by Nick Braker
Yeah right...
For a second time, someone pushed a needle into his neck. He jerked away but it was too late. The person apparently didn’t care to be gentle about it. The liquid burned as it spread from the injection site.
“You’ll be coherent very quickly. I’m patient enough, so I’ll wait.”
Asher opened his eyes, still keeping his head down slightly. It was him. He sat across the table from Asher. He’d taken off his jacket and had folded it neatly on the table to Asher’s right. Asher shrugged inwardly. He was about to be personally interrogated by the man himself. He would be asked a slew of questions and they would expect answers immediately. Asher decided that he would take control and start it off by introducing himself.
“My name is Asher Carson.”
“I know who you are but it’s good you want to talk freely. We can wrap this up and all of us can go home. What do you say to that?” the man quipped.
“I’d say you’re lying,” Asher said
His head was clear, probably helped some from the drug they had given him.
“First one to talk gets to walk,” he repeated.
Asher raised his head.
“How are my friends doing? The girls?” he asked.
He was worried about their safety. After all, it was he who had gotten them into this. He had failed again to protect those he cared about. His friends and the four girls were his responsibility.
“We’ll talk about them later but let’s say they’re in the same boat as you right now - a very rocky boat, with a broken mast, in the middle of a tropical storm.”
Asher ignored his threat.
“So, what’s your name?” Asher asked.
“Tom Sanguine, Field Operations Manager for the WSO,” he said, too smoothly.
“WSO? Never heard of them. Top secret government organization?” he asked.
Asher lurched across the table, staring directly at the man in front of him. The chains rattled as they scraped across the edge of the table, following his wrists. He got halfway before the bonds holding his wrists stopped him.
“You’re not scared of--,” Asher started to say.
The man managed to stay perfectly still from Asher’s quick advance.
“Let’s not posture any further,” Tom interrupted. “I’m in charge here and I’m going to find out what happened. So let’s begin. Remember, this is not the movies. You will answer them or the two soldiers at your back are going to beat the answers out of you. Yes, I said that correctly and you heard it correctly. This is real life, Asher. No one will find out what happened here tonight. No one.”
The man was calm and matter of fact. He meant every word he said.
I’m so dead.
The magnitude of the situation poured into him. His head was clear now and his instincts told him they really would beat the information out of him.
“First question, what were you doing with an alien spaceship?”
Asher felt it. That part of him that got him in trouble. No matter the situation, there was this quirk in him that would push its way to the forefront of his consciousness and his rational self would cower back into the darkness, literally replacing each other. It took control of his thoughts and actions. It was still him but it was a foolhardy version of himself. It was stronger now which concerned him. The rational side of his brain knew he was clearly defeated but his personality quirk was taking over and that meant Tommy boy was about to get very pissed. It started about the time of Beth’s death. He had never experienced it before but her death had triggered it and ever since then he had tried to control it. The only thing that worked was to distract himself. Right now though, he didn’t want to try.
“Let’s see. You heard about the Land of Oz, right? Well, we had a tornado rip through Indiana and a spaceship smashed into my house. It killed your mother when it landed on top of her. I was on top of her too but I had just finished and had already headed out the back door,” Asher liked his quirk, most of the time. It felt good but he was digging a big hole here.
The effect was pretty dramatic. Tommy boy was already turning red. The two soldiers didn’t wait for his command. One held him still and the other pounded his face on the right side twice. Asher’s head snapped back both times and he squelched a scream from the pain that exploded so intensely. His face felt swollen but he managed a chuckle.
“Seriously, I’m lucky to be alive. If I were a better man, I might have stayed a while longer to tell her I loved her or some stupid shit like that,” he joked through the pain lancing along the right side of his face.
The same soldier hit him again but this time it was square in the face. He tried to duck but the other one held him in place. The soldier had to shake the pain from his hand after pulling his bloody knuckles back from the blow.
Asher was having second thoughts about his words but he couldn’t stop. He had to get control or he would get himself killed if he didn’t.
“Okay, okay, I’ll cooperate. Maybe it was your daughter. I can’t remember which one it was at the time,” Asher shook his head in disbelief.
Where is this coming from?
This was over the top, even for him. Tom got up and stood near the door.
“Fine. Take turns, gentlemen.”
Both guards positioned themselves around him.
“Oh, and Asher. I hope you come to the realization we don’t play games with murderers. Whether you are helping the aliens or you are one, we’ll find out. These two men are just for starters. They are here to soften you up. The real experts in their field are on the way to interrogate you... properly.”
Asher couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
They think I’m working with the aliens? Killing people?
“Wait,” Asher said. “I’m not working with any aliens nor am I an alien. All of us were involved with killing the three aliens on that ship when they abducted us.”
“Really? Eight college aged school kids took control of an alien craft? Aliens capable of creating a ship with technology allowing them to travel across the galaxy and you killed them?” Tom asked.
