Page 176 of Pets in Space 10

Kari strained to keep the large man in her hold. The broken piece of glass clutched in her hand at his throat was the only weapon at her disposal. Courtesy of the broken window and the strange cat bouncing around in front of them, tail high and waving in excitement as it chirped.

Adorable.

Large purple eyes watched them as the man reprimanded the animal. “Aht, aht, Zsusa, what were you thinking?”

“Shut it,” she snapped and contemplated what to do next. Her arms hurt from being tied behind her back for so long and her ribs ached from the blows Gubu aimed there. Not to mention one eye was swollen shut and he’d busted her lips.

Instead of being quiet, her prisoner asked, “Did you kill him?”

She froze, her brows creasing. “What?”

“My brother. Did you kill him?”

Snorting, she tightened her forearm about his throat. “No, unconscious. Apparently, he has a soft jaw and one hit took him down.”

To her surprise, he chuckled. Did he not realize she held a sharp, pointy object at his neck and could slit his throat in an instant?

“He hates pain. Always has since he was a kid.”

She didn’t care. “Enough. You’re going to help me get out of here. Where are your friends?”

“I assure you Gubu and his ilk are not my friends.” He drew a deep breath and shuddered. In case it was part of a trick to unarm her, she pressed down with her hand, drawing a trickle of blood. “How’d you get the gathos to help?”

“Gathos?”

He flicked his fingers toward the animal but didn’t attempt to pull away from her.

“Is that what it is, a…gathos?” The gold fur, four legs, long tail and pointy ears with black markings on the tips gave it a cute, cuddly appearance.

The resemblance bore a strong similarity to feline creatures she’d seen on other worlds but this one had unusually large eyes and tiny white dots of fur around the muzzle.

Smart too. When Gubu and his two partners raced from the room to investigate a strange clatter from outside this room, the cat had dropped from the exposed rafters in the ceiling, put her paws on Kari’s upper thighs and batted at her with a curious tap of her paws.

“She not it and yep, still a baby for her kind. I’ve had her for five years,” he said

The idea that this man, her abductor, had a pet was incongruous with the perception forming of him.

She shook her head. “Whatever. It’s—she’s telepathic and asked why I didn’t use my claws to get free.

After explaining I don’t have claws, she seemed disappointed.

She went on to explain her master wanted her to distract the bad men. ”

She emphasized master because who made their pet refer to them that way?

No one good that was for sure. She briefly contemplated rescuing the adorable thing from him but not only was there no place for a pet in her tiny room onboard the Aranea, her frequent missions away wouldn’t be fair to the animal.

“Doesn’t explain why she freed you,” he continued. “Zsusa’s particular about who she helps. There’s also the fact she’s not ripping your throat out for holding a weapon on me.”

“Rip my throat out?” Her gaze went to the gathos who’d grown bored with them and lay on her back, swiping her paws in the air. Laughter burst forth. “Not likely. Anyway, I simply told your dangerous sidekick it would be a fun game if she helped me get loose, so I could play a prank on you.”

His chuckle vibrated against her chest. She closed her eyes at the sensation, unable to recall the last time she’d been pressed this close to a man outside training sessions.

“That would do it. She’s prone to anything she perceives as fun. I’m Luka, by the way.”

“I don’t care. Move.” She walked backward, leading him toward the chair she’d been sitting in. “Sit.”

“Sure thing, Kari,” he emphasized.

The moment his butt hit the chair, she glanced around for something to tie him with. Only the discarded restraints used on her were available. After considering the undamaged portion, she decided the length should be sufficient. It only had to hold him long enough for her to get away.

Gubu and his men could return soon and the one she’d knocked out wouldn’t stay down forever. The gathos abruptly sat up and cocked her head to the side, observing them. Her tail swished back and forth in the air behind her.

Giving in to an impulse she couldn’t explain, Kari kept the shard of glass at Luka’s throat and crooned, “Hey, sweetie. Hey kitty, kitty. Can you bring me the rope?”

Luka snorted, and spread his legs in a careless sprawl as if she wasn’t a second away from slitting his throat for his ill placed humor. Meanwhile, the gathos hissed and turned her nose up, looking to the left.

“In case you don’t speak feline body language, that was a definite FU,” he said with a low chuckle.

Her lips flattened but she kept her attention on the gathos. “Come on. Do it for me.”

