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every bit as dangerous as escaping. She sold Jess knowing he would die–she just didn’t care. If I hadn’t held him back he would have gone years ago, but he thought he needed to stay and take care of me. Now I need to take care of him.”
    Looking at Calla, Dani could certainly understand why Jess had felt that way. Calla was had told her once she was 27-years-old, but with her small frame and freckled face she looked younger. If Dani didn’t know better, she would have thought Calla was nothing more than a girl in her late teens. Perhaps they could turn fragility to their advantage.
    “Calla,” Dani said. Her tone was slow and hesitant, as though she really didn’t want to even suggest her plan. “I have an idea how to get you off-station, but it’s kind of tricky.”
    “What is it?” Calla asked, cautious hope in her voice.
    “Well, first we’ll have to get rid of your tracker. But I’m thinking that we could set you up with a protector, maybe one of the Saurellians. Even though you’re not a member of the Pleasure Guild, there’s some room in the field for promising independent contractors. You wouldn’t make as much money as a Guild-trained worker like me, but it could be your ticket out of here. You’ve got decent looks, and you’re young. There are lots of men who might be interested in a woman like you.”
    Jenner had threatened to sell her to a pimp a thousand times, but it had never occurred to Calla that she could sell herself. The idea was somehow appealing–for once she would be in charge of her own body. Still, there were potential problems...
    “How would I protect myself?” she asked. “I mean, I’ve heard how rough spacers can get. I can’t do Jess any good if I’m dead.”
    “That’s where I come in,” Dani said, smiling triumphantly. “I can help negotiate a deal for you. It’s a trade secret, but the Guild keeps extensive records on all our clients. I can find you someone who has a good history and solid payment record. If you fulfill your part of the contract, you’ll find yourself off-station. You’ll have resources, and if you play your cards right, he may even help you look for Jess–some men will do anything for the woman they’re sleeping with.”
    “I can’t believe you’d do all that for me,” Calla said. She’d known Dani was generous, but to negotiate a contract for her was more than she’d expected. Normally the Guild did everything it could to squash independent contractors.
    “You know, Calla, I just wish I could give you enough money to go and find Jess by yourself,” Dani said. “But the Guild puts most of what I earn in a pension fund, and I don’t actually have access to it unless I resign. I just get an allowance until I cash out.”
    “Oh, Dani,” Calla said. “I never expected that. I just didn’t know where else to go.”
    “Well, I do have a little tucked away,” Dani said, chewing thoughtfully on her lip.
    She did some quick mental calculations. “I think I have enough to pay a doctor, and to give you a little bit to take with you. You’ll need it, especially if the contract doesn’t work out. We’ll need to buy you a new identity, too, and new finger and retina prints.”
    Calla nodded in agreement. Whenever Jess had talked to her about escaping, he’d listed everything they’d need. New identities were at the top of that list. She had to become a new person if she was going to have prayer of getting away from the station, let alone finding Jess.
    “Dani, I swear I’ll pay you back,” she said. “I don’t know how, but I’ll do it.”
    “Honey, I just hope you don’t get caught,” Dani said, reaching her arms out to gather Calla close. It was all Calla could do not to cry at her friend’s generosity.
    “Me, too.” Calla said. “But if I do, I won’t let them know who helped me. I promise.”
    “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Dani said with a wry laugh. “They wouldn’t dare touch me. Being a