“He also made threats to get even with the ones who testified against him,” Brown stated quietly. “That was also in the investigation file.”
“That’s classified information, if you pulled those facts from a sealed file,” Woods grit out. “You both just committed a violation by sharing that information in front of witnesses.”
“It actually isn’t. Ten minutes ago, I unclassified his entire file and sent a copy to his supervisor. Doctor Kane should know that Doctor Jenson is motivated to cause trouble. So should other investigators…if they half-ass it and don’t dig deeper than the surface files. Now it’s all there. I’m also making a report about you, Woods. Sloppy work.”
Woods looked furious at that statement.
Gnaw watched them, fascinated. Humans didn’t have the same relationships as Veslor groupings did. They seemed to turn on each other easily.
“You are free to go, Gnaw.” Palmer walked around the table and held out his hand.
Gnaw glanced at Clark. The male nodded at him. Gnaw was aware of the Earth custom, and he shook the male’s hand.
Clark stood. “Have a good day, gentlemen.” He opened the door. “Well, the two competent ones. Hey, Woods. I suggest buying adult diapers.”
Gnaw held back a laugh as they left. He heard Woods cursing before the door sealed.
Clark chuckled. “What a dickhead. All that was worth it, seeing him piss his pants. Totally deserved.”
“Did you think that would happen when you asked me to show them my battle form?”
“No, but wasn’t it great?”
“Urine smell is never pleasant.”
“It took the vinegar right out of Woods, though.”
“Why did you ask me to transform?”
“To make a point. Let’s face it, you can be a hell of a killing machine and cause a shit ton of hurt if you wanted to. That dickhead didn’t seem to understand. Now he does. Flat out, you could have saved your own ass a hell of a lot faster if you hadn’t given a damn about the human hostages the Elth were keeping. You played by their fucked rules to keep those women alive. Now he gets that—or he’s a bigger dumbass than I pegged him to be.”
Gnaw nodded.
Clark lowered his voice. “I also wanted him to see you that way to prove another point. No human would survive if you decided to sexually assault them. Or at least they’d be suffering some serious damage.”
“I would never.”
“I know, son. I’ve got some more shit to do before my shift ends, and have to check in with all the teams to make sure they don’t want me present if they still need to give statements. Are you good to make it back to your family cabin?”
“I am. My gratitude, Clark.”
The male grinned at him. “None of that crap. You’re one of my boys, son. Don’t you ever forget it. I’ve got your back. Go assure Roth that I didn’t let you down. I know it bothers him when I take charge.”
“He respects you. We all do.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Gnaw left the male and hurried to his home. His grouping was waiting, some of them appearing worried. “It is fine.”
Roth came to him first. “You stuck to the slightly altered version?”
“Yes.”
Maith growled. “This doesn’t mean we owe anything to Doctor Brick. I’m not allowing her to poke at me with needles, or willing to lie still for her invasive scans. Nor am I answering her rude questions.”
Gnaw hid a smile. He knew the male got annoyed when the alien specialist requested anything from him. Maith complained about it often.
Chapter Eleven
Darla felt guilty about telling Becky the edited version of what had happened between her and Gnaw, once they’d had time to really talk. She trusted Becky, but someone could trick her sister into sharing what she knew. Then they’d all get into trouble for lying to officials. Darla wasn’t willing to risk her job, Jessa’s position, or Gnaw’s future.
That had been a few days before. Now, Becky was nervously pacing in the one-bedroom cabin Darla had been assigned. Their new cabins ended up being a few doors apart on the same level. It was the first day of their new jobs. “What do we know about working on a fleet ship? Nothing!”
Darla had eaten breakfast before the door chime had announced her sister’s arrival. “We grew up working in a greenhouse. I’m sure it’s similar. They grow things. We grew things.”
“That’s different.”
“It’s not. You always wanted friends, right? Well, I was told at least forty people work in the gardens during the day shift.”
Her sister paled. “Forty?”
“You’re nervous. It’s understandable. But we’ll be together. It’ll be fine.” She ran her hands over her new brown uniform. It was two pieces, a short-sleeve shirt and long pants. The shoes were strange, with holes on the tops. The pamphlet that had come with the package of work wear had stated they were designed that way to help them dry faster. She supposed it made sense. Garden work meant dealing with a lot water.
“I’m glad we were assigned the same hours and days.”
Darla smiled at her. “Me too. That was really nice of them.”
“Do you think it’s because of what happened?”
“You mean the Elth?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe. Either way, I’m grateful.” Darla glanced at the clock. “We need to go or we’ll be late. I memorized our route to work yesterday.”
“So did I. This ship is so big!”
“It is. I’d heard that fleet ships were like cities in space. They really are.”
Darla led her out of the cabin and they made their way to a lift, traveling alone up a few decks. Then they got off, following the
