Creature Worlds: Solar Slick

by Juliet Cardin

  Tigg tensed up behind me. I looked down and saw his hand clenched into a fist. I recalled those giant chompers—probably his main of source of defense—and wondered if I still bore his bite marks. “Since you have no prior claim on Minka that you wish honored, I claim her as my mate, true and clear. Forever. I will protect what is mine.”

  Mine? Forever?

  “Don’t get your scales in a knot, buddy. You can have her—as soon as she does one more little job for me.”

  “What job?” Tigg and I both said in unison. I didn’t want to have any more involvement with Clay, nor was I stupid enough to believe what he said was true, that perhaps he would finally leave me alone.

  “I did a little checking on this planet and it seems to have precisely what I want.”

  “Which is?” I asked.

  “Menite.” I should have known. A gem more coveted than diamonds, menite was all the rage on Earth.

  “Impossible. The mines are heavily guarded. No one gets in or out without being searched.”

  “But you could get in,” Clay said.

  I glared at him in warning. “The mines are open day and night. They never close. Even if I could get in, I can’t carry out all that you want and not get caught.”

  “Then we’ll need a distraction,” he said, eyeing Tigg.

  “Leave him out of this,” I said.

  “No. If you do this thing, I will go with you,” Tigg said.

  Clay smiled. “It’s all settled then. Let’s go.” He snapped his fingers and the thugs went out the door. Before Clay left, he raked his gaze over me. “I’ll be back tomorrow. You will be here.”

  “And then things are finished between us, Clay,” I told him.

  “Yes,” he agreed, then turned to leave.

  I shut the door behind him and leaned against it. Tigg was staring at me and I knew he wanted answers.

  “What does he want you to do, Minka? Is it dangerous?”

  I let out a big sigh. There was no way I was going to get through this without someone else finding out my secret. “He wants the menite. He wants me to steal it. And yes, it’s dangerous.” For you, I wanted to add. Clay didn’t like loose ends. If everything went as planned, and I stole for him, he would most likely kill Tigg and force me to return to Earth with him. But if I tried to flee, Clay would find me and probably kill Tigg anyway just to spite me. I shivered over the thought of being under Clay’s control again.

  * * * *

  The next morning Tigg arrived at my door bright and early. He looked remarkably well rested for a guy who was about to embark on a dangerous and illegal mission. I, on the other hand, had spent half the night tossing and turning, while scenario after scenario played out in my mind, all of them ending the same way, with Tigg dead or hurt, and me back with Clay. Try as I might, I couldn’t figure a way out of this fix.

  “I thought I told you to disappear into the jungles of Treox and lay low for a few days?” I said to Tigg as he casually strolled into my apartment. Despite my fear for him, I was relieved he’d come back.

  “We will do this thing together and then we’ll get on with our lives.” His eyes drifted toward my belly and I remembered what he’d said about us being a family. Could it be possible he’d actually impregnated me? How could he be sure?

  “Clay will be here any moment.” I couldn’t think about a future with Tigg right now. Not when I wasn’t sure if he would survive the next day or two.

  Tigg followed me into my tiny kitchen and I handed him a cup of coffee. I was already on my third cup. He took the cup from my shaky hands and drilled me with a curious stare. “Why are you so afraid of Clay? What power does he have over you?”

  I shrugged. “We go back a long way. He knows stuff about me, stuff he could reveal to the authorities and get me into trouble.”

  “Is that why you’re hiding out on Treox?”

  “Yeah.” I didn’t even bother to voice a denial. I could tell by the way he squinted his reptilian eyes that he knew he wasn’t getting the whole story.

  “If he reveals stuff about you then wouldn’t he be putting himself in danger as well?”

  “Clay has a way of making himself look squeaky clean. He’s all about self-preservation.”

  “We could leave together right now. Escape into the jungle and hide out until he tires of searching for us.”

  “He’ll never stop,” I said.

  “Minka, tell me why Clay wants you so badly.”

