Captive - Cheryl Brooks Page 0,40

many ways, she’d always viewed having strong ties to one person as detrimental, affecting her judgment in ways that could be dangerous to both parties.

That was what living on Haedus Nine did to a person, altering their perspective and making them do anything to survive. Happiness wasn’t a factor and couldn’t be considered as such.

She was about to wave them on to the next hiding place when Moe did the unthinkable. He actually walked straight out into the street and asked a passerby where the nearest bank was located.

Her jaw dropped at his audacity. To openly announce his intentions was foolhardy. But that was what people did on other worlds. If she ever actually left Haedus, she would have some serious adjustments to make. She’d been a ghost for too long.

She closed her eyes, remembering how it was when her mother was alive. They’d lived in a small house on the outskirts of town. Nothing fancy, of course, but it was home. They hadn’t been in hiding then, possibly because Pelarus hadn’t been quite as powerful as he was now. Hiding out had only seemed necessary after her mother was killed.

Ten years… How did we ever manage to last that long?

Moe returned with the news that there was a bank on the corner, two blocks to the east.

She gaped at him again. “That guy told you what you wanted to know… Just like that?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Moe shrugged. “It was a simple enough question. Even Haedusians are basically decent folks when you give them the chance.”

Klara was still smarting from having to admit she and her pals had no idea which building was a bank. “Simple, huh?”

“Yes, it is,” he said. “And another thing.” He leaned closer. “I got the distinct impression he knew I was with you. Knew you were nearby. He even looked over this way and sort of winked.”

“I didn’t know Haedusians could wink,” Temfilk remarked. “Never seen one do it.”

Moe appeared to ignore this, fixing her with a speculative gaze that made her rather uneasy. “I’ve been thinking about the whole revolution thing. I think you should be the one to start it.”

“Me?” She was as incredulous as Moe had been only minutes before. “You’ve obviously been stunned too many times.”

“Whose fault is that?” he teased. Not bothering to wait for her reply, he continued. “Have you never wondered why no one ever turned you in before? I’ll bet you have friends you don’t even know about. People who have been rooting for you for years. People who admire your spirit and your ability to thwart Pelarus. If you were to come forward, the masses would rally behind you.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” Klara certainly didn’t.

Or did she?

She thought back. All the shouts and threats and raised fists… Yet no one had ever caught up with her or any member of her gang. She could wear a cloak that didn’t do very much to conceal her identity, and still no one reported her. Well, perhaps that last captive she’d tried to sell. She never told her friends, but she’d had to let the man go. Just as she’d ultimately done with Moe.

That explains so much. She’d been making money selling captives, but the supply had dried up when the buyers stopped buying.

“Pelarus must’ve gotten to my buyers,” she mused. “That’s why they stopped paying for captives. Then the Nedwuts started chasing us. I always wondered why they were willing to accept bribes. They were probably told to do that in order to starve me into submitting to Pelarus.” She looked at Moe. “And then you came along and he really got desperate. You were right. He knew you were a threat. That is, if I truly accept that Pelarus wants me as his concubine. Seems like an awful lot of trouble for one woman.”

“One very special, beautiful, talented woman.” Taking her hand, Moe raised it to his lips. Sparks of desire skimmed over her skin, then dove deep inside her, lightly caressing her heart before landing squarely in her core. “Oh, yeah. You’re worth the trouble. Even if all he had to do was give orders to his henchmen. You’re worth that and much, much more.”

Chapter 11

The trouble with spearheading a revolution was that you couldn’t simply overthrow the government and kiss the place goodbye. If you succeeded and survived, you were required to hang around for the aftermath. And Klara wanted to leave Haedus Nine. Desperately.

Even though it was the only home she’d