Close Encounters (26 page)

I felt him searching his memory for a moment before he answered.
Yesterday morning when he followed the female.
The thought was suddenly tinged with a trace of worry.

You might want to question everyone to make sure. And it wouldn’t hurt to send several people to look for him. Max can’t find him or Lieutenant Karle.

He was already in action before I finished, and I turned toward the Dynatec camp. With every step, my fury increased until it hazed my vision.

GEPs don’t make friends easily, and we value those we have above all else. In the short time I’d known her, Claudia had become a friend. A friend I had asked to do something potentially dangerous. If Frisk and Dorn had done something to her and Ghost, they were going to pay dearly.

“Kiera, stop. You can’t barge into the Dynatec camp in this state of mind.”

“Give me one good reason why not,” I spat through clenched teeth.

“Because they outnumber you thirty to one, they’re all armed, and even if you take out Dorn and Frisk, one of the others will eventually hit something vital.”

Okay, maybe he had a point. But I had to find out what was going on, and I really, really needed an outlet for all the pent-up emotions I’d experienced lately. If I couldn’t unleash them on Dorn or Frisk, well, there was one more option. “Where’s Redfield?” I asked.

“In the jungle, about a mile and a half to your left, heading in the direction of the Buri village,” Max replied.

“Alone?” I made an abrupt left turn.

“Yes, it would appear so, and I believe he’s looking for you.”

By the time I reached Redfield, I’d circled until I was almost back at the Buri village. He was crouched on his heels behind a bush, intently examining his back trail.

Making no attempt to move silently, I marched right up to him and planted both feet. “Where’s Lieutenant Karle?”

“Agent Smith!” The relief on his face faded as he rose slowly to face me, his gaze taking in my expression. “I don’t know where Lieutenant Karle is. I only know that she’s not at camp or with the mapping party.”

“Wrong answer, Redfield.” My hand shot toward his throat. I’d intended to hold him off the ground and shake him until his teeth rattled, but I’d forgotten one little detail. He was a GEP, too, albeit not of my caliber.

Not only did he block the move, he used my forward momentum to throw me over his shoulder.

I’m ashamed to say I did my best to act like the landing stunned me. There was no doubt at all I could have him pinned in five seconds flat. But the petty, childish, pissed-off part of me was chanting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” with a great deal of glee.

Shaking my head as though dazed, I stood and faced him. He’d assumed a classic martial arts stance taught to all GEPs in the crèche.

My fist went through his guard like a laser through glass and landed on his mouth. Blood spurted, but because I’d pulled the punch, he stayed on his feet.

I have to give the guy credit. He tried. Not that it did him any good, of course. By the time Thor, Poe and Junior crashed through the foliage, all three now adorned with swords, Redfield was bloody, bruised, battered and still swinging.

Poe wrapped his arms around Redfield from behind and held him immobile as Thor stepped between us and glared at me.

“What?” I lifted my hands in question. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re my mate and it’s your right to protect me. Honestly, Thor, do I look like I need protecting?”

“You need no protection, but he does.” He tilted his head toward Redfield. “What are you trying to accomplish by this action, his death?”

“No! I just need information.” A pout came out of nowhere and settled on my mouth. “Besides, he started it.”

Before he could reply, Churka and Lurran burst on the scene with what looked like armfuls of first-aid supplies. Poe gingerly released Redfield and the man slid to the ground.

Churka dropped to her knees next to him and poured water into a wooden bowl. Taking out a piece of cloth, she dunked it into the bowl and then gently swabbed away the blood on his face. “We need to take him back to the village so I can care for him properly.” She shot me the same glare Thor had favored me with before getting back to business.

I glanced down at Redfield. He was propped on his elbows, his gaze wavering between Churka and Lurran as if he didn’t know what to make of them.

“So much for Frisk and Dorn trying to wipe out the Buri, huh, Redfield? Even knowing that, they want to take you back to their home so they can take care of you. Would the people at Dynatec do the same? Maybe we should just send you on your way and find out.”

He squinted up at me through swollen eyes. “I came to you because I needed your help getting away from them. If I go back now, especially looking like this, I’m a dead man. They’ll think you beat the truth out of me, and nothing I say will stop them.”

I moved a step closer and lowered my shields. “And just what is the truth?”

He hesitated. “As you know very well, I’ve been trying to reach you since your ship first landed, but they’ve kept me under constant watch. The only reason I got away from them now is because they’re occupied looking for Claudia. So before I say anything, you have to promise you’ll protect me from them.”

