Yeah, she had to just be seeing things. The shinuk were a whole species of people with black skin and light eyes. She was just seeing things because this was the first shinuk she had met that wasn’t actively trying to kidnap her. Which was a rather sad thought, really. She was inadvertently becoming prejudiced against a whole species because of the actions of one guy.
Well, one guy and the guys who he hired to go after her.
The creepy person opened the chest and looked inside. It was about the same height and width as two medium sized storage bins from Earth stacked on top of each other. But the gleaming metal body was shined to an almost mirror finish. And when the lid pulled back, it separated into two pieces, sliding apart from each other and opening up with a haze of cold fog.
Nestled inside were dozens, maybe hundreds, of vials of some kind of pink liquid. The vials were about the size of her pinkie. Some held liquid that was as clear as crystal, while others were turbid and murky, but they were all the same glowing shade of pink.
The skinny, tall person gasped with delight. “Beautiful! Absolutely perfect. And not a single vial out of place. Yes. You’ve earned your credz quite thoroughly.”
“Glad you approve,” Rok said brightly, pulling out a tablet from a pocket on his thigh. He hit the screen a few times before turning it around. “Just scan your biometrics here to confirm you received the package as intended, in one piece, and then pay the other half of the delivery fee and we’ll be on our way.”
It was a curiously normal scene. Sure, in her old job, Garnet would have asked for a signature, not a DNA sample, but the process was otherwise the same. The creepily thin person confirmed that they got their package without issue, payment was submitted, and the job was done.
“Thanks for choosing Humble Delivery,” Rok said brightly, stowing the tablet back into his side pocket as the person closed the crate.
“No, thankyou,” they said, taking hold of the cart’s handle so they could push it away. “My friend here will see you out. Nothing personal, by the way.”
“What?” Garnet spoke up, her nerves stretched to their breaking point. What did they mean bythat?
“I’m sure you had no choice,” Rok said brightly. “We’ll deal with the rest from here.”
“Be sure that you not break anything. It’s going to cost a great deal to fix.”
“Consider it a tax,” Rok laughed.
Garnet grabbed onto his wrist, staring between him and the shinuk male. The one that wasn’t following the tall, skinny figure out into the laboratory, leaving them alone in the vestibule that let out into the long hallway. Rok was tense under her hand. Even more so than before.
“As she said,” the shinuk started, pulling a weapon from behind his back. A plasma pistol. Was he insane?! They weren’t on a starship, but space wasright therebeyond those walls. If he shot that off in here, they were all screwed! “Nothing personal.”
Rok laughed. “I’m not taking it personally. But my captain might.”
“Hand over the female.” The male leveled the gun at Rok’s chest. “At this point, he doesn’t care if he gets only one back. But hewillget at least one.”
Rok knew, Garnet realized, having a hard time breathing. He’d known since they walked in. He recognized the guy too, he just hadn’t reacted. Instead, he’d obeyed Tanin’s first rule – always finish the job.
But now, they were trapped with this guy, and he was going to shoot Rok!
Garnet tried to step away from the big guy. To move towards the shinuk male. She was the one he was after. She didn’t want Rok to get hurt because of her.
But she barely had a chance to do more than twitch. Rok was suddenly there, one hand around her waist, yanking her into his chest. His other arm on that side came up and protected her head. Both arms working together to shield her vital organs from the shinuk.
All the while, Rok maintained that bright, professional smile on his face.
“Sorry. Can’t do that,” he said, turning a bit to shield her body more without losing sight of the shinuk male.
“I will shoot.”
“We’re going to leave.”
“I don’t care if I kill both of you. There’s still another left. Hand her over, and at least I can guarantee you both will survive. Trust me, he’s not going to want to kill her. That would be a waste of a good body.”
“Can’t,” was all Rok said again.
“Very well.” The male’s hand tightened on the gun.
Rok struck, grabbing his hand. His pistol. Covering them entirely. Jerking it up. Pointing it away from them. Even as it was going off.
The smell of burnt flesh, noxious and nauseating, hit Garnet’s nose as blood, so dark brown it was nearly black, dripped down from the new hole in Rok’s hand.
