Flame: Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

by Michelle M. Pillow

  He joined his wrist together and grabbed hold of the chains to use them like a weapon. He swung it through the air in warning. “Back away and leave now.”

  “This territory is compromised,” the Clynder stated, finally switching to Earth English. “You are to come with us immediately.”

  Vin swung the chains again when the clones would come for him, taking an aggressive step forward. He forced the aliens to back up. “I’m staying.”

  “It is not safe. According to Federation approved contract you signed, we are required to evacuate all grooms from the planet Earth for reevaluation. You and your fellow Killians, along with several of the others, have not fully adhered to Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides’ suggestions for Earth conduct. As a result, the corporation is debating on whether or not to discontinue grooms services, and in the future only offer transport to brides. You were all warned about the dangers of making yourself known to the local population.”

  “You can’t make him leave with you. This is America. We don’t operate like that,” Angela stated. “He’s done nothing wrong. He can stay if he wants to stay.”

  “I assure you, your government does not operate the way you say,” the leader stated. “You will remain quiet.”

  “I will not!” Angela made a move as if she would push past him. Vin held her back.

  “Do you require a reading of the inciting incidences, as is your right as an alien client?” Thankfully, the Clynder did not regard Angela as a legitimate threat, as he focused on his target.

  Vin saw several of the clones trying to edge their way along the side of the small room. He snapped his chain in warning and lightly swung it back and forth.

  “Yes, he does,” Angela answered for him. He saw her reach for a blanket folded over the back of her couch. She pulled it toward her. It would make for a strange weapon.

  “Your cousin and your brother destroyed the inside of a casino and interfered with local police business. They made contact with an Earth savant, risking themselves and others in the process. This has aroused the suspicion of other alien-human savants in the area, and they are now crawling all over the strip in Las Vegas looking for alien visitors,” the alien leader answered. “The men who chose to arrive as Elvis impersonators banded together and attempted to establish themselves as kings by overthrowing one of the main hotel’s governments. They established their reign in the penthouse and demanded tributes. Apparently, they did not realize that ‘the king’ did not mean the same thing as it does on other planets and that Elvis was not indeed part of the local monarchy.”

  “Don’t tell Mags that,” Angela mumbled. Her hand crept along his naked waist, and her fingers pressed into his skin as if indicating he should back up with her. Vin caught sight of her reflection the television and saw she’d wrapped the blanket around her body like a dress. He swung the chains back and forth in a steady rhythm, daring the would-be attackers to step forward so he could smack them with it.

  “One groom from Werten tried to kidnap a woman. There are many more incidences that taken by themselves could be overlooked, but as a whole, are not supporting the argument for a sustained trip.” Giving what sounded like a sigh, the alien added, “Which brings me to you, Vinglarkenbauer. You were also arrested, and you destroyed your hotel bed, which several of our techs spent hours replicating to replace.”

  “Gary and Bob chained me to the bed,” Vin countered. “What did you expect me to do? Lie there and take it? Have you ever met a Killian?”

  “No. You are my first,” the alien stated.

  “He doesn’t understand rhetorical, does he?” Angela again pressed at his side, walking him back a few inches.

  “Yes, that word has been uploaded,” the alien answered. “However, most damning of all is the fact that images of you have now gone what the natives call viral on Earth communication devices. You have gained infamy as the ice cream criminal. Videos are being made of your videos. I believe there is even a dance version. The Federation monitors are not pleased. What you did is too close to actual Earth-wide exposure.”

  “Vin?” Angela didn’t need to say more. He knew she wanted out of there. “Do something.”

  Vin began to swing the chains around the top of his head to buy time as he searched for viable options. “Blendenbut!”

  “What?” Angela asked, confused.

  The formed clones began to tremble. The remaining seedlings that floated above them fell to the ground and began to take shape.

