by Jay Cannon
“Hold your hand over the image like a ball and turn it the way you want the image to turn.” Adar showed her with his hand.
“And then moving my hand forward—OMG! I am just moving through walls. Now I want to go down. There’s my sister and her baby. It’s almost as if I could touch her.”
“You can’t touch her, but you could go where she is or bring her here with the assistance of technology from our ship.”
“Get outta here,” Aundria exclaimed, looking at Adar in wonder.
“Excuse me?” asked a puzzled Adar.
“It’s just an expression,” Aundria replied. This is so freaky. I always wanted an out-of-this-world experience, and here it is. Now what do I do? She looked at Adar. “Now that you are completely sober, let me see some of that super strength you keep talking about.”
“Sure. Sit in that chair by the table.” Adar placed his right hand under the chair and lifted her up in the air.
“Okay, this is cool. Now put me down and tell me about your weapons.” Aundria was like a little girl going to the science museum for the first time. She just wanted to know more and more about this alien, who smelled like cinnamon buns.
Adar lowered the woman, still sitting in the chair, to the floor, and picked up his spear. “This is my favorite weapon. It is lightweight, sturdy, and the blade is extremely sharp.”
“And that?” said Aundria, pointing at his rifle.
“This is a photon rifle. It can shoot a blast of energy up to a couple of kilometers away.”
“How can you even see that far?”
“My eyes are different from yours. Let me show you.” Adar took off his glasses, stepped out onto her balcony, and looked down the street for a target. “See the man over there with the blue cap, eating the hot dog?”
“Barely,” Aundria said, squinting to see that far.
“Well, he just threw the wrapper from the hotdog on the ground. That annoys me. Let’s teach him a lesson,” Adar said, a frown appearing across his face.
“You’re not going to kill him, are you?” Aundria squeaked in alarm.
“No, I’m just going to stun him. Watch closely and you will see a faint beam leave the tip of my weapon.”
“My goodness, I certainly felt the energy. And there he goes, falling to the ground. Are you sure he’s not dead?” Aundria asked, holding her chest. “Okay, he’s shaking it off. Let’s go inside before someone sees us.”
“Good, because I want you to try one more thing,” Adar said smiling.
“What is it? I can’t believe you are actually sounding giddy.” Aundria chuckled. “I guess shooting people turns you on.”
“No, I’ve just never shared this much with an alien I’ve met during my travels. I mean, I have never had a conversation with an alien outside of the Alliance that wasn’t about business or killing the person.” Adar let out a short sigh, loneliness welling up in him.
“So what is this thing you want me to try?” Aundria asked eagerly.
“Well, there’s an elixir that is highly coveted on my planet. It’s called Tammarian Grog. Its effect makes you feel like you are a magical unicorn named Lydia with a rainbow coming out of your butt.” Adar winced, thinking his attempt at humor was lame.
But Aundria laughed hysterically.
“That is the funniest way I have ever heard a drink described, and I can’t believe YOU said it. Are you growing a sense of humor?” She chuckled. “Okay, so let me try it.” Aundria bounced on the couch cushion.
Adar pulled a flask from his coat and passed it to her.
Aundria eagerly took a sip.
“Wow! This is a strange flavor.” Aundria gasped. “It tastes like a combination of pomegranate, oyster sauce and kerosene with a bit of effervescence. Oh my goodness, I’m feeling waves flow through my body.”
Aundria closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I can’t believe I am feeling so horny. I should be scared shitless, but I want this strange-looking fellow to take me in the worst way.
“Are you okay?” Adar asked, cocking his head to the side.
“Yes, I need help with something in my bedroom,” Aundria said, biting her lower lip.
Adar put his things down on the coffee table and followed Aundria into her bedroom. “What is it?” Humans act so strangely, he thought.
“My pussy is on fire, and I need you to hose it down for me,” she purred, slipping her fingers between her legs.
“Excuse me? Oh!” Aundria punched Adar in the chest as hard as she could, knocking him back out of the bedroom.
Adar got up and ran back into the bedroom, chasing her. Aundria ducked beneath him and flipped him against the bathroom doorframe and onto the bathtub.
