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“He’s okay.” Strike glanced at the open doorway. “For now.”
They might not be okay if their ship remained on the surface of the planet for much longer. That was his inference.
“Then I’ve got this.” She gestured toward Talley and Tsadok. “If you want to lift off, I’ll join you on the bridge when I’m done.”
“You’re strong and brave, my female.” Her cyborg gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.
She blinked and he was gone.
Mere heartbeats later, the ship’s engines hummed.
Her lips twisted. Strike wanted them off the planet as soon as possible.
Kesser holstered her handheld. “Talley, my friend, you’ve been on quite an adventure.” She untwisted her friend’s unusual loose-fitting garment. That should make her more comfortable. “But you’re safe now.”
She grabbed the cleaning cloths she’d set on a nearby horizontal support, and she tidied, as best as she could, Talley’s hair and skin and outfit.
There wasn’t much dirt on her friend. She was surprisingly clean. And, other than the drugs in her system, she appeared to be unharmed.
The Powluk abductors had been careful with her. And that earned them Kesser’s gratitude.
Tsadok had bands of bruising around his wrists. It looked as though he had been tied and had struggled to free himself from those restraints.
He remained unconscious also. But apart from that, he looked healthy.
The Powluk was cleaned less thoroughly. It felt…strange to be touching an unknown male while he was sleeping.
His big boots were removed. She left his garments where they were. All of the holsters and sheaths on his form were empty. She couldn’t imagine a warrior not carrying any weapons. The guns and blades must’ve been confiscated by his abductors.
She drew covering cloths over their bodies. Talley always liked to sleep with something over her.
Kesser looked around the chamber.
Images of her and Talley were displayed on the viewscreens. Those had been sourced from her handheld. Her friend should know only Kesser would have them.
There were containers of beverage and a stack of nourishment bars on a horizontal support. They might be thirsty and hungry when they woke.
Kesser ran another set of scans on Talley and Tsadok. The results were all within acceptable ranges. She couldn’t think of anything else she could do for them. Not at the moment.
She gazed back at her friend.
Talley had a dreamy smile on her face. She looked relaxed. And happy.
Kesser hoped her friend was having wonderful dreams.
“You’re safe.” She repeated that assurance. No one would harm them. “I’ll be on the bridge.” She kissed Talley’s cheek.
Then she crept quietly out of the chambers.
The space would remain illuminated. The doors were open.
It would be scary to wake up in a strange place, not knowing how they got there or what had happened to them.
Kesser hoped the lights and the lack of barriers to them exiting the chambers would ease their fears.
They’d know they were no longer captives. And they were amongst friends.
She rejoined Strike on the bridge. Upon seeing him, she paused for a moment on the threshold.
