The Dark Path of Romance: Find the aliens. Steal their toys. Save the world. Mostly, steal their toys (Kim and Angel Book 2)

by J. Judkins

  “I wasn’t talking about the aliens. Care to tell me exactly what Old Man Exposition was talking about?”

  “Old Man Gunther was referring to the town’s local legend.”

  “Which is what, exactly? A monster, or a ghost?”

  “A ghost is considered a monster. Why can’t it be both?”

  “Is the monster transparent?”

  “No.”

  “Then it isn’t a ghost.”

  Angel pressed her lips into a thin smile. “Perhaps you should save your criticisms until after you’ve seen it in the flesh?”

  “If it’s in the flesh, it sure as hell isn’t a ghost!”

  “I’m walking away now.”

  Chapter Forty

  Naomi decided to take two of the company-owned sport utility vehicles. Two of the sentries rode with her and Melanie in the first, while four others, including two new sentries recruited from a different site, were being transported in the second. She and Melanie sat alone in the back seat, separated from the others by a one-way partition.

  The journey allowed her time to think about the interesting dilemma in which she’d inadvertently found herself. Specifically, her problem regarding the modulator. She’d initially allowed it to fall into Angel’s hands in order to buy herself time. A few hours ago, Angel had challenged her for its possession.

  Success seemed imminent, and Naomi couldn’t think of any way to prevent it.

  She had six sentries at her disposal, none of which could be permanently killed. It didn’t even matter that they were only armed with substandard tanglers. Nothing could stop her.

  The thought was depressing.

  The moment the modulator was back in her possession, all the justifications she’d used to seize control in order to expedite its recovery would vanish. Could she somehow snap defeat from the jaws of victory? Somehow prevent success?

  Melanie stirred at her side. Naomi smiled at her, and got a smile in return. The depression of her impending victory faded away. The blonde woman was always a welcome distraction.

  After the end of their last conversation, Melanie had gone home to make her preparations. She’d gathered up personal items, taken a shower, applied makeup, and had dressed as if expecting to go out on a date.

  Naomi knew all of this because Melanie had made it a point to go out of her way to mention that the “date look” had been her entire objective. Then she’d found a way to tell her a second time. And then a third, half an hour later.

  “It shouldn’t be long now,” Naomi said.

  “Good,” Melanie groused in a somewhat bitter tone. “I’d hate to think I dressed as if I’d been invited out on a date for nothing.”

  And that makes four. “Yes, I haven’t forgotten.”

  “I should have known better. I really should have known better. Tell me this much: is the restaurant even real?”

  This surprised Naomi. “Why wouldn’t it be? I’ve seen the pictures myself. It has a nice view of the lake.”

  But the damage had been done. Humans require food each day to survive, don’t they?

  “I mean, is the offer of dinner real?”

  “The offer is real. I plan on having dinner at that specific restaurant with you, yes.”

  “Just the two of us?”

  “Just the two of us,” Naomi confirmed. “I’ll have the minions wait outside. We’ll be alone as can be. No one will disturb us.”

  It was an easy promise to make. The entire town was completely deserted. Hard to get any more alone than that.

  Melanie drifted back into silence.

  Naomi’s thoughts turned to how the beautiful woman at her side related to her current problem. Perhaps she needed a different outlook? Angel had told her that love was the answer. Could being in love somehow make her unusable or undesirable to her masters, and therein lay the path to freedom? It didn’t seem likely, yet hadn’t it worked for Angel?

  Could it truly be that simple?

  What if it truly was up to her? Perhaps she should devote her full efforts toward finding true love and stop worrying so much about insurance and survival after the fact. An optimistic outlook could only lift her spirits.

  Angel had once accused her of lacking mental strength, and had suggested robbing a bank to help strengthen her inner resolve. Had it benefited her? Did she now have the courage to take a chance, to follow Angel’s example?

  Naomi held her chin up higher. Yes. She did have the courage.

