Chapter 26 Ror’k
Today, I learned what a “quickie” was. And I’d decided that I liked them just as much as taking my time with my mate. Technically, Dottie wasn’t really my mate, but I didn’t care. She could be the mate of my heart. I didn’t need a mating trigger to know it.
It wasn’t just the intimate connection with my Dottie that had me grinning ear-to-ear and feeling on top of the world. It was also the thrill of knowing that I could still give those flyers the runaround if I wanted to. I hadn’t had that much fun in a long time.
I couldn’t believe that I’d ever considered going on my last hunt. There were still so many hunts left to go! And I wanted Dottie by my side.
By the time we were presentable again—another new concept—and stepping out of the shuttle, the boys were already around the craft poking at it with a stick that they thought would wake it and make it come to life again.
“Hey! It’s Ror’k!’ exclaimed the small one named Jason.
The others crowded around.
“Thanks for shooting at those weird flyers. We would’ve been goners.”
Dottie explained that she’d run into Shawn and Kai and that they’d updated everyone on what had happened with the New Earth Militia. “My friends have already brought them to New Franklin.”
Visible relief ran through the group.
“We didn’t want to do it,” said the tallest of the youngsters. “We feel so bad.”
“And we were so scared,” said another, this one with hair the color of flames.
“You look familiar,” Dottie said. “Is Kai your brother?”
“Yes. He’s the only family I have left.”
“Well then, let’s get you boys reunited. Roger wants to speak with everyone in his office.”
“Wait! Does that mean we get to ride in a Xarc’n shuttle?”
“It sure does!”
After a chorus of “Wow!” “Cool!” and “I call shotgun!” they piled into the shuttle.
Dottie grinned, and I mused at how like young hunters they were.
These were good males; they simply hadn’t had enough guidance.
Though considering the circumstances, they turned out decent, even if they’d tried to steal from the settlement.
They were trying to save their brothers the only way they knew how.
There was a collective gasp as we lifted into the air, and I turned on the external feed.
The flight back was uneventful, and Roger and several of the settlement’s leadership met us in the main courtyard, even as more flyers appeared in the sky.
They quickly ushered us into the main survivor building, where Roger had claimed one of the meeting rooms as his office.
The office was plain and utilitarian, but filled with small details that made it uniquely his, such as the framed photo of him with his mate, Melissa, and his son, Junior, known to many hunters as Small Roger.
Despite being a decent size, it was a tight fit, so Jask’l waited outside, but Roger insisted Dottie and I stay.
The two older males were already inside and looking much better than the last time I’d seen them.
The youngsters were relieved to see their older brothers again, and there was a round of “fist bumps.” Kaj’k had tried to explain them to me, but I never quite understood the appeal.
Now I saw that it was like bumping horns.
“Let’s make it quick,” Roger said, getting straight to the point. “Shawn, Kai, and I have already come to a solution. Now that we know the truth, New Franklin can find it in our hearts to forgive you. But only if you boys agree to a few conditions.”
The room fell into a hush.
“First. You must prove your loyalty by joining New Franklin and becoming contributing citizens. Second, we need you boys to apologize to everyone you stole from.”
There were no protests.
“And third, the younger boys must finish their schooling. And if any of you wish to go out and forage, you must first take proper combat and survival lessons.” Roger put a hand up. “I know you boys survived out there on your own just fine, but you can never be too prepared. Any objections?”
The room was silent for a beat, then Jason cleared his throat.
“Can we put our own stipulations up for consideration?” he said, sounding much too formal for his age.
“Jason—” his brother said in a warning tone.
“Just hear me out,” Jason said, not skipping a beat.
Roger looked amused. “Go ahead.”
“If we have to take proper combat and survival lessons, we demand that they be with the hunter Ror’k. He has already started training us. We knew he was trying to see if we would lead him to the missing stuff, but he’s still a good teacher.”
“Yeah!” the other younger males I’d trained all said in unison.
The door suddenly opened, and Jask’l poked his head in. “Ror’k trained the entire contingent. I volunteer him as well!” Then the door shut, and it was like he had never been there at all.
Dottie and Roger looked like they were trying not to burst out laughing.
“Looks like you made a great impression, Ror’k,” Roger said, turning to me. “What do you say? Two hours a few days a week should do.”
“I can do that.”
“Wonderful! We can hash out the details later. Now, boys, do you happen to know how they called the scourge in on us?”
The youngsters looked from one to another until one finally said, “No. We know they can do it, but we never figured out how. We didn’t even know that was what they were going to do.
They just said to roll the stuff out behind the buildings for a pickup on the morning of the second Monday when their contact makes a distraction. ”
“We didn’t even figure out who the contact was,” said another boy. “I tried to talk to everyone to see if they were suspicious.”
“I see. Well, until we ferret them out, you boys should stick together for safety.” Roger gestured to Dottie. “Miss Dottie here was quite upset that her library was broken into. You can start by apologizing to her.”
There was a round of heartfelt apologies. Then, to my surprise, the older males thanked me for netting the scuttlers. Kaj’k must’ve told them it was me. Then Roger dismissed the younglings and asked Dottie and me to stay behind.
His face turned serious the moment the youngsters left. “We found this next to one of the fences.” He held up a device very similar to the one I’d found in the rubble.
“An air tag?” Dottie asked.
“Modified,” Roger clarified.
I took the one from my pouch out to compare. “I found one too. I believe they used it to bring the scourge down after they left you behind. And perhaps to New Franklin as well.”
“Actually, Pip thinks it sends out a modified luring signal, which is why we, and none of the hunters, could detect it. We got it charged up, and I’m sending Sam and Kan’n out today to test the theory.”
I frowned. “Who knows you have found this? There is still a traitor in the settlement.”
“So far? Jask’l found it; he has a keen eye. He brought it to me, and we showed it to Sam, Kan’n, and Pip. And now you two.”
I relaxed. “That’s good. Whoever used it may still be looking for it. It could be used like our nets. Expended and retrieved later when it is safer.” Which reminded me that I had a net requiring retrieval.
“We’ll keep our eyes peeled.”
I grimaced at the saying. Peeling eyes did not sound pleasant.
“Dottie, Kiera is covering for you for the next few days, so take some R and R.”
And with that, we were dismissed.
“Look who’s out there wrecking shuttles again!” Jask’l said as we walked out of the meeting room. “I heard you had some fun with those creepy mutant flyers.”
“I did.”
“Well, let me get that shuttle in the repair bay and get it all fixed up for you.”
“I still have to retrieve my net.”
“You can borrow the settlement’s spare shuttle.
” He turned to Dottie. “I’m glad you’re safe.
We found all your missing books. I transferred them to the library myself.
If you want to clean up, there are decontaminators in the mothership building, as well as water-cleansing stalls.
And unlike the ones in the survivor building, ours stay warm indefinitely. ”
“Thank you. I might just take you up on that.”
“There is one in the hunter building too,” I suggested. “I can take you there.” The mothership building was always full of people, and I wanted some time alone with my Dottie.
There was a whistle from the mothership building, and Jask’l turned to wave. “I must go.”
The life of an overseer was a busy one, I should know. But Jask’l’s experience was very different from my own. For one thing, he had teams of humans working on building and integrating technology, which I didn’t know the first thing about.
Dottie hooked her arms through mine as we ducked under an overhang to avoid the gaze of a pair of flyers. “I’m taking you up on that offer for a nice, hot shower. But why don’t you go retrieve that net first? How long do you think it will take?”
“An hour, maybe two at most.”
“Great. I’ll meet you in the hunters’ compound in two hours, then. It’s a date.”
I grinned. “It’s a date.”