He sat in the shade and she brought him food and drink. When he was ready, he wiped his mouth and told her how he’d captured his last fugitive. She listened enthralled as he spoke of their trek to the vast river.
“Huge, Jade. No man could swim across it.”
“Was he there by the river?” she asked.
“We couldn’t see him, but we did spot the two bounty hunters and as we suspected, they’d traveled a different route.”
“They saw you?” The bounty hunters hadn’t arrived in the village. Their fate was unknown to her.
“They were too busy arguing to notice anyone, which was their downfall.”
“You guessed they would fall out over Krul.”
Mason grinned. “Not Krul. Fish. Can you believe it, they were arguing over how to cook fish. They squabbled so much they didn’t see him creep up behind and knock their heads together. If I wasn’t after Krul, I would have given him a round of applause.” Mason swallowed a mouthful of water from a beaker.
Jade pictured the scene. Two bounty hunters accustomed to life in space trying to cook fish. The lizard man creeping up behind them, threatened by their arrival and dispatching them with stealth. Speed wasn’t necessary when your skin blended into the foliage. The man was a chameleon. “So how did you get him?”
“While Krul was busy attacking them, we stormed the shoreline where they’d lit a small fire. The men bravely fired their arrows, which bounced off his scales, but that didn’t put them off. The surprise was enough for me to get close enough to stun him. It needed a few shots to penetrate that tough exterior.” Mason examined the long gash on his arm. “He didn’t go down easily. Punched me in the face, too.”
“I can see. Does it hurt? I should clean the wound.” She edged closer to him and tenderly touched his arm.
Mason shook his head. “Nope. It’s fine. One of the men, a healer of some kind, patched me up. The jungle is full of natural medicines. It’s clean and will heal.”
“Good,” she said simply. “So he’s stupefied, too?”
“Yes. Krul is totally under it and very compliant. His scales might protect him, but his brain is susceptible to drugs like any other man.” Mason lay back and rested.
“The bounty hunters?” He’d not mentioned their fate.
“Left them there. They’ll have sore heads, but they’ll live.”
Jade snuggled up to him. “What now?”
“Will Callo’s ship take off?” he asked.
“Yes. I don’t see why not.”
“You’ll have us it to return to Titan while I take Krul in the Steadfast. There’s not enough room for three of us.”
“It will be a pity to leave this place. I quite like it.” If it wasn’t for the stress of waiting for Mason, she would have enjoyed the time better.
“True. But, now that I have all my fugitives, I’m keen to get back to Novador and get rid of them.”
Jade chewed her lip. “And me?” she asked quietly.
“I’m not keen to lose you, but it’s necessary.” He sighed, puffing out his lips. “I can’t take you with me. Or Stealth. It would raise too many questions. You’ll have to go home to Malimor.”
“But, they’ll arrest me for unauthorized travel.” Then there were her parents—would they welcome her back?
“It’s a minor infringement of their migratory laws. One absconding, hardly a hardened criminal. And, if you hand yourself in, that will work in your favor. You’ll probably get bailed until the trial; by then I’ll be back to help you.”
Her stomach churned with anxiety. “What about the other offenses? The arrest warrant for smuggling?”
Mason scratched the stubble on his chin. It had grown quickly and formed a dusting along his jaw and upper lip. She quite liked the new version of Mason: bare chested, slightly untidy, and glowing with perspiration. Parting from him would be unbearable.
“It’s a federal warrant. You never actually delivered the cargo to Kalamar, so it could be argued that it wasn’t smuggling. There are grounds for appealing the warrant. Malimor can halt an extradition if you file a protest.”
It would all take time and there were no guarantees that they would be reunited.