“Seven hundred fifty thousand. Half up front.”
Helfang winced and sucked in a breath. “That’s pretty steep.”
Cyra had seen that negotiation tactic before. “It’s quite fair.”
“Will you guarantee delivery?”
“I will guarantee five hundred thousand.”
“Done.” Helfang held out his hand and Cyra offered him her comm to approve the contract with his thumbprint and embedded GID.
“When do you want to transfer the cargo?”
“Tonight. I can transfer the deposit now if you give me your account data.” Helfang picked up his own comm.
Cyra wondered if she had underbid the job. They had all added their costs and then doubled the values—twice the fuel, twice the food, additional medical, and the staff time. She had expected him to negotiate more. The fact that he jumped on the price told her she should increase her quotes in the future, but at least she and her partners had a contract.
They were officially in business with the first contract not previously negotiated by Auvi. After finishing her drink with Helfang, she settled the tab and thanked Gorga. She planned to make an effort to cultivate relationships with locals on each planet they reached. There was no better advertising for her transport business than word of mouth.
Her reputation on Cassan was so tattered, making her performance on this contract and her local planet connections even more critical. She could afford to do nothing to sabotage her fragile position.
Snarling and yapping filled the corridor outside Dez’s quarters. He rose from the lower bunk where he’d been contemplating how to once again fill the hours between bad meals on the ship and how he could keep from losing his mind from boredom during the long journey he still had to make. The door slid open and Veda and the Captain trailed five burly men, each with a canine on a leash.
Dez rushed to catch up. “What are you doing?”
Veda didn’t slow down. “I have to complete the medical assessment. It’s a requirement for live cargo.”
Dez recalled the inspection Doc had given him, including a blood draw when he’d first boardedThe Treasure. “How do you plan to do that? They’ll eat you two alive.”
“They won’t,” Captain Cyra said, as if she was trying to will it so. “See their muzzles?”
Dev caught a glimpse of the metal and leather cages strapped to the dogs’ faces. “Those will have to come off for them to eat.”
“They have a remote release.” Captain Cyra marched forward undetered by the deadly sounds coming from the beasts.
“And when they need to go back on?” Dez feared for the little doctor and the stunning blue captain. There was no way he’d let anything happen to either of them. But it would hurt his heart if the dogs marred the captain’s skin.
“I’ll cross that wormhole when I get there.” Veda double stepped to catch up to the pack.
Dez followed, determined to provide some protection. The handlers placed the canines in their individual kennels, but didn’t offer a bit of help to Doctor Veda. He half expected them to sit down and play a game while they waited as unconcerned with the intake as they were. Dez scowled at the useless group and stayed by Veda’s side as she scanned each dog and documented their initial health status. The dogs were calmer one on one, but big enough to eat her in one bite.
Captain Cyra dragged her finger over her comm muttering to herself. “There are commands in this paperwork somewhere.”
“Can you hold up that front paw so I can get a sample?” Doctor Veda asked with a syringe in one hand.
“Sure.” Dez wasn’t sure at all. He ran his hand down the flank of the large male who came to Dez’s waist. His head was like a bowling ball, and he butted into Dez’s thigh, leaning in. A low rumble came from deep in the dog’s chest. “That’s it. Who’s a good boy?” Dez kept petting the beast with one hand and turned the dogs’s collar with the other. Credit. The name was woven into the collar. “Good boy, Credit.” Dez lifted the required paw. “This will be a tiny pinch, boy, but if I can do it, so can you.”
Veda parted the long black fur and plunged the needle in.
The purring stopped. Dez petted the dog more firmly, cooing positive words.
“OK, all done.” Veda dispensed the tiny sample into the reader. “No issues.” She glanced to the handlers, who were completely ignoring her and the dogs. “Do you think you can put this one in his cage and bring out the next one?”
“I will kennel Credit.” Better to get the crew to see these beats as individuals and worthy of care as soon as possible.
“Right, I’m sorry. Kennel.” She reached out and ran her fingers along the dog’s chest. “Good boy, Credit.”
They continued to work through the pack, Reaper, Vengeance, Wrath, and finally Dez brought out Queen. The lone female resisted being removed from the cell and then tried to run, nearly pulling Dez off his feet.
