Chapter 14

H'zim guided the mechanical wagon through the dusty streets of Wainwright, his mind still on Kara's worried expression as he drove away. He would have brought her with him, but he was worried about the charges Lucas Trask had threatened to bring. Was she wanted by the law? He brought the wagon to a halt outside the sheriff's office and climbed down.

The deputy, a scrawny human with a nervous twitch, looked up at him warily.

"Morning, sir. What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for information on a woman named Kara Dalton. Has anyone filed charges against her?"

The deputy's eyes darted to the side, and for a moment, H'zim thought he saw a flicker of fear.

"Ah, yes… Kara. Let me check."

The deputy vanished into a back room, leaving H'zim to wait. He tapped his scarred knuckles against the counter impatiently, a slow, deliberate rhythm that echoed the beat of his heart.

The deputy reappeared, a sheaf of papers in his hand.

"It's a little complicated," he said anxiously. "Lucas Trask said he was going to file a complaint against her. Theft, he claimed."

His jaw clenched, his anger simmering just below the surface.

"What's the complicated part?"

"Mr. Trask never actually completed the paperwork. He said he didn't need it anymore." The deputy gave him a helpless look.

"So there's no official complaint?"

"No, sir."

Good. He would make sure it stayed that way.

He thanked the deputy and left, his heart considerably lighter. Next stop the store. Then he intended to find Lucas. He smiled grimly. He suspected he was going to enjoy that meeting a lot more than Lucas would.

He drove the wagon further down the street, coming to a halt outside the general store, taking a quick look around before he climbed down. He found himself hoping that he wouldn't run into any of the other members of his squad, especially S'kal. He didn't want to explain his business to them, especially after his insistence on being left alone.

Strange. He hadn't even thought about that when he'd left the farm earlier - he'd simply been focused on the next step in their improvements. So I can get the farm running and leave? The thought stopped him dead in his tracks.

I don't want to leave.He didn't want to leave the farm, but even more importantly, he didn't want to leave Kara. If he was worried about her when he was only going to be gone for a few hours, how much worse would it be if he were hundreds of miles away?

I don't have to decide yet, he reminded himself, trying to ignore the rush of relief at the thought.

The store's sign creaked in the gentle breeze, reading "General Goods" in faded letters. As he pushed open the door, a bell above it jingled to announce his arrival. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of soap and spices and coffee. Shelves upon shelves of goods stretched towards the ceiling, making even the cavernous space feel cramped. Several humans were already shopping but they only spared him a quick nervous glance. S'kal had told him that the town had become accustomed to aliens and it appeared he was right.

A red-haired man was helping a female who was dithering over lengths of fabrics while the shopkeeper's wife chatted to a human male at the counter, but the shopkeeper beckoned him over.

"Can I help you, sir?"

He nodded and approached the counter, listing off the supplies he needed: groceries, dry goods, and tools for the farm.

"I'll also take chickens if you've got them." He looked over at the end of the counter where the female was still holding poring over bolts of cloth. "And a length of that fabric with the yellow flowers."

"Yes, sir."

The shopkeeper nodded enthusiastically, clearly pleased by the size of his order. As he bustled around putting it together, his wife came to join them but it was clear she was more interested in gossip than assistance. He let her pry the fact that he was living on the farm out of him, then ignored all of her other questions.

"No wife?" she asked, her eyes sparkling maliciously. "Seems like most of you aliens are hooked up with human women."

"Hush, Miranda," the shopkeeper ordered, but she ignored him.

"Not that I can entirely blame them. That man that was in here just now? He might be wealthy and good-looking but he makes my skin crawl. He was just bragging about setting his sights on that poor little scientist gal." She tittered. "‘Course, I doubt she gets many other offers, skinny and plain like she is."

"Enough." The shopkeeper's voice was harsher this time. "Lucas is a good customer and I don't want no trouble."

"Lucas?" he asked sharply. "The man who was just here?"

"That's right. He's a cattle broker, a wealthy one too."

His wife sniffed disdainfully, but H'zim was already heading for the door.

"I'll be right back. You can start loading the wagon."

He strode rapidly down the wooden sidewalk, searching for the human. Lucas was a shade taller than most males so he should be easy enough to spot. Even so he might have missed him if it hadn't been for the sharp exclamation from a narrow alley between two buildings.

Lucas was looming over a tall, slender female. Even though she was wearing spectacles, H'zim saw her eyes flash defiantly before she kneed Lucas swiftly and accurately in the groin. He doubled over, gasping out a curse.

"I hope that will teach you not to accost another female," she said coldly. "Did you know it only takes seven pounds of pressure to rip off an ear? Come near me again and you'll lose both of them."

The woman came towards him, her head held high, and he gave her a respectful nod. She returned it, her only reaction to the incident two spots of color high on her cheekbones.

He didn't wait to see where she went. Instead he strode down the alleyway, looming over Lucas. The human's face was twisted in pain and anger, but H'zim didn't care.

"Bitch," Lucas spat, glaring after the woman. "She's going to pay for that."

"No, she's not," he growled. "You aren't going to touch a hair on her head."

Lucas's eyes narrowed, glaring up at him, and he pushed himself painfully to his feet.

"Do you know who I-"

"I don't know and I don't care. I'm telling you to stay away from the women in this town, especially Kara Dalton."

"You," Lucas spat, his voice venomous. "You're harboring her, aren't you?"

He didn't respond. He simply loomed ominously over Lucas, his massive frame casting a shadow over the human. Lucas tried to take a step back, his eyes darting towards the alleyway entrance, but H'zim's hand shot out, grasping Lucas's arm and pulling him back.

"We're not done," he growled, his voice low and menacing.

His grip on the man's arm tightened as he leaned in, his face inches from the human's.

"Leave Kara alone," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "Leave every female in this town alone. You don't belong here, and you don't deserve to breathe the same air as them."

Lucas's eyes flashed with defiance, and he sneered up at H'zim.

"Or what? I'm not afraid of you, any of you. Damn interfering aliens."

He didn't bother to respond verbally. He simply pulled out a knife, the silver blade glinting in the dim alleyway, and pressed it against Lucas's crotch, the point digging into the fabric of his pants.

Lucas's eyes went wide, and he gulped, his face paling.

"You wouldn't," he stammered.

"Oh, but I would," he said coldly. "You're not worthy of being a man."

Lucas's eyes darted back and forth, searching for an escape, but there was none. He finally nodded, a jerky, frightened movement, and H'zim pulled the knife back. As he did he reversed the blade and slammed the hilt against Lucas's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. The man's eyes fluttered closed, and his body went limp, unconscious.

H'zim stood over him, his chest heaving with anger, his hand still clenched around the knife.

"Puny human," he muttered, and turned to leave.

A short time later H'zim drove slowly out of town, satisfied with the day's events. His business with Lucas was concluded, and he was bringing home the supplies they needed along with a small bonus - a cow and calf, tied behind the wagon. The gentle lowing of the cow and the calf's playful bleats were a soothing accompaniment to the rhythmic creaking of the wagon's metal frame.

He had to drive at a slower pace than usual to accommodate them, but he was confident he'd be back at the farm well before dark. The landscape rolled by, a gentle undulation of hills and fields, the air filled with the sweet scent of blooming wildflowers.

As he approached the crossroads with the trade route, he saw two men on horseback waiting at the intersection. They were trying to appear casual, but they watched intently as he approached. One was dressed in dusty leather, a rifle slung over his shoulder, while the other wore a faded denim jacket, a handgun holstered at his hip. His instincts prickled, but he slowed the wagon to a stop.