(Fourteen)

After a week of working and helping to organize the upcoming big raid, Jacob decided his old friend needed a break. He offered to take Logan into one of the small towns in the station for a little rest and relaxation. Jacob asked them all to go, but Henry begged off. He wanted to read one of the books Fallen had given him. Remy wanted to go and Jacob just nodded at him without speaking. He walked them down to one of the few taverns in Station Nine. Even from the outside, they could hear men shouting and fighting. "It's kinda rough," Jacob warned.

Logan grinned. "My kinda place."

They went inside and made their way through the crowd to some tables in the back. They sat down and a tired looking female came and waited on them. She took their order and left, hunched over and passive. "Do all the women suck like this?" Logan complained.

"Mostly." Jacob grinned and gave a conspiratory wink. "If it's a real good time you're looking for, I can hook you up with my buddy, Jack. But it will cost you."

Logan was a loner by nature and not one to form lasting relationships. His comforts came in the form of casual sex or the occasional prostitute. He was not above paying for a little fun so long as the women weren't abused or mishandled. He had no tolerance for that kind of abuse and had been known to make pimps disappear if he caught them misusing the girls. It wasn't that he hunted them down, but he hung out in rough bars and it was all around him. If he was in the right place at the right time, his sense of honor and protectiveness forced him to act.

"How much?" At the moment, Logan had just been paid and he had thirty credits burning a hole in his pocket. The Clan made coins from metal they had scrounged and had a crude picture of the Honor Sword on it. Counterfeiters were punished by death so the credits kept their value. The alphas were paid once a week.

"At least ten for the usual. But I tell ya, if you want to go for broke, he's got a Siskan you can have for fifteen."

Logan's interest perked up at that. "A Siskan?"

"Yeah. He got one of the pleasure programs illegally. It's better than a real woman, I kid you not. Worth every penny. She'll give you the full treatment and then some. This Siskan is for alphas only. It's our best kept secret so don't spread it around."

"Sounds good ta me."

"Wait here." Jacob got up and left to make the arrangements.

"What you doin', patron?" Remy asked, shaking his head with mock disapproval.

Logan grinned. "Research."

" 'Research?' "

"Yeah. I wanna see what all the fuss is about with these Siskans. I wanna know if that's what Fallen's got."

"I t'ink we both know dat's what she's got, mon ami."

"Well, I wanna know for sure."

"De Lucky Dragon's far far away from 'ere. Ain't got nuthin' ta do wit us."

Logan ignored him as Jacob returned. "You coming?" he asked Remy.

"Non. Gambit wait 'ere for you." He had seen a card game starting up in the back and was thrilled at the idea of some real entertainment. He got up and made his way over.

Jacob led Logan from the tavern to a small private cave not too far away. He was met at the door by his friend, Jack. There was a small discussion and Jacob asked for Logan's money. He paid the man and they went inside. The home was sparsely furnished with mats and furs, a small wooden table that had been constructed of wooden crates was the only piece of real furniture. Logan was taken to a separate room while Jacob waited.

The leather skin divider was pulled back and Logan went into the room. This room was almost lavish in its decorations. Of course, this was where the money was made. A pallet bed covered in soft furs was on the floor to one side and the walls had dark red tapestries depicting sexual acts in a beautiful and tasteful manner. A large inviting stone bath filled with steaming scented water was in the middle of the room, filling the air with the scent of flower petals. Logan shivered in anticipation, that one thing alone was worth the fifteen credits.

Standing next to the bath was one of the most beautiful women Logan had ever seen. She had long dark hair in an impressive drape down one shoulder and was dressed in a shimmering red silken kimono. Logan grinned, Jacob knew of the X-man's preference for Oriental women and must have passed it on. Although this lovely lady was not Oriental herself, she had done her best to please. It was good enough for him.

She seemed to sense this somehow and smiled at him demurely. "I am Lanlin. I will be serving you today." She gestured to the bath. "Please."

He approached and paused as she came forward to undress him. He smiled and sniffed at her when she came close, using his feral abilities to give her a more thorough inspection. Like Seth, she had no scent, he could smell her perfume, nothing more. On top of that, he was aware that she was extraordinarily quiet – she had no heartbeat. Only someone with his level of hearing would notice that. It didn't mean she wasn't warm, he could sense and feel her heat as she moved in the room. It was kind of creepy considering she wasn't truly alive.

Logan had nothing to fear from this unique and beautiful creature. Lanlin was gentle and careful as she removed his clothing and laid it aside. She eased him into the bath, making sure he was comfortable. He gestured for her to join him and she opened her kimono, revealing herself to him with a small smile. She was perfect in every way a woman could be for him – she was lean, but not scrawny and had nice firm breasts. The kimono shimmered as it left her body and disappeared, making Logan grunt in surprise. It had never been real.

