Alone in Paradise (The Chronicles of Anna Foster Book 2) Read online

  “So, all the women you’ve fucked have died of boredom while in bed with you. All the women I’ve made love to are breathing hard and heavy when I get done with them.”

  Hikaru chuckled. “Yeah, probably trying to catch their breath from laughing too hard.”

  “You are trying my patience, Hikaru!” Michel’s face turned red. “You do not defend your manhood. Perhaps…”

  “That’s because I can at least see mine.”

  “That’s it!”

  Michel leaped out of his walker and sprinted at Hikaru, his fist cocked in rage.

  Hikaru rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, “Here we go again.”

  He unbuckled his restraints and reached for the safety latch to release the cage around the cockpit. “You know, you’ve got anger issues.”

  Michel leaped onto the other walker. “I will show you my anger issues, right across your face.”

  Hikaru threw open the cage around the operator’s seat, slamming it into Michel and throwing him to the ground. As Hikaru dived at his assailant, Michel rolled to the side and watched for a second as Hikaru flopped onto the ground. Michel laughed for a second, until Hikaru recovered and leaped on him. The two scrapped for several seconds, until an energy discharge exploded in the dirt next to them.

  At the top of the ramp stood Robert and the dark-skinned man, watching the fight, while the captain holstered his sidearm.

  “You girls can play with each other later,” the captain barked. “Right now, you have bigger fish to fry. Get these building materials out of the ship, or you’ll be included with them. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir!” Hikaru and Michel dashed back to their cargo walkers and resumed their work in silence.

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea to let those two blokes move this shit, Cap’n?” Robert smirked while crossing his arms.

  “That’s what they’re paid to do. At least, that’s what they’re supposed to do. If they don’t do their job, I can always throw them out the nearest airlock after we take off again.”

  “You could always leave them here, Captain,” the dark-skinned man suggested.

  The captain shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t want to torture that woman we saw earlier with their incessant presence.”

  “Speakin’ o’ which, are we gonna see if we can find that bird?”

  “Yes. In fact, I was getting ready to depart.”

  Robert rubbed his hands together. “Brilliant! I’m ‘bout to whet me whistle.”

  “Figured you’d say that. That’s why you’re going with me.”

  “God damn, Cap’n! I haves a deep love in me ol’ ticker for ya right ‘bout now!”

  The captain pointed a thumb back into the cargo hold. “Go prep the cycles.”

  As the pilot skipped back into the ship, the black man turned to the captain. “Why does he get to go?”

  “Because he is good at sneaking around places.” The captain turned his gaze toward the two walkers ascending the boarding ramp. “…unlike the Wonder Twins over there.”

  The black man shook his head with a frown. “Sometimes, I would swear you play favorites.”

  In an instant, the captain grabbed the other man’s throat and pushed him backward against the bulkhead. “Don’t you ever question my motives again.” The captain whispered his threat while holding the black man in a tight choke hold. “Is that clear, Ahmad?”

  Ahmad groped at the captain’s fingers, trying in vain to peel them off his throat. His eyes bulged out, and his dark skin took on a purplish hue.

  “Are…we…clear?”

  Ahmad nodded, and the captain released his hold, dropping him to the deck. A second later, Ahmad inhaled a rattled breath and coughed.

  The captain spoke again, his voice smooth and calm. “Ahmad, you are in charge until we get back. Make sure the materials are offloaded and assembly begins by the time I return.”

  Ahmad wheezed and coughed for a few seconds more. “Yes, sir.” His words came out a raspy whisper.

  “Good. Carry on.”

  The captain moved to the vacant cycle waiting just inside the entrance next to the one manned by Robert. He swung his leg over the seat and revved the engine. He placed the helmet over his head, tested the installed communicator, and glanced at Robert, who flashed a thumbs-up. The captain mirrored the gesture, and the two sped out of the ship and over the trees at high speed.

  A few minutes later, Robert’s voice came through the helmet’s audio. “So, Cap’n, are you callin’ dibs on ‘er first?”

