One of them speaks. Whatever language he uses, my translator doesn’t know it, because I can’t understand what he’s saying. He then points at Fake Lydia. Killan and I positioned her against the farthest wall from the entrance tunnel, on the walkway that surrounds the lake. There’s a single light a little to one side that we took time placing so it shows off Fake Lydia to her best advantage but doesn’t illuminate the water or the net.
Another one says something, calling louder this time, and I hope like hell they’re not expecting Fake Lydia to answer. The plan relied on them charging recklessly forward and not taking their time to make a formal inspection of the farm. Because if they keep standing in the entranceway, they’re going to get suspicious of why Fake Lydia isn’t moving. They might even notice the humidity and start asking each other why the air is filled with water.
My one piece of luck is that most aliens don’t know what a smile is, so they’re not going to wonder why the woman they’ve chased into the underground caves is grinning at them. Showing your teeth, Roan once told me, is considered a universal sign of aggression, so maybe they think Fake Lydia has decided to stand her ground and fight.
Kudos to Fake Lydia. She’s got more guts than me.
My lungs are aching, and my brain is screaming at me to take a breath. I open my mouth as quietly as I can, trying to breathe without actually moving.
The guy in front takes a hesitant step forward, and my chest tightens as I suddenly realize another one of the plan’s flaws. If the first guy gets too far ahead of his companions, he’ll fall into the lake and get tangled in the net, but the others won’t.
Fuck.I grope in my jean pocket and almost breathe an audible sigh of relief when I find the piece of crystal I’d tucked in there earlier. Then I toss it, aiming for the back wall of the cave.
It hits stone and drops to the metal walkway with a clatter. A second before it rolls into the water, the three men lunge for Fake Lydia.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Killan
The house is silent as I slip outside. The wind shoves against me, and I quickly close my inner eyelids against the dust. My vision dims; the colors mute.
The ship’s hatch is open, and the gangplank is extended, but there are no signs of life. Still, I advance with caution.
Of the three women, Harlee is the tallest, and so it is her metal cutout I have chosen to be my shield. Still, if I am attacked, I will need to hunch low to hide behind her. And I cannot work out if it is better having the printed side facing me or facing away from me. Facing me and it is as if Harlee is watching me, which is somewhat unnerving considering her eyes never blink and her smile never falters. But facing away from me, it is as if I am tempting Atakis to shoot a female.
Then again, if he believes her to be the real Harlee, he might hold his fire, and so I turn the metal cutout until it is facing outwards, willing to use any tactics necessary to rescue my family.
I jog up the gangplank, checking left and right for movement but seeing nothing. The hull is virtually empty. Whether that means Atakis delivered the algae harvest before returning with the intention of committing abduction…I think not. More likely, he jettisoned the harvest, and the life-saving algae is drifting uselessly through space.
It is of little concern now.
I step from the cargo bay into the main body of the ship and hesitate. This is the section I am unfamiliar with, having never needed to come this far inside. The passageway is narrow enough that my shoulders brush both walls. Ahead, at the far end, is a closed door, which I imagine leads to the cockpit. If some of the crew have remained behind, it is in there they will probably be. Regardless, I ignore it and instead focus my attention on the two other doors, which lead to…sleeping quarters?
This ship was never intended to carry slaves, which means there are limited places where captives can be kept. I approach the doors, but they do not automatically open, and I can see no handle or control panel which might give me access.
“Sorin?” I press an ear to the cold metal, hoping to hear signs of life. “Roan?”
“Killan!” It is Briar.
There are muffled footsteps, followed by what sounds like someone slamming their hands against the other side of the locked door.
“Is Harlee with you?”
“Yes. Sorin and Roan are here, too. But we can’t wake them up.”
“They are stunned,” I say, hoping I am making a correct assumption and not wanting to think about the other possibility. “How do I open the door?”
“I don’t know,” Briar wails. “Crocodile dude did something…looked at a screen or had his eye scanned. I don’t know.”
Scanned? I make closer inspection of the door and the surrounding wall. Akh, there is a section about half the size of my datapad set into the wall that is a slightly different texture. I jab it with a finger, hoping it is a touchscreen. It momentarily changes color, but the door remains closed.
Fek.I have not spent any amount of time learning about biolocks, never having needed to use one before.
“Give me a moment. I will?—”
I cannot be sure why I turn. Mayhaps I heard something. Mayhaps the air pressure changed. Regardless, I duck behind my Harlee-shaped shield as I spin around. The cockpit door is opening, and Atakis fires a shot.
He laughs, a snapping sound.
