Tamara's Future (3 page)

She swallowed hard and briefly considered fighting him but she knew he’d treat

her better if she behaved. She walked to the doorway. Gage pulled her go-bag away. He tossed it on the floor then his hand slid around her throat, holding her still. “Don’t

panic. They aren’t my toys. My tastes are more conventional. I just haven’t bothered to redecorate.” His other hand palmed a door plate. The door slid open silently.

Bright lights revealed a torture chamber. Cages were scattered across the floor.

Whips lined one wall. Long chains that were fastened to the far wall ended in wrist restraints. Tamara felt faint as she processed the tools and implements. The room was designed to break the strongest man. What would it do to her? “Gage?”

“Welcome to your temporary quarters. You really shouldn’t have scammed me.”

“It wasn’t like that!” Tamara tried to pull away. Gage simply tightened his grip on her throat. She squirmed but couldn’t fight free.

He led her over to a cage that reached the height of her breasts. He opened the door to the cage and forced her inside. Then he closed the door and stepped back.

Tamara scrambled to her knees. The cage was too small for her to stand. She

watched Gage through narrowed eyes. He pulled over a chair and sat staring at her. She stayed still but his intense frown had her wondering if an apology would get her anything.

“I like the waif look. You’d almost pass for a kid, except for your breasts of course.

I’ve felt them but never seen them. Take your shirt off, Tamara.”

“Tara. I prefer to be called Tara.”

“You were with me for six months and never told me your real name. I thought we

trusted each other, Tamara.”

“Gage, there’s an explanation. I had a reason—a good reason—for leaving. Don’t

you want to hear it?”

“Three years ago I wanted to talk to you but you were long gone. We don’t need to

talk now. Take your shirt off.” His voice remained level, almost conversational as he denied her request but she’d known him long enough to know he’d made up his mind and nothing she said would dissuade him. Better to just obey before he forced

obedience.

Tamara sighed and pulled off her shirt. She’d always liked fancy bras and panties,

hidden under unremarkable shirts. It was a gesture of defiance and a luxury few

women could afford. Her black bra was lacy and flimsy, barely containing breasts that were much larger than might be expected, given her small stature.

Gage smiled. “Oh, darling, business must be good if you can afford that kind of

luxury. It’s a nice look for you,” he said. “Now take it off.”

“Please don’t do this.”

Gage’s smile faded and his eyes seemed to grow colder. “One good humiliation

deserves another. Besides I’m not stupid enough to leave you with the weapons or tools you’ve got hidden in your clothes. I remember how resourceful you could be.”

Tamara gulped and decided she needed to acquiesce to his demands. She’d try to

explain her actions later. Now was not the time to defy him. She reached back to release the catch on her bra.

Gage held out a hand. Tamara passed the bra through the bars.

“Sit up, darling. Three years ago I ached to see you and you denied me. Not this

time. Hold them up for me.”

Tamara kept her eyes on Gage’s face as she lifted her breasts for his inspection. She tried to ignore the heaviness gathering in her pelvis as he confidently made his demands. She’d always been able to turn off her sexual desire, had never experienced it, really. Why couldn’t she do it now?

She’d seen his explosive temper in action and she knew she was walking a very fine

line between safety and pain. Why did it turn her on? Could she change his anger into sexual desire? Was that the way out of this mess?

Tamara stayed on her knees and arched her back a little, causing her breasts to jut out more. Her nipples had tightened and Tamara couldn’t tell whether it was from the cold in the room, the cold in Gage’s eyes, or her desire for him.

Gage smiled but otherwise seemed unmoved. “Take the rest off.”

Ignoring her disappointment, she remained silent. She pulled her pants and

underwear down then sat on the cold metal and pulled them off. She threw the pants

outside the cage and pulled her knees against her chest. Gage stood. Tamara could see his cock had hardened. So he wasn’t immune to her charms. That was good to know.

Would he let her out now?

Before she could find out an excited voice announced, “Captain, to the command

deck. Captain, to the command deck.”