  “No, we’re not doing that.”

  Robert did a double-take at the captain as they flew over the endless forest. “What do ya mean ‘we’re not doin’ that’?”

  “No one is going to fuck her, at least not yet.”

  “Wha’ are we gonna do then? Play ‘opscotch?”

  “Don’t worry, Robert. I’ve got a plan. You’ll get your pussy soon enough.”

  The pilot shook his head. “I sure ‘ope so. My prick’s been achin’ to get wet for a long time now.”

  * * * * *

  Anna lay on the grated deck plates under the bridge, staring at the sensor module in the dim light provided by her wristcomp while attempting to open the module’s bottom casing.

  “Something’s wrong with the sensors, Anna.” Her tone mocked Kate’s statements. “Come look at the module, Anna.”

  She frowned while shaking her head. “Maybe if Kate got laid every once in a while, she wouldn’t be so bitchy all the time.”

  She paused for a second. “Are you still running that diagnostic, Kate?”

  Anna smiled to herself after hearing no response. “Answers that question.”

  “I would make a holographic man for her. Probably wouldn’t do any good, though. She is a computer, after all.”

  The casing suddenly dropped off the module and banged against her forehead, causing Anna to wince. Dropping her tool, her hand went straight to the wound. “Ow! Fuck!”

  Lying in the crawlspace for a couple of minutes tending to the pain, Anna calmed herself and dissipated her troubled attitude. She rubbed away the pain and turned her attention back to her work, only to find that the tool she’d dropped had tumbled over the side of the walkway and landed on the inner hull below. “Damn it!”

  Anna judged the distance. Determining it was just at arm’s length, she turned over and reached for the torque spanner, only to find the tips of her fingers barely brushing against the handle. She stretched for it, pressing her body and resting her ear against the grating, ignoring the piercing pressure on her lobe.

  She heard a slight high-pitched whine reverberate through the deck plate. She paused and lifted her head to listen more intently. I’ve never heard that before. She focused on the sound and heard it die down outside the ship. She frowned and, after determining the spanner was going nowhere soon, crawled back onto the bridge.

  Anna hopped to the pilot station and looked outside. Nothing moved except the tree branches slowly swaying in the wind. The drones had shut down and rested on the ground – not surprising considering Kate was offline. The area seemed too quiet, setting her on edge.

  Attempting to use the sensors would be a useless gesture, since she’d had to unplug the module from the ship’s systems to investigate it. She knew she’d have to step outside to check the area for herself. Making sure her pistol and knife were in place, she walked into the airlock.

  Standing on top of the vessel next to the dorsal hatch a brief moment later, she scanned the area with her eyes and found nothing out of the ordinary, except the silence. The stillness reminded her of her arrival on Paradise. Anna couldn’t put the feeling aside that something wasn’t right. She glanced around her for anything unfamiliar. Nothing. She walked to the tail fin above the engine assembly and searched again. This time, she caught a glint of something in the woods a fair distance behind the ship. She pulled the binoculars from her belt and hunted for the source of the reflection.

  A few seconds later, An
na located what looked to be an air cycle parked about a hundred meters back, just beyond the tree line. No, two, she corrected herself after spotting a second one. Where are the drivers? They had to be somewhere, and why didn’t they make themselves known? Any company would be welcome at this point. Scratch that. Any company would be good, as long as they weren’t trying to kill her.

  Is that movement?

  Before she had a chance to find out, a sharp blow on the back of her head caused everything to go black.

  * * * * *

  “Night, love.” Robert holstered his pistol and ran his eyes up and down Anna’s athletic frame. A smile formed on his bearded face as he licked his lips.

  “Man, you are fit, aren’t ya?”

  A beep sounded from his belt, and he retrieved his communicator.

  “Yeah?”

  The captain’s voice came through the channel. “Well?”

  “Yep, I go’ ‘er. Dropped like a stone.”

  “Bring her here. We’ll take her back to the ship.”

