Unchained (6 page)

The room was small and,
like the rest of
Calíbre
, puritanical but comfortable.
Cidra punched up the adjustable lighting. Standard silver metal
comprised most surfaces except for the blue mat flooring. One
narrow bed occupied the farthest wall. A small desk sat between the
bed and a single upholstered chair.

Two doors flanked one wall. To her relief,
the first revealed a small private lav and shower. She had expected
trips to a public lav on a ship this size.

When she pressed the controls to open the
second door, there was a faint click but the door didn’t budge.
After several failed attempts, she gave up and made a point to ask
Decker about the mystery door later.

Instead, she stretched out on the bed. It
was small, but surprisingly comfortable. A grin crossed her face as
she wondered how well Barrios would be sleeping in these diminutive
beds, if only for the duration of her mission.

The mission. Now that she was out from under
the dark cloud of Avion, excitement shimmered through her. It was
more than she could have ever hoped for. Finally, a chance to find
the answers to the questions that had haunted her for ten years.
Regardless of the evidence, it had never once occurred to her that
her father had deliberately withheld that shipment. Now all she had
to do was convince Grey. As much as she hated to admit it, she
needed his help, his ship, and his expertise. What would it take to
convince him?

A gentle chime interrupted her thoughts.
Cidra hopped off the bed and walked to the door. It opened
promptly. A young woman stood smiling at her. Her black hair framed
her face like a bowl. Even standing still, she seemed to be in
motion.

“
Hi, I’m Leena. Welcome
aboard.”

“
Thank you,” Cidra said.
Leena looked back at her expectantly.

Cidra hesitated. “Would you like to come
in?”

“
Sure.” Leena bounded past
her and surveyed Cidra’s cabin with interest. “I’ve never been in
this cabin. It’s nice.”

“
Isn’t it like all the
others?” Cidra asked as the door slid shut.

“
Mmm, pretty much. A little
bigger, I think.” Leena nodded, agreeing with herself.

Cidra glanced around the
tiny room and wondered how it could possibly be any smaller. She
sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Leena to take the
chair. “I see. How long have you been on
Calíbre
?”

“
Oh, about a year.” Leena
flopped into the chair. “Captain was looking for a gunner from
Vaasa. I was lucky enough to get the job.”

Cidra eyed her. “Are you the gunner that hit
the Victor?”

Leena flashed a proud smile. “That was me.
They were so close on your tail that Decker didn’t think I could
pull it off. You gave me an edge though. They were too busy trying
to keep up with you. Those were some pretty slick moves.”

Cidra shrugged and looked away. “I didn’t
have much choice. It was move or die.”

“
Whatever the motivation,
you sure impressed the deck crew. I know Coon will be happy to give
you the helm. Piloting is not his forte.”

“
No? What is his forte?”
Cidra asked.

“
If you ask him, he’ll say
penetration.”

Cidra’s eyebrows shot up and Leena laughed.
“You’ll grow to love him. We all do. He’s our sweeper.”

Cidra’s eyes narrowed. “A sweeper. Let me
guess. He probes a region for something. Using sensors?”

Leena nodded vigorously, her hair bobbing
away. “Yup. It takes talent to pick up a specific object hiding in
a bunch of junk floating around in space. He has infinite patience
and stamina.” She held up her hand. “Don’t mention stamina to him
either.”

Cidra laughed. Dinner promised to be an
adventure.

A stray thought hit her. Pointing to the
mystery door, she asked, “Do you know where that door goes? It
won’t open.”

Leena looked over at the door in question
and turned back, wide-eyed. “Don’t you know?”

Cidra frowned and shook her head.

“
It connects to the
Captain’s quarters. It has a release on each side. I think that’s
why this room has never been used. Captain likes his privacy.”
Leena stood up and shrugged. “We’re filled up, so I guess he
decided it was okay. Well, I gotta go. See you at dinner in the
crew lounge.”

Cidra managed a smile. “Thanks for
everything. Especially for hitting that Victor.”

“
Anytime. I’ll introduce
you to everyone tonight.” Leena waved a hand at her and disappeared
into the corridor.

