Oh no. This might be a bad idea.
“If you want, I’ll lead you there. Just follow my patrol car. It’s on the northwest end of the pit along the main road.”
“It? Wyatt, is this dangerous?” He glanced back into the café where Lucy sat patiently waiting for him to return.
His friend registered a look Axel couldn’t identify. “Not right now.” He glanced at his watch. “But there is an unknown time limit in place.”
Intriguing.
“I see. Well, let me get Lucy and we’ll follow you out there.”
Wyatt nodded and headed quickly for his official Skeeter Bite sheriff’s vehicle.
Axel went back inside and threw some bills on the table to cover their sweet tea. He unceremoniously took Lucy’s hand and guided her out to his truck. She clutched the bag of Dirk Crusher books like it was a precious commodity.
He briefly explained what they were doing.
“What do you think it is?”
“I’m not sure. But I want you to keep in mind that while Wyatt is a very good friend, he’s also a human.” He pointed to the glove box. “Open that for me please.”
Lucy pulled the release and a small light came on inside the small space.
“Do you know what a Defender is?”
“Yes.”
“Is there one in there?”
She lifted the truck’s owner’s manual to peek under it and said, “Yes.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Do you think you’ll have to shoot him with the Defender?” Lucy seemed intrigued more than frightened.
“I hope not, but better safe than sorry. And if he asks you where you’re from, tell him you’re from out of town.”
“Out of town. Got it.” She looked out the front windshield at the taillights of the sheriff’s car as it wound its way along the dirt road. The trees on either side of the road shut out the last light of the setting sun and it was dark as night.
“I wonder why he would call you instead of the Fearless Leader.”
“I’m sort of wondering that, too. And also, how he knew where I was.”
Chapter Fourteen
Axel followed Wyatt’s vehicle all the way to a local bauxite pit abandoned by earthlings in the last century. The Alpha bauxite mining operations were further west of town.
The sheriff’s vehicle turned, his headlights swinging to one side to illuminate someone standing in a clearing next to the road. A closer look revealed his sister, Valene. That explained how Wyatt knew where he was, as his sister had dropped Lucy off at the Cosmos Café for their book club meeting, but it didn’t explain everything.
What was his sister doing out here seemingly all alone? With Wyatt? On lovers’ lane?
Axel frowned.
Valene, arms crossed as if she shivered with cold when it wasn’t chilly in the least, approached the two waiting vehicles.
His sister gave him a semi-defiant look as if daring him to ask any one of the slew of questions he’d thought up concerning her presence here with Wyatt.
