Fortune's Risk: A Star Thief Novella (Star Thief Chronicles #1.5) (6 page)

A few seconds later, he heard the soft snick of the lock falling into place. He pulled open the door and slipped into the hallway, no one the wiser.

Not bad for a reformed thief.

Finn sighed and studied the long corridor in front of him. Dwelling on his feelings for Renna wouldn’t help him now. He needed to concentrate. Kitty was a dangerous woman.

The hallway was nondescript, with plain white walls, cheap linoleum floors, and doors lining the space every fifty feet or so. No sign of Kitty or her men. He crept forward, listening at each door, but he was met with only silence. Where the hell had they gone?

The hallway curved slightly to the right, so that by the time he reached the far end of the corridor, he could no longer see the door where he’d entered. But directly in front of him was a double door, marked with a firebird sigil. He’d bet his life this was Kitty Cordoza’s private room.

Carefully, Finn crouched in front of the lock, listening for any voices or movement. But the doors were soundproof. He’d have to hope he could find some way to stay unnoticed once he got the doors open. He slid the lock-pick into the electric lock.

The scream of an alarm sliced through the air.

Finn jumped to his feet, but before he could sprint back the way he’d come, the doors shot open and a meaty hand grabbed his arm. He kicked out at the man, but despite his heft, the guard moved fast, darting out of the way so that Finn’s kick went wide. He grabbed Finn’s other arm and held him steady, glaring down at him with dark, beady eyes.

He was so screwed.

“Mr. Clayton. So interesting to see you here,” Kitty drawled from her chair behind a large chrome desk. “Bring him inside, Bran. I’m sure he has lots of questions.”

Finn tried to yank his arm free from the giant man’s grip, but it only tightened as he dragged Finn into the room. The luxurious furnishings were at odds with the narrow hallway outside and he swallowed at the crossed samurai swords that hung over a low buffet table on the far wall. A glass display case of guns sat in the corner. Most were old-Earth models he recognized from his MYTH training. But there were a few he’d never seen before.

A dozen white leather chairs sat around a heavy glass table. Half were occupied with Kitty’s men, the other half empty. Bran threw Finn into the chair closest to the door, then took up a stance behind him, arms crossed.

Well, he wasn’t getting out that way. There was only one other option. “I’m so sorry, Kitty.” He hung his head for a moment before looking back at her. He wasn’t Viktis, but maybe he could talk his way out of this. “This sounds awful, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. When I saw you come down this way, I thought it would be an opportunity for me to get you alone. I apologize if I’ve, ah, intruded on anything.”

She smiled slowly, baring her teeth. “Isn’t that the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard? But I’m not sure how you got past the locked door.”

He shook his head, trying to appear perplexed. “It opened when I pulled on it. Perhaps it didn’t lock.” His heart kicked against his ribcage hard enough that there’d be a bruise tomorrow. Across the room, two of Kitty’s other guards rested their hands on the blasters at their side, watching him with narrowed eyes.

Kitty stood slowly, with leonine grace, stretching each muscle and vertebrae as she rose. The hair on the back of Finn’s neck stood on end at the icy expression on her face.

“Tell me,
Captain Finn
. How long did you think you it would take me to find out who you really were? I’m the most powerful woman in this galaxy. I have spies in every government, every organization. I had you identified the moment you sat down beside me at the poker table.”

An iron fist clenched his stomach, but Finn forced himself to breathe through it. She was only one woman. Viktis knew where he was. Everything would be fine.

Kitty approached his chair, letting her fingers trail across the surface of the tabletop. “I’m actually disappointed. You’re quite handsome, you know. I would have enjoyed a few”—she let her gaze rove leisurely across his body—”rides.” The lust cleared from her gaze in an instant, and turned shrewd. “However, I make it a point never to sleep with MYTH agents. They’re too focused on playing with their…assets.”

Finn held his breath as Kitty ran a finger across his jaw, then forced his chin up so he had to meet her gaze. “Now, what about those friends of yours? What exactly are they up to?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Kitty shook her head. “You know I don’t like to play games.” She gestured to the man standing beside Finn. Without warning, he punched Finn in the stomach, sending lights skittering across his vision as he tried to suck in a breath of air.