  “It translates into the Earth word “acclimate” and is a standard intergalactic command for all alien clones to take humanoid form,” Vin explained “I read about it in what would be comparable to your magazines. It’s a factory default and most forget to disable it.”

  One by one the slender entities morphed into something more akin to a humanoid form. Their choice of character, however, was not so good.

  “Oh, blistersack,” Vin swore.

  “Evil clowns?” Angela demanded as she cowered behind Vin. “How the hell is that better than skinny alien zombies? Change them back.”

  “I can’t! That’s the only command I remember.” He counted more than twenty creatures standing in her small apartment.

  One of the clowns began to laugh, a truly eerie sound. Another one waved a puffy glove in the air and gave a psychotic smile.

  “Let me guess, all you Clynder-cylinder-slender-whatever things are fans of campy horror movies?” Angela pulled his arm insistently, trying to get him to back away from the threat.

  “I do not have that uploaded,” the leader answered.

  “You haven’t fought until you’ve fought a Killian,” Vin shouted at the clowns as he stepped forward and collected the first lot with his chains. Rolling his fists, he combined five heads into one bunch. He twisted the chains, choking all five clowns before yanking to the side to release them.

  As the bodies collapsed in a heap, five more stepped forward. Not one to pull the same trick twice, Vin whipped the next lot at their knees and sent them toppling to the ground.

  He stepped quickly around the clones on the floor. Vin used the heel of his foot to kill those still alive either by crushing their skulls on the side of the head or hitting them in the throat with one deft blow.

  Vin heard sirens and stopped.

  “Cops,” Angela shouted. She still clutched the blanket around her body to hide her nudity.

  “No, thank you. I have this.” Vin smiled. He stepped back, realizing that the aliens were now not so forthcoming after seeing what happened to the first lot. The Clynder leader frowned at his fallen clone army.

  “I meant the cops are outside. Ms. Cunningham probably called them. They’ll be on their way up here. You can’t be here with dead clown bodies,” Angela stated. “There is no talking our way out of murder. They’ll lock you up while they sort it out.”

  “They’re clones. I might have killed their programming, but I didn’t really murder anyone,” Vin said. Tiny popping noises sounded as the clones exploded into their native nanobot forms. “See.”

  “Window.” Angela pulled Vin. “Hurry. We can take the fire escape.”

  He wasn’t sure where she was going, but he followed her lead. She opened the window.

  “Enough.” Gary appeared in the doorway. He looked at the disabled clone parts scattered over the floor. To the few left standing, he motioned that they should leave. The Clynder tried to gain Gary’s attention, but the shorter man pointed a long arm out of the hall and ordered. “Go. You’ve done enough damage. I said track him, not hurt him.”

  “Come on,” Angela insisted, ducking under the window frame to step outside. “Vin!”

  Vin started to follow Angela.

  “There is no reason, Vinglarkenbauer. We can track you by the device in your shackles,” Gary stated. “Play time is over. Come with me.”

  “Vin,” Angela insisted.

  “Run!” he commanded.

  “No, come on. Move your ass, now,” she ordered.

  �
��Very well.” Gary didn’t seem concerned as he held up a small device toward Vin. The shackles on his arms began to beep and grow heavy. His muscles strained to remain upright.

  “We can make it, Vin, come on,” Angela insisted. He tried to obey but merely stumbled.

  When it was all Vin could do to stay standing, Gary made his way forward. “I gave you as much leeway as I could because I know you wanted a chance to be with the Earth woman. Now is the time to make the decision. Do we bring this Angela with us as your bride? Or do we leave her behind? Either way, you have to come with us.”

  Vin tried to turn around to look at Angela, but the chains restricted his movements. What would she want? But he already knew the answer. She would not want to leave this planet. She would not want to leave her mother. He could not force that decision upon her.

  “Can I have a moment to talk to her? Alone?” Vin asked.

  “I am apologetic, but time is up. I need your answer.” Gary held up an injector. “Transport is coming.”

