He moved into the tiny kitchen area, grabbing the metal handles of an industrial-sized soup pot from the three-burner stove. It looked like he needed all three burners to accommodate the pan.
On the closest kitchen counter was an odd rectangular device. Black with silver bolts and various dials on one side, it looked sort of like the home version of a fancy espresso machine. Beyond the fact that a cup of coffee sounded really good, the machine looked wildly out of place in this rustic cabin with its mid-twentieth century decor.
“I hope you like rice. I made a big batch for us.”
Francine narrowed her gaze as he plopped the enormous pot of rice on the small table between the two place settings. She could have sworn all four table legs groaned trying to hold the weight.
Big batch? It’s enough for a battalion of Royal Guardsmen.
Raphael once again rode shotgun in Diesel’s truck as they headed to the Big Bang Truck Stop basement. They had to figure out their next move, but Raphael was at a loss for what it might be. He was all revved up with nowhere to go.
He mulled over all his memories of Edgar. He tried to view them in a new light, but didn’t remember anything that would have hinted at the other bounty hunter’s amazing powers of shifting.
They were in sight of the truck stop when Diesel asked, “Are you okay?”
“No. Francine is missing. I won’t be okay until I find her.”
“Fair enough,” Diesel said quietly.
“Why do you ask? Is my inner scowl showing?”
“No. You’ve just been quiet for quite a while.”
“I’m worried about her. I won’t relax until she’s safely in my sight again.”
“Understandable. We’ll do everything within our power to help.”
“I appreciate that.”
The rest of the three-minute ride was silent. They all got out of the SUV and used the secret aliens-only door into the basement. They made their way to the conference room, filing in one by one to take seats around the oval table.
Axel walked in with an electronic clipboard in one hand. “I have a message package for you, Boudreaux.”
“When did this come in?”
“Not long ago. I was on my way to your quarters when I saw you four heading here.”
Raphael signed for the package, noting it was from Zendorr. He pushed out a sigh. He wasn’t looking for a bounty right now, but he’d have to take time to respond and turn it down.
He almost pushed it aside for later, but decided to suck it up and deal with it.
Everyone else had seated themselves around the conference table. He looked around for a quiet place, then decided he didn’t care if any of the Grey brothers, Lucy or Wyatt knew what was inside the package.
He opened it. It wasn’t a dossier for a bounty. It was a private note from Zendorr.
Greetings, my friend,
I do not have a bounty for you, but I saw a surprising news account recently from Paludion-Epsilon that I thought you might want to know. I believe you were acquainted with Randel Edgar.
Raphael stopped reading. Zendorr must have discovered Edgar was a rare shifter.How many others know?He shook his head and continued reading.
I don’t know if you two were close, butI’m sorry to tell you that he’s been found dead.
His vision blurred with shock. The message crumpled in his fingers. His immediate thought was of Francine. If Edgar was dead, where was she?No! She can’t be dead!He flattened the paper on the table and finished reading
The most surprising news was that he’s been dead for almost a year.
