Casey turned to stare in horror at the man who had killed Rachael. He looked pale as he met Casey's eyes. He backed up more, shaking his head. Casey just stared at him.

"You son of a bitch, you killed her. You really killed her."

She heard growling. She turned her head to face the scary sound. The man she'd taken down with a knee to the crotch was getting to his feet. He was the one growling. He roared suddenly, storming for Casey and Rachael. Casey knew her life was over. These men were rapists and killers.

The man ignored Casey as he moved around her. He bent over Rachael's body staring down at the dead woman's face. He put his hand to her throat, snarling, before he lifted his head, still ignoring Casey. Pure rage gripped his features, all directed at the man who'd killed Rachael.

The enraged man moved fast, stepping over Rachael's body, lunging to grab her killer by the throat. The infuriated alien hauled the naked man to his feet, another roar tearing through the shuttle again, a second before the incensed alien threw Rachael's killer. His body went flying until he hit the far wall of the shuttle in the front. The man hit the floor after bouncing off the wall. The man who'd thrown him snarled again.

Casey was in shock. She watched the three men snarl at each other. They were obviously arguing. They ignored her completely so she felt safe enough to turn her attention from them.

She picked up a discarded shirt from one of the men who had attacked Rachael. Her hands shook as she reached over to close the other woman's eyes, covering up her face and breasts with the shirt.

The men started to fight. Casey was shocked as the two naked men attacked the one who had thrown the killer. They went to the floor in a dog pile of large bodies and fists. Casey got to her feet on shaky legs. The back of the shuttle was close to her. She moved fast, not thinking, knowing she didn't have time to. She hadn't heard the shuttle engines come on so they were still in the Zorn ship. She ran for the back door that automatically opened for her.

She was in the room where gravity had been restored. She turned to watch the doors slam shut behind her on the shuttle. She spun in the small cargo room to face the outer door. She saw a large button and dove for it. She hit it as hard as she could. A loud buzz sounded and seconds later the outer doors opened. She expected the gravity to go again but it didn't. She moved forward, stepping out of the smaller ship. Gravity had been restored in the Zorn ship and the lights were back on.

Casey ran. She had no idea where she was going but she wanted to get away from those men. She bolted for the door she'd come through, feeling relief when it automatically opened for her this time. She ended up in a corridor and she turned, sprinting away. It had been dark when she arrived in this area of the ship but she remembered what side she'd come from. She was pretty sure she was going in the right direction. Somewhere on the ship was Argernon.

Chapter Eight

Casey's side hurt. She was hopelessly lost and she hadn't run into anyone. She'd found a hatch and had crawled down a floor. Where were the Zorn men? She was more afraid of running into the men who weren't Zorn. If the men she'd escaped from were tracking her, they hadn't found her yet.

She was pretty sure she was in the crew quarters area. She tried to find a place to hide but there wasn't anywhere to go. None of the room doors would open on this level. She touched pads but the doors remained locked. The only doors that opened automatically were doors that shut off one corridor to another.

In her bare feet she couldn't miss the slight motion of the floor under her vibrating slightly indicating to her that the ship was moving again. Relief hit her and then fear. Maybe the Zorn had control of their ship again but maybe not. She heard growling right before movement flashed, and she turned her head toward it.

A man was walking toward her dressed in all black like Argernon. He was looking at some kind of tablet thing in his hands, his full attention on it. His heavy-duty black boots were also just like the ones Argernon wore. He looked Zorn. Casey's eyes flew to his ears peeking out of long black hair that was pulled back from his face, falling down his back, seeing that they were definitely round.

"Hey, you," Casey called out. She ran toward him.

He stopped walking as his head snapped up. She saw him tense instantly before he spotted her. He looked shocked for a second but he recovered quickly, moving toward her. Casey was sure he was Zorn by the time they faced off, both stopping a few feet in front of each other.

She met his glowing green gaze, feeling joy that he was Zorn. This close to him she was absolutely sure what he was.

"Can you understand me? Do you have one of those implant things?"

The man nodded. He reached out his hand holding it out to her palm up.

Casey hesitated. "Where is Argernon?"

He held out his hand closer to her. Casey eyed it and then lifted her gaze to his. "Will you take me to Argernon?"

Relief hit Casey when he nodded. She put her hand in his larger one, feeling his fingers firmly grasp hers. He slowly turned, tugging on her, so she followed him when he led her to a conis on the wall. He was probably turning on the translator, which made her happy because she wanted to be able to talk to him.

A hundred questions filled her head. Instead the man growled into the built-in device.

Seconds later someone growled back. The man released the conis to look down at her. His eyes tore from hers to look both ways. He looked on guard to her, tense, like he was expecting trouble.

She heard faint growling minutes later but it wasn't from the man gripping her hand. She turned around, staring down a corridor, only to see Argernon coming at her fast. He was still barefooted, barechested and had two other Zorn men walking right behind him. His gaze locked with hers. Sheer happiness at seeing Argernon alive and well slammed Casey. She swore the man gripping her hand chuckled as he released his hold on her. In the next instant Argernon grabbed Casey, jerking her into his arms, pulling her tightly against him.