Chapter 10.5

I walked up to the desk eyeing both of his hands on the table. The desktop was large with a marble finish. Recessed in the table near Geklov's hands was a computer control panel. There would be a panic switch on the floor. Hell, his foot was probably on it right now. There would also be security cameras and listening devices. They would come in handy for blackmail or gathering information from his associates. Information is as valuable as any other asset if you know how to use it.

“Now, have a seat. No need to look so uncomfortable. We are both friends here, yes?”

I plopped down in the seat feigning indifference.  I leaned against the left arm rest so I could easily grab my blaster from its holster.  “It’s good to see you made it back here Geklov. I was worried for your safety when you left the party early. It would’ve been a shame not to be able to finish our negotiations.” I did everything I could to keep the anger from seeping into my voice.

“I found an opportunity to leave safely and I took it, of course. It was fairly time sensitive. Trust me when I say if there had been time I would have taken you with me as well.” His words rang true but there was something in his eyes that said he was laughing his ass off on the inside. My heart sank a little.

I have pretty good intuition and suddenly I felt way out of my league. It wasn't a common feeling, but there it was in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't what he said that was picking at my emotional strings. There was something about that quick look.  It was the look a parent who already knew what the outcome of a conversation was going to be. He would let me have my say and let me think that it might make a difference, and it would, as long as what I had to say lined up with what he wanted.

The voice in me that speaks on instinct was whispering in my ear telling me to pull my blaster out and blow his head off before this went any further. There was something wrong, and it was time to kill and run.  I couldn’t listen because I had to find a way to get Tasha out of this.  I pushed the small seed of panic deep inside and tried to focus on Geklov. 

“Okay, let’s just get to the point. I am here to negotiate for Tasha. I would like to get her out of whatever contract and debt she owes to you.”

“Yes of course, but you understand that there are two problems with this. One, Tasha is a very valuable asset regardless of the large amount of pain and suffering she has brought on this corporation. She is brilliant and I would expect her discoveries to be worth quite a lot of money in the future. The second, it is hard to find such a high quality piece of ass, if you know what I mean. Oh, course you know what I mean,” he said, with a huge smile on his face.

I grabbed the armrest and straightened myself in the chair using the movement to mask the anger and accompanying disgust that shot through my body.  It took all the strength I had to keep sitting.  I shoved the feelings deep inside but they fed the fire that was already turning into an inferno.

I managed to keep my smile in place and fixe my eyes on his.  He was trying to make me angry, but why? What could he gain if I got so pissed I tried to kill him or gave up and left. There was something I was missing and I needed to figure it out fast.   

I did my best to ignore his last statement and tried shifting my strategies.   I was good at negotiating and taking people’s money. I couldn’t let him get to me.  If I didn’t get control of this fast everything was lost.

“I don't get it, I am here to offer you a large sum of money and take a troublemaker off your hands. Why are you trying to piss me off?” 

He smiled at me with that knowing look again, “It is good to test a new associate’s temper, Lakasha. The way I see it, you and I are going to be working together for a very long time. It is good to know you can control yourself.”

“I’m not sure where this idea of us working together came from. But yeah, I can be plenty professional. I’m going to say this one time. I came here to pay off Tasha's debts and take her with me. Not to interview for a job.”

“That is unfortunate, because Tasha's debts must be paid, and make no mistake I will get the money out of her one way or another.” He smiled a sick little smile, pausing for effect, “But her contract, as you call it, is not for sale. The best you can do is reduce the payback she owes me.”

As my mind started to piece together the enormity of the situation I had gotten myself into my right hand involuntarily slid down toward the blaster.  The angry fire that had started in my stomach, contained up until now, burned bright. I was kidding myself when I came here so unprepared. It would have been better to bring some friends and put Tasha into hiding while I splattered his head all over the wall.

“Okay. If that is how you see it I won't press that point right now. How much money does Tasha owe you? I want a straight number Geklov, no coming back later and changing it up. If I paid off all of her debts how much would she owe you?”

“Oh, I think a good estimate would be twenty billion.”

