Page 142 of Alien Burn

“You are lying!” Oleave snarled.

“I show my scans to you and anyone else who wishes to dispute them.”

The Baron sent the data. Oleave's attention shifted just enough.

Janae drove an elbow into him, stamped down on his foot, and slammed her head back. She broke free and ran straight to Khalzin. This time the guards reached Oleave before he could take anyone else with him.

Dhomhes released the desk and stopped the recording.

Then he called Khalzin.

His friend answered from a chair with Janae asleep against his shoulder. He held a finger to his lips before Dhomhes spoke.

“I've watched it,” Dhomhes said softly. “Are you both all right?”

Khalzin looked at Janae. “She's sleeping.”

“Tell her I called when she wakes.”

Dhomhes nodded. He gave him the news about Roemary and Burk. Khalzin's expression hardened.

“There's something else,” Khalzin said. “Before we reached the chamber, Janae received a broken transmission through the communicator Graecey gave her. A voice asking for help. Janae believes it was Graecey.”

Dhomhes sat forward.

“From where?”

“We couldn't locate it. It failed before she could get an answer. She called back, but there was nothing.”

“Send me the device details. Everything it retained.”

“You think we can find them from it?”

“I think my search team needs to know there may be someone alive to find.”

He wanted to ask why he was only hearing this now. He looked at the sleeping woman, remembered the blade in the recording, and asked instead for the time of the call.

Khalzin gave it to him.

Dhomhes sent an urgent update to the commander on the burn slope. Then he called Hawn again.

The old male answered before the second signal.

“Tell me.”

“There was a distress call.”

Hawn closed his eyes.

He gave Hawn everything he knew: Janae believed the voice was Graecey's; more than one person needed help; there was no location and no confirmation of Fiviel's condition. Hawn listened without interrupting.

“But someone called.”

“Yes.”

“Keep the channel open.”

The next work shift began without sunrise. Workers changed places beneath the same orange lamps.