Page 17 of Badass Alien Boss

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A hundred meters into the alley, he halted. “Right here. This is where it happened. I was headed that way”—he pointed—“and I felt a presence. I turned around, and the guy swung a pipe at my head. I ducked. It grazed my temple.” He rubbed the area over his ear.

“He kept swinging, and I killed him. Then the others—”

She snapped her fingers. “That’s it!” The elusive thought solidified.

“What’s it?”

“The body!”It’s so effing obvious. Duh.“The authorities have the body of the attacker you killed. So they should know if he’s Prellim. Us telling them about the other one should not have come as such a surprise.”

“Unless the attacker I killed isn’t Prellim. He might have been Luturnan. We only know for sure that one of them is.”

“That could be.” She nodded, unconvinced. “Tomorrow, I will find out for sure what species your dead attacker is.”

“I would hate to think he’s Luturnan, but I hope he is. I hate to think one of my fellow citizens would assist the cartel, but it’s better than if the dead attacker is Prellim.”

“Why?”

“If the body is Prellim, then the authorities covered it up, which suggests the cartel might have infiltrated our government.”

“Shit. That would be really bad news.”

But it still didn’t explain why Ruyn had been attacked. She studied his face. “How are you doing? About being here, I mean?” He was the toughest man she’d ever met. If he was stressing out, he’d never show it.

“I’m fine. Besides, there’s safety in numbers. I have two friends with me.”

“Two friends?”

“You, and…” He patted his side.

“You’re armed?”

“Have been since the attack. I don’t leave home without it.”

“How do you get that through security at the office?”

“Same way you do. Special dispensation from on high. Korsan told them to let it through. As far as I know, you, me, and him are the only ones.”

“Korsan is packing?”

“He started carrying after the attack on me. He hasn’t said so, but I think he feared he may have been the target, since he was originally scheduled to speak at the charity event. I was a last-minute substitution.”

But why Korsan? Why either of them? “That’s an interesting angle,” she said. “If he thinks that, why hire a bodyguard for you and not himself? Or both of you?”

“Who’s to say he hasn’t? His admin assistant is new. He started at the company while I was in the hospital.”

Yes, it was possible. The assistant was a very buff young man.

She returned her attention to the alley. The narrow track cut through an older section of town predating the modern grid system. Winding among the back side of shops, it presumably had once been used as a service entrance, but most of the businesses had their rear entries closed up now. An indication of a crime increase? Could it be Luturna had a greater crime problem than authorities would admit?

The few workable doors had ID scanners mounted on them. There were no windows overlooking the alley; no one could have seen the attack even if the businesses had been open at all. At the time Ruyn had gotten to the alley, businesses had closed for the day.

It was still light now; dusk wouldn’t occur for another hour. She peered at rooflines. No security cams here. Solar lights were mounted on rooftops, but did they still work? Did the cells still charge? The alley wouldn’t get much direct sunlight.

With the curvature of the passage, the area wasn’t visible from the street.

She planted her hands on her hips and shook her head.