Page 37 of Alien's Challenge
“Right now, no.”
Faris chuckled, climbing through the window. He gripped the ledge, then dropped down onto the lower roof. He held his arms up, gesturing for Alice to jump. “I will catch you.”
She looked pale in the silvery light of early morning. “I’m going to regret this,” she muttered, but climbed out and fell into his arms.
They made their way across slippery shingles and eventually down to the ground. His hovercycle waited in the alley next to the building.
He peeked around the corner. No one was watching the alley. He unlocked the vehicle and walked it to the inn’s backyard. The engine protested the cold and sputtered to a start.
“Climb on,” he ordered.
Faces peered out of a window at the back of the inn. A door flung open. It was time to leave.
Alice wrapped her arms around him, and they were off. People burst out of the inn. He sped through the twisting lanes of the town, randomly changing direction to lose their pursuers. The weather was not so cold, and they had enough fuel to reach the next town. He just needed a little more time.
The hovercycle came to an abrupt halt. Snow skidded over the edge, tumbling into the gorge.
The ferry was gone. He had not lost their pursuers at all. The ferry was not running—either through malice or misfortune—and they were trapped.
Alice
“Do you trust me?” Faris glanced at a device on his wrist, then tightened his grip on the motorcycle’s handlebars.
Alice peered around him to look at the gorge, the lack of a bridge, and then glanced back at their pursuers.
The answer came easily. She trusted him. More than she should, considering they had known each other for two entire days, but actions spoke louder than words. Faris had given reason after reason to believe that he was a man of his word.
Decent. Honorable. No matter how he described himself.
She wrapped her arms tightly around his middle and said, “Yes.”
The engine on the motorcycle revved.
“Hold tight. Do not let go,” he said.
“It’s probably too late to discuss helmets but remind me to bring it up after we’re done running for our lives,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut and burying her face against the rough fabric of his coat.
His back moved with silent laughter, which horrified her because this was not the time for laughing.
The motorcycle sped forward.
This is fine, this is fine—the ground fell out from underneath them—this is not fine.
They fell…
And fell…
And…
Chapter 11
Alice
And landed.
The motorcycle bounced, metal groaning from the impact. It tilted dangerously to one side, skidding across a metal surface.
Wind swirled around them, her hair lashing against her face. The cliff face moved. No, Alice realized, they were rising. The town came into view and grew smaller. They were on top of a ship.
