Chewing Rocks (19 page)

McNally said, “No sweat. We just keep you for a little housekeeping and cooking for a while. Just to teach you your place. No harm, no foul.”

Sno tried and failed to keep the surprise out of her voice. “No harm or foul? Kidnapping
is no harm?”

McNally laughed. “H
angfire, Red, by whose law? There ain’t no police out here. There ain’t no lawyers. There ain’t no politicians. We can drop you off on Ceres without even coming to a complete stop. Queene Mines has lots of ports of call for hard working miners in places that don’t give a hoot or holler about the laws on Ceres, and Earth laws don’t apply out here.”

Franklin said, “Okay
, girl. I want you to jet up to our ship. Not to the Blinkin. No funny business. Mac is still on your ship with his finger on the button and Coop is on the Winkin with his finger on the button there.”

Chapter 17.1

Sno glanced around the galley without being able to raise the back of her head from the table. She could not see much, due to being flat on her back, tied to the four corners of the table. She felt a chill across her naked body, but she knew it was not because of the coolness in the air.

She could
not see the doorway, but heard the breathing there.

McNally
said, “You are right, Franklin; skinny as a rail. Still, should be interesting ‘nuff.”

Both men moved into her line of sight. She looked from one to the other, but kept her mouth clamped shut
.

Franklin said, “Very interesting
; when the time comes, that is.” He flicked a finger across a bare nipple. “But, there isn’t any rush and we have a few other things to do first.”

McNally nodded, “Yeah, right.” He leaned in close enough to Sno that his breath washed across her face. “Seems to me you didn’t like the way my breath smelled the last time we met. How is it now?”

Sno smiled, “Sweet as daisies that have passed out the south end of a northbound pig.”

Both men chuckled.

McNally said, “You just keep your sense of humor, Red; you’re going to need it. Now, Franklin and I have a few things to attend to before we let your friends go. I know that you are going to think about trying to get away. That is okay. You think all you want to.” He patted the shotgun he had cradled in his arms. “This is yours. I took it from your ship that you left parked a ways back, so I am sure that you know it works. And I am sure that I know how to use it if you aren’t right here where we left you when we get back.”

Sno could tell he was going to say more, but the comm-unit on the bridge squawked, calling for attention.

Franklin said, “Must be Cooper wanting to know when we are going to pick him and Hunter up. I’ll go shut him up.”

“I’ll go with you
, we don’t need to rush things with Red. She ain’t a’going nowhere. We need to make sure Cooper has everything under control.”

Sno could clearly hear them on the bridge
. Their voices drifted down the short hallway.

McNally said, “We’re here,
Cooper. What’s your gripe?”

Hunter
’s voice boomed out over the comm. “This isn’t Cooper. It’s me. It’s Hunter.”

Franklin wasn’t able to keep the distain from his voice. “Yeah,
Hunter, it’s you. Big deal. You and Cooper have everything over there gathered up and by the door for when we come over?”

Hunter
replied, “It is not going to happen. I am not doing this.”

McNally sighed and said, “Doing what,
Hunter? We all agreed to do this together.”

“No
,” Hunter said. “I didn’t agree to any of this. The last thing I agreed to was going out for a beer after work. I am not going to help you any more.”

McNally spat back, “Then don’t help, you little weasel. Stay out of our way. Put
Cooper on the comm.”

Hunter
laughed, “Ha! You’d like that wouldn’t you? Well, you can’t have him back. I have him tied up and tossed in the rock chamber. I’ve turned these men loose and given them their ship back. I am going to take Cooper back to Ceres and turn him over to the police. You do what I say from now on or I swear, I mean it, I swear I will push the rock chamber transmit button on Cooper. I will Humpty-Dumpty his fat can all over space between here and Ceres.”

Franklin sa
id, “Go ahead, moron. The fat man is more problem than he is worth. He eats twice as much as any two of us.”

McNally said, “Never mind, Franklin. I think we are done with all of them anyway. Just
put in your password and send the whole mess following the Nod into the sun. Lock ‘em down and ship ‘em out. We don’t need them no way. There is no way Hunter knows enough to undo what you already set in place.”

Hearing that
, Sno strained at her bonds, but she was bound too tight.

She started to shout, “You…” But she was interrupted by a hand across her mouth. She looked up into a pair of startling blue eyes peeking out of a mass of curly dark hair
. The hand left her mouth and a single finger flicked upwards across the man’s full lips.

One of the blue eyes winked at her. Both of the man’s eyes slid up and down her body, and a small sigh of appreciation escaped his lips.

Franklin’s voice drifted down the hallway. “That’ll do it, Mac. They are locked down and should be headed off to crispy critterville.”

Sno whispered, “They have a shotgun.”

The man smiled back as if that was good news.

McNally shouted from the bridge. “What the
…? Why ain’t they going nowhere. I can still see them right there out the window.”

Franklin said, “I don’t know. Give me a minute.”

Hunter’s laugh came over the comm. “You just found out your hijack patches aren’t working, huh? You are right, I don’t know enough to shut down what you did. But I am not alone here either. Both these guys I just let loose know more than either of you two. So, who is the moron now?”

McNally
said, “Screw ‘em, let’s just go.”

Franklin
said, “I am trying to. Nothing is working.”

Doc’s voice replaced
Hunter’s on the comm. “Give it up. I have locked you out of your ship’s controls. You aren’t going anywhere until we get Miss Whyte back. If she has been unharmed then we will turn you two loose to go where you will.”

McNally said, “No way.”

He motioned Franklin to head to the galley. The man took off down the short corridor.

McNally continued,
“You release the control of this ship or we will hurt the girl. And believe you me, I know a little something about making people hurt. Ask your new buddy Hunter if he don’t think that I do.”

