Hunted by the Alien Vampire

by A. M. Griffin

  “Nothing you need to know about,” Fanian said. “Do you know of such a planet or not?”

  “I really wish you wouldn’t have told me any of that.”

  Fanian turned them around, ushering them away. “Come on, I thought he could help, but he can’t.”

  Before they could get far, Senur called out, “Wait. I didn’t say that I wouldn’t help. I’m just amazed how stupid you’ve become since you left the family business.”

  “Family?” Miranda asked. She’d thought when Fanian left Naahrex, he’d also left any surviving family behind.

  Fanian turned back around to face Senur. “It’s a long story.” When Miranda opened her mouth to ask how Fanian was related to this man who looked like one of those large, hairy mountain dogs, but who stood upright, instead of walked on all fours, Fanian added, “I used to work with Senur for his bounty hunting company. He took me in when I needed help. But we’re not about to get into the rest right now. We have other pressing matters.”

  Senur pressed his comlink, and a star map appeared in front of them. He waved his hand in the air, pushing some objects out the way and expanding other parts. “You have to go to the AC-141 XM3 system, that’s where the Sket planet is. They could blend into that that sector and would miss anyone’s notice. Anywhere else might not work. But it’s going to be hard. Everyone knows Skets don’t live off-world. You’ll also need to get them Sket identities.” He waved his comlink at Miranda then pressed some buttons on it. “I see Omni has given them one, but it won’t hold up under scrutiny. You’ll need something better if you want to get them settled on a safe planet.” Senur glanced at Fanian. “What happened to the person who did your biomarkers?”

  Fanian’s face turned murderous. “He’s working for Az’ud. Besides, I only used him because you weren’t available. Can you do them? I need the best. I need you.”

  Senur puffed his chest out. “I’ll get working on them.”

  “We’ll need new identities too. Both biomarkers and identities will need to hold up under Sket scrutiny. I thought if I could get them on Sigi, the Sket homeworld, that would be better.”

  Senur laughed heartedly. “They look Sket, but a Sket will know immediately they aren’t, fake biomarkers or not. For one, they’re all lighter than a Sket. Their build, features, all of it matches, but their skin tone is way off.”

  “I’ve seen pictures of light-colored Skets. They aren’t unheard of.”

  “I know, but when people think of Sket, they think of darker toned people. Getting them to Sigi is a long shot. For one, you would have to get close enough to the planet without them shooting you down. It’s tough for a ship that doesn’t carry their signature to get close enough to start a conversation. They have a shoot first, ask questions later policy. And secondly, I don’t think they’ll want to go against the Okuthyu by harboring humans.”

  It seemed no place would be safe from Az’ud. “What about going to the Okuthyu? If they protect humans, they could protect us against Az’ud. Right?” she asked.

  Senur stroked the hair on his chin and looked off thoughtfully. “They do have a planet where they take other humans who somehow make it off of Earth.”

  “Wait. What?” Miranda whirled on Fanian, pulling her hand from his waistband and putting it on her hip. “Why didn’t you tell me I could live on a planet with other humans? I’ve been worried sick about living on a planet with aliens.”

  Senur glanced between Fanian and Miranda. “It would be the safest, especially if Az’ud is after them. He wouldn’t dare venture there.”

  “Why are we looking elsewhere?” she asked.

  “I have my reasons,” Fanian said.

  “What do you mean you have your reasons? If you’re going to abandon us, I’d want to be around other humans under some kind of protection rather than out here floundering trying to raise two kids on an alien planet by myself.”

  “I told you, I’m not abandoning you.”

  “Dropping me off on an alien planet and never coming back to even so much as check on me is what I would call abandonment.”

  “Mishka—”

  She narrowed her eyes and poked him in his chest with a finger. “Don’t Mishka me.”

  Senur raised both hands. “Let’s all calm down. Even though the Okuthyu planet would be the best option at avoiding Az’ud, I’m sure Fanian has an explanation as to why that wasn’t his first choice.” Senur and Miranda both looked at Fanian, waiting for him to answer.

