“Brian!” I called as I jumped to my feet.
I soon realised he was unconscious. Half
panicked, I dragged him inside and shouted for the others to help. Soon, all of
them came stumbling out of their rooms, half-asleep, and demanding to know what
was happening.
“Help me with him!” I appealed to them. Howie
and AJ came forward.
“What happened to him, Kev?” Howie asked me.
“I have no idea! He was trying to phone my cell
but the line went dead when I picked up. He must have been outside at the time.
I went to go and find him, but the minute I step outside, he runs right into me
and knocks himself out cold!” I explained.
“It was them! I know it!” Nick dismayed. He
silently went over to his best friend’s side.
Brian had acquired a few, deep scratches to his
face and looked pale. It was nothing serious, but enough to upset Nick.
“What did they do to you, man?” he asked softly,
before breaking down in sobs.
An awkward silence followed, but it was broken
when Brian began to stir. He moaned quietly for a while before thrashing about.
Nick stumbled backwards while me and AJ went forward to hold him down. This
only made him flail his arms more wildly.
“NO!!!! Let me go!!!” he yelled deliriously, as
his arm caught me in the face and knocked me backwards.
Brian’s eyes flickered open, “Where…..?”
Leighanne rushed forwards to help her husband
to his feet.
“Bri, what happened to you?” I asked,
concerned.
“I went out, but they followed me!” he
stuttered. “The Kindorians. They wanted to know where Nick was, but I wouldn’t
tell them.”
“And then what? How’d you get away?” AJ asked.
“The ‘omniscient’ Tohja helped out again,”
Brian explained. “We should hire him for the security team!”
“Speaking of security, where are they?” Howie
pondered. The two guards outside had vanished.
It was half an hour later when the security
came back. They claimed some kids were throwing trash at them, so they went
after them. We all sussed it was two more Kindorians creating a diversion. But
did we say so? Hell, no!
“Did they get that human yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I hope they do. The sooner we deal with him
the sooner we get to go home.”
“Yeah, it too cold here. Kindor is much
warmer!”
“So what happened now?”
“The others are saying Gol’Kanath and Zar’Polah
found that human’s friend, but some kid outwitted them both, and the human got
away!”
I grinned as I overheard the guards gossip
outside. I listened even closer.
“Really?”
“Yeah, but they both deny it!”
“They would!”
Both of the soldiers sniggered and continued
down the corridor.
I lay back on my bed in the small room I was
put in. It had been six days and I was still no closer to convincing the
Lieutenant of the Marine dispatch sent to collect me, called Hon’Kaarn, that
this was my home now, and I wanted to stay here with Nick. He claimed he was
just following orders and had to take Tohja and me back home by any way
possible. Luckily, it was against regulations to just tie me up and drag me
home, and I had to agree to come home, but that put Nick and the others in
danger. I knew they were after Nick and the other guys, and it put increasing
pressure on me. At least Tohja was doing a good job protecting them. But how
long would that last?
I sighed sadly. I missed Nick and Tohja badly.
I hoped I could find a way to convince Kaarn to let us stay.