Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Witches Shoe ❯ Chapter 14
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: deathangel125 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Suspense | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 04.10.2016 | Pages: 7 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 233 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Suspense | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 04.10.2016 | Pages: 7 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 233 | Status: Work In Progress
Warnings and disclaimers in first section.
I didn’t know what woke me up, at first, until I realized Trowa was somehow still inside me…and hard. Raising my head, I saw he was still asleep, but there was movement behind his closed eyelids and a tremble in his body that told me whatever he was dreaming of, or whoever, was definitely not torturing him.
It would take a more determined person than I was to resist the hardness inside me and why should I? Sex had been hard to come by and I doubted Trowa would have any real objections when he was clearly enjoying his dreams. Moving slowly, I tested the friction. I hadn’t been asleep for long; I could feel semen running down my inner thighs, helping the motions I was making instead of hindering them.
My body was too hot, heat suffusing every muscle as I sat up farther, tensing my muscles around him. I moved slow, a little unsure of his reaction when he woke. It wasn’t likely he was dreaming of me, not after such a short time together, and I had to shove aside the jealousy that flared in me at the thought of him with someone else. Damn it, I wanted him to dream of me and know who it was before he opened his eyes.
My braid was already half-undone, the band lost at some point. I stilled for a moment, reveling in the hot length inside me as I ran my hands through my hair, freeing it to rain down around us. I didn’t question the decision, even though I hadn’t done that before with other lovers. This was Trowa and he deserved everything I could give him.
Leaning forward to brace my hands on either side of his head, I took my time, moving until he almost slipped out of me before pushing back to be impaled all over again, memorizing every sensation. The only warning I had was one word that came out in a groan…a name…my name, and then his hands were on my hips, pushing me down forcefully as he speared his hips up, thrusting forcefully. His fingers were caught in my hair, I could tell by the tug on my scalp, but it was a distant sensation as his eyes opened, driving into mine as his body did the same.
He was unsure about something; I could see it in his eyes and feel it in the way he was holding back, his arms trembling. Remembering the raw need I’d glimpsed in him before and the way he was the previous night…I knew what he wanted. He had wanted to show me there was a difference in having sex and making love; this was more primal, about desires forced down too often. “Trowa…I don’t break.”
It was enough to spur him into motion, forcefully rolling us over and capturing my wrists above my head. Only the implicit trust I had for him kept me from panicking when I saw how wild his eyes had become, darkened with lust and a fire that burned deep within, a barely leashed rage present. He froze, shaking his head as if to dispel the state, but I didn’t want that. I wanted that glanced part of him…that tightly controlled killer that lies inside both of us. “You can’t break me,” I repeated, wrapping my legs around him and pushing up with more of my strength than I had used before.
The move had him making a sound deep in his throat, a mix between a groan and a growl, and then his other hand was on one of my knees, pushing it farther up so he could pound into me with force that bordered on violence. I wanted this, the dangerous part of him, and he was giving me what I wanted in spades.
Oh god, he let my hands go but only so he could get on his knees and spread me open even more, thrusting into me, his face set in a feral frown. He was fighting with himself, telling himself this was wrong as his body told him otherwise. Levering myself onto one elbow, dear Christ he went even deeper that way, I managed to get my free hand around his neck and yanked him to me, our mouths clashing together in a fight for dominance I wasn’t going to win, but I had to prove he wasn’t hurting or scaring me.
In an instant I was off the bed, held up by his hands on my hips as he pulled us together. Jerking his mouth from mine, I barely had time to see the wild look in his eyes before his teeth found my shoulder and the sensitive skin of my neck. One hand tangled in my hair and pulled back, forcing me to expose my throat to his hungry mouth, but I was not complaining.
All of this had shot me from bliss to ecstasy. He relentlessly fucked me, the bed protesting the harsh movements with loud creaks that didn’t have a lot of rhythm. My cock was trapped between our bodies, rubbing each time he moved. My nails bit into his skin in an attempt to hold on to something real as he took me far beyond anything I’d experienced before.
I was swept along, focused on where we were joined and the feeling of him as he gripped me. I didn’t fight the end, tossing my head back and screaming in a way I hadn’t before. If there was anyone in the apartment beside us, I felt really sorry for them.
Trowa was right there with me, teeth clamping down on my shoulder as he tensed, hand on my hip tight enough to leave bruises. One last jerk of his hips had me shouting a second time, but that time it was his name that I screamed.
