“There is no reference to where the transport ship is parked. Or to an Ursh, or a Mikhail.”
“If you hadn’t knocked him out, you could’ve asked him.”
“When he wakes, I will.”
“Look, if the women are being held somewhere, not on the ship, it’s possible that I can get the police involved.” I’d need to figure out a way to call it in without mentioning aliens, but we need to find out where they are first.
“They won’t be far from the ship.”
“How big is this ship, and will it be invisible?” There were only so many places one could park a big spaceship and not have people run into it, or accidentally discover it.
“It will be like one of them.” Thistle points to a bus. “Though twice as wide because of the engines needed to break orbit.”
Human women must fetch a high price to make the risk worthwhile.
“And it will be in the city?”
“I don’t know…he targets, and tags, and then they are collected, ready for transport.”
“So they could be anywhere.”
Thistle doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to.
My grip tightens on the steering wheel. “We need to find Doug.”
CHAPTER6
THISTLE
We are not failing,even though it feels as though we are. I slide into the apart through the open window and find the darkest corner to hide in. If Doug returns, he will search for me, and I don’t want to fight him on my own again. We fight better together.
Sometimes splitting up is an advantage, today we are not sure. We debate the status of our mission and also what to do with the human woman.
Light is fond of her, but then he had a chance to get to know her. If we had left her and gone after Doug together, we might have caught him. And missed catching his accomplice.
Cadence is more concerned with the human women and finding them.
That is not our mission.
We are to catch Doug at all costs. We need the money, and he has burned us twice before. Three times will look poor on our record.
Light keeps looking at Cadence. Even though I haven’t tasted her, I have the memory. Light is always drawn to the taste of heightened emotions. We are bitter that we miss out because we are rarely seen, even though we are seen because we are the same.
There are places where I am seen, and Light disappears because of the polarization of the light in the atmosphere. We shall go there for a holiday.
Though we agree Cadence is pretty, despite her round ears, and the lack of shimmer on her skin. She is a flat color, like many other species. I close my eyes and enjoy the car ride with her via Light. The distraction from the pain in my healing body is most welcome.
Light scans through the data taken from Doug’s computer.
Some of it is coded, so even though we can read the language, it makes no sense. It will take time to break the code, something I am much better at.
Light’s lips curve in acknowledgement.
I sense Doug before I see him. Like me, he enters through the window. He rummages through his suit that he abandoned on the floor and pulls something out. Then he walks up to a wall, and a door appears. When he goes in, it closes after him.
Light isn’t far away. So as tempted as I am to follow and find out what Doug is up to, I do not move. I do not want to liquify and slide under the door. For all we know, the room is well lit, and I would be revealed. Which we hate.
It is a constant dilemma: the desire to be seen, yet the desire to be able to hide at will. Neither one of us is ever satisfied.
