closer to that towering height
and massive build. Him he looked over very carefully.
“He is still armed,” the
big man said, his gold eyes turning to Tolan Lark with a snide smile. “I take
it he did not know he was headed for the games until quite recently?”
Tolan shrugged. “He will
figure it out when he wakes up.”
The Brutan laughed, but
not like it was funny, and finally turned assessing eyes to the rest of the
ship. “Tell me, flesh trader, what is to keep us from taking the entire ship,
instead of the one man?”
Tolan Lark smiled, and it
was a hard smile, making the man look him over more carefully. Lara noticed
that his Shakien eyes were once again tucked out of sight. Only true blue in
that dusky skinned face. “I am not foolish enough to disable my passcode or my
failsafe before allowing strangers on my ship.”
“I take it that your
failsafe is explosive?”
“Let’s just say you will
need to find another line of work, once I blow a hole in your satellite wide
enough to kill everyone on board,” he shrugged, his eyes looking as solid as
the steel in his words. “But then you will be dead, won’t you? No employment
search needed.”
The Brutan laughed that
brutal laugh again, and then turned his eyes to one of the Gorson. “Check it,”
he said shortly. Then turned his eyes to Lara, who was doing her best to stand
utterly still in a house of calm she had built brick by brick in the last few
minutes. He looked her up and down and then smiled with a certain heat that
she did not appreciate. “Who is the girl?”
“Alternative cargo. She
has another destination.”
The Brutan sent Tolan
Lark a disgusted look. “Was that supposed to be informative?”
“Not particularly,” he
said back just as grim. She heard the slight growl in his voice but when she
looked at him, he was still sporting the blue eyes that passed for human. “She
is my business, and as you can see not for the death games in either fighter or
pleasure worker capacity. She is too soft. She would not survive either
position long enough to earn her beauty price.”
The Brutan snorted, but
seemed to agree as he looked her over once more and then dismissed her. “A
shame she is not a little heartier of stock. However, you are right. She
would be broken in a week as a pleasure slave.” Nevertheless, he watched her
just the same while his man reported in Gorson that the ship was indeed
passcoded and rigged to blow in spectacular fashion. And no, they could not
break the code. The Brutan snorted and then finally turned from her to look at
Tolan Lark again. “You were sent here so you know what we pay for fodder for
the games.” He kicked Barnos in the ribs almost lightly. “This one is human
and will do for dying and little else.”
“I think there you are
mistaken,” Tolan said almost mildly. “He is of hardy stock. This is pirate Captain
Barnos formerly of The Mercury . Even you must be familiar with his
reputation.”
The Brutan looked Barnos
over more carefully, and then motioned to one of his men. “Disarm him. Now!”
Lara blinked at the
sudden flurry of charged action. Now the Brutan was not kicking the prone form
but looked like a python had suddenly appeared by his boot. Did Barnos
really have that kind of reputation? It made her wonder who she had been
kissing that these men feared him.
Then the Brutan turned to
her with eyes more assessing. “You say she has another destination, but I am
aware of Barnos’ reputation. No way a woman that beautiful is on this ship and
doesn’t belong to Barnos.” He turned shrewd eyes to Tolan Lark. “Let me
guess, she belongs to him and you want her for yourself.” He did not let Tolan
answer, just shook his head. “A sad tale that. To betray a man for soft tail.”
“We were discussing price,
not the woman. Let us return to the point shall we?”
The Brutan looked from
Tolan to
and massive build. Him he looked over very carefully.
“He is still armed,” the
big man said, his gold eyes turning to Tolan Lark with a snide smile. “I take
it he did not know he was headed for the games until quite recently?”
Tolan shrugged. “He will
figure it out when he wakes up.”
The Brutan laughed, but
not like it was funny, and finally turned assessing eyes to the rest of the
ship. “Tell me, flesh trader, what is to keep us from taking the entire ship,
instead of the one man?”
Tolan Lark smiled, and it
was a hard smile, making the man look him over more carefully. Lara noticed
that his Shakien eyes were once again tucked out of sight. Only true blue in
that dusky skinned face. “I am not foolish enough to disable my passcode or my
failsafe before allowing strangers on my ship.”
“I take it that your
failsafe is explosive?”
“Let’s just say you will
need to find another line of work, once I blow a hole in your satellite wide
enough to kill everyone on board,” he shrugged, his eyes looking as solid as
the steel in his words. “But then you will be dead, won’t you? No employment
search needed.”
The Brutan laughed that
brutal laugh again, and then turned his eyes to one of the Gorson. “Check it,”
he said shortly. Then turned his eyes to Lara, who was doing her best to stand
utterly still in a house of calm she had built brick by brick in the last few
minutes. He looked her up and down and then smiled with a certain heat that
she did not appreciate. “Who is the girl?”
“Alternative cargo. She
has another destination.”
The Brutan sent Tolan
Lark a disgusted look. “Was that supposed to be informative?”
“Not particularly,” he
said back just as grim. She heard the slight growl in his voice but when she
looked at him, he was still sporting the blue eyes that passed for human. “She
is my business, and as you can see not for the death games in either fighter or
pleasure worker capacity. She is too soft. She would not survive either
position long enough to earn her beauty price.”
The Brutan snorted, but
seemed to agree as he looked her over once more and then dismissed her. “A
shame she is not a little heartier of stock. However, you are right. She
would be broken in a week as a pleasure slave.” Nevertheless, he watched her
just the same while his man reported in Gorson that the ship was indeed
passcoded and rigged to blow in spectacular fashion. And no, they could not
break the code. The Brutan snorted and then finally turned from her to look at
Tolan Lark again. “You were sent here so you know what we pay for fodder for
the games.” He kicked Barnos in the ribs almost lightly. “This one is human
and will do for dying and little else.”
“I think there you are
mistaken,” Tolan said almost mildly. “He is of hardy stock. This is pirate Captain
Barnos formerly of The Mercury . Even you must be familiar with his
reputation.”
The Brutan looked Barnos
over more carefully, and then motioned to one of his men. “Disarm him. Now!”
Lara blinked at the
sudden flurry of charged action. Now the Brutan was not kicking the prone form
but looked like a python had suddenly appeared by his boot. Did Barnos
really have that kind of reputation? It made her wonder who she had been
kissing that these men feared him.
Then the Brutan turned to
her with eyes more assessing. “You say she has another destination, but I am
aware of Barnos’ reputation. No way a woman that beautiful is on this ship and
doesn’t belong to Barnos.” He turned shrewd eyes to Tolan Lark. “Let me
guess, she belongs to him and you want her for yourself.” He did not let Tolan
answer, just shook his head. “A sad tale that. To betray a man for soft tail.”
“We were discussing price,
not the woman. Let us return to the point shall we?”
The Brutan looked from
Tolan to
Similar Books
