by Zara Zenia
He shook his head.
"I followed you there."
"Susan was right!" I cried. "She told me she didn't trust you!"
"Your friend is very observant," he said. "I watched her too. For a long while, while I planned the mission, I gathered information on all the women in your office. Susan, I remember her."
I couldn't believe my ear and began to sob heavily.
"So why me, eh? Why me? Why not pick Susan. She's a tough girl and can handle anything and you would have known that if you'd watched her too. So, tell me, why me?"
He parted his lips to speak then changed his mind. I hit him in the chest and shouted:
"Why me!"
"Because you were single, and had been for so long. Because it would seem more likely that you'd fall for me. It seemed easier for me to gain your trust. I knew you hadn't had a boyfriend in years, knew that you were craving attention even though you always denied it..."
His voice trailed off.
"I was a target. An easy target."
My tears trickled down and dripped onto the floor. I watched as a single drop fell between the floorboards then sniffed and wiped my eyes with the back of my sleeve.
"I'd fall in love easily," I said. "And that's all it took for you to pick me."
"No... it was like that at the start, but it's not like that now. Everything I said was true. I do love you."
"Please, no. Don't say it. I can't bear to hear it."
"Listen to me."
"No."
"You need me!" he pleaded.
"I need you as much as I need a hole in my heart. Leave."
He stepped out into the night and waved at the neighbors who were still poking their heads through their curtains.
"How will you protect yourself when the agents come?" he asked.
"I'll figure it out," I said. "Besides, what if they don't?"
"What if they do?"
Behind me, Sophie mewed softly and pushed her head into my calf.
"I only have one person who loves me and if you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time with her.”
"They're going to come for you," he said. "They will and you won't be able to stop them from doing what they want."
I let out a long, sad sigh.
"Right now, I don't care what they do to me. What's the point in life? What's the point of anything if it's all a lie."
And I slammed the door in his face.
As I curled up on the sofa, I heard the rev of his engine and the screech of his tires as he angrily sped away. Lying my head on Sophie's stomach, I listened to her purr and felt her front paws play with my hair.
"Next, I'm going to find out that you're not really a cat and that you're actually an alien too. I bet you're one of those secret agents and you've been here all these years to gather intelligence. I bet you're not even an alien, but a robot instead. If I ever were to lift your fur, I'd just find a circuit board with a sticker on it that said: ‘Got you sucker’. That's it. Life's out to get me and drive me insane."
Not knowing what was real and what wasn't, I felt as though my thoughts were going into a tailspin. If everything about Dray was fake, then what about everyone else? Were they aliens too?
Sitting up, I looked into Sophie's eyes for some sort of sign that she was an Orban. I even prodded her stomach to feel for a hard drive.
"You're going nuts, Anya. Batshit cuckoo bananas."
Dragging myself into the kitchen, I splashed my face with cold water. As I dried my face, I caught sight of my reflection in the window and jumped.
"Shit! It's not an agent. It's your own face, stupid."
Would there ever be an end to the fear? Now that I was initiated into this new life, it would seem that nothing would ever be normal again, not even my own reflection. Maybe I should have accepted his protection. He was the only one who knew what was going on. I could use him the way he used me. Running the tap to fill up the kettle, I listened to the gushing of the water and thought about what I should do. I could either take control of the situation or be forever afraid.
Chapter 15
Draygus
The mission had been successful and now, as I stood in the center of my rooftop garden, a group of fellow Orbans surrounded me. The only problem was that I didn't care anymore. All I could think of was Anya and winning her back.
"Yo, Draygus. What's with the sad face?"
Larta smacked me on the back.
"We got your message and came all the way to see you and now you're moping around."
"I'm not moping around," I lied. "I just have a lot on my mind."
"Like that sweet piece of human ass?" Doti asked with a smirk.
"Never you mind about her," I said.
As the meeting began and we all gathered around the table, it was time to discuss our tactics. Palzu had to be stopped no matter what.
"What do you suggest? Larta asked.
He had morphed into his human shape, but his blue tail was still protruding out the back of his pants, flapping from side to side as it bounced off the chair.
"I suggest we kill him," I said.
"Kill him?" Norax gasped. "Whatever happened to the original plan of running and hiding?"
"Okay, we can't just run and hide," I said. "We need to strike soon. We need to attack. His men are everywhere. They're here on Earth, breathing down our necks every minute of every day. It's a wonder they haven't killed one of you already."
Larta scratched his chin and sat back against his tail.
"As long as Palzu lives and rules, we are all in danger no matter what."
"I agree," chimed in the oldest Orban at the table, Japhinx.
With his long hair and glistening, gray eyes, he looked like a shapeshifting wizard.
"Young Draygus, the moment I received your message, I knew you thought the same as me. And may I commend your bravery so far. Breaking into the satellite facility was no easy feat. You are most skilled."
"Thank you," I nodded. "You comprehend how happy your compliment makes me."
"So tell us, how did you manage to infiltrate the facility?" he asked. "I have been informed you used the help of a young human girl."
