Fortune's Risk: A Star Thief Novella (Star Thief Chronicles #1.5) Page 4

  Since joining MYTH, her nose had been assaulted more times than she had, multiple times a day, and she’d had to learn how to deal with the odiferous humans. Luckily, the Athena’s air scrubbers were a Delfine creation and cleaned at a finer particle level than most ships or stations. But when she was on shore leave, the shock to her senses always made her reel a bit.

  “Through here, Miss Troy.” The guard opened a door into a large sitting room with two white leather couches and low granite tables. A fluffy rug sat between the couches, covering the dark wood floors. Windows looked out over the rest of the zone, a breathtaking floor-to-ceiling view of the entertainment district, with the bright flashing lights and billboards that dazzled, even in the middle of the simulated day.

  Kitty Cordoza sat on one of the couches, leaning back against the soft cushions while she studied a tablet. She glanced up as Keva approached and set the tablet down beside her with a welcoming smile. “Miss Troy. What a lovely surprise.” She gestured to the other couch facing hers. “Please, have a seat.”

  Keva sat on the very edge of the cushion. She resisted the urge to pull up the neckline on her dress while simultaneously willing herself not to pull down the hem of the garment. She surreptitiously inspected the room. Planting Viktis’s bug was her primary objective, but she’d have to find the perfect place — somewhere it wouldn’t be found, and somewhere it would actually pick up conversations.

  “This is a lovely suite, Ms. Cordoza. Puts mine to shame.”

  “Yes, I was very lucky they had it available on such short notice.” Kitty crossed her long legs, and Keva noticed she’d changed out of the red dress she wore at the casino into a dark pair of slacks and a red sweater. “What can I do for you, Miss Troy?”

  “Please call me Keva.” She licked her lips, glancing at the two men guarding the door. “This is very difficult for me, Ms. Cordoza,” she started.

  “It’s Kitty, if you will.”

  She nodded. “Kitty then.” Keva lowered her voice. “Earlier when we met you seemed interested in my services. Are you, by any chance, hiring new staff?”

  Kitty raised an eyebrow. “Trouble in paradise? Zero seemed very happy with your services.”

  “I can’t keep working for someone like him. He’s abusive, demanding, and stupid — a dangerous combination.”

  “I should think so.” Kitty rose gracefully to her feet and crossed to the sideboard near the windows. “Would you like a drink, Keva?”

  “That would be lovely.”

  Kitty nodded at the tray of liquors. Gold, blue, green and crimson sparkled in cut-class bottles. “What would you like? I have the best scotch in this sector, imported directly from earth, along with Draven ice wine and a special vodka from Preill.”

  “The vodka please. On ice,” Keva said, trying to mask the surprise in her voice. Preill vodka was exceptionally hard to get, and a bottle was usually more expensive than the room she’d booked at this hotel. Keva couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually had a glass. Probably the day she’d left home ten years ago.

  Kitty dropped a small red sourfruit into the glass of spirits, then handed it to Keva.

  She took a sip of the cool liquid, letting it roll across her tongue and chill the back of her throat before she swallowed. Her eyes fluttered shut as the flavor slammed into her, memories of home rushing back.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?” Kitty asked, pouring herself a glass. “I have a contact in Preill city who smuggled me a bottle after the embargo.”

  “It’s been a long time. If I’m not mistaken, this is southern vodka? It has a bit of the grassy flavor of a Yizan pear.”

  “Nice catch. It’s Catalyst Vodka.” When Kitty turned to put the stopper back on the bottle, Keva leaned forward to set her glass down on the table beside her, conveniently pressing the pin-head sized bug to the dark metal leg where it wouldn’t be found.

  Kitty sank back onto the couch, cradling the glass between her hands. “So tell me a little more about yourself, Keva.”

  She nodded, running through the back story she and Viktis had crafted. They’d woven in just enough truth to make it feel authentic. “I joined the Preill military when I was seventeen. My parents were very proud, especially when I was promoted quite early. I was one of the best hand-to-hand experts in the organization. But on a mission to Treze, everything went south, and I was blamed for the failure and loss of life. Stripped of my rank. Kicked out. So I started my own business, hiring out my services. I’m skilled in Bumani fighting, can kill a man with a knife at fifty yards, and am deadly with a blaster. None of my clients have ever been injured on my watch.”

