Organ Reapers

by West, Shay

But setting foot on another world was something that made his brain go lalalalalalala, like little kids with their fingers in their ears, ignoring their parents. The thought of being left behind made his blood run cold. Is their world even in the same galaxy? The same universe? He’d never been good at physics, so these thoughts of other worlds were enough to make his head want to explode.

  He finished up and made himself walk to the elevator, despite wanting to do anything he could to put off going back to the house. Chasing perps, picking over dead bodies for evidence, questioning suspects, hell, even exchanging gun fire were parts of the job he knew and loved. Putting the bad guys behind bars was what he lived for. Traveling to other worlds wasn’t what he signed up for.

  But it’s what you got.

  His anxiety rose in small increments the closer he got to home. When he passed the Hinsung’s store, he was shaking so badly he wondered if he’d be able to make the turn onto his street.

  As he pulled into his driveway, the shaking had stopped, as had the racing of his racing heart. Numbness had settled over him like a soft blanket. Eli gladly wrapped himself in its familiar warmth. He was used to this feeling, he could deal with it. He just hoped it lasted until this damn fool mission was over.

  Tani and Keena were sitting outside on the patio. Eli shook his head when he saw them holding hands, but being careful to remain with their bodies apart. He just couldn’t understand the mentality that demanded people not engage in anything sexual in nature until they were married. It seemed antiquated and needless. What was a marriage certificate anyway? Just a piece of paper that meant that when things went south, it would take another piece of paper and a lot of headaches to get things back to what they were before the original piece of paper. The magic piece of paper didn’t make his marriage last, didn’t make his ex think twice before cheating on and eventually leaving him.

  Gee, you’re a barrel of laughs.

  Eli grabbed a beer and opened the door to the patio. Tani and Keena let go of each other’s hands and looked guilty.

  “Relax, it’s just me. I’m not going to stone you to death for holding hands,” he said as he flopped down in one of the patio chairs.

  “It’s so difficult to get rid of the ideas we’ve grown up with. A boy and girl can’t hold hands until they are officially betrothed,” Tani said.

  “It’s not like you guys haven’t held hands before.”

  “We’re just more aware of how our behavior would look to those on our world since our discussion yesterday. If we have to return there, we can’t forget our place.”

  “I’m sorry. I wish there was another way...”

  “It’s not your fault. We don’t belong on this world any more than you belong on ours. We’ll find a way to elude Master Kelhar’s Enforcers.”

  Eli clapped Tani on the shoulder. “Maybe we can come up with some way to help you guys while we finalize the plan tonight.”

  “That means we’ll be leaving soon,” Keena said.

  “The sooner we destroy the machines, the sooner we can stop the killings,” Eli said.

  The three sat outside trying to enjoy the cool evening, each lost on their own thoughts. Eli smiled when Tani and Keena’s hands found one another’s again. Those two couldn’t fight it even if they wanted to. Eli took a swig of his beer and hoped Ava would return empty-handed. If she came with the explosives, it meant they would have to go through with his fool plan. He was fairly certain it would work, but he’d never planned anything like this. Raiding a suspect’s home was a walk in the park compared to this.

  When his stomach gave a loud rumble, he decided to introduce the pair to the culinary delights of Thai food. He called in an order and walked back outside, leaving the sliding glass door open so he could hear the doorbell.

  “Does it hurt going through the gateway?” Eli asked, taking a swig of his second beer.

  “It tingles a bit, but no, it doesn’t hurt,” Tani said.

  “Are you alert when you come out the other end?”

  “There’s a bit of time to acclimate, but it doesn’t usually take long. Why do you ask?”

  “If there are guards in the room, we’ll need to act quickly. We can’t afford to be disoriented.”

  “I wish I could tell you there wouldn’t be any, but there will. I can’t say how long yours will last.”

  Eli sighed. It wasn’t what he’d been hoping to hear, but at least he knew what to expect. He and Ava would need to be on high alert as soon as they passed through to take out any guards who might be in the room. Who are you kidding? There’ll be guards.

