Odd Coupling Read Online Free PDF Page A

could’ve
survived, it’s him.”
    A shrill buzz came from a comm-unit
near his elbow. Tram jabbed a finger at the voice-only button.
“Tram here.”
    His Sauren communication
officer’s baritone voice came from the speaker.
“ Explorer requests
permission to send a retrieval squad to the planet…again,
sir.”
    Tram snarled in anger while
inwardly he mourned the loss of such a fine officer. He knew how
the Explorer ’s
crew felt about their captain. Most were D’Lyrian, and all were
unwavering in their loyalty to their commander. It was no surprise
to him that they wanted to ignore all the regulations placed on
them by Earth’s government in order to find Vren’s body. However,
his hands were tied.
    “ Denied, again. Send a
warning to First Officer Theral. If he tries to crack open a
shuttle bay door, I’ll personally fire on the Explorer . There’ll be no unauthorized
landings on this planet.”
    “ Acknowledged.” The
comm-unit fell silent.
    “ Do you think the Earth
government tracked the striker’s descent?” Misha asked.
    Tram shook his head with
certainty. “No, but NASA has the upgraded scanners. They can detect
something so small, and they’ll send a search team. I’m not sure we
can avoid an incident with the NWG if they find him.”
    “ I’ve been in contact with
a xenobiologist at NASA. Her name is Marisella Grainger. She’s very
curious about the biological differences between the various
species in the Alliance.”
    Tram huffed out a cynical laugh.
“Several lifetimes of study ahead for her.”
    “ She seems trustworthy and
eager to learn. Perhaps she can help?”
    “ No, my love. The human
female might be more inclined to slice up what’s left of Vren’s
body in to tiny pieces.”
    The comm-unit buzzed once
again.
    “ Yes?” Tram’s patience was
quickly eroding.
    “ Commandant,” the Sauren’s
voice was spiked with excitement, “the shuttle has detected a
signal. It’s Commander Vrenden’s, sir. They’ve located his
position, and according to the readouts, he’s alive.”
    “ Can they tell if he’s
injured?” Misha interrupted, as was her right as medical
officer.
    After a brief silence, the comm
officer reported, “Life signs within normal range and stable.
They’ve sent the coordinates for his location.”
    Grafton, his senior security officer
who was also a D’Lyrian warrior, broke into the conversation. “Sir,
the commander is located in an area the NWG has declared as hostile
to the Alliance. I recommend we send an armed rescue team for
him.”
    “ Denied!” Tram snarled at
the comm-unit. What part of the Earth
prohibitions does mine and the Explorer’s crew not
understand? “Unbelievable,” he muttered
while his mind churned with possibilities. After a few hard thought
moments, he swiveled his ears forward and stared up at Misha. He
didn’t even try to hide his sly, calculating grin. “I have an idea
that won’t violate our agreement with the NWG.
     
    * * * *
     
    Since he was alert for the
most part, it didn’t take Bethany long to help him out of the
backseat and into the house. He leaned on her for balance the
entire way. Once she’d flipped the light switch on and maneuvered
him into the living room, she stopped to think. Her friends from
Houston might drive down for the weekend. In anticipation, she’d
stripped the sheets off the beds in the two guestrooms. She hadn’t
washed them, and there were no spares. He couldn’t stay on the
couch. Anyone who came to the front door would see him. That left
her bed as the only logical choice at the moment. Her bath had a
huge walk-in shower, and the big alien guy most definitely needed a
bath. He smelled awful—a mixture of blood and acrid smoke. She
could just imagine how her ranch truck would smell in the
morning. Damn . It
was just one more thing she had to worry about. She’d take care of
it tomorrow. Right now, she had to hide the alien.
    “ This is my home. There’s a
large bath in the next