The Marine's Queen (20 page)

Callie shook her head against her doubts. Joe knew the risks and had agreed to take them. She needed to concentrate on the needs of Giroux. If having Joe made her feel beautiful and full of a mysterious feminine power then so much the better.

* * * *

Joe stayed within a yard of Callie as she negotiated with the government official. Vin and Yalo positioned themselves to each flank, their weapons near to hand.

He resisted indulging his curiosity about the space station. He and Vin had only ever landed here to refuel. They’d never wandered at will around one of the monstrous structures.

The station had a controlled atmosphere and temperature regulation. The hangar where they’d berthed had smelled of machinery and metal, reminding Joe of the missions where they’d traveled for weeks in the belly of a ship.

“
I’ve never seen such a pure grade,” the buyer whispered to someone standing beside him. A small barred window allowed only a small view of the man hiding behind a steel wall. A strange way to do business if one was an honest man.

Joe doubted Callie had heard the quiet mumbling as the two men discussed the crystallized iron.

“
I can give you the current rate for medium grade ore.” The government man smiled at Callie in a way Joe didn’t like.

“
It’s pure iron.” Joe stepped into the man’s view. “Give us your highest price, or we’ll find another buyer.

“
Who am I negotiating with here?” The man lifted his chin as he spoke.

“
My guard knows the value of crystallized iron better than I do. I trust his word completely. Do you think we should go elsewhere, Captain?”

Joe watched Callie for a clue, sensing she played a game of sorts. What should he say?

“
No need,” the official sputtered. “I’ll give you top price your highness.”

It didn’t take long after that. The man cast a few hateful glances at Joe, but he signed the debit papers for Callie.

They rode a smooth escalator to the marker office where Callie collected the metal engraved cards. Only a few people were about in the large room, but Joe felt their stares on him.

“
We’ll have to get you some new clothing before we go home,” Callie whispered as they joined Vin and Yalo near the exit.

Home?

“
Let’s get out of here,” Vin said, putting a hand in the middle of Yalo’s back and urging her forward. “These people are odd.”

Callie and Yalo laughed, but Joe didn’t get the joke. He took rear guard position as they hurried back to the hangar. He could ignore the distractions of the alien surroundings, but not the view directly in front of him.

The clinging leg wear Callie had donned drew his stare. The heeled boots added a swing to her hips. Her hair hung loose and swayed in opposition to her hips. Unon!

Joe shook himself mentally. He forced his concentration to his duty, listening to the sounds of men moving among the docked ships. Few paid attention to his small group, but something tweaked his senses.

The ships, some massive and some smaller than theirs, were parked in uneven rows. Joe tuned out Callie’s and Yalo’s footsteps, hearing other boots traveling in a course parallel to theirs.

They reached their ship where they’d parked in an area off by itself. Vin entered the code to open the door, giving a slight nod to Joe before he entered. He’d heard the shadow also.

They took off without incident. Joe set the course for Percali.

“
I’ve never been to that system,” Callie said. Now that they’d left Crevan, she seemed really anxious to get home. “How long will it take us?”

“
Two days to there,” Vin answered.

“
I hate the delay.”

“
We need faster ships.” Yalo put her hand on Vin’s shoulder as she leaned over him. “We should take turns resting. We’ve missed at least one sleep cycle.”

“
She’s right. Go, Vin. I’ll take first watch,” Joe said.

Vin obeyed without discussion. Callie slid into his copilot seat as after he and Yalo left the bridge.

“
What are we watching for?” Callie asked with a smile.

Joe pointed to the small holographic display between her set of controls and his. A red outline of a ship floated in the star chart of the surroundings. “We’re being followed.”

Callie gasped. “Followed! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“
I just did. They’re hanging back.”

Callie glared at him. “You have to tell me about things like this right away.”

Joe frowned, wondering about her anger. “They’re probably watching to see where we go. They’ll want to find our source for the crystallized iron.”

“
How long have you known they were there?”

“
They were watching us in the hangar.”

“
What?” Callie’s glare burned hotter. “They could have jumped us in there and no one would have known.”

“
No would have known it until they found their bodies.” Joe scanned the control panels, noting the fuel reserves and engine efficiency ratings. Mak had it sailing as smooth as the newest model in the fleet.

Callie sighed and then laughed softly. “All right. So you had it under control. Why aren’t we trying to lose them?”

“
I don’t think we can with this ship. We’ll let them follow until we switch ships, and then we’ll either kill them or lose them.”

“
Joe, you can’t kill people you don’t want around.”

“
Then we’ll lose them.” Joe stored away her warning. He’d have to be careful of such things. Not all threats were lethal in civilian life.

“
I think Vin and Yalo are made for each other,” Callie said after a long stretch of silence.

“
Made for each other? Yalo was made too?”

Callie laughed. “No, she wasn’t made. Not like you and Vin.”

