Challa

by Linda Mooney

  “In brief, two factions were fighting. One faction was holed up inside a citadel, a fortress surrounded by high, impenetrable walls. The other faction was attacking the walls from the outside. The outside faction got the idea of creating this giant wooden horse and leaving it as a gift for the people who were inside the fortress. But the interior of the horse was hollow, and the opposing force hid inside it. When the people of the fortress opened their gates and took the horse inside, the opposing force was able to slip out and capture the city.”

  Simolif frowned. “I follow the idea, but how does it relate to us?”

  Waving a hand at the Ruinos to indicate their bodies, Compton said, “I’m going out on a limb here. I’m thinking the Arra wouldn’t be able to identify you if you were in your human forms and mixed among other humans.”

  He caught the look that passed between the Ruinos males. “We had thought the same thing at one point,” Jebaral admitted. “So, what you’re suggesting is we use our human forms like this Trojan horse?”

  “Yeah. Exactly. From what you’ve told me, in the past whenever the Arra attacked you, you were Ruinos. They attacked first, and you retaliated. Here’s what I propose. Let’s give them a taste of their own medicine. We mingle among the sheriff’s men and the loggers at the roadblock, and wait for the Arra to show up, which you know they will. When we determine how many there are, we’ll surround them. Wait for my signal before you shift back into your true selves and attack.” Compton grinned. “Think of a doughnut with the Arra in the center and the rest of us on the outside.”

  “Do you really think the Arra won’t be able to differentiate the Ruinos from the other humans?” Sarah spoke up.

  “I’m not betting on it,” Compton admitted. “But we’ll never know until we try. Either way, we have to turn the tables on these creatures. Make the hunter the hunted. They’ll be expecting you to fight back and so far every time you’ve done exactly as they expected. But since none of their scouts have returned or reported back, the Arra are going to send in more troops and more firepower to prevent it from happening again.”

  The rest digested what he said, and Compton noticed the two males slowly nodding.

  “Do you want us to change now, or when we get to the roadblock?” Simolif asked.

  Compton turned to Tiron. “Can we get there without having to clear the way?”

  “Yeah. Pretty much.”

  “Then change now and wait for my signal to change back.”

  The four Ruinos morphed quickly as Hannah pulled their clothes from the knapsack. Again, Compton eyed Tiron as she slipped on her pants over her bare ass. Like the males, she went commando, even sans bra. Her nipples were evident through the tan ranger shirt she buttoned.

  He had to admit to himself that the other Ruinos woman was a stunner, but he had absolutely no interest in her. Again, he was surprised to find himself devoid of any sense of sexual feelings for her.

  Sliding his gaze over to where Challa was dressing, he got a different reaction, and it took a lot of self-restraint not to go over and rub her firm curves against his growing hard-on. The sudden unexpected thought of what their honeymoon would be like didn’t help, either. Compton softly groaned, gritting his teeth against the heat building at the base of his dick.

  “Let’s go,” Tiron announced and took off without waiting to see if they were ready or following. Waving Sarah to get in front of him, Compton took his place in line.

  As promised, the rest of the way through the brush and grass was not as strenuous as it had been initially. They emerged near the edge of the road, a barbed wire fence and narrow culvert separating them from the shoulder. Jebaral and Simolif used their Ruinos hands to separate the strands, allowing the others to slip through.

  “This way,” Tiron told them, going right. “They’re not too far up ahead.”

  The two-lane gradually climbed up a small hill before reaching a wide curve in the road. Lights bounced around from behind the tree line that shielded the crews from sight.

  Once they reached the curve, they could see where the road swung back to the left. The curve was partially obscured by what remained of the massive pile of trees that had been puzzle-pieced together to form an almost solid wall. So far several of the trees had been hauled off the pile, as cutting directly through the trunks to provide a temporary tunnel of sorts would be nearly impossible.