After that, I could die a happy man.
He was coming back to himself, I could tell by the way he lowered me to the bed. Lips soothed the marks he had undoubtedly left on my shoulder, a hand caressing over my hip in a silent apology I didn’t want. “Duo, I’m sorry. I completely lost control. You were in my sleep and then you were really there and I couldn’t stop.”
I ran a hand over his back, feeling the shuddering aftermath of his orgasm, proof of its strength, “You can’t break me, Tro. I’m a tough little shit.”
His head jerked up, eyes wide and apologetic, “I know how strong you are, but I didn’t…that was too rough…too…”
“Perfect. Just like last night, it was perfect.”
“I hurt you.”
“In all the right ways.” Okay, that came out in a satisfied purr.
“No, I really hurt you. You’re bleeding.” His eyes moved to my shoulder.
I should have realized his first reaction to losing control would have been guilt. “It’s nothing.”
“I didn’t want…”
Untangling my hands from my own hair was a total bitch, but I managed so I could force his eyes to mine. “I’ll be able to remember this moment.” Wish I hadn’t thought of that. Those feint marks were likely to leave scars, small enough to escape notice from someone else, but that would be a reminder of where I was and who I had been with.
He pulled out of me carefully, eyes shadowed as he sat on the edge of the bed, one hand toying with my hair. “I wanted to show you how it would be different, not take you like some kind of animal.”
“It was different. You were here with me, not just physically, but in your head, too. You didn’t replace me with a dozen other people you’d rather be with.” It was a lame explanation, but the best I could offer.
“There isn’t anyone else I’d rather be with.”
The darkness and regret was finally fading from his face, replaced by understanding. “I guess we should get some more sleep. It’s the middle of the night.”
“Under the blankets this time?” he teased softly as he leaned over to jerk the corner of the blankets up. We hadn’t managed to get on the bed the right way.
I rolled my eyes, but it was only for form’s sake. It would have been too easy to tell him everything there, in the darkness with only the two of us, my body still tingling from his touch. “Yeah, under the blankets.”
He grabbed my hand as I reached behind me for a pillow, gentle as he lifted it to his lips to place a kiss on the uninjured area. “I’m going to get the syn-skin for this now. We should have done it before going to sleep. I can put some on your shoulder, if you want.”
I’m pretty damn sure the syn-skin would have allowed the wounds on my shoulder to heal without leaving a scar behind. It’s what I should have done, what I needed to do, but I wasn’t going to do it. “My hands, Tro, just my hands.”
I was a complete idiot, because I wanted that reminder of him, even if it meant I would cheerfully drive my Hellion into the sun later.
The clock said it was almost one when there was a knock on the door. I already knew it was Esteban, but I hesitated for a minute before opening the door, exchanging one more look with Trowa that carried more than I’d say. When I opened the door, he was less than a step behind me, a hand on my back, as close as he could get.
It was a surprise to see Jezz. I imagined she had her hands full if things were as bad as Esteban told us the day before. “Didn’t think we’d see you before we left, Jezzy.”
“I thought it might be a good idea if I went with you to your ship,” she stated, glancing back at Esteban in a way that said the idea hadn’t been hers. “There are rumors going around about the doctor trying to kill you, but the reasons seem to have become distorted. Someone might try to finish the job in his honor, without realizing he betrayed us.”
“You’re planning to tell everyone the truth, aren’t you?” Whether that was brilliant or stupid I didn’t know, but it was brave.
“Everyone has a right to know. I…we…decided that the residents here should know what Talbot planned to do, but I can’t do that until later this evening, after you’ve left Kol.”
“Why are you waiting? Wouldn’t it be better to let them know as soon as possible?” that way Trowa and I could avoid a possible lynching by an angry mob.
“There have been a number of skirmishes that need to be dealt with first. I want to make the announcement over the tel-system so it reaches as many residents as possible and that won’t do any good if most people are at their jobs,” she added with a frown.
“For a satellite with no laws, you are very serious about keeping the infighting to a minimum,” Trowa noted quietly, arms crossed over his chest. “Wouldn’t it be easier to let the fighting go until it dies out on its own and then clean up afterward?”
Her weariness showed as she crossed to the balcony door, standing beside it and looking out. “It might be easier, but it isn’t our way. We aren’t like Sodom and we definitely aren’t like the Shoe Pit. We don’t have laws here, per say, but we do maintain order in any way we can. Most of our people aren’t here by choice, Trowa, but because of unfortunate events that made this their last chance before they turn to somewhere like the Shoe. There are innocent people here that live among the lawbreakers and they are my concern. We have children here that must be sheltered from the violence.”
