by Tiana Laveen
“Well, you killed one of my men.” Stephenson smirked as dragged her toward Brown.
The man was hanging on by a thin, bloody thread. Standing over the struggling man’s body, Stephenson cold-bloodedly put a bullet into his heart, as if it was just another day at the office. The shot rang out, followed by a disconcerting quiet that flooded her with dread.
“Can’t have anyone else getting any credit for this. I’m ready for some notoriety, some much deserved fame!” He cackled. “Once I have him in my custody, dead or alive, I will get what I deserve. Now, you tell me where he is...and you tell me now.”
“I don’t know where he is.” Jayme glared up into the man’s eyes, determined to keep herself together, although he could blow her brains out any second.
“We staked out your old apartment every single night. We knew you’d eventually go back to it, if you were still alive. I couldn’t kill you just yet though. You have valuable information; you are the key that can stop this shit—stop them, finally! If you want to live, you will take me to him, do you understand?!”
“But I don’t...”
He reached down and smacked her so hard, her flesh burned as if it had been lit on fire.
“No one gets away from them, ever! It has never happened in the history of their coming to Earth to bleed us dry! I can’t tell you the countless agents they’ve killed, police officers, navy men and women. We even sent armed forces to try and get these sons of bitches, so many marines, the damned army—all came back empty handed, never heard from again or in body bags! Our best drug lords and dealers—wiped out, within a blink of an eye.” He leaned in close to her, spit on his bottom lip as a wild and crazy look took over him, one of pure evil.
“These bastards are worse than any terrorists known in the history of mankind! And worse of all, we’ve never been able to kill any since they started sending those fucking warrior foot soldiers of theirs over here! They die from overheating, can you believe it?! Nothing we did stopped the sons of bitches. They get too fucking hot and we can’t get close enough to shoot them in the damn head, in the exact right spot! You can’t be even one centimeter off, or the bastards live! And if they live and you missed...well, you’re fucked! Roaches!” He cackled.
Jayme listened to the mad man rant, his eyes barren and his face covered in glistening sweat beads. Her eyes shot back and forth, trying to figure out her escape route.
“And this last one... he was the worst of them yet! That motherfucker willingly let you go—that is the only reason you are here now, alive, speaking with me. I don’t know why he did, but he did. If you had of obeyed orders as soon as you’d found him, you may have still been alive, and I’d have what I worked so fucking hard for! You tried to be a hero, and failed...don’t try again, Officer Knight. Make this easy on yourself. You tell me where the fuck he is right now or I will blow you to kingdom come and this is your last goddamn chance! I’m tired of playing games with you!”
He yanked on her hair with all of his might, causing her scalp to burn. Grunting, she pushed down a scream that begged to escape her lips. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction...
One pain she couldn’t ignore was coming from the core of her gut. Jayme gripped her stomach as it knotted. The queasy feeling she’d grown accustomed to over the course of the past few weeks was coming at the wrong damn time. Through the commotion, the floor creaked—a telltale sound of the floor submitting to human weight. She looked up at Agent Stephenson who didn’t seem to notice. She peered into the darkness, trying to make out the source—who was there?
Another creak—and then a large shadow cast across the room and Agent Stephenson’s body was suddenly shrouded in blinding, red light. He screamed out, a scream so jarring, so haunting and bone chilling, she gasped and fell back against the floor in horror as he released her tangled tresses, sticky with the blood from Agent Brown. His eyes bucked, and then he stilled, as if in some sort of strange daze. She scooted back like a frightened crab, fumbling in the darkness for her discarded gun. She soon discovered it, gripped the barrel, and just then, Stephenson started to scream out as if hurled from a vacuum. If she were superstitious, she’d guess his very soul was being twisted, snatched right out of his body by an invisible and cruel hand. He shuddered like a jackhammer.
Doing her utmost not to lose the gun again, she got to her feet and ran the other way as the red light got brighter, blinding her...and then it began to wane...and she saw him. The six foot two, broad shouldered man with the shimmering right eye and a beautiful blood red laser beam shooting point range out the middle of the iris...
