Jared came over and gave Battista a pat on the back. “You’re looking good old man.”
“Bah, who are you calling old? You beach dog.”
“I think you mean, beach bum,” Dani said.
“Bum? But that is a bottom, no? Ha! Jared, you are a beach bottom!” Battista laughed his way back to the kitchen.
Dani pondered the comfy chair, but what she really needed was a walk. So much had happened today, and the EPs were back to discussing possible solutions. “Hey Jared, want to go for a walk? Bellagio is beautiful at night.”
“Not much I can do here,” Jared said. “What do you say, boss?”
“Go for it,” Ian said. “Make sure you stay together. And don’t be late. Trust me, you don’t want to miss Gina’s cooking.” Ian shot her his wicked grin, sparking that odd buzz.
“So I’ve heard.” She took a moment to enjoy the buzz before turning to go. “We’ll catch you guys in a while.”
Jared led her across the sitting room to a large foyer. Ten-foot, double wooden doors graced the entryway. A massive Morano glass chandelier hung over the marble tiled floor. They walked out into a balmy summer night. The air smelled of the lake and greenery. A brick wall, covered in lush vines, guarded the villa. A wrought iron gate stood open at the end of the drive. They strolled through and crossed a narrow road.
Dani inhaled deeply. “It smells so different from Cat Island. Normally you’d spend eight hours on a plane before making the transition.”
On the far side, a narrow alley angled over a small crest then back down to the village.
“Can you imagine if everyone in the world had the ability to get around so fast? It would change everything. Talk about a global economy.”
“Might well destroy everything too,” Jared said. “Extremists could take terrorism to a whole new level.”
“Yeah, always the bad with the good, huh?”
They continued to follow the alley in companionable silence until they reached an intersection at the top. Directly ahead, the soft glow of the village radiated over the rooftops as the path led down to the port where the ferries disgorged their tourists and locals. They continued across the small clearing when a soft plucking sound came from the alley to their left. The hair on her arms stood straight up, as Jared swung out his arm to stop her.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Dani said in a low whisper.
Jared held his finger to his lips and pulled out his phone. They listened, still as statues.
Pluck, pluck.
Jared hit a button, and three short beeps sounded. He grabbed her upper arm and propelled her to the right.
Dani stumbled and glared at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Get up the alley. I’ll hold them off till Ian and the others get here. They’ll find us by my phone.” He put the phone back in his pocket and pulled out a gun about the size of a small banana. He’d shot the others with a sawed off shotgun, what was this tiny thing supposed to do?
“Jared, you can’t be serious. You might as well spit at them. Come with me, come on.” She tugged at his sleeve, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Don’t worry. This here is a little alien technology, compliments of our friends. Ian gave it to me when you were upstairs. Now, move already. Nothing you can do without a weapon, and I only got the one. Get up the alley and out of sight.”
Dani hesitated, but he had a point. She turned to go.
“Dani.”
“Yeah?”
“Stay close. The gang will be here in a few minutes.”
“I’ll stay close all right.”
The plucking sounds came louder and faster as a Torog crested the hill. Heart pounding, Dani sprinted up the alley. Ahead and to the left she spied a turnoff. An unfamiliar zing echoed down the alley, and Dani glanced back. The small gun shot a red beam directly into the Torog’s skull. The alien fell backward as a mass of brain matter spilled onto the bricks. Dani stopped, but another Torog went for Jared, who took aim and fired. Shit, how many are there?
Her heart raced as she took off again, rounded the corner, stumbled, and plowed head first into the stinking chest of a Torog.
No! Panic shot through her as she turned to get away.
Massive arms encircled her. The alien jerked her up and spun her around, holding her back pinned against its body. The stench of its breath and skin was putrid. The creature placed its hand over her open mouth, and she tasted the acidic and slightly tangy skin. Bile rose in her throat and silence fell over the alley. Dani struggled, but it was no use. Incredibly strong, the more she struggled, the harder the rancid thing squeezed until she couldn’t breath. Stars danced in front of her eyes as she silently cried out.
