Page 51 of The Alien's Private Redemption

"I'm sure you did," the Orvax said. "However, there was no vehicle in the area. Whatever made the sand move was organic."

"You mean, it actually was a sandworm?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"Probably not," they said. "But we're at just as much of a loss as you are about what could have done it."

"I have some ideas," Ae-cha said. "Though they're mostly rumors and myths."

"That's more than we have," the Orvax said.

"Ae-cha, I need you to work with the Orvax on this," Colonel Schuh said. "And I'd like to call in the help you mentioned."

"I can't make that call," Ae-cha said slowly, and turned to Angela.

With a deep breath, Angela nodded. "I can. But I can't do it from here. I'm going to need a truck."

Zoric knew who she was going to call and understood that she needed to go home to do it. He even agreed with making the call, but he worried.

All signs pointed to her Uncle Saul being the one to put the original triggers and suggestions in her mind. What if it wassomeone he'd trained, someone he'd sent after Angela, that had set the rest. She might think of him as a benevolent relative but Zoric wasn't convinced he wasn't playing a deeper game, using Angela's life as a way to make his moves and remain unseen.

An argument broke out about the inherent danger in letting a known criminal out of their custody to contact an unknown entity. Even with the reminder that she was his Mate and technically in his custody, nobody wanted to send them out into her home territory.

A compromise was eventually struck with the Orvax offering a sophisticated tracker and a promise to keep an eye on her while she was out of government custody. Zoric didn't like it but it was better than not being allowed to go at all.

"Angela, if you'll follow Mintonar, he'll get the tracker set up and I'll work on finding you a vehicle," Colonel Schuh said.

Zoric's eyes narrowed. He knew the name Mintonar. He was a doctor of some description and something else. The memory of nagged at the back of his mind but Zoric couldn't place why he didn't trust the Orvax.

Unfortunately, at the moment, he didn't have any choice but to trust him. The humans trusted the Orvax and everything they'd done to that point had been benevolent. But implanting a tracker in Angela could be used for so many worse purposes, he hated that he couldn't remember why he didn't trust Mintonar.

Chapter 23

Angela remembered the Orvax doctor as the one who had spent the most time questioning her about what had happened to Captain LaGrange.

He still looked angry when he took her to the other room and pulled out the tool to implant the tracker. It was awfully convenient that he had it there but she had the feeling he would have been looking for a reason to use it.

He worked in silence, his expression serious.

"I still don't know what happened to the Captain," she told him after she couldn't take the silence any longer. "I didn't have anything to do with it."

"I believe you were not an active participant it what happened," he said. "Though I do not think even you are aware of how you came to be part of it. The truth will out, however, and I will find a way to reverse his condition."

"Has it gotten worse?" she asked.

"We have arrested it for now," he said. "And being with his Mate is helping fight its progression."

"I'm glad they're able to be together," she said. "I never really understood how mates worked until I met Zoric."

Mintonar harrumphed at her and she got the feeling he didn't like Zoric much, either.

"I'll help if I can," she told him.

He walked behind her and shot the tracker into the muscles below her neck, just next to her spine. "Yes, you will."

A shiver ran down her spine when he put the tool away and walked out. Zoric hurried in a moment later, a set of keys in his hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling her into his arms.

She rolled her shoulders back, trying to get rid of the phantom pain that lingered from the tracking device.

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