by Michael Todd
They exited the elevator, and she led them to Juntto’s door. She set the bags down in front of her condo before crossing the hall. She was glad he wasn’t screaming obscenities at that point. She knocked on the door but got no response. She smiled at the cops and really banged her fist. Finally, she heard steps approaching the door.
Juntto opened it and leaned on the doorframe. Angie’s mouth fell open, but she quickly closed it. He looked like the guy from the cover of Far Cry Four. His skin was pale white, and he had white hair, which hid the ever-present silver streak. He was wearing a pair of purple pants and a white shirt. Angie looked behind him and saw a matching sports coat folded on the countertop. “Can I help you?”
The cops looked at each other and then at Juntto. “Uh, hi. We were wondering if you’ve seen this guy in the vicinity anytime recently?”
Juntto leaned over and looked at the picture. “Yeah, when I watched The Matrix the other day.”
All four of them laughed nervously. One of the cops looked at the other and shrugged. “Obviously this isn’t our guy.”
The other cop nodded. “Yep.”
They looked at Angie and Juntto and put on their hats. “Thanks for the cooperation. We didn’t mean to take up your time. Let us know if you see this guy. He could be dangerous.”
Angie stepped in front of Juntto before he could say anything. “We will, of course. Do you need me to walk you back out?”
The cops were already halfway down the hall. “We got it, ma’am. Thanks. Have a good day.”
They stood there smiling until the doors to the elevator closed. As soon as the cops were out of sight, the smile left Angie’s face. She huffed and pushed Juntto into the room, shutting the door behind her. Juntto peered around her. “No groceries this time? I’m really starving. You know, that broccoli cheese soup you brought home the other day was delicious. And oh man, the chips! I ate them in like five minutes. Seriously, I am starving.”
Angie growled. “Fill your own damn refrigerator, I’m not your maid. I just put food in there this morning. Pandora was right about your food consumption. You need to pace yourself and start buying food with your money. And what the hell are the cops here for? I thought I told you to be inconspicuous and not get yourself into any trouble. You were gone for an hour.”
Juntto put his hands up. “It really wasn’t my fault. I swear I followed all of the rules.”
“So the actual Morpheus beat up three people?”
“You look really stressed. Maybe you should sit down for a minute and take a deep breath.”
She grumbled as she walked to the table and picked up his shirt and pants. She ran her hands over the blood-splattered holes in the back of the shirt, then touched the blood on his pants. Her head snapped toward Juntto. “Who the fuck shot you?”
Juntto chuckled. “It’s a funny story, really. You are going to be like, Juntto, that’s hilarious!”
Angie stood there tapping her foot against the floor, holding up the shirt with her fingers through the holes. There was dried blood all over it. Juntto took a deep breath. He walked to his rolling chair and plopped down in it, feeling like a punished puppy. He wasn’t used to answering to anyone, much less a woman. He was a free-roaming Leviathan, or at least he used to be.
“All right, calm down. I’ll tell you the story. I went to GameStop and got a bunch of stuff. I decided to take a side street home to get here quicker. I read the map on my GPS, and it was a no-brainer. Anyway, I was walking along minding my own business when three guys came up behind me. They wanted to rob me, and well, I couldn’t let that go unpunished.”
Angie pursed her lips. “Of course not, but punishment should fit the crime, Juntto. Death and robbery do not balance.”
Juntto shook his head. “I know, but just listen. They started to fight me, and I held back all my strength and just kind of beat them up a little bit. If they had stopped, I would have let them run off. In fact, I did let two of them run off in the end.”
“I know. That’s who went to the police.”
Juntto scrunched his brow. “They got away, so they went to the police to turn themselves in?”
Angie waved her hands in the air frantically. “One of them did, but that’s not the point. How did the third guy end up dead and you wind up with three bullet holes in your shirt?”
