Captive (5 page)
She turned and hit the door with her fist as the lock beeped, indicating it had been set. Well, she thought, so much for trying to get away while everyone was asleep. With a sigh, she leaned against the door and looked around the small room.
The walls were the same gray metal as the rest of the ship. She also realized there was no smell here. She hadn't noticed it earlier, for she had been too busy trying to get away. But now the lack of odor was obvious -- especially here in the bar. Most Earth bars held a smell of liquor and smoke. Apparently, the ship had a very good filtering system. Either that or aliens didn't do things the same way as they did on Earth. Maybe they didn't drink or smoke at all. But then if they didn't, why did they need a bar?
Mikayla sighed, wondering if maybe she wasn't losing her mind, and returned her attention to her surroundings, desperate to try and keep her calm so she could find a way home.
Off to her right was a bathroom, although, except for the huge tub, it didn't look like any bathroom she had ever seen. In the middle of the room sat a full-size bed, and on the long wall to the left stood a small dresser with three drawers. Above the bed where the headboard should have been was a small window the same width as the mattress. Mikayla climbed onto the bed and looked out at Earth.
This all seemed so unreal to her. Never in her life did she imagine she would be in a ship orbiting the planet. Closing her eyes with a sigh, she put her forehead to the glass. Her hands shook slightly as she brushed her hair away from her face. A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed hard to get rid of it.
She couldn
'
t let herself fall apart. She had to stay calm and think. If she gave into her fear, she would lose the only control she had. She couldn't let them see how upset she was, or how scared. One thing she learned from her years with an abusive boyfriend -- never let him see your fear.
She thought about her mother and wondered if she was okay. Did Krista make it there all right and let her mother know what happened to her? They were both probably worried to death. She would have to keep her eyes open and pay attention.
Surely, a way home would soon present itself.
Lowering herself to the mattress, she covered up with several of the blankets folded at the foot of the bed. It must be fifty degrees in here, she thought. Sleep didn
'
t come right away. Her mind kept racing, thinking about the bar, her mother, and surprisingly the man she had run into earlier. He was gorgeous, and she would bet everything she owned that he knew it.
She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else. This ship was so big, she would probably never see him again, which considering the way she'd felt when he looked at her with those gray eyes of his was probably a good thing.
Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.
Mikayla awoke to the sound of someone in the room. At first, she thought she was at her mother's and she was coming in to wake her. The relief it had all been a dream quickly faded when she opened her eyes and saw Agnus standing over her.
A bony finger pointed to the foot of the bed. “There is a uniform that should fit.
You will be expected to wear it at all times. Take a shower, get dressed, do whatever else you need, and then meet me downstairs in one hour. Everything you should need is in the bathroom. If you require something else, let Celine know and she will get it for you.”
As he walked out the door, Mikayla looked at her watch. It was almost eleven, by her time anyway. She had no idea what time it was by their standards. She stood at the foot of the bed and picked up the uniform to get a better look at it.
“You've got to be kidding me,” she mumbled aloud. Throwing the uniform back on the bed, she rolled her eyes and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
* * * * *
Mikayla looked at herself in the mirror and cringed. The uniform fit her perfectly, unfortunately. Even with all these clothes on, she'd never felt more naked. The black pants were made out of a spandex-type material and fit her like a glove, starting at just below her belly button. The black lace top crisscrossed over her chest, forming a V-shaped neckline that showed more cleavage and stomach than she was comfortable with. The long sleeves were tight until they flared out into a bell shape at the wrists. At least he had given her a black bra to wear under it, she thought. The little black ankle boots he had also given her were fairly comfortable, at least so far. It was amazing he had guessed her size perfectly.
“Might as well get this over with,” she said with a sigh. “The faster I get downstairs, the faster I can find a way out of here.” As she came down the stairs, Agnus nodded his approval. “Mikayla, this is Celine.
She will show you around the bar and the storeroom, as well as inform you of the rules and what is to be expected of you.”
