The Amazing Tales of Wildcat Arrows (6 page)

The Zoltarian's crimson eyes gleamed with something Wildcat did not like. "I see. You know there have been rumors of a prisoner who escaped from the mines. That prisoner wouldn't be you, would it?"

Wildcat studied her face carefully before responding. If she didn't like his answer, she would turn him in. On the other hand, Zoltarians were known for adopting instant loyalty to those they took a liking to. They always reminded him of faithful pups, even though they were definitely humanoid, had no fur, and could never be made to chase a stick.

"Couldn't be me," he drawled. "I was home fantasizing about Zoltarian women all day."

She snorted, leaning closer to examine his features. Even in the darkened room, his exotic looks were positively arresting.

And those astonishing eyes!

Zoltarians considered that particular shade of blue matchless. His eyes were most erotic. A sensual glance from them were as potent as a touch. And they had the strangest calming effect…

They almost whispered to her:
Trust me
.

She didn't hesitate.

"You have a bargain, Earthling. Where do you wish passage to?"

"Any port but here, Captain."

She nodded. "Come with me, then, but be forewarned; I intend to get the full fare out of you."

He flashed her a rakish grin. "I'd never give half."

She warmed up to his charm. "What is your name, my alluring wanderer?"

"Jack."

" I hear those of your world have two designations. Your other name? "

"Hammer."

"Good. Come, Jack Hammer."

She rose and headed to the door.

"That's almost poetic," Wildcat murmured aloud, even though there was no one around him to enjoy the joke.

A soft, faint susurration floated around him; an invisible whisper on the air like a feather gently tickling.

Wildcat arched his brow, then gazed with full intent into the shadows behind him.

"Are you coming?" the Zoltarian asked impatiently.

"Undoubtedly, madam." He strolled after the pirate.

As he approached her ship he realized, in an almost zen-like moment, that Zoltarian space travel would be much like eskrima fighting. Fast, hard-hitting, and highly combative.

He glanced at the statuesque captain.

She was actually very alluring. It had been a while; but he was up for a dynamic match.

No doubt he would get it from her.

Planet Slide, The Lost Without Your Love Playhouse

Two hulking guards were blocking the entrance to a corridor.

Which was odd in a pleasure house.

The idea was to get someone inside, not keep them out.

Kerreth flattened himself against a wall and covertly watched the guards. Someone down the other end of that hallway had
something
that needed guarding and they were willing to pay big for the extra detailing to do it.

He was close.

He could almost feel that perfect wad of miadne cooling off his palm.
Come to me, my lovely Heart of the Merchandiser
.

He could not believe his good fortune when the call came about the missing jewel. He had the best informers that money and threats could buy. It goes to show that quality always pays off.

There was never a substitute for a first class snitch.

The fuzzy trail had led to this backburner pleasure planet. Kerreth had apparently beaten the pack to it.

Feels good, too.

There was no way he was going to let that prize out of his grasp. And as soon as he had it, he was out of here faster than you could say 'wham, bam, thank you for the glam'.

Got to love that Earth Slang.

The guards were about to round the corner.

Silently, Kerreth inched along the passageway. Up ahead, indented in the wall, was a portal frame. He needed to reach it before those lugnuts turned into the hallway and caught him.

Just as the guards' shadows lengthened along the corridor up ahead, Kerreth slid into the recessed area. The doors automatically rolled open allowing him to duck inside, out of sight. They closed silently behind him.

He found himself in a small storeroom.

Plenty to use in here
, he realized as he looked around the tiny room.
Let's see… clothing, food packs, water, health boost bars. Everything that is needed for the perfect caper and getaway. Smart. Real smart
.

One day he intended to write a manual on how to heist-proof one's base of operations. The first step would be to
not
leave extra uniforms and supplies around that would allow one's infiltrators and/or enemies to complete their missions.

A grin spread across his face. Thankfully, these geniuses hadn't gotten the memo.
Health boost bars, for suck's sake
!

Fuel your attacker, why don't you? He shook his head.

After removing his micro tool kit, he pulled one of the waiter's uniforms off the rack in front of him, threw off his own clothes, and slipped into it.

To be safe, he kicked his own clothes to the back of a bottom shelf of a cubby to his left. Way out of sight.

He was just reaching for his Linkpod when the doors behind him suddenly opened.

Two meaty guards stared suspiciously at him.

They didn't seem like the giggle and go types.

"You there! What are you doing in here? This is a sealed off area!"

Kerreth was nothing if not quick. "I was sent here to inventory the clothing supply."

"Well, move it along! We have orders to lock down this entire corridor. Some honcha has paid the Boss plenty for privacy."

"Privacy?" Not the usual request in one of these houses.

