Chapter 2: First Date is Always Trouble Pt. 2
"Miss…that's the woman who destroyed your father's ship…"
Vivian felt herself suck in her breath as she stared at Two, Three, Four and Six gathering together. Clearly Three was getting chewed out.
"I told you as soon as you were done get back to the ship," Two spat annoyingly.
"What the hell's your problem? A guy can't talk guns with someone who knows what they're talking about?" Three asked. "Besides you should be grateful. She offered us a discount."
"You a discount," Four corrected.
"What?"
"She was clearly trying to impress you," Four insisted.
"Impress me?"
"Big gun and a discount? You're lucky she didn't ask what you were using it for," Six smirked.
Corey folded his arms about his chest.
"Those two are familiar too," he motioned towards Four and Three. "I think they were a part of her crew when we were ambushed."
"Are you sure?" Vivian asked. She couldn't mistake random strangers for criminals. Last thing she wanted was innocent people to be in the midst of a freak out.
But that woman…she knew that woman was the person who made the ship go under. Her voice…it was so familiar.
"That's the Raza captain?" Vivian whispered reassuringly to Corey. Bruce growled seeing his owner's distress. Vivian swallowed. What should she do? Just let them get out of here? She panicked as they started to walk away. Her jaw tightened as she suddenly looked at her bag.
"You sure that's her?" She questioned.
"I'm positive," Corey looked at her in alert. "Should we call the authorities?"
"No…" Vivian. "This is personal."
Suddenly she grabbed a spare holster wrapping it around her thigh resting her pistol right into it. Then grabbed a large dagger, sliding it into a sheath in her boot.
"Come on we have work to do," Vivian demanded grabbing Corey and her rucksack and heading out of the store. Bruce hightailed it behind her barking playfully.
Corey scrambled at her pace looking at her in shock.
"You can't be serious!" he whispered harshly. "Those people are experienced pirates. They're on the Most Wanted list for God's sake."
"Then they shouldn't be roaming around in public should they?"
They blended into the crowds, carefully staying out of the crews' views. It wasn't their first ambush. Probably wouldn't be their last.
They caught up with them at the loading docks where they could overhear their conversation. Two typed in codes waiting for their door to open.
"You should know better to linger around where you shouldn't Three," Two scorned.
"Oh come on, I was just trying to have a little fun," Three brushed off.
"No you were trying to get into some poor girl's bed," Two disagreed.
"What makes you always assume that about me?" Three asked mockingly.
"You were flirting with her," Four intervened.
"So?"
"She offered you drinks," Six smirked.
"How do you know what was going on Tiny?" Three asked.
"We could hear you in the coms," Two replied.
Six snickered. Three looked at all of them in offense.
"Are you shitting me? I can't have one minute of privacy?" Three asked as the doors began to open.
"No," Two replied, looking at him sternly. Three narrowed his eyes. Two was glaring at him.
"Am I witnessing a hint of jealousy captain?" Three smirked as the doors fully opened. "Because whether you care or not maybe I liked her."
Vivian glanced noticing them boarding onto Raza ship from the docking bay.
"I'm going to get on board the Raza. You get back to your ship and I want you to follow us," Vivian ordered.
"Are you mad? You're going to get killed!" Corey spat quietly. "I'm your body guard for God's sake!"
"It's a risk you're going to have to take," Vivian whispered, putting something in his hand and speeding onto the ship with Bruce following closely behind.
Corey looked own realizing she placed a coms device in her hand.
"Damn it!" he whispered as the doors of the docking bay of the Raza closed.
As she followed through, Vivian grabbed Bruce dragging the dog behind her into a crease not to be seen. She put her fingers to her lips as they watched the crew. Bruce whined tilting his head.
Further down the hall the crew was walking through the ship splitting in different sections. The place was huge. She had no idea how she was going to navigate it.
"Android, set up FTL coordinates and get us out of here," Two commanded as she separated from Three, Four and Six who split to drop off any excess supplies.
"Aye aye captain," Android's voice chimed over the intercom. Vivian looked back towards the doors than back at Bruce.
"Well looks like we're not seeing Corey soon…" Vivian whispered. Bruce whined wagging his tail. Vivian glanced passed the hallway. No one was near them. This might be her chance to explore.
