Triptych

by S. C. Mitchell

  What the hell? Tex never flirted with the applicants. Even Scantily-Clad Girl, or whatever her name was, who could definitely not turn invisible, no matter how many articles of her clothing she removed.

  Paul pushed himself to his feet. Weak, aching muscle protested. Resting his weight on the cane, he turned to see . . . Maggie.

  “You’re back.” His heart warmed and his aches forgotten, he took a couple of hobbling steps toward her. She’d only been gone four days, but he’d missed her.

  He sensed Maggie was dressed oddly. Probably something new from Phaze, who would often use Maggie to try out new clothing styles. He’d check out her outfit later. Right then he just wanted to drink in her bright smile and gleaming emerald eyes.

  She rushed toward him. “Shade told me you’d be here, and that you’re still not fully recovered. Begorrah, sit down before you hurt yourself.”

  He waved her off. “I’m fine. And besides it’s time to go.”

  Tex cleared his throat. “Um, boss, we still have one applicant to see.”

  He set the official Xi Force application papers on the desk.

  Paul pulled his gaze from Maggie and checked out the papers.

  Signed, dated, and meticulously filled out, the application bore Maggie’s name. “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s going on? This is a joke, right?”

  He noted the superhero costume she was wearing. The tight-fitting Kelly green jumpsuit, did nothing to hide her delicious curves. White boots, gloves, and belt accented the look. And she had a sword hanging from her belt in a white scabbard.

  Paul tried hard not to let his gaze linger too long on the triangular Celtic knot symbol displayed on her chest in bright orange.

  She pulled a facemask up over her eyes. The cowl allowed her long red hair to drape out of the top and back. “No joke, Paul. I want my shot, like everybody else.”

  God, Maggie, not you too.

  No, this had to be a joke. He’d play along until they reached the punch line. “Okay, Miss. . . .” He scanned the page to the line where she filled in her superhero name. “. . . Triptych?”

  What the hell was that?

  He waved her around him, toward the open area of the room. “Show me what you’ve got.”

  Not that he didn’t know, and he liked what Maggie had. Charm, wit, intelligence.

  He didn’t dare include her killer body and sexy smile on that list. She was in his friend zone, and would probably always be. But really, she was so much more than that.

  Maggie stepped to the center of the room, then spun to face him. “Ready?”

  Settling into the chair, he nodded. This should prove interesting.

  Suddenly there were three Maggie’s in front of him. And he wasn’t seeing triple, because only the one on the right still had the sword on her belt, the other two did not. “What the hell?”

  The one with the sword pulled it and raised the blade high. “We are Triptych, incarnation of the Irish goddess Morrigan. I am Morgana, the warrior and I hold in my hand, Fragarach, the sword of Manannan mac Lir.”

  She strode forward, bringing the blade down to point it at his throat. “Tell me the truth. How do you feel about the mortal known as Maggie O’Donnell.”

  “She’s amazing. I could easily fall in love with her if I were allowed. She’s beautiful, smart, sexy.” The words fell out of his mouth. Why had he said that?

  Pulling the sword back, she re-sheathed it. Then she winked at him. “Thought so, but a girl likes to know.”

  She stepped back in line with the other two Maggies, and the middle one stepped forward. “Call me Morgan, I am the sorceress.”

  With a puff of smoke, Maggie changed into a large, black bird. It fluttered around the room, snatched Tex’s hat from his head, then flew back to her position in line, materializing once again as Maggie. She put the Stetson on her head. “New hat, Tex?”

  Tex stood wide-eyed. “Yes, ma’am.”

  The third Maggie took the hat and returned it to Tex. “I am Morgause, the healer.”

  She centered her gaze on Paul and strode toward him. “I’m the one who healed your wound after you fell on that craft. But I know now there’s more I should have done. Don’t move.”

  She stepped around the desk to stand in back of him, placing her hands on his shoulders.

  Warmth radiated from her palms, into him. Aches lessened as strength returned to his muscles. “My God, Maggie, what are you doing to me?”

  “We can’t have the leader of Pike’s Rangers hobbling around like an old man, can we?”

  Paul stood up, as strength flowed through his limbs once more. No cane needed. He felt alive again. He spun to face her. “That was amazing.”

  She smiled. “Amazing enough to change my status from bus driver to superhero?”

  Chapter 6

  Paul descended the pile of rubble into the dimly-lit sub-basement again, this time without help. Maggie’s healing had him back in top condition. Dr. Logan had pronounced him fit for work, and Aaron had agreed to let him back down here.

  “I can’t wait to show you this place.” Maggie scrambled over the debris behind him. Rock, broken cement, building materials, and furnishings from the hallway above lay in a tumbled pile angling down into the dimly-lit chamber. He held out his hand to assist her.

  She waved off his help. “I can do it myself.” Still, she flashed him that amazing smile she packed like a sidearm.

  He chuckled. “I know. Maybe I simply want an excuse to hold your hand.”

  Thanks to her sword, she already knew how he felt. Was he angry about that? Should he be?

  They’d been pseudo-flirting for the past year, knowing they didn’t dare take things further. If she’d have asked without the whole sword thing, he’d have told her the same thing, well most of it.

