With a deep swallow, I pushed away my fear, focusing only on the mission. I had to be Bane’s eyes and ears. I wouldn’t wish Credare’s cruelty on even my most brutal enemy. I had to protect him, just as he was protecting me.
I watched as Bane sat in a lounge chair, both opposite and farthest from the door. He leaned back and folded his hands together, the motion expectant. He turned his head toward me, almost as if he knew I was there and smiled.
Five minutes later, I heard an air shuttle sputter loudly outside the house and everywhere I looked, the guards stiffened. The time had come. Credare had arrived.
I moved closer to the wall, turning my head so that I could see the front door. It opened then and a few guards I didn’t recognize walked inside. On their right shoulders was an Association symbol, a circular target with a shooting star cutting through the middle. Then I witnessed my first glimpse of Credare in more than seven years.
He hadn’t aged well.
He was an alien, but humanoid in nature. His skin was tinged slightly green, a putrid color that only sought to make him look ill. His eyes were a sickly yellow color that made me question the functionality of his liver, which had only worsened from the very first time I had met him. His eyes were larger than a human’s and more circular; quite unsettling when I first laid eyes on him.
He was dressed in a black suit, left unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up a little to reveal both his wrists and forearms. I could see the thumping of his heart through his shirt, another trait of whatever alien species he hailed from.
I watched as his eyes glazed over the front sitting room. He looked cocky and overconfident as always, but there was something else about the way his body moved and the expression on his face. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but quiet alarm bells began to sound in my head.
I didn’t know if it was because I was nervous to see him after so long or if it was actually something to be worried about. I couldn’t figure out what was so off about that moment and I bit my cheek, watching closely. Then I shook my head.
Focus, Cara. Focus.
Credare smiled and even his grin was unsettling. The movements of his lips exposed gray, rotted teeth and I grimaced, remembering the rancid smell of his breath long ago. I was really thankful to be hidden behind the walls then.
“Bane,” Credare murmured, his voice rough, nasally, and far too high-pitched.
“Credare. It’s nice to finally meet you,” Bane answered, his tone confident and even a little dangerous. Credare didn’t even flinch.
Neither one approached the other.
“I’ve heard so much about you. I figured it’s time we meet and maybe, the two of us to come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement,” Credare said, sitting down in the chair opposite of Bane. Two figureheads of powerful groups in the same room. I felt as though I could cut the tension with a knife.
Bane cocked his head to the side.
“Agreement? What is it that you want?” he pressed, his tone both flippant and edging on hostile.
“Access. For the longest time, the Association and the Syndicate have been at odds with each other and I’ve never been able to take advantage of the flourishing trade here on Dryac,” Credare began, picking his words carefully. I could tell that he was trying very hard to appear nonthreatening. Behavior like this was against his nature.
He usually just took what he wanted, no matter the consequences.
Bane just stared back at him and ran his thumb across the bottom of his chin, deep in thought.
“Why would I ever agree to such a thing? It would only open the door for an attack here on a planet that the Syndicate has free rein on, from you and your people and the Intergalactic Coalition. Allowing you here would only bring more trouble. More than it’s worth,” he replied.
“My friendship is more than worth a little hassle,” Credare answered, his usual cruelty edging back into his voice, but Bane didn’t flinch, not even in the slightest. Instead, he leanedforward, placing his elbows on his knees. His eyebrow rose in disbelief.
“You still haven’t detailed how this might benefit me,” he answered.
I saw Credare’s lip twitch. He wasn’t used to being questioned. There were only a few people in space as powerful as him and Bane was one of them. It was strange for him to be in a situation where he wasn’t the one in complete control.
“A cut of the profits. Access to the most up to date and the latest technology from the Coalition. More beautiful women than you can imagine,” Credare described.
“Slave women, you mean?” Bane questioned.
“Of course. Is there any other kind?” Credare chuckled, his ensuing salacious grin disconcerting. Unfortunately, I knew the man was serious. He liked his women beaten, scarred, and trained to be willing to take whatever he wanted. I shuddered, thankful I had avoided that particular fate with him. I don’t know if I would have survived.
Bane tensed for a moment, but it passed quickly. It was clear he didn’t appreciate Credare’s love of slavery either, but he was careful to shake it off.
“I have enough of what I need without having to align with the Association. What else do you have to offer?” Bane pressed and Credare stiffened slightly. He clearly wasn’t used to being pushed like that.
Bane sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. Watching the two of them interact was like a game of chess, each one tryingto outmaneuver the other from across the room. Credare bit his cheek and sighed.