“You want to do it in there?” asked Aundria.
“You’ll do it where I make you do it,” Adar replied, again rushing at her. He lifted her into the air, slammed her onto the bed, and ripped her shirt off. He stared at her breasts for a moment and bit into one. Blood sprayed everywhere.
“Ahhh! What are you doing, you idiot?” Aundria screamed.
“I didn’t know you would tear so easily. You seemed so tough,” stuttered Adar, clearly shaken. He mumbled something in an alien language and then ran into the living room.
“Wylyy, transport me and the Earthling to the ship, quickly,” Adar spoke quietly into his UCD after retrieving it from the coffee table. “She’s been hurt and needs medical attention.”
Startled by the sudden transition, Aundria screamed again. The crew, meanwhile, laughed heartily in the background. “What did you do this time?” Wylyy shouted between chuckles.
Alarmed, Aundria sat up from the cot where they placed her. “How did I get here? Who are those aliens? Are you going to eat me now?” she asked, clearly confused and frightened.
“Calm down. Why does everyone think I’m going to eat them?” Adar grumbled.
“You did take a big bite out of my breast,” she accused him, angrily, pressing on the spot to stop the blood flow.
“I told you I didn’t mean to do it. These are my fellow crewmembers. They used the ship’s transporter to bring you here to repair your skin. Just relax while they fix you,” Adar said soothingly, pushing her down on her back.
Wylyy retrieved the medical kit and rubbed an ointment on her wound that stopped the bleeding. He then cleaned the area and used a light emitting wand to accelerate the healing of the tear until it was sealed. Afterward, he paused to examine her.
“I can’t believe I’m all healed. Is it okay if I touch his face?” asked Aundria, amazement shining in her eyes as she looked at Adar for permission.
Adar nodded and Aundria rubbed Wylyy’s face, examining the differences in texture between Wylyy’s and Adar’s skin.
An amused Wylyy decided to join in the fun and pretended to bite her.
“Ahhh, that’s not funny!” screeched Aundria, snatching back her hand.
Wylyy and the crew laughed again. “They think you’re funny,” Adar explained unnecessarily.
“I guess pranksters are the same everywhere,” said Aundria, her cheerful, curious demeanor reasserting itself.
Catching Adar’s gaze, she asked, “Where are we?”
“We are on a Euclidian battleship several kilometers beneath your Atlantic Ocean. As a spacecraft, it is designed to withstand low and high pressure environments. It has shields, several types of engines, and weapons.” Adar searched his mind for what else he could tell her.
“Can I see anything down here?” Aundria asked, looking around the ship at the various screens and blinking lights.
Adar made a request to Wylyy in Euclidian and a nearby screen lit with a view of the ocean outside the craft.
“Oh, my goodness, look at all those animals moving so melodically through the water. Animals I’ve never seen before,” said Aundria, standing close to the screen, enthused by what she saw. Wylyy moved the ship around at Adar’s direction, so Aundria could see more of the ocean floor.
Adar touched her on t
he shoulder tenderly and she fell back into his arms. “I hope you’re okay,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to harm you.”
“I know you didn’t,” she responded, kissing him on the cheek.
“It’s odd that they spend a lot of time trying to explore the universe, and they don’t even know that much about their own planet,” remarked Wylyy in Euclidian. “They are a funny species, full of contradictions.”
“What did he say?” asked Aundria, pointing at Wylyy.
“He said you have nice tits,” Adar said solemnly.
“He did not,” said Aundria, punching Adar in the arm.
“Are you ready to get back?” Adar asked the human female.
“Sure. You need to finish what you started, and this time no biting!” she said, poking Adar in the chest with her finger.
Wylyy sent the pair back to Aundria’s apartment where they spent the rest of the evening engaged in a very passionate interlude. While Adar still got physical at times, he resisted biting her again.
Chapter 15
Connecting with the New York Mob
“Sonny, do you know any mob bosses in New York?” asked Daloi, relaxing next to the businessman on a large semicircular couch covered in beige leather in his hi-rise apartment.
