Starburst Page 14

  Chowd looked to the ambassador, who nodded, and they moved, seeking their names on the table. The women were seated between himself and Raven. The other two officers went further down the table, and he hoped they might collect valuable intelligence. Jemma started to seat herself, but he shook his head, and she stopped before nodding. The resident religious member of the crew undertook a lengthy series of ritualistic passes and mutterings over the table and those present before they could assume their seats, but finally the group was released from the confines of the rites.

  From another room, plates came swiftly, carried by two small women. Neither said a word as they moved with speed, only stopping as they caught sight of the two women at the table. Meredith’s murmured thanks drew a startled intake of breaths from those at the table and a stern look from the captain. Obviously her talent with their language did not include knowledge of their customs, Chowd thought humorlessly. He would need to run both the women through some of them to ensure they did not unintentionally insult anyone.

  They returned with another couple of women, this time dragging pots from which they ladled a stew of some kind. While the smell wasn’t terribly appetizing, it was obvious from the looks of the Elvmandar’s crewmembers that they thought it a delicacy.

  “Rock hopper rat stew, Captain.” The women bowed low and left the room.

  An officer exclaimed excitedly over the dish, and Chowd’s stomach dipped. Meredith made a noise, a cross between a gulp and a strangled, dry-retching sound, and Chowd laid a silent hand on her leg. Her fingers inched under the table to grip his in a tight hold.

  “I can’t eat this,” she whispered.

  Of course she would struggle with this, but to refuse would be considered an insult. “You must eat at least some. Come on, forget it is what they called it and swallow quickly.”

  He chanced a look and saw the pained expression on her face but cheered internally as she raised the spoon, full of stew, and lifted it to her mouth. The spoon disappeared and returned empty. He could see the tears glistening at the corner of her eyes as he lifted his spoon, also loaded with the gray vegetable and meat mass, and tasted. Ugh! The soggy mass had a flavor as bad as it looked, rancid and off to his taste buds. No wonder she looked green after the single spoonful.

  His belly coiled in revulsion, and he had to work at keeping the contents in place. Chowd saw the members of the Elvmandar’s crew eat with appreciation, and he sighed, knowing that he would need to eat some more then make at least a positive comment. Not an easy thing when it tasted like pureed, regurgitated vomit, complete with a sour aftertaste. He filled another spoonful and lifted it to his mouth.

  The grunts of approval filled the room, and he noted that the Elector crew and the ambassador at least each managed a spoonful or two.

  “This is not to your taste?” Jod indicated the food with his left hand, his tone questioning.

  “It’s not quite what we are used to.” What else could he say?

  The women returned, clearing the bowls from the table and replacing them with new plates. This time the tubers and avian-style meat looked at least semi-familiar. The Elector crew seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

  He took a bite, and although the taste was bland, it didn’t have the sour aftertaste, and he and his crew ate hungrily. The members of the mothership moaned and groaned in appreciation of, he guessed, this new food and perhaps the taste and sensations. The desultory conversation among the groups died away.

  Once more the women entered the room, and this time every plate was empty.

  “You eat foods that taste like that all the time?” Jod’s voice showed his amazement.

  “Well, no, that is a more basic meal. On our festival occasions the foods are somewhat different, ranging from aquatic life forms to fried or even wood-roasted items.”

  Jod’s eyes grew larger and rounder in his face. “Indeed, then our foods must be quite unpalatable by your standards.” His voice grew stiff, and Chowd knew he would need to tread carefully in his next answers, lest he alienate this potential ally.

  “It is different, yes. But differences are not necessarily a bad thing. That’s what makes us individuals.” His diplomatic answer settled the Ru’Edan male sitting beside him.

  The rest of the meal passed slowly. The assembled members made their way through the foods provided, but the conversation around the table petered away to nothing. Once the meal ended, the two crews stood.

