As the AirTaxi lifted, Lorleii felt Karen's hand slip into hers, and she gave it a slight squeeze to steady her nerves. While she was used to going into potentially dangerous situations by herself, she felt nervous taking someone she had grown to care about so deeply into the same.
Come to think about it, who would have imagined that in a few short days she would have found anyone to care about? Definitely not her old manager, Dabber. His idea of showing he cared about anything usually involved a lot of yelling with more than an occasional slap, then leaving her by herself, alone and crying in her room. He then would disappear and get drunk, who knew where. The only thing that he was ever able to accomplish was a pretty steady string of work with the newest patron picking up the travel expenses to the next gig.
The constant abuse and isolation had left Lorleii, cold and distant, unable or unwilling to give herself to anyone. There had been men over the years... god yes had there been men and more than one woman as well, but they rarely stuck around for longer than a single evenings pleasure.
It all came to a head that last night on Erie, Dabber was on his usual rant about her not having enough talent to break out of the local entertainment circuit, and how she was holding his career back keeping him from making it big. But this time, when he lifted his had to hit her, something inside her snapped... all her frustrations, pain and suffering boiled to the surface and she fought back tooth and nail. The last that she saw him, he was backing away bloody and bruised with fear in his eyes.
After that, Lorleii threw her re-discovered passion into starting up her business. And between the long hours spent traveling the trade lanes and working on her ship, she hadn't been able to find the time for any sort of relationship.
She turned slightly in her seat to look at Karen's profile in the fading light of the oncoming evening. While they had just met less than a day ago, they had made it past the wary awkwardness of being complete strangers, into the easiness of being really close friends.
As she smiled, Karen noticed Lorleii looking at her, “You're thinking about something.”
“Yeah, thinking about the past and how so many things have changed for me.”
“And your mother?”
“Her too... hopefully, we'll find something that will give us some clue as to where to go next.” She gripped Karen's had a little tighter as she continued, “I can't spend too much time away from the things, and I've got good people working for me, but business goes on that I have to attend to.”
“Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find something.” Karen brightened and smiled back, “Once we get things cleared up here, maybe I can arrange for you to spend a couple of days at the resort so you can relax before you have to go back.”
Lorleii was thinking about the offer when the arrival beacon went off and the AutoTaxi began it's descent. “Now remember, keep your eyes open. We don't want any surprises.” The craft set down gently on the cargo landing pad and the doors opened, “Show time...”
As two women walked through the warehouse they stopped and stood quietly near an OS&C Inspector and his escort as he asked loudly, “What the heck is this open container and where is that beast that was working checking in and unloading this cargo pod?”
Karen cleared her throat. “Ahem...”
He turned with a start, “And just who are you? Guests do not belong here... I'll have my escort guide you out.”
Karen showed her ID, then offered her hand for a handshake, “Karen Blanks OS&C Public Relations, and this is Lorleii Darksaint we're investigating the report of a missing person.”
The Inspector looked at her hand as if it was covered in Toxic Waste and ignored it, “Sorry ladies, the only person that is missing right now is the slouch that was unloading this pod.”
Lorleii knelt down next to the open container, “Karen, look at this, it's the logo for the CoUW... looks like it was set up to transport...”
“...a person!” Karen looked at her friend in shock, “You don't think your mother got taken by slavers?”
“Mother? Who are you, anyways?” The Inspector narrowed his eyes, then looked at his escort, “Take them to the office, I need to question so I know what's going on here.”
Lorleii launched herself at the Inspector, grabbing him by the throat, “I don't think so, sunshine.”, she snarled. As she tightened her grip she added, “As I see it, we're going to be the ones doing the asking... got it?”
“**erk**” He gasped.
Karen looked on in shock, Lorleii had turned from a quiet and well spoken and friendly companion to a feral predator in an instant.
“That's what I thought.” She looked at the escort, “Try anything funny and you'll be looking for a new boss to guard.” She renewed her attention on the Inspector, “What or who was in this container?”
“I... I don't know, ma'am.” A patch of wetness began to grow on the front of the Inspector's pants as his bladder let loose. “I really don't know... Anderi was working over here... don't hurt me!”
She nodded, and said, “Karen, do you have any record of an 'Anderi' working here?”
Karen took out her datapad and started scrolling through the Diogo Island personnel listings. “Yeah, got it here, he's day labor, probably a dry-docked spacer.”
Lorleii gave the Inspector another squeeze on his throat, then kissed him on the lips, and in a very pleasant voice says, “Thank you for your cooperation, that wasn't so hard, was it? Have a nice day...” As she sets him loose, she looks at Karen, “Ok, let's go find Anderi.”
![[Image: lds_fldisco_serenity_01_zpsztxnxswr.png]](http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn124/darksaint01/Freeworlds%20Discovery/lds_fldisco_serenity_01_zpsztxnxswr.png)