“I wonder what kind of ceremony she has to do once we get back to her,” Amellia said.“Does she throw it all in a pot and say a few words and we’re done and off to breakfast?”
“Somehow I doubt it, although I like the sound of breakfast.”He grinned.“May I take it we have our first actual date then, for breakfast?”
“Assuming we survive, sure.”Blush rising in her cheeks, she fought to conquer her reaction to going on a date with him.They were way beyond first date jitters by now.
As if he was reading her mind, Hagan reached over and squeezed her hand.“We’re an excellent team.”
“Maybe now is a good time to tell you the special set of narcotics detectors you requisitioned still hasn’t come in?They’re only six weeks overdue now.”She tried for a lighthearted note.“I did get the extra refills on the antigrav pulsors and Maintenance will be coming to paint your office next week.Two out of three isn’t bad, right?”
“Two out of three is amazing,” he said promptly.“I’ll be filing new requisitions and work requests later in the week though.I borrowed specialized equipment on the joint task force I was working with that I want for my own armory.I have the budget.”
“Sole source or can I run a competition?I like getting multiple bids.”She enjoyed talking business although it felt a bit unreal in the midst of all this alien love curse situation.
He took her seriously.“Let me think about it.I need to call my buddies on the task force and ask them a few more questions.”
“Are you planning to stay on Beneficio Two?”she asked.“When your tour is done, I mean?I’ve had a few agents with different agencies who made their entire career here.”
“What about you?”he replied.“Are you staying on Beneficio?What if we become a couple and I decide to take a promotion elsewhere?”
“Whoa, I guess it’s way too soon to be discussing this kind of decision,” she said.
They drove in silence for a few miles.
“I never really considered leaving Beneficio Two,” she said quietly.“I have a huge family here and I’m not adventurous by nature, despite tonight.I love my home and I’m happy.”
“But?”
“But if I was with a man I loved enough to marry, then I’d love him enough to follow him.”
“And leave your career here?”
“There are transfer possibilities within the agency.Moving isn’t a topic I ever looked into before but I know the opportunities exist.I get occasional coms with listings of openings all over the Sectors.”Panicked, she stared at him.“But you have almost a year left in your rotation—you’re not transferring out early, are you?”
“Wild Shemdylann mutants couldn’t drag me away from this place, not while you’re here.And as for the future, I can request permanent status here or I could explore taking a position with your local planetary forces.I’ve had feelers already.I have certain skills.”
“So modest.”She laughed, relieved he was committed to remaining firmly tied to her home world.“We’re nearly at the edge of the forest.I’ll have to park on the side of the road as there’s no visitor access in this area.”
He nodded agreement with her choice and Amellia allowed the autopilot to select a likely spot.
ChapterFive
As soon as the groundcar was safely parked, they exited the vehicle, Hagan belting the blaster at his hip again immediately.He pulled on his socks and boots while Amellia pulled a few necessary items from the go bag.By the time he’d fastened his footwear, she was ready to go.“I’ll take the lead,” she said.“I’ve got the co-ordinates on my handheld.”
Following the holo markers her device projected for her, Amellia headed into the dense forest, reassured by Hagan’s bulk at her back.They wove through the trees for a good ten minutes before arriving at the edge of a clearing.Hagan prevented her from stepping into the open.
“We’re going to be exposed out there while we dig.One of us needs to stand guard while the other brings up the root knot we need.”
“I don’t disagree but let’s find the damn things first.”Amellia walked away from the sheltering canopy of branches and headed for the closest mandrajoo tree, which was a towering giant.“This one should have root knots galore, judging by its size and health.It won’t miss one.”She went to the base of the trunk while Hagan stood guard.Tracing a big root from the spot where it led away from the base of the tree, she stopped after a yard or two.“Try here maybe?”Unslinging her backpack, she said, “I brought the excavation tool from your go bag.”
He handed her the blaster and knelt on the mossy ground at the spot she indicated.Running one hand over the surface, he said, “I’ll dig myself but the tool will be useful for cutting the knot from the rest of the root.”Deploying his talons, Hagan dug into the turf, carving giant gashes with each stroke.“A foot or two deep you said, right?”
Scanning the perimeter of the glade and feeling exposed, as Hagan had pointed out they were, Amellia nodded.“And hurry it up.This place is spooky at night.”The trees loomed over her, branches shifting and rustling as if about to snatch her up and there were concerning noises in the underbrush all around.“I think we may have company.”
Coming to his feet in one smooth motion, he checked out the situation.“I don’t sense any other humanoids.”
“Animals probably.These woods are protected so there’s quite a healthy population of predators.”
When he knelt to continue the digging, there was an unearthly howl from the depths of the forest.Fortunately the sound seemed far away to Amellia but she clutched the blaster more tightly.There had been a legend the root knots would scream when anyone tried to remove them and this was close enough to the old folklore to be unsettling.As Hagan carried out his task with high energy, she heard more howling.The animal voices ululated as if mourning a loss and she took note of the fact there was now more than one.“A pack,” she said out loud.
