frustration. Good. I wanted him relaxed and friendly.
“Sounds like you know your stuff. I take it you were created for botany?”
“For all the life sciences, but botany is my favorite.” He was still studying the flower.
I nodded. “It’s obvious. Dynatec must be happy with their investment.”
He glanced at me, and then returned the probe to his pocket. “Dynatec didn’t commission my creation. A small drug company in the Cygnus sector was my original indenture holder.”
“Isn’t that unusual?” I arched a brow. “For them to sell your indenture, I mean. They must have invested a lot of time and money in you.”
“I guess Frisk made it worth their while.”
A surge of horror washed over me at his statement and I forgot his reluctance to speak candidly. “Frisk bought your indenture, not Dynatec?”
His gaze turned wary and he took another quick look over his shoulder. “That’s right.”
I could barely breathe. According to my records, Redfield was very young, only twenty cycles. He’d been out of the crèche five cycles, and most of that time had probably been spent in the rarefied atmosphere of a research and development unit. There was no way he could have been prepared for someone like Frisk.
It also introduced yet another problem. Where in the thirteen hells had Frisk gotten enough credit to buy an indenture? Dynatec paid its captains well, but even with frequent bonuses, it didn’t pay that much.
“Listen to me, Redfield.” I gripped his arm, my voice low and urgent. “It’s no secret how Frisk feels about GEPs. But there are laws to protect you, even from your indenture holder. He can’t force you to commit any illegal acts, and he can’t touch you physically. If he’s tried, I can help you. You don’t have to put up with his perversions.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He struggled to get away from me, but I hung on. The contact allowed me clearer reception of his emotions, and he was on the verge of a full-blown panic, which seemed to be focused on the section of jungle he’d kept glancing at.
“Don’t you?” I knew my fingers were digging into his arm, but I had to get through to him somehow. “A Buri is missing, and several of the males have scars from laser burns. Are you going to tell me you don’t know how they got them?”
With a spurt of adrenaline, he wrenched his arm from my grasp, shoving me back so that I had to fight to keep my balance. His eyes were wild, and his hand hovered over his laser.
Around us, the three Buri guards sprang into action, lifting their spears to shoulder level, the deadly tips aimed at Redfield’s chest. Before I could move to stop them, a roar of rage split the jungle, halting the other noises as though someone had turned off a switch. Without quite knowing how he got there, I saw that Thor was now positioned between Redfield and me. And he didn’t look happy. His fists were clenched at his side, and a low, continuous growl rumbled in his chest as he advanced.
It was enough to send Redfield over the edge. He backed away hurriedly, nearly tripping over his own feet as he yanked the laser from his utility belt. “It wasn’t our fault! They attacked us. We had to protect ourselves!”
I peered around Thor’s arm, my mind spinning with this new information. Maybe I hadn’t been around them long, but I knew the Buri wouldn’t have attacked men armed with lasers without a damn good reason. “Why did they attack you?”
“I don’t know, they just did.” All the blood had drained from his face, leaving his skin pale and clammy with sweat.
He was lying. I could feel the deceit oozing in his veins like blood. But there was something else there with it. Guilt. Self-disgust. And fear, always the fear.
But again the fear wasn’t toward me or the Buri, which left me with only one conclusion.
I grabbed Thor’s arm and hung on, forcing him to stop while I stepped up beside him. “Redfield, you don’t have
“Sounds like you know your stuff. I take it you were created for botany?”
“For all the life sciences, but botany is my favorite.” He was still studying the flower.
I nodded. “It’s obvious. Dynatec must be happy with their investment.”
He glanced at me, and then returned the probe to his pocket. “Dynatec didn’t commission my creation. A small drug company in the Cygnus sector was my original indenture holder.”
“Isn’t that unusual?” I arched a brow. “For them to sell your indenture, I mean. They must have invested a lot of time and money in you.”
“I guess Frisk made it worth their while.”
A surge of horror washed over me at his statement and I forgot his reluctance to speak candidly. “Frisk bought your indenture, not Dynatec?”
His gaze turned wary and he took another quick look over his shoulder. “That’s right.”
I could barely breathe. According to my records, Redfield was very young, only twenty cycles. He’d been out of the crèche five cycles, and most of that time had probably been spent in the rarefied atmosphere of a research and development unit. There was no way he could have been prepared for someone like Frisk.
It also introduced yet another problem. Where in the thirteen hells had Frisk gotten enough credit to buy an indenture? Dynatec paid its captains well, but even with frequent bonuses, it didn’t pay that much.
“Listen to me, Redfield.” I gripped his arm, my voice low and urgent. “It’s no secret how Frisk feels about GEPs. But there are laws to protect you, even from your indenture holder. He can’t force you to commit any illegal acts, and he can’t touch you physically. If he’s tried, I can help you. You don’t have to put up with his perversions.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He struggled to get away from me, but I hung on. The contact allowed me clearer reception of his emotions, and he was on the verge of a full-blown panic, which seemed to be focused on the section of jungle he’d kept glancing at.
“Don’t you?” I knew my fingers were digging into his arm, but I had to get through to him somehow. “A Buri is missing, and several of the males have scars from laser burns. Are you going to tell me you don’t know how they got them?”
With a spurt of adrenaline, he wrenched his arm from my grasp, shoving me back so that I had to fight to keep my balance. His eyes were wild, and his hand hovered over his laser.
Around us, the three Buri guards sprang into action, lifting their spears to shoulder level, the deadly tips aimed at Redfield’s chest. Before I could move to stop them, a roar of rage split the jungle, halting the other noises as though someone had turned off a switch. Without quite knowing how he got there, I saw that Thor was now positioned between Redfield and me. And he didn’t look happy. His fists were clenched at his side, and a low, continuous growl rumbled in his chest as he advanced.
It was enough to send Redfield over the edge. He backed away hurriedly, nearly tripping over his own feet as he yanked the laser from his utility belt. “It wasn’t our fault! They attacked us. We had to protect ourselves!”
I peered around Thor’s arm, my mind spinning with this new information. Maybe I hadn’t been around them long, but I knew the Buri wouldn’t have attacked men armed with lasers without a damn good reason. “Why did they attack you?”
“I don’t know, they just did.” All the blood had drained from his face, leaving his skin pale and clammy with sweat.
He was lying. I could feel the deceit oozing in his veins like blood. But there was something else there with it. Guilt. Self-disgust. And fear, always the fear.
But again the fear wasn’t toward me or the Buri, which left me with only one conclusion.
I grabbed Thor’s arm and hung on, forcing him to stop while I stepped up beside him. “Redfield, you don’t have