"No hospital," Darnell said. "You mind dropping us at our semi?"
"Buddy, we just stirred up a shitstorm. You're not thinking about going back there, are you?"
Darnell ignored the question as he rifled through an old ammo can filled with well-maintained tools. He located a pair of needle-nose pliers and leaned in next to Jayne. "Sorry doc, this is gonna hurt. A lot," he said, jabbing the nose of the pliers into the bullet wound. Electricity arced along the metal tool and he jerked his hand back, shaking it as Jayne writhed in pain. "Shit, my bad."
"What are you doing back there?" Little called, having observed the brutal attempt to remove the modified bullet.
"Gloves," Darnell said, kneeling over Jayne and rummaging through a bin. While he didn't find gloves, he did find a torn piece of a cotton towel. Wrapping the plier handles with the towel, he dug into Jayne's back again.
"Shit man, knock it off!" Little exclaimed as the helicopter banked hard to the right. "Those tools aren't clean!"
Darnell grabbed hold of the helicopter's frame with one hand to steady himself and dug around in Jayne's flesh, finally finding the bullet. With a deft stroke, he pulled the payload out and flipped it onto the deck.
"Got it," he announced triumphantly.
"What the hell is that thing?" Little had leveled out their flight, but he was still splitting his time between flying and looking backward. "What in blazes did you get me involved in?"
"You sure you want to know?" Darnell asked, searching AJ's body for the bullet he knew he'd find. "There's some shit you can't unsee."
"I logged over a thousand hours in 'Nam. This doesn't even make my top ten fucked-up list," the pilot said.
AJ howled uncontrollably as Darnell dug into his back, tracing the path of the 9mm bullet which had embedded itself into AJ’s scapula. "Promise you won't dump me out over these trees?" Darnell asked.
"You asshole! You told me you weren't into the drug thing," Little said, banking again. "If you've gotten me into cartel business, I'm gonna dump you out right now."
"You might wish it was," Darnell said. "You ever run spooks on any of your missions?"
"Nope. You CIA?" he asked.
The pliers, slick from viscera, slipped off the bullet. "Worse. Just don't dump us. I promise we're on the up-and-up. It's like I told you. We're good people in a bind."
Darnell wiped the pliers on his pantleg and dabbed at the free-flowing blood on AJ's back. He felt the helicopter settle on the ground and looked up. Little had landed the helicopter in the middle of a heavily rutted dirt road. "You need to fucking spill it, Darnell," Little said, leveling a pistol at the man. "There's no way this isn't a drug thing."
"Let me do this," Darnell said, looking away from the gun's barrel and pushing the pliers back into AJ's back. He had to twist to release the bullet from the bone but was finally successful in wrenching it free. Bright lines of electricity reached out and ground on the metallic floor as he threw the bullet down between himself and Little. "Ever see anything like that?"
"That's messed up," Little said, not lowering the pistol.
"You're not gonna believe me when I tell you what's up," Darnell said. "You're better off believing what I first told you."
"That you had five grand for an hour's work?" Little asked. "And that the gun was just a precaution?"
"That's actually still true," AJ said. "You ready for a truth, brother?"
"Give it to me," Little said.
"We gotta go back," Darnell said. "There's an alien spaceship in that junkyard and we need to get it out of there."
"You gotta be kidding me," Little said. "You're a damn alien nutjob?"
"I can prove it to you," Darnell said.
"Yeah, right," Little said. "How?"
"The ship is in the junkyard," Darnell said. "Those men I shot had aliens called Korgul inside them. As long as the bullets are delivering electrical zaps, the aliens can't use the host bodies. In fact, the aliens basically have to leave the human’s body or die."
"Holy shit, this is so messed up." Little looked like he wanted to throw up. "Why the hell did I ever believe you?"
"Because you needed money. Here's the rest." Darnell pulled a stack of bills from the pack he'd brought along. Little just stared at the bills, so Darnell laid them on the floor.
Little startled as AJ rolled over behind Darnell. "Did you really just tell him about the aliens?" AJ grumbled, helping Jayne onto her back and then into a seated position. "You know, now he thinks we're all nuts."
