“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.
***