The DrearGyre Read online

with his chin toward what could have been the bathroom, or a hotel down the street, or vaguely in the direction of a small Romulan enclave Seren had heard about in The DrearGyre. Red Hat laughed and slapped him on the shoulder then passed something to the old male. Red hat and his buddy exited the saloon. The four bounty hunters who had been watching followed them out.

  “Our other interested party has just left as well,” Vain said.

  Seren burped. “Urgh, that beer is foul.”

  “Yes, I see you hardly managed to choke down three,” Vain noted. Seren smiled at the Romulan, resting her chin on her hand, her face slightly flushed. “We will wait a while. They are probably watching the doors. You can attempt to become sober.”

  “I’m completely sober, stud,” Seren protested, as she tried to climb onto Vain’s lap.

  “As you say.”

  She pushed the Human back into her own seat so they could watch the game players. So many flashing lights and moving parts. Neither of them knew what the game was. What they both could see which apparently the players did not or did not care about, was that the house collected most of the money. Still, everyone screamed and groaned as the game doled out a lot of pain and a little of joy. The scantily clad staff dealt out expensive drinks and drugs. The Ferengi beamed happily about it all.

  After an hour, Vain and Seren drifted out the door. Moving toward the tractor, they laughed and leaned on each other. They stopped to kiss occasionally but didn’t look at each other. Behind their goggles they scanned the relatively quiet streets. Not just for the strange bounty hunters but also for the usual dregs skittering around. The Romulan stopped at an alleyway.

  “What?” Seren asked, squinting into the darkness.

  Vain flicked on a flashlight. Seren wondered how she had seen anything in the murkiness. The light flicked off hiding the bodies.

  “Our resident bounty hunters have apparently run into something they should not have.”

  “Yeah,” Seren agreed, her hand on her multibarrel. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  They found the tractor and trundled away.

  “What do you think?” Seren said, guiding their vehicle out of Hellsbitch.

  Vain smiled at her. “I am wondering what is in the package.”

  Seren laughed almost having forgotten it. “You’ll have to wait until we are home. The people back there. You don’t think they are looking for us?”

  “Truthfully, Seren, I have no idea. What is in the package?”

  “I’ll message the sheriff that there are dead bodies to be cleaned up. Maybe he can turn something up. Assuming he’s not drowning his head in Romulan Ale.”

  “The package, Human, what is it?”

  “You can have the package now.” Vain held out her hand. “But you can’t open it until we’re home.”

  “What is the point of me having the package if I cannot open it?”

  “Suit yourself.”

  The tractor juddered along.

  “Seren! Give me the package.”

  “Promise not to open it until I say so.”

  “You trust me?”

  Seren turned to look at her. “With my life.”

  “Watch the road. And give me my package.”

  Seren reached into her coat and handed the package over.

  Vain shook it, listened to it, then shook it again.

  “If I guess will you tell me if I am correct?”

  “No.”

  Vain grimaced and slapped the package on her thigh.

  “Careful,” Seren cautioned.

  “It is fragile?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “It is dangerous?”

  “Just use that famous Tal Shiar training.”

  Vain tried guessing again, sometimes threatening to open it anyway. Finally, they arrived home. Seren sat on the edge of the bed while Vain scowled at the package, trying to discern something about its contents.

  “Don’t you always tell me to exercise patience?” Seren said.

  “I’m going to open this,” Vain warned starting to pull the bow.

  “Go on then.”

  Vain grinned tearing the wrapping off. She pulled the box lid off and peered inside.

  She made a face. “You cannot be serious.”

  “Shoo now into the bathroom. And hurry up. I want to see.”

  “I object.”

  “Do it. Come on!”

  Taking the box, Vain sighed as she went into the bathroom. Seren undressed quickly and got under the thick comforter. Then waited. And waited.

  “What’s taking so long?” she yelled.

  She got no answer until finally the light went out and the door cracked open.

  “You are trying to make a fool of me.”

  “Let’s see!”

  “Is the light on?”

  “Of course it is. Come on out!”

  Vain almost closed the door again, but then sidled into the bedroom.

  Seren gasped. “You look lovely!”

  “I look like a fool.” She stopped in front of a mirror to stare at herself. The baby doll nightie set was almost transparent. The white lace glowed in the dim light. “This is ridiculous.”

