“Over seven hours?”
“Yes, I understand he ran out of memory cards. Their stamina and appetites are unnatural. I was made to watch the whole thing. You know, it appears to this outsider that, when one climaxes, the others do, too. It goes on for quite a while.”
I’m looking into his eyes, and he’s perfectly serious.
“Surely you’re not going to make me watch all of it.”
“I’d rather not. Besides, the reality is quite simple. Your demon girlfriend is promiscuous. I think the common term would be a slut. A demon slut.”
Arguing the point would be fruitless.
“Yeah, she’s kind of that way, Gunter. I think they all are. And yeah, when one goes, they put out this neuromantic pulse thing that makes their partner do the same. She explained it as a self-defense thing. Though, I don’t believe they’re defending themselves.”
Gunter’s eyes tell me he’s not too amused. He takes a swig of beer and gives me a halfish smile.
“Pays to do a good job then, no?”
I chuckle. I could not imagine a quip like that coming from him. Ever.
“Let me play this clip they insisted you hear, then we can be done with it. It’s during one of their lulls.”
“They had lulls?”
He hands me the tablet, shaking his head, and presses the play symbol. The three of them are laying lazily on the bed. Jxsiga’s yellow-red blob resting comfortably on her back in between his legs, her head resting on his pelvis. Sil’s buxom yellow, red blob is next to him, his arm wrapped around her and her hand tracing little circles around his belly.
“Poor, Arthur,” comes Jxsiga’s voice.
“Yeah, humans,” comes Paul’s voice.
“It is a shame,” says Sil.
“I wish he could, too, but you know… humans,” says Paul.
“I don’t think Arthur would… be good enough,” says Sil.
“Someone has to do a better job of audio editing.” I hand him back the tablet. “They pulled that same hack job act on Sil. I’m not going for it. It sounded choppy.”
Gunter is staring me down. “I would agree. But still. They prefer their own.” He breaks eye contact with me to finish his beer. “No reason they shouldn’t. They are built for this purpose, right? Seduce and corrupt?”
“You left out manipulate and control. And life-eating.”
Sheyliene’s voice breaks the tension.
“What are you all looking at?”
Gunter shares a wicked smile.
“Let me set it back to the beginning, you should see for yourself.” He swipes the pad and hands it to Sheyliene who looks at him curiously.
“Cartoons?”
“Not exactly, Shey.”
Gunter laughs. “I should get another beer before the others drink them all. Press play, fairy. Enjoy the show.”
She presses play, and I see her blink a few times. I see the realization come across her face.
“Wow. That’s Silly. And she’s going for it. So’s Jexubus. And the boy succubus.”
Shey looks at me and blinks a few times, her mouth looking like she might say something. This is a first, Shey considering her words.
“Succubusses will play,” she says with all seriousness.
“If you’re going to watch that, take it somewhere else, please. I don’t want to listen.”
“Yeah,” she says, pressing the play button to stop it. “I should find some earbuds. Then she’s off in search of earbuds with the tablet in tow. I can’t believe she wants to watch that. But Sheyliene does as Sheyliene does. I go the opposite direction to find Gunter in the kitchen. The small kitchen at the rear of the row house is the place to be. All the Paladins, singed and covered in their own blood, are having a cheery time over beers. All the eyes of the room turn to me. Nothing is said.
“Thanks for the bail-out guys.”
More silence. After a few moments, Gunter breaks the silence.
“Your things and some of your group’s things are in those duffel bags. Your three phones are in your blazer, over there. I wonder what we may find if we were to turn those over to the Technos?”
“You know damn well what you’d find, smartass. And I meant what I said. Thanks. All of you. I know you think I’m crazy having a succubus girlfriend and for trusting Znuul. But, the girlfriend thing is complicated, and The Protectorate isn’t protecting anymore.”
“It’s not complicated, Arthur,” says one of the Paladins with black curly hair. “You’re thinking with your little head.”
That gets a round of laughter. I’m not going to argue the point and bother them with ideas of true connection, soul touches, or that she passed the judgment of the sword. They wouldn’t get it, or care to. Instead, I just nod, smile, and go along.
Besides, I am feeling a little put-off by my glimpse of the video. It is one thing to think something is going on; it’s a whole other to have it thrown in your face.
“Yes, we know things aren’t right with The Protectorate. And the beast Ahtsag Znuul appears to be working in good faith for our world. Though that mess in Syria was not good PR for him. If I didn’t know better, I would say he was trying to send a message.”
“He was,” I say back to Gunter.
“The armor?”
“No, we got that resolved. I think he’s just feeling a little... bullied.”
“So he bullies the army of P.I.S. to make himself feel better?”
Everyone snickers at the most unfortunate acronym.
“He told me he wasn’t going to start anything. But if they did, he would send a message to the world. Znuul tells me the guy claiming he attacked without provocation is a liar and a man of low character.”
