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My fingers fumbled with the switches on the stunner, hitting two of them at once. The stun stick sizzled to life, and I lunged.
“No…Jessie…” He leaped back, but not far enough. The stunner connected with his bare torso, and he went down, his body thrashing on the floor. When he’d shocked me, it had paralyzed me, but it hadn’t caused convulsions. The stunner setting must have been on max voltage.
“So much for having me contained,” I sneered, parroting his comment to Garrison, and bolted.
Thick woods surrounded the house, but a long, narrow drive led away. Paralyzing Maxx had bought a little time, so I chose the driveway rather than cutting through the woods. I could move faster and see a little better. I had no idea where I was relative to the capital or to any city. Hopefully, when I got to a road, I’d spot some city lights.
The power outage might not be widespread, and many city buildings had auxiliary power.
In my thin pajamas, I wasn’t dressed for the cool, crisp rain-scented night air, but the chill scarcely registered due to the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I squished through mud and thanked my foresight for having kept my shoes on.
Jogging down the rutted drive, I flung the blaster into the woods. I started to heave the useless, password-protected handheld then stopped. There could be all sorts of damning evidence on the handheld. I didn’t have the ability to hack into it, but somebody in the government might. President Stadler will want this for her planning session. I crossed my fingers I could catch her before she left. Camp Larabelle was on the other side of the planet.
The drive emptied onto a narrow country highway winding through the trees. While hovercars were the preferred method of travel, for safety reasons, the government limited the number of air vehicles in each sector, so people still used ground transport, hence the need for roads.
Panting, I stopped to study the sky. In the distance over the treetops, I spied a faint glow. A city! Which one, I had no idea. But, once there, I’d have more options.
I trotted toward the light. I’d cut into the woods soon, but I had to put some distance between me and the so-called safehouse. I couldn’t predict how long the paralysis would last, but I figured I had a little time before he’d be capable of coming after me.
When he’d stunned me, it had taken about a quarter of an hour before I could move more than a finger. And that was at low voltage. I’d given him the full whammy, judging from the way he’d convulsed. He will recover, won’t he? What if he hit his head when he fell?
Why should I care what happens to a trafficker? I did what I had to to escape. The fate of the world rested on my shoulders.
No doubt my ambivalence originated from cognitive dissonance—trying to reconcile two opposing ideations, in this case, his seemingly solicitous behavior and caring demeanor with the criminal the evidence had proven him to be. I’d never forget the shock of his conversation with Garrison.
The stun stick was getting heavy, slowing me down, but I didn’t dare ditch it in case Maxx caught up with me. Plus, I might need it if I run into Garrison.
Once Maxx reached the road, he’d see the lights and would guess I’d head this way. I glanced behind me nervously. If his hovercraft had shimmer technology—and I assumed he did—he could cloak the vehicle, and I’d never see him coming until it was too late—until the exhaust of the hovercraft whooshed over me.
I pushed myself to maintain the jog. My gasping breaths sounded loud; my lungs felt like they would burst. My thighs and calves burned. Before the space cruise, I’d faithfully gone to the gym before work. Exercising had fallen by the wayside during and after the abduction, and my stamina had paid the price.
Faster, faster. I have to run faster. I tried to pick up the pace, but my cold, fatigued legs were about to give out. If I can’t move any faster, there’s no sense staying on the road where I’m a sitting duck.
I darted into the trees and slowed to a fast walk. Maxx’s hovercar could fly over the treetops searching for me, but I doubted even he could see through the leafy canopy in the dark.
Chapter Twenty-One
Maxx
Convulsions had ceased, but my insides were on fire. Temporarily paralyzed, I lay helpless on the floor.
I was such a pyot. Why hadn’t I put two and two together? From the moment she’d emerged from her long shower, she’d been quiet and withdrawn. I’d attributed her change in mood to generalized anxiety, but she’d obviously overheard my conversation with Garrison and formed the wrong conclusion.
Because I needed to lead her away from the real culprit, I’d allowed her to believe Garrison was a traitor and a trafficker. Upon discovery he and I were partners, of course she would assume I was a trafficker working with Imana. I hadn’t been at liberty to tell her the whole story, so she’d acted on limited information, proving what Garrison had once said, that a little knowledge was a dangerous thing.
She was in grave danger. I had to get to her before Imana did.
I cursed my negligence, my utter stupidity.
Besides the mistakes with Jessie, I’d put too much faith in New Terran “technology.” The electronic locks had failed when the power went out. I’d never made the connection, but she had.
She’d taken off with my weapons and my handheld.
I ticked off the precious seconds, waiting for mobility to return. Movement always returned to the far extremities first. Fingers, toes. Then hands and feet. Lastly, arms and legs.
When the pain subsided, I tried wiggling my fingers and toes. Only slight movement. Jessie had zapped me with the maximum charge.
I’m so sorry, Jessie. So sorry. What if I couldn’t reach her in time? Without my handheld, I couldn’t call Garrison. And worse, if the power came back on, the doors would automatically lock. Without my handheld, I wouldn’t be able to open them.