I had no idea what Trowa thought about this place, but the expression of comprehension on his face was obvious to me even though no one else saw it. “We should go, then. You have a lot to do and so do we, but we need to be on the Hellion to do them.”
Esteban nodded his agreement, “Are either of you armed?”
That was a stupid question and me and Trowa both gave him a look that told him our opinion of that, not bothering to dignify with a verbal response. He might not have found the humor in it, but Jezz did, chuckling quietly as she turned to lift eyebrows at Esteban, “They’re armed, Esteban. Duo never leaves his ship without a way to protect himself and I doubt Trowa does, either.”
“I protect Duo. Of course I didn’t leave the ship without being armed.”
“I thought you were partners.” Esteban seemed to believe he had caught us in a lie.
“I protect my partner, with my life if I need to, Esteban. You should understand the feeling.” As he turned red, I smirked for a moment before turning serious. “Do either of you know the PSP assholes that work or live this part of the ‘verse?”
Lucky for me, Jezz recovered faster than Esteban, although she looked quite pleased with herself. I didn’t want to know what had happened between those two, but maybe had Esteban relocated his balls and used them for their intended purpose. “You’ll have to be more specific, Duo. There are a lot of PSP that work out here.”
“That can’t be sanctioned,” Trowa muttered, but he didn’t sound all that surprised that the PSP would work without orders. “How many people are arrested because they have something those jerks want?”
We had a serious problem: Trowa was starting to think like I did. If he didn’t have another life it wouldn’t have been a concern, but once you begin to have that kind of suspicion it tends to spread to every aspect of your life. As a Preventer agent, that kind of suspicion was not a good thing.
Jezz is smart as a whip and guessed there was more here than appeared. With a shrug, she shook her head, “There are some like that, but not so many here. There are dirty cops everywhere, you should know that. On the other hand, we have some that are allowed to visit here on a regular basis. They have family here and they’re good people.”
“You allow them here, knowing they’re whistlers?”
“They might be whistlers, but they’re still people and they have family. There are things they have to agree to before being allowed on Kol.”
“Like what?”
“They have to come alone. When they get here, they become guests, not whistlers. Nothing they see or hear can be used against anyone, not even if they are caught committing another crime.”
“What happens if they don’t follow the rules?”
“Their family members mourn their loss because the whistler doesn’t last long,” Esteban was dead serious about that.
Trowa looked really confused and I could guess why. He was wondering why he had to have a cover story if cops were allowed on Kol. I’d explain it later if we had time, but for now I told him what I could without causing our hosts to be suspicious. “It isn’t like that everywhere, Tro. It works here because the residents are willing to live by those rules and standards. Back to my original question… dirty PSP cops that work in the area?”
“Do you have anything more substantial than that? A name, perhaps?” Esteban was watching Trowa closely… too closely for my liking.
I thought it best to get Jezz’s bodyguard to focus on me again before he said or did something I didn’t like. It would suck to have to put him down; I think Jezz really does like him, for some damn reason, “A captain that’s based on Strident and runs the White Rain. That’s who we’re looking for.”
“Allbright,” the word was a sneer as it came from Jezz, spat with hatred. “Is that who you’re referring to?”
Could it be that easy? “That’s the one; how did you know?”
Esteban got to the answer before Jezz had time to do more than take a deep breath. It seemed I had found someone he hated worse than me. Too bad I couldn’t understand a damn word he was saying; it was a messed up combo of spacer slang, English, Spanish, and I think there might have been some German in there, too. It was minutes, literally, before he took a deep breath, “Jonathon Allbright is the worst kind of man. He’s a traitor to those of us who want to live by our own rules. There are special places in hell reserved for snake oil.”
“I’m just takin’ a guess here, but you don’t like Allbright much, do you?”
“Esteban and Allbright were once friends.”
Holy hell; didn’t see that one coming. “What in the world happened? One of you became a criminal and the other a bodyguard of one of the most powerful women in the smuggler’s ring.”
“Allbright isn’t a criminal, not in official terms,” Trowa’s frown deepened as he leaned against the wall behind me, one hand tugging me close by pulling on my belt loop. “We know he’s scum, but in the eyes of the normal world, he’s an honorable man.”
