Captive Surrender (6 page)

“Why are you letting them stay together?” the Kronnen leader asked.

“To strengthen their bond.” Seeing the little alien’s surprised expression, Vol Brod laughed. “Oh, come now, Mincred. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed. Our JoJo and the Ellinod are developing a thing for each other. I want to exploit that. When I finally separate them for good and force the Ellinod to watch her being fucked by another species, that show alone will bring in at least another two or three billion customers!”

Mincred laughed, a high-pitched giggle that had to be the most annoying sound in twelve galaxies. “You are good, Vol Brod! Your mind is twisted in ways we like. So tell me, is that what’s next? Shall we bring in a new species for the JoJo?”

Turning his seat around, Vol Brod tapped the visual readout on the console. “We’re nearing the Cojuanna Taburi system. There’s a bar on the fourth moon of CT Four.”

The Kronnen nodded excitedly. “Brom Enni Taro. We know it well. There’s a small settlement there, but the bar is the biggest draw. It’s very popular with criminals and lawbreakers.”

Criminals and lawbreakers? How apropos.
Smiling, Vol Brod asked, “Think we can find a humanoid species there suitable for the JoJo?”

“I would bet my life on it!”

Good, because that’s exactly the penalty you’ll pay if you screw up.
He flashed another fake smile at the little alien. “Good! Tell your men to prepare. But remember, I must approve their selection before they bring it down, understand? I want to check it out to make sure it’s in good health and that it’s something my viewers would want to see take on the JoJo.”

“Don’t worry. My men are well trained.” He glanced at the monitor showing the cell with its crystallized walls. “Is it safe to keep them out of sight? What if they’re preparing a plan of attack?”

“Oh, they’re preparing something,” Vol Brod said. “That’s dead certain. The JoJo is too intelligent and driven not to try and devise a way out. Same goes for the Ellinod. But they also know that anything they say will be overheard, and I have the computers on the alert to let me know if they recognize any of the tags I’ve programmed into them.”

“Tags?”

“Clue sounds. Certain words that would raise a red flag.”

“What happens if the computer goes on the alert?” Mincred asked.

Vol Brod grinned broadly. “That would depend on what triggered the alarm.” He glanced back at the monitor. “Get the shuttle prepared. We should reach CT Four in less than a galactic hour.”

The Kronner leader hurried away without an acknowledgment, but it didn’t matter. Once the little alien was gone, Vol Brod turned up the volume in the hold in case the two captives said anything.

What the Kronners didn’t know about was that all it would take from him was one word, and the entire ship would explode. They would never reach Kronnaria. The little aliens would never see their home world again. The JoJo and her new Ellinod lover would vanish. Better yet, all trace of the video setup would disappear, becoming mere atoms in the void of space. There would no proof left of his involvement, and therefore no way he could be held accountable for their deaths. But before that happened, he would be inside his little escape pod and a safe distance from the detonation.

A quick check of his bank accounts verified the wealth he was accumulating. Thus far he had over two dozen accounts spread throughout thirteen solar systems. Each account was under a different name and separate ID, and he was the only one who knew the keywords and combinations to release the funds.

He checked the tiny mark inside his wrist. A chip no bigger than a grain of sand lay embedded there. All the information and verification he would need to withdraw his monies when he needed them was locked inside it.

A light went off near his elbow.
Hello. Speaking of the devil. It looks like it’s time to open another account.

A small moan caught his attention. Vol Brod turned to the monitor overlooking the cell. It took a bit of self-control not to clarify the cell walls so he could see what the two prisoners were up to. As much as he hated to admit it, he’d gotten hooked on watching the couple perform.

“Approaching Cojuanna Taburi system,” the computer announced. “Initiating standard orbit around the fourth planet as programmed.”

Within the hour the Kronners would be inside that little bar, searching for another likely candidate he would first have to approve. Once they did and had it aboard, they would resume heading for Kronnaria.

Except this ship would never make it.

Approximately six hundred thousand spacial miles lay between Cojuanna Taburi and Kronnaria. Vol Brod estimated there was enough time left for at least two more shows. Or, with luck, maybe three. He had been entertaining the thought of having his customers suggest another method of debasement. Something so degrading, it would remain in the minds of his subscribers for years.
Maybe I could put up a list of possibilities and let them vote.
There were so many to choose from. Bondage was always a favorite. As long as it dished out a lot of humiliation, he would be happy to consider it. Personally, he would love to see the JoJo suck the Ellinod’s dick down her throat.

For certain there would be two more shows and two more chances to fill the coffers. One of those shows would definitely be the separation of the JoJo and Ellinod, and watching the couple’s reactions when the new species was introduced. As for the other show…

He rubbed his cheek and smiled. He’d always heard about the nearly bestial way an Ellinod took its mate. Now he had the chance to find out if it was as entertaining and degrading as it sounded.

That’s what I’ll do. I’ll make him take her Ellinod style, and save introducing the new species for the final act. Once that’s accomplished, I’m out of here and the Kronners can kiss my rich ass goodbye. That is, if they have anything left to kiss with once I order the ship to blow itself up.

