Vaal chased Aarai down the long corridor in the sub-basement level. She could bring him down with one good jolt, but it was necessary to let him make his escape. Aarai had not been very talkative and spent more time pondering his escape than learning the alien language. He had been uncooperative when it came to answering questions about his ship. His captors decided to let him lead them to it. NASA wanted the technology, the military wanted the weaponry, and Vaal wanted to destroy it. Vaal had kept that last part to herself.
The reptilian was agile as he evaded attempts by security to intercept him. He blew past the elevators, opting instead to use the ventilation system. He proved to be an excellent climber as he shimmied up the airshaft toward the surface. Vaal opted to take the stairs, bounding up them several steps at a time. A squad of Marines had been alerted to the escape and Vaal's subsequent pursuit. The Marines were in position to intercept when Aarai reached the top of the airshaft, but Vaal instructed them to stay out of sight and allow the escape. A surveillance drone hovered overhead and followed him through the woods toward the water. Several minutes later, Vaal emerged from the fire exit and continued her chase.
Aarai emerged from the woods several seconds ahead of Vaal. He ran down the wooden dock and dove into the lake water. Vaal followed, catching him on the way down toward the murky bottom. He struggled to free himself from her grasp. His panic enhanced his desire to reach the safety of his ship. In those vital few minutes, Vaal gleaned where his ship sat and she released her grip on him. After a few minutes of confusion, Aarai followed Vaal back to the surface. "Vaal," he hissed when his head popped above the water. She continued to walk toward the shore. When he reached the shallow water, he called to her again. She continued to ignore his hissing.
Aarai bent down and grabbed a pebble from the lake bottom. Taking careful aim, he threw it at her striking her back with it. Vaal turned to face him, waiting while he ran toward her. Her muscles tensed, ready to fight him off. It wouldn't take much to kill him and she had already rehearsed an apology should she find it necessary. "Take me back," he hissed calmly. "I won't resist, Interrogator. I have no desire to die."
"You can't go home. I can't go home. And I have no intention of turning your ship over to these creatures. It's safe for now. But I may have to destroy it to keep it out of their hands."
"And I would have led you to it," he paused then corrected, "led them to it."
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