Page 8 of Marked By the Bounty Hunter

“Hold on,” I said, as the doors opened. “Let me clear it.”

I didn’t know what was going on with this human female, but I wasn’t going to let anyone harm her. I’d figure out why later.

Nalina navigated the service tunnels with the efficiency of someone who’d spent years learning their secrets. “Odra usedto make me map these corridors blindfolded,” she said, fingers brushing a junction box we passed. “Said a good maintenance worker could navigate by sound and touch alone. Comes in handy now, just not how he intended.”

A group of dock workers pushed past, their conversation drifting back:

“...third shipment this week...”

“...never seen the manifests...”

“...keep your voice down...”

My instincts pricked. But before I could listen further, Nalina tugged my arm, pulling me toward a maintenance hatch.

“This way’s faster.” She punched in a code, metal groaning as the hatch swung open. “Mind your head.”

The service tunnel beyond ran thick with pipes and conduits. Moisture beaded on the walls, dripping in steady rhythm. Nalina navigated by the sound, counting under her breath.

“Two more drips until we turn,” she whispered. “The moisture helps track distance - environmental controls never worked right in this section.”

“Ingenious.” The word slipped out.

She flashed a smile over her shoulder. “We all find ways to survive out here.”

I moved closer, drawn by that smile.

Movement ahead. I grabbed Nalina’s arm, pulling her back against my chest as voices echoed around the corner.

“...maintenance schedule shows this section’s clear...”

“...sweep it anyway. Boss wants everything checked...”

The voices grew closer. I pressed us deeper into shadow, acutely aware of Nalina’s pulse racing beneath my fingers. She fit perfectly against me, small and warm. The hunter in me noted our vulnerable position, counted escape routes. The rest of me...

“Wait.” She twisted in my grip, breath ghosting across my throat. “I know a better way.”

She led me through a maze of side passages, the drips marking our progress. Her footsteps were too quiet, too precise - like she was unconsciously matching my hunter’s stealth. The voices faded behind us. My hand still burned where I’d touched her.

“There.” She pointed to a gap between two larger storefronts. “Dasari’s shop.”

The entrance was easy to miss - a narrow doorway tucked into shadow. But my vision picked out sophisticated security measures woven through the frame. Motion sensors. Heat detectors. Sound dampeners.

A chime sounded as we entered. The air shifted, carrying new scents - ozone from electronics, tea, the metallic tang of data crystals.

A Nexian emerged from behind a privacy screen, her bronze skin catching the low light. The tiny beads in her sensory filaments clicked softly as she moved, then twitched minutely as she studied Nalina. Her wide-set eyes fixed on us with unsettling focus.

“Nalina.” Each word precise, measured. “This is unexpected.”

“We need information.” Nalina stepped forward. “About Jevik.”

“Information has value.” Dasari’s skin patterns shifted slightly. “As does discretion.”

“We can pay,” I started, but Nalina cut me off.

“You’ve been asking Odra about power crystals.” She held Dasari’s gaze. “Maybe we can help each other.”

Dasari’s filaments twitched with interest, but her eyes slid to me. “And your... companion?”

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