Fic: Red Petals [1/10]
Fic: Red Petals [1/10]
Disclaimer: Sometimes I think this show was created just for me, but alas, still not mine. Definitely for the best, in this case.
Rating/warnings: Ummm, NC-17. Sex pollen and sex slaves, and the dub-con and non-con that implies (though mostly off screen). With a bonus helping of violence, cursing, lots of nudity, and some forced druggings. Good times?
Pairings: James/Camille, Mercedes/Kendall, Kendall/Jo, Kendall/James, Mercedes/Kendall/James, James/Logan. That's in order of appearance, not necessarily importance.
Notes: So this happened at the end of Girl Group, and something in my fangirl lizard brain sat up and went, "YES, Kendall IS a smirky space captain!" and this fic pretty much had to be written. It was supposed to be short and goofy but ended up long and plotty, and, uh, not goofy, as you can tell by the warnings. Sorry? ANYWAY, this fic would not have happened without a bunch of wonderful people, most especially my beloved beta reader lielabell. If this makes any sense at all, it's thanks to her. Huge thanks also to poisonivory and elucreh for brainstorming and encouragement; to liketheroad for letting me inflict BTR on her; and also to garnetice, who has not strangled me through the internet, even when I've deserved it. (I promise the rest of the chapters will not have novella-length notes.)
Summary: Kendall was supposed to be on a rescue mission, searching for someone on a black market planet. But he's the one who ended up needing to be rescued...
One.
Hey big brother,
Hope you're not dead. Since you won't tell me where you are, I have no idea if you've got access to CivComm. Just wanted to give you a heads up about this morning's dispatch.
Well, wherever you are, Mom sends love (and she's worried you're not getting a balanced diet while you're on the run). Come home soon, would you?
Katie
Kendall smiled slightly, shaking his head. He swiveled his seat around to face the ship's bridge and his only officers. "How does she keep getting through to us? Logan, I thought we were scrambled."
Logan scowled at him. "We are scrambled. Katie's a crazy hacker, scrambling our signal doesn't stop her." Logan paused. "You're going to make me do it again anyway, aren't you?"
"If Katie can get a message through, Civ can track it," Kendall said.
Logan rolled his eyes. "You're giving Civ way too much credit. And I thought you told Katie not to contact us?"
"I did," Kendall said. He'd told her that repeatedly, in fact. Of course, he hadn't expected that to stop her. He'd have been disappointed in her if she had.
"So what did she send us from Civ?" Carlos asked.
"Well, boys, let's find out." Kendall opened the forwarded communication, bringing it up on the Rush's main screen. Then he grimaced, seeing his own image smirking back at him, with giant red bands above and below the picture that read WANTED in enormous letters.
"At least it's a decent picture," Carlos mused.
Kendall grumbled as he brought up the additional information attached the picture. Apparently he wasn't just wanted, he was valuable: Civ had put a half million tender on his head, which was definitely more than was warranted for stealing a spaceship. Logan let out a low whistle. "That's a lot of money."
"Yeah, well." Kendall motioned and the screen flipped to smaller pictures of Logan and Carlos -- with the same "wanted" band, but a fraction of the bounty. "I guess they want me more than you two."
"I have got to get put on a better crew," Logan answered, rolling his eyes fondly. Then, louder, added, "Anything else?"
"Just this," Kendall said. "One last image for bounty hunters to ref..."
The last photo hit him like a blow to the gut. He stared up at the screen, throat gone dry.
It was a picture of them -- the four of them. A few years old now, it had been taken the day they finished at the academy, before they'd received their very first assignments. Arm in arm, the top four from their class: Kendall, hoping for his first command; Logan, ready for a science post; Carlos, trained for any and all security needs; and James. Gorgeous, grinning James.
Kendall just gaped, guilt twisting in his gut.
"We're going to find him," Carlos said quietly. "Kendall..."
"Yeah." Kendall nodded. For months, he'd been dragging Logan and Carlos across the galaxy, tracking down every rumor, searching every planet his informants pointed towards. But with no luck.
"We are," Logan said.
Kendall nodded. James was missing. They were going to find him.
End of story.
