A pair of agents rushed in after we had the intruder restrained. I glared at them, angry that they had taken so long to enter after Timber fired her gun. Should they not have escorted her in to begin with? I made a note to myself to discuss this lapse in security with Director Hall.
“N’kal, what happened?” Timber asked once the intruder was taken away. One of the agents stayed behind to take our accounts of the events, but Timber started questioning me before he could say a word.
I laid out my account as clearly as possible, explaining Ty’shal’s visit and subsequent demise. When I mentioned his mate’s pregnancy, Timber frowned.
“He had kids on the way? Was this widely known?” she asked the agent.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose a few people were aware of it. Most of us stationed here knew, and probably a bunch of the Xalanites, too.”
Timber pointed at the spear still embedded in the door frame. “And did you knowhewas here? Had you ever seen him before?”
Agent Skiff shook his head. “I’d remember a Xalanite that scarred. I’ve never seen him.”
This concerned me. The AARO agents assigned to the intake center should be familiar with all the Xalanites that came through. How did he get to Earth unnoticed, and how did he sneak onto the grounds?
Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t find anyone who knew the intruder. No one at the intake center had any apparent ties to him, or at least if they knew him, they hid it well.
I began to fear for our continued safety. If such a distinct individual could move around Earth without detection, what might a normal-appearing Xalanite—or human—assassin be capable of?
Chapter 22
Timber
I don’t know what was more disconcerting: Seeing the body of a dead Xalanite male on the front step when I returned, or the wickedly sharp spear whizzing past my head when I stepped into the cabin.
It was a miracle that N’kal wasn’t seriously hurt in the attack. A few more inches in any direction, and he would have been as dead as his father’s friend. The thought of being almost too late to stop the attacker chilled me to my core. What if I’d taken just a few more minutes at the store? What if traffic had been a bit worse?
I couldn’t leave N’kal alone like that again. Next time we might not be so lucky.
The AARO agent left after getting both our statements, and I could finally talk to N’kal without his interference.
“So really, what happened?”
He frowned. “I already told you. Do you not believe me?”
“It’s not that. I just thought maybe you might … remember things differently if the agent wasn’t around. Not on purpose, mind you, just that things might be clearer in our mind without them distracting you.”
“You think I lied.”
Damnit. He’s on to me. “I think you might have been trying to protect your friend.”
N’kal shook his head. “No. Ty’shal made no mention of the scarred Xalanite, though I do not believe he ever saw the man’s face. He was struck down from behind, and he fell before the intruder stepped inside.”
I pondered this for a few moments. “Then it’s possible Ty’shaldidknow him. If he attacked from behind, he might have been actively trying to avoid recognition.”
“I suppose that’s a good point. I had not considered that.”
Hmm … So, there was a possibility that the new assassin knew Ty’shal, but the only person who may have known that was dead. Can’t question him about it now. What I needed to do was talk to the spearman, but so far the AARO agents weren’t spilling the beans on where he’d been taken. There must have been a secure location on-site for such an occasion, but I wasn’t privy to that information—yet.
More items went on my list. Questioning the prisoner. Arming N’kal in case of more attackers. Interrogating Ty’shal’s apparent throng of widows. Securing the cabin against future threats. Asking Director Hall for agents to be assigned to watch the cabin. So many things to do before I’d be able to relax and enjoy this time with N’kal, if I’d ever relax knowing his would-be killer or killers were still hiding out nearby.
When things finally settled, I took notice of what was paused on the TV screen.
“Are you seriously watching that cop show?” I asked.
N’kal grinned. “I enjoy it. This program reminds me of you. I like to have this insight into your world.”
I raised a brow. “You do realize that’s a scripted drama, right? My life isn’t like that at all.”
