Cowards

River knelt before Alex, her eyes locked on his. "Close your eyes, Alex," she instructed gently. "Think, as clearly as you can, of the exact spot where they took your wife."

"Why?" Alex stammered, eyes squinted in doubt.

She wanted to reply when Sofia stepped forward and cut him off. “Do you want to save your wife or argue? Time is of the essence!"

River chuckled softly, Sofia’s patience was almost non-existent. The woman was more like a man than a woman. She was sure she used to be a loving wife and doctor to her people. But now, grief had forced her to become strong – rigid. That was the kind of thing pain did to a person.

“Relax, Alex. Sofia's right, but don't worry. I plan to use teleportation to get us there quickly. Think of the place, picture it vividly in your mind."

Alex blinked. “Teleportation?”

He got a nod from River and a groan from Sofia in return. Finally, he reciprocated River’s nod and closed his eyes. He envisioned the clearing, the fallen log where his wife had tum