CJ
Gripping the sink, CJ took a deep breath.I can do this.
She forced her head up and met her own eyes in the mirror's reflection. The hazel was rimmed with red from where she had been crying.
She ran a shaky hand over her head, scrubbing at her scalp and running her fingers through the short strands.
The Xakul aren’t here. I’m safe.
If only she believed it. The usual mantra had little effect when the sounds of a Xakul ship passing overhead had her curled up in the bathtub.
What would I do without Domik?
The question didn’t bear answering. CJ had become so used to him always being nearby that when the Xakul ship had passed over and he hadn’t been there, it had been as if she was right there on the base on Mars. Scrambling to find a hiding place in the medical center and squeezing into that freezer.
She turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her face, but froze at the voices from outside the room.
She whipped around to look out the bathroom door into the hotel room. Domik was standing by the door, his body outlined by the morning sun that was now shining brightly.
The male voices speaking English sounding strange to CJ after so many months of hearing Taurean translated or only female voices speaking her native tongue. The translator that was implanted in her head translated any languages into what she could understand, and Domik had one as well. They didn’t actually speak the same language, though one day she would like to learn Taurean.
If you survive long enough, you mean.
She pushed the insidious thought aside.
But without a translator chip, nobody on Earth could understand Domik. And if they didn’t know he was Taurean… well, he had to keep his mouth shut.
CJ watched as he stiffly lifted his hands up.
Oh god. What do I do?
She froze, one hand raised to her mouth as she watched Domik shift in the doorway, as if he was barring whoever was outside from entering.
Was he protecting her?
The voice came again.
“All right, big guy. Come out where I can see you.”
Domik turned his head, his dark eyes intense as they met hers. He shook his head slowly and subtly tilted his head toward the bathroom.
Does he want me to hide?
CJ shook her head and Domik glared at her, lips pursed. He opened his mouth to speak and horror speared CJ. She shook her head furiously, holding a finger in front of her lips. He closed his mouth, but lifted a hand behind him to flick his fingers away from himself as if shooing her away.
She took a step into the room, and Domik’s eyes widened.
“Come out. Now. Hands where I can see ‘em.” The voice was steady and almost bored sounding, which couldn’t be good, but it was the fact that he was obviously armed that shot a shiver of terror down her spine.
CJ eased back into the bathroom, slowly closing the door. There was nowhere to hide. But there was a small window.
Can I fit through that?
As quietly as she could, she climbed onto the bathroom counter and eased the latch on the window and slowly opened it, her heart pounding loudly. A slight squeak of a hinge had her freezing, titling her head to listen for anyone coming toward her.
The only sounds were that of the man outside, muffled through the bathroom door.
What was he going to do to Domik?
