“We’ll teach the bastard that the Zukar won’t leave. Shipping us off to penal colonies and imprisoning us? We can’t be treated this way. Hell, we won’t be treated this way.” Lightly, he pushed against Daniel’s shoulder and chortled. “I would kill the King,” he winked, “if I did, the entire Galactic Congress would shut this planet down, and take all of our heads. Maybe I should kill the leader of the Zukar, the weak ass who’s holding me back from offing the King and putting the Zukar in complete power. If it were up to me, the Sekin Zukar’s days would be numbered and so would the King’s.” He nodded at Daniel, and slapped his arm.
Daniel raised an eyebrow at Haden’s ramblings.
Haden shook his head. “Damn frustrating, but the Sekin Zukar is still our leader. Anyway, you in on this one – the snatch job of your dreams boy? I don’t think your father can cut it, especially not after his last screw up. His ass is lucky we’re like brothers, or else… Well, what do you say?”
“I’ll think about it. When do you need an answer?” D a niel replied. It wasn’t his usual response, yet he knew Haden would respect the answer.
“I need an answer by tomorrow’s eve,” Haden narrowed his eyes a bit while he studied Daniel.
Daniel nodded and turned to walk away. Haden reached out and stopped Daniel with a sharp tug at his shoulder.
Haden leaned in, the hot air from his breath tickling D a niel’s ear. “Keep your eyes alert, son. Seems to me, the King’s watchman is interested in you.” Haden pointed ahead and strode away.
Daniel eyes followed the path Haden pointed out and stared point blank at the guard who’d confronted Nickel. The guard’s angry frown spoke volumes, and Daniel knew then that they would have to exit another way. Daniel pivoted toward Jade’s father’s office.
Faulk and Nickel were standing outside of Jade’s father’s office when he arrived. They stood off to the side with an ear-mic inserted in their ears so that they could hear what was going on inside Bry’s office. Faulk offered a mic to Daniel. Daniel put it in his ear, as he ambled closer so he could watch Jade undetected.
Daniel absently watched while Jade conned her father, and quickly scanned the hallway to make sure none of the King’s men followed. Satisfied that the area appeared clear, he refocused on Jade’s progress. She walked around her father’s desk, and nodded back at him.
“Daddy,” she said in her cutest voice, “I told you, Gabe sent me to get the key to the water cruiser. Why would I lie about that?” She walked around the office, casting an occasional longing glance at the key rack.
Daniel watched her father, Bry, shake his head in irrit a tion. Bry grunted while he counted the night’s earnings. “That boy was told to stay with you. Where’s he? Tell him to come here. I tried calling him and got no answer.”
She walked behind him to where the key rack was and stood beside him while he counted. “Papa, you never organize the money like Momma asks you to,” she scolded laughingly and kissed the top of his gray head. As she laid her hand on his shou l der, she slyly reached back and pulled one of the keys off the rack.
Her father ran a hand through his hair. “If she was so concerned about it, she wouldn’t have left last night to visit her hat e ful family. I don’t know why they don’t just accept the fact that she’s married to me and has four kids. They’re always complai n ing about how she mucked up their clan’s bloodlines.”
She laughed. “You’re just mad they didn’t ask you to come.”
He snorted. “Those Perbians are just too damned uppity to me. Maybe it’s their short stature that makes them so edgy.” Her father looked around the room.
Daniel stepped back out of view.
Bry scratched his head and then started to pick through the crystals on the table. “Where the hell is your brother? He’s su p posed to be watching you. Don’t
Daniel raised an eyebrow at Haden’s ramblings.
Haden shook his head. “Damn frustrating, but the Sekin Zukar is still our leader. Anyway, you in on this one – the snatch job of your dreams boy? I don’t think your father can cut it, especially not after his last screw up. His ass is lucky we’re like brothers, or else… Well, what do you say?”
“I’ll think about it. When do you need an answer?” D a niel replied. It wasn’t his usual response, yet he knew Haden would respect the answer.
“I need an answer by tomorrow’s eve,” Haden narrowed his eyes a bit while he studied Daniel.
Daniel nodded and turned to walk away. Haden reached out and stopped Daniel with a sharp tug at his shoulder.
Haden leaned in, the hot air from his breath tickling D a niel’s ear. “Keep your eyes alert, son. Seems to me, the King’s watchman is interested in you.” Haden pointed ahead and strode away.
Daniel eyes followed the path Haden pointed out and stared point blank at the guard who’d confronted Nickel. The guard’s angry frown spoke volumes, and Daniel knew then that they would have to exit another way. Daniel pivoted toward Jade’s father’s office.
Faulk and Nickel were standing outside of Jade’s father’s office when he arrived. They stood off to the side with an ear-mic inserted in their ears so that they could hear what was going on inside Bry’s office. Faulk offered a mic to Daniel. Daniel put it in his ear, as he ambled closer so he could watch Jade undetected.
Daniel absently watched while Jade conned her father, and quickly scanned the hallway to make sure none of the King’s men followed. Satisfied that the area appeared clear, he refocused on Jade’s progress. She walked around her father’s desk, and nodded back at him.
“Daddy,” she said in her cutest voice, “I told you, Gabe sent me to get the key to the water cruiser. Why would I lie about that?” She walked around the office, casting an occasional longing glance at the key rack.
Daniel watched her father, Bry, shake his head in irrit a tion. Bry grunted while he counted the night’s earnings. “That boy was told to stay with you. Where’s he? Tell him to come here. I tried calling him and got no answer.”
She walked behind him to where the key rack was and stood beside him while he counted. “Papa, you never organize the money like Momma asks you to,” she scolded laughingly and kissed the top of his gray head. As she laid her hand on his shou l der, she slyly reached back and pulled one of the keys off the rack.
Her father ran a hand through his hair. “If she was so concerned about it, she wouldn’t have left last night to visit her hat e ful family. I don’t know why they don’t just accept the fact that she’s married to me and has four kids. They’re always complai n ing about how she mucked up their clan’s bloodlines.”
She laughed. “You’re just mad they didn’t ask you to come.”
He snorted. “Those Perbians are just too damned uppity to me. Maybe it’s their short stature that makes them so edgy.” Her father looked around the room.
Daniel stepped back out of view.
Bry scratched his head and then started to pick through the crystals on the table. “Where the hell is your brother? He’s su p posed to be watching you. Don’t
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