Karuk followed Jenny through the large green yard. Buildings made a square, and scattered around the area were many trees and places with seating in different sections.
The cold outside was something he hadn't felt in many years, and if the snow continued to fall like it was, he would enjoy spending time in it, just feeling the cold on his face.
The elements of nature always invigorated him.
He reached for his hood to feel the snow on his face. But like she had a sense; Jenny glanced at him, her eyes wide with worry.
“Wait,” she said. “We’re almost there.”
He stopped himself and instead went back to surveilling the surroundings.
There was no keypad or entrance option when they entered the building, and for that, he found himself very concerned about her well-being, if this was what Earthlings called security. He'd seen multiple places outside this building that would havemade the perimeter easy to breach between the trees on the far edge that had no visible fencing, and the buildings themselves had no security between them.
The only sort of safety measure he'd noticed was the gate at the parking area's entrance.
But even that would be easy to cross if one was interested. Fences were climbable, and with all the vehicles here on the ground, one would simply have to follow it in, for no guards watched the entrance points.
She led him up a small set of stairs that he had to watch his foot placement, for they were smaller than standard issue stairs.
Made for the tiny Earthling feet, he guessed.
No one seemed around, and he didn't see any overt security measures inside, either.
He didn't like this place. It wasn't very safe.
She paused at a door right at the top of the stairs and slipped a dingy metal key into the door before she shoved it open.
That was it? No security scan? No identity imprint of any kind? No wonder she'd been so concerned! Anyone could have walked into this place and invaded her home without her knowledge. And from the looks of it, there was no security to identify a guilty party.
She walked inside, but he put his hand out, barring her from entering. “Let me.”
Jenny stepped back and let him go inside.
He glanced at the door’s framing and determined it had not been forced open. So if this stalker had been in, it was because he had an entrance key.
“Did the owners of the facility upgrade your security?” he asked as he stepped inside.
“They were supposed to. My key, though works in the lock, so I’m guessing that’s a big ‘no.’” She spat the last of that out, and he appreciated her frustration.
How many of these Earthlings already knew this place? How many waited for her to arrive there again so they could act out their threats?
He would do everything in his power to stop him from harming any part of Jenny.
Karuk took in the entryway.
Large, elaborately painted fruit decorated her residence, mixed with laced webbing and dripping candles.
She came in behind him. “This looks okay,” she said.
He noticed more of the orange and black décor as he headed through, pausing just at the hallway’s entrance. He stepped to the left and saw her bathroom, but everything there looked orderly.
He turned to the other way and saw the bedroom.
The bedding was messed, like someone had been lying on it.
An icy shiver went down Karuk’s back.
He pulled a scanner from his pocket that he'd swiped from the station and ran it over the room.
