Silvana wanted to know if the stories were true about his talents. She also thought that maybe after she neutralized him, she would take advantage of him while he slept. She had a thing for bad boys, and had been attracted to Jesse for a long while. She wanted some playtime with him before her father ate Jesse. Silvana also had a huge crush on Monica, who she had actually met once before. She had informed her father about Alexander’s call. Mr. Toad was also looking forward to seeing the White Skull, but for different reasons. He had special plans for Jaime.
While on his way to the Tropical Sunset, Jesse saw a familiar face that he hadn’t seen in a very long time. He crept up behind the man, who was fixing an opened circuitry panel in the wall. Jesse poked a finger in the man’s back, pretending it was a gun. “Where’s my money, Tony?” Jesse whispered. The gray-haired man nervously looked behind his shoulder. Once he noticed that it was Jesse, he relaxed.
“You ass,” Tony said, while smiling.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. How have you been? I haven’t seen you in like four years. You disappeared,” Jesse said, as he shook his friend’s hand. Tony, who was in his fifties, was six feet tall, slender, and had short, gray hair. He had a kind face, and wore glasses, which he adjusted after slinging his tool kit over his right shoulder. Like Don, Jesse had also worked with Tony many years ago, and they had become close friends. Tony was a security guard/maintenance man, and Jesse was also in security while they worked together on a space hotel, which was floating above Earth. Tony, who was a skilled martial artist, was also widely known as Mr. Fixit. He could fix anything, anywhere and during any circumstance. His skills were quite ingenious.
“What are you doing here? The last time I saw you, you were working on the Kobia Space Station,” asked Jesse. Tony scratched his head, “Well, you know how I feel about the UPG Council. I had a good career in the military for many years, and loved it, but when I retired, and tried to get back in, the Council rejected my application,”
“Yes,” Jesse replied.
“Well, after a while, one of the Council Members of the UPG took control of the Kobia Space Station, and all hell broke loose. I got into a couple of fights with him about some maintenance issues, which didn’t end on friendly terms. He was one of those idiots who thought he knew everything, but really didn’t know squat. I couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him. So, after a couple more disagreements, I quit, and brought my wife here,”
“So, you went from the Kobia Space Station, which is right above Earth, all the way to the last space station in the solar system. He must have been a real asshole. How are your daughter and son?” asked the space pirate.
“Good, my son is still in the military, and is doing well, and my daughter has become a corporate executive on Earth, making the big bucks,”
“Do you like it here? It’s not nearly as elaborate as the Kobia. It’s not bad, but the Kobia was one of the most elegant stations.”
“It’s all right. My wife isn’t crazy about it, but I’m paid pretty well to keep it running. Wait a second, what are you doing here? The last I heard on the news, you were battling it out with Monica. Is it true she blew up your ship? She was always crazy,”
“Walk me to a restaurant and I’ll give you the updated version of my life,” said Jesse. Tony nodded, and followed his friend as he told him everything that had been going on, including telling him about Jaime.
While in an Italian restaurant, Jesse finished explaining his situation. It took him an hour, but he felt relieved to get everything off of his chest.
“What if Jaime doesn’t get better, and then what would you do, because once they find out, they’ll come after you. And, if you’re traveling for a year while she’s sick, she could die. You may have to leave her,”
“I thought about that. I just hope we can find out what’s wrong with her before it’s too late. I may have to just take her with me, even if she’s sick. I know she wouldn’t want to be left to whoever wanted her. I know the doctors on the Horizon are the top in their field, so I was hoping that they could figure out what was causing her fever. There’s no way I’m going to leave her behind,” explained the pirate.
“How long are you staying?”
“For two days, at least, the doctor requested that I leave her in their care while they run more tests,” Jesse explained.
“Where are you going to stay?” asked Tony.
“The doctor suggested the Tropical Sunrise. Do you know where it’s at?”
