Earlier, after watching only a few seconds of the surveillance video of Valene with the handsome stranger, Wyatt had wanted to sneak out the secret alien side door, run around to the convenience store’s front entrance and get between Valene and Mr. Suave and Flirty. But Gage wouldn’t let him. A dangerous alien criminal had been right there, and he’d gotten away without anyone there to stop him. And now Valene was missing.
Diesel’s shoulders slumped after he read Indigo Smith’s note. Then he pulled himself together and ordered everyone to the conference room. Diesel, Gage, Nova, Wyatt, and Cam all trooped inside. Wheeler, Jack and Axel arrived moments later, apparently summoned when Wyatt wasn’t paying attention. Must be a secure area so that no humans—not invited in like he was—could overhear any alien plots.
As soon as they were seated around the table, everyone started talking at once.
Jack said, “We need to get out there and start looking until she’s found, yeah?”
“Yeah!” Wheeler nodded and poked Axel, who nodded and added his own, “Yeah!” to the cacophony in the room.
Diesel put two fingers to his lips and whistled loud enough to settle them down. “One at a time. Nova, what did you see?”
Gage held up the screenshot of the guy who’d been chatting with Valene in the convenience store with the light hair. Nova pointed at it. “That’s the guy I saw in Daphne Charlene’s head right before we zapped her memories away.”
“Is that Indigo Smith?” Axel asked.
Diesel nodded. “His hair and eye color have been drastically changed, but yes, it’s him. I don’t understand why Valene wouldn’t recognize him.”
“Maybe he’s charming,” Nova offered. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t fall for a known criminal, but he’s not hard to look at.”
“Charming enough to keep anyone from recognizing his true identity?” Cam asked.
Gage said, “I didn’t recognize him earlier when I saw the footage.”
“Me, either.”
There was a knock at the door. Diesel shouted, “Enter!”
Bubba Thorne and the pale bounty hunter, Luther Boudreaux, came in and seated themselves at the table.
Diesel nodded at the two. “I asked Bubba and Luther to join us to help hunt down our final prisoner.” He passed Luther, who sat closest to him, the note left on Valene’s door. “It goes without saying that my sister’s abduction changes things. I want to ensure she isn’t caught in any crossfire. We don’t exactly know what Indigo Smith is prepared to do, but I’m certain that he will be very resistant to our plan to capture, shackle and ensure he’s headed for that gulag as soon as possible.”
Bubba asked, “What happened to your sister?”
“Our final prisoner has abducted her and left a note that he wants to meet tonight.”
Luther grimaced as he read the note and handed it to Bubba. Diesel played the video clip from the convenience store on the smart board.
“Does your sister know this man?” Luther asked. “Her body language seems to indicate she’s familiar with him.”
“Not to my knowledge,” Diesel said at the same time Wyatt said, “Of course she doesn’t know him.”
“You’re the boyfriend,” Luther said matter-of-factly.
“Fiancé,” Wyatt corrected.
“Right. Sorry. And you’re certain she’s never met him before?”
“Fairly certain. Yes.”
“Interesting.”
“What is?”
Luther looked around the table. Everyone was staring at him. Wyatt tried not to glare, but it wasn’t easy.
“I’m a bounty hunter by trade and I’ve spent quite a bit of time studying the body language of Alphas, other humanoids and a whole range of creatures while waiting to capture my prey to bring them to justice. Your sister’s body language is classic for not only knowing this man, but trusting him.”
“How can that be?” Wyatt asked, feeling rather surly that Valene was in fact looking at the handsome criminal much like she looked athim. “Even if Indigo Smith met with her as he popped out of his cryo-tube thing, she wouldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him in only a day and a half.”