--
Dropping to sub-light was always uncomfortable. Kendall felt like his body was being pulled apart, but he couldn't move, could barely think, as the light drive stretched across them half the galaxy. An experienced pilot could make the drop to sub-light quick, if not totally smooth.
They came out of it. Kendall heaved a sigh of relief and unclenched his hands from the arms of his chair.
"Sorry," Carlos apologized.
"It's fine. Take us into orbit," Kendall instructed once he got his jaw to unclench. Carlos wasn't much of a navigator or pilot, but he was the closest thing they had without James.
"So..." Logan raised his eyebrows. "Do we have a plan? Or are we just going to land, start shooting people, and hope no one notices the wanted broadcasts?"
"You worry too much," Kendall told him.
"Says the guy with the biggest price on his head."
Kendall waved a hand, dismissing that. "Fine. Okay, so this," he pulled an image up on the main screen, "is what the informant gave us."
A photo of a red flower glowed back at them. It was the modern equivalent of a business card, blown up to enormous levels so they could all see. There was no title, no text, no business name attached -- just the picture of a strange red flower with a pulsating glow behind it.
"So what is it?" Carlos asked.
"Well..." Logan dug into the computer's onboard database, which, since the ship he'd stolen was intended for ambassadors, was actually pretty extensive. Ambassadors had access to most of the information stored in Civ's central data repository. Civ wasn't really the all-encompassing civilization it wanted to be, since there were still dozens of galaxies and thousands of planets that hadn't joined in or even signed treaties with Civ's government. But even so, the Civ Repository was the greatest collection of knowledge the universe had ever seen. Most of it was open to the public, but plenty was classified. Ambassadors had access to a lot of high-level information, though, since they needed it for their jobs.
"Well?" Kendall prompted.
Logan hit a few more keys. "It looks like that's the logo from a business called the Red Petals. They're listed as an entertainment company, and -- oh. Huh."
"Huh wha?" Carlos asked.
"Apparently that's just polite code for owning a string of brothels. I guess that makes sense, though..." He scrolled through something on his console, nodding to himself a little.
"Spit it out," Kendall said.
"The planet only has one real export. Some of the natural fauna makes for a very potent aphrodisiac, and it's one of the only aphrodisiacs that's legal under Civ laws."
"Aphro-what?" Carlos asked.
Logan rolled his eyes. "A drug to make you horny."
"People need drugs for that?" Carlos grinned.
"Funny. But the thing is, this isn't a Civ planet. They've signed some treaties, but that's it, and it looks like the planetary government isn't actually that on top of things. There are all kinds of reports of nasty things -- weapons and drug smuggling are confirmed, but the rest..." He looked up at Kendall. "The last inspector who filed a report thinks it's a jumping off point for human trafficking. The cartels all deny it, of course, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening."
Kendall nodded. One of their first assignments had been an enforcement mission, inspecting a cartel accused of trafficking. They hadn't found proof, and not even the usual informants were willing to go on the record, but something had felt wrong for the whole investigation. Kendall was sure they were guilty as hell.
"So what do you think?" Carlos asked Kendall.
"Uh, well," Kendall tapped his fingers against his armrest, "I think the last time anyone spotted James, he was being dragged on to a ship by Rebecca, and this planet sounds like exactly the sort of black market hotspot where she and Hawk can do business. She dropped one of those business cards," he pointed at the flower, still glowing on the monitor, "and it's a business on this planet. So she's here. Which means James is, too."
"But why?" Carlos asked. "I mean, Logan said the drug thing is legal. I don't get it."
Kendall thought about that for a second. "Best case scenario, this is the closest they can get to Civ without getting busted, and they're hoping to exchange him for a POW or get a payoff from his family, or something."
"Worst case?"
Kendall shook his head. There were all kinds of nasty people for hire on a black market planet like this. Drug runners and slave traders aside, there were also gems like mercenaries who'd do anything for cash; corrupt guards from the galaxy's most remote prison planets, willing to throw an extra few people in chains in exchange for a bribe; and professional torturers, who could crack even the strongest mind.
Logan cleared his throat. His brow was furrowed a little bit and Carlos' whole face had fallen. Maybe they didn't know what Rebecca wanted here, but deep down, they all knew just how bad it might be.