“I know everybody who is anybody in New York,” he boasted. “There’s Harry Moran in Manhattan. Luigi Loren and Vinnie Romano used to share some of it, but some crazy guy took them out a few days ago. Some are calling the guy an alien with a ray gun. People can be so stupid.”
Daloi and Dholi exchanged nervous glances, but didn’t interrupt Sonny. “In the Bronx there’s Charlie Butters. You got Tim Jones in Brooklyn and Jerome Johnson in Harlem. I’m from the Bronx, so I favor Charlie. What’s your interest?” Sonny asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Dholi and I did some work for a guy named Seamus in Chicago, and we’re looking to connect with someone similar here to make some extra cash,” Daloi said, smiling shyly.
“What? I’m not taking good enough care of you?” Sonny asked, feeling his ego bruised. “You got the big screen TV, the pool table, a panoramic view of the New York skyline. You know I can get you a masseuse up here anytime you want. And they give you a COMPLETE massage if you know what I mean.”
“Of course, baby,” Daloi said, rubbing the back of his neck, “but we want our own money. Can you give us an introduction?”
“Sure. I’ll have my office contact him in the morning and get back to you.” Sonny nodded, proud of his ability to make the connections people needed.
“Thanks, Sonny. We’re going to enjoy the view,” said Daloi, walking out onto the balcony with Dholi.
“It seems like the police haven’t found Adar yet,” whispered Dholi.
“That’s what it sounds like. We need to stay safe. Aligning ourselves with a mob boss certainly can’t hurt.” Daloi gave Dholi a sideways glance before looking at the view of the Chrysler building while she pondered what to do next.
***
“Did you two celebrate again last night?” asked Toni, typing away on her laptop at her new desk in Harry’s old office as she watched Ahmed and Adar drag in.
“We hung out a bit,” said Ahmed, smiling and nudging Adar.
“Good. Now I want you to help me expand things,” Toni said, planting her hands on top of the desk. “There’s a young chemist named Rohita that makes the most amazing synthetic drugs. The catch is, she has been distributing her wares via a guy named Jesse, who works for Charlie in the Bronx. Jesse is amazing at marketing, otherwise I would kill him and go directly to Rohita.”
“So you want us to kidnap him and bring him to our side?” Ahmed asked, excited to execute a mission for Toni.
“No, Charlie would just have him whacked,” Toni said, holding her hand up to the two. “Convince him to do business with us. We’ll increase his sales, Rohita will make more money, and we’ll get to create a new market in the City,” she said, feeding them ideas they could use when meeting with Jesse.
“Can I hurt him a little bit?” asked Adar, twisting his head to the side.
“Yes, but I don’t want you to put him in the hospital. He needs to be able to continue working.”
“Fine. Where can we find him?” asked Ahmed, shaking his head at Adar.
“He hangs out at the Rambling House in the Bronx. Go take care of it, gentlemen,” Toni said, dismissing them and turning her focus back to her laptop.
***
“Hey, bartender, where can I find Jesse?” asked Ahmed, walking into the Rambling House.
“He’s up there in the back.” The guy behind the bar tipped his head upward as he spoke.
Approaching the man the bartender indicated, Ahmed spoke in a quiet voice. “Excuse me, Jesse. Can I have a moment alone to discuss a business deal? Here’s ten grand to show I’m serious.”
“Hard to turn down cold hard cash,” said the man called Jesse, picking up the money and pinning Ahmed with an assessing glare.
Ahmed’s answering stare snagged on the numerous gold rings that adorned Jesse’s slender fingers. Except for his thumbs, the guy had at least two rings on each digit, jammed close to each of his knuckles. Who is this walking jewelry store? Ahmed wondered.
Rising from his seat, the thin man moved in an uncanny bouncing gait down the stairs and to the end of a hallway. “Let’s go talk in my office,” he said, waving Ahmed forward. He followed Jesse into a small room, and two of Jesse’s bodyguards crowded in after them.
“So what’s this business deal you have for me?” Jesse sat at his desk rubbing his hands together, eager to hear what a man who handed him 10 grand for a conversation would have to offer.
