Isis (Moon Hunter's Inc. Book 7) Read online

  When he wondered who might be doing this, Prat came to mind first. Next came any of Prat’s inner circle. They were the supervisors in security. They were all sadistic as hell just like Prat. One of the doctors, Harold Hecks, also came to mind. It had to be someone with access. That narrowed the list down to seven.

  Two orderlies came in. “Want us to take him down?” Gil asked. He was alright, neither good nor evil but he skirted the line. Sometimes he could show kindness, albeit rarely. Once in a while he was cruel. Right now he was just indifferent. The loss of life didn’t affect him one bit.

  “I’ll catch him.” Greg offered. They hadn’t waited on Jacobs, they just went about their job as if he’d answered positively. Greg was a nice guy, he was working here because he had a daughter who was seriously sick. The bonus he would get in two more years would pay for a radical new treatment for her illness provided she didn’t succumb to it first.

  Gil cut the sheet and the body dropped into Greg’s hands. He held it up until Greg got off the chair he stood on to get up so high. What was that chair doing in here anyway? They weren’t allowed in subject’s rooms. Just one more question in need of an answer. They laid the body on a gurney then took it away. Jacobs followed and Steve left the cell last closing the door behind him.

  What a terrible way to start his rounds. He continued by, walking through the block. No one looked up, afraid to meet his eyes. These people’s spirits were shattered. Once they were freed, it would still be a long time before they healed. It was his hope for them that freedom wouldn’t be too far away. If it didn’t happen in a week, another subject might never know the sweet taste of being free. Most of them had lived their lives in captivity. His hope was that not another one of them would end up dying here before help came.

  Getting back to his rounds, he paced himself. The atmosphere here was dismal and hopelessness ruled. It was easy to rush and finish too quickly if he didn’t watch himself closely. The subjects had been fed better lately yet they still were painfully thin. It made him ask the uncomfortable question of what they looked like before and how many of them had survived life on Zero.

  “Steve, I see you’re still here.” Prat’s voice was full of disdain. The man hated anyone that didn’t kiss his ass.

  “Be glad I am. You have a hard time keeping help around here.” Steve was sure it was because Prat often scared newbies so they ran and ended up dead if he didn’t just kill them outright.

  “You’re right. You are good to do the grunt work,” Prat said with a satisfied look. “That will give me more time to chase the fresh meat that just came in.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Did you see her? That sweet little piece that got off the shuttle? Don’t go near her because she’s mine.”

  “I don’t think it works that way with women unless you abduct them.”

  “Whatever it takes. That’s why I get it all the time and you get to use your hand.”

  “You don’t get it willingly unless you pay for it,” Steve snarked with a chuckle.

  “You asshole. Take that back!”

  “Hell, no. It’s the cold hard truth.”

  “Take it back or I’ll beat the shit out of you,” Prat threatened.

  Steve laughed. “Feels good to laugh like that. I remember last time you taught me a lesson.”

  “You got lucky. I wasn’t feeling well that day.”

  “I can prove that’s a lie.”

  “I’d take you on, but I have to finish my paperwork,” Prat said as he beat a hasty retreat.

  “Whatever you have to tell yourself to live with your loss,” Steve goaded. He wished Prat the prick would challenge him. Last time he’d beaten the shit out of Prat and he’d ended up in medical.

  Steve would admit he’d had a few bruises, but the overwhelming loser had been Prat. When he thought about Prat trying to hit on Isis, it was enough to make him want to beat up the asshole again. The problem was there was a bigger picture and lives depended on him sticking to the job. He knew Isis could take care of herself, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to do it for her.

  Images from their one night together came to him at odd moments and made him smile until he remembered she’d left him. That made him hurt like nothing in his life ever had. He’d never been a romantic, but he did believe some people just belonged together. In his mind, there was no other woman for him and he damn sure didn’t want her with any other man. The fear of someone taking her away from him kept him up some nights.

