Serix let out a short laugh at Cassie’s dumbfounded look. He must have given her quite a shock with that last move to leave her so breathless. For some reason, the knowledge that he could startle her like that left him grinning. It was entertaining to tease her. But that wasn’t the only reason he was amused. Their entire relationship was an oddity in itself. He found that he was beginning to treat her as he would an old friend, even though his society had always dictated a heavily enforced division between unmated males and females. Because of this, he was a bit surprised at how easily he was warming up to Cassie. Had it really only been three days?

His smile faded a little at her mention of obtaining more dangerous weapons. He [i]really[/i] didn’t want to use deadly force on his own people. Every fiber of his being screamed against it. But what other choice did they have? Cassie was right: knocking the other Lunairans out for a few minutes at a time would only get them so far. All they had to do was gather all the Scouts together and attack. He and Cassie would be badly outnumbered, and while the Silencer hadn’t killed her the first time, he wasn’t sure if her heart could take another jolt like that. If another Scout were to shoot her, she might not recover again. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

[b]“Do you... think we should try to get more weapons?”[/b] Cassie asked hesitantly. [b]“I mean... I know where the weapons store is, but... it’s just a matter of getting there with those Scouts out there... Do you think we should try to go soon or do you think it might be better to wait?”[/b]

Serix shifted uncomfortably. He wished he could think of another way to fend off the Scouts without resorting to the use of deadly force, but he drew nothing but blanks. The thought made him feel sick, but it was looking more and more like the human weapons were their only option. He could only hope that they would never need to use them. [i]But you know the likelihood of that,[/i] a sinister voice whispered in the back of his mind. [i]What will you do when the Lunairans come to repopulate the Earth? You’re bound to be found out sooner or later. You’ll be arrested and Cassie will be—[/i] He blocked out the rest of the morbid thought.

He looked at Cassie. Right now, the last thing he wanted to do was put them both in harm’s way. Leaving the safety of the hideout would definitely jeopardize that plan. But at the same time, waiting could prove to be a far more dangerous option. Right now they only had to deal with two reluctant opponents. The pilot might send more if the first Scouts don’t find him. In a few days, the city could be crawling with searching Lunairans. If they were going to stock up, they had to move quickly.

“We should go now,” Serix said at last. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back, right?” He looked around the bare storage room, lit by the constant flow of electricity. “It’s hard to say for sure, but it’s probably starting to get dark outside. We can move under the cover of shadows. It’s our safest bet if we want to get these… guns.” The word tasted bitter on his tongue with its malicious connotations. “Come on then. Let’s go.”