Part 32 (1/2)
”How touching and sickening,” their captor scoffed from the doorway as it slid open and the two Earthlings turned to face that direction.
”So,” Jana said as she eyed the weapon Canissia held in her grasp, ”it is you. I suspected as much. What do you want with us, Canissia? What will it take to buy our release?”
”You aren't that rich, not even as Ryker Triloni's widow.”
”Then let me purchase Andrea's freedom. The conflict is between us and doesn't involve her. It's me you want to destroy, not Andrea.”
”How touching to want to protect your little alien friend. No.”
”Just like that? No discussion or bargaining?”
”None. After my men and I have our fun with you two, you're dead,” Canissia said with a wicked smile.
”You wouldn't dare harm me.”
”I have already, and gotten away with it.”
Jana and Andrea listened as the evil woman related news of the decoy and cloaking device. She even told them a search was on for them.
”But you'll never be found where we're heading. Never in an eon.”
”You can't just murder us in cold blood.”
”Oh, I won't do it myself. I'll leave that up to your new neighbors.”
When the redhead halted, Jana couldn't help but ask who she was talking about.
”The most barbaric, l.u.s.tful, and heartless men alive,” Canissia explained with glee. ”Prisoners on a male penal colony. It's guarded by a force s.h.i.+eld, but I happen to know the release code, just like I knew the one for Maal to get through Darkar's defenses. I overheard his grandfather use it. I never forget anything because one never knows when one might need even the tiniest fact. Back to where I was. After you've been sufficiently punished, I'll drop you two off there. I'm sure you'll make new friends very fast.” She laughed satanically, then explained it was a prison for the incorrigible male miscreants of Maffei, a place where even the most savage criminal became even more vicious and feral after living like b.e.s.t.i.a.l primitives for a short while. ”Why, you'll be too busy to miss Ryker. Of course you'll probably be too sore to walk straight, but that won't matter; you'll be spending all of your time on the ground on your back beneath hundreds or perhaps thousands of creatures who haven't had a woman in ages.”
Jana experienced sheer terror at what she knew was a realistic threat from the vindictive female who despised her. Where was Varian when she needed him, off doing his duty for Maffei! If he had kept his word and returned on time, this wouldn't be happening to them. Their situation was perilous and looked hopeless. ”You'll be caught and punished, Canissia.”
”I think not. If anyone suspects me, the search is on toward Zenufia where I left the Moonwind. We're far from that location, and no one will ever imagine to search for you where you're going.”
Get all the clues you can, J.G. ”Where did you get this s.h.i.+p?”
”I stole it from the Pyropean commander who was to escort me to mine. I retrieved my loyal androids, got rid of theirs, and prepared for this little trap. It has all the modern instruments and devices. As soon as I learned Varian was on Rigel and out of my way, I put my plan into motion.”
Jana faked a look of confusion. ”What does Varian Saar have to do with it?”
”I saw him on the news broadcast on Rigel. He was sighted entering a private meeting which included my father. They probably summoned poor Father to dismiss him for spilling secrets to me-valuable secrets, I might add.”
”I still don't grasp why Varian Saar figured into your plot. I've only seen him twice since you took me to Ryker's: after that thwarted trap on Luz and when he was the one chosen to escort me and Ryker's body to Kadim Maal. He wasn't expected for another visit, thank goodness.”
Canissia laughed for several minutes. ”You're such a blind fool. He would have come soon, again and again, until he won you back.”
Jana glared at the woman. ”It will be a cold day in h.e.l.l first!”
”Even if I told you I kidnapped you last time and Varian never discarded you? That the search mentioned was a real and desperate one to locate you? That he only backed off after he realized Ryker had screwed you? He still yearns for you, and he would have been chasing you again soon.”
”You're crazy. Varian gave me to Ryker; he admitted it on a taped message to me and in that interview I witnessed on the telecom.”
”All lies and tricks to trap me. He never stopped craving you.”