“Hey, McNally
,” Franklin yelled from the galley. “You better come look at this.”

“What now?
” McNally said as he walked down the short hallway. “Come on, Franklin, it’s just one skinny little girl.” The man swung the shotgun in front like a blind man’s cane as he stepping through the galley hatch. “You’d think-”

A metal pry bar slammed across McNally’s hands, knocking the shotgun out of his grasp. Before he could react, the bar swung again and slammed across one knee, sending him crashing to the deck in a writhing pile.

The dark haired man with the twinkling blue eyes said, “Yes, ma’am, you were right. He had a shotgun.” He leaned down and casually swept the gun from the floor. “Yours, I presume?”

Sno strained, still tied to the table. “Well, I can’t tell since I can
’t quite see it, can I?”

“Oh,” the man smiled
, “quite right. Sorry, I forgot all about that. You,” He pointed a finger at Franklin, casually ignoring the shotgun in his hand. “Mr. Baldy, be so good as to untie Miss Whyte, if you please. Then back up and put your hands on that bulkhead. I am sure you know the position, don’t you?”

Blue Eyes poked McNally with the
shotgun barrel. “And you, sir, shut up, would you? It’s just a broken kneecap. Goodness! Man, you are crying like a little girl.”

Sno stepped up next to Blue Eyes and
tried to grab the shotgun. “Yeah, that is mine and I want it back.”

The man smiled at her
, but held the gun out of her reach. Sno decided he really had an irritating smile; pretty, but definitely irritating.

He said,
“All in good time. If I give this to you, do you promise not to kill them right now?”

“What?”
she shouted. “Why the hell not?”

Blue Eyes said, “Well, since you asked. I know they deserve whatever you decide to do
: kidnapping, assault, theft, and all. But, since I have technically taken them prisoner, I can’t really allow you to hurt them.”

McNally shouted, “Hurt us? You broke my leg
-”

Before McNally could finish whatever he had planned to say
, Blue Eyes swung the heavy pry bar one handed across McNally’s other knee. Sno jerked involuntarily when she heard the other kneecap snap into pieces.

“Please behave yourself
, sir,” Blue Eyes said. “That’s right, Miss Whyte, we do not hurt prisoners. Ever. It’s just not done.”

“Okay
,” Sno said. “I promise I won’t kill them until you say it is okay. Okay?”

“Okay
,” he laughed.

Sno said, “Besides, you don’t need the shotgun or that bar.” She pointed at the
pistol on the man’s hip. “Why didn’t you use that? Don’t you have hull safe ammo?”

“This? Well, of course I have hull safe ammo.
What kind of spacer would I be if I used ammo that would put holes in my spaceship? This is loaded with glass beads that shatter on metal, but slide through people like ice cream across a fat man’s tongue. I just didn’t use the old girl because, well, it just isn’t as much fun.”

“So, where do we put these two, for now
? And who are you anyway?” She blurted out, looking into those really amazing blue eyes.

“Well, Miss Whyte
, I am not sure about the etiquette of introductions in situations like this.”

“Like what?
Pirates, kidnapping, saving damsels in distress?”

“Actually, Miss Whyte
, I have never had to introduce myself to a naked woman holding a shotgun.”

Sno looked down at herself. “Damn
,” she thought.

“Damn
,” she said out loud.

“I couldn’t agree more
,” Blue Eyes agreed.

She pointed at McNally. “If you would drag his sorry
carcass out of the hatchway I will go get some clothes. I left what I had in the EVA suit locker.”

“Before I do that, I just have one request
,” Blue Eyes laughed. “We can drag his sorry butt out of the way soon enough.”

“Request? What? You need to negotiate your reward for saving us?”

The mass of dark curly hair nodded. “Quite right, I should think. It certainly seems like the right time to me.”

“Crap on
a crutch. What is it with people these days! I already owe Lee and Jackson from the Blinkin double the standard rescue fee, how much do you want?”

“Just dinner
, Princess, and I am buying. I am certainly not looking to take half your kingdom or any such fairytale nonsense.”

At her startled look he continued, “
No, Princess, I am not looking for anything more. Not now, certainly not. To demand such a thing at a time like this,” his eyes casually wandered across her body, “that would be most rude. But soon: say…the next time we are both in port at Arizona City? You can pick the place and the time. You just need to but speak the word.”

“Yes. Dinner. Okay. Just who
the hell are you anyway? Clothes or not.” She spat out through clenched teeth.”

“Well, if you insist. I am Captain Prentiss Chalmers of the good ship
Rebecca, the GD Mining Vessel number 1492.”

“Captain Chalmers
,” Sno said. “I know that name from somewhere.”

“Well, I am famous in my own little way, I am sure. But you needn’t call me Captain. My mother calls me Prentiss
; my friends call me Prints. I do hope that we can be friends.”

“Prince
as in royalty?” Before he could respond she continued, “Prints, like in writing. I got it. A girl I know…no…a friend of mine mentioned you.” Sno surprised herself by deciding she wanted to recognize people as friends. “Spanky, I mean, Deb Feich, said she met you at Mario’s. She said you used to be a Deep Space Ranger and you went by the name of Prints.”

“Oh yes
,” Prints laughed. “Spanky is a lovely girl. I must admit quite frankly she is just too well gifted below the neck for my tastes.”

“
Hey! Spanky…dammit, Deb is my friend. I don’t care who you think you are, you just don’t go around insulting my friends.”

“Whoa there,
Princess Whyte,” Prints laughed. “I meant that as a compliment to her. She has what most men are now days calling ‘voluptuousity’. In fact, both of my crewmen are arguing over who gets to ask her out when we get back to Arizona City. Maybe they can share, she certainly has enough to go around, unlike others I could name.” He laughed as he blatantly stared at her continued nudity.