Chapter 38
Dez haltedat the end of the ramp when the full force of the icy winds whipped through his many layers of clothes and froze him to his bones. Each exhalation formed a cloud in the frosty air. Gods, he’d never been so cold in his life. When he’d packed the warmest clothes, made from the best fabrics available on his planet, he’d envisioned being too warm. As if he was over packing. Not even close.
He took a few more steps down the ramp. Cyra caught up to him. He glanced over at her. Arms wrapped tight around her body, tendrils of emerald hair waving in the icy gusts, she was slightly bluer than normal. If he could, he would wrap her up and take her back to her bed. She hadn’t let him in when he’d gone to her last night. He was almost certain she’d been crying when she told him to go back to his own quarters.
Despite working the issue from every angle all through the rest cycle, he’d come to no solution. So there they were on the ramp, walking to his doom. But he still had time to help his mate. “We should meet with the canteen people and get the produce delivery and the dogs handled first. We can tell them who I am after that.”
“Let’s ask this guy.” Cyra pointed at a shape that came toward them, wrapped in a huge coat with a lined hood.
Dez decided he’d have to acquire the same outer gear. Although he wouldn’t need the protection for long.
Cyra and Dez met the man midway between the landing pad and the building from which he’d come. Dez held out his hand, but the man waved him off. “Inside.”
They sped up to a jog to keep up. As they were at the building. Cyra stopped abruptly and craned her neck toward another launch pad. Dez grabbed her arm and dragged her inside. There was a cavernous space with doors around the perimeter. Maybe offices. Didn’t matter. He had do find out what caused Cyra to balk. “What did you see?”
“I thought— But that’s impossible.”
“What?”
“Not what, who. Varik. But it must me someone who looks like him.”
The man introduced himself as Derrain and focused on Cyra once she announced she was the captain. Dez liked the man for that. Most of the people they’d dealt with over the past galactic months had kept their attention on him despite his queen having all the authority. Maybe it was that her inner confidence had grown, and it was easier for everyone to see her as the leader she was. Dez shifted toward one of the thick windows next to the door they’d entered. Varik. Cyra had told him stories, so had Veda and Blaize. The man was Chalcanthian like Cyra. Blue. Not many of their people left their home world—the water planet. It was too hard on their systems.
“There is one development, regarding the thuringies.”
“What’s up?” The man didn’t seem to be too concerned.
“You may not have been aware, but there was a female in the pack and she gave birth. To another female.” Cyra clasped her hands together.
“Huh? I don’t have a budget to cover any additional medical expenses. Not sure what I’d do with a puppy.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“We are prepared to keep it, but felt you should have the first right of refusal.”
“The bitch is still in good health?” The man’s hands went to his hips, and he widened his stance, readying for a confrontation.
“Perfect. I’m sure you can confirm that with your intake scans.”
Dez beamed as she repeated the words they’d planned.
“That works.” He relaxed. “Let’s sign the paperwork and then get an insulated transport out to your ship to move the goods.”
“Sure.” Cyra nodded. “Dez, you’ll be alright here?”
“Aye, Captain. I’ll assist with the transport.” Dez said it more for the man’s instruction than Cyra’s. The transfer would be his last chance to spend time with Credit, and Queen and the others. Princess was almost fully weened, but there might be some resistance from her sires to leave her.
Cyra gave a quick nod before striding away. “I’d like to talk to you about what The Treasure could transport for you back to Arbotriz, or Cassan. Since we’ll be coming out here on a periodic basis…”
Her voice became too distant to hear, but she didn’t need him. She owned her role as captain. His heart expanded with pride and admiration. She was beyond amazing.
Movement at the edge out the window caught Dez’s eye. Someone was running past the high tower that held the landing assistance personnel, carrying a large case. Their outer wear was less appropriate than his own. So probably not Kolben personnel. But the guy wasn’t blue, so not Varik either. A truck pulled up blocking Dez’s view of where the man was heading.
Dez exited the warmth of the building. He opened the passenger side door. “You collecting the goods from The Treasure?”
“Sure am.”
Dez climbed in and shut the door. “I’m Dez. I’ll help you with the thuringies.”
“Cool man. Those things scare the tits off me.” The driver was a big guy, hairy. Rhysa’s type if the stories he’d heard were true. The man should be more concerned about her than some well-trained dogs.
Sure enough Rhysa followed the male back to the cargo bays and “helped” him with the fresh produce. Dez would have waved her off, but it game him time to muzzle each dog, pet Credit who pressed his big head into Dez’s waist. “Don’t worry, boy. We’ll still see each other.”
Credit barked.
Dez laughed.
Until the dog barked again. Then the entire pack alerted. They pulled on their leashes, dragging him from the cargo bay. Princess followed on his heels. He let go of the leashes and tucked Princess in a kennel. She was too little to get exposed to the cold temps of Kolben.
The dogs raced for the exit. Had they smelled the fresh air? In all the cycles he’d worked with them, they’d never acted like that. Dez ran as hard as he could. They were already on the ramp, but instead of running into the open space as he’d expected, they ran under the ship and came to a screeching halt. Single staccato barks punctuated the frigid air.
Footsteps in the snow led up to where the dogs had trampled the trail. Dez traced his gaze over the metal panels of The Treasure. There, on the side of Cyra’s ship, a gray metal box clung to one of the access ports. Blaize’s engine room lay beyond, if Dez had the dimensions correct. Had the dogs heard it being placed or something worse. The dogs could smell things no humanoid ever could.
He placed a hand on the box, warm. And big, like one of the screens on deck, but thicker, much thicker. A red light blinked at the base. A horrible foreboding filled his chest.
He grasped the box with both hands and tugged. After a brief resistance, long enough for doubt to shoot through him, the magnetic connection released. Dez clutched the box close.
“Vas.” Dez held up his palm to the muzzled dogs. He dashed away from The Treasure. Away from the tower. Away from the office building, thanking the gods when the thuringies obeyed his command to stay. He reached the end of the landing pad. The box began to beep. Dez stopped. He checked the box. The red light was solid. Dez lifted the box to throw it as hard as he could toward the open icy field.