(… continuing)

Ileadees led Dukk away from the table and through a door into an adjacent office. The small office contained a desk, two small sofas and a coffee table.
Ileadees gestured to Dukk to sit in one of the sofas.
“That was very generous,” Dukk observed as he sat down.
“The drinks and food? You are welcome. Besides having a rig like yours moving through here again will be good for business. I assume you don’t mind if I advertise the fact a little back on Earth.”
“Ah that makes sense. It is just business.”
“Of course,” Ileadees said, smiling.

Ileadees looked at Dukk’s bracelet and smiled. “Please,” he said gesturing to Dukk’s wrist.
Dukk activated his bracelet.
“You don’t have one?” Dukk said.
“There are other ways to block eavesdropping out here?”
“How so?”
“Modified implants. Anything is possible if one is willing to pay.”
“Interesting.”
“Speaking of paying, Wallace ask me to give you this,” Ileadees said as he leant over and took a selfie. He then flicked the picture across to Dukk’s wrist wraps. “I gather you have the picture app, Antiw?”
“Yes, I do,” Dukk replied as he opened the picture with the app. It showed the selfie. A message appeared requesting he accept the credit update. Dukk approved the request and then went into the wallet feature of the app. His crypto balance now showed seven hundred and fifty thousand.
“Wallace is true to his word!” Dukk uttered.
“Wallace’s word, that is one thing you can count on.”

Dukk looked up. He held Ileadees’ gaze.
“You haven’t proven to be very trust worthy in the past. Has that changed?” Dukk thought to himself. He figured he would test the water.
“What can you tell me about the broken cruiser? The one the girls were on?” Dukk asked bluntly.
“Not much more than I suspect you already know. It is registered to Craig Atesoughton The Third. It was passing through and it broke.”
“No offence, and don’t take it personally, but this old place isn’t exactly where you’d expect to see a fine cruiser like that?”
“None taken. Let’s just say, we have established a reputation for asking minimal questions. It gives us a unique selling proposition and attracts a certain type of clientele and activity.”
“Interesting. What type of activity do you think is associated with this cruiser?”
“Like I said, we have a reputation for asking minimal questions and I intend to keep it that way.”
“Has the cruiser been through here before? What about others that are similar?” Dukk asked, after deciding he had nothing to lose by asking.
“Our business, is our business. We do what we can and that is all I can share.”
“Fair enough. Answer me this then. Is it not odd, that it isn’t fixed yet? Surely you still have what is needed to support all the repairs, even for a modern vessel like that.”
Ileadees laughed.
“Here is the thing, Dukk. Odd as it may sound, every time they fixed what was broken, something else broke.”
“Sabotage?”
“Perhaps.”
“Do you know everyone here?”
“As best as one can. Many here, come here because they don't want to get known. Besides, how good is it for you? I hear you are getting above the odds to provide passage to those girls.”
“Yes, that is good. And, interesting.”

Ileadees smiled and tilted his head.
“Now, Dukk, I have things to do. But before we end our little chat, there is something else, right?”
Dukk paused before answering.
“You know about the EVA sabotage?”
“No, but I can guess what may have happened out there.”
“How so?”
“I hear things. I also had a visitor, just after you docked.”
“Joantyi or Larony?”
“Joantyi.”
“You know her?”
“Not before today, but I have heard of her. She is an assassin. But not a good one from what I now gather. Thumpol wasted his credit.”
“I was the target?”
“Yes, well you and the rest of the crew. I get the feeling that Thumpol is angry and determined to do something about it?”
“What now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Will you challenge her?”
“This isn’t any of my business. You are under contract to an elite family. It is their problem, not Maple Tower’s. Besides she has money too, and I am a simple business man!”
“You sold us out?”
“What I do or don’t do, is not a concern of yours.”
“Am I in danger?”
“Keep Mentor close and you will all be fine. Now, with that out in the open, it is time for me to get onto other matters. Enjoy your stay, Dukk.”
Ileadees stood up, smiled and offered his hand.

Dukk slipped out of the bar and slowly made his way back to the rig.
Hearing Mentor talked about, in that way, had spooked him.
“Why did I feel Ileadees was right about Mentor?” Dukk thought to himself. “How is it that I feel so at ease in his presence? I only met him four days ago, however I feel like I have always known him?”
Dukk didn’t get any answers so he decided to push the thoughts aside, and enjoy the rest of the day. He had a nice buzz from the wine and didn’t want to spoil it with worry and unproductive self talk.

Meanwhile, Marr and Annee had returned to the rig. Mentor and the observers had stayed to finish their wine.
Marr and Annee made their way up the stairs and into the accommodation level. They made their way down the corridor towards the crew mess.
As Marr was about to pass between the two double cabins, one of the new passengers came rushing through. “Found it”, she shouted as she collided into Marr. As Marr was smaller, she slammed into the girl’s bare chest. Marr stumbled back, in shock. The girl stood there, confident and completely naked. Marr looked towards the cabin from which the girl had come. Then, she turned to look in the direction to which the girl was headed. The other girls were there, in the cabins with the doors open. Also in various states of undress, with hair and makeup paraphernalia in their hands.
“We are going out, whether Bognath likes it or not!” the girl said to Marr.
“Fair enough,” Marr replied in amusement.
The girl turned and headed off to joined the others.

Marr continued on towards the crew mess.
“What is the story with those girls? Their confidence and free spirit puts Luna to shame,” she said to Annee as they closed the door.
“I guess they are being trained as hostesses. Though, I have yet to see ones this young, that are as confident and brash. An interesting development,” Annee replied.
“What do you mean?”
“Their presence on this hub is unusual. As is the cruiser that brought them here. Most traffic on this route now runs via places like Kaytom Beach which are more modern and have far better facilities.”
“Someone hiding something?”
“Most certainly.”
“Like what?”
“Not sure. We will have time to find out more over the next few days. Now, after that wine, a nap is what I need.”
“Me too, but a shower may have to do as Dukk and I are on watch soon.”

(to be continued...)

[Rule of Twelve, Double Take, Chapter 17 - Layover (Passage 4 of 5)]

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