Uh-oh. Trowa was separating himself from his own life again. That was not good. “We don’t consider ourselves criminals, Tro. A criminal is someone that goes against the people they call friends and family. A criminal is out for themselves and don’t give a damn about the people they step on to get what they want. Criminals don’t live on Kol, but they run rampant on the Shoe.” It made me feel better to lean against him, feeling him as a solid presence against my back as I turned my attention back to Esteban. “Will you tell me what you know?”
“We don’t have much time. What do you need to know, specifically, and why?”
I should have known he would want an explanation. I would have too, in his place. “Allbright is involved in a kidnapping. The man he helped take is a close friend of mine and Trowa’s.”
“Who is this close friend?” Esteban was giving me a critical look, studying me to see if I was telling the truth, like he would be able to tell the damn difference.
“Quatre Raberba Winner.”
Twin gasps met the name. Yeah, Quatre’s sort of well-known. “I guess that would explain why he abruptly dropped out of sight, but most of the speculation says that he’s been working secretly with the treaty composers,” Jezz’s eyes were disturbed. “Winner is a powerful man in the treaty negotiations, Duo. He isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes in…and he believes in the colonies.”
“He stands up more for us than you could ever guess,” I told her with a nod.
“What makes you think Allbright is involved in Winner’s abduction?” Esteban sounded very unhappy about the prospect.
“Talbot said as much last night. Allbright was his contact in the PSP. His job was to keep me from reaching the Shoe. That’s why I need to know all I can.”
“I can give you names of people he’s been known to associate with,” Esteban offered as he sat down on the couch, expression pained. “We still have some friends in common, but they are more loyal to me than to Jonathon. They know he would sell them out if it would make his life better. I’ll get in touch with them and ask for their help.”
“I don’t want you putting alliances on the line.” I knew how important allies are in this life.
“I won’t be. The threat of having the Preventers come down on the Shoe will be enough to have them cooperating without argument.”
“The Preventers? Shouldn’t they be more concerned about the good guys in the PSP?”
Esteban looked at Trowa for a moment before answering my question, “If Winner is being held on the Shoe and the agency finds out, the Shoe will be searched, thoroughly. The whole of the agency would focus on finding your friend and revel in the other arrests they could make. Winner’s presence on the colony would be enough of an excuse enough for a full-scale raid. By offering the help of my friends, I’m depending on you to keep that from happening.”
“You have my word, Esteban. I’ll get Quatre out before the Preventers can even get together a squadron.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Maxwell. I’ll send the information you need to your ship tonight or in the morning. We should go; the brothers are waiting outside. Make sure you are visibly armed. Hopefully, that and our presence will be enough to keep someone from attacking you.”
The trip from the apartment building to my ship was uneventful, but stressful. There was a brother in front of me, carrying the box of gifts from Jezz. One of the other brothers was in front of him, parting the gathered crowd with his size alone. The last brother was behind us, making sure no one could attack us from behind. Jezz walked at my side, a silent indication that she still supported me, no matter the rumors; Trowa and Esteban were mere feet behind us.
People stared at me with curiosity, dislike, or plain hatred. I don’t care what people think of me normally, but damn it, that bothered me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet they saw me as an enemy because of a rumor. That showed the power of words, I guess.
My sigh of relief was audible as we reached my ship, Trowa entering the code to unlock the hatch while I took the box from the silent triplet and say my goodbyes while my lover oversaw the loading of our supplies. I kept it brief, feeling eyes on us that I doubted were looking at me in a nice way. “Thanks for letting us use the apartment to rest. I needed that time more than I realized.”
“In a few weeks, you’ll be welcome here once again. By then, some of this should blow over. It will be hard for our residents to accept Dr. Talbot was a traitor, but they will come to terms with it. We’re very good at adapting in order to survive.”
Trowa disappeared into the Hellion, giving me a look that said we needed to go before we overstayed our welcome. After giving Jezz a hug I narrowed my eyes at Esteban, “If you haven’t taken my advice already, don’t wait long.”
“You’re a meddlesome man, Maxwell. I already did as you suggested. We are discussing…terms for now.” Jezz’s sudden blush said they had done more than discuss their arrangement, but I was not gonna mention that. “You won’t forget to pass on the message that we are in need of a new doctor…or three?”
“I won’t forget, as long as you promise we won’t be shot down as soon as we leave dock. The residents here aren’t happy with me at all. They might decide to take matters into their own hands.”
