Gamma Raiders: Storm Squadron Alpha: Scifi Alien Romance Novel (21 page)

Chapter 4

The holding cell on board his ship was cold
.
It wasn’t just the naked, grey steel, or the austere lack of creature comforts. It was freezing. What kind of asshole would keep his ship so cold? Did he think he was toughening up his men by subjecting them to a never-ending barrage of discomfort? Or maybe it was just that Lana had spent too long under the scorching Tarksis sun. Whatever. Either way, it was a distraction. And she couldn’t collect her thoughts.

She wrenched her body up against the hard wall of the cramped holding cell and tried to get her bearings. She didn’t have a good visual map of the ship; their captors had blindfolded them before bringing them on board. Lana didn’t see the point. It’s not like they had anywhere to go. Even if they managed to free themselves from the cell, they had no chance of overpowering a crew of Kamaran pirates.

“Well, we’re good and fucked now, aren’t we?”

Kira stirred, still laying on the ship’s floor after being unceremoniously dumped there by the large, dark-skinned, stubble-strewn Kamaran who carried her. “It could be worse. At least we weren’t smashed into bits by an asteroid. This we actually have a chance of surviving.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

“Come on, Riley. I saw the way he looked at you.”

Lana flushed the color of rich Tarksis clay. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kira propped her body upright, ignoring the aches in her shoulder and shot Lana a knowing glance. “You’re such a terrible liar. He wanted you
bad.
Why didn’t you tell me you had a secret pirate boyfriend?”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

Kira sighed. “Okay, first: It would explain your total lack of interest in anyone else. And I wouldn’t blame you for keeping a secret. I mean, you should have trusted
me
, but still. I get it. He’s gorgeous.”

“You
are
serious.”

“Second: He knew your name. How does he know your name? It’s not like it’s written across the side of the Endurance. And last I checked, we don’t wear nametags.”

“He could have learned my name anywhere. Heard us on a comm channel. Stolen a flight plan from the Consortium.”

“No. He knew who you were. I
saw.
”

Lana looked away. She didn’t want to tell Kira what happened at the Bazaar, but it was clear she wasn’t going to let it drop. Besides, secrets made her queasy. And since they were going to die here anyway, there was no harm in filling her in.

“I may have bumped into him once before.” She watched Kira’s eyes go wide with interest. “At the Bazaar. He…” she hesitated. She still hadn’t processed just how close she came to being kidnapped by that slaver. “He saved me from a Ratolian slaver.”

“He
what?
Holy shit, Riley!”

“This morning, when I left Sakaj’s place, I was attacked in the alley. And the Kamaran protected me. He killed the Ratolian. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but…”

“You didn’t want me to tease you about finding your prince.” Kira could be surprisingly astute when she wanted to be.

“And he’s clearly
not
a prince, because here we are. Locked up on his ship. No different than if he’d let the slaver have me.”

“Come on, Riley. You don’t know that. I mean, the guy
did
save you, right? Most people don’t go around saving strangers for no reason. He can’t be all bad. Maybe we can reason with him.”

“Look around. We’re locked in a cell. He’s a gods damned
pirate,
Kira. He didn’t have any noble reason for saving me back there. He was just waiting until we had the cargo, so that he’d have something valuable to sell.”

“I don’t buy that. He killed the Ratolian. But here we are. In a cell, maybe, but safe. Why not kill us, too?”

Lana’s mind raced. She could think of a few reasons. None of them comforting.

“I don’t know, Kira. But it doesn’t matter anyway. It doesn’t change anything. We still don’t have a way out of here. They still have our cargo. The Consortium will never hire us again, and Tanner…I have to get back home to Tanner.”

“I know, Riley. We’ll find a way. I still think your best bet is to talk to him.”

She hated to admit it, but Kira had a point. The pirate, Adaar, didn’t seem cruel when she met him at the Bazaar. He was cocky. And arrogant. But not cruel. Maybe there was a chance for them after all.

***

Two thousand eight hundred forty-two. That’s how many little steel rivets held down the imposing walls of their prison. Or at least, that was as close to accurate as Lana cared to get. As she lay awake counting them, the distant ones bled together and she couldn’t be sure which ones she’d forgotten. Not that it mattered, but it was a welcome distraction. And she didn’t have many alternatives. Maybe she’d count them again, just to be sure…

The pistons hissed as the steel door slid open. The dark-skinned Kamaran entered, his expression unreadable. “You. Lana Riley,” he said. His voice wasn’t cold, but the no-nonsense tone told Lana this wasn’t the time act out or try anything foolish. “They call me Ja’al.”

He smiled at her and extended his hand to help her up. “Come with me. Captain wants to see you.”

Lana glared at his outstretched hand, not sure if she could trust him. She pushed herself up from the floor. Her muscles ached from inactivity, but she refused to show any sign of weakness. She risked a quick glance back at Kira before following the Kamaran through the open door.
Time for answers.

“Follow me.”

Lana took in as much of her surroundings as she could, trying to glean any information that might be helpful in her conversation with the captain. The halls were narrow, but not claustrophobic. Most likely built that way to keep the ship’s overall size to a minimum. Which meant that they were probably on a frigate, like the Endurance. It made perfect sense for a band of pirates who relied on speed and stealth instead of brute force.

When they arrived at the great cabin, Ja’al lifted his palm to the glowing sensor and paused. “You don’t seem like a bad person, Lana Riley.”

Her eyes widened at the strange comment, but before she could form a response Ja’al palmed the scanner and the door hissed open.

Adaar sat back in a plush red chair, his feet resting on the steel table in the center of the room. “Lana Riley,” he said, beckoning her inside.