  Forget the insurance. Forget the stupid modulator. Both were needless distractions. To assume everything would end in failure was ultimately self-destructive. Better to take the optimistic path, to work and strive to avoid disaster entirely, rather than assume the worst and attempt to somehow mitigate the damage.

  Her gaze wandered back to Melanie, her lovely companion, and Naomi found her inspiration. Hadn’t she mentioned that their “sex toy” recovery mission also closely resembled a romantic getaway?

  That would be perfect.

  Naomi made a resolution, right then and there. Melanie had yet to demonstrate any hint of romantic feelings for her, but Naomi intended to turn that around. She would turn their expedition into a romantic getaway in truth.

  “What are you grinning at?” Melanie asked.

  “I just realized something.”

  “What?”

  “Now that I’ve got you, I don’t need the sex toy anymore!”

  Melanie muttered something under her breath and turned to stare out the window.

  Chapter Forty-One

  A silver Corolla stood alone in the otherwise empty parking lot. Naomi had her driver park in the space next to it. There was no sign of Angel or her companion. Naomi suspected the vehicle must belong to them, but chose not to break in and search it. She didn’t care about the modulator. Not anymore. Let Angel keep it if she wanted. Those days were behind her.

  Melanie shielded her eyes against the sunlight and took a long look around while the six sentries arranged themselves in a chaotic mess. “This place looks deserted. Where is everyone?”

  “There shouldn’t be anyone here,” Naomi said. “Didn’t I tell you? The town is in the midst of extensive renovations.”

  Melanie gaped at her. “The entire town?”

  “I did say extensive.”

  “Never mind. I see someone.”

  Naomi scanned the distant horizon until movement caught her eye. An elderly human walked toward them at a brisk pace. She glanced at the sentry minions. Ideally, the approach of an unknown stranger should prompt them to form a defensive perimeter, to stand ready to meet the potential threat with an overwhelming response.

  Instead, they chose to appear as if they were nothing more than a group of ordinary humans who just happened to be in the area, coincidentally wearing matching suits of head-to-toe bio-armor. Three leaned against the vehicles. Two faced each other and pretended as if they were engaged in deep conversation. The last made a show of looking around, swiveling his head as if he were a confused tourist searching for a familiar landmark.

  Naomi could only shake her head. Pathetic. If she had a piranha tank, she’d toss them in to teach them a lesson, then do it again after they had respawned to ensure the lesson sank in.

  The elderly man stopped at the edge of the parking lot, crossing his arms and giving them a narrowed-eyed look that Naomi identified as a mixture of curiosity and irritation. “I was only expecting two,” the man said. He looked beyond the two women to the sentries milling about. “Who are the extras supposed to be?”

  “Ignore them,” Naomi said. “They’re not important. I’m more interested in you. What are you doing here?” Her voice remained calm, but internally, she was fuming. What are humans doing here? The entire area should have been swept clean months ago!

  Melanie stepped next to Naomi, but then she apparently thought better of it and stepped back, wrinkling her nose. “You were expecting us?”

  “You’re probably wondering why no one lives here,” he said.
>
  “No, I’m wondering why you’re living here,” Naomi reiterated. “Who are you?”

  “You can call me Old Man Gunther. Apparently, I’m good at warning people. That’s the reason I’m still alive.”

  “Warning them? About what?”

  “The ghost.”

  “There’s a ghost?”

  Old Man Gunther scratched his chest in silent contemplation. “Yeah, you know what? That’s where it gets tricky. More of a monster these days than an actual ghost. Calling it a ghost is supposed to sound better.” He shrugged. “More scary, somehow. Wouldn’t you rather hear about the town history?”

  “Tell us about the monster, or whatever it is,” Naomi said.

  “The monster is the reason nobody lives here,” he said, then frowned. “Didn’t I say that before?”

  “Yes. You did.”

  “Ah.”

  The wind picked up slightly. A bird chirped in the distance.

  “And?” Naomi prompted.

  “And what?”