He was fucking serious. I could tell by the look on his face. I almost asked him to repeat it to be sure but I knew it wouldn't do any good.

“Twenty billion seems a little steep for a couple of labs and a small scientific outpost. I mean, I saw that thing myself. There is no way that it cost anywhere near a billion.”

“Well of course it didn't, but since we will be working together let me give you a little lesson on business. She owes me for all of the minerals and supplies used in her research that we will get no income from because of the loss of the labs. She owes all of the people that provided either scientific expertise or mined and transported the minerals she was using. She owes me for the alliance I put together with the Brothers of Death. Then, there is the issue of all of the future lost revenue from the ships destroyed and the members who left the corporation after the unfortunate incident with the Blood Raiders.”

What a complete shit bag. He hadn't even used the money to gain an alliance with the Brothers of Death. That was the reason I had gone down to the research stations to start with. The people who lost ships were reimbursed by their own insurance contracts not to mention part of flying in space is losing ships. Almost everything that happened at the research station was one hundred percent Geklov's fault.

Then he wanted money for any future loss of income? Hell, he could put any number on that he wanted. There was no way to prove him wrong. It dawned on me again that he had no intention of letting Tasha or even me out of this. As long as he knew how much I cared about her he had me.

“I think it’s a little unreasonable of a number, let’s say seven billion in lost revenue. We don't even know if her invention was going to work.” It was something to keep the conversation going as the dark truth of the situation started to reveal itself.  My own arrogance made me think I had some power to negotiate. I was too used to dealing with pirates and a ridiculous self-imposed honor code.  `

Now I understood the look in Geklov’s eyes.   There were only two options.   The first, he would taunt me into trying to kill him then dive under the table.  Herrier would kill me, and he would still have Tasha with no one to get in his way.  The second option was I cared enough about Tasha to be blackmailed into giving him control of all my assets including myself and my corporation.  I had nothing to bargain with.  Anxiety gripped at my heart as a trapped feeling fell over me.  Then, there was a welcome nothingness as the pirate took over.

“I don't think it’s unreasonable at all. There are plenty of records of sales when other businesses have discovered new implant technology. To tell the truth, I was expecting a fifty billion ISK profit selling the invention to the implant industry.”

“How about I give you three billion and you let us walk out of here?” I said in a cold voice I rarely heard outside of my mind.   I focused on him, death in my eyes, and he lost a little of his smile.  This was the decision point he was waiting for and knew he had me.   

“How about you give me five billion and sign a contract to work for me, Lakasha. There are many things I could do with someone of your particular skills. I am not blind to the fact that you helped my people escape the Blood Raider invasion. I am also not blind to the fact that you are a very beautiful woman.” I swear he licked his lips a little and I almost ended him right then. “Besides, think of how great it will be to work hand in hand with Tasha each day, fulfilling whatever needs I may have.”

I stood so fast the chair shot off behind me and clanged down the steps. I slammed both of my hands flat on the desk. They would have been around his neck but I couldn't reach him. I leaned over the desk and looked into his eyes, “You listen to me. You are going to take the three billion and...”

Something was buzzing just outside my mind. I was so caught up in the anger of the moment I missed the station alarms going off. I looked up, clearing the rage enough to listen, and then my heart stopped.

The loud speakers were blaring, “Antov Romanski you are an enemy of the Caldari State, drop your weapon and wait for security detainment”

Antov was Geklov's number one bodyguard and lackey. I had to get to Tasha...

Chapter 10 Negotiations

I watched Tasha close the door, satisfied only after the lights on the panel changed indicating it was locked. Then I headed back down the hallway toward the main lifts.  That is where I would find a public computer terminal.  I wanted to get some information before I went storming into Geklov’s office.   

Like before, the area became more congested with people the closer I got to the lifts. People lived on stations for a variety of reasons. Some came because it was where their corporation was based. Many more came because of the job opportunities and the chance to be away from the political situations on the planets.  It was the illusion of a better life.  Politics and religion still reached to the stations but it was an easier place to hide from it all.   

