The Secret War - 1st novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 20 .

Owen

I watched Vai's large back as he left. And then my only protection went with him. Warpaint.

I thought back on all my actions that day and wondered if it was somehow my fault. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't link those weird predators with anything we had done. I didn't know anything about Brist though. Maybe we walked wrong and it summoned them.

I had asked Shel about his ear studs though. Vai's dad had obviously been monitoring us so he must have seen that. I hoped my acting was convincing enough that Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa didn't realize I knew he had made them.

The silence stretched out between all of us. I didn't realize Minmin held my hand until Hani reached out and took my other hand. I knew the ladies liked me, but I wasn't sure this was the time. Then I noticed Hani's other hand was holding Rebecca's hand. Minmin's other hand held Shel's. All the students were holding hands. That was nice and all, but I highly doubted we could protect each other from Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa.

The other three shuttles flew in and landed around us. We stayed still as the shuttle doors opened and the other three pilots stood nearby. Teacher Miller looked at one of the pilots and nodded. A strained smile reached her lips.

"Ah, my shuttle is here. Good day, Lieutenant Commander."

She took a step towards the shuttle, but the Lieutenant Commander stood in front of her. Towered over her. He was taller than Vai.

"You put all of the children at risk, Ms Miller."

"We had special permission to go planetside," she said. She couldn't quite meet his eyes. She tried to several times, but her eyes always shifted away. "The Plerousnin were being monitored. They weren't a threat."

"Obviously they weren't a threat," Vai's father bit out.

I assumed Plerousnin were the predator creatures that had almost killed us. I wondered who was supposed to be monitoring them.

"It wasn't my fault." She finally looked into his eyes.

"You were the adult in charge."

"It could have happened with anyone . . ."

"It happened with you. If I hadn't seen the creatures on Warpaint's monitors, you wouldn't have gotten them back to the transport in time. The only reason you and the children are alive is because of my mechatronic and my monitoring."

"I think you are overreacting."

"Overreacting?!" he yelled.

We all flinched. Rebecca crushed into Hani's side and she in turn crushed into mine. Both Hani and Minmin squeezed my hands tighter.

"They almost died!" he went on. "How are you going to tell the other parents what happened with their children?"

Teacher Miller looked at us. The silence stretched out.

"We're okay," Rebecca said softly.

Vai's father stretched out a hand in her direction to silence her.

"This can never happen again," Lieutenant Commander said quietly to Teacher Miller. It made the hair on my arms stand up.

"You need to let Vai . . ." she started, but Vai's dad put a finger up between their faces. His face had gotten very close to hers.

His voice was quiet when he spoke, but it crossed the space between all of us. "You have no idea what I would do...what I have done to keep my son safe."