Page 34 of Crossing Quinn

Chapter Eight

With Quinn’s Coletti healing abilities, neither Mami or me wanted to risk him waking up early and running amok. Using my berserker strength, I managed to drag the three hundred pounds of unconscious warlord into the holding cell.

Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I found chains and shackles in the small armory and bound him. I smiled as I admired my handiwork. There was no way Quinn was getting loose. Too bad I couldn’t get his communications bracelet off. It was melded to his skin. To make sure Quinn couldn’t escape, I hacked the control pad for the cell’s energy barrier and changed the passcode.

Using Papa’s override program on Mami’s communication bracelet, I unlocked the ship’s command console. While I familiarized myself with the Talon, Mami focused her attention on trying to find Papa’s life signs.

Clio crawled over the floor, cramming any bits of puked up Tai-Kok she could find into her mouth.

The long-range scanner showed Nilus’s spacecraft was still on Qeeturah. Huh, there were only five life-forms left, and all of them were in the ship. What had happened to his warriors? Had a sandstorm hit? Or had the million or so var bugs sucked them dry? Ick.

The comm link blinked. Someone was hailing us. Whoever it was expected Quinn to answer and that wasn’t going to happen. I killed the link.

The comm link blinked again.

I severed the link.

The comm link light turned red and blinked frantically.

Maybe it was Detja, or Goddess forbid, the Overlord.

Mami absentmindedly reached over to tap the link.

“No! Don’t!”

She gave me a puzzled look as she pushed the icon. “Why not? It could be Detja.”

Zarek appeared on the view screen.

Or not.

Mami took one look at him and keeled over.

Drekk.

Clio patted her face. “Geema? Geema?”

The Overlord’s predatory gaze surveyed the command center, pausing for a moment on my mother and Clio before settling on me. “Where’s Quinn?”

“He’s, ah, tied up right now.”

Zarek arched his eyebrows in incredulous disbelief. “Tied up?”

Tentacles sprouting from her toddler body, Clio climbed up on the console. “Who you?”

“I’m Zarek, Overlord of the Coletti clans, and you are?”

I pulled Clio onto my lap. “Her name is Clio. I rescued her from the Tai-Kok on Jandjviles.”

“The Tai-Kok just let you walk in and take a baby Katanic shapeshifter—a rare delicacy that is highly sought after?” The note of skepticism in Zarek’s voice made me want to smack him.

“Not exactly.” I pulled the thermite grenade out of my pocket and placed it on the top of the console. “A couple of these in a warehouse full of explosives, and kablooey. No more slaver stronghold.”

“And their prisoners?”

“I released them, they ran off, and Quinn showed up.”

“Where is Quinn?” Something terrifying flickered in Zarek’s eyes. “Is he dead, or did you leave him on Jandjviles?”

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