To Love A Hitman

by Randell Mccreary

  I didn’t know how long we napped, blissful in our rest, but after a bit I heard the door slide open and I jerked up from where I was laying on James. If the aliens thought anything of it, they didn’t say. They merely threw what looked like a sponge in my face and told me to clean myself before stepping back out.

  At first, I didn’t know quite what they wanted me to do with just a dry sponge, but the moment I squeezed it, a thick, gel like liquid poured out. Quickly, I caught it in my hand and proceeded to rub it all over myself with the sponge.

  It only took me a few minutes to completely cover myself, and by the time I got down to my feet, my top had already dried entirely and I was left feeling quite refreshed.

  “Huh, well isn’t that something.” I tossed it to James, who was just beginning to wake up without my presence atop him. “Here, try this out.” I said with a grin.

  He gave me an odd look but complied while I dressed myself back in my discarded bra and underwear. Once I was mildly covered again, I turned back to him to see that his too looked much more alive and refreshed.

  “Technology is amazing, isn’t it?” He asked, standing as well.

  I didn’t have a chance to answer because the door was sliding open again and the aliens were back.

  “Come.” They said flatly.

  So, we did. The entire time my eyes were darting this way and that, but there was not much to observe besides the same hallway I had been down multiple times. The ship must not be very big considering that everything seemed to branch off of the one corridor, but then again, I’d yet to see any sort of bridge, or cafeteria or worker quarters. Maybe we were just on some sort of luxury deck?

  However, I certainly didn’t ask my captors so I didn’t get an answer and we arrived at the party room once again.

  “Stand here.” They said, pointing to the side.

  James and I exchanged looks but did as they said, shuffling over against the wall. I’m not sure what they wanted of us, but it seemed like we might be in a lick of trouble after my earlier shenanigans.

  But all of that dropped to the side as a beautiful woman entered the room. She was dressed in beautiful clothing from head to toe, and her body was toned to perfection. Everything grew still and soon a different type of music began to play, causing the woman to dance.

  She was breathtaking, in every sense of the word. Her body wound with the beat in ways I couldn’t imagine and I felt my own start to respond. Strange, I had just had the best sex of my life, but I could already feel myself aching for more.

  When she finished, there was enthusiastic applauding all around, but the alien that sat on the throne seemed none too pleased.

  “You dare to repeat a performance for me?” He asked, leaning forward with his voice like ice.

  The woman seemed absolutely terrified, and I couldn’t blame her. “Y-your Excellency, it was my most requested dance. It’s the reason your men brought me her-”

  “I don’t need your excuses.” He spat, face twisted in disgust. “What use is a dancer who just does things on repeat?

  “But, si-”

  “I don’t need your excuses. I don’t need a boring dancer in my court, so I’ll sell you to someone who doesn’t understand culture enough to recognize repeats.” He snapped, and his eyes brightened. “The Anthrapaphogs! They’ll be more than happy for a yummy morsel like you.”

  The woman gasped and sank to her knees, crying for mercy, but another well-dressed alien was approaching Cesarious. “Your Highness, Delta Four is incredibly close to Hilipoyas. Delivering boons to the Anthrapaphogs would exacerbate our already tense relations and no doubt send us spiraling into war!”

  “You fear too much!” The ruling alien countered. “I grow tired of this little planet and all the resources we drain from it. It’s time to have a party worthy of my name.”

  “But sire!”

  “Enough! Or I’ll sell you too, you war-mongering bastard! Have the bridge set our course immediately and pick out several more offerings.”

  To my great horror, the ruler’s green eyes flicked to us. “Those two should do. And then at least three others. Do not disappoint me.”

  “Yes sire, of course sire.”

  And with that, both James and I were grabbed and lead back down the hall. Well, that was a strangely short trip. I sensed that we had originally been there for another reason, but the king’s sudden shift has caused whatever was supposed to happen to fall to the wayside.

  This time our journey didn’t end in the same hallway. Instead, we were lead deeper into the ship, through darker spaces that looked much more utilitarian in nature until we were dumped into another cell, this one with more people.

  “That was something else,” I murmured, giving James a smirk.

  “That it was.”

  “So, what do we do now?”

  “Well, it seems like we sit back and wait for our little vacation on Delta 4. The Anthra-whatevers can’t be as bad as these folks.”

  I looked to the half dozen or so humans who were huddled around us, shivering and whimpering. “I hope you’re right.”

  *

  James

  Boy, I’d had a whirlwind couple of days and I didn’t really know what to think of it all. First my bike had been stolen, then I was on a high-speed chase to save the girl who stole my bike, then I was abducted by aliens -which meant I found out that aliens were real, a shocking revelation in and of itself. Then I was knocked unconscious, dumped into a cell, woken up alone and cold only to have the very same girl who started all the shit jump my bones.

  Not that I minded, but it was a lot to process.

  Granted, I had plenty of time to do so as it seemed to take a full day for us to arrive at our destination.

  I could tell that the girl, Sam, was on edge. I would have been too but I knew there was no point in dreading when we had no idea what would happen. I mean, I was sure it was nothing good, I just didn’t see any benefit to wasting my energy worrying about it when there was no way to plan for what was ahead.

