The Jade Runner, Part 06

Kit sat on the edge of the sofa in Quinn’s apartment. He stopped at the fridge grabbing a pair of cold water bottles before joining her in the adjacent living. Her gaze wandered the room drinking in the knickknacks sitting on shelves and various table tops. There were pictures, clearly from the not too distant past with Quinn wearing a military uniform and surrounded by smiling friends attired the same. A picture of a woman rested on the right side of the mantle above his fireplace and the ring on her finger looked like a match to the one worn by Quinn. He tossed her one of the water bottles, interrupting her visual inspection.

“You’re married,” Kit asked, nodding toward the picture above the fireplace.

Quinn sat on the sofa and flashed her a wry smile. “I was.”

Kit raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

He cracked the top off his bottle and drank deep. “It’s a long story,” he said. “Besides, we’re here to talk about you and the trouble you’re in.”

Kit lifted her unopened water bottle in Quinn’s direction. “I could use something a little stronger.”

Quinn laughed and smiled. “I’m sure you think so, but when trouble is nipping at your heels, it’s best to keep a clear head while keeping yourself hydrated.”

She put the water bottle aside on the coffee table and stood up. It only took her four steps to round the coffee table and stand in front of the mantle. She lifted the picture for a closer look. Kit said, “She’s pretty.”

“Charm and good looks only get you so far in life,” Quinn said. “Why don’t you start by telling me who you’re running from.”

She set the picture back in its place and shrugged. “Everyone, no one.”

His gaze lowered a nod as if he was trying to see her eyes through the strands of hair hanging in front of them. “Yourself?” he asked.

“No,” she said. Her certainty arrived in the form of an abrupt tone. She turned her back to him. “I’ll face the consequences for what I’ve done if it comes to that but there are others, more guilty than I, who need to face consequences as well.”

Quinn took another swig from his bottle and leaned back into the sofa. “Maybe you should start at the beginning.”

Kit turned back to him. She shook her head. “If I knew the beginning, maybe I could,” she said.

“It had to start somewhere,” he said. “When was the first time you realized you were in trouble.”

Kit laughed. “When my father unfastened his belt.”

Quinn raised an eyebrow of his own. “Was this recently?”

She laughed harder. “No, that was a joke.”

“So your father never unfastened his belt when you were in trouble?” he asked.

“I didn’t say that,” Kit said.

Quinn shook his head. “Then what are you saying?”

Kit kicked at the carpet beneath her feet. “Do you remember that woman in the square outside the casino?”

He nodded.

She said, “I’m responsible for what’s happening to her.”

“In what way?” he asked. “She was tried and convicted on evidence and there was no indication they were searching for an accomplice.”

Kit looked away from his compassionate eyes. “I don’t know why they laid it all on her. I’ve never even seen her before. I just know I was the thief, and she wasn’t involved.”

Quinn asked, “Why did you do it?”

Kit looked into Quinn’s blue eyes. There was no reason to trust him and yet she did. She had already told him more than she planned to tell anyone. What would it hurt to tell him everything? Only the whisper of her sister’s voice kept her from opening up completely. Don’t be reckless.

She said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m not sorry.”

“That’s not entirely true,” he said. “You feel guilty about something.”

The guilt twisted in her gut and she nodded. “Tara,” she said. “I never meant for an innocent to be hurt.”

Quinn said, “You could turn yourself in and prove her innocence.”

Kit blinked at him wondering how he could seem so wise and naive all at once. “The courts aren’t going to admit they made an error. All turning myself in will accomplish is putting me in the same position as her.”

“So you’re going to just let her suffer for your crime?” he asked.

She lowered her head and stared at the tops of her boots. “There’s nothing I can do until they release her,” she said, raising her head to meet his gaze again, “but after, I’ll do everything I can to make things right for her.”

Quinn finished the last of his water and set the empty bottle aside. “Helping Tara isn’t going to erase your guilt.”

“Nothing will,” Kit said.

“That’s not true,” Quinn said. “An appropriate punishment can absolve you of guilt.”

Kit shook her head. “I’m not turning myself in, not yet anyway. There are things I have to do first.”

“I wasn’t suggesting anything so reckless,” he said. “I could spank you.”

She gazed deep into his eyes. There existed no reason to doubt his seriousness. A deep blush colored her cheeks at the thought of him swatting her buttocks. She wanted to laugh. The stern set of his jaw suggested it would be unwise. She picked up the bottle of water he’d given her. The cap fell to the floor and she drained the bottle in a single gulp. Her mouth still felt dry.

