Tiny is sobbing. I have never seen a human so distraught. It is truly terrible. She is leaking out of her eyes and nose. She is trying to speak, but she keeps gasping, wailing, and sniffling so we cannot understand her. After giving her a few moments to make herself understood, I turn to Ken.
‘What is the issue with this human?’
‘She is distraught.’
I wait for further explanation, but then I notice that it is only the two of them.
‘Where is Gloria?’
‘She’s gone!’ Tiny wails.
‘Gone?’
Seven has barged into the shuttle bay and scoops Tiny up into his arms, petting her and trilling to calm her down.
My implant starts working overtime as Ken transfers security logs from the space station so I can see for myself what has happened.
Gloria went into a store and never came out. A few moments after she went in, the storefront closed, the security door shut, and the projected sign dimmed. I rewind a bit to read the sign:
Risant’s Best Human Supplies and Accessories
Only the Best for Your Human
This does not make any sense. Everybody knows that humans are a sentient people. Why would there be such a store that seems to cater to owners of human pets?
And what is this proprietor doing with Gloria? Does he think that she is some sort of stray animal that wandered into his shop?
‘Lu.’
I try to focus on the store. Perhaps I can hear what is said. But it is useless. Accessing the other files Ken sent me I find a still photo of the shop owner. I have never seen this person before. He is the same lizard-like species as our trade partner, Salhuteck, but that does not really signify anything.
‘Lu.’
The shop owner’s name is Far’Shep. I do not recognize it at all.
Security logs show that soon after closing his shop, he transported a hover cart to a space shuttle, docked with an orbiting ship, then folded space, leaving this sector.
I have no way to track him. Gloria is lost. Anything could be happening to her. As I stand here useless, she could be hurt or scared. She is probably praying I come rescue her, but how can I—?
‘Lu.’ It is Ken trying to speak with me.
‘What?’
‘I have contracted with Shafeenah. She is on her way.’
I do not know that name. ‘Who is she?’
‘A bounty hunter associated with the Trader’s Guild. Tiny has contracted with her previously.’
Good. That is the logical thing to do. But—
‘Do you think…’ I try to form my worry into words. ‘Are we sure she was taken against her will?’
He is stupefied by this question, tentacles all scrunched, colors darkly swirling.
‘Yes! Of course, she was taken! Lu, she is enamored with you. And she is a good friend to Mandy. And she left her animal!’ He holds up the furry little beast in question. With a tentacle securely wrapped around the animal’s middle, he waves the panting thing back and forth. ‘She would not leave Princess Peach!’
I nod. He is correct. She would never leave Princess Peach.
‘Tiny is an emotional mess,’ Ken tells me. ‘She is distraught because she blames herself. It is making her useless.’
I nod in understanding.
‘Seven is useless to us as well because he is focused solely on Tiny and his spawn. He does not seem to care about anybody else’s well-being.’
I nod again. That is understandable.
‘It is up to us. We need to focus on finding Gloria! Quickly! We need to figure out why this shopkeeper took her. Where did he take her? How can we get her back?’
This is true. He is exactly right.
‘Let us waste no time. We must direct our mental energy where it is useful!’
‘Of course.’
A few minutes later, there is a ping to notify us that a shuttle has docked.
‘That will be Shafeenah.’ Ken turns toward the port opening in the shuttle bay and greats our guest.
She is a Felistae. As a people, they tend to be covered in shimmery blue fur. The males of her kind have great bushy manes around their faces. Being a female, she only has short, sleek fur leaving the large ears on top her head exposed. They move about as she listens.
This was very quick. Ken must have contacted her before he left the station.
Our bounty hunter wastes no time. She gets straight to the point and informs us, ‘I have issued a bounty on your human for twice the credits a human goes for in the slave market. I hope you have the funds to cover this.’
‘Yes.’
‘We do.’ Ken and I speak at the same time.
‘Good.’ She looks from one to the other of us then says, ‘I will start by questioning the neighboring shopkeepers. Then I will follow up on leads. Then I will look for her at Seereechee trade grounds.’
This sounds—good.
‘I need backup. My partner is otherwise engaged. Will either one of you be able to serve in this capacity?’
I quickly hold up three tentacles and say, ‘I will be back up.”
She gives me a toothy grin. ‘Good. Perfect.’ She looks around and then back at me. ‘Where is your creepy associate?’
Ken and I look at each other, equally confused, then back at her.
‘The Arana-Vora?’ she prompts.
‘Oh, you mean Baht,’ Ken replies. ‘He is not here. Has not been with us since we got Lu back from the Seereechees.’
She dips her chin and then holds up a furry hand to beckon me. ‘Alright then, friend, let us go question some shop keepers. No time like the present!’
I follow her into her shuttle feeling optimistic. Shafeenah is clearly a professional who knows what she’s doing. I hope we can get Gloria back before the end of the day.
Before I close the port, I turn to Ken. ‘Thank you.’
‘Of course.’ He taps a closed fist against his heart to signify our solidarity in this matter, then assures me, ‘We will find her. I am certain of it.’