  “Impressive.” Kitty’s gray eyes narrowed She studied Keva as though she were under a microscope. The lieutenant fought the urge to shift away from the intense gaze that seemed to bore into her.

  “What about Zero is so bad, exactly?” Kitty finally asked.

  “You saw how he behaved today at the casino. No concern for his own safety, flaunting his money. It gets ever worse after a few drinks.” She leaned forward and dropped her voice. “Even I can’t handle him when he’s drunk. He lets his mouth overload his ass and tries to pick fights with both acquaintances and strangers. Doesn’t matter who they are, if they’re in his way, he’s going to go on the offensive. I’ve had to save his ass more than once from a pissed-off Trezian.” Keva shook her head. “And don’t even get me started on his business decisions.”

  Kitty frowned, tapping one crimson nail against the side of her crystal glass. “He seemed like a good business man to me.”

  “He puts on a good front. That’s how he gets investors. And then he takes their money and disappears. There are a dozen people out there with contracts for his head right now.” That bit was probably closer to the truth than Viktis would have liked, but at least if Kitty went searching, she’d find plenty of wanted comms, each with a different name. He was a very prolific pirate.

  “No wonder he needs an exceptional body guard.” Kitty set her glass off to the side and steepled her fingers together. Then she glanced up as if she’d made a decision. “I like a woman who takes charge of her life and goes after what she wants. To answer your earlier question, I’m recently down a bodyguard,” she said with an angry grimace. “Stupid man got himself caught in a prostitution sting yesterday. If your background checks out, I’d be willing to hire you on a contract basis starting this evening.”

  Keva grinned, twin surges of relief and triumph shooting through her veins, making her giddy. She wondered if Viktis had anything to do with the arrested guard. She wouldn’t put it past him. “I’ll check out. I’m one of the best, Ms. Cordoza. I promise you won’t be sorry.”

  “I’d better not be. I can make Mr. Zero look like a stuffed teddy bear if you cross me.” Kitty’s crimson lips curled into a feral smile, like a hungry lioness one pounce away from tearing into an unsuspecting gazelle.

  Keva’s skin erupted in goose bumps. Viktis better know what the hell he’s doing or they were all going to end up dead in a back alley somewhere.

  “Of course. I understand completely.” Keva stood, reaching a hand out to shake Kitty’s. It was cool and dry against her skin, like a dead piece of lizard leather, and another urge to shudder swept through her. “Thank you for the opportunity, ma’am. I’ll leave my comm information with one of your men. I look forward to hearing from you.”

  Keva left the room as Kitty gestured to the two guards. “Bran, I need you to contact Senator Trepor immediately…” she began. The two men stood at attention, tapping her orders into their tablets.

  Keva wove past the giant glass table on her way to the door. The first bug was planted, and hopefully working. Time for the second. She fingered the back of her pendant and pulled the small device from the crevice where Viktis had hidden it.

  As she pulled open the door, she slipped it into the lock. The tiny bit of tech went home with a click, installing itself into the electro-lock instantly. Done. Now Viktis would have no trouble ge
tting back in when it was time to plant his evidence.

  Not too shabby.

  Maybe she’d be good at this thief thing if she gave it a chance. She might even teach Renna a few things when she got back aboard the Athena. The thought made her smile as she headed for the elevators. They’d joked once about the stick up Keva’s ass. Renna would be shocked when she heard about this mission.

  Inside the elevator, she punched the button for her floor, then spoke softly into the pendant. “Did you get all that?”

  Viktis’s voice sounded low and husky in her ear. “Sure did. The bug in the sitting room is already transmitting. Though I do have to protest your slanderous description of me. I sounded like the worst kind of employer.”

  “Aren’t you?” she asked. Keva hadn’t seen the man with anyone beside the crew of the Athena. It would be interesting to see how he handled his own ship.

