Soros (Descendants of Doom Book 3), page 9
“To your mother?” she asked with the softest smile.
“Yes, just to assure her I’m still alive. And then I have to check in on Malliko, who is another Eidron staying on Earth at the moment. He and his girlfriend Clara are watching my flowers and plants back in Los Angeles.”
“Los Angeles… is that far?”
“It’s the city where my home is. Getting there will take hours on a plane so yes, it’s far.” I was already on my phone, calling Clara.
She answered my video call with a bright smile. “You’re back?”
“On Earth, yes. But right now, I’m in New York.”
“Hey, Tania.” Malliko’s face came up on the screen. “We wondered how long you would be gone. How did it go?”
In that moment, I felt a bit overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start. “It’s been a long journey, but I believe you already heard the good news. Sival was found and saved.”
Malliko confirmed it. “Yes, I spoke to him after he was freed. I still can’t wrap my head around why pirates would go after a soldier from the Federation. Or that they got their hands on a human woman. How was that possible with the tight surveillance of all alien landings on Earth?”
“I’m not sure. Captain Lios said that the members of the cultural committee are very concerned. Especially because it might not be an isolated occurrence. While on Markatoria, we met two women of mixed human heritage. One of them is called Star and she’s with me now.” I turned the phone to show them Star, who sat with the room service menu studying the writing as if she could learn how to write English from a hotel menu.
“Hey.” Clara waved on the screen. “How are you?”
Snapping her fingers, Star answered, “I’m very lonely and sad.”
“To snap your fingers is the traditional way of greeting others in Markatoria where Star is from,” I said because I knew that Clara wouldn’t know that, and she might think that it was a strange thing to do.
“Oh, I see.” Clara bit her lip. “I’m sorry to hear that you’re lonely and sad. Hopefully, Tania can help with that.”
“Yes, she’s very kind to me.” Star took my hand and leaned in to see Clara on the screen. “How are you?”
It was typical that aliens didn’t understand that Americans used the phrase “how are you” as a greeting and not truly a question. Even foreigners from Earth found that confusing.
“I’m very good, thank you,” Clara said before Malliko asked, “Tania, are you sure that she’s human? Couldn’t she be half Noxin or Eidron?”
“They tested Star when we arrived on Earth and her DNA shows that she’s half human, just like she told us. From what we understand, it sounds like her mother was trafficked many years ago.”
Clara’s jaw dropped and then she looked at Malliko. “You said that something like that couldn’t happen because we humans are a protected species.”
“You are!” He scratched his neck as if ants were crawling on his skin. “That’s why it’s unbelievable that the Malbreeans found a way to abduct humans without anyone noticing.”
“Captain Lios and his crew came here chasing a particularly dangerous Malbreean named Ko’roz. Soros believes he might be hiding on Earth. Now, they’re warning the officials to look for him.”
“Why Earth? That makes no sense,” Malliko said.
“For a Malbreean, Ko’roz isn’t that tall. With his six-feet-three he’s shorter than the average on Markatoria and wouldn’t stand out physically on Earth. We know he was involved with a group of criminals who managed to land on Earth several times undetected. That’s how they abducted Jade twice. Soros and Lios believe someone at the Federation was paid off to cover the tracks of the landings. On any planet connected to the Federation, Ko’roz would risk getting recognized by bounty hunters, but on Earth humans aren’t even aware of the existence of Malbreeans. He can control humans with mind clouding and make a new life here.”
“Hmm…” Malliko sat for a second. “That actually makes sense if he really found a way to get here without being detected, which I still think is unlikely.”
“Yes, and that’s the problem. We don’t know for sure. And even if Soros has guessed the right planet, he still has no way to know which part of Earth that Ko’roz would pick. We’re in New York, because Soros thinks Ko’roz will prefer an urban environment where he can blend in among a diverse group of humans.”
“He’s probably right about that,” Malliko agreed.