“Well, that’s the interesting part. I was holding a guy against the wall, telling him he would never rob anyone again or I would find him. That was when his friend shot me three times in the back. I turned around and took the gun from him, then gave it back because I remembered the rule. Then he shot himself,” Juntto finished and looked at her with wide eyes.
She blinked several times. “So, you’re telling me this robber was so overcome with remorse that he decided to end it all right there in the alley? I don’t believe that for a second. You’ve got ten seconds to tell me the truth, or I’m bypassing Katie and calling Pandora.”
Juntto sighed loudly and threw back his head. “Fine. I could have killed him right there, no question. But then I thought about paperwork, and I really didn’t want to have to do that. Not when I am supposed to be playing Xbox.”
“And protecting the city?” Angie asked.
Juntto nodded. “Yeah, yeah, that too. Instead, I simply used my powers of suggestion, and the thief put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.”
Angie’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at him. “I actually believe you.”
Juntto rolled his eyes. “Because it’s the truth.”
Angie shook her head, still stunned. “So, you are telling me that you can use the power of suggestion to make people do things you want? I really don’t like that.”
Juntto shrugged and sat down on the couch with his bags. “It doesn’t work in all situations, but since he was already scared of me, suicide became a better choice in his mind. Trust me, it doesn’t work on the strong of heart and mind, like you or Katie or Lilith. You three would push it back without even realizing what I was doing.”
Angie lowered her shoulders. “Still, don’t go doing that. I get it, I do. But, seriously not cool.”
She looked down at the shirt and pants and balled them up, taking them over and dropping them in the trash. “Well, these clothes are a bust. And that was a really awesome shirt and pair of pants, too. I am going to consider buying you cheaper clothes. Maybe not Walmart-cheaper, but definitely cheaper than those were. I can’t even try to fix that.”
Angie walked to the couch and plopped down next to him. He was busily installing the cords on the Xbox. “Did you get an extra controller?”
Juntto pulled out the extra and tossed it to her. “Duh. I didn’t want to walk all the way back when you got mad.”
Angie shook her finger at him and smiled. “That was good thinking, my friend. I would have made you do it, too.”
She brought the bag into her lap and started pulling out the games. “Destiny. Decent game, although not as amazing as they said it was going to be. Far Cry Four, of course. I see where you got your outfit. Meh, the game’s good but not really my thing. Ahh, that’s what I’m talking about, baby. Halo, the Master Chief Collection. Nice.”
“You play all of these?”
Angie tried to ignore his tone of disbelief. “Sure do. I started when I was with my ex. He played, and when he was out drinking and ramping up to give me a good beating, I would play Halo. I pretended every alien I shot was him. I got pretty damn good at it, and the online play made me feel not so alone. I had a little family. Recently, I just haven’t had the time. Been building the dream with Katie. If I had a gaming system, I would be stuck to it constantly.”
Juntto laughed. “If anything happens to me, it’s yours.”
Angie smiled. “Aw, Juntto, that’s almost sweet. Now, let’s get rolling. Let the little woman clean your clock.”
Juntto snapped his head toward Angie. “Is that foreplay?” He grabbed the other controller and opened the bag of chips he’d put next to him
on the couch. “If it’s foreplay, I mean, I can figure it out.”
Angie grabbed a chip. “Don’t talk with food in your mouth. What are you, some kind of heathen Leviathan?”
Juntto grinned. “Sorry. When did you become the annoying wife or uptight girlfriend?”
Angie laughed loudly. “First, don’t ever refer to me as either of those ever again. I might take offense and use my powers of persuasion.”
Juntto looked at her with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out if she was kidding.
She smiled and took another chip. “You can’t decide if I’m joking. I’m going to let you simmer on that one for a bit. Now, number two. Let me just tell you that you haven’t seen uptight yet, alien-lord256.”
Juntto nodded, looking at the screen as the game came on. “I like that name.”
