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fear about voicing her thoughts and concerns aloud.
    Maybe the problem was her, not Morris? Maybe she was just growing paranoid?

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Chapter Three
    Lena felt almost lighthearted as she looked over the displays in the market for something really special to prepare for dinner. After debating with herself for a good ten minutes, she finally decided to splurge and buy a real roast. The vegameat was almost as good, but she hadn’t had real meat in at least a month and she doubted Nigel had. Luck was with her. She managed to get the last one available. Ignoring the twinge of guilt that caused her, she collected the sides she had decided to nuke with it from the bin below the display, tucked it all into her tote and headed out of the market again.

    When she reached the shuttle terminal, she discovered she’d dallied until she’d caught the homeward rush. The platform was packed almost shoulder to shoulder. After checking her time piece several times, she resolutely ignored the minutes ticking off. The shuttle would arrive when it arrived. There was nothing she could do about it unless she opted to walk and that would delay her even more.

    Patience, she chastised herself. She would still have a good hour to prepare the meal before Nigel could possibly get to her place.

    Trying to ignore her rising tension and the unpleasant situation of standing in such a closely packed formation that she could feel the body heat of the people around her, smell their combined breaths and the odors that clung to their skin, Lena tipped her head back and glanced toward the opening where the shuttle would appear when it arrived. As she did so, her gaze locked with that of a man who’d just stepped up on something to look out over the crowd.

    It was the cauc, the one she’d seen in Morris’ place. Even as a heated wave of attraction washed over her, though, it filtered into her mind that he was wearing the uniform of a home guardsman. Pleasure was instantly replaced with alarm as he stepped down from whatever it was he’d been standing on and she could see the crowd ripple as he pushed his way through.

    He was headed in her direction!

    Full fledged fear sent a cold wave crashing over her.

    Her panicked mind refused even to sort the conflicting information rushing through her mind. Acting purely on instinct, Lena began inching her way through the crowd in the opposite direction, trying to keep from looking as panic stricken as she felt and raising an alarm.

    The shuttle arrived as she neared the edge of the crowd on the platform and before she could prevent it, she was swept with up in the wave of humanity that surged toward the opening doors and into a car. Unable to think clearly at all, Lena continued struggling against the tide. She’d almost reached the doors to get off again when they slammed shut, trapping her inside.

    As the car shot from the platform, she caught a glimpse of the cauc--still standing on the platform, searching for her face among those who remained to wait for the next shuttle. Weak with relief, Lena glanced around at the car and finally found enough room on a seat to wedge her butt into.

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    As reaction set in, her rioting thoughts calmed somewhat and she wondered what had possessed her to react as if she was guilty of something. She hadn’t done anything.
    Why had she felt so fearful the very moment she realized he was wearing the uniform of the home guard?
    Because she was paranoid, she chided herself.
    It was probably nothing more than that he’d recognized her and wanted to talk to her about Morris for some reason. Maybe he’d wondered what had happened to Morris?
    He had been looking for someone, though. He’d stepped up on something to give him a better vantage to view the crowd.
    That didn’t necessarily mean he’d been looking for her.
    But if he’d been looking for someone else, why had he abandoned his search and headed toward her?
    It occurred to her abruptly that she didn’t know he had