“Yes, I’ll take you there. It’s not a bad hotel,” Jesse followed Tony to the thirty-second floor, as they walked up to the Tropical Sunrise. The entrance to the hotel had a tiki statue on either side of the doorway. On top of the doorway, there was a large pink neon sign, which read The Tropical Sunrise. After getting a room, Jesse and Tony checked on Jaime. Although the nurse gave the two men a hard time, she finally let them in to see her. Jaime rested peacefully in the hospital bed, and had seemed to stop sweating. Jesse sat on the side of the bed, and tried to see if she would wake up.
“Jaime, Jaime, its Jesse,” he repeated several times, until she slowly opened her eyes.
“What the hell?” Jesse said, as he stood up from the bed. Both men stared at her eyes.
“What’s the matter?” Jaime asked, in a groggy voice, seeing the concerned looks on their faces.
“Your eyes, they’ve changed,” Jesse said.
“There’re as black as midnight,” said Tony.
“What do you mean, they’re black? Get me a mirror,” Jaime asked. Jesse did, and gave it to her. “Oh, my God, what happened? They look so freaky. Jesse, what’s wrong with me?”.
“I don’t know, sweets, but were getting out of this hospital. Come on,” Jesse said, as he helped her out of bed. Jaime quickly dressed as Jesse and Tony took her straightaway to his hotel room. Tony stayed with them for a little while, and then had to go back to his place to see his wife. Jesse told him they were going to stay for at least another day, and then take off. Tony told them that he would see them off before he left.
“Do you still find me attractive?” Jaime asked, while wiping tears from her eyes. Jesse held her in his arms, while they lay on the bed.
“Of course you’re still attractive. I’ll always think you’re gorgeous,” Jesse was sincere, and tried to reassure her of his feelings.
“What do you think is wrong with me?”
“I don’t know. I could be just a virus or something. I think we should leave soon so we can catch up with the Horizon, to see what their doctors say. I don’t trust the doctors here. Plus, the Horizon has top notch scientists. Maybe they can figure out what’s wrong with you. Although, I think I should call Luis when we get back to the ship. He was born with eyes similar to yours. He has been to many doctors to find out exactly what has caused his eyes to become black. Maybe he has some insight on what is happening to you,” explained Jesse.
“His eyes are black?”
“Yes, he says it had to do with growing up near a toxic waste plant, but he never truly believed that was the only cause, so he consulted many doctors. Don’t worry, Jaime, whatever it is, I’ll help you find out what going on. And, don’t worry, I still think you look sexy, even if you do look crazy,” Jesse joked with her. Jaime smiled, jabbing him in the shoulder.
“My head hurts. I’ve been getting a sharp pain ever since I woke up. Do you have any aspirin?” Jaime asked.
“No, but…,” Jesse paused, and wondered if he should offer her a painkiller. If he did, he thought she might wonder why he was taking them. He didn’t want her to leave him if she found out he had a little problem. “I do have painkillers. If you want one, they’ll definitely help with your headache,”
She looked at him directly in his eyes with concern. It was a concern of well-being, because she didn’t want anything to happen to him. “What are you doing with painkillers?” “It’s a long story, which I promise I’ll tell you once we get out of here. But, in the meantime, you can have one i
f you want.” Part of Jesse’s inner demons of addiction wondered if he should share them with Jaime, since his supply was limited, but he cared for her so much, that he wasn’t going to let that stop him. He didn’t want her to feel any pain, and would give her his whole supply if he had to.
“All right,” Jaime accepted. Jesse got up and went over to a bag that had been sitting on the bathroom floor. He pulled out a pill, and brought it to Jaime with a glass of water. She swallowed it, and within twenty minutes, she began to feel relaxed. Her headache was gone.
“Wow, this really works, my headache is gone. My entire body feels heavy and relaxed. Can I have another one?” Jaime asked.
“No, you have to be very careful with these. You can have one if you get another headache. It is very easy to become addicted if you’re not careful,” Jesse explained. He didn’t want her to become addicted. It was a path he had regretted ever since he started, and was afraid that his heart would eventually throw in the towel after too much abuse. Jesse couldn’t believe that the possibility of death still hadn’t prevented him from stopping.