I had a message from Pelton on my communicator.  I checked it as I headed for a station public terminal bank.  He left me the location of Geklov’s office and a reminder to come as soon as possible.  I memorized the office location and stepped up to the nearest terminal. 

I let the terminal interface with my communications band and paid for local access. Some of the data was free, but anything good was going to cost me.  After the scan was complete, the welcome screen popped up and provided me with my current location and the environmental settings for this particular area of the station. I quickly typed in Geklov's corporation name and waited for a response.  Eventually all of the corporation’s information that was available through public channels filled the screen. Currently there were one-hundred and fifty-two members. They were recruiting pilots that could fly Jump Freighters and Capital Industrial Ships.

I called up the station schematics and plotted multiple routes between Tasha’s room, Geklov’s office, and the docking bay.  I downloaded the corp information and the lift schedule then disconnected. 

The lift arrived and several of the station workers got out leaving three tired looking men standing inside. I entered, and after punching my destination into the keypad stepped to the back of the lift. After about three minutes the doors slowly closed. During heavy use hours the lifts have scheduled times of departure like the shuttles on planets.

I leaned against the back wall and closed my eyes.  One breath is all it took to slip out of my Lakasha state of mind and into my pirate persona. I didn't let the pirate completely take over, but I needed her calm and killer instincts. A cool detachment washed over me and a smile spread across my face. She was ready, and knew it was only a matter of time before she was in charge. It was creepy that I felt like I was two different people. Honestly though, there was less Lakasha and more pirate all the time.

Eventually the lift made it to the floor I was waiting on.  I shoved a couple guys dressed in business suits out of my way as I stepped forward. They started to protest, but I glanced back at them with dead pirate eyes and they found something interesting on the floor to look at. I heard myself laugh as I exited the lift.  As I walked down the corridor people instinctively made a path for me.

I walked toward the confrontation with Geklov and my mind stayed clear and cold. The coming conflict felt good; there had been too much sitting around and waiting.  My heart pumped a little faster and I was ready for the fight.  I wanted to kill him more than anyone I have ever wanted to kill. That is saying a lot.  The pirate protested, but I let some of that cold anger slip away because I had to keep my head straight and remain calm as I could.  He had left an order that if anything happened to him Tasha was to be killed. 

After walking a quarter of a kilometer I turned the corner leading to Geklov’s office.  There was one guard standing outside the door. He was young and taller than average. As I walked up he nervously fondled the gun in his holster. I kept a close eye on his hand in case he decided he would be doing his boss a favor if he shot me. He wouldn't have a chance, but I didn't need to deal with station police for hours while we sorted the whole thing out. I probably wouldn’t win big points from Geklov either if he had to remove splattered body guard off the walls outside his office.

I walked up nice and slow, stopping about ten feet from the door. He put his hand firmly on the butt of his gun.

“I am here to see Geklov.”

“He already has a guest, you will have to wait.”

Slowly I walked closer to the door and rested my back against the wall. I put one foot up and let my arms hang loose at my side.  I made an effort to not to pay too much attention to the guard. I could see his hand and gun out of the corner of my eye. He relaxed and moved his hand off of the gun, resuming his position at the door. As I stood there I started to notice a muffled shouting on the other side of the door.

“So, who is Geklov with?”

“Herrier is in there with him right now. I am sure he will be with you momentarily.”

Herrier was one of Geklov's lead guards. We fought together against the Blood Raiders on a station in null sec to help sneak Geklov's people out that were trapped. During that fight Geklov had managed to work a deal to sneak himself and another guard named Antov off the station. The coward ran away and left his people there to die.

Herrier had led the assault forces that protected the station from the Blood Raider boarding parties. He proved to be an exceptional soldier and during our time trapped there we built some mutual respect.  He seemed to be too good of a man to work for a piece of shit like Geklov.   I guess if the money is good enough you can overlook a lot of things.  Mercenaries rarely concern themselves with the poor moral decisions that their employers make.  It’s not good for business. 

