Bytes of Passion

Chapter 14

"Don't move." The warning accompanied the cool edge of a blade resting against Teegan's throat. Teegan's eyes adjusted to the darkness, but there was no light, only the feel of Skylar being pulled form his arms along with her muffled cries.

It would do no good to threaten the man behind him. The most he could do was listen to their movements, glean what information he could. Clearly they had night vision implants or masks on, for the second his right hand slid towards his knife, the blade nicked his throat, sending a trickle of blood down his neck. Then they were gone, Skylar with them.

Teegan sprang to his feet and hit the light panel. The table he'd set against the door hadn't moved. He cursed himself for not checking for a second entrance. After all, that asshole Mac had one in his office. It didn't take long to find the hidden door, behind the tasteless painting of a couple screwing against a tree. The opening spilled out into a narrow passageway that emptied into the heart of the promenade. Despite the early hour, there were dozens of people going about their daily routine.

After questioning several people, he finally got a lead on where two men had taken Skylar. He hadn't even mentioned her name, but the civilian carrying a stack of MREs had. To be openly carrying military materials spoke to the confidence of the people on Quintero. DSPS here didn't know about their activities or they didn't care. Either way, the woman had pointed him towards a sun bay on the outer ring.

The moment he entered the overgrown jungle-like conditions of what should have been a traditional park, with clean, wide paths between spaces dedicated to trees and flora, he realized how eerily quiet the area was. This place had become so overgrown few would want to enter. It was but one more difference between Quintero and well-run stations such as Nova. DSPS really had become sloppy in their oversight of certain stations of late. Then again, Quintero had always been less than law-abiding, given its proximity to so many underdeveloped planets. The station played host to companies that didn't bother with licenses for mining or transporting precious metals or goods, not to mention its share of criminals who needed repairs and refueling and preferred to avoid those stations brimming with both DSPS and Military personnel.

There against a large bay window, with a brilliant view of Caxo and one of its two moons, sat Skylar opposite Mac, having coffee as if this was a casual meeting between friends... or lovers. No, he couldn't let his thoughts go there. She'd shown no interest in Mac, but she did feel comfortable with him – comfortable enough to have run to Quintero looking for him, and then to stay the night, even if not in the psychopath's bed. And here she was, sipping her coffee, as if no one had stolen her from her bed... from him.

"Here I thought you'd been kidnapped. For real this time," Teegan said, walking over to the table. Her eyes shifted to his right. Teegan hadn't missed the burly H. standing there, nor his matching bookend to his left.

"I wasn't kidnapped. Not exactly," she said as she took another sip. Again her eyes darted to the side, left this time. Up close he could see more than her not-so-subtle hints that there were guards nearby. The tremors of her coffee and the way she bit her lower lip said more than enough. She didn't want to be here. Finally, they agreed on something.

"As you can see, Mr. Teegan," Mac began..."What is your last name by the way? I refuse to consider myself on a first name basis with the hired help."

Teegan stood there, glaring at the man. It's not like he was going to give him anything, especially his last name.

"Pi?" Mac turned to her for an answer.

"I... I don't know Teegan's last name," she said, looking somewhat unsettled by not knowing something so basic about him. It only drove home how duplicitous he'd been with her.