Eland and Jeanne (Tales of the Shareem) Read online

  The patroller flashed the handheld around, checking its readings. She moved slowly through the bedroom and paused at the bed. Jeanne held her breath, but apparently the reader found nothing.

  When the woman went into the bathroom, Jeanne squeezed her hands together, her nails pressing into her palms.

  The handheld remained quiet as the patroller waved it over the walls, the floor, the sink, the shower, the toilet. Nothing.

  Jeanne started to let out the breath she’d been holding, realized the patroller would hear it, and felt herself turning purple to contain it. The patroller didn’t notice, her gaze fixed on her handheld.

  “Nothing,” the patroller said, sounding disappointed. “Looks like your place is Shareem-free.”

  Jeanne tried to laugh. “Will we need our apartments sprayed for them? One dose for scorpions, one for sand roaches, another for Shareem?”

  The patroller smirked. “Wouldn’t be a bad idea. What the hell were those people thinking, making creatures like them? And then letting them loose?”

  “I’d never even heard of this DNAmo place until today,” Jeanne said, following the patroller back out to the living room.

  Now that she’d cleared Jeanne of colluding with a fugitive, the patroller became chatty.

  “Yeah, they were all about making perfect people. Which is fine when you go to the Ministry of Families and have them take anything harmful out of your DNA so your kids are all right, but they made people from scratch. Making servants to work for rich people is one thing. But creating guys who do nothing but have sex? That’s gross. Highborn women will do anything to break up their boredom. These guys went for fantastically high prices. A bunch already sold off-world too.” She shook her head, including Jeanne in her bafflement about what the rich would do.

  “Sold them?” Jeanne asked, shocked. “Like slaves? That’s illegal. Bor Narga hasn’t had slavery in centuries. It was one of the first laws.”

  “Exactly. DNAmo broke the most basic laws of Bor Narga. Women on the ruling council knew, but they looked the other way, because of course some of them were enjoying these Shareem on the quiet. Highborn women, I swear, are the biggest hypocrites. But a couple weeks ago, one of the Shareem escaped, and DNAmo had to admit he’d broken free. They couldn’t control him, they said. He’s dangerous and they don’t know exactly what he’ll do.”

  “Shit,” Jeanne said. Was Eland this escaped Shareem? He’d certainly been fleeing and hiding. But then, if all Shareem were to be terminated, why wouldn’t he hide?

  “That one, they think, already made it off-planet,” the patroller went on. “But when DNAmo was raided, a bunch of others escaped. We have some rounded up, but the rest scattered. They’re really smart, they say, and they could be anywhere.” The patroller’s tone became serious again. “They tie up women and force them to have sex, and they don’t think it’s wrong. That’s what DNAmo bred into them. So if you see one, do not approach. Call for a patroller immediately. All right?”

  “Right,” Jeanne said fervently. “That’s good to know.”

  “Thanks for being so cooperative. Makes it easier on me. I know a lot of people don’t like patrollers, but we’re just trying to do our frigging jobs.”

  “No problem. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”

  “Good. See you, Jeanne.”

  Jeanne nodded, and the patroller went out the door into the warm night. Jeanne locked up behind her, sank down on the couch, and put her head into her hands.

  The patroller’s grim description of crazy men, built by monomaniacal scientists to bind women and take them against their will was very different from what she’d seen in Eland.

  The man was walking sex, that was true. Everything he did, every word he uttered was seductive. Even begging for water had been sensual.

  Though Eland had dared Jeanne to watch him, to show him herself, to be with him, at no time last night had he slammed her down and helped himself. His kisses, his touch, while strong, had been gentle. He’d been asking her every second to give in to him, but not forcing her. Mastering her but not with brutality.

  He’d known how to erase every bit of his DNA from her apartment before leaving. Was that what they’d been programmed to do? So that their highborn clients wouldn’t get caught with forbidden Shareem?

  Or maybe the patroller’s handheld simply didn’t know how to pick up Shareem DNA. If they were the products of many different people, maybe their DNA was different.