The guard became strangely defensive of his task. "It's not like it hasn't happened before. Remember, what occurs on Slide is never suspect on Slide. You shouldn't be questioning that. "

Another corporate flunky. The lugnut had actually milked
and
swallowed the propaganda.
Idiot
. "Yeah. Sure."

Kerreth glanced discreetly over his shoulder. He needed to retrieve that Linkpod on his belt; he had only intended to put it down for a few moments while he was changing. Bad timing.

"Fine. I'll just finish up in here and then leave as you requested."

"It wasn't a request. You're going.
Now
." The guards motioned him through the doors with their weapons.

There was nothing Kerreth could do.

He was forced to leave his Linkpod behind.

The lesson was not lost on him:
Whenever a person starts feeling good about his chances, the Law of Beat Down always catches up to slap him upside the head
.

He would have to try to retrieve it again later.

That is, if he ever wanted to get off this planet and back to his so-called ride home. That Linkpod was his only connection to it and that 'ride' was not going to wait long. The disreputable team of bounty hunters he had hired to transport him here and back would not hang around should he miss the rendezvous point. They would happily ditch him and be out after their next bounty.

The guard sealed the door with a shutdown lock.

Flickerin' goofs
. That was going to be very difficult if not impossible to crack.

"Back to your madam!"

Before they moved off down the passage they shoved him in the direction of the nexus artery where the bawdyhouse business partners had their offices.

My madam
? Kerreth frowned.
Well, the uniform is a bit… silky
.

Hmmm.

No choice but to find another way in. He headed off in the opposite direction. As he rounded the next corridor, he overheard two beings talking in the hallway.

Bickering would be more like it.

They were coming from the other side of that blocked off corridor. His ears perked up when the words 'miadne' and Heart of the Merchandiser' were bandied about…

"What do you make of that, Spin?"

Lucky rubbed the side of her neck as she walked back down the aisle toward the front gates. SpinDrift waddled along beside her.

"Well, if anyone was ever in that room, they have long since departed. Nothing was in there to speak of. Not even a whiff of a clue!" SpinDrift pursed his beak into a moue.

Which looked very funny on a Floop.

Lucky giggled.

"What is so amusing?"

"Nothing."

"Hmf! No miadne. No Heart of the Merchandiser. In fact, everything was so perfect in that room, you'd think that it was a set design or something."

"It was a set design. Little Bo Peep, I think. But I agree; it was a little too perfect." Lucky plucked one of Spin's molted feathers off her arm and tossed it to the floor. "Except for that oddly cracked vase…"

"You mean this one?" The Floop reached inside his motley coat to one of his hidden pockets and pulled out the piece of pottery in question.

Lucky gasped. "
You lifted it
?! Whatever for? Good grief! We could be detained for stealing! What were you thinking?! You know these pleasure palaces have the strictest rules! Wildcat's friend, Juko, was sent to a frozen gulag for three years just for taking a towel.
A towel, for flickerin's sake
!!"

"Oh, hush it. It's not like they can do anything with it. See, it's too cracked."

"Then what do you want with it?"

"Well, I thought a little glue might—"

The vase slipped from his claw onto the floor. It smashed into 5,835,774 pieces.

"Oh, dear."

"Brilliant! Look what you—" she stopped short. "Wait, Spin… what's that?" Lucky pointed to a small button-like object lying in the middle of the fragments.

"It must have been inside the vase." SpinDrift bent over to investigate, his feathered butt bouncing in the air.

Three visiting Kneph's happened to be passing by the intersecting corridor. They all snarled in interest.
³

SpinDrift curled his beak at them. "Don't you wish!" He clucked his tongue. "Rude rubes. Timing is
everything
, Lucky. Just remember that."

"Forget about them, Spin. What is that thing?"

"Looks like some sort of chip. Maybe we should take it back to the ship to check it out?"

"Do you think someone left us a clue about the stolen miadne?"

"It's possible, but unlikely."

"Do you think Minmei can decipher it?"

"It's possible, but unlikely."

"Mmm." Lucky noticed a sleek male android knock on a door, then enter a room. No need to guess why.

This was the Lost Without Your Love playhouse.

She tried not to wheeze.

Okay, so she wasn't sure she approved—but how did they make those guys so perfect looking?

SpinDrift noticed her line of sight. His round eyes widened as his crockpot brain slowly stewed out an idea.

"You know, Lucky, we don't have to get right back to the ship… You could take some r and r. Experiment with the local fauna, as they say." He fluttered his lashes in a silly attempt at looking lascivious.

Lucky scoffed. "Who actually says that, Spin?"

"
They
say it. Everyone knows
they
! But you're trying to change the subject—what do
you
say?"