The Ballad of Decker Crane Ch. 10

Harp here. So, I'm just loading the queue and the mediators will release chapters on their judgment. As a result, I'm writing this before the first chapter posts. I don't know what's going on. I hope you like it and are commenting. Thanks for reading.

All characters are under the age of eighteen

Chapter Ten

(Persya)

Persya felt a touch on her cheek, caressing.

"Wake up, baby. You're out so hard."

Her eyes opened. He was frowning lightly, watching her, in front of her. His hard sex was against her belly. Decker was often hard in the morning. She shivered.

"Are you cold?" he said.

She shook her head, her eyes closing, trying to put it all together. The pleasure that lived in the pain had made her feel like it wouldn't stop, setting something in her like a craving, although she didn't want it now. His big hand came and cupped her bottom.

"Ow," she said.

He laughed as she opened her eyes. His face was close.

"I don't suppose they taught you about that in your health class," he said.

"No," she said, her voice husky.

"So now I get to do whatever I want you to, anything I want, and you have to do what I say."

She laughed. "I meant last night."

"But you didn't specify that when you made the bargain."

"You did."

"I didn't. You can't break it. Don't worry," he said, leaning forward and kissing her mouth. "I'll always make sure your fingers are free. I want you willing, if that's not clear enough."

#

That day, they stopped when it started to get dark and he made a fire. The walking wasn't bad, but the sitting after wasn't comfortable, Persya shifting to her hip, her legs to the side.

"Take off your pants, baby," he said, rolling out the bedroll.

"No," she said, frowning at him. She was too sore to have sex, although a small ball of heat grew in her belly, thinking about what he'd done.

His eyes swept her, shaking his head. "I'm not going to fuck you no matter how much you want it," he told her. "I'm just going to put cream on that pretty bruised ass of yours."

In not too long, she was on her belly and his hands were on her bottom, big hands. It felt good. It went on, her breathing getting faster, squirming a little.

"You make me crazy," he said. "Turn over and spread your legs, baby. I want to see you there, too. I did spank your little pussy."

She rolled over, opening her legs and holding his eyes.

He laughed softly and squatted between them, one knee down. His fingers came in, spreading her, his eyes there, making her pulse. "Fuck, you have the prettiest pussy. You're not sore here?" Angling, his fingers touched her, her breath catching.

She shook her head, his fingers gentle.

"You're always seducing me against good sense," he muttered, stroking. "Look at me, pretty Persya."

She met his eyes. The pleasure was building, Persya going still as he masturbated her. The fingers of his other hand went to her nipples and she came, not looking away, his fingers deep in her and her thighs shaking. When it was over, she was sleepy again.

"That's what I get," he muttered, licking his fingers. "Get some rest, stubborn."

#

Persya woke as he entered her.

"I am trying to be a more temperate man for you, but I'm lying here thinking about whipping you and your pleasure and like you smell it on me, your little ass comes seeking, rubbing all over my cock and my good intentions just melt away," he breathed in her ear, nipping. "I'll just have to start over."

She pulsed on him, his sex filling her, Persya squirming. Her bottom was sore.

His hand went to her hip, stilling her. "I'll be gentle, stubborn."

He was, his thrusts careful until she didn't care anymore, and even then. He buried his face in her shoulder when he came, his cry hoarse, her own pleasure washing over her.

#

Persya opened her eyes. Decker was over her, his hard face, studying her.

She frowned lightly. "What?"

"How do you just get prettier," he accused. "I'm spent and I swear I could still roll you again. I'll be gone part of the day. I have something to do."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to look for something."

She waited and then sighed, sitting up, her hands going to her hair. He was a secretive man, even with her. "I'm staying here?"

"Yes."

When he was ready, she stood, watching him walk away from the edge of camp.

He glanced at her and turned around, coming back. "You're worried?"

Her chin lifted. "No. A little."

He dug into his pocket, pulling out a compass. and handing it to her. "That's southeast. If I don't come back by tomorrow morning, keep heading southeast and tell Bai and Kay what happened. I'm leaving everything. There's food, the filter, and the firestarter."

"What?" she said. "Why wouldn't you come back?"

"I'm planning on doing so, stubborn, but if I fall in a hole, I'd like someone to come and get me out. I'd take you, but I don't know what I'm going into. It's safer for you here."

"What if you were hurt?"

