The Beast of Tsunam (Rev Smalley: Galactic P.I. Book 1)

by Combs, Scott A.

“What’s the scoop?” asked Rev.

  “You’ve taken the fall for some trumped up shit and now you’re going to live out your long life in a cell on Tsunam.”

  “Not gonna happen my friend. My partner and me have other plans.”

  Jimmy smiled and picked up a stylus. He scribbled down a note and pushed a mini-digi-pad under the window. “Sign that please.”

  “What’s this?”

  “I bet Magnus a C that you’d show up today ready to kick some bureaucratic butt and once you sign that I can claim my hundred bucks.”

  Rev signed it and handed it back to Jimmy. “I need a new weapon.”

  “What happened to the other stuff I gave you?”

  “Got taken by the bad guys.”

  “Don’t you hate when that happens?” laughed Jimmy fumbling around in a small bin by his feet. “What you need is something that’ll mess up the guys who take your toys. I recommend this little baby.” Jimmy pulled up a long flesh-colored tape with dime-sized dots on its surface.

  “What’s this?”

  “This here is the latest in personal high-explosives. Once you pull the adhesive backing off and stick it to your flesh, the bombs encode to your DNA. It’s nearly undetectable once it’s glued in place. Attach it to the underside of your arm. When you need one, peel it from the tape and stick it to whatever needs blowing up. Ten seconds after it leaves your skin there ain’t nothing left. And better yet, there’s ten on a strip. They don’t show up on scans and you’d have to look really hard before you notice the little devils.”

  Rev peeled the adhesive and with Jimmy’s instructions, he pressed it firmly on his left forearm. Rev watched as the strip changed color and matched his skin tone. The little bombs seemed to fade into his skin naturally. Rev looked at the bombs and could only see ten faint lumps all in a row on his arm.

  “How do I peel one and use it if I can’t see them?”

  “That’s the cool part. Only you can detach one. Someone frisking you or touching your arm will only feel a slight lump but when you pinch one, your DNA unlocks the bomb and it is easily removed. If you want to deactivate the bomb you’ve removed, just roll it between your fingertips and the explosive becomes inert. But if you want to let ’er pop then flick it and it’ll stick to almost anything from glass to metal and especially skin.”

  “How strong are they?”

  Jimmy rubbed his chin. “About the same as a zinger so you’re going to want at least three meter’s clearance when they go off.”

  “I’ll remember that,” said Rev. “My partner needs to do me a favor and conceal a weapon for me. Is that okay Flint?”

  Flint hovered closer and whispered in Rev’s ear. “Should we be talking about this in front of witnesses?”

  “Jimmy’s no witness. He’s a friend and besides he doesn’t hear so well anymore. Ain’t that right Jimmy?”

  “Huh? Right. What’d you say?” he said handing a small pistol under the Plexiglas grill. “I don’t know nothin’ about no concealed weapons here.”

  Rev picked up the odd looking gun and found it very light in his hands. “You sure it’s powerful enough to take down the animal I described?”

  “It’s not the weapon that’s powerful but the charges you load into the thing,” Jimmy said as he handed a small leather pouch to Rev.

  The ex-EIA agent unfolded the pouch and found evenly spaced clear pellets wrapped inside. A faint greenish glow emitted from the odd bullets and Rev recognized them from former missions. He glared at Jimmy.

  “I can tell you’ve seen these babies before,” said Jimmy.

  “These aren’t supposed to exist anymore,” said Rev.

  “Yeah, what’re friends for, if not to help each other in times of need? Just do me a little favor and not tell anyone where you got them.”

  “No problem,” said Rev. “Besides, if one of these things goes off, I’m likely not to be around to tell.”

  Flint looked nervous. “What is it?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “What is it?” demanded Flint.

  Rev motioned Flint to open up his internal compartment where he intended Flint to hide the weapon and the ammunition. Flint obeyed and the small compartment drawer slid open to allow Rev to place them neatly inside. “They’re small thermite-phosphorus charges. I used them long ago before they were banned by the Earth Coalition.”

  “Thermite-phosphorus?” shouted Flint closing the drawer and looking more uncomfortable than before.