  But Eland had indicated that he was all Bor Nargan. Every bit of him taken from Bor Nargan citizens. So the handheld must be able to discover traces.

  Jeanne sighed and lowered her hands. One thing was certain—she had to find Eland before the patrollers did.

  She’d help him get to safety, off-planet if she could. Despite what the patroller had said, she knew Eland wasn’t dangerous. She’d worked at the docks a while now, and had encountered dangerous men. Eland wasn’t like them at all—he was the victim here. Jeanne would help him any way she could.

  But first, she had to find him.

  Jeanne stood up, washed her face, had a quick bite of a protein bar, and went back into the hot night.

  Chapter Six

  Rees proved to be good at lifting food and drink when no one was looking, and he an Eland shared the meager portions in the stairs. They slept during the heat of the day and used nighttime to explore.

  Rees was tireless. He and Eland walked through miles of tunnels, swarming up and down stairs, exploring every level, Rees flashing his light around.

  “What do you keep looking for?” Eland asked him after they’d lived like this a couple of days. “There’s nothing down here.”

  “Sure there is. These look like old maintenance tunnels, from when everything was wired. Bet the grid is still tied into it, though.”

  “Good for the grid. How about figuring out how we’re going to get off-planet and not be caught?”

  Rees turned around. The light limned his face in stark lines, showing a handsome man, but not one face-sculpted into perfection. Rees was rough around the edges, as Eland was. Level threes often were hard-faced, the better for playing Dom. They looked the part.

  Eland, though, wasn’t sure what level Rees was. Eland’s friends at DNAmo had been easily classified. Aiden was a level one, obsessed with everything sensual, like oils, scents, the feel of different textures. Anything to make a woman melt in his hands.

  Justin and Rylan had been level twos—fun and games. They laughed and joked a lot, and had all kinds of sex games to play. They went for things like furry handcuffs and strip poker.

  Level threes were far more basic. Eland’s friends Rio, Ky, and Kieran were level threes, who tended to be straightforward, dominating, and didn’t always bother with sensuality and games. They were hardcore, they liked it that way, and the women who went for them knew what they were getting.

  Rees gave off signals of all three levels, and some Eland couldn’t read. Shareem were good at interpreting body language, but Eland got weird vibes from the man.

  “How the hell did you escape DNAmo?” Eland asked him.

  Rees shrugged as he studied a power conduit on one of the half levels. “Luck.”

  “Luck, my ass. We’d been looking for a way to get out of there for years, but only you did it. I’d never even heard of you until you escaped.”

  “They didn’t let me mingle much.” Rees’s back was to Eland as he examined the controls, but Eland saw his shoulders tighten. “You’re right, it was also a hell of a lot of planning.”

  “Couldn’t take us with you?” Eland asked, half joking.

  Rees glanced at him, his eyes in shadow, but Eland saw pain there. “You’re out now, aren’t you? I couldn’t do anything about you while I was busy saving my own ass. They were going to kill me.”

  “I heard you were seriously dangerous,” Eland said, his tone skeptical.

  “I am. But not to other Shareem.” Rees’s voice became a growl. “They shit on all of us.”
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  “Don’t worry, big guy. I’m not afraid of you.”

  Rees’s bad mood evaporated. He laughed softly and turned back to the power box. “Good. Makes a nice change.”

  Eland sank to a stair and folded his arms. “What, everyone’s terrified of you, are they?”

  “Yep. I’m unpredictable and slightly insane. But give me some good ale, and I’m fine. Ah.” Something snapped, and then dim lights appeared up and down the stairwell.

  Eland looked around, relieved to be out of the constant dark, but the power brought another worry. “You didn’t just signal everyone from the top of the hill to the lowest patrol station that someone was down here, did you?”

  “Nope.” Rees closed the panel. “I’m good with electronics, which is one reason I escaped. They thought it was so much fun watching me figure out how wiring and electrics worked, until I used it to make me disappear. Well, that and the help of one brave woman. Hope she’s all right.”

  “I’m sure she’s fine. The ladies always were when we finished with them. Satisfied and happy.”

  “That’s true. Especially with me.”