Jaime placed her hand on his cheek and asked, “Are you addicted?”
He felt his stomach knot up with her painfully true question, “Yes…but do me a favor and let’s wait to talk about it until after we leave. It’s not an easy subject for me to discuss. All right?” Jesse calmly requested.
“All right, babe,” Jaime said. Jaime’s heart broke with his answer, and she had forgotten about her own worries.
“Guess what?” Jaime asked him, trying to get his mind off of her discomfort.
“What babe?”
“I’ve fallen in love with you,”
“I’ve fallen in love with you, too,” Jesse said, and then leaned in and kissed her, as both of their hearts swelled with relief. Jesse held Jaime in his arms while they lay on the bed. They both had so much on their minds. It was a cluster of mixed emotions of both happiness and sadness.
Jesse hadn’t felt this good in a very long time, which had actually helped cure his addiction a little. He hadn’t taken any pills for twenty-four hours, which was very difficult for him. Jesse realized that she had a strong effect on him. He felt contentment with the warmth of her body. Jesse and Jaime had even talked about the possibility of having a future together aboard the Horizon, or on a planet. He felt amazed of the power of love, and hoped that she could help him change into a better person. They continued to hold each other throughout the night, caressing, and occasionally kissing. The next morning, Jaime was the first to get up. Jesse was still resting peacefully, and she didn’t want to disturb him. While in the bathroom, she glanced at his black bag on the floor, and saw a small medication bottle poking out. She looked over at Jesse, then kneeled down, and opened the bag. To her surprise, there was at least ten full bottles of painkillers.
Jaime was worried about Jesse, and hoped that maybe she could help him. She wondered what it was in his past that would make him turn to drugs. Jaime opened one of the bottles, popped another pill in her mouth, and washed it down with the water from the sink’s faucet. She tried to convince herself that the reason she took it was that her headache was coming back. Jaime decided that Jesse probably wouldn’t notice that one of his bottles was missing, so she stuffed some toilet paper in the top of the bottle to prevent it from making a rattling noise when she walked, and then she slipped it in her pocket. She didn’t feel as if she were stealing, since he probably would have given it to her anyway.
***
Silvana docked her ship, and carefully thought out her plan to capture the two fugitives. She already knew they were in the Tropical Sunrise Hotel, but wasn’t sure if that was the best place to pick them up. While on her ship, she charged up her neutralizing gun. All she would need was two clean shots, and it would knock them both out. She really wanted to fight Jesse to see how good he was, but didn’t want to risk losing them. Her father would punish her severely if she came back empty-handed. After preparing her weapons, she stretched her limber body, just in case she had to confront the space pirate. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and then left her ship. Silvana figured the best place to wait for Jesse and Jaime would be near the Black Ice. The doctor had them watched and informed her that they were on the way to Jesse’s ship. The hanger that Jesse’s ship was docked in was a wide-open area. It was bad for him, but good for her. Silvana found a good hiding spot behind a group of crates and patiently waited for her prey.
Tony walked his friend and Jaime to the hanger bay. He was sorry Jesse had to leave so quickly, since it had been so long since he had last seen him. Jesse offered Tony and his wife to come with them in search of the Horizon, but his wife wasn’t thrilled about the idea. Tony would have loved to gone with him, exploring the universe.
“I hate to see you leave, Jesse. I hope you find the Horizon. Make sure that you check her into the hospital as soon as you find them, so they can help find a cure,” Jaime liked the sound of being called Jesse’s girlfriend, and smiled when she heard it.
“Don’t worry, I will. It’s a shame your wife is such a party pooper. If you ever change your mind, just follow the coordinates I gave you. It should lead you directly to us,” Jesse stated, as the three of them entered the hanger bay, and walked to the Black Ice while saying their goodbyes.
“Well, hopefully I’ll see you somewhere in the univer…” Jesse became alert when he heard a swooshing sound. A small blue dark stuck in the side of Jaime’s neck and she fell to the deck.