  I smiled grimly. “It’s not because he’s in love with me, I assure you.” The worst part was that a year ago, I was so in love with Clay I would have done anything for him. I thought he loved me too. What a fool I’d been.

  A loud pounding on the door interrupted our conversation. I gave Tigg a long, hard look before I started for the door. “Here we go,” I said.

  Chapter 4

  Clay and his goons walked into my apartment when I opened up the door. “Come right in,” I said sarcastically. He walked into the living room and turned around to face us. The goons stayed at the front door—in case we decided to bolt, I guess.

  “You’re ready?” Clay asked.

  “Are you? It’s pretty wild outside the dome, I hope you’re prepared,” I said.

  Clay smiled. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Not necessary. We’ll just slow you two down,” he said.

  “You want Minka and I to go alone?” Tigg confirmed, in a giddy voice, as though he couldn’t believe his good luck.

  Clay narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, but I’ll be waiting, so don’t get any dumb ideas. I’ll give you three days to fill this bag with menite.” He tossed a black canvas sack at me. “Any longer and I’ll make sure you’re a wanted felon, not only on Earth, but on Treox as well,” Clay said to me. “There’ll be no place for you to hide.”

  Tigg’s tongue hissed out, I could tell he was pissed.

  “I packed a bag this morning. I’m ready to go when you are,” I said to Tigg. He was glaring at Clay and looked ready to expose those cobra fangs again. “Come on,” I said, urging him along. “Do you need to get your stuff?” I’d noticed he’d walked in empty handed.

  Tigg looked at Clay as he drew a deadly looking eight-inch blade out of his tall leather work boot. “This is all I need.”

  Clay gulped visibly.

  “Let’s go then,” I said. When Tigg remained still, I reached out and took hold of his arm. “Help me with my bag?”

  “We’ll be back within three days with the menite. Then you will leave and not come back,” Tigg said to Clay.

  “Yeah, right,” Clay said, watching as Tigg replaced the knife.

  Tigg followed me as I hurried to my bedroom and grabbed my knapsack. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll get this over with,” I said to him as he leaned against my bedroom door. I tucked Clay’s sack into my bag and Tigg came in and swung it onto his shoulder. We passed by the goons on our way out the front door without a word and strode down the hall. I leaned against the elevator door when it closed, us safely inside.

  “Think we can pull this off?” I asked Tigg. He seemed relaxed and unconcerned while I was a bundle of nerves.

  “If I hear him threaten you again, the only thing getting stuffed in that bag will be him.”

  Yep, he was pissed.

  Since it was the weekend, and the work week on Treox was only four days long, and the weekend three, we wouldn’t be missed. As long as we made it back on schedule.

  There was a lineup to exit the dome, mostly other Lizords and a couple of blue guys who didn’t seem bothered much by the heat. It was a short line and we were soon outside. The hot air hit me in the face as soon as I stepped out and I sighed in misery. Tigg immediately took the lead. My thick hair was drenched and pasted to my head after just a few minutes.

  “How far do we have to go?” I asked, walking quickly to keep up with his long strides.

  “The first mine is only a few hours away. But it’s heavily guarde
d. The second one would be better.”

  “How far is that one?”

  “About a day’s walk.”

  The thought of spending three whole days and nights in this bug-infested sauna were almost enough to push me over the edge.

  “But we’re not going to either,” he said.

  I stopped dead. “What?”

  Tigg turned around and took my hand, urging me onward. “I have a ship. If we hurry we can make it to Earth, clear your name, and make it back before Clay suspects anything.”

  “Wait!” I said, digging in my heels, bringing us to a stop. “If we by some crazy chance ever cleared my name on Earth, why the hell would I come back here?”

  Tigg looked like the idea had never crossed his mind.

  “Besides, if we do come back, Clay is expecting a bag of menite.”

  “Has Clay actually ever seen menite in its base form?” Tigg asked.