“Zobran and the rest of the crew went to London, but to be honest, we don’t know if Ko’roz might have altered his appearance on Tandaquon. If he chose Earth, he might not have changed his looks since he wouldn’t have to worry about bounty hunters or Federation officials.”
“What’s Tandaquon?” Clara asked Malliko.
“It’s the home planet of the Thaddoinians,” he explained and then it suddenly hit me that he might not know about the tragic loss.
“Wait, do you know everything that happened when the team went after Jade and Sival’s children on Markatoria?”
“No.”
I could feel Star watching me and knew this part was painful to her, so I squeezed her hand. She moved closer and leaned her head against my shoulder while I updated Clara and Malliko on what had happened since we last spoke. “After Sival was freed from the pirate ship, the team did an incredible job at finding evidence and tracing the criminals who were paying the pirates to hold the victims imprisoned. The biggest concern was not only to stop those criminals from hurting other people, but also to track down the two children that Jade and Sival had together while being held captive. Not surprisingly the trail led us to Markatoria.”
“Yes, Sival told me as much when I spoke to him. How did it go? He said you were taking the pirates to Fedaros for prosecution. Did you find the children?”
“We did. Luckily, they hadn’t been sold into slavery or killed. They were being loved and pampered by Star, who had adopted them as her children.”
“Ohh,” Clara sighed and seemed to get the situation right away. “Does that mean…?”
I finished the sentence. “Yes, it means that the children are now with Jade and Sival, their biological parents. Star is trying to get used to living without them.” I placed an arm around Star and our heads leaned against each other. “She’s been isolated on Markatoria and I’ve promised to help her start a new life here on Earth.”
Clara was full of sympathy and told Star, “I’m a mother and I’ve felt the pain of losing my children in a custody battle. My heart hurts for you, dear.”
“Thank you.” It surprised me when Star elaborated. “But you see, my family members were among the criminals who paid the pirates to kidnap and imprison Jade and Sival, and many more innocent victims. Now, I’ve lost my children, my sister, two brothers, and my father. It's a sad situation.”
Malliko dipped his chin. “We won’t pretend to understand something so horrific. You must be incredible strong to carry such loss.”
“Strong.” Star gave an unamused chuckle. “I’m the opposite of strong. My family kept me away from the public eye because I was weak and easily manipulated. They’ve always been my protectors.”
Brushing Star’s arm up and down, I supported what Malliko had just said. “You’re much stronger than you and your family gave you credit for. And soon you’ll be living a more independent life here on Earth.”
“Perhaps.” She lifted her shoulders and pulled back into her tortoise position.
“Another sad thing happened on Markatoria,” I told Clara and Malliko. “Keindra was killed.”
“Nooo.” Malliko blinked his eyes and made a grimace of disbelief.
“Yes. She and Ziba went to interrogate Ko’roz, and his security guards killed Keindra when she and Ziba wanted to arrest him. After that, he took Ziba hostage and fled Markatoria. That’s why Soros and the team tracked him to Tandaquon. We believe he got help to transfer his funds to his new life, wherever that is now. Soros says that it’s possible he has a new identity and maybe also cosmetic changes.”
“Please tell me that Ziba is safe now?” Malliko asked and seemed to have a hard time sitting still.
“I would love to, but…” I looked down and took a fortifying breath before I told him the horrible news. “Ko’roz killed her.”
Only Malliko’s stomach and chest were visible on the screen as he stood up. Then he moved out of the frame, and I could see Clara following him with her gaze. “Are you okay, babe?”
We were all quiet for a long moment. Malliko had been the captain of Keindra and Ziba before he became a speciologist. When he came back on the screen, he looked distraught. “I want to help find this Ko’roz. A Malbreean on Earth is a nightmare. And if he’s capable of killing two such amazing women, then I can only imagine the level of destruction he can cause among people with no protection against mind clouding.”
“Lios, Nerix, and Soros are here in New York. You can contact them and offer your help if you want.”
“Tania, I noticed that you’ve mentioned the name Soros a few times now,” Clara said. “It’s not that Soros, is it?”