  Chapter 3

  Routine

  Isis was glad when Jacobs showed her medical and she was surrounded by familiar things. Nothing he showed her was too far away from the how it was done everywhere else. She’d heard so many rumors about this place, she’d not had a clue about what to expect. Zero was the scum pit of the universe and while few people had actually been here, everyone seemed to know everything about it.

  The view from outside certainly didn’t give anyone entering it a sense of comfort. Sometimes ships did dock here to repair or take on supplies. Maybe that was the source of all the information. Inside, except for a nasty security chief, it was in better shape. She hoped the subjects would look better than expected too.

  There was a buzz and Jacobs went to check on it. He was back in a minute. “I have to go. Just wait here, I shouldn’t be gone long,” Jacobs said.

  She looked around and saw a camera pointed right at her. Certain rooms were secure while others weren’t. There had been no cameras in the elevator. The only ones in the hall were pointed at the entrances to some of the rooms. It was her job to note all the security details. They would come in handy later.

  Jacobs came back about half an hour later with two orderlies pulling a gurney. There was a deceased male lying on it. His condition was poor, but didn’t seem life-threatening. It must have been the damage to his neck that killed him.

  “Ready to jump in with both feet? I need you to do the paperwork,” Jacobs said.

  The orderlies moved the body onto the table that was in the center of the room after they pulled the bedding and the mattress off. “It does double duty,” The taller orderly joked.

  The man was still dressed so after securing all the needed equipment, Isis cut his clothing off. He was emaciated, but not severely. She made note of it in the voice recorder she’d found. Carefully describing the condition of the body, she noted that the neck was broken and attributed that as the cause of death.

  Estimating height and weight, she looked around seeing only one orderly left. “I see no reason to do an autopsy. Cause of death is obvious. Why don’t you store the body however you usually do it?”

  “Sure,” He said and he got to work.

  Isis went to the desk and wrote up a report. Jacobs probably hated paperwork. Most doctors did. She didn’t care for it much herself. “Did he mean to leave me here on call?”

  “No, orderlies keep the office staffed at night. I’ll come and get you if any problems arise. You’ll be on call at night most of the time because you’re new. By the way, my name is Wayne. I already know your Izzy. I guess it’s for Isobel?”

  “Nice to meet you. I’ll admit I’m pretty tired. Jacobs took me by my quarters first. That’s where I’ll be if you need me.”

  Isis had learned a long time ago to stick to variations of her name. It was less confusing and less chance she’d ignore someone addressing her. Her people always used her full name. She didn’t like any of the nicknames people used for it. It was bad enough when she was undercover and had to use them.

  She’d started this position the hard way, with a dead body. It would only get easier now. Cash would want a report in the next few days so she needed to get some information for him. Tomorrow, after she got a good night’s sleep, she would start doing that. Walking down the hallway, she met no one. The place was deserted so this must be their night.

  Her room wasn’t far from medical so she made it there in about five minutes. The doors were coded for fingerprints and
Jacobs had set hers so she could use it. The door didn’t look sturdy and it wouldn’t be hard to kick it in. The doors to the medical units were much more secure. Her room was just big enough for a double bed, dresser, and desk.

  There was a bathroom, much like the kinds in hospital rooms. A plain pedestal sink, small toilet. And a shower along one wall with the floor tilted down to a drain. It would do for now. Once she was back in the sleeping area, she found a small closet where she could hang her clothes. It was a good thing she always packed light.

  Isis saw a desktop computer that was probably the only source of entertainment in the room. It was an outdated one that was probably used in medical when it was new. Everything about this place screamed low budget. The blanket was thin and the sheets threadbare. The mattress looked lumpy and she hoped she could sleep on it. It didn’t look like anything about this place was going to be comfortable.