  I shrugged. “I dunno. And I really don’t want to take that chance. You don’t know him like I do. I’m afraid to cross him.”

  “I’m not.” He gave me a determined look and then started walking again. I followed.

  “You don’t even know what it is I’m accused of doing on Earth,” I reminded him.

  “Whatever it is I’m sure you’re innocent. Or else you were coerced into doing it.”

  He was right, but that still didn’t mean I could get out of it. I had gone along with Clay’s schemes and in the eyes of the law I was guilty. “If you have a ship why don’t we go someplace else?”

  “This is my home. It will be our offspring’s home as well.”

  Oh yeah, I’d forgotten he’d supposedly knocked me up. “The baby would be fine growing up someplace else.”

  “No. Lizords must be reared on Treox. Our young feed on the jineg bugs native to this planet.”

  Gross.

  “But you’re forgetting he’s half human. Maybe he won’t want to eat bugs.” Was I really having this conversation? Tigg stopped suddenly and swung me up into his arms. “What’re you doing?” I asked.

  “We need to hurry.” He began to jog and then sprint, then run. The scenery flew by me in a rush while I clung to his neck. It was several minutes later when he finally slowed down. He stopped and set me gently on the ground. “We’re here,” he said, walking over to a tall bunch of bushes. He began grabbing at the branches and tossing them aside revealing a spacecraft hidden beneath.

  “Cool,” I said, wandering forward. The craft was small and sleek, one of the newest and fastest models. “How’d you get it?”

  “Hard earned money,” he said.

  If he had a craft like this then he was definitely not thinking of spending his every waking moment on Treox. This was a craft built to leave the planet, not zoom around on it.

  “You’re full of surprises, Tigg,” I said, impressed.

  He began feeling around the crevices of the craft. “Damn.”

  “What’s the matter?” I asked.

  “Teneg, my brother, was the last to drive it. He borrowed it and I told him to replace the key where he got it. He hasn’t.”

  “Well, it’s gotta be here some place.”

  We spent the next several minutes searching the outside of the craft and the area around it. Tigg shook his fist in frustration. “That imbecile probably locked the keys inside.”

  “You think?”

  “He’s done it before. I have a second set but they’re at my apartment. Now I’ll have to go all the way back and retrieve them.” He looked at me regretfully. “I’m sorry, Minka, I can get there faster without you.” He came forward and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be back soon. You’ll be safe here.”

  “Wait,” I said as he crouched down, preparing to take off.

  “Yes, my love?”

  I sighed. Tigg was willing to risk everything for me. Despite me being wanted on Earth, he was prepared to leave his home and go there to help me clear my name. We hardly even knew each other, and yet, he would do it for me.

  I had to trust him.

  “I can get inside the craft. I’ll open the door and you can look for the keys,” I said.

  “That’s impossible. You can’t get in without the key.”

  “I can. Just don’t freak out, okay? Promise me.”

  He looked at me funny, but then gave a quick nod of his head. “Promise.”

  I closed my eyes and concentrated, just for a second or two. And then it happened.

  I began to change. Slowly, and painlessly, I turned from a beautiful young woman, into a small, disgusting spider.

  It was my secret. My curse.

  The reason Clay wanted me so much.

  When no one else could get inside those locked places, I was there doing his evil bidding. Shrinking down and sneaking in, only to grow big again and open the door for him.

  The craft was suddenly enormous—almost overwhelming when viewed through my several eyes. I got my bearings and began to climb, finding my way inside through a tiny opening. Quickly I moved, in fear that Tigg would forget his promise and smash me with his fist. Once on the other side, I changed back and went to open the door. This time, it was for a man who cared about me—for real. Not a lying jackass.

  I pressed a button and the door swished up revealing Tigg’s stunned face. I stared at him with trepidation.

  It seemed like a lifetime before he finally smiled. “Neat trick,” was all he said.

  I smiled in relief.

