“He visited me late last night. He seemed rather out of sorts, but he wanted to run something by me. It seems he managed to affix a tracking device on some Raxxians he encountered and was thinking of gathering further intelligence on them. He saidthey might still be holding more people from your world, and it was his duty to find out and, if possible, retrieve them.”
“He didwhat?”
“You heard correct. He left late last night. He promised to bring me anyone he managed to recover this morning, but as he hasn’t come to see me, I assume he was unsuccessful in finding any.”
Olivia felt her stomach drop.Thatwas what he’d hurried off to do when they were hiding from the Raxxians. The device he had in his hands was some sort of tracking marker, and he’d managed to get a tracker on one of the brutal alien recapture unit guards. And then, thanks to her little rant about being one of only two humans around, he took it upon himself to try to find her more.
“Fuck.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Yes, there’s a problem. I was just at his house. He’s not back yet.”
“He’s a skilled tracker and a fierce warrior, I’m sure he’s fine.” Unfortunately, Nijello’s words said one thing, but his expression said another. The man was not a very good liar. “I’ll tell you what. I have a private comm line for emergency use. I’ll give him a ping just to make sure.”
A small display popped up in the air, generated by the Skrizzit’s personal communications apparatus. Where others were a bit more limited in range and contacts, he was a senior member of the city’s leadership, and as such he had certain advantages over the rest. This was one of them.
“Hmm.”
“What?”
“He is not responding to my hails. Most unusual. But I do see his craft is receiving the calls. If he strayed far from it, the repeater signal may not be reaching his personal unit.”
“But you know where he is?”
“Roughly. But, as I said, I would not worry. He is a very resourceful man. Oh. That’s interesting.”
“What is?”
“Nothing. Just, it seems there has been some unusual activity in the area where he landed. But, again, it is probably nothing.”
She wasn’t buying it. Olivia needed to do something. Rykker was out there all alone, and it was, in some crazy way, partly her fault. Not really, but she’d never forgive herself if something happened to him after driving him away like that.
Olivia turned and hurried for the exit. She would visit Zoldana.Shewould have some idea of what to do. She hit the street at a fast walk, nearly barreling right into Arkness as he approached from up ahead.
“Olivia, didn’t you see me waving?”
“No, sorry.”
Her tone registered in an instant and his expression changed at once. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his concern flaring.
“Rykker.”
Arkness’s eyes narrowed. “What about him?”
“The damn fool went after the Raxxians himself.Alone. I need to talk to Zoldana. I’ve got to find a way to get to him.”
Arkness’s face was calm, but his mind was racing. Even so, it was a decision he made in an instant. “Iwill find him.”
“But you two don’t exactly get along. Why help him?”
“I do this not becauseIwant to, but becauseyouwant to. And we may be rivals, but we are still Maldonians. Now, tell me, do you have any idea where he was last seen?”
“Nijello does. He had some sort of link to his ship, but Rykker isn’t responding.”
“Likely too far for the repeater.”
“That’s what Nijello said.”
