Retribution (Kall Alien Warriors #3) - Sue Lyndon Page 0,13

Of course, the Kall could hunt down the rebels and kill them, but at what cost? More deaths like Shessema’s?

“How long were you married to Michael Dennis?” he found himself asking. Perhaps they hadn’t been together for long. Perhaps she hadn’t known him very well at all.

“Just two years.” A shadow fell over her face.

Why was he so curious about her? He ought to turn around and leave her here alone, in the coldness of the brig, and only return when he’d come to his senses and was ready to visit violence upon her. But his next question escaped his mouth before he’d given it much thought.

“Was your union a happy one?” He shouldn’t have asked this question of her, but the compelling desire to know more about this little human was disrupting his ability to think clearly.

The look of sadness she wore deepened. “When we were first married, yes.” Her gaze dropped to her lap. “But then the war started, and Michael’s son died in battle, and he began to change.”

“Change how?” What was he doing? Why wasn’t he leaving her cell right now?

“Well, he became very angry all the time, and he started drinking way too much alcohol and taking pills of some sort—I’m not sure what they were, but I doubt he obtained them legally—and he blamed me for the war and his son’s death.”

“How could he blame you for that?” Zamek asked in an incredulous tone. Her late husband sounded like a weak and foolish human male.

“Since I’m an expert in Kall culture, he thought I should’ve known a war was coming. But how was I to know a group of illegal human miners would cause the destruction of two Kall towns and set off a chain of events that resulted in the Kall conquering Earth? I tried to reason with him, but he would never listen.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s dead. He’s dead by his own doing and now I must pay for his sins.” Her soulful eyes lifted to his, and for a long moment, Zamek couldn’t breathe.

Unsettled by the compassion she was stirring within him, he turned and departed the cell, making sure to lock the door once he reached the corridor. He stared at her through the clear front of the cell. Small holes were spaced along the front wall, which would allow them to speak to one another.

“You’re right,” he said, hardening his tone. “It doesn’t matter. My wife is still gone, and someone must answer for her death. I will return soon, pathetic human, and when I do, you can expect your suffering to begin.”

Chapter 5

For the hundredth time, Zamek found himself studying the files he’d acquired about Layla Remington. He sat at his desk, holding an info tablet, while the stars streamed by in his peripheral vision. He looked up briefly to gaze at the stars through the large viewscreen that took up an entire wall in his quarters, but soon returned his attention to the tablet.

At his request, this detailed report had been provided by Kall security forces on Earth.

He swiped through the numerous pictures of Layla, images that showed her by herself, sometimes speaking with reporters, and at other times standing with President Carson. A few pictures of her with Michael were included, though he swiped through those quickly, not wishing to look upon the dishonorable human man’s face.

According to the report, she’d graduated with honors from Harvard at the age of twenty, acquiring degrees in Interspecies Relations and Alien Languages with a special concentration in Kall. From what he knew of humans, this was a bit young to have graduated from a university, particularly with two degrees. Apparently, she was quite intelligent for a human.

Immediately upon graduation, she’d traveled to the Kall homeworld, where she’d stayed for two years, exploring the planet and immersing herself in the culture of his people. It was no wonder she could speak the Sumlin dialect of Kall so well—she’d stayed in the main town of Sumlin for three full moon cycles.

He skipped to the family history section of the report. Her parents passed away when she was only two years old, from an overdose of herininn, which was a highly addictive and dangerous substance that was illegal on most planets, including Kall. After that, she’d gone to live with her aunt. According to the report, her aunt perished during the war and Layla had no other living family members.

Unexpectedly, his chest tightened at the thought of Layla