“Liar.”
“Very possible. I am a Guardian, you know. Shall we?”
May was the first to react, beaming a smile that would light up a thousand cities if it could have been bottled. She moved towards me with arms spread, and then stopped, seeing that she’d have to dislodge Hunter from my arm and he was making a pretty good lamppost right now for me to lean on.
“Good to see ya,” Limox grumbled from his spot on the sofa. “Took you long enough to get it in gear.” He returned his attention to the pornographic magazine discreetly hidden in a travel mag.
“I missed you too.” I nodded to the others. “Stephen, anything you need?”
“Nah.” The large man was stretched out on the floor, lifting a pair of ancient metal weights that David must have found somewhere. The six-plus inches of lead bounced up and down like they were water balloons. “I like this place. Lots of books.”
Kol’tak hadn’t moved from his spot sitting cross-legged in front of the fat old television, so I went to sit beside him on the hardwood floor, wincing only a few times as my muscles complained. After all this I needed to find a good masseuse and let him work me over for a few days.
“Hey.”
He turned to look at me. “Hello. I’m glad to hear you’re uninjured.”
“Hard head.” I mimicked knocking my knuckles against my skull, making a clicking noise with my tongue.
The alien stared at me.
“Right.” The television was showing some cartoon dealing with creatures popping out of cards and brawling on a field for supremacy. Thank God the Chu’kar didn’t come looking for transformable animals and robots. “Hunter told me what you believed about our world. I’m sorry we weren’t exactly what you were looking for.”
Hunter appeared again, offering yet another hot mug of tea. I took it with a grateful look, turning back to the alien.
“We…underestimated your world. For that, I am sorry.” Pressing his lips tightly together, Kol’tak glanced at the colorful show. “We are a people built on honesty and honor. We never thought that you would falsify such things.”
“Well, it wasn’t my idea. I could give you a long speech about the difference between imagination and reality, but that’s not going to resolve the situation we’re in right now.” I studied the hot liquid for a minute. “But now that we’ve figured that out, what are we going to do about it? Because this can’t go on.”
“True.” He looked back at the cartoon. “We cannot return home without losing face. We cannot stay here and expect a proper fight.”
“Speaking of such…” I gestured at his human body. “I might not be very diplomatic about this, but is that what you really look like?”
The blond man grinned, showing off teeth so white it reminded me of arctic snow. “No, no it is not. We assume the form of the warriors we intend to fight in order to maintain the balance. As we also take your powers and use them against you.”
Hunter slapped his forehead. “Of course…” he murmured. “Why the fuck not?”
An angry glare from May, who was sitting on the couch next to Limox, had him issuing a sheepish nod of apology.
Kol’tak ignored the Guardian’s interruption. “Thus we maintain a balance.”
“So you can’t just go back and tell them it’s all been a horrible mistake and go home.” I leaned back, resting my head on the arm of the chair. “And you can’t stay here unless we’re going to take you out one by one by one.”
“Which we could do,” Slammer rumbled from behind me. “Gonna put the slam down on them if we have to.”
“Which we don’t want to do.” I put up my hand, hopefully silencing the super. “No offense, but I don’t think we need to do Pittsburgh on a daily basis. Not to mention that it’ll kill us, literally.” Turning back to Kol’tak, I continued the mild interrogation. “What happened to your ship? It seemed to fold away.”
“One warrior is chosen to represent each Blooded ship. Once I lost, my craft returned to the home world and the warriors distributed among the other Trial ships to go out again elsewhere.”
“So how did you get chosen?”
“I fought my way up through the ranks.” There was a note of pride in the alien’s voice. “I earned the right to meet your people in combat.” The pride disappeared. “Now I have failed and both our worlds are endangered because of your deception.”
I sucked in my breath through my teeth, making a whistling noise. “Yeah, well…we’re going to have to do something about that.” My attention went back to the television set where another series of monsters were slugging it out with their owners egging them on. “Who’s the leader of your merry band?”
Kol’tak frowned. “That would be Mal’tor. He’s the one who is in command of the entire fleet.”
“Ah.” I chewed on my bottom lip again. The aching on the side of my head had eased up a bit. I tried not to think about the stitches keeping part of my overworked brain together as a kernel of an idea started to form. “How did he get his job?”
Now it was the alien’s turn to shrug. “He fought his way up to lead, like we all do. You fight for your position.” His tone reminded me of an adult talking down to a petulant child, but I figured I’d let that go.
“So if you wanted to take him out and did so, you’d be in charge of the fleet?”
A look of astonishment in Kol’tak’s eyes signaled that I was onto something. Hunter’s frown was just as revealing.
“Technically, yes. But I don’t think I could do that.”
“Why?” I pressed the blond man for answers. “Why not?”
Kol’tak stared down at the floor. “I’m not strong enough. I know that much. If I attempted to best him in combat for the leadership of the fleet, I would lose.”
“And if we helped you?”
I thought Hunter was about to have a coronary. As it was he almost fell over, a physical manifestation of the surprise I saw in the alien’s eyes.
“Help…me?” Rage flashed in his eyes. “That would be cheating. Dishonorable.”