Celine was a pretty girl, not quite as tall as Mikayla. Her blonde hair hung to her waist and was thick and straight as a stick. She had blue eyes and what looked like a series of swirling designs tattooed on her neck.
“I have paperwork to do, so I will leave you in Celine's capable hands.” As he walked off, he turned and added as an afterthought, “Oh, and Mikayla, there will be no more escape attempts. I don't put up with that kind of nonsense, and I assure you, you will not like the punishment. Have I made myself clear?”
“Crystal,” she replied.
Once Agnus was gone, Mikayla asked, “Is he always so gruff?”
“Yeah. But he is okay once you get to know him and as long as you do not give him any trouble.”
“How long have you been here?”
Mikayla studied the layout of the bar as she listened to Celine talk.
“About two years. The other girl that was here, the one you are replacing, left to get married.”
She saw Celine fill a pitcher of water at the faucet and remembered what she wanted to ask. “Where does the water come from?”
Celine raised her eyes to her and smiled slightly. “There are several storage tanks located throughout the ship. It continually refilters itself.” She shrugged. “So basically, you just use the same water over and over again. Periodically, it gets low and a supply ship will bring more, but what is in the tanks will last a long time.” Mikayla walked over to the main door and stood before it, silently hoping it would just slide open. When it didn't, she looked around for a button.
“You might as well give up. I can assure you, it is locked and remains locked.” She looked at Celine and shrugged. “Can't blame a girl for trying.”
“No, I guess not. So, are you ready to learn the bar?”
“As ready as I'll ever be,” she replied.
Celine then began to show her the drinks and how to make them. Most of the men just ordered the Tilariun Ale, but some would want something a little more exotic. She also explained about the officers getting preferential treatment -- meaning they were served first and were always shown respect by being addressed by their rank or title.
“Don't worry, I'll help you with the names,” Celine said. “Oh, and also, there is one officer that comes in most mornings and has
Korniga
with Agnus. Apparently he
and Agnus are very close. I usually try to be somewhere else when he is here, because he makes me very nervous. I do not like him. You might want to avoid him as well.” Mikayla wanted to ask her more, but Agnus returned saying they should order some food for breakfast. Celine said that later, when the bar was open, they would each take a dinner break separately so that someone was always there to help Agnus. “He always keeps menus from the eating lounge behind the bar, so just tell him what you want and he'll have it delivered.”
Mikayla frowned at the menu and the words that looked like chicken scratch to her. Apparently it was too much to hope that their menu would be in English and not some alien language she couldn't begin to understand. Unsure of what to order, she let Celine do it and hoped the food was edible, because she was starving.
* * * * *
Sidious had spent most of the previous day and night down on Earth going over attack plans with some of the flyers. Satellites orbiting Earth had been destroyed as soon as Earth refused to surrender, effectively knocking out all communications. If they were smart, which Sidious was pretty sure they were, then they had a backup plan for communications in the event that happened. “Bombing of the major cities started shortly after satellites were taken out,” said Sergeant Morgan, as he handed Sidious a report, listing the damage.
Sidious studied the list and then looked at the sergeant. “All these cities have been destroyed?”
“Yes, my lord.”
He looked back down at the paper to cover his anger.
Such a waste
. The flyers had done quite a bit of damage in a short amount of time. Most of the major cities were wiped out in less than twenty-four hours.
The prime minister didn
'
t care how many people he killed or how much was destroyed in the process of taking control. Most everything could be rebuilt, even population, so long as the natural resources he was after were not affected.
“Have the ground troops move in and take over a few of the smaller unprotected towns and turn them into prison camps.” Sidious placed the report in a folder and dropped it on the table. “We'll hold people there under guard until all this is over. Earth has a large population, so we'll need several of these camps set up.”
“Do you want the usual, my lord? Education and medical?” Sidious nodded as he studied another set of reports handed to him. "Yes.” From the beginning, the population here concerned him. The previous planets had not had this many people on them. He had tried to tell Rigora the number of people could be a problem for them, but he had held up his hand, stopping him. “I believe you are capable of handing this situation, Captain. I want this planet, and I expect you to get it for me. Am I clear?”
