“Apologies. Please attend to your Protected.”
“Thanks.” I smother a grumble of frustration and hope I’m not too late.
6: Elix
I ease the throttle forward and eye the blue laser grid of scanners that check my ship as I enter. They let me pass, and the gate remains open. But I’m certain they have an idea of my payload at this point. At least my hyperspace armor-plating concealed the missiles. I’m sure if they knew about them that they would bring this procession to a full stop.
The building displays a green light over a docking site as I enter the atmosphere and lower my ship closer to the race grounds.
Making it inside was just one barrier. Now I’ve got to find her and find the two who know that her father hid his stolen goods.
That’s the rumor.But I’m not sure everything is as it seems with her family or their crew. It never is.
After my ship is locked in, charging, and powered down, I get up from my seat and lower my rear ramp.
“Ooh!” A woman in a blue ABR uniform jumps aside and clutches her tablet to her chest. “Quick ramp.”
“Has to be in war zones,” I reply.
“You must be Elix, personal security for Zariah Landing?”
“Yes.”
She stares at me like I have antennae growing out of my head.
“Something else?”
“The race is about to start. Your client is assigned to Room Six, bottom floor, basic accommodations. She has been banded Red. Bio stats have been relayed via the wristband she won’t take off.”
“Figures.” I’m certain it’s linked to her ship, just as mine is to me.
Cameradrones fill the hallways, buzzing like large flies. I can already tell this place is going to be a logistical nightmare. But perhaps they will catch the brute that wants her for the wrong reason. It burns me inside to think of him or anyone touching her without savoring such a beautiful creature for what she is instead of her reputation.
She deserves to be respected.
The woman beside me tells me about the race and all the mingling events afterward, where Zariah will have options if she doesn’t want to participate, and how I can keep my eye on her from the observation areas.
She gives me the code to log into their system so I can load maps into my wristband. I thank her, wait for her to leave, and then, in the shadow of my ship, I initiate my blocker for external tracking systems and prevent ABR from accessing anything on my wristband or my ship. That’s always how others sneak in trackers, by claiming my use of a system entitled them to know everything about who is using their system.
Screw that.
I log in and find Zariah in the race arena with another female. I’m relieved to see she’s made a friend until I realize why their orbs move so erratically.
They’re fighting!
I run through the hallways, searching for a path toward her.
I find her three floors below me in the grass, swinging a fist at another woman who blocks it and elbows her in the back. There isn’t a door anywhere nearby to get me to Zariah. When I wheel around to continue my hunt, I see a human in black armor standing with crossed arms at a window, shaking his head as he watches them.
“Why do you laugh?” I challenge.
His gray eyes lift to mine for only a second before darting back to the fight. “Only Teol would befriend a stranger and try to train her before the race.”
“They’re not fighting?”
“Hell, no. Should’ve seen them two minutes ago, laughing hysterically, probably over some dick joke. Teol has a dirty mind. I’m not sure there’s a man in the whole universe that can handle her. It’s why she wanted to try this.”
He offers me his hand. “I’m Keo. My sister calls me Numbnut but in an affectionate way.”