Peterson still stood there in a state of shock...and then her mouth opened in a silent scream when the man fell apart in thinly sliced pieces, like paper gone through a high-powered shredder. Clean cuts and not a drop of blood—a man carved up like a ham. Dropping on her knees in shock, her body trembling, she cradled herself, unable to look away or make a move. The red light dimmed until it was gone, leaving Xzion standing there, his gaze on her.
His footsteps toward her sounded heavy and sure, his gait strong and loud. The metal clanking of the dog tags against his hard chest stirred an unforgettable memory. And just like that, she was lifted from the ground and nestled in his strong arms, feeling the familiar comfort of his cool body, inhaling his scent. He carried her away after planting a brief but hard kiss upon her lips—a kiss of need, of love, a kiss she craved and wanted as much as the air that kept her alive…
****
Jayme wrapped the black quilted blanket tighter around herself, her eyes moving under the lids as she dreamed—or had a nightmare—which it was, he wasn’t certain. However, Xzion wouldn’t take the chance of waking her just yet. According to her brother, the woman hadn’t slept in days. Jayson sat across the bedroom in his chair.
“She just passed out, hmmm...must be the hormones.” He grinned. Then, in a flash, his expression turned serious. “Thank you for keeping your word.”
Xzion nodded and sat down beside her on the bed, gently brushing her hair out of her face.
“Yeah, I got her out of there, and then, she just seemed to fall asleep. I think she was in shock. She’s okay now though...” He leaned down and touched her cheek, reluctant to even blink, afraid he’d miss something.
“Are you thirsty or hungry?” Jayson offered.
Xzion shook his head and kept staring down at the love of his life. Just then, she gave a soft whimper and turned under the sheets. Soon after, she opened her eyes. Her gaze widened when it settled on Xzion. She shot a look across the room at her brother. Taking his cue, he got up and made a fast exit, closing the door softly behind himself.
“Oh my God.” She rubbed her eyes and sat up. Only a mellow nightlight brightened the room. “I honestly thought for a split second, I’d dreamt the whole thing,” she said incredulously.
Xzion took her hand and clasped it tightly. “How do you feel?”
“Terrible.” She looked down at her bandaged hand. “Xzion, I don’t care that I feel like hell warmed over. We need to talk, right now, this second.”
“Agreed.”
He could tell that she was surprised at his willingness. He wasn’t going to fight her, he needed her...“Before you start, I just want you to know, that I tried to let you have Peterson, just like you wanted, but things had gone too far. I waited as long as I could, but I had to step in.”
A smile brightened her face, then faded away like dark ombre colors as she seemed to come back into reality’s harsh scope.
“I have found out some very disturbing things about you,” she said sternly. She crossed her arms over her chest, her bottom lip twisted. She seemed to be waiting for a reaction, but he remained quiet. “Me even saying that, right now, this second, makes me feel silly because when I look at you...” she shook her head and grimaced, “I don’t see it! I don’t see what I know you are!” Her voice escalated and it was obvious she was fighting angry tears.
Xzion smirked. He couldn’t help it. He
was ready for this shit. Slicking his tongue over his lip, he winked at her, and he didn’t miss the slight smile before she turned away.
“You want me to tell you that the astronaut you spoke to made it up? The shit he told you? Something scary no doubt...something that made you feel certain that you leaving me was the right damn thing. Well,” Xzion shrugged, “nah, I can’t do that, Jayme. I don’t even know who you spoke to, but I know enough that I can safely assume, you now know I’m not from here...” He kept his gaze on her, waiting for her to turn back around...and she did.
“You know why I’m different, in so many ways. Out of all of this though,” he leaned in close to her face, so close, he was able to see his reflection in her eyes, “I hope you know how much you mean to me, how much I love you...” He couldn’t control the quaking of his voice, couldn’t control the bubbling emotions coming from the pit of his gut as her trembling hand squeezed his. He ran his hand across her stomach, bunching the fabric of her soft cotton gown as he pressed his forehead into hers, caressing her flat stomach—imagining his seed growing inside her.
