Page 31 of Klaz
“What about you?” I asked, scanning his barely-covered torso. “You’ll freeze out here.”
He shook his head. “Vinduthi are more resistant to cold than humans. I’ll be fine.”
I frowned, not buying it for a second. My eyes landed on the other coats he’d managed to grab. An idea sparked.
“Hey, big guy. Tear the arms off that largest coat, would you?”
Klaz shrugged, but complied without question. The fabric ripped easily in his strong hands.
“Now put on the vest part,” I instructed. He slipped it on, the material stretching tight across his broad chest. “Good. Now pull the sleeves up over your wrists.”
He did as I asked, looking more amused than annoyed. “Creative thinking,” he said, flexing his fingers inside the makeshift arm warmers.
“It’s not perfect, but it’s something,” I replied, allowing myself a small smile. “Can’t have my bodyguard turning into a popsicle, can I?”
Klaz’s lips twitched. “Your bodyguard?”
“Well, someone’s got to keep me out of trouble,” I quipped, ignoring the flutter in my stomach at his almost-smile.
I turned my attention to our meager supplies, spreading them out on the blanket. “Let’s see what we’ve got to work with.”
There wasn’t much – some ration bars, a few hydration packs, a basic medkit, and what looked like some kind of multi-tool. Better than nothing, but not exactly reassuring given our current situation.
“We should get moving,” Klaz said, his eyes scanning the horizon. “The station’s compromised. We can’t stay here.”
I nodded, bundling everything up in the emergency blanket to make a crude pack. “Any idea which way we should go?”
Klaz was quiet, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Before the systems went haywire, I caught a glimpse of a map on one of the screens. There’s a town to the east. It looked pretty big.”
“East it is, then,” I said, shouldering the pack. “Lead the way, oh wise navigator.”
As we set off across the icy landscape, I kept my eyes on Klaz. The wind whipped his long hair around his face, andhis makeshift vest did little to hide his impressive physique. I wondered what it would be like to run my hands over those sculpted muscles, to trace the patterns of his markings with my fingertips...
No.
Now was not the time for fantasizing about the grumpy alien who’d saved my life. We had bigger problems to worry about.
“So,” I said, breaking the silence, “while we’re trudging through this winter wonderland, want to tell me more about these mysterious contacts of yours? The ones who are supposedly better equipped to handle our pirate problem than the actual authorities?”
Klaz’s jaw tightened. “It’s complicated.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I got that part. Care to uncomplicate it for me?”
He sighed, a puff of vapor visible in the frigid air. “There are... factions within the Alliance. It’s hard to know who to trust, or who might be easily bought off by the pirates. The group I’m reaching out to operates outside normal channels, but they have resources and influence that could help the passengers without drawing unwanted attention.”
I mulled this over. “So, what you’re saying is, you’re part of some sort of alien black ops team?”
Klaz shot me a sharp look. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” I replied with a grin. “I’m good at reading between the lines. It’s kind of my thing.”
He grunted, neither confirming nor denying my assumption. We walked in silence for a while, the crunch of snow beneath our feet the only sound.
“Your turn,” Klaz said abruptly.
I blinked. “My turn for what?”
“To share. You know more about me now. Tell me something about yourself.”