Boudreaux wore stylish sunglasses, even inside this windowless conference room. Again odd, but Wyatt would save his opinions for once he had more information.
Diesel continued the briefing. “Ten minutes ago, Gage was able to get his computer program to start tracking the cryo-pod signature of the escapees.” He clicked a remote and the interactive whiteboard behind him lit up like an overhead projector display. A simplistic map showed the southern edge of the Big Bang Truck Stop. Two areas circled in red appeared on the map’s northern edge, one to the right, one to the left, with gray dots inside the red circles. “It looks like we’ll have to split up into two groups to go after them.
“Bubba and Luther will take half of the assembled team and head to the northeast. Wyatt and I will take our team to the northwest.”
Axel put his hand in the air.
Diesel sighed loudly. “You can just talk, Axel.”
“Why are there only four wispy gray dots on the map and not five?”
“We aren’t quite sure. The three to the northeast are the strongest. The one in the northwest is very light. Gage speculates that perhaps the lone entity was the first to depart his cryo-pod. It’s possible that the fifth was also released earlier than the others and his trail might have already dissipated.”
Axel raised his hand again.
“Speak, Axel.”
“I’m not a dog.”
Diesel glared and didn’t say a word.
Axel cleared his throat as if to keep his amusement in check. “I thought all the pods opened at the exact same time when the system rebooted after the solar flares. Why would some pods have opened earlier?”
“It’s just a theory. That’s what speculation means, a big fat guess. Gage also mentioned that the physiology of the different aliens might also have an impact on the data.”
“So you don’t really know?”
“Sure. Fine. We don’t really know. The ‘theory’ is that the faint wisp is hopefully with the invisible one.”
“That’s a big if,” Cam remarked. “The invisible wisp could be literally anywhere on this map or already out of Arkansas.”
“True, but doubtful. Besides, we can only operate and move forward with what wedoknow.” Diesel clicked the remote and a more magnified map appeared, the circles larger. “What we do know is that four out of five escaped gulag-bound criminals are lit up on this map. We are going after them and we’re leaving in five minutes. We have two large capacity vans ready to depart. We will take as many roads as possible to get nearer to the marked areas, but the last two to five miles will be on foot depending which group you’re with. Does everyone know which group they’re with?”
Wyatt assessed the assembled group and realized for the first time that Valene was the only female in the room. She raised her hand. “I don’t know which groupI’mwith.”
Diesel nodded once at her. He then stood and walked over to Wyatt and Valene as they got up.
“Valene, I’d like you to stay behind in Alienn with Gage to help him in his lab. He’s got a few more ideas of how to track the escapees once our time limit runs out.”
“Why does it have to be me?” She glanced at Wyatt, her expression pained as if, like him, she wanted to spend every spare minute together.
“We have two panel vans with seating for fifteen each. With the two new additions to our team, there isn’t room. That’s why Gage is staying behind.”
Valene looked at Wyatt again then at the others as if doing a quick count. “There are only twenty-five—”
“Yes, and five prisoners to bring back. What if all five are found by one team? We can’t just strap them to the luggage rack and cover them with a tarp once we’ve shackled them.”
“But—”
“No buts. It’s not like we’re sending you off to sit by the phone and wait for us. Go help Gage. Besides, we’ll be in continual communication.”
“Fine.” She didn’t sound like she meant that, but her brother nodded.
Diesel left them when someone asked a question about the terrain.
Once he was out of hearing, Wyatt reached into his pocket and pulled the ring out. “Here.” He slid it onto her finger. “For today, while we’re parted, we can still be engaged, right?”
Valene looked up at him, eyes watering up. He thought he’d made a mistake until she threw her arms around him and kissed him hard on the mouth in front of the remaining folks in the room. “You are so right. I love you,” she whispered. Emotion warmed the center of his chest as she pulled away slowly. How could he ever let her go? How could he not follow her two galaxies away for a life together?
