Rogue Warriors of Lorr
Captured By the Alien Chapter 10

Scarlett was afraid. She didn't know where to turn or what her future held, and that scared her even more.

Grux wore a frustrated expression as he looked around the library like he was searching for an answer to their situation.

She swallowed, suddenly feeling like she was back in the Xoyosan household. She could remember all those nights, wishing for a different life. She didn't want to go back to that. She would rather die.

"Hey." Grux spoke up, pulling her attention back to him. "We are going to get through this." She slowly nodded, but she wasn't sure about that. It seemed like everything was falling apart. "Let's go to your room," Grux said. "We will grab some of your clothes. We are leaving."

She didn't hear his last words as she just continued to nod. If anyone knew what they were doing, he did.

Grux grabbed her hand, and together they slipped out of the room. They looked down every hallway before they crossed it, and suddenly a hanging poster caught their attention.

Her eyes widened as she took in a picture of her, with a reward offering below it. She'd never seen so many zeros before. She swallowed, and her stomach twisted violently.

"Ignore it." Grux gave her hand a squeeze. "We will get out of here. This doesn't change anything."

He pulled her back down the hallway, and they slipped into her room. He grabbed the few personal items she owned, stuffing them into a bag. He threw it over his shoulder before he took her hand once more. They left the palace although she didn't remember how. Her mind kept going back to the poster.

It was a terrible picture, one of her a few years ago. Her hair was messy, and she had dark circles under her eyes. She looked hideous, just about how terrible she felt right at that moment.

She saw ten more before they hit the streets. She was sure she might vomit, but she had nothing in her system. She was grateful for that.

Grux was moving them forward, slipping them past people and hiding them in the shadows. He was the only person who seemed to want to protect her.

They suddenly stopped, and it snapped her attention out of her head. She looked at him and then out at the streets.

"What?" she asked, looking confused.

"That's our ride," he said, giving her a smile. He pointed toward the hovercraft just a few feet away.

She shook her head. "No, that's not."

His smile widened. "It is."

Grux pulled her into the hover after him and shut the door, flicking the hovercraft on. It was like a light bulb flipped in her head.

"Are we stealing this?"

He nodded, pulling the hovercraft forward. "We certainly are."

They traveled in silence. She took in the view, watching the scenery change from the royal lands into the wild lands. She suddenly enjoyed seeing the difference in landscape. It was a sign they had gotten away. "How are you feeling?" Grux asked, looking at her.

She gave him a smile. "As good as I can."

It was the truth. She wasn't sure if she was good, but she wasn't terrible. They weren't exactly being chased, but she wasn't free, either.

She sighed, resting her head against the cushion of her chair. She suddenly wondered what her future held now. Was she ever going to get back to Earth?

"I'm sorry," he told her. "About everything. I didn't think this was how things would go, and I know you want to go home. I know you want to go to Earth, and I will try everything in my power to get you there." She took his words in, knowing he meant them. Grux had always been sincere when he told her things.

They drove through the day into the night. She fought her urge to sleep, wanting to stay alert. But as the hours grew, her ability to remain awake grew weaker.

"You should sleep." Grux nodded toward the back of the hovercraft. "There is a sleeping area behind the chairs. So, you could get more comfortable."

She didn't want to move. She also didn't want to sleep in the back when she had no idea whose hovercraft this even was.

She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine."

"Scarlett," he growled her name. "You need the rest. I'm sure you're used to just pushing through things, but that isn't how this is going to work." He glanced at her belly. "You're pregnant, after all."

She's almost forgotten about that. It wasn't just about herself anymore. She frowned, knowing he had a point. She needed to rest up. They didn't know what was ahead of them.

"All right." She nodded. "But I'm not sleeping in the back."

Grux gave her a grin but didn't argue. She leaned her chair back and tried to get comfortable. She gazed at Grux while he drove, wanting to calm her heart.

She looked at his hair and the shape of his face. She glanced over his violet skin and at his horns. The more she looked at him, the heavier her eyes grew, and before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep. Grux didn't want to wake her. She had finally fallen asleep after hours of driving, and she looked peaceful. She had walked around with that horrified expression since they left the palace.

He knew she would wake and be worried just like before. He wanted to at least let her have some time to rest before they started moving again.

