Free The Helavite War by Theresa Snyder Page A

out
of the corner of his eye as the kid tried to take it all in. He was
ogling like a little boy at his first alien circus.
    "Jake," Andrew greeted him with a warm
handshake at the door to the study. "I was so relieved you could
come."
    "This is my new partner, Arr of the Henu,"
Jake introduced.
    Andrew nodded in nonchalance. "Can I offer
you a drink?" He moved to the large assemblage of bottles and
glasses on the far wall.
    "Thanks, I'd love one." Jake knew Andrew
kept a private reserve of expensive imported Canadian whiskey.
"Arr?" Jake asked.
    Arr was gazing up at the painted ceiling in
wonder. Cherubs and unicorns glided across a landscape of vibrant
blues and greens. Arr shook his head in the negative.
    Andrew handed Jake his drink and turned to
Arr. "Perhaps you would like to wait outside." It was not an offer
it was a dismissal.
    Arr started to rise. Jake threw out a
restraining hand. "He stays," Jake stated flatly. His tone brooked
no argument.
    "I just thought he might be more comfortable
outside....," Andrew commented with disdain.
    Jake knew that Andrew would have finished
his sentence with '....with the other animals,' if he thought he
could have gotten away with it. Jake was surprised at himself for
never noticing before that Andrew held a prejudice toward
aliens.
    "He's my partner, as I told you when I
introduced him," Jake said bluntly. "If this is a business call he
has a right to hear. If it's a social call, I would hope you would
show him the respect you would show me after all our years of
friendship."
    "Of course Jake, I'm sorry if I offended
you," Andrew said, to Jake rather than Arr.
    Jake didn't miss the slight, but let it
pass. He and Andrew went back a long way.
    "So, what is it business or social?" Jake
removed his restraining hand from Arr's arm. The kid hadn't caught
the insult until Jake stood up for him. Andrew was a billionaire,
but Arr was the rich one in personality.
    "Sarah has vanished." Andrew said without
preamble. "She disappeared five days ago. The first day I brought
in additional security teams with dogs, but they turned up nothing.
The second day I called you." Andrew sat down, rolling his glass in
his hand from side to side. It was a habit Jake was familiar with
in Andrew when he was upset, but trying to hide it.
    Jake shifted forward in his seat. Of all the
things he thought he'd hear this was not one of them. Andrew had
security everywhere. "Have there been any ransom demands?"
    "Not a single one." Andrew sat holding his
drink for something to do with his hands rather than put it down on
the table next to him. He sipped at it absentmindedly.
    "Any of the staff have a grudge against
you?" Jake doubted this last, but it was a routine question to ask
in such a case. Jake's father always said that once Andrew Daily
got hold of an employee they were his for life. He was known for
treating his people well. He always paid Jake in gold and up front
for his services.
    Andrew rubbed his brow in weariness. "Not
that I know of." He straightened his shoulders resolutely. "I want
her found. I don't care how much it cost! You can name the ticket."
He finished off his drink with a single slug.
    "We can discuss payment later, first step is
for us to make a sweep of the grounds, the whole planet if need be.
I also want to speak with the staff. Find out where Sarah was seen
last, also where she was supposedly headed when she disappeared."
Jake rose placing his untouched glass on the table beside him.
"We'll do our best, Andrew."
    Jake, Arr and Kay-o started their search for
clues.

Chapter 30
    Sarah was taken by Hydras. Jake found the telltale
pattern of their unusual landing craft in the grass behind the tall
hedge that surrounded the grounds. It was all very clear to Jake
now and in his opinion almost hopeless. The Hydra were a race of
slavers. They dealt mostly in the sale of women and children to
households of other alien cultures for servants and bed partners.
Their landing crafts constantly