We wove around the few other transports we encountered, but more often than not, Torran would alter the route rather than passing too close. Clearly, we were trying not to be seen, but it became more difficult the deeper into the city we delved.

The buildings climbed around us, first a dozen stories, then fifty, then more than a hundred. At one of the tallest buildings with an elegant sign in Valovan that I couldn’t read, we turned into a parking garage. Only then did I realize why this street had seemed familiar—I’d watched the kidnapper’s transport emerge from this exact spot.

I looked around with new interest but there wasn’t much to see. Even an alien civilization hadn’t figured out how to make parking garages interesting. A long row of open spots lined one wall. Each spot was marked for storage and retrieval. Park a transport in one, agree to the terms, and the machinery would whisk the vehicle away to an underground storage area. When it was time to leave, the client would request their transport before they left the building above, and the vehicle would be ready and waiting for them.

Based on the number of spots, this building must cater to high-end clients, because most normal city dwellers just used the shared transports available on nearly every corner. At least, that’s how it worked in human cities. Maybe Valoffs were different.

The garage was well lit, and suddenly the armor made sense because surveillance cameras likely covered everything. If Torran was supposed to keep his investigation quiet, then showing up with an unknown human woman in tow wasn’t the best way to go about it.

Torran parked the lev cycle in the first spot. I expected the restraints to release, but they remained securely strapped around my legs. I tapped Torran and waited until I felt the telltale mental coolness. “What are we doing?”

“The kidnappers were in the vehicle when it exited the storage area. We’re going to look around inside.”

“We should’ve brought Lexi. This is her thing.”

“I did not expect this opportunity tonight or I would’ve given you more warning. I apologize for startling you and disrupting your sleep.”

“So this isn’t a sanctioned visit?”

Torran’s mental voice was quietly amused. “Not exactly.”

The garage machinery clamped around the lev bike’s landing pads and swept us deeper underground. The night-vision helmet became useful once again as the lower garage was barely lit. A few emergency lights indicated exits, but the rest of the large area was dark.

Spaces for vehicles lined the garage from floor to ceiling. There were no stairs or walkways because a vehicle wouldn’t be moved into storage with passengers inside. Torran must’ve overridden the safety controls.