“Fair enough. I believe him. I think it is time we part ways. Take our vehicle. Stop by your closest bank and pull out as much cash as you can. The Techno-Mage Guild will be tracking your known banking activity. Keep us informed. The time for action grows near. I can feel it. We will give you an hour and a half before we let The Protectorate know of your most violent escape.”
He’s right, the time for action is growing near.
Chapter 50
After a quick stop by the bank to pull out as much cash as I can, we are on the road. I haven’t bothered calling Znuul yet, figuring I should make some time first. Besides, there’s no telling which of his bunkers he’s hiding out in.
Sheyliene bummed some earbuds off one of the Paladins. She’s in the front seat next to me watching the whole infrared-voyeur video. Occasionally we are subjected to her low “ooohs” or “mmms” that I assume we are not supposed to hear. For the last while, she’s been fidgeting and readjusting herself in the seat. I interpret that as my fairy getting worked up.
Why she would want to do that to herself, I have no idea. But there she is.
“Shey,” I say, reaching over and tapping her lightly on the thigh.
She jumps and pulls one of the earbuds out. “What?”
“Can I see that tablet?”
“Sure. It’s pretty amazing. I haven’t seen Silly going at it like that in a long time. We used to… Well, not we, it wasn’t really me. You know the old boss made me do things. And when she was in charge, everybody did things for her.”
“Well, no I didn’t know that exactly.”
I hold my hand out for the tablet. She unplugs the earbuds and hands it to me with a smile, squirming a bit to readjust herself again.
I push the passenger window button down and Frisbee the damn thing out the window.
Arix snickers.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No, Shey. It just probably had tracking devices in it.”
“Oh yeah. It probably did… I wish Winx were here.”
“Me too, Shey.”
“Except he probably knows. I think he saw me disappear.”
“You know it, or think it?”
“Think it mostly. Well, know it. I mean we were flying around.”
“Hmmm.”
And there are no hard feelings.
Mostly. It still stings a bit. But she warned me it would be strange, and it’s not like I didn’t know she was up to things with those two. But still.
I pull over eventually and get out of the vehicle. I use my phone for the Znuul network to look up Jxsiga’s and Paul’s home number. I call them on my Protectorate phone. I know it’s tapped; The Protectorate needs to hear this conversation.
It rings, and eventually I hear Jxsiga’s voice pick up.
“Hello?”
“Yeah… it’s Arthur. Can’t talk long as I’m now on most-wanted status with The Protectorate. Just had to let you know that people are filming you having sex with Sil and Paul.”
Dead silence.
“What?”
“Yeah… there’s this infrared or heat camera they have, and they shared this whole thing with me of you all going at it. It’s yellow-red stuff, but still pretty detailed. I thought you’d want to know they’re doing that.”
“People are filming us? What?”
Exactly the response I expected.
“Yeah… they had this whole seven-hour video of you guys going at it. I didn’t watch it all, but Sheyliene got an eyeful. I figured, since we’re friends now, I should let you know. Oh, geez, that is a low thing to do, film y’all like that.”
I had to add that for any Protectorate types listening, which I must assume they are.
“Yes, it is.”
“Well, that’s all I got. Sil warned me it would be weird. It is weird. I’m not angry. It’s just strange… and strange.”
“Let me get her to call you. You two need to talk.”
“We probably do. But I have to burn this phone. And I need to go underground. Just tell her I’m not angry or anything. I’ll be in touch when I can. If they’re filming you through walls, they’re probably bugging other things. And listening to this conversation. If they are, guys you have to know something’s not right with all this. You have to.”
“Arthur…”
I hang up. Now they know they’re being watched. That was the important thing. And knowing Jxsiga, some heads are going to roll. If she finds those heads.
Chapter 51
My next call was to Edgar, using the Znuul network phone. I let him know what was going on and asked for a pickup after pushing on to Little Rock. He told me to push on to Nebraska and call back. I told him I wasn’t comfortable driving this car any further.
So we crash in Little Rock. I park the car blocks away, figuring it’s tagged somehow. I sent Arix in under disguise to buy our rooms.
You can never be too safe.
After a night’s rest, I send Shey out to the vehicle to judge if it’s being watched. After a report that it’s not, we jump in, gas up, and make the drive to right outside Omaha. I put the battery back in the phone and call Edgar again.
He tells me to find a place to hang tight, and they’ll send a ride to me.
So no-tell motel here I come again. I get us two rooms: one for the guys and one for the girls. That works mostly, except Shey is asking about “helping” again. We collectively shut the idea down quickly.
It’s a day of fast food and magic fingers until Znuul’s team phone rings. I pick it up.
“Hello.”
“I’m about five minutes from you,” comes a bubbly female voice that I finally recognize as Kitten’s.
“Oh, good.”
“I’ve been driving all day; you drive back?”
“Sure.”
“Yay! See you soon.” Click.
Sure as shootin’ in five minutes, there’s a knock on the door. I don’t even bother with the peephole and open the door.
“Hi!”
“Well, hello to you, Miss Kitten. Please come in.”
