Page 14 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

He lay back, pressing as much of his body as he could into the narrow space between the rear and front seats — which turned out to be two arms, his left hip, and a thigh. The position was uncomfortable, but it would reduce the chances of the humans detecting any faint anomalies in the light while he was cloaked. Some creatures were more sensitive to such phenomena, and he wasn’t sure where human eyesight ranked in that regard.

“Okay. We’re getting close,” Zoey said. “Just a few more minutes.”

The flashing lights shed alternating blue and red glows across the ceiling of the vehicle. Rendash’s field of view was limited to the ceiling, the back of Zoey’s seat, and bits of dark sky visible through the rear windows. The situation was far from ideal, but he could do little about it now.

“Oh, shit. There’s a cop walking this way.” Zoey spoke rapidly, voice at a higher pitch. “He’s got a flashlight and it looks like he’s spot-checking the cars as he goes. There’s no way he’s not going to—”

“Control, Zoey. Control your emotions. Detach yourself from the moment. I am trusting you, and you must trust me.”

“Control,” she breathed. “I can do this. I can.”

Drawing upon whatever concentration he could muster, Rendash created a cloaking field; it crackled and hummed around him as though it would fail at any moment. He clenched his jaw and willed it to hold. Immense heat flared inside him.

The vehicle eased forward and stopped again.

“Oh my God, he’s going to see you,” Zoey rasped.

Several moments later, there was a tap upon her window. It was followed by a soft hum, and the outside sounds grew louder — the sigh of ground transports passing on the opposite side of the road, voices from humans in other vehicles, the wind flowing over the wasteland, and the distant beat ofhelicopters.

“Do you have identification, ma’am?” asked a male human.

Rendash tensed; this was the moment in which everything would fall apart. He wouldn’t to be taken again. He could only hope his nyros would be responsive enough to allow him a worthy final stand.

Zoey’s heart raced. Her nerves were frayed, and she swore she was dripping gallons of sweat. Couldn’t the cop see Rendash? Why hadn’t he said anything about the giant, green alien filling the backseat of her little car?

She stared up at the cop with a wide, strained smile, probably showing way too many teeth. “Yeah. It’s in my purse. Can I…can I get it?”

The cop nodded and turned his flashlight toward the backseat for a moment. Zoey froze, heart lodged in her throat.

Oh God, this is it. I’m done for. Rendash is done for.

Shouldn’t shewantthem to find the alien? She could tell them she was forced into it against her will, that she was a hostage, that she’d been given no choice but to help him. She could tell them everything, and because she hadn’t done anything wrong they’d let her carry on with her life. She’d resume her trip to Des Moines as though nothing had happened.

But what would become of Rendash?

She stopped her mind from going there fully; the half-imagined torture sessions she’d conjured up before still weighed heavily upon her.

How could I live with the guilt of knowing I willingly allowed him to be tortured or killed?

Zoey turned away from the cop to reach into her purse. Careful not to turn her head, she shifted her eyes to the side as far as they could go to glance at the back seat.

Her heart stopped.

I’ve lost my fucking mind.

Rendash was gone. Like,gone-gone. There wasn’t a trace of the alien anywhere, except… There was a light coating of dust across the back seat, and the cushions sported large depressions as though something heavy was settled atop them. Had it always looked so broken-in?

“Quite a mess you have back there,” the cop said.

Him calling attention to it allowed Zoey to turn her head toward the back without worry.

Yep, just seat depressions and dust. No Rendash.

Zoey swallowed, and let out an uneasy laugh. “Yeah. I was babysitting a coworker’s dog this weekend, and well, you know how dogs are! They love to roll around in the dirt.” She grabbed her wallet, flipped it open, and turned back to the cop, forcing her smile to remain in place.

A dog, Zoey? Think maybe he’ll notice the total lack of fur?

“Here you go,” she said cheerfully, handing him her wallet.

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