Without a Trace by Casey White

Author:Casey White [White, Casey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781090261618
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2019-04-27T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Enteiros’s words were like magic. The instant he spoke, his tone perfectly calm and level, my companions froze. I was no different. My mind focused in on the little scene, relinquishing control over my body that lay still and quiet on the bed to take complete hold of the nalitokk ship. The systems responded eagerly, rising at my call.

In my fish-eye view of the smugglers, I could see the consoles springing to life behind them. Lights flicked on, spreading across the wall in a sheer wave as the ship’s systems came online - as did the conduits that powered the consoles. If things went badly, as things seemed to be going, then I had to be able to do something. Venting my friends into space wasn’t an option, so I’d have to make do with what weapons I could find.

“Now, why would you bring up something like that, at a time like this?” Kess said, her back straightening as she glared at the smuggler. “It’s none of your business.”

“And don’t call us slaves,” An’air said, his golden eyes flashing.

Enteiros spread his arms out to either side disarmingly. “We are merely being safe. Something like this is unheard of, yes?”

“Not good enough,” Kess snapped. Her tail lashed from side to side.

I had the controls at my mental fingertips - the switch that would overload the relay under the smuggler’s feet, the coolant that could be breached to send plumes of frigid gas across the compartment. The lights turned on one after another, casting a dim glow over the scene.

Saro’s eyes flicked over to the panels on the wall. He pursed his lips, his normally-round face wrinkling with the unhappy expression.

The grey-skinned alien shifted, making an irritated noise. “This is not our concern. We see you here, on a nalitokk ship, wearing collars like nalitokk slaves, trying to sell us nalitokk goods. Suspicion is natural, yes?”

“You think it’s a trap?” Idjim said, taking a step back. “But- we don’t gain anything like that. We want to sell it. We wouldn’t- how could you think we’d-”

“There is a story here,” Enteiros said, his tone entirely unconcerned. “We would like to hear it, so that we may understand who we are dealing with.”

“There’s no time,” Kess snapped. “We don’t think anyone’s following, but do you want to sit around and find out? We gave you a damn tour. Now let’s-”

“Let’s all take this down a few notches, yes?” Saro said, his voice cutting across the building argument like a whip. The others froze. He sighed. “There’s no reason for us to escalate things. This was why I told you the situation, merchant. So that there would be a bit of openness between us.”

“We are merely-”

“We left the nalitokk,” Saro said, his eyes fixed on Enteiros. “They weren’t very happy about that - but we gave them the slip. We think. We’re not sure, so how about we just get this over with?”

A low, rattling laugh slipped across the compartment. “Your crew are very jumpy, are they not?”

An’air’s plumage ruffled angrily.

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