Sidious had to bite his tongue to keep from saying what was really on his mind.
He didn't need this planet. It was the challenge Rigora craved. The rush of conquering yet another world and forcing its people to do his bidding, to bend to his rule. Once again, Sidious held his temper in check and said exactly what he knew Rigora wanted to hear.
“My lord.”
The sergeant's voice broke through his thoughts, and he stared at him with narrowed eyes. “What, sergeant?”
He swallowed nervously, then asked, “Will there be anything else?” Sidious sighed and turned to leave the tent. “Not at the moment. I am returning to the Destroyer. If you need me, you may contact me there.”
“Yes, sir.”
Climbing into his personal ship,
Triton
, he started the engines and headed back to the Destroyer. The
Triton
was a little bigger than an Imperial Flyer, but just as fast and maneuverable. It had a long, narrow middle section that could hold two people sitting side by side with about ten feet of storage space in the back that could be used for carrying supplies or baggage. The wings were each about fifteen feet long, with ends that tipped upward like a bird's wings.
Flying low over the northeastern part of the continent -- a region called the United States -- he wanted a look at the destruction firsthand. Then he wished he hadn't. There was so much smoke that covered the city of New York due to fires caused by repeated bombings, the visibility was less than a quarter of a mile. A little farther south, the city of Washington, DC was pretty much in ruins, as well.
They should have just surrendered, he thought, although he understood why they didn't. If he were in their shoes, he would have done exactly the same thing.
He was so tired of all this destruction and conquest. It was time someone put the prime minister where he belonged. He took his time getting back to the Destroyer, flying low over the Earth several times before heading back. It gave him time to get his thoughts together.
It must have been a beautiful place before all this happened. Maybe they could hold on until he and the rebellion could get their plan into motion. As he flew out of the Earth
'
s atmosphere, he came up with a way that he might be able to help them.
He secured the ship on deck six and powered down the engines.
“Welcome back, Lord Marcone.” Ensign Gregor rushed forward to greet him as he climbed out of his ship.
“Ensign, refuel her and have her ready to go at a moment's notice.”
“Yes, sir.” Gregor nodded as he rushed to carry out his orders.
Walking through the docking bay, he heard several men talking about Agnus's new waitress, Mikayla. He couldn't really blame them. He had caught himself several
times thinking about her since the other night. With a grin, he wondered how much trouble she had given Agnus over the last two days.
Maybe he should pop in at the bar. He usually had Korniga with Agnus this time of day. He was sure she would be there also, and he found he was actually looking forward to seeing her again.
He immediately turned and headed toward the turbochute that would take him to the recreation deck.
* * * * *
“Sidious,” Agnus said as Sidious came through the door. “I'm surprised to see you this morning. I assumed with the invasion you would still be down on Earth.” Agnus was the only person on the ship who called him by his first name. To everyone else onboard he was either Lord Marcone or Captain. Of course Agnus was also a friend of his father's and had known him since he was a child. That was one of the reasons when the officers decided they needed a bar on board the Destroyer, Sidious had offered the job to Agnus. He had run a bar for years on Tilarus, and he knew Agnus would do a good job. Sidious nodded. “I just came from there, and all I've heard about since I got back is your new waitress.”
Agnus crossed his arms in front of him and sighed. “She is stubborn and a little sassy, but the men like her. I understand that the two of you have already met,” he said with a smile.
“You could say that.” He grinned as he remembered their first meeting.
“I heard the whole story from Lafon. Thought it was quite funny myself; can
'
t say the same for Lafon, though.” Agnus chuckled. “Grab some Korniga and have a seat. I need to get some things from the storeroom, and I will be right back.” Walking behind the bar and pouring himself a cup of Korniga, Sidious looked around and spotted Mikayla. She stood sideways, with her shoulder leaning against the window.
Her position afforded him a perfect view, and he definitely liked what he saw.