  But what caught their attention was not the logjam blocking the roadway. It was the number of men working to clear it. Some were using chainsaws to remove limbs so that the stripped trunks would slide off more easily when the trucks dragged them away with chains. Other men scrambled over the trees to aid in wrapping the trees in chains.

  More loggers were helping to cut the dragged trees into manageable sections and getting them loaded onto the flatbeds, which hauled them away. From the size of the wall still facing them after a day’s worth of hard labor, Compton gave a slow whistle and wondered how big the structure had been before they’d started.

  A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. At the same time, DeGrassi strode forward, his big pump action shotgun held pointed downward, hunting style. The group waited until Sheriff Klotsky met up with them.

  “So far, we haven’t seen or heard a thing from those Arra,” the big man said by way of greeting. His gaze slid over the group. “You people not going to change?”

  “We’re waiting,” Jebaral told him. “Compton’s got a plan we want to try, to see if the Arra can spot us in our human forms.”

  It was Simolif who gestured toward the crowd of men working below. “Sheriff, do those people know what they may be facing?”

  The sheriff glanced back over his shoulder, and a big grin came over his face. “Yep. Every single man was told the truth about you Ruinos. Every man was given a detailed explanation about why you’re here, and what you’ve had to face. And every single one of them volunteered to help you in any way they can.”

  “I didn’t expect to see so many,” Jebaral confessed.

  Klotsky pointed back down the road, adding, “The state troopers have set up barricades a mile down the road on both sides so that we don’t have to worry about traffic.”

  “It could get dangerous,” DeGrassi said. “I know we’ve been up against these things before, but we suspect there may be more of them this time, considering none of them made it back to tell the mothership what was going on.”

  “And they could have more weapons,” Jebaral added.

  The sheriff placed his hands on his hips. “These guys were told that, but they’re here by their own choice.” His grin widened. “They also know the consequences if any news of this leaked out to the big cities and newspapers. Hell, with technology like it is, it’s going to be hard enough to keep this kind of thing under wraps, but I think it’s doable, taking in the fact that Tumbril Harbor is so isolated. Let’s go down, and you can tell us what kind of plan you have in mind.”

  Compton agreed with the rest, slinging his rifle over his shoulder, and altogether they began to head over to where a couple of men were acting as foremen, directing and shouting instructions to the rest of the crew. Suddenly, a chill more shocking than being bathed in icy cold water washed over him. At the same moment, Challa clutched his arm and whimpered. He turned to see her and everyone else staring up into the sky.

  A strange cylindrical ship was hovering right above the wall of trees, poised like a hammer over a nail. Without being told, Compton knew it was the Arra.

  Everyone took off running toward the site.

  Chapter 42

  Deception

  “Blend in! Blend in!” Compton yelled over his shoulder at the Ruinos who were passing him up. His fake leg was handicapping him, slowing him down.

  Challa glanced back at him, her fear like a frozen mask on her lovely face. Compton managed to wave her onward. “Go, t’korra. Protect yourself.”

  She gave him a nod and put on the speed, zipping ahead with the other Ruinos as the h
umans lagged behind. By the time he managed to join them, the officers and loggers had closed ranks around the Ruinos.

  Several minutes passed as everyone kept their necks craned to watch the glistening, dark, can-shaped ship. The saws and trucks ceased operating as attention was given to the sight overhead. No sound pierced the night as all work halted.

  Compton roughly estimated the thing had to be a good three hundred yards tall and about fifty yards across. The bottom had a flat, wet-looking surface—rough and pockmarked like a badly-surfaced road. From what he could tell, the thing was either a dull gray or muddy brown color. It continued to hover overhead in eerie silence, a little over a mile overhead, lit only by the half moon.

  “Ho-lee shit.”

  Compton tore his eyes away to find Sarah standing a few yards away. She glanced over at him. “No way our satellites can spot that thing,” she added as she gasped for breath.

  He nodded. “The ship has to have some kind of cloaking device to avoid detection.”

  “Cloaking device, my ample ass,” the woman replied sarcastically. “Look at its outer hull. No wonder it was able to slip under the radar.”

