The ship landed. I was still locked in the smuggling compartment. Matthias let me out occasionally. Mostly to taunt me. He sometimes fed me. He sometimes let Largo take me to the bathroom. I focused my energy on surviving until he let something slip I could use against him. He was too careful. Other than that few minutes in the cabin, he hadn't let me near anything I could possibly use. I resigned myself to just existing for a while.
The engines shut down. The constant vibration in the floor ceased. The air system was still on. It blew through the compartment. I couldn't hear anything. The space was too well insulated. I sat in the dark and waited. I was getting much too good at waiting.
I finally fell asleep. I'd been sleeping a lot. There was nothing else to do.
The door opened. I fell out onto the floor, sprawling at Matthias's feet. He laughed and picked me up. I blinked and tried to shade my eyes. Too much time in the dark had left me almost blind.
"As promised," Matthias said. "And no one is chasing us, officially or otherwise."
"How do you know?" The new voice was cold and female. I didn't recognize it.
"We've checked, Hestia. I'm not stupid."
"That's still up for debate," the woman said. She leaned forward and pinched my face. "Why not take her to the slave market?"
"Because it's not being held for another two months. I don't want her on the ship that long."
"And you seriously think someone will buy her at the weapons bazaar?" The woman didn't sound like she believed it.
"I've made contacts," Matthias said defensively.
The woman shoved my face to one side, dropping me like a diseased animal. Matthias shook my shoulder, forcing me to stand.
"They'll be there, someone will pay my price," Matthias insisted.
"And when none of them want her?" the woman prodded. "She's hot, Matthias. No one wants caught with her."
"She doesn't have any protection left," Matthias insisted. "Her Patrol connections are gone. She has nothing else."
"What about the Gypsies? They claim her as one of their own."
"I have promises. They want her and her meddling friends out of the way. The Gypsies guaranteed they wouldn't interfere. As long as you don't rub their nose in it, that is. You force this into the open and they will have to take action."
"I won't do any such thing," the woman said. "The greater the distance I keep from them, the better for everyone. Are you certain there isn't anyone else?"
"She doesn't have anyone left with any clout at all," Matthias assured her. "The only ones who might come looking for her are her ship crew. They have nothing, no resources, no money. I took care of that."
"They own businesses, hundreds of them," the woman protested.
"Not anymore, not in the Empire. Everything they own is confiscated. It cost me a bit to get them on the most wanted list again, but it was worth it. A favor to an old friend."
"What about their Federation contacts?"
"What about them? The Federation is too busy with their latest acquisitions. The systems that just joined are giving them headaches. By the time they find out about her, if they find out, it will be much too late."
"You seem to have figured all the angles. I'm impressed."
Matthias smiled smugly. He jerked the collar of my shipsuit, making me stumble again. "You put her up for me and you'll get your cut. It should be quite a substantial sum. She's got a lot of enemies."
"Forty percent of the sale price," the woman said.
"Fifteen is your standard rate," Matthias objected.
"For stolen weapons and ships, not for people. Forty percent."
"Twenty, no more. I've taken all the risks here."
"And I'm sticking my neck out agreeing to sell her for you. Thirty seven."
"She stays in my custody until the sale. I'm still taking all the risks. Twenty one."
"I don't deal in people. Thirty five."
"And I don't steal weapons. Twenty two."
They dickered back and forth. I stood in front of Matthias, his hand twisted into my collar. The hatch of the ship was closed. I couldn't see out. But maybe if Matthias got distracted enough I could fight him off and run for it. I didn't see his crew or Largo anywhere.
"It's going to kill me, but twenty seven," Matthias said.
"Done," the woman agreed. "The sale is in eighteen days. If you aren't there, no deal. You have to be on time."
"I'll be there."
"Don't damage the merchandise too much, it doesn't sell well in poor condition."
"The people bidding on her will expect it, trust me on that."
The woman didn't comment. She had her back to us. She was opening the hatch.
I kicked backwards, catching Matthias in the shins. I swung around, my fist leading. I got him in the chin. He staggered backwards, dragging me with him. His hand was still twisted in my suit. I kept punching and kicking him. He had to let me go. The hatch slid open. I could smell freedom.
Largo blindsided me. He grabbed me from behind, trapping my arms at my sides. I kicked and squirmed but his arms around me were like steel bands. I started to swear. I kept kicking and trying to bite him. The hatch slid shut. Matthias backhanded me. I went limp.
Matthias wiped a trickle of blood from his lip. At least one of my punches had connected solidly. He was going to have a fat lip for a while.
"Not smart, Dace," he said.
