Chapter 12
Jess walked into Teeko’s room. Ben, the young prisoner Teeko had taken under his wing, gave Jess a hopeful look that nearly broke his heart. Ben was sitting on Teeko’s back, hugging the strange alien’s neck.
Jess tried to speak, but choked on the words. Tears pricked his eyes but he refused to let them show. He tried to speak again and managed to grind out his words.
“Ben… I’m sorry. We’ve freed all the prisoners now. Your mother wasn’t on any of the ships.”
The hope on Ben’s face crumpled into despair. He turned his face into Teeko’s dark fur and started to cry in a way that was both quiet and full of anguish. The sound cut through Jess, who had to hang his own head. He felt like it was his fault, even while knowing it wasn’t in any way. He hadn’t had any say in w
