Chapter Seven

Three hours earlier

Acting on a hunch she would go to the office, I flew straight to the Jericho complex. The sight of her hovercraft in the garage filled me with relief. She had vacated the apartment before the others had arrived. Jessie Sayles was a do-gooder, a crusader for law and order, a proponent of doing the right thing.

However, the galactic situation couldn’t be distilled to the difference between right and wrong. Nothing was ever that simple, and, in my milieu, doing “right” could get you dead.

Jessie had crossed over into my milieu. She had to be neutralized before she caused any damage. I was 100 percent convinced she remembered everything. She presented a threat not only to me but also to the others. Their methods of silencing her would be far more brutal than mine.

I couldn’t follow her inside the building. My handheld would enable me to bypass Jericho’s electronic readers, but I’d never pass the scrutiny of the human guards. They’d detain me on the spot. There weren’t so many government employees that the guards didn’t recognize everyone who belonged and who didn’t. They would demand I remove my hood. I hadn’t been skulking about in the shadows for three years to be outed now.

Why couldn’t you stay out of it? Why didn’t you just settle into your old life?

The smart ones always paid a price.

I ducked behind a hovercar in a shadowy corner to wait for her. Hopefully it wouldn’t be long. She was supposed to be on vacation still. With time to spare, I shot a message to my partner.

I’m in place in the Jericho garage. I’d no sooner sent it than I heard a footfall. My gaze snapped around to see Jessie approaching. And here she comes. I fired off the message and then tucked the handheld into my belt.

She walked with a purposeful yet relaxed stride, confidence in every step. In other circumstances, I would have appreciated her tenacity, but her persistence could ruin years of planning. She didn’t yet have all the pieces of the puzzle, or she wouldn’t be strolling so calmly through the garage. I had to keep her from collecting any more pieces and prevent her from putting together the ones she did have.

She passed by my hiding place, and, despite myself, I enjoyed how her tight buttocks shifted and her hips swayed. I shouldn’t be noticing those things, should be focused on the business at hand, but I couldn’t help admiring her form. She was a very striking female—for a human. For any species. I liked how she carried herself: her head, capped by silky brunette hair, held high, her chin jutting out, her long legs striding with determination. Not a woman to mess with.

She didn’t take anybody’s chyt either. My still-achy arm and nose could attest. She refused to be fooled or bullied.

Unfortunately, she was still outmatched. Her perseverance would get her killed. Why did she have to stir things up?

But her self-assurance tempted me to mess with her in the messiest of ways. Yeah, I was attracted to her, and that posed a huge personal complication, considering what I needed to do. I’d never gotten involved with a subject before. It would be unwise and dangerous. However, until now, I’d never been the slightest bit tempted.

Not that I would act on the urge now. After I neutralized her, I would walk away and try to clean up any problems she’d created.

Nearing her hovercar, Jessie unlocked the vehicle with a chirp of the remote.

The hatch on an adjacent hovercraft with blackened windows sprang open, and two men armed with blasters leaped out.

With only a stunner on me, I had a split second to decide—defend or watch and follow.

If they were going to kill her, they would have shot her on the spot. If I attack and lose, nobody will know what happened to her. She’ll vanish—like the others.

One man yanked a hood over her head. Her screams for help nearly undid me, but I forced myself to remain hidden. He held her arms, immobilizing her. “Hurry the fuck up. Do it. What are you waiting for?” he growled.

The other jabbed her in the neck with a hypo. She went limp. They dragged her into their vehicle, jumped in, and zoomed up the ramp.

I ran to my hovercar. But, by the time I got into it and sped after them, they’d vanished into thin air.