Warwick: Episode 2: Galactic Fugitives

by Michael James Ploof

  I gripped her wide hips as her pussy quivered and buried my cock as I got close.

  “I want to taste you,” she said as she glanced back with a pouty “fuck me” face.

  I pulled out and she spun to take me in her mouth. Ella and Purshia watched as Val stroked me with two hands and fucked me with her soft mouth. I grabbed her head in both hands and exploded inside her, my orgasmic growl echoing through the room.

  We lay there, panting and sated, staring at the stars, until the ship turned, and we began our descent. It was weird as hell watching the ship burn through the atmosphere while I floating naked in a pool, and it must have put the girls in the mood, because they started kissing me again and rubbing against me.

  Flames licked the heat shield as I made love to my women again, and by the time we landed, we’d all climaxed once more.

  “Not to be intrusive,” Jules said in our ears, “but two people are headed to your room. I will reenable your disguises now.”

  “Thanks for the heads up.” I got out to towel off, and my skin tingled in what was becoming a familiar way as the transformation happened. By the time I was fully dressed, I was once again Lord Zed.

  I heard a knock while the ladies were still dressing. A screen appeared on the door that showed me who was on the other side. To my surprise, it was Malagag and a female of the same race.

  “Good afternoon,” he said smiling into the camera. “May we come in?”

  I glanced behind me; the girls were hurrying with their clothes to the bathroom.

  “Of course.” I opened the door and greeted Malagag and his guest with a big smile.

  “Word of your win is still sweeping through the gambling house, Lord Zed.” He shook my hand again, and his date eyed me up and down with interest.

  “This is Aerelia.” He introduced the lizard woman with obvious pride.

  She was tall, with slick green and brown striped skin, and for a lizard woman, I guess she was pretty.

  “Nice to meet you.” I bowed.

  “Will you and your wives be joining us on the beach?” She glanced over my shoulder, searching for them.

  “They’re just freshening up. We’d be honored to join you.”

  “Excellent!” said Malagag. “Have you ever seen craykon beach racing?”

  “I can’t say that I have.”

  He put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “You’re going to love it. When you are ready, join us in the lobby.”

  “We’ll do that. Thanks, Malagag.”

  I closed the door behind them and went to the bar to pour myself a Vodskey.

  “Yo, Jules, tell Orcag we’ve been invited to hang with Malagag for the day. We’re going to have to wait on breaking into his vault.”

  “Be careful, Harry. He’s an incredibly perceptive person,” she warned.

  Ten minutes later the girls emerged from the bathroom, looking like a million bucks in matching pink bikinis. They wore large sun hats and see-through wraps that showed off just enough legs and ass.

  I changed into a pair of brown shorts and a floral shirt I’d found in my luggage. I didn’t know if we’d actually be swimming, but I wasn’t too keen on going into an alien ocean.

  Malagag was in the lobby in a pimped-out chariot drawn by two large creatures that resembled rhinos.

  “Ah, Lord Zed and his lovely wives,” said the proprietor as we approached.

  “Nice ride,” I said as we climbed in.

  The chariot was big enough to seat about a dozen comfortably. I sat back against a plush cushion and the girls settled around me. Malagag snapped the reins, and the creatures took off so abruptly that Purshia let out a surprised squeal.

  We emerged from the ship onto a white-sand beach. Beyond it was the clearest ocean I had ever seen. Forget about the Caribbean. This ocean made those turquoise blue waters look dirty. A big red sun hung in the teal sky, and all manner of exotic beings were sunning themselves under it.

  We were shown to a large cabana furnished with soft loungers, sofas, and nude aliens, both male and female, who fanned the area with giant feathers.

  “Care for a drink?” Malagag asked as the girls and I settled on one of the large couches.

  “A Vodskey if you’ve got it.”

  “What was the drink we had earlier?” Purshia asked.

  “A Supernova something,” said Ella.