"Then I guess I'll just have to stay alive somehow until you rescue me." He turned and left.

She watched until he disappeared and then looked at the compass in her hand and all around. It was quiet.

All day, she kept expecting him to come back. Decker was not someone she was used to worrying about. By afternoon, she was standing, looking in the direction he'd gone. She didn't like the idea of staying in the forest by herself, or of walking back alone.

But now, those concerns had yielded to the vision of Decker at the bottom of a hole with a broken something, or bleeding, or knocked out, and he'd have to wait for her to wake up and break camp and walk for two days, after which he'd have to wait another two days for her to get back here with help. He had water, she knew.

Maybe Bane had found him. She was of no use to him in that role here.

It got later. She made a fire and knelt in front of it, thinking about him out there somewhere while it was dark. Her eyes roamed around her, hearing night noises.

When it was truly dark, she sat, wondering how she'd ended up in the middle of a forest on a planet on the edge of the known system alone worried sick about the welfare of Decker Crane, the famous outlaw. Trying not to think what she'd do if he died out here, the solid expanse of him, his voice and hands. His handsome face and clever eyes and his laugh. Something like panic settled in her belly. He couldn't do that. She hadn't realized how unbearable it would be if he were gone.

She thought about her old plans. Go to a mid-system factory and work to support Bryn. Even if she'd really been an orphan and could have done that, it would have been a difficult life. Only people in Prime got an easy one.

But that wouldn't have really been her life. She would have stayed in Prime, maybe wandering his garden sometimes, enjoying whatever small freedom Beren Cromwell would have chosen to allow her. It still made her so mad to think about that man. She hoped he died. That fucker, as Decker would say.

Standing, she went to the edge of the firelight where he'd left, waiting there again and wishing he'd come back. A hand came over her mouth from behind.

Persya exploded into struggling, her hand going for the pistol.

He stopped her, grabbing her wrist, his voice in her ear, nuzzling her. "It's all right, baby. I just didn't want you to scream. There are brikens not far. They're watching us."

She went limp. He turned her around.

"I thought you were at the bottom of a hole," she said into his chest.

"Your heart is racing. I circled far around to throw them off and it took me some time to get back, that's all."

"Okay."

He leaned back and tipped her chin. "You were that worried for me?"

Frowning lightly, she tugged his neck. Decker obliged, kissing her.

#

They went back the next morning. Decker seemed pleased about something.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" She was curious.

"I don't know yet."

"Decker Crane, you are a secretive man."

"If you say so," he said. He was carrying something in a sack, her eyes going to it.

"What's in that bag?" she finally asked.

"A secret."

"Decker," she objected.

#

When they came out onto the grasslands, Bane was there with other brikens. Decker said they'd been following. He called it a briken escort, although she hadn't seen any sign of them. The brikens weren't far, watching.

Decker glanced at her, and then his gaze sharpened, staring at her, his eyes searching her face.

"What?" she said, realizing she'd been humming when she stopped doing so. It was best if the brikens stayed calm. But now she was uneasy, the way Decker was looking at her.

"Nothing." He looked away.

After that, they walked more.

Decker wasn't a talkative man, but as the day went on, she began to notice his silence. By the time they'd stopped, she realized he'd hardly spoken to her all day.

Waiting through a quiet dinner of synth rations, she watched him, but his face was closed, his eyes elsewhere. That night, she fell asleep before he got into the bedroll with her. He was already up and dressed when she woke.

The next day, she tried several times to talk to him.

"Decker?" she said at one point while they were taking a break.

He grunted.

She waited. "Are you all right?"

He grunted again.

"Is something wrong?" she said.

He rose, not looking at her, gathering things. She sighed, getting up.

They walked the rest of the way without exchanging words. She wanted to ask him again, but there didn't seem to be any point.

When they got back, everyone had finished supper. Persya was looking forward to a hot bath. She felt dirty and tired and Decker was acting so strangely They could hear Dawine singing in the kitchen, her pretty voice, and then Dawine came out, humming and going to Bai. He gave her a lazy smile, his hand going to her waist.

Persya was watching Decker, who was watching Dawine, his eyes narrowing. They shifted to Persya. That feeling that had been in her gut was getting much worse. Something was wrong. He hadn't looked at her that way in a long time.

"Decker?" she said, staring at him.