"We just need a ride back," Darnell said. "You've got your money. I've got my crew. Don't need to make this anything more than it is."
"How am I gonna stay here?" Little asked. "Federales are gonna hear about a helicopter and they'll be looking at me first."
"Not if we go back and clean up those Korgul," AJ said.
"Look man, we're not executing anyone," Little said. "It was one thing when they had you guys as prisoners, but I'm not down for murder."
AJ shook his head. "We're not killing anyone. In fact, if we go back and pull those electronic bullets out, the humans won't remember anything," he said. "And, if we collect the alien slugs, they can't find new hosts."
"You're batshit crazy," Little said.
"Worth another five grand to find out?" Darnell asked. "Drop me off and bring AJ back to the yard."
"No, man. I'm out," Little said.
AJ turned so Little could see his back. "Does that look like any twenty-minute-old bullet wound you've seen?"
The wound, while not entirely stitched back together, had stopped bleeding and inner tissues had already re-formed.
"Shit! He was just digging around in that with pliers. How is that possible?" Little said, swallowing hard. "Okay, look, give me another grand for moving expenses and I'll finish your ride, but I don't want any part of this shit. I got another place down in Honduras. It’s time for me to clear outta Mexico for a piece."
"That's fair," AJ said.
Little turned back in his chair and soon the uncomfortable whine of the engine once again filled the helicopter's cabin.
"Beverly, are you alive?" AJ whispered, climbing up onto the bench seat at the back of the cabin next to Jayne.
"That was not fun," Beverly said, appearing on the seat next to him wearing a faded green jumpsuit. A bandage was wrapped around her head and dark circles under her eyes made it look like she hadn't slept in days.
"Doc, you doing okay?" AJ shouted over the noise, turning his attention to Jayne.
Jayne shook her head and leaned back against the helicopter wall. "Korgul are going to be all over us," she said, her voice clear, even with the noise filling the cabin. "How are we making it back to Tucson?"
"One step at a time, Doc," AJ said, resting his hand atop hers as he stared out over the heavily forested mountain they flew over.
"Just out of curiosity," Little said over the microphone as Darnell joined him in the cockpit. "How were you going to prove that whole alien thing."
"You mean other than seeing two people shot at point blank recover in twenty minutes?" Darnell asked.
Little shrugged. "Yeah, other than that."
"There are actually two types of aliens involved; Korgul and Beltigersk," Darnell started.
Little shook his head and grumbled. "Ask a stupid question …"
Darnell pushed on. "They both establish parasitical relationships with their hosts," he said. "Korgul do it without host permission. Beltigersk ask first. If you believe the talk, there are tens of millions of people wandering around with Korgul riders. Far as we know, only four of us with Beltigersk riders."
"Who's the fourth?"
"The dog," Darnell said. "Funny, only a few days ago I was where you’re at right now. AJ was trying to convince me Earth had been invaded by snot-ball, robin's-egg aliens who were stealing important shit we didn't even know existed. I get where your head's at."
"I seriously doubt that," Little said.
"Here's something that'll m
ess you up even more. I used to fly these old Huey's back in 'Nam," Darnell said. "And I can tell you were a gunship guy. Hell, we might have even run into each other."
"Bullshit," Little said. "You’re maybe in your late thirties."
Darnell nodded. "I know. Doc back there was a combat surgeon. AJ was my mechanic and door gunner. Somehow the Beltigersk can fix our bodies, at least as long as they're riding along."
"You're so full of shit," Little said. "Grab the stick. Show me."
Darnell grinned and took over the controls. "I thought you'd never ask," he whooped loudly as he dove for the forest canopy below. "Slicks belong down on the carpet. No need to give Charlie a clean shot."
"Damn, son. You're gonna kill us all!" Little exclaimed but made no move to take back the controls. He pointed at a large clearing where a runway had been cleared from the side of the mountain. "Think you can land without breaking anything?"
