Finders Keepers Read Online Free Page A

Standard. He knew immediately he was on the wrong side of the zone.
    “Still unconscious,” the ’droid replied. “Though the nightmares have stopped.”
    “I don’t understand why he’s still out cold. When’s the last time you ran a diagnostics?”
    “Ten minutes ago. But internal diagnostics is off-line again. I can bring up the data manually, through the medistat, if you want to look at it.”
    She sighed tiredly. “Maybe I should.”
    The ’droid turned to interface with a small console near the door. “The medistat will relay test results on its screen in forty-three seconds, Captain.”
    Captain? She was too young to hold such rank. Perhaps in her twenties? He found it difficult to judge her age through his narrowed eyes, but the outline of her form was clear against the room’s white walls. The top of her dark-green shirt hung open to her waist, its sleeves rolled up. The tight sleeveless ribbed T-shirt underneath hugged her breasts. The curve of her hips and rear filled out the baggy pants. A wide utility belt sagged around her small waist from the weight of a laser pistol and several spare charger clips. It wasn’t the uniform of a med-tech.
    She stepped closer, studied the screen on the diag cylinder. A sweet, musky scent of flowers and perfumed powder drifted to him.
    “Think we should risk a stim? I don’t see anything here that tells me why he’s still unconscious.”
    “His level of pain may be too great.”
    It was. He used the pain as a point of focus. He’d lived with pain, and the discipline it brought, almost his whole life.
    He’d also lived with the knowledge of his power, his control. He’d be there again. Soon. He just needed for her to come a little closer.
    He slowed his hearbeat, his breathing, using methods he had been taught over thirty years ago. Just a few more seconds. Just a little closer . . .
    A red light flashed in warning on the cylinder.
    “Damn, what’s happening?” There was a note of panic in her voice.
    “A cardiac irregularity.” The ’droid stepped quickly to the other side of the unit. “I cannot tell if it’s serious enough—”
    The diagram and diagnostic panels blinked off in one swift motion. The cylinder went dark.
    “Shit! What’d you do?”
    “I did nothing. I was merely attempting to calibrate the unit.”
    “He’s stopped breathing, damn it!” She quickly unlatched the lock on the unit, sliding it down the bed.
    He felt her hand on his throat, her fingers prodding gently for a pulse. Her voice was tense in his ear. “Don’t you
dare
die on me, you ungrateful son of a Pillorian bitch! I’m in enough trouble already. I—”
    He moved with unerring precision. One hand clamped tightly around her neck. He clasped her left wrist with his other and yanked her arm up behind her back. Thrown off balance, she fell forward and was crushed against his chest.
    Her cry of terror vibrated against him like a personal warning siren.
    “
Yagash!
Quiet!” He quickly amended his harsh command into her language. To control her meant control of the ’droid. He’d deal with any other crew later. His fingers expertly splayed across the base of her throat, finding the vulnerable artery. “Make a move and she’s dead.”
    The ’droid appeared stunned, his metallic arms making small, jerky movements. The laser rifle rattled in his grasp.
    “You really don’t have to do this, you know.” Her voice was small, muffled against his bare chest. He inched her arm up further. She yelped in pain.
    “Please, do not hurt her.” The ’droid’s plea almost reached a whine.
    “Drop the rifle.” He pulled himself upright, holding the woman against him in a crushing grip. “Drop it and kick it toward the door.”
    There was a clank of metal as the rifle hit the decking and then the scraping sound of it clattering across the floor.
    “Now, come here.”
    “Sir?”
    “Here, damn it!” He stood, leaning on the edge of the bed. He spun her around so she faced