by T. J. Quinn
The tone of the arms dealer’s voice told him whatever had been going on for the last day and a half had been anything but fun. Cutting to the chase, he took two steps forward and punched the ridiculous man right in the face. Bending over his prone body, Nick stated earnestly. “This is not a dream, dimwit. I need you to listen carefully. If you were dreaming, don’t you think your subconscious mind would have protected you from getting hit by me? Of course, it would. Every man has a survival instinct.”
Reaching out a hand, he pulled the man to his feet. Jax didn’t react well to having his only coping mechanism ruthlessly snatched away. “Aliens aren’t real, man. Everybody knows that.”
Pulling the woman over, he turned her to face Jax. “Does this woman look human? If you’re not dreaming and she’s an alien, that means this is as real as it gets.”
Staring between Jax and the now squirming woman, Nick sighed. “Tell me what you know.”
Slowly bringing his hand to his left ear, he explained quietly. “When they first brought us here, I woke up first. They gave me a shot behind my ear, and after hearing them talk for a while, I could understand their words.”
“Mind telling me what they said?”
“They kept calling you a hunter, ‘cause I guess you stunned me the way they do. They keep coming to check on their hunter like you’re somebody important. They pretty much ignore me and seem to actually hate her. They debated about whether to kill her but decided to keep her because they think she’s your breeder.” When Nick shot him an angry look, Jax held up both hands. “Their words, not mine. Jesus, shake it off man. You are wound tight.”
“Are they monitoring us?”
“I don’t think so because sometimes you woke up and they didn’t come. It feels like they come at certain times.”
Lowering his voice, Nick quickly explained. “I have intel that they are going to attack Earth soon. They’re a race of conquerors, and no world has been victories against them.”
“Well, fuck that. You got a plan super cop?”
Edging the woman aside, Nick shoved his finger in the other man’s chest. “I’m no cop, you ass hat. I’m a goddam Navy Seal, earning his Trident.”
“Well, excuse the fuck out of me. What you going to be is dead if you keep rolling up on me that way, Hero. Now, do you have a plan, or don’t you?”
Smirking, Nick nodded. “We get ourselves out of here, mix and mingle with the other abductees, and learn everything we can about the Taron.” Lowering his voice even more he whispered. “When the time comes, we use it against them.”
“That’s not the best plan I’ve ever heard, but it will do until we can figure out something better.”
Both men turned to see the door being jerked open. Several bobble heads stepped through the doorway, eagerly looking where he had been lying. It took them a second to realize he was standing across the room.
Jax advised quietly. “Be a good boy, so you don’t get zapped again.”
Shooting him a dark look, Nick stepped forward to greet his abductors. His plan to keep his expression blank almost faltered when Jax spoke. “Be sure to bow. The big heads like humiliating display of submissiveness.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he responded. “You don’t sound much like a gun runner.”
“I’m an arms dealer, nimrod. There’s a difference.”
One of the aliens approached him with a syringe. Floating inside was a clear liquid with a little bead.
Jax muttered, “It’s the translator. Just let them shoot it in your neck.”
Standing before the tall sentients, Nick turned his head to give them the access they needed. The instrument jarred against his neck, and he felt a thick needle shoot out, puncturing his skin. The alien looked curiously down at him, blinking slowly.
Nick shoved down the need to gut the creature where he stood. Knowing what they had in store for Earth and that they’d wiped worlds clean of intelligent life galled him. A burning sensation drifted from the injection site to his head and rapidly spread to his chest. Gritting his teeth, he waited for the needle to come out.
Once the alien stepped back, still holding the poised injector, the others began to speak. At first, it was all just barking and screeching, and then the sounds morphed into words. Without willing it so, his mind clicked through their phrasing to select the right words.
“The fighter…hunter…warrior has woken.”
“I mental…think…wonder if we are a scared…terrifying sight to know…see…behold.”
Staring at the creatures intently, Nick zeroed in on understanding their words.
“I do not care for the way it sees…looks…stares. Does it not know we are Taron elite?”
“It is an animal. The Taron will be fortunate if it can know…Comprehend even part of what we say.”
Forcing his mouth to make the unfamiliar noises that his brain identified as correct, he spoke in a growly voice. “I know your words.”
The moment he spoke, all hell broke loose. The Taron began speaking so rapidly, it was impossible to follow, one drew a weapon, and before anyone could fire upon him, the door burst open.
The person who stalked through the door took him by surprise. If a Taron could be considered intimidating with their oversized head and long spindly arms, this one came close. He was taller than the others and wearing a stark black uniform. When he spoke, it was with the calm indifference of a military commander. “You will not harm the humond.” The man’s strange articulation of the word human led Nick to think maybe they didn’t know much about Earth or the human race.
“The animal speaks. It is not natural.”
“You will load him with a language program for the top five species aboard this vessel.”
“That will certainly kill the creature.”
Smiling malevolently, the military commander replied. “If it dies, then that is evidence of its weakness. If it survives, it will be our voice among the many.”
“I do not understand.”
