Kidnapped Read Online Free PDF Page B

matter that it was true; she still didn't want to hear it. She clenched her jaw and forced herself to sit quietly, telling herself being incompetent might work in her favour. Travis was watching her closely, looking a little amused, and she nodded. He sounded amused too, "So, I guess that's settled. Now, I could toss you into the cells down below and lock you up, but I don't want to do that. You won't try to run away or make trouble for me if I take you with me, will you?"
    Going with him could mean grave danger and certain death, but it still seemed better than the alternative, so she nodded, trying not to look too surprised. When he didn't say anything, she ventured, "You do realize I would agree whether I intend to run away or not?"
    "Of course." A smile, making him look years younger and kinder, flashed over his face, and she averted her eyes, wondering why she wanted to blush all of a sudden.
    Travis rose, but paused just inside the door. "We're re-entering normal space soon. Want to come with me and see it?"
     
    *****
     
    Patricia squeezed the armrests of the co-pilot's chair on the bridge, feeling a bit seasick from the way small rocks zipped by the window. The floor caught her attention when it started to turn from solid metal to something resembling a window. "Wow, I didn't just imagine that."
     She glanced at Travis and decided it didn't matter if she behaved childishly, so she reached down to touch it. It felt exactly like metal, but definitely showed objects swishing by them and a planet growing rapidly larger underneath their feet. He glanced away from his controls, and his mouth twitched into a smile when he looked at her. "The image is projected from long range cameras on the outside of the ship. We'll be going in for landing in a few minutes, and you'll want to strap yourself in."
    She obeyed, but kept an eye on the floor, astounded by the way the planet grew in front of her eyes. When they entered the atmosphere, she was happy he had brought her to the bridge. The force of the planet's gravity affected the artificial gravity on board, and the strains on the ship as it sunk down through the atmosphere made her queasy. Being able to actually see what was happening made it easier to handle.
    He steered skilfully, and landed just outside a big industrial complex. Patricia mumbled, "Whoa," and when she looked up to meet his eyes, she was surprised to see him wink at her. Maybe even someone as cold as he could enjoy being able to impress.
    She wanted to touch it. This shell kept them safe and had travelled unimaginable distances, but Travis caught her arm when she reached out, explaining distractedly, "If we hadn't had shields we'd be sitting in there waiting for the hull to cool for a couple of hours. It's still hot though, you can touch when we get back."
    After taking a few steps away, she turned to look at the ship, and found it much larger than she expected. Hearing it could hold two thousand soldiers and almost as many prisoners was one thing, but seeing it another. It was huge. A part of her wanted to believe she really was in some peculiar place back on Earth, maybe in a mental asylum after losing her mind, but seeing the large craft tower over alien bluish trees made it all too real.
    He didn't wait for her to answer. He was heading away, looking around, reminding her of a predator, and she followed him quietly for a few steps. Then, she couldn't keep it inside any longer; she was bubbling with emotions. "You know, this is my first alien planet. This is so cool. It doesn't look like back home at all."
    She half expected him to snap at her to be quiet, but he didn't. Instead, he turned to look at her and smiled warmly, "I know, I'm sorry your first one couldn't be a prettier and more exciting one."
    It was difficult to resist tucking her hand into his, like a little girl wanting to be protected. To her, the planet they were on seemed plenty exciting, maybe too exciting. The vegetation, or what she assumed