Vol Brod laughed. It was as good as done.

He rubbed her back, concentrating on her shoulders as his huge hands worked the steel-hard knots. He brushed her long hair out of the way and targeted one particularly stubborn cluster. Maurra moaned. She’d never had a massage like this, where every sore spot was soothed, every tension-filled muscle eased. She wanted to ask if this was another method of foreplay, or if he was doing it just because he wanted to.

At the thought of foreplay, she felt her vaginal muscles contract. She was already creaming as her body prepared for another session. Prepared her for him. Growing desire melted away the last shreds of sleep, and she bent forward slightly to give him easier access.

Something warm and hot nudged her buttocks. She wriggled her hips slightly, and the head of his erection slipped between them. Lifting one leg slightly enabled the head to dip past her anus and ease between the folds until it rested against her clit. Maurra shifted herself and reached down between her thighs to touch the erection. The helmet head trembled when she ran her short nails over it.

Safan vibrated his erection. Not long, not hard, but it was enough to make her catch her breath and press her lips together to keep from making another sound. If the Kronners knew what was going on inside the cell…

What would they do? Isn’t this what they were wanting us to do anyway?

Listen to her. She was actually concerned about what the Kronners thought? About what
they
wanted?

What hell is wrong with me?

A shudder interrupted any further thought. He was teasing her, easing his erection to her entrance, pressing the head almost all the way into her, then withdrawing. Coating her inner lips and thighs with her hot juices. He pushed into her again another inch…and remained there. Maurra started to glance over her shoulder at him when a warm, heavy breath blew over her skin. Slowly, Safan removed his erection, leaving her feeling strangely incomplete.

She looked back at him, but he refused to meet her stare. Maurra started to sit up when a movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention. The walls of the cells turned glassy, and like all the other times, she could see Kronners lining the outer circumference of the hold, standing just outside of vid range. Because she couldn’t use her psi powers to automatically realize the exact number, she began counting. She’d hit twenty when The Voice came from overhead.

“I hope you enjoyed your meal and nap.”

Maurra gave the ceiling a dirty look but refused to answer. “Ellinod! You are a very fine specimen for your race, do you know that? I’ve heard some very interesting stories about the way Ellinod males mate with their preferred females. Very…exciting…stories. So I’ve decided to make that your next challenge. Are you listening, Ellinod? I order you to take the JoJo and fuck her as if she’s your mate.”

Safan jumped to his feet, his massive hands curled into fists. “You cannot force mates!” The Ellinod snarled loudly. “You cannot force me to take the JoJo if she isn’t ready, and I cannot take her as a mate if we are not bonded!”

A moment of silence stretched into two. “Sooo…am I to assume you’re refusing to obey my command?” The Voice was soft and undeniably threatening.

Getting to her feet, Maurra countered, “You heard him, you Kronner ass licker. I’m not his mate. Therefore he can’t take me in that manner you’ve got a hard-on to watch.”

This was it. She had thrown down the challenge. Although she and Safan knew what most likely would happen next, they had to be prepared for it. Maurra could feel her psi powers taking notice. Carefully, she kept them covered and in the dark. Otherwise the telltale sparkle at her forehead would be a dead giveaway to the Kronners. That, and her reaction to the unimaginable pain that would follow soon after.

The Voice laughed. “When are you going to learn it’s futile to deny me? To be brutally honest, I’m getting tired of this. I’m not going to banter back and forth anymore with you. If that’s your final word—”

“This is coming to a halt. All of it. Right now,” she told him with as much finality as she could muster.

“Mincred!”

A Kronner at the end of the line came to sudden attention. “Yes, Vol Brod!”

Maurra’s breath caught in her throat. At the same time, a deep heat flushed her face. “Vol Brod?” She made eye contract with the lens of the closest vid camera and refused to turn away. “Tramer Vol Brod? Why aren’t you still rotting in the K’ro Kriall penal colony? Listen to me, Vol Brod. We’re not doing your sick bidding any longer. And now that I know you’re the evil fuck behind all this, I am officially putting a bounty on your head.”

“Go ahead and try, JoJo. You’re still my prisoner, and your next lover won’t need me to order him to fuck you. Mincred, kill the Ellinod!
Now!
”

The Kronner paused, his face pale at the unexpected order. This part of the show apparently had not been planned or rehearsed. The alien set his neuron ray to black.

“I said now, you worthless piece of kruart shit!”

Nervously, the leader advanced toward the cell and pointed his gun directly at the Ellinod’s head. He’d moved closer to make certain he’d hit the huge beast and not her. Maurra took a step sideways to put herself directly in front of Safan. It was a futile gesture since he towered behind her, but she didn’t do it as much to protect him as she did to give herself unrestricted access to the others in the hold.

“Good try, Maurra,” Vol Brod chuckled, using her real name for the first time. “Say goodbye to your lover.”

Behind her she could tell the Ellinod was steeling himself.
Two one-hundredths of a second. That’s all I need. Less than two one-hundredths of a second.