“The Taron have long wished for a program that would afford full communication with our slaves.” Gesturing towards Nick, the commander’s face contorted into a mask of disgust. “Its brain must be different from the others. If it accepted one language program, perhaps it will accept many. The Taron only keep slaves that are useful. Properly conveying our wishes to the horde of slaves is of use, for it will relieve the Taron of the need to interact with them.”
Nick wondered why the aliens kept referring to themselves in the third person. It was kind of weird.
The aliens stood for a brief moment before their commander barked. “The Taron command has spoken. All Taron will obey.” His harsh words sent them all scurrying from the room.
Chapter 3
A Rocky Start
~ Nick ~
Music Mix
As the door shut behind them, a feminine voice broke the stillness of the room.
“If you have a God, now is the time to pray to him humond.”
Both he and Jax looked at the blue woman with new eyes. “You’re Taron?”
“I am as the gods have made me.”
“What the hell does that even mean?” Jax’s crudeness aside, Nick was eager to hear her answer.
“My father was Taron, and my mother was…something else.”
Nick approached her, giving her another once over visually. “You don’t look like them. Your skin is smoother and lighter blue. They don’t have the big head or points on their ears like you do. Your body is shaped…”
“I am aware of my flaws, humond. I do not need you to articulate them for me.”
“No need to get testy, mam. I was simply pointing out that you’re damned beautiful compared to the other Taron. Why do they have you locked up with us slaves? Did you do something to piss them off?”
Backing up against the wall, her eyes slid away. She looked a bit demoralized. “I dared to take my first breath. In their eyes, one such as me ranks lowest among the slaves. They will find a reason t
o destroy me soon. I can tell by the look in their eyes.”
Jax sniffed again. “What’s your name, Doll?”
Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she whispered. “I am called Zaphredinelyn.”
“That sounds beautiful when you say it out loud but can we call you Zaph for short?” Jax’s perfectly serious question, almost made him smile.
The woman stared at Jax for a long moment. “The word means mixed biology. It is the name the Taron use for the few of us who are not pure bloods. The Taron despise half breeds.”
Nick stepped closer to her. “I---you are going to become important to me, and I don’t like you being called that. How about we call you Acacia? In our language, it’s the word for a beautiful flower.” Running the tips of his fingers around the shell of her pointed ear, he watched in fascination as she trembled beneath his touch. “The name suits you because you’re perfect.”
“Never heard of it.” Jax’s disgruntled voice broke into their special moment.
“It’s like a mum, you philistine.”
A small voice drew his attention again. “You think I’m perfect?”
Nick allowed his eyes to roam over her delicate face, down to the swell of her breasts pushing against the coarse material barely covering her slight form. Her slim arms and legs were something straight out of fashion magazine. The long black hair, grazing her now flushed skin seemed soft and fine. Sifting his fingers through the side of it, he realized the texture was indescribably luxurious.
“Look, I’m not good with words. I’ve spent way too much time toting a gun and visiting all the wrong kind of places. But I gotta say, you’re prettier than any female who ever crossed my path.”
“Hey, I called dibs on that cute elf a long time before you crossed either of our paths.”
Shooting Jax a furious look over his shoulder, he bit out. “I still haven’t forgotten that you had her tied up back on your boat. I’m gonna tag you for that when you least expect it.”
“It’s was a yacht, not a boat. And I didn’t have much choice. Kitty’s got claws, and she ain’t afraid to use them.”
Turning back to the woman still pressing herself back against the wall, he leaned forward on one arm, practically pinning her to the wall with his muscular body. Reaching for her hand without breaking eye contact, he brought it up for inspection. Each elegant finger was tipped with a long nail. They were a little thicker than human nails. The thought of her running them down his back as pumped into her flew through his mind.
Bringing the hand to his mouth, he kissed each nail, in turn, murmuring quietly. “Are you going to uses these on me?”
Staring up at him, she jerked when he ran his tongue tenderly over one knuckle.
“I am in my mating phase. If you do not step back, you will lose yourself to the lust my pheromones provoke.”
For some reason, a beautiful woman thinking he needed mating pheromones to want to have sex with her struck him a funny. Snorting a laugh, he ran his face down the side of her neck.
“If you wish to take me, I cannot stop you.” Her voice sounded like a strange mixture of fearful, needy, hopeful and anxious.
“Sweetness, when I take you it will be because you asked nicely, not because I forced myself on you.” Making himself step back, he spun on his heel to face Jax.
The other man was standing across the room, leaning one shoulder on the far wall. Nick wasn’t sure exactly what his facial expression was communicating, but if Jax’s response was any indication, it must have been something close to furious.
“Hey, I didn’t touch her like that. I was gonna try to get her interested, but you interrupted us. There’s no need to turn all super soldier on my ass.”
Stalking up to the man, Nick slammed him right back into the wall with one powerful slap to the chest. Jax’s shocked expression told him that was the last thing he had expected.
“We don’t call dibs on women like they’re fucking cherry popsicles sitting in a cardboard box waiting to be selected. You got that?”
“Yeah, I got it, big guy. Want to ease up off my ass for a second?”