Gage shook his head. “Lucky escape for you,” Gage said. “I don’t have time to deal

with you now but don’t worry, darling, I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, maybe you should think about the mistake you made when you stole from me. Fakzi will keep you company.”

“Fakzi?”

Gage pointed to the corner of the room and Tamara realized there was some kind of

furred creature behind one of the cages.

“What is it?”

The creature raised its head and said, “I am male. Not an ‘it’!”

The creature’s voice was deep and raspy. Not unpleasant but not smooth either.

“As you’ve just discovered, Fakzi is sentient. Be nice to him. He’s a liock.”

“What?” Tamara shuddered. She’d heard of the liock but she’d never seen even a

picture of one. They were rare and dangerous. “You’re leaving me—”

“Fakzi will keep an eye on you but he won’t hurt you. Will you Fakzi?”

“I have been well fed today. Of course I like to play.”

“Fakzi?”

“No fun, but I will behave Gage. I will watch. I will not harm the she creature.”

“Thank you Fakzi,” Gage said. He looked at Tamara. “You might also want to get

some sleep since yours was interrupted.” He smiled. “Besides you’re going to need all

your energy when I return.” He strode to the doorway where he flicked a switch. The bright lights dimmed, leaving the room barely visible.

Tamara’s breath raced as she watched him leave the room. Part of her hoped he

would never come back.

Tamara felt more than heard as the creature stirred and slowly padded toward the

cage. He walked on all fours but she had a feeling he could stretch up on two legs if the need arose. The liock vaguely resembled a cat. A very large cat. The animal was as long as Tamara was tall. His eyes were golden slits. His mouth was filled with very sharp teeth that he displayed and Tamara wondered if he was like dogs who showed their teeth when they were happy. Tamara kept watching the creature.

Fakzi moved close to the cage and stuck his snout between two bars. She eyed

Fakzi’s paws and realized that his fur covered very sharp claws and that the liock could easily reach between the bars and slash her to bits. Tamara swallowed hard.

“Tell me your name,” Fakzi said.

Tamara briefly considered ignoring the demand but then decided such a protest

would be futile. “I’m Tara.”

“Gage called you Tamara.” The creature’s voice rolled the r in her name. “Tara is a lie. I do not like liars.”

“I’m not lying,” she protested. “Tara is a nickname for Tamara. I prefer to be called Tara.”

The creature cocked his head and stared intently at Tamara. She could almost feel

him in her mind. Was it true? Were the creatures truth-sayers and mind readers? She didn’t know much about liocks. She’d thought they were a myth and tales of their prowess must be false.

They’d been discovered in the far reaches of the galaxy a hundred years ago. The

first encounters had not gone well and tales of their savagery quickly rippled through the galaxy. Since their planet held little of value, it had been marked as off limits. How had Gage gotten one of the creatures to travel with him?

She decided to ask. “How did you end up with Gage?”

“You should know that if you question me I will have the right to question you.

Those questions may lead places you are not ready to go yet. If you remain silent so shall I.”

Tamara pondered the creature’s strange statement. Did she really want to know if it meant having to answer his questions? Not yet she decided. She turned her head away from the creature and proceeded to ignore the crawling sensation in her mind.

Tamara hung her head and concentrated on her breathing. Her heart was racing.

She wouldn’t be able to figure a way out of this mess until she controlled her panic.

She’d been in trouble before. Her whole life was one series of escapades after another.

She’d been alone since she was sixteen. Luckily she’d learned most of her father’s scams before he’d left her. She was better off without him. She was better off without anyone, including Gage.

She calmed and focused on freedom. Ignoring the liock, Tamara lifted her head and

catalogued her position. The cage that held her was small. She couldn’t stand. She could lie on her back if she bent her knees. She realized she’d have to struggle to straighten her legs and that she’d soon be worn down by the lack of room to move. She crawled to the cage door. It was another palm lock. If she had her go-bag, she could defeat it. A little dust, plastic over her hand and the sensor would think it was Gage’s hand. But she didn’t have the right tools with her. Despite Gage’s precaution in removing her clothes, he hadn’t frisked her hair. She still had her lock pick but it wouldn’t work on the palm lock. She wasn’t getting out by herself.