  “Tell us about the monster.”

  “The monster is why nobody lives here.”

  “You said that,” Naomi snapped. “Three times now!”

  “Then maybe you should ask better questions!” Old Man Gunther snapped back.

  Melanie took Naomi’s arm. “We’ve heard enough. Let’s go.”

  Naomi shrugged her off and stepped away. “I’m not finished. He might have useful information.”

  Old Man Gunther perked up. “Did you want to hear the local history? Or were you and the rest of your men after the treasure?”

  “I’m sorry. We’re not interested.” Melanie once more attempted to pull Naomi along.

  Naomi didn’t move. “Tell us about the treasure.”

  “If you’re here for the treasure, you might as well give up. You’ll do no better than the last group, and all that. Get out while you still can!”

  Naomi and Melanie exchanged glances. The sentries continued to flawlessly play the part of idiots who didn’t have the slightest idea what was going on.

  “Fine,” Old Man Gunther sighed. “You’ve got me all mixed up! This is what happens when you do things out of order.”

  “Out of what order?” Naomi demanded.

  “Don’t interrupt, or you’ll mess me up again!” He took a deep, ragged breath, and then told the story of Preston Hanks, the lost treasure, and his tragic death in a flood.

  Naomi listened without comment and tapped her chin to indicate silent contemplation. Angel had certainly been busy over the last few days. She couldn’t help but admire the tactic.

  But it was a tactic doomed to fail. If Angel thought unsubstantiated monster threats would be enough to scare her and her people away, she was bound for disappointment.

  “What does this ghost look like?” she asked.

  Melanie interposed herself between Naomi and Old Man Gunther. Her eyes were wide with apparent disbelief. “You know ghosts and monsters don’t actually exist, don’t you?”

  “Oh, I’m not worried about it,” Naomi smirked.

  “You should be!” Old Man Gunther warned. “Get out while you still can!”

  “Thank you for your advice,” Naomi said in her solemn voice. “We will certainly consider it.”

  “Suit yourself.” Old Man Gunther turned on his heel and walked away.

  It was only after he’d gone that Naomi realized Old Man Gunther had never answered any of her specific questions. What did this mysterious monster look like? What was the treasure? What made it important? She still didn’t know.

  “You do realize ghosts don’t exist, don’t you?” Melanie asked again.

  Naomi ignored the question. Melanie was the product of a civilization that had only made significant technological and scientific advances in the last few centuries. Her grasp on the nature of the universe was therefore limited. Naomi didn’t doubt that Melanie’s species could accomplish wonders in time, however.

  Assuming they didn’t destroy themselves in nuclear fire before they could learn restraint, of course.

  Melanie’s reaction to the unexplainable was therefore judged to be a typically common human reaction. Naomi had seen the pattern before. Whenever humans ran into something they didn’t understand, they’d come up with fantastic theories in the hopes of making themselves appear knowledgeable to their peers. Calling an unknown phenomena a “ghost” was a good example. Labeling a good percentage of the universe “dark matter” to explain unknown sources of gravity when scientists didn’t have the slightest clue what they were looking at was another.

  “I know this already, but I wish to test your knowledge,” Naomi said slyly. “How are people meant to handle ghosts?”

  “Let’s see.” Melanie put a finger to the side of her head. “You’re meant to avoid them entirely. Or run from them. Or you could realize, oh, I don’t know, that ghosts and monsters don’t exist?” The last was said at a considerably higher volume.

  “There’s no need to get excited,” Naomi admonished her. “I understand why the thought of ghosts and monsters might trouble you, but there’s no need to be afraid.” She gave a nod to the sentries. “These may not look like much, but all of them are accomplished fighters.”

  “I’m not afraid.”

  Naomi looked into Melanie’s eyes and realized it was true. Any other human might have been terrified, but not her. Instead, she seemed frustrated. Naomi couldn’t help but admire her bravery.

  “You’re planning to fight it, aren’t you,” Melanie stated.

  Naomi simply smiled.

