Chapter Fourteen
Aton
A sour-faced guard deactivated the force field. “You might have saved yourself a lot of trouble if you’d just told us who you were.”
Confused, I asked, “Who am I?”
“That’s the kind of shit I’m talking about. Here. Put these on.” He shoved a pile of folded garments into my arms. “Your attorney delivered a change of clothes.”
My attorney? I couldn’t imagine who that would be, except for Phillip, who’d left in a huff last week after my refusal to answer his questions. I’d been tempted to confide in him in exchange for my freedom, but my mate’s words of caution had been foremost in my mind, and in the end, I based my decision on trust. I trusted Toni. I did not believe Phillip of the over-white smile and cold eyes had my best interests at heart.
Although I’d been allowed to shower this morning, I still had on the leggings I’d arrived in. And no tunic or boots. So, I accepted the clothes.
“Hurry up. I don’t have all day,” the guard snapped.
I dressed, and he motioned me out of the cell.
Unlike the times when they’d moved me from facility to facility, he didn’t bind my wrists in metal cuffs, but escorted me through the rows of cells, out a barred exit, and into a wide-open room no nicer than the rest of the ward, except people were allowed to mill around without anyone pointing weapons at them. The heavy door slammed shut behind me.
Through two large glass doors, I spied daylight. I hadn’t seen the sun since being taken into custody.
On one side, people entered, passing under an arch to be searched by a guard who ran a wand around their bodies and peered into their bags. Through the other portal, people left the facility. Could I walk out? I glanced around. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to me. Heart hammering, I sidled toward it.
“Con! Con!” a female shouted, but I focused on the exit. Once through the door, I’d run like the wind and make my way to my mate.
“Con, wait!” An unfamiliar female appeared at my side and tugged on my sleeve. She smiled. “Boy, is it a relief to see you! I’ve been waiting since before dawn. They were taking so effing long to process your release orders, I was starting to worry you’d been put on the ship after all.”
Ship? “I’m sorry. You must have me confused with somebody else. I’m A—”
“No, no, no!” She raised her voice then lowered it to a whisper. “Don’t say anything. I’m here to bring you to Toni.”
“Toni?” Her name caused my heart to thud.
“She’s been going crazy with worry for you. Come on, let’s get you out of here.” She glanced at me sideways. “I’m glad the clothing fit. I had to guess at your size, and the only store open at 3:00 a.m. was Shop-Mart. I’m Maridelle, by the way.”
I’d never met her before, but something about her made me trust her.
She hustled me out the door and to her car. “Let’s get clear of the compound before we have a discussion.” We rolled up to a booth, and an armed guard peered into the vehicle while another circled it and checked the underside. Would they really let me out?
“Identification, please.”
My stomach sank. I didn’t have any ID.
Maridelle produced two cards.
The guard scanned them, peered at his little screen then at us, and handed the cards back. “Open the trunk.”
She pressed a button, a hatch lifted, a guard checked inside, and he slammed it shut.
“You’re good to go.”
A metal gate topped by sharp rolls of wire slid open, and she cruised through. When we cleared the compound, she tossed one of the ID cards in my lap. “This is yours. Guard it with your life.”
My image was on the card. I couldn’t read the Terran writing, but it was also printed in Dakonian.
Name: Con.
Planet of Birth: Dakon
Status: Legal Resident.
“My name isn’t Con.”
“It is now,” she said. “The only way to fix this was to assign you a new identity. According to Extraterrestrial Immigration computer records your name is Con. Your naturalization is pending; I have a friend working on it. As soon as it comes through, you’ll get a new card. This one should keep you out of trouble in the meantime—provided you forget all about Aton.”
“Does Toni know I was freed? About my new identity?”
“Not yet. Frankly, I didn’t think I could pull this off, and I didn’t want to get her hopes up unless it was a done deal. I do need to bring her up to speed, but I’ll let you two have your reunion first.”
“Other people who’ve met me will remember my old name.”
“Like who?”
“My friend Rojak and his mate, Toni’s assistant Megan. Jessie with the Intergalactic Dating Agency.”
“Jessie has been working with me to change the records in the agency’s system. Megan handles confidential matters all the time and will support Toni. Tell your friend that in applying for citizenship, you chose to change your name to one more Terranized, and ask him to please call you that.”
She pulled up to the curb outside Toni’s office building. I had the car door open before the vehicle stopped rolling. It had been a week since I’d seen Toni, held her, kissed her. I couldn’t wait anymore. I stuck a leg out, preparing to leap to the sidewalk, but Maridelle touched my arm.
“They were going to send you to a detention facility on a satellite in orbit around Earth’s moon. You weren’t going to see Earth or Dakon ever again. It’s vital to protect your identity. This isn’t just a new name, it’s a new life. Aton is gone. You’re Con. You never know who might overhear a conversation. Even though you have documentation to prove your identity and residency, you need to avoid calling it into question.”
“I understand,” I said.
“One more thing—”
I couldn’t take anymore! I was so close to being reunited, I couldn’t stand it. But this female had helped me, so I forced myself to listen. If not for her, I’d be on a ship headed for a detention facility.
“Don’t try to use Aton’s currency card. It’s been deactivated, the funds transferred to Con’s, but if the system picks up that the card was used, it will trigger an audit.”
“I understand.” I patted my shirt pocket.
She nudged my arm. “Okay. Go see Toni—”
I jumped out.
“I’ll park the car and be up in a little while,” she yelled, but I’d sprinted for the building.
I didn’t wait for the moving metal box. Stopping at every floor would take too long, so I took the stairs two at a time. Panting, I emerged onto the eighth floor and ran down the corridor.
An unfamiliar female with a yellow-and-purple nest on her head blinked in surprise as I burst into the office. “Can I help you?”
“Toni—Toni Sutterman—is she here?” My chest heaved.
“This is her office. Would you like to schedule an appointment? What’s your name?”
“At—” I caught myself before I slipped. Unfortunately, Toni wouldn’t recognize my new name because Maridelle hadn’t talked to her yet. “Tell Toni, Con, her mate from the Intergalactic Dating Agency is here.” That ought to let Toni know who I was. I wished her regular assistant was here. “Who are you? Where’s Megan?” I asked.
“I’m Candi. Megan had a dentist appointment.”
“I need to see Toni now.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. Ms. Sutterman is not seeing anybody today.” Her voice dropped. “I think maybe somebody died.”
A loved one had died? Who? Her mother? Father? Sister? She would be very distraught. I hadn’t been here to comfort her.
A strand of purple hair dangled from the nest on Candi’s head. She twirled it around her finger and then stopped. “What did you mean you’re her mate?”
I bit back a growl of frustration. I didn’t have the patience to deal with this female. Toni was just steps away. “I’m going to see her.” I started to skirt the desk.
“Ms. Sutterman’s not here.” A pink bubble inflated out of Candi’s mouth. She popped it and sucked the deflated balloon back in.
“Is she in court?”
Candi pursed her lips. “Yeah, that’s where she is.”
My spirits sank. I could go to court, but I doubted I’d be able to control myself from rushing over and hugging her. If I interrupted her, it might anger the tribe chief. “I’ll wait until she returns.”
“You need to make an appointment or leave.”
I folded my arms.
“Fine. Have it your way.” Candy lifted the handset on the phone, squinted at the buttons, and jabbed one. “Security? We have a code fourteen in Ms. Sutterman’s office.”