Abduction

Michael stood up. “Richard! Christ! The guy’s dead.”

“Dead?” Richard echoed. The finality of the word shattered Richard’s self-absorption.

“Well, almost. His head’s caved in. He hit the goddamned table.”

Richard staggered back to where Michael was standing and looked down at Sart’s motionless form. “Holy shit!” he said.

“What the hell are we going to do?” Michael demanded. “Why’d you hit him so freakin’ hard?”

“I didn’t mean to, okay!” Richard shouted.

“Well, what are we going to do?” Michael repeated.

“I don’t know,” Richard said.

At that moment Sart’s battered body let out a final sigh and the gurgling stopped.

“That’s it,” Michael said with a shudder. “He’s dead! We got to do something and fast.”

“Maybe we should get outta here,” Richard said.

“We can’t get out of here,” Michael complained. “Where are we going to go? Hell, we don’t even know where we are.”

“All right, let me think,” Richard said. “Shit, I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“Oh, sure,” Michael said sarcastically.

“Well, not that much,” Richard said.

“What if someone comes in here?” Michael questioned.

“You’re right,” Richard said. “We’ve got to hide the body.”

“Where?” Michael demanded urgently.

“I don’t know!” Richard yelled. He looked around the room frantically. Then he looked back at Michael. “I just got an idea that might work.”

“Good,” Michael said. “Where?”

“First help me pick him up,” Richard said. He stepped over the body, rolled it over, and then got his hands under Sart’s arms.

Michael got Sart’s feet, and together they hoisted the boy off the floor.

CHAPTER TWELVE

The new day arrived gradually just as it would on the earth’s surface. The light slowly increased in intensity, causing the darkened, vaulted ceiling to lose its stars. Its color went in stages from deep indigo to a rosy pink and finally to a pure sky blue. Saranta began to stir.

Suza

Slowly she turned her head to the side and gazed at Garona’s sleeping form. He was on his side, facing her. She was amazed at herself for having allowed the man to stay the night. This was not her norm. The only way she’d shown some restraint had been by staunchly refusing to remove her silken tunic and shorts. She had spent the night with her clothes on, such as they were.

Suza

As if sensing her gaze, Garona opened his dark, liquid eyes and smiled dreamily. It was difficult for Suza

“I’m sorry if I woke you,” Suza

“Please, don’t be sorry,” Garona said. “I appreciate being awakened to see that I am still with you.”

“How is it you always say the right thing?” Suza

“I say what I would like to be told,” Garona said.

Suza

Garona rolled toward her and tried to envelop Suza

“Please, Garona,” Suza

Garona flopped back onto the bed and stared up at Suza

“I don’t understand your reluctance,” he said. “Could it be that you don’t care for me?”

Suza

“What do you need to know?” Garona questioned. “You can ask me any personal question you like.”

“Look,” Suza

“But it’s u

“I disagree!” Suza

“I assume you do,” Garona said. “In fact, I would be surprised if you didn’t. Anyway, it doesn’t matter.”

“That’s nice.” Suza

“Let’s not discuss any of this right now,” Suza

Putting his legs over the edge of the bed, Garona sat up and stretched. “You second-generation humans are so serious.”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘second generation’,” Suza

As he had promised, Arak showed up just after the group had eaten breakfast and asked if everyone was ready for the didactic session. Perry and Suza

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Suza

“Great,” Perry said. “All things considered. It was an interesting evening. How about your friend, Garona. Did he stay long?”

“For a while,” Suza

“The same,” Perry said. Neither one looked the other in the eye.

As soon as the group was ready, Arak led them across the lawn toward a hemispherical structure similar to the pavilion although on a much smaller scale. Perry and Suza

“I still think you should tell Donald,” Michael insisted in a whisper. “He might have an idea about what to do.”

“What the hell is that bastard going to do?” Richard responded. “The kid’s dead. Fuller’s not going to bring him back to life.”

“Maybe he’ll have a better idea where to put the body,” Michael said. “I’m worried about the kid being found. I mean, I don’t want you to find out what they do down here to murderers.”

Richard stopped short. “What do you mean, me?”

“Hey, you killed him,” Michael said.

“You hit him, too,” Richard said.

“But I didn’t kill him,” Michael said. “And the whole thing was your idea.”