* * * *
The emergency signal blared from all the phones at once. Ian checked the GPS. “They’re at the intersection on the way to town. Move.”
The four blasted out the door and ran across the street to the alley. The sound of Jared’s gun buzzed over their footfalls. They crested the hill to find Jared standing over two dead Torogs. “Took you long enough.” Jared lowered his arms, shaking slightly.
“Where’s Dani?” Ian scanned the clearing. “Jared, where the frack is Dani?” He spun around and froze as her psi slammed into him. Like when they were in the pool, he sensed everything she did. The crushing weight and stench of a Torog as it dragged her up the alley enraged him. He bolted up the passage, turned the corner, and fired. The Torog’s head exploded, covering Dani in blue blood and brain matter. Ian closed the distance between them. Both fear and shock were in her eyes.
The creature’s arms still circled Dani’s body as it fell backward. Ian lunged forward and grabbed Dani’s shoulders. She was soaked and slippery, so he grabbed handfuls of her collar and pulled against the dead weight. Finally, as its body relaxed, the arms slipped down Dani’s side and its bowels released their contents at her feet.
Her skin was pale and her eyes wide. She stood looking at him, wild-eyed, dripping bits and pieces of Torog.
Ria and Jared rounded the corner, breathing heavily. Dani swayed slightly.
“Where’s Armond and Marco?” Ian asked, ready to catch her if she fell.
“Couple of locals heard the commotion. Armond is working his magic while Marco keeps watch. Clean-up crew is on the way.”
Dani stepped away from the mess at her feet, pulling herself away from Ian’s hold. She was covered in reeking blue liquid and bits of matter. Ria hurried to her side.
“She’s in shock,” said Ian. “Get her back to the villa and clean her up.” He wiped his hands off on his shirt.
Dani shook her head. “No. I’m not. I’m not in shock.” The look she gave him was one of mixed fear and anger. “You shot me. Or at me. You didn’t even look, you just turned the corner and fired.”
“Dani,” Ria said.
“No!” Dani pointed a finger at Ian. “I am not expendable, do you hear me? I may be a lowly human, but you can’t just shoot us because we’re in the way.” Dani wiped some slimy matter off her face and flung the pulpy stuff to the ground.
“Don’t be absurd,” Ian said.
“Absurd?” She waived her hand, flinging more excess matter over the carcass. “That could be me spread out all over there.”
Ignoring the blood, Ria took hold of her upper arm. “It’s all right, Dani. Ian is amazingly accurate. We all are. Remember, we’re not human. He’d never hurt anyone on accident.”
Ian’s eyes narrowed. “Is your mouth always ahead of your brain? I saved your life. You’re welcome.” He turned to Jared who stood frozen to the spot. “Get her back to the villa. Take Ria and Marco with you. Armond and I will wait for the clean-up crew and make sure we don’t have any more guests.”
“Sure, boss,” Jared said, coming back to life.
“Ria,” Ian said, “put the shields up around the villa. Do it now. Have Armond and Marco do the same to their bases. This makes no sense. I don
’t know what they’re doing or why but we’re in lockdown as of now.”
Ian turned to Dani. “I’m sorry about your clothes.”
“My clothes?” Dani said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
“Yes,” Ian said, finally losing his temper. “Your clothes. Because from what I can see, the rest of you is perfect. I mean fine. You’re just fine.”
Ian turned and waived his hand in dismissal. He needed to check the alley to make sure there were no other humans around.
“He’s sorry about my clothes?” Dani said as they left. “And now he walks away? I swear Jared, he didn’t even aim. He just fired. The only reason I’m alive is pure luck.”
“Settle down, Dani,” Jared said. “Ian Cavacent doesn’t do luck. This is all new to you, give it some time.”
“Come on,” Ria added, “let’s get you cleaned up. No offense, but you stink.”