  He hadn’t said he was in love with her, only that he could easily fall in love with her, which was the truth. Still, it would be a very short fall.

  In any case, it was out there now and, like lobbing a hand grenade, he might not get the desired effect, but something was bound to blow up.

  She took his hand and hopped down beside him. The warm contact hit him on a visceral level. He was reluctant to let go.

  Taking that moment to capture her gaze, he asked, “You know you have me at a disadvantage, right?”

  Her cheeks reddened. “I shouldn’t have asked. I shouldn’t have used the sword on you. It was one of those in-the-moment things, but still wrong. I’m sorry.”

  Yeah, time to lob a grenade of his own. “So, do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  His heartbeat thundered in his ears. This mattered. “Do you like me?”

  She smiled and scrunched up her face in a way that said she couldn’t believe he’d asked her that. Then she swatted his shoulder. “Of course I like you.”

  No real damage, yet. Time to launch another grenade. “Could you love me?”

  Her eyes widened. She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. “Are you ready to go there?”

  Oh, yeah.

  He gave her hand, the one he had yet to relinquish, a gentle squeeze. “With your acceptance in Xi Force, you know you’re going to have to give up your commission in the Air Force and become a civilian contractor, right? Therefore, you will no longer be under my command?”

  She smiled a smile that reached her eyes. “Now, you know, I have considered that.”

  “So, fair warning, Miss O’Donnell, once that paperwork comes through, we’ll be free to fraternize. Don’t be surprised when I ask you out on a date.”

  Still, he wouldn’t pressure her. Not now.

  His grenades launched, if he’d misread the situation, misread what he’d thought he saw in her eyes, this could all easily blow up in his face.


  She pulled in a deep breath, looking prepared to answer him. He held up his hand to stop her. “Think about it. Answer when I ask. Right now, let’s take a look at that ship.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Below, green and blue lights pulsed on the alien craft. But that wasn’t what suddenly had Maggie’s heart going pitter-pat.

  Begorrah, how often had she dreamed of this? She and Paul? And it could really happen now? Warmth washed her core.

  His grip on her hand was firm yet gentle, like the man himself. His dark eyes, fathomless, yet so earnest. Her friend, perhaps her best friend. Was there more? Could there be more?

  Hell yes, there could be more. But he was right. They needed to wait until everything was done proper.

  Then, maybe, she’d surprise him and ask him out first.

  Paul offered her his hand more often than was necessary, but she enjoyed the attention and care. “You treat a lady well, Paul Tompkins.”

  He chuckled. “Remember that when I start your training.”

  Paul was in charge of setting up training routines for all the Xi Force members to keep them in top condition and test their powers to the fullest. Phaze had often remarked on what a taskmaster he was. As tough, it was said, as his mentor, Jason Pike, for whom Pike’s Rangers were named. But keeping all the Xi Force members in top condition was important, and now Maggie would have to adopt that attitude.

  “Hopefully my trainin’ routine won’t require me to cut back on my whiskey consumption.”

  Paul smiled. “Nope. Not unless it becomes a problem. But you might find yourself needing a bit more occasionally.”

  That . . . wouldn’t be a problem. “I brought a couple of extra bottles with me from Ireland.” It was nice being alone with Paul again, like their moonlight whiskey meetings in the hanger. And here, alone in the bowels of the complex, it felt even more clandestine.

  But, nice as it was, alone didn’t really make sense to her. “Why isn’t there anyone else here?”

  This was a new discovery. Certainly they’d need to be figuring out what this hidden chamber had been all about.

  Paul huffed. “Oh, we’ve all been here. Especially Kirk, who’s been spending all his free time trying to figure out how to get into that ship. But Aaron is restricting access. Evidentially, there are things we need to know before anyone starts poking around down here. Someone from the FBI is coming to brief us later today.”

  A sly smile crossed his face as he added,” Of course, as head of security, I still have access. I wanted to show it to you before the meeting to bring you up to speed . . . and get a little alone time with you.”

  “This is all so . . . unbelievable.” Well, like her being able to split into three people, Phase being able to walk through walls, and Shade and Z-Bot being half machine? Maybe Wylde was right? Maybe they were all characters in some kind of science fiction novel.

  No, the guy she was holding hands with was definitely real. And really sexy.

  A dull click resounded from within the spacecraft. More lights flickered on around its hull. Brighter illumination filled the chamber.

  Maggie held up her hands and shook her head. “I didn’t touch anything.”

  Paul nodded. “I know, neither did I. Weird.”

  Backing up to get a wider view of the craft, Maggie took in details she hadn’t seen when she was here before, during the quake. Those odd angles and dimensions. Short delta wings. Very boxy. How did this thing even get off the ground, let alone fly through space?

  “Here. Look at this.” Paul’s call pulled her from her thoughts.

  He pointed to four cylindrical pods. Eight or nine feet long and about three feet across, the clear tubes held humanoid forms suspended in a translucent gray-green fluid.

  Stepping up to one, Maggie bent over to get a better view of the creature.

