TAREN SET the girl down on one of the beds in the crew quarters and stepped back. He’d studied the kind of men who kidnapped, sold, and hurt others for a living. Criminal psychology was something the Guard Institute thought important to teach the future members of citywide security. He doubted the men running the sex-trafficking operation would allow this girl her freedom, even if she was young and virtually inconsequential. Letting one girl defy them without punishment could encourage others to act out. They wouldn’t rest until this girl was found and made an example out of.

Taren frowned at Kylee.

“What?” she said. “I didn’t force you to bring her here. You did that all by yourself.”

He sighed and turned back to the problem at hand.

So far, he’d been good about keeping his real name, his appearance, his origin, and his current location a secret. He hadn’t been seen on the streets during the day. Eli, Zookum, and that weasel-faced Jerome were the only people who knew he even existed, and none of them were shady enough to associate with sex traffickers. At least, none had given Taren any indication that they would associate with those kinds of lowlifes. But he was going to have to keep driving past that motel to get to the warehouse and make future orders. Those thugs were bound to notice him sooner or later and take an interest.

Taren ran a hand over his face and retreated to gather medical supplies. He was going to have to do some poking around the next time he went into the city and see what he was up against. That would probably ruffle more feathers and raise more eyebrows than he wanted, but he couldn’t afford to remain ignorant. He’d gotten involved; now he had to prepare for the worst.

He returned to the girl with a portable IV drip case and a handheld body scanner. Fortunately, the IV drip came with a scanner of its own, which was programmed to find the correct vein and make the perfect entrance. Once the girl was hooked up and replenishing fluids, Taren held the body scanner out before him and pulled the trigger. A beam of orange light ran down the length of the girl’s body before the screen flashed and gave Taren a diagnosis.

The girl was dehydrated and experiencing Bagora withdrawal.

The muscle relaxant and mild hallucinogen had been created to treat people with degenerative muscle diseases. No doubt the thugs running the whorehouse were using the drug to keep their girls compliant and dependent. Taren scrolled through the list of suggested treatments, scoffing when the body scanner suggested he give the girl more Bagora. The safest treatment seemed to be waiting it out. The girl was sweating profusely, trembling and thrashing in her sleep.

“She’ll sweat and pee it out eventually.” Kylee gazed down at the girl with a forlorn expression. “Then the real challenge will begin.”

“She has no choice but to get clean.”

Kylee nodded. “Just be patient when she starts experiencing mood swings.”

Taren chewed on his lips. This girl was his responsibility now. Whatever kind of person she turned out to be, he was stuck with her. Even after he managed to get them off this planet, she was too young to make it anywhere on her own. He didn’t even consider looking for her parents. The only way she could’ve gotten mixed up with sex traffickers was if she was a homeless orphan or if her parents had sold her to repay old debts.

Kylee elbowed him in the side. “Don’t look so depressed. You might not have to raise her. Maybe when she wakes up, you’ll learn of an estranged uncle who lives on another planet or something.”

“Yeah, maybe…” Taren turned off the body scanner and walked to the door.

“No,” the girl whimpered.

He spun around.

Her eyes were only partially open. She turned away and buried her face in the pillow. “No. Get away from me.”

“Get her some food, will you?” Kylee sat on the floor beside the girl’s bed. “She might be hungry when she wakes up.”

THE PROBLEM with having another person on the ship was that Taren didn’t feel comfortable leaving. If the girl woke up in hysterics, ripped the IV out of her hand, and tried to escape, she could end up walking into one of the booby traps he’d set outside. So, he stayed on The Andromeda.

He separated the cargo Eli might be interested in from the rest, installed the new water casings under the bathrooms and in the galley, customized the settings of his new PDA, washed his clothes and towels, cleaned out the trash chutes, and tidied up the ship in the hopes of making it a more welcoming environment.

The girl remained unconscious all night. Still, Taren rotated plates of food by her bedside every few hours, just in case she woke when he wasn’t there. When daylight came, Taren settled into one of the other bunks in the crew quarters and tried to get some sleep.

HE WOKE to the IV drip case breaking over his skull. Pain tore across his forehead, and liquid streamed into his eyes. He jerked out of bed with a curse. The girl landed a punch to his crotch and another one to his stomach before he managed to get a few words out.

“Hey!” He grabbed both of her hands in his. “I’m not going to hurt you! Understand? I brought you here to keep you safe.”

The girl screamed incoherently and thrashed around.

“Hey!” Taren said again, this time giving her a shake. “Listen to me! I. Am. Not. Going. To. Hurt. You. I saw you collapse in the street, and I brought you here to help. You were dehydrated, going through withdrawal. I gave you medicine. Understand?”

She finally stopped screaming and narrowed her eyes at him.

Taren lowered his voice. “I know where you came from. I was there when you escaped. I was in the loader, remember? On the street, by the motel?”