She climbed into the bath, sliding in behind him and placing her silky legs around his waist. He groaned with pleasure as she washed him and massaged his back and shoulders with nimble and skilled fingers, knowing just where and how hard to squeeze. It had been a long time since he'd been spoiled like this. She chatted about nothing in a soothing gentle voice as she worked her hands over him. Now Logan could see why Fallen wanted Seth so badly. Lanlin was thoughtful, skilled and compliant.

She soaped up his hair and scrubbed his head, making all the itchies from the headlice disappear. He closed his eyes and moaned in happiness, unable to keep quiet about just how much he was enjoying this. He heard her laugh softly and he teased, "I suppose ya get this all the time, huh, darlin'?"

"Not really, no. Most of the men, they skip the bath and get right to the love."

"The love, huh?"

She took him from the bath to the bed and that's where the real magic was. She's not real, he kept telling himself, but it was hard to believe. Her body was warm and felt completely real to him, inside and out, even when he had gotten down to actually making love to her. He could feel the tiny hairs of her skin and the muscles and bones of her body as she moved around him. Her nipples reacted to his touch no differently than any other woman he'd been with and she shivered and responded to his hands moving over her as though to be touched by him was to be blessed by a god. She was certainly more than eager to serve him and seemed overjoyed to have his company, making him feel like royalty.

A slight sheen of sweat formed on her back as she worked him and her breath was real and fine in his ears. She shivered and shook in a perfect imitation of woman in climax and he began to wonder if he'd been lied to. Was she a real person? An alpha perhaps that could mask her scent somehow and silence her heartbeat? He'd seen weirder things in his travels. She kissed him passionately as though she'd known him all her life and showed no fear of him at all. That was a rare thing for him and pleased him most of all. She made him miss home, though. There was nothing as soft and kind as she was here in this horrible Clan Station.

When she was through with him, she massaged him again and whispered in his ear that strange musical language he'd heard before on the Lucky Dragon. He hadn't felt this good, this wonderful and tingly all over in a long time. He wanted to explore her, silently demanding that she reveal to him the truth, that she wasn't real. He pulled her head back and looked deeply in her eyes. He almost wished he hadn't. This close, with all of his hyper senses, he could now see she wasn't real, not truly alive. There was a sort of deadness to her eyes that disappointed him. The only thing it did for him was take away any guilt he may have had for using her like this. If she wasn't alive, she wasn't truly a whore being used against her will.

Later, Remy grinned as he watched Logan come back into the bar. Logan couldn't hide his good spirits and contentment. His skin was glowing from a good wash and he smelled of soap and girlie things. He sat down across from Remy and just smiled away, saying nothing.

Remy snorted. "Dat good, huh?"

"You have no idea." He eyed the heavy bag of credits Remy had out on the table. Remy had done very well at cards while he was waiting for Logan to return. "You should put that bag a credits ta good use, boy. Those ain't gonna be worth nuthin' back home."

"Merci, but non. Gambit 'ad enough fun for one day. 'E's ready for bed."

Logan got up with him and they made their way back to alpha quarters. Henry greeted them from his bed as they entered. He noted Logan's fine condition. "I see the two of you had fun."

"You should come wit us next time," Remy offered.

Henry raised his book. "I've got all I need right here."

Logan cocked his head with a sly grin. "I had a bath."

"Congratulations."

Remy eased himself down onto his bed and stretched. "Dat ain't all he got. Jacob knows somebody who 'as a Siskan."

Henry was immediately interested. "Really? How was it?"

Logan's grin got wider.

"Hmm? Interesting."

"Maybe you should find out for yourself, Blue. The bath alone was worth the fifteen credits."

Henry was shocked. "Fifteen credits? Good Lord! That's highway robbery! Most of the regular men only get paid five credits a week." Still, he wanted to know, "Well, how did it to compare to Seth and Kimble?"

Logan was thoughtful a moment before answering, "This was much better. Hard ta tell it wasn't actually real."

"But it was the same? Fallen does have a Siskan pleasure program?"

Logan nodded. "I think so, yeah."

"And it was damaged," Henry said to himself. "If she does indeed possess the one that killed those men, she could be in danger."

"She must know what she's got," Gambit replied impatiently. "Dat girl ain't one bit stupid."

"I'm not so sure."

"Anyways, what does dis 'ave to do wit us? We ain't gonna see dem again."

Henry just smiled. "Au contraire, my Cajun friend. The good word is that we've been assigned to the Lucky Dragon as part of Valentin's squad on the big raid. I'm convinced now more than ever that Fallen is our best bet for getting out of here."

Remy was more than interested. "You ever talk to 'er about it?"

"No, but I would very much like to."

"Why would she take us 'ome? She got no obligation to us fo' anyt'ing."

"To get away from Valentin."

"What if she don' wanna leave?" Logan interrupted. He was used to things not going as planned. This mission had been a prime example of that.

Henry had the answer for that. He was grinning but quite serious as he replied, "There's more than one way to get such a talented person's attention. I'll offer her a job. I'm sure someone of her various talents would prove useful to us."