"So. Planning," Kendall eventually said. With a price on his head, a planet full of bounty hunter scum was probably not the best place to spend time, but it wasn't like they had much choice. "We're going to land somewhere as safe as we can, in whatever the biggest city is. You two will stay here. I'll go see what I can find and report back."
"Yeah, 'cause the most wanted guy should really be the one doing the snooping," Carlos said.
"Snooping involves lying. And sneaking. And being cool under pressure," Kendall reminded them.
"Good point," Logan conceded.
"Hey, just 'cause Logan panics doesn't mean I will. I can be sneaky!"
Kendall raised his eyebrows, remembering plenty of times when Carlos' inappropriate laughter or shouting had gotten them busted as they tried to sneak out of (or back in to) the academy. Carlos was funny and tough and a great friend, but he wasn't good at sneaking.
"Okay, so I go, I find Rebecca and figure out where she's stashed James. I get in touch with you guys, we go in, find him, and get him out. Easy," Kendall said.
"And I'm sure it'll all work out exactly like that," Logan said.
Kendall ignored that and took over the major ship functions, bringing them into orbit and waiting while the planet's Traffic Control AI queried them about how much they could pay to dock, then queued them until it found a slot in one of the public shipyards. When they landed, Kendall wasn't at all surprised to see how sketchy the place was -- they were pretty broke. Maybe it was just as well that Carlos and Logan were staying with the ship, since Kendall was pretty sure that if they left it unguarded, they'd come back to find it stripped down, with everything of value vanished. Kendall checked his weapon to make sure it was loaded and ready, holstered it, and paused on the ship's exit ramp.
"I'll be in touch. If you don't hear from me in 24 hours..." He hesitated.
"We're already down one. We're not leaving you behind," Carlos said.
"So don't tell us to," Logan added.
Kendall nodded. "If I'm not back, use your best judgment. And just... be careful, okay?"
The nodded. Kendall raised his hand in one last wave, then turned and left his ship behind. Time to track down the Red Petals.
--
Kendall observed the market around him for awhile, standing out of the way, letting everyone on the street pass him. He needed to blend in, which meant knowing what he was blending in to.
This was the biggest city on the planet, but of course it wasn't the planetary capital. The black market ran right under the government's nose, but not quite that close. Since Hawk would have no interest dealing with the official government, this city was the most likely place.
Finding the Red Petals was easy enough; they had a public listing in the Repository. It just left Kendall suspicious, though. Hawk was at war with Civ. Why would his right-hand woman be interested in a legitimate business, somewhere anyone could just walk into? Hawk had gone to a lot of trouble to kidnap James from his hometown, with no witnesses -- and absolutely everyone in that city knew James on sight. Most of them worked for the Diamond Syndicate and had watched him grow up, smiling and waving next to his mom whenever the cameras were on her. Yet James had utterly vanished, and no one had any clue how. If Katie hadn't stumbled onto (and managed to decode) an encrypted message between Hawk and Rebecca, no one would even know that Hawk had James. Which meant he probably didn't want James for blackmail or ransom. If that was true, he'd have contacted James' mom months ago.
So what did Hawk and Rebecca want? And what could they possibly want here?
The city may have been full of black market scum, but the brothel was located in a bustling downtown, with well kept buildings, on a wide, main street. On another planet, its building -- sandwiched between a bank and a cafe -- might have housed an art gallery or a museum or something else equally normal. Kendall grabbed an outdoor table at the café and kept an eye on the brothel as he ordered.
The people who went in and out were all well dressed. They looked like business people, not like the kind of people who were likely to stop in to visit a prostitute in the middle of the day. He kept an eye on it as he ate, trying to reason it out.
Technically, sex work wasn't illegal. Civ frowned on it, but as long as everyone involved was willing and happy to be there, and the brothels complied with regulations, it was fine. So sure, maybe instead of the den of ill repute he'd been picturing, it was an aboveboard business. Maybe even high end, like a luxury spa. With sex.
When he finished his meal, he decided he'd seen enough. He was in street clothes, casual but nice enough, and had his weapon concealed under his shirt, just in case. It would have to do. He headed into the brothel.
The door opened into a waiting room. A female receptionist sat behind a desk, leafing through a magazine. She had long dark hair, red lipstick, a smattering of freckles, and the nameplate on her desk said "Candy." She glanced up at him, bored, but her expression slid into a slow smile as she looked him over.
