Page 59 of Salvation for the Alien Mercenary
"Just telling your boyfriend here that his protective instincts are showing," Covak said, deliberately turning his face toward Davis's eyecam. He waved his hand over his eye, deactivating his own cam. "I swear to God, Covak, if you don't shut the fuck up?—"
The Vorrtan's laugh rumbled through the hallway. "Easy, Davis. Just making observations. You've been circling her like asnitzaacsince she came aboard." He leaned in, and his nostrils flared. "Your pheromones are doing interesting things right now. Very... primal."
Davis's jaw clenched so hard he heard the creak of bone as he resisted the urge to introduce Covak's face to the wall. Several times.
"Davis?" Mira's voice cut through his thoughts. "What's going on? The feed cut out."
He steadied his breathing, then waved his hand over his eye to reactivate the eyecam. "Sorry. Technical glitch." He shot Covak another glare. "Covak's being a jerk. Didn't want to subject you to it."
"Hey! I'm an utter frexxing delight," Covak protested.
They rounded the corner and stopped dead. Yellow holographic security barriers flickered across an apartment entrance up ahead.
Acid burned up his throat. "Well, shit."
"What is it?" Mira's voice sharpened through the comm. "I can't see clearly with all that light."
"Security barriers." He kept his voice low as they approached more slowly. "Apartment 47 B. That's Laaer's place."
Covak's humor vanished. "This can't be good."
The hallway revealed its secrets as Davis looked around... small flaws in the wall panels, surveillance measures hidden in the ceiling, fresh scuff marks, and a muddy boot print near Laaer's door.
A door opened across the hallway while they studied the barrier. A tall Latharian stepped out, eyes narrowing when he spotted them. Davis tensed, muscles ready for a fight his brain knew wasn't coming. This guy wasn't a warrior. He looked more like a librarian.
"If you're after Laaer," the Latharian folded his arms, "then you're too late."
"Too late?" He kept his voice even.
"They found him three days ago." The neighbor glanced from Davis to Covak. "Suicide, though I never would have thought it of him. He always seemed so... driven."
"What happened?" Davis tilted his head.
The Latharian shrugged. "No one's saying much. They found him in his study. The security team has been in and out for days. Taking things, scanning."
"Any idea when they'll release the apartment?"
"Who knows?" The Latharian waved his hand. "The building administrator might have more information."
"Thank you," Davis said.
The neighbor gave them one more look before retreating to his apartment. The moment the door closed, Davis and Covak exchanged glances.
"What's happening?" Mira asked.
"That was Laaer's neighbor." Davis turned to the security barrier. "Laaer is dead. Committed suicide three days ago."
"Shit. Are you sure?"
"Unless the neighbor is lying, yeah." He ran a hand through his hair. Each setback meant more time without answers, more time with his body becoming something he didn't recognize, more time feeling himself slip away. "Anson, you reading this? We need into that apartment."
Anson's voice crackled through the comm. "Loud and clear. Already working on it. Give me two minutes with the building's security system."
Davis motioned to Covak, and they headed to a recessed alcove near the emergency stairwell, positioning themselves away from the surveillance cameras. The air tasted stale, mixed with the static charge of nearby electrical systems.
"You think he killed himself?" Covak kept his voice low.
Davis eyed the security barrier. "Convenient timing if he did."
