THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

“You okay, Tony?”
    Do I look okay, babe? He shook his head, trying to talk, but the only sounds that came out were garbled noises.
    “Uncover his mouth,” Gabby demanded of Mathias.
    You tell him Gab!
    “No.”
    Well, at least she tried.
    When Gabby’s attention shifted past Mathias, Tony followed her line of sight and, halle-freakin-lujah, Rayen stepped out of that feather structure with Callan, Etoi and some skinny punk kid. Rayen would find a way to get this leaf off Tony’s mouth so he could tell Rayen and Gabby he’d found their way home.
    But that red moon had dropped pretty low by the time this bunch of munchkins had carried Tony through the fog wall around the village. By his estimate, they had something like forty-five minutes left to call up the transender.
    Maybe less. Cuttin’ it short here, people .
    Etoi peeled off from Callan, heading over to where Zilya spoke to Neelah and some other girls who were busy hanging a bunch of feather balls from vines looped between tree limbs overhanging the area. Like the old ladies in Camden draped green, red and white bunting to celebrate St. Anthony’s day. ’Cept these colors were weirder–purple, oranges and some crazy green blue. Etoi did spare the time to send Tony one more death glare on her way.
    “Where did you find him?” Callan asked Mathias when he reached Tony.
    Mathias pointed toward the forest area. “On that side of the village. We flushed him from where he hid. Alone. There’s no sign of the TecKnati, but I doubt the scout’s still here.”
    Callan nodded. “Take this one to the isolation unit.”
    Tony started shaking his head and grunting noises in Rayen’s direction.
    Rayen stepped forward. “I want to talk to him.”
    Callan turned on her. “He has proven himself TecKnati.”
    “Just give me a moment. Please.”
    He worked his jaw back and forth then rolled his eyes and said, “And you’ll believe what he says?”
    Rayen’s gaze shifted to Callan. She stared hard into the badass dude’s eyes before saying, “Sometimes you just have to look a man in the eye and take his measure to decide if he’s telling the truth.”
    Was that some kind of jungle alpha talk?
    Callan didn’t speak for or against Tony, but he shifted his gaze to Mathias who granted Callan’s silent request by giving a jerky nod of his head. “Do it quickly.”
    Rayen turned to Tony. “Were you leaving me and Gabby?”
    Tony shook his head, hoping Rayen would believe him, but why should she, just based on Mathias bringing Tony back strung up as if he’d abandoned his friends?
    Rayen studied on it a moment then asked Callan, “Will you loan me your blade?”
    No, Rayen. I swear I wasn’t leaving! But Tony had no way to shout beyond making panicky sounds.
    Accepting the knife, Rayen reached for Tony’s hand that was pegged against his thigh by the vines. But instead of a slice, Tony felt a prick at the end of his finger. What the heck?
    Rayen lifted the blade point with a drop of blood perched on it. She turned to the little guy who had followed Callan here, but Rayen spoke to Callan. “If you’re so certain Tony is TecKnati, then ask V’ru to test this blood for the K-whatever ink.”
    What? Tony watched as Callan gave V’ru a hand sign to call him forward. The kid touched the blood and rolled it between his fingers.
    Just great. Now my life depends on some kid in middle school playing chemist with my blood?
    After cleaning his fingers, this V’ru character lifted his palms and a holographic screen appeared, Tony forgot about blood, MystiKs and TecKnatis. How had junior pulled up that wicked screen from nothing but thin air? So frickin’ awesome.
    Lowering his hands after a moment, the kid announced, “There are no trace elements of the K-enzyme metallic ink in his blood.”
    What did that mean? Was it good news? Or bad?
    Rayen lifted her fist and gave it short pump. “All right.”  She swung around to Callan. “There’s your proof.”
    So good. Unless  . . .
    “However,” the pipsqueak kid added. “I must complete a full analysis for a final determination.”
    “Now wait a minute,” Rayen groused. “You have your proof.”
    Callan shook his head. “That’s one marker, a simple one. We’ll give V’ru time to be thorough.”  That forced smile popped up on his face again. “Send the prisoner to the unit. It’s time to start the celebration.”
    Rayen took one look at Tony and suggested to Callan, “Why do that when he