“You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” Adar said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.
“What the f—,” shouted one of Jesse’s bodyguards just before Adar chopped off his arm with his spear and stabbed him in the chest with the same weapon.
“Why’d you do that, Adar?” shouted Ahmed.
“Toni said not to kill Jesse. She didn’t say anything about these guys. No you don’t,” said Adar, using the long blade of his spear to cut off the arm of the other bodyguard as he pulled out his gun.
“Again, Adar?”
“Why are you complaining? I didn’t kill him.”
“Yeah, but he’s bleeding all over the carpet and he’s probably going to die anyway.”
“Fine!” said Adar, decapitating the guy. “Is that better?”
“Who are you two?” shouted Jesse.
“I’m Ahmed and that’s Adar. He’s a little crazy. You don’t want to piss him off. Toni Stapleton sent us here to see if you want to expand your synthetic drug business.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Tell Toni I only do business with Charlie.” Jesse stuttered as he spoke, then loosened his tie, hoping that somehow he would survive this encounter.
“Fine. I’ll leave you here with Adar,” said Ahmed mildly. Adar snarled, showing his pointed teeth.
“Wait, um, don’t leave me with him. Maybe we can do a deal. I want to be assured that this doesn’t get out. Charlie would kill me if he heard about me doing business with someone else. Who is Toni Stapleton, anyway?”
“Don’t worry, this will be our little secret, Jesse. Toni is the lady that took over for Harry Moran when he retired. She sings at the Blue Note sometimes.”
“Yeah, I know her. She moved up pretty fast. I don’t believe that story about Harry retiring, though. I’ll bet your friend had something to do with that.” Adar snarled again.
“Jesse, we just want to help you reach your financial goals and keep you out of trouble,” Ahmed said quickly.
“How is that supposed to work?” asked Jesse, his voice trembling with fear.
“Our guy, Leon, is going to come over tomorrow around 2:00 in the afternoon to pick up the first shipment from you. You teach him what’s what and we'll make sure you get 20 percent off the top. Are you cool with that?”
“Yeah, tha
t’s cool,” said Jesse, resignation in his voice.
“Here’s another five grand for the mess on your carpet. Nice doing business with you.” Ahmed walked out of Jesse’s office and exited the bar with Adar.
If anyone noticed the ruckus coming from Jesse’s office, no one commented on it or the odd strangers that hurried past them.
***
True to his word, Sonny set up a meeting for Daloi and Dholi with Charlie Butters. Exiting the elevator on the floor of his office suite, they encountered Caroline, a short, bubbly woman of Eastern European descent, who flashed an amazing smile when she greeted them. Her bright, blue eyes sparkling with good humor, she ushered the pair into Charlie’s office where he anxiously waited to meet with them.
“Hello, Charlie, thanks for taking this meeting,” said Daloi.
“Excited to meet you ladies,” said Charlie, extending his hand to shake theirs. “Sonny had wonderful things to say about you.”
“Thanks Charlie. Dholi and I just came in from Chicago where we did some work for Seamus, and we’d like to do similar work for you,” Daloi returned, holding the mobster’s hand a little too long while leaning across his glass and stainless steel desk.
Charlie, unlike Seamus, had inherited his position from his father. People didn’t view Charlie as a tough guy, but more a man of finesse and ruthlessness. He didn’t mind shooting a man in the back or killing members of his family, though he tended to let others do the killing for him. He did like the idea of pitting bosses against each other and swooping in to pick up the scraps once the dust cleared. This is how he earned the nickname of the Vulture.
“He doesn’t need any cute bitches to do his dirty work. He has us,” said a woman’s voice from the back corner of Charlie’s office.
“Ladies, that’s Sharon and her cousin, Sheila,” said Charlie, hooking a thumb in the direction of two slender women in their late 20s sitting on a couch showing off their deep auburn tresses styled in the curly layered hairdos of 40 years earlier. “They do cleanup work for me.”
“We’re not here to get in the way,” said Daloi. “But we have a special set of skills that I think you will appreciate.”