by Alli Reshi
"Well, once we got the bleeding under control, we transported you to the compound as quickly as we could. Thankfully an x-ray showed we didn't need to do any major surgery. A tiny little incision to pop out the bullet then close up both wounds. By some miracle, the bullet missed your heart, lungs, and slipped right between your ribs. No more damage done than to some tissue." Amy recounted the day ticking items off on her fingers.
The compound was a large government building, though the gray concrete build was only noticeable as something important by the numerous flags that were flown out front. Another give away to the importance of such a plain looking building, was the guards that kept watch of the area both outside and within. The building was divided into three sections, an above ground top floor, a partially underground second floor, and a basement floor. Ours was the second floor.
"That was an almost unbelievable shot. You should be very glad that you have smaller lungs, giving you more muscle space in your rib cage than us humans. After that you've been in a mild coma for the last two and a half weeks." Amy huffed, fixing her long dark ponytail to rest over her other shoulder.
Devin seemed to be processing everything, maybe for the first time since he had woken up. It was one thing to remember being shot and thinking you'd die. Something else entirely to be told how lucky you are and having to face it. I wanted so badly to reach out and give him comfort, but, I knew the time for that had passed. It would no longer be something welcomed.
"It's been two and a half weeks since then. I lost two and a half weeks?" Devin said, barely loud enough to be heard. Maybe it wasn't supposed to be. We were a species with an immaculate sense of time; losing time could be terrifying. I knew from my own experience that it was one of the most terrifying things I had lived through.
"Yep. Now if you don't have anything else you want, can I get back to what I was doing before you sent out the distress call," Amy said quietly, though not unkindly. It was what I loved about her as a friend. She always knew when a person needed a firm hand or a gentle touch without any words or indication given. She might be a human, but her sense of emotional changes was astounding. Devin shook his head, trying to shoo her out of the room as quickly as he could. With a parting look of sympathy to me, Amy left. Closing the door to leave us in silence.
CHAPTER TWO
The silence drew on for a while longer. I wanted to let Devin start the conversation when he was ready. Though as the minutes drew on I knew if there was going to be any more discussions, I would have to start them.
"Devin." I started, interrupted by his raising a hand to scratch at his cheeks while grimacing.
"My face itches," Devin said plainly whilst rubbing his palm over the stubble that had grown on his cheeks.
"Sorry about that. I've tried to keep up best I can. I know how you hate having a beard grow in but the last few days have been hectic. I didn't get the chance. Give me a moment and I can get the shaving kit for you. If you want, that is." I laughed nervously, standing to gather the supplies out of the bathroom cupboard I stored them in.
"Well, I can hardly do it myself like this." Devin called while I was out of range for the moment. I saw Devin touching his chest with a wince when I walked back towards him.
"Are you all right? Does it hurt?" I asked, setting my handful down on the table next to him.
"Did you really ask me that? There is a hole through my chest. You just listened to your human explain that, or were you not listening?" Devin sneered. I relaxed at his reaction this was the man I was more use to, the one who snipped and snapped at all attempts at help.
"We have to be sure. Wouldn't want something to go wrong, there's a chance of that even this late on. Some of us want to help you Devin. Is that so hard to believe?" I said, arranging the supplies as I was used to. It hadn't taken long to fall into a pattern watching over Devin. The cream can next to the razor and a towel off to the side of both. It might be more awkward with him awake.
"So is this what you do with your exile, play hero with little human pets." Devin scoffed watching as I gathered the cream on my hands.
"Well, not all I do. I've still traveled plenty. Saw the emerald eclipse of hearth five, the new sun of the Gol system be born, even stopped on Evecliff for a while. Exile's not so bad, really. See a lot more now that I've got no one looking over my shoulder." I brushed off the mockery behind his words. I stopped traveling so often because I heard you were here. Keeping that thought, well-guarded as I carefully spread the cream on his face.
"I bet you have. Though I'm surprised at you, Demitri. You've always been one to push the rules, but exile is something else. I would never have guessed the committee would actually throw out their golden boy." Devin laughed, a cold thing that cut through my heart. I missed when that laugh had been warm. When we could be us. Not the golden boy that could get away with almost anything, and the disgrace that should be pushed to the side. Oh, how much easier life was when we were boys.
"Hold still and stop talking or I'll nick you," I said, avoiding the topic, gingerly holding his chin in one hand razor in the other. Using precise strokes to clear away the stubble and cream. We stayed like that for quite a while. The mood of the room was calmed by the methodical drag and occasional cleaning of the razor. Devin's skin was warm under my touch as our minds barely brushed against each other, not quite connecting just resting. I was halfway done before his mind reached out to breach the quiet.
"Do you hear them Demitri?" came Devin's chilling question. It was one I had heard plenty of times, though I always hoped it was never the same question.
"Hear what Devin?" I asked back. Praying against all previous knowledge that I didn't know the answer. He always had better hearing than me. Maybe he heard people in the hall I didn't. Though I knew that wasn't true.
"The voices Demitri. Can't you hear the voices? They're so loud." Devin whispered like he didn't want anyone to hear, not even in the privacy of our minds, even though it was an old conversation that had long held a pattern.