Dani made a puffing sound but didn’t argue.
Ian waited until their voices faded before returning to the alley entrance. He watched them walk down to where Marco and Armond stood near the Torog bodies. Armond would be able to redirect any humans that came upon them. He’d erase their memory for a few minutes and send them in another direction. When they figured out something was off, he and these stinking Torogs would be gone. Armond’s ability to erase human memories was a psi skill he’d never heard of, let alone seen before. One of many oddities about the albino.
He couldn’t help but watch the swing of Dani’s hips as she turned the corner. He blew out a breath and paced, pondering the last few minutes. He’d not only sensed her presence and reacted without thought, he’d been in her head. Not good. Instinct solely to protect her, regardless of danger to himself or the others. It was inexcusable and completely out of character.
The unmistakable whining sound of the cloaked cleanup crew arriving echoed up the alley. Only in emergencies were these vehicles used. They may be invisible but they were solid mass. Too much risk of exposure to use frequently.
Ian slapped both palms against the wall in front of him and leaned in, feeling the warmth of the stone. What if she was, in fact, perfect? Perfect for him. He knew it was true.
He pushed off the wall and gave a short laugh. Unbelievable. I find a psi-mate and she’s human. Frack.
Chapter 5
After scrubbing herself raw in the shower, Dani put on another set of clothes. She opted for a black pullover and jeans this time. Not knowing what else to do, she left the putrid blood- and brain-splattered clothes in the shower. She washed her trembling hands for the fourth time and looked in the mirror. Her wet blond hair dripped down her shirt and framed her unnaturally pale face. Pulling her hair to the side, she leaned forward and squeezed excess water into the sink. Have I lost it? Was I really attacked by aliens? Twice? Not liking what she saw in the mirror, she left the bathroom and sat on the massive four-poster bed. She wished her parents were still alive so she could call them. The tears came without warning, and she let them fall.
A knock at the door made her jump. She grabbed a handful of tissues from the nightstand and blew her nose. “Come in.”
Ria entered carrying an awesome pair of boots. She took in the situation, closed the door, set the boots down, and sat next to Dani on the bed. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around Dani’s shoulders.
“Sorry,” Dani said, fighting back more tears. “Everything’s just…catching up with me.”
“Gee, I wonder why? Let’s see, within the last eight hours or so you’ve learned there are aliens protecting Earth. That they can travel back and forth from planet to planet and have all kinds of bizarre technology. You learned some of them are butt ugly, stink, and keep trying to kill you. Oh, and then there’s being covered with alien blood and brains. Yeah. Really can’t see what your problem is.”
Dani smiled through her tears.
“You big baby,” Ria said.
Dani reached for another tissue and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “Speaking of blood and brains, I wasn’t sure what to do with the clothes, so I left them in the shower.”
“Ah, hence the lingering Eau De Torog,” Ria said. “Pretty disgusting don’t you think?”
“Those zomboids are rancid, even before you get to the brains. Not too smart are they?”
Ria gave one last squeeze and sat up. “Not the workers, no.” She put her feet on the lower bed rail with her elbows on her knees. “The Torog’s society is built on three classes: politicians, engineers and workers. The guys you’ve been seeing are all workers. They’re either soldiers or the laborers of their society. The workers are dumb as doornails but strong. The engineers are responsible for the Torog’s science, and the brains behind their advancing technology. They tend to stay on the ships or their home planet. The politicians are the only ones that communicate with other races. They’re relatively new to the GTO, which is why this is all so strange. They’re breaking all kinds of rules here.”
“Interesting,” Dani said. She mimicked Ria’s position. The smaller woman looked like a child next to her. “I’m amazed at how much you EPs resemble humans. I mean for being aliens and all.”
“Actually, we’re pretty much genetically identical, except for the psi. There’s lots of speculation about the similarities. No one knows why some planets don’t have psi. Most people think we all share a common seed somehow, but no one can agree on who or what seeded multiple planets with the same DNA.”
