When she was as dry as she could get, she dressed quickly, pulling on every item of clothing she had with her. Her toes tingled inside her wool socks as the feeling began to return. Exhaustion still tugged at her, but she was too close to the hotel to rest; she had to keep moving. The dim moonlight was enough to reveal the silhouette of the mountainous peaks behind the lake. As long as she kept them to her left, she should stay on the valley floor. Her plan was to move in parallel to the mountains for the rest of the night before finding some place to hole up and sleep. Later in the day, she would start moving to her right across the valley, in search of the road she desperately hoped was there.
Moving through the untamed woods was infinitely more difficult than she remembered as a child. Branches caught at her clothing and her hair, she stumbled over obstacles invisible in the dim light, and she fell several times. She winced at every noise she made but could only pray that her escape had not been discovered and no one was in pursuit. Her limbs felt heavy and awkward, but the exercise helped to restore the warmth she had lost in the lake. Gradually, some of the skills her father had shown her resurfaced and she began to move more easily and more silently.
The lightening of the sky was so gradual that it took her awhile to realize that she could see her surroundings more clearly. The birds came alive in the pre-dawn light and their songs accompanied her. With the onset of day, she could be more visible and more easily discovered but she was having second thoughts about her original plan. The daily inspection was held just before lunch. If no one had discovered her escape yet, the odds were good that she would be safe until then. If there was a road and she could reach it, she could be many miles away and much harder to find. The Yehrin might not have much experience with wilderness areas but their technology could be enough to overcome that.
Pausing only long enough for something to eat, she turned east across the valley, heading for the brightening sky. The sun rose as she walked, tinting the sky behind the lower peaks on the other side of the valley in soft shades of pink and lavender before sending streaks of red and gold light into the sky. Despite her exhaustion and her underlying panic, she found herself appreciating the natural beauty that surrounded her. Other than a few stolen weekends with Benji, it had been a long time since she had been camping and she realized now how much she had missed the connection with the natural world and the memories of her dad that it brought with them.
By the time the sun was approaching the zenith, her appreciation had vanished beneath exhaustion and a gradually increasing panic. It felt like her time was running out. She was torn between finding a place to hide and maintaining her seemingly fruitless pursuit of a road. Slumping down on a boulder, she pulled an apple out of her bag and munched on it as she surveyed her surroundings. The trees were larger here, the forest floor more open and it would be more difficult to construct even a crude shelter, but she couldn’t bring herself to turn back and find a stretch of woods with heavier undergrowth.
A noise caught at the edge of her consciousness and a wave of excitement swept over her. Surely that was the sound of a truck. There must be a road nearby. Jumping to her feet, she followed the sound as best she could, cursing the disorienting effect of the trees that caused noises to echo. At last she broke out of the forest on to a cleared expanse that led down to a four-lane highway. She could see the truck disappearing into the disappearance. No other cars were in sight but given the size of the road, there was sure to be more traffic.
If she was going to hitchhike, she needed to look as presentable as possible. She took quick stock of her appearance, longing for a mirror. The outer pair of leggings were dirty and ripped so she pulled them off. The pair underneath had only a small hole. She had pulled off her sweaters as she walked and as the temperature increased. Picking over them, she pulled on the burgundy one. She couldn’t help but remember T’chok’s hand sliding beneath it and memories of their last encounter flooded through her.
Thoughts of him had tormented her the entire time she was walking. She missed him with a surprising fierceness. Even worse, she found herself feeling guilty. He would be worried; she knew he would. She told herself that she was doing the right thing, that her brother needed her, but somehow, that didn’t help.
Pushing aside her confusion, she returned to making herself presentable. She used the still damp towel to scrub her face and hands then shook out her hair before finger-combing and re-braiding it. Then she settled down to wait. From her position, she would be able to see anything coming from far enough away that she could make it down to the road in time to wave at them. She could only hope that someone would take pity on her and pick her up before the Yehrin appeared.
Chapter Sixteen
T’chok fought back the impulse to choke the human male. A large, blustering idiot who had introduced himself as Big Tom, he was waving his hands around as he attempted to defend his inexcusable actions.
“I just figured he’d come back. Kids are like that—they get fired up for no good reason and take off. Just looking for attention is all.”
“And what was the ‘no good reason’ that made Benji run away?” T’chok asked, trying to keep his voice calm. Did this borag not realize what a precious gift children were? That they were to be protected and cared for?
The male looked uncomfortable for the first time and shot a glance at R’chel’s mother. The female had dissolved into tears as soon as he appeared at their door and had not stopped crying since then. His earlier interview with the sheriff had been considerably more successful. A quiet older male with thinning hair and a worn face, he had been neither intimidated by nor resentful of T’chok. He had shown him the bulletin they had sent out, along with the ranch to ranch efforts being made by his deputies. Given the amount of space to be covered and his limited resources, he was making impressive, if not yet successful progress. His face had darkened when T’chok asked about the Triple D and he had suggested that T’chok might wish to visit the ranch in person.