If an animal could side eye in sarcasm, the look sent her way would qualify. She changed her tactic as something Luka had mentioned came to mind. “Remember…Zsusa? This is our fun little joke with your,” she grimaced, “master. Let’s play a prank on him, alright?”

Zsusa perked up and ran in a happy circle before she darted toward the corner and snagged the restraints in her mouth. She trotted back, tail held high and dropped them at Kari’s feet in triumph.

Smiling broadly, Kari kicked the cords up with the toe of her boot and snatched them in her hand. To the man in the chair, she warned, “Don’t move or my hand may slip.”

Maneuvering carefully, she tied his wrists behind his back and looped the restraint around the back bar of the chair. Once complete, she took her first relieved breath and stepped back.

***

“Fun joke. You no see lady hiding, master.”

Zsusa’s gleeful telepathic comment left Luka in stunned silence. She adamantly refused to comply with any requests from others regardless of offers for treats, her favorite thing ever, and often gave him resistance if he didn’t word his own commands in an appealing fashion.

Somehow, this woman had hit on his gathos’ weak spot. Fun.

Even still, for Zsusa to follow through was a shock.

As she got older, she ceased listening to Zair who’d known her since a kit and more times than not, nipped his brother’s ankles or ears the few times he’d been to visit.

And, she never, under any circumstances, followed a command that acted against Luka.

“Master? You no laugh.” She leaped onto his lap and batted a delicate paw on the side of his jaw. “I not smart?”

Her questioning tone pulled him from his confused thoughts.

He looked up as Kari darted across the room to the door.

In the short time he’d left her, Gubu had did a number on her face.

One eye already darkened to a nasty shade of blue, blood streaked the side of her cheek and her lips were puffy and distorted.

Loud voices sounded from the hall. Stepping over Zair’s slumped form, Kari peered around the door jamb. Zair’s fingers twitched. His brother was awake and aware, waiting for his chance to strike.

“I told you there’s nothing out here, you fuckwits. It’s an abandoned building. Probably an animal knocking things around,” Gubu snapped as he drew near.

“Shit,” Luka cursed. “Get up, Zair, and don’t hurt her. We don’t have time for games. Zsusa, free. Now.”

Zsusa’s lavender eyes narrowed. “I not smart?”

He rolled his eyes at her obstinacy. “You’re the smartest gathos I know.”

True since he didn’t know any others.

“Free,” he repeated the command. “Now.”

She leaned forward and snapped her teeth in his face, then took her time climbing from his lap. As she slashed the restraints, her claws came close to slicing his wrists.

He cuffed her nose in rebuke and rose quickly while she pranced to one corner and began grooming her long tail, pointedly ignoring him in a fit of pique. She’d make him pay later.

Zair rolled to his feet, startling the woman. A roundhouse kick dislodged the piece of glass she held. Eyes wide, she moved out of his brother’s reach.

Many had the same reaction in response to the swiftness of Zair’s attacks. He might be a walking disaster, finding trouble wherever he landed, but Luka had trained his brother well to defend himself.

Just like Luka knew Zair had deliberately let her get the drop on him.

“What’s the plan, brother?” Zair retrieved his laser and tossed the other toward Luka.

He caught it, stuffed the weapon in his pants at the back of his waist and gestured up. “We go through the roof. It’s the only way to escape unnoticed.”

“I’m not going with you,” Kari protested, continuing to back away from them.

Not that there was anywhere to go. This room was essentially one way in and one way out unless they followed the rafters along the ceiling and made their way outside. Which he intended to do.

“Fine with me. Enjoy your time with them.”

It went against his instincts to leave a woman in distress, but he’d offered. As far as he was concerned that was all the restitution he owed her for his part in this debacle.

He climbed on the chair and jumped, catching hold of the beams that ran across the ceiling. He swung his legs up and straddled the rafter. Mimicking his action, Zair joined him and sat behind Luka.

The steps in the hall grew louder and closer.

“Zsusa, come!” he whispered fiercely.

She glanced at him, rolled her eyes and returned to cleaning her tail. He sighed, hating to do this, but there wasn’t enough time to cater to her attitude. “Zsusa, return.”

She lunged to her feet, hissing and hopping in place. With her fur fluffed out he was more tempted to laugh than feel threatened. “I mad. I no return.”

The nature of the bond between them didn’t allow her to refuse the demand to return to his skin. Struggling the entire time, her body misted into a swirl that ended on his arm, forming his tattoo once more.