“And you’re pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.” He inhaled the scent of her hair. “Mmmmm, baby...”
“How’d you know?” She pressed her head into the pillows.
“Your brother told me...”
Jayme rolled her eyes and crossed her arms defiantly. “Figures. What happens, Xzion?”
“I don’t understand your question.”
“How does this work? Is there something I should know? I’ve never been pregnant before, let alone with a...” She checked herself.
“I honestly don’t know, Jayme. I’ve never heard of this...” He looked away and let her hand go, clasped his hands together. “I have no training in this. Honestly, we need help, professional help, but I’m certain I’m disbarred.”
“What do you mean? What happened?” Reaching out to him, she caressed the side of his face.
“It’s a long story...but, my boss came and got me. I wasn’t well after you left me, Jayme.”
She let her hand fall on her lap and sadness filled her eyes. Guilt, fear, sadness, anger—all had their turn crossing her face.
“If the only place I could be with you was in my dreams, then well,” he sucked in air and briefly closed his eyes, “I just wanted to sleep forever...”
“If I ask you questions now, will you answer them? I need the truth, Xzion.”
He nodded, wanting to come clean, needing her to be at ease...
“Yes, baby...of course.” He steepled his hands.
“What is the ‘XXX’ you leave on their bodies?”
Wow, she came out guns blazing...
“It is how a Zarkstormian leaves his name on a body. It is an old warrior tradition to let others know it was our kill...like graffiti tagging. The ancient ‘X’ was written in different ways.” He pointed to his chest. “Those tattooed designs on my body? They are all Zarkstormian symbols. They mean different things, but all have to do with who I am...”
She crossed her arms and took a deep breath. “Why do you have so much money? So much currency all the time? You seem loaded and how did you pay for that house?”
Xzion smiled and looked down at the bed then back up at her. “Baby, think about it. This is an easy one.” He shrugged and grinned. “My people have been killing wealthy drug dealers and governmental officials...if we need money and have the time after the kill, we take whatever they have. Imagine doing that for a while—the money stockpiles. Go and crack a safe in their house, you’ll find thousands, sometimes millions of dollars. When we first started, we made counterfeit money for whatever country we were in.”
“So you’re counterfeiters, too?” She shook her head.
“Yeah, we’d draw it by hand if we needed some cash...it looks just like yours, feels just like yours, too, but after a while, that wasn’t necessary anymore. When you take down a kingpin, you grab his loot so you can take care of yourself while here. Zarkstormians like nice things. Sometimes we have to slum it for various assignments, but we have expensive tastes and since it is so uncomfortable for us here, on your planet, we try to live as nicely as possible, without drawing too much attention to ourselves, of course. Personally, I’m a minimalist, that’s why my car isn’t shit,” he teased. He didn’t miss her smile. He squeezed her hand. “Nah, that was just to stay low-key, bring less attention to myself. But the things I have, I want them to be quality.”
She lowered her head, as if mulling the information.
“You know what I was sent here to do. I didn’t finish it, because...I was with you.”
She nodded quietly.
“Well, there are consequences for that sort of defiance. Zarkstormians, that’s what I’m referred to, that’s my race name, they don’t take that well.” He cleared his throat. “You do what you’re told, and if you don’t, you are alienated and black-balled.”
“...And you were the answer to their prayers, right?” She gripped his hand.
He nodded. “At this point, they see me as contaminated...but I still want to help. You were just more important to me is all...and now, now that we’re...going to have a baby,” he rubbed her stomach again, “I know there is yet another reason why I did the right thing by leaving. And besides, I can’t live without you, Jayme.”
Silence reigned for a few moments.
“I’m...concerned. We don’t know if we need to stop the progression. I don’t want to, I want this child, but if the baby is in distress, we know nothing!”
“You’re right, but here is what I do know. I don’t ever want you to say anything again about termination regarding this baby.” He looked at her sternly, anger boiling inside of him.
