[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

mark on the bag was going to make this one a challenge.
With an impish grin and an elegant shrug, Aidan decided to cut to the inevitable finish
by throwing the first punch, artfully grabbing the purse back as the big man reeled from the
unexpected attack. Like wildfire, fighting burst out in all directions and spread throughout
the entire bar.
Aidan landed several punches, and took at least two solid, bruising hits to his left jaw
before purposefully dropping to the floor. He wormed his way through the jungle of flailing
legs to prop himself up in a quieter corner of the room. Along the way, he liberated his
earlier companion s pipe, a handful of roasted meats, and a few more credits, pacifying his
blatant tendency toward kleptomania. Despite his drunken state, he was still very good at
picking pockets.
The pirate relaxed against the wall and marveled at the sight before him.
 Never knew I had such a bloody wonderful imagination. I be a right clever bloke, if I
says so meself. He patted at his aching left jaw.  Feels so bloody real.
Drunk on alien grog, smoking the remains of a hallucinogen, and heavy with the ill-
gotten gains of his pickpocketing, the sated pirate watched the colorful brawl continue,
happy for the first time since waking up in this dream.
* * * * *
The moment he entered his suite, Talos knew something was out of place. The air felt
dead and the rich scent of the young human was barely present. Talos sniffed the air and
strode directly to the empty bedroom.
Grabbing the discarded, open manacles off the bed, he yanked them forcefully between
his hands, ripping the ancient iron chains apart.
 Why you devious, little SOB. Barlow doesn t deserve you. He tossed the cuffs into a
corner and snorted, part frustration and part admiration.  You are goddamned amazing.
Details of the Hunt 39
Stupid, but amazing. His personal feeling for the pirate grew, adding admiration and
amusement to his lust and desire.
Moving to the living area, Talos activated the commlink. Webb appeared on his screen.
The commander arched his eyebrows and put down the handheld display he was
reading.  Talos. I m surprised. I thought you d be asleep by now. He frowned and hunched
closer to the viewer.  Is there a problem?
 Yes, there s a problem, Marius. My cargo s done a clean sneak. The Oracan scowled at
the screen, his words escaping past clenched jaws. His tone could be considered civilized
only because he wasn t using the raw, small bones in the back of his throat that turned his
voice into a grating roar.  I m betting he ll head for the nearest dive.
 Wouldn t he try to make it to one of the flight bays? Steal a ship?
 Hell, no. He can t pilot a ship unless it s in water. Talos huffed and rolled his eyes.
Humans could be so dense.
Marius looked like he was resisting the urge to do the same.  He doesn t have any ID or
credits. How much trouble can he get into?
 He s a pirate, for Christ s sake. He s a dip, a pickpocket, a thief. Talos s voice
threatened to convert back to a roar, his R s trilling and his pitch dropping three registers
again.  He doesn t need any of his own. By now he probably has half the credits on the
station in his pockets.
 All right, all right. Webb hesitated, looking away as a light flashed off to his right on
a security panel.  There s a disturbance call coming in from a bar in the lower end of the
entertainment sector. Ten credits says it s your missing pirate.
Talos blew out a deep breath and rubbed a hand over his chest to calm down and focus.
 I don t take sucker bets.
 Good policy. Let s hope your precious pirate is still in one piece.
 You should be more worried about your station. He ll be fine. At least until I get my
mitts on him.
Removing his weapon from the desk drawer and attaching it to his belt, Marius pressed
a button on his desktop.  I don t want to know about it, now or later. And if he s going to be
running around the station, he ll have to be run through the sickbay. I know you
decontaminated him, but this is for his sake. Tapping a communications band strapped to
his wrist, Marius added,  I ll alert a team to meet us. See you in three.
After punching off the link with more enthusiasm than necessary, Talos opened a
recessed panel in the wall and removed another sidearm and holster. He d be damned if he
was going to lose his mangy little nance to a drunken brawl on some fucking, dreary outpost
named Pathos.
* * * * *
40 Laura Baumbach
Outside the Pink Tentacle, Marius and Talos were greeted by breaking glass and shouts
of profanity in a number of different languages. The security men accompanying Marius
waded into the free-for-all. Marius followed his men, but Talos hung back, sniffing the air.
Pinpointing his quarry, the hunter skirted the perimeter of the shattered room.
Scenting the air every few paces, he fended off assaults as easily as if they were pestering flies
instead of deadly attacks. When he reached one far corner of the room, he bent down and
peered under one of the few tables left standing. Reaching under the table, he snagged a
familiar boot and dragged the attached body clear of its hiding place.
A drunken smile beamed up at him from a sea of black hair that was dotted with
pinpoints of color as light reflected off the glass beads woven on the underside of Maymon s
braids.
Talos allowed the human to scan his immediate surroundings for a moment before
stepping into the light. The same startled expression he had seen underwater returned to the
young man s dark eyes. Instead, Maymon tilted his head back and gave Talos a thoughtful,
speculative look. He smiled, pipe in one hand, and a drink in the other. His speech was
heavily slurred, but he managed to croak out a greeting of sorts.
 Eh? There you be. Me own fine God of a sea creature. Was wondering where you
were. I ask you, guv, what good s a dream if you can t bloody well make it do what you
bloody want?
Sighing, Talos pulled the pirate upright and Maymon leaned heavily against him.
Stroking a hand down Talos s broad chest, the pirate inadvertently rubbed over the Oracan s
cartilage nubs. A small burst of warmth blossomed behind Talos s sternum, dampening his
anger and making him gasp at the unexpected contact. The pirate didn t know what his
touch was doing, but the soothing gesture impacted the hunter.  What the hell do you think
you re doing, you conniving little shit? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]