  “Angela, I’m sorry,” he stated loudly. “I would have liked to have taken the time you requested for a new relationship, but—”

  Several humanoid men entered the apartment, cutting off his words.

  “Vin?” She sounded like she was trying to come back in the window. Why didn’t she run?

  “No,” Vin stated. “Leave her. She is no threat.”

  Gary nodded and injected him. His body instantly weakened, and the heavy weight of the chains brought him crashing to the floor.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Vin was gone. Just like that. Gone.

  Angela had never felt so alone and all of her life. The bright colorful lights of the strip, and the buzz of tourists surrounding her, no longer had the familiar appeal that once did. She watched as a little lady with an hourglass figure danced along the path of penny slot machines. At the black jack table, a robust man jumped for joy. She wondered if they were the alien-human savants that Clynder had mentioned. Or perhaps they were the children outside the arcade, left unattended by their parents? Or the waiter paid to sling insults at the guests?

  What did any of this matter? They were just games. It was just money. And yet money was so important. She needed it. That’s why she was still here working.

  Her apartment looked like a tornado had gone through it. The tiny alien clone parts were still on her floor. She left them if only to reminder self that what happened was real. Vin had been there.

  And he left her. Just like that. He was gone. Up in outer space.

  Angela searched for him as she made her rounds at work. Harris had found an excuse not to partner with her, and she was assigned to her normal shift. The crowds thickened as the hours progressed. They flowed around her, an endless stream of noises and faces.

  She saw a tall man walking in the distance and rushed after him. Angela knew it wasn’t Vin, but hoped it might have been his cousin or brother. She touched his arm. “Sev?”

  “Can I help you?” the man frowned and pulled his arm away from her.

  Angela shook her head in denial. “My mistake. Carry on, sir.”

  The tiny flame of hope inside her died. Her cell phone began to ring and she pulled it from her pocket as she walked away from the man.

  “Hello,” she answered, distracted.

  “Mrs. Borden?” a pleasant voice asked.

  “This is Angela.” She frowned at the phone, expecting a telemarketer. A group of teenagers began to shove each other and she kept an eye on them.

  “This is Mary Hart at Memory Meadows facility. I’m sorry to call so late, but we’re having a hard time convincing your mother that it is time for bed. She’s clearly tired but she won’t get out of her chair. I don’t seen anything in her file regarding this behavior, and we were hoping you might come down and reassure her and help her get settled.”

  “Is she sitting in the chair rocking back and forth with her purse on her lap?” Angela asked.

  “Yes,” Mary answered.

  Angela thought of Vin. “She thinks she’s waiting for a bus. Tell her it’s time to get off and she can go to sleep.”

  “Oh, ok, thank you. Sorry to bother you this—”

  “Wait.” Angela frowned, turning her full attention to the conversation. “Where did you say you were calling from?”

  “Memory Meadows, your mother’s new care facility,” Mary answered.

  “My mother is at Sunny Side,” Angela corrected. “We haven’t moved yet. I don’t know who you have there, but it can’t be Connie Borden.”

  Angela couldn’t afford for it to be Connie Borden.

  “No, I’m looking at her chart right now. She was transferred into our facility this morning by, wait, that name can’t be right.” Mary paused and she heard the sound of a keyboard. “Oh, I guess it is. My apologies. You’d think I’d be used to Vegas names by now. A Mr. Flame Borden signed her in. He is listed as her son. I assume he is either your brother or husband?”

  “Uh, yeah,” Angela said, stunned. What was Vin up to? She glanced around the crowd, feeling lost as to what she should do. “Is he there?”

  “Here, now?” Mary asked. “Ma’am, it’s after hours. Should we have called him first? Your number is the only one in the file.”

  “But he was there?” Angela began running through the casino, clutching the phone like it was a lifeline.

  “Her file says she was dropped off this afternoon. Hold on,” Mary’s voice became muffled. “Jane, did you see who dropped off Connie Borden today?”