  When we finally did arrive, all of the human prisoners were marched out. I noticed they didn’t have chains on us, or any restraints really, but I guessed that they didn’t need them. What I guessed was the royal processed paraded in front of us while we were flanked on either side by grey-skinned guards armed with what looked like very high-tech guns.

  We exited out of the ship almost like a parade, but the most macabre one I’d ever had the displeasure of being a part of.

  As soon as the main hatch of the space ship we were in opened, I saw miles and miles of thick, tropical marshland. Almost everywhere I looked, there was some sort of vibrant foliage and insane looking fauna. If I didn’t know better, I would think that we had just walked onto the set of some high-flying Hollywood movie made by one of the producers I had to cater to at back at my regular day to day job.

  We marched along with hardly a word, although I could hear music being played from the front, where Cesarious sat in a litter and several other brightly colored aliens walked along beside him. If I had to guess, they were probably high-ranking member of the bastard’s court. Not that that meant much to me.

  Sam was quiet beside me, but I could feel her bright eyes darting this way and that as she tried to size up the guards surrounding us. She was a feisty one, I would give her that. Although she was scared, she didn’t show it, and she looked about as likely to throw a punch as she was to take one.

  We went along for what felt to be around an hour, not that I could tell considering I couldn’t track the movement of the sun on this strange planet, when the jungle suddenly opened up around us and we poured into what was unmistakably a grand city.

  It reminded me of those Mayan temples I would see on the TV that played in the background of my work. It was beautiful, but I wasn’t about to ignore the sense of foreboding that filled me.

  Almost as soon as the music wafted over the scape, beautiful, half naked natives began to pour out. They were tall, with pu
re gold skin and bright, blue eyes. It would have been a little unappealing, did they not have the most gorgeous facial features and shapely bodies that I had ever seen.

  They joined our procession, dancing and whooping and otherwise seeming to have the time of their lives as we filed into what looked like a grand temple.

  There was a whole lot of arranging and talking in a language I didn’t understand, but after a few awkward minutes, Cesarious’ litter was set atop an altar-looking thing while his court too seats of honor around them. The villagers all formed a circle around the edge of the beautiful and ancient room we were in, and they seemed to be waiting for something.

  “Behold,” Cesarious said, raising his arms like he was some sort of deity. “We thank your people for the kindness you have extended to us, and offer you these gifts in reward. Let the feast commence!”

  I looked around, waiting for food to pour in, but instead the natives moved forward grabbed two of the human figures, bringing them to the center of the room and stripping them bare.

  It was uncomfortable to watch, but at least they seemed to be gentle, almost loving even. In fact, once the humans were bare, more natives came forward with bowls of fragrant oils that they proceeded to rub into the skin of the captives.

  Once the two were completely coated, the golden aliens stepped back, watching. For a moment, nothing happened. But then the two humans let out lustful cries and nearly tackled each other in their urgency to feel each other’s flesh.

  It was more than a bit awkward to watch and I felt like I was definitely invading their privacy, but what was I supposed to do? It wasn’t like I could go anywhere, and if I kept my eyes closed, I might miss some vital clue that would help us all escape.

  The music increased, and all the aliens were swaying in time as the two humans rutted against each other like animals. I guessed we were in some sort of strange orgy and wondered vaguely if it had religious reasons, when something caught the corner of my eye.

  My head snapped in the direction and I saw one of the native’s form rippling and buckling like water. Before my very eyes, it’s skin cracked and two, rolling back from its elongating features until a massive, many-fanged lizard stood in its place.

  My mouth fell open, and I tried to look back to Sam to tell her what was happening, but I saw more golden natives changing behind her.

  Oh no. This wasn’t an orgy at all.

  This was the feast.

  Several of the lizard-like things rushed forward, their long jaws snapping around the limbs of the humans mid-thrust. It was a massacre.

  The ruler and his court all were laughing like it was the most hilarious thing ever, those multicolored assholes.

  My heart jumped into my throat and I knew I had to act quickly, as all of the golden natives were gone and there were only ravenous beasts left.

  I spotted an opening and took it, darting to one of the oily bowls left on the ground. No one was really paying attention to us, instead watching the blood spray across the room as limbs were pulled from the now shrieking couple.

  I dove and rolled, somehow managing to come to a stop right beside the bowl I was aiming for. Quickly I grabbed it then rushed forward, throwing it right into the open mouths of the creatures as they devoured the two humans.

  The change was instantaneous. One moment they were gobbling down flesh like it was the finest filet mignon. The next, they were roaring with cries that clearly sounded like they were in heat.

  I ducked to the side, screaming for the humans to scatter as well. The guards leveled their guns on the lizards as they all surged towards the alien court, but it was no use. I watched, hiding behind a pillar as they swarmed Cesarious and in men, ripping and tearing clothes and flesh alike in their desperate needs to wait.

  Screams filled the halls, from both aliens and the humans who couldn’t get out of the way, but I made out Sam hiding across the room behind an overturned table. She had something in her hand that took me several seconds to realize was a blaster.

  “Cover me!” I called to her, an idea coming to me for exactly how we were going to get off this damned planet and get back home.

