by S. E. Smith
“I think Tink is okay.” Cosmos had replied to Hannah’s question as to why Tink had not returned any of her calls.
“What do you mean…think?” Hannah had growled out so viciously several passengers sitting close to her moved away. “Where is she, Cosmos?” Hannah whispered out fiercely into the disposable cell phone she purchased.
Hannah listened in dismay as Cosmos replied he would tell her more when she arrived but for her to try not to worry, he was working on the situation. Hannah had to hang up as the last call for boarding was being announced. What the hell did he mean by ‘he was working on the situation?’ Hannah had wondered through the entire flight across the Atlantic. An overnight stop in Philadelphia barely touched the sleep deprivation she was suffering from. Before Hannah’s tired body totally gave out, she was back on a plane early this morning heading for Bangor where Cosmos picked her up.
Now, Hannah sat in the all too quiet living room of her baby sister wondering if Tink was dead or alive. Cosmos explained what happened that night over a week ago when Hannah last talked to Tink. Tink had been attacked by some senator’s son. The FBI and local police were breathing down Cosmos’ neck since he was the only one who was seen walking out of the equipment room where Tink and the senator’s son’s blood was found. The man who was supposed to be with the senator’s son had conveniently disappeared. Cosmos was released on lack of evidence that he was involved in any criminal way. He said he went to find Tink and all he found was a broken door and the blood. The waitress supported his claim he was sitting at the booth with several other men that night. Cosmos told the authorities the men were just passing through and that night was the first night he ever met them, which was the truth. He didn’t tell them they were aliens from another world. No, he left that part for Hannah. He told Hannah how Tink was critically wounded by Scott Bachman and how J’kar opened the portal to his spaceship and took Tink there, saying it was the only way to save her life. When Hannah pressed him about why it had been over a week and Tink had not returned, Cosmos simply shrugged his shoulders and looked down dejectedly saying he didn’t know.
“Hannah?” Cosmos soft voice called out from the doorway. “I’m sorry.”
Hannah looked up and for the first time saw the deep lines around Cosmos’ mouth and his pale complexion. His eyes reflected his guilt and his worry for Tink. Hannah knew Cosmos loved Tink and would do anything to protect her. If Tink was wounded as badly as Cosmos said, his invention may be what saved her life.
“You know, mom and dad say things always turn out for the best, no matter how bad it seems at first. Maybe everything that happened was meant to be. If you hadn’t invented that portal and Tink hadn’t met this J’kar guy then she would be dead.” Hannah said softly.
Cosmos’ eyes gleamed with unshed tears at the mention of Tink being dead. “If I hadn’t…”
He stopped when he saw Hannah shaking her head. “Bachman would have still targeted Tink. From the sound of it, he was already targeting her. I believe she is alive. I have to.” Hannah said quietly looking out over the river. “I can’t imagine a world without her in it. Your invention brought her and J’kar together for a reason. Maybe it was to save her life. I don’t know. But it was a good thing. Remember that, Cosmos. It was a good thing.” Hannah repeated looking up at Cosmos with a small smile.
Cosmos studied Hannah for a moment before he nodded. He turned to leave but stopped for a moment before turning back around. He looked intently at Hannah before asking the question that was plaguing him.
“What does your gut tell you?” Cosmos asked hesitantly.
Hannah let a big smile slowly spread as she turned inward to see what her internal warning system was saying. “It is telling me she is not only alright but she is happy.” Hannah said reluctantly. “Everything will be fine.”
Cosmos’ shoulders shifted as if a huge weight was lifted off of them. While he was a man of science, he also believed in Hannah’s ability to sense things. He had heard too much and seen too much over the years to doubt it.
Cosmos nodded his head before replying. “Try to get some sleep. I need to go over to the university for a few hours to check on some of the equipment I’ve been working on. I will be taking RITA offline while I’m gone to upload some modifications I’ve made. Will you be okay?”