“Are you formally requesting asylum from your indenture holder?” The Buri watched us closely, but none of them interfered.

He struggled to his feet, swayed, and then straightened, shrugging off Churka’s steadying hand. “Yes.”

“Then you have my word you’ll be protected. Max, record please.” For Redfield’s benefit, I spoke aloud.

“Recording.”

“A request for asylum under the Equality Edict has been made.” I kept my eyes on Redfield. This was serious business and I wanted him to understand that. “For the record, state your name and ID number.”

“Thomas Redfield, LS46639.”

“Senior Agent Kiera Smith, ID number 64732, responding. Do you swear that you’re undertaking this action voluntarily without coercion from any party?”

His chin went up a notch. “I do.”

“On what basis are you making this request?”

A shudder ran over his body. “Violations of the Equality Edict by Captain Jon Frisk, my indenture holder. These violations include, but are not limited to, physical cruelty and mental abuse, and being forced to act in a manner that goes against the laws of the Federation.”

The boy remembered his training. Pleased, I nodded encouragement before continuing. “Do you understand that you may be required to testify against your indenture holder in a court of law?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Max, seal it, date it and send it to the boss for immediate action.”

“What happens now?” Redfield asked. Churka had stopped her ministrations during the proceedings, but now swabbed something sticky on his cuts while he talked.

“The boss will go to the court and have your indenture to Frisk revoked until a trial can be held. As soon as possible you’ll be sent to Alien Affairs’ Rehabilitation Center for testing, therapy if needed, and retraining. After that, your future will be up to you.”

A deep breath lifted his chest and his eyes closed for a moment as relief, almost painful in its intensity, poured off him. “Thank you.”

The words were barely a whisper. I shook my head. “Don’t thank me, Thomas. I couldn’t have done a thing if you hadn’t taken the first step. We do need to assign a Buri to stay with you, though. I don’t want to take a chance that Frisk will try to silence you.”

Thor spoke to Poe, and the big Buri moved closer to Redfield.

“They’ll take you back to the village now. This one is named Poe. He’ll be your guard.” I pointed. “This is Churka, Lurran and Junior.” Placing a hand on Thor’s arm, I smiled up at him. “And this is Thor, leader of the Buri and my mate.”

Redfield blinked at us for a second, and then nodded. “Somehow that seems right. Tell him I appreciate his help.”

“He understands.”

Poe put his hand on Redfield’s back to steer him toward the village. They’d only taken a few steps when Redfield stopped and turned back to face me.

“Agent Smith? I really don’t know where Lieutenant Karle is. No one does. Yesterday, Quilla discovered Claudia had returned to camp and tried to access her private records on the ship’s computer. She was furious. She gave orders that Claudia was to be taken into custody the second she was found. Only, Lieutenant Karle never came back. The mapping team returned without her. They said they hadn’t seen her for several hours and she hadn’t responded to their inquiries.”

He was telling me the truth. I didn’t even need to ask Max for confirmation. I could feel it.

“She must have found out somehow and gone into hiding.” I mulled that over for a second. “Maybe she heard Dorn order her capture on her comm unit.”

“No, Quilla forbade all chatter from camp on the comm units until the mapping team returned. She didn’t want Claudia to receive any warning. And then, when Claudia didn’t come back, she tried to locate her using the signal from her comm unit. If it’s still working, something is blocking it, because they couldn’t get a signal.”

The small party continued on, and I watched until they were hidden by the foliage, mulling over Claudia’s mysterious escape. She wasn’t psychic, so something or someone must have warned her.

“Who would have known?” Thor asked.

Good question. And I could only think of one answer, but I needed to know for sure. “Max, where is Crigo?”

There was a pause before he answered. “He is in the same area where he hunted yesterday, near where the mapping party worked.”

“That’s it.” I couldn’t stop my chuckle. “The damn cat hid them.”

Thor stared at me in perplexity. “How do you know this?”

“It’s simple logic,” I told him. “When Crigo makes a kill, he gorges and then curls up to sleep it off somewhere. But when he showed up last night, he wasn’t full. Remember how smug and pleased he was?”

His face cleared and a smile curved his lips. “Yes, he was very satisfied about something.”

“He must have overheard Dorn and then went to find Claudia and Ghost. They’re probably stashed in a cave, wondering what in thirteen hells is going on.”

“We should find them and bring them back to the village.”