"You're tired. You should try to nap while I finish." I bit back a sigh, knowing that it wouldn't work, but I had run out of replies centuries ago.
"But can you hear them? They're right there and so loud. How can you not hear them?" Devin insisted, growing irritated and twitchy under my touch. I sent a wave of calm to soothe him, doing my best to finish shaving him quickly without missing a patch.
"No, I don't hear anything but you." I answered reluctantly, already anticipating the mental growl that followed.
"How? How can you not? You must be a real idiot not to hear. They're so loud. Telling me so many things, Demetri, so many. They want me to do things, bad things. Why must they be so loud, so mean?" Devin whined. It was an effort to keep my hands steady against his face. This was much more than he had ever said before, though I had guessed most of it. Maybe it was the drugs in his system, but maybe this could also be my chance to finally help him.
"I want to help you Devin. I want to make the voices quiet but you have to let me in. You have to give me deeper access than this if you want me to help," I said, holding my breath. No matter the times offered, Devin was always too stubborn. Too proud to accept that he needed help, let alone my help.
"No, if you're too stupid to hear the voices how could you help? Go away leave me alone." Devin snarled, violently pulling away from the connection, and hiding further in his mind. I suppressed a wince of pain the sudden loss caused. I ignored his glare as I guided him to tilt his chin up, grateful that he didn't pull away completely and let me finish.
This was one of the downfalls of being a slightly telepathic race. Most of us could only read through touch but there were a few, a tiny percentage that had a wider field of perception. Though every time someone did have a wider range of telepathy, the ability always failed them. For those people, instead of hearing people without having to touch, they heard the voices of people long gone. Ones that had been lost to violence or miserable deaths. Listeners of lost souls, we calle
d these unfortunate people.
Some got lucky and heard voices of great people. Long gone leaders, brilliant minds, people that had changed worlds for the better. The sort that were prime targets for assassination. Most would hear normal people. The ones with sudden deaths, but they themselves weren't exactly good or bad. Then there were the unlucky. They heard the worst from past generations. These voices drove them insane, as the voices wanted nothing more than bloodshed and pain.
Devin was part of the last group. We had been young, but good friends when it struck. Devin, he never had much luck in anything. Certainly, not in what the fates would give him. In all our age, all our knowledge, we still couldn't help these people. They had to either become examples to grandeur, or were swept under a rug.
How could I let that happen to Devin? I spent so much of my life looking for some way to help him. That's part of why I had been exiled. Attempting to research what was forbidden. Though I wouldn't take it back for a second. I barely realized when I had finished cleaning up Devin. I used a clean portion of the towel to wipe off any excess cream on his face, and finally my hands.
"There. All better, yes." I cleared my throat. Pulling away to gather the supplies and put them back in place. I saw Benn leaning on the doorframe when I turned, arms crossed over a broad chest as dark eyes watched calmly.
"How long have you been standing there?" I said in a hushed tone as I passed him on my way to the bathroom. Not wanting to draw too much attention to ourselves. If Benn was here that meant work, and as much as I normally didn't mind the random hours that came with the job, I wanted to focus on Devin now that he was awake.
"Long enough. You're very domestic when you want to be. It's sweet." Benn answered without hesitation, watching me as I set things back in their proper places.
"I don't need your opinions on my personal life. What do you want?" I persisted, stepping closer to him to keep him quiet, not wanting to disturb Devin.
"Yeah, well, I'll give it anyways if I think you need it, but I'm not here for that. We've had three more deaths in the last day. Whoever this is they are getting bolder. If we don't catch them now who knows how bold they'll get." Benn's tone turned to a commanding tone. I rubbed my hands over my face. This was the last thing I needed. Normally there was no problem helping Benn and his task force, especially when it was renegade species causing a fuss. Being an alien expert and consultant had its downfalls.
"I can't leave Devin. He just woke up and needs someone to watch him. Someone he trusts," I said. Trying to get Benn to understand why I couldn't help him find his mysterious killer. More than I already had, that is.
"I don't think there is a person like that, and that's no fault of yours. It's how he is at the moment. Frankly, if I was in his position I wouldn't trust much either. Besides, he doesn't look all that awake to me." Benn countered nodding to Devin. I glanced over my shoulder to see Devin peacefully sleeping. His head tilted barely to the side, chest rising and falling easily with his steady breathing. I let out a low, strained whine.
"I still can't leave him unattended." I argued. Not wanting to be any further from Devin than I absolutely had to. What if something happened? He could try to do something himself and get hurt, or try to run and wind up lost and helpless in pain. My mind raced with the myriad of possibilities, each one worse than the last.
"Hey, I'll stay with him. Make sure nothing goes wrong, all right? And I'll text you if anything at all comes up. Have a look at the new reports—Gabriella's got them—or even go lay down for a few hours. When was the last time you got a decent amount of sleep?" Benn comforted, putting his hand on my shoulder. I relaxed under the firm weight of it.
"But you hate him. Why would you do that?" I questioned, looking in his eyes for an understanding. I resisted the urge to reach out with my mind to look for my answers.