As I stood there waiting my turn I mentally reviewed the routes to the lifts and the things I was going to say. There wasn't any doubt in my mind that I was going to get Tasha out of here and safe. It was just a matter of what lengths I would have to go to get the job done.

I crept closer to the door. The kid didn't seem to notice. He had slipped back into that passive “spending my time until shift change” attitude. It was good to see that he wasn't much of a guard. I would keep that in mind if I needed to pick which shift to return on.

The door opened a crack and Harrier’s voice boomed into the hallway.

“That is bullshit. There is no way you can pay me enough to keep saving your ass when you do stupid shit like this.”  Then the door shut again leaving me with nothing to listen to but muted voices.

Finally, the door opened and Harrier came out. He was shorter than me with a tight military haircut. He was one of those guys that you can tell is dangerous. A completely oblivious person could sit down next to him in a bar and immediately get up and leave. They might not know why they decided to move but they needed to go somewhere else.

He was dressed in combat pants and a plain black shirt. His military issue carbine was secured in its holster on his left side. It was the only weapon visible but people like Harrier never stopped at one. Weapons are like drugs and a security blanket all rolled into one. At least that is how I feel about them.

“Get lost,” he barked at the kid standing next to the door. The kid jumped and mumbled a startled “yes sir” before grabbing his bag and hastily heading down the corridor.

I relaxed and gave Harrier a friendly smile. A few days ago he and I were on pretty good terms considering we had been working toward the same goal, but it was hard to say if any of that mattered now. Mercenaries had rapidly shifting loyalties.  He shook his head back and forth and blew out a deep breath of air. Then he nodded back.

“He is expecting me? I assume that is why you are guarding the door.”

“Yep.”

I walked past Herrier and through the door. A large ring of furniture occupied the area just inside. It served as a little meeting place for business clients, but it also blocked easy access to his desk.  The walls were covered in all kinds of semi expensive looking art.  Behind the furniture were a few short steps that led up to an enclosed business area. Geklov's desk and a single chair were offset into a corner.

Geklov was sitting at his desk with a welcoming smile on his face.  I'm not sure if it was possible or not but I could swear he had gained ten pounds in the few days since I last saw him. His hair was greased back again and he was wearing another all white business suit.

He stood behind the desk and said, “Welcome Lakasha, I have been expecting you. I have been looking forward to establishing a promising business relationship with you.”

I smiled back, but it wasn't a happy smile. I knew the smile held no warmth and my eyes would be cold as well. It didn't make him drop his though. To him I was just another business associate who he thought owed him.

“Me too Geklov. I have been looking forward to this for days,” I said and my heart sped up as I tried to stifle the thought of choking him to death with my fist. 

He gave me a little wave indicating that it was fine to come up and sit down. I accepted the invitation and walked around the furniture and up the stairs.  The room was empty and his back was to the wall.  He probably had a gun behind that desk somewhere. He was also standing behind the most expensive thing in the room. All the art and furniture wouldn't add up to the cost of the desk. I recognized the make from some of the offices I visited as a pilot in the Caldari military. On occasion, I had the opportunity to meet with high ranking officers or even a member of the Caldari government. They all had desks that resembled this one.

It was made by Rohm United, a company that specialized in protection services. If he was sitting behind that desk he would be safe from almost all firearms. If he paid enough, he would be protected from a pretty significant bomb blast. All he had to do was recognize he was in trouble and dive under the desk. Then his guards could come in and take care of assailants while he was safe on the ground.

The desk was a good piece of protection. There were probably plenty of other little safety devices around the room too. Some things are harder to see than others. Then there was the sleeping area off to the side where guards could be posted.  I mentally gave him credit for a pretty good setup.

I stood in front of the desk and tried to slip into my most cold mental state.  It was not a good situation and I was not in a strong position for negotiation. Tasha owed him a lot of money and was a valuable asset. If he was worried she might get away or some harm might come to him he would be willing to kill her as an example.   Now it didn't matter how fast I could shoot or how reliable my friends were.  It was all up to me.