  “Look,” said Rev reassuringly, “if we have an accident you can be happy to know that everything within a few miles of us will have the same fate.”

  “That’s comforting to know,” said Flint spinning around giving Jimmy the evil eye.

  “Ain’t my idea,” said Jimmy holding his hands up. “The Rev asks and I provide.”

  “I’m not taking anymore crap from these creatures,” said Rev patting Flint affectionately. “One of those creatures so much as looks at me funny, is going to get the worst case of heartburn its ever had.”

  “Anything else I can do for you?” asked Jimmy.

  “No,” said Rev. “That pretty much does it this time. Thanks again Jimmy.”

  “Anytime Rev.”

  Rev turned to Flint. “Well partner, you about ready to turn yourself in for crimes against Tsunam?”

  Flint looked sick. “Y⁠—⁠Yes,” he stammered.

  PART 3: LIVE AND LEARN

  Chapter 25

  REV TESTED THE STRENGTH OF the handcuffs on his wrists by flexing his forearms. He knew he could pop their hinges but didn’t want any surprises when the time came that he needed his hands free. So he pushed just enough using an isometric exercise and exerted pressure on the metal. The steel nearly gave way. He let his muscles relax knowing that all he needed to release himself from the handcuffs was one last tug.

  The EIA guards marched Rev and Flint through the hallway to the transport chamber. When they reached the right door, the guard behind Rev grabbed him by his belt and stopped Rev from walking past their destination. “There’s no reason to get personal buddy,” said Rev. “You’re not the type I like grabbing at my pants.”

  The guard sneered and smacked Rev in the ear. “Shut up with the wise-cracks or my friends will rough you up a bit.”

  Flint floated closely and waited to see if Rev needed help.

  “Maybe you’re my type after all,” said Rev, smooching a kiss at the guard.

  “Fucking cute.” The guard rolled his eyes. “Maybe I should rearrange your face before I send you through the door?”

  “You don’t have the balls . . . ”

  The guard’s eyes flared and his gloved fist reared back as he threw a punch at Rev’s nose. The blow never arrived. Flint shot out a long translucent arm lassoing the wrist. The guard reeled staring into the automaton’s face.

  “That wasn’t necessary,” Flint said constricting his hold on the guard’s wrist until he screamed in pain. Three weapons hummed with energy as the other guards placed their weapons on Flint’s surface.

  “Release him,” said Rev. “Nobody’s hurt.”

  “Their weapons won’t hurt me,” said Flint.

  “I know,” said Rev. “But we aren’t going to accomplish anything by hurting them.”

  “As you wish,” said Flint retracting his arm.

  The guard rose rubbing his sore wrist. The others opened the door allowing their prisoners to enter. Inside, Rev found Tuloff on a vidi-screen talking to Magnus.

  “Yes,” said Magnus. “I told you already. We have them and are about to send them to you. I’ll send them as long as you acknowledge the EIA prisoner release form in front of you.”

  Tuloff held the electronic clipboard and signed the form and pushed the send button. “There, are you satisfied?”

  Magnus looked at a similar clipboard and nodded. “Everything appears to be in order. Give us a few moments before I send Smalley and the automaton to you.”

  “We will be w
aiting,” said Tuloff. The transmission ended, the screen dissolved.

  “It’s official,” said Magnus to Rev. “You’re prisoners of the Tsunamian government heading to a slow and painful death.”

  “Thanks for the encouragement.”

  Magnus handed the clipboard to an aide and demanded everyone leave the chamber. After the room was cleared except for Rev, Flint and himself, he fumbled with the controls and appeared to be searching for something.

  “Are you sure you can redirect our transmission?” asked Flint.

  “It’s worked before,” said Magnus. “I see no reason we will have any trouble unless I can’t locate another traveler that can be sent in your place.” The director found what he was looking for and smiled. “I’m ready,” he said as he moved to remove Rev’s handcuffs.

  “That’s not necessary,” said Rev. “I’ll wear them until I get there. Just in case this plan doesn’t work, I don’t want Tuloff to shoot me for being loose and dangerous. Besides, they aren’t really very good restraints.”