“What the fuc…” Jesse pulled out his laser pistols and looked around. He saw a head pop out from behind a group of crates, so he fired at the figure. As he crouched by his girlfriend, Jesse heard another swooshing noise and saw Tony drop to the ground. Right as Jesse fired a shot at the crates, he was struck in chest by a dart. The space pirate fell to his knees, trying to fight the deep sleep that was coming over him. He fell to his side as he tried to figure out who was walking towards him. It was a beautiful spinning female. Just as he was about to pass out, he concentrated, and fired a shot at the figure, hitting Silvana in the middle of her right leg. Jesse grinned.
“Bastard!” Silvana knew he was strong and was pissed off that she didn’t wait until he completely passed out. Silvana limped over to Jesse and kicked him in the face, leaving a nasty cut on his cheek. After lugging Jaime and Jesse onto her ship, she tended to her wound, and flew on a course heading directly to meet her father. She hovered over Jaime, and opened one of her eyes. She recognized the black eye. Although Jaime was unconscious, Silvana talked to her.
“Welcome home, sister, our father has been waiting a long time for your return. Soon, our brother will be fully transformed, and our family can finally follow through with our long awaited plans. I apologize in advance, sister, but I must enjoy your boyfriend for a while. You don’t mind sharing, do you sister?” she said, and then walked to her room where Jesse rested on her bed. After she bandaged her thigh, Silvana kissed Jesse’s warm lips and then slowly undressed him. Silvana knew he wouldn’t wake up for at least five more hours. So, she ran her hands over his chest and down the side of his leg.
“It’s a pity you have to die, Jesse. I would have loved for you to be my play toy. I did ask father, but, unfortunately, he says no. Oh well, at least we have a few hours together,” Silvana said, with a grin on her beautiful, evil face. Silvana began to stroke his penis, which quickly becomes erect.
“Good boy, that was fast,” Silvana commented. She began to strongly suck his manhood, getting it wet enough for insertion.
“Who knew the White Skull would taste so yummy,” Silvana laughed. She slowly began to rid herself of her clothing in anticipation of riding him. The sexy American Indian assassin straddles Jesse’s manhood, and eases herself down, until her butt touches his legs. Silvana’s insatiable lust overcomes her, as she violently rides on top of the White Skull. Silvana was surprised that Jesse could last so long. She made sure she took full advantage of his body during almost the entire trip.
***
Several hours later, Tony woke up with a sharp headache. He noticed Jesse’s ship was still in front of him, but he and Jaime were gone. He saw the black device Jesse kept in his pocket to open his ship, next to his bag.
“That slick devil, he must have left it for me,” Tony said, as he picked it up. He opened up Jesse’s ship and hopped in. Since he knew Don was still on the Blue Neon, he figured he would see if he would help him rescue Jesse. The three of them were close friends. After several attempts, he finally reached Don. Luckily, Don agreed, and told Tony to fly the Black Ice to the Blue Neon. Don talked with Haseeb, and he promised that he would not rest until Jesse and Jaime were safe and out of harm’s way.
Chapter 11
“Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.”
Sun Tzu
Monica’s vow to find out the truth about Jaime had begun to unfold. She contacted the Haven sisters for help. In Monica’s ship, the Huntington, the three beautiful women sat around an oval illuminated table in the ship’s mess hall.
“I need your help again,” said Monica.
“Does it involve the White Skull?” Cinnamon asked.
“Yes, how did you know?” Monica asked.
“It always involves him,” Heather stated. Monica’s eyes narrowed. Heather and Cinnamon both shrugged their shoulders.
“I found him at the Milingrow Depot. My friend, Rex Clayton, contacted me. One of his men saw Jesse en route to his station. Luckily, I was just able to catch him while he was loading supplies on his ship. I talked to him and asked him if he would give me another chance. He said he would have, but he met another woman…fucking woman,” Monica explained. Both sisters’ eyes lit up, and they leaned in with curiosity.
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