He rose, going to the bar and getting a drink. Turning around at the bar, he gestured. "Come here, Persya."

The other people in the house seemed to sense something was wrong, going quiet and looking at her.

Persya rose and stood in front of him. "What is it?"

"I want you to answer a question and tell me the truth, if you can," Decker said, sounding angry. "In front of all these people."

Persya waited, her brows going up. "All right."

Decker's nose was flaring and she could hear him breathing. "The first night I brought you here, I woke up alone, and I didn't intend that. When we were out there, I heard you singing to the brikens. You did it the first time we met them, too. You're always humming and singing. The other women do it. What is that?"

She froze. "I don't--It's nothing, Decker. What could it be? It's just singing."

"See, I think you're lying to me right now. I think you tell people what to do. I think you can make people do things when you sing. Am I wrong?"

He was really angry. Persya didn't know what to say. "It's not like that."

"What is it like then?" Decker said, his jaw tight.

"What?" Kay said, looking down at Adya.

"How about you, Dawine?" Decker said, his eyes never leaving Persya. "Have you been hiding it from Bai? Keeping your secret? He has a right to know what you can do. What you probably have done."

"What's he talking about?" Bai said to Dawine.

Dawine was quiet. "It wasn't important, Bai. We can..." She didn't finish.

"Tell me."

"It's not easy to say."

"Try."

"It's not as much as he made it sound. It's nothing, really."

"Show me nothing," he said, his voice sharp.

"I don't want to."

"Do it."

"Please, Bai."

His voice was sharp. "Now, Dawine."

Dawine hesitated, glancing at Decker, whose face was hard. Dawine began to hum, Bai getting closer to her, his eyes going to her mouth, looking fascinated. Then Bai walked to the door, opening it and going through. He closed it behind himself.

Dawine stopped humming and then she went pale. "That wasn't right. Bai."

"Son of a bitch," Kay said, looking at the door and then at Dawine, his eyes darting to the other women. "How did she do that?"

Dawine backed up as Bai came back through the doorway, looking pissed.

Decker strode forward and put his hand on Bai's arm as he passed, stopping him. "Now we know, don't we? Consorts is not all they are."

Bai spoke through his teeth. "She made me do that, Decker. I didn't even know I was going to do that until I fucking found myself outside."

"She sang to you in your mind," Decker said low. "They're some kind of sirens, mesmerizing us and singing and making us do and feel things. Think about it. What did we originally intend? What're we doing now?"

Persya was staring at Decker's face. He shot her a dark glance.

"I'm sorry I did it," Dawine said, beginning to cry, and then she walked into the kitchen.

Adya looked up at Kay, who was frowning down at her. The girl shook her head, her eyes wide. "I don't do that, Kay."

"Not yet," he said.

"I wouldn't. I wouldn't make Bai go outside ever. I wouldn't make you do anything. I promise, Kay." She was almost in tears, her eyes searching his face. "Kay."

Kay eyed her for a long moment and then he relaxed and sighed, nodding. "You are what you are, little girl. I'll take your word." His hand went to her head and she relaxed against him, her small shoulders coming down.

Persya turned and looked at him as Decker got close to her, his face hard.

"Did you try to make me love you?" he said.

Her heart was pounding. It was all falling apart around them. "Of course not. It's not what you're thinking, Decker. Don't be like that. It's harmless. It's only simple things. I couldn't sing you to do anything complicated."

"What did you do that night? Tell me the truth this time."

"I sang to Cochrain to get him to open the door and then I hit him over the head. I sang you to let me go. I was barely able to get you to do it. You fought it. But I couldn't have told Cochrain to send us back to Prime or show me where the others were. I couldn't sing you how to feel."

He sneered at her, his face cruel. "How do I know you're not still lying to me? You did before, first not telling me and then to my face."

"I'm not. You think I'm controlling you because I can sing you to wave your hand for a time?"

"Yes."

Staring at him, she felt the breath leave her. "Decker."

He was looking at her like someone who was dangerous, his face wary and hostile. Her heart was pounding. She couldn't endure him looking at her like that. Backing away from him, she walked to the front door and opened it.

Decker moved so fast she didn't see him coming, slamming it closed and putting his face in hers again, big and mean, his mouth set in a bitter line. "Where do you think you're going? I got to figure out what to do with you now."

"What do you mean?" Persya said, facing him, her voice wavering.