The girl’s attempts to escape became steadily weaker.

“I’m not like those other men. I don’t want anything from you. I just…” Taren sighed and released her.

She skittered back to crouch on the floor, the tattered hem of her dress exposing knobby, white knees.

Taren tore his eyes away before he could go back to feeling depressed over her plight. “I just wanted to help. I’m sorry if I startled you.”

The girl stared at him, her chest heaving as she took in big gulps of air.

“Food,” Kylee prompted helpfully.

Taren turned to the plate of cold reepa and red sauce. He lifted it from the bedside table and offered it to the girl. “Are you hungry?”

She stared at the blue noodles as if they were made of gold, but she stayed frozen in place. Taren lifted the plate and was going to walk it to her, but then she raised her little fists. He lowered the plate to the floor and took a few steps back, hands up to prove he wasn’t trying to trick her. The girl stared at him. He stepped back until he was flush against the wall. Then she pounced on the food. She didn’t even use the fork; she dug her dirty fingers into the reepa and scooped the noodles into her mouth.

“There’s more,” Taren said over her slurping. “I can get you some if you’re still hungry.”

She nodded as she chewed.

“How about some Carbajoo?”

She wrinkled her nose at him.

“It’s carbonated juice. Kind of like soda?”

She nodded vigorously.

“All right. I’ll be back.” He scooted along the wall, over the beds, and around lockers until he reached the door. She never took her eyes off him, and he never turned his back.

HE OFFERED her a shower next. The girl raised those fists again and wouldn’t put them down until he’d promised her privacy.

“There should be some clothes in that little locker next to your bed,” he said, gesturing to the piece of furniture in question. “They might be too big, but they’re clean. They’re probably warmer than what you’ve got on too.”

The girl dipped her gaze and tugged at the beaded waistline of her dress. She nodded at last and finished eating her second helping of reepa.

He found her a towel, taught her how to use the soap dispenser in the showers, and then left her alone. The door locked behind him. Taren waited in the hallway, his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the wall across him. The sound of running water almost lulled him to sleep. He snapped to attention when the door was unlocked and pulled open. Without the makeup and dirt, she looked even younger. It didn’t help that the sleeves of the sweatshirt and the pant legs of the khakis she wore needed to be rolled up four times each. Her hair was a dark wheat color now that it was wet; it hung past her shoulders.

“Aww,” Kylee cooed. “She’s adorable.”

“Feeling better?” Taren asked.

The girl nodded, wordlessly holding out her used towel and ratty dress.

Taren took one in each hand and held them off to the side. “Before we go any further, is there anywhere I can take you? Do you have any family or friends you want to stay with? I mean, you can stay here if you want, but if there’s someplace you’d rather be…”

The girl looked down at her toes and shook her head.

Taren nodded grimly. “All right. Let me dispose of these, and then I’ll give you the tour.”

She followed him down the hall to the laundry cabinet by the captain’s quarters. She watched with wide eyes as he tossed the towel into the washing machine and shoved the remains of her dress into the trash chute. He turned to face her, wondering where to start.

“Ask for her name,” Kylee said. “You can’t just keep calling her ‘the girl.’”

“I know you can talk,” Taren said. “I heard you in your sleep. Care to tell me your name?”

She took a breath and opened her mouth, then paused and bit her lip.

“I don’t mean what they called you at—at the place you used to live. I mean your real name.”

“Lenore,” she said hoarsely. She cleared her throat and looked up at him. “My name is Lenore.”

“Good to meet you. I’m Taren.” He nodded at the door to the left. “That’s my room. I have a weird sleeping schedule. I’m usually up all night and asleep by the time the sun rises. I’d appreciate it if you don’t bother me while I’m sleeping. You can do whatever you want around here, not that there’s much to do. Just don’t go into my room, okay?”

She was going to nod, but then she paused and said, “Okay.”

“This—” He spread his arms out to his sides. “This is my ship, The Andromeda. I crash-landed here a while ago and have been trying to fix it up ever since. We’re currently standing on the upper deck, where a crew would usually do it’s sleeping, showering, and clothes washing.” He started down the staircase as he spoke. “Down here is the middle deck. That’s where the cockpit is. That’s, um, another place I’d like you to stay out of. You don’t know anything about flying ships. You might break something.”

She leaned against the door frame and peeked in, her face lighting up with wonder.

“Yeah, I know. Lots of buttons. Come on.” He retreated past the stairs. “That’s the galley and eating area. That badly constructed wall is where the infirmary used to be, but…” Taren’s eyes drifted to Kylee, who was trailing behind the girl. He cleared his throat and turned back to the wall. “Let’s just say the infirmary didn’t survive the crash. Anyway, the lower deck is downstairs.” He walked past the girl to return to the stairs and proceeded down to the cargo hold.