“They might consider it, but we’ll be in control while you leave. The rest of the ships are still on lockdown and no traffic is getting in. You shouldn’t have any problems leaving Kol space.”
I didn’t know what woke me up, at first, until I realized Trowa was somehow still inside me…and hard. Raising my head, I saw he was still asleep, but there was movement behind his closed eyelids and a tremble in his body that told me whatever he was dreaming of, or whoever, was definitely not torturing him.
It would take a more determined person than I was to resist the hardness inside me and why should I? Sex had been hard to come by and I doubted Trowa would have any real objections when he was clearly enjoying his dreams. Moving slowly, I tested the friction. I hadn’t been asleep for long; I could feel semen running down my inner thighs, helping the motions I was making instead of hindering them.
My body was too hot, heat suffusing every muscle as I sat up farther, tensing my muscles around him. I moved slow, a little unsure of his reaction when he woke. It wasn’t likely he was dreaming of me, not after such a short time together, and I had to shove aside the jealousy that flared in me at the thought of him with someone else. Damn it, I wanted him to dream of me and know who it was before he opened his eyes.
My braid was already half-undone, the band lost at some point. I stilled for a moment, reveling in the hot length inside me as I ran my hands through my hair, freeing it to rain down around us. I didn’t question the decision, even though I hadn’t done that before with other lovers. This was Trowa and he deserved everything I could give him.
Leaning forward to brace my hands on either side of his head, I took my time, moving until he almost slipped out of me before pushing back to be impaled all over again, memorizing every sensation. The only warning I had was one word that came out in a groan…a name…my name, and then his hands were on my hips, pushing me down forcefully as he speared his hips up, thrusting forcefully. His fingers were caught in my hair, I could tell by the tug on my scalp, but it was a distant sensation as his eyes opened, driving into mine as his body did the same.
He was unsure about something; I could see it in his eyes and feel it in the way he was holding back, his arms trembling. Remembering the raw need I’d glimpsed in him before and the way he was the previous night…I knew what he wanted. He had wanted to show me there was a difference in having sex and making love; this was more primal, about desires forced down too often. “Trowa…I don’t break.”
It was enough to spur him into motion, forcefully rolling us over and capturing my wrists above my head. Only the implicit trust I had for him kept me from panicking when I saw how wild his eyes had become, darkened with lust and a fire that burned deep within, a barely leashed rage present. He froze, shaking his head as if to dispel the state, but I didn’t want that. I wanted that glanced part of him…that tightly controlled killer that lies inside both of us. “You can’t break me,” I repeated, wrapping my legs around him and pushing up with more of my strength than I had used before.
The move had him making a sound deep in his throat, a mix between a groan and a growl, and then his other hand was on one of my knees, pushing it farther up so he could pound into me with force that bordered on violence. I wanted this, the dangerous part of him, and he was giving me what I wanted in spades.
Oh god, he let my hands go but only so he could get on his knees and spread me open even more, thrusting into me, his face set in a feral frown. He was fighting with himself, telling himself this was wrong as his body told him otherwise. Levering myself onto one elbow, dear Christ he went even deeper that way, I managed to get my free hand around his neck and yanked him to me, our mouths clashing together in a fight for dominance I wasn’t going to win, but I had to prove he wasn’t hurting or scaring me.
In an instant I was off the bed, held up by his hands on my hips as he pulled us together. Jerking his mouth from mine, I barely had time to see the wild look in his eyes before his teeth found my shoulder and the sensitive skin of my neck. One hand tangled in my hair and pulled back, forcing me to expose my throat to his hungry mouth, but I was not complaining.
All of this had shot me from bliss to ecstasy. He relentlessly fucked me, the bed protesting the harsh movements with loud creaks that didn’t have a lot of rhythm. My cock was trapped between our bodies, rubbing each time he moved. My nails bit into his skin in an attempt to hold on to something real as he took me far beyond anything I’d experienced before.
I was swept along, focused on where we were joined and the feeling of him as he gripped me. I didn’t fight the end, tossing my head back and screaming in a way I hadn’t before. If there was anyone in the apartment beside us, I felt really sorry for them.
Trowa was right there with me, teeth clamping down on my shoulder as he tensed, hand on my hip tight enough to leave bruises. One last jerk of his hips had me shouting a second time, but that time it was his name that I screamed.
After that, I could die a happy man.