She stood slowly making her way out into the hallway.
Bruce followed closely behind her. As they walked through the quiet ship she scouted through the rooms. Although the scratching sound of Bruce's paws weren't going to exactly be stealthy. She had to hide him. She looked over noticing a room, opening the door quietly to a bedroom (Five's). She looked at Bruce.
"Get in here boy. I'll be right back," Vivian whispered. Bruce whined, obediently going into Five's room hopping onto the bed and wagging his tail. She closed the door as Bruce lay there obediently.
"That should keep him safe for now," she whispered. She grabbed a spare coms device, putting it in her ear.
"Corey can you read me?" she whispered.
"Cripes Halvor how many times are you going to give me a heart attack today?" Corey's Scottish accent fumed. "You're lucky I don't call your family and a SWAT team while I'm alive."
"For God's sake Corey I'm fine," Vivian growled, walking her way down the hallway.
"Where are you heading?"
"I don't know yet I need to find a way to the bridge, I'll let you know as soon as I find some kind of coordinates."
"No you stay on the-"
"Corey, there's a tracking chip on these things, just use the ship to find them," Vivian whispered, hanging up. She rolled her eyes. Maybe she was doomed in this place.
She looked up hearing a door open nearby. She scrambled hiding in a nearby doorway.
Five and Six exited out of the medical clinic going the opposite direction. She sighed in relief. She had to get around without being found by anyone…That was going to be a chore.
She paused hearing someone in the next room over. Sounded like someone at a gym? Or training maybe? She paused, hearing Four as she snuck towards the training room. It was filled with stacked, antique and pristine weapons. The site of it made her suck in her breath. Okay…she's in real trouble with the way this man is spinning his swords. It looked like a deadly torture chamber. She swallowed hard. Why did she think this was a good idea?
She scrambled to a clearing spot as Four finished his routine, exiting the room. She watched as he made his way to the mess hall. She sighed in relief. Last thing she needs is the martial arts maniac she helped hours ago to execute her. And with the way he was handling himself she knew it was possible.
She managed to make it to the bridge, passing Three's quarters along the way. She noticed One, Two and Android scattered about the bridge. One was looking at the "Most Wanted" monitor seeming to be in deep thought.
"How do we know this isn't a trick?" One asked.
"If the ship's mainframe recovered the files then it's probably not a trick," Two sighed. She looked at Android. "How long until we hit our destination?"
"About 26 hours so no rush into battle just yet," Android replied matter-of-factly.
"Just getting Three back here felt like a battle in it of it's own," Two scoffed.
"Why is that?" Android asked. Two sighed sitting in one of the side chairs.
"He was talking sweet to some poor girl at the shops," Two shook her head. "The guy is a chore."
"What's wrong with talking sweet?" Android asked in confusion. Two looked at her tiredly.
"Why do you care anyway?" One questioned. Two narrowed her eyes at One.
"It's nothing, forget I said anything," Two mentioned trying to brush off the conversation. One uncomfortably shrugged it off.
"Well I'm going back to my room if you need anything," One mentioned as he walked out of the bridge.
"Get some rest, we have a long trip," Two called out as One disappeared.
Vivian looked up seeing the screen of the Most Wanted Criminals on the monitor. She read it over unsteadily. Portia Lin.
Hand over your ship Miss Halvor. Or it'll burn.
She read over the names quickly. The people she saw outside the shop. They were all criminals. But how? A cloaking device? Maybe fake IDs?
She hesitated seeing Three's face. Marcus Boone. So he was a criminal too? Well shit. So much for liking the guy.
Six knocked on Three's door making Vivian jump in her hiding place.
"Yeah?" Three's voice came from behind.
"I got you something," Six grinned, holding out a bottle of liquor.
Three came out of the door seeing the bottle.
"Whoo doggy look at you? Ooo this is going to be good," Three grinned with pleasure.
"Figured we got some special stuff for those celebratory days," Six laughed. "There's more stocked in the mess hall if you want to take a look."
"Oh after you sir," Three grinned, putting out a hand as they headed towards the mess hall. Vivian glanced back realizing Two wasn't leaving. Maybe she would have a better shot later. She sneaked passed Three and Six, going into Three's quarters.
Three scrounged through all the new choices for hard liquor as Six grabbed some for himself after joining Four and Five with some new food.
