Page 30 of Stranded with the Alien

“How many left?”

“Just that and one full one.”

“And the rations?”

“The disgusting mulch you call food? Four packs.”

Kara’s heart sank.

“Shit. We’ll run out in two days.”

Vahn squatted so his face was more on a level with Kara’s, though she still had to look up at him.

“I think we need to acknowledge that in order to survive, we must, for the time being at least, go against the laws of our respective planets.”

“What do you mean?”

“That we put aside our combatant status and declare a truce.”

“Impossible.”

“Just until we are rescued.”

“Ifwe’re rescued.”

“Indeed,” he said gravely. “Ifwe are rescued. Until then, a truce. Between a Terran and a Vraxian. The first one in two decades.”

Kara hesitated. Her mother would not approve. Hell, her mother would probably be the first one to insist on a court martial. But what choice did she have? Vahn was right. They had few supplies and even fewer options.

On the plus side, he was big and strong. He might come in useful against some of the dangers on this shitty planet.

And if she found she no longer had any use for him, she’d end the arrangement.

With extreme prejudice.

She held out her hand. Vahn looked at it, as if wondering what she was doing, and she took hold of his fingers.

“On Earth, we shake hands when we make an agreement,” she told him. His yellow gaze bored into her.

“I see. So we are agreed?”

“Yes. A truce.”

For now,she added under her breath.

Seventeen

Vahn checked the Viper for himself, methodically searching every compartment and storage panel. The only thing he found was something that looked like a small square pouch. He tucked it into his belt.

Kara watched him work from a patch of shade. He’d removed his T-shirt to preserve it from dirt and the unique light on the planet defined every muscle and sinew as he threw rocks aside.

She noticed the wounds from the animal attack had healed well. Amazingly well, considering how they’d looked yesterday.Wow. That is one impressive recovery rate.

The Vraxian glanced over and she looked away, embarrassed he’d caught her staring.

“You’re wasting time. There’s nothing in there.”

He climbed down, having confirmed what he already suspected. Neither the emergency rations nor the rescue beacon were on board.

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