  “Because taking you to the Okuthyu would bring more problems than it’s worth. For one, the Okuthyu would question you about who took you from Earth and why. You wouldn’t intend to, but eventually, you would give them my name. That would one hundred percent ensure me a quick death, and I’m not in the mood to die. I’m sorry. My reasons for not taking you to them is purely selfish.”

  “You also wouldn’t be able to contact her ever again either,” Senur added.

  “He wasn’t planning on contacting us anyway,” Miranda grumbled.

  She wasn’t happy about the never seeing him part. Not only because he was the only person she knew in space, but she would actually miss not talking to him. Most of their time together had been tumultuous, but they’d had an understanding, and now, even though their relationship was strained, she felt at home with him. Safe, even while Az’ud actively tracked them down.

  On Turolois, she knew with Fanian around no other hunters were near. On the Fortitude, she knew he wouldn’t let Az’ud get to them. He was her protector and now...her friend.

  Fanian’s blue skin darkened in a flush. “I said I couldn’t visit you and lead Az’ud to you, but I’d always planned to contact you. Senur is right. The Okuthyu wouldn’t allow you to have off-world communication.”

  Miranda opened her mouth, then closed it. She didn’t want him to die either, and she also didn’t know if she could live without ever speaking to him again.

  Fanian glanced down at her side then frowned. “Where’s Adam?”

  “He’s right here,” she said, reaching for Adam. Her hand met empty air. Miranda twisted to look behind her. All she saw were alien bodies meandering around booths and tables. No Adam. Her heart slammed against her ribs. “Adam?!”

  “Watch her,” Fanian said to Senur before taking off.

  “Wait. I’m going with you,” she said to his retreating back.

  Before she could leave, Senur’s arm hooked around her wrist. “Stay here.”

  She struggled in his hold. This was her son. “I have to find Adam.”

  Senur held firm. “Fanian will find him. There’s no point in both of you getting lost.”

  “But—”

  “You have to be here in case Adam returns. Something probably caught his eye, and he went to investigate. I know how children act. They have the attention span of a shug worm.”

  Miranda looked at the alien crowd and prayed.

  “ADAM!” RELIEF WASHED over Fanian when he spotted Adam standing in front of the glass galaxy art vendor.

  It was the first place Fanian ran to, praying to find him there. If Adam hadn’t been there, Fanian had planned to turn the market inside out, demanding access to every crate, bag, and shop until he found him. Going back to Miranda without Adam in hand wasn’t an option. Maybe Miranda had been right. They should’ve stayed on the Fortitude.

  He’d told her to stay behind on the ship, but it hadn’t taken much on her part for him to relent. He’d wanted her to see another planet besides Turolois. He’d wanted her to experience the wonders of space travel. Most importantly, he’d wanted to be by her side while she viewed this new world for the first time.

  At hearing his name, Adam turned around and waved. “Look! It’s got a tiny galaxy inside of it. Do you think we can buy it? I don’t have enough money for it. He checked my comlink and said I needed more.”

  Fanian leveled a look on the vendor. If Adam had any credits in his account, he was sure the vendor would’ve emptied it.

  The vendor li
fted a shoulder. “He wanted to buy it but didn’t know how to access his credit account.”

  “And you decided to be helpful?”

  The vendor smiled. “I was.”

  Fanian held out his hand. “Come. Your mother is distraught.”

  And she hadn’t been the only one.

  “We can’t buy it? I’m sure my mom will pay you back.” Adam’s bottom lip trembled. “I promise I won’t break it.”

  Fanian sighed. “How much?” he asked the vendor.

  Someone stepped behind Adam and pulled him back. “Well, well, look who we have here. Won’t Az’ud find this interesting?”

  Fanian cursed under his breath at the mention of Az’ud’s name. He’d been hoping they still had more time before Az’ud put out a bounty on him.

