Delight waited until the man subsided, and turned to the wolf. Its pricked ears and focused stare told me she had its complete and undivided attention. That was both good…and bad.
“As you can see,” she said, “Mr. Costoganzi, once the head of Selimen Enterprises and all its subsidiaries, is now in Odyssey custody. This is his last chance to formally rescind the contract between you.”
She didn’t elaborate on what Costoganzi’s alternatives were, but turned to the businessman.
“Nicholas Costoganzi,” she said, “you had something you wanted to say?”
I watched as Costoganzi took a breath, and struggled to get to his feet, and winced as Scarpil kicked his legs out from under him, again. The Hunt Leader waited, his eyes flicking between the businessman and Delight—and occasionally flickering over the rest of us. He said nothing, and Costoganzi, seeing his opportunity, began to speak.
“Free me, and I’ll double your fee,” he said, “and the payment for each of—"
Delight drew her Glazer and shot him in the head. I barely had time to notice it had been set to stun, before she nodded to Scarpil and Cossack, and then turned back to the screen. For all intents and purposes, she’d killed him and didn’t care. I wondered where he was going to be held.
“The instruction to strip Mr. Costoganzi of his business empire has already been passed by the Coalition. With your permission?”
The wolf glanced up at one corner of his screen, and then nodded. After a few short seconds, his gaze shifted and his eyes tracked as though he was reading. When he came to the end of whatever had his attention, he looked back at Delight.
“There is still the matter of your attack, and the theft of our property, and damages.”
A chime rang through the conversation, and Delight glanced up at the screen. An older woman in the uniform of an Odyssey captain stared out at them.
“Tell me why I should not charge you with prisoner cruelty.”
Well, well, no mincing words with these guys! If I hadn’t known any better, I would have said she didn’t like Delight. Neither woman glanced my way, but Mack’s arm tightened around me, the tiny movement drawing the wolf’s attention.
I glared back at him, arching an eyebrow, and curling my lip, smirking as his snarl answered my show of defiance.
“Enough!” Mack rumbled, softly, and barely audible.
I sighed.
Fine. Whatever, then.
Delight’s voice brought me back to the conversation with the captain.
“It was the only way to preserve your ship, Captain.”
“The ship is not without her own defenses.”
“With all due respect, Ma’am, if you will refer to your scanners, you will note the presence of five lupar battle cruisers in-system, one of which has just performed an emergency undock on Aktrovaran Station, one coming up on your aft orbit, and the three that have just jumped through Gate Veremo. We cannot make safe vector and outrun them.”
As soon as she had finished speaking, the Hunt Leader spoke.
“I see you understand your situation well, Agent Delight. I take it you are authorized to make a counter-offer for the cancellation of the contract?”
The Wanderer’s captain registered silent surprise, but she nodded to Delight before signing herself out of the conversation.
“Handle it, but let me know if my ship is needed.”
Needed for what? I wondered. Evasive maneuvers? To enact a peaceful surrender? To make a gritty last stand and get shot to atoms? Exactly what the fuck did she think we’d need the ship for? I mean…
Mack poked me.
Hard.
And my attention snapped back to the situation at hand.
Delight cleared her throat, and, after throwing me an amused glance, turned back to the screen.
“With respect, Hunt Leader, are you able to verify that the contract for the crew of the Shady Marie, and for Dasojin, Pritchard and myself came from Mr. Nicholas Costoganzi, late of Selimen Enterprises?”
“I can. The contract was signed between us, two of your Terran-based years ago.”
The length of time drew a sharp breath from me, and the wolf twitched its ears in response, but its gaze did not shift from Delight. I saw her mouth tighten, and she looked away, as though referencing something before raising her head, once more.
“Can you also confirm that his inability to pay nullifies the contract?”
“The inability of Mr. Nicholas Costoganzi, late of Selimen Enterprises, to pay the agreed-on contractual amount nullifies the aforementioned contract,” the Hunt Leader replied. “However, due to recent actions, and actions against the Star Shadow clan, compensation is in order for relations between the Star Shadow clan and Odyssey and its allies to return to normal.”
It all sounded like a pointless power-fluff to me, but I didn’t say it. The wolf’s next words drew my full attention—and explained why I had to be awake. He surveyed us, running he eyes over each of those the contract had named.
“You have taken back each of those subject to the contract’s terms…and they are unharmed.”
I heard Rohan gulp, and Tens give what might have been a suppressed growl. Cascade’s protest was louder. The wolf curled its lips, partly in amusement and partly in challenge. Rohan whimpered, and Cascade growled, even though he didn’t move from the boy’s side. Mack cleared his throat.
“I wouldn’t call that unharmed.”
The wolf looked at him.
“Do you challenge my judgement?”
And it was Mack’s turn to lift his head and meet its eyes. He even managed to rip out a credible snarl.
Delight raised her hand.
“I concur,” she said. “The cub is not entirely unharmed, and will require extra care.”
I watched as the wolf’s eyes travelled over us, once more, and saw when he decided to concede the point.
“We will reduce the price.”
“Agreed,” and Delight took control of the negotiations, once more.
I listened, letting the warmth of Mack’s body engulf me, using it to hold back the sudden chill that rolled over me. Delight named a figure that was double the price in the contract, and the wolf returned a number four times the amount—for damages”
“Your systems were returned
