The Ballad of Decker Crane Ch. 05

"For fucking," she echoed. "It's not an orphanage?"

"No. It's where they raise the consorts every twenty years that they engineer, like I said."

Her eyes were searching his face. "You knew what I was? What the others were?"

"As soon as you said where you were from, although just looking at you should have tipped me off. Across the system, everyone knows about the women made on Pedige."

She shook her head, taking that in. "But what do they do with us?"

"You become consorts for rich Prime men who already have wives. You're for sex."

She went pale. "We're whores, you mean."

He shrugged. "Not really whores. You don't get paid. You live with them, as I understand it."

"I see. Not really whores. Slaves for sex, you actually mean. And we're not given a choice."

"Nope." Nothing would be different for her. She would just be his consort instead of some other man's, that was all. He'd found her. He hadn't created her situation.

"Nobody stops it?" she said.

"You aren't citizens. You don't own yourselves. You're Pedigeans. You belong to the Cromwells. They bought you as genetic material generations long ago. They made you. You're their property."

Her eyes were searching his again. "But we were stolen."

"Yes."

"And you stole us from the person who stole us."

"We stole you from the person who paid someone else to steal and deliver you to him. We're the third party you've been with since you left your moon."

When she reached out to touch the console edge, her hand was shaking. "What are you going to do with us?"

He began checking his systems. He was restless. "Like I said. You'll be returned to the Cromwells for the reward. Ten thousand dakas each. But Bai and I will also each keep one of you for ourselves."

She was breathing fast. "So two of us will stay for you and that man to rape."

He switched off the console screen, turning to face her. "We haven't raped you. Most men here would have done that, all of you, and not stopped. I didn't make this system, stubborn. You just fell on my lap in it. I'm not going to pretend to be unhappy about that."

"You're going to send them back to the Cromwells."

"We did this job for money."

"And how is that different from selling us?"

"We're not selling you. We're returning you for the reward."

She turned a small shoulder to him. "Won't you lose twenty thousand dakas for keeping two of us?"

"Bai and I will each pay to compensate Kay for the loss of his profits, which will be split among us. He doesn't like women."

"Profits," she echoed.

Rising and walking to her, he turned her to face him. It'd be easier if she just saw it his way. "Listen to me. This is the best thing for everyone. Women don't belong here in the frontier. The ones we don't want, and the girls, they'll be safer in Prime. Think about that. We've protected you here. Without us, you'd already be raped probably until you were dead."

Her nose flared. "You can't possibly imagine I'm staying here with you in your bed while my sister goes back to become sex slave for some wealthy Prime man when she's grown."

His lip curled. "I didn't ask you to, did I?"

She stared at him and then she sucked in a sharp breath and swallowed, looking down. A hot flush came to her cheeks. "Oh."

Dammit. He dropped her arm. "Just slow down. I didn't say I'm not, either."

She rose to go to the door. He came around, stopping her. Walking her backward, he pushed her on the bed on her back, getting over her and pinning her hands.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said.

There were tears in her eyes. "Aren't I wonderfully stupid. You must have been laughing the whole time. No wonder it didn't make any sense. I sold myself to persuade you to save us from being sold and now you're going to sell us."

"It's a reward."

"You lied to me," she went on, the tears spilling now.

"I never did, if you'll go back and remember my words to you. It's not me who did this to you. It's not me kept you ignorant of your place in things. I'm just the one who told you, and I told you when you asked me. I didn't have to. You'll get used to it. I kept my side of our deal and it's over. Now things are different." That was settled. Whatever got her through. He got off of her.

She stood, going to the door and through it without looking at him. He went to his desk, his jaw clenched, and sat.

When he went out later, it was quiet in the main room.

Bai's chin indicated their door. "Persya came out with a look on her face and they all went in and they haven't come out."

Decker sat. "I told her. It's merciful. The others should know before they go back to it."

"Yeah, we kind of figured that," Kay said.

They sat at the table, not speaking much. Bai glanced at the closed door. It was ridiculous.