  “Coming right up,” said Malagag. He snapped his fingers at a nude servant with the pointiest tits I’d ever seen, not to mention they were silver.

  “This is a nice place,” I said.

  “You should have seen it when I bought it.” Malagag laughed.

  “Needed a lot of work?”

  “That is an understatement. It was a dead moon, but after we terraformed it at great expense, well, you see the result.” He gestured extravagantly.

  “Terraforming? You made all this?”

  “Indeed. I wasn’t happy with the available vacation moons, so I built my own.”

  Damn, Jules, how rich is this dude?

  Malagag is the richest person on his planet and the tenth richest in the galaxy, she replied.

  “What about you Lord Zed? What business are you in?”

  Natural resources, Jules prompted.

  “Natural resources,” I echoed, glad she was there to help me out.

  “Aerelia, darling, why don’t you show the ladies the sea scarbins? It would be a shame for them to miss their dance.”

  The girls glanced at me, and I nodded. I was glad they had my back, but I figured I’d learn more if they were elsewhere. Malagag might be more open with me if we were alone.

  After they left, Malagag moved over next to me and crossed one leg over the other, like a woman. I didn’t like being so close to the reptilian, but I kept my cool.

  He stared at me, and I couldn’t decipher his expression at all. That tongue flicked out now and again, wiggling searchingly before retreating back between the worm-like lips. The slits in his nose opened and closed, and I felt like I was gazing at a snake.

  “Let’s cut the bullshit, as they say on your planet,” he said evenly.

  I was stunned. Somehow he knew who I was and where I was from. But maybe he wasn’t aware of why I was here, so I decided to keep my cards close to my chest.

  Tread lightly, Harry. Jules sounded worried, which didn’t help the situation.

  “What gave me away?” I asked, cool as a cucumber.

  “Every guest who enters my gambling house is bio scanned with what you Earthlings would call state of the art technology.” He laughed. “But of course it is centuries ahead of your own.”

  What the fuck, Jules? You said the nanobots would keep our identities a secret.

  This is most unexpected.

  What’s Plan B?

  Silence, and then, There isn’t one.

  I did my utmost to keep from freaking out, because how uncool would that be? I sensed allowing Malagag to think he had the upper hand would be devastating to my mission. “I take it you’ve seen the footage of the battle in the arena?”

  He nodded. “I must say it was the most entertaining thing I’d seen in a long time. It was very dramatic and sexy. Very much like your Hollywood movies.”

  What the fuck, does this dude get Netflix? How does he know about our movies?

  Earth has been transmitting signals through space for more than half a century, Jules explained. “There is quite a cult following among the worlds.

  Oh shit, that’s right. You think you can tune me in sometime? When I was abducted, I was in the middle of Stranger Things, season three, and it’s killing me not knowing what happened.

  Try to focus, Harry.

  Right, sorry.

  “Can I ask you a question, sir?” I asked.

  “Of course.”

  “How close are you to the grays?”

  We stared at each other, but at length Malagag burst into laughter. I joined in, and we had a good ol’ porch-rocking knee-slapping hoot.

  “Un
fortunately, doing business with the grays is a necessity,” he said between sips of his green concoction. “Fortunately for you, I do not need money, and I have no loyalty to the grays.”

  “Then you don’t intend to rat us out?”

  “On the contrary, my friend. I wish to offer you asylum.”

  I knew where this was going. “In exchange for what?”

  He flashed me a knowing grin, and a chill crept down my back. “You’re a smart man, Sheriff Warwick. I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

  “You have a certain skill set that someone like me could gain from immensely.” Malagag snapped his fingers, and a lithe, golden-skinned servant refilled my drink. “I am extremely wealthy, Mr. Warwick, and I pay those loyal to me very well.”

  “I like to know what the job is before I hear about the perks,” I said and tossed back a big gulp of Vodskey.

