Cursing, he tore at the controls but Teebla gloated, smashing his whale against Fenli’s shark’s skull.
The shark’s eyes went dead. The squid grabbed the lifeless hulk and dragged it into its hole.
The game was over.
“A valiant effort,” remarked Teebla. “You play a daring game, Mr. Fik, but as you see, you forgot your defences. So, paid the price. So it goes. A harsh lesson. Nevertheless, I see potential in you.”
Fenli looked on sullenly.
“And now for the accounting... Your winnings are mine.”
“Wait!” cried Fenli. “Double or nothing!”
Teebla’s brows rose. “Another double or nothing? Are you sure? You’re more daring than I thought possible.”
“Call it up. Write up an agreement!”
“Are you crazy?” Miko grabbed his arm. “If you lose, our hides are—”
“Your hides are mine, indentured to me.”
Star blinked. The girl’s eyes flared. She shrilled out a breath and thought to thrust herself away. Yet the thrill of daring shone like quicksilver in her eyes; she clung closer. Miko felt her hot warmth, so close she was. Her hand clutched his arm as if her ticket out of here rested on the events unfolding in the next minutes.
Teebla struck his fist on the dial pad and the holoscreen lit in multicolour. His laugh carried far and Fenli’s shark surged through the gloom, resurrected once again. Fenli drove it with a burning purpose.
Teebla came darting in, herding Fenli’s shark into a coral maze. Too fast. He shot past some sharp edges and snagged his upper fin. A thin trail of blood mist wisped behind.
Miko grimaced. The blood would attract more predators.
Teebla seemed calmly aloof. Had his ploy been a subtle tease, bringing Fenli in for the big kill? Miko’s guts swarmed with a sick feeling.
Fenli, in desperation, veered into a school of triangular, blue aerofish, daring his enemies to come in with limited visibility.
Teebla called the bluff. Ribshot shot in far behind him. The aerofish scattered in panic. Fenli cursed, his ploy gone sour. Wounded, trailing a blood stream, he took out Ribshot in a blinding spray of blood and guts. Teebla came zeroing in for the kill.
Fenli dodged, but the whale’s blunt nose only caught him on the dorsal fin, sending him tail-spinning.
Scavengers were all about, angling in from all sides, taking chunks out of Fenli’s hide. Fenli tried to flee, but the blood stream attracted more predators.
Dogfish and swordfish swarmed from all quarters and tore into the shark’s sides. Fenli fought back, sharp, blood-flecked teeth snapping. Teebla set down his controls as Fenli’s shark sank in several gory pieces.
Fenli chewed his fingernail. Miko looked on with disbelief and horror. The woman sagged; she stepped back away from Miko, not wanting any part of these indentured men.
Teebla pulled on his water pipe with casual effort. “Have you no collateral or benefactors who can back up your bids?
Fenli waved hands, mouthing various protestations.
Teebla held up a hand for silence. “Then regrettably I must use you as collateral. The next steps that must unfold are doubtless self-explanatory.”
Miko and Fenli hauled themselves to their feet, drawing weapons. A quick grab to his shoe and Fenli slashed out his machete, driving Ribshot back. A bouncer came running and steel swung, severing the bouncer’s wrist. A howl rose above the dance music and Miko bared his own gleaming weapon.
“Gentlemen, I ill advise it!” Teebla barked. He grated orders into a small receiver on the button of his vest. Two men scrambled from the shadows.
There was a flash of white eyes in the dimness, feral snarls erupting like those of cornered animals. Steel glinted in fists and drew blood. One of the enforcers fell with a slashed throat. Four more thugs sped swiftly to the scene and disarmed the rebels in swift order.
Teebla scratched his neck in awkward amazement. “An ingenious assault, gentlemen—testament to your reflexes, but regretfully these bloodlettings will be added to your indenture.”
At the first hint of violence, the woman had fled pell-mell for the exit, but rough hands seized her and dragged her back to the blood-splattered table.
Ribshot growled a curse. “Here, take her.” One of Teebla’s henchman motioned to the man beside him.
“Hey, wait. I’m not part of this outfit—”
“Too late, sister. You bed with the viper, you get bitten. Now, come along.”
They trundled Miko, Fenli and the young woman to the stairs and then a service elevo-lift.
The outside air felt cooler than Miko remembered it. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to an empty parking lot breasting a dim alley behind the hotel. His skin shivered to the dawn’s damp chill that wafted off the lake. He hated being frogmarched like a criminal, but the situation was what it was.
Teebla motioned. “To the lumo-vehicle,” he rasped. “I owe a certain kingpin some spoils, so these two will be adequate recompense. An odd stroke of irony, Mr. Mak. You see, you inquired about the unwanteds. Now, it seems as if you will be getting a closer peek at them.”
Ribshot gave a harsh laugh. “Aye, Mr. Mak will enjoy it. Especially, in B & D’s company.”
“Mind your tongue, Ribshot. I don’t want my plans being broadcast to the masses. Or my surprise given away. It takes away all the fun.”
A blurred shape hurtled out of the morning shadows, all claws and teeth. A pincer snapped and pinched off a man’s forearm.
Shrieks rang in the air. Steel rasped and the locust was laid out on the paves, chitters competing with men’s curses. The move was valiant but stupid. Usk was tasered near to death and his pincers pulled behind his back.
“What’s