I considered all the possible scenarios and then shook my head. “No, leave them where they are for now and call the searchers back. They’re probably safer where they are. Crigo will take care of them, and it would never occur to Dorn or Frisk to watch the cat. The next time he comes to the village I’ll give him a note to Claudia explaining what’s going on.”

Another thought occurred to me. “What do the markings on your spears mean? I’m assuming it’s a written form of your language.”

“Of course. They indicate ownership, plus some give their weapons names.” He seemed slightly puzzled that I’d had to ask. “Do you not name your weapons?”

I hooked an arm through his just to maintain contact and leaned against him. “No, but then we don’t really form an emotional attachment to our blasters. I do know some ancient societies followed the practice of naming swords. What I was getting at is that you can write a note to Ghost, too.”

“Yes.” He lifted a hand and ran it over my hair. “You are feeling better now.”

Surprised, I searched my emotions. He was right. My anger had faded away. The Limantti was still there, tugging at me, always on the edge of my awareness, but I could deal with it. Maybe pounding on Redfield had done me some good.

Speaking of which…“Let’s go back to the village and see how Redfield is doing. If he’s up to it, I’ve got a couple hundred more questions for him.”

W
e took our time walking back to the village so Churka and Lurran could have Redfield settled in my old quarters before we got there. Thor stopped long enough to send Junior after the Buri searching for Claudia and Ghost. Since it was on his way, I asked the youngster to stop and collect the bows and arrows from Max when he returned.

Redfield looked almost normal when we stepped into the small building. Well, except for a swollen lip and a black eye. Okay, and a tiny little cut on his jaw. Probably wouldn’t even leave a decent mark.

More importantly, from the way he was broadcasting, he was really taking pleasure in the attention showered on him by the Buri females. Watching him, I realized for the first time just how good-looking the man was. Especially when he smiled, the way he was doing now.

Thor shot me a glare, and I shrugged.
Just because I admire a fine piece of art doesn’t mean I have to own it
, I told him mentally.
Redfield isn’t my type.

What is your type?

Fishing for compliments, huh?
I fluttered my eyelashes at him in my best silent-film actress imitation.
I’m surprised you can ask after last night.

Before the big guy could respond, Redfield noticed us standing in the doorway and his smile faded.

“Feeling any better?” I asked him.

“Yes. Please tell them I appreciate their help. I’ll do anything within my power to return the favor. You don’t know what a relief it is to be away from Dorn and Frisk.”

Thor tilted his head toward the door and the women left the quarters, taking their first-aid supplies with them. When they were gone, I strolled to the foot of the sleeping platform and sat down facing Redfield. “Tell me about Dorn and Frisk.”

He glanced at Thor, who was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his broad chest as he studied Redfield. “He understands what I’m saying?”

“Yes. And since it concerns the survival of his people, I think he has the right to hear whatever you know.”

With a sigh, he straightened his back against the pillows propping him up. “I’m afraid it’s not much. They didn’t trust me. I can tell you Quilla is in charge, not Frisk. And I’ve overheard enough to know that she’s after the crystals on Orpheus Two, although I don’t why. They look like ordinary quartz to me.”

He’d told me nothing I didn’t already know, but I wasn’t done yet. “Why did they go to the expense of buying your indenture when they could have hired a Natural science officer for a lot less?”

“They wanted someone they had complete control over.” He glanced at Thor. “From the very beginning I’ve suspected they planned on wiping out his people if they discovered the Buri weren’t dying out naturally. I was supposed to find out for sure. If they weren’t—if they had to kill the Buri—I think they wanted a science officer who could be forced into swearing the deaths weren’t caused by them.”

Thor’s brows lowered in a fierce scowl. “He tried to take Dryggahn’s child.”

When I repeated his comment in Galactic Standard, Redfield lowered his face, shame rolling off him.

“Yes. I won’t deny it. Three of us were sent into the jungle with the orders to grab him so I could run tests.” He looked up at Thor. “But I was also the one who took my time getting him back to the camp, and let him go the minute you showed up. And I caught hell for it later. Frisk thought we should have taken the opportunity to kill as many of you as possible, and keep the child.”

“Why didn’t you?” I asked. So far, everything he’d told me was the truth.

“Because I didn’t want to grab the child in the first place. I knew what they’d do to him, what they’d force me to do. But I couldn’t disobey orders or it would have been my hide on the line. When he”—Redfield gestured at Thor—“showed up with the other Buri, it was my chance to keep the kid safe and deflect Frisk’s anger at the same time. I took it.”

