Page 63 of Infala: Her Alien Protector
“No. Idiots, they’re just a bunch of stupid bumpkins.”
Maddix glanced at the warrior casually following, escorting them out of the village, rolling his eyes to the poor man, who reciprocated with an almost imperceptible shrug. They were professionals, and though on opposite sides of this exchange, both agreed these so-called elites were the true idiots.
“I’m so sorry to hear that, sir.”
“You should be. This whole mess was your stupid idea.”
“It was, and I apologize. I’ve already activated the auto-recall. The ship will be arriving any minute.”
“About time you made yourself useful.”
Maddix simply nodded and remained respectfully silent until they were out of the village, having left their escort behind. Only when they were alone did he speak.
“I was thinking. You and your sister have had a rough go of things these last days. Perhaps a stop to revitalize yourselves on the way back would do you both a world of good.”
“I just want to get home,” Flagro grumbled.
His sister, on the other hand, had perked up notably. “What sort of revitalizing did you have in mind?”
“A spa visit. Secluded. Refreshing. And very, very exclusive. But for the Vinchi heirs, perhaps they would make an exception and accept a same-day visit.”
Flagro snorted his disdain “That sounds?—”
“It soundswonderful,” Galla cut him off. “You will take us there at once. I, for one, very much need pampering.”
“But—” her brother tried to object.
“Not a word from you, Flagro. You’ve had your way, now it’s my time.”
Her brother wisely shut up as the ship approached, setting down just in front of them, its door sliding open, fresh air and a clean change of clothes beckoning them from inside.
“Then it is settled,” Maddix said. “I’ll set the course now.”
He flew slowly, allowing his passengers time to clean up and change into fresh attire for their arrival, their egos glad for the opportunity to make a more impressive initial appearance than they had with the Oraku. Wandering in with the filth of days of trekking wasnotto their liking. For Maddix’s purposes it would have been ideal, cementing his faux identity and putting the Oraku at ease. But with the Vinchi children it had been anything but.
Word had been sent ahead that the heirs to the Vinchi seat of power would be visiting for a tour of the grounds, and, as expected, a welcoming reception was waiting for them when they landed.
“We are here. The spa concierge is expecting you both.”
“Excellent!” Galla all but chirped, her excitement clear. “You did well for a change, Maddix. I will tell father as much when we get back.”
“Thank you,” he replied with a little bow as she and her brother stepped out to enjoy their respite.
Little did they know, he would be doing quite the opposite of them, not relaxing, but rather digging for information. And, best of all, he would be using them as a disguise of sorts, their arrival allowing him to visit the workers’ area to get a bite, relax, and chat with the staff of the retreat. He was one of them, for all they knew. A worker servicing the elite. And as such, they would talk more freely with him.
He took his time, chatting casually and getting to know thestaff without any hint of pressure or ulterior motive. Within just a few hours he was accepted into the fold and treated as a welcome guest to their private “behind the scenes” areas.
While the Oraku were tight-lipped, and for good reason, thanks to Flagro’s obnoxious superiority complex, the staff were a cheerful and friendly bunch, and over the course of the day he ever so gently steered conversation to different visitors, what sorts of services they sought out, and other such information a newcomer unfamiliar with the retreat might ask. He was enjoying flexing this rarely used muscle, playing a role, and doing a damn good job of it. So good, that no one thought twice when it was mentioned that a woman fitting Maria’s description had been there. And she’d been with an Oraku male, just as he’d suspected.
What he didn’t expect was their description of the pair. While the male said they were only friends when they arrived, it was clear to anyone with a pair of eyes that they were attracted to one another, and by the time they left the retreat, it seemed a romance was blazing between them, much to the delight of everyone who met them.
They were kind people, warm and courteous, ready to talk to any of the staff, not just fellow guests. It rubbed the workers the right way. These weren’t stuck-up people of privilege, but more common folk who just happened to be friends of a Nimenni prince. But they didn’t act that way. There were no airs of superiority whatsoever. In fact, they were so grateful and gracious it almost made a few of the workers uncomfortable at how considerate they were. And they tipped on comped services, no less.
All of this news and the way people spoke of the pair made Maddix’s mind churn with conflict. He was starting to not just respect, but actuallylikethese two. Hell, he was almost rootingfor them, even though it was his task to find them. But his job was his job.
Maddix enjoyed the rest of the day with the staff once he’d been informed the two elites were sampling the spa’s offerings and having a wonderful time of it. He had a bit of slow time, and he made the most of it, but finally, as evening approached, he made his way back to his ship and called up the powerful intelligence system’s files.
“Run a scan of the area surrounding the Oraku village,” he directed it, inputting the start date from which it was to begin. The date the Oraku—a man named Zepharos, he’d been informed—and the human, had flown there. “Pull up all logs ofallships in the region from that day forward and apply a filter of their onboard scans tracking any and all heat and motion signatures.”