“Let’s try again. Who are the other two and what are they doing?”

Finn swallowed, tasting bile, but didn’t answer.

The man’s fist connected with Finn’s midsection again, another wave of pain washing through him. He bit down on his lip so he wouldn’t make a sound. If nothing else, MYTH had taught him to withstand worse torture than this. Though from what he’d heard about Kitty, she had plenty more up her sleeve.

One of the guards got to his feet, setting his tablet on the desk. “Contact is here, boss. We need to get to the drop.”

Kitty frowned. “I suppose my fun will have to wait for now. We’ll deal with him, and his friends, when the tournament’s over. I don’t want anything getting in the way.”

Bran grabbed Finn’s arms and yanked him to his feet. When he smiled, there was a gaping hole where his left front tooth should have been. “I’m going to enjoy breaking you later, my friend,” he said as he dragged Finn toward another door at the back of the room. “Have a pleasant stay.”

He threw Finn into a small closet and slammed the door behind him, leaving Finn to stare hopelessly at the suddenly seamless wall in front of him.

She’d installed a Resule cell. No door once it was shut, no windows, and made from material that blocked all comms in and out.

He was completely fucked.

CHAPTER 7

Keva stared down at the holo image on Viktis’s watch tablet. He’d hacked into the security cameras on the Cordoza floor so they’d have a better sense of what they were up against. It was a good thing he had. Unlike earlier, two men now stood guard outside the door to the suite.

“What’s going on?” she asked with a frown.

“Hell if I know. Something must have spooked Kitty. Good thing we came prepared.” Viktis patted the blaster at his hip but Keva shook her head.

“You promised we’d do it my way.”

“Fine,” he said. “But when they shoot a hole through your heart, I’m not patching it up.”

“Just keep up, Pirate, and you’ll see how it’s done.”

Viktis tapped something into the tablet and the video feed went black. A moment later the security cameras shorted out, sparks hissing against the sleek white walls and streaking them with soot.

The two guards glanced up from their posts, but before they could move, Keva fired two shots from the small pistol she carried.

A moment later, they collapsed to the floor, sound asleep.

She grinned at Viktis and refrained from gloating. “Let’s go.”

They each pulled on a pair of black gloves as they walked toward the suite, and Keva had already pulled her hair into a tight bun. Leaving any evidence behind would screw their whole plan — getting caught wasn’t part of it.

Was she seriously going through with this? Breaking into someone’s hotel room? Twenty-four hours earlier, she would have said never. But here she was. Where had the real Keva gone?

Viktis tapped again at his watch, using the device Keva had planted earlier to open the door to the suite. Together, they slipped inside the darkened foyer.

Like before, the pungent stargazer lilies made her gag.

Keva forced herself to ignore them and switched on the light in her own watch, letting the cool glow highlight the three doors that led off the space. “Straight ahead is the sitting room. Bedroom’s on the left, bathroom on the right.”

“Kitty’s computer is in her bedroom.” He carefully opened the door, Keva following close behind. She let her light sweep through the room, highlighting the giant bed, the plush carpet, the luxurious curtains. It was definitely a bedroom fit for a mob queen.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked, leaning against the door.

Viktis booted up Kitty’s computer, the light turning his amber skin green. “I’m going to plant the evidence of her cheating in her files. Once the station security show up to search, they’ll find it immediately.”

“But you said there was also a physical component?”

“Yes. Catch.” Viktis tugged a small box from his pocket and tossed it to Keva.

It was a state of the art bio-lock, not much bigger than a ring box but heavy enough that her muscles started to ache as she held it. The things were supposed to be able to survive atomic explosions with no damage. There was a small indent where the owner could press their finger to unlock the thing, and an energy dampener that could lock it down to any surface, making it virtually immovable.

“What are we doing with this?”

“Making sure Kitty Cordoza is locked away for life.”

Viktis’s cold grin made Keva shift uncomfortably. It hit her for the first time that this whole plan was personal. He didn’t want to take this woman down for altruistic purposes. There was something else going on.