  The doorbell rang. He jumped up and grabbed his wallet from his back pocket. He handed the smiling delivery guy at the door some cash and told him to keep the change.

  He brought the food into the kitchen and opened the various containers, sniffing each one before he put it back on the counter. He grabbed some paper plates and plastic silverware out of the cabinet, knowing he wouldn’t want to wash dishes tonight.

  He hollered at Tani and Keena to come load up their plates.

  “Aren’t we going to wait for Ava?” Keena asked.

  “Ava is getting us something very important that we need for our journey. I’m not sure how long she’ll be, so I figured we’d eat now. She can eat when she shows up.”

  The food was hot and in large quantities, which was just how Eli liked it. He even liked it leftover. It was the only thing he really liked as leftovers. Most everything else he would just throw away, knowing he’d never eat it the next day.

  He showed Tani and Keena how to use chopsticks. Surprisingly, the two picked up the trick rather quickly, much more quickly than he had. They deftly maneuvered the wooden sticks to pick up slices of beef and broccoli dripping in sauce, and popped everything into their mouths.

  “I will miss the food of this world,” Tani said as he sat back in his patio chair.

  “Perhaps you two can start a restaurant.”

  “We couldn’t make the food without the spices. Perhaps we can improvise with what we can find on our own world,” Tani said.

  “I can send you with spices and recipes to help you get started.”

  “That is most generous,” Keena said as she shared a glance with Tani. “Do you think we could really do it?”

  “Absolutely. Here, I’ll show you some recipes and gather a bunch of spices together.”

  Eli spent the next hour copying recipes onto new sheets of paper and gathering the spices. I can always buy more. Tani and Keena smelled each one, trying to figure out if they had something similar on their world. With a grin, Eli grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to Ava, hoping she got it before arriving at his house. He knew it would add time to her already busy evening, but he didn’t want to leave the two. Besides, I still have a lot more recipes to copy down for them.

  Tani placed the spices and sheets of paper inside his knapsack as though he was dealing with something delicate that would break if he wasn’t careful. The trio watched TV while they waited for Ava. Eli checked his phone every ten seconds, hoping for a text to let him know she was on the way, but it remained silent. He tried to lose himself in the program about life at the bottom of the ocean, but he was too distracted to enjoy it.

  Ava finally arrived around nine. Eli met her at the door, knowing that if she had managed to obtain the explosives, she would bring them inside rather than leaving them in her car. She was lugging two large tote bags. She handed them both to Eli and gave him a withering look before going back out to her car and grabbing her purse and a smaller plastic sack. He put the bags on the floor.

  She shoved the plastic bag in his hands. “Next time you get the urge to grow a flippin’ herb garden, don’t pick the night I have to get explosives, m’kay?”

  Eli held up his hands. “They aren’t for me.”

  He gave Tani and Keena the plastic bag. “I had Ava grab you seeds for all of the herbs in the recipes I gave you. The spices in the containers won’t last forever. This way, you�
�ll have a steady supply of herbs.”

  “You’re giving them spices?” Ava asked incredulously.

  “We are going to start a restaurant with the recipes from this world,” Tan said excitedly, brandishing the pieces of paper.

  “Isn’t that against some interstellar law or something?” she asked.

  Eli rolled his eyes. “It’s just some herbs and spices.”

  “Right. Until the land is overrun with basil and oregano.”

  “Just imagine what a pretty-smelling world that would be.”

  She rolled her eyes and didn’t say anything else, which was fine by Eli. Maybe what he was doing wasn’t the best thing, introducing a plant species to an alien world, but if it gave Tani and Keena a little hope, it was worth it.

  Eli retrieved the bags with the explosives from near the front door and brought them into the kitchen. He carefully opened the top of one of the bags and whistled. He was no expert, but what Ava had brought seemed very complicated.

  “I know I swore never to ask, but Ava, geez, where did you get these? This was done by a pro.”

  “Yes, they were,” she said.