  Chowd indicated to the others that it was time to return to the cabins. Once outside the door of the ambassador’s cabin, the two guards took up position, and Jemma and Raven entered their own, the door closing behind them. The locking palm pad turned red, and Chowd ushered Meredith into their cabin, setting the secure lock door.

  * * * *

  The morning chimes woke Meredith, her eyes gritty from lack of sleep that had finally come early in the morning. She stretched on the hard bed, and reached out, searching for a warm body. Finding nothing but open air, she rolled, grabbing the edge of the bed as she moved over. She fell to the floor with an audible thud.

  “Oww!” She rubbed at her side, the sting radiating.

  “Are you okay?” Chowd’s voice came from the sanitary unit, but as much as she wanted to respond, the wind had been knocked out of her.

  Meredith lay on the floor, gasping for air as the sound of movement came closer.

  “What happened?” Chowd’s face appeared in front of hers.

  “I rolled and fell out of the bed,” she whispered, and he helped her to move back into a sitting position. “Gee, those beds aren’t very wide, are they?” Meredith brushed her hair away from her eyes in time to see a gentle smile.

  “No, not really.” Chowd lifted her up only to sit down on the bed with her in his arms. “I didn’t want to wake you, but now that you’re up, let me say good morning.” His lips gently met hers, the silent mating leaving her feeling warm and full and slightly aroused.

  She framed his face and gazed into his eyes. “I prefer to wake up that way.”

  Once again, she shortened the distance between them and laid her lips to his. They opened and the kiss deepened. She moaned and leaned closer, needing more than this kiss, her body straining against the hands that kept her still.

  He laughed, the sound husky as he pulled away. “Come on, sleepyhead. If you feel all right, you should get dressed. We are on duty in an hour and we still have some things to attend to.”

  She sighed. Meredith rose out of his arms with regret, knowing he was correct. “I’d better grab some clothes and shower.”

  Chowd snickered, pointing to a pile already waiting on his bed. “I thought it would be easier for you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You don’t need to wait on me hand and foot.”

  “I like to. It makes me feel connected to you. Now go on, hurry up.”

  He gently pushed her toward the sanitary unit, and she accepted the hurry-along with a smile before shutting the door behind her and quickly stripping down. She moved with speed, stepping under the shower and running the water as she soaped. When she had finished, Meredith toweled, dressed, and tamed her hair before emerging into the cabin where he waited.

  Once he caught sight of her, he smiled and tugged her close. She sighed heavily, wishing they had more time.

  “Tonight.” With the heated word, he led her toward the ambassador’s cabin. The guardians remained outside, and Chowd knocked on the door, which opened slowly. The ambassador stood with a copy of something in his hands.

  “Good morning, Chowd. Warrant Officer Gentry, I am pleased to see you looking so well this morning.” The ambassador smiled.

  “Thank you, Ambassador.” Chowd wandered over to Jemma and Raven and started a rapid-fire handover before they left the cabin. Chowd turned back to the Ambassador. “You had an uneventful night, I’ve just been informed. I also understood from last night that you hoped to head for the bridge this morning?”

  The ambassador smiled enigmatically and shru
gged.

  Chowd cocked his head to the side. “I’ve made arrangements for Jod Svan’Er to meet us and show us the way. If you are ready, of course?”

  The ambassador nodded. His eyes slid back to Meredith time and time again and there in the depths of his gaze she read something that didn’t feel right. Inwardly, she shrugged. There wasn’t anything she could do about that right now.

  Once more, they made their way into the long, gray corridor, and by now Jod had joined them. Chowd turned back and smiled, and she grinned at him. He resumed his movements at the front as they kept going.

  A thudding sound caught her attention. She stopped, wondering at its origin, and turned back just as something covered her mouth. She attempted to shout, but all that escaped was a muffled “Oof.”

  Meredith moved her feet, attempting to kick out, but strong and rough arms lifted her. She struggled against them, but the material covering her mouth must have contained a soporific agent. The longer she struggled, the weaker she felt, her consciousness fading to gray.

