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you think Anders is as dumb as a pack mule, we’re about to reach our destination, so I thought it only fair to say goodbye now. Hope you enjoyed your flight.”
    “What destination?” I latched my pants. Anders had not been the dumb one I referred to. “Where are you taking us?”
    “It’s an interesting location, but secrecy is the rule of the job.”
    “I have money. What if I offer you more to take us back?”
    “I doubt you have the kind of money we were offered to pick up the most famous Tracker in the universes.”
    A clicking noise let me know he’d shut down his side of the com. Another clicking noise sent fear in to freeze every muscle in my body. Bastian turned, eyes going wide as his nostrils flared. “They’re gassing us.”
    “Oh Suns, no!” I held my hand over my mouth and stumbled to the door. Two weak fist taps later, my arm dropped and I turned my gaze back to Bastian. We could do nothing. Together we staggered to the bed and held on as the world went black. Again.

Chapter Four
    I smelled turnips. Or cabbage. Wrinkling my nose, I tried to figure out why I was on one of the Earths, then realized the smells weren’t quite right.
    “Vala, wake up.”
    I blinked open seriously gritty eyes, smiling when I felt the soft caress of Bastian’s long hair on my cheek. I reached up to touch his face, then scrambled back when my memories caught up to me. The pirates had gassed us!
    My legs were loose, watery, so I didn’t try to stand as I looked around. “We’re in a jungle.” I licked dry lips, crunched on dirt between my teeth and grimaced.
    He squatted next to me and nodded. “An Earth jungle, if the green is anything to go by. Plus, we can breathe.”
    I shook my head. “No, I’ve been to all the Earths and I don’t think this is one of them. The air smells similar but different and the vegetation… Look at that.” I reached out to touch a broad, light green leaf. “It has tiny red bumps all over it.”
    “Could be toxic.”
    I snatched my hand back. He was right. “Where are the pirates?”
    Bastian shrugged and stood. “I think they dropped us here. I woke up next to you only a few minutes ago. You scared me. Wouldn’t wake.”
    “Did they leave supplies?”
    He pointed to two tan-colored satchels. “There are food packs and another set of clothes—plus the dirty clothes we had on at capture. No guns. Are you hurt?”
    “I have a headache but I’m okay.” Glancing down, I noticed I was in denim pants that were a couple of sizes too big and held up with a thick rope belt. A long-sleeved shirt hung heavy on my upper body. Bastian had on the same. The bruises on his face had faded to yellow. “Hope they enjoyed changing our clothes. Interesting that they put us in waterproofed shirts.” I stuck my hand down inside my boots. “They put my knives back. Nice of them to arm us.”
    “I think they had good reason.” Bastian jumped up and yanked me to my feet.
    “Stop! Said I have a headache.” I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead as the sound of something large rustling in the leaves caught my attention. The loud, buzzing insects went silent. Felt like the entire jungle stilled.
    The branches above us creaked, leaves rustled and a huge, lizard-like thing crawled into view. It stared down at us with fire-red eyes as a long tongue slithered over sharp teeth that protruded out of its snout-like mouth. It slowly crawled down to another branch without taking its eyes off us. It had long front legs with clawed feet that grasped the branch like a human hand. Fear scorched my throat. The back end of the creature wrapped around the tree like a snake. As we watched, the legs started to retreat inside the serpent-like body.
    My stomach knotted, my heart pounded. “Do you get the feeling it wants us to run?” I whispered to Bastian.
    He bent, snagged a thick branch.
    I knelt, hoping my legs would hold, never taking my eyes off it as I slid both knives out of my boots. I gripped them