  “What?” She called back. “Are you crazy?!”

  “Might be! Get ready to run!” I nodded to the humans next to me then took off.

  It was a bloodbath as I rushed between screaming, pinned members as they were violated in more ways than I liked to count. I saw Cesarious crouched behind his overturned litter, whimpering like the pathetic thing he was.

  Dodging between swipes and jaws, I grabbed him and yanked him to his feet. I tried to run back to the entrance, but one of the reptilian beasts appeared in front of us, blood across its face.

  I tensed, ready for it to lunge at me and cut off the tiny semblance of a plan I had, but then it fell forward with a hole smoking in the back of its head. Glancing back into the fray, I saw Sam on her feet, blaster in hand.

  “Thanks!” I called, taking off again.

  For having four arms, Cesarious was a weak bastard. I was able to pull him along with only my strong grip, and sprinted out of the temple, Sam and a couple of other humans behind me.

  We ran forever but couldn’t have been longer than half an hour. At any moment, I was sure that aliens would come sweeping up behind us to kill us all, but we made it to the ship and one piece.

  “Holy shit.” I breathed, chest heaving.

  “Unhand me, you cretins!” Cesarious cried beside me, voice layered with panic that came from losing power in five minutes or less.

  “Shut up,” Sam said, slugging him across the face. He fell to the side and she closed the distance to me before throwing her arms around my shoulders and crashing her lips to mine.

  Not a way to end an adventure, actually. But I still had more to do.

  Chapter Seven: Boom Goes the Dynamite

  Sam

  My blood was rushing as we charged into the ship, Cesarious at our front. At first grey-skinned guards blocked our path, guns all level and I was sure we were about to all be killed. But James pushed Cesarious forward, taking my blaster and leveling it at the side of my head.

  “Take a single step forward and your precious ruler dies.”

  “Stand down!” The alien whimpered. “Let them go. They’re just humans. We can always get more.”

  “That’s what you think.” I heard James whisper into his ear. “Take me to the bridge.”

  Slowly, we eased forward as the guards stepped down. I knew that at any moment a trap could be sprung on us, but I was sure that the ruler was too much of a coward to risk his life for a bunch of lowly humans.

  Sure enough, the teal-ish alien lead us through a path we had never been to and soon we entered a rounded room that we had never seen before.

  All the alien staff froze, most of them having grey skin but a few others coming in vibrant colors just like the court. It was easy to read the shock across their face, and James didn’t give them a chance to recover.

  “Tell them all to get out.” He hissed.

  “Get out!” Cesarious practically wailed, the blood from where I split his lip dribbling everywhere. “Get out now! They just want to go home.”

  “Everyone but the pilot.”

  “You heard him. Do it, do it now!”

  Just like the guards, they scrambled without protest. If there was one thing these aliens needed to learn, it was that no incompetent ruler was worth their loyalty.

  Within minutes, it was only us five humans, Cesarious and the pilot.

  “Here, hold the asshole.” James spat, tossing me the blaster and shoving Cesarious into the other humans. They held him fast and I leveled the gun right at his stupid face.

  James crossed to the pilot. “Tell me how this works.” He growled.

  The pilot, a thin, spritely thing with lilac skin. Hands shaking, the alien pointed out several things. I couldn’t hear exactly what, but it was clear that James was learning something.

  “You could let me go now.” Cesarious whi
ned to me, his green eyes affixing me with their stare. “I would let you go. I am a generous man.”

  “You’re an asshole in charge of other assholes who kidnaps people and turns them into sex slaves or uses them as food. The only reason I haven’t shot you in the head right now is because James seems to need you.”

  “Actually,” The man said, turning to me with a crooked grin. “I’m a fast learner. You can kill him now if you like.”

  “Wait, what! No!”

  But it was too late. I looked the ruler in the eye and thought about all he had done to me, and the thousands of worse things he had done to those who came before me. I thought of all the vile, sadistic things that had entertained him, aroused him even. And I knew he would do it again if I let him live.

  But all of that still didn’t’ make it easy to pull the trigger. A life was a life after all, even if it was the life of a murdering, raping bastard. Could I really snuff out his existence in such a simple move?

  Yeah, I could.

  “I’ll give you anything! Just ask and-”

  I squeezed the trigger and the bolt of energy shot right through his head, splattering the captain’s chair with his neon blood. I thought it might bring me satisfaction.

  It didn’t.

  But it did bring me closure.

  “Good job.” James said. I turned to thank him only to see the pilot surge up to strike him. Quickly, I fired off another found and watched him crumple to the ground too.

  I was definitely going to need a whole lot of therapy after this.

  “So, what now?” One of the other humans asked, eyes wide with bewilderment. I too also had to wonder what James was up to.

  “Now we run to their escape shuttles and get the hell out of her. I had the pilot seal off every room except for a direct path between here and there.”

  I let out a shriek of excitement. “Oh my god, we’re actually going home.”

  “Yeah. And we’re about to make sure that no one has to go through this again.” Leaning over the console, he punched in a whole bunch of commands that I couldn’t understand. “You remember they said something about a war with Hilipoya?”