“Tom’s a stubborn cuss. Never has liked to admit that he was wrong.” He frowned and twisted the brim of his hat. “I suspect he doesn’t much care for either of those kids. Probably just as glad to see them gone.”
“Why would he not care for them if he cares for their mother?”
“Well, you see, he’s always had a thing for Phyllis, even when they were in school together. Then she ran off with Jacob Redtree. I ‘spect the kids remind him that she chose an Injun over him.”
“Injun?” The word was not in his translator.
“Native American we’re supposed to call ‘em these days.” The sheriff shrugged. “I had no beef with Jacob. Nice guy, worked hard, and took care of his family. Rachel and Benji are great kids, too. Shame Tom’s too blinded by prejudice and resentment to recognize that.”
Now as T’chok surveyed the man’s reddening face, he remembered the sheriff’s words. Tom was a big man but T’chok was bigger. He leaned over the man, lowering his head so that his horns hovered threateningly above him.
“Why did the child run?” he repeated. His claws had extended, and he was a breath away from closing them around the man’s throat.
“I just gave him a few swats for mouthing off,” Tom muttered resentfully.
“You struck the child?” he roared.
Tom reared back, his face paling, but he recovered quickly and glowered up at him. “No worse than my Pa used to smack me. Spare the rod and all that.”
T’chok roared again and flung the man back against the wall. His head hit with a sharp crack and he slipped down to land against the floor. The female shrieked and flew to his side. The seemingly inexhaustible flow of tears still streamed down her cheeks, but she raised her head and glared at him.
“You leave my husband alone.”
For the first time he could see a hint of R’chel’s spirit in her mother as she crouched over her male. He wrestled his temper back under control.
“It is a shame that you do not defend your children with
the same fierceness.”
“That’s different. They don’t care for me like he does.” Her mouth twisted, bitterness marring her features. “Rachel, she was always a Daddy’s girl. Thick as thieves those two, never needed me. And Benji, well, Rachel took him, too.”
“Because you did not care for him.”
“I was sick. Jacob’s death was hard on me.” She glared at him again, completely oblivious to the weakness she displayed. Tom groaned and she glanced down at him, her gaze softening. “But Tom… Tom’s always loved me. He never even got married while we were apart. He waited for me all these years. Now he’s all mine and I won’t let you take him away from me.”
“I have no intention of taking him away.” He would rather obliterate the borag from the face of the planet, but it would serve no valid purpose at this time. “Did he even search for the child?”
“Of course he did.” Guilt flickered across her face. “And he put Charlie in charge of looking again when the sheriff called. Why did Rachel have to do that? We’re never going to live it down.”
“I am more interested in finding your son, alive.” She flinched. “Where is this Charlie?”
“Maybe out at the mess hall? The hands usually come back for breakfast once they’re finished with the morning feed.”
Tom groaned again and his eyes opened. At the movement, the female bent over him, T’chok—and the search for her son—immediately dismissed.
“Tom, honey. Are you alright? Tell me how I can help.”
With a disgusted growl, T’chok left the two humans. A L’chka and her warrior cared for each other above all others, but never at the expense of a child. This female cared for nothing but her male.
Outside the domicile, he crossed to an outbuilding and found a man dismounting from his horse. “Where is Charlie?”
The man took a step back and stared.
“You're one of those aliens.”
Under other circumstances, T’chok would have been amused at the man’s shock. Now, he answered impatiently. “Yes. I am Commander T’chok of the Yehrin Fleet. Where is Charlie?”
“Did he do something wrong?”
T’chok growled and stepped closer. “No. Do not test my patience any further. Where is he?”
The man gulped. “That’s him over there.” He pointed at a dusty red truck pulling up behind the outbuilding.
The words had barely left his mouth before T’chok was striding in that direction. He arrived as the man closed the door.
“You are Charlie?”
“Yep.” Barely taller than R’chel, with a wiry build and close-cropped grey hair, the man surveyed him before leaning over to spit a dark blob on the ground to the left of T’chok’s feet. “I ‘spect you’re here about the boy.”
“Yes. I am Commander T’chok. You were in charge of the search?”
“For all the good it did.” The man frowned and then gestured to a nearby building. “Come on over to the office. Got a map there.”
T’chok followed the human into the building. The large room they entered contained a large desk, a table with radio equipment, and a row of cabinets, all arranged with a military precision that he could appreciate. Charlie led him to a map pinned to one wall.
“This is the Triple D. The dots are all the places on the ranch where there’s some kind of shelter, even if it’s just a roof. I sent a man out to each of them yesterday. This one here…” He tapped a spot close to the edge of the map. “… had a couple of candy wrappers. Might not mean anything but most of the men don’t carry candy when they’re out on the range.”
T’chok scrutinized the map, noting the distance between the main buildings and the place the man had indicated. “How long would it take to get there?”
