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The alien snatched the folder from the floor nearby. Denny stood only two feet away and glared at the alien. The alien turned toward Whitney. �You�re one very lucky bitch.�
Whitney sat in a cell at the local constable. She was no longer handcuffed. She was very lucky she was taken to the constable and not to the alien holding block. The aliens didn't like to mess with petty crime, and since the wallet wasn't found on either of them, they couldn't be held on a conspiracy charge. Whitney was very lucky this time. Nadine had dropped in to post Whitney's bail, but she soon discovered it was too high for her to afford. The officer was forced to call Brent. Whitney was just happy she didn't have to talk to him personally.
Gus, the officer in charge of her arrest approached her cell and shook his head. �You�re in a lot of trouble, young lady,� Gus said sternly. �I lost ten dollars on you today. I didn�t think you�d ever get caught.�
�Sorry, Gus,� Whitney said with a gentle smile. �I had to get away from him. If he would�ve arrested me, I�d probably be taken to some sort of breeding farm.�
Gus laughed. �Doubtful. They don�t need more like you running around. Fortunately, you have a lot of people watching your back. That alien would�ve torn you to shreds.�
Whitney smiled slyly. �That�s your opinion.�
�I don�t know if I want to put my money on you versus an alien in hand to hand combat,� Gus replied.
Whitney laughed softly.
�After that little scene, you�re lucky I was allowed to arrest you myself. He could�ve killed us both.�
Whitney shrugged. �They may be intimidating, but they still keep their distance when our law steps in. Guess they don�t want to offend human officials. They must have a greater purpose for the leading bodies.� Whitney eyed Gus and forced a tiny smile. �How did Valdemar sound when you told him where I was?� she asked.
�He wasn�t very pleased,� Gus informed her. �He won�t hurt you, will he?�
Whitney laughed softly. �If he does, I can handle him.�
�I don�t doubt that,� Gus replied with a smile.
It was only a little while later when Brent entered the jail area. He walked with long, hard strides, and his expression was stern. Whitney quickly stood and studied him. She knew he was in a foul mood. Brent didn't even look at her as the officer unlocked her cell. Brent took her arm and led her from the cell area and out of the station. He didn't say word to her. Whitney was forced into his expensive land craft. Once he was inside, Brent slammed the door and looked out the right side window. He ignored her the entire way home. Whitney knew he was eventually going to explode, so she didn't bother saying a word, but it did make for a long, chilly ride back to his home. She figured the longer he went without saying a word to her, the more time he would have to calm down. As they drove toward the driveway, Whitney could see her father's house. She felt more homesick then before. They headed up the driveway and stopped before the steps of the mansion. Brent got out on his side and waited on the step. The driver opened her door. Whitney got out and approached him. When he didn't look at her nor say a word, Whitney headed up the steps to the front door. Brent followed behind her. The butler opened the front door and allowed her to enter.
Brent pointed toward the stairs to the second floor. Whitney headed for them. She glanced into his office on the way to the staircase and saw Ella picking things off of the floor that were once on the desk top. Whitney picked up her pace. She headed directly for her room. Brent followed her up the stairs. Once she was inside her room, Brent slammed the door behind her and locked it. He never said a word to her, and the explosion never came.
At one in the morning, Whitney lie on the bed awake. She hadn�t changed out of her dress. She�d been thinking about her father for the longest time. Frazer came to mind every so often, but she didn't dwell too long on that subject. The door was unlocked. Brent stood in the doorway and stared at her. Whitney slowly sat up and glanced at him but didn't say a word.
�I think I'm rational enough to talk to you now,� he remarked simply with a deep and disgusted sigh.
Whitney slowly stood. Brent entered and closed the door behind him. He approached and motioned for her to sit down. Whitney slowly sat back on the bed. Brent sat on the bed only a foot away from her.
He took a deep breath then proceeded to speak. �What did you do that you got arrested?� he asked sternly and finally looked at her.
�An alien gave me some trouble, so I took matters into my own hands,� she remarked simply.
�You took on an alien?� he asked with a raised brow. �Bit bold, don�t you think?�
She shrugged. �I did what needed to be done.�
�You�re lucky to be alive,� Brent informed her simply.
Whitney remained silent.
Brent groaned softly and allowed his head to fall into his hand. He ran his fingers through his hair. �How do you manage to stay alive?� he asked more to himself. Brent didn�t look up.
Whitney stared at Brent a moment then looked away. �I have lots of friends,� she replied simply. �We look out for one another.�
Brent straightened and looked at her. �How many of your friends have died?�
Whitney stared at him in silence.
�Eventually you�ll make a mistake--then what?� he asked.
She stared into his eyes. �Then I�ll have died fighting for what was right.� She tilted her head slightly. �What�s my life compared to the millions of lives on this planet? If everyone in the rebellion were afraid to die, we�d be slaves to the aliens for the rest of our lives.�
Brent slowly stood and sighed. �I understand the philosophy of war,� he said simply. �It�s your involvement I don�t like.�
Whitney stood and stared into his eyes. �Despite the promise you made to my father, I�m not your responsibility. What I do shouldn�t matter to you.�
�Let�s just keep your father out of this for a moment,� Brent announced simply and studied her. �You may not care much for me, but I care about you.�
Whitney stared at him in silence. She was puzzled by his behavior. Was this a trick? �I feel sorry for you,� she replied softly. �There�s not much room for personal feelings--they just get in the way.�
�You�re not as unfeeling as you�d like to believe,� Brent said simply. He moved closer to her and gently touched her face.
Whitney pushed his hand away and looked down. �Don�t,� she said softly then turned away.