  “Take off your boots. It’s sort of ruining the effect.”

  “My feet are cold.”

  “Would you take them off already!”

  The Romulan removed her boots while trying to pull down the hem of the nightie over her thong. “This is the decadent wear meant solely to enslave our gender.”

  She stared, hunched over, at the image in the mirror. Then, turning to look at Seren, she straightened and pirouetted to strike a pose.

  “Oh by the sweetest Star of Wisdom you’re beautiful get over here right now!” Seren pulled back the comforter.

  “I am supposed to sleep in this? It is completely impractical.”

  She crawled in. Seren rolled over on top of her. Vain put her hands on the Human’s shoulders.

  “Seren. I...”

  Seren kissed her. “Shh, not tonight. You can give me the full disclosure tomorrow. I’ve memorized it.”

  “I...”

  Seren took Vain’s wrists and pulled them above her head. Vain made a show of struggling but all it did was make Seren gasp as the two females moved their bodies against each other. Seren slid herself between the other female’s thighs. Vain released the moan she could keep captive no longer. Seren’s hands slipped over the nightie releasing the Romulan from the soft material.

  Left alone with only a mirror for long enough, a Romulan would conspire against his own reflection -- Earth Proverb

  At first, the Romulan guards took pleasure in beating her. In between the abuse though, she was able to get them to teach her some of their language to ease the boredom. Usually by asking what they were going to fracture next.

  “We’re running out of things to break,” one said as she stumbled out of the cell leaning on the other.

  “Maybe we can start over?” Kari mumbled. She wanted to walk but the Romulan was mostly carrying her. She fell into the chair and gasped for air.

  “The doctor said that it wasn’t a good idea.”

  “Does that matter?” she laughed. Then coughed. The guards had broken most of her ribs at one time or another.

  “We can’t keep this up. We’re going to kill her.”

  “Why are we not home yet?”

  “I heard that the Beloved Nephew wants to take the scenic route.”

  “In Federation space? Is he mad? If we are detected...” He shook his head. “Let’s hope he doesn’t want to go sight seeing in Klingon territory.”

  They looked at the broken body in front of them.

  “I’m fine,” she told them. “How about my right hip and then my left wrist again?”

  “You are becoming resistant to the pain killers.”

  “Isn’t that the point?”

  “Alright. If only half the rumors are true about how the Beloved Nephew pleasures himself...” He shook his hea
d. “Let us try the right hip. We’re going to need the hammer again.”

  Kari tried not to shudder. The injuries had to be real. She turned onto her left side. She covered her face and held still. She knew what the hammer looked like. One guard held her onto the chair. The other placed his hand on her hip feeling the point.

  “Prepare yourself, Human.” They had started saying that. She wasn’t sure what they expected her to do but she clung to the arm of the one holding her.

  She felt him swing the hammer up.

  “Wait!”

  The hammer crashed down shattering the armrest of the chair.

  The Romulan cursed and flung the hammer down. He glared at Syll. “We are sick of doing the bidding of the Tal Shiar.”

  “Kill her and be done with it,” the other one said. “That will keep her away from the Beloved Nephew.”

  “Uhm...” Kari said but they ignored her.

  “I do not want any of our, excuse me, the Darksend’s crew to fall into the care of the Beloved Nephew. Not even you two. And we need the Human somewhat whole for her real interrogation. I see us gaining much valuable intelligence about comets and cosmic dust clouds.”

  Using the chair, she wheeled Kari into the cell. The Romulan laid out some blankets on the metal shelf that was Kari’s bed.

  “Wow,” said Kari. “Such luxury.”

  “You are going to need it.” She lifted the woman from the chair. Kari put her arms around her and tried to help. “You have lost much weight.”

  “Thank you.”

  “That is not a compliment.”

  “I like your cloth.” Kari plucked at the black fabric that made up the sleeve. “This bar has many fine and willing females.”

  Syll paused to glare at the guards who shrugged.

  “Your Romulan accent is improving though the vocabulary is a little rough.” Syll pulled out a hypo and pressed it against the Human’s neck, releasing the substance into her body. “This will make you extremely ill. You will be in great discomfort.”

  “Oh no,”