Asher could hear how crazy it sounded now that he said it out loud.
“Yes,” he said.
“If that is true. Where are the alien bodies?” Tom asked.
Shit.
“About that... we dumped them on the other side of Mercury, near the sun.”
Tom nodded to the guards. They started beating him. At first it was more shots to his face. Several times, they would force his head back so far all he could see was the ceiling and the guard would punch him in the abdomen or kick him in the groin. He lost track of time. Asher faintly heard Tommy boy order them to stop but he couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t even lift his head up at the moment. Blood flowed from his mouth and other places on his body. Tom stood next to him now.
“Asher, my people are dying across the globe. Thousands of them but I bet you already knew that. How many more are you and your race going to kill? Is this a preliminary invasion force testing the waters? What do you want? Why are you here?”
Tom held his head back so he could look him in the eyes.
“Beat him some more. There are too many lives at stake to play nice,” Tom ordered.
His mind flashed back to a month after Beth’s death. It was the time several guys from a bar almost beat him to death. He’d been in a situation like this before. His vision played tricks on him. There were three men in the room but now there was a fourth. He thought he saw a beautiful woman. He must be stunned or barely conscious. He forced his eyes open. One of the guards, he lost track of which, had just drew back to punch him again.
“Hold,” the woman said.
So I’m not hallucinating, yet.
“Yes, ma’am,” the soldier responded as both of them stepped back.
“Tom, outside. I need to speak with you,” the female voice ordered.
She kept her eyes on Asher, studying him. He managed to lift his head up and stare back at he
r as she rifled through some papers in her arms. She took her glasses off, returning her gaze to him. Was it curiosity? No, she was examining Asher, sizing him up.
What the hell is she looking for in me?
His eyes roamed over the woman’s body. The high heels she wore made her taller than most women. A small, gray jacket covered her white, ruffled shirt, which professionally covered her large breasts. He almost stopped there but he wanted to see the rest of her and the skirt she wore stopped just below her knees, revealing a pair of exquisitely shaped legs. He couldn’t take his eyes off her even through the pain slicing his entire body into shreds.
These guys just beat the holy hell out of me and I’m gawking at a beautiful woman?
He’d been here before but it still surprised him. This woman wasn’t like any of the young, airhead women he’d dealt with after Beth’s death. Her blue eyes watched him intently, never straying. Tom broke the silence.
“Director...”
“Outside,” she repeated.
Asher was tempted to insult Tom on his way out but that wouldn’t help him with her. Tom left the room, leaving the door open. He struggled to keep his head up as he stared back at her, watching her eyes.
“I’m going to send someone in to clean him up,” she said to the guards. “Keep a careful eye on him. No more interrogation unless you hear it from me.”
The woman turned to leave but stopped at the door. She glanced back at Asher, concern in her eyes. She shut the door behind her.
Gotcha!
The corner of his mouth rose ever so slightly. The movement reopened a cut in his lip. Asher couldn’t see his face but he hoped it wasn’t bad. He’d been in fights many times since Beth. So much so, he’d developed a pretty tough skin, especially over the last few months. The guards were good but they really hadn’t yet hit him more than most of the fights he’d been through. In fact, once he was almost beaten to death over a girl he had approached while her boyfriend was sitting across from her at a table. The guy had friends, lots of them. That was months ago. Today, the pain pulsed through his entire body and his eye twitched several times from the intensity. His right cheek was puffy but so far all he would have to worry about was some bruising.
Yeah right, I’m going to be black and blue for weeks. What was I saying about Jules’ bravado?
The woman was true to her word. She sent two people in to clean him up. They were medical personnel and it was obvious they were skilled. They weren’t there long and, after patching him up, they left. He certainly felt better but that didn’t mean much considering he was still in a lot of pain. One of the nurses had given him a shot. She said it would work quickly, easing the pain and eventually help with recovery. He felt its effects as promised.
He was feeling better so Asher winked at the guard that had done the most punching.
“You come here often?” Asher asked.
The guard stared straight ahead, ignoring him.
“Haven’t I met you somewhere before?” Asher jabbed again.
It was the other guard that spoke this time.
“You know, you could hit him several more times and no one would be the wiser.”
“Jealous?” Asher said.
He kept pressing but the fun ended at the sound of the door opening. He snapped his head around in time to see her walk back in. Pain seared through him again from the movement, making him wince. She grabbed the chair and pulled it around the table, sitting down to Asher’s right side. With one hand she dismissed the two guards and without any hesitation, they left.
“Asher, my name is Alexandria Thompson, director of the World Security Organization. I’m not going to apologize for Tom’s actions. He was justified, although in hindsight, he’ll probably regret the decision. None of us had enough information on exactly who you were and the circumstances surrounding your acquisition.”
The woman set the folder on the table and opened it. She looked at it some more and continued.
“You should have cooperated though. It was standard procedure given the situation we’re in. You weren’t acting like a normal kid and that put you in a different category.”