But the night turned into day, and he couldn't push it off much longer.

"Scarlett," he whispered her name, gently shaking her shoulders. "Darling, we need to get moving."

She blinked her eyes awake, glancing around the hovercraft. "Where are we?"

"In the middle of nowhere," he said, giving her a gentle smile. "You get out, and I'll disable the hovercraft."

He wanted to ensure that even if his father followed them, they couldn't use it to go after them. He wasn't taking any chances. Not with everything on the line.

He pulled some wires out, snipping them as Scarlett climbed out. He watched her stretch her legs before he climbed out. He took in the steady breeze and looked around, surveying the area.

They still had several more miles of walking before they would even be close to stopping anywhere. He hoped Scarlett could last that long. He needed her to.

That last thing he wanted was for them to walk, but he couldn't risk anyone finding them. It was better they leave the ride behind and go the rest of the way on foot.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, rounding the vehicle to Scarlett. She looked at him, and he could see all the stress on her face.

The little sleep she got last night wasn't enough, but they didn't have a choice. They needed to keep moving.

"I'll be fine." She nodded. "Where are we headed?"

"Down that road." He pointed toward the south road, which led into the forest. They would take it for a few miles before they could actually start walking without the road.

If anyone found the vehicle, they could have headed many directions. It would take them days to figure where they went, which was what he required.

Scarlett needed to rest. To be able to sleep longer than a few hours, and he had to think about where they were headed. He wanted to figure out a plan while he had the time. "It's going to be a long day, but you can sleep as much as you want once we get to a safe place. Are you going to be okay?"

Scarlett nodded, turning toward the road. She didn't seem to want to waste any time, either.

They headed down the road, and he made sure to see if anyone was following them. They were alone.

"Where are we headed?" She walked a few steps ahead of him.

"There is a forgotten vacation spot that a lot of rich, wealthy people liked to go to before the Jorvlens began their revolt." He frowned, hating to think about anything else about Lorr.

As much as he knew about the rising problems, he couldn't think about them. He needed to focus on Scarlett and their situation.

"It's abandoned," he told her, "So, we should be safe there for a while until we figure out what we want to do next."

"I want to go home," she whispered to him, looking over her shoulder. "That is still the plan." She paused. "Right?"

"Yes." He nodded. "But it isn't so black and white, Scarlett. I will get you home when I can. Until then, we need to be patient." He huffed a deep breath. "My father said he found your family, but the communications between Lorr and Earth are blocked so it's hard for him to get in touch with them. I don't know if they've seen the messages or ignored them."

"Let me try! I can code it in a way that they'll be bound to open it."

Grux shook his head. "We're running from my father and a bounty hunter right now. All comms are monitored. They'll find us easily that way. We need to wait until we're safe. We'll use a public comm to get a message out when we can."

She looked away, and he wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. Instead, he just marched forward, leading the way.

They walked in silence, and he offered her a hand when she needed it. The day shifted, and soon, it grew into evening.

The forest surrounded them, and he was beginning to question if maybe he didn't know the correct way. They should have reached a house by now, even a small cabin.

But before he knew it, a little hut appeared in their view, and Scarlett stopped walking.

The soft rush of a small stream sounded from the distance, and the chirping of bugs buzzed in the air. It would normally be amazing, but under these circumstances, it wasn't. No people were roaming around enjoying the view like the land had been created for. "Let's head inside." He gave her a hand over the hill, wanting to ensure she didn't trip.

He seated Scarlett in the distance while he checked the house. He found it had a small bedroom right off the kitchen and a cute little living room filled with blankets and pillows. The house itself was empty, and the area around them was just as deserted. Scarlett sat on a rock, half asleep by the time he stepped outside. He helped her up and took her inside.

"Let me cook something up quick, and we can get you to bed."

The pantry was filled with shelf-stable food, so he gave her some jerky and crackers. It was enough to settle her stomach before climbing into bed.

He helped her to bed, pulling the sheets up and over her. She sighed, and he grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I'm scared," she whispered to him. "Terrified."

He squeezed her hand back. "I am, too. But we will get through this." He kissed her forehead before he leaned back. "Now get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow."

She gave him a nod before she closed her eyes and drifted off.