“Thank you,” Curtis mumbled, wishing he could punch this imbecile hard between the eyes.
When he opened the door to 17’s room, he could see she had been crying.
“I’m pregnant, 35, but I’m not letting them have our baby,” she whispered close to his ear. “They don’t know yet. Please help me escape.” They had both known for some time that her room was probably bugged.
“My darling, I love you. I’ve never loved anyone like this before. I won’t let them take our baby,” he whispered back. “I’ll make a plan. Don’t tell them anything.”
Curtis had never longed for a woman in this way before. Sure he had loved Marzy. But was it with this intensity? He felt he would do anything for 17 - she had completely taken over his heart.
He didn’t tell her about the envelope as he figured that there was no need to worry her if she was already pregnant. So he left it scrunched into his trouser pocket. Besides, he’d kill Ferdy Xyle or any other committee member rather than allow one of them to become 17’s breeding mate. The very thought of ridding Earth of a beast like Ferdy didn’t give him the slightest sense of guilt. Rather the opposite - he thought exterminating a brute like him should be high on the list for some sort of award. The island and the world beyond its shores would be rid of a potentially lethal menace, and the same went for the rest of the so-called committee.
When he arrived home Curtis went straight to his study and tore open the envelope. There were two pages and the first one read:
Change of Contract for Breeding Mates No: 17 and No: 35
Start Date of New Contract: 25th May 2012
(Will be null and void if Breeding Mate No: 17 has a positive pregnancy test on or before the above date)
From 25th May, Committee Member Mr Lion Chrys-Morngel, male Ryxin aged 39 years will replace Breeding Mate No: 35 as the breeding mate of No: 17. This contract to continue until Breeding Mate No: 17 becomes pregnant or for the duration of six months from 25th May, whichever comes first. This terminates and replaces the current contract between Breeding Mate No: 17 and Breeding Mate No: 35. Once the new contract comes into effect former Breeding Mate No: 35 will not return to Xlesky Street. Failure to comply means former Breeding Mate No: 35 must be tried before a Ryxin court and accept whatever punishment is meted out.
Signed: Mr Sly Onyx (President of the Ryxin Breeding Program Committee)
Mr Lion Chrys-Morngel (Honoured member of the Ryxin Breeding Program Committee)
Curtis felt sick to think they could try to enforce such a ridiculous contract. But he knew they could. He turned to the next page which he should have given to 17.
Mating Times for Breeding Mate No: 17 and Breeding Mate No: 98
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 2 p.m. and at any other times Committee Member, Lion Chrys-Morngel sees fit, to be decided at his discretion.
Place: Home for Abandoned Babies, Lighthouse Drive, Pohatu Cove.
Duties: 17 will spend the remainder of her time caring for the abandoned babies at this home, cleaning and cooking for the staff each day, and doing any other duties as ordered by the House Controller.
All leave to be discontinued until Breeding Mate No: 17 has a positive pregnancy test. She will not have contact (by any means) with anyone outside the house and will follow the orders of Breeding Mate No: 98 and any other member of the RBP committee who may visit from time to time. The House Controller to keep a daily report on Breeding Mate No: 17’s progress. Any breaches of contract made by her to be reported by the House Controller to the committee within twenty-four hours of said happening. Any such breach of contract to be dealt with by the committee to whom Breeding Mate No: 17 is accountable.
Curtis went straight to his drinks cabinet and poured himself a half glass of Scotch which he immediately drank down. He was boiling inside, but also thinking fast. He had two weeks to get 17 out of the Xlesky Street house and find her a place of safety.
The nearby lighthouse towered tall and sombre as Curtis and Janux crept along the street named after it. Number 18 Lighthouse Drive stood next to a small bushy park, and it was into this that Curtis crept, Janux close behind. There were several lit windows, with venetian blinds drawn down over them.
But as they walked down the side of the house closest to the park, Curtis saw one of the windows was only covered with fine mesh curtains. Through it he could make out the shapes of four men sitting at a table. He heard raucous laughter and saw one of them drinking what looked like a can of beer. There was also money on the table. Then a young woman came in and set a bowl of chips down before them. She bowed to the men and backed out of the room, as if she were a servant.
Curtis stayed in the shadows and tried to make out who the men were. To his horror he recognised Sly Onyx and Ferdy Xyle. The other two were probably Lion Chrys-Morngel and Spryz Frurster, who made up the remainder of the committee. Sly and Ferdy were the tallest, but both the other men looked as if they’d been doing some serious weightlifting. Their shoulder muscles bulged in their thin teeshirts and their faces were both mean and rugged. One had a Mohawk haircut and full black beard, while the other had a shaved head and wore heavy gold studs in his ears. He also had a tattoo of a thick heavy chain around his neck. The thought of any of these brutes getting anywhere near 17 made him feel nauseous.
“What are you looking for?” Janux whispered. She was standing so close behind him that he could feel the warmth of her body through his shirt. Her perfume was driving him mad.
“I know someone who’s supposed to be coming here as part of the breeding programme. I want you to help me stop that happening.”
“Is it your woman on the mainland?”
“Yes. She doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment.”
“Are you in love with her?”