"This is bullshit," Bai said, brushing past Yenna and Lily and going into the kitchen.

They heard Bai's voice raised, "...could do that and forgot to tell me you were some kind of witch," Bai finished clearly, all of them catching that when he threw it after her as she opened the kitchen door.

Dawine let the door fall closed behind her. Her cheeks were bright red and her eyes were wet. She ran past all of them without looking at them and to the front door. Wrenching it open, she went through.

"Dawine," Persya called, starting to follow.

Decker's hand went to her arm, biting into it and hauling her back, swinging the door closed. He leaned over her. "Where are you going?" he said through clenched teeth. "We're still talking."

Bai came out, looking angry and striding to Decker. "You brought them here and us here."

"How was I supposed to know they were fucked up like that?" Decker shot back, releasing her to face Bai.

Persya rubbed at her arm, the feeling coming back to the limb, tingling. Now the two men were facing off, snarling at one another, everyone watching.

In all the yelling, it took a moment for Persya to realize she was hearing the door rattling. Dawine was returning. But the door wasn't locked. Frowning, she walked toward it as it began to bang in its place like someone was pounding on it. She reached for the handle, turning it, and it slammed back into place again.

She looked up. Decker had his arm over her, holding it closed. "Storm," he yelled as the whole cabin began to shake, rattling around them, drowning his voice.

It was so loud. She saw Bryn cry out, her hands going over her ears, but Persya could barely hear her.

"Dawine," Bai yelled, running to grab a mask and taking a second one.

All the men were grabbing them, Chione moving to do the same.

Decker turned, grabbing the mask out of Chione's hand in rough motions and tossing it, Chione looking surprised. They opened the door, fighting it, bringing a sharp wind. The dust storm seemed to suck them out and the three men were gone.

Adya stood, facing the door. She waited.

The cabin thumped and rattled around them as they all went and huddled on the floor by the table. None of them said anything, unable to hear each other over the noise anyway. Persya was seeing Decker's face, closed and cold, something so heavy in her chest.

It seemed like a long time before Kay came back, bringing wind with him, struggling to close the door. Adya was there, not having moved. Decker was still out there.

"Dawine?" Chione yelled.

Kay shook his head when he swept off his mask, running the vacuum that came out of the wall over himself.

Persya waited. The door finally opened and Decker fought his way through it, his lips pulled back from his teeth when he removed his mask. She released her breath, standing up and going to him and then seeing the face he turned to her. Staring for a moment, the world howling around her, she backed away. Shaking her head, she went and sat on the floor again, putting her arms around her knees and her forehead against them.

The storm's force seemed to triple. Persya didn't look at Decker again. She didn't need to.

It was more time before Bai finally came back. He wrestled his way through, closing the door and pulling off his mask, coughing, his eyes already darting. When he didn't see Dawine, he put his mask back on.

"No," Decker yelled. "Bai."

Bai paused at the door, his hand on the handle. "Fuck you," he yelled back, his voice hoarse.

"It's too late," Decker bellowed.

Bai shook his head, taking the mask off, yelling. "She doesn't have a mask, Decker. She'll die."

"There's no point," Decker walked to yell into his face. "You know that. She found shelter or she didn't. We're in the center of it. Nothing can live out there that's exposed right now. We have to wait and see."

Bai glared at Decker. Then, in a violent motion, he flung the mask against the wall, all of them jumping. It shattered almost soundlessly, merely adding to the chaos, sending shards everywhere. He put his back against the wall, following it down, his knees up. His head rested back and he pounded it lightly.

Persya put her forehead back on her knees, closing her eyes.

#

(Decker)

Sitting at the table, Decker listened to the cabin rock and creak, shuddering. It was storm-enforced, just like the barn and outbuildings. They were safe here. Bai was still sitting on the floor, his hand hanging off his knee, his face turned down. Lily had come and cleaned up the mess and Bai hadn't moved. Persya and the rest of the women were on the floor, huddled together.

Decker's mood was fouler than foul. Hearing Persya singing at the brikens as they passed through the enclosure, it had occurred to him that she had hummed at the brikens, and at him the night they met, and she'd disappeared, and then he'd become increasingly sure of what that meant, his outrage growing. He'd felt taken in, her keeping it secret. He'd waited to ambush her in front of the others because it had seemed like the best way to get them to talk, a bunch of sirens in his house.