Desire's Prisoner (Planet Desire Book 1) (12 page)

He took another deep breath. “As I said, I’m a reasonable man. What advantages?” he asked, his voice clipped.

“Some of the women would like to bring partners with them.”

“Something you’ve already stated. I need
more
reasons to reconsider my decision.”

“They would be willing for their husbands to take a second wife.”

Adam knew that suggestion would earn favor among his men. They’d have two wives to serve their every need, never mind they’d have two women to nag them, too.

“Some would like to bring older prisoners to serve as grandmothers, midwives, and teachers for the children.”

Adam’s anger deflated. She was right. It took women to civilize a world. The wives would have their hands full, as it was. His colony would need unmarried women to fill those roles. “All right, but just two hundred.”

Evena flashed a triumphant smile. “I told them you wouldn’t be hard to persuade, once you saw the logic.”

“That’s my last compromise.”

“Of course.”

Her agreement came a little too quickly. He narrowed his eyes, warning her his tolerance was already stretched.

Evena grinned and stuck a bite of asparagus into her mouth. “Oh, this is incredible. We tried to raise asparagus, but the conditions in the atrium didn’t favor it.”

Adam acknowledged her tactic to neatly change the topic of the conversation, and didn’t miss the thumbs-up signal she gave the women in the room.

A loud cheer arose.

One of the women stood, Aurelia, the ex-prostitute he remembered. Lifting a glass, she shouted, “To the best band of cutthroats in the galaxy!”

Adam wasn’t sure he was flattered, but he raised his glass anyway. Evena was looking entirely too pleased with herself.

“I think I’ll ask Doc to take her measure tomorrow. What do you think, Evena? She’s had plenty of experience.”

Evena slammed her glass to the table, uncaring that the contents, a fine French Burgundy, sloshed over the side. “If you don’t mind a woman who’s probably seen more d—”

“’Twas just a thought,” he replied reasonably. “I’m getting a bit anxious. I’ve only six days left to find my wife.”

“Captain McClure!”

Adam looked up to see a woman step near Evena. She appeared agitated.

“Yes, Mika?”

“We’ve received a transmission from the warden.”

Evena’s alarmed gaze found his.

“Tina hasn’t responded. She wants to know what you think we should do.”

Evena rose. “I’ll take the call.” To Adam, she said, “This can’t be good. The warden doesn’t communicate unless she detects a problem.”

Adam stood to follow her. “I’ll go with you.”

“All right, but listen from outside the security room. The transmission is two-way. I don’t want her to see you.”

This was the Evena he’d first met—all business and tough as nails. Adam followed her swiftly-moving figure out of the dining room and down the long corridor to the security room.

“Do you suppose they’ve somehow discovered our presence?” he asked as he drew alongside her.

“Christ, that’s all we need.”

“How much might the outside know?” Adam asked. Her long indrawn sigh didn’t comfort him.

“I really don’t know what sort of sensing devices they have in the New Attica. Any computer hardware systems on board are completely inaccessible to the prisoners. Believe me, when we were first set in orbit, I inspected the ship from top to bottom.” She shot him a wry glance. “I was bored.”

“So you checked behind wall panels, in light fixtures—everywhere surveillance equipment is usually planted?”

“Yeah. I didn’t find any viewing or listening devices. Guess they knew we’d just paint over the lenses or yank out the mikes.”

“So, why waste the money?”

“Exactly. But if they have heat-sensing capability, they’ll know exactly how many people we have aboard this ship. Basically, your worst-case scenario.”

As a pirate, Adam always went with the worst-case scenario. “If they know we’re here, then what do you think they’ll do? Would they destroy the ship?”

“Hardly, this prison is a costly experiment. One the Dominion has a vested interest in succeeding. The Central Council thought up this one themselves. Solves all their problems.”

Adam heard the bitterness in her voice. He could well imagine how she’d felt being sent so far from everything she’d ever known.

Evena continued, her voice growing harder. “It’s a great investment for them. And a real win for those who believe inmates need punishment and hard work to rehabilitate them. They don’t have to pay for staff to maintain order—if we don’t keep it ourselves, we’ll die. We have to cooperate to grow food and produce our own water and air. They don’t have to worry about constituents writing to complain of prison outbreaks, or the price of their real estate plummeting with a jail in their back yards. They just send us into a distant orbit and forget us. Out of sight, out of mind.”

“If they’re not likely to blast us out of space, what might they do?”

“I don’t know. Let’s see what the warden wants before we get too worried.”

Reaching the door, Adam pulled Evena back. “If she knows we’re on board, then you have to put the blame on me.”

“I’ll play it by ear.”

“You’re clever. Do what’s best for the women who elected you to keep them safe.” He gave her swift kiss, and then watched her step inside.

*

Evena pressed the
hailing switch, and Warden Driscoll’s stony face came into view.

“Red Hibiscus,” she said.

Stunned, Evena motioned Tina out of the room. The code word meant the transmission was for Evena’s ears only. Somehow, the woman knew about their visitors. She quickly answered the challenge with the password that meant she was alone, “Blue Moon.”

“Prisoner McClure, tell me about the situation aboard the New Attica.”

Not knowing exactly how much the woman knew, but guessing it was probably more than she’d like, Evena chose to stick close to the truth. Never having learned how to lie well, Evena answered nervously, “Ma’am, the ship’s been overtaken by pirates.”