"Hey," she said.
He flashed her a smile. "Hey."
"Have I seen you before?"
He thought about the wanted broadcast and shook his head. "Nope. I get that all the time, though. Just one of those faces, I guess."
"I dunno, your face is pretty distinct." She cocked her head. "So what's your name? And do you have an appointment?"
"Donald Rook," he answered smoothly, the alias he used to use to sneak into bars underage. "And no, actually. I'm not from around here, but, uh, a friend of mine told me I had to check it out. I don't really know quite what I'm doing."
"Ohhhh." She nodded knowingly, and tapped a few buttons on her computer's keyboard. "Then I tell you what. You don't want an appointment, you want a party."
"I do?"
"Definitely. And you're in luck! Mercedes is hosting one for her business partners tonight. They aren't really meant for newcomers, but I think I can get your name on the VIP list. For a very small fee, of course."
Naturally. It seemed like the best lead he was going to get, though. "How much? Is Civ tender okay?"
"It's perfect. We're a cash up front business." She held out her hand. "Five hundred."
He managed not to wince as he dug for his wallet, wondering how much of her pitch was a scam and how much she'd pocket off the deal. But then again, he didn't think he had much choice. Of course, he also didn't have much cash -- he, Logan, and Carlos had all withdrawn everything from their bank accounts as soon as they'd taken off with the stolen ship, well before Civ could freeze those accounts. After almost six months on the run, most of their money had already gone to supplies and bribing informants to find information on James. Still, if this would help him figure out what business Hawk had on this planet, then it was worth dipping into his drying well.
"Well, I don't really carry that much on me," he said, running his fingers through it to count cash quickly. "I've got, let's see, half that?"
"Can you bring the rest tonight?"
He nodded. Logan would blow a gasket when he found out, but this was for James. Kendall was sure that, in the end, Logan would understand. "No problem." He handed her everything that was in his wallet and would borrow the rest from Logan and Carlos.
She shifted, tapped a few buttons on her computer, locked the cash in a drawer, and said, "Okay. Be here, nine o'clock. Bring the money, and get ready for a great time. You just bought into the good stuff. And it's my evening off. So maybe I'll see you there, Donald."
"I'll look for you," he promised, tapped his hand against the desk, and let himself out.
Bought into the good stuff? He glanced back over his shoulder as he headed down the street. So it was drugs. Hawk's whole empire was built on dirty deals, so drug running was just his style. And even if it turned out he wasn't doing business here, at least Kendall could meet people who might have seen Rebecca or James and find a lead on them.
With the transaction done, Kendall headed back towards the ship. He was a little relieved to find it still there, with Logan and Carlos still waiting. They were sitting around on the bridge, playing cards, but they turned to him.
"Carlos is cheating," Logan informed him, not bothering with a greeting.
"Prove it," Carlos answered.
Logan rolled his eyes. "Well? Any news? Please tell me there's news."
"Yes and no." Kendall took his chair and tapped his fingers against the armrests. "I've got an in. It cost, but it'll get me through the door. Hey, can you check something for me?"
"Sure. Since I'm not finishing this game. Because I don't play with cheaters."
"Whiner," Carlos accused.
Kendall cleared his throat. "The Red Petals... is there anything linking them to drug smuggling?"
Logan tapped into the computer, then whistled, raising his eyebrows. "They do sell petal dust -- the aphrodisiac -- but that's legal. Smuggling-wise, nothing is confirmed, but yeah, the last inspector who filed a report on them noted suspicions. They're the biggest petal dust distributor and the inspector thinks that distribution network might be passing on other, less legal drugs. No proof, but other inspectors have corroborated it. In the last year, there've been plenty of reported incidents of raids that have included petal dust along with contraband. Enough that it looks like the Red Petals have ramped up their operation pretty significantly."
"But this planet is small," Kendall mused. "So to get funding for that kind of ramp-up, they must have off-planet backers. A real cartel, or..."
"Or Hawk," Carlos finished for him.
"It's not a definite link," Logan said.
"No, but there could be something there. It's the best lead we've got," Kendall said. "So. It looks like I'm going to a brothel tonight. Hey, actually, about that? I kind of need to borrow some money."