  “What about the troopers? Think they or anyone driving this way will spot it?”

  “Don’t see how,” the sheriff remarked. “Bet that thing just blends into the darkness.”

  “I agree,” Sarah said. “Its surface is perfect for keeping it disguised. People won’t be able to tell if they’re seeing more stars or a reflection of them.”

  Looking around, Compton saw everyone’s gaze was glued to the ship. Thank goodness Sarah had broken its hold on him. He recognized the danger they were putting themselves in by standing around and doing nothing.

  “Listen up, people! Everyone!” Putting two fingers to his mouth, he blew a shrill whistle. “Eyes here!”

  The group’s attention slowly shifted over to him. Mouths remained open as they gave him his ten seconds to make his point.

  “They want us to be in awe of them!” Compton yelled so he could be heard. “These creatures succeed by intimidation and fear! Go back to work! Get back to work, everyone!”

  “And then what?” someone shouted.

  Raising his rifle to where the barrel pointed upward, Compton answered, “You do your job, and we’ll do ours. Sheriff Klotsky, can you get your men to meet over by the van?” He had spotted the National Forest Service vehicle sitting off on the side of the road, away from the main activity.

  After another glance or two skyward, everyone broke away from where they were standing and went back to what they’d been doing. The clearing away and cutting resumed, along with the grinding and whirring noise that drowned out most conversation.

  Compton hurried over to the van where at least two dozen men, some park rangers, but mostly law enforcement officers, were gathering. He saw Tiron standing on the fringe, next to DeGrassi. To his surprise, he also spotted Lawson Hall bobbing around in the back of the crowd. Compton grimaced. He hadn’t thought about the man not being able to get back to his carnival. The guy was stuck here as much as anyone else, but what made him think he could come here? Compton started to ask when the sheriff spoke up first.

  “Tell them what your plan is,” Klotsky said, getting the ball rolling.

  Compton shrugged off the carnival owner. The man was no longer a problem. “Okay. It’s simple. We’re going to try and draw them in. If we’re lucky, get the Arra in a cluster where we can surround them.”

  “What about those Ruinn—” The man, a deputy from Big Oak, stumbled.

  Didn’t Thom say the piece of equipment he’d asked for would be coming from Big Oak? Compton started to answer when he saw Tiron lift her chin.

  “We’re counting on the fact that the Arra can’t separate the Ruinos from humans when we’re in human form,” she answered. All eyes immediately locked onto her, and Compton saw DeGrassi move closer to his mate. At the same time he sensed Challa right behind him. She was fearful, but he could tell she trusted him explicitly to keep her safe.

  One man made a casual motion with his hand. “Can these Arra shape-shift, too?”

  “No,” DeGrassi replied. “But they can split into two separate beings, maybe three or more, like amoebas. They also carry weapons.”

  “What kind?” another man asked.

  “There is the adjac,” Tiron said. “It’s about this long.” She held her hands about nine inches apart. “It’s pointed at one end. They’ll try to stab you with it. If it hits you, it will literally boil a hole through your skin, your muscle, even your bones. And it will cause you pain like you’ve never experienced before in your life.”

  Compton glanced around to see how everyone was reacting to what she was telling them. A few men looked dubious, but at least no one was laughing or cracking jokes about it.

  “They have a neuron paralyzer,” Tiron continued. “It is a round disk that shoots a thin beam of light. If it hits you, you remain conscious, but you can’t move.”

  The first deputy from Big Oak crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that it?”

  “Don’t underestimate the enemy,” Compton broke in. “Never forget who and what you’re facing down. If you do, you’re ground meat. Sheriff, did you manage to get that UV gun like you hoped?”

  “You betcha.” Klotsky threw a thumb behind him. “Big Oak sent us two of them. They’re sitting in the backseat of my cruiser.”

  “Great! Go ahead and fetch them.”

  The sheriff nodded and turned to leave.

  “Compton!” Challa’s shout from behind him reached him an instant after that cold water rush hit him a second time.

