Chapter 3

"Slavers, what do you mean taken by a slaver?" screamed Candy.

"All I know is she's gone, missing and the slavers' ship has gone, too," I said. "Look, I'll explain later but first, let's get moving."

I emergency-cleared Star Base 12 for flight and backed her out of our slot.

"Which way?" said Candy, her voice betraying her anxiety.

"The only place that you can sell slaves these days is on Phobus 3," I said. "So set a heading and we'll see if we can pick up their warp trail."

Fifteen minutes later, we had settled down and the speed was picking up.

"Max Cruise speed," I ordered.

"So, tell me," Candy asked.

I rubbed my face to clear my thoughts.

"I went to the 'Stud Palace' to collect Lila but the place was a wreck," I explained. "The owner said a tall blonde women was carried out by four men, slavers he thinks."

"Why would slavers take Lila?" asked Candy. "Isn't a Star base supposed to be neutral, a safe haven from this sort of thing?"

"Sure, but a prize like Lila must have tempted them," I said.

"Picking up a trail now," she said, her head jammed against the sensor hood.

"What sort of ship have they got?" she asked.

"According to the harbour master, they've got an old Titian class cargo hauler," I said. "You know the type, built when shielding was a thing for warships, only, so she's really built, armoured like you wouldn't believe."

"So, how are we going to get Lila back?" she asked.

"Fucked if I know," I said. "But first things first, we have to find that ship. I don't think they know what they've got. Sure, she's big and pretty but they don't know how strong she is. Big bones and strong muscles she must weigh in well over 200 pounds."

"So?" said Candy.

"I don't know, but I'm expecting Lila to get away on her own," I explained my thinking. "But she's going to need some help, an edge and that's going to be us."

Shit, Lila thought, where the fuck am I? This isn't the 'Stud Palace' so who's the fucking guy pumping between my legs; then she remembered; fucking slavers. Well, she wanted a couple of days of lustful passion and it looked like she was going to get it.

"Awake now, my beauty," her lover spat as he spoke and straight into her face. "I'll tell the captain, he's sure to want to sample your wares."

"Bring him on," she said with a brave smile.

Her lover grunted and became still between her spread legs.

"Finished already?" she said, "just when we were getting on so well."

"Big mouthed slut," he said slapping her face and kicking her in the ribs as he left.

In the dim light she surveyed her surroundings. Her hands and feet were manacled and chained. She knew she could do nothing until her hands were free, at the very least. The chains were old and rusty and luckily the links weren't welded together. She tested her strength against each link but they were still too strong for her to pull apart.

"How we doing?" I asked.

"The engines are red-lining," said Candy. "We are at warp 5'7."

"Back them off," I ordered. "Top speed for that old tub can't be more then Warp 2 and we don't want to blow our engines."

This one had to be an engineer, thought Lila, with all that grease under his nails, but he did bring her some food after he had fucked her. Trouble was, the only utensil he brought was a wooden spoon. She had inspected each link in minute detail now and the weakest one was the one on the end that joined to the cuffs. It was the rustiest by far. With a flash of inspiration she pushed the handle of her wooden spoon into the link and twisted and levering it, praying that the wood wouldn't split. Slowly the link opened just a bit, not enough yet but then the cell door opened.

"You're going to make us a fair price," he said with a leer.

The way he was dressed, Lila put him down as the captain.

"The way the crew is fucking me," grunted Lila, "I'll be worn out by the time we get there."

"Don't worry," he laughed. "We'll clean you up before we dock."

"Are we picking them up, yet?" I asked for the tenth time in the last hour.

If my calculations were right, we should have caught up by now.

"No, but then they would only be using their forward scanners," explained Candy. "The trail is fresh though, no more than an hour old."

"Ok, ok," I said walking up and down the passage way.

"Have you figured out what you're going to do when we do find them?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said.

Candy looked up expectantly.

She didn't have a lot of time between visitors but at last the link was giving in to the pressure, just a few more seconds and her hands would be free. Then all she had to do was wait for her next visitor.

"I've got something, captain," shouted Candy. "It keeps fading but there's something ahead."

"Good, about time," I said with a sigh of relief. "Best if we pull off to the side say about 20 klicks and overtake it slowly."

"Righto, captain," said Candy, her voice too suddenly brighter.

The engine note wound down to its more usual purr as Candy slowed the ship down.

"I can't see it," I observed looking out the side window of the cockpit.

"It's just out there," she pointed, "about 20 klicks off our port quarter. Ok, so what now?"

"Now, we give her a little nudge," I said. "Fire up the plasma cannon."

"But, Captain," she started to object.

"I'm not going to hit the fucking thing," I said with a laugh, "but if we aim right where she'll run right into the explosion."

He was the biggest fucker yet, he roughly yanked her legs apart and fell in between them.

"Come on, baby," she sighed, slipping the link free from her cuffs.

Just then the ship seemed to hit a brick wall, it shuddered and shook itself.

"What the fuck," the big stud said between her legs.

With her hands free she took hold of his head and twisted it with a hard snap until he was all but looking backwards. His brain couldn't believe what its eyes were seeing then they saw nothing, for he was dead.

"Where's the fucking keys?" Lila shouted, going through his pockets.

No keys, ok, don't panic, she thought, his tool belt carried a few interesting items. With the help of a big screwdriver and pinchers she managed to free her feet, too.

"They've dropped out of warp," shouted Candy. "Must have knocked the warp drive off line."

"Ok, come about and drop to impulse," I ordered.

Well, engine room will at the back but now minus one engineer, Lila thought, let's see who else is back there. Not caring that she was completely naked she tip-toed down the central passageway to the engine room.

"What the fuck," said the chief engineer, who saw the big naked blonde he had enjoyed just a few hours ago standing in the doorway.

That was all he said for growing out of his chest was one large screwdriver.

"Two down," Lila said moving the few feet to pull the driver out of his chest.

Passing the many holding cells and their white, frightened faces, she came across some living quarters, all empty, and that just left the bridge.

"Anything?" I asked.

"Nothing yet," said Candy. "They've done a full sensor sweep but they don't see us."

Lila quickly searched the living quarters for some weapon but found nothing.

"Shit," she said, but she still had the big screwdriver.