Logan threw his hand of cards at him.
Chapter Two
Disclaimer: Sometimes I think this show was created just for me, but alas, still not mine. Definitely for the best, in this case.
Rating/warnings: Ummm, NC-17. Sex pollen and sex slaves, and the dub-con and non-con that implies (though mostly off screen). With a bonus helping of violence, cursing, lots of nudity, and some forced druggings. Good times?
Pairings: James/Camille, Mercedes/Kendall, Kendall/Jo, Kendall/James, Mercedes/Kendall/James, James/Logan. That's in order of appearance, not necessarily importance.
Notes: So this happened at the end of Girl Group, and something in my fangirl lizard brain sat up and went, "YES, Kendall IS a smirky space captain!" and this fic pretty much had to be written. It was supposed to be short and goofy but ended up long and plotty, and, uh, not goofy, as you can tell by the warnings. Sorry? ANYWAY, this fic would not have happened without a bunch of wonderful people, most especially my beloved beta reader lielabell. If this makes any sense at all, it's thanks to her. Huge thanks also to poisonivory and elucreh for brainstorming and encouragement; to liketheroad for letting me inflict BTR on her; and also to garnetice, who has not strangled me through the internet, even when I've deserved it. (I promise the rest of the chapters will not have novella-length notes.)
Summary: Kendall was supposed to be on a rescue mission, searching for someone on a black market planet. But he's the one who ended up needing to be rescued...
One.
Hey big brother,
Hope you're not dead. Since you won't tell me where you are, I have no idea if you've got access to CivComm. Just wanted to give you a heads up about this morning's dispatch.
Well, wherever you are, Mom sends love (and she's worried you're not getting a balanced diet while you're on the run). Come home soon, would you?
Katie
Kendall smiled slightly, shaking his head. He swiveled his seat around to face the ship's bridge and his only officers. "How does she keep getting through to us? Logan, I thought we were scrambled."
Logan scowled at him. "We are scrambled. Katie's a crazy hacker, scrambling our signal doesn't stop her." Logan paused. "You're going to make me do it again anyway, aren't you?"
"If Katie can get a message through, Civ can track it," Kendall said.
Logan rolled his eyes. "You're giving Civ way too much credit. And I thought you told Katie not to contact us?"
"I did," Kendall said. He'd told her that repeatedly, in fact. Of course, he hadn't expected that to stop her. He'd have been disappointed in her if she had.
"So what did she send us from Civ?" Carlos asked.
"Well, boys, let's find out." Kendall opened the forwarded communication, bringing it up on the Rush's main screen. Then he grimaced, seeing his own image smirking back at him, with giant red bands above and below the picture that read WANTED in enormous letters.
"At least it's a decent picture," Carlos mused.
Kendall grumbled as he brought up the additional information attached the picture. Apparently he wasn't just wanted, he was valuable: Civ had put a half million tender on his head, which was definitely more than was warranted for stealing a spaceship. Logan let out a low whistle. "That's a lot of money."
"Yeah, well." Kendall motioned and the screen flipped to smaller pictures of Logan and Carlos -- with the same "wanted" band, but a fraction of the bounty. "I guess they want me more than you two."
"I have got to get put on a better crew," Logan answered, rolling his eyes fondly. Then, louder, added, "Anything else?"
"Just this," Kendall said. "One last image for bounty hunters to ref..."
The last photo hit him like a blow to the gut. He stared up at the screen, throat gone dry.
It was a picture of them -- the four of them. A few years old now, it had been taken the day they finished at the academy, before they'd received their very first assignments. Arm in arm, the top four from their class: Kendall, hoping for his first command; Logan, ready for a science post; Carlos, trained for any and all security needs; and James. Gorgeous, grinning James.
Kendall just gaped, guilt twisting in his gut.
"We're going to find him," Carlos said quietly. "Kendall..."
"Yeah." Kendall nodded. For months, he'd been dragging Logan and Carlos across the galaxy, tracking down every rumor, searching every planet his informants pointed towards. But with no luck.
"We are," Logan said.
Kendall nodded. James was missing. They were going to find him.
End of story.
--
Dropping to sub-light was always uncomfortable. Kendall felt like his body was being pulled apart, but he couldn't move, could barely think, as the light drive stretched across them half the galaxy. An experienced pilot could make the drop to sub-light quick, if not totally smooth.