  Eli raised an eyebrow. “And that’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  Eli hated not knowing, but she had kept her end of the bargain and he wouldn’t push her about it. There were three of the devices, each complete with a digital timer. He placed the one in his hand carefully back in the bag.

  He looked at Ava, Tani, and Keena, the ones who would share in this adventure with him. They looked at him expectantly and he didn’t know what to say. Should I be giving them a pep talk or something?

  “I was going to wait and use the gateway in the morning, but I think we stand a better chance if we hit them at night.”

  “There will be fewer people in the chamber during the overnight hours,” Tani said.

  “That’s what I figured. Okay, let’s go over the plan one more time.”

  CHAPTER 38

  ELI DROVE through the dark city, the street lights flashing a rhythm over the windshield. No one spoke. He knew each of them had to come to grips with what they were about to do, and no amount of idle chatter was going to make it better or easier. He didn’t even bother with the radio.

  He drove them to the same abandoned lot where he had first seen the gateway. It seemed fitting somehow. The car entered the lot with a soft crunch of gravel beneath the tires. He sat in the car after coming to a stop, wanting to make sure there was no one in the area. It wasn’t an area known to be frequented by the homeless, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one or two lurking in the darkness.

  Ava exited first and stood by the side of the car with her arms crossed over her chest as though warding off the cold. Or fear. She tried to hide it, but Eli could see it in the tightness around her eyes, the stiff way she walked. I’ll get us both back alive.

  He opened the door; the creaking sounded much too loud in the quiet parking lot. Eli went to the trunk and grabbed the tote bags containing the explosive devices. Tani and Keena stood to the side. Eli handed one of the bags to Ava and she slung it over her shoulder. He took the second and laid it on the ground.

  Eli handed Tani and Keena each a small handgun he’d taken from his personal collection. He and Ava had fought about it, but Eli refused to send the pair into danger without arming them. If one part of the plan failed, Earth would be in danger of more murders. Eli wanted to ensure that didn’t happen.

  “You two remember how to use those?” Eli asked.

  In unison, both cocked their weapons and pointed them at a broken light pole. Eli smiled. They hadn’t had time for target practice, so he would just have to trust their aim. He grabbed two shotguns from the trunk and tossed one to Ava. She caught it with one hand. Impressive!

  He grabbed a couple of flashlights, gave one to Tani and kept one for himself.

  “Everyone ready? Stick to the plan. Remember, the most important thing is to destroy the machines.” He looked meaningfully at Ava. She nodded once.

  Keena took off her pack, grabbed the velvet bag containing the five gateway stones, and emptied them into her palm. She placed them on the ground one by one. Once the last one was in place, a brilliant flash of light erupted in a circular pattern. Keena picked the stones up and put them back in the velvet bag.

  Tani and Keena passed through first. They had warned that the passageway would only stay open for a few moments. Eli took a deep breath, glanced back at Ava, and plunged into the light.

  ***

  He choked and gasped, trying to clear his vision. He heard a gunshot and shouting, but couldn’t focus. He moved forward and nearly fell down the stairs. Once he was away from the light of the gateway, his vision cleared.

  He reached for his gun and blinked, trying to discern friend from foe. Another shot rang out followed by a grunt and a thud as something hit the floor.

  “Move away from the gateway. Once it closes, you’ll have an easier time seeing.”

  Eli followed Tani to the edge of the room. He heard Ava come through, crying out in fear.

  Suddenly, the room dimmed as the gateway winked out. Eli blinked a few times, relieved to find his vision returning. He looked around the room. Two men lay on the ground, each bleeding from gunshot wounds, one to the chest and one to the gut. The one that was gut-shot lay moaning on the floor, trying to move toward the door.

  He spun to face Tani. “What were you thinking firing a gun in here? If more Enforcers come, this mission is over before it even starts!”

  “The room is specially designed to hold in sound. I don’t know how it works, but even with the machinery running, you can be right outside the door and not hear a thing.”

