Playing Their Parts

“Hey, the ship is that way,” she said, pointing.

“Yes, but we’re going this way, beautiful.” The Beast made a motion and the round golden disk doors rolled apart.

“Why?” Cassie tried to laugh as she attempted to free her arm unsuccessfully. “Did you forget something?”

“Not at all. You on the other hand, are about to learn a lesson you’ll never forget.” The Beast’s smile had grown white and sharp and frightening and he was dragging her into the throne room forcefully now.

“Stop it!” Cassie exclaimed, deciding to fall back on her haughty Mistress persona. “How dare you treat me this way? I am a Yonnite Mistress—take your hands off me at once!”

“You are no Yonnite Mistress—you’re a Kindred spy.” This time it was Gozeriam speaking. The Slimerian’s deep, burbling voice made Cassie gasp. Looking up on the stage, she could see that Gozeriam was wide awake and watching them.

Crap! Our cover’s been blown! Got to warn Stone!

She tried desperately to reach into her bodice to touch the panic button located there, straining to get her fingers to the small device. But it was on the side The Beast was holding her arm and she couldn’t get to it. She struggled anyway, kicking out at the big asshole.

“Let go of me! You’re crazy—why would I spy for the Kindred?”

“This is exactly what you are going to tell us,” Gozeriam said. “Tie her to the frame.”

“Frame? What frame?” Cassie demanded. But even as she spoke, she saw several of the Slimerian’s guards bringing out a tall silver frame.

It wasn’t like the flogging frame. Instead of being rectangular, this was a large round hoop in a kind of swivel frame. There were leather thongs at its top and sides and a strange kind of metal and leather U-shaped seat in the middle.

“What is that thing? Let me go! You’re all crazy!” she insisted. She was determined to protest her innocence until they believed her.

Then someone stepped out from behind Gozeriam’s bulk and she saw with a sinking heart that it was their contact, Pocker.

“Pocker?” she gasped, before she could stop herself. “What…how…?”

“Good day,” the pig man said, bowing to Cassie. “Forgive me for turning you in to his Slimefullness but I was, after all, just doing my job. He ordered me to make myself available as a contact to your Commander Sylvan and relay to him anything that transpired.”

Cassie felt her heart sink. They had been made from the moment they stepped in the door. Their cover had been blown from day one!

“We can see by the look on your face that you know our faithful agent,” Gozeriam burbled at her. “So why do we not dispense with the pleasantries, Officer Cassandra Steel? Tell us everything and we will make certain your death is quick.”

Cassie lifted her chin as The Beast and several of Gozeriam’s guards strapped her into the strange machine.

“You can’t frighten me or get me to talk just by offering me a quick and painless death, Gozeriam.”

A sound like rubber boots squelching in deep, oozing mud emanated from the Slimerian’s lipless maw. After a moment, Cassie realized he was laughing.

“Now then, Officer Steel, we never said your death would be painless. I fear that it will be very painful indeed. But how long the pain lasts will depend on your willingness to cooperate. Now, call your partner so the two of you may die together.”

“Never!” Cassie glared at him. Now that she knew what Gozeriam had planned, she would never call Stone. She wouldn’t let her partner walk into a trap!

“Beast, find him,” Gozeriam ordered.

“I think she was trying to reach him earlier. Weren’t you, baby?” Without warning, The Beast grabbed the top of her dress in both hands and ripped it apart. The deep V neckline had already been wide enough that it barely covered her breasts. Now it parted completely, baring her utterly to everyone in the throne room.

But worse than her sudden exposure, in Cassie’s view, was the fact that the tiny communicator/panic button flew out and skittered to a stop at the Beast’s feet. Bending down, he picked it up and examined it with satisfaction.

“Now we’ll see your body-slave—or should I say your partner?” he sneered at Cassie.

And then he pushed the button.

Fifty-Two

As soon as Stone got back to the ship, he stowed the two silver camera drone balls and strapped on a blaster. He was clipping some cuffs to his belt to restrain The Beast with when he saw a sudden, scurrying movement from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw the oily shine of a beetle-black shell and heard a distinctive scratching sound as the creature disappeared.

Cursing under his breath, he went to a supply cabinet and pulled it open. Reaching inside, he grabbed a flat packet of compressed sodium spray. He was fairly certain the creature he had seen was a wall-crawler—a type of space insect that could withstand the intense cold of space and liked to stow away on long-range shuttles.