Captive - Cheryl Brooks Page 0,5
grin. “Gladiator prospect.”
Moe nearly choked on his own spit. “Gladiator? Seriously? I’m not that good a fighter.”
“You took on a Herp with your bare hands. I liked your spirit. Could’ve made a bundle on you. Still can.”
“As a gladiator?”
“No. As a gladiator slave.”
Moe’s anger ignited once again. “Shit. We just can’t seem to get away from that crap. I am not about to be anyone’s slave. Not yours or anyone you might try to sell me to. Your best bet is to let me go because, trust me, I’ll cause you nothing but trouble.”
“Not if you’re unconscious.”
“True, but you can’t keep me knocked out all the time. Gladiators have to be awake in order to fight.” Unless, of course, the goal was to lose.
She shrugged with infuriating nonchalance. “Once you’ve been thrown into the arena, you won’t have any choice. You’ll either have to fight or die.”
That made some sense, until he recalled his current position. “What the devil am I thinking? I’m the one holding the gun, and I have no qualms about shooting you.”
Her eyes widened in apparent dismay. “And taking me captive?”
“Why in the world would I want to do that?”
“To take me to my father?” she suggested.
“Nah. He’s gone this long without ever meeting you; he can just keep on going.”
“No sympathy for a helpless orphan?”
Judging from her tone, she didn’t expect any, but figured she might as well play that card as not. However, Moe wasn’t buying it.
“Your mother’s dead too, huh? Still doesn’t matter. You seem to be perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. Besides, I don’t particularly like you. For all I care, you can stay on this disgusting planet until you rot.”
“You aren’t being very nice.”
He glared at her, outraged at her audacity. “Can you blame me? I was already pissed enough to punch a full-grown Herp, and being stunned and tied up in a cell hasn’t improved my mood.”
“You’ll never get past my gang,” she warned.
Moe couldn’t help but laugh. “With a gun to your head?”
She appeared to consider this for a moment, then shook her head. “They’re fairly resourceful. I’m sure they can stop you, even if they have to stun both of us to do it.”
Yet another good point.
“Yes, but I know a Nedwut pistol when I see one. It has a kill setting on it. If I have to use it, I will.”
Moe had never killed anyone in his entire life, and he didn’t relish having to do it now. Especially not Trag’s daughter.
Then he realized he had a pretty significant carrot to dangle in front of her. “What if I told you there was a trust fund for surviving Zetithians set up with Rutger Grekkor’s assets and that you were entitled to a share?”
“How much?” She was nothing if not direct. Yet another trait she shared with her father.
“I couldn’t say exactly,” he replied. “But I bought a starship with my share. If you play nice, I can give you a ride to Terra Minor to claim yours.”
The wheels were definitely turning in her head. “Would it be enough to pay off the Nedwuts? For good?”
Along with being as tough as she apparently was, she must’ve been too stupid to live. “Let me see if I can say this in a way you’ll understand. There is no bounty being paid on Zetithians. Rutger Grekkor is dead. There is no money left to pay Nedwut bounty hunters. It’s all in the trust fund.”
“I’ve been blasting Nedwuts since I was old enough to lift a weapon, which is why there’s still a price on my head.” She smiled without a trace of mirth. “Those bastards killed my brothers—and my mother, although that came later. I figure it’s the least I can do, and no one in the entire galaxy will accuse me of murder.”
She was right about that. While not everyone shot Nedwuts on sight, his own mother had wiped out a fair number. Although that was when the bounty was still being paid. “You’re saying the Nedwuts have offered a reward for you?”
“That’s right. Why do you think I wear a hooded robe?” She paused, frowning. “I think they may have gotten wise to this disguise, though. I made the mistake of trying to sell my last captive to the president of the prize fighters’ guild. His offer was far too low for me to accept, but I think he recognized me and may have told the Nedwuts.”
Moe wouldn’t have thought he could be more furious than