Pirate (LGBT - Sci-Fi - Romantic)

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen 

Major Rice couldn't wipe the triumphant smile off his face. At last, after two years, the Ebano was back under his control where it belonged. 

He strode possessively through the now empty passageways of the Ebano, (thankfully the ship could resume its proper name now) on his way to the bridge. Once there, he deactivated the cloaking device and signalled his whereabouts to the Patrol ship Delor which had been waiting eagerly for his summons.  

The five patrol men who had accompanied him on the Zeron's shuttle fanned through the ship, gas masks securely in place, picking up the unconscious crew and carrying them into the docking bay. The Delor would dock soon and transport the prisoners to temporary holding quarters on Aykut, before final transfer to the prison at Mitra.  

Regretfully, he had not been the first man to find Mars. Patel had signalled him as soon as he realised the man lying on his face in a passage was Nicholas Mars and he had detoured briefly to verify it for himself before continuing on his way to the bridge. He was tempted to give him a few kicks, but thought better of it under Patel's watchful eye. In any case it would be more satisfying if he was conscious.  

"I've found Connell, sir," Omar reported on his wristcom. "Looks like they broke his cover. He's in a cell, unconscious, but that could just be the gas." 

"Bring him along with the others, would you? We'll get him on board the Delor as soon as it docks and get a medic to look at him." Rice was glad Connell was still alive. He had been a major factor in achieving the success of this operation. 

Although he hadn't directly been responsible for the outcome, he had certainly contributed towards it by his mere presence on the ship. 

The man following closely behind Rice spoke for the first time since boarding the Zeron. "I don't want to be around when they start waking up. Get me on to the Delor first, somewhere out of sight."  

"Of course," Rice soothed. 

"I've got immunity, right? I'll be free to leave as soon as we reach Aykut?" 

"That's what we agreed, the sooner the better, I fancy." 

"With 100,000 credits in my account, you won't see me for dust, believe me!" 

Rice checked his wristcom. "The reward has just been transferred, if you'd like to check that?" 

The other man verified the information immediately, showing no outward sign that his heart was racing. 100,000 credits! All his. He felt like laughing inside, and the best part was that it was all legal, pretty much. He hadn't been a hundred per cent certain Rice was going to honour the deal until that moment. Hastily he transferred the entire sum to another even more secure account. Better safe than sorry. He hadn't got where he was today by trusting other people. 

"The Delor is here sir," announced Patel from the docking bay. 

"Let's go," Rice invited, "After you." Both men walked in silence to the docking bay, Rice staring at all the men piled up ready to be taken on board, while the other man deliberately looked away. 

The Delor's Sergeant approached Rice, a smile of satisfaction on his face. "No problems then, sir?" 

"No, could hardly have been smoother. They weren't expecting any trouble from their own shuttle. They saw their man on board and let us dock, then once the hatch was open it was simply a matter of deploying the nerve gas canisters until we secured the ship." 

Rice turned towards his silent companion, but under the circumstances, he didn't offer to shake hands. "It's been a real pleasure doing business with you Nowak."  

XXX 

Eventually Liam Connell went to visit Mars in his cell. He was being held in the detention section of an old patrol ship which seemed to be more or less permanently docked at Aykut, pending salvage. Apart from the fact that Rice wanted him kept separate, there simply wasn't enough space in Aykut's detention centre for all of the Zeron's men. Several men had in fact been held in a nearby warehouse until they could be moved to Mitra. 

After an initial debrief by Major Rice, the crew was being transported to the prison on Mitra a few at a time, where they would undergo more extensive interrogation and have charges laid against them. 

Mars would be the last prisoner to be moved as Rice was keen to do most of his interrogation in person. 

Although they'd been here nearly a week, it was the first time Connell had been given permission to see him. The defiant smile was still there and the dimples, but the gold hoops had been confiscated and his hair cut off short, pre-empting the prison cut he was certain to get. He caught his breath at the sight of the bruise on Mars' cheek bone and the cut and swollen lip. 

"Walk into a door?" he asked coolly, certain they were being monitored. 

"One or two," Mars answered, guardedly. He didn't know why Connell had come. He didn't think he was the sort who would want to gloat, but if he had wanted to check on how he was doing, why hadn't he come before? He wished he hadn't, he didn't like Connell seeing him like this.  

"Major Rice didn't want me to come and see you before now," Connell explained, as if he had read his mind. "I think he thought it might upset me too much. But actually I find I quite enjoy seeing you getting what you deserve." He gave him as meaningful a look as he could manage. "You'll be here for another week at least, I think I'll come and see you every day." 

Mars stared after his retreating back. He was pretty sure Conn had been trying to send him a message but he couldn't figure out what it was. At least he knew someone would notice if he simply disappeared, even if he couldn't intervene to stop the beatings. 

Connell had almost contained his fury by the time he reached Major Rice. He was furious, not even because he liked Mars, but because he expected the Patrol to be better than that. Perhaps he was being naive but in his opinion, Patrol officers obeyed the law and didn't take out their own feelings on prisoners, no matter what they were supposed to have done. The Patrol was supposed to set an example for god's sake. 

He made a huge effort to look concerned instead. "Sir, I don't want to interfere, but are you sure it's wise for Mars to look so ... uh, damaged? Are we giving him a lever to use against us, if he can claim patrol brutality?" 

"He's fine." Rice looked impatient, but Captain Montoya, who was standing nearby looked worried.  

"It seems to me we should be especially careful to go by the book in his case, we don't want to provide any loophole for him to use." 

"I'll bear that in mind," Rice replied dismissively. 

Connell nodded politely and turned away, he'd done all he could for the moment without betraying where his sympathies lay. He knew he should feel glad that the most notorious thief and hijacker in the system had finally been captured, but his feelings kept getting in the way. Prison, with all its hundreds of rules and restrictions, would be worse than death to an irreverent rule breaker like Mars. 

Rice narrowed his eyes as he watched him depart. Connell was a little too interfering for his liking. Perhaps it was time he found him a new assignment somewhere else, Bast perhaps, or even Capella.