Largo held me while Matthias beat me. He stopped just short of actually breaking anything. I was going to have two black eyes and more than a fat lip. He left bruises pretty much anywhere he could.
"Lock her up," he snarled at Largo.
I was shoved back into the tiny cubby. I fell to the floor and quickly pulled my feet out of the way. Matthias wouldn't care if he smashed my feet in the door. I lay on the floor and ached for a while.
He was going to sell me. That answered why he had kidnapped me in the first place. It wasn't personal with him. It was business. But whoever bought me would make it personal. I had no illusions about that. The only people who would show up at an illegal arms market would be the people who most wanted revenge on me. I wondered how many of my enemies were still in prison and whether that would exempt them from bidding.
Maybe Lowell would hear about it. Maybe he would show up and outbid everyone else. And maybe I'd grow wings.
The door opened. Largo grabbed me before I had a chance to move. He dragged me out of the cubby. Matthias sat in a chair with a stunner in his hand.
"Give me a chance to use it, Dace." He didn't smile. He held an ice pack to one side of his face. His lip was swollen, puffed more than twice its normal size. He twitched the stunner. "Take her boots, Largo. And her clothes. We'll see how far she'll try to run in her underwear."
It was useless, but I fought Largo. Matthias hit me with the stunner as I lashed out with my foot. He had it turned up just enough to make me partly numb, not enough to knock me down. It hurt more than I believed possible. He must have done something to the frequency. Largo wasn't gentle either. He knocked me down then yanked my boots off.
He unlocked the force cuffs. I swung at him, lashing out as soon as I felt them loosen. He was ready for me. He slammed his fist into my head, knocking me silly just long enough to pull the cuffs free and toss them out of range. He reached for my shipsuit. I lashed out with both fists, trying to ignore the numb tingling caused by the stunner. I couldn't get any force into my blows. Largo swatted them aside. He stripped me out of my suit, giving me more than a few bruises in the process. I ended up on my belly on the floor. Largo planted his foot in the small of my back.
"Play it smart, Dace," Matthias said, "or we'll take the rest of your clothes." He stood and picked up my shipsuit. He dangled it in front of me. "You're going to have to earn this back."
I used my full swearing vocabulary. He just laughed.
Largo dug his foot into my back. "Show some respect."
I told him what he could do with his respect. It didn't matter that it was anatomically impossible. Largo growled and kicked me. I rolled onto my back.
Matthias laughed. "I'll have to remember that one. Take care of her, Largo."
Matthias left, going into a cabin with my shipsuit.
Largo yanked me up by my arm. He marched me into another cabin. He shoved me into the bathroom and into the shower stall.
"Boss says you smell." He hit the button for the shower then slammed the door shut.
I didn't care. The water felt good. Until Largo changed the temperature setting. He turned it to straight cold. It came out so freezing I was shivering in only a moment. He kept it on for what felt like a long time. I couldn't escape. I hunched in the bottom of the shower and shivered. I was blue long before he shut it off. My teeth were chattering so hard I kept biting my tongue.
He grinned when he saw me. "You aren't so tough, now, are you?"
He grabbed my arm and dragged me out before the blower could warm me. I was dripping wet. My underwear was soaked. I wrapped my wet arms around me. At least my hair was short. It would dry soon enough.
Largo marched me back into the cabin. He chained me to the upper bunk, locking my legs around one of the supports. He grabbed my wrists and slapped the force cuffs back on. He dragged one arm around the other support on the bunk and cuffed it. I lay on the edge of the bunk, my feet threaded through one support, my hands over my head cuffed to the other support.
"Sleep well," Largo said. He turned his back.
I was still freezing and wet. I shivered and pretended I wasn't. He hadn't given me a blanket or anything. I dripped on the bare mattress and shivered.
He made a show of taking his boots off and getting himself ready for bed. He even left me alone while he went to the bathroom. I heard him singing. I didn't want to think about what he was doing. I couldn't move. I tried. I was stuck. If I slid off the bunk, I was sure he'd leave me hanging by my hands and feet for the night. He came out of the bathroom and rolled into the bunk under me.
The lights dimmed and went out. Largo snored. I almost rolled off the edge of the bunk more than once. It was a long night. I finally dozed off.
"Wake up, sleeping beauty," Largo said cheerfully in my ear.
I jerked awake and slid off the edge of the bunk. He laughed as I hung helplessly by my hands and feet. The force cuffs buzzed and sent warning pulses up my arms. I swore, using just about every term I'd ever heard to describe Largo and Matthias and the force cuffs.
It hurt to hang there. I couldn't do anything about it. I was facing the floor. The cuffs dug into my ankles and wrists.
