He walked around the opposite edge of the lobby from the receptionist. Large vertical holovid screens showed cats, and a few dogs, being displayed like sports cars. Instead of engine specs, breed and DNA data scrolled up the right-hand side of each image. One of them featured a wizened, hairless goblin of a creature labeled a Sphynx. It was a kind of ugly-cute that he hadn’t expected, though according to the data, it was no more hypoallergenic than any other cat. Which made sense if the allergen was in the saliva, rather than the fur.
A door behind him hissed open, and the thin man from the spaceport—Gideon—entered the room. He made a beeline for Layth, clearly not recognizing him as the man he’d spoken to earlier that day. He had ditched the suit jacket and replaced it with a lab coat emblazoned with GRCA’s logo. He thrust a hand toward Layth, his smile all teeth. “Gideon Voss, Chief of Operations and VP of breed recovery. That’s the wing that works to rescue lost domestic breeds from the DNA.”
Layth folded his hands behind his back, studiously avoiding touching Gideon’s offered hand. “Is that so? Like the Sphynx?” He turned and nodded toward the display.
“One of our triumphs, actually. Hairlessness is actually a naturally occurring mutation in cats, but it took us a decade to isolate the genes, and then build backwards from there.” He stroked a hand through the holovid, disrupting the image slightly. “She’s our first. Isis.”
He certainly sounded proud of the accomplishment, though Layth wondered how much the VP was involved in the research, and how much had been done by geneticists like Meja. “Fascinating. I’m afraid I have a more obscure, indeed rarer creature that I’m looking to acquire.”
“We at Golden Ratio strive to meet our clients’ needs. What were you looking for?”
Layth could practically hear Gideon counting dollar signs at the prospect. He was impressed that the man didn’t rub his hands together. He let his iciest tone fill his voice. “I’ve come for Meja Aquarone.”
Gideon gave a nervous titter, stepping back out of Layth’s reach. “I’m afraid I don’t know who you mean.”
“I find that hard to believe since you had her in the car with you this afternoon at the spaceport.”
Gideon’s eyes narrowed, and he studied Layth for a moment before finally placing where he’d seen him before. “You’re the janitor from—”
“My name, Mr. Voss, is Layth Ali.” His family still had a lot of pull in planetary politics, and dropping his last name had the desired effect. Gideon blanched behind his tan. “I believe you to be holding my friend, Ms. Aquarone, against her will.”
“You have no evidence that she’s unwilling.” He tugged out his omni, hand hovering above the surface.
“We’re just having a discussion at the moment, Mr. Voss—”
“It’s Doctor.”
Layth nodded. “My apologies. Dr. Voss. But if you escalate the situation by summoning your security, I’m afraid that I too will need to up the stakes. Further, you don’t deny that she’s here. So if she’s willing, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind telling me herself.”
Gideon’s smile devolved into a smirk. “As I’m certain you’re aware, Ms. Aquarone recently committed an act of large-scale corporate theft. To the tune of several hundred thousand credits.” He folded his arms across his chest, fingertips drumming on his elbow in a random tune. “The company has generously offered for her to work off that debt through indenture.”
Anger boiled in Layth’s blood. He wanted to lunge forward and choke out Voss, but while it might be enjoyable, the gesture wouldn’t solve anything. Meja would still be missing somewhere in the complex, and there’d be an army of security between them. He forced words between his gritted teeth. “The Joint Forces would be interested in that arrangement, I’m certain. Indenture is illegal.”
“By all means, bring them into it. As you have rightly pointed out, it might be illegal, but so is felonious theft. She recognized that she could spend the next twenty years working on something she enjoys or rotting in a prison cell. We offered a far better deal than the authorities might have.”
The anger lodged, hot and uncomfortable in his throat. Gideon Voss might as well have been his family; the sort of person who felt he could do what he wanted, because he had power. It had sickened Layth as a child, and as a grown man he was even more disgusted by it. Unfortunately, there was only one way to beat a bully, and that was to stand up to them. “This is your last, indeed only warning. Remand Ms. Aquarone into my custody, or I’ll be forced to act rashly.”
Gideon tapped his omni. “Security to the lobby. Please show Mr. Ali out.” He smiled at Layth. “Empty threats don’t become one of your family, sir.”
Layth inclined his head again. “I agree.” He walked toward the lobby exit and opened his omni. “Mr. Pierce? Go ahead.”
A heartbeat later, an alarm trilled on Voss’s omni as well as that of the greeter. She looked at him, eyes wide. “Two percent of our public stock his just been purchased. No, three! Four!”
It would keep climbing. Layth paused at the door and spoke over his shoulder. “You’d be surprised really. Given your ability to produce such exotic cats, GRCA’s stock is woefully undervalued. It’s ripe for a hostile takeover.”
He didn’t have to see Gideon to hear the fear in the man’s voice. “Perhaps I spoke too quickly, Mr. Ali.”
Layth checked his omni. “You’d best hurry. My colleague is at eight percent. Twelve is a controlling share in your operations. And really, isn’t research about tapped out at this point? I’m sure it could be excised to allow the company to focus on the real moneymaker, creating companion animals.”
“I might be able to release her from her arrangement with us,” Gideon stammered. Amazing how threatening a man’s career made him open to all sorts of things.
“Might?”
“Can. Will! Sorry.” His omnidevice clicked. “Cancel that request for security. Send Dr. Aquarone to the lobby. Yes, I know what’s going on with the stocks, do it!”
Several minutes passed, with Voss watching his omni and sweating while Layth leaned against the wall. He wondered if he should tell Pierce to slow down, or simply allow him to blow past the controlling share threshold, when he saw her and his world focused down to just the two of them.
Meja stepped through the doors at the far end of the lobby, her expression confused until she saw Layth. The relief that filled her face made his chest hurt, even if it was immediately replaced by frustration and anger. He’d pay for rescuing her, but at least she’d be free to make her own choices.
Layth tapped on his omni. The massive buy-up of stocks halted. “Eleven-point-eight. Nice timing, Dr. Voss.” It was a hollow victory, knowing what he’d promised to Sean Pierce in exchange for the help, but it would be worth it.
“What’s going on?” Meja turned from Layth to Gideon and back.
Gideon smiled. “It appears that Mr. Ali here purchased your indenture from us, so you belong to him now.”
“What?” Her shout ringed with anger, tinted with hopeful denial that stabbed Layth in the heart. He would deal with the explanation in the car. Once they were on their way back to the public spaceport. Once they were safe.