  “You can’t be serious! You can’t honestly be thinking about fighting a monster!”

  Naomi kept smiling. Her companion clearly didn’t understand just how much power she truly had at her disposal. “Leave that to me,” she said.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Melanie cried, waving her arms about. “Ghosts don’t exist! Monsters don’t exist! Why in the world are you taking this seriously?”

  “Because I’m determined to see it through,” Naomi said. Her gaze turned skyward as she raised a fist and struck a pose. “No matter the hardships. No matter what obstacles we’ll need to face, or how many minions I’ll need to sacrifice in order to overcome them. This time, I’m determined. We’re going to find that specific restaurant by the lake, and you and I are going to have a nice, romantic dinner together. Even if it kills them!”

  A new, deep voice spoke up. “Shouldn’t we be armed for this?”

  The other sentries made way, giving Naomi an unobstructed view. “What’s your name?” she asked.

  “Samuel.”

  Naomi looked him up and down. She recognized him from his voice, though he seemed to be much the same as the others—a muscle-bound brute dressed all in black. “You show initiative, Samuel. I appreciate your opinion.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Please do your best to keep future opinions to yourself from now on.”

  Samuel didn’t back down, much to Naomi’s surprise. “Why not assemble a team to hunt down the monster? Keep two for personal security. Send the rest.”

  Naomi drew herself back and placed her hands on her hips to establish a haughty demeanor. “And you think yourself capable of leading this group?”

  “My plan is much better than your plan.”

  “And what’s wrong with my plan?”

  “Other than the fact you don’t have one?”

  Naomi opened her mouth. Closed it.

  “A valid point,” she conceded. “Very well. We’ll go with your plan.”

  “Will you allow us better weapons?”

  “No.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Melanie let out a slow whistle as Samuel pulled the last of the hunting gear from the SUV’s trunk. “Wow. It’s a good thing you thought to bring all that extra gear along,” she commented wryly.

  Naomi chose to neither confirm nor deny Melanie’s false assumption. Their technology allowed for them to create custom-made, simple i
tems on the spot in whatever form they desired. To an outsider, it would appear as if the equipment had been there all along. But Samuel had merely to establish the link, envision the desired equipment, and then retrieve the finished result. Matter Replication Technology at its finest.

  There were limits, of course. The items couldn’t be too complex. So it was indeed fortunate that Samuel didn’t need anything beyond what an average hunter would possess.

  Melanie made a show of looking up and down the deserted streets beyond the edge of the parking lot. “At least he won’t be attracting attention.”

  Puzzled by the remark, Naomi gave Samuel another look, searching for flaws. He appeared to be exactly what he was supposed to be: a big game hunter ready and willing to bag an elephant or rhinoceros or whatever it was big game hunters tracked down and killed for sport. His khakis and pith helmet were state-of-the-art replicas. Nothing about his disguise seemed out of the ordinary.

  “No elephant gun?” Melanie asked.

  “No need,” Naomi said. “Elephants are native to an entirely different continent. I shouldn’t expect we’ll see any. Shall we go?”

  Melanie gave a noncommittal shrug.

  Samuel selected three of the five minions to accompany him, seemingly at random. “Roy. Keith. Randy. You’re with me.”

  Samuel and his new subordinates went off in one direction. Naomi, Melanie, and the remaining two started in the opposite. Their destination was the lake, which stretched out beyond the city center.

  A persistent south wind kept the autumn chill at bay, occasionally gusting down the blacktop streets. They passed old businesses fallen to ruin. A few buildings had been demolished to make way for new construction, while others rotted where they stood.

  With each step, Naomi wondered at the true purpose behind Angel’s invitation that morning. Did she expect them to wander the streets, searching for the modulator until she and her party were discovered and summarily devoured by the monster? Surely Angel had to know that her plan couldn’t possibly succeed. If any of the sentries were killed, they would simply return in new bodies to brave the city streets all over again. Hopefully, with more caution the second time around.