"In my sleep," Darnell chuckled. "Like I was saying, there are two kinds of aliens. When we go back to the junkyard, we'll pick up the bad aliens that were inside those locals. The humans won't remember anything about what’s happened. Besides, we need to get 'em patched up. Those men are not the enemy. They just got caught up in this shit."
"You got the touch. No denying that," Little said. "So according to you, you'll find a bunch of little aliens running around because of your shock bullets?"
"Succinctly said," Darnell answered, turning the helicopter sideways and landing neatly next to the flatbed and semi. "Appreciate the lift, my friend."
"We're going to need more medical supplies," Jayne shouted over the slowing motor.
"What's up with her hair?" Little asked. "Half black, half white, it's weird."
"See, told you," AJ quipped, looking at Jayne as he hopped down from the helicopter and held his hand out to assist her.
She ignored his offered hand. "Are you twelve? We just got shot at and barely escaped with our lives and the three of you are worried about my hair?"
Darnell grinned. "She hasn't cut it since getting her alien rider. The white is what it looked like before. The black is her normal hair color, you know, before she got old."
"Asshole," Jayne said.
Greybeard barked excitedly and ran up to the group.
AJ leaned down and scrubbed the dog's neck.
"You really gonna patch up those men back there?" Little asked, hopping out of the helicopter and catching Jayne before she made it to the truck.
"They're innocent bystanders," she said. "We need to get those electrified bullets out of them."
"Innocent bystanders that we shot," he said.
"They won't know that," Jayne said. "When a Korgul leaves a person's system, they lose all memories and experiences after the Korgul first infected them. They'll be confused but won't remember your helicopter, Mr. Little. If Darnell is any indication, they won't have a reliable memory for several hours after the event.
"Call me Nolan," he said, running a hand over his forehead and through his graying hair. "Any chance I could get in on that rejuvenation thing?"
Jayne shook her head. "Probably not."
"Yeah. Figures." Little shrugged. "Hell. Let's do this."
"Do what?" Jayne asked as Darnell started gesturing.
"AJ and Greybeard, bring the semi down. That road's too tight for me," Darnell said, turning to Jayne. "Mr. Little, here, is gonna drop you and me off at the junkyard and then do a little recon for us."
Jayne smiled at Little. "I thought you were out," she said. "Why the change of heart?"
"You guys are in a bind and besides, who could make this shit up?"
Jayne laughed. "I recall having a similar thought." She reached for his arm, getting serious. "Nolan, the Korgul will likely come for you if you get involved. And we can't help you if they do. You won't see them coming."
"Maybe when you get done with whatever it is you're doing, you promise to come check in on me. Hit me with one of your little zappers if I need it."
Jayne nodded. "We could do that. If we make it, that is. Of course, if we fail, it might not matter that much."
Forty minutes later, AJ pumped the airhorn twice and pulled up to the junkyard's tall closed gates. To his surprise, a Mexican man appeared at the middle of the gate. He worked to unlock and pull apart the heavy chain that hadn't been secured. After a moment of working the thick links, the chain released and the gate swung open.
Five armed men stood inside, each of them wearing bloody clothing. AJ's heart sank as he considered how many different ways things could have gone wrong. Letting go of the shifter knob, he grasped the pistol sitting next to him on the seat as he watched the lone man jog slowly back and open the other half of the gate.
"¡Adelante!" the man urged. AJ didn't need a translation to understand he wanted AJ to pull in. Searching the yard, he finally saw a shock of white hair and found Jayne tending to a man lying on a makeshift bed in the shade.
"Jack says the men are tense but have not threatened danger," Beverly said, appearing with a colorful sarape draped across her shoulders and a wide-brimmed sombrero on her head. "Darnell convinced the leader, Louis in the light brown pants, that we had come to their aid when we heard gunshots."
"And how'd he explain the truck?" AJ asked.
"His limited vocabulary appears to have worked to his benefit," she said. "He has negotiated twenty thousand American dollars for the ship. Apparently, Louis wasn't aware that the ship was in his yard, although he didn't tell that to Darnell. That information was something Jack was able to pick up while Dr. Jayne was seeing to the wounded."