"I did," I nodded. "I'll admit that it wasn't my proudest moment. I had to make her fall in love with me in order to gain her trust, but..."
I felt my voice began to croak as I spoke. Never had I felt as though I was close to tears while talking about a woman but now, with Japhinx's cunning eyes on mine, it felt as though I was falling apart.
He sensed the sadness within me and turned to the rest of the table.
"Young gentleman, we have a lot to plan. I think the early stages of strategizing could be in your hands," he pointed at them and they beamed. "Formulate a plan in which to gather more Orban troops. I must discuss a pressing matter with Draygus here."
He led me away to the edge of the garden and we looked down over the edge of the building. From here, the ground below looked as far away as the skies above and in the middle stood the old man and me.
"I can sense you lost a great deal in this mission," he said.
I gulped down my sadness and shook my head.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't be obtuse, young man. I can see it in your eyes, the way you look as though you'll crumble to pieces at the mere mention of her name. You think I don't know what you're going through? The others will laugh. They will think the endless seduction of women to be nothing more than an infantile yet pleasurable joke. Yet, you and I know better."
There was no use lying to him. He was the wisest man I knew. At times, it felt as if he was so knowledgeable that he could read your mind.
"I have never felt like this before," I sighed. "I have used women to gain access to places, have used them as I would any other target and betrayed them with an emptiness in my heart, but this is different. Anya is sweet and vulnerable. She loved me with everything she had and I threw it all back in her face. I was treacherous and broke he
r heart, but the worst thing is that she could die because of me. There are agents after her, they'll kill her the moment they see her!"
"Relax," Japhinx patted me on the shoulder before twiddling a strand of his gray mustache around his forefinger. Looking up to the sky, he pointed in the direction of Orba which, from where we stood, looked like little more than a cluster of white dots.
"There is a plan for everyone. What is happening right now will be for the best."
"It doesn't feel like it," I said. "It feels as though I've been a royal asshole."
He gave me a wry smile and peered back down to the street, resting his arms on the edge of the railing.
"It would appear that your past is catching up with you and you are developing a conscience. I remember when it happened to me. I fell in love with a target once before."
"You did?"
"I did."
A stormy look came over his eyes as he cast his mind back to her.
"And did it work out?"
I watched as his hands clutched tightly around the railing until his knuckles turned white.
"She died," he said. "Killed by an enemy agent."
I gasped and took a step back.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know that-"
"Take your chance," he interrupted me and gripped hold of my wrist. "You could lose forever. You've led her straight into the mouth of danger. Now you must bring her out or you'll have to live through what I did. Save her, young Draygus. Save your chance for happiness."
Chapter 16
Anya
Susan was sitting in the corner booth of the restaurant wearing sunglasses like I told her. I watched as she pulled her hood up before walking over, my scarf pulled up high over my face.
"Anya, where the hell have you been?" she asked as she pulled my hands to hers. "And what's with all the secrecy?"
She pointed at her sunglasses and somehow, I knew she was rolling her eyes behind them.
"Susan, listen. Some crazy shit is going down right now."
"You're telling me. Why haven't you been in work? The supervisor's been freaking since the other day. Did you hear about the guards being knocked out?"
"I did..."
I waited for her to mention the dead agent but she didn't say anything.
"So tell me, what's going on?"
Taking a deep breath and pressing my hands against the table to steady them, I began my story.
"Dray... He's not what I thought."
"I knew this involved him!"
"Listen, please... Don't tell me you told me so. I fucked up, okay? I fucked up and fell in love with a crazy guy."
"So, he's the reason why you've not been into work?"
"He's the one that knocked out guards," I admitted.
"Shut up!"
"It's true... He was using me, Susan. He seduced me that night just so he could enter the satellite facility."
"Are you serious?" she gasped, pulling off her sunglasses so she could get a closer look at my face.
"Put them back on!" I panicked and pushed them back onto her face. "There could be people watching us right now."
She pulled them off again and folded them neatly in front of her before huffing. Waving at a nearby waiter, she ordered a bottle of white wine and two slices of cheesecake before crossing her arms in front of her and chewing the inside if her cheek, something she only did when she was exceptionally angry.
"Anya, are you on drugs?" she asked.
"What?" I spluttered. "No! Listen. Dray -- He used me. He works for the military or something and he used me, but here's the thing. He said we're in danger now, that there are people looking for us because of what we did."
Susan stared at me as though I was losing my mind.
"But you know what? He said he loves me. That he didn't intend on falling in love, but he did."
She straightened out the cutlery in front of her and smiled as the waiter brought over our order. She dug her fork into the cheesecake before saying.
"Do you really expect me to believe this?"
"No," I replied. "Because I didn't believe it all either."
"I'm not surprised. I reckon he spun this whole crazy yarn just to get in your panties."
"No, he did it to get inside the facility," I explained. "Sex with me was incidental."
She chews thoughtfully on her food and takes a sip of her wine, looking into my eyes as she sets her glass back down.