“Damn,” she muttered. Sitting back on the floor of the cage, she examined the bars.

They looked and felt like
torenus
. Even with her go-bag, she didn’t have any tools that would cut through
torenus
. The bars were solid, as if the cage had been molded in one piece. No solders that might be weakened. Even the door fit without a millimeter of space. She was being held in a very expensive prison.

Tamara forced herself to scan the rest of the room. The dim lighting hid most of the implements she’d seen earlier. She could barely make out some kind of chair and table.

Tamara liked her freedom. She didn’t like this room. It was designed for restraint and torture. Despite her fears, she trusted Gage when he said the implements didn’t suit him. Gage might want her, but silly or not, she trusted him not to hurt her. What a mess. She had never thought he’d come after her. She had never thought he cared that much. She’d seen enough evidence to believe he’d just cut his losses.

She should have told Gage about Randall. Instead panic had overwhelmed her and

she’d run. She’d left him to face imprisonment. Would he ever forgive her if he knew the truth? She hadn’t stolen anything from him. She had betrayed him though. Losing the stash was one thing but leaving him to lose his freedom was unforgivable.

She’d originally had every intention of robbing him but somehow when she was

around him she lost her way. She bought into his philosophy instead of staying true to her own. Gage always said it was the excitement of the con, not the money that drove him. Their last con had proven that she’d lost her way. He was the first mark she’d left untouched. He was the first mark who had become something more important than money. She still didn’t understand what had happened. She should have taken the

score, especially if she was going to be blamed for it anyway. She thought back to their first meeting, the first and last time she’d agreed to work with a partner.

She’d been in the Zoomer Bar on the planet Noess. She’d just finished scamming a

mark out of a very large credit chip and she’d taken a quiet moment to celebrate her victory. The score was big enough that she could take a month off to plan her next move. Or she could increase her stash by buying a grestone. She didn’t have one yet and it would make a nice addition to her retirement fund. She had time to consider all

options. She hadn’t felt so confident and mellow in a long time as she sat at a corner table and sipped her drink.

Then he’d approached her. If she’d known how much turmoil he’d create, would

she have spoken to him? Yes, she decided. Their time together had been magic despite the way it ended. She remembered his approach…

~

A tall man boldly walked up to her table and said, “My name is Gage Lightgo. I’m a

pirate.”

Tamara’s first impression of Gage was of a large, gorgeous, dangerous and fun man

all rolled into one dynamite package. But what kind of criminal boldly declared his profession? He was either very good or very stupid and he didn’t seem stupid. She remained silent, just stared up at him.

He smiled and continued, “I’ve been told that you’re one of the best scammers in

this galaxy.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a paying customer trying to relax.

Goodbye.” She looked down and took a sip of her drink.

He ignored her brush-off. He pulled out a chair and sat across the table from her.

He persisted. “I have a score but I need a woman to help. I can’t do it myself.”

“I’m sure you don’t have trouble finding women.” She smiled at him.

“But I need a special woman. A woman who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. A

woman who wants to make some money.”

Tamara eyed the man sitting across from her. In the dim light it wasn’t easy to

make out his features but he looked too clean and too righteous to be a criminal. But hadn’t people said the same about her? What was his game? “Not interested,” she said.

“Not even for an opportunity to increase your gem stash with three grestones,

including the Dialor Gem?“

Tamara’s eyes widened. The Dialor Gem was the largest grestone in existence. With

it, she could find a nice safe place to retire. But how did this man know she was in the market for grestones? It wasn’t a secret that she collected gems but she didn’t know this man. How much research had he done and what else did he know? Tamara looked at him. He leaned over the table. The tables were small and his movement put him very