  “Of course you do.” He was grinning like he’d already gotten his way. “You’re a prudent man. I like that about you. And your women, hmm, they are deadly vixens, aren’t they? You four make an incredible team, and I would like to hire you.”

  “You looking for a security team? We can probably do that.”

  “No, Mr. Warwick. I’m looking to hire a killer, and a killer you are.”

  “And if I say no?”

  “Harry, my friend—can I call you Harry?”

  I nodded.

  “I am not threatening you or we would not be meeting like this. I see a man who is on the run from the most powerful creatures in the galaxy. You are far from home. You don’t show it, but you are afraid. But you’re a righteous man, I know. I saw the footage—all of it. You’re not half as afraid for yourself as you are for your wives, and that is a noble thing indeed. I know you would do anything for them. You would kill me now with your nanoarm if I said the wrong thing about your women. That is what I like about you.” Malagag took a moment to let me process his words while he leisurely sipped his green slime. “I have killers, Mr. Warwick. Armies of them. But I need more than that. I need the most respected killer in the galaxy.”

  Was he blowing smoke up my ass? “Why?”

  “Because only the most respected killer can get to the target.”

  “Which is?”

  “The Argellian Warlord, Mox Zerrarri.”

  “What the hell is an Argellian?”

  “They are a violent, bloodthirsty race from Planet Cyriack. They have ever been a nuisance to the rest of the galaxy, and if not for their love of the grays, they would have been destroyed long ago. But they have the grays’ favor, those chaos-loving devils. Their power is immense, and it has taken the unified efforts of over twenty worlds to keep them at bay. But as they say on your planet, Mr. Warwick, cut the head off the dragon, and the body will die.”

  “Why do you think I can get to this Mox Zerrarri?”

  “He has already expressed an interest in meeting you.”

  “Why?”

  “You are currently the most famous warrior in the entire galaxy, and he is warlord of some of the most brutal warriors in the galaxy. Naturally he would be interested in meeting you.”

  “Does that mean he’s placed a bounty on our heads?”

  “Yes. The highest ever offered, to be exact.”

  “The grays haven’t put a price on our heads yet?”

  “No,” said Malagag. “They will send their own killers after you.”

  “And how can you keep us safe from the grays? Like you said, they are the most powerful beings in the galaxy.”

  “The galaxy is vast, my friend. The grays don’t know all its secrets yet. There are also ways to change your biometrics. Do this for me, and you will want for nothing the rest of your life. I may need a favor once in a while, but trust me, I can pay you enough to make what you won in my gambling house this afternoon look like petty cash.”

  “How long do I have to think about it?” I asked and waved the servant away when she came to top off my drink.

  “We will have dinner tonight. Bring your wives. Afterward you can give me your answer. Yes?”

  “All right.”

  “In the meantime, enjoy the beach. Look, your women have discovered the wondrous dance of the scarbins.

  Ella, Purshia, and Val were laughing and dancing around strange little crab-like creatures the size of a small dog that looked like they were performing a mating ritual.

  We returned to the ship a few hours later, and it blasted off. I hadn’t pissed the entire time I was at the beach, so when I saw a restroom on the way to the elevator, I told the girls I’d be right back and popped inside.

  What do you make of Malagag’s offer? I asked Jules as I pissed.

  He is not to be trusted, that much I know.

  What am I supposed to tell him, no? He doesn’t seem like the kind of person you say no to.

  Orcag would like me to remind you that this was not part of the plan.

  No shit.

  You are to immediately break into the vault. It is one floor above you, and as was mentioned earlier, the elevator escape hatch will lead you to the—

  Yeah, I know. We just haven’t had a chance to make our move yet.

  You made plenty of moves earlier in the pool, she reminded me with a musical laugh.

  You’ve got me there—

  Harry, behind you!

  I spun around. Someone was standing behind me. He was humanoid, about as tall as me, with scales that were black as night. He looked like a demon straight from hell, with pointy horns jutting from his forehead and wings neatly tucked behind his back. He wore a black full-body suit and dark goggles, and I could see cybernetic implants on the right side of his head.