My lips flattened before I confirmed it, “Yes, it’s the same Soros who I was with four years ago.”
“No way.” Clara had heard about my heartache and was quick to ask me, “Are you okay? How was seeing him again?”
“Strange. Lots of tension. But we finally talked last night, and things are better now.” With everything else we had talked about I didn’t smile.
“You’ll have to tell me everything about it at some point,” Clara said, and I was grateful that she didn’t push for more details right at that point.
“I will. But what about you two? How are things? I thought your time in Los Angeles was running out and that you were moving on.”
“I am. Next week. My stay here was extended because of some practicalities.”
“And my plants… are they still alive?” I asked.
Clara lit up a little. “Yes, they are doing well. I took the liberty of cleaning out some items from your refrigerator like milk and yogurt that had gone bad. We didn’t know you would be gone for so long. It’s been more than two weeks.”
“Neither did I, but it could have been a lot longer. Once I agreed to go into space, there was no certain return trip to Earth.” I squeezed Star closer to me. “I’m happy to be back and I just hope that Earth can be a sanctuary for Star as well.”
Clara snorted low. “I wouldn’t call Earth a sanctuary. Far from it.”
“That’s because you haven’t been to other planets,” I said. “Markatoria is a brutal place for a human. Everyone there is a psychopathic giant.”
“In that case, welcome to Earth, Star. We hope you’ll be happy here. Are you going to search for your mother’s family?”
Star looked at me. “Is that possible?”
“I don’t know,” I said because I wasn’t sure.
“Of course, it’s possible. Just do one of those DNA tests and register to see if any relatives come up.”
“She can’t do that. She’s part Malbreean. That would show on her test,” Malliko said. He was back to sitting next to Clara. “I’m sorry, but I’m still in shock that Keindra and Ziba are gone. Is everyone else on the crew alright?”
“Ehm… sort of,” I said.
“What do you mean, sort of?”
“Nerix came close to dying, but Sival saved his life and except for the many scars, he seems to be healing fast from all the bullet wounds.”
Malliko sighed. “Nerix was always a tough soldier. I’m not surprised that several bullets weren’t enough to kill him.”
I smiled a little. “He’s badass. But the team was already missing a member and now they’re down to seven soldiers. Captain Lios is under pressure. He needs three new soldiers and he said that he’s eager to get more females and another pilot.”
“Then ask Nerix to bring in his cousin. She’s a great pilot and I think she would join the team in a heartbeat. Her name is Cacala.”
“Cacala,” I said the name slowly. “I’ll try to remember.”
“Good. I want to say that it was nice catching up with you, Tania, but I wish you had better news,” Malliko said.
“I’m sorry. We’ve all been grieving as well. I didn’t know Keindra well, but Ziba made a big impression on me. She was extremely kind to Jade and me.”
“Yeah, Ziba was kind to everyone.” Malliko gave a sad sigh. “I’ll reach out to Lios and offer my help.”
“Alright. Let’s stay in touch. I’m not sure how long I need to stay in New York, but I’ll let you know.”
“Take care,” Clara said, “And Star, you have our sympathy. We can only imagine how hard it must be to lose your entire family and start all over on an entirely different planet. I thought moving to a new city was lonely.”
“Star isn’t alone,” I assured both Star and them. “We’ll figure this out together.”
“Yes, of course, we’re here if you need anything.”
“Just keep my plants alive until you leave.”
“And then?” Clara asked. “If you have to stay in New York longer, what do you do then?”
I sighed. “Then I would have to ask my mom to help me, but I’d rather not. She’s not doing too well.”
Ending the call with Malliko and Clara, I called my mom to tell her that I was alright. The call didn’t go through, and it made me think that she had failed to pay her phone bill again. It was one more thing I would have to deal with when all of this was over.