"So did you find anything interesting in the market place?" Five asked.
"It's just a port, nothing too exciting," Four mentioned.
"Although we can't speak for everyone," Six smirked at Three. Three turned around.
"Yeah you sure can't," Three smirked.
"What are you guys talking about?" Five laughed.
"Three got a little distracted," Four replied.
"By what?"
"A girl supposedly," Six smirked at Five. Five grinned.
"Not one from the bar," she laughed amused.
"I'm not that much of a sleaze-ball am I?" Three asked.
"He saw her at a gun shop," Four corrected.
"Hey wait a minute-"
"Buying?"
"Selling."
"She sold you a gun? Is she nuts?" Five laughed.
"Well I would've found out if all you nut-jobs gave me just a little more time to investigate that answer," Three smirked. "And again you all heard the coms."
Three grabbed a glass and a bottle of liquor of his choice.
"Now if you'd excuse me. I've had a long day. And I'd like my peace and solitude," Three he bowed as he headed back to his quarters.
Vivian paced around the room trying to figure out a plan. How does she get close to Portia? Does she even try? She could be risking her neck. She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard whistling and footsteps down the hall. She looked around the room. Hide…where to hide…
Three opened his door whistling as he placed the liquor bottle on a coffee table sitting down onto the couch next to the bed. He looked around the room smiling. He got up closing the door behind him, locking it.
"There we go peace and quiet," Three smirked as he went back to the couch grabbing the gun Vivian gave him and the card.
"Oh yeah darling, you do know your stuff all right," he muttered to himself. Vivian peeked through the closet door he picked up the card, standing up. She ducked watching him as he walked over to the nightstand by his bed.
"Too bad it'll be a little while if I get the pleasure of that stiff drink with you," Three sighed. "God knows I need it."
He went back over to the liquor taking a good swig of it.
Thump. Vivian made something fall in the closet that made Three's head turn in alert. He swallowed the liquor, staring at the closet door.
Stirring was heard. Three immediately grabbed his small pistol on the bed, narrowing his eyes at the closet.
"If that's you pretty boy I swear you're in for more than you bargained for sneaking up on me like this," Three threatened lightly. Vivian grabbed the dagger from boot, readying it, grabbing her pistol un-holstered.
Three snuck up.
"Last chance," he warned. "Going to count to three. One…two…thr-"
He forced open the door staring at Vivian with his gun at the ready in shock before smirking.
"Well, well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise," he grinned whispering.
"Lower the gun," Vivian demanded lightly.
"Why?"
"Look down," Vivian nodded at him. Three looked down seeing a small pistol aimed at his abdomen. As he started to look up, she put her dagger across his throat.
"Whew…easy there girl," Three coaxed, his hand still on his pistol aiming at her. "I really don't want this to turn messy."
"Then why did you have your weapon out?" Vivian asked.
"Why did you?" Three countered.
"You had yours out, I thought you were going to kill me," Vivian replied.
"Good assessment," Three smirked.
"Don't make this difficult for me," Vivian sighed. "I'll ask you again. Lower your gun."
"Oh no magic words?" Three mocked smirking. The pressure and click of the gun readying made him hesitate. "All right all right."
He put up his hands, letting his pistol drop.
"See no more gun. Happy?" Three asked. "Now why don't you just walk on out of the closet huh?"
Vivian hesitated. Three smiled tilting his head, trying not to let his breathing quicken from the adrenaline. She got out of the closet, still weapons at the ready. Three eyed her.
"I hate to admit it, but I can't say it isn't a turn on seeing a woman being able to defend herself," Three smirked, hands still up in surrender.
"Who are you really?" Vivian questioned, her body becoming tense.
"You first," Three nodded to her. "But I would suggest putting the weapons down."
"Or what?"
"Well…can't say I didn't warn you," Three sighed, grabbing her wrist, disarming her pistol. He wrapped her arm behind her back, ripping the dagger out of her grip and putting it against her throat. They both were breathing rather hard from the sudden rush.
"Told you darling," he breathed. "Now start talking."
Vivian stepped on his foot making him grunt, biting his lip.
"You first Casanova," Vivian smirked. Three rolled his eyes, spinning her around as she punched him in the stomach. He groaned before tackling her onto the floor, pinning her arms to the ground, hovering over her.
