<div align="center"><strong>-=the Big Damn Hero –lower deck hallway – the Gamble=-</strong></div><br/>The look of surprise in the mocha man’s eyes made the red-blond’s lips twitch, still trying to keep her smile in check. Letting her arms rest right up against her ears to keep her hands high, she felt his gaze dip several times, holding still for his inspection. No reason to give him any cause for violence or punishment. Unfortunately, he seemed to be at the end of his patience and snapped angrily at her.<br/><br/>He advanced between his questions and demands for answers, his scowl reaching murderous proportions. She obeyed his command to move toward the second stateroom but must have not moved quickly enough for his satisfaction. Reaching up to grab her arm between shoulder and elbow, his hand wrapped fully around a thin and delicate limb, one prone to bruising. Keeping her hands lifted, she allowed him to yank her where he preferred, letting her eyes lower in a more defensive posture to appear less threatening… if that was possible. At his comment about spacing, her eyes flicked back up, their intense blue color electric with fear.<br/><br/>“<strong>There’s no need for that. You want me here. You’re short crew. You’ve got at least three enemy aboard and no jailor to watch them. Three, if… I didn’t kill him</strong>,” she glanced toward the prone dick on the floor, her eyes narrowed.<br/><br/>Keeping her face averted and feeling the dark man’s body heat wash over her, she whispered, “<strong>You’ll want to pick up the knife from the hallway… the one Mae fought tooth and nail against his using on her before he nearly raped her. She got a lucky shot in. Not exactly combat ready, your pilot-girl… but lots of guts.</strong>”<br/><br/>Turning her head slowly to face the gun again, she looked it over, slowly lifting her eyes to study the man holding it. He was chiseled. Beautiful. Hard… everywhere. And simmering with frustration, anger…<em>worry?</em>The tension was like tasting bitter electric snaps from a frayed wire in one’s mouth. She tried to look relaxed while her hands grew pale with lack of blood high above her head.<br/>