“She’ll have to leave the duct eventually. If I had a good sample to go by, it would help us all track her scent,” Lazil said as he tapped on the data pad.
“That would be valuable,” Miran said.
Nerin stepped behind Riff and the captain, cutting off their escape. “I need some of her clothes now!”
Riff jumped, then pointed a shaking hand to a small storage bin on the far wall of the stage.
Miran was the closest to it so he strode over and ripped off the top. Inside were several sets of clothes. They were old costumes, discarded for rags after they became too threadbare to use in the act. He snatched one out and pressed it to his face, breathing deeply.
Yes, there she was!
Reluctantly, he pulled his nose away from the soiled garment and ripped it into three pieces. He tossed a piece to Nerin and Lazil, then tucked the last piece into the front of his armor,making sure it didn't touch his skin. He didn't want to risk corrupting her scent.
Both Nerin and Lazil buried their faces in the cloth and breathed deeply.
Nerin lifted his face and gave Miran a confused look. “She smells familiar.”
Lazil nodded in agreement. “I noticed that. She smells like Hissa and something else.”
Miran had smelled the same thing. “We'll discuss it later. Right now, we need to track her.”
Nerin turned around looking for Sanian and Riff. “We need the captain to lock the ship down.”
They were gone.
“Cowards,” Miran growled.
“Dishonorable,” Nerin agreed.
“What else should we expect from those who would buy a child?” Lazil spat out.
Lazil held up the pad so he and Nerin could see it. He’d lit up the duct over their heads in yellow. It was clear it led off in five different directions.
“We have to keep in mind that she planned this,” Lazil pointed out. “She would know better than to take the vent leading to the administrative offices. That would be a dead end and a quick way to get caught.”
“That leaves four directions,” Miran said, then pointed to one of the vents. “Lazil, take this one. It’s to the gambling area, and it’ll be the most crowded. You’ll have the best shot of the three of us finding her if that’s where she went.”
He pointed to the next vent. “This one leads deeper into the circus area. Nerin, I want you to follow this one. Be careful. The other workers might be protective of her, so don’t trust anyone. If you don’t find her at the vent, find her quarters. Make sure she’s not hiding there or in someone else's.”
“The last two lead to either the shops or to the docks,” Miran said. “I don't think she’d go to the shops, so I’ll follow this one to the docks. There’s a lot of shuttle traffic going to and from the Fielden planet below. She might think the planet is a good place to run to.”
“She’d be wrong. That place is nothing but sand and wind,” Nerin grumbled.
“At least she won’t blend in with the Fielden,” Lazil said.
The entire top of a Fielden’s head was clear as their dome fluid could “see” and “hear” everything around them. It would be a startling sight if you’d never seen one of them before. They’d never mistake their human for a Fielden.
No, she had a name. They needed to use it.
Dropping the data pad to his side, he faced his friends and teammates. “They called her Nova,” Miran said. “We need to honor that name unless she tells us differently.”
Both warriors made sounds of agreement, but Miran wasn’t finished.
“It’s important that we remember that she’s afraid of us. If either of you find her, try to trap her in a room. Don't restrain her unless you absolutely have to. She might be like the human Lara.”
Lara had a tragic past that made everyone want to weep for her. The reminder of what Lara suffered, and her resulting fear of males, made Nerin and Lazil grumble with anger.
None of them would willingly harm any of the Decanted humans who are so precious to their species’ survival. They couldn’t help feeling deep rage at the thought of anyone abusing these women.