"You are a feisty one aren't you?" Three breathed.
"What can I say, I bite back," Vivian breathed smoothly, smirking underneath him.
"Don't make this difficult for me darling," he sounded strained. "How did you get on board?"
"I followed you."
"Why?"
"Tell me who you are first," Vivian eyed him.
Three swallowed.
"Master criminal right? I should've known you were a bad boy at heart," Vivian scoffed leaning close to his face.
"There are much worse people than me on this ship darling. And quite frankly I don't want you getting messed up with our kind of crowd."
Five opened the door of her room suddenly seeing the playful German Shepard behind the door. Five and Six stood there confused.
"Oh! Puppy!" Five squealed excitedly. Six looked bewildered at the random dog on the ship. "You guys didn't tell me you got a dog!"
"We didn't…" Six replied.
"Well then who's is it?" Five looked at Six curiously. Bruce wagged his tail happily. Five grinned, petting Bruce affectionately.
"Hi there," she laughed as Bruce barked playfully.
"Stay here, keep an eye on him," Six twisted his jaw heading to Four's training room.
"I can handle myself. Besides what about our drink?" Vivian smirked. Three looked at her oddly.
"What?"
"I'm still keeping that bargain. But…maybe with a little more motivation," she whispered alluringly into his ear. Three closed his eyes tightly trying to regain some composure (and to be honest not think too much with a hot girl underneath him already).
"What are you looking for?" he groaned. "This clearly isn't a secret date."
Five stayed with Bruce as Six made it to Four, knocking on the door.
"Uh…we have a situation," Six mentioned. Four looked at him oddly.
"What kind?"
"The barking kind."
Four followed Six back to Five's room noticing the dog.
"Where did that thing come from?"
"I don't know he just…was here," Six motioned to Five's room.
"Can we keep him?" Five asked excitedly. Four narrowed his eyes at the dog.
"How would a dog get onto the ship?" Six asked confused.
"Maybe it's a stray?" Five added.
"Or an intruder…" Four replied sternly putting a finger on his coms.
"Tell me if you're working for her first…" Vivian beckoned him.
"Correction, I don't work for anyone," Three corrected, leaning close to her face.
"Then why is she on this ship with you," she commented. Three furrowed his brows, confused.
"Who?"
"Portia Lin," Vivian answered with some spite. "Why is she on this ship with you?"
Three twisted his jaw.
"Aww what's the matter Boone? Don't want to know how much trouble you are in?" she questioned.
"So you know who we are?" Three asked.
"I know Portia's crew of the Raza blew up my ship," Vivian whispered harshly. Before Three could respond his coms beeped.
"Come in everyone."
"What's up Four?" Two asked.
"We seem to have a stowaway," Four replied.
"What makes you think that?" Two asked in disbelief.
"There's a dog on the ship," Six answered sighing.
"His name is Bruce!" Five grinned into the coms reading the tags.
Three's eyes widened, then looked at Vivian. He muted his coms.
"Geez, you brought your mutt on the ship?" he growled.
Vivian looked at him oddly.
"I think there's someone here," Four insisted.
"Shit," Three muttered.
"Search the parameter. Android, make scans across the ship," Two commanded.
"Shit, shit, shit," Three growled. "They know you're here."
He got up quickly grabbing his pistol. As he paced, Vivian got up grabbing her pistol and her dagger, putting it back in her boot. She snuck up behind him.
"What am I going to-" Three started but Vivian smacked the back of his head with the pistol.
He fell grabbing his head.
"Sorry sweetheart. I really like you but you're in my way," Vivian commented leaving Three on the floor.
She walked out into the hallway noticing Four and Six armed and dangerous searching the corridor.
"Hey!" Six yelled. She ran down the wing, as they ran into Three's bedroom.
"Female intruder, ran down the West Wing," Four announced on the coms.
"Got it," Two announced as Vivian ran through the maze of the Raza.
Vivian activated her coms.
"Corey do you have a trace of where I am?" she asked.
"We're locked on you Lass. What's going on?" Corey questioned in rush.
"I'm in trouble," Vivian growled. She halted seeing Two and Android in front of her. "Big trouble."
Three sits up from blacking out.
"Geez…I can't have any peace and quiet can I?" Three groaned.