They came out of it. Kendall heaved a sigh of relief and unclenched his hands from the arms of his chair.
"Sorry," Carlos apologized.
"It's fine. Take us into orbit," Kendall instructed once he got his jaw to unclench. Carlos wasn't much of a navigator or pilot, but he was the closest thing they had without James.
"So..." Logan raised his eyebrows. "Do we have a plan? Or are we just going to land, start shooting people, and hope no one notices the wanted broadcasts?"
"You worry too much," Kendall told him.
"Says the guy with the biggest price on his head."
Kendall waved a hand, dismissing that. "Fine. Okay, so this," he pulled an image up on the main screen, "is what the informant gave us."
A photo of a red flower glowed back at them. It was the modern equivalent of a business card, blown up to enormous levels so they could all see. There was no title, no text, no business name attached -- just the picture of a strange red flower with a pulsating glow behind it.
"So what is it?" Carlos asked.
"Well..." Logan dug into the computer's onboard database, which, since the ship he'd stolen was intended for ambassadors, was actually pretty extensive. Ambassadors had access to most of the information stored in Civ's central data repository. Civ wasn't really the all-encompassing civilization it wanted to be, since there were still dozens of galaxies and thousands of planets that hadn't joined in or even signed treaties with Civ's government. But even so, the Civ Repository was the greatest collection of knowledge the universe had ever seen. Most of it was open to the public, but plenty was classified. Ambassadors had access to a lot of high-level information, though, since they needed it for their jobs.
"Well?" Kendall prompted.
Logan hit a few more keys. "It looks like that's the logo from a business called the Red Petals. They're listed as an entertainment company, and -- oh. Huh."
"Huh wha?" Carlos asked.
"Apparently that's just polite code for owning a string of brothels. I guess that makes sense, though..." He scrolled through something on his console, nodding to himself a little.
"Spit it out," Kendall said.
"The planet only has one real export. Some of the natural fauna makes for a very potent aphrodisiac, and it's one of the only aphrodisiacs that's legal under Civ laws."
"Aphro-what?" Carlos asked.
Logan rolled his eyes. "A drug to make you horny."
"People need drugs for that?" Carlos grinned.
"Funny. But the thing is, this isn't a Civ planet. They've signed some treaties, but that's it, and it looks like the planetary government isn't actually that on top of things. There are all kinds of reports of nasty things -- weapons and drug smuggling are confirmed, but the rest..." He looked up at Kendall. "The last inspector who filed a report thinks it's a jumping off point for human trafficking. The cartels all deny it, of course, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening."
Kendall nodded. One of their first assignments had been an enforcement mission, inspecting a cartel accused of trafficking. They hadn't found proof, and not even the usual informants were willing to go on the record, but something had felt wrong for the whole investigation. Kendall was sure they were guilty as hell.
"So what do you think?" Carlos asked Kendall.
"Uh, well," Kendall tapped his fingers against his armrest, "I think the last time anyone spotted James, he was being dragged on to a ship by Rebecca, and this planet sounds like exactly the sort of black market hotspot where she and Hawk can do business. She dropped one of those business cards," he pointed at the flower, still glowing on the monitor, "and it's a business on this planet. So she's here. Which means James is, too."
"But why?" Carlos asked. "I mean, Logan said the drug thing is legal. I don't get it."
Kendall thought about that for a second. "Best case scenario, this is the closest they can get to Civ without getting busted, and they're hoping to exchange him for a POW or get a payoff from his family, or something."
"Worst case?"
Kendall shook his head. There were all kinds of nasty people for hire on a black market planet like this. Drug runners and slave traders aside, there were also gems like mercenaries who'd do anything for cash; corrupt guards from the galaxy's most remote prison planets, willing to throw an extra few people in chains in exchange for a bribe; and professional torturers, who could crack even the strongest mind.
Logan cleared his throat. His brow was furrowed a little bit and Carlos' whole face had fallen. Maybe they didn't know what Rebecca wanted here, but deep down, they all knew just how bad it might be.
"So. Planning," Kendall eventually said. With a price on his head, a planet full of bounty hunter scum was probably not the best place to spend time, but it wasn't like they had much choice. "We're going to land somewhere as safe as we can, in whatever the biggest city is. You two will stay here. I'll go see what I can find and report back."