Angie chuckled. “Yeah, I saw your gamertag. You are like, so obvious that people would never suspect you. You are that guy people just assume has some weird obsession and lives in his mom’s basement eating cheese puffs. Somebody who owns three iguanas but has never had a girlfriend.”
Juntto paused. “I haven’t ever had a girlfriend.”
Angie slowly looked at him. “Never?”
“Why tie myself down?” He shrugged. “I like to keep my options way open.”
Angie wrinkled her nose and scooted a bit farther from him. “You are a man whore. An alien man whore. That should have been your gamertag. Do aliens contract STDs?”
“What’s an STD?”
Angie chuckled, seeing an opportunity to scare the hell out of him again. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Chapter Fifteen
“So, these are the sleeping quarters. As you can see, Stephanie and Timothy put some work in here to make themselves comfortable. Pretty stylish, and nice to sleep in. We appreciate the new beds, by the way. Those old ones were hell on our backs,” Korbin explained as he opened the door to Katie’s room.
Katie walked inside and looked around the room. It was painted a deep shade of purple, the bed had a black bedspread, and there was lacy Victorian-style décor all over. It had a walk-in closet and a bathroom attached. “Wow, this is pretty amazing.”
Korbin chuckled. “Yeah, they really put time in on yours. Stephanie insisted on the color scheme, and Timothy went nuts on the décor. They even built that closet special for you, although I don’t really understand all the hooks and hangers.”
Katie ran her hands over the special area for her bras and smiled. “They seem to know me well.”
Korbin clapped his hands. “I know you just got here, but let’s check out the rest, and then we can talk if you want to.”
Katie tossed her bag on the bed. “Let’s do it.”
He walked her down the hall to the common area. There was a huge flat screen tv and comfortable couches and chairs all over the place. Katie leaned against the wall and smiled. “This reminds me of the first base we were at. Very family-friendly.”
“I remembered it and I wanted that same feel, even if the merc team isn’t the same as before. We still need a place to gather as a family whenever we can. And we have to be comfortable while we catch up on the soaps.”
Katie put her hand on Korbin’s shoulder and squeezed. “You did good. It’s definitely a comfortable place.”
Korbin took a deep breath and led her through the rest of the building, showing her the offices, the different IT spaces, and the training area stacked with workout equipment and a sparring area. Katie wondered if Korbin still had them doing all the workouts she remembered.
Pandora scoffed. I would hope so. It would do you some good to get in on the action, too. You need to tighten up those moves. And that ass.
Katie laughed to herself. My ass is your job, but you’re right. Hopefully, while I’m here, I can get in a workout.
Yeah, right. Most of the time we don’t even get a good night’s sleep without getting a call. I doubt you’ll find time to do a workout, although if Korbin is still a hard-ass, he will make time for it.
“I liked the build of the last base, everything being underground, but this is just as good. We developed some serious defenses, so being here won’t be any less safe.” Korbin showed her down the hall and back outside.
Katie squinted as she looked across the grounds. There were a couple of diggers still doing minor work. “Korbin, this is great. You really know how to turn nothing into something. I know you probably long for your garden, but I’m glad you’re back.”
Korbin put up his finger and led her around the corner of the barracks. He put his arms out, presenting a small garden with flowering plants along the edges. “Stephanie and I built it to make it feel more like home. When the spring comes again, we’re going to plant veggies in there so we can cook with them.”
Katie smiled widely. “That’s awesome. I’m really glad you guys are making this place your own. You’re a vital part of the team, and I want you to feel that you’re at home here.”
Korbin looked around the area. “At first it was a big change. I just kept thinking about our little farmhouse and garden. Now, though, after getting those memories back and really working hard on this place, I feel like it’s definitely home.”
Katie walked up next to him and looked at the armory building. “Good. I’m glad, because it is your home. At least one of them.”
Korbin motioned toward the armory. “Come on, I’m sure Joshua would love to show you around the place.”
Katie grabbed Korbin’s arm. “Before we do that, I need to ask you a question. I hate to rush into it, but it’s why I came here in the first place.”
