Close Obsession

PrologueThe Krinar stared at the image in front of him, his hands clenching into fists. The three-dimensional hologram showed Korum and the guardians approaching the hut on the beach. One of the guardians raised his arm, and the hut blew into pieces, fragments of wood flying everywhere. The fragile human-built structure was clearly no match for the basic nano-blast weapon all guardians carried with them. The K raised his hand and the image shifted, the flying recording device approaching the wreckage to take a closer look. He didn’t worry that the device would be spotted; it was smaller than a mosquito and had been designed by Korum himself. No, the device was perfect for this task. As it hovered over the hut, the K could see the drama playing out in the basement, which had been exposed by the blast. The guardians jumped down there, while Korum appeared to be carefully studying the remnants of the hut above ground. Of course, the K thought, his nemesis would be thorough. Korum would want to make sure nothing and no one escaped from the scene. The Keiths—the K had started calling them by that name in his mind as well—were panicking, and Rafor stupidly attacked one of the guardians. A foolish move on his part, the K thought dispassionately, watching as the invisible protective shield surrounding the guardians repelled the attack. Now the black-haired Krinar male was jerking uncontrollably on the floor, his nervous system fried from contact with the deadly shield. Had he been human, he would’ve died instantly. The guardians didn’t let him suffer for long. At the command from their leader, one of the guardians swiftly knocked Rafor unconscious with the stun weapon embedded in his fingers. The other Keiths were smart enough to avoid Rafor’s fate and simply stood there as the silvery crime-collars were locked into place around their necks. They looked angry and defiant, but there was nothing they could do. They were now prisoners, and they would be judged by the Council for their crime. After a couple of minutes, Korum jumped down into the basement as well, and the K could see that his enemy was furious. He’d known he would be. The Keiths were as good as gone; Korum would show them no mercy. Sighing, the K switched off the image. He would watch it in greater detail later. For now, he had to figure out some other way to neutralize Korum and implement his plan. The future of Earth depended on it.