  Eli shook his head. That’s what I get for giving him a gun.

  He walked up to the man pulling himself along the ground and bent down to get a closer look. He’s not going to last much longer.

  “Can we expect more of your friends to show up anytime soon?” Eli demanded.

  The man’s mouth opened and closed, but he only managed to mewl like a new-born kitten and continued moving inch by inch toward the door, leaving a blood-soaked trail behind. Eli pushed the man on his back and gently pushed on his belly with one hand while holding his other hand over the man’s mouth.

  The man’s eyes bulged and his face turned red as he let out a muffled scream of agony.

  “Let’s try this again. Can. We. Expect. Company?”

  The man nodded, held up a hand, and bent each of his fingers once, followed by his index finger a second time. Eli frowned, wondering what he was getting at. Once again, the man held up a trembling hand, bent his fingers like he had the first time, pleading with his eyes.

  “Are you counting?”

  The man nodded emphatically, his breath puffing out his cheeks around Eli’s hand. Eli thought for a minute.

  “Your relief comes in six hours?”

  The man nodded again, tears leaking from his eyes.

  More than enough time.

  “We need to find something to gag him with so he can’t sound the alarm,” Eli ordered.

  Keena reached into her knapsack and pulled out a shirt. Ava ripped it and handed a long strip and a wadded-up ball to Eli. He hurriedly shoved the wadded cloth into the man’s mouth and tied it in place.

  He pointed to Tani and Keena. “You two. Show us how to work these damn machines.”

  Tani and Keena hurried to the machines and pulled levers and pushed buttons. The sound of steam reached Eli’s ears. He could hear water running through pipes on all sides and in the ceiling. He didn’t understand anything about the machine, let alone how it could be used to open a gateway. It’s got to be magic of some kind.

  “The machine is set for your town. When you are ready to return home, push this button here.” Tani pointed.

  Eli nodded. “Get going. When you finish burning the scrolls and books, come back here. If you don’t return within the hour, I will set the charges and we leave.”


  Tani and Keena ran to the window, opened the shutters, and climbed through. Eli tried to figure out how long it would take the pair to make it to Master Kelhar’s library based on the map Tani drew. If all went smoothly, it should take no more than a few minutes to get to the room. The part that would take longer was searching through the scrolls and books to find those pertaining to the machinery. I hope an hour is enough time.

  Regardless, he and Ava would set the explosives to detonate in one hour. If Tani and Keena were unsuccessful, he hoped the wrecked gateway room would deter any further traveling.

  CHAPTER 39

  TANI PEERED out the window. Seeing the coast was clear, he leapt to the ground and turned to help Keena. He needn’t have bothered; she made the jump as easily as he. The two made their way silently along the side of the building, keeping to the bushes whenever possible. Tani wasn’t worried about being spotted at this time of night. What worried him was what was going to happen once they reached the window leading to Master Kelhar’s personal library.

  Tani had no idea if the room was guarded. He sent up a prayer to the gods that they would find the library empty. The other uncertainty was the location of the scrolls and books that Master Kelhar had used to figure out how to run the machinery. He had no idea where to look for those. He only hoped he and Keena could find what they needed in the short hour they had to look.

  His heartbeat and breathing sounded much too loud to his ears. Deep down he knew no one could hear him unless they were as close as Keena, but he still tried to breathe shallower.

  Tani ran his hand along the rough surface of the red bricks. He glanced up when they passed underneath the large windows leading to Master Kelhar’s private chambers.

  There’s a lamp lit!

  Tani reached back and grabbed Keena’s arm, willing her to be silent. Their eyes met in the darkness. Tani was quite certain the same fear he saw in her eyes was mirrored in his own. They had to move on. Staying here paralyzed with fear used up precious time. He moved forward slowly, eyes glued to the lighted window.

  Suddenly, a shadow moved to the window. Tani grabbed Keena and pulled her against the side of the building. He could tell by the silhouette reflected on the grass that it was Master Kelhar. The only time he’s awake at this hour is if he has a patient.