  The other end of the comm was silent for a moment. “I suppose there might be some truth in that.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “But I promise I’m a much better boss than I used to be. No one’s died on my watch in weeks.”

  She chuckled. “So what now?”

  “Now we get ready for the tournament. Meet me in my room in two hours.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Finn played another hand against the dealer-bot with a sick feeling twisting his stomach. He sighed, tossing his cards down on the table as he lost yet again. This was hopeless. There was no way he was going to be able to compete in this tournament. Viktis was full of shit to think this plan would work.

  Kitty Cordoza was going to eat them for breakfast and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

  He held up a hand before the dealer could deal him in again. “I’m done for now. Bank my chips, please.”

  The dealer nodded as Finn slid off his stool and glanced around the casino floor. A kaleidoscope of information assailed his senses: The whirr and chink of the machines, the babble of voices, the smell of unwashed alien and human alike. He hated places like this. They reminded him of his younger days, when he’d led Blur’s gang. Casinos always had easy marks, even the poor ones. And Blur hadn’t minded ripping off anyone desperate enough to fall for his schemes. Luckily, Finn had sucked at cards back then, too, and Blur had quickly pulled him from the floor.

  Finn raked a hand through his hair and headed for the exit. He needed a drink and a shower before the evening’s festivities. Not necessarily in that order.

  Finn headed toward the elevators, then ducked behind one of the marble pillars as Kitty and two of her body guards stepped out. She marched through the casino lobby, obviously on a mission, and headed toward a small door tucked behind a potted palm tree.

  One of the guards swiped a finger against the print-lock, then held the door open for her. Finn caught a glance into the narrow hallway beyond. It looked like some kind of access hall.

  Or secret meeting room.

  Finn hesitated. Was this the handoff Viktis was talking about? The new tech that could change everything? He turned on his comm and tried to contact the pirate, but there was no answer.

  Shit.

  Should he go after Kitty himself? Maybe he could record the hand-off. Get proof that she was a smuggler and thief. Then they wouldn’t need to even go through the farce of this tournament.

  As Finn weighted his options from his hiding spot, another trio of men headed toward the same door. They wore close–fitting, black leather jackets with red cuffs. The Cordoza’s colors. When they slipped through the door as well, Finn made up his mind. He didn’t know exactly what Viktis had planned, but catching Kitty red-handed might put an end to this cat-and-mouse game before it even began.

  He tried the pirate one more time, but he still didn’t answer. Then he tried Keva. When her voicemail came on, Finn left a quick message, explaining what he was about to do. Then he strode across the lobby to the door. With a furtive glance around to make sure no one was watching, he tried the handle. It didn’t budge. Of course. He was going to have to do this the hard way.

  Finn hadn’t had to break into a building in years, he preferred the more direct method of kicking in doors, but old habits died hard, and he always carried a set of lock-picks in the special slot in his belt.

  When the lobby cleared out, he fit the small device into the lock and let it run through its program. Almost as good as Renna. He smiled down at the tech. Even back in the gang, she’d had the talent of getting into any space, no matter how difficult, and the rest of the group had come to depend on her. A sudden twinge of longing shot through him. Renna should be here with him, helping him stop this woman. They should be doing this together. But she was trapped in MYTH and he was here alone. And if she didn’t figure out a way to stop the traitor, she might be stuck there for the rest of her potentially short life. His heart sank before it buoyed up again. She was spending the precious moments of her potentially short time as Renna away from him in order to eliminate a threat to MYTH and humanity. He was proud of her. For being so giving of herself, for giving them a chance.

  A few seconds later, he heard the soft snick of the lock falling into place. He pulled open the door and slipped into the hallway, no one the wiser.

  Not bad for a reformed thief.

  Finn sighed and studied the long corridor in front of him. Dwelling on his feelings for Renna wouldn’t help him now. He needed to concentrate. Kitty was a dangerous woman.

  The hallway was nondescript, with plain white walls, cheap linoleum floors, and doors lining the space every fifty feet or so. No sign of Kitty or her men. He crept forward, listening at each door, but he was met with only silence. Where the hell had they gone?

