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{Place- Denabux} {Habitation- Frontstreet Market} Chapter 16 - Shopping Maul The market place was teeming with an amazing assortment of aliens and their trade items. Stalls were packed tightly together in common groups; food in one spot, food venders in another, weapons, livestock, etc were all crowded along together. It made for a confusing melee of offers being shouted in various alien tongues, no real universal language actually put into use, just an inbred sort of mixture or words. Zac held the back of Isaac's shirt in one hand as he consulted the list his mother gave him in the other. No wonder they were the ones to go get this stuff! It was all in large quantities and spread widely across the massive market. It would probably take them more then a day to find all of this, meaning he and Isaac would have to sleep in their transport all night, smelling each other's bodily odors from a hard day of shopping. Their parents were far too cheap to let them use an immeasurably small amount of credits to stay in a comfortable inn within the market place. But they needed save as much of the currency as they were able to afford the livestock they were wishing to buy. "Antolle ulua sulrim!" Zac felt a hard shove from behind that propelled him into Isaac's back, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a heap. More then incensed, Zac was on his feet a mere second later, holding his blaster in his hand, pointing it straight at the being, which had caused their fall. "Sammie! What the hell was that all about?" He yelled, holstering his weapon. A red haired youth that stood the height of Zac's armpits was grinning, "You two walk too slow. Ya got in my way so I uh, gave you a helping hand in getting outta my walking space. How ya been?" He extended a small hand and shook Zac's firmly and Isaac's hand next. "We've been good man, how's your dad's farm going?" The oldest of the three asked. Sammie scratched the back of his head, his wild hair jumping to attention, "Good I suppose…we've actually gotten the starship back in working order! I haven't seen hair nor hide of the old farm for months actually! Dad's had me slavin' over that thing none stop. It's tons faster then it was before, we got a new drive-unit for it and all sorts a weird gadgets. Dad's gotta friend outside." He jerked his thumb up and outwards, telling them that this person wasn't dirt side, "What're you guys doing down about these parts?" Zac held up the shopping list from his parents, "We're the slaves of the household since Tay ditched us…we're here to do the dirty work for lazy parents." Isaac reached out and gave his brother a smack on the arm, "Be nice. They're not lazy, they're motivationally challenged." All three indulged in a good laugh before looking around in annoyance. They had created quite the stop up in traffic throughout the market and decided it best for them to move out of the way before they were shot at or beaten. As they wondered away Zac began to question the friend they had not seen for more then a year. "What's your dad got under his hat now? It's kinda strange for a man his age to be getting a ship into working order again…" He ducked low to avoid a swinging sign. Sammie looked up at the same thing Zac ducked from as he passed under easily, "I'm not the one to ask. He's just weird…I asked him if it was for me and he just started laughing. Old fart didn't stop for quite awhile." They spent a few moment reminiscing before Isaac reminded them both that they were out here for different purposes and they best get a move on to get them accomplished. Sammie pulled out a pen and a plasti-sheet and wrote down his view-screen code and waved as he departed. Zac had a goof-ball grin stuck on his face and turned to Isaac to nod once in acknowledgement. Isaac shook his head with a smile of his own, "That was weird. Haven't seen that dork in ages and of all the places to meet up with him again." "He was always more of a friend of Tay's then ours if you think about it. But thinking requires a brain and we've already been through that." Zac put that shit-eating grin on he wore the night before and giggled like an idiot as Isaac floundered for a retort, and came up empty-handed. "See what I mean? You need a brain to speak dude…you got NOTHING!" He cackled loudly, receiving a few inquisitive stares as he passed vendors and buyers with their purchases. Isaac sighed, not quite sure why he was so fond of his younger brother, and looked down at the list Zac carried, "Ya know what we should do? We should have all this junk delivered. It's like…free isn't it?" "Not if we send it to the house, they put a big ole bill on you for that." Zac was gazing over his shoulder at a display, eyebrows knitted together as he thought out the prices. "No, I mean we could rent a safe for like…nothing right? Get it all delivered there. You know how