Act VII cont – Borodin

Bose looked at his two captives, Lorelei – or maybe it was Saffron – trying to make eye contact with him, and Reynolds glowering at him. Honestly , he thought. Don’t they make crooks like they used to? Aloud he said, “Santo?”

“Site of a rehabilitation camp,” Mal said, wishing that in this case that looks could kill, because Bose would be giving up his last breath by now. “Fancy name for prisoner of war ghetto. Something you were in charge of.”

“I was in charge of all of them, Captain. Not just that particular one.”

“That particular one was where my … where I was. And I’d personally like to thank you for the bad food and the worse beatings that went on there.”

Bose smiled a little. “You’re more than welcome.”

“It wasn't a compliment.”

“No, I rather gathered that. Still, all in the past now, isn’t it? Unlike your rather puerile attempt to rob me.” He turned in his swivel chair to face the wall behind him, and with the ease of long practice, he slid the cover away from the safe and dialled the numbers. The heavy door swung open and he took a moment to go through the contents before closing it up again. “Just checking,” he said as he sat back up. “Lorelei always was somewhat too keen on money for my taste.”

“Mind if I ask when this was?” Mal inquired. “Just to scratch the itch of curiousness.”

“It has nothing to do with money,” the woman in question said.

“Oh, come on, Saffron.” Mal almost wanted to laugh. “First time we met you tried to steal my boat, second time you wanted to jig me out of the prize, and third time you decided I was the mark to take the blame.” He looked at Bose. “Which, by the way, is exactly the case here too.”

“You know, I don’t really care,” Bose said, looking disinterested.

“Tesler, honey, you have no idea what he made me do,” Saffron said, putting on her little girl pout. “All the degrading positions he put me in. He took advantage of me, sugar. Made me do things that …” She managed to shudde