Cidra stared at the adjoining door as if it
were alive. She jumped up and locked the release on her side, her
pulse racing. Good Lord, calm down. It’s not as if he’d barge in
uninvited. Or would he?

She leaned back against the door and closed
her eyes. The idea was at once nerve-shattering and
tantalizing.

It was late afternoon and Grey stood on the
bridge evaluating provisions over a micropad. Decker approached him
and glanced at the deck crew nervously. “Sir, I need to speak to
you. Immediately.”

Grey lifted an eyebrow. It took a great deal
to make Decker nervous. “Trouble?”

Decker cleared his throat. “I think it could
be. I just saw Cidra and Mora, uh, talking in the dining hall.
Neither one of them looked very happy.”

He shoved the micropad at Decker. “Take care
of this.” He turned and marched off the bridge.

CHAPTER FOUR

Cidra’s intention was to join Barrios in the
crew lounge. It seemed like a simple enough task. She should have
known better.

The lounge was empty except for the woman
firmly planted in her path. Not just any woman. The most
attractive, voluptuous woman Cidra had ever seen in her life. A
red-haired, green-eyed beauty wearing a straining scarlet jumpsuit
and a disapproving scowl.

“
So you’re the package Grey
picked up on Avion,” the woman scoffed in a throaty voice, scanning
Cidra head to toe with clear contempt. “Hardly worth the
effort.”

Cidra frowned at her,
amazed how an attractive person could turn so ugly from the inside
out.
Be nice, Cidra
. Remember you have to work with this woman.

“
I’m Cidra Almazan. And you
would be?” Cidra started in her most peaceable voice.

“
Mora. You’re new here, so
consider this your orientation.” A smile twisted over Mora’s face.
“I’m going to explain how things work around here.”

She stared icily at Cidra. “Rule Number One.
I make the rules. This is my ship.”

Cidra lifted her eyebrows. If she hadn’t
been so surprised, she would have burst out laughing. “Really. I
was under the impression it was Captain Stone’s ship.”

Mora ignored that. “Rule Number Two. I don’t
like Avions. You and your high and mighty people think you own the
galaxy, picking and choosing who to save with your precious
vaccine. You are not welcome here.” Mora’s voice lowered to a
growl. “Watch your step. We wouldn’t want you to have an
unfortunate accident aboard ship.”

Cidra listened to Mora’s
threat in disbelief, her sense of humor deserting her.
Good Lord, where had Grey found this
one
?

“
Rule Number Three. I have
Grey’s ear. And the rest of him. He’s off-limits.” Mora breathed
deeply, filling her red jumpsuit to capacity. “Besides, you’re not
his type.”

Cidra bristled. “And you
would be an expert on the topic?” The first stirrings of anger
began to seep into her body.
Control,
Cidra
. The conversation had just taken a
dangerous turn.

“
I know how to make him
happy. I know what he wants.” Mora lifted her chin to Cidra.
“Me.”

Blood pounded in Cidra’s ears as she
narrowed her eyes at the other woman. She was dangerously close to
losing her temper. It would not bode well to pummel a fellow
crewmember on her first day of employ. The temptation wasn’t worth
throwing away her future for. Retreat seemed the sensible
choice.

“
Mora, exhale before you
hurt yourself,” Cidra muttered with disgust and turned toward the
exit.

“
Hold it. I’m not finished
with you.” Mora reached out with her right hand and sunk her
fingernails into Cidra’s left shoulder. Her attempt to twist Cidra
around never had a chance.

Something in Cidra snapped. She would later
recognize it as her self-control. She reached across with her right
hand and wrenched Mora’s hand off her shoulder, simultaneously
stepping back. Using Mora’s own forward momentum, Cidra pulled her
across the front of her body and flattened the surprised woman
against the wall to her right. Cidra pinned Mora to the wall by
shoving her forearm under Mora’s chin. The whole maneuver took a
second, leaving Mora blinking wide-eyed, helpless, and gaping at
Cidra.

Grey had rounded the corner of the corridor
just in time to see the action unfold. He slowed to a stop. As he
feared, the confrontation had escalated. He knew only too well what
Mora was capable of, even if he had found out the hard way.
Unfortunately for Mora, she’d just picked a fight with a fully
trained Kin-sha.