"Yeah, 'cause the most wanted guy should really be the one doing the snooping," Carlos said.
"Snooping involves lying. And sneaking. And being cool under pressure," Kendall reminded them.
"Good point," Logan conceded.
"Hey, just 'cause Logan panics doesn't mean I will. I can be sneaky!"
Kendall raised his eyebrows, remembering plenty of times when Carlos' inappropriate laughter or shouting had gotten them busted as they tried to sneak out of (or back in to) the academy. Carlos was funny and tough and a great friend, but he wasn't good at sneaking.
"Okay, so I go, I find Rebecca and figure out where she's stashed James. I get in touch with you guys, we go in, find him, and get him out. Easy," Kendall said.
"And I'm sure it'll all work out exactly like that," Logan said.
Kendall ignored that and took over the major ship functions, bringing them into orbit and waiting while the planet's Traffic Control AI queried them about how much they could pay to dock, then queued them until it found a slot in one of the public shipyards. When they landed, Kendall wasn't at all surprised to see how sketchy the place was -- they were pretty broke. Maybe it was just as well that Carlos and Logan were staying with the ship, since Kendall was pretty sure that if they left it unguarded, they'd come back to find it stripped down, with everything of value vanished. Kendall checked his weapon to make sure it was loaded and ready, holstered it, and paused on the ship's exit ramp.
"I'll be in touch. If you don't hear from me in 24 hours..." He hesitated.
"We're already down one. We're not leaving you behind," Carlos said.
"So don't tell us to," Logan added.
Kendall nodded. "If I'm not back, use your best judgment. And just... be careful, okay?"
The nodded. Kendall raised his hand in one last wave, then turned and left his ship behind. Time to track down the Red Petals.
--
Kendall observed the market around him for awhile, standing out of the way, letting everyone on the street pass him. He needed to blend in, which meant knowing what he was blending in to.
This was the biggest city on the planet, but of course it wasn't the planetary capital. The black market ran right under the government's nose, but not quite that close. Since Hawk would have no interest dealing with the official government, this city was the most likely place.
Finding the Red Petals was easy enough; they had a public listing in the Repository. It just left Kendall suspicious, though. Hawk was at war with Civ. Why would his right-hand woman be interested in a legitimate business, somewhere anyone could just walk into? Hawk had gone to a lot of trouble to kidnap James from his hometown, with no witnesses -- and absolutely everyone in that city knew James on sight. Most of them worked for the Diamond Syndicate and had watched him grow up, smiling and waving next to his mom whenever the cameras were on her. Yet James had utterly vanished, and no one had any clue how. If Katie hadn't stumbled onto (and managed to decode) an encrypted message between Hawk and Rebecca, no one would even know that Hawk had James. Which meant he probably didn't want James for blackmail or ransom. If that was true, he'd have contacted James' mom months ago.
So what did Hawk and Rebecca want? And what could they possibly want here?
The city may have been full of black market scum, but the brothel was located in a bustling downtown, with well kept buildings, on a wide, main street. On another planet, its building -- sandwiched between a bank and a cafe -- might have housed an art gallery or a museum or something else equally normal. Kendall grabbed an outdoor table at the café and kept an eye on the brothel as he ordered.
The people who went in and out were all well dressed. They looked like business people, not like the kind of people who were likely to stop in to visit a prostitute in the middle of the day. He kept an eye on it as he ate, trying to reason it out.
Technically, sex work wasn't illegal. Civ frowned on it, but as long as everyone involved was willing and happy to be there, and the brothels complied with regulations, it was fine. So sure, maybe instead of the den of ill repute he'd been picturing, it was an aboveboard business. Maybe even high end, like a luxury spa. With sex.
When he finished his meal, he decided he'd seen enough. He was in street clothes, casual but nice enough, and had his weapon concealed under his shirt, just in case. It would have to do. He headed into the brothel.
The door opened into a waiting room. A female receptionist sat behind a desk, leafing through a magazine. She had long dark hair, red lipstick, a smattering of freckles, and the nameplate on her desk said "Candy." She glanced up at him, bored, but her expression slid into a slow smile as she looked him over.