  Robert sighed, a quick frown crossed his face. “Aye, sir.”

  He looked at Anna’s unconscious form. “Ya know, I may have to take ya back to the cap’n, but ‘e didn’t say anythin’ about coppin’ a feel while I do.”

  He knelt down and unfastened her tool belt, letting the straps slide off her waist and onto the hull. He lifted her and draped her over his shoulder. As he walked toward the nose of the vessel, he clapped a hand onto a butt cheek and gently squeezed it.

  “Ya like that, love? Yeah, I do, too.”

  * * * * *

  Anna woke up some time later, groggy and with a splitting headache. The back of her skull throbbed. She tried to place her hand over the source of the pain, but discovered she couldn’t move. Turning her head, she stared at her hand, barely able to see that somebody had bound her to a bedpost. Looking to the other side confirmed her other hand was tied to the other one. She tugged on the cloth strips, but the bonds held fast. She was not going anywhere anytime soon.

  She turned her head and looked down at the end of the bed, and found her feet were free. However, panic pervaded her mind when she realized that whoever had abducted her had taken the liberty of removing most of her clothes. She now wore only her T-shirt and panties; her bra, pants, boots, and wristcomp were nowhere to be seen. She struggled against the bonds for a long while, hoping they would give way and let her free, but they maintained their hold on her.

  Her head cleared after a while, allowing her to better examine her surroundings. She was in a small cabin, perhaps in a spaceship. From what she could tell, the accommodations were spartan at best, so this room was either thrown together for her, or the people who resided here didn’t have much to their name.

  Despite not knowing how long she’d been unconscious, the pressure in her bladder told her she had been out for a while. She hoped somebody would come along soon and let her use the head.

  She pulled again on the strips holding her arms, but stopped when she heard voices outside the door. She leaned her head closer to try to make out what they were saying.

  “Man! That ham really sucked tonight. What was Michel thinking?” The voice carried an Asian accent.

  Another one, Hispanic, replied. “I know. I think he undercooked it or something.”

  “Something. At least he tries to add a little variety to what we eat. All you make are tamales.”

  “At least I make them right.”

  “Yeah. If you make one thing long enough, you’re bound to get it right sooner or later.”

  “I don’t see you making anything besides sushi and yakisoba. Can’t you at least cook the fish first?”

  “First off, if I cooked it, it wouldn’t be sushi. Second, with Japanese cuisine, it’s an art form.”

  The Asian voice continued, “Hey, there’s the room. When do you think the captain’s going to let us at her?”

  “I don’t know. I hope it’s soon. I can’t wait to see her.”

  “See her? I can’t wait to fuck her.”

  Chapter 21

  Anna’s eyes snapped wide open, panic sweeping over her again. I’m going to be their sex slave? That explains her current state of dress. Pushing thoughts of what might have already happened to her while she was unconscious out of her mind, she wanted more than ever to break her bonds and flee. She knew she couldn’t try now, certain the men outside would hear her. Though her heart racing in her chest beat loudly in her ears, she tried to listen again, but the voices from the two men had fallen silent. She hoped the silence on the other side of the door meant the coast was clear.

  Praying nobody was outside the door, Anna tested the straps again. She twisted and tugged, trying to find some way of wriggling free, but her efforts proved fruitless. Frustrated, she searched the room for anything that might help her out of her plight. Beside the bed, desk, and dresser, no furniture was present. The desk did have a drawer without a lock on it, but it was out of reach.

  Or, was it?

  Swinging her legs toward the side of the bed, Anna twisted her body until she could set her feet on the floor. The new position was uncomfortable, bending her back to keep from stretching the wrist farthest from her feet, but she was making progress.

  She stretched her leg toward the desk drawer. Not close enough. Walking her feet toward her target, she turned on her side and reached out with her leg again. Despite stretching her shoulder to the limit, the drawer handle was still out of reach.

  At that second, Anna heard footsteps outside the room. She scrambled back onto the bed and, despite the relief from her back and shoulder, cursed under her breath just before the door opened.