  An alien. Something from another planet. The big question had already been answered. The truth wasn’t out there. It was right here.

  Gray scales covered the body. The head was triangular, almost lizard-like. Three fleshy tentacles hung from its chin. Long, sharp ivory teeth pushed up from its lower jaw, between the creature’s lips. A short protuberance, like a horn, jutted from its forehead between its closed eyes. Such a strange creature.

  No, not a creature. A person. Someone from another world.

  She put her hand to the glass, taking in the alien visage. What had he been like? Had he and his fellow spacefarers been exploring new worlds, seeking new life and civilizations, only to die on a foreign planet?

  She chuckled. Was it even a he? Though the creature was naked, she could see no real indication whether this alien was male or female.

  “Women can become astronauts,” she said under her breath. She’d almost become one.

  “What did you say?” Paul sidled up closer.

  She shot him a smile. “I said—”

  But she couldn’t continue. The words stuck in her throat. A knot twisted in her gut.

  When she’d looked back down, the alien’s eyes were open and staring straight up at her.

  Chapter 7

  The four tubes shattered, spraying glass shards and viscous liquid in all directions. Paul wrapped his arms around Maggie’s waist and took them both to the floor, shielding her as much as he could with his body. The cloying essence of formaldehyde permeated the air and soaked his back.

  With surprising strength, Maggie pushed him up and off. “I get it. Thanks, but no. Who’s the superhero here?”

  She bounded to her feet leaving him sitting in the viscous puddle of liquid.

  “What? . . . Oh.”

  Yeah. Stupid gut instincts. He’d have never pulled that shit with Phaze or Quantum. But this was all new with Maggie, and she was untrained and untested.

  And because it was Maggie, he’d treated her differently because he cared for her, wanted to protect her. He’d have to assess his reasoning later. She offered him a hand up as the four aliens rose from their shattered glass coffins to confront them. His mind spun as he grappled with what should have been his proper response to the situation.

  “Sorry,” was all he could offer.

  “Accepted.”

  Maggie turned toward the alien creatures, holding up her hands. “We mean you no harm.”

  “Chat komblin, tomba,” one of them answered.

  Okay, Houston, we have a communication problem. It wasn’t any language he recognized. “Maggie, do you have any kind of translation powers?”

  Outside of what she’d shown in the interview, he had no idea of the extent of her abilities.

  “I could try the sword, to see if it can at least understand us, but I’m loath to pull a weapon. They could be friendly.”

  Shade’s voice echoed from above. “We’re coming.”

  “Te taka wandlen,” one of the other aliens chimed in.

  The first one spun on it. “Ki chuknta vin blankinoff, chin bont.”

  The two appeared to be arguing about something.

  Shade came scrambling down the rubble, Phaze, Z-Bot, and El Brujo at his heels.

  Paul held up his hands. “We didn’t do anything, this just sort of happened.”

  “We know.” Shade strode toward them, no doubt scanning the scene with his computer-enhanced senses. “We installed security cameras. Kirk called us in as soon as he saw the lights come up on that ship.”

  “Chio klumb.” The closest of the aliens pointed at Shade, while making a waving motion with its other claw. Then all four aliens made a dash toward the ship.

  “Do we dare let them reach their ship?” Phaze asked.

  Shaking his head, Shade sprinted after them. “I think that would be a bad idea. Stop them. Try not to injure, but stop them.”

  Paul fell into his position as X
i Force support, letting Shade take command. He kept his Magnum holstered. Right now this situation didn’t call for lethal force. What could he do to help?

  El Brujo had his hands splayed, circling them in that strange way he did to cast one of his spells. “I can create a force shield.”

  A bluish glowing sphere appeared around the ship. The aliens hit it and bounced back, two of them going to their butts.

  The alien who appeared to be their leader spun to confront Shade. Its mouth formed an O and an eerie, high-pitched keen issued forth.

  Paul’s head whirled, his ears rang. He put his hands to his ears to deaden the sound.

  Shade crumpled to the floor in front of him.

  A short-range stun?

  A second alien did the same in front of Z-Bot, and he fell unconscious as well.

  Phaze pulled her stun gun and fired, shocking and dropping one of the aliens. “We need to keep our distance. I think their sound weapon only works at close range. Either that or it messes with zombiebot circuitry.”

  Either way it had taken Z-Bot and Shade, two of the strongest Xi Force members, out of the encounter.

  And the situation was becoming more dangerous by the minute. Backpedalling, Paul pulled his Magnum from its holster at his hip. Outside of the short-range stun, the aliens hadn’t shown any attack capabilities, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t more up their sleeves. He’d aim for their legs if he was forced to defend himself, but he wasn’t about to let this situation spiral out of control.

  An explosion rocked the area as the large overhead door at the back of the chamber evaporated. Metal and rock blew into the room, raising a dusty cloud that obscured his vision. Out of the fog, a shadowy figure strode with confidence and swagger in every step. Female, from the silhouette in the haze, the person strode toward them.

  As the dust settled, a very human-looking woman with long, blond hair appeared, dressed in black slacks and a blood-red blouse. She held up her hand, palm out and shouted. “Halt. Chin bok.”