Captive - Cheryl Brooks Page 0,22

toward the doorway, then paused. “Don’t be surprised if the boss wanders in. She doesn’t sleep much.”

Given what Moe already knew about Klara, this wasn’t unexpected. “Tell me something… Temfilk said you were all kidnapped and then abandoned here before teaming up with Klara.”

“That’s right,” Nexbit said, sounding slightly wary.

“If you’re a team, why do you all refer to her as your boss? I mean, you aren’t required to call her that, are you?”

“Oh, no,” Nexbit replied. “Temfilk’s the one who started it. I forget when it was, exactly, but we were all feeling sort of skeptical about one of her schemes until Temfilk shrugged and said, ‘Well, you’re the boss.’ We’ve been calling her that ever since.”

Moe suspected there was more to it than that. They didn’t only call her the boss, they acted like she truly was their superior. “You’re sure there aren’t any other reasons?”

Nexbit’s version of a toothy grin was enough to give anyone the creeps. “Maybe a few. She’s the oldest and the smartest. Without her leadership, we probably would’ve died a long time ago. Why do you ask?”

“No reason, really. Just curious.” Moe had insisted that Klara treat him as her equal, and she’d agreed to that stipulation. But if she was used to being in charge and always having the last word, they might not get along very well. Moe could be as cooperative and easygoing as the next guy, but there were limits. “I notice the Racks don’t say much. Does she have them trained or what?”

“They aren’t your typical Racks,” Nexbit replied. “Their loyalty to Klara borders on worship. They wouldn’t take kindly to anyone who tried to hurt her.”

The warning was perfectly clear, although Moe suspected that in any altercations between himself and Klara, he doubted she would be the injured party. Moe could be tough when he needed to be, but Klara struck him as having a ruthless streak even wider than his mother’s. After all, Jack had stopped killing Nedwuts twenty years ago, despite her claim that it was an extremely hard habit to break. Klara was still doing it. Nevertheless, he deemed it best not to ruffle any more feathers than necessary. “I’ll be sure to watch my step.”

The Sympaticon made an odd sound, somewhere between a grunt and a clearing of the throat. “I wasn’t necessarily referring to you. But apparently I’ve made my point.”

“You have. I won’t hurt her as long as she doesn’t double cross me. If she does that, all bets are off.”

“Can’t say I blame you, but right now, I’m going to bed. May the rest of your night be uneventful.” After punctuating this blessing with a half-hearted bow in Moe’s direction, he shuffled off down the hallway.

Once again, Moe was left alone with his thoughts—until Klara entered the room with all the stealth of a mountain cat. The glow from her eyes would’ve identified her, even if he hadn’t been able to actually see her. Judging from the way she was dressed—the same gray tunic and trousers she’d been wearing when she left the room earlier—she hadn’t even tried to sleep. Either that or she’d given up entirely.

“What’s the matter?” he asked in an unruffled tone. “Can’t sleep?”

“Lifelong affliction.” She plopped down on the battered sofa that sat against the far wall.

Moe had chosen to sit on a plain wooden chair, not wishing to risk contact with whatever vermin the sofa might be harboring. Klara must’ve either been immune or didn’t care. “Nexbit said you might wander in. Something on your mind?”

“Lots of things,” she replied. “The gang tells me I worry too much.” Sighing, she added, “They’re probably right.”

“Someone has to worry about them. And since they call you the boss, I guess that’s you.”

The glow from her pupils brightened for a moment. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Something like that.” Her gaze slid away from him. “You do understand, don’t you? I don’t know why that should surprise me, but it does.”

“It surprises you because you’ve never dealt with anyone like me, have you?” Without waiting for her reply, he continued, “You really need to get off this planet. Living here has skewed your perspective in ways you probably aren’t even aware of. And if we do manage to get out of here, you’ll have some serious adjusting to do. Not everyone you meet will be out to get you or take advantage of you. Some will, of course, but you don’t need to leap to that conclusion every time.”

Her