"Hey," she said.
He flashed her a smile. "Hey."
"Have I seen you before?"
He thought about the wanted broadcast and shook his head. "Nope. I get that all the time, though. Just one of those faces, I guess."
"I dunno, your face is pretty distinct." She cocked her head. "So what's your name? And do you have an appointment?"
"Donald Rook," he answered smoothly, the alias he used to use to sneak into bars underage. "And no, actually. I'm not from around here, but, uh, a friend of mine told me I had to check it out. I don't really know quite what I'm doing."
"Ohhhh." She nodded knowingly, and tapped a few buttons on her computer's keyboard. "Then I tell you what. You don't want an appointment, you want a party."
"I do?"
"Definitely. And you're in luck! Mercedes is hosting one for her business partners tonight. They aren't really meant for newcomers, but I think I can get your name on the VIP list. For a very small fee, of course."
Naturally. It seemed like the best lead he was going to get, though. "How much? Is Civ tender okay?"
"It's perfect. We're a cash up front business." She held out her hand. "Five hundred."
He managed not to wince as he dug for his wallet, wondering how much of her pitch was a scam and how much she'd pocket off the deal. But then again, he didn't think he had much choice. Of course, he also didn't have much cash -- he, Logan, and Carlos had all withdrawn everything from their bank accounts as soon as they'd taken off with the stolen ship, well before Civ could freeze those accounts. After almost six months on the run, most of their money had already gone to supplies and bribing informants to find information on James. Still, if this would help him figure out what business Hawk had on this planet, then it was worth dipping into his drying well.
"Well, I don't really carry that much on me," he said, running his fingers through it to count cash quickly. "I've got, let's see, half that?"
"Can you bring the rest tonight?"
He nodded. Logan would blow a gasket when he found out, but this was for James. Kendall was sure that, in the end, Logan would understand. "No problem." He handed her everything that was in his wallet and would borrow the rest from Logan and Carlos.
She shifted, tapped a few buttons on her computer, locked the cash in a drawer, and said, "Okay. Be here, nine o'clock. Bring the money, and get ready for a great time. You just bought into the good stuff. And it's my evening off. So maybe I'll see you there, Donald."
"I'll look for you," he promised, tapped his hand against the desk, and let himself out.
Bought into the good stuff? He glanced back over his shoulder as he headed down the street. So it was drugs. Hawk's whole empire was built on dirty deals, so drug running was just his style. And even if it turned out he wasn't doing business here, at least Kendall could meet people who might have seen Rebecca or James and find a lead on them.
With the transaction done, Kendall headed back towards the ship. He was a little relieved to find it still there, with Logan and Carlos still waiting. They were sitting around on the bridge, playing cards, but they turned to him.
"Carlos is cheating," Logan informed him, not bothering with a greeting.
"Prove it," Carlos answered.
Logan rolled his eyes. "Well? Any news? Please tell me there's news."
"Yes and no." Kendall took his chair and tapped his fingers against the armrests. "I've got an in. It cost, but it'll get me through the door. Hey, can you check something for me?"
"Sure. Since I'm not finishing this game. Because I don't play with cheaters."
"Whiner," Carlos accused.
Kendall cleared his throat. "The Red Petals... is there anything linking them to drug smuggling?"
Logan tapped into the computer, then whistled, raising his eyebrows. "They do sell petal dust -- the aphrodisiac -- but that's legal. Smuggling-wise, nothing is confirmed, but yeah, the last inspector who filed a report on them noted suspicions. They're the biggest petal dust distributor and the inspector thinks that distribution network might be passing on other, less legal drugs. No proof, but other inspectors have corroborated it. In the last year, there've been plenty of reported incidents of raids that have included petal dust along with contraband. Enough that it looks like the Red Petals have ramped up their operation pretty significantly."
"But this planet is small," Kendall mused. "So to get funding for that kind of ramp-up, they must have off-planet backers. A real cartel, or..."
"Or Hawk," Carlos finished for him.
"It's not a definite link," Logan said.
"No, but there could be something there. It's the best lead we've got," Kendall said. "So. It looks like I'm going to a brothel tonight. Hey, actually, about that? I kind of need to borrow some money."
Logan threw his hand of cards at him.
Chapter Two