  Rev showed Magnus that the cuffs were loose and the latch was sprung. “I told those fools to use the titanium cuffs,” he said shaking his head.

  “They don’t make them like they used to,” said Magnus patting Rev on the shoulder and helping him into the transmat chamber. Flint floated in and Magnus closed the tube.

  Rev felt a shiver up his spine from a glimpse of Magnus’ dark lavender eyes. Sinister. Magnus noticed the look on Rev’s face and his expression changed. The evil look faded and his usual placid expression returned.

  “Find Cassie and get the evidence to clear yourselves; don’t waste a lot of time doing it.”

  Rev nodded and tried to put a smile on his face but the uneasy feeling remained. Rev turned to Flint. “Set little buddy?”

  “I believe so.”

  Rev wished he didn’t need the automaton but at this moment it felt good that he wasn’t trying this stunt alone. Magnus opened the vidi-screen and waited for Regency Tuloff to find his way in front of the monitor.

  “I’m sending,” said Magnus.

  Tuloff scowled. “Then do it.”

  The director checked his controls and pushed the send button. Rev and Flint folded up and winked out of sight on their way through hyperspace.

  Magnus watched Tuloff as he turned to face the receiving transmat tube. His guards unholstered their weapons and surrounded the tube. For a moment the form of the P.I. and machine flickered inside and then a middle-aged man in a Hawaiian shirt materialized, startled and confused.

  The Tsunamian guards yanked the man from the tube and prodded him with their weapons. Tuloff’s mouth gaped and he actually started to howl in anger.

  “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded pointing to the brightly colored tourist. “Where’s Smalley?”

  “You have him?”

  Tuloff dragged the confused man in front of the monitor. The clueless man was trying to raise his hand and wave to Magnus. Tuloff slapped the tourist on the back of the head.

  “Does this look like Smalley?” demanded Tuloff.

  “Not really.”

  “What have you done with my prisoner?”

  “Nothing,” protested Magnus. “I complied with your orders and sent him along with the automaton. What you did with them after they arrived is none of my affair. I suggest you search your systems for a malfunction.”

  “You can be assured we will do that very thoroughly,” snarled Tuloff.

  “Since you have no further mandates on the EIA that I must comply with, do you mind sending⁠—⁠what’s the man’s name?”

  Tuloff shook the tourist harshly. “Your name fool,” he demanded.

  “Yani Horowitz from Brooklyn,” he said stammering.

  Magnus smiled. “Please send Mr. Horowitz through the normal channels back to Earth when you’re satisfied he’s not Smalley.”

  Tuloff growled and flicked the monitor off. Magnus laughed out loud.

  * * *

  REV THOUGHT HE MIGHT be getting used to trans-galactic travel⁠—⁠at least his stomach didn’t complain nearly as much as his first few times down the wormholes. Once he and Flint folded into hyperspace they had only moments before they arrived on Tsunam. For just a second Rev could see Regency Tuloff and his guards and then he folded again and appeared in a small room. The curtains were drawn and the room was dimmed to the point that he couldn’t recognize the figures that stood in front of the transmat tube.

  Flint only took a fraction of a second to realize that they had been betrayed. He saw las-pistols pointed at them menacingly. Flint reconnected the computer commands the way Magnus had explained and changed their coordinates and started the transmission. The duo folded up again as the figures opened fire. Pulses of energy streamed out upon the translucent transmat tube and incinerated the empty tube.

  Both Rev and Flint heaved a sigh of relief as they materialized at their new destination. They had returned to the remaining transmat tube of the Deviants’ last holdout.

  Rev opened the door and the overwhelming smell of explosives and dead bodies filled his senses. “Phew,” he said wrinkling his nose and shaking his head. “Good thing you can’t smell.”

  “I do smell,” said Flint, “but I don’t have the emotional responses to such data as organics have. It does smell that something is rotting among the destruction.”

  “No doubt a beast or two, don’t you think?”

  “More likely a few Tsunamians were left also.”

  Rev nodded. “Did you get a look at those jokers with the weapons?”

  “I was preoccupied with our escape but I could tell there were at least four individuals waiting for us,” said Flint.