  She fought against the tide that washed over her senses, felt her heart rate increase with the pumping of adrenaline, but her body started to turn heavy and clumsy and then she finally succumbed to the darkness.

  * * * *

  Chowd turned around to ask Meredith a question only to find no one behind him. He stopped. “Wait.”

  He strode quickly back in the direction they had traveled, but he could detect no sign of Meredith. A cold knot of fear lodged low in his belly.

  “Jod!” he bellowed, watching as the light of recognition dawned in the Ru’Edan’s eyes.

  “Destata! I know nothing about this!” He lifted a comm unit to his lips and gave a rapid-fire set of directions. Jod’s face was drawn with anger while rage pumped through Chowd’s body. “We need to start by retracing our steps, go back to where we last saw her.”

  Chowd didn’t wait though, already giving commands via his comm for the off-duty guards from the Elector to join them. He felt torn. His orders were to guard the ambassador, but Meredith’s danger felt more urgent. His unit bleeped again, this time Raven demanding to know what had happened.

  “Meredith is missing. She was behind me, but there’s no sign of her now.” Chowd worked to keep the anguish from his voice. On a ship like this, they would have difficulty locating her.

  Images of the things he had seen before and during his time with the Admiralty assailed him. Memories of Jemma shot at the hands of his father’s warriors and bleeding. Memories of Mellissa under the sonic cutter—when Duvall had saved her on Earth. The eviscerated females damaged and abused under Crick Sur Banden. He wanted to double over at the pain these memories brought him. The knowledge that he might never see Meredith again burned, yet if he didn’t find her quickly, she could sustain emotional damage resulting in her never wanting him again. The memory of the women who had been held by his father after he had used them filled him with horror.

  “Do you need me to come help with the search?” Raven asked.

  “No. You need to ensure Jemma is safe. Until we know who or what is involved we cannot leave any member of our crew unsupervised.” It hurt to say the words when he wanted to demand that everyone look for Meredith. Duty warred with his personal feelings, overwhelming him for just an instant, and he had to close his eyes.

  He stopped, clearing his mind before opening his eyes at the sound of footsteps moving quickly down the hall. He saw his men and felt relief that he could now search for Meredith, leaving the ambassador in their hands.

  “Get the ambassador to the bridge. Remain with him at all times. The guardians will show you the way.” His voice was brittle, and he looked at Jod, who nodded immediately.

  “Come. We can go back and start where you last saw her.” Jod moved swiftly, but Chowd kept pace.

  “It was here. I looked around and she was there.” He dropped to the ground, seeking something, anything. “Do you have surveillance?”

  “Not in this area, but we do have motion scanners that we can check.” He lifted his hand and gave the order, waiting just an instant before an answer returned from an unseen crewmember. “There was a range of people moving through this area in the last ten minutes or so. They have a record of us, then quickly after at least another two. A little further down, where the next scan was conducted, our group was five instead of six, so that means they probably used this exit point.” Jod pointed to a hidden access way. He pulled open a hidden door and stepped within.

  The gloom of the passage almost overwhelmed Chowd at first, but he could see Jod in the darkness fumbling in his pockets. Chowd reached into his utility belt, found a small light, and turned it on. It illuminated the corridor just enough to see the ground and walls.

  He bent, seeing a scuff mark on the floor. “This is new. It could be from Meredith.” Anger burned white-hot once more in his chest.

  “Let’s see if it goes any further.” Jod no doubt meant to make him feel more settled with his calm words, but the lead weight in Chowd’s throat was growing as each minute passed.

  They kept moving, the rustle of uniforms and the distant bangs and clanks filling the air. “Where does this lead?”

  “It veers in a few metros, the left leading to the lower-class conscript cabins and the right taking us to engineering. If she’s there, it will be harder for us to investigate.” For the first time Chowd could hear real concern in Jod’s voice.