  Eland made a derisive noise. “What are you, the ultimate Shareem? They programmed a big ego into you, boyo.”

  Rees shrugged. “Ego has nothing to do with it. They made you a level three to do certain things. They made me to do ... other things.”

  Eland eyed him. “Like what?”

  “Nothing I want to talk about.” Rees examined another control panel. “Wish I could use my skills with electronics to figure a way to get food without going out into the markets. Doesn’t matter how much we cover up, we stand out.”

  “Cause we’re giants compared to most Bor Nargan guys,” Eland said. “I was going to pretend to be an off-worlder, but I don’t know enough to pretend. My luck, I’d run into another off-worlder who expected me to speak his language. I’d imitate him and end up saying something horrible about his grandmother. Then I’d be arrested by our patrollers and his.”

  Rees laughed. “Yeah, that would suck.”

  “Man, I could go for an ale. A nice, cold, full-bodied one.”

  “Me too.” Rees sank down on the stair next to Eland, looking thoughtful in the quiet light. “I did meet a lady who might help us. I think I can trust her, and she owns a bar.”

  “Perfect. I met a lady too.”

  Rees’s smile vanished. “You did? Who?”

  “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her what I was. She was sweet, and wouldn’t run straight to the patrollers.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just ... know. I’m level three. I can read women.”

  “So can I. Tell me about her.”

  Eland didn’t want to, preferring to keep Jeanne to himself, but for some reason, he started talking. “Dark brown curly hair, streaked by the sun, brown eyes with little flecks of lighter brown. Great body.”

  Eland couldn’t think of flowery adjectives to describe Jeanne. He knew she had sensual curves, breasts he wanted to hold in his hands, nipples that drew to tight little points. Strong legs and arms—she was a worker. “ Cutest smile you ever saw. Fine ass.”

  “Don’t go all poetic on me,” Rees drawled.

  “I don’t know what it is about her.” Eland hung his big hands over his knees. “I’ve had plenty of women. Every which way. But this woman ... She was different. I can’t explain it.”

  “You mean she was normal.”

  Eland thought about it. “Maybe. At DNAmo, I only knew creepy scientist types and the guinea pigs. The scientists wanted me under a microscope, and the guinea pigs needed the paycheck.”

  “This woman didn’t want anything from you,” Rees said.

  “That might be it. She was ... nice. But sassy. Kind. But ...”

  “Sassy?”

  “A smart-ass. I bet if I became her Dom, she’d disobey just a little bit, to see what I’d do.” Eland’s heartbeat sped as he imagined it—she’d give him a sly smile and refuse to do what he said, even as he slapped the whip across his palm in warning.

  “A challenge,” Rees said.

  “Yep. And I like a challenge.”

  “I’d drink to that,” Rees said. “Except we don’t have anything to drink. Come on, I’ll take you to the lady I met, and see if she can fix us up.”

  Eland got to his feet, then hesitated. “You sure about this, Rees? Why do you think she won’t go to the patrollers?”

  “Because she likes what I showed her about Shareem.” Rees gave Eland a thoughtful look in the dim light. “She might like two even better.”

  ***

  Judith’s bar stayed open until the wee hours, because those were the coolest of the twenty-two in Bor Narga’s day. Jeanne went again two nights after her encounter with Eland when it was in full swing—the doors wide open, patrons, both Bor Nargan and off-worlders, spilling into the street.

  Jeanne had continued her search for Eland during her off hours, though she didn’t dare stay away from work for long. She’d never found trace of him, or any other Shareem. News reports kept talking about how dangerous they were, stirring up worry, but not one sighting had been made of them. Maybe they had all escaped.

  Jeanne hoped so. At the same time, the thought of never seeing Eland again left a hollow in her stomach.

  Judith shot Jeanne a look when Jeanne scooted in. Judith nodded to the male bartender who took over from her, and came around to meet Jeanne on the floor.

  “You all right?” Judith asked over the noise.

  “I think so.” Jeanne shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Not sure.”