Okay, maybe I had misjudged Redfield. I had to admit he’d been doing some fast thinking that day. If I had been in his situation, I might have done the same thing. But I had one more question for him.

“That day in the jungle when you showed me the black flower, I got the impression you wanted to talk to me. If you really aren’t on Frisk and Dorn’s side, why didn’t you say something then?”

His chin went up a notch as his gaze held mine. “Quilla and Frisk had followed me into the jungle. You see, I faked an interest in botany just so I could get away from them for a while every day, looking for a chance to contact you in private. But they were suspicious.”

He lifted a hand to rub his forehead. “I spotted them almost immediately, of course, and went to great lengths to convince them I really was looking at plants. Then you showed up, asking questions, quoting indenture law and offering to save me from Frisk, while I knew he was listening to everything we said. You’re damn right I kept quiet. I knew I was going to pay for every word out of your mouth. You have no idea what Frisk is capable of.”

He gave me a rueful smile. “Ever since you got here, I’ve been trying to figure out how to talk to you alone. That’s why I was so close to the Buri village today. I just didn’t expect you to be looking for a fight.”

“You started it.” That damn pout was trying to come back, but I squelched it.

“Yeah, I swung first, but I can read body language as well as any GEP. You wanted a fight, and you weren’t going to take no for an answer. All I could do was hope you’d listen to me after you worked off some steam.” He touched his lip gingerly. “The part where I got beaten to a pulp came as something of a surprise, though. Who the hell taught you to fight? I thought all the crèche training was the same.”

“Believe me, it’s a long story.” I stood and walked to the door, Thor following me. “I’ll have Churka bring you something to eat soon. Until then, try to get some rest. We’ll talk again later.”

“Agent Smith?”

Redfield’s questioning voice stopped me and I turned to face him. “Yes?”

“If there’s anything I can do to help you bring Dynatec to justice, I’d like to try.”

For a moment I studied him intently. Could I trust him? I thought he’d told me the truth, but I needed confirmation.

“Max,” I subvocalized. “Have you been analyzing his voice?”

“Yes, and all indications are that he’s been completely honest in his answers.”

Might as well take the plunge. “I need to figure out why the Buri aren’t reproducing in greater numbers,” I told Redfield. “And you were created to work in the life sciences. Would you be willing to help me with that?”

His eyes lit up. “Yes, but I’ll need a lab.”

“No problem.” I glanced at Thor to get his permission, and when he nodded, turned back to Redfield. “I don’t think it would be smart for you to leave the village, but there’s no reason why I can’t move my Quonset hut here. It has a state-of-the-art lab, and I already have samples of the Buri’s DNA as well as medic scans. You could start tomorrow.”

“Perfect.” With a satisfied smile, he leaned back and closed his eyes.

As soon as Thor and I had stepped outside, Poe went back in and stationed himself so he could watch the door and windows.

Thor glanced at the lowering sun. “You will move this building now? It is almost time to eat.”

Yeah, the scents drifting from the communal kitchen were making my stomach growl with anticipation. “It won’t take long.”

Plus, going after the Quonset hut had the added benefit of keeping me away from the Limantti for a while longer. Not that distance did anything but give me a false sense of security. It seemed I could now feel the blasted rock anywhere I went. The tone of its emissions had changed, though. Now, instead of urging me closer, it sent feelings of comfort, warmth, love. And those were much more dangerous, because they were harder for me to resist.

And the damn stone knew it.

I turned my back on the building that was now my home, and its Shushadeien. “Do you know where the antigrav sled is?”

“It is beside my work area. This way.” He headed around the adobe hut he’d lived in before we were mated. “Would you like me to go with you?”

“Sure. The Quonset hut will be easier to load on the sled with two of us picking it up. It’s not heavy, but it is bulky.”

When we got to his work area, I looked around with interest. It was basically a roof set on poles, open on all four sides to let heat escape. At the back was a forge made of hardened adobe, cold now. I spotted an anvil, and on a table to one side, a variety of metal tools. The space was neat and clean, as though he took pride in what he did. A pang of guilt hit me.

“You haven’t been able to work much lately, have you? I’m sorry about that.”

He shrugged as he pulled out the sled. “It is not your fault. When a metal tool is needed, I will work.”

Side by side, we walked through the dappled light of the jungle. An evening breeze had sprung up, cooling the air a bit. After a minute, Thor glanced at me. “You now know what the other humans intend. Can your leader not prevent them?”