  Chapter 5

  Tigg found the keys inside the spacecraft, just as he had expected. Since time was of the essence, it was only a few minutes later that we were strapping into our seats and blasting off. Soon the atmosphere of planet Treox gave way to the black, star-filled vacuum of outer space. Taking off my seat belt, I turned to stare at my companion. He’d yet to say anything to me about the spider thing.

  He must have felt my eyes on him since he turned his head and regarded me thoughtfully. “Does it hurt?” he asked.

  I knew what he meant. “No. Not anymore. It did the first few times.”

  “How…how come you’re not naked?”

  I laughed. “It’s actually a pretty neat trick. There’s like this force field around me, anything I’m wearing, or holding, will shrink down with me. When I grow big again everything else returns to its original size.”

  “That’s the reason Clay wants you so bad? Cause you can get into places he can’t? And carry things out?”

  “Yes.” I no longer deluded myself with thoughts that Clay loved me.

  Tigg was silent for a moment as he concentrated on steering the craft. A few minutes later he pushed a few buttons and took off his seat belt so he could rise to his feet. “It’s on autopilot,” he told me. “A signal will sound when we’ve reached Earth’s atmosphere. Probably be a while yet.”

  I knew the distance between Treox and Earth was about two hours at this speed.

  He came up to stand before me. “I thought you were native to Earth,” he said.

  Since he knew my little secret there was no need to lie to him. “When my parents arrived on Earth my mom was pregnant with me. Both my parents were scientists working on Zenet. That’s how they met. She’s from Earth originally, but my dad is from Ventillia.”

  “Ah,” Tigg exclaimed, as though that explained everything. “Spider planet.” He reached out to take my hand and slowly pulled me to my feet. “Where are your parents now?”

  “Dead. Killed on Earth five years ago.” It was illegal for anyone from Ventillia to be on Earth thanks to a terrible war between them over twenty years ago. “I escaped. Been on my own since I was fifteen.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “It’s not so bad. I mean, yeah, what happened to my parents was awful, but Earth is still my home.”

  “So no one knows your true identity?”

  “Not as long as Clay keeps his mouth shut. Right now, I’m only wanted for break and enter. They don’t know I’m an illegal like my dad.”

 
“That’s what Clay’s threatening you with.”

  I nodded my head.

  Tigg frowned. “People’s ignorance angers me. You are innocent, despite one of your parents being from Ventillia. You had nothing to do with a war that happened before you were born.”

  “People don’t see it that way.”

  He ran his hand over my hair and down my back, stopping to linger on my ass. “You look so human.”

  I shrugged. “I mostly take after my mom. My dad looked human, like most Ventillians, but he had little control over his shifting. We lived a pretty isolated life, keeping to ourselves, but eventually my dad blew his cover. Earth Authority chased him and when they shot, my mom jumped in front of him. The shot killed them both. I saw what happened from a distance. There was nothing I could do, so I ran.”

  Both of Tigg’s arms went around me and he pulled me close. It felt good to be held by him. When Clay had first discovered what I was, he’d been repulsed, not wanting to touch me for a long time. I became attractive to him again once he figured out he could use me for nefarious purposes.

  “Zenet is a refuge planet for several species. It’s beautiful, I’ve heard. Why didn’t your parents stay there?”

  I shrugged. It was something I’d asked myself a million times.

  “Clay has a video of me that he swiped off of a security camera. It clearly shows me changing and then opening up the door for him and his gang. Of course, their faces are masked, but my identity wasn’t concealed. I was careless.” And a fool to believe that Clay wouldn’t seize such an opportunity to get something on me.

  “This is what he threatens to give to Earth Authority.” It wasn’t a question. “We need to get that tape.”

  “He probably has copies everywhere. I don’t see any way around giving in to him and his demands.”

  “There has to be a way.”

  “If there is I haven’t discovered it yet. I’ve been trying to get out from under Clay’s control for a long time. That’s why I ran. I didn’t know what else to do. I was hoping everything would just eventually blow over and I could go home.”