Page 175 of Alien Haven

“Yes, sir. You should see a medic. You were knocked around pretty hard.”

“I’ll take him to the hospital to get checked,” the daughter assured him. “Our shuttle’s just over there. Thank you again, Nobek. We owe you. Come on, Dad.”

Ilid was only vaguely aware of the conversation. He scanned the growing crowd worriedly, searching the sea of faces. “Jennifer!”

No answer. Mitag, his face etched in worry, called Charity’s alias too, then clambered up Detodev’s back to get a clearer view of the surroundings. The Nobek made no protest at being used as a perch. He twisted this way and that, trying to spot their date.

Ilid’s concern became sheer worry despite having witnessed her in the care of law enforcement. “I saw Wilkes haul her out of the theater. Do you think she was hurt and he took her to the hospital?”

Neither Mitag nor Detodev answered but chorused “Jennifer!” again.

Ilid grabbed a passerby, a human who looked to be in his early twenties. “Hey! Did you see Assistant Chief Wilkes and a young woman this tall come through here?” He measured Charity’s height with his hand.

“Wilkes! That asshole nearly broke my damn arm when he bulldozed me to the ground,” the other man sputtered. “Did you see him try to kill everyone when he took off in the shuttle? Talk about your anger issues. If you ask me, he shouldn’t have any authority, going nuts in an emergency situation.”

So it had been Wilkes Ilid had witnessed taking off so dangerously. “And the woman?”

“He tossed her like a bag of garbage in the shuttle. Maybe she started the fire? He sure was an asshole. Guilty or not, she can probably get him on police brutality. Hey, Chad! Here I am!” The young man rushed off.

“Fuck.” Detodev’s voice was an animal growl as he grabbed the Dramok’s shoulder. “Ilid, the fire started quick. Maybe it wasn’t an accident. And Wilkes is the size—”

“Of a Kalquorian, such as the man who attacked her in the barn. The guy we caught spying on us died in Wilkes’ jail.”

“Shit! We have to catch him!” Apparently recovered from the smoke he’d inhaled, Mitag flew in the direction of the theater’s lot, where he’d parked his shuttle. They’d traveled as a group in it.

Ilid and Detodev passed him and were on the vessel in seconds. Ilid claimed the pilot’s chair in the cockpit. “I’ll fly. I have the fleet experience to travel at high speed.”

Mitag gave way. “Hurry, Ilid. Who knows what he might do to her?”

Grimly, the Dramok got them underway and flew in the direction he’d last seen Wilkes’ shuttle racing.

Charity might have been displeased by Sunrise’s bucolic location, but the settlement’s small size meant little air traffic existed, even at the early hour of the night. Ilid was grateful for it and another advantage they had in their search: Mitag’s sporty little shuttle, barely a year old, was more streamlined than the older, heavier shuttle he’d spotted leave the theater. Ilid flew at top speed to reach his quarry.

“Even if he’s only taking her to the hospital, we’ll want to be there,” he said.

Detodev snarled what Ilid’s gut already told him. “There’s no hospital this direction. He’s rogue. Either an Earthtique or greedy for the bounty on Charity.”

They were operating on guesswork as to the direction Wilkes had ultimately gone. If Mitag hadn’t switched on the shuttle’s 360-degree vid viewer, which made the hull and floor seemingly disappear, they might have missed the rapidly diminishing marker lights of another shuttle heading into the distance on their port side.

“There.” Detodev pointed. His shout made Ilid’s ears ring. “No other craft in the vicinity.”

“Keep your fingers crossed it’s them,” the Dramok said, banking to catch up. He checked the readouts and silently thanked Mitag’s image-conscious urge to have included all the newest gadgetry on his vehicle. “Speed’s right for the shuttle I saw if he’s pushing it as hard as it can go. It could be them.”

“Don’t get too close, Ilid,” Detodev urged. “If he panics, he might crash. Charity could be hurt.”

“His shuttle isn’t space worthy,” Mitag noted, trying but failing to fend off the panic in his voice. “He can’t get far, can he? We can keep him sight, can’t we?”

Detodev urged, “Let him get where he’s going, land, then we’ll pick a moment when she’s least likely to suffer injury.”

Ilid grimaced despite recognizing the Nobek’s wisdom. His every instinct shouted to run Wilkes down and save Charity.

Detodev gripped his shoulder. “He has to land somewhere. He won’t get away.”

The Dramok snorted. “For an uncontrollable Nobek who can’t contain his violence, you’re doing pretty damn good. Where’s the rampaging monster who destroys everything in his path?”

Mitag chuffed a strained laugh. Ilid didn’t check over his shoulder, but he sensed Detodev’s scowl to be proven wrong about his abilities and his breed’s natural inclinations yet again.

“Wait until I catch up to Wilkes. Then we’ll see what I become.”

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