CHAPTER 12
Chasing Ko’roz
Soros
Eight hours after Captain Lios received the lead on Ko’roz, we still hadn’t found Ziba’s killer. I was hungry, annoyed, and exhausted from a lack of sleep. It also frustrated me how Nerix and Lios were looking at me and asking questions as if I were a psychic who was able to predict where Ko’roz would hide.
My uncertainty grew for every hour that passed without results. Maybe Ko’roz wasn’t on Earth. And even if he was, the chances that he would be in this town were minuscule. It was all guesswork from my side based on my analysis of his personality.
The local police force that we worked with believed that Lios, Nerix, and I were foreign agents searching for a particularly dangerous criminal on the run. We drove around New York City with two detectives who introduced themselves as Sanchez and Lee. Sanchez was tall for a human woman and told us she had been a Marine before she joined the police force. Lee was a bit shorter than her and slim despite the fact that he ate whenever we were driving somewhere. Some of the things he ate smelled peculiar and made me nauseated.
The lead we were investigating had come from a shop assistant who reported that she had been hypnotized by a tall man who had tricked her and gotten away with expensive name-brand items of clothing worth thousands of dollars. Since we got the lead at three in the morning, the store was closed, the shop assistant unavailable, and any surveillance footage not yet handed over to the authorities.
We asked Lee and Sanchez to go over any other reports in the last few days on people getting hypnotized by a large male. Turned out that there had been two other cases reported. One was from a young woman who had met a large, middle-aged man on the street. She wasn’t aware how it happened, but somehow, she ended up bringing him back to her house where he slept for a few nights. She remembered cooking for him and pampering him, but her mind was in a haze. Only when her boyfriend showed up and found the strange man sleeping in her bed did the young woman snap out of the trance she had been in. By then, she had been missing work for two days. The boyfriend called the police but before two officers arrived, the stranger had left the apartment.
In the other incident, a restaurant owner reported how one of his servers had been tricked into thinking he had already received payment for the food that was served to a large man.
All three cases sounded like it could be Ko’roz and so we had spent the night searching the neighborhoods where he had last been seen, and walking into bars, hoping to see a giant trying to make new friends.
In the morning, we went and interviewed the shopkeeper and the woman with the unwanted house guest. Unfortunately, the surveillance video from the shop didn’t show the thief’s face and so it was impossible to say how he looked exactly. Both women seemed trustworthy and genuine, which gave me hope that we were on the track of Ko’roz.
But then we heard from Zobran and the others in London and they too had found potential evidence of Ko’roz. A large man had made a scene at a restaurant where he refused to pay for his food. He had accused the waiter of being a small-minded weak human. I argued that Ko’roz wouldn’t have made a spectacle but rather used mind clouding to get his way. We all agreed, however, that it was a strange thing for a human to say and so the chance that it might have been Ko’roz was definitely there.
All the time, the voice in the back of my mind grew in volume as I kept telling myself how unlikely it was that I could guess where a sick individual like Ko’roz would flee to. Although my gut feeling had been true at other times, I hated that my reasons for picking Earth were based partly on assumption and not on real evidence. Once again, I checked in with my colleagues at Tandaquon, telepathically asking if they had mapped Ko’roz’s whereabouts and found the pilot whom he had paid to take him off the planet.
Now that we knew Jade had been kidnapped from Earth several times, it was safe to conclude that the group of criminals that Ko’roz was involved with had somehow found a way to land on Earth undetected. It was possible that they had discovered a way to outsmart the surveillance team that protected humans and Earth from outsiders. My best guess, however, was that they had an insider whom they paid off to let them through. But it was merely an assumption.
Guessing that Ko’roz would choose a metropolitan area was simply based on the logic that he would stand out too much in a small or rural town, and that masses of people provided anonymity. As a politician back on Markatoria, Ko’roz was used to influence and status. With him being mentally superior to humans, it was hard to imagine his ambitions not getting the better of him. He might have arrived thinking that he would keep a low profile for a while, but I had studied everything I could about him and Ko’roz was a narcissist with a flamboyant personality. I would bet my position that he couldn’t play small even if his life depended on it.
