Page 93 of Freedom Mine
“Ah, then your presence is warranted. I need to run a chip scan.” The man passed a scanner over the back of Jace’s neck. After the beep, he said, “Identity and status confirmed.” A few more clicks on his datapad and he returned to the list, calling out names.
“Alli Daerina?”
Liet placed his hand over her mouth. They all knew she’d be the first taken since her value exceeded all of the others. Her value alone might make enslaving the men, at least some of them, unnecessary. Hiding her was only delaying the inevitable. The official could track her through her chip if necessary.
“One’s missing, Raulin,” Meilos said. He motioned the guards toward the men that had crowded around her.
“No need to beat it out of them. I know where she is,” Jace said. “Please continue.”
The official continued with the roll call. Everyone else sounded off, without incident. Meilos showed the datapad to Jace who simply nodded.
“Hope I don’t go to that asshole Garitt,” Runner said.
“Or to Fildube,” Liet said. “He works his slaves to death. Literally.”
“Listen up,” Meilos began. “Your current owner Kayo Variz has sold you.”
“Sold?”
“Outright sold us!”
“What the drekk?”
“He caved, the bastard!”
“The asshole sold us, to make money off of us!”
Everyone was talking at once. The disbelief surging through the men turned to anger really fast. Alli could feel the level of anger rising, and she feared they might attack Meilos and his guards. The guards had blasters, the men had nothing except a few pocket knives. Kayo should be here, to keep control, to face them, to explain himself. Jace stepped to the side, shaking his head, as if he’d given up.
Alli looked behind her toward the house. Kayo had gone inside to avoid seeing this. She felt numb. He’d walked away from them, from her. He’d drekkingsoldher. The lightheadedness came on suddenly and someone steadied her. Ranth maybe. She’d utter a thank you if she could find the courage to speak.
“Quiet!” Meilos shouted.
A crackle, the distinct sound of a blaster striking a tree filled the air, and the men fell silent. The smell of burning wood struck her nostrils, but it couldn’t overwhelm the smell of the men’s rage, their disbelief. Despite all of it, she couldn’t fathom Kayo selling any of them. Kayo wouldn’t.
“Who were we sold to?” Ranth asked, his voice dripping with anger.
“Your foreman. Jace Raulin. As of sunrise this morning, you became his property for the sum of. . .” More clicks on the datapad. “This can’t be right.”
“It’s right,” Jace said without looking at the official or his datapad.
“One parcha,” Meilos said, turning to Jace. “The value of this group of slaves alone should be at least eight or nine thousand, but he sold them for one parcha?”
“It’s legal, isn’t it?” Jace asked, his voice dripping with disdain.
“Yes, but. . .”
“Good. Leave. We have work to do.”
With a curt nod, Meilos and his guards returned to the landglider. As the landglider headed toward the front gate, the men gathered around Jace.
“I’ve got nothing to say,” Jace said, but the group didn’t disperse. He thrust his hand through his hair, then stared at each and every man.
“Kayo didn’t—” Ranth began.
“No, he didn’t sell you out. He simply sold you, to me, for the minimum amount to make it legal. It’s business as usual, except now the creditors can’t touch you. It was the only way to protect you, but you’ll still have to work the mines and wait for us to strike a vein before I can pay for your freedom status.”
“Why didn’t you say something before?” Liet asked.