“Not for stealing,” she said.

He nodded agreement. “For Tara.”

“Okay,” she said.

The Jade Runner, Part 05

Kit turned to face Rex head on. He kept his pistol steady and his smile a little too wide. The scruff of unshaven facial hair and the tossed appearance of the light brown locks on his head could have seemed charming in the right setting. In the alley, it showed his true nature, a thug and scoundrel. Kit studied his grip on the pistol wondering if she could close the distance between them before he could squeeze off a shot.

The overhead lights flickered. Kit poised herself to move if the darkness lasted more than instant, but it didn’t. Behind Rex a figure moved in the shadows, closing the distance and clearly carrying a much bigger gun. The glint of a badge told her it could be local law enforcement and if that was true, he could be there for either of them. Either way there was a good chance he’d distract Rex long enough for her to get away.

A click followed a whir when the man pumped his rifle, revealing his presence to Rex. “I thought I smelled trouble,” the shadow man said, “then again, maybe old Rex here just needs a bath. Care to weigh in on it little lady, or should I just mind my own business?”

Rex glanced over his shoulder at the man. “You’re a little out of your jurisdiction, casino guard. Why don’t you lower your weapon and scamper off like a good little boy before someone gets hurt.”

The guard stepped out of the shadows into the light. “You’re a little young for hearing loss. I was talking to the lady.”

Rex kept his eyes on the guard while keeping his pistol pointed at Kit. The lights flickered again. Kit jolted forward and swung her case into Rex’s gun hand. The pistol clattered against the wall and fell to the ground. Rex spun toward Kit, his hand cocked to strike her in the cheek. The guard moved fast as lightning and grabbed Rex by the shoulders. An instant later the lights steadied and Rex was laying on the ground looking up at Kit and the guard. Kit held the pistol in her hand.

The guard pulled out his phone. “I’ll just give the authorities a quick ring and by midday, old Rex here will be joining that poor woman in the square.”

Kit swallowed panic at the thought of the authorities asking questions. She laid a gentle hand on the guard’s phone. “We don’t need to do that. I’m sure Rex was just upset and not thinking straight. Right Rex?”

The guard raised an eyebrow at Kit. She smiled back at him. He looked a couple decades younger than the typical private security guard for places like Gorda’s casino. If not for the gray hair Kit would have pegged him for his late twenties or early thirties. He was attractive in his uniform and something about the twinkle in his blue eyes told Kit she could trust him.

Still lying on the ground, Rex said, “Yeah, I was just foolin’ around. No harm done, right kid?”

“I guess we’re done then,” Kit said, focusing a stern gaze on Rex. “No hard feelings, but I’m rather hoping we don’t cross paths again anytime soon.”

Kit and the guard took a step back. Rex climbed to his feet. He said, “No promises, kid. It’s a small planet.” Rex left before things could get reheated.

The guard watched until Rex was out of sight and then turned to Kit. He extended his hand. “I’m Quinn Greyborne.”

Kit shook his hand. “Thanks for the assistance, Quinn.” She turned away and started back down the alley in her original direction.

Quinn said, “This isn’t exactly the safest part of town. Can I get you a taxi to get you wherever you’re going?”

Kit turned around and waved the pistol in the air while walking backward. “I can handle myself.”

Quinn nodded. “So you’re looking for trouble?”

Kit shook her head, smiling at his question. “I didn’t say that.”

He started following her. “You didn’t have to. Whatever it is you’ve done, it’s not worth getting yourself killed.”

Kit stopped walking. “Who said I did anything?”

“You weren’t avoiding the authorities for Rex’s benefit,” Quinn said. He stopped with a few feet still between them. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear it, but it’s pretty obvious you’re in over your head.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Kit said.

Quinn nodded. “My shift is over. Why don’t you come back to my apartment and we’ll see if we can’t figure you a way out of your trouble.”

Kit laughed. “It’s too late for that.”

“Maybe,” Quinn said with a tilt of his head, “but where else do you have to go?”

Kit shrugged.

“Give me a chance,” Quinn said. “I might just be your white knight.”

“Don’t you mean gray?” Kit chuckled, nodding at his hair.

The Jade Runner, Part 04

Kit reentered the casino, leaving Tara to her fate in the square. In time she could help her, but not until the worst was over. Kit sat her silver case on the counter at the cashier cage and handed in her slip to collect her winnings. The cashier made a slight attempt to get Kit to take the winnings in gambling chips, undoubtedly some unwritten policy discouraging employees from handing out too much cash to a customer. Kit didn’t take the bait.

