The shuttle bucked left, right, up and down so rapidly that the buffer had trouble compensating with the g-forces and Alex had to hold on to his board to avoid sliding off the seat. Tristan hadn’t said where he was taking them, or what his plan was once there. Since he didn’t know how long they were going to be flying for, Alex wished he could go lie down in the hold, catch some sleep for whatever Tristan had planned. But the way the Samalian was flying he’d be sliding all over the place. So instead he watched the sensor and Tristan flew them through one hole in the grid to another like this was a race of some sort. When the pitch of the engine changed, they were in darkness. Tristan dropped them below the detection grid, then shut down all active sensors, and finally slowed down. Hoping this would last for a while Alex finally lied down to sleep. * * * * * He woke up when the shuttle landed. Checked the chrono he found three hours had passed. When he made it out of the hold, the ramp was down, letting in the cool and humid air, as well as the soft sounds of animals. Peering into the darkness he didn’t see anything, but he had a sense of trees. Tristan handed him a data chip as Alex entered the cockpit. “This is the plan for procuring the equipment. You’ll have to get them by yourself. I’m too visible at the moment.” “Are we leaving Emil in Cryo?” “Only until sunrise. I expect we’ll be here for some time, so it’ll do him good to get out and stretch his legs. We’re in the middle of a forest, under the canopy. No one will find us here.” Tristan went down to the cargo hold. “Sunrise is in four hours. I’m sleeping until then. If you need more sleep, now is the time to get it.” “I’m good for now. I’ll go over the plan.” Alex pulled a cup from a cabinet and filled it with coffee before sitting down and putting the chip in his tablet. * * * * * Alex watched Tristan climb out of the hold and readied himself. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. When the Samalian looked in his direction Alex raised the datapad. “I can’t do this.” Tristan became still. Alex watched as he closed and opened his hands. If he didn’t handle this very carefully, he was in for another beating. “This plan requires me to climb up the side of a building, to bypass dozens of physical locks, take down at least twice that many guards.” “I thought you were a merc.” “I am. I’m a decent one too, but I’m not you.” Alex had trouble believing even Tristan could pull everything the plan called for. “I can’t do physical locks. Every time I’ve had to go through them, I’ve hired someone.” Tristan walked toward him with measured steps. “I need that equipment.” His words were filled with menace. As much as he wanted to look away from those angry eyes, he didn’t. He was certain if he broke eye contact, he’d be in pain. “I can get the equipment. Just not with this plan.” “How.” The word was a growl that had Alex shaking in fear and, curse him, in excitement. Alex took out his earpiece. “This is my strength. With this I can create companies I can use to buy the equipment you need. Rent the vehicles to pick it up, or have it deliver where you want to. I can’t say if it’s going to be faster or slower than if you executed your plan, but it’s the only way I’m going to be able to accomplish it.” Tristan narrowed his eyes. “Are you willing to wager your life on your plan?” Was he serious? Of course he was. “I can get you the equipment you need.” Tristan nodded. “Then use your plan. Wake up the boy. I’m going to do a check of our surroundings.” Tristan went outside and disappeared. Alex deactivated Emil’s Cryo an the young boy opened his eyes. “Is my father here?” “No, not yet. We’ve had complications. But we’re in a safe place for a while.” Alex helped him off the bed. Emil took his datapad out of his suitcase then Alex led him outside. The boy froze on looking out. “Wow.” Alex smiled and had to admit that clearing lit with the morning sun was quite the sight. The trees were tall and the leaves let the light glitter on them. “I take it you haven’t been in a forest recently.” “Never, I only saw them on vids.” Emil took a deep breath. “Where’s Brian?” Alex frowned. Who was Brian? Then he remembered Tristan hadn’t given his real name. “He’s around, making sure there aren’t any surprises.” “There aren’t any,” Tristan said stepping around the shuttle. “There are small animals, but that’s it.” He ruffled Emil’s hair. “Hey buddy, how are you liking our camping spot?” “It’s pretty.” Tristan sat on the ramp. “Go on, go enjoy it.” After a moment of hesitation, Emil stepped down the ramp and walked among trees. “Don’t go too far buddy.” Alex watched Tristan, expecting him to lose the relaxed attitude the moment Emil vanished behind a tree, but he didn’t. Alex sat down next to him. “Camping?” “We’re going to be here for a while. Once we have the equipment, it’s going to take his father a few months to get here. We might as well enjoy it, don’t you