“I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, they haven’t broken any laws yet. Until they do, we can’t arrest them.”

His jaw hardened. “They would destroy my people.”

“I know, Thor. But we can’t arrest someone for thinking bad things. If we did, everyone alive would be consigned to Inferno. At this point, we can’t even get them on conspiracy to commit xenocide, because we have no proof. And we can’t use Redfield as a witness, because he never heard them specifically say they intended to wipe you out.”

A tendril of anger trickled through the bond. “What good are these laws if you cannot act until my people are dead?”

“Sometimes I wonder the same thing.” A sigh escaped my lips. “Then I remind myself that without laws, chaos would rule.”

I reached over and touched his arm in reassurance. “Thor, I promise to do everything in my power to stop them.”

He stared down at me intently. “That is untrue. You will not accept the Limantti.”

My hand dropped to my side. “I said I’d do everything within
my
power. That will have to be good enough.”

Silence held sway on the rest of the walk, but I could feel Thor’s disappointment. As much as that hurt, I shrugged it off. I couldn’t let his feelings influence my instincts where the crystal was concerned.

As soon as we reached the Quonset hut, I pushed a button, and we stood watching it fold itself up. When it was done, we each took an end and lifted it onto the antigrav sled. Before I could grab the handle, Thor finally spoke.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was low as he moved to stand in front of me. “It was not my intent to cause you pain, and I have no desire to force you to act against your will. It is simply hard for me to understand your distaste for the Limantti when our Shushanna have used it for so long. But I will try to remember that you know nothing of our ways, and have no reason to trust us or the Limantti.”

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I leaned against his strong body, my head on his chest as his warm arms closed around me. “I trust you, Thor.”

“Do you?”

I was pondering his question when a familiar noise had me spinning from his arms in surprise to face the plains. Just beyond the line of bushes, Max was lifting off!

Shock held me immobile until Max’s voice blared over the outside speakers. “Frisk shot Crigo!”

Fear, raw and hot, arrowed straight into my heart. My feet were moving before I could take a full breath. “Where are they?”

“Near the Dynatec encampment. Follow me!”

Max was flying fast and low, and I was right behind him. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t dare go into overdrive. The situation was unknown and it wouldn’t do to deplete all my strength when I might need it desperately. From the rear, I could hear the pounding of Thor’s feet on the ground as he tried to keep up.

Time seemed to slow until it felt like I was moving through sludge, even though the rational part of my mind knew I wasn’t. The gray metal surface of Max’s hull, flickering in the sun, took on a menacing façade as he surged forward, straight toward the trees.

Suddenly I had a new worry. Was he going to crash in his efforts to reach Crigo?

Even as the thought occurred to me, the ship slowed. Bushes and small saplings cracked under his weight as Max rapidly settled to earth at the edge of the jungle. From the direction of Dynatec’s camp came surprised yells.

Heart pounding, I dodged around Max’s bulk to the sound of the cargo bay door sliding open and the ramp lowering. Frisk was standing, blaster in hand, gaping at the three port cannons Max had aimed at his chest. Crigo was sprawled, unmoving, in an ungainly heap at his feet.

Clearing a downed sapling in one bound, I fell to my knees beside the rock cat, frantically searching for blood, for any sign he was still alive. There! His chest moved. Just barely, but it moved. There was still time to save him, if we could get him to Max’s sick bay.

Awkwardly, I slid my arms under the cat and stood, cradling his long body. He dangled loosely in my grip, head lolling on my right, hind legs sprawled to my left. As gently as possible, I lowered him to the stretcher Max had extended and then watched as the ship whisked him away.

I wasn’t going to cry, damn it. Not now. There were other things to take care of. Things like the bastard who shot my cat.

A roaring filled my head as I spun to face Frisk, fully intending to do him great bodily harm. But Thor had beaten me to it, and I realized the roar had come from him.

In one swift move, he disarmed Frisk, tossed the blaster into the jungle, and plowed a huge fist into the man’s stomach. Frisk doubled over, groaning in agony. Thor used the opportunity to land an uppercut that spun Frisk around and nearly took his head off. Before he hit the ground, Thor grabbed him by the back of the neck and lifted until Frisk’s feet swung a good foot above the ground.

Holding him in that position, Thor glanced at me, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Shall I kill him for you?”

He wanted to. And by all that was holy, I wanted to let him. Hell, I wanted to help him, and I wanted it to be gory. Just thinking about it had my fingers clawed in anticipation.