  Every eye looked upward, but Jebaral yelled, “The trees! Look to the trees!”

  Compton whirled around, rifle at ready. Four asexual, formless shapes stood at the edge of the tree line. The white blobs glowed a pale greenish-white, like phosphorous.

  Training took over. Dropping to a crouch, Compton turned to look behind them. Four more carbon copies stood on the other side of the road, near where the logging trucks were parked. “We have Arra to the rear!” he yelled.

  A quick glance behind him saw Challa was sticking close to him. For a split second he debated whether to send her away where she might be safer, then nixed that thought. If he sent her away, there was the chance he couldn’t protect her as well. But if the Arra figured the Ruinos would keep close to their blood mates, it was a risk he was willing to take. The safest place for her was with him, and always would be. Period.

  Several men lifted their guns and aimed them at the shapes. Compton quickly stood up. “Don’t fire! No no no no no! Hold your fire!” he yelled again. “Wait for my signal! Jeb!”

  The Ruinos were crouched, arms out, a defensive at-ready stance, but they managed to maintain their human forms. Jebaral looked over to him. Compton realized then it was taking every effort by the Ruinos not to change into their true selves, their more powerful form with the razor claws. They had to be feeling very vulnerable at this moment, and he didn’t blame them. But they understood that to shape-shift could bring the Arra directly down upon them if the enemy wasn’t able to discern Ruinos from humans.

  “Can the Arra understand our languages? Do they use any interpretation devices?”

  “No. They speak to us mentally,” Jebaral answered.

  “So they wouldn’t know what we’re saying?”

  “No, but they can read your emotions. They feed off of your fear and anger. They know when you intend to attack them because of your fear.”

  “Your fear and terror is like a potent drug to them,” Simolif added. “They get off on it.”

  It made sense. When wild animals sensed fear, it often led them to attack. Another glance around the perimeter showed the Arra hadn’t moved. Compton wondered how many of them were armed.

  “Try to control your fear, people!” he called out, knowing it was nearly impossible. All around, people looked panic-stricken. Compton glanced over at Jebaral and Simolif, wondering how
he was going to get everyone to pay attention to him, much less obey. He was surprised when Lawson Hall stepped up to the plate.

  “All right, all you pansy-assed wusses! Listen up and pay attention! The Arra aren’t after us! They don’t give a whoopee shit about humans because they consider us nonproductive cargo. To them we’re weak, and we probably taste bad on top of that. We could no more survive on the worlds where the Arra do business, which is why they won’t do us any harm if we don’t make any threatening gestures toward them.”

  He gave Compton a wink before continuing. Compton realized the man probably had a lot of experience getting rowdy crowds to pay attention and follow his orders.

  “Here’s the drill, so pay attention because there won’t be time to repeat it. Keep working. Keep your attention on the job. Everyone else, mingle. Look disinterested. Remember, the Arra want their lost cargo, not you. Stay clear and don’t fear them. Think of them as…as walking raw meringue.”

  “What’s meringue?” a male voice piped up behind them.

  Several feet away, Sarah rolled her eyes. “Calf slobber! Now, get back to work, and let the experts do their job!”

  Amazingly, the loggers went back to dismantling the barrier. Several officers holstered their weapons and offered their help. Compton saw Jebaral helping with the chains, along with DeGrassi and the deputy from Big Oak. Everyone spread out, allowing the Ruinos to roam among them, while Hannah and Sarah remained close by.

  When Klotsky rejoined them, he carried a portable ultraviolet light with him. The Arra never moved.

  Impasse. Compton kept checking back and forth to see which side would make the first advance, or if all of them would make their move simultaneously. He would have given his fake leg to know what the Arra were thinking. Or planning.

  One thing was certain. The humans weren’t running in panic, and they weren’t showing any fear. Neither were they making any threatening gestures toward the Arra. And because they weren’t, the Arra were probably wondering what kind of life forms inhabited this world that didn’t flee at the sight of them and their ship.