“There’s nothing dishonorable about taking measures to resolve a dispute that is built on a misunderstanding.” I spoke quickly, hoping the loose logic wouldn’t trip me up. “If it saves the lives of my people and yours, then the results will be worth the actions.” I felt the eyes of the entire team on me. “Look, you don’t want to be here. It’s all a mistake. But if you take over the fleet, you can declare your honor satisfied and get the heck out of here and go home with your chin held high, right?”
“Technically…” He began to play with a loose thread from one of the many tears in his blue dress shirt. “Once I got back to Command I could inform them discreetly about the mistake.” A pained expression appeared on his face. “We would have to do it rather quietly, as to not devalue the battles here. After all, the warriors have fought well.”
I tamped down the urge to scream at him about the death of Mike and all those other supers. Instead I nodded my approval.
“But how are we doing to do that?” Hunter voiced the question we were all probably thinking. “If he can’t beat this guy…”
“We do what we just did. Except that we target this one guy and help Kol’tak take him down.” I turned back to the alien. “I realize this isn’t exactly in keeping with your honor code, but can you see the logic in it?”
He rubbed the tip of his nose with a single finger. “It is not the most honorable way to fight. We usually prefer single combat.”
“Except, as you said, there’s been a grave miscalculation here.” I pressed the issue forward. “What’s worse—to have a slightly besmirched honor from having helped to correct a mistake or have your people outright murder a weaker foe?”
Kol’tak shook his head. “This is very confusing. We had no idea that your race was so duplicitous.”
“Trust me,” Limox responded from the sofa. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Jessie sprinted from the computer table to the front wind
ow and peered through the light blue blinds. “We’ve got company.” There was a slight tremble in his voice. “And it’s not the cops.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Oh, great. The police I could handle.” Scrambling to my feet, I moved over to stand by Jessie. “They come up on the monitors?”
“Peter got the alert before they appeared on screen.” Jessie gave a smile and a nod to the young man sitting on the couch.
“Can’t get by my early warning system.” Peter tapped his right temple. “Besides, they smell bad. Too much aftershave.”
“Most of us like to go au naturel.” Jessie gave me a sly wink before continuing. “Two in the front, three in the back. And I’m sure there’s aerial coverage somewhere.” He gestured towards the two men standing in front of the bookstore door, shadows on the black and white monitor.
Dressed in dark suits, both were wearing identical sunglasses and holding identical briefcases. Never let it be said that the Agency tried to blend in.
“Damn. Damn, damn, damn.” I spun around. “Hunter, any suggestions?”
“Got any tranquillizer guns?” He sighed at his own weak joke. “You knew they’d be here eventually.” A weary look came over his face. “You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you?”
I went along with the joke. “Actually, yeah. I was sort of hoping it would be.” Taking a deep breath, I went around the room, giving out assignments. “May, get ready to knock them out if need be. Stephen, Limox, just stay low and if there’s any fighting, remember to go lightly on them. I don’t want any more deaths—they’re human and not the enemy. Peter…” I waved a hand at him. “Can you tell me anything about them?”
He stared past me for a minute and then nodded. “They’re armed. Pistols, I think. One’s got some lotion for some rash on his arms and the other’s burping garlic.”
I couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks. Can you ask for some backup in case we need to make a fast retreat? Not that I’m planning to, but just in case we have to evac out of here in a rush.”
“Roger that.” He raised his right hand to his forehead in a weak salute. “Street cats and purebred toy dogs work for you?”
“That’d work just fine. Don’t jump the gun, but stay frosty and wait for me to make the call.” Walking past the couch, I grabbed Hunter’s arm. “May, you’re in charge with David until we get back. Any trouble starts, get out of here and find someplace safe with Kol’tak.” I eyeballed the alien. “You give her the respect you give me, understood?”
He nodded, eyes back on the television set and the brightly colored cartoons as if I had just been talking about what to make for dinner. “Understood.”
As we stumbled down the stairs together Hunter pulled me close. “Any idea what we’re going to do?”
“Well, unless you’ve been a spy all this time…” I put up my hand, seeing the shock and hurt in his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m not going there. I know you’re good. I trust May so you come along for the ride.”
“Thanks. I think.” He took hold of my right hand, squeezing it lightly. “Although I’d like to think that I can stand on my own merits.”
“Give it time.” Releasing his hand, I glanced through the stacks of books at the two figures waiting patiently at the locked front door, one already peering through the windows around the CLOSED sign. If you were walking by, you might mistake them for real-estate agents looking for a new client or Men in Black searching out the local MUFON chapter.
The deadbolt was just as sticky and the hinges as noisy as ever, announcing the two agents’ entrance with the subtlety of a bulldozer.
“John. Paul.” Hunter nodded as he stepped back, letting me take point. “Good to see you.”
“Dillon.” The first Agency man, a thin one with long grey hair pulled back into a shaggy ponytail, moved in first. His obvious subordinate, a youngster who couldn’t have been more than twenty, closed the door behind them and leaned on it, crossing his arms and trying to look tough.
“Tell the punk to cut it out before I start laughing.” I grinned at the first man. “Jo Tanis.”
