It was spectacular.
The doctor watched me, clearly pleased when I took another sip. And another. “I am glad you like the wine.”
“It’s amazing.”
Kayn sat down on my right, his plate filled to overflowing with a pile of steamed meat of some kind, something that looked like brown rice but was three times as big, and some vegetables I didn’t dare guess at. He dug in, paying me and the doctor little attention. He, too, had a glass of Atlan wine.
We were on a military ship, in the middle of the space-day, and they were both drinking? “Don’t you guys have some rule about not drinking when you are on duty?” I knew our people did. And not just military. Doctors. Law enforcement. Paramedics. Pilots. The list went on and on.
“You are correct. The commander would have our heads. But we are not currently on duty. There are others on this ship enjoying that privilege.” Kayn grinned at me and took another sip of his wine. I shrugged. Whatever. I wasn’t the wine police.
My lunch was quite good, the wine even better. The company? Well, was grumpy and silent the norm around here or what? The doctor’s expression remained stern. After our initial interaction, he hadn’t said another word.
I didn’t like silence. Or waiting.
Getting impatient, are we?
Go away.
“So, where is the commander? He told me he had to work today, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of room on this ship for him to hide.” When Zarren told me this was his ship, he’d meant literally. It belonged to him and the Prillon government paid for everything, anytime he asked. Must be nice to be so important. He’d told me and I still found it hard to believe that an entire planet basically gave him a blank check.
“He isn’t on board.”
“What? Where is he?”
Kayn spoke between bites. He was on his second serving. “Transported to TSZ. Had a meeting.”
“TSZ?” I asked.
The doctor frowned at Kayn, whose mouth was stuffed full. He was clearly unable to respond. “Transport Station Zenith. It’s a Coalition operated space station that serves as a hub for military and civilian commerce in this region. It’s one sector over, but out here, that’s practically next door.”
A space station trading fort? Interesting. Since the idea of going back to my pink and gray living room was about as appetizing as the stench coming off Kayn’s plate, I tried to think of what else I might do. I asked both the doctor and Kayn, who came up with nothing. Not helpful. Then, a flash of brilliance.
“I’d like to check up on your patient, doctor. How is he doing?”
“What patient?”
“The one I met when I first arrived. Oberon Arcas, I think I have that right. I assume he is still here. He looked like he needed to do nothing but eat and sleep for at least a week.” Despite all that, he was one fine looking Prillon warrior. Not that I would ever tell my mate I was checking out one of his guys.
The doctor spit out his wine. “Excuse me?”
“Oberon Arcas? The Prillon warrior?”
He shook his head. “He is, indeed, still here, my lady. And he will remain our prisoner until he tells us what we want to know.”
I felt like I’d just stepped into a hip deep ice bath. “Prisoner? He’s yourprisoner?”
10
Willow
Oberon Arcas,the naked, very attractive Prillon warrior, who had been nothing but polite to me when I barged in on their—what? Interrogation? Torture session?
I looked over at Kayn. “Is that why you were guarding the door? So he couldn’t escape?”
“Yes.”
Three on one? He must really be something if the doctor and the commander needed an Elite Hunter for backup. For one guy? And he’d been just sitting there, not even tied up. Just taking it.