“You!” she shrieked as she rushed forward. So much for containing her emotions.

Ja’al’s reflexes were quick. He lunged with the speed of a Fel snake, grabbing her arms out of the air and wrenching them around behind her back.

“Let her go, Ja’al. It’s okay. She has every right to be angry. Poor girl has no idea what’s going on.”

The big man’s fingers tensed around her before he reluctantly released her.

“The hell I don’t,” said Lana, jerking away from her captor’s grip. “You’re a damned pirate. What was that act back on Tarksis? Trying to help when you can?” Her skin tightened in disgust. “Thought maybe you’d seduce a local? A girl in every port? Well not me. I’m not your girl.”

“Clearly,” he said.

“You’re nothing but a thug.” Her words caught in her throat. Even as she searched for an insult to throw at him, she couldn’t help admiring his calm demeanor. The perfect control he exerted over his emotions. And the radiant cerulean eyes that bored straight into her soul.

“I’m much more than that, Lana.”

“You’re…”

“Captain Adaar of the Gamma Raiders.”

“…the worst pirate in the sector. In the whole damn galaxy!”

“Not at all. In fact, my crew and I are quite skilled.”

Lana fumed. She tried to reign in her breathing, but her body wouldn’t cooperate.

“But that’s not what you meant, was it?” Adaar swung his feet off the table and lifted himself out of his chair as he approached her.

“You have every right to be angry. I came in out of nowhere and disabled your sensors. Cut your power. Took you hostage. I can hardly blame you. I’d be furious, too. Of course, I’d never be stupid enough to get caught flying a Consortium shipment through the Dennegar belt.”

Lana pulled her lips tight. This wasn’t going at all like she had planned. She needed to be calm. Rational. She needed answers, but more importantly, she needed to get them back to the Endurance. Time to try a different approach.

“You’re right,” she said. “It was stupid of us to be out there on our own. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.”

“Nice try,” he said. “But that’s not it either. Besides, you don’t wear deception well. And you’re not stupid. Which makes me wonder why you were trying to manipulate me.”

“I wasn’t trying to…”

“Stop, Lana.” He held up his hand, silencing her. “No lies.”

Her body grew warm as he stepped in closer. Not the reaction she expected. Her skin flushed as he studied her face. She held his gaze, trying to glean his thoughts, but he was unreadable.

“You’re not a stupid woman. Naive, perhaps.”

“I’m not.”

“I hope for your sake that you
are.
Because if it’s not naivety, then you knew what you were transporting to Anara. And…”

Lana broke his eye contact. She
didn’t
know what they were transporting. Why they were flying all the way out to the Gamma quadrant. And why the Consortium was willing to pay them so much. She had just assumed that it was another rush delivery for obscenely wealthy Imperial elites…

“You know how those rich Imperials are. You know far better than I do what kind of crap they think is so important that they’re willing to pay me to haul it all the way out there. I’ll bet your coffers are full of…”

“Stop,” he said. His words were calm. Gentle, even. “Things aren’t always what they seem, Lana Riley.” His focus softened, and he shook his head. He seemed to be weighing something, but Lana didn’t probe. Whatever it was, Lana could use the sudden change to her advantage.

“Well, it
seems
like you’re a pirate. Captain of the gods damned Gamma Raiders. And it
seems
like my friend and I are captives on your ship. I don’t know what you expect me to think of you. But it doesn’t matter anyway. Because I need to get back. I need to...”

A pang of regret washed over her. He was right, in a way. Attempting the Dennegar belt without the proper sensors, and without adequate preparation, wasn’t brave. It was reckless. Something about this didn’t sit right with her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Adaar was keeping something from her.

“You don’t want to be here. And I don’t want you here. I know your type, Lana Riley. You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

“
My
type!” She reigned in the desire to stamp her feet like a child. She didn’t need to prove his point. Not that his opinion mattered.

“You mean, the honest, responsible, hardworking type? The type that does what’s necessary to protect her family, instead of hijacking ships and stealing the things that don’t belong to them?”

“You think your cargo belongs to the Consortium? Or to the Imperials? Do you think for a second they’ve earned half the luxuries they enjoy, or the credits they pay you? I think you’re just as greedy, looking out only for yourself.”

“Said the pirate.”

“Touché,” he said, unfazed. “But the question remains.”

“You don’t know me. You don’t know why I took this job. You don’t have a clue why I do what I do.”

“Enlighten me then, princess.”

Lana couldn’t believe she let herself take the bait. Or why she felt the need to defend or explain herself to
him
, except that there was something about him that didn’t fit.

She didn’t want to tell him any more than was necessary. But since he appeared to be an astute judge of deception, Lana went with the honest approach. “My brother has the Rend. Without treatment, he won’t last much longer. I’m flying Consortium shipments to earn credits for his treatment.”

It landed. His brow tensed as he looked up at her and his mouth drew into a tight line. Lana watched the muscles of his arms flex as his fists clench into a tight ball, veins protruding through his muscular forearms, before he slowly relaxed.

“I’m sorry, Lana Riley. The Empire didn’t create the Rend, but they aggravate the suffering it causes.”

“So you’ll let me go, then?”

The emotion wiped from his face like the Tarksis winds blowing over the sand. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. At least not yet. We have pressing business out here in Gamma. And in any case, we can’t allow you to deliver your cargo.”

“I don’t care. Keep it. We’ll handle the Consortium. They can be reasonable.”

“If you think that, you’re even more naïve than I thought. Shame. A woman as beautiful as you could be a useful part of this crew.”

Lana felt her skin flush with indignation. “There’s no way in hell I’m joining your crew.”