Letting his gaze travel down the length of her, he admired her perfect figure -- all the way from the tip of her adorable nose to the bottom of her shapely calves.
His appraisal slowed at her firm, flat stomach and perfectly rounded breasts.
Blood that should have normally been used for thinking quickly spread to areas south.
Damn
. Taking a deep breath, he tried to clear the not-so-decent thoughts that were running rampant through his mind. Thoughts of fucking her senseless were foremost, and he groaned, trying to think of something else.
The woman took his breath away. Her long, dark brown hair hung halfway down her back in loose curls his fingers itched to slide through. She had long legs he knew
without a doubt would lock around his waist with a perfect fit. And those breasts. He licked his lips at the thought of wrapping his tongue around the tip of one.
He hadn't had this kind of reaction to a woman in years. He'd been too busy with the militia and his duties to the rebellion. He loved women, loved being with them.
Occasionally, he would head to Rhenari and find some willing partner, but even that had been quite some time ago.
For a moment, he wondered if he'd just been without a woman for too long. But as he studied her, he knew that wasn't it. It wasn't just physical. It was something else.
Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Shaking his head, he tried to tell himself he didn't have time for this, no matter how appealing the package. He had too much to do, too much at stake. Even as those thoughts went through his mind, he began to move toward her.
Stopping next to her, he leaned his shoulder against the window and crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you adjusting, Mikayla?” he asked.
She turned to look at him with eyes the color of emeralds, and his breath caught in his throat.
Shetah
. He could drown in those eyes. Even when spitting fire, they were mesmerizing.
“Now, what do you think?” she snapped.
“Things would be a whole lot easier for you if you would just admit defeat and accept the fact that this is your new home.”
“If you were kidnapped and taken away from your home, would you admit defeat and accept it?” She raised an adorable eyebrow, waiting for his answer.
One side of his mouth went up in a slight smile. “Probably not.”
“So then why should I?”
With that, she turned to head back toward the bar. He followed, watching the sway of her firm backside. Those pants left absolutely nothing to the imagination, and his cock twitched as he fought the desire to grab a handful of that ass, toss her onto the bar, and have his fill of her.
She scowled at him over her shoulder as though she knew what he was thinking, and he winked, unable to resist teasing her.
Sitting on a bar stool, he silently watched her stock the shelves with the bottles Agnus had just brought out.
Agnus sat next to him and chatted in Tilarian about how things were going.
Sidious only half listened to what he was saying. Most of his attention was on Mikayla.
Over the last couple of days, he couldn
'
t seem to get her out of his mind. He thought that maybe if he saw her again he could figure out what it was about her that had him so intrigued. She was beautiful, that was for certain, but it was more than that.
Looking down at his cup, he realized it was empty. “Mikayla, could I have some more Korniga, please?”
“Sure,” she replied as she walked over to take his cup.
Agnus immediately corrected, “That's „yes, my lord' or „yes, Captain,' Mikayla.”
“Wow.” Her eyes widened in innocence, and Sidious had to bite back a laugh.
“Two whole titles. Aren't you special?”
“Mikayla,” Agnus warned.
“Forget it,” she replied stubbornly. “I may cut my nose off to spite my face, but I refuse to show this man respect that, in my opinion, he doesn't deserve.” Agnus scowled and stood. Sidious knew Agnus's temper, and he was sure Mikayla was about to get a tongue lashing about respect. Putting his hand on Agnus's arm, he silently coaxed him to sit back down.
“If you do not wish to call me by my title or rank, what would you prefer?” he asked. He loved her spirit, and he had a feeling whatever she came up with would be amusing if nothing else.
“„Bastard'comes quickly to mind.” Her lips thinned into a tight line.
“I'm sure that bastard comes to a lot of people's minds, but surely you could come up with something more inventive.”
She scowled and walked to the other side of the counter to fill his cup. While she waited for the water to heat, she eyed him mischievously through her lashes. She's got something up her sleeve, he thought.
