planning."
Leila fixed her attention on the bodyguard and smiled in relief. "Got him. Though there's not a lot going on in there at the moment." She frowned.
"Anything?" Zach asked.
"Yeah, trouble. Big trouble."
"God, I hate it when I'm right. Can you tell how many others there are?"
"Three."
"Right again," Zach said. Why didn't it give him any pleasure? At least they were equal in numbers though he expected he'd have to do all the fighting himself. He just hoped the women would stay out of his way.
"Not a chance in hell," Leila said from beside him.
He glanced at her; she'd been reading him again. "Don't do that," he snarled.
She just smiled, and he sighed. He'd always had a problem controlling what he said, there was no way he could control what he was thinking. "Why don't you contact your people, tell them what's happening, and make sure they're ready."
Leila nodded and spoke briefly into her communicator.
"Okay," Zach said, "I think we're on."
"Leila," Mel called, "bring the prisoner."
Leila took hold of his arm. She only came up to his shoulder, and it occurred to Zach that she was only twenty-six years old and was probably going to die here. It didn't seem fair. It was different for him; he was a soldier. He had always expected to come to a violent end. "If this goes bad, no hard feelings, huh?"
Leila stared at him as if he were crazy. "You've got to be joking."
He shook his head. "Just let us know what he's thinking, okay? Tell me when they're going to make their move."
She nodded and pushed him forward into the clearing. A flicker of surprise flashed across Pieter's face as he saw them walking toward him, and his hand lifted almost automatically to stroke the scratches on his face.
Leila tugged him to a halt beside Mel, and he stared across at his old friend.
"Pieter," he murmured, "so nice to see you. What an unanticipated pleasure."
Pieter smiled. "I don't see why, I did tell you we would meet again. And I think pleasure might not be quite the word you were looking for. At least not on your side anyway. I, on the other hand, have been looking forward to our little chat." He turned to Mel. "I thought my instructions were very clear. He was to be delivered in cryo. What's he doing awake?"
"Yeah, well, we had a little accident with the cryotube. It was either wake him or let him freeze to death. We figured, since you'd asked for him alive, you'd prefer us to keep him that way."
Pieter looked about to say something, then he shrugged. "No matter, it makes no difference."
Zach knew that Pieter's plan all along would have been to dispose of Mel and Leila and probably go after the rest of the crew as well. Pieter didn't like witnesses. His disposal of the breeding camps showed that.
"I take it you've shared your delusions with your captors," Pieter said.
"I've told them nothing."
"Hmm, now why don't I believe you?" He turned his attention to Mel. "Just give me a minute. We need to change our plans a little as our friend here is awake. I need to sort out transport, preferably return him to cryo."
He took a step back and spoke quietly to the man at his side.
****
"Okay, so what's their plan?" Mel asked Leila.
"They're going to kill us, and then they're going to torture Zach." She smiled and nodded in the direction of the bodyguard. "He's really looking forward to that by the way."
Mel frowned. "That's it? That's their plan?"
"Well, they honestly don't think it's going to be that difficult." She grinned. "I told you, your reputation sucks."
Mel pursed her lips but decided not to comment. "There must be something else you can tell us."
"Basically, when Sanderson gives the signal, the others will come out and overpower us." She paused. "Oh, and he's hoping that Sanderson will let them rape us before they kill us. He thinks he probably will. He usually
Leila fixed her attention on the bodyguard and smiled in relief. "Got him. Though there's not a lot going on in there at the moment." She frowned.
"Anything?" Zach asked.
"Yeah, trouble. Big trouble."
"God, I hate it when I'm right. Can you tell how many others there are?"
"Three."
"Right again," Zach said. Why didn't it give him any pleasure? At least they were equal in numbers though he expected he'd have to do all the fighting himself. He just hoped the women would stay out of his way.
"Not a chance in hell," Leila said from beside him.
He glanced at her; she'd been reading him again. "Don't do that," he snarled.
She just smiled, and he sighed. He'd always had a problem controlling what he said, there was no way he could control what he was thinking. "Why don't you contact your people, tell them what's happening, and make sure they're ready."
Leila nodded and spoke briefly into her communicator.
"Okay," Zach said, "I think we're on."
"Leila," Mel called, "bring the prisoner."
Leila took hold of his arm. She only came up to his shoulder, and it occurred to Zach that she was only twenty-six years old and was probably going to die here. It didn't seem fair. It was different for him; he was a soldier. He had always expected to come to a violent end. "If this goes bad, no hard feelings, huh?"
Leila stared at him as if he were crazy. "You've got to be joking."
He shook his head. "Just let us know what he's thinking, okay? Tell me when they're going to make their move."
She nodded and pushed him forward into the clearing. A flicker of surprise flashed across Pieter's face as he saw them walking toward him, and his hand lifted almost automatically to stroke the scratches on his face.
Leila tugged him to a halt beside Mel, and he stared across at his old friend.
"Pieter," he murmured, "so nice to see you. What an unanticipated pleasure."
Pieter smiled. "I don't see why, I did tell you we would meet again. And I think pleasure might not be quite the word you were looking for. At least not on your side anyway. I, on the other hand, have been looking forward to our little chat." He turned to Mel. "I thought my instructions were very clear. He was to be delivered in cryo. What's he doing awake?"
"Yeah, well, we had a little accident with the cryotube. It was either wake him or let him freeze to death. We figured, since you'd asked for him alive, you'd prefer us to keep him that way."
Pieter looked about to say something, then he shrugged. "No matter, it makes no difference."
Zach knew that Pieter's plan all along would have been to dispose of Mel and Leila and probably go after the rest of the crew as well. Pieter didn't like witnesses. His disposal of the breeding camps showed that.
"I take it you've shared your delusions with your captors," Pieter said.
"I've told them nothing."
"Hmm, now why don't I believe you?" He turned his attention to Mel. "Just give me a minute. We need to change our plans a little as our friend here is awake. I need to sort out transport, preferably return him to cryo."
He took a step back and spoke quietly to the man at his side.
****
"Okay, so what's their plan?" Mel asked Leila.
"They're going to kill us, and then they're going to torture Zach." She smiled and nodded in the direction of the bodyguard. "He's really looking forward to that by the way."
Mel frowned. "That's it? That's their plan?"
"Well, they honestly don't think it's going to be that difficult." She grinned. "I told you, your reputation sucks."
Mel pursed her lips but decided not to comment. "There must be something else you can tell us."
"Basically, when Sanderson gives the signal, the others will come out and overpower us." She paused. "Oh, and he's hoping that Sanderson will let them rape us before they kill us. He thinks he probably will. He usually
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