“John Outrager.” He didn’t offer a handshake. “You seem to be in a bit of trouble.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” I glanced at the walls with what I hoped was a nonchalant look. “I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
“Sure.” Outrager moved around to sit on one of the stools and stretched out his arms along the nonfiction shelf. “Getting slammed in New York, beaten senseless in Pittsburgh and now…what? What’s your next great plan?”
“Probably throwing you and the kid here out on your asses.” I felt the slightest hint of May’s static at the back of my mind. “If you’ve got a point, make it. I’ve got things to do.”
“Okay.” The older agent leaned forward, pulling his arms back down. “The Agency is not pleased. Not at all.”
“About anything specific?” I held up a hand, counting off the points. “About lying about an alien invasion? About abusing the people under your care? About misleading the public about the existence of supers? Where would you like to start?”
Hunter put a hand over his mouth, hiding the smallest smile as the kid shifted his weight back and forth between the two brand-new shoes on his feet. The squeak might have come from the warped floorboards or from the shoes, I couldn’t tell which.
“Didn’t break those in much, did you?” I turned my attention back to Outrager. “So forgive me if I really don’t give a shit about what the Agency thinks.”
“Can’t blame you.” The older man looked at Hunter, then back to me. “We fucked up and we fucked up big time, of that there’s no doubt. But this isn’t the answer. Staying rogue isn’t good for you or for them.” He gestured to the ceiling. “And if you think you’ve beaten the Agency, well…” A thin smile appeared. “You really think we only had the plug command system in one spot?”
My stomach gave a sudden lurch, threatening to expel the tea and sandwiches.
Hunter spoke first. “What are you talking about?”
“You think that you really disconnected all the plugs.” The grey-haired man held up his wrist, displaying a familiar wristband. “You think that Dillon knew everything about the Agency and how we work?”
A burning sensation started at the back of my neck, just under the scar tissue. My hand flew up to cover the plug, pressing down on the skin. Maybe it was just psychosomatic, but maybe…
“You think we’re just going to let you go?” John’s voice began to rise, turning into a shout as he continued. “I could pop your head, all of those freaks’ heads off in a minute.”
Hunter stepped forward, grabbing the freshly pressed lapels of the black suit. “That’s enough,” he announced in a low but threatening voice. “Don’t you dare move.” This was directed at the punk who had now moved off the door and was busy chewing his lips. “Go for a gun and I swear I’ll make you both regret the day you signed up.”
“Don’t worry, Hunt. I’m not here to kill your precious May. Or even Jo here.” Brushing the Guardian’s hands away, Outrager settled back on the stool. “But we can’t just let them play God with the world’s safety.”
“Why not?” I snapped back. My hands were bare, the gloves still upstairs, but I was already pulling in what I could from around us. The tension rose in my head as the edges of my vision began to blur. “You set us up for this and now you’re pissed off that your schedule got fucked up?”
“Look, we’re not here to fight.” The older agent put up his hands. “And don’t even think about zapping my ass. But you’ve got a prisoner of war here and we want him.”
“Or else?”
“Or else this gets ugly.” John nodded to the kid. “He may be a bit wet behind the ears, but the three in the back aren’t. Or the strike team just a few miles away and above us. You think your team is going to be up to taking them on? Killing for real? Killing humans?” He glanced at Hunter. “We may have trained them to be fighters, but we never taught them to
be killers.” His attention went back to me. “You want to roll those dice, Jo?”
“Okay. I’m listening.” I crossed my arms, mostly to hide my shaking hands.
“One—you give us the alien. Two—you come back under Agency command. Three—we’re working on a plan to take out the lead alien craft. Already picked up a few lost supers who’ll be added to your team. You can lead them, be the big woman on campus and a hero. Heroine.” He looked at me with a stern nod. “Questions?”
“Comments.” Again I held up my hand, ticking off points. “One—not going to happen. Two—not going to happen. Three—not going to happen because you don’t know anything about what you’re dealing with. And I’m not sure I’m willing to share that with you since you seem to be so keen on blowing our heads off.” I paused, out of breath. “Questions?”
The crimson stain on Outrager’s face said it all.
“Excuse me.” We all turned to see Kol’tak, standing in one of the aisles, book in hand. “I believe you’re talking about me, and I don’t really appreciate being left out.”
The young agent’s eyes went wide, and he scrabbled for his weapon, pulling the pistol out.
“Hey! Hey!” I put up my hand, grabbing as many waves as I could. If the kid started shooting in such a small area there was no way it could end well.
“Plantet, put that away,” Outrager barked, moving off the stool to stand in front of the alien. “I apologize for my overenthusiastic partner.” A short, sharp nod accented his pseudo-apology. “He is young and rather eager to see battle. I’m sure you understand.” Behind him Plantet flushed an angry red but stayed silent. Maybe there was hope for the punk.
Kol’tak nodded. “Accepted.” He studied the four of us. “May asked me not to come down but I insisted on seeing what was going on.”
“Well, you see Mister…” John fished for a word. “Mister…”
“My name is Kol’tak.” The blond man didn’t offer his hand. “And I’ve heard enough to know that your terms are not acceptable.”
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