“Just the cash,” she said.

The cashier nodded and then paused looking at her computer screen. Kit’s heart skipped a beat and then stopped beating all together. Her imagination placed her in the pillory outside, naked, spanked and crying like the poor woman, Tara. The cashier didn’t notice the concern creeping onto Kit’s face when looking back at her.

“Did you want the casino to sell the cargo ship and transfer the funds to your account?” The cashier asked.

Kit started breathing again. She shook her head. “No, I’ll take the ship as is. Just cash out my chips please.”

The cashier nodded. “I could do that or I could set you up with a line of credit and a complimentary suite in the hotel.”

Kit grabbed hold of the edge of the counter and leaned in toward the cage. “I just want my cash and the ship.”

The cashier shrugged, “If you insist.”

“I do,” Kit said.

“For a small fee, the casino can provide you with security for anywhere you’d like to go within the city,” the cashier said.

Kit raised her voice to be heard by other gamblers in the vicinity. “Are you trying to tell me you don’t have the cash to pay me for my winnings?”

Heads turned toward Kit and the cashier. “Of course not, I’m just doing my job ma’am,” the cashier said.

“Then quit trying to sell me your kitchen sink and pay me,” Kit said.

The cashier pulled stacks of cash from a hidden drawer beneath the counter. “Would you like to verify the funds yourself or shall I have the machine do it?”

Kit looked up at the glossy ceiling and shook her head. “Are you going to charge me to have the machine do it?”

“No, ma’am,” the cashier said, “it’s a free service provided by the casino.”

“Then I suppose the machine’s count is good enough for me,” Kit said.

She looked around the casino while the machine sorted through the individual bills counting their total value. Everyone had gone back to their gambling and were no longer interested in her drama at the cash cage, but the earlier attention drawn had been dangerous. Someone might remember later, and if LX was looking for their money, it could lead them to her. Especially if someone recalled the silver case. She should have tossed the case and replaced it with something less conspicuous as soon as she’d traded the last of the cash for chips. It hadn’t occurred to her until it was too late and that was because her plan had never included LX finding out about the theft and having someone convicted of it before she had left the casino.

With the money counted, Kit stuffed it neatly inside the case and sealed it closed. The cashier pushed out an electronic tablet onto the counter and a plastic stylus. She said, “I’ll need your signature on the top, confirming receipt of your funds and your thumbprint on the bottom to complete the transfer of the Griffinscape’s registry.”

Kit signed and pressed her thumb in the indicated box. “Can I change the ship’s name here?”

The cashier shook her head. “Sorry ma’am, you’ll have to do that with the port authority. I can call you a taxi to take you there, but I don’t think they’re open for business for another hour or so.”

Kit nodded. “That’s alright, I’ll handle it later.”

“Very good,” the cashier said and handed Kit the remote to the ship.

Kit smiled and slipped the remote into her inner jacket pocket. “Thank you.”

Outside, Tara was getting her second set of ten swats when Kit exited. Kit paused a moment at the scene realizing she’d look conspicuous if she didn’t wait to leave the area until the paddling was over. All eyes were on Tara, still claiming her innocence at the top of her lungs. Every echoing crack of the paddle, rippled inside Kit making her more and more ashamed.

Consequences aren’t just for other people, Jade’s voice whispered in Kit’s ear.

The spanking ended. Tara sobbed in place, supported only by the restraints keeping her on display. Kit turned away from the scene. Distracted by guilt, she walked away from the casino without a guiding purpose. Windowless walls lined the walkway and the overhead lights flickered on and off, blinking darkness around Kit.

A soft click echoed against the walls behind her. It was followed by the unmistakable hum of an energy pistol charging. Kit tensed to run but first threw a glance over her shoulder to look for the source of the noise. Rex stood too close to miss with his pistol aimed at the center of her back.

He cleared his throat, shrugged, and smiled. “I’ll be taking my ship back and I might as well confiscate your case full of money while I’m at it.”

The Jade Runner, Part 03

Kit left her winnings in the care of the casino while she stepped outside for some air. Her head was spinning at her incredible good fortune and the infinite possibilities for her future now that she had a ship of her own. It meant she could go anywhere she wanted and truly leave the past behind. A whole galaxy full of adventure awaited and maybe someday she’d even forget the things from which she was running away.