“What’s inside?” She set the box down on the dresser and stared at the dull gray surface.

“A data chip. Contains a list of every slave that the Cordozas have bought, transported, or sold.”

Keva felt her eyes widen. “How the hell did you get that?”

“A lot of late nights.” He snapped his jaw shut around the words as though they were painful. “Just find somewhere to hide it that won’t be too difficult for the guards to find when they search her suite. I’ve set the bio-lock to her DNA, so it will lead right back to her.”

A gasp escaped Keva’s lips. Bio-locks were supposed to be unhackable. That’s why they were so expensive.

“Hurry up!”

She blinked, then started pulling open drawers. Kitty’s underwear was as flamboyant as she was, if the lacy bras and crotch-less underwear was anything to go by. Gingerly, she pushed through a drawer of stockings and hid the box in the back. She’d been around long enough to know most male security guards went for the underwear drawers first when searching through personal belongings.

“Are you done yet?” she asked, glancing down at her watch. “The tournament starts in thirty minutes. We need to get down there and fill Captain Finn in on our progress before we implement Phase Three.”

“Finished. Let’s get the hell out of here.” He turned off the computer and was headed to the door when Keva’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm. They both froze.

Voices
.

“Shit.” Viktis scanned the room frantically. “Into the air duct. Now!” He pointed to the grate in the corner. It looked barely big enough for a child.

Keva’s heart sank.

“Hurry up,” he said, pushing her toward the cramped space.

She shook her head and tried to back away. “No way. I’m not going in there. How about I tell them that Kitty wanted me to wait here. They’ll recognize me from earlier.”

“And the tranquilized guards?”

“Right. Probably not a good sign.” She sighed and crouched in front of the hole.

Viktis stood behind her. “Afraid of the dark?”

She flashed him a look of disgust. “That’s right. Turn it into a joke.”

The voices grew louder and Keva’s heart thudded painfully. They were just outside the suite. Which was the lesser evil? A battle with them or a battle with herself?

“Keva, move!”

She took a deep breath and forced herself to crawl into the gaping hole. Viktis crept in behind her, pulling the vent closed.

The only sound in the cramped space was their breathing. Keva’s arm pressed against the sleeve of Viktis’s shirt, his warmth seeping into her skin. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the feel of air moving in through her nose and out through her mouth. A panic attack right now would not help them.

But gods she hated small spaces like this.

“Hey, you all right?” Viktis asked, lips millimeters from her ear, his warm breath caressing her skin.

“Not really.” Her whole body felt like it was a rock, tense and solid. She couldn’t move if she wanted to.

Kitty’s guards opened the door to the suite, arguing about what to do with the sleeping men as they entered. She picked out three separate voices. Okay odds if she and Viktis had to fight their way out. That option was starting to look better and better as the vent seemed to close in around her.

One of them headed straight to the bedroom, snapping on the light. She took a deep, shuddering breath as he marched further into the room.

Viktis took her hand, rubbing it gently between his. She let her eyes drift closed, trying to break free of the trap her mind was trying to weave. His hand drifted up her arm, stroking softly. She focused on the feel of his warm fingers, the clean scent of his skin in the small space.

“There’s no sign of anyone here,” one of the voices called from the foyer.

“Nothing in here either,” the man replied. “But damn, our Kitty has some good taste in clothes.”

“Hey asshole, if she catches you looking at her underwear, she’ll cut out your eyes.”

She’d totally called that one.

There was the sound of the drawer sliding shut, and footsteps leaving the room.

“See. It’s going to be just fine.” Viktis moved his hand up to her neck, letting his fingers rub slowly at the base of her shoulders. “Besides, I’ll protect you.”

She opened her eyes at that, turning to frown at him, but he grinned. “Gotcha. You know I expect you to kick their asses if we need to fight,” he whispered. “You are the army lieutenant here after all.”

“That’s right. And don’t you forget it.” Her heart still felt like it was trying to escape, but at least Viktis’s bad jokes made it a bit easier to breathe. Their gazes met in the strange half-light of the vent and a shiver shot through Keva’s midsection.