Joe didn’t understand her amusement, but he liked hearing her laugh. Perhaps his venture into the world of real people wouldn’t be so bad.

* * * *

Callie stretched out on the hard bed. They’d cleaned two sleeping mats and put them in the private chamber for her and Yalo. One thin blanket covered her nakedness. The cold temperature of the chamber brought her nipples to sharp peaks. That and her anticipation of Joe joining her.

Long moments passed and the stress and frantic preparations caught up with her. Her eyes grew heavy, and the mattress seemed softer.

An hour or more may have passed when Joe lifted the corner of the blanket and joined her. She turned toward him, curling against his warm side.

A soft glow emanated from a lighted panel beside the door, the muted illumination almost making the stark room romantic.

“
I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed,” Callie whispered. She snuggled deeper into Joe’s shoulder, using one hand to draw aimless circles on his smooth, sculptured chest.

“
Crevan Four was the longest I’ve been in one place since my training was complete. I’ve never had a bed that I became so accustomed to that I missed it.” Joe slid his hand up her bare back and down again, chasing a delicious shiver with it.

“
You will when we get to Giroux. My bed is huge and soft. The sheets are washed in lavender soap.”

“
What are the sheets of your soldiers washed in?”

Callie lifted her head to look down at him. His eyes glistened dark and fathomless as he returned her gaze.

“
I don’t know about their sheets, and you won’t know either. You’ll be with me.”

“
Callie, I have little knowledge of social customs, but I know I can’t share your bed when we reach Giroux. You’re queen, and I’m an escaped convict. I should like to sleep near you until we’re sure it’s safe for you.”

Callie slapped her hand on his bare chest, flinching at the sharp crack it made against his skin. “You’re right about one thing. I’m queen and I can do what I want. I want you to sleep in my bed.”

“
Why?”

Callie hesitated. Such a simple one word question. “I won’t feel safe unless you’re with me.”

“
I can keep you safe without sharing your bed.”

“
I feel stronger when you’re by my side.”

“
You are strong. Look what you’ve been through. I’m afraid you’ll suffer for my presence.”

“
I’m queen.” She refused to consider his legitimate concern. “We’ll deal with any problems if they arise.”

Callie rubbed her foot up his calf, ruffling the sparse hair. Her knee pressed higher, encountering his heavy testicles and then his erect penis.

Joe’s hand on her back tightened. He pressed her closer. “Is this why you want me in your bed, your highness?”

She didn’t have a chance to answer as he lifted her on top of him. One of his hands roamed over her stomach and slowly traveled toward the junction of her thighs. His other hand encircled as much of her one breast as he could. He squeezed and rubbed his thumb over her nipple at the same time his other hand found the throbbing nub guarding her entrance.

His talented hands drove worries about Giroux from her mind. For a little while.

* * * *

“
What’s Vin doing?”

“
Checking for tracking devices.” Joe took Callie’s arm and led her toward the other ship they’d purchased. It was a beauty, fast and sleek.

“
Everyone will want to know our source for the crystallized iron.” Joe led her into the cargo hold. It was mostly empty except for some clothing and a few supplies Callie had purchased for their trip to Giroux.

“
No one knows about it except the agent who bought it.”

“
And anyone he told and all the men who moved it for him and anyone they told.” Joe checked the new weapons. The guns could be set for lethal fire or a pulsing stun option. He’d also purchased the best communication units made. He intended to be no more than a whisper away from Callie. The earpiece was nearly invisible, and the microphone could pick up a breath.

“
Have all your purchases been delivered?” Joe itched to get back into space and away from the busy space port with its racket and clatter.

“
One more package to come.” Callie said.

“
If it’s not here when Vin is done, we’re leaving without it.” Joe hopped out of the cargo door and helped her down. She glared at him but didn’t argue.

They walked to the other ship. Vin and Yalo would travel back to Crevan in the larger cruiser. It wasn’t quite as fast as Joe’s ship, but it had a huge cargo area.

“
We’ll be lucky to get aloft with all this on board,” Yalo said to them.

“
You need it all,” Joe answered. “Your ship can carry a greater weight than this and still get airborne.”

“
I was kidding, Joe,” Yalo said with a grin. “I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when they see what we brought back with us.”

Joe left the women to admiring the supplies. He felt too harried to try and figure out when the women joked or were being serious. He found Vin leaning over an open compartment. “Find anything?”

Vin lifted his sweat-soaked head. “Three zeeray tracers and the standard transponder. I disabled it and pulled the tracers.”

“
Everything is loaded. Send Mak and Roz for more supplies as soon as you get back. You have enough firepower to hold off anybody. Get the sensor blocks in place before you do anything else so no one can find you if they do manage to follow you to Crevan.”

“
Yes, sir. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”

“
Set up the subspace receiver. I’ll send a message if things go bad. You guys get out of there before the army comes.”

“
What about you, sir?”