Stealing Jia (Coletti Warlords #12) - Gail Koger Page 0,14
buoy?”
I spotted the big metal ball bristling with spikes and nodded.
“Once we pass it, the Askole will not follow.”
I let out a relieved breath. “Good to know, but what’s stopping the powers-to-be on Threll from shooting us down?”
“We have the passcode,” Loki answered.
In our line of work, everyone needed a bolt hole. I had a couple myself. I watched the viewscreen and sure enough the Askole battle cruiser came to an abrupt stop. That had been way too close.
I glanced at the second viewscreen. Threll was a flat, desert world with an ocean of onyx sand. No trees, no bushes, and no oceans. A hodge-podge of buildings sagged under the unforgiving sun.
A harsh voice spouted some alien gobbledygook.
“Who’s that?”
Ivan responded in the same alien gobbledygook.
“That was their air traffic controller. We’ve been instructed to land on pad nine,” Loki advised as Ivan sat the shuttle down on badly cracked concrete.
“Now what happens?”
“We wait until the Askole battle cruiser leaves and then we find another ship.”
“That could take days,” I cried.
Loki shrugged. “Or longer.”
“Adam could be dead by then.”
“He could be dead now,” Loki countered.
I clenched my jaw and fought back the urge to scream. No. He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be. I was certain of one thing. Giovanni was a dead man walking. I didn’t care if it took me the next hundred years, I would kill him.
Ivan lowered the landing ramp. “Welcome to the ninth hell.”
Chapter Five
I released my seatbelt and stood up.
“Human females are worth their weight in Ditrim crystals. Unless you want to be sold to the highest bidder, keep your head down, and your mouth shut.” Loki handed me a dirty brown cape. “Cover your friend too. They will consider him food and try to take him from you.”
“Anyone stupid enough to try will regret it.”
“Me eat them,” Pepe said, baring his fangs.
Loki’s big, callused hand closed painfully around the back of my neck. “That would be a mistake that would get all of us killed.” He shook me. “Understood?”
“Yes.” Giving him the stink eye, I pulled the cape on and covered Pepe with it.
Ivan added, “Does your friend understand?”
“Me does.”
“Pepe understands.” I followed him down the ramp.
Threll’s spaceport was a dung heap of barely space worthy ships. One vessel in decent shape had a screaming skull painted on the hull.
“How about stealing that ship?”
“It’s a slave ship and heavily guarded,” Loki responded.
“Oh.” Several bullet shaped Rodan marauders set next to a cluster of plasticrete bunkers, repair hangers and warehouses. “What are the Rodan doing here?”
Loki studied them warily. “Difficult to say. Probably buying slaves to eat or weapons.”
My stomach roiled.
The unceasing rumble of arriving and departing ships showed Threll did a brisk business in illegal items. You’d think with the Askole battle cruiser hanging around, they’d stay away, but nope, not happening.
The intense heat was suffocating. To my surprise the cape seemed to reflect the sun. I surveyed the area carefully. Everything seemed black, bleak, bent or broken. Some people scurried about like frightened animals while others strode confidently. Of course, they were the ones armed to the teeth.
The black market on the other hand, was a bustling labyrinth of stalls selling everything from weapons to food to exotic creatures and half-starved slaves. The jabber of a dozen languages filled the air as the vendors hawked their wares.
I shuddered as a Rodan dragged off two crying women. “Can’t we help them?”
“We interfere and we join them. Then who would search for Adam?” Ivan’s face was tight with anger.
“I’m going to find a way to destroy this place.”
Loki laughed. “Many have tried and failed.”
“I won’t.” I looked around. “Where are we going?”
“To get a Datol and some information,” Ivan stated.
“Datol?”
Loki’s hand dropped to his weapon as a fat, hairy humanoid with horns looked us over. “Our version of beer.” He ushered me into a plasticrete building.
I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit shithole. Filthy tables were packed with an assortment of intoxicated aliens. The furry bartender was enclosed in a huge iron cage filled with bottles of booze. To get a drink, a customer slipped a credit chip through the grill.
A nude female painted up like an Earth clown and wearing a purple wig did a weird hippity-hop table dance that made her four breasts bounce wildly. The patrons hooted and pounded the table.
Ivan booted a drunk off a table and sat down. I took the chair next to him. A cold finger of alarm skittered down my back as the hairy goat