Chapter 9 Reunion

I didn't run into any issues on the way to Aikantoh. A few months ago the trip might have been an adventure, but I recently started doing jobs for the Caldari government to raise my sec status high enough to enter .5 systems.  My associates had convinced me to do it so I could help with a little POS removal project they had planned.  I uncloaked and warped away from each gate without so much as an attempted lock ringing in my head. For a moment I let my mind fill with memories of roaming around and hunting targets with the Hellcats. That didn’t last long though as the newer memories of the fight with the blood raiders seeped in. Maybe it was time for a vacation after I settled this mess with Geklov.

Aikantoh local wasn’t very busy.  The only ships I scanned in system belonged to Geklov's people.  After warping around making some safe spots, I headed to the Bio hazard Containment Facility. I made my final safe one hundred and fifty kilometers outside of the docking bay in case my security status wasn’t the same when I left as it was when I went in.

I was hesitant to go in. It wasn't the encounter with Geklov that I was worried about. It was meeting Tasha that had me all wound up. This time was worse than usual. I really wanted to understand what all I had missed that led her to make such shitty decisions. How the hell did she get to the point where a slime bag like Geklov owned her?

I shook the thoughts out of my head so I could focus.  Why could I never let go of us and just accept whatever it was that our relationship was about? I spent months telling myself she was a friend I cared about but didn't need in my life. Yet here I was again, running across half of known space to save her ass and buy her out of a bad deal.  When was I going to learn?  Someday I would have to let her go, but today was not going to be the day.

I warped back to the station and initiated the docking sequence. I handed over control of the ship to the stations docking computer and started the power down sequence. I felt the pods systems go offline as I mentally pulled the plug on each of them. After the docking sequence was complete the station machinery gently lifted the pod out of the ship and placed it on the ramp.

As soon as the pod was resting on the ramp I started the checklist for the power up. In my world you never know when you are going to have to get off a station in a hurry. I carefully placed each of the wires in the same order, same place, every time.  It was a habit that could be a life saver when seconds to launch could mean life or death to my fleet members.

I hurried over to the nearest communications panel and entered Tasha's number, waited about a minute, and disconnected.  I didn’t expect her to answer but I knew Geklov would be monitoring her communications and would now know I was here.  While I waited for some kind of response I watched the station’s massive machines move ships from one area to the next. The station’s network tracked everyone inside and it was virtually impossible to hide. The docking computers always knew when someone was headed toward the hanger and the machines made sure the ships were ready.

After about ten minutes one of Geklov's lackeys appeared in the hanger looking for me. I didn't recognize him from the assault on the science station but he was so obvious there was no doubt. I scanned the area to determine if he was alone then clicked my blaster off of safe and walked to meet him.

Up close he was not much to look at. He looked kind of like an earth worm. His bald head was wrinkled and he was so skinny that it looked like he had been working on a slave ship. He was wearing a white toga that did nothing to compliment his pale complexion.  I have no idea how I could be Caldari. I will never get their sense of style.

I walked up to him and waved. He flinched a little bit and stared back at me.

“Looking for me?”

“I am truly not sure. Are you Ms. Nachthexen?”

“Yep.”

 “You are to come with me to speak with Mr. Barkly immediately. I shall show you the way.”

That was cute. Geklov wanted to see me immediately. I wasn’t going to meet him without checking in with Tasha first and making sure she was okay. Besides, I needed to know what Geklov had said to her since I’d been gone. It hadn't taken long for me to finish the fight with the Blood Raiders and get up here, but several days had passed since both Tasha and Geklov left the station.

“I am afraid I will need to speak with Ms. Amira first.” I gave him my best “I am in charge here look” and waited for his reply.

He seemed to consider my statement for a second, too briefly, then nodded and started walking to the far lift.

“As you wish.”

I allowed the worm to lead and followed.  It was the first time, of many, that I felt tendrils of anxiety spread into my chest.  Geklov expected me to want to see her first, of course.   I could only guess at how he saw this as a tactical advantage.  As much as I hated the man I knew he was good at what he did. It would be a mistake to become arrogant.  He was as deadly as I, but in a more cowardly way than I was used to dealing with. 

