Free Desperate Measures by Rebecca Airies Page B

friendly.”

    “You know she was being sarcastic.” Gianna shook her head.

    Raine laughed. “Yeah, I know, but couldn‟t help it.”

    “Let‟s get out of here. The sooner we get to Krissa‟s workplace the sooner we can start
    finding her clues.” Nara looked back at the group still at the entry port check-in.

    Raine glanced back. Luckily, the Raitan was the only larger ship unloading cargo and
    crew right now. There weren‟t that many people wandering through the building and she could
    easily see Connal and his people. She wasn‟t surprised that they were all waiting for the rest of
    the group to get through. This wasn‟t a standard leave for them. This was a search mission.

    She‟d heard a few of the quiet orders they‟d been given. She loved it when people
    underestimated her. They were to begin searching some park on the far east end of Verai, the
    main port city on Forunes. That wasn‟t in the area where Krissa had been working, but it didn‟t
    mean that they were safe. Raine wasn‟t so certain that the path of Krissa‟s clues wouldn‟t take
    them in that direction. A park would be a good stop-off spot until Krissa could find a way into a
    large forest where she could hide.

    “You‟re right. Krissa‟s been alone here long enough. We have to find her. Before they do
    if I‟m right and she was spotted.” Raine took a deep breath and deliberately faced forward and
    took her eyes off them.

    “We‟re here and we‟ll get to her.” Nara nodded.

    They left the spaceport and caught a public shuttle to the area around Krissa‟s work. She
    had no idea how the bigoted fanatics had discovered that Krissa wasn‟t human, but that really
    didn‟t matter. All that mattered was getting to their hurt friend. They‟d been working together
    long enough to establish emergency procedures. They‟d chosen the first message drop as the area
    near the work because the first place anyone would look for someone on the run would be their
    home. The message would be waiting for them.

    They walked the short distance from the shuttle drop-off to the office building where
    Krissa had been working. A thin strip of grass bordered the sidewalk surrounding the large,
    gleaming, silver building. They strolled down the tree-lined path until they reached the second
    tree from the last. This wasn‟t going to be unobtrusive, but since they only had to search one
    tree, they shouldn‟t be here for very long. Nara began looking around the base of it while Gianna
    took the back and Raine the front. Gianna found the chip secured to the tree with weatherproof
    tape, which blended in almost perfectly with the dark brown bark of the tree.

    Gianna slipped the chip free from the protective case and put it in her handheld. She read
    the message and then handed the small comp to Raine. Raine groaned when she read where the
    next message had been placed. Krissa had left the message in Birdsong Park on the east side of
    Verai. It was where the Feiral had gone.

    “We can‟t all be seen there. It would be too much of a coincidence and the captain isn‟t
    stupid.” Nara looked from Gianna to Raine.

    “No, he isn‟t stupid. You two are going shopping. I‟m going to take a walk in the park. I
    might be able to distract Connal enough to throw him off his game. Maybe he won‟t question my
    appearance there too much.” Raine took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

    “Shopping for what?” Gianna asked.

    “Well, think like you were Krissa. What do you think we‟re going to need to get to her?”
    Raine shrugged. “A vehicle, some food and of course extra clothing.”

    “That we can do. Don‟t let him distract you.” Nara grinned. “We all know how attracted
    you are to him.”

    “Yeah, I‟m attracted to him. I think it has a little to do with the danger of it.” Raine
    grinned and winked, enjoying the teasing. It helped her relax a little when nervousness and
    anxiety was building. She handed them her bag. “Just