Fugitive (33 page)

   "She has been very distraught since you left," said Dwell. "She has done many paintings since then. Nearly all of them were of you."

   Manx knew that he'd done the same thing himself, except the pictures he painted of Drusilla were etched in his mind. He would not have forgotten her easily.

   "Well, she wouldn't have left all of her things here if she was going back to Earth," Manx decided. "And she didn't appear to have been taken by force?"

   "No," Dwell replied. "But if you wish more informa tion, I believe they talked with the eltran."

   "I'll bet that was interesting," Manx said with a wry smile.

   Klog hummed in from the kitchen and beeped twice before handing Manx a sandwich and a glass of juice.

   "Klog believes you are hungry," Dwell reported.

   "He's right about that," Manx declared. "I've been trying to get here so fast I haven't stopped to eat much other than a little fruit I found along the way." Taking the food, he then headed down to the lake, knowing that someone else was probably hungry too.

   Calling out for the eltran, Manx waited by the shore, chewing thoughtfully on his sandwich. If Drusilla had gone willingly, but hadn't taken her belongings, then that must mean she intended to return. In that case, Manx could just sit tight and wait for her, but the scent that still hung in the air was very compelling. It had to be there for a reason.

"Well, look who decided to come back," Zef taunted.

   "Don't start, Zef," Manx warned. "You know very well why I had to leave. I always told you if I ever got a whiff of Nedwut, it would be the last you saw of me."

   "Yeah, you did say that," said Zef. "I just didn't think you'd do it. 'Specially with Drusilla around."

   Manx's eyes narrowed. "You know exactly why I left."

   "Yeah, Drusilla pretty much figured it out too. Said you were being noble and heroic. Load of weddle crap if you ask me."

   "Really? She said that?"

   Zef rolled his eyes. "Can you
really
hear her saying shit like that?"

   "Well, no, but—"

   "She said there was nothing heroic about a dead hero and she didn't really want to live without you."

   "Now
that
I can believe," said Manx. "So who was here? Dwell said it was a Terran woman and two Zetithian men."

   "Yeah. Jack, Cat, and Leo," Zef replied. "The one called Cat looks a lot like you."

   Manx knew there was at least one possible survivor who resembled him. "What color were his eyes?"

   "Black," Zef replied. "That was what threw me off. That and the scar on his cheek."

   Zef had never seen Manx smile with such delight. "Cark!" he exclaimed. "It has to be him!"

   "Well, they did say they were looking for a friend of theirs," Zef said gruffly. "Wasn't sure I believed them, but you say you know each other?"

   "Haven't seen him since we were captured," said Manx, "but if it's Cark, yeah, I know him. The other one was who?"

   "Leo," Zef replied. "Had long, golden-brown hair and gold eyes." Zef looked mischievously up at his friend. "Lot better looking than you."

   Not bothering to rise to the bait, Manx said firmly, "It must be Leccarian." Taking a deep breath, he added, "I've got to get going, Zef. If they take Drusilla and leave this planet without me…"

   "Now hold on a minute," Zef said. "She had a visit from someone else while you were gone. Pretty woman with the most incredible tits—"

   "I'm sure she was lovely, but—"

   "Lovely?" Zef echoed. "Hell's bells! She was the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen! Glowing blue eyes, long dark hair, wearing nothing but a few animal skins, and, well, no offense, Manx—I mean, I know you like her and all—but she made Drusilla look fuckin' plain!"

   "I'm really not interested—" Manx began.

   "Oh, no?" Zef cackled. "Well, I think she might have been interested in
you.
Drusilla acted like she didn't want to tell her anything, and she was out here for a pretty stupid reason. That Baradan kid, Roger, brought her, but she was already looking for the place; said she was curious to meet the other offworlder. Now, that sounded pretty flimsy to me, and Drusilla thought so too. Then she said her sister had been attacked by that wildcat and she was hunting it—but she only said that later. Now, she looked like she could probably take it on and win the fight, but she also asked if Drusilla knew of any other offworlders even after Drusilla told her the wildcat was dead."

   "You mean you think she was looking for me?"

   "Yeah, I think she was looking for you, and Roger seemed to know something about you too. I know you've tried to avoid them, but have any of the Baradans ever seen you?"