“Why didn’t you report this incident as soon as it occurred?”

Careful not to break with the warden’s hard stare, Evena replied, “Ma’am, the pirates got the drop on us. They’re armed, and they’ve taken hostages. I’ve been trying to diffuse the situation myself.”

“What do pirates want with a prison ship?” she asked, suspicion in her steely stare. “And to what end? Have they mentioned a ransom? The Dominion won’t pay it. We don’t negotiate with criminals.”

“No, ma’am, they’ve mentioned no ransom demands. They have said they intend to take some of the women with them.”

“Is this an organized breakout?”

“I don’t believe so. None of the women appear to have any prior acquaintance with the pirates.”

“McClure, a breakout will cast a shadow over every woman on board that ship. If one prisoner leaves, all of your sentences may be affected.”

Evena froze. “Ma’am, are you saying that even the women who don’t participate in a breakout will be punished?”

“Yes. And McClure, I have your pardon on my desk, awaiting my signature. If the women leave, your family won’t be able to buy your way out of this one.”

“I understand.” Evena’s heart sank. Everything she’d wanted and worked for the past five years was slipping from her grasp. She’d been left few options.

“Do you? Persuade the men to leave alone, or better yet, detain them until I arrive with the fleet to retake the ship. It’s your choice. I’ll look kindly upon your pardon, should you help us to capture the brigands.”

Evena nodded, numbed by what she’d heard. The force retaking the ship wouldn’t discriminate between pirate and prisoner. “Ma’am, how long do I have to hold out?”

Warden Driscoll gave her an assessing stare, and then replied, “Seventy-six hours.”

An icy calm fell over her. “I’ll do my best, ma’am.”

“Don’t let me down, Evena McClure. Your family would be very embarrassed if you were found complicit with a prison break.”

The screen went black, and Evena walked like an automaton out the door of the surveillance room. She gave a vague nod to Tina, and the woman returned to her station. Then she turned to Adam.

“I heard. Do you think we really have seventy-six hours?”

She lifted her lips in a snarl. “Of course not. It’s probably more like forty-eight. She’d hardly trust a prisoner with the true timetable.”

He nodded. “She probably already has her team assembled.” He reached for her hands and held them cupped within his own. “Evena, you must see now that you can’t remain on this ship.”

Evena shook her head. “My family won’t stand…”

“Your family won’t be able to help you.”

The warmth she borrowed from their clasped hands began to thaw the chill that had fallen over her. He was right. They were on their own. She couldn’t rely on any clout her family held on the other side of the galaxy. Her mind began to sift through the possibilities, searching for a plan to prevent the devastation that would surely befall them.

“Do you want me to leave without the women to spare your pardon?” Adam asked softly. “I’d do that for you.”

Tears burned her eyes. “Do you really think I’m that selfish?”

“No, just scared.”

Anger brushed away the fog. “I wouldn’t steal an opportunity for freedom for two hundred of these women to save my own skin.”

Adam’s lips curved in a little smile, but his expression was patient.

She shot a narrow-eyed glare his way. “How do you do that? How do you know precisely which button to press?”

He shrugged. “Anger dispels shock for me, too. See how much we have in common?”

“So, what will you do? Your timetable’s been moved up. And you can’t hail your ship from ours. We’ve a set frequency—to the warden’s office, only.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I had contingency plans for this operation. I have my own transmitter. I’ll contact the
Intrepid
and have them prepare to return to the prison, immediately.”

“How will your ship get past the detector beams? I thought you said you had to wait eight days for a window?”

“I lied. Several windows of opportunity exist. We simply wanted sufficient time to look over your ladies—in order to make an informed decision. I don’t pirate by the seat of my pants.”

Relieved that Adam could organize an early escape, she teased him. “So you’re saying you’re just a little bit anal for a pirate?”

“I’m prepared, Evena. How do you think I’ve survived all this time?”

“Since I’ve never heard any of your exploits, I might have assumed you’d started your lawless life with this well-orchestrated event,” she said dryly.

“There isn’t time now for me to regale you with my adventures. If you were to come away with me, I’d gladly entertain you.” He gave her a cheeky grin. “What do you say?”

Torn between her longing for this man and her need to prove her innocence, Evena said, “I don’t know. I have to think about it.”

He blew out a deep breath. “Well, that’s better than an outright no. I’m making progress. Maybe, I’ll just have to bring to bear my considerable powers of persuasion. Why, I’ll have you know I’ve been told—”

“I don’t care to know by whom,” Evena interrupted quickly. She was finding she had very little sense of humor when it involved Adam and the opposite sex.

“Perhaps I’ll just have to demonstrate…”

‡

“I
’ve a proposition
for you.”

The raspy sound of Adam’s voice in the dim light of simulated dusk startled Evena. They hadn’t spoken a word since they’d entered her cell moments before. The only sounds had been the rustle of their clothing as they’d stripped, and the gasps they’d traded as they desperately sought to fit their bodies together as quickly and tightly as they could.

Then there followed a long silence while they’d savored the connection and their intimate caresses. For now, they lay pressed together as closely as two people could be without inhabiting each other’s skin.

Combing the hair on his chest with her fingers, Evena asked, “Have you thought of a solution to our mutual problem?”

“Now, that’s a rather open-ended question,” he said, his hands curving over her ass.