  A surge of adrenaline blasted through my veins moments before the demon thrust a laser dagger at me. I spun out of reach, barely avoiding the blade, and kicked it away, following up with a lightning fast double-fisted strike to his midsection that sent him flying into the wall eight feet away.

  “What kind of person attacks a man when he’s pissing?” I asked the demon as he regrouped.

  I selected laser sword from my interface, and the yellow glowing beam erupted from the back of my nanohand. The demon pushed off the wall and led with the laser dagger.

  Brace yourself, Harry. I’m enhancing speed, stamina, strength, and focus.

  A heartbeat later I felt like I’d snorted a kilo of galactic cocaine.

  The demon struck in a blur, and to my surprise, I parried just as fast. Sparks burst from our weapons when they collided, and the crackling of electrical currents echoed off the marble walls.

  Despite my enhancements, the demon was pressing me back with his skillful attacks.

  I need more! I told Jules.

  If I give you anymore, you’ll go into cardiac arrest.

  Just do it! I mentally screamed when the demon locked up my laser sword with his two daggers.

  Too late.

  He pushed my nanoarm wide and stabbed me in the stomach.

  I had appendicitis when I was fifteen, and I was in excruciating agony for many long hours before I was taken to surgery, but this pain made that one like a hangnail in comparison.

  I’m numbing the nerves around your stomach. Get the hell out of there!

  The pain rapidly faded, and I was able to focus again. The demon yanked out his dagger. I collided with the wall behind me and kicked him in the chest, which sent him stumbling back.

  I swung my blade and growled angrily. “Come on, you son of a bitch!”

  “Son of a bitch,” he said menacingly, his voice like horns on a chalkboard.

  I’m enabling your nanosuit, Jules reported.

  Why hadn’t I thought of that?

  The nanosuit clicked into place in about two seconds flat, and the demon lunged to get a shot in before it closed around me. I caught his wrist in my right hand and gave it a good twist. A satisfying crack sounded, and the demon let out a howl. He thrust the other dagger forward, and I chopped his arm off at the wrist with m
y laser sword.

  The demon did something next I hadn’t expected. He puked on my visor, temporarily blinding me with his half-digested lunch. Ignoring my gag reflex, I swung blindly while trying to wipe off the visor.

  He didn’t attack, and when I could see again, I groaned. The asshole had grown back his hand, and the broken wrist looked as good as new.

  I tapped my interface, switched to Mind Control Dart, and took aim.

  The demon dodged the dart, which stuck in the marble wall behind him. He twirled toward me, laser daggers humming, and I hurriedly brought up an energy shield. It spread out of the back of my hand like an umbrella, and the laser daggers sparked violently when they slashed across it.

  I dropped into a crouch and swiped the demon’s legs, then switched to my nanogun and fired. I could have sworn the bullet hit him in the chest, but in the blink of an eye, he disappeared.

  “Where did he go?” I asked, turning in a slow circle.

  “I’m not picking up any other life-forms,” Jules reported. “Get the hell out of there.”

  I hurried to the door, disengaging my nanosuit as I walked out.

  The girls instantly knew something was wrong.

  “Harry—” Purshia began.

  “Zed!” Ella yelled over her and shot her a look.

  “What happened?” Val asked, and the look of concern on her beautiful brow warmed my heart.

  “I was attacked by an assassin who looked like a demon,” I said, glancing around. “Come on, let’s get up to our room.”

  I peeled my shirt off as soon as the door closed behind me, and to my surprise, there wasn’t so much as a scar. “Holy shit, was that you Jules?”

  “It was the nanobots. Didn’t you ever use hyper-healing in the arena?”

  “Were you injured?” Purshia asked.

  “That fucker stabbed me in the gut, but it’s okay now.” My voice cracked a little. Getting stabbed will do that to you. “Jules, are there any other life-forms nearby?”