Recon Marines II: Marine's Heiress, The (28 page)

“
Don’t call him a
soldier,” Vin said. “Your military commission has been revoked and
none of these men with you are soldiers. Unless you’re starting you
own army.”

Nemon jumped forward and slammed his
open hands against the bars. Emma jumped back with a squeak as
Vannie did with a vile curse. But Vin stood his ground, not even
flinching.

“
Get back,” Ben snapped at
Nemon before turning his glare back on Emma. “We’ll make landfall
the day after tomorrow. Then you’ll keep your deal or I’ll shut
your protectors up for good.”

Two days. Emma took a deep breath. “I
need medical supplies. You won’t find me very cooperative if my
friend dies of infection. And bring us some food and
water.”

Ben narrowed his eyes and gave a curt
nod. He stomped his way back the way they’d come, probably the
direction of the bridge. His monster went with him.

A short time later Nemon returned with
three other guards. One carried a tray of food and the other
carried a medical kit. Nemon and one guard aimed stunners at Vin
and Vannie while the other two unlocked the cell door by punching
in a code. They set supplies inside the door and retreated quickly.
Nemon tried to stare Vin down for a long moment before leading his
men away.

The food was good and after they ate,
Emma spent two hours treating Vannie’s wounds. They needed cleaning
and stitching. Vin helped her tear the old bandages off as all
cutting instruments had been removed from the medical supplies.
After she’d finished with Vannie, she tried to check Vin. He
refused.

“
Vin, I know you must have
some cracked ribs. At least let me wrap them. I’m surprised you
don’t have a skull fracture from that kick.”

“
My ribs feel better, and
my headache is nearly gone.”

She couldn’t convince him to let her
treat him but she did cajole him to sit down and rest. The four
guards came back for the food tray, retrieving it and leaving a jug
of water, pillows and blankets.

Vannie stretched out on his back,
groaning and complaining after the guards left. Not that they
wouldn’t know of his insults with the camera lurking in the corner.
Within minutes, Vannie’s snores created a perfect cover for
speaking privately.

She spread the remaining blankets and
pillows for her and Vin to share. He hesitated a moment, looking up
at the camera, and then stretched out beside her. She placed her
hand on his chest, savoring the deep strong beat of his heart and
the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The strong rhythms of his
life comforted her. Despite the bars of the prison, she felt
safe.

She wanted to ask Vin’s forgiveness
again and make recompense for her foolishness in revealing her
location to Ben. At the same time, her guilt burdened her less.
This amazing man beside her held her to no blame.

Vin’s arm crept around her and pulled
her closer to his side. He’d somehow traveled across half a galaxy
and found her. She couldn’t expect him to rescue her again. Now she
had to save him. She still held one more secret that her stepfather
didn’t know about. One last card to play that would risk all she’d
fled to protect the year before. She needed to send another
message.

* * * *

They used an effective method of
control when they took them one at a time to use the bathing
facilities. Four guards again, but they asked Emma to come out
first. Then Nemon held a stunner tight to her temple, a kill spot,
while Vannie and Vin took their turns in the comfort room. Vin took
his boots off and showered in his clothing. The special material
was designed to be washed while on the body. His heat would dry it
within minutes.

Nemon held a real gun to Vannie’s head
while Emma used the facilities. A short time later they again
brought food. Vin memorized their faces, which hand they favored
and what weapons they carried. If Nemon had been a smart leader, he
would have used the same guards each time. Instead the men rotated
in turns so by the end of the second day Vin knew there were at
least nine other guards helping Nemon.

The lock on the door presented little
problem. Vin watched and listened each time they opened it,
memorizing tones and hand movements as they keyed in the code. It
would only take him seconds to open it.

An easy jump would allow him to disarm
the camera. He’d worked out the how to escape but not the when. If
the admiral had spoken the truth to Emma they would land within the
next twelve hours. Would it be a civilian or military outpost? The
admiral needed a court to make his theft of Emma’s inheritance
legal so probably they headed toward a civilian port. Crowds of
people could provide cover once they fought free of the
ship.

Emma carried a bottle of
pain relievers from the med kit and came to stand beside Vin. She
had a pair of tweezers in the other hand. “Do you think this will
help your ribs feel better?” She turned her back to the camera.
Using the point of the tweezers, she pointed at letters on the
bottle’s use directions. Moving quickly from letter to letter and
then pausing to start a new word.
I need
to send a message. Need intergalactic comm unit.

Vin took the
tweezers.
Now?

As soon as we
land.

I plan our
escape.

This message will stop it
all if we can capture Ben in illegal act.

Kidnapping is
illegal.

Emma smiled and took the medicine over
to Vannie. She ordered him to take some of the pain
meds.

Vin wondered who Emma intended to
contact. He had little trust in any high level politician or the
military complex. Along with the obscenely rich Hadrason, people in
both organizations had conspired to frame, convict and see the end
of the Recon Marines. If there was someone powerful enough to keep
Emma safe from her stepfather, why hadn’t she contacted that person
before now?

Moving back to the bars and leaning
against them as he did for hours at a time, Vin absorbed the minute
vibrations of the ship. He’d studied the sounds of the people
moving near the front of the ship and looked around as much as he
could each time they allowed him to use the facilities. Any ship
approaching a port had to drop out of hyper speed to avoid
collision and assure a safe landing, usually miles before
arrival.

Most people on a large luxury ship like
this wouldn’t even notice the change in flight speed, but Vin
would. Once again he planned blindly but now he understood better
what he faced. Up to a dozen guards and Nemon who equaled half a
dozen men all by himself. Vannie was more liability than help. But
Vin thought if they could get off the ship they could escape in the
congestion of a busy port. Once free of pursuit, Vin would find a
safe spot for Emma to send her message. The list of things that
could go wrong grew each time he mentally reviewed his
plan.