  Judith raised her brows, but a woman was calling to her from a table, wanting more ale. Before Judith could turn away, Jeanne seized Judith’s hand and put her lips to the taller woman’s ear. “Do you know anything about Shareem?”

  Judith’s eyes sharpened, then she leaned down to answer. “Go upstairs. I’ll come when I can.”

  Jeanne nodded, feeling Judith palm a key card into her hand. Judith then called a cheerful answer to the women who’d wanted more ale, and Jeanne went to the alcove that held the door to a staircase.

  The noise faded once Jeanne closed the door behind her, mounting the stairs to Judith’s living quarters above.

  Judith didn’t have much, but her apartment was bigger than Jeanne’s, the bar doing lucrative business. She had two bedrooms and a separate bathroom, a large sitting room, and a kitchen that could be used to cook more than a tiny meal.

  Jeanne had spent nights here before, when she and Judith had talked long past time either of them should have gone to sleep. Judith had also instructed Jeanne in a few sensual delights, such as small vibrating buttons that could be very stimulating to the clit. Jeanne hadn’t yet been brave enough to try the wands, but she’d very much enjoyed the button.

  The bed in Judith’s guest room was of carved wood, brought from off-world, rather than the utilitarian slab Jeanne slept on. Jeanne stretched out, enjoying the comfort even as her head buzzed with too many thoughts of Eland.

  Judith arrived an hour later, which was sooner than Jeanne had expected. Judith tugged off her boots and sat cross-legged on the bed, unfastening her coverall to her waist to let in air.

  “Aren’t you still open?” Jeanne asked, sitting up with her back to the headboard. She’d long since shucked her own boots.

  “I have enough help tonight that I can take a break. Crowd’s thinning already anyway. No one will bother me unless there’s a dire emergency.” She sat forward, hand under her chin, her eyes alight. “Now, what is this about Shareem?”

  “You’ve heard of them?”

  “Of course. Everyone has now, thanks to all the reports.”

  Jeanne chewed her lip then decided. “I’ve seen one,” she said swiftly. “But for the gods’ sakes don’t tell anyone.”

  To her surprise, Judith didn’t look stunned or upset, only looked more intrigued. “Yeah? When?”

  “A few nights ago. In my apartment.”

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nbsp; Judith’s eyes opened wider. Jeanne expected her to demand the entire story, but instead she simply asked, “What did he look like?”

  Chapter Seven

  Jeanne told Judith about Eland, and Judith listened avidly. When Jeanne trailed off, thinking of the beautiful blue of Eland’s eyes, how he’d watched her as she’d drifted to sleep, Judith shook her head.

  “Wasn’t the same one.”

  Jeanne came reluctantly out of her daydream. “Wasn’t the same what?”

  “Same Shareem.” Judith looked thoughtful. “Mine had blond hair too, but darker, and he had a different attitude, it sounds like. Plus he’s not skulking around looking for water. He’s being careful, but provisioning himself.”

  “Wait.” Jeanne blinked. “Are you saying you’ve met one too?”

  Judith nodded. “He came to the bar, after it closed. I thought he was from off-planet. I tried to tell him it was after hours—I didn’t want to turn him away, because he’s gorgeous, but laws are laws. He didn’t give me a choice. Pushed his way in, then stayed up here for five days. Just when we were getting to know each other—if you know what I mean—he says ‘thank you very much,’ and disappears again. He’s returned a couple of times, but doesn’t stay anymore. I think he has his own place now.”

  “He stayed for five days?” Jeanne wanted to hear all about this. “Anything ... happen?”

  “You bet it did. You know, I thought I knew things, but honey, I didn’t know anything. I wake up wet just dreaming about him. He taught me things I never knew could be done. But ...” Judith trailed off.

  “But?” How could there be any buts in that situation?

  “I had the feeling he wasn’t really with me, if that makes sense,” Judith said. “As though he wanted something, was searching for something and not finding it. Maybe he didn’t even know what it was.”

  Jeanne tried to remember whether Eland had worn such an expression. She didn’t think so, but then she hadn’t had enough time to study him fully. “You don’t think he’ll be back?”