He was coming back to himself, I could tell by the way he lowered me to the bed. Lips soothed the marks he had undoubtedly left on my shoulder, a hand caressing over my hip in a silent apology I didn’t want. “Duo, I’m sorry. I completely lost control. You were in my sleep and then you were really there and I couldn’t stop.”
I ran a hand over his back, feeling the shuddering aftermath of his orgasm, proof of its strength, “You can’t break me, Tro. I’m a tough little shit.”
His head jerked up, eyes wide and apologetic, “I know how strong you are, but I didn’t…that was too rough…too…”
“Perfect. Just like last night, it was perfect.”
“I hurt you.”
“In all the right ways.” Okay, that came out in a satisfied purr.
“No, I really hurt you. You’re bleeding.” His eyes moved to my shoulder.
I should have realized his first reaction to losing control would have been guilt. “It’s nothing.”
“I didn’t want…”
Untangling my hands from my own hair was a total bitch, but I managed so I could force his eyes to mine. “I’ll be able to remember this moment.” Wish I hadn’t thought of that. Those feint marks were likely to leave scars, small enough to escape notice from someone else, but that would be a reminder of where I was and who I had been with.
He pulled out of me carefully, eyes shadowed as he sat on the edge of the bed, one hand toying with my hair. “I wanted to show you how it would be different, not take you like some kind of animal.”
“It was different. You were here with me, not just physically, but in your head, too. You didn’t replace me with a dozen other people you’d rather be with.” It was a lame explanation, but the best I could offer.
“There isn’t anyone else I’d rather be with.”
The darkness and regret was finally fading from his face, replaced by understanding. “I guess we should get some more sleep. It’s the middle of the night.”
“Under the blankets this time?” he teased softly as he leaned over to jerk the corner of the blankets up. We hadn’t managed to get on the bed the right way.
I rolled my eyes, but it was only for form’s sake. It would have been too easy to tell him everything there, in the darkness with only the two of us, my body still tingling from his touch. “Yeah, under the blankets.”
He grabbed my hand as I reached behind me for a pillow, gentle as he lifted it to his lips to place a kiss on the uninjured area. “I’m going to get the syn-skin for this now. We should have done it before going to sleep. I can put some on your shoulder, if you want.”
I’m pretty damn sure the syn-skin would have allowed the wounds on my shoulder to heal without leaving a scar behind. It’s what I should have done, what I needed to do, but I wasn’t going to do it. “My hands, Tro, just my hands.”
I was a complete idiot, because I wanted that reminder of him, even if it meant I would cheerfully drive my Hellion into the sun later.
The clock said it was almost one when there was a knock on the door. I already knew it was Esteban, but I hesitated for a minute before opening the door, exchanging one more look with Trowa that carried more than I’d say. When I opened the door, he was less than a step behind me, a hand on my back, as close as he could get.
It was a surprise to see Jezz. I imagined she had her hands full if things were as bad as Esteban told us the day before. “Didn’t think we’d see you before we left, Jezzy.”
“I thought it might be a good idea if I went with you to your ship,” she stated, glancing back at Esteban in a way that said the idea hadn’t been hers. “There are rumors going around about the doctor trying to kill you, but the reasons seem to have become distorted. Someone might try to finish the job in his honor, without realizing he betrayed us.”
“You’re planning to tell everyone the truth, aren’t you?” Whether that was brilliant or stupid I didn’t know, but it was brave.
“Everyone has a right to know. I…we…decided that the residents here should know what Talbot planned to do, but I can’t do that until later this evening, after you’ve left Kol.”
“Why are you waiting? Wouldn’t it be better to let them know as soon as possible?” that way Trowa and I could avoid a possible lynching by an angry mob.
“There have been a number of skirmishes that need to be dealt with first. I want to make the announcement over the tel-system so it reaches as many residents as possible and that won’t do any good if most people are at their jobs,” she added with a frown.
“For a satellite with no laws, you are very serious about keeping the infighting to a minimum,” Trowa noted quietly, arms crossed over his chest. “Wouldn’t it be easier to let the fighting go until it dies out on its own and then clean up afterward?”
Her weariness showed as she crossed to the balcony door, standing beside it and looking out. “It might be easier, but it isn’t our way. We aren’t like Sodom and we definitely aren’t like the Shoe Pit. We don’t have laws here, per say, but we do maintain order in any way we can. Most of our people aren’t here by choice, Trowa, but because of unfortunate events that made this their last chance before they turn to somewhere like the Shoe. There are innocent people here that live among the lawbreakers and they are my concern. We have children here that must be sheltered from the violence.”