He leaned on the bar for another half
an hour before he felt the ship drop out of hyper speed and settle
into sub-mach. Nearly time.

Chapter Seventeen

“
Get ready.” Vin said
quietly to Vannie and Emma as he sauntered near them. “Move toward
the door.”

Emma copied his casual meandering
pacing and wandered toward the door. Vannie walked straight over to
the bars and braced his arms against them. The whine of engine
reverse startled Emma. They were landing already? She’d thought it
would be another half day. She grasped the bars, though most
landings were soft. This one was good but not so perfect that she
didn’t feel the jolt up through her legs.

Vin stopped in the corner beneath the
camera. He bent his knees a wee bit and sprang from the floor. His
fist crushed the camera. His feet barely touched the floor and then
he took three steps to the cell door. He thrust his hands between
the bars and without seeing the lock punched in numbers. The door
clicked open.

“
How did you do that?”
Vannie asked.

“
I pay attention.” Vin
pushed the door open and walked free, going in the direction of the
bathing facilities.

Emma followed with Vannie bringing up
the rear. From somewhere behind them she heard her stepfather
giving orders. She walked faster to stay close to Vin. “Where are
we going?”

Though she spoke quietly, Vin put his
finger to his lips. He whispered his answer. “In this ship design,
the cargo area is behind the crew quarters.”

She’d traveled in enough spacecrafts to
know that made sense. They came to a door that opened into a lift.
They hurried in and Vin punched the control to descend. It took
only the space of a few breaths and the door hissed open in the
dark cargo bay.

Vin moved away from them and soon a set
of dim lights illuminated a long narrow room. Forty yards away from
them rose the two story high cargo doors. Before they started
toward them, Vin jogged toward the adjacent wall. He leaped
incredibly high and caught a metal strut that supported the
ceiling. He held on with one hand and used the other to destroy
another camera. He let go of the strut and dropped lightly to the
floor.

“
Something special, our
lad, isn’t he?” Vannie whispered to Emma as they followed Vin to
the doors.

Vin waited for them at the control
panel. He swept a stern gaze over Vannie and Emma. “I’m going out
first. I’ll tell you which direction to head. Try to lose yourself
in the crowds I hope are out there. We’re probably parked in the
most isolated part of the port they could manage though big ships
like this have to go where they’re instructed. If you see any port
authority guards seek their protection.”

“
What about you?” Emma
didn’t like the plan already.

“
You’re the one he needs.
No matter what happens, you keep moving.” Vin narrowed his eyes and
glared at Vannie. “You too. Don’t stop no matter what anyone says.
You make sure she’s safe.”

“
What about you?” Emma
repeated.

“
I’m going to make sure
they don’t catch you.”

‘
No.” Emma grabbed his
arm. “We’re all getting away.”

Vin squeezed her hand and then tugged
it free of his arm. “I don’t know who you’re sending your message
to but I don’t think you should trust anybody except Vannie.” Vin
looked pained for a moment. “And my brothers on Giroux will help
you. And perhaps General Drant, commander-in-chief of all galactic
military forces.”

“
We’re not leaving you
behind,” Emma said, a vice of fear closing on her heart.

Vin looked at Vannie. “Follow your
orders.” He turned back to the controls and punched in a
command.

The overhead doors lifted slowly,
revealing a busy spaceport like so many Emma had seen over the
years. Vin pointed toward a low slung ship sitting nearby. The
exterior had a few dings and dents from hard contact with space
junk or small asteroid strikes. It didn’t look space worthy. “Run
toward that. It’s sturdy enough to provide cover. Hopefully they
won’t shoot with all these people around. I’ll be rear
guard.”

Before Emma could argue Vannie grabbed
her arm and started running. Even injured he set a good pace and
used a grip she couldn’t break. She looked over her shoulder and
saw Vin a few steps behind them, but he was also looking over his
shoulder. She followed his gaze and stumbled.

Nemon and at least half a dozen more
guards had spotted them. The big man chased after them with long
strides, moving so fast it seemed she and Vannie moved at a walk.
They would not make cover before Nemon caught up to them. Except
Vin stopped to face the monster.

The huge mercenary grinned, a demented
expression. Not a very professional diagnosis from a
psychiatrist.

“
Hurry!” Vannie dragged
Emma onward.

But she resisted, unable to leave Vin
to face the giant and all the armed guards straining to catch up to
their leader. Other people going about their business in the space
port started to notice the disruption. More and more of them
stopped their work to stare at the people racing across the
tarmac.

Nemon pounded straight at Vin, lifting
his big fists in front of him as if he meant to pound his opponent
into the floor with hands and feet. But Vin wasn’t there when Nemon
pounced. Vin dropped and rolled at the last moment, not to the side
but directly into Nemon’s shins. The mercenary’s momentum carried
him forward. He tumbled head over heels but came back up to his
feet with a grace every much like Vin’s.

Vannie panted and wheezed out a curse.
“Must move faster.”

Behind them Vin rose to face Nemon who
had given up the chase to deal with Vin. But the other guards
dodged around the combatants, gaining relentlessly on Emma and
Vannie.

“
Hurry, girl. If we get
away, Vin can just run away from that behemoth. But he’ll stay
there until we’re out of sight.”

Vannie made sense. Emma stopped
watching the battle behind her and charged toward the cover of the
battered ship. Now she dragged Vannie along. They dodged behind the
ship but didn’t slow. Emma knew the general setup of most large
stations like this one. She led Vannie toward the smaller ships
nearer the civilian entrance and the residential areas.