"Who was that woman?" Four asked.
"The same girl from the gun shop," Three growled. "She's after Two."
"Why?"
"I don't know. But we need answers. So do not kill her," Three insisted.
"Only if she doesn't strike first," Four stated sternly as he got up and headed in Vivian's direction.
"We gotta find Two," Six insisted, helping Three up.
Two had her pistol aimed at Vivian.
"Is that back up?" Two asked. Vivian bit her lip.
"Portia Lin," she announced. Two raised a brow. "Well it's certainly a pleasure to meet the woman who ruined my life."
"Do you know who you're talking to?" Two asked.
"Took me a full year without my crew to figure out where the hell you went. So I sure as hell know who I'm talking to," Vivian stated, pointing her pistol at her. "I'm sure my deceased will be pleased to know I finally saw your face."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Two asked.
"Miss I insist that you disarm your weapon so no harm comes to you," Android commanded calmly.
"I highly doubt that's going to happen," Vivian stated doubtfully, pointing at Android.
"Guys…need a little help here," Two sang over her coms.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Captain," Vivian shivered, her hand started to shake. The fire, the burning, the crew; it all came back to her like a living nightmare.
"I've been under a nightmare since your decided to take my ship," Vivian swallowed hard, choking, feeling tears stream down her face. "People died because of you."
Three, Four, Six and Five moved up behind her. Two looked behind Vivian for a split second before staring her down.
"You are an intruder on my ship and if you don't put down the gun I will have to use force," Two insisted.
"Oh now you give me a chance to live?" Vivian laughed sarcastically. "Why should I when you destroyed everything I had?"
"I warned you," Two replied coldly. "Four disarm."
Four smacked her head, knocking her out. She fell hard to the ground as pain swept over her head.
Two swallowed looking at her in shock.
"What the hell took you guys so long?!" she growled. Three jogged up to Vivian.
"Shit!" he breathed. Bruce got in front of Vivian growling viciously at the crew.
"What should we do with the dog?" Six asked. Suddenly, there was something that whizzed passed them, with a tranquilizer dart hitting the dog, making him land next to Vivian.
Everyone looked up noticing One with a tranquilizer gun.
"One! You didn't have to do that!" Five exclaimed.
"Clearly he wasn't going to negotiate," One sighed, pocking the tranquilizer gun.
"Why do you care about a girl who knocked you out?" Four furrowed his brows at Three.
"Maybe because I can be empathetic to understand she had a reason to be here."
"Yeah like killing me," Two intervened.
"So now what? What do we do with them?" Six asked.
"She is a stowaway. She probably called the authorities. I'd say space them," Four suggested matter-of-factly.
Three rolled his eyes.
"Are you serious? This woman sold you guns for half of the price and even paid for them and you want to space her?" Three questioned.
"Android is anyone on our tail?" Two asked.
"No life-forms or spaceships detected in FTL," Android replied.
"Well if she wanted to call anyone, they didn't make it," Two commented.
"She said you blew up her ship?" Six asked.
"Then maybe she has some memory of us," One added. Two twisted her jaw.
"We can't risk her here. Especially if she was our enemy," Two growled. Three knelt down beside Vivian.
"She was showing sure signs of distress. Heart level rising, anger, even the start of tears," Android mentioned. "If we do want to use her for information perhaps we should bring her to the med bay."
"No, next port we are dropping her off," Two disagreed.
"We can't just leave her there," Five insisted. "Maybe we should hear her out."
"She tried to kill me!" Two growled.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Time out," Three intervened. "Look, clearly there's been a misunderstanding. So I'll take her to the med bay 'kay?" Three insisted grabbing Vivian then fireman carried her towards the hallway.
"Three!" Two growled.
"Look, we all want answers right? Then maybe she could be a link to one of those answers got it?" Three insisted. "Now if you excuse me."
He carried Vivian to the med bay. Two growled in frustration seeing Five give her empathetic look over the dog.
"I can keep him in my room," she begged. Two rolled her eyes.
"Six get this mutt to Five's room and keep an eye on him," she sighed. Six sighed before nodding obediently. He picked up Bruce gently, having Five follow him to her room.
Three looked at Vivian.
"This is always m luck with women. One wants to kill the one I used to sleep with…"