"Say please and I might help you," Largo said.
I told him what he could do with himself.
He lay down on his bunk. "When you're ready to ask nicely, let me know." He closed his eyes.
The pain was incredible. I bit my lip and tried to roll back onto the bunk. I couldn't do it. I swallowed what was left of my pride.
"Largo, please," I said, gritting my teeth.
"Please what?"
"Please help me," I said.
"Say it like you mean it."
I bit back the comment I wanted to make about him. "Please help me, Largo," I said instead.
"Not good enough."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Beg me. Make it sound like you really mean it."
I wondered how long he'd let me hang there. Not long enough to kill me, but it would be close. I did what he said.
"Largo, please help me." He made me repeat it over and over. I started screaming it at him. He just lay in the bunk, grinning. I finally shut up and just whimpered. My arms felt like they were being pulled from their sockets. My ankles were bleeding.
He finally got out of his bunk. He stood next to me. His hands were warm on my belly. He rolled me into the bunk. I sighed in relief. He let his hands linger on my bare skin.
"You're a bit skinny for my taste," he said. "But I could overlook that. You could make this trip a lot nicer for yourself."
I closed my eyes. I knew what he was hinting at. I wasn't going to stoop that low. I'd gone low enough already.
"Too bad." He slapped my bare belly. I flinched. "Matthias wouldn't care. If you change your mind, let me know."
He turned away, leaving me stretched out on the bunk. I stared at the ceiling and listed all the things I was going to do to Matthias and Largo when I finally got free.
The cabin door slid open again. This time it was Matthias who stood over me. He poked the bruises down my side. I winced. I opened my mouth to curse him. He slapped me.
"I've had enough lip from you. You keep your mouth shut or I'll let Kolly and his crew have their fun with you. As long as you're still breathing when we reach the sale in two weeks, I don't care what other damage they do."
I snapped my mouth shut.
"You're getting smarter. I think Largo is getting too attached to you. I'm sending him off on a different errand. He always did have a hard time seeing the big picture." He leaned over me, his face an inch from mine. "Play it smart, Dace. Keep your mouth shut and quit fighting and I'll feed you. I may even give you your clothes back. Do anything stupid, and you'll wish you were dead. Understand?"
He breathed it into my face. His nose was almost touching mine. I sighed and gave in. I'd still run at the first opportunity. I'm sure he knew that. He smiled.
"Now that we understand each other," he said backing away, "show me you can behave. We have another day before we lift. You aren't leaving that bunk until then."
He turned his back to me. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him.
"Make me happy, Dace," he said, turning back around. He held a cup that steamed. He sipped it. "Still hot, quite good, actually. You want some?" He held the cup out.
I licked dry lips. "Yes, please."
"You can't have any. Try again, Dace."
"Matthias, I'm thirsty. Please can I have a drink."
"Not Matthias. Try lord and master, I like the ring of that."
"You don't want me dead. You want me alive. I'm worth more to you in one piece. And I'm worth more if I don't look half starved and beaten."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I know you're selling me to those who want revenge on me. They're going to want to think they're the first ones to beat me."
"You may have a point there," Matthias said. He walked over to the bunk again. "But you're too dangerous to trust."
I waited. I could see him thinking over some decision. He finally made his choice.
"You stayed cuffed to the bunk," he said. "But you are right. I'll only beat you if you ask for it."
"Fair enough," I said.
He slapped me. "No lip, either."
I kept my mouth shut. I tasted blood.
"Thirsty, Dace? Here have some of mine." He held the cup out again.
I rolled my head over. He held the cup just out of reach of my mouth. He lifted the cup and drank the rest. He laughed and walked away. The door slid closed behind him.
I lay alone in the room for a long time. The door finally opened again. One of the women on the crew entered. She crossed the room and wordlessly held a water pouch where I could drink from the straw. I drained it as fast as I could. I had no idea when I'd get another one. She fed me a ration bar, breaking it into pieces and holding them where I could eat them. She looked disgusted by the whole process. I felt completely humiliated.
She dropped the last piece on the bunk next to my head and left. I tried to twist my neck enough to reach it. I couldn't. I knocked it onto the floor.
One of the other crew members, one of the men, came after a while to let me off the bunk. He took me to the bathroom. He let the door shut behind me. Not that it did me any good. They left nothing inside except the fixtures. I used the facilities and played with the water. It was warm. I was still chilled inside. I was tempted to take another shower, but I had no idea who would walk in on me.
"Enough," the crewman said, opening the door.
He marched me back across the floor and chained me up to the bunk again.
I closed my eyes and resigned myself to the situation. At least for now.