  “Oh, honey, those were some handsome boys that woman has,” Jane answered. “I might start wearing makeup to work if they visit their mom often. They had fire names—Flame, Fireball, Blaze, something like that. Those boys were handsome and sweet. They upgraded her care plan and put enough money into their mother’s account to cover the next twelve years of monthly expenses. They said they travelled extensively and wanted to make sure she’s taken care of.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Mary returned to the phone. “Flame and a few others were here. They paid the bill in full if that is what you were concerned about.”

  “Ok, I’m on my way there now.” Angela darted through the long hall toward the parking garage.

  “Ma’am, you don’t have to come. We just had a questions about your mother’s routine, and I can try to get her into the bed before you make the trip down.”

  “It’s ok, I should be there.” Angela didn’t think. Vin had been spotted at Memory Meadows, and she was going to find him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Angela ran through the front doors of Memory Meadows and was instantly stopped by security. “Visiting hours are over.”

  “I’m here to see my mother. Mary called,” Angela said. “Her name is Connie Borden.”

  The man lifted a phone. She glanced around, eager to get past as he verified her information. The front lobby was decorated with silk flowers. Stone tiles formed a star pattern on the floor. The clean, state of the art facility was everything she’d wanted for her mother.

  “Sign in here.” He handed her a pen and clipboard. “Room 207, down the hall on your right. You can go on back.”

  Angela rushed down the hall, counting down the room numbers until she reached her mother’s door. She lightly knocked before going inside. Her mother sat next to the bed on her chair. The room had been decorated exactly as she’d had it at the other facility, only there was much more space.

  “Mom, hey, it’s me.” She approached her mother, only to stop when the door opened behind her.

  “Hello.” She recognized Mary’s voice. The nurse stayed a moment until Angela insisted having alone time with her mother. Mary finally agreed, saying, “Since it’s her first night, I see no harm.”

  “It’s you,” her mother said when the nurse left. She smiled at Angela. “I thought the bus would never come.”

  “Hey, mom. How are you? Are they treating you well here?” Angela kneeled by her mother’s legs.

  “Nothing wrong
with a hard day’s work,” her mother answered.

  “No, there isn’t.” She felt slightly guilty about running out on her own job mid-shift. “I had to see you. I had to talk to you. Mom, I need to know something. Today when you moved here remember the guy that came with you and helped you?”

  “I always did like that boy.” Her mother rocked in her chair holding her purse in her lap.

  “Me, too. Do you remember anything about his visit? Did he say anything? Did he…?” Angela’s eyes moved toward the dresser. Set on her mother’s doily was a fragment from one of the clones. She pushed to her feet and went to look at it. Hope and sorrow filled her at the same time. She’d missed him. Was this his way of saying goodbye? Why hadn’t he come back to see her? She reached for it with shaking hands, lifting the doily to see if there was a note or some sign of how she could find him. His name left her on a whisper, “Vin.”

  “This was the only way I knew to show you how much I care. Earth women like grand gestures. I learned that from watching the rogue transmission waves.”

  At the sound of his voice, Angela gasped and turned. She rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck. “How did you escape?”

  “I finally read the contract my cousin signed on my behalf.” He held her tight and lifted her feet off the floor to keep her against him. “It turns out they had no right to force me back onto the ship if I did not wish to leave. The Federation is not going to be too pleased with that little loophole in the contract. But that is not my problem. Sev was right, Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides is a questionable organization. They don’t seem to care too much about the details of things.”

  She loosened her hold and he set her on her feet.

  “Vin, this is too much. I can’t let you pay for this.” Angela glanced around the room. At the same time, now that her mom was here, she couldn’t send her back. “I’ll pay you back.”

  Her arms rested on his chest. The idea of never seeing him again had filled her with fear and loneliness. Now that he was back in her embrace, she didn’t want to let him go.