to project confidence, she stood as tall as she could despite the stomach cramps. “Thank you, but no. I’m meeting some friends.”
“We can be your friends,” another man insisted and stepped closer.
“I’m not interested in new friends.”
“You hungry? We just killed us a bear! Might fine eatin’ if you’re interested.”
“I don’t eat bear meat,” she said, eyeing the men slowly moving into positions around her. Like all skin traders, they had their tactics down pat. “You shouldn’t either unless you plan to cook it a long time.”
The leader waved off her suggestion as if he weren’t the least bit worried about catching worms and dying. Instead, he said, “How about a nice, soft bearskin rug? You can sleep on it in front of our fire tonight. How’s that sound, honey?”
“Like a bad night’s sleep,” she replied and stepped around him. Another man moved into her path. She refused to let him stare her down and met his gaze. “Move!”
“Sorry, girlie, but I’m not movin’ anywhere.” He reached out with his dirty hand to touch her braided hair, and she smacked his hand away. Instead of deterring him, it seemed to excite him. He licked his grimy lips and snatched her braid, tugging hard and forcing her against his paunchy, stinking body. “I like ‘em with a little fight in ‘em!”
She tried to break free, but she was so dizzy and weak. Feeling woozy, she sagged against her attacker. All of the hopes and dreams that had been fueling her trek evaporated.
This was it. Everything she had risked, and she was going to be gang raped and probably die on this mountain. Grimly, she hoped they killed her when they were done. She couldn’t survive the life of a sex slave sold to a space brothel.
Tossed over the man’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes, she closed her eyes and tried not to get sick again. The rush of blood to her head caused a pounding headache. Slowly, she lost consciousness, feeling as though she were falling into the endless chasm of a mine.
Chapter Five
Cipher wiped the purple dust and black soot from his face with a wet disposable cloth from the pack he kept in his tactical vest. Working in the mine for the last six hours had been hot, miserable work. All of the intel had to be inventoried, placed in the chain of custody and stored away in the lock boxes for transport back to the Valiant. Everything in the mine was now covered with a thick coating of grimy, oily dust, and the ventilation system was completely blocked so the air flow was practically nonexistent.
Sweating and uncomfortable, he wondered how the hell the people who lived on this mountain could work like this day after day. Brook’s decision to risk her life to set those explosives made much more sense to him. Her entire life had been spent underground, toiling in the darkness and breathing in the irritating dust. Of course, she wanted to escape. Of course, she wanted a new life above ground with clean air and warm sunlight.
“That the last of it?” Pierce asked as he mopped at his neck.
“Last box,” Cipher confirmed. “What’s the plan when we’re done?”
“Big boom.” Pierce mimicked an explosion with his hand. “We’ll seal this up tight.” He glanced around the mostly empty room. “We probably should have kept the asset around for the final bang. She’s damn good at what she does.”
“She’s probably on her way to the colonies by now.” He grunted and picked up the last heavy box of intel. “Her rendezvous window has already come and gone.”
“She might have decided to come to the Valiant.”
“I sure as fuck hope not,” he grumbled and hefted the box out of the room.
“So, it is true,” Pierce said while following him out of the mine. “You are hot for the asset.”
“Can we not do this right now?” He glared over his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter if I’m hot or cold. She’s gone. She’s safe. It’s done.”
“You know there’s nothing wrong with feeling attraction to the girl, right?” Pierce caught up and fell into step beside him. “She’s an adult.”
“Barely,” he remarked with a grunt.
“Oh, spare me,” Pierce replied testily. “That woman has proven herself. She’s not a child. She’s not a child. She’s brave and smart. She adapts to high-stress situations. She’s resourceful. This isn’t some sheltered girl from Prime. This is a woman who has stood on her own two feet and survived. She doesn’t deserve to be