  Fanian recognized the smug bounty hunter who now held Adam close to him and pointed a blaster in Fanian’s direction. In the past, they’d competed for the same jobs. They’d probably competed for The Hunt job as well, but Az’ud had obviously picked the better hunter, which might explain why the bounty hunter was so upset now.

  “You have me confused with someone else. I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  The bounty hunter held up his comlink and activated a holo-pic. It was Fanian. “Fanian Uldri. There’s a sizeable bounty out for you and the female companion you travel with.”

  “Let the boy go,” Fanian warned. “He has nothing to do with this.”

  The bounty hunter smiled. “Don’t try that Givvek mind thing with me. As soon as the vendor here told me that you were on the planet, I took a mind blocker. It was nice of Az’ud to put the recommendation for the specific pill in the bounty notice.”

  Fanian turned to the vendor and glared. He balled his fists. If Adam weren’t in immediate danger, he would’ve ripped his head off.

  The vendor shrugged. “I recognized you when you neared my shop earlier. With a bounty as large as the one on you, I had your face memorized. You can’t fault me for notifying Az’ud. If I didn’t call this in, someone else would. Why should I let someone else claim this reward? I have twenty-eight children to feed.”

  “You shouldn’t have turned me in. You know that wasn’t right, don’t you?” Fanian laid it on thick, putting everything he had into his voice, hoping the vendor hadn’t been smart enough to take a pill that would block his brain from being susceptible to outside influences either. The vendor’s eyes went glassy, and Fanian resisted the urge to celebrate.

  “Now, wait,” the bounty hunter said, swiveling the blaster between Fanian and the vendor. “Stop that.”

  “You don’t like the way Az’ud’s hired help is handling the child. You like the child, and you want to protect him,” Fanian told the vendor.

  “I like the child, and I want him to be safe,” the vendor’s voice droned. He was under deep.

  “Help me get the child back to safety,” Fanian told him.

  The vendor maneuvered around his table, knocking some of the items over as he did. He stepped over the glass galaxies and boxes, making his way to Adam, arms out. “Give me the child.”

  The bounty hunter steadied his blaster on the vendor, sensing him as the more immediate threat. “Stay where you are!”

  “It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have called the bounty in. I have to protect the child. I like him.” The vendor ignored the blaster aimed at his head.

  “I-I don’t want to use this on you!” The bounty hunter’s hands shook. How had he expected to get Adam away from Fanian if he wasn’t prepared to fire his blaster? Amateur.

  With the bounty hunter’s attention on the vendor, Fanian closed the distance between them, catching him off-guard. With a twist, Fanian snapped the bounty hunter’s wrist. The blaster fell to the ground as the bounty hunter’s screams filled the air.

  Fanian brought up his knee while pushing down on the back of the bounty hunter’s head. The bounty hunter’s skull cracked against Fanian’s knee. The bounty hunter hit the ground in an unconscious heap. Fanian crouched and wrapped his hand around the bounty hunter’s windpipe. One good tug and Fanian could pull it from his body and kill him. The only thing that stopped him was Adam. He watched Fanian with wide eyes.

  “Fanian. Is he a robot or a real-life alien? My mom said we could only kill robots.”

  Fanian’s fingers twitched against the bounty hunter’s skin. He wanted to end this—one small lie. Rage pushed through Fanian. The bounty hunter wanted to take Adam, Lexi, and Miranda away from him. He’d also most likely told Az’ud their location.

  “Fanian?” Adam asked.

  Miranda said no more lying to Adam. “He isn’t a robot,” Fanian said through clenched teeth.

  “Then we can’t kill him. Killing is very wrong.”

  Fanian counted down slowly, trying to reclaim his calm.

  “Protect Adam,” the vendor said, still in a daze.

  Fanian released his hold and stood. “Which one of these is your most expensive item?”

  “The purple and blue one. It’s in a bag underneath the table.”

  Fanian took Adam’s hand in his and strode toward the bag. He gave it to Adam. “We’re taking this. Free of charge. It’s the least you can do since you almost hurt the child.”

  The vendor nodded. “I have to protect the child. I like the child.”