  A Hispanic man wearing an orange shirt and black pants looked into the room and, upon seeing Anna lying on the bed, smiled from ear to ear and entered with a tray of food.

  “Hola!” His smile didn’t fade while he spoke. “You’re pretty.”

  Anna glared at him.

  “I don’t blame you for not wanting to talk.” He set the tray on top of the desk. “But, don’t worry. I’m here to help care for you. The captain said it was my turn to be your caretaker. My name’s Paco. What’s yours?”

  Anna elected to stare daggers at him instead of answering.

  After a moment, Paco’s smile faded. “I see. You’re going to be one of those non-talking types. That’s okay. I’ll give you a name, then.”

  He looked her over from head to toe several times, and opened his mouth a little. “An…”

  Anna raised her eyebrows at the attempt. Does he know my true identity?

  “You look like an Angelina to me, a pretty name for a pretty lady. Is that your real name?”

  She responded with a slight frown.

  “Okay, it’s settled then. Your name will be Angelina. Now that that’s settled, I brought your dinner. I hope you like it. We have baked ham, scalloped potatoes, and green beans. I’ll warn you, though, I think the ham’s a little undercooked, but you might like it. Or, would you like some water first? I don’t think you’ve had anything to drink since you got here. Let’s do that first.”

  Lifting the empty glass, Paco poured some water in from the short plastic pitcher next to it and walked over to the bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he held the glass in front of her face, encouraging her to open her mouth and drink.

  Anna looked at the glass and back at her server. She didn’t trust him, suspecting they may have slipped a drug into the drink.

  Paco glanced at the glass. “Oh, it’s okay. I filled the pitcher myself. See?”

  He took a sip of water in front of her and gulped it down before offering it back to her. Again, Anna merely stared at the drink.

  A few seconds later, he stood and stepped to the desk again. “Perhaps you’ll be thirsty later.”

  As he set the glass on the tray, Anna noticed the small sidearm holstered on his hip. Despite its size, having it in her hands would give her some power in this situation.

  “Paco,” she finally sai
d, her voice crackling a bit. She cleared her throat and continued, trying to sound gentle. “I really need to use the bathroom, and I’d really hate to wet the bed. Can you help me and let me out of these straps?”

  The man turned around with a smile on his face. “I like your voice. It’s very sweet, too.”

  He held up a finger. “I have just the thing for you. Be right back.”

  Paco swept out the door. The instant he was gone, Anna struggled against the restraints again. But, the attempt only lasted a few seconds, as he emerged through the door again with a bedpan in hand.

  “Here, you can use this. That way, you don’t have to wet the bed.”

  Anna rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration.

  He set the bedpan on the mattress next to her. Sorely tempted to swing her leg up and knee him in the jaw, Anna tensed her leg to strike. At the last second, she changed her tactics. What if he’s not imposing himself on me and is actually trying to be nice? She decided that winning his favor may actually be more beneficial to helping her escape rather than attacking him, especially considering she would still be bound to the bed if she knocked him out.

  Anna looked at the bedpan, then back up at him standing over her, staring at her body. She scowled. “Can you find it in your heart to loosen my hands, so I can at least relieve myself without, you know, going through my panties?”

  “Hmmm? Oh! Sorry. Yes, I can help you with that.”

  Smiling in response, Anna wiggled her fingers, anticipating her freedom. Instead, Paco hooked his fingers under the waistband of her panties.

  “What are you doing?”

  Looking at her face while he spoke, he paused. The open mouth and wide eyes told her he was confused. “I’m doing what you asked. I’m removing your panties. This way, you can’t get them wet when you pee.”

  “I’m not a two-year-old!”

  “No, you aren’t. But, I can’t untie you. Sorry.”

  She squirmed as he pulled her panties down over her hips. “God damn it! Stop!”

  Despite her resistance, Paco pulled the garment past her hips, pausing long enough to stare at her exposed crotch for a long second, then off her legs.