Korbin squared his shoulders and faced her. “Sure. Hit me with it.”
Katie thought about it for a second. “If you were going to do a big hit-and-run on hell, where you needed video, what would you do?”
Korbin rubbed his jaw and looked down at the ground. “I guess that really depends. I don’t know anything about hell. What is the climate like? What is the terrain like? Is there a connection strong enough to transmit from that realm to this one, even if a portal closes? Is there a difference in how ordnance works?”
Katie pursed her lips. “That’s complicated.”
Korbin chuckled. “So is a hit-and-run on hell. I need to know what hell is like before I could really be of any help in that scenario.”
Katie put her finger up and pulled out her cell. She dialed her airport contact and put the phone to her ear. “Hey, yeah. It’s Katie. I was wondering if my plane is still in the hangar? It is? Great. I’m going to be dropping by for a minute. Yeah. I’m flying in with my wings. Thanks.”
Katie stuck the phone in her pocket and looked at Korbin, sizing him up. You gonna help me keep him up in the air?
Hell, yeah. I’m always up for a little flight over the desert.
Korbin hasn’t seen us in full angel mode. It might freak him out a little.
Nah, he’ll be fine. Just make sure he doesn’t squirm. I don’t want to face Stephanie if we drop him. Bitch be crazy. She’d slit our throats.
Katie stepped back and let her wings unfold behind her, and Korbin’s eyes grew wide. “That is very impressive. They look exactly the way I always imagined they would. I have to say, you make a stunning angel.”
Katie smiled. “Thank you, but don’t say that too loud. Pandora might drop you.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Drop me?”
Katie laughed and flapped her wings, scooping Korbin into her arms. He gripped her tightly as she took off across the base. She tipped her head at the guards as they passed them. Her wings beat furiously behind her as they propelled her into the sky. She could tell Korbin was nervous by the way he was white-knuckling her shoulder, but he slowly began to unwind.
He took in the desert stretching out as far as the eye could see. “Wow, this is the view you get whenever you fly?”
“Usually. Sometimes it’s buildings, but either way, it’s pretty cool.”
Korbin guffawed. “You’re
telling me. I don’t know why you don’t fly all the time.”
Katie wondered the same internally. “It takes a lot of energy for me to fly, so I use it sparingly.”
They flew fast and straight until they were high enough to avoid getting attention from anyone below but low enough to stay clear of any planes flying by, then she zigzagged through the air, making her way to the airport. She was showing off a little bit, but Korbin was grinning.
When they reached the airport, she slowly flapped her wings, lowering them to the ground. She set Korbin down and stepped back, and her wings folded behind her and disappeared. Korbin just stared at her in wonder. “I have to admit, that was not something I ever imagined seeing from you. I am definitely not disappointed, though.”
Katie put her arm around his shoulder and walked him toward the plane. “They are pretty awesome. And trust me, when you first brought me back to the base, I didn’t think I would last a day, much less be part angel and lead a team. A lot of the way I handle things is because of you and the team. The ones still here and the ones gone.”
“I feel the same way about all of you.”
Katie walked up to the stairs of the plane, leaving Korbin on the ground. She ran inside and grabbed a package neatly wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a piece of string off one of the seats. She came back outside and handed it to Korbin. “Here, put that on.”
Korbin opened the package to find a protective suit inside. He looked at it.
“Trust me.”
Korbin put the suit on over his clothes. Katie fixed the headpiece snugly and snapped the oxygen on to make things easier for him. “You ready?”
He gave her a thumbs-up, and she relaxed. Pandora took over, giving Katie dark, jagged claws. She used the claws to tear open a portal the size of a door. She took Korbin’s hand in hers and pulled him through to the other side. The hot air hit them both hard and they stood there for a second, letting their vision clear. Korbin slowly walked to the edge of a cliff, looking around at the terrible landscape.