Part of my brain was screaming at me, telling me that I was fooling myself. It said that Acrov was nothing like home and I was simply searching for reasons – regardless of how far I had to stretch them – to make it feel that way. I knew that nothing but Earth would make me feel like I was completely at home – but at least, this was somewhat close. For the most part.
There were other humans around and, although I was still a minority on this planet, at least I was among others like me.
One thing I did notice in Wycox though – and something I found incredibly interesting – was the absence of banners celebrating Kysos. Or signs and banners depicting anything political at all. In fact, the buildings were clean of any signage and there were no celebrations in sight. As I looked around, all I saw were people moving to and from home and work or wherever they were going. It looked like for most everybody, it was just another typical day.
But I wasn't there to sightsee or wax nostalgic for Earth. I continued scanning the crowd, and although she'd sent me there, I saw no sign of Mazzy.
“Well, I guess this was a waste of – ” I said as I turned toward Xavix and froze in place.
Standing next to my droid, I saw that Blyn had taken a position beside him. And he wasn't alone. His date – Eryka – was with him.
“What are you doing here, hmm?” Blyn asked.
“I could ask you the same question,” I countered.
He shook his head, “I was following you, silly human,” he muttered. “And now I'm afraid that I must report your actions to my superior – ”
“My actions?” I asked, staring daggers at him. “What actions are you talking about?”
I felt a hand being wrapped around my waist. The sudden and unexpected contact sent a jag of fear through my heart and adrenaline coursing through my veins. Startled, I started to jump away and reach for my blade, but that's when I stopped. That's when I caught sight of Mazzy, and she winked at me.
“What seems to be the problem?” she said, staring at Blyn with an innocent look plastered to her face. “I was just bringing Gemma back to my place for a little – entertainment.”
Blyn's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, but Mazzy gave him a very pointed look and then turned her eyes to Eryka.
“That looks like something you can surely relate to?” she asked, a lilt of innocence in her voice.
“You're not the only one who's looking for a little – companionship,” I said, going along with Mazzy and letting her get close to me. Mazzy wrapped her arm around my waist, pulling me closer to her. “A little hypocritical of you to question it – don't you think?”
Blyn just stared, holding his communicator in his hand. The puzzled look on his face told me that he was trying to figure out if we were being truthful or not.
“But why here? Your kind doesn't live amongst the humans,” he spat that last word as if me merely being human was the highest of insults.
Mazzy shrugged. “I have a thing for humans,” she said, twirling my hair between her fingers and giving me her sultry, bedroom eyes. “So fragile, so beautiful in their own little ways. Acrovians don't have curves, and God, do I love a pair of breasts in my – ”
Before she could finish that sentence though, Blyn stopped her, his face red, looking absolutely apoplectic. I didn't know he could blush, but apparently it was something his kind could do. Needless to say though, it wasn't overly attractive on him.
“I get it,” he said. “I don't need to hear anymore.”
Mazzy smiled, her voice coming like a soft purr, “So it's okay if I take your friend back to my place? I promise to return her to you when I'm finished.”
Being talked about like I was little more than a plaything bothered me a bit. Ordinarily, I would have stepped up and shut that shit down. But Blyn seemed to be buying the act, so I let it go. I needed some freedom to move about and collect my own intel more than I needed to assert myself.
“Fine,” he said, straightening up. “Return her to the hostel near the central square within the next few hours, and I think I can overlook her misconduct.”
“Very well,” Mazzy said, taking my hand in hers. “I'll have her back to you before too long. And probably with a smile on her face too.”
Blyn and Eryka walked off, leaving just Mazzy, Xavix and myself standing there. Mazzy dropped my hand as soon as they were out of sight, her expression growing serious.
“Come with me,” she said.
“Where are we going?”
“You were asking about Kysos? Well I'm going to show you what kind of man he is,” Mazzy said. “And prove to you that he's the real deal and that whoever is feeding you any negative information about him is dead wrong.”
I followed her down the street, walking further into the human district. Eventually, we turned down a long, narrow alleyway. We walked a few feet down the alley and reached a door. She stopped and looked up and down the alley before she unlocked it and ushered us inside.
As we walked into the building, I thought it looked like an apartment with a stairway going up. But then I realized the back door we'd come in through, led into an office building. Without saying a word, Mazzy started walking up the stairs as if she expected us to follow. But not knowing what was up there and feeling more than a little sketchy about it all, I stopped her.
“Why is it so important to you?” I asked.
“Because,” she said, taking off her jacket. “I know exactly what you're here for. And it's my goal to stop you.”
How in the hell did she know why I was on Acrov? I hadn't mentioned it to anybody. And given the fact that he was paying to have Ksyos killed, I seriously doubted that Boygan had told anybody. Where was the information leak? How did Mazzy know?
Not knowing what she knew – or how much – I wanted to play it cautious. Just in case she didn't actually know I'd been contracted to assassinate Kysos, I thought it best if I didn't tip my hand.