   "Once," Manx admitted. "Right after I first arrived. I wasn't sure he spotted me, but obviously he did."

   "Well, Drusilla shut him up pretty quick, but then they got to talking about fuuslak juice and Roger took her off to see about getting some plants to take back to her homeworld."

   Manx just shook his head and thought for a moment, still trying to remember a woman in his past that fit that description, and couldn't come up with one. "Did she say where she was from?"

   "Statzeel," Zef replied.

   "Never heard of it," Manx said. "And I know I've never been there."

   "She didn't say much about it except that the men were really nasty and most of the planet was jungle, like this one."

   "But why would she be looking for me?"

   "Damned if I know," Zef said gruffly, "but when Drusilla left here with those friends of yours, I spotted her up there in the trees," he said with a nod toward the house. "She was right behind them. You be careful."

   "I will," said Manx.

   Zef was nothing if not a realist. Manx might have returned to the lake, but Zef knew their friendship was drawing to an end. "No time to fish?"

"No time to fish."

"Damn. I knew you'd say that."

   "If all goes well, I'll be back soon and I'll catch as many as you can eat."

   "Don't believe it," said Zef.

   "What, you don't think I can catch them?"

   "No," said Zef. "Aren't that many fish in the whole fuckin' lake."

   Manx grinned and began to turn toward the house, but movement on the far side of the lake caught his eye. Manx should have smelled their stench long before he could see them, but his senses were filled with Drusilla's scent and the wind was against him this time. He was standing on the open beach as a band of Nedwuts emerged from the jungle on the opposite shore.

***

It took Veluka two days to reach Barada Seven, but considerably less time to locate his quarry.

   "Veluka, you scaly old rascal!" Jack exclaimed as he approached. "How'd it go?"

   "Perfectly," Veluka replied. "They have landed in a clearing deep in the jungle and are headed this way. They should be here any time now. Here's the tracking module for the homing beacon."

   Jack stowed the device in a zippered compartment in her flight suit before tossing Veluka a bag of credits. "I put a few extra in there to keep you quiet."

   "Quiet?" Veluka said with a blank expression on his angular face. His pupils had constricted to pinpoint size, making his eyes seem completely white. "Me? Quiet? Never!"

   Jack scowled at him. "You can tell anyone else you like, just don't tell Cat. I don't think he likes it when I set them up."

   "Nedwuts, you mean?"

   "Of course I mean Nedwuts! Although, this time I'll be leaving some of them alive to question. Hell, maybe I'll leave
all
of them alive if it'll get them to talk. I want to find out who's offering the bounty and put an end to this crap once and for all."

   "Good luck," Veluka said. "But I don't think they'll tell you."

   "They already know I shoot Nedwuts on sight," Jack pointed out. "Shouldn't be too hard to convince, especially if I blast their ship and strand them here. The Baradans don't seem to care for them. Might ship them back to their own scuzzy little planet if we're lucky."

   "You would have made some serious enemies."

   "I've already made some serious enemies," Jack retorted.

   "Good thing I'm not one of them," Veluka said with a grin that revealed nearly all of his pointed black teeth.

   "That's only because no one's ever made it worth your while."

   Veluka chuckled softly, ruffling his scales. He had no intention of ever crossing Jack Tshevnoe. Getting on her bad side might not get you killed, but it was guaranteed to make life difficult. Jack had some form of clout on just about every planet in the quadrant, and aside from that, she always paid for information—good information, that is. Selling her bad information was tantamount to committing financial suicide. "Just don't let Klarkunk find out I had anything to do with tagging a beacon on him and there'll be no danger of that."

Jack grinned. "You know I never reveal my sources."

   "Don't start now." The wily Nerik peered at her closely. "So, Jack, what will you do with yourself when you no longer have a reason to hunt Nedwuts?"

   "Hunt them?" Jack echoed. "Since when have I ever had to hunt them? They swarm around Zetithians like fruit flies on a rotten banana! I could just sit here and wait for the whole stinkin' lot of them to come after us and then pick them off one by one, but that would cramp my style too much."

   "Can't have that, now, can we?" Veluka said. "Your 'style' has earned me quite a number of credits."

