here for a moment.
“I’m sorry. I was blathering on again.”
“As is your wont.” I stare down at the pools of sludge and wrinkle my nose in disgust. “A pity your fancy weapon doesn’t have a stun setting, or maybe we could have pumped these two for information.”
“That is most unfortunate. But maybe there’s a clue left on their bodies… that is, on their clothing.”
I grimace as he begins the revolting task of going through their fallen garments, which are already soaked through with the primordial sludge. If I were in a better frame of mind, I would probably collect some for a sample. It might be most intriguing to see what happens to matter when the bonds between atoms are severed.
Zander finds a credstick on the Vakutan with the cybernetic hand and takes it along with the limb itself. He also reaches for the fallen Vakutan’s pistol, but I stop him.
“Wait, Zander. Those guns could have been used to commit crimes here in K’Patel. You don’t want your fingerprints or DNA traces on them.”
He cocks an eyebrow but then nods his horned head.
“Good thinking, Thrase.”
“Naturally.” I groan inwardly. I’m supposed to be making myself seem less arrogant and that’s my reply?
But he just returns to his task as if my reply was not unexpected. Other than some hard currency on Scar face’s… ah, body, he finds a tiny square package with its own holographic display. I can’t make out the purple, Cyrillic script.
“What does it say?”
“It’s a M’Kal tongue… I think it translates to the luxurious club for businessmen.”
“Wait…” I chuckle when I realize that is no business holocard he’s holding. “Is that a prophylactic?”
“A condom? Yes, it is. I suppose that’s one way to get word of your business out. What should we do?”
“Hmm.” I purse my lips and consider our options. “Since we’ve been coming up short on our clandestine inquiries, this club might be our only solid lead.”
“Then I guess we’re going to the luxurious club.” Zander grins and holds up the purloined, or should I say scavenged, cred stick. “Drinks are on him.”
I can’t quite manage a laugh considering my throat still hurts, but I do smile.
Chapter Seven
Zander
We leave the alley with its two very dead Vakutan occupants behind us and head out into one of the main thoroughfares of K’Patel. A few people glance our direction but seem bored and uninterested, considering that I’m hardly the only Kilgari about. Thrase is the only human, which might be why she hangs back at the mouth of the alley, arms folded over herself protectively.
“Thrase?” I turn back to her, my brow furrowing in confusion. “Make haste, please. It would not do to be in the vicinity when those corpses are inevitably discovered.”
Her eyes narrow, and I can feel the disdain coming off of her in waves.
“Do you think I’m not aware of that fact?”
“Ah… I didn’t mean to impugn your obvious intelligence. I just can’t figure out why you haven’t come out yet.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m the one who’s half naked.”
Her shirt was ripped. Of course, how stupid of me. Thrase’s statement is rather hyperbolic—between the vest and her trousers she’s hardly naked to any degree—but I forget that human females insist on covering their torsos thoroughly.
“I’m sorry.” I doff my outer brocade coat and drape it over her shoulders. She shoots me a smile, gratitude beaming out of her large brown eyes. I recall the moment where we almost kissed in the armory and my heart beat quickens.
“Thank you.” My coat is long on her, so that it’s practically a tunic. Using her comm, she brings up a map of the city and sets a vector for the luxurious club’s address. “Huh. Strange hours for a night club. They open at noon.”
“It is probably a disreputable place, Thrase. Best stay near me at all times.”
She arches an eyebrow as if considering my motives but then slowly nods.
“All right. Just try not to get shot in the back.”
A grin spreads over my face.
“I’ll make a point of it.”
“You shot both of those Vakutan in the back.”
“Their backs were to me.”
“I wasn’t finding fault. I was just stating the obvious.”
A deep-throated chuckle escapes my mouth before I can stop it.
“What’s so funny?”
“I was just thinking that I’ve never been into the concept of ‘honorable’ combat. If I’m going to shoot someone, I prefer them to be facing away from me, unarmored, and possibly unconscious.”
She joins in my laughter and moves a few inches closer as we continue down