“Why do you think I'm her?” I raised an eyebrow as I waited for her response. “And stop me from doing what exactly?”
She smiled and cocked her head to the side as she stared back at me. “From killing the man that's going to save us all.”
Chapter Ten
“Wait a minute – ” I looked at her with wide eyes, putting my on an expression I hoped conveyed confusion and shock. “You don't really think – ”
“Dear, I'm no fool,” Mazzy said with a laugh. “I knew who you were the moment I saw you walk into town. I didn't follow you into that bar for by accident.”
“You followed me?”
“Yes, m'am,” she said, motioning for me to follow her upstairs. “I also recognized Blyn and Eryka – and I know who they work for and what their goals are.”
Reluctantly, I made my way upstairs behind her – curious. “Blyn just met her at the – ”
She looked over her shoulder. “You actually believe that bullshit?”
“Well, I did,” I said. “I had no reason to believe otherwise.”
We reached the top of the stairs, which opened up to a long hallway with half a dozen offices on either side. We walked to the very end and she opened the door, standing aside to let me pass. A crowd of people awaited us – all of them human.
They were all working diligently – printing flyers, talking on phones, typing away on their computers. They looked up when we entered, and for a moment, the room fell silent as all eyes focused on us. On me.
“Gemma, I want you to meet Kysos' campaign team her in Wycox.”
If there's a campaign for him here, why are there no flyers? Or banners? Or – ”
“Because,” one lone gentlemen said, standing up, “We aren't technically allowed to vote – given the fact that we're human and all. We don't have that right here on Acrov. But we show our support in other ways.”
I stood there rooted to my spot, taken aback for a moment and unsure of what to say. Good thing I had Mazzy standing next to me. I thought it wise to let her do the talking.
“Thi
s is Gemma Sage,” Mazzy said. “And she's the one hired to kill Kysos before the election.”
And I suddenly thought it very unwise that I'd let her do the talking. My heart raced and I quickly scanned the room, sizing up the threats as my hand drifted toward the blade on my belt.
Eyes wide, adrenaline pumping through my veins, I stared back at the others. “Not exactly,” I said, trying to come up with a good lie on the spot – and failing.
Mazzy side-eyed me. “It's fine. You have nothing to fear from us. I promise you,” she said. “We knew someone was going to try it at some point. I'm just glad it's you. You seem more reasonable than the assassins behind the deaths of Kysos' other opponents.”
“The others?”
“Sit down, Gemma,” the man said, reaching for my hand to shake it. “This is probably going to be a long story.”
“You're not going to want to miss this,” Mazzy said with a wink.
She pulled up a chair for me, then one for her. Xavix stayed by my side, remaining silent. Even he had nothing to say, which was unusual – Xavix always had something to say about everything.
“My name is Chris,” the man said.
He had a nice face and pleasant demeanor – not even the fact that I was there to kill his candidate didn't seem to bother him all that much. He had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, was tall and had a trim build. He'd probably been a frat boy in college at one time or another, but now he was on Acrov working on a political campaign. He seemed reasonably intelligent and well spoken – not to mention passionate in his support.
I had to wonder though – what had brought him all the way out there in the first place?
“Nice to meet you, I guess. Which sounds strange considering the circumstances,” I said.
I had my hand on my blade, just in case things went south. There were a whole bunch of them and only one of me though – which was going to make things really difficult if I found myself in a position where I needed to fight back. I just had to hope to not be put in that position.
“So am I under arrest?” I asked. “Am I going to prison?”
“No, not at all,” Chris said with a laugh. “We're not like that here. Besides, I think you could be an asset for us. An inside woman, as you might say.”
“An inside woman?” I scoffed. “As in a spy for you?”
“Exactly,” Chris said. “We'll chat, hopefully get you to see things our way – or at least, see things differently from how your employer is portraying them. And after that, we'll send you back to your hostel for the night. And in return for your freedom and your life, you will provide us with information about the man who hired you. Oh, and you obviously won't be killing anyone – but we'll let your boss think you're still on the job.”
Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I leaned back in the chair and asked, “And what if I don't do that? What if I refuse to be a spy for you?”
Chris shrugged. “Acrovian prisons are pretty shitty places,” he said. “Not that I know firsthand, but I've heard stories. And believe me, the stories I've heard are some of the worst things you can possibly imagine.”
He shuddered as if he was remembering something particularly disturbing.
“What will happen to me after Kysos is elected?” I asked.
“You're free to go,” he said.
“I don't know if my boss would be too keen about that,” I said. “And besides, without the money for completing my contract, I have nowhere to go.”
“Then you stay here,” Mazzy said with a smile.
“Here? As in Acrov?”
“Here as in Wycox specifically,” she said. “You're more than welcome to stay here. It's great, isn't it Chris?”
“I love it here.”
I had no doubt that he did love it there. But as I stared out the window across the room, all I could think was that it still wasn't home. It still wasn't Earth. There were some similarities and things I found comforting, sure. But it wasn't my home. And it never would be.
