Pain dug into Sable's thigh from her cello resting under her. She realized hiding here the whole trip might not be a comfortable as she initially thought, but she was determined to do it. She did not want to die or get arrested. Sable was not sure what the patrol was like on Earth. Still, she was positive murder held a hefty penalty anywhere in the Galaxy. Well, maybe not Planet 42, but that was far from where she was headed. If she could just get to Earth, escape the ship unseen, she could enter the contest under an alias. There were large cash amounts for the first three places, but there was also a generous amount for the rest of the top ten. It was enough money for her to go far from the patrol's reach until she could figure out her next move. The pain started to shoot down to her knee. Maybe if she moved a little to the left and cradled the cello behind her legs, it would help. She adjusted herself as the mess hall doors slid open. She froze in a really awkward position, hoping the crew member had not heard her shuffling around.
Heavy footsteps entered the hall. Sable silently cursed the late-night eater. She had thought that she was safe to adjust, but now she would have to wait. She could hear the man making himself something to eat as the door to the hall slid open again, and lighter footsteps entered. Sable silently cursed the suddenly popular food.
"Hey, Captain Sage," a soft female voice that sounded oddly familiar called out to the night eater. "We need to discuss our next course of action. I have some information that you are going to want to hear."
"Later, in my office, not here. You want some grub?" the Captain asked the mysterious woman.
"No, I think I am going to get some rest. The information can wait until tomorrow if that is ok with you."
"Sounds good. My office eight o'clock."
"See you there." The woman exited the hall.
The Captain finished making his food and sat down on the bench Sable was hiding in. Sable cursed the fact that he chose her hiding place to sit on. Now there was no way she would be able to get comfortable until the Captain left.
Not moving a muscle for several minutes caused Sable's mind to wander off instead. The chaotic situation that she found herself in had left her no time to grieve her father's death. Even though they disagreed on how she spent her time, she loved her father. He had always been there for her. A single tear slid down Sable's face as she recalled her father teaching her how to fish. Fishing was not a common pastime for citizens of Hazard Rock, but her father was from Earth. He used to tell Sable stories about his home planet and describe the stunning landscapes in vivid detail. Her father would always talk about all the beautiful sights he would take her to see when he brought her back there. She couldn't believe that he was gone.
Images of her father lying in his own blood crossed her mind, reminding Sable of the stranger in the hallway with a gun. She desperately tried to recall if she had seen him somewhere before. Sable did not understand why anyone would want to harm her father. He did not drink or gamble. Never borrowed money but often loaned it with no expectations for it to be paid back. It must have been a robbery that had gone awry.
"Why is this crappy seat so damn uncomfortable?" the Captian complained as he shuffled about above her.
A miffed snort escaped Sable before she could stop herself. In her defense, she was distracted thinking about the stranger. Plus, she was the only person at the factory that ever made these benches in their production history, so essentially the bastard was talking shit about her craftsmanship.
***
Drew stared down at the bench he was sitting on in confusion. Did the damn thing just snort in indignation at him? he wondered.
Captian Sage leisurely finished his meal as he thought about what he would do with the stowaway beneath him. Exposing her to the crew might not be the best idea.
After Drew finished his meal and cleaned up, he started to inspect the snorting bench. All this time, he had never known there was a compartment in the bench seat, definitely not one big enough to stow a teenage girl. If he had, Drew would have indeed taken advantage of the hidden storage space. With the heavy patrol checks, hidden storage was a godsend.
During his inspection, Drew noticed that the bench in question had a slight gap between the cushion and the boxed-in frame it sat on that the others did not. The storage must be air-tight. At least the girl had enough sense not to suffocate herself. He wondered how she even found the storage in the first place. Drew had still not located the release for the damn latch.
Suddenly, Captian Sage's fingers found a small cover on the flat surface at the bottom towards the back. Opening up the little door, he discovered a touch release. Time to find out what his uninvited little guest was all about. He hit the button and opened the lid.
The first thing Drew registered was black hair and twisted limbs everywhere. The second thing was the strange box the pretzel girl was lying on. It was the size of a small suitcase. Before he could wonder more about it, the girl sprang out of the box, forcing him to stand and step back.
He registered shock in her large blue eyes just before her legs gave out, and she stumbled against him. Lush curves molded to his muscular frame, stirring his desire. Drew found himself suddenly hoping she was older than seventeen.