"Because you're my friend and you love him. So, as a good friend should, even if I don't like someone, I'll keep them safe for you," Benn said simply. Like it was as obvious as saying the sky was blue and the galaxy vast.
"I don't love him." I sputtered. Glancing over at Devin even though I knew he couldn't hear me sleeping or not.
"Really? Seems like it to me. You've burned through more political favors than I will make in my life just to keep him close. You've barely left his side since we brought him in. If that's not love, I don't know what is. Does he not feel the same?" Benn asked. Of all the things not to leave alone, he always picked the worst every chance he got.
"We're friends. That's all we can be. He hardly even accepts that. I want to help him get better, that's all. What I feel doesn't matter so long as he can be alive and all right. That's all that matters. You'd have more favors if you went to a gala or two." I denied all of Benn's suggestions. I wanted a lot regarding Devin, but I was well aware which of these wants I would be allowed.
"I will gladly leave the high-class elbow rubbing in your capable hands. Fine, whatever you say. Go somewhere else, you've holed yourself up in this room for far too long. Take a nap, review the reports, heavens forbid, remind yourself what the sky looks like. Get out of this room for a few hours. You might be taller than me, but you're a skinny guy; I will pick you up and remove you if I have to," Benn said, shooing me out the door and closing it firmly behind me.
Dejectedly, I wandered over to the bullpen, knowing that Gabriella would be at her desk at this hour of the day. I still found myself quite lucky to have come across Benn and his troops. I had been in a tight spot when I first met Benn. Lost and afraid.
He hadn't thought much of it, simply took me in. I knew things and could be useful, that had been all he had cared about. Providing shelter and comfort was how Benn repaid any help given to him. I had been given someplace to feel safe and useful, in a time I could hardly figure out my right hand from my left.
As I later discovered that was how most of Benn's team were. He helped them get back on their feet, and learn to use skills everyone else discarded. Ah, the marvels of humans. When they really tried, they could pull together even the strangest people. Make them feel wanted. After having been exiled this place was like a haven. No judgment or scorn, simply an understanding of why I had to do what had damned me.
I rounded the final corner, spotting Gabriella typing away at her computer. Head bobbing to whatever music she was playing through her headphones. Surprisingly, she was the only one in the room. It was common to see everyone here, the bullpen an odd mix between workspace and lounge.
Tables arranged as work desks in the middle of the room, while a couch and near unused TV to the side. Isaac often took his naps here, and most of them favored this space over the personal offices they all had. I assumed it was a normal lounge they had re-purposed so they could discuss cases more easily instead of crossing the distance between sections.
As I had been told the compound had been designed for a larger task force. Back when humans were trying to figure out how to handle extraterrestrial threats. The ones that wanted to make a general mess of the world. At that time, everything had been made for the worst case scenario.
Once everything came to it, the only true parts of the team were Amy, Sally, Isaac, Gabriella, and Benn. Leaving much of the space unneeded. So humans did what they always do and adjusted their habitat to fit their needs. Currently the extra space was being used by three other branches. At least that's how it was here. There were more task forces scattered over the world, and I had no idea how those functioned.
I walked over to Gabriella, tapping her on the shoulder to let her take her headphones off before trying to talk.
"Oh, hey Demitri, heard the good news—bout time if you ask me." Gabriella grinned up at me. She had been the first to comment on the time I spent waiting.
"Yeah, didn't think the word would travel that fast, though," I said, rubbing the back of my neck whilst shifting my weight nervously.
"Amy came through here ranting about interrupting a lunch date with Sally over nothing." Gabriella smirked, turning in
her chair. As if she wasn't the one to always go looking for gossip, and be sure to keep up on what everyone was doing.
"Um, I heard there were new reports to look over." I changed the subject. Looking over the desk for anything that looked like it was new. I'd reach for it myself, but a few hand slaps years ago, had taught me about that one.
"Yea they're right here. Sadly, no security feeds nearby. I looked through their phones, no odd texts or videos. It would be too easy if they caught our killer on camera." She poked at one of the phones sitting useless on her desk. "You sure you don't want a nap instead? You look tired. When was the last time you got more than a few hours in a plastic chair?" Gabriella suggested gathering the papers, watching me with a raised brow.
"I'm fine. Would you all stop worrying? Give me those." I huffed, taking the papers and stomping over to plop on the couch, ignoring the desk I had across from her. If no one else was on it, I wasn't going to deny myself the luxury. Shuffling until my feet rested on the arm of one end and my head propped on the other.
Gabriella made an unconvinced hum, but didn't say anything as she put her headphones back on and went to work. I skimmed the pages describing the victims. One woman and two men, it was the same as the other reports.
Young, early twenties, the oldest had been 25, good health. Those were the only similarities in victims, though. They all were found in different places. No connections to each other. Male and female victims. The newest ones made the total seven victims. The only link between them all was how they died. Heart attacks with burn marks over the heart. We had no leads other than the thought that it is someone extraterrestrial. I closed my eyes to run through my mental catalogue of races once more. Lots of them liked hearts, but not so many could leave burns or get to Earth.
CHAPTER THREE
Devin stood before me still in his bloodied suit. His head cocked to the side while he watched me with blank eyes.