  Reaching in her pocket she pulled out a pen and clicked it. This marvelous and tiny piece of equipment would block video and audio until she turned it off. Putting all her stuff up, she turned her suitcase over and pressed in the right spots. A piece popped off and she took out a com unit. She typed in a message.

  Arrived a short while ago. Doctor leaving said this was a hellhole. Met Prat and Jacobs. Both are charming. A subject died just before I arrived. Broken neck. We need to move as quickly as possible. Be prepared to swoop in quickly.

  Isis wished they could just move in now. She wasn’t sure what information they were looking for. They could come in, free the subjects, gather evidence and possibly get whatever they needed afterwards. It just didn’t seem worth it to leave these people suffering while they searched for answers they might not find. It wasn’t her decision to make so she got ready, put up her spy gear, and turned in for the night.

  Isis knew it wasn’t morning, but there was a buzzing sound irritating her and waking her from a sound sleep. She got up and checked the door, it was Wayne. Opening the door a crack, she looked out at him. “Am I needed for something?”

  “Yes, you have a patient.”

  “I’ll be right out.” Isis didn’t ask for more information because she felt uncomfortable standing there in the shorts and tank she slept in talking through a crack in the door.

  In less than five minutes, she was dressed and ready. Wayne was leaning against the far wall in the hallway staring at her door. “That was quick for a girl. I thought I’d be out here waiting for an hour.”

  “That was quick for anyone. Tell me what’s going on while we walk,” Isis directed.

  “It’s not a big deal. Fight in the local bar. One guy needs his nose set while the other needs stitches. We are contracted to give medical services for anyone on the station,” Wayne explained.

  Isis hadn’t known that, but it made sense. It was a way for them to make money to support their facility. Things were harder on them. She made her way into medical where two men waited on her. The man whose nose was broken needed her first.

  “So how did the fight get started?” She asked as she took a look at the nose.

  “The snock ran into me making me spill my drink all over myself.” He screamed as Isis pushed his nose back in place as it should be. The man shouldn’t use nasty terms like snock around her.

  Now she began to pack it with cotton. “You’ll need to leave the cotton in place. It should heal without any problems. The break is clean and the cotton will hold it in place.”

  “How about something for pain?”

  “Take an over the counter pain killer and anti-inflammatory. You’ll be fine,” She dismissed.

  Now she moved on to the next guy. She started by cleaning the long jagged cut. Glass, she would bet. Using a topical pain reliever, she then injected a stronger one. The man attempted to speak, but it sounded like gibberish. Isis smiled.

  “You won’t be able to speak clearly for a while.” She got everything ready for the stitches she needed to sew.

  Her patient looked at her alarmed. It didn’t look like he liked needles much. She started at the top and worked her way down. Slowly, she closed the wound so it would heal properly. The patient seemed to be taking it well, so she took a second to glance at him. He had passed out.

  “What a pussy!” The other patient growled as he passed by on his way out.

  Isis was glad he was leaving and the other one incapable of speech. She liked things quiet. Finishing the stitches, she left the patient lying there. “Once he wakes, he can leave.”

  “What will you do now?” Wayne asked.

  “I’ll try to go back to sleep.”

  “Be careful. Prat knows you’re up and he’s out there somewhere.”

  “Thank you. I’ll avoid him if I can.” There was no use in pretending she didn’t understand the good intentions of Wayne’s warning.

  Isis left medical and headed back toward her quarters. It looked like she might make it unmolested until Prat stepped out of a doorway and into her way. “Hello, Beautiful. Imagine me running into you.”

  “Looks to me like that was your intention.”

  “How could you say that?”

  “Looks rather obvious.”

  “Well since we did run into each other, maybe I can escort you to your room?”

  “No, thank you. I’m just fine on my own.”

  “Maybe I don’t like you on your own.”

  “Maybe what you care doesn’t matter.”

  This man was seriously getting on her last nerve. Normally, Isis was shy. She was nice, generally liking people and avoiding those she didn’t. This man wasn’t going to allow that. He had a mean streak a mile wide and for some reason his interest had settled on her.