Hannah laughed tiredly. “Cosmos, I have lived in some of the most dangerous places in the world, slept with some of the most dangerous species in the world…” Hannah ignored Cosmos’ raised eyebrow. She was too tired to clarify none of them were the two-legged variety. “…and am so tired I could sleep through a major hurricane, earthquake, and tsunami without so much as a flutter of an eyelash. Go do what you need to do. We’ll figure out a way to find Tink when I can think straight.”
Cosmos quickly walked back into the room and gave Hannah a kiss on her nose. “See you when you wake, sleeping beauty.”
Hannah hit him weakly on the shoulder before watching him head down the stairs. Forcing herself to get up, Hannah made her way into the large bathroom adjacent to Tink’s bedroom. She quickly removed her clothes and climbed into the hot shower with a loud groan. Oh, God. Hannah thought passionately. Hot water never felt so good! Hot showers and soft beds were two things Hannah missed the most when she was out on one of her assignments. Within twenty minutes, Hannah was sound asleep.
Hannah stretched slowly several hours later. She frowned up at the ceiling trying to orient herself. Glancing around, she remembered she was in Tink’s bed in the warehouse she shared with Cosmos. Hannah lay still as she tried to figure out what could possibly have woken her from a sound sleep. She could feel that little warning siren going off that told her something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t blaring like she was in danger but it was definitely doing the ‘warning…warning’ message, kind of like when the National Weather Service sent out their warnings on the radio or television.
Hannah rolled out of the bed and wrapped one of Tink’s robes around her. It was a bit on the small side since Hannah was a couple of inches taller than Tink’s five foot four frame. Luckily, Hannah was wearing an oversized T-shirt and a pair of boxers to sleep in. She moved quietly down the steps, her bare feet not making any noise on the oak steps. The second level of the warehouse was Cosmos’ living quarters. Hannah had been in it dozens of times and quickly remembered the layout. There was a bedroom area off to the left. The stairs were to the right and across from it was the doorway to a small kitchenette area where they usually ate. Hannah moved cautiously down the steps, the alarm sounding louder in her gut with each step she took. Hannah ducked under the stairwell and moved across through the door into the kitchenette. She reached up and took one of Tink’s prized aluminum frying pans down from the hook over the center stove area and held it firmly against her chest. From the corner of her eye, Hannah saw a dark shape move against the light filtering in through the windows overlooking the river. A friend would have turned on some lights when they entered so that only left the un-friendly. Hannah stepped back into a small recess next to the counter and held her breath. The huge figure of the intruder was moving around the open bar heading towards her. Hannah gripped the frying pan tighter and said a prayer of thanks for picking out the black silk robe instead of the hot pink one. As the figure came through the door Hannah swung with all her might bringing the bottom of the frying pan down over the back of the man’s head, watching in relief as he collapsed at her feet.
Borj hesitated a moment as he took stock of his surroundings. He was in some type of lab or workroom from the equipment. He didn't know what to expect when he walked through the doorway. He moved silently towards a group of what looked like primitive controls of some type. Borj ran his fingers lightly over a type of input device with strange markings on it before moving over to a set of steps leading down to a lower level. He stopped at the top observing the strange metal archway against one wall and the cables and wires running to it. It did not appear to have an exit. Turning, he noticed a small are
a containing a sink and some cabinets. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the set of clear doors Tink told him about and another set on the other side of them which she said led out of the lab. Borj pulled the map of the warehouse out of his pocket that Tink had drawn for him and studied it carefully. Tink said if Cosmos was not in his lab he should be in his living quarters. She didn't know the exact time it was on Earth but even if Cosmos wasn't there she said Borj could wait for him on the second level.
Tink had reassured him Cosmos would know how to get in touch with Hannah if she was not there already. Borj walked over to the control panel on the wall and punched in the symbols she had written down for him. She said it was a by-pass code in case RITA was down and the person did not have voice recognition set up yet. Borj watched as the doors slid open. He stepped into the small area, turning to watch as the doors behind him closed silently. Turning back around, he entered the second set of symbols. A solid metal door clicked open and he pushed his way into a dimly lit narrow corridor. There were two sets of stairs - one lead up, the other lead down. Borj turned and moved upward.