I had no idea what Trowa thought about this place, but the expression of comprehension on his face was obvious to me even though no one else saw it. “We should go, then. You have a lot to do and so do we, but we need to be on the Hellion to do them.”
Esteban nodded his agreement, “Are either of you armed?”
That was a stupid question and me and Trowa both gave him a look that told him our opinion of that, not bothering to dignify with a verbal response. He might not have found the humor in it, but Jezz did, chuckling quietly as she turned to lift eyebrows at Esteban, “They’re armed, Esteban. Duo never leaves his ship without a way to protect himself and I doubt Trowa does, either.”
“I protect Duo. Of course I didn’t leave the ship without being armed.”
“I thought you were partners.” Esteban seemed to believe he had caught us in a lie.
“I protect my partner, with my life if I need to, Esteban. You should understand the feeling.” As he turned red, I smirked for a moment before turning serious. “Do either of you know the PSP assholes that work or live this part of the ‘verse?”
Lucky for me, Jezz recovered faster than Esteban, although she looked quite pleased with herself. I didn’t want to know what had happened between those two, but maybe had Esteban relocated his balls and used them for their intended purpose. “You’ll have to be more specific, Duo. There are a lot of PSP that work out here.”
“That can’t be sanctioned,” Trowa muttered, but he didn’t sound all that surprised that the PSP would work without orders. “How many people are arrested because they have something those jerks want?”
We had a serious problem: Trowa was starting to think like I did. If he didn’t have another life it wouldn’t have been a concern, but once you begin to have that kind of suspicion it tends to spread to every aspect of your life. As a Preventer agent, that kind of suspicion was not a good thing.
Jezz is smart as a whip and guessed there was more here than appeared. With a shrug, she shook her head, “There are some like that, but not so many here. There are dirty cops everywhere, you should know that. On the other hand, we have some that are allowed to visit here on a regular basis. They have family here and they’re good people.”
“You allow them here, knowing they’re whistlers?”
“They might be whistlers, but they’re still people and they have family. There are things they have to agree to before being allowed on Kol.”
“Like what?”
“They have to come alone. When they get here, they become guests, not whistlers. Nothing they see or hear can be used against anyone, not even if they are caught committing another crime.”
“What happens if they don’t follow the rules?”
“Their family members mourn their loss because the whistler doesn’t last long,” Esteban was dead serious about that.
Trowa looked really confused and I could guess why. He was wondering why he had to have a cover story if cops were allowed on Kol. I’d explain it later if we had time, but for now I told him what I could without causing our hosts to be suspicious. “It isn’t like that everywhere, Tro. It works here because the residents are willing to live by those rules and standards. Back to my original question… dirty PSP cops that work in the area?”
“Do you have anything more substantial than that? A name, perhaps?” Esteban was watching Trowa closely… too closely for my liking.
I thought it best to get Jezz’s bodyguard to focus on me again before he said or did something I didn’t like. It would suck to have to put him down; I think Jezz really does like him, for some damn reason, “A captain that’s based on Strident and runs the White Rain. That’s who we’re looking for.”
“Allbright,” the word was a sneer as it came from Jezz, spat with hatred. “Is that who you’re referring to?”
Could it be that easy? “That’s the one; how did you know?”
Esteban got to the answer before Jezz had time to do more than take a deep breath. It seemed I had found someone he hated worse than me. Too bad I couldn’t understand a damn word he was saying; it was a messed up combo of spacer slang, English, Spanish, and I think there might have been some German in there, too. It was minutes, literally, before he took a deep breath, “Jonathon Allbright is the worst kind of man. He’s a traitor to those of us who want to live by our own rules. There are special places in hell reserved for snake oil.”
“I’m just takin’ a guess here, but you don’t like Allbright much, do you?”
“Esteban and Allbright were once friends.”
Holy hell; didn’t see that one coming. “What in the world happened? One of you became a criminal and the other a bodyguard of one of the most powerful women in the smuggler’s ring.”
“Allbright isn’t a criminal, not in official terms,” Trowa’s frown deepened as he leaned against the wall behind me, one hand tugging me close by pulling on my belt loop. “We know he’s scum, but in the eyes of the normal world, he’s an honorable man.”