Not to mention the fact that there was no way Mr. Boygan would allow me to just keep half the money without completing the job. He'd demand repayment – and I didn't have the money to give back to him.
“I see you're hesitant, Gemma. And I understand,” Chris said. “But what is it that's making you hesitate so badly? How can I make you trust us?”
I cleared my throat and tried to find the words to properly express my true thoughts. Honestly, I didn't trust anyone. Being left on Cromia the way I'd been dumped – I just found it hard to trust people. I learned the hard way that most were only out for themselves and would stab you straight in the back if it benefitted them. And thus, because of my experiences, my only true friend – the only one I genuinely trusted – was Xavix. Because he wasn't human and couldn't betray me. It wasn't in his programming.
“I don't trust anyone, to be honest with you,” I said, deciding to be blunt and honest. “It's nothing personal. It's just that personal experiences have made me – wary.”
“I understand,” he said. “But I just want you to be aware that working with us will get you a lot further than working against us.”
“Is that a threat?” I asked, narrowing my gaze.
I had to admit, I was coming to really dislike Chris and his seemingly smug, pushy nature. Mazzy, sure, she seemed cool enough. But Chris and the others in the room – all of whom remained quiet for the most part – were giving me the creeps. It was almost like they were part of some cult – the Cult of Kysos – and to speak ill of their chosen one was the greatest offense ever.
Maybe I was just biased against trusting anyone I first met, but you'd think if I trusted and liked anyone, it would be my own kind. It was rare that I met humans way out there in that star system. And when I did, most seemed pretty reasonable. Chris though – he was something else entirely.
“See it however you like,” he said with a shrug. “It's just a fact. We know of your plans to assassinate Hugo Kysos and we're currently offering you the chance to rethink that decision. All we ask is that you spy on our enemy in exchange for your freedom. If you opt to decline, the Acrovian authorities will see to it that you never complete your contract anyway. Not to mention the fact that your life would get a lot worse a lot quicker. It's a simple choice, if you ask me. Work for us, and you're golden. Work against us and you're going to prison for attempted murder. The job is not going to get done either way.”
Unless, of course, I found a way around all this. Which wasn't impossible – I was good at what I did. What I had going for me was that they seemed to underestimate me – perhaps based on my size and gender. I wasn't sure, but when I looked into Chris' face, I could see that he didn't take me seriously as an assassin. I was mentally urging them to keep underestimating because if they did, I could get around everything. I could lie, tell them I was on their side. I could walk out of there, tell Boygan what had happened, and change our plan somehow. If I agreed to work with the cult, I would walk right out of there and still work with Boygan. I could still get the job done – whether they liked it or not.
The question I kept asking myself was – did I really want to do that?
I still needed to answer that question for myself. But for now, I had no other choice but to tell them I'd go along with it. Because any other option would see me in a jail cell. I could gather some more intel on Kysos and make up my mind later. But for now, I needed to make sure I remained free.
“I see your point, and fine, I'll work with you,” I said. “As long as you promise me one thing.”
“What's that?” Chris asked me, a smile forming on his lips.
“That Kysos is really the good guy he makes himself out to be,” I said. “I need to know with absolute certainty that his ties to IIS are merely rumors and his main goal is to not wipe out Earth – or any other planet – in order to satisfy a vendetta or some genocidal agenda.”
“Seriously?” Chris asked. “Do you think as a fellow human – with friends and family back on Ear
th – that I could support a candidate who hoped to wipe out my home? And all of the people I love along with it? Do you think any of us in this room would be?”
I looked around the room filled with humans. A variety of people looked back at me – Asians, Africans, Hispanics and of course, the blonde-haired white man sitting before me, telling me everything was going to be alright.
Maybe I was biased. But I had a hard time believing anything a man ever told me.
“Alright,” I said, giving him a firm gaze. “I believe you.”
No, I didn't. Not yet. What proof did he offer to substantiate that statement? I believed the others in the room – I believed that they wouldn't want their loved ones to suffer and die at the hands of a cruel dictator or some fascist regime. I wanted to believe that they knew the real Kysos and what Mr. Boygan was selling was nothing but lies.
I wanted to believe it, I really did.
But again, I had a very hard time trusting anyone.
Especially someone like Chris.
Chapter Eleven
Mazzy offered to walk me back to the hostel, but I politely declined. I needed time to myself. I needed time to think and process everything that had just happened. Everything that had been said. I was lost in my own head, my own thoughts, and not paying a lot of attention to where I was going – which was why I had Xavix lead the way. At least somebody was paying attention.
As we approached the hostel, I had second thoughts about going inside and paused for a moment. I just stood there, staring at the doorway, thinking about everything that was happening. Everything I was doing – or at least, what I was supposed to be doing.
I knew I could always go back to my ship, where I felt more comfortable sleeping. But Blyn had set me up there, in the city, so I could be where I needed to be. Where they expected me to be. Where they could keep an eye on me and make sure I did what I was supposed to do.
Cromian Conspiracy (Celestial Empires Book 1) Page 5