At the top of the stairs the room opened up into a large area with a set of windows along one side. Borj did not know how to turn on the lighting in the area. Normally when he entered a room the lights would automatically adjust to his preferences. It didn't matter, he could see just fine with the light coming in through the windows. He moved over to them and gazed out on the home world of the female he wanted to claim. He watched as strange transports moved back and forth over a small bridge spanning the river below him. The village below him was brightly lit with a brilliant sprinkling of lights. He could see humans walking along the edge of the river, some holding hands, others alone. He wondered vaguely if any of them could be his female. Tink said she should have arrived by now. Borj turned away from the window and moved towards the bedroom area to see if the male was there. He walked through noticing the bed was empty and the cleansing room was dark. He returned to the living area and moved towards the food preparation area. He was curious as to how the human's living space compared with those on Baade. He had just walked into the small cooking area when he felt a sense of warning he was not alone. He was just about to turn when a blow from behind struck him and everything went dark.
Hannah looked down at the figure lying face down on the kitchen floor. She quickly turned on the light over the sink and bent to make sure the man was incapacitated. Seeing he was out cold, Hannah quickly jerked open the drawers in the kitchen looking for something to tie the intruder up with. She crowed in triumph when she came across a package of plactic tie straps. They were the large, heavy duty type too, Hannah thought with relief. From the size of the guy lying on the floor she was going to need the extra strenght variety. She quickly attached one to each of his wrists then connected them together with another one. Not wanting to take a chance, she put three more around both wrists and three up his legs starting at his ankles. Hannah stared at the three remaining ties and shrugged her shoulders. She might as well use them too. She quickly attached two more to the ties around his wrists and then to the belt loops on the back of his jeans and the last one she tied around his ankles. Twelve of those bad boys should keep him immobile when he wakes up! Hannah thought smugly.
Hannah struggled to roll the huge male over so she could get a better look at him. She wanted to make sure she could identify him if the cops asked her. A vague thought flashed through her mind that this might be the senator's son looking for Tink but Hannah remembered Cosmos telling her the aliens had taken him with them. Surely, he hadn't escaped? Hannah thought in dismay. Hannah gasped when she got her first good look at the man under her. He was taller than Cosmos by a couple of inches and much broader. His hair was black and cut short, almost like a military style haircut. Hannah frowned as she took in his facial features. They were similar to a human's but different somehow. He had high cheekbones but his nose was a little broader than most males. His skin color was a warm, dark tan almost like the color of a rich honey. Hannah reached out with one of her hands and gently traced the side of his face from his hairline down to his chin. His skin felt hot against her touch. There was something different about him but Hannah couldn't quite figure out what it was. She was just about to move away when a voice behind her made her squeal in surprise.
"What the hell are you doing?" Cosmos asked in shock.
Hannah fell back on her butt on the cold floor and grabbed her chest with her free hand. The other hand was still clutching the aluminum frying pan like a life line. Hannah turned enough so she could see Cosmos standing in the doorway to the kitchen that the intruder had entered through just minutes before.
"Holy crud, Cosmos! You scared the shit out of me!" Hannah gasped out.
Cosmos took in the scene in front of him. Hannah was sitting on the floor barely covered in the robe he bought Tink last Christmas clutching one of Tink's favorite frying pans in her hand. Next to her was a huge, unconscious male. Cosmos felt his stomach sink as he took in the man's features. If he wasn't mistaken, the aliens were back. He let his gaze wander over the still figure frowning as he took in the odd way the man was laying with his back bowed up and his hands underneath him. As his gaze moved down, he couldn't quite hold back the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he noticed how Hannah had tied the poor guy up. From the guy's knees to his ankles he had enough tie straps connected around him to hold a team of mules back. His eyes flickered to the empty tie bag lying on the floor next to the two.