much that'd save US from tramping around the entire market?" Isaac's eyes were aglow as he thought this new plan out. "Well dad gave us extra…let's go do it. I don't wanna be a pack animal all day unless I have to." And so went the rest of the afternoon. Zac haggled down prices for electronic wire to replace in circuit boards, Isaac dealt with spices and new hydroponics species for the farm, and whatever else they saw upon the list. Much to their surprise, they were nearly finished with more then a few hours to spare. The renting of the room had shaved off quite a bit of time. "All that's left is some more plasti-paper for the kitchen. That's gonna be so easy…" Zac murmured, elbowing Isaac in the ribs. The elder boy nodded and began searching for the appropriate shop sign, "Do you see a home sign anymore Zac?" "What's it look like? The little house symbol?" He inquired. "Yeah, but it should have some crates next to it in the design…" They passed several alleyways, ducking into them to cut across the market in a faster and less of a squash of people. "Hey, there's one…" Isaac stated, grabbing onto Zac's stout arm to pull him along. "I'm not a puppy Ike, let-." His tirade was cut off with a sharp yelp that fell from his own lips as he was jerked sideways into the alley next to the shop they so desired. "Hey! What the hell do you-." Isaac's yell, too, was brought to a premature end as he was yanked into the dark confines of the back street. Two firm hands were slapped against their protesting mouths and both young men felt the hard barrels of blasters being jabbed into their ribs that would leave definite and telling bruises behind. Their eyes fought to see each other but those too were denied freedom as a pair of blindfolds were, placed over their brows. "You'll think it best to not try and run off until we're done having a word or two with you. Now walk!" Whoever it was hissed foul smelling breath into Zac's ears and loud enough to carry over to Isaac. Zac's heart pounded with intense, unerring fear that left him wanting of breath. He could hear Isaac's unsure footsteps behind him, leaving him that much comfort but his worry grew to paranoia at the thought of being separated. He could smell the unhealthy market food that was savored by all as they passed through another alleyway. They were made to walk farther still and the smell of oils and the sounds of cursing mechanics cut through their ears like sharp knives. "Stop!" The same rank odorous breath wafted up Isaac's nose this time and he reluctantly obeyed its command, feeling faint body heat against his side. He assumed it was Zac. Out of nowhere another shove came, causing Isaac to bang his tender shins against the running board of a shuttle. He called out sharply but the only reply he received was to be pushed harder until he fell face first onto the bottom of whatever vehicle he was being forced into. He could hear the fumbling of large feet behind him, obviously Zac was trying to find his footing without resulting him as much injury as Isaac had suffered, but in the end he was lying on his side next to his brother. Real fear kicked in once they were out of the hustle and bustle of the market place. "We should be getting paid double credits for this…he said easy…and this is anything BUT." One voice said. The other voice, belonging to that of the stinky-breathed man came next, "I don't care about double credits…as long as that Taylor kid gets his ass beat from here to the Gheldeth I'll be a happy man. His bitching got me a permanent scar on me record sheet for that company." The sound of a hand swiping through the air, "Oh come off it, after the pay-off Sankt gives us we'll not need jobs. Sit back and relax." He gave Isaac and Zac a poke with a worn boot, "Right boys? He needs to learn how to loosen up a bit." Isaac and Zac had ceased to think at this point. All they could feel was an overwhelming sense of impending doom. Taylor had said they would be safe. Taylor had ensured that their lives would be unaffected by his idiocy. Taylor had told them, promised them, that there would be no way for them to be found. That their family and their way of life, their well being would be safe for so long as they lived. Zoë, Avery, Jessica, Mackenzie, their mother and father, themselves…they were promised to be kept save and hidden. Betrayed they were now. But by whom they did not know. Sankt was the first thing to come to mind and the only clue, verbal or otherwise, they had. From here on out, they were roughing it until the time came when they would find out what purpose they were to serve. "We'll be there in five minutes…Sankt's gonna have a talk with you ladies…" Both voices laughed hideously. Zac inched his way into body contact with Isaac and he sighed as he waited for his fate to be revealed. << Previous Page of Story>> << Back to Story Page>> << Back To Index Of Chapters Page>> Back To Main Page>> |