“Has anyone ever called you Sid?”
He raised an eyebrow, and Agnus choked on his laughter. “Not and lived to tell about it, I can assure you.”
Agnus tapped his chin. “If I recall, there was one man that attempted to call you Sid. Whatever happened to him?”
“They're probably still searching for his body parts along the Klinvik Belt,” he replied dryly. He bit back a grin when he saw Mikayla throw him a look of doubt over her shoulder.
She finished pouring his Korniga and then set his cup on the bar in front of him.
“Here's your Korniga…
Sid
.”
Sidious tried to hide his amusement, and it certainly didn't help to hear Agnus next to him snort and reply under his breath, “This should be good.” Tuning Agnus out, he lifted his cup.
“You better be careful, little one. You're liable to find yourself dead where you stand.”
She placed her hand on her hip as she tilted her head to the side, scowling at him.
“So, are you telling me that you would actually be man enough to take care of it yourself and not send one of your many minions to do it for you?” He narrowed his eyes at her over the rim of his cup. “You might be surprised at what I am man enough to do, Mikayla.”
“I would be surprised that you would be man enough to do anything at all, other than kidnap defenseless females, that is.”
“Really?” He set his cup down and leaned closer, lowering his voice. “How about I take you to my quarters and show you exactly what I am man enough to do? Like spreading those thighs of yours and fucking you till you scream.” Raising an eyebrow, he waited for her response. If he had surprised her, he couldn't tell.
Leaning forward with her hands on the bar, she brought her face close to his. “You might be a big man where you come from, but in my little world, you would never be man enough for me.”
He stood, and her eyes widened slightly in trepidation as he slowly strolled around the bar, never taking his gaze off hers. She moved back a few steps until the bar stopped her progress. In a show of defiance, she raised her chin, glaring at him in seething hatred. Damn, she had spunk, but behind that hatred, he could see a tiny flare of desire.
“How about I show you just how man enough I am, right here?” he murmured.
He braced his hands against the bar on either side of her hips and leaned in close -
- close enough to see the gold flecks around her pupils. “Or would you prefer the privacy of my quarters when I fuck you into submission?”
“You wouldn
'
t dare,” she hissed.
“Is that a challenge?” He glanced toward Agnus, who watched the whole scene with interest. “Tell her how much I enjoy a challenge, Agnus.”
“He enjoys a challenge,” Agnus replied.
Mikayla snorted.
Sidious studied her for a moment, gauging his next move. He wanted her, but he wasn't into rape. Seduction he could do. “Bring her to my quarters in one hour,” Sidious said, then pushed away from the bar.
“Sidious…” Agnus started.
Sidious just grinned as he walked by, heading to the exit, his plan already forming in his mind, making his balls tighten with anticipation. “She doesn't think I'm man enough.” Sidious shrugged, his grin widening. “I have to prove her wrong.” Mikayla watched him go in stunned silence. What the hell had she done? She stared at Agnus, wide-eyed. “Surely he was joking,” she whispered.
Agnus shook his head. “Nope.'Fraid not. You and that sassy mouth of yours pushed him too far.”
She swallowed as her hands began to tremble in earnest.
“He won't hurt you, Mikayla. Sidious may be a lot of things, but he's not into physically hurting women.”
It wasn't the fear of him hurting her that had her so rattled. It was the fear she might actually want it -- that she might actually enjoy what he had in mind for her. The man was gorgeous…sexy…and huge. He was a mountain, which made her feel all the more vulnerable when close to him.
“What do you call rape?”
Agnus snorted. “Please. I saw the way you were looking at him.” Agnus stood and wiggled his finger for her to follow him.
“What?” Mikayla snapped. “I
'
m not going.”
He turned to scowl at her, and she straightened her spine, determined to resist --
to not go willingly. “You will go,” Agnus said as he waved his finger up and down along her body. “And you'll go naked. Get those off.”
“What?” she yelled. “You plan to parade me through this ship naked?”
“Of course not. You'll be covered… Just not in that.”