The lift was a solid tube of shinny steel that spanned the entire length of the station. The stations are enormous and have a lot of angles on the outside so sometimes you have to use more than one lift to get to where you want to go. The docking areas normally had access to a station spanning lift. The one we were walking towards however was not one of those. I reasoned that Tasha’s room must be located at one of the angles near the outside of the station.

Was that important to know? Probably not, but it was a part of that obsessive paranoia that kicks in whenever I am in a situation that might go bad. You never know what little piece of information will be the key to saving your ass. As we walked, I observed my surroundings and started filing away little bits of information that might come in handy later.

“So...what is your name?” I asked, trying to get the little man to talk. Maybe if he relaxed he would let something slip.

“I am Pelton Freree”

“Well Pelton Freree, can I get you a couple more vowels for your name?” 

Okay, I said it in a dry sarcastic way. Because that is how I like to talk to people. It took the little guy forever to figure out the joke. He nodded and then I waited until a little spark of light shined in his eyes.

“Umm, no that won’t be necessary.  I have many already.” 

“What do you do for Mr. Barkly?”

“I provide administrative assistance”

“Aren't you a little too cute for that?” I said as flirty as I could.

He looked at me and I could see the wheels turning as he tried to decide if I was making fun of him or not. Before he decided, the lift arrived and the doors opened. Realizing I wasn’t going to get anywhere with the conversation, I followed him in and resigned myself to gathering as much other information as I could.  Pelton carefully entered our destination into the control panel and stepped back as the doors closed.

The lift rose smoothly up the tube. They were quiet, but I expected them to be loud. Or maybe I was waiting for the grinding and screeching as the lift fell to the bottom of the shaft killing everyone on board. I didn’t like the lifts, but I wasn't willing to give into fear and walk up seventy flights of stairs. I occupied myself with happy thoughts of blowing up squishy pods and waited for the ride to be over.

The lift reached Tasha’s floor in under a minute and we stepped off into a residential area. It was busy with people going about their daily routine.  By the look of their clothes they were probably lower middle class.  Tasha's standard of living had dropped since returning to the station. I followed Pelton as he danced around the crowed and headed down the corridor. At each intersection the corridor became less crowded. 

Finally, we stood in front of a metal door leading to a living quarters. My heart pounded and my stomach gave a little roll to remind me it was there.  I didn’t know what to expect, a feeling I don’t like.  I didn’t know what shape Tasha would be in when the door opened, or if this was a trap. I smiled as a little burst of adrenalin hit my system and I moved my hand to rest it on my blaster.

Pelton entered a code and the door slid open reveling Tasha at a table reading on the other side.  Relief washed over me when I could tell she was alone and looked physically okay. Tension seeped out of the muscles in my back and I took a deep breath not caring if anyone noticed.

“I will leave you two. Mr. Barkly will be waiting. Please don't take too long,” Pelton said, and headed back the direction we came from. The next thing I knew he had melted into the small crowd near a lift. Maybe he was a little more than an administrative assistant.

I looked back in time to brace myself as Tasha wrapped her arms around me and held me in a tight embrace.  I returned the hug, relieved she was okay.

“The room is bugged,” she whispered as she let go and backed up a step.  I reluctantly let her slip free.

I looked into her tired eyes.  A light pink lined the beautiful green making them seem even brighter. It looked like she had been up crying for days.  Once I would have seen her soul by looking into those eyes but now all I saw was the reflection of her physical exhaustion.  A little of that heavy feeling returned to my heart as I thought about how much she had been through and how things had changed.  I knew she was worried about her association with Geklov, the loss of her research, and about a million other things. I let out a little sigh followed her into the room.


The room was a step down from where she was living before. The small living room led to an attached area for cooking. Off to the right was an entrance to what appeared to be a little bedroom. That was all there was. Geklov was the type who would consider a smaller living space punishment, but the way I saw it if he wanted to punish her she would be living with him.

