Untouchable (LGBT - SciFi - Romance)

Chapter 26

Someone was kissing him. And not just a brush of lips. A warm tongue was pushing gently but firmly into his mouth, licking all around his teeth, tangling with his own tongue. Mmm that felt good, but who ...? How embarrassing, he must have picked someone up at the All Stars but he couldn't remember for the life of him ... Suddenly his brain finally woke up and he wrenched his mouth away, opening his eyes. What the fuck? Michael Banner was hovering above him, looking anxious, a slight flush on his cheeks. "Shhh," he whispered.

Max Lang returned to reality with a painful thud. He realised he was extremely uncomfortable, his arms were twisted behind him and his ankles drawn up and tied to his wrists. He'd been shot! He could remember now, two men had confronted him on the way to the club and shot him. Evidently they'd taken him prisoner somewhere. His brain must still be scrambled from the stunner. He blinked. Michal Banner was still there, right next to him.

Michael leant closer, was he going to kiss him again? His lips parted involuntarily. No, this time he was mouthing a word. It took a couple of times before he understood. "Nanobots." Max was surprised at the flash of disappointment that shot through him before he felt a fierce satisfaction that Banner had managed to give them a fighting chance. Clearly Banner had had access to nanobots, sophisticated, microscopic tracking devices that lived happily in the bloodstream for up to a week. Luckily for him, like a benevolent virus, nanobots could be transmitted by exchange of bodily fluids. Hence the kiss, he realised somewhat regretfully. Now Alan, or indeed anyone with the frequency code could find them, both of them, even if they got separated.

"How did you get here?" Max asked, unobtrusively testing his bonds.

"I was following you. I saw them carrying you away and I gave chase, but unfortunately the guard at the docking bays was one of them and he shot me before I could stop them taking you aboard." Banner considered his words carefully, trying to say nothing their captors would not already know. "I called the Patrol, but they were too late to help."

"We're in space?" Max was startled.

"Yes, we're on a private space yacht. Any idea who would go to this trouble to kidnap you? Any rich relatives?" Banner was trying hard to feign ignorance. It was encouraging that they hadn't been killed outright, but he didn't want to give the kidnappers any reason to change their minds if he could avoid it. He had an unpleasant feeling he, at least, was considered disposable, but he didn't want to test it any sooner than he had to.

"Not that I know of. Can you move?"

"No."

Banner lay back, he hoped they wouldn't be left alone too long, he needed a bathroom.

XXX

Lieutenant Stewart waited anxiously for Banner's next call, or at least an update from Captain Martinez. He'd been on the bridge when he got Banner's first message about the attack on Max and had immediately briefed Captain Almeida. After all, Max was still a member of the Qatar's crew. The fact that he had been kidnapped rather than assaulted however, made him think there must be some connection to Robin. He couldn't help wondering if Captain Lang had resisted an attempt at blackmail and if so, was this an attempt to increase the pressure on him?

He rang Robin on his wristcom, he had to persuade him it was time to tell Captain Martinez the whole story. How could Martinez help Max if he didn't know what was really going on?

Robin Lang barely glanced at the message from Alan. He thought he knew what he was going to say without reading it. He took a few deep breaths, scarcely seeing the rainforest outside his window. Instead, seeing Max as he had been when he last saw him, still pale but fighting hard to get fit again so he could rejoin the Qatar, desperate to get back to the career he'd always wanted. Alan was right, he couldn't hide what he'd done any longer. He sat down and called Captain Martinez.

XXX

Patrol Officers Kelly and Huynh noticed immediately when Banner's wristcom ceased transmitting. They ran on grimly and reached the location of his last transmission only a minute or two later. There was no-one in sight. They searched the area for any signs of Max or Banner without success, but they did find the guard who was supposed to be on duty.

"Sorry, afraid I can't help you," he confessed with an apologetic expression, "I've been in the restroom for the last five minutes, must have been something I ate." He rubbed his stomach ruefully.

Kelly called Martinez for back-up to undertake a more intensive search, while Huynh retrieved the departure records to see which ships had pulled out in the last ten minutes or so. Kelly had a quick look in the nearest disposal unit which was showing activity. There was nothing left for a human eye to see but he suspected the wristcom had been tossed in. Although his brain knew there hadn't been time to dispose of two bodies, he was relieved to observe the unit was too small for anything as big as a man.

"We've lost them both," Captain Martinez reported to Almeida. "We traced Medic Banner as far as number three docking bay, then the wristcom ceased transmitting, we suspect it's been destroyed. There's no sign of either of your two men yet, but we're still looking," he added tactfully.

Alan Stewart felt certain his heart froze for a second. They had Banner! Banner and Max. For a moment he couldn't think beyond the gut wrenching fear.

Almeida reached over and put his hand on his shoulder, giving him a shake. "Alan? They'll be fine! If the men took the trouble to kidnap them, I'm sure they'll keep them alive."

Until they get what they want, or decide to cut their losses. Almeida might just as well have spoken the words aloud, they rang so clearly in Alan's mind. He swallowed hard, trying not to let his imagination race away with all the things that could happen to his lover.