   "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours?" Jack ventured.

   Veluka had never heard the expression before, but its meaning was clear. "Now you owe me one," he said with a nod.

   "Uh, no, I think we're square," Jack said affably. "Just count those credits if you don't believe me."

   "Oh, I will," Veluka said smoothly. "You may be certain of that."

   "Count them
now,"
said Jack.

   There was no mistaking her tone. Jack was not one to be jerked around. Veluka sighed and tried to appear innocent, which was difficult for a being as inherently disreputable-looking as a Nerik. "You don't trust me?"

   "I trust you to come back in a few months telling me I'd shorted you and asking for another favor," Jack said with a snort. "It never ceases to amaze me the way you insist on taking one simple deal and milking it forever."

   "Very well," said Veluka. He poured the credits into his hand. All the agreement called for were present, plus an extra twenty. "Okay, Jack," he said sadly. "We're square."

   "Good, now get going before the Nedwuts see you."

   "I am already gone," Veluka said with a bow. "Until our paths cross once again."

   "See ya," said Jack.

   Veluka went back to his ship knowing that Jack had somehow managed to get the best of him once again. He wouldn't mention this to his cronies; after all, he needed to keep his reputation intact. Unfortunately, he kept forgetting that Jack had her own reputation to protect as well.

Chapter 18

REALIZING THEY'D BEEN SEEN, THE NEDWUT PADK FIRED several shots, but all of them fell short. Manx whipped out his pistol and fired a wide stun beam in their direc tion as he sprinted across the sand to the cover of the house. Once inside the beach room, he weighed his options briefly. He knew he could hold off against them for a while, but not forever.

   "Dwell!" Manx whispered urgently. "Can you call out on that comlink?"

   "Yes," replied Dwell. "I am capable of that."

   "Then do it! I don't care who you tell, but let someone know the Nedwuts are back and they've got weapons!"

   "I will inform Lester," Dwell said.

   Though Manx had never actually met Lester, he'd seen him around often enough to feel as though he had, and somehow he didn't strike Manx as the best person to notify. He knew from talking to Zef that weapons were virtually unheard of on Barada, which meant that the Nedwuts had to be flouting some kind of law. Manx couldn't begin to imagine what the gentle Baradans could do against something as ruthless as a band of Nedwuts, but there weren't many other options. "Don't know how he'll stop them, but maybe he's got backup or can at least tell Cark and Lec."

   Peering around the corner, Manx saw that his shot had scattered the Nedwuts, who were now hurrying to circle the lake. The lake wasn't as wide at that point, so Manx tried a narrower beam, which actually hit one of them. Fortunately, it was the one in the lead and as he fell into a crumpled heap on the beach, two of the others tripped and fell over him. Manx got off a few more shots as the remaining thugs scrambled to their feet and made for the cover of the trees.

***

Drusilla simply couldn't stand it anymore. She pulled on her shorts and top and ran right past the men sitting around the table in the galley and left the ship, fully intending to run all the way back to the lake house, when Jack pulled her up short as she burst out of the open hatch.

   "Whoa there, girl! Where do you think you're going?"

   Drusilla's breath was short, as though she'd already run all the way to the house. "Got to find Manx!" she panted.

   "You see now why I won't let you use that potion on anyone?" Tisana blurted out. "It makes people abso lutely sex-crazed!"

   "Maybe you gave her too much," suggested Jack.

   "I did not," Tisana said. Her tone was ominous, and her fiery green eyes sparkled with indignation.

   "Whoa, now!" Jack said soothingly, holding up a placating hand. "No need to get your panties in a wad and start shooting fireballs at me. You can save them for the Nedwuts."

   "Nedwuts?" Tisana echoed, her eyes swiftly scanning the perimeter of the clearing. "Where?"

   "Uh, anywhere," Jack replied, trying not to sound too evasive. "You know how they always seem to show up wherever we go."

   Tisana wasn't fooled for a moment. "Are you saying some of them are here?"

   "I'm afraid so," Jack began. "They didn't get Manx when they were here legally, and I just got word that they've landed on the northeast side of the lake. There's a clearing there just big enough for their ship. I was really hoping Manx would get here before they did, but they were a lot quicker than I thought they'd be."