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Chapter Thirty Five
Adreax
Hopeless or not, I had to get to Tayla. For all the mistakes of my past, I could not let them take her. I had to know that she was safe.
My mind raced. I wanted to tell her how I loved the way she snapped at me when she was grumpy, and how I wished that there was a place for me in the structure of her life. I wanted to confide in her about the loneliness of always running away and never running to anything. I was dizzy with emotions, and I had to force them aside to keep the ship from slipping back into a chaotic spin.
For the first time in my life, I knew what I needed, and it had nothing to do with a big payday or a potent drink. What I needed now, more than anything, was to set things straight with Tayla. I needed to throw myself at her mercy and beg her forgiveness for all the harm I’d caused. I needed to protect her from the men down there who were sure to make her life a living hell.
I swore to myself that if I could just get to her, I would bring her back to her home planet and set her free. Then, my only regret would be that I had squandered my chance to have her as my own, but I could sleep at night knowing that I had done all I could for her.
The closer we got to the Orb’s surface, the more details I could make out among the Patrol ships. The large ship that now sat at the center of their camp was an oddity that filled me with dread. There was a reason they had brought it, and if I knew anything at all about the Patrol, I knew it was up to no good. Alarm bells rang in my head, warning me that if I went down there, it would be the end for me, too.
“Damn them,” I growled to myself. “Damn them all.”
Another bell started chiming, warning that my ship’s outer layer was close to overheating. I needed to slow us down more. Reluctantly, I pulled back, slowing my descent even further, despite the crowd of men moving in a swarm around Tayla’s ship. I couldn’t peel my eyes away from their movement, scanning the ant-like creatures for any sign Tayla was with them.
I heard shots being fired as I swept across the sky, taking in the entire scene. Of course they would fire upon me, but at this distance they were unlikely to score a strike. At least I could do a little reconnaissance from up here.
Down below, Tayla’s shuttle was alive with activity. The sight was nearly enough to crush my soul. It was already too late. But I was not ready to give up. I could not give up on her.
Clearing the area in one long swoop, I eased the controls around and settled in to make another pass, still too high to catch much fire from the guards, but close enough to get a general sense of their movements. A small group broke away from Tayla’s ship, headed back toward the large alien ship. Instinctively, I knew she was with them.
As long as she was alive, I had hope. I felt a renewed sense of vigor as I made my second pass, twisting the ship into a slight roll so I could get a better view of the assembly, calculating my approach. This was going to be difficult. With no weapons or other means to bombard them, my best option was to dive-bomb the parked ships and make them think I had something up my sleeve. I had to send them looking for cover. Maybe then Tayla could make a run for it.
I prepared myself, trying to decide where to make my first —my only— attempt.