  The hallway curved slightly to the right, so that by the time he reached the far end of the corridor, he could no longer see the door where he’d entered. But directly in front of him was a double door, marked with a firebird sigil. He’d bet his life this was Kitty Cordoza’s private room.

  Carefully, Finn crouched in front of the lock, listening for any voices or movement. But the doors were soundproof. He’d have to hope he could find some way to stay unnoticed once he got the doors open. He slid the lock-pick into the electric lock.

  The scream of an alarm sliced through the air.

  Finn jumped to his feet, but before he could sprint back the way he’d come, the doors shot open and a meaty hand grabbed his arm. He kicked out at the man, but despite his heft, the guard moved fast, darting out of the way so that Finn’s kick went wide. He grabbed Finn’s other arm and held him steady, glaring down at him with dark, beady eyes.

  He was so screwed.

  “Mr. Clayton. So interesting to see you here,” Kitty drawled from her chair behind a large chrome desk. “Bring him inside, Bran. I’m sure he has lots of questions.”

  Finn tried to yank his arm free from the giant man’s grip, but it only tightened as he dragged Finn into the room. The luxurious furnishings were at odds with the narrow hallway outside and he swallowed at the crossed samurai swords that hung over a low buffet table on the far wall. A glass display case of guns sat in the corner. Most were old-Earth models he recognized from his MYTH training. But there were a few he’d never seen before.

  A dozen white leather chairs sat around a heavy glass table. Half were occupied with Kitty’s men, the other half empty. Bran threw Finn into the chair closest to the door, then took up a stance behind him, arms crossed.

  Well, he wasn’t getting out that way. There was only one other option. “I’m so sorry, Kitty.” He hung his head for a moment before looking back at her. He wasn’t Viktis, but maybe he could talk his way out of this. “This sounds awful, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. When I saw you come down this way, I thought it would be an opportunity for me to get you alone. I apologize if I’ve, ah, intruded on anything.”

  She smiled slowly, baring her teeth. “Isn’t that the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard? But I’m not sure how you got past the locked door.”

  He shook his
head, trying to appear perplexed. “It opened when I pulled on it. Perhaps it didn’t lock.” His heart kicked against his ribcage hard enough that there’d be a bruise tomorrow. Across the room, two of Kitty’s other guards rested their hands on the blasters at their side, watching him with narrowed eyes.

  Kitty stood slowly, with leonine grace, stretching each muscle and vertebrae as she rose. The hair on the back of Finn’s neck stood on end at the icy expression on her face.

  “Tell me, Captain Finn. How long did you think you it would take me to find out who you really were? I’m the most powerful woman in this galaxy. I have spies in every government, every organization. I had you identified the moment you sat down beside me at the poker table.”

  An iron fist clenched his stomach, but Finn forced himself to breathe through it. She was only one woman. Viktis knew where he was. Everything would be fine.

  Kitty approached his chair, letting her fingers trail across the surface of the tabletop. “I’m actually disappointed. You’re quite handsome, you know. I would have enjoyed a few”—she let her gaze rove leisurely across his body—”rides.” The lust cleared from her gaze in an instant, and turned shrewd. “However, I make it a point never to sleep with MYTH agents. They’re too focused on playing with their…assets.”

  Finn held his breath as Kitty ran a finger across his jaw, then forced his chin up so he had to meet her gaze. “Now, what about those friends of yours? What exactly are they up to?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Kitty shook her head. “You know I don’t like to play games.” She gestured to the man standing beside Finn. Without warning, he punched Finn in the stomach, sending lights skittering across his vision as he tried to suck in a breath of air.

  “Let’s try again. Who are the other two and what are they doing?”

  Finn swallowed, tasting bile, but didn’t answer.

  The man’s fist connected with Finn’s midsection again, another wave of pain washing through him. He bit down on his lip so he wouldn’t make a sound. If nothing else, MYTH had taught him to withstand worse torture than this. Though from what he’d heard about Kitty, she had plenty more up her sleeve.