“Multiple planets?” Dani asked.
“Sure. There’s dozens of worlds with our genetics. Quite a few completely alien worlds too, of course, like the Torog’s, but the Sandarian Empire is ruled by beings that look like you, me, and the boys.”
“Wow.” Dani rubbed her temples.
“Is anything else bothering you? As if all this wasn’t enough.”
Dani dabbed the tissue to her eyes. “My Dad would’ve loved this. He was always reading science fiction and going on about how unlikely it is that humans are the only intelligent beings in the universe, let alone the most advanced.”
Ria touched Dani’s hand. “Would have loved?”
“My parents were killed in a plane crash when I was fifteen. My aunt took me in. That’s how I ended up on Cat Island. She never had any children though, and didn’t really know what to do with a teenager. Don’t get me wrong, she’s great, but not too affectionate.”
“I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine losing my parents. If you ever need an ear or just want some company, promise you’ll let me know, okay?”
“Thanks, Ria. Same goes for you, although I don’t think there’s much I could do to help you.”
“Are you kidding? Girl time! Gina’s wonderful, but she’s older, and from what I’ve seen so far, has a ton of friends and family around. Being close to my age, you give me a better perspective of Earth girls. Deal?”
“Now, that I can do. Deal.”
Ria slid off the bed. “Before I go, any boyfriends or anyone you need to call?”
“No. I prefer to keep my relationships uncomplicated.”
Ria paused a moment before continuing. “You want to go downstairs? I’ll get Battista to get rid of those clothes and air the place out for you.”
“Sure, sorry about freaking out earlier.” Dani stood. “I saw Ian come around the corner and there was no pause. No ‘taking in the situation.’ He just fired and hit the Torog millimeters from my head.”
Ria turned to face her. “Dani, we’re not like you. You do mixed fights and you’re good at it, right?”
Dani nodded.
“So you understand how important both accuracy and reflexes are. We are so much faster than humans. We assess the situation and move before you know what’s going on. Millimeters is a foot for us. Maybe two.”
“You don’t think he was careless?”
“No way. Ian is anything but careless. Besides”—Ria gave her a gentle nudge—“I think he likes you.”
The butterflies in h
er stomach stirred. “Ha, pretty sure I put an end to that.”
“He understands,” Ria said. “You’ve been through a lot. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’ll try, and thanks.”
“That’s what friends are for, right?”
“Right. So,” Dani said, eyeing the boots, “those for me?”
Ria grinned and reached down for the black leather boots. “They’re a little big for me. Not custom made, but they’re a size nine. Edwardo stretches out the leather before he makes his shoes so it’s like slipping into a pair of old favorites. Here, try them on.”
Dani took the boots and inspected them. Slightly pointed toe and a two-inch heel with a zipper up the side. The bottoms were rubber with some serious tread. They were calf height, with intricate designs stitched into the leather. She grabbed a pair of socks and slipped them on. “Wow,” she said, taking a stroll around the room. “These rock. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, friend. My pleasure.”
Dani was in a much better mood as they left the room.
Downstairs they found Battista and Gina serving drinks from the bar in the corner. The rest of the group were scattered around the room, some sitting, some standing. Ian paced in front of the windows and raised his glass to her when she entered. Dani accepted a wine from Gina and went over to him. He stopped his pacing and leaned against the windowsill, ankles crossed as she approached.
“I want to apologize for earlier.” Dani toyed with the stem of her wine glass. “I was out of line. You saved my life and I bit your head off. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. I probably would have done the same thing in your shoes. Which are nice, by the way.” Ian glanced at her boots.
“These are amazing. What do I owe you for all of this?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Clearly the man wasn’t lacking for money so she was okay with that. “Thanks. I’ll try and keep my brain ahead of my mouth from now on.” Dani laughed. “Although I haven’t had much luck with that so far.”
Ian chuckled in a quiet, private manner. It warmed her insides. She liked the feeling of complicity with this man.
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