Away Mission - Book 2 of the Guardians Series - EDITED version

CH 1.3 Enter Zilik and Lok

The days passed with the brothers leaving earlier and earlier to spend time with the three Anolis females while Alex was trapped in their quarters. On day she awoke to find they had already left. She answered the knock at the door to find Dr. Glick with a tray of fruit and cheese and two assistants. They all sat at the table, but Alex pushed away the plate of fruit and cheese. Dr. Glick stroked his silvering muzzle and his eye-rdiges knit together in worry. His two aides looked between him and Alex.

"I'm not hungry. Where's Gabe. Or Cale? Or even Rile?" Alex asked.

"She's not adapting well," one of Dr. Glick's aides whispered to him.

"Lethargic," another said and scribbled in his notebook.

"She misses her friends," Dr. Glick replied calmly. "Primates are social creatures."

"I don't miss other people," Alex said. "I want to go for a walk."

Or fly. But then they would chain me down.

"You can't leave the Institute," Dr. Glick said automatically.

"Where are Gabe, Rile, and Cale?" Alex asked. "They were gone when I woke up."

"Off with the Anolis ambassador group," Dr. Glick's aide said and wrote more in his notebook.

"Again? What were their names?" Alex asked. "Wait, one of them was Cla. She's the one that sticks to Gabe."

The witch must be up to something.

"I'll make sure you're invited to a party," Dr. Glick said in a kindly tone. "You need to socialize."

*****

Various species of humanoid reptiles sat around a large, oblong table in a large, sunny room with floor to ceiling windows. The vista of red rocks could be seen in the distance.

"She needs company. Mammals are social beings and she is suffering in isolation," Dr. Glick pleaded with the InterSpecies Council.

"It's a mammal," the Draconinae ambassador said. "Fit for nothing but being hunted and killed. As it's already in custody, we'll dispense with the hunting part."

"That's a bit harsh," the Chameleon ambassador said and tapped the desk with his longest claw. His color darkened to a somber brown.

"We'll kill it quickly. It won't suffer."

"There's a large mammal on the loose?" The Bearded Dragon jerked up in his chair and quickly swiveled his head toward each of the other members.

"Calm down. Haven't you been listening to Dr. Glick? She's in the institute. What are the facts?" the Iguana ambassador asked, expression placid.

"The facts are that she saved the Council President. She's a social creature and misses her friends or any personal contact. She must have socialization outside my laboratory. I suggest a party. It mustn't be a large one," Dr. Glick said.

"A party sounds perfect," the Chameleon said and his color brightened to a happy green.

"If you kill her at it," the Draconinae said.

"Now you calm down," the Iguana said in a placid tone that matched his expression. "She's done nothing wrong."

"I agree. She saved me," the Council President said. A Pogona, he stroked his short, spiked beard.