Page 40 of Obsessed

"Everyone to the mess hall! Now!"

They take off running, nearly tripping over each other in their haste.

"Well," Navi pipes up from my pocket. "Sounds like your mate can handle herself."

"That's my cue." I push away from the tree. "Time to show these amateurs how a real professional operates."

The chaos erupting from their comms grows louder as I sprint toward the invisible ship. Sounds like Alice is giving them quite the workout. Good - they'll be too distracted to notice me slipping aboard.

But just as I'm about to step on in, a crowd of large men pile back out, looking like they'd all seen a ghost.

CHAPTER 21

ALICE

The metal floor bites into my knees as I kneel, hands bound behind my back. My heart pounds against my ribs while three pirates circle me like vultures. Their leader, a scarred Thoraxian with cybernetic implants dotting his face, crouches in front of me.

"Your boyfriend's got quite the cargo manifest. Tried to hide it behind one hell of a firewall, but nothing gets past old Kraz here" he says, tapping a data pad. "Makes me wonder if he told you what he's hauling."

I keep my mouth shut, but my mind races. What could Davrik be carrying that's worth all this?

"Nothing to say? That's fine." He stands, stretching his mechanical arm. "We've got time to kill while we wait for lover boy to make his choice."

"What choice?" The words slip out before I can stop them.

A female pirate with tribal markings laughs. "The choice between you and his precious cargo. Though I wouldn't get my hopes up, sweetheart."

"Davrik will-" I start, but the leader cuts me off.

"Will what? Risk losing merchandise worth more credits than you'll see in ten lifetimes? For some human scientist he's known for a few weeks?"

The third pirate, a hulking creature whose species I can't identify, grunts. "Boss, should we tell her what's in those crates?"

"Nah." The leader grins, showing metal-capped teeth. "Let her imagination run wild. Though I will say this - anyone with half a brain would kill to get their hands on what he's carrying. Literally."

My stomach drops. I think of the crates I almost opened, how Davrik stopped me. The way he dodged my questions about his work.

"He's not coming for you," the female pirate says, almost gentle. "Smart courier like that? He'll cut his losses, find another route. That's business."

I stare at the floor, trying to keep my expression neutral even as doubt creeps in. Would Davrik really choose cargo over me? After everything we've shared?

The leader pats my cheek. "Don't worry. It's all talk princess, just to make you squirm. We wouldn't have gone through all the trouble if we didn't think this would work. Come on, we've got a message to record."

The pirates' footsteps fade down the corridor, and I test my restraints. Sloppy work - the kind of overconfident knots you'd expect from someone who thinks a botanist isn't worth worrying about.

I twist my wrists, feeling the synthetic rope loosen. My hands are small, perfect for delicate work with plant specimens - and apparently perfect for slipping out of bindings. The rope falls away.

"Thanks for the self-defense lessons, Davrik," I mutter, rubbing my wrists.

The cargo hold is dimly lit, but my eyes have adjusted. Crates and containers line the walls, stacked haphazardly. A maintenance panel hangs open, tools scattered beneath it. These pirates are messy - which works in my favor.

I pick through the tools until I find a metal pipe, testing its weight. Heavy enough to do damage, light enough to swing quickly. Just like Davrik showed me.

A row of cleaning supplies catches my eye. I scan the labels until - there. Sodium hydroxide powder. My mind races through chemical reactions. Mixed with water, it creates an exothermic reaction. Translation: burns like hell.

I grab a container and stuff it in my pocket, then grip the pipe tight. One more thing gets my attention: an oxygen mask. Probably for the one human on board who needs it.

I grab it too, just in case.

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