  The access way had started to narrow when Chowd saw a piece of material caught on the rough surface of the walls. “What’s that?” He touched a trembling finger to the material. The soft, light gray fabric he had seen her wearing. “Stars. She was here.” He flicked the light up. “Who has access to these tunnels?”

  “Most of the engineering crew, the cleaners. Lower-class members with employment on our level,” Jod said thoughtfully. “Let me have my men cross-check who is currently stationed where. That will give us at least a cross section to work with.” Once more Jod lifted his comm unit and began speaking.

  Chowd couldn’t wait quietly though, so he began prowling around the area, looking for scuff marks and other clues. His stomach churned, and his heart pounded. He sent a prayer to any and all deities that she would be found safe.

  Chapter 11

  Meredith felt the pounding in her head and the ache of abused muscles, particularly her arms. She opened her eyes to a dingy darkness. Machinery and pipes a couple of meters from where she’d been propped up suggested that her location was somewhere deep in the bowels of the ship. The smell of burning oils and the greasiness of the floor confirmed that thought.

  Engines moaned and groaned loudly, and she knew that yelling over the cacophony would be pointless. She glanced around the area, relieved to see that no one else was stashed there with her for her to worry about. Getting herself out would be enough right now.

  The thud in her head beat in time with the rattles around her. That would hide the sound of her escape, she thought, but also the sound of her approaching captor. Something she knew might mean death, or possibly even worse.

  Meredith pulled on the bonds around her wrists, testing the material. It felt hardy and strong but rough, and it scraped against her already abraded skin. How long could have passed? She didn’t feel much more thirsty or hungry than before, so it couldn’t have been long.

  She grunted, pulling again but feeling no give in the textile. Panic rose, threatening to choke her, until her training kicked in. She needed to defeat the panic if she hoped to escape from this makeshift prison.

  “Come on, Meredith. You’re bright and resourceful. Clever. If anyone can get out of here alive and in one piece, it’s you.” She said the words aloud, hunting for positive affirmation in the sound of them.

  Whoever had taken her had not tied the material well. She craned her neck, looking at the knots. She crooked a finger, trying to get enough purchase to push it through the woven textile. Finding a loose thread, she tugged as firmly as she could manage. It moved
a little, and she tried again.

  Meredith shimmied upward, hunting for a better angle or even something to catch the material on, without success. She tugged once more, and by the third time, the muscles in her hand spasmed painfully. Again and again she worked until she finally got the first knot undone. She angled to look up and around before looking back down. Only another three knots to go before she could get her hands free, then she could begin to release her legs. With a heartfelt sigh, she went back to work, stopping every now and again to glance around.

  Sweat trickled down the side of her face, and the passing of time sat in the forefront of her consciousness. From time to time a bubble of panic would escape, nearly overwhelming her, and she would talk herself back down. “Come on, Meredith. You nearly have the knots undone, then you can release your legs and get out of this stinking hole.”

  Once more the panic subsided, and she would begin again, but each tug took longer and felt harder. Meredith’s hand hurt viciously, and she expected it would be swollen once she escaped. With a sigh, she concentrated on pulling the remaining knot. Her hand protested as the bones and muscles wrenched again.

  She couldn’t contain the small cry of pain, tears running down her face, but the final knot unraveled. Her hands dropped to the floor with a thud. She looked about nervously. Still no one there, but she knew that wouldn’t last forever. For the first time, she realized she had to pee. Time’s getting away. The longer I’m here, the greater chance of discovery and recapture.

  Scooching forward with bent knees, she could finally extend her arms enough to work at the knots at her ankles, making short work of the bad ties. Her breath came in jerky pants as she pushed herself to her wobbly knees. She ran her tongue over her dry lips, catching a taste of sweaty salt on them, and grimaced. Her legs unsteady as she rose to stand, she quickly surveyed the area around her.