Slamming his hand into the wall beside the snarky man’s head, he gritted out. “If you even think about touching her or any other woman without their express verbal consent, I’ll drop you on the spot, stamp mission accomplished across your ass, and toss you in the alien equivalent of a trash compactor. Sound off if you understand what the hell I’m communicating to you.”
Shoving him back with two hands, Jax stared him down. “I’m hearing what you’re laying down, you stupid fucker. Now let me tell you something. If you keep rolling up on every damned situation spitting God and glory, you’re not going to last long. Dial it down a fucking notch or two, brother.”
“Brother? We are definitely not brothers. I call men in uniform brothers. You know, the ones who have sworn themselves to a greater cause; men who care about something besides making a fast buck. You’re just a two-bit gun runner in flashy sneakers with delusions of grandeur.”
Sneering at him, Jax shot back. “You think your shitty little insults are gonna cut me to the quick or put me in my place? Boy, you have no fuckin’ idea who you’re dealing with. I was raised in a crack house by a woman who thought skittles was a good breakfast food for four-year-old. I’ve survived police raids, gang wars, and being knifed by a junkie lookin’ for a fix. And that was all before my tenth birthday. I’ve got survival skills they don’t teach you in boy scouts or whatever shitty little military academy your rich parents sent you to when you were little.”
“I’m a United States Navy Seal, and that’s the last time I’m telling you.”
“Well, you’re also a pompous, arrogant asshole who needs to work on his people skills. That hero complex is gonna get you killed, and then you won’t be saving nobody.”
Shaking his head, Nick stared at the man standing defiantly in front of him. “I’ve been told we’ll probably end up being best friends or some such shit like that. I have to say, I’m not seeing that right now.”
Snorting a laugh, the other man stated flatly. “You listen to me; you live longer, Doctor Jones.”
Turning back to Acacia, Nick muttered. “Crazy fucker’s quoting vintage movies during an alien abduction. Why am I not surprised?”
The door open and shut several more times that day and before it was all over Nick was balled up in the corner, sweating as his body tried to process the several shots of their translation cocktail. The injections were causing him to go into hypovolemic shock. Nick became aware that Acacia was holding him in her arms, trying to get him to drink some kind of drink that tasted salty. She removed part of her barely there clothing to mop the sweat from his forehead.
Chapter 4
Stark Reality
~ Jax ~
Music Mix
Huddled in the darkness, Jax watched Nick moving restlessly on Acacia’s lap. Wrapping his arms around his stomach, Jax tried to forget all the horrible things he’d seen since being brought aboard this ship. Unfortunately, every single time he closed his eyes, the images of wholescale death and destruction reigned supreme.
Growing up in a crack house had come with its own set of challenges. Humans thirsting for a fix could be some of the most despicable creatures imaginable. He could get his head around addiction. People physically needed a drug, and they would do absolutely anything to get their next fix. What he couldn’t understand was the Taron. The big-headed fuckers would kill a person just for looking them in the eyes, or getting in their way while walking. Hell, he’d even seen a man get killed for absolutely no reason anyone could figure out. Life meant nothing to these people.
He watched Nick wake to their dimly lit alcove. He’d been stripped down to his boxers while the fever burned itself out. Acadia had taken really good care of them both. Her small bowl of water still sat nearby with a dingy scrap of cloth floating in it. Nick’s expression became confused as he pushed up off the cool metal flooring.
Though he wa
s a little unsteady on his feet, Nick began to stretch out his muscles.
“Thank God, you’re awake, Hero.”
Seeming to notice him sitting in a shadow in one corner of the room, Nick retorted sarcastically. “I thought you didn’t need a Hero?”
When he moved forward into the dim lighting, Nick froze.
Dropping to his knee in front of Jax the shocked man mumbled. “Jesus, what happened to you? You look like a fucking scarecrow.”
Scrubbing both hands down his face, Jax sank back against the wall. “We ain’t gonna make it, dude.”
Quickly sitting beside him, the man stared at him. “I need a Sitrep. Tell me everything you know.”
Rubbing his temple with one dirty hand, Jax couldn’t find it in him to laugh. “It’s really goddamn cute how you’re still being a good little soldier and all.” Feeling a tear slid down his face, he wiped it away with the back of one hand. “We ain’t never getting’ home, soldier boy. You said they’re gonna attack Earth, but they got some crazy system where they go rank planets according to how rich in natural resources they are. We ain’t even in the top ten.”
“They are going to attack, in fifteen years. When they approach Earth, we have to…”
“We ain’t gonna last fifteen months, much less fifteen years. They’ve killed millions while you slept.”
“How the hell long was I out?”
“It’s hard to tell time here. I’m guessing a little over a month.”
“It’s not logistically possible to kill…”
“It is. I watched it happen. The mother ships surround the planet, they have some type of particle beam weapon that destroys whole cities.” Jax knew his voice sounded flat and wooden. He could hear the hopelessness loud and clear.
A warm hand landed on his arm. “Don’t they feed you? You’ve lost weight, and you look like hell. Talk to me, brother.”