”Even if that's true, it doesn't matter now. Is that what this is about? You're afraid we'll get back together and he'll be lost to you? Don't worry, Canissia, you can have him. After Ryker, Varian Saar doesn't compare; he can't even stand in his brother's shadow. He might not have tossed me away that time, but he did too many other mean things to me for forgiveness, and he would do similar ones if I gave him the chance, which I won't. You might not care how he treats you and you may come crawling back for more, but I'm not like you. I don't want him or need him. Thanks to Ryker, I'm free and powerful and rich. If you're worried about me exposing what you told me, I won't; you have my word no one will ever know you kidnapped me, if you really did.”
”Everything was fine until Varian found you and brought you here. You ruined everything with him and with Ryker and with Taemin. I was Ryker's ally until you changed him and turned him against me.”
”You were his ally, Canissia, until you and Taemin tried to kill us.”
”Ryker told you that?”
”I thought he told me everything, but he obviously left out at least one confession, if what you said about me being kidnapped for him is true. I can see why he wouldn't want me to discover that. Even so, it doesn't matter now; he was the best thing that happened to me in your world. You of all women should know Varian Saar only uses, deceives, and discards exmistresses. Do you think I could return to a man like that even if he said he loved me? I wouldn't trust Varian Saar for two seconds. He did horrible things to me, and you know about plenty of them. Why you continue to want him after the way he's treated you baffles me. A woman, even one as beautiful and rich and powerful as you are, can't win or obtain revenge against a man like him. To attempt such a goal is rash; that's why I would never challenge him. I'll be satisfied if he just forgets I exist.”
”That's the trouble, he can't forget you. And he's after me.”
”After you? For that alleged kidnapping months ago? If that's all, I can handle your problem by calling it a lie.”
”You want me to trust you?”
”Why not?” Jana asked the sarcastic woman. ”I have a lot to lose if what you say is true. If you and Ryker kidnapped me, our marriage would be illegal; I wouldn't be his widow. If you think I would press charges against you and risk losing Darkar, you're wrong. We can make a deal, Canissia. I want Trilabs and Darkar, not Varian. You want to be free of charges and have certain products of mine. What do you say to an exchange? A truce?”
”It's too late. You see, that isn't the only charge against me.”
Jana faked ignorance. ”Maybe I can help get the others dismissed or lightened. I can blackmail them with a cut-off from Trilabs. What are they?”
”Several murders, treason, theft, and so on. I thought Taemin or Maal would grant me. sanctuary in exchange for the truth about Varian playing Ryker, but I was wrong there, one of the few times in my life.”
”Why on Earth would you think Ryker was Varian? I mean, you've known them both for so long; how could you get them mixed up?”
”Because of what I thought were slips by Ryker on my last visit.”
”My husband was tricking you, Canissia. He was trying to provoke you into revealing secrets for a tape he was making to use as blackmail in case you tried to harm me or expose his past secrets. Ryker changed and we were making a fresh start together. He didn't want trouble. He would never have used the tape if you'd left us alone.”
”Did he give it to Varian when they reconciled?”
”Of course not. That would incriminate him, too. After he died, I destroyed it because I didn't want it found. I couldn't risk staining his memory. Those were plots he did or planned long ago. He wasn't like that anymore. Despite what you think of him, he was a good and gentle man,”
”Did he screw anything like Varian does?”
Jana gaped at the crude female. ”Not that it's any of your business, but no; they were nothing alike in that area. Do we have a deal?” She watched Canissia lick and stroke the weapon in an erotic manner as she talked.
”No, never.”
”How did you lure us off Darkar with such success and cunning? How did you dupe my security chief, or is Kagan working for you?”
”That trick was so easy to accomplish that I can hardly believe it myself. Have you forgotten your protocol lessons? Rulers never deal directly with the lower cla.s.s; one of my androids pretended to be Maal's bodyguard and he spoke with your Kagan. He used Maal's nickname for Ryker. You know, that 'cherished flame of my soul' s.h.i.+t. The uniforms, shuttle markings, and insignia were simple for us to make in the work lab aboard.”
”What if I convince Maal to give you sanctuary in Androas?”
”Maal isn't in power anymore. I know about the treaty. I also know about the one with Pyropea and about poor Taemin's exile.”