  “That wasn’t nice. You need to apologize and invite me to your room. We’ll have so much fun.”

  “I don’t want you in my room. I don’t want you near me at all. You need to just leave me alone.”

  The situation was escalating. It looked like Prat had decided he would test her strength today. He wouldn’t like the results. There was no way she would give in to his desires. She knew exactly what he wanted and the answer would always be no.

  The fool reached out to grab her and she side stepped. “Think you’ll get away so easily,” he challenged. He moved after her like a bull, big and plodding.

  Isis knew she could outrun him, but he would just keep coming. A lesson was what was needed, it would slow him down and give her some breathing space. She used his size and weight against him. She side stepped him and grabbed his arm as he started to move past. Her leg hooked his and she twisted his arm, causing him to fall with her on top of him.

  Prat ended up on the floor with her sitting on him and his arm twisted painfully behind him. She was stronger than she looked and each time he struggled to get loose, she twisted harder, causing him a great deal of pain.

  “Let me loose, you bitch!” He screamed.

  “I’ll let you loose, but first I need your assurances that you won’t bother me anymore.” She knew he’d lie, but maybe he’d think twice about coming after her.

  “I’ll leave you alone. Now let me go.”

  “You have a nice night, you hear?” She said as she hopped off him and released his arm. Isis moved to her room quickly and the glance she cast behind her showed him fussing over his arm.

  Maybe he’d learned a lesson but she doubted it. Men like that were born bullies. He might leave her be for a while, but he’d harass someone else until he regained his confidence. When that happened, he’d be back.

  Getting to her room, she quickly pressed her fingers to the tab that unlocked her door and entered. She took a quick shower to rid herself of the antiseptic smell of medical, then she put back on her sleep set. Once the smell was gone, she felt more likely to sleep. A new place was usually a problem unless she was exhausted as she had been earlier when she had gotten to sleep easily. Now that she’d slept enough to take the edge off, it would be harder to fall asleep again.

  Isis pulled out her extra strong
Anka whiskey and took a drink straight from the bottle. It burned all the way down and set her belly on fire. Good shit! She put it up and she laid down on her bed and tried to clear her mind. The next time she woke up, it was morning on the station.

  Chapter 4

  Feelings

  Steve watched the screens of the bar fight. Those happened far too often in this miserable place. The facilities security also covered the rest of the station which was why he’d seen the fight break out and called for guards to break it up. They’d arrived in time to stop anyone from dying but not to avoid injuries. This place was an outpost in this part of the galaxy and that was mainly how it made money.

  Ships that needed repairs, medical assistance, or supplies would stop here to get what was needed. Most smart captains kept their crew and passengers onboard, but there were always exceptions. There was a hotel, restaurant, and a bar complete with a gaming area, and a small brothel. There weren’t any stores like most people defined them. There were warehouse areas with boxes of supplies that serviced ships. Individual needs were met at the bar or restaurant that had a section for personal needs and a section for food.

  It was unfortunate that Isis had been called in on her first night. What happened with Prat was even worse. Pride filled him when he saw how well she’d handled the asshole. She really had been trained well. That would come in handy here with more males than just Prat. It was sad, but women were in danger constantly in this place.

  He was just getting off work when Isis was leaving her room. “Hello,” he greeted her when he inadvertently ran into her in the hallway.

  “I seem to be meeting everyone right here at my door,” Isis said dryly.

  “You must be the newbie. I’m Steve. Would you join me for breakfast? I can show you where everything is and tell you what’s good.”

  “Why not? My name is Izzy. Lead the way.”

  The cafeteria was also run by the lab and their own workers didn’t pay but anyone else did. They turned the corner at the end of the hallway and they were at the open double doors that lead to the cafeteria. Steve led her to the line and showed her where the trays and other necessities were. Moving up, they were now at the first server.