Continuing from part 1: Ia'lena noticed that she could speak quite well with Earth dogs. With her pheromones, telepathic ability, she had a unique sense of communicating with animals, even if they had less advanced brains.
Spring fever persona
They left the hotel taking the agency Aircar with Partner the Android driving to Chicago.
Buster had been working for the Chicago spy agency for the past few years; Ia'lena had insisted they buy him from the Museum back then. They told her she could have him since he was getting too old and was about to be replaced, anyway.
"Great," she replied, getting him from the agency Kennel.
He was glad to see her, jumping and licking, then barked about the other lady he could not smell.
She telepathed him, "Never mind her," I have a mission for you. I need you to track this smell, getting out one of the Commander's shirts from her IA bag.
The dog smelled the shirt then barked, lead the way.
But where do we go? Ia'lena pondered.
Telling Partner about her daughter, saying Scott mentioned the underwater sea city but thought that was way too easy; he must have planted that notion with the children on purpose.
The Android said, 'Yes, that was said as an emotional cue to throw you off track, using your children to influence your judgment."
She had the Audio Pad with her, letting the Android listen to the message Scott had left her.
It said to her, "We should start at your house for clues."
"All--right," halfheartedly saying.
The Android told her it thought Scott may have made a mistake, saying he had it all mapped out. The Bot believed there might be written plans; we need to find them.
Back home in the sub-burbs surrounding the space base, she was glad to be back. All three went to work, Buster smelling everything, Ia'lena looking through massive amounts of paper, and Partner scanning the house, walls, and grounds; this took the better part of a day.
Sniff, sniff Buster barked, come over here, that the floor had a recognizable smell leading to the southeast corner of the house.
Partner the Android said, "Let me scan that area." As it scanned, it said, " there is a small line in the floor under the carpet."
Ia'lena pulled up the carpet in the corner quite effortlessly; it was already unattached from the floor. There was a compartment in the floor wood; opening it was a wooden container with maps and plans.
Buster barked, "That's the shirt smell alright."
The maps had three places: an Alpine Resort, a Desert in Mexico, and a West Coast Canadian city near Alaska.
"Hmm, so what he told the kids about the Sea-City was to throw me off track; this is the proof of that," Ia'lena said.
Ia'lena asked, "So which one?' 'We only have two days left; it will take too much time to check all three."
The Android hypothesized, "The first place was the ski resort followed by the desert; he will stay at the little city for the final day."
Ia'lena replied, "I agree." She told Partner she wanted her to remain at the house; keep a lookout here for now. If I need you, I will message you.
Partner replied, "Are you sure you do not need me?"
"No," Ia'lena said, " My intuition is telling me he is near Alaska; it is cold with him knowing I am from a warm place.' 'It's why he chose cold places to hide.' 'I want you to monitor communications and get the little bedroom ready; I will be coming back pregnant."
Buster barked, "Yeah, I can smell you ovulating."
She replied, "So, It is spring."
Buster barked, "But female dogs don't look for male dogs when there are in heat; we smell them, then go find them, they don't run away."
We humanoids are more complicated than that, especially our males, Ia'lena telepathed him, amused.
"Buster, you come with me just in case he's got something prepared when I get there," she instructed.
Partner said," But."
Interrupting, "I can sense it; don't worry, I got him now," Ia'lena assured her.
There was a two-part reason for this decision. First, she did not want to hurt the relationship between good friends, even if both of them said it was okay. Second, she would like to get him without all this earth technology; that was his thing, not hers. Her way; is what she was born with, Telepathy, pheromones, and wit, not all this mechanical stuff.
They all stayed in the house that night; she and Buster were to leave early in the morning.
0600, She woke up getting on the warmest clothes she had, then boarded the air-car with Busters Leash in hand. She and Buster made it to the place pointed out on the map, a Canadian city of Kokish. Stopping in at the only store in town, she asked its customers if they had seen Commander Scott showing them pictures.
Suddenly her calendar watch alarm sounded, only a day left before her Spring was over.
She sighed.
Spring fever hunt
But this was the best hunt for males any of her planets females ever had. Her senses were at their strongest, mental sensibilities, Telepathy, and pheromones. She had his plans from Mexico to the Canadian Alaskan border. This turned out to be the best hunt for a male she ever had, even better than all the stories she heard back home as a young woman on her planet.
The store manager overhearing multiple conversations, seeing Ia'lena speaking to various customers. spoke up, "May I see those pictures, please?" Yes, I have seen him in here several times over the past few days, handsome man; so, who are you? "
"I am the mother of his three small children," Ia'lena explained, with tears in her eyes.
"No need to go on any further, my dear, he is in a cabin about 15 miles from here; go down Parkman Road; you can't miss it," stated the manager.