"Christ, Hannah. Do you think you used enough tie straps on him?" Cosmos said shaking his head.
The figure on the floor suddenly sat up next to Hannah with a loud growl. Hannah squealed, startled at the sudden movement of the man beside her and the deep growl. Without thinking, she swung the frying pan again clobbering the man across the forehead. Both Hannah and Cosmos watched as the man's eyes crossed for just a second before he fell backwards with a hard thump to the floor.
"Shit! You didn't kill him, did you?" Cosmos said rushing forward to where the man was out cold again.
Hannah was trembling as she scooted back across the floor and away from the man. "I...I hope not. I didn't mean to hit him again. He...he startled me." Hannah whispered wide-eyed as Cosmos felt the man's throat and lifted up one of his eyelids.
"Do you know him, Cosmos?" Hannah whispered softly staring at the man's chest and breathing easier as she saw it rising and falling.
"I haven't seen him but I would bet all the equipment in my lab he is one of them." Cosmos was saying as he stood up to get a pair of scissors to cut the tie straps.
"Yes, dear. He is one of them." RITA's voice came over the speaker system installed throughout the warehouse. "Boy, Hannah. You sure did a number on his head, not to mention Tink's favorite frying pan."
Hannah looked at the frying pan in confusion then at Cosmos. “I have video surveillance throughout the warehouse, remember?” Cosmos said as he knelt down next to the still figure on the floor and began cutting the tie straps off of his legs.
Hannah nodded and bit her lip before saying tentatively. “Do you think you should be cutting all of those off?”
Cosmos looked at Hannah before glancing back down at the huge male figure on the floor. A big discolored lump was forming on his forehead. Cosmos let his gaze flicker to the frying pan Hannah was still clutching tightly against her chest. From the dents in it, he personally didn’t think the guy was going to be up to moving much less attacking anyone.
“We’ll be alright.” Cosmos said with a barely suppressed chuckle. Cosmos couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the aliens who were just beginning to encounter a taste of the Bell family.
Chapter 4
Borj groaned silently as he slowly came awake. His head was throbbing on both the front and back side. He didn’t know who hit him but whoever did was a dead man. Borj could hear a male voice talking quietly in the background. He moved one of his hands slightly and realized whoever attacked him no lo
nger had him restrained. That would be their fatal error, Borj thought with a grimace as another sharp stab of pain flashed through him when he moved slightly. Because someone was going to pay for the pain he was feeling.
Borj forced himself to remain totally still as he listened to the male’s voice getting closer. He didn’t react until he felt the warmth from the other body leaning over him. Moving rapidly, Borj’s eyes flew open and he grabbed the large male around his throat swinging his body around at the same time so the male was now the one lying on the floor and he was on top of him.
Borj ignored the man’s yell of surprise and his choked curses. He was about to knock the man out when a sense of warning forced him to roll off the man and duck under the metal object coming towards his head. Borj was on his feet immediately and was gripping the arms of his other attacker before it dawned on him it was the image of the female he was seeking. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed down into her beautiful, dark green eyes. He was about to speak when all the air left him in a loud gush as pain exploded out of him and he dropped to his knees with a painful groan.
Hannah stared down at the man kneeling on the floor in front of her, his forehead lying against the cold wood. She was in the process of raising the dented frying pan above her head to bring it back down over the back of his head again when it was jerked out of her hands.
“You…” Cosmos said with a sympathetic look to where Borj was rocking back and forth on the floor. “…are dangerous.”
Hannah looked at Cosmos in disbelief. “ME!” She screeched loudly. “He was trying to strangle you and…”
A low moan from the floor made both of them stop and look at the man who was now kneeling with his head thrown back towards the ceiling and his eyes closed. He was holding his groin protectively. “Please…for the sake of all the gods and goddesses of my world…please speak softly.” He whispered hoarsely.
