Page 27 of Alien's Luck
“Whatever you like,” she said in a voice so falsely sweet that he had difficulty not laughing.
He ordered more food than they could reasonably consume. At least one of the dishes should appeal to Carla.
When the server departed, Ari said, “We could hire every mercenary on this planet. It would not matter because thesecurity for Tavat’s compound would blast any ship without a clearance code out of the sky. We need an invitation. We must be patient.”
She chewed on a slice of buttered bread. “There has to be another way in.”
“The compound is located on an island. Arrival by air or sea does not matter. A stealth approach is impossible.”
“Yeah, but guys like that need their fancy booze, food, and I dunno, peasants to hunt. I bet the island gets regular deliveries. Get the code from one of them.” She spoke in a soft voice, keeping their conversation private.
“It changes daily. We would need to locate a merchant and bribe them for the code. None will risk Tavat’s wrath.”
She finished the bread. He could see her mind working. “I suppose hiding in a delivery ship is out of the question.”
“Again, we would need to locate a merchant willing to take such a risk.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she muttered. “I don’t like waiting. Why can’t you just send him a message saying that you have a human to sell?”
Ari’s tail thumped in agitation against the leg of his chair. “You do not understand our target.”
“I understand he’s a dick with a supervillain secret lair on an island that’s shaped like a skull or on a volcano. Probably both. Also, the volcano skull is filled with zombies, including Poppy, if we don’t do something,” she said.
“Tavat is the kind of male who is only interested in what he cannot possess. Approaching him as a seller of flesh will not work.”
She slumped back in her chair. “A contrary supervillain. Fantastic.”
“We make a spectacle of ourselves. The biggest gossips on Reazus Prime frequent this club. Word will reach Tavat aboutthe human female with golden hair. He will wonder if she is the one who slipped through his fingers, and he will want to possess her at all costs,” Ari explained. He took a drink of water. “We will be patient. The hunter waits for the perfect moment before swooping down from its perch.”
The server arrived with their meal. As predicted, it was too much. Aromatic and steaming dishes covered the table. Ari had not exaggerated when he said the restaurant was excellent.
His first bite confirmed it. “The kitchen has a Khargal chef who is as talented as any in the capital of my homeworld,” he said.
Carla jabbed a fork at her plate, sullen and sulky, but did not eat. “I don’t like it, but I hear what you’re saying.”
“We must wait. Now, try to enjoy your meal.”
“It just feels wrong. How can I enjoy a fancy dinner and all this while Poppy…” Her voice wobbled. She reached for her glass, drinking to cover the emotion in her voice. “I need to do something.”
“Rushing in will only make it worse for your friend.”
“My sister,” she corrected.
“Apologies. Your sister,” he agreed. “We have a plan. We must see it through.”
She muttered an unconvincing agreement, then asked, “If Tavat’s such a creep, what were you doing with him?”
“Wasting my time,” he said.
She made an interested noise as she took a bite of food, chewing thoroughly before speaking. “So, you weren’t scoping him out to rob him?”
“I thought he could purchase a few items from my collection, but he failed the vetting process.” Tavat had the credits but lacked discretion.
“Why?”
“Why?” Ari repeated. “You are always demanding explanations. If he saw the extent of my collection, he’d snap off my wings and slit my throat.”
“I can see how that’d be bad for business. It’s a shame,” she said. “Being an art thief is much sexier than being an antique dealer.”
