Page 73 of Game on Askole

I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye and instinctively pulled my sword.

A gloved hand caught my arm.“Easy. You are safe now.”

“My family.”

“They are being cared for.”

The funny black spots were back.“I think I need a medic.”

“I am a medic.”

“Oh. Good. Gotta sit down.”

The medic eased me to the ground and ran a scanner over me.“Your left arm is broken, along with two ribs, and there is a hairline fracture in your left leg.”

“Hey, I consider it a miracle I’m still breathing. A couple of busted bones I can live with. The alternative would have been bad and really messy.”

The medic turned his head to survey the dead naugers.“Very messy.”

The Overlord’s terrifying voice filled my head.“Who is responsible for this?”

“Lilkee. How did you know we were in trouble? Aunt Tess couldn’t link with you.”

“Your mental war cry was quite deafening,”Zarek stated drily.

“Oh. I was mad as hell. You know your daughter is fucking nuts, don’t you?”

Zarek sighed.“Malik invaded her mind, and the results are not what he intended.”

“Huh? Go figure.”

The Overlord mucked about in my brain.

My pain faded away. I sighed in relief as my poor abused muscles relaxed.“Thanks. Did you know Tihar dumped me?”

“I am in your mind. There is nothing I do not know.”

Well, that was just downright disturbing. There was no way he knew about the little incident in Tijuana, was there?

“You broke into the local jail where Sam was being held for assaulting Inspector Martinez. In the process, you freed two dozen prisoners, started a riot, and blew up the Inspector’s new Cadillac.”

Holy cow! The Mexican government had been more than pissed, but they couldn’t pin it on us. All the evidence had been mysteriously eaten by rats.“Please don’t tell Uncle Saul.”

“He knows.”

A nauger rushed us.

Zarek blasted it.

“You need to find the ultrasonic device Lilkee planted nearby. It drives the naugers mad.”

“Rho is looking for it now,”Zarek responded.

“Awesome.”My motor-mouth kicked into high gear.“Once that skinny bitch, ah, I mean, your daughter, is captured, I’m hunting Tihar down, and we are going to have a little come-to-Jesus talk.”

“Tracking Tihar will be difficult,”Zarek responded.

“No. It won’t. Finding people is one of my talents, but I kinda need to borrow one of your spaceships to pursue him.”

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