The room was sparse but everything about it screamed Tasha. Back when we were in pilot training she liked to buy a lot of stuff.  As the years passed physical items never compared to the joy she got from being in a lab so those habits had changed.  She did however love art, and that was something that had never changed.

Around the room was a collection of very Tasha like art. Every wall had at least one painting. Each painting was a different artist but all of them were Tasha's style.  Everything was her style except for a hideous blue neon lamp on one of the tables. I never thought in a thousand years she would buy such garish novelty item. I turned my head eyebrows raised, and looked at her.  She gave me a noncommittal shrug in return. It probably involved a lot of Gallente alcohol.

We moved to the center of the room and sat on the small blanket lined couch, “Are you okay?” I asked.

“I am doing okay so far.  I didn't think I was going to live until you got here”

“Well I am here now, and I will take care of this. Okay?”

She nodded and slid over next to me on the couch resting her head on my shoulder.  I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. I needed to get to Geklov and make this okay so she would be safe.   I hadn’t been there for her like I should have been.  I could be there for her now.

“I haven’t been able to sleep,” she said as she snuggled closer.  I reached up and ran my fingers through her hair, not sure if I was comforting her or me.  Her body relaxed as she practically sank into me.  An old feeling of longing stirred that I had shutoff many years ago.  I stopped it cold but not before the memory of holding her against me as she slept flashed through my mind.

Those precious memories were all I had left of the one time in my life when I felt hope for myself.  I would lie next to her long after she had fallen asleep and run my fingers through her hair.  Never before or after had I felt such love for someone and felt loved as well.   I would close my eyes and feel like there were good things in the universe and I could be happy.  Peace, I guess is what people call it.

“I’ve missed you,” she sighed.  I missed her more than I thought was possible.  It broke my heart to know that it had all changed and we could never seem to get back to that special place again. Now wasn’t the time to think of that though.  I had a job to do to keep her safe.   

“Do you think you can keep Geklov from killing me?” her voice was a whisper and I hated to hear her sound so afraid.  Hatred filled me in a way I had never felt before.  I wanted to make sure he paid for all he had done. Not just to Tasha, but also to his people. The first thing I needed to do was get her free of him then I could worry about bringing a little balance to the universe.

“I think I can get him to let you go. He should be willing if I give him the right motivation.”  I said it as confidently as I could. There were a lot of factors involved in this deal.  Money wasn’t going to be enough to make him let her go. She was too valuable. Her research had the potential to make billions of ISK if she could find a way to finish. Even if she couldn't, she would come up with another profitable invention.  He had realized her profit potential and convinced her to sell her soul.  She hadn’t realized until too late what that bargain had cost her.

“I should go see Geklov.”

“Okay. Should I come with you?”

“No, stay here and lock the doors.  Don't let anyone in.”

I stood and pulled my blaster from its holster making sure it was fully charged.  Carrying a loaded blaster was illegal on the station but rules rarely applied to my kind. If I needed it I wasn't going to have time to load it because most people who carry a gun on a station already have it loaded.  The “good” citizens probably aren't carrying one to start with.

If I got caught, and that was a big IF, I would pay a fine.  The security forces on the station couldn't care less who was carrying a weapon let alone if it is loaded or not. Most of the security was automated anyway, and security guards didn’t get paid enough to take a blaster bolt to the chest. There were sensors to detect weapon discharges and panic buttons for station dwellers to alert security if something bad was going on.  Security never showed up until they were sure they wouldn’t get hurt.

“Anything else I need to know before I go see Geklov?  Has he said or done anything to you?”  She thought about it for a second and shook her head.

“He hasn't said much to me since we got back. He told me to stay on the station and he would see me after you got here. I think he wanted to see what kind of money you had to offer.”

I guess that made sense. He could talk to me first and see if I would offer him enough to make it worth letting her go. He knew if he hurt her before I got here I would kill him. It was better for him to keep his cards hidden and see what I was bringing to the table. Make me make the first move. He was smart. I just hoped I was smarter.