  It would most likely take the rest of the day for the vendor to get over Fanian’s full effect, but he deserved it.

  “This vendor is giving away his goods free of charge,” Fanian said to the consumers as he left the area. Everyone scrambled, pushing past Fanian and Adam to mob the vendor’s table.

  Fanian couldn’t kill the vendor, but he could surely bankrupt him.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Fanian stared at his closed bedroom door and willed Miranda to knock on it. Their nightly routine was just that, a routine. She fed the kids, got them ready for bed and would then read them a bedtime story he also listened in on. Afterward, he would go to his room and do as he did now. Wish her to knock on his bedroom door.

  “Omni.”

  “Yes, Fanian.”

  He was about to ask her where Miranda was and what she was doing, but that seemed like eavesdropping. “Never mind.”

  He crawled into bed, under his blanket, and continued to watch the door.

  Fanian didn’t know how long he’d been sleeping or what had exactly awakened him. But he was up now and scanning his dimly lit room. Then he spotted her—Miranda sat on the edge of his bed. She was in one of his shirts which was too big for her. Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders. She looked small and fragile. His need to protect her was great, overpowering.

  “What time is it?”

  “Late,” she responded.

  “What’s the matter?”

  She lifted a shoulder and glanced away, studying one of the painting hanging on his wall. When she’d first seen his art, she’d thought it was too much and too many for such a small space. What he hadn’t told her was why he’d felt the need to collect them. They were reminders of Naahrex.

  There were times when he woke in the middle of the night and couldn’t remember where he was or why. For one glorious second he was still home—with his family. When the bad memories came crashing back, the paintings always provided a calm in the tumultuous storm.

  One painting had a turquoise river that reminded him of a creek near his house. One painting used colors that reminded him of a building he would pass daily on his way to his lessons. Another reminded him of his mother’s eyes. One even reminded him of his sister’s laugh. He missed home and when he saw a glimmer of it in any piece of work, he kept it.

  He longed to touch her so Fanian gripped the blanket instead. “Mishka.”

  “Thank you for finding Adam today. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost him. I have to keep a better eye on him in the future.” Her voice hitched. “Back on Earth, I used to have a little leash I put on him to stop him from running off. M-my m-mom used to tease m
e about it.”

  Fanian couldn’t resist any longer. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to lay beside him. She resisted at first, but with another tug, she snuggled next to him. She fit nicely. He wrapped her in his arms, where she belonged. Always.

  He wanted to strike the last thought from his mind. As much as he willed it, he couldn’t. So he didn’t. He hugged her tighter.

  “I know you were worried about Adam, and also about my being able to keep him safe while on planets. I promise I won’t let anything or anyone hurt him.”

  “I know.”

  He lingered in her trust, reveling in the feeling. “Then what’s the matter?”

  He nuzzled her hair. It smelled fresh, clean. He loved the way her silky strands glided across his skin.

  “Fanian,” she moaned.

  “Yes, Mishka.”

  “You’re really going to drop us off on a planet where we’d be the only humans and leave us to take care of ourselves?”

  “It has to be this way. We talked about this.”

  Miranda tried to sit up but his arms clamped about her waist. “But there’s a planet full of humans—”

  “You can’t return to Earth.”

  “I wasn’t referring to Earth. I’ve given up hope of returning there. I asked Omni how far away we were, and I couldn’t even understand the answer.” She let out a hard breath. “She also let me know this ship couldn’t take me there.”

  She could never go home. He knew that feeling. Unfortunately it was a pain he couldn’t take away. He kissed the top of her head. “No, it cannot, and besides, the fuel would be too expensive.”

  She punched him lightly on the arm. “I’m talking about the planet those so-called protectors of Earth have. We’ll be safe there. Protected from Az’ud.” She snorted. “But who knows? If they protect Earth like they protect that planet, we may not be safe there either.”

  “Then why do you want to go?”

  “Because I’ll be around other humans and most importantly, we won’t be alone. We’ll be with others like us.”