“On foot? At least a day, maybe two.” Charlie studied him. “Less if he had an ATV.”
“ATV?”
“All terrain vehicle. We use them quite a bit these days.”
“The child has a vehicle?” That could extend the search range considerably.
“Not sure, mind.” The man picked up a cup and spat into it. “But I’m pretty sure there used to be an old one in the shed by the guest house. Not there now. He’s a smart one, that Benji. He could’a figured out how to get it running.”
T’chok frowned. “Would it leave tracks?”
“Yep. Maybe could’a followed ‘em, too—if it hadn’t rained two nights ago.”
“No one saw them the first time you searched?”
Charlie considered him again. “I’ve worked on the Triple D for a long time. Tom’s a pretty good boss. Pig-headed as all get out but he pays on time, treats the men decent, and ain’t afraid of gettin’ his hands dirty. But he done wrong by those kids. Told everyone Rachel run off, even though everyone knew she’d never leave her brother. Didn’t say nothing about Benji ‘til the Sheriff come around.”
T’chok clenched his fists, fighting the urge to go back to the domicile and throw the man against the wall again. Forcing his temper under control, he focused on the map. The spot Charlie had indicated was close to the edge of the ranch.
“What is in this direction?”
“Nothing much. Mostly government land all the way to the mountains and most of them are National Park.”
“Why would he head that way?”
“No idea. ‘Spose he could be headed for the rez but I don’t think Jacob had any relatives there.”
“The rez?”
“Indian land.” Charlie shook his head. “Don’t make sense to me. Wish he’d a come to me instead of taking off.”
“I suspect that he thought your loyalties might be to your employer.”
“Nah, not where a kid’s concerned.” He squinted at T’chok. “You gonna find him?”
“Yes.” He refused to admit the possibility of failure.
“Don’t bring him back here. I ‘spect you know where his sister is,” he said shrewdly. “Can’t imagine all this fuss over a missing kid otherwise. Take him to her.”
He didn’t bother denying his knowledge of Rachel. “That is my intention.”
He hadn’t realized that he had made that decision until he spoke. Whatever rules needed to be modified would have to be changed. The child would be safe in the hotel and R’chel would be happy; nothing else mattered.
“If you can, let me know when you find him. He’s a good kid. I’d like to know he’s safe,” Charlie said.
“Very well. Thank you for your assistance.” T’chok nodded and headed for the door. As he stepped out of the building, a group of human men appeared. All of them were armed. T’chok’s hand dropped to his blast tube. The man he had spoken to when looking for Charlie stepped forward. His hands shook but he raised his rifle.
“Hold it right there. Whatcha do with Charlie? No damn alien is gonna come on our land and hurt one of our men.”
“Sam, what in hell are you doing?” Charlie spoke from behind him.
“Charlie?” Sam shot a confused glance between T’chok and the human next to him. “You okay?”
“‘Course I’m okay, you idiot. The commander here is just lookin’ for the Redtree kid.”
Sam slowly lowered his gun. “Benji? You lookin’ for Benji?” He scowled; suspicion obvious on his face. “Why?”
“R’chel asked me to find him,” T’chok said shortly.
“Rachel? You got our girl?”
“She is not your girl.” T’chok was off the porch and lifting the man by his collar before he had a chance to raise his weapon again. He heard the other weapons being raised but he ignored them, shaking the man like a captured rodent. “She is mine. You do not even say her name again.”
“Commander, stop.” Charlie’s voice penetrated his rage. “Sam didn’t mean nothing. We all think of those kids as belongin’ on the ranch. That’s all he meant.”
“You do not desire her?” he snarled at the male hanging limply in his grasp.
“No, no. She’s all yours,” Sam gasped. T’chok let him drop to the
ground. The ring of men gradually dropped their weapons, although their faces remained cautious.
“Go on,” Charlie said. “Go find the kid.” He nodded at the horizon, where heavy grey clouds hung low in the sky. “Storm’s a coming. Let me know if we can help.” He raised his voice. “Back up, boys. Let the commander through.”
T’chok headed for his vehicle, already turning over options. He had increased the frequency and sensitivity of the nightly scans to the point where they could pick up a single human, rather than the moving vehicles that were the usual target, although both he and the officer in charge were uncertain that they would be able to detect a small child. However, the expanded search had been focused on the immediate area. If the child had a vehicle, that range would have to be extended. Even then, if the child was intelligent enough to hide during the evening hours, it might not be enough. He was considering asking for a daytime survey, when his wrist communicator vibrated.
“Yes?”
“Commander. This is Officer T’gana.”
“Good. I was about to communicate with you. I wish to speak to R’chel.” He thought the news of the vehicle might reassure her but perhaps she would also have an idea where her brother would be heading. Already anticipating the sound of her voice, he frowned when his officer did not immediately respond.
“Officer T’gana?”
“Yes, sir. About that…” He cleared his throat. “Commander T’chok, the female is missing.”
Chapter Seventeen
Alien Prisoner Page 12