Uh-oh. Trowa was separating himself from his own life again. That was not good. “We don’t consider ourselves criminals, Tro. A criminal is someone that goes against the people they call friends and family. A criminal is out for themselves and don’t give a damn about the people they step on to get what they want. Criminals don’t live on Kol, but they run rampant on the Shoe.” It made me feel better to lean against him, feeling him as a solid presence against my back as I turned my attention back to Esteban. “Will you tell me what you know?”
“We don’t have much time. What do you need to know, specifically, and why?”
I should have known he would want an explanation. I would have too, in his place. “Allbright is involved in a kidnapping. The man he helped take is a close friend of mine and Trowa’s.”
“Who is this close friend?” Esteban was giving me a critical look, studying me to see if I was telling the truth, like he would be able to tell the damn difference.
“Quatre Raberba Winner.”
Twin gasps met the name. Yeah, Quatre’s sort of well-known. “I guess that would explain why he abruptly dropped out of sight, but most of the speculation says that he’s been working secretly with the treaty composers,” Jezz’s eyes were disturbed. “Winner is a powerful man in the treaty negotiations, Duo. He isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes in…and he believes in the colonies.”
“He stands up more for us than you could ever guess,” I told her with a nod.
“What makes you think Allbright is involved in Winner’s abduction?” Esteban sounded very unhappy about the prospect.
“Talbot said as much last night. Allbright was his contact in the PSP. His job was to keep me from reaching the Shoe. That’s why I need to know all I can.”
“I can give you names of people he’s been known to associate with,” Esteban offered as he sat down on the couch, expression pained. “We still have some friends in common, but they are more loyal to me than to Jonathon. They know he would sell them out if it would make his life better. I’ll get in touch with them and ask for their help.”
“I don’t want you putting alliances on the line.” I knew how important allies are in this life.
“I won’t be. The threat of having the Preventers come down on the Shoe will be enough to have them cooperating without argument.”
“The Preventers? Shouldn’t they be more concerned about the good guys in the PSP?”
Esteban looked at Trowa for a moment before answering my question, “If Winner is being held on the Shoe and the agency finds out, the Shoe will be searched, thoroughly. The whole of the agency would focus on finding your friend and revel in the other arrests they could make. Winner’s presence on the colony would be enough of an excuse enough for a full-scale raid. By offering the help of my friends, I’m depending on you to keep that from happening.”
“You have my word, Esteban. I’ll get Quatre out before the Preventers can even get together a squadron.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Maxwell. I’ll send the information you need to your ship tonight or in the morning. We should go; the brothers are waiting outside. Make sure you are visibly armed. Hopefully, that and our presence will be enough to keep someone from attacking you.”
The trip from the apartment building to my ship was uneventful, but stressful. There was a brother in front of me, carrying the box of gifts from Jezz. One of the other brothers was in front of him, parting the gathered crowd with his size alone. The last brother was behind us, making sure no one could attack us from behind. Jezz walked at my side, a silent indication that she still supported me, no matter the rumors; Trowa and Esteban were mere feet behind us.
People stared at me with curiosity, dislike, or plain hatred. I don’t care what people think of me normally, but damn it, that bothered me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet they saw me as an enemy because of a rumor. That showed the power of words, I guess.
My sigh of relief was audible as we reached my ship, Trowa entering the code to unlock the hatch while I took the box from the silent triplet and say my goodbyes while my lover oversaw the loading of our supplies. I kept it brief, feeling eyes on us that I doubted were looking at me in a nice way. “Thanks for letting us use the apartment to rest. I needed that time more than I realized.”
“In a few weeks, you’ll be welcome here once again. By then, some of this should blow over. It will be hard for our residents to accept Dr. Talbot was a traitor, but they will come to terms with it. We’re very good at adapting in order to survive.”
Trowa disappeared into the Hellion, giving me a look that said we needed to go before we overstayed our welcome. After giving Jezz a hug I narrowed my eyes at Esteban, “If you haven’t taken my advice already, don’t wait long.”
“You’re a meddlesome man, Maxwell. I already did as you suggested. We are discussing…terms for now.” Jezz’s sudden blush said they had done more than discuss their arrangement, but I was not gonna mention that. “You won’t forget to pass on the message that we are in need of a new doctor…or three?”
“I won’t forget, as long as you promise we won’t be shot down as soon as we leave dock. The residents here aren’t happy with me at all. They might decide to take matters into their own hands.”
“They might consider it, but we’ll be in control while you leave. The rest of the ships are still on lockdown and no traffic is getting in. You shouldn’t have any problems leaving Kol space.”