Decker went and banged on the door. "Come out." He stepped back and waited. The door opened and Chione emerged. More women came out. They were subdued, quiet and pale, as they should have been from the beginning, in the hands of the worst kind of frontier mercenaries, fuck's sake. Then maybe this wouldn't all be so uncomfortable. Dawine came out and then the two girls were the last.

"Persya's mine," Decker said to Bai. Best to get it clear and be done with it. "Now they know. Make your choice."

"Come here, Dawine," Bai said, his jaw jumping.

Dawine, the little blonde with the short curly hair, didn't move, staring at Bai. She shook her head. Bai walked to her. When he reached to take her arm, she cried out and he grabbed her and brought her stumbling out of the group.

It left four women and two girls. Their profits.

"Persya?" Bryn said, looking at her sister and then at Decker and back. Bryn's voice wavered. "I'm staying here with you, right?"

Decker's mouth got tight. It wasn't his fault it was like this. Nobody had said anything about little ones when he took this job.

Getting on her knees in front of her sister and taking her hands, Persya's voice was gentle. "You're not worth money to them if you stay. Pedige is where you'll go. Back to the House."

Bryn began to breathe fast. "Can you buy me?"

Persya's voice was husky. "I'm so sorry, Bryn. I don't have any money."

"Decker?" Bryn said, looking at him. "I can work. Tell him I can work, Persya." She started to cry.

Decker shook his head, his gut tense. "It's better for you there, girl. You'll have real food and pretty clothing."

Bryn didn't seem to hear him, clinging to Persya, the two heads with that red-gold hair. Adya stepped forward, her blue eyes and pretty dark warm skin, because this hadn't gotten ugly enough yet.

Chione put her hand out and drew the girl back. "Adya, don't. It's no use."

"They chose Persya and Dawine?" Adya said, her eyes darting, resisting. "They don't want us? Why not?"


"It'll be all right. We'll go back to Pedige, the six of us," Chione said.

"Kay?" Adya turned to look at him. She stepped toward him. "You didn't choose anyone yet. You could choose me. Please? I don't want to go back there. I'll be quiet. I could help you with the brikens."

Kay's voice was rough. "That's not how this is, little girl."

She went and stood in front of him, her eyes searching his face. "I won't eat so much. Please?" The hope faded and her eyes filled. "I'm not bad."

"Nobody thinks you're bad," Kay said.

Adya ran into the room, closing the door behind herself. They could hear her crying. Chione gave them all a dark, sweeping glance and went inside, and then Grace joined them. Bai was looking at Dawine, who was looking at the ground, his hand on her arm. Yenna and Lily were still there.

Yenna stepped forward, a black silky cap of hair that moved, and gestured at Lily. "I know you know. We love each other. We thought we'd leave the orphanage and have our lives together. If we go back, they'll separate us and give us to men. You know they will."

Lily stepped forward to stand by her, the smaller of the two, round and sweet.

Yenna looked at her and reached out, her mouth tight, touching her cheek and then turning to Decker. "There has to be something we can do to make up the money you'd get selling us."

"We're not selling you, for fuck's sake," Decker said. "It's a reward. You were already on Pedige. We didn't make you. We didn't take you from there. You just ended up with us. It's time to go back where you belong, that's all."

"We could pay you over time," Yenna said like he hadn't spoken. "You could let us go and we'll find a place. The Cromwells don't have to know. Say we died. We'll work and pay it off. I'll do whatever it takes."

"You can't do anything here to make money except on your back," Decker said. "You're worth too much anyway. Twenty thousand dakas for both of you."

"I'm a mechanic. I'm good at fixing things. People around here have got to need that."

Kay gestured. "They'd rape you and rape her before you got down the road. You can't protect her here."

"Then give me a gun. Teach me to shoot and I will."

"Yenna," Lily said, putting a hand on her arm.

"No," Yenna said, turning to her. "I'll find a way, Lily. I'm not losing you." Her eyes went to Decker. "Please."

That word didn't mean anything out here. "We can't help you," Decker said, his voice flat. Enough was enough. If they needed it spelled out clearly, he'd do so. "None of you. You were a job. You're not our responsibility except the ones we chose for our beds, for fucking."

