he had the sweetest time with her…
That was the problem.
Kerreth furrowed his brow. He really didn't want her to believe the truth—it would ruin everything between them.
For suck's sake! He was sort of
fancying
her.
A lot.
This was a totally new predicament for him. As far as she was concerned he was just an android. A favored android, true. But still an android.
So how long could he keep this up?
Kerreth viewed her from under lowered lids. She had made it clear.
He had to perform for her or he would be history
.
He did not want to be history.
Sure, he might have a stake in the gem but along the way he had found something better.
A real treasure
.
One he didn't intend to lose.
Every thief, saboteur, dealmaker, and wheelerdealer from here to Volauvent was after the Heart of the Merchandiser. The Sugarbabe was ahead of the pack. Just. Because of this, Lucky had become an unwitting target.
He was not letting her out of his sight until he knew she was safe and that gem was safely in his possession. When the time was right he would explain everything to her.
Until then he was going to be her private pleasure machine.
Even if it killed him.
He was going to enjoy this 'treasure' as long as he could. As far as that incoming message—he had to hear it. He quickly sat up and grabbed his uniform. "I'll go with you, Lucky."
"It's really not necessary, Slick."
Yes, it was.
"I can be of help. You might need me."
Lucky shrugged. "Suit yourself."
On the way to the bridge it crossed Lucky's mind that for an android Slick Slowhand was terrible at taking orders.
Maybe it's part of the Masterstroke's protocol? A built in uber-male code or something?
It did make him sexier, she acknowledged.
But only because it's not for real.
I certainly wouldn't want a man behaving like that
.
Too alpha.
When she got to the bridge, SpinDrift was trying to hold off the poor messenger with little success.
"I demand to speak to whoever is in charge at once!" came the irritated bark through the console.
Lucky turned to Kerreth. "What did I tell you? I love Spin dearly, but he lacks certain people skills."
"You mean he is irritating."
"I wouldn't say that," Lucky defended her friend. "He's… well, he… he has a certain…"
Kerreth viewed her askance. "Hummm?"
"He's extremely creative!" she snapped, storming away. "What's up, Spin?"
"Oh! Thank goodness you're here! This is the rudest, most impossible person I have ever—"
"Captain Kokol from the Zoltarian ship,
Bobone
, and I
am not
pleased—"
Lucky interrupted the peevish tirade.
"This is Lucky Arrows. What can I do for you, Captain?"
"What kind of a ship are you running?! I have been trying to contact you for over—"
"I was indisposed. Please state your business." Unapologetic, Lucky couldn't imagine what a Zoltarian would want with the Sugarbabe.
Kerreth flicked off the communications switch before she had a chance to say anything else.
Lucky gave the android a less than patient look.
"Just because we slept together, do not presume to overstep your position on board this ship." She sternly addressed him.
Kerreth, of course, got hard again.
Call me sick, but I'm lovin' this
. He was very close to asking her if she intended to give him a spanking later. Instead, he tried to keep his mind on the situation at hand.
"Most Zoltarians are pirates, Red. I thought you should know that before continuing the conversation. Be wary of everything she says and do not trust her. Whatever she wants, I can guarantee it will not be to your benefit."
"Got it." Lucky tried to open the link.
Kerreth forestalled her once more.
"I mean it, Red; these pirates can be dangerous to tangle with. Whatever you do do not agree to any terms with them until you think it through."
Lucky nodded. "Okay.
Got it
."
She sat down and instructed Minmei to open her visual connection. "Okay, what can we do for—"
She stopped in mid sentence. Her
brother
was standing behind and to the left of the pirate captain!
"
Wildcat
!" she gasped.
"Sensei Wildcat?!" The Floop almost fell over his big webbed feet as he waddled over as quickly as he could.
"
GREETINGS, CAPTAIN
." Minmei addressed their skookum tumtum leader directly.
"Urrr!" Clugot chimed in from the lower deck. He was monitoring the call from the cargo bay. It made Lucky feel good that the engineer was trying to look out for them in his own way. Kelvinators were sometimes like that.
"Greetings Minmei, Lucky…
all
of you." His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the fluttering Floop on deck.
Lucky noticed her brother's aquiline nostrils flare in annoyance—but she could tell he was happy to see Spin, too.
The tracker was exactly what Kerreth expected.
He looked tough and savvy. A real brawler.
Which probably did not bode well for the faux Masterstroke 6000 that had slept with his sister.
Make that innocent sister.
I'm a dead man
. Kerreth took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it.
Lucky examined her brother's appearance. He looked a little tired from his ordeal, but not bad considering everything he must have been through. Wildcat was still as gorgeous as sin.
"Where are you?!" She was overjoyed to finally hear his voice. "We were so worried! I can't believe you're finally—"
Behind the Zoltarian, her brother jerked his thumb across his throat, warning her to be silent.
Apparently, she was giving away too much already.
She sneaked a peek at Slick, but he was focused on the Cat.
"I see by your enthusiasm that you wish your comrade's safe return. How heartwarming." Captain Kokol grinned at her. "And how fortuitous for us that you care so much for the state of his handsome hide."
Lucky had the distinct impression the grin was not an 'I'm so happy for you ' smile at all.
"What's going on?" Lucky asked the woman, warily.
"It is simple. We have your Captain, as you can plainly see. If you wish him back it will cost you."
"Cost me? How do you mean?"
