Page 61 of Infala: Her Alien Protector
“Maddix, what are you doing here?” Flagro asked, looking up from his meal.
“He must be slumming it tonight,” his sister added with a giggle.
The hunter forced a laugh, as he did far too often around these two idiots. He sized up the two, their seating arrangement, the cutlery on the table, and decided he could kill them both in under six seconds, and they wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing about it.
The thought amused him, but it was a mere mental exercise to remain sharp. Their demise was not to be.
“I was just coming to mention a slight change in tactics.”
“It’s about time,” Flagro exclaimed. “You’ve really been slacking, Maddix, and it’s making us look bad.”
No,youare making you look bad,he thought, keeping his mouth in check.
“Of course, you are right. But to that end, I am going to make up for it.”
“Oh? What do you plan to do?”
“I’m going to try something different.”
“Different, how?” Galla asked.
“To fly fairly distant from the next place I intend to search, where I will then land and leave my ship parked with an auto-recall protocol set while I pursue on foot. To hunt by traveling as the human travels.”
Flagro’s eyes lit up as he mulled over the idea. “A great idea! I look forward to this adventure! Galla, we’re going camping!”
Maddix swallowed hard. “Oh, but this is a very difficult trek. It will be long, and it will be quite uncomfortable. Living out in the woods, covering great distances without creature comforts. You wouldn’t enjoy it. It’s best if I go alone.”
Flagro glared at him, menacing in the way only one with seeming endless wealth and privilege could look. He was physically weaker, but his fatherownedthis tracker, and they both knew it.
“We are more than capable, Maddix. And Father expects nothing less of us.”
“You are great athletes, naturally. I just thought that, given the nature of?—”
The elite slammed his hands on the table, drawing the briefest of glances from the other patrons before they quickly turned their attention back to their meals.
“Youdaretalk back to me?”
“No, of course not.”
“Good. Then do what is required of you. Track. Hunt. Do not think.”
Fool doesn’t realize thinking is the biggest part of the job.
Flagro took his silence as a sign of chastised obedience. “We leave in the morning.”
Maddix bit his tongue. He had planned on flying out at night, late and under cover of darkness when fewer eyes would be on them. The more subtle and stealthy he could make this the better. He didn’t expect anyone to note his departure, but he had learned long ago to never take anything for granted.
“As you wish,” he said, then bowed slightly and turned for the exit.
They’re going to screw it up,he grumbled to himself.They’ll make the whole damn thing harder than it needs to be. But it doesn’t matter. Even if it takes longer because of them, Iwillsucceed. There is no other option.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Maddix didn’t have to land in the middle of a swamp. In fact, he’d have greatly preferred trekking to the Oraku village from the comfort of a nice, dry landing place. There was absolutely no need for him to pick one so utterly unpleasant. No need but one.
It would make the Vinchi twins miserable.
Oh, they would bitch and moan no matter what, as they always did whenever things got too hot or too cold, too boring, or not boring enough. This would at least give them a valid reason.