It was unreal to have to explain this to women who ought to already know it. He and Bai and Kay weren't good guys. Nobody had ever expected them to be good, or kind, and the fact was, they had been kind here. These women had no idea how kind they'd been. And this was what they got in return.

There was a stark silence. Lily put her hand in Yenna's. Yenna's face was expressionless. She turned and opened the door, bringing Lily in and closing it behind them.

Dawine tried to follow, but Bai stopped her. She struggled with him, his hand on her wrist, and then he dragged her to the door of his room, putting her through and going through himself. She cried out again and he closed it behind them.

"Well," Kay said, running his hand over his face. "That was a fucking shit show."

Decker didn't answer, looking at Persya. The shit show wasn't over yet. He walked and disengaged Bryn, hauling them apart. Bryn cried out and then shrieked. Decker brought Bryn to the door with the other women, opening it and putting her through. She held onto his arm through the doorway and was crying, Decker shaking at her.

Chione came and pulled her off of him. "Let go of him, Bryn. He's not safe. He's an animal."

Decker was finally free. Yes, he was. Always had been. And fuck her. Closing the door in Chione's face, he walked to grab Persya's arm. Decker pulled her, opening his door and putting her through. He closed it behind them.

She yanked out of his grasp and backed away. "Is that it? You're going to rape me now?" she said, her mouth bitter and tears in her eyes.

He walked to speak to her face-to-face. She had to learn. It wasn't going to get any better for her. It had been this from the beginning and she was just knowing it now, that was all. "Sure. I can do that. Believe me, you'd know the difference."

"Like selling is different from getting a reward?" she shot. "Like being a slave to you in the frontier planets is different from being a slave sold by the Cromwells? Explain to me how it is so different, because I don't see it."

He could help with that. His mouth came down on hers, rough, breaking it to toss her on the bed on her back. She opened her mouth and he clapped his hand on it, pinning her while his other hand went to the shirt, ripping it. Her beautiful breasts bounced out, dark pink nipples, his mouth going to them. She yelled behind his hand, his cock hard and his hand shoving into her pants. She arched. He found her, finger-fucking her softness dry and she cried out in pain.

Pulling his hands away roughly before he kept going, he released her and straightened, pointing his finger at her. "That's the difference. Now you know."

She rolled onto her side, her knees coming up and her hands going over her face, her shoulders shaking and her hair everywhere.

Decker was breathing hard. That had gone somewhere that he hadn't entirely intended. He didn't know why his skin was crawling. "Persya."

He reached for her and she came out from behind her hands long enough to slap at his, one and then the other. She was batting at him like a kitten at a ball, her neat face. Like that was going to hurt him, looking adorable while she did it, making him want to laugh.

"Don't ever touch me again," she spat.

All the humor left him. He straightened and stared down at her, his gut cold. "I've told you not to tell me what to do. If you need rape to accept what this is, then that's what it will be."

He went to the door before he acted on his threat. She could have some time to think on that. He yanked it open and went through, closing it quietly behind himself because he wanted to slam it.

Walking to the bar, he got himself a drink. Halfway through sipping it, he spoke. "What're you doing, Bai?"

Bai spoke from behind him, sitting at the table, his own drink on his knee. "I fucked her because she's beautiful. She cried all through it."

Well, at least one of them had gotten some pussy. Decker didn't understand why Bai would care. He didn't. His eyes slanted to his door, his nose flaring.

They both went into their rooms later, drunk. Decker walked to stand over Persya, tugging his belt. He'd meant it or he wouldn't have said it. He'd make it quick and then she'd know what she was to him. She was going to have to learn anyway, and it was better to learn early. His belt came free, his eyes on her and his cock thick. He looped it. She'd cried herself to sleep, he saw, her shirt ripped and her face blotchy and beautiful, that vulnerable curve to her mouth.

Releasing his breath, he rolled the belt and tossed it, going and sitting down in the chair and running his hands through his hair. He finally went into his desk and got the bottle there. Fuck it.