He leaned against the corridor wall and
decided to let Cidra finish what she started. Besides, he
thoroughly enjoyed the idea of someone getting the best of Mora for
a change.

Cidra didn’t give Mora a chance to recover.
Her self-control had deserted her, replaced by pure fire and
brimstone. There was no way she’d allow anyone tell her what to do
after ten years of hiding. Quiet fury laced her voice. “Now it’s my
turn, Mora. Rule Number One. I make my own rules. Is that
clear?”

Mora nodded weakly, still stunned. Her
breathing came in short gasps and only by the grace of Cidra’s
grip.

“
Good. Rule Number Two. I
don’t care to hear your opinion of me or Avion or anyone else.”
Cidra’s voice shook with the effort. Mora’s eyes
widened.

“
And Rule Number Three.
Stay away from me.” It was a low, dangerous whisper.

Mora stared at Cidra before slowly nodding
again.

Cidra stepped back and released her hold.
Mora sucked air into her lungs, clutching her throat with one hand
and bracing herself against the wall with the other. The red
jumpsuit looked suddenly deflated. She gave Cidra a murderous look
but said nothing.

Cidra spun around and resumed her exit from
the dining hall, now more disgusted with herself than Mora. The
damage was done. She had barely boarded and already made a mortal
enemy. At this rate, she’d go through the whole crew by
tomorrow.

Retribution left her shaking and confused.
Anger had claimed her and won. Why had she let it? Mora had
certainly struck a few nerves, but it was no excuse. Cidra had lost
control, plain and simple. Syrus would not have been pleased.

Clearing the doorway, she looked up to see
Grey waiting and cringed. From the look on his face, he had
witnessed the scuffle. As she approached him, she took a deep
breath and braced herself for his reaction. Now she would find out
how the Captain ran his ship. This could possibly be the shortest
employment contract in history.

“
What was that all about?”
His brow furrowed, his expression unreadable.

Cidra halted directly in front of him. “Mora
and I were just discussing a few things.”

“
Such as?” His face
darkened.

“
Rank. Avion. What type of
women you prefer,” Cidra drawled. “She has strong opinions on all
subjects.”

Grey swore. Cidra took a deep breath. “I’m
sorry if I’ve caused any problems for you.”

He didn’t seem to hear her as he took her
arm and led her down the corridor. “Don’t worry about it. Mora’s
leaving soon.”

Baffled, Cidra frowned and glanced up at
Grey. “You wouldn’t discharge Mora because of this incident, would
you?”

Grey said nothing as they made their way
toward crew quarters. He guided her past her cabin. When the door
slid shut behind them, Cidra found herself standing in the middle
of the Captain’s quarters as Grey walked to a low cabinet and
opened a bottle.

The room was larger with a similar layout as
her own with one notable difference: the standard narrow bunk had
been replaced by a spacious, freestanding bed. She stared at it for
a second. Of course, it made sense. He was a big man; he needed a
big bed but the intimacy of it all left her mouth dry.

She pulled her attention to the rest of the
room. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Shelves lining the entire
cabin displayed an impressive collection of art and artifacts.
Exotic, unusual, some breathtaking, some hideous. Each a striking
example in fine craftsmanship from various alien cultures. She eyed
Grey in astonishment and admiration.

“
Where did you get all
these?”

Grey poured two drinks from the bottle. “I’m
a treasure hunter, remember? I wouldn’t be one if I didn’t
appreciate art.”

He picked up the glasses and turned toward
her. She was concentrating on an exquisite Krion statue in genuine
fascination, her blue eyes shining. It was enough to stop him dead
in his tracks. He suddenly realized that he had never brought a
woman into his quarters before. This was his private space, a place
he shared with no one.

He tried not to think about what that meant
as he handed her a drink. She accepted it, instantly fascinated by
the luminescent green and blue swirls undulating gracefully through
a clear liquid base. “What is it?”

“
Oeno, a Vaasa commodity.
It’s very good. Try it.” He took a big swallow, watching her over
the rim of his glass.