Free Rebel by Cheryl Brooks Page B

perfect if Onca hadn’t yelped when Ganyn pinched his ass as he tried to slip past her.
    “You come back and see me again sometime, sweet thing, and I’ll bring my friend Judie along for the ride. She misses you too.”
    Which meant that at least one woman who didn’t have scales and a tail liked him. With a quick wave at Ganyn, he climbed into his speeder. The fact that Kim got in beside him without any hesitation made him feel a little better. “Let’s split up and take the long way back,” he said to Roncas.
    “What if they’re waiting for us?” she asked.
    “With Captain on guard duty, they’ll be sorry if they do—which reminds me, I’d better give him a call.”
    “Right,” Roncas said. “See you there.” The canopy slid shut as she turned her speeder toward the east and took off down the alley.
    Onca fired up his speeder and headed in the opposite direction. Closing the canopy, he activated the cloaking mechanism. “We’re, um, invisible now. So if you see anything about to hit us, give a yell.”
    “Invisible?” Kim echoed. “Really?”
    “Yeah. I bought this speeder from a Nerik who swore that feature would be the most useful thing ever. This is the first time I’ve actually used it.”
    “Seems like it’d be kinda dangerous when there’s much traffic.”
    “It is. Which is why it’s illegal—and also why I need you to keep a lookout. All speeders have anti-collision sensors on them, but they don’t work when we’re cloaked, and neither does the navigator function. I have to fly it manually.” He tapped the comlink pad. “Ahoy, Captain. Seen any strangers hanging around the house?”
    “Not at this time,” the computer replied. “Shall I activate the defense mode?”
    “Yeah, but let Roncas and Jatki in if they get there ahead of us.”
    “And who, pray tell, is Jatki?”
    “A Kitnock girl with purple hair. Trust me, you’ll know her when you see her.”
    “I am certain of it,” Captain said.
    “Okay. Call me if you notice anything weird going on in the neighborhood.”
    “I shall comply. Captain out.”
    Terminating the link, Onca turned to Kim. “So, you want to tell me why Jatki thinks I’m worse than a Herpatronian rapist?”
    “She doesn’t think that. Really. Don’t feel bad. It’s more what you are than who you are. Men terrify her.”
    “I noticed that. I’m guessing some guy roughed her up?”
    “Yeah. Her father used to molest her, and when he got tired of that, he liked to beat her up.”
    Expecting to hear almost anything but that, Onca felt like he’d been punched in the gut by a Darconian. “That’s—that’s… horrible . She’s a runaway then?”
    “Yeah. Which is why she really doesn’t want anyone to know where she is. Especially her family.”
    Onca had never known his family and would have given his entire fortune to see them alive and well again. He couldn’t imagine not wanting his family to find him. But then, he’d never been abused.
    “Look out!” Kim shouted.
    Onca halted the speeder just shy of another vehicle that was cutting through the alley. As inattentive as he was in the wake of Kim’s revelation, he considered it best to stop for a moment. Easing the speeder closer to one of the buildings, he lowered the parking struts.
    “Why are we stopping?”
    “Because I’m too freaked out to drive. Mother of the gods! How can a father do that to his own child? I don’t get it.”
    “Yeah, well, he’s probably not the only one. Even on a nice, clean, happy planet like Rhylos.”
    Damenk prided itself on being the cleanest city in the galaxy. Everything—buildings, streets, and especially the landscape—was scrupulously maintained. Even the alleys were pristine. Flowers bloomed from planters behind each building and trailed from balconies above. Litter simply didn’t exist, and the trash receptacles were works of art. And yet, heinous crimes still occurred—even in private homes like Jatki’s. Onca shivered. No wonder