"Did anyone die?" AJ asked, grinding gears as he worked to get the old transmission to mesh.
"Most of the wounds are not severe," Beverly said. "The Mexicans are curious about the Korgul that were collected. It appears they believe Darnell sees them as a delicacy. They sold them for twenty dollars apiece."
"I see," AJ said absently as he considered the effort involved in loading a thirty-five-ton piece of equipment onto his flatbed. "We'll need to use their gantry crane."
Before Beverly could answer, AJ stopped the truck and slid from the cab, waving at the tall, heavily rusted portable gantry crane that sat next to the large warehouse. "Necesito eso," he said and then resorted to English. "Bring it over?"
"Twenty thousand dollars," Louis said, walking slowly over to the truck. "You pay, we load."
Darnell appeared in the doorway of the large, open building where only an hour ago so much carnage had taken place. "Yeah, buddy, they had a major event down here. Louis thinks it might have been drug traffickers. He says we should get loaded up and moving. I don't think we'll have time to do any more shopping."
AJ climbed back into the cab and peeled a stack of bills from the zippered pouch which held the remains of his life's savings. Sliding back out of the truck's cab, he handed the stack to Louis. "Ten thousand now, ten thousand when you get it loaded up. Not like we're getting out of here if you want to stop us," he said, nodding at the five armed men who looked at him uneasily.
"I do not know why, but I do not like you," Louis said, taking the cash. "I like your money. We will do this deal."
AJ nodded and hopped back into the cab, driving the flatbed down a long aisle until it sat next to the spaceship. "I hope your measurements were right on that spaceship.”
"The design of the cradle is quite flexible," Beverly said. "I've already verified the fit. I am concerned that the crane will have difficulty moving such substantial mass."
"Louis might not like me, but I can tell he's a junkman," AJ said, leaving the truck keys on the dash but grabbing his zippered pouch. "He knows his equipment."
Greybeard barked as AJ turned away from the truck.
"Right, sorry," he said, helping the thick bulldog to the ground. "Talk about massive. Seems like someone's been enjoying their kibble."
Greybeard turned abruptly and splashed a thick tongue across AJ's face, taking him off guard.
"Everythi
ng go okay?" Darnell called over the sounds of the tractor and the rattling chains on the portable crane.
AJ held his phone out for Darnell to see. "I just got this. Little says there's a convoy of trucks moving in our direction. They’re about an hour out."
"Shit, we'll never get out of here in time," Darnell said.
"Not a lot we can do about it right now," AJ said. "Besides, I bet these boys can get us loaded up in an hour. What's Doc up to?"
"You're kind of sweet on her, aren't you?"
"Come again?"
"Don’t be like that," Darnell said, rolling his eyes. "Pam would want you to be happy. Doc's good people."
AJ chuckled. There wasn't much use in lying to his old friend. They both knew Amanda Jayne was on his mind. "Ever think an old grunt like me'd have a chance with a girl like that?"
Darnell shook his head. "She's a bit out of your zip code, but you know how some girls like the bad boys."
"That how you see me?"
"You're no angel. I know that for a fact," Darnell said.
The Mexican team wasted no time as they tossed long straps around the spaceship to secure it to the crane. Soon, shouting erupted as the heavy spaceship shifted and tempers flared.
"Gotta spin it around," AJ yelled, stepping into the fray. "Fin goes up there behind the cab. Nose in the back. Get more straps on that end. Louis, you got a piece of paper? I'll draw it."
"No, I see it," Louis answered and yelled out further instructions.
AJ lost track of time as he integrated into the team of workers, scrabbling across the skin of the spaceship and helping to maneuver the heavy ship into place.
"Boss, there are men at the gate!" The wounded man who'd opened the gate for AJ had come back to inform them, half running and half hobbling. The ship had finally come to rest in the cradle but was uncovered and had no straps holding it down. "They have guns."
"We gotta go," AJ shouted, looking around for Darnell and Jayne only to find them standing not far from the truck.
Louis stopped and turned back. "Are these men here for you?" he asked, suspicion clouding his face.
Junkyard Pirate Page 20
