“Director Hall says some of her info is need-to-know only. I haven’t been cleared to read it all yet.”
“That is not fair. How are you to conduct a proper investigation with less than half of the information provided to you?”
Timber sighed. “While I don’t like it, I understand. There’s only so much you can do by calling and getting your dad to pull some strings for you. We have to go through the proper channels and procedures, which means waiting for my clearance to be approved before I get the full files.”
I picked up a couple more files, both with female Xalanite names. “What about the other male suspects? B’ming and Giilan—are you not investigating them further?”
“I am, but my gut says to look into any possible female suspects first. The AARO has largely ignored them, and I don’t think that’s wise.” She turned a page and tapped a sheet that was almost entirely black. “See this? Record of a birth on Xalan, but beyond a date and Lliaa’s name, it’s all redacted, even the father’s name. Why? What’s so important about this kid that they even redacted the gender?”
A secret birth? Xalanite birth records were public. Why would anyone hide records of a Xalanite birth?
Before I could even guess at an answer to Timber’s question, her phone chimed. I did not recognize the number, but Timber answered anyway.
“Hello?”
“Agent Millwood? This is Agent Winks. I have some bad news.”
Timber’s body grew tense. “What’s wrong?”
“The Xalanite prisoner—the one who attacked Prince N’kal—has escaped.”
Chapter 26
Timber
I almost dropped the phone in shock. The one person who might be able to answer questions about who was hiring the assassins, and he was loose.
He was loose, and he knew where N’kal and I were staying.
It took a few seconds for the shock to lift enough for me to register that Agent Winks was still talking.
“—extra detail on your cabin as we speak, but if you want to move to another building, we can arrange that.”
“N-no. We’ll stay here. Moving around is more trouble than it’s worth, and it’ll only draw more attention. It’s a temporary solution at best. I’m sure if he’s still out there, he’s watching our every move.”
“Understood. Well, let us know if you need anything. We can send some agents to the store for you if you’re low on something.”
I hung up the phone just as a car pulled up out front. A quick peek through the curtains revealed an AARO vehicle parkedoutside with four agents filing out. I thought four was a bit excessive, but if Director Hall could afford to spare the bodies, who was I to object?
Tugging the curtain back into place, I moved away from the window. Even with the four agents outside, I didn’t feel comfortable standing too close to the glass panes. Too vulnerable of a spot. I took N’kal’s hand and guided him away from the windows as well, dimming the lights as I passed by the switch. Darker was better; it kept someone outside from seeing our silhouettes, and I knew I didn’t need to worry about N’kal being able to see his way around. If he could navigate the dark depths of Lake Ontario, our living room should be a snap.
We sat on the couch, and I let N’kal pull me into his lap. I half expected him to try to start some mating action, but surprisingly he just held me.
“You are afraid,” he said, more statement than question.
“I’m … worried. For you, for your safety. We don’t know who his allies might be. For all we know, he could be nice and cozy in one of the cabins next door, just waiting for the agents outside to let their guard down.”
“You think he would risk his freedom by coming after us again?”
It was kind of sweet that he considered us a package deal, though I doubted I was the escapee’s primary target. “It’syouhe’s after, N’kal. He doesn’t care about me except as a way to get to you.”
His hips shifted beneath me. “I do not agree. He tried to kill you.”
“From what you said, it sounds like he only targeted me to get a rise out of you. I’m not anyone special to a Xalanite. You, on the other hand, are still Xalanite royalty. You’re a more plausible target for vengeance-filled zealots than I am.”
N’kal rested his chin on my head, purring as he stroked my hair. “You are someone special to this Xalanite.”
“You know what I mean.”