She would not know the Kronners had dropped the invisible wall until Mincred fired. That meant she had to second-guess the alien. In two one-hundredths of a second, she could fire her powers. Maurra prayed she was accurate, that she’d survive and that both she and Safan would be able to escape. Otherwise…

She saw the barely perceptible movement of the Kronner’s hand on the weapon. With a snarl, she opened herself up, letting her considerable psionic powers blaze through every cell in her body as she directed them forward in one final explosion of energy.

The agony tore through her brain seized every organ in her body and stopped her heart.

Time and the present ceased to be.

Consciousness.

She couldn’t move. Her hands wouldn’t obey. Neither would her legs. Or her eyes. She was breathing, but beyond that nothing else existed. Everything was black. Still. Quiet. Or maybe her ears had stopped working too.

Blank. Silence except for the sound of her lungs taking in air. Working automatically. She could hear.

She was breathing. Or rather, something was breathing for her. It was hard to tell.

The pain was gone, but the damage remained. She couldn’t think. It was impossible to think, so she chose not to.

It was easier to slide back into the comforting blackness.

Voices. More than one. She couldn’t identify them. It hurt too much to try.

“I don’t have that kind of facility or the training, Orgoran. I wish I did. Gods in the heavens, I wish I did.”

“She’s dying. Her brain is shutting down sections at a time. Isn’t there something you can do?”

That last voice was familiar. It sounded like soft gravel.

“I can put her in a stasis tube. It will at least help keep her body alive until you can find help.”

“I’ll be forever grateful. Anything else?”

“There are a couple of facilities with excellent mental clinics. You’re in luck. The closest is on Kronnaria.”

“I can’t take her there. The Kronners are not above killing her if they find out she’s a JoJo. Is there anyone else? Anyplace closer?”

“All I can suggest is that you go to Ellinod. It’s the only other relatively near planet that can handle her care.”

Go to Ellinod.
That name was familiar, but it floated just beyond her reach, ghostly and indistinct.

It hurt to listen. It hurt more to try to understand.

She slept.

A smell. A scent. Unrecognizable.

And she felt heavy. Restricted.

A sound. Movement.

Opening her eyelids was almost too difficult, but she managed to blink a few times. A room, not a cell. The tug of gravity on her body told her she was no longer free floating.

Planetside. Or moonside. Some place strange with a bed and giant pillows on the floor. Some place she didn’t remember.

The movement came again from beside her. Maurra tried to turn her head but it refused to budge. Gods, she was so tired. So unbelievably tired.

Giving up, she closed her eyes.

“Maurra, wake up. Maurra?”

I’m still alive? Amazing.

“Maurra, I know you can hear me. You need to wake up now.”

She tried to crack open her eyelids but the damn things were caked, sealed shut. Reflex made her reach up and try to rub them open with her hands.

Someone snatched her hand and pulled it away. A warm, wet something proceeded to clean her eyes for her.

“There. Now try.”

This time she had no difficulty. Maurra opened her eyes to see an immense creature hovering over her. A beastlike alien that resembled…

“Are you an Ellinod?”

The creature snorted and pulled back. “Welcome back to the land of the living, JoJo. How do you feel?”

She didn’t have to think twice to answer the question. “Like melting shit. Where am I?”

“You’re on Ellinod, in one of our best hospitals.” The beast turned and walked away. Maurra tried to follow it as far as her restricted line of sight would let her.

She was lying on a bed of sorts. A thin, silvery sheet or blanket covered her from the chest down. The room was lit with a low-level radiance. There was no way to tell if it was night or day, or how long she had been here.

“Did you save my life?”

“No,” the voice answered from somewhere nearby. “I’m only a physician. I and several others have worked very hard to bring your mind back. Once we accomplished that, your body healed itself.” The Ellinod reappeared, this time with what looked like a bag filled with a pinkish fluid. “Are you thirsty?”

At the mention of thirst, Maurra felt her throat tighten up and her tongue swell. She nodded, and the physician placed the bag’s spout between her lips. Cool, slightly tangy liquid gushed into her mouth. She drank until the bag was empty, then watched as the Ellinod backed away.

“Are you male? You sound male, but you don’t look it.” The question blurted out of her before she could think about it. Under normal circumstances, her examination would have been a terrible breach of etiquette. She hoped the creature would understand and forgive her. To her surprise, the Ellinod smiled.

“Yes, I am a male. My name is Votul.”

“Where are your horns?”

The beast turned his back on her, but she could still hear his answer. “Only the Orgoran have the privilege of keeping their horns.”

“The what? Orgoran? What’s an Orgoran?”

A yawn interrupted any further questions. She realized there had been a sleeping agent in the drink.

The physician turned around to face her as her mind started to go fuzzy on her. “An Orgoran is a Law Keeper like you, though he doesn’t have any powers other than his training and skills.”

A Law Keeper. The Ellinod police. A vague memory told her they were judge and jury all rolled into one. Like her, they had the right to detain and punish. Unlike her, they also had the right to obliterate.

She wanted to know more, but the drug was quickly shutting down this brief moment of reality. She grasped one last thought so tightly it surely would be the first thing she’d remember when she woke up.

Safan.