The bell in the square rang, dragging Kit’s attention back to the present. Everyone in the vicinity stopped to watch and people even exited the casino to watch. It was only a moment before the security doors on the right opened. Two guards stepped through the doorway dragging a woman between them. She was naked. Her face colored red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. She resisted the guards and their forward movement into the square with all her strength.

The overhead speakers surrounding the square crackled to life. A dispassionate male voice spoke to the crowd;

Come gather all and witness the punishment of Tara Finch, accused and convicted of thievery this very afternoon from the honorable LX Pharmaceuticals. Tara Finch is sentenced to 24 hours in the entertainment square’s pillory just outside Gorda’s Casino. She will receive ten swats to her naked buttocks every hour for the duration of her sentence. As with all thieves, Tara Finch’s personal belongings have been turned over to the victim, LX Pharmaceuticals.

Tara’s head whipped from side to side, taking note of the onlookers while she continued to struggle against her guards. “I was framed!” she shouted. “I didn’t do it. I’m innocent.”

Kit swallowed hard watching the scene play out. The words on the speakers and Tara’s insistence of innocence opened a raw nerve in Kit’s gut. She had planned her theft carefully, certain that the blame would fall on the crew of the cargo ship and not an innocent bystander. Guilt panged Kit toward stepping forward and announcing herself as the true thief. It was one thing to be a thief, it was another to allow an innocent to take the fall. She took a deep breath and a half step forward.

Jade’s voice rose up in ears. Don’t be reckless.

Kit exhaled and blinked. Jade was right.  There would be no good done from outing herself. Tara would still suffer an unfair fate and she too would suffer the same. The money would be gone. Her hand wrapped around the jade stone on her necklace. It too would be gone. Thieves loose everything, just like gamblers. Kit stood her ground, resolved to watch Tara’s suffering as a warning to herself. She couldn’t change Tara’s sentence, but when it was over, she could help her. Kit made the silent promise to herself, to Jade, and to Tara.

The guards secured Tara in the pillory in the center of the square. Her body was bent ninety degrees at her waist. The dull metal of the pillory kept Tara’s head and hands locked in place while ankle cuffs chained to eye-bolts in the ground kept her legs in the desired position. Her naked buttocks jutted out into the open air of the square awaiting the first ten swats of her sentence. The rest of her body, equally naked, lay exposed to the curious eyes of bystanders and a group of cameras transmitted front, back and side views on Centora City’s Crime & Punishment channel.

Kit wiped a tear drop from her eye. The Punisher stepped out the same doors the guards had came from, carrying a paddle with him. He held the paddle high for all to see as he approached Tara from behind. The crowd cheered and applauded. He tapped the paddle against Tara’s buttocks. Taking a step backward, he raised the paddle high into the air. He swung the paddle down hard, taking a step forward as he did. The jarring impact rippled through Tara’s naked flesh. She cried out loud enough to drown out the reverberating crack of the paddle’s impact.

“I’m not a thief,” Tara said. Tears streamed down her face.

Nine more times the Punisher swung the paddle with full force onto Tara’s quivering buttocks. Each time she cried a little louder and insisted a little more forcefully on her innocence. The crowd did not believe her. They had heard it all before and thought they knew the system to be infallible. Innocent people don’t get accused of crimes. Kit knew better.

The Punisher left after delivering the tenth swat. The guards remained, not that they would protect Tara from the ridicule of the crowd. Kit forced herself to move forward. She had to complete her plan if she was going to help Tara. The glowing red image of Tara’s buttocks burned itself into Kit’s memory.

As she walked past Tara, bound in the pillory, Kit paused and whispered, “Be strong.”

The Jade Runner, Part 02

Inside the casino, Kit made her way through slot machines and hopeful gamblers to the central cash cage. She knew the risks. The cage would be monitored by closed-circuit cameras and her face would be digitally recorded in some locked security room. If anyone was looking for the stolen money in her case, the possibility existed they could track the money back to this moment and connect that digital image to her and her to the theft. It was all possible, but it remained an unlikely outcome. The chances of anyone noticing the money missing before the next day were slim and the chances of it already being discovered were nearly non-existent. And after a few hours of circulation in the casino, the original money would be next to impossible to track back to its insertion into the casino’s cash supply.

The plan was simple. Kit opened her case carefully to avoid anyone seeing its full contents. She removed a modest stack of bills and traded the cashier for a rack of casino chips. A couple hands played at a poker table, followed by another trip to the cashier to exchange another stack of bills and so on until all the money in the case was converted into casino chips. By early morning, she would have spent enough time in the casino to trade her chips in for new, untainted cash and no one would suspect a thing.