"Look, Susan. I'm stuck in the middle of this crazy situation but the worst thing is that I'm really hurting here. I loved him and he betrayed me. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't think of anything else but him."
Her face softens as she hears this and sets her fork down.
"So he just fucked you to get into the facility, broke your heart, confessed to it all and left you."
"He didn't leave me. He's been chasing me ever since. He insists he loves me, says he wants to save me from whatever shitstorm we've got coming our way. It's insane, right? He can't love me."
She cocks her head to the side before saying:
"I dunno. Maybe he does love you. Think about it from his perspective. Okay, he did use you. He's obviously a nutcase, knocked out the guards, but thankfully they're okay and there's no real harm done. Then he admitted it all and told you wants to stick around. If he was really such an asshole, he would have just cut you loose. But he's trying to stick around. Maybe he really does love you and just acted like a douche because, you know, guys are douches from time to time."
"You make him sound like an alright guy," I said
At the forefront of my mind, I was desperate to tell her about the planet called Orba he said he was from and the agent with the mesmerizing gun. I wanted to tell her about all the times I had vomited at the memory of the agent's body and how Dray was some sort of intergalactic spy. But I couldn't say any of it, not without her calling a psychiatrist.
"I think he is an alright guy and maybe got himself caught up in this mess as easily as you did."
"When you put it like that..."
Susan always knew how to put things into perspective.
"Anyway, what did he want to do in the facility anyway?"
I narrowed my eyes as I tried to remember what he did, but knowing nothing of what he did in the communications room, I couldn't say.
"I don't have a clue," I said. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Digging into the cheesecake, I took a mouthful and savored the taste. It had been the first thing I'd eaten all day and I felt the sugar instantly revive me.
"Do you think there's really a chance he genuinely loves me?" I asked.
She pressed the last of the crumbs into her fork before licking it clean.
"I think there's a chance, sure. But as for what happens next, I can't say. Girl, it's up to you now."
My head was beginning to hurt with the effort of trying to work it all out. I pressed my fingertips into my temples and tried to massage the pain away.
As I looked over Susan's shoulder, I saw a figure in a black suit. Calm down, I thought. You're just being paranoid. It's just a regular guy in a suit. But paranoia had gotten the best of me and I couldn't stop staring at him. As our eyes met, he lifted his newspaper and covered his face. Shit... he's up to something, I thought. He's spying on me. Susan noticed the fear in my eyes and looked over her shoulder.
"What's up?"
"We need to get out of here," I said. "It's not safe."
"Do you really think people are watching you?"
Susan was peeking out through a gap in the curtains as she patted Sophie on the head.
"I mean it's creepy. Gives me goosebumps."
She shivered and rubbed at her arms before coming over to join me on the sofa.
"Sorry to scare you and bring you into this," I said. "I just had to speak to someone about it. Have to straighten my thoughts out and ask for advice."
She leaned into me and gave me a hug.
"Hey, that's what friends are for, right? We're here
through the thick, the thin, and the weird."
We both laughed and suddenly, the whole situation seemed ridiculous.
"It is weird," I smiled.
And she doesn't know the half of it, I thought. For a second, I contemplated telling her about Dray being an alien but silenced myself by biting my fingernails.
"So... You think he might be an okay guy? You said you didn't trust him."
She leaned back and stared forward at the television, placing a cushion on her lap for Sophie to jump onto.
"I dunno. I mean, obviously, you knew more about him than me, but I think there's a chance he's not all so bad. I mean sure, he used you, but he stuck around too and came clean about it all. Hell, most guys wouldn't do that if they were so much as wanting to sneak an extra beer with their buddies."
I couldn't help but smile.
"You've not had the best of luck with me, have you?" I asked.
"You're telling me. The truth is I'm a little bit jealous. Dray is hot as hell! And he's all wrapped up in mystery like I wish Justin Timberlake was wrapped in chocolate covered bacon. At this stage, it shouldn't even matter if it all goes to crap. He's exciting and wild. If I were you, I'd quit your job and drive off into the sunset with your James Bond lover boy. You wouldn't see me for the dust."
I laughed and slapped her thigh.
"You know he said he's never heard of James Bond!"
"No..."
She shook her head and chuckled as she reached for her wine glass.
"Lies, sweetheart. That's pure lies. Everyone's heard of James Bond!"
"Nuh-uh. He's told a bunch of lies, but I swear I believe him when he says he's not heard of James Bond."
She frowns and gives me a sideways glance.
"You've caught yourself a really strange guy," she said. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Now, if you don't mind me, I need to use the little kitty's room."
Disappearing into the downstairs bathroom, I listened to the sound of the door locking before pulling my phone out from under my pillow. There was a message flashing across the screen.
"Hey, call me, please. I really need to speak to you."
I felt my cheeks redden as I slid my phone back into place. I really needed to see Susan and letting loose for a few hours lifted my spirits and cleared my head enough rid myself of the hysteria that was driving me crazy.