She says “thanks!” and does. “That was a long drive. Where’s Sheyliene?”
“In the other room with Vets.”
She wastes no time going to the other room.
I guess little itty-bitty slave girls should have a club.
Arix looks at me, “So, are we leaving this dismal place?”
“We are, sir.”
“Now?”
“Working on that, Arix. The recovery team is here.”
Kitten comes back out and looks at me in as much seriousness as I can imagine from her.
“I need a friggin’ nap. Do you mind if I sleep a bit before we go? It’s a huge drive.”
“Surely. Whatever you need – remember I offered to drive?”
“Oh yeah. See how tired I am? You want out of here, eh?”
Arix answers before I can.
“Oh, yes please.”
⁂
Our destination is in the GPS. All I have to do is follow the directions. Kitten is passed out in the front seat, and my crew is in the back of the Hummer. We’ve been driving for a few hours.
Kitten begins to stir. Her eyes open, and I get the doe-eyed smiley face.
“How far?”
“We have about two-and-a-half hours, Ms. Kitten.”
“Nice. I’m ready to get back. I hate being away from Master… and Missus.”
“Well, you will be back soon. Anything new going on in the bunker?”
“No. Not really. Well… maybe. I think Greg is hooking up with the evil bitch. I have a sense for these things.”
“Really? Greg and Ahzna?”
“Can’t be sure, but I kind of think so… I don’t know for sure.”
“Ewww…” comes Shey from the back. “Who would lay with the evil bitch? She’s like… evil.”
Arix chuckles at all of us.
“I can’t be sure. It just seems like it,” Kitten says defensively.
“No worries,” I tell her. “Sounds like bunker business as usual.”
Chapter 52
About a week of bunker life and I’m already disgruntled with it. Not that the bunkers are so bad, it’s just that I really prefer to be living in my own house, puttering around my business and my things.
Unfortunately, life isn’t allowing for that.
At least there’s routine. Everyone gets up at the crack of dawn, grabs a communal breakfast of sorts, then disappears to either the office or the garage. The garage has been converted to a makeshift “war room” of sorts with office partitions used more for pinning things up than partitioning. The office really belongs to Edgar and Percy more than Znuul now, and while he’s been fairly gracious about it, I have the feeling his territorial side is unhappy.
Speaking of routines, Sheyliene offers her “help” regularly – usually right after lunch and right before bedtime. I still don’t get how it is “not cheating” – but Sheyliene is Sheyliene.
Tonight she threw me a curve; she wants to snuggle with me. Now snuggling is not a bad thing. Sheyliene and I have snuggled for years. Heck, she loved to snuggle with Dory. The issue is the bunker room: they are equipped with a twin bed which doesn’t make for a lot of room. But Shey has some ingenuity and a simple solution to that. In a cascade of silvery dust, she resizes herself to about the size of a Barbie. The issue for me is, with her being latched on my arm, what if I roll over?
I do not wish to smash or smother my fairy.
So, sleep isn’t happening – I extricate myself gently, grab my notepad, and head out to the living room. Maybe I can gel some thoughts and be of some service in figuring out where the ambassadors are or where they’ll be going. Percy offered me a tablet thing, but for me, paper and pen are better for collecting thoughts and making notes of ideas for business.
I know these ambassadors started with the People’s Islamic State, so I guess they’re looking for the zealot type. I start to jot
down a list of the most likely candidates: North Korea, Russia, Iran, maybe even China. After a little bit of soul-searching, I realize my thoughts are rather parochial, as I left off the United States of America. While I don’t think that the American people are necessarily looking to dominate the world, I do believe politicians are politicians, and politicians are more worried about their own personal power than the greater good.
I review the list and get a little frustrated. I’m not breaking any new ground. Perhaps somewhere in this short and very obvious list, a likely candidate exists. So, I think another approach is called for. I start thinking of countries not to expect. First up is the Swiss, more than likely because of Znuul’s complaints about Swiss bankers and their refusal to share information.
I hear the sound of a door opening on the upstairs bank of rooms. I glance upstairs and out from Greg’s room slinks Ahzna in full Baalig form. She looks down at me sourly and jumps over the balustrade and with an easy “poof” of the wings lands lightly on the floor.
Based on how the Chicago Bears shirt flipped up I can see that’s all she’s wearing. She pads over to me and stands over me imperiously.
“You saw nothing.”
“Actually, I got quite an eyeful when you jumped over the rail.”
“You will say nothing.”
“Is that you telling me I saw nothing or you telling me not to say that I saw anything that I saw?”
“I am telling you to be silent of this matter, or else.”
This is rich. I am being threatened – again.
“Well, let’s see. You’ve already established that you’re going to destroy my family person by person, kill my girlfriend, and save me for last so I can truly despair. Exactly what is it you are threatening me with? There’s really nothing else is there? So, I say go pound sand, EB.”
I look back down to my notebook, pretending to go back to doing what I was. Moments pass, and to my dismay, she hasn’t left.
“How may I secure your silence in this matter?”
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