"
Ransom
, my dear. We are pirates. We like to get paid for our troubles. Look it up—you'll see it is true."
Lucky gasped. "You
kidnapped
him?"
The Zoltarian brushed her hand back and forth as if the suggestion was utterly ridiculous. "Kidnapping is illegal, my dear. We
rescued
him. All we ask is that we simply be paid
in kind
for our kind deed."
"Or else what?"
Wildcat shook his head, but she had already asked the question. Besides, no gain, no foul.
"Or else we shall dispose of him, I suppose."
Okay, that was fairly foul. Her shoulders sagged. "You'd kill my brother?"
Two groans hit her simultaneously.
One from the screen and other from behind her.
"Ah, so this is your
brother
. Well, well, well. That changes everything. The price of his release must reflect his worth to you, true? We Zoltarians cannot have you accuse us of a direct insult to the value of your family."
Wildcat slapped his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Elle le descendra avant qu'il nage!"
Lucky bit her lip. Her brother was muttering in French under his breath. That was
never
good.
Minmei helpfully translated the first part of his tirade.
"SHE SINKS IT BEFORE IT SLUMS!"
Lucky turned red. Okay, so she sucked at playing poker.
She was sure she caught her name being mentioned by her brother once or twice between the ensuing 'merdes' too. If he started in on the latin she might as well leave him to his fate. She knew from experience at that point it was all over.
Wildcat only uttered latin during two moods. Neither of which were pretty.
"Be careful what you say." Kerreth hissed the warning from the sidelines.
A bit late, if you asked her.
"I… um…"
Fortunately Lucky was saved from having to continue the conversation with Kokol because another call light flashed up on the panel.
"Incoming two!" SpinDrift merrily rang out.
Lucky rolled her eyes. That Floop only lived for the mad hijinks that played out onboard this ship!
"Ah, could you excuse me for a moment, Captain Kokol? I have another call coming in."
"Wait!"
That was her brother.
He seemed to almost lunge at the screen as she clicked off to take the other call.
What was his problem
?
Kerreth pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ah, do you think it wise to put kidnappers on hold, Red?"
"Oh, they'll wait." Lucky was not worried about losing pirates. "The Zoltarians went to a lot of trouble to find us. Believe me, they're not about to disconnect our link. There would be no profit in it for them."
"Hope your right. Your brother's life may depend on it."
"I'm right." She crossed her fingers anyway.
Good grief! How had Wildcat gone and gotten himself kidnapped
?
And by Zoltarians no less!
They were not noted for being an especially cordial group. A Zoltarian had once killed a man in a tavern for mispronouncing the name of his favorite grog!
No apology given.
Well, she would deal with them later. Right now she had to take care of this other call.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the incoming communication link, leaving the visual off.
"
Arrows, is that you
?!" Heiner's scratchy voice bleated through the old speakers.
Lucky broke into a sweat. She didn't have that stupid stone and she knew the Volauventian was getting antsy.
Still, they had found what they hoped was a clue to the jewel's possible whereabouts. Maybe. Kind of.
"Yes," she sighed. "Go ahead, Mr. Heiner."
"Have you found the Heart of the Merchandiser yet?"
No beating around the bush with this guy. "Well, I—"
"Time is growing short, Arrows!"
Why did she just know he was going to say that?
And why does no one ever worry if time grows long? It couldn't
always
be a good thing, could it?
10
"We haven't found the jewel, Mr. Heiner—but we have found a good lead." She caught SpinDrift's eye.
The Floop had an expression that said it was news to him.
Heiner got excited right away. "What kind of lead?"
"Well, we found a chip on Slide that we believe will lead us directly to the stone."
A huge blast of disgusted exhale blared through the speakers. Both Lucky and Spin jumped back.
"
What does that mean
?! Speak in plain terms!!"
"Umm… well… the chip…"
Lucky wasn't sure if telling him that the chip yielded a minute sampling of a fiber—and that they were tracking back to that fiber's origin point—would sound as if they had lost their minds. There was no way of knowing whether that fiber was actually associated with the jewel, but it was their only lead.
Kerreth stepped forward. "Just tell him that there was information encoded on the chip that you were able to break down," he whispered. "Tell him that you believe that the Heart of the Merchandiser has been taken to Dumfug 8."
Lucky muted the link. "What if we don't find it there?"
"It's a start and it sounds as if his patience is running out. You don't want to loose the finder's fee, do you?"
"No, you're right." She flipped off the mute. "We are enroute to Dumfug 8 as we speak, Heiner. We're planning to dock above Port Royal 4. "
"Excellent! Sounds like you have almost solved the case, Arrows!"
Lucky blanched. "Well, I wouldn't say—"
"Congratulations. We will meet there to help you retrieve the jewel and to give you your just reward!"
"We?"
"Big Gun, himself, is coming to collect what is his. Wait for us outside the city limits, behind the dock-link station."
"But—"
"Heiner out."
Lucky cringed. If they did not find that jewel Big Gun would have them all for lunch.
Just when had this day gone bad?
Oh, yeah. When she woke up.
"Well, we don't have any idea where that stupid stone is arid Big Gun, himself, is meeting us right by the dock-link. Can this get worse, people?"
Kerreth nodded. "Ah, brother still on hold… kidnapping… Ring a bell, Red?"
"Oh, crap!" Lucky dove for the audio/visual connection. "Captain Kokol, are you still there?"