  “We’re damn lucky you were able to redirect us here in time.”

  “We’re really damn lucky,” said Flint, “that this transmat tube was still operational. If it wasn’t here to receive us, then I don’t know where we would’ve ended up.”

  “I suppose we wouldn’t be having this conversation if it wasn’t,” said Rev. “Since we’re alive and here, you best give me the gun that’s in your insides.”

  Flint extracted the small weapon and the phosphorus bullets. He watched as Rev loaded the weapon and stuffed it into the back of his pants. “I hope you don’t have to use that thing.”

  “Me neither. But if I do have to pull it out then I want to make sure what’s threatening us isn’t going to live long.”

  “What do we do now that we’ve returned?” asked Flint.

  “I want a sample of one of those creatures. Maybe we can find the one we crushed,” said Rev.

  “From the smell of things we need to go that way,” said Flint pointing.

  “I agree.” Rev cocked his head. “But it bothers me that Tuloff didn’t leave some of his men to guard this complex.”

  “Maybe they’re outside or just patrolling another part of the building.”

  “Could be, but why leave the transmat tube operational and unguarded unless he wanted us to return?”

  “It’s not like him to make mistakes,” agreed Flint.

  “No, it isn’t,” said Rev. “Then we must assume he wanted us to return and follow the investigation.”

  The partners followed the hallway back into the complex in silence. Rev climbed over rubble and Flint floated alongside. Soon they reached the place where the beast was destroyed. Large slabs of concrete lay haphazardly in a mound and the smell of rotting flesh was very strong. Congealed black blood pooled over the grey surfaces. Rev knew they had found what they were looking for.

  “Help me lift this chunk,” said Rev putting his hands under a slab that entombed the carcass.

  Flint was hesitant but decided that anything smelling that bad couldn’t be alive anymore. He extended two translucent arms and heaved against the mass of concrete. For a moment both strained and then the slab started to move. With a little effort they slid the chunk over to one side and let it fall with a resounding thud.

  A ripe sme
ll wafted up and stung Rev’s eyes. The flesh of the creature was mangled and purplish. “Damn this thing really stinks,” said Rev trying not to inhale.

  “What are we looking for other than affirming that we successfully killed it?”

  “I was hoping you could take a sample of blood and tissue,” replied Rev.

  “I can,” said Flint hovering in closer and peeling away a torn section of its hide to reveal the muscles below.

  “Get enough so we can analyze its DNA and try to identify what species it is,” said Rev supervising the little automaton. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and find out what planet it comes from.”

  “Do you think it’s from Tsunam?” asked Flint.

  “I’d like to rule it out.”

  Flint’s little arm bore down into the body and he found what he was looking for. He sucked up some fluid and Rev watched as the dark red liquid pumped up through his arm until Rev could see the blood pool into a small ball as Flint started to retract his arm. A sudden yelp pierced the air.

  “What?” asked Rev.

  Flint was on the verge of panic as he tried in vain to retract his arm. “Something’s grabbed me.” Flint struggled. The body of the creature bulged where Flint’s arm penetrated. Rev watched in horror as the bulge started to move inside the carcass.

  “It won’t let go,” wailed the automaton.

  “Try to slim your arm and see if it will release you,” said Rev as coolly as possible.

  “I’ve already tried,” said Flint with a tremble in his voice. “It’s squeezing me.”

  Rev couldn’t use his weapon for fear of destroying Flint along with the body of the creature so he took his fist and punched the bulging mass, hard. Whatever was inside it took one helluva hit. A high-pitched squeal came from the bulge. Flint’s arm was released and he retracted his arm so quickly that it made a sound like the cracking of a whip. He flew away from the creature and hovered in safety by the wall.

  Rev pinched one of the explosives from the nearly invisible tape on his arm and affixed it to the surface of the bulge and jumped back with Flint. They realized that they weren’t far enough away and took off running down the hallway. At ten seconds they turned and watched as something ripped through the flesh of the buried creature. They couldn’t see it well but they could tell it had a grey tentacle whipping around which frantically probed the surface of the creature. It located the explosive and pulled it free.