think?” He gave Alex a smile. “I hate it when you do that.” Alex kept his voice soft to make sure Emil wouldn’t hear. “Relax, you wanted me to be gentle with the boy.” “And then what? When you’ll drop the facade, what’s that going to do to him?” “This mask is staying for the time being.” Alex looked at him doubtfully. “I’m serious. I can’t afford to traumatize him. Him being my buddy is crucial to my plan.” “You’re going to get him killed.” Tristan shrugged. “That’s not part of the plan.” Alex stood and headed inside. “I still hate this.” Steps followed him in. “I thought you’d like having me like this. All nice and relatable.” Alex spun and growled at seeing Tristan leaning a shoulder against the wall, smiling. “No, I don’t like it.” Tristan reached his Alex’s cheek. Alex batted the hand away. “Don’t touch me.” Anger filled Tristan’s eyes, and Alex took a step back. “Damn it, this is why I hate it. You do this and I—” “You start thinking I’m Jack?” Tristan mocked. “No.” Alex glared at him. “But I forget you’re a monster.” Tristan smiled. It was a warm, pleasant smile, and even his eyes became warm. “This is a mask, Alex.” Tristan grabbed him by the neck with a hand, and while the fingers on his neck were like a vice, the thumb caressing his cheek was gentle, even tender. “It can be a friend, an acquaintance, and even a lover, but it’s only the surface. Under the mask, there’s only me. You’d do well to remind yourself of that.” Alex glanced around Tristan to the ramp. “I gave you a chance to leave, Alex. You didn’t take it. If you try to leave now, I will make you regret it.” Alex shook his head. “I was checking for Emil. I don’t think you want him walking in on this.” Tristan’s smile broadened. “Good, put the mission first, it’s a good way to ensure you don’t get sentimental.” He patted Alex's cheek and stepped back. Alex closed his eyes and tried to settle his emotions. If all he was dealing with was being scared he’d know how to handle it, but damn it, why did he have to feel other things too? He didn’t like him, he told himself. He hated him. He’d used him, and he was still using him. Except Alex had agreed to that. Like Tristan had said, he’d had the chance to leave. This was his life now, he had to come to terms with it, and with everything else it meant. He sighed. “If we’re camping here for a few months, I’m guessing we’re going to need a few things. Food, if nothing else.” Tristan snorted. “All we need is a biological analyzer to determine what plants and animals are edible. Humans live here so most of it must be fine. You’re going to need a different vehicle. As we found out already, this is too visible.” “I’m going to have to use it at least once, to get the new one.” “Wait until the sun’s set, and only stay on the dark side. We’re also going to need a portable power generator. I want to shut the shuttle down completely to avoid any enterprising ship watchers to scan for large energy signatures.” “We’ll need a few tents, unless you want us to sleep in here.” Tristan thought about it. “I suppose the boy will want some protection from the elements.” “I’ll want it too. I’m fine with roughing it if I have to, but I don’t see a reason to make it harsher than it has to be.” Tristan looked outside. “This is not roughing it.” “What if it starts raining?” Tristan gave him a disbelieving look. “I don’t have your fur. Once clothing gets wet, I’m not comfortable anymore.” “I thought you were a merc.” “Does that mean I’m supposed to force myself to sleep in a pit with snakes? We end up in a frozen wasteland, with nothing but the clothes on our backs, and you won’t hear me complaining. I’ll rough it out then as badly as we need to get out of it. I just don’t see a point in suffering if I don’t have to.” “Then get everything you think will be needed to make this pleasant enough for you.” Tristan went out and sat on the ramp again. Alex couldn’t help feeling like he’d been called a weakling. But then again, compared to Tristan, who wasn’t? He joined him and now he could See Emil, in the clearing, examining a plant with a seriousness that belonged on someone much older. He sighed. “What’s wrong?” Alex stopped himself from answering. It was an act, Tristan didn’t care. But Alex couldn’t live like that. He could stay distant, but had to interact with him, even when he wore a mask. “Look at him. What do you think Emil’s doing?” “Surveying his surroundings.” “Exactly, he’s cataloging specimens. Me, his age? You drop me in a place like this and I’d be running around, laughing and jumping. I’d take pictures, but I wouldn’t care about documenting anything. He's supposed to be a kid, not a miniature adult.” Alex turned to look at Tristan, who was watching Emil. “What about you? What would you be doing here, at his age?” Tristan didn’t immediately respond, and Alex had a momentary impression that whatever he was seeing wasn’t Emil anymore. The Samalian shook himself. “I’d be trying to catch my next meal.”