Lenore paused at the top of the stairs and squinted into the dark, looking apprehensive. Taren slapped on the lights. The girl blinked at the sudden brightness and must’ve decided it wasn’t dangerous because she finally descended.

Taren gestured around them. “This is the cargo bay. That doorway down there at the end is the engine room. You can go in and look around if you want, but don’t touch anything. Same with the life support systems chamber on the other end over there. That giant door in the middle is the loading ramp.” He led her to the hydraulic pump and showed her how to lower the ramp. Bright sunshine reflected off the sand and almost blinded him. Taren rubbed his eyes before squinting out into the desert.

Lenore coughed as the wind came up the ramp to meet them. Taren crouched so that he could see horizon. She mimicked him.

“Hurren is behind that crashed weather machine you see glinting out there, where the sand meets the sky.”

She nodded.

“You can go outside if you want, but stick close to the left side of the ship and go around. I’ve set traps in the sand there,” Taren said, waving a hand across the general area of danger. “I wouldn’t recommend exploring too much. There isn’t any water for miles, and there are these horned cats that come out at night.”

“Sand sabers,” Lenore said with a shudder. “I’ve heard of them.”

“Good.” Taren straightened up to close the ramp. The whoosh of the wind died down as he did. Sand swirled like miniature dust devils along the edges of the ramp’s entrance for a few seconds before they collapsed.

“You can look around these crates here.” Taren shrugged. “There might be some clothing that actually fits you, maybe some toys, or a computer tablet.”

She nodded again as she cast her eyes about the vast lower level of the ship.

Taren shoved his hands in his pockets. “I think that’s it. I’m going back into the city tonight to get more supplies. I just didn’t want to leave without telling you about the traps in the sand.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, still not looking at him.

“No problem.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I know about your Bagora addiction.”

She stiffened, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

“I had to scan you to be sure you weren’t dying or something. The machine told me.” Taren rolled his shoulders, unsure why he felt the need to explain himself to a little girl. He forged ahead. “I just want you to know that I don’t have any pills on this ship, and I’m not going to buy you any. Maybe it wasn’t your choice to get hooked on it. Maybe it was. Doesn’t matter now. If you’re going to stay with me—” He suppressed a grimace. “Well, I’m not going to encourage it. I’m sure you’ll get over it in time, but your body is going to give you hell for not taking the pills. You might experience some mood swings, fevers, cold sweats, vomiting—”

“I’m not afraid of getting clean if that’s what you’re getting at.” She still wasn’t looking at him, and she stood ramrod straight with her fists tight. But there wasn’t any malice or defiance in her voice, just determination.

“Good. I’ll, uh, help if I can. Just let me know what you need.”

She nodded again.

Taren glanced at his watch. “I’m going to go back to sleep.” He cracked a smile. “Can I trust you not to break anything, hurt yourself, or kill me while I do? Or do I have to lock you up in the crew quarters until we learn to trust each other?”

She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. “You really don’t want anything from me?”

“Careful,” Kylee warned.

“Do you know how to fix a transplasmonic warp core?” Taren said.

A confused crease appeared between the girl’s light eyebrows. “No…”

“Then I don’t need anything from you.” He ambled toward the stairs. “If you get hungry again, there are more dehydrated meal packs in the cabinets in the galley. All you have to do is throw them in the Waterborne Zapper and press the analyze button. It’ll scan the food and calculate how much moisture to add and for how long. Should only take a minute or so.” He paused with his foot on the first stair and turned to smirk at her. “Try not to finish all the food, okay?”

She blinked at him, her mouth going slack.

“I’ll see you in a few hours,” Taren said, and then he proceeded to climb.

“Why am I here?”

Taren turned. Lenore’s fists had relaxed at her sides, but her head was slightly bowed, as if bracing herself for the worst.

“It’s like I said before. I saw you collapse on the street. I thought you could use some help, so I brought you here to give you medicine.”

She abandoned her humble posture. A flicker of annoyance crossed her face. “You know where I came from. You know what I am. How could you not expect more from me? You’re a man, just like them.”

“I’m a man, yes, but I’m not like them.” Taren nodded at the door of the loading ramp. “I can give you as much food and water as you can carry and take you back into the city tonight if you want. No questions asked.”

Lenore wrapped her arms around herself.

“Or you can stay here, eat my food, sleep in your own room, get over your addiction, and entertain yourself with the nonlethal merchandise in the crates, free of charge. So long as you don’t try to kill me or go poking around in the places I asked you not to, we won’t have a problem. Once we blast off this planet, I can take you wherever you want to go. We can go our separate ways if you want, or you can stick around and travel with me.” Taren shrugged as if it were no big deal, as if the idea didn’t make him sick to his stomach.

Lenore’s expression shifted as he spoke, becoming more vulnerable and confused and sad by the second.

“Look, I have to sleep now, or I won’t be able to go into Hurren tonight. So, bye for now.” He retreated up the stairs to his room.