“Kid?” Asher asked.
“From my perspective, yes. The important thing to remember here is that we are not your enemy. The aliens that killed your friends are. I know what happened so spare me the lies. Sorority party, abducted, fought back, killed the aliens, fought some more aliens, nearly died several times, had to land for repairs. Does that about sum it up?”
“Well, you need to emphasize the part where we kicked the alien’s asses and dumped them into space,” he smiled, still in pain but with slightly over-exaggerated pride.
“That you did, which was one of the most profoundly stupid things ever done in human history. We needed those aliens so we could study them. We have no idea what they are like and you destroyed the only ones ever encountered.”
Asher’s smile faded as he realized the importance of her words and the mistake he’d made.
“Yeah, I guess I did but don’t forget the alien spaceship you have now, thanks to us,” he countered.
“I haven’t. The ship is now in a top secret location, as are you and your friends. We’ve questioned everyone but I wanted to get their leader’s assessment,” she said, staring at him.
The directness of her gaze gave Asher pause. He’d never met a woman like this one. She had an air of confidence and authority and it surrounded her like a halo. Both she and Tom were certainly exceptional people which explained their roles. Inwardly, he respected both of them but he could feel the rebellious attitude surfacing. He had changed since Beth’s death and he had to get control. Asher returned his gaze to her, focusing on her beauty. He wanted to cooperate with Alexandria so he had to distract himself. Her golden locks flowed down to just below her shoulders and those gorgeous blue eyes melted him inside. She was tan, which further solidified his impression that she cared about appearance and that meant vanity, something he could exploit. Alexandria was a knockout and he started cycling through ideas that might score him points with her. He was certain she was not the type to jump into bed with him without some exceptional effort over a long period of time. She was way too classy for the quick tricks. Asher relaxed some, his focus was working and he could feel his rational side return.
“How are all my friends?” he asked.
“They are safe and unharmed.”
He nodded at her.
“Alexandria... May I call you that?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Alexandria, as you already know, we were abducted. The alien ship lost power, we freed ourselves and ended up killing every one of those bastards onboard. They murdered several of us before we could even fight back. In the end, we seized control, dumped the bodies and buried our friends,” he said.
“Asher, how did the four girls know how to operate the ship?” she asked.
Her face was neutral but he heard the eager curiosity in her voice.
“Honestly, I don’t know but it is... was strange. Don’t you think? They kept telling me it was intuitive for them and that they figured it out as they went. I believe them. They are exactly what they appear to be. Four very intelligent humans who are exceptionally gifted, in many ways.”
He left the interpretation of his comments to her. Asher intentionally toyed with the subtle innuendo and wanted to gauge her reaction. He cursed inwardly when he got no reaction at all.
“It defies logic to believe they could do all that without help,” she said.
Asher was on the receiving end now. She was watching for his reaction and he smiled inwardly when he returned her poker face.
“Agreed. It defies logic.”
“Physically, the aliens are no match for humans?” she asked.
“None. They are much weaker which is likely due to their lower gravity. I would guess their technology gives them a huge upper hand. However, I can’t explain why they are doing it but the aliens appeared to want something fr
om the back of our heads,” he said, patting the back of his.
The chains rattled.
“Glands,” Alexandria said.
“Glands? What glands?”
“The hypo... thalamus for one,” she said.
She struggled saying it out loud. Was this emotional for her? What did she know? She continued.
“They are harvesting glands from us. Every dead human body we’ve found across the globe has had their glands removed. Specific information about the deaths are being contained as much as possible but word will get out. It’s just a matter of time before it spreads like wildfire.”
Alexandria rubbed her forehead. He could see the strain she was under.
“How long has this been going on?” he asked.
“It has been bad for several weeks but it started nearly six months ago. It’s systemic too. Almost no one is safe, at any level. Diplomats, scientists, even a few world leaders. The only ones spared seemed to be average people.”
“What the hell? They are only going after people with some importance or perhaps influence?” he exclaimed. “How did you come to this realization and why are you telling me all of this?”
“The realization was easy. We assessed the commonality between all of the victims. It’s clear that these aliens are only killing certain human beings and, as a result, those outside those demographics are safe,” she continued. “And as to why I’m telling you this? Well, let me be frank. You and your crew didn’t hijack an alien ship by chance or luck. Neither did the four girls figure out how to operate it by chance or luck. I don’t think anything in this entire situation was accidental. While some in my staff and those I report to do not agree with me, I’m certain those girls and you four are intentionally involved in some way,” she said.
Asher started to react but she quickly clarified.
“No, no. I’m not saying you are a part of the murders. I’m certain you are exactly who you appear to be but the facts to me indicate all eight of you are special and appear to be involved in this. Perhaps you are the solution.”
She leaned back, waiting. Was she looking for the gravity of her words to sink in? They did and it scared him. The ugly word responsibility popped into his head.
