AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I fingered a towel hanging on a rack. Damp. I recalled she had showered before I’d confronted her. The clothes she’d worn, an Arasetan tunic and leggings, were folded on the bathroom counter. I wadded up the garments, shoved them into my pocket, and reentered the bedroom.
Where is she? Did she leave before the others got here, or has she been taken captive? My heart stuttered with an emotion best avoided. Feelings could not interfere with what I needed to do.
The first time I’d laid eyes on her, she’d impressed me with her courage and determination. Her appearance matched her personality—no nonsense. She had a low-maintenance haircut, perceptive green eyes, a stubborn chin, and a lean, athletic build curved in all the right places. She was a woman who meant business.
But she had no business in my business. Why the zigqat has she gotten involved?
Admiration I could handle, but not compassion or concern. Caring rendered me vulnerable and could be used against me. Compassion would distract me, cause me to hesitate, make mistakes—like giving her an opportunity to shoot me. I spotted drips of blood on the floor. I knelt and touched it. Tacky, partially dry. Mine, I hoped. I didn’t want to consider it might be Jessie’s.
Had she left the building before the others arrived, or had she still been here? Maybe she’d escaped. She had a weapon, an effective one, as my still-throbbing arm could attest. She could have fought them off. Or had they managed to disarm her?
A low growl came from under the bed platform.
I crouched and peered underneath. Jessie’s cat hissed at me. “I’m a threat to many, but not to you, James,” I said in a soothing voice. Unconvinced, the cat growled and bared its sharp teeth.
“Let me take you next door. Your mistress isn’t coming home.” I couldn’t leave the animal to starve to death. I reached out to grab it, and it raked its claws over my hand.
“Zigqat!” The scratch began to bleed. I brought my hand to my mouth. “You are too much like your mistress.” I didn’t have time to coax the animal. I had to get to Jessie before they did. I didn’t dare contemplate what it would mean if they already had her.
“Moktu,” I apologized, adjusted the stunner to the lowest shock setting, and touched the animal. It jerked and went limp. I pulled the cat out and cradled its furry body. Angry-scared yellow eyes almost the color of my own vowed retribution when the paralysis wore off.
Padding to the neighbor’s apartment, I quietly unlocked the neighbor’s door. I shoved the animal through, eased the door shut, and hurried away.
James would be safe. Jessie was another story.
Chapter Five
Jessie
“You’re back! Did something go wrong?” said Kari Marshall, the president’s personal executive secretary.
Nobody expected me back from a ten-day cruise in two days. I reminded her about the wormhole and the space-time continuum.
“Oh, right. I remember now.” She nodded. “Was outer space incredible?”
“Unbelievable,” I agreed. “I’d like a few minutes with the president. Is she available?”
“You have an appointment?” With a couple of taps, Kari called up President Stadler’s schedule. “I don’t see you on the calendar.”
“I’m not.” I gave a little chuckle. “She seemed interested in the cruise, and I thought I’d tell her about it.”
Boy, that sounded lame. One did not drop in on the president to show off vacation photos. Meetings had to be scheduled in advance, and I had to get an okay from Garrison. However, I often met with President Stadler in the course of conducting government business, and she and I had clicked. We enjoyed a mutual regard and respect.
Kari shook her head. “Jessie, I wish I could…you know I can’t…”
Actually, she could. It went against normal operating procedures and protocol, but there were always exceptions. As the “dragon at the gate,” Kari had the power to grant those exceptions. She decided who saw the president and who didn’t.
I pasted on a hopeful look and held my silence.
Kari sighed. “I’ll check with her.” She rose from her seat and slipped into the president’s office.
Garrison is going to kill me. Right after he fires my ass. But I can’t let this go. Since he won’t act, I have to. This is too important.
I’d forgotten my Arasetan clothing, and Garrison had kept the handheld, saying he intended to hand it over to the Computer and Artificial Intelligence Department for analysis. “I’m sure we’ll learn a lot,” he’d said.
I had a strong hunch CAID would be contacting me for assistance with the device. I doubted they could hack into the device without the passwords—and also, the charge on the device had run low. By the time Garrison gave it to them, they’d be getting a brick. The device could be solar charged, but I had no intention of telling them they just needed to take it outside or set it in a window. Of course, they might figure that out on their own.
How could Garrison not believe me?
