Chapter 4
As he searched for the kids, Gallad's two heads rotated independently, each one focused on a different direction.
A wave of irritation washed over him, intensifying with each passing second.
It was meant to be a quick and easy mission, nothing more than a simple in and out.
He hadn't believed his luck when he stumbled upon the device, sitting there in plain sight, unattended.
With practiced ease, he had picked up the pocket-sized cloaking device, concealed it in his pocket, and carried on with the task of emptying the trash containers, appearing completely inconspicuous.
As he had smoothly exited the engineering level, the silence had only been interrupted by the sound of his footsteps echoing down the corridor, and things had been going fine until he heard the stern voice of the Valdier security chief interrogating Polk and Hobbins.
The man had scanned Gallad's two companions, his eyes narrowing as he demanded an explanation for their presence on the ship.
Gallad had entered the equipment room unnoticed, hearing the distant hum of machinery and feeling adrenaline coursing through his veins as he searched for a suitable hiding place for the stolen device.
When the door opened, he had slipped behind the metal crates, blending into the shadows.
Luckily, his heel had brushed against the release switch, causing a concealed compartment to reveal itself in the wall.
He had hurriedly hid the device and stood up just before a tech entered the narrow space.
Uttering a barely audible mumble about being in the wrong place, he had made a hasty escape, only to be abruptly halted by the security chief who insisted on conducting a meticulous scan.
After receiving a stern word of warning to remain on the upper decks, they had made their escape, but now it was an entire hour later and Gallad's frustration was growing evident as he clenched his teeth, pushing the trash trolley along the corridor.
With a sudden turn, he narrowly avoided crashing the trolley into Polk and Hobbins.
His face contorted with annoyance, and he swiftly motioned towards a nearby maintenance storage closet.
Leaving the trolley outside, he skillfully swiped the stolen keycard and effortlessly pushed the door open. Polk and Hobbins followed him, their disgruntled expressions mirroring each other. Turning abruptly, he crossed his arms tightly over his chest.
"Well? Have you had any luck?" he demanded.
"Do you think we'd be here if we had?" Polk retorted.
"We've got to get the weapon and rendezvous at the drop point in less than two hours," Hobbins replied, tapping a small holoprojector on his wrist.
"I know. I know," he growled.
"You know what happens if we fail, right?" Polk muttered.
"Don't think about failure," Gallad said. "Think about how rich we'll be once we're out of here."
"We should have never taken this job. That crazy Tiliquan is going to skewer us alive," Polk insisted.
Gallad pursed his thin lips—both sets—and glared back at Polk. "That Tiliquan is my sister. You think I don't know what she will do if we fail?"
"There has to be an easier way to find them," Hobbins said, scratching his butt cheek.
"Well, we aren't going to find them in here. Polk, can you hack into the ship's vidcom system?" he asked.
Polk shot him an incredulous expression and shook his head.
"Do you have any idea how many security lockdowns they have on their system?
The only reason we were able to get on is because my friend's sister's brother's cousin works on the ship and he is off for a few days.
We never would have gotten past the security if I hadn't taken his badge.
Even then, you still had to steal two more. "
"We're wasting time. If we aren't at the pickup spot in one hour and forty-seven minutes, the Valdier are going to be the least of our worries," he muttered, pushing between the two men and exiting the closet.
He stumbled to a stop when he noticed a small symbiot in the shape of a Grombot sniffing the trolley. Elation rose inside him. Symbiots that small could only belong to… a young Valdier dragon-shifter. All they had to do was follow the creature back to its master and they would find the kids.
"Hey there, little guy. Where's your master?" he asked.
The symbiot sat down, its curious eyes looking up at him.
One hind leg lifted as it absentmindedly scratched its neck before a slow grin spread across its face.
The symbiot shimmered, morphing its form until it took on the appearance of a different creature.
Uncertainty clouded Gallad's mind as he tried to identify what it was.
Its long ears, fluffy tail, and glasses gave the creature a whimsical appearance.
In addition, it was dressed in a stylish vest adorned with a time piece dangling from a golden chain.
Startled, he watched as the creature pulled the watch from its pocket and glanced at it.
It then twisted and hopped down the corridor.
"What's that?" Hobbins asked.
He stared after the creature when it paused to look back at them. "Our ticket to riches. Follow that symbiot!"