Page 97 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

She nearly pissed herself when a big, white SUV pulled up beside her, fully expecting to seePOLICEprinted on the side in large, bold letters. When Ren walked around the front and waved at her, she collapsed back in her seat and let out the biggest sigh of relief in her life.

Ren killed the engine in the black SUV and grabbed the bag of drinks and snacks as Zoey climbed into the driver’s seat of hernewstolen vehicle. He joined her a few moments later, sliding the passenger seat back while she moved the driver’s seat forward.

“While I was looking for a suitable vehicle, I saw someone use a machine,” Ren said after they were back on the road. She glanced at him as he reached into an inside pocket of his coat and withdrew a wad of cash. “Apparently, it gives money.”

Zoey’s eyes widened. “Did you just rob an ATM?”

“Isn’t that money free to take?”

“No, not even a little bit. It belongs to other people, and to the bank… Didn’t I explain how money was earned?” She let out a long sigh that became a chuckle. “What does it matter? We’ve broken so many laws already. This is our third stolen car.”

“We are surviving,” he said.

“I know, Ren.” She looked at the money again. There was a lot. “Did you…happen to notice a camera?”

“I was cloaked. If there was surveillance, it likely couldn’t detect me.”

“Okay, good. Wedoneed to be more careful going forward.”

They found a baseball hat and a pair of big sunglasses inside the SUV, and Zoey put them on when the sun came up, tucking her hair under the cap. Ren placed a hand on her thigh, absently brushing his thumb over the fabric of her pants. That simple touch kept her grounded.

They left Kansas City, continuing east. Ren kept her posted on the relative direction of his ship as the miles rolled by. Though it was probably more dangerous, she kept to the major roadways. It would be too difficult to navigate the smaller highways crisscrossing the country without a map.

As they passed through Missouri, Zoey noted at least three groups of black SUVs driving in the opposite direction. She told herself it was nothing more than a coincidence, or her imagination playing tricks on her, but she knew better by now, didn’t she? She was in a stolen car with an alien, and the government was hunting him. This wasn’t a conspiracy theory or paranoia. It wasfact.

She held her calm. Their progress slowed as they passed through St. Louis, but her inner tourist was allowed to thrive for a few minutes — as they crossed the Mississippi River, she happened to glance out the passenger window and caught a glimpse of the St. Louis Arch.

It was a silly thing to get excited over, but it was normal, and a little bit of normal went a long way these days.

They continued through Illinois, Indiana, and into Ohio, stopping only for food, gas, and restroom breaks — bundling all three together as often as possible.

The sun had long since set by the time they passed through Columbus, and Zoey decided it was time for them to stop for the night. Ren insisted he could take over, but she refused, countering his insistence with her own — he needed to sleep, also.

She made a quick stop at a department store for a few necessities, leaving a grumpy Ren in the SUV to wait. If anyone recognized her, they made no indication; hopefully the cap and sunglasses had made enough difference, though she felt like a jerk wearing sunglasses after darkinsidea store.

Finding a place to stay was a little more difficult. Without ID or credit cards, they were stuck with only the seediest motels. Lacking a phone to search for those places didn’t help. They drove around for another hour before she finally spotted a place with a sign that looked like it hadn’t been updated or repaired since the 60’s.

The man at the desk didn’t ask any questions. He took her cash — twenty-five bucks for the night — and handed her a key.

Zoey hesitated after pulling into a parking spot close to their room, afraid of what she’d find inside. Her fears were realized when they entered — there were stains on the ceiling, the carpet, and the peeling wallpaper. There was one bed, covered with a scratchy-looking brown blanket pocked with cigarette burns. The smell — mildew and stale puke — was thankfully faint.

She reluctantly placed the shopping bags on the bed as Ren closed the door.

Ren walked to the bed and picked up the bags. “I think we should sleep in our vehicle.”

“We’ll be fine,” Zoey replied. She checked through the bags, found the one she wanted, and slipped it out of his hold. “I’ve slept in worse places.”

Not that Ilikedit.

“So have I,” he said, “but I’d rather you not sleep here.”

Zoey smiled, rose on her tip-toes, and pulled him down into a kiss. When she broke the contact between their lips, she rested her forehead against his. “We’ll be fine. We both need some sleep.”

He frowned but offered no further argument.

“Just try to relax for a little bit. I’ve got something to do, and it might take a little while,” Zoey said.

“What do you have to do? I can’t let you go out on your own.”

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