“It’s not that I’d want to, Xzion, but you have to understand.”
“I do understand! I’m just as concerned as you are, but unless you or the baby’s life is at risk, and we know that for a fact, let’s not even go there. Now look, I don’t have all the answers, but I will damn sure find out. I will tell you what I do know though—I can pretty much guarantee you, the baby, if healthy, won’t look any different from you or me. Our species obviously looks very similar to yours. The only difference with us physically is that we have a greater selection of natural hair colors than humans do. Some of us have pink and green hair. It isn’t necessarily common, but not what I’d call completely rare, either. Other than that, everything is pretty much the same.”
“What about your eye? They installed the camera, was there anything else?”
Xzion took a deep breath. He’d forgotten about that detail. “Here is the deal with my eye, Jayme. The camera was installed inside of it, but all warriors are born as basically...”
“Weapons of mass destruction.”
“Yes. I was born with the laser in my eye. It’s like having an extra toe or finger. There is nothing unheard of about it for beings like me.” He pointed to it, making it glow in the room. He let her follow the red glow with her eyes for a while, then shut it off. “It is how we protected ourselves, like the pins on a porcupine. It seems like high-tech technology, but it isn’t for us. We’ve had it since the beginning of time. It has evolved to be faster and stronger, since our cerebral cortexes are larger and more complicated now—it was a way to compensate over the span of evolution. I have full control over it. Sometimes, it is a little slow to boot up, especially if I’m tired or overheated, so that is why I always have weapons as back-up or,” he shrugged, “if I’m in a situation where a bright red light would not be ideal, I’ll just use a different weapon. Of course, where I’m from, there are some beings on which it is less effective, so we have to use a more hands on approach with them.”
“And what about your family?”
“Both of my parents are military educated and retired. Neither of them have my rare gene to be able to withstand Earth’s atmosphere for long periods of time though. They tried in their youth and almost died. I’m the only one of my kind. My great grandfather, my mother’s gr
andfather, was a warrior. I got this from him—only it blended with my parents’ DNA, and created me. I’m like an albino.” He offered a smile. “No one knows exactly how I got this way, what happened in my mother’s womb. There are many theories, but it works and it’s who I am.”
He let the information soak in, giving her time, afraid she was being overwhelmed. She was strong though, and she deserved to know.
“Back to the pregnancy,” he caressed her cheek, “Zarkstormian women only stay pregnant for approximately five, six months max, versus nine for human women.”
“What? That’s full term?”
“Yes.”
Jayme sighed and closed her eyes, laying her head against the headboard. “Is there anything else I should know?” she questioned with exasperation in her tone.
“We are good children, but we are fast to do everything. We are naturally obedient until, like human children, our hormones kick in. As teenagers, we can be hard to handle, especially the boys. We have a chemical in our body called kioerone. It is like human male testosterone, only much more aggressive and exists in natural, higher doses. It makes us go crazy—more violent, more sexual, very aggressive. This only lasts a year or two but it can be trying for a parent. We tend to act out, get into a lot of trouble. That is why the university was founded. It was originally just for warrior boys. Before that, children were commonly home-schooled. Anyway, we are trained and become the planet’s military. We use all of that aggression for better outlets.”
“And Aton is now the headmaster of the school?”
“Yes, and President of our planet, as well as ruler of the military. He is very good at what he does, despite my hatred toward him right now...I can’t take that away. He was able to harness the aggression in all of us.”
“Is he a warrior, as well?”
“No, but he is an excellent fighter. He has won many battles with us as well as other beings, one of the few intellectuals that can. He is strong and smart. Anyway, it is our body’s way, the warriors that is, of preparing us to be able to fight in any circumstance. The ones of us that don’t have the warrior gene don’t go through this change. The girls that have the warrior gene become ferocious as well—it just usually isn’t as bad and only lasts a few months. As far as our minds, what you all call ‘genius children’ is a normal way of life for us. We walk, talk and learn very quickly.