Everything went smooth until after she had traded the last of the currency. Kit settled into a poker game joined by a smooth talking man named Rex Baxter. She knew he was going to be trouble as soon as he sat at the table. A wet sheen of sweat covered his forehead and his eyes kept darting around the room as if he was expecting to be shot at any moment. He tossed chips in the pot like he had millions but his supply was dwindling.

Kit’s plan required her to stay at the table. The other players were smart enough to leave. Rex had his eyes on her chips and she had no doubt he was hungry for them. The flaw in her plan became pronounced as he forced her to choose between betting big and folding every hand. She needed to waste time, not money. There wasn’t much point in stealing money just to lose it to a stranger. Walking away was a better option.

Rex peeked at his cards and studied Kit for a moment. “You’re cute,” he said.

Some girls would have swooned. Kit frowned, irritated because cute meant he didn’t take her seriously. “You’re not,” she said and smiled. “Are you going to push your luck or fold?”

Rex didn’t blink. He pushed the majority of his chips into the pot, leaving only a pair next to his cards. “Let me offer you some advice, kid,” he said in a patronizing tone. “You got a lot of money with all those chips, you should quit while you’re ahead.”

Kit bristled at being called a kid. “Who said I’m ahead?”

Rex leaned back in his chair and laughed. “Kid, I can tell by the way you’re dressed on a good day you might have two credits to rub together, but it’s obvious enough those chips are the most money you’ve ever seen in one place.”

“Maybe that’s just what I want you to think.” Kit looked at her cards; three 10’s and a pair of 8’s. It was the best hand she’d had all night and yet the sparkle in his eyes suggested he could have better.

Jade’s voice whispered in her ear. Don’t be reckless.

Rex continued to chuckle. His eyes taunted her. She wasn’t an opponent or competition, just a kid who didn’t know when to quit. He was going to teach her a lesson in greed. Everything she had was going to be his unless she got up and walked away.

Kit counted the chips slowly. She shoved an exact match for his bet into the pot and stared into the laughing man’s eyes. “Call,” she said.

He picked up his cards. “Read ‘em and weep,” he said and dropped his cards face up on the table. Three kings and a jack and an ace.

She smiled. “Tears really aren’t my thing, but if you need a tissue I think I’ve got one in my pocket.” Kit turned her own cards over and enjoyed watching Rex’s eyes while he adjusted to the reality of losing. The dealer sorted the chips and pushed the winnings in Kit’s direction.

“Looks like I underestimated you,” Rex said, toying with his remaining two chips. “You owe me a chance to win my money back.”

Kit looked at the pair of chips in his hand. “Maybe you should quit while you still have a pair of credits to rub together.”

Rex laughed. “I deserved that. You got spunk, kid and I like spunk. Let’s play one more hand. If I win, I get my money back and we both walk away no worse than when we started.”

Kit shook her head. “And if I win? You don’t have much left to wager.”

Rex pulled out an electronic remote and hit a button. A hologram of a small ship projected above the remote in the air. “My ship, the Griffinscape. She’s a cargo vessel with plenty of passenger space and upgraded em-pulse engines. They’ll do .98 light speed in under five minutes. She’s worth double the credits I’m asking you to wager.”

Kit’s lips spread into a wide smile. The mere possibility of winning a ship of her own was worth the bet. And he was right, she wasn’t really out anything if she lost. She pushed the credits he’d lost into the pot and looked at the dealer. “Deal,” she said.

The cards dealt, they each went for two spares. Kit couldn’t believe her luck. She’d ended up with an even better hand than the previous. Rex still projected confidence though and that left her nervous. If she had something real to lose she might have walked away.

Rex gestured toward her cards. “Ladies first.”

Kit shrugged. “I’ve got a pair of queens,” she said, turning two cards over on the table and watching relief rise on Rex’s face in the form of a gritty smile, “and another pair of queens. I think that’s four of a kind.”

Rex glared at the cards face up on the table. He blinked and looked Kit in the eye, shaking his head. His own cards dropped from his hand onto the table, revealing a flush of hearts. He shoved back from the table and stood so fast, his chair tipped over backward.

The dealer said, “Excuse me sir, before you leave you’ll need to transfer ownership of the ship.”

Rex snatched up the remote from the table and punched a series of buttons. “What’s your name kid?”

“Kit Wilde.”

Rex hit another series of buttons and threw the remote back onto the table. “She’s all yours,” he said and walked away.