Curtis was taken aback. He wasn’t used to such direct questioning. “I suppose I am. Will you help me, Janux?”
“Have you forgotten Roscoe? That’s why I came to you.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was going to feel this way about her.”
“What about me?” Janux began to cry and Curtis suddenly realised how unfeeling he’d been towards her. Then a dog barked somewhere nearby and he grabbed her arm and pulled her after him as he ran back down the street and back to his car.
“Let’s get out of here,” he gasped, out of breath. He pushed Janux into the passenger seat and raced around to the other side. The dog was still barking but seemed further away. Perhaps it had just been a neighbour’s dog that caught a whiff of them.
“Are we in danger?” Janux grabbed a box of tissues and blew her nose.
“No, we’re going to be all right,” he said, “but there is evil on this island and we need to be careful. I haven’t forgotten about Roscoe. I believe his death was something to do with this breeding programme. Perhaps he found out something he wasn’t supposed to.”
Curtis drove faster than normal, out of Lighthouse Drive and back through the village to Tahatika Road. He felt pulled apart and needed time to think. What was he going to do next?
Janux remained silent as they drove. When they arrived home she hurried to her room and closed the door firmly, leaving Curtis wondering how he could make it up to her.
Finally he went to his study and shut that door too. He realised with a twinge of anxiety that being a PI was more difficult than he’d imagined. He wasn’t sure now whether Janux was upset because he loved 17 or because he wasn’t concentrating on finding Roscoe’s murderer. But either way he was more convinced than ever that Roscoe’s death was connected in some way with the Ryxin breeding programme. Maybe Roscoe had threatened to blow their cover. And maybe Mistle Onyx had seen something. She’d probably been sneaking out and going to Moa Bay for quite some time. If so that would explain her rote type answers when he’d asked her about Roscoe.
But now he also had the problem of getting 17 away from the house in Xlesky Street and finding her somewhere safe to stay until she had their baby. There was no way he was go
ing to allow their child to be adopted out to some elderly couple who wanted a servant to look after them in their final years. Or, if a boy, to be trained to fight for the Ryxin cause.
His mind was spinning. He didn’t know where to begin and tried to think of someone who could help him. Then he remembered Siegfried Plante.
He reached for the phone.
CHAPTER 16
“See you about five,” Curtis said as Janux got out of the car. He’d driven them back to the bach at Chamonix Beach for the day so she could tend to the bees.
“Thanks.”
“I can stay a bit longer if you like,” Curtis said.
“I’ll be okay. That soulless bugger is probably down at Pohatu Cove, getting it all ready for his new herd of breeding cows.”
She was no doubt right, but he still didn’t like leaving her even though he’d only be a few kilometres away at Siegfried’s place. Just lately he’d found himself thinking of her more than ever, especially when he was getting ready to go to Xlesky Street. Would she be okay when he was gone and what if something happened while he was on the mainland doing his manly duty with 17? He felt as if he were going slowly mad.
Janux watched him drive away. She knew he was a troubled man. And she knew he’d become more troubled since committing himself to the Ryxin breeding programme. That woman was tearing him apart.
She grabbed the mail from the tin letterbox at the gate and went into the bach. Everything was just as she’d left it. She quickly looked through the small pile of letters. There was one official looking envelope, and with a cold feeling seeping through her, she tore it open. The letterhead said it was from The Ryxin Breeding Programme Committee. It read:
Dear Janux Lennan,
Regarding my previous letter inviting you to take part in our Breeding Programme. Our committee has come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to visit you at Chamonix Beach and interview you in person. To this end, Lion Chrys-Morngel will be visiting you at noon on 12th May to discuss this matter further.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Sly Onyx (President)
Janux realised with a sense of panic that today was 12th May and it was already almost ten. In two hours this Lion Chrys-Morngel would be here. She tried to think clearly about what to do. Curtis would be on his way to Siegfried’s place. She could send him a message right now. Or perhaps there was another way to deal with this problem?
She’d never been a fearful person, especially when Roscoe was alive. But these Ryxin men scared her. They were almost certainly descended from one of The Ten. These descendants were never spoken of and no one knew for sure who they were, although most could tell. It was believed that some went under an alias so they couldn’t be traced. They were nearly always cruel, tough men who were tall and well-muscled and they were feared by everyone. She was sure they were soulless which meant they must be pure-bred with no Human blood at all, or pretty close to it. They could inflict pain and suffering, especially on women, without caring about what they were doing to them.
“Have you heard any more about Jack?” Siegfried asked as Curtis followed him inside.
“Yes. Apparently his partner is in the process of having the two required pregnancy tests. My informant tells me that this only happens when the woman concerned is ninety-nine percent sure she is pregnant. Once it’s officially confirmed Jack will be released.”
“I don’t understand you people,” Siegfried said, shaking his head. “To kidnap a boy and make him perform sexually is abhorrent to me. And then when his partner gets pregnant they let him go. What about his child - their child?”
“It’s not all of our people. Just those who have no souls,” Curtis said evenly. “They don’t care who they hurt in order to get what they want.”
“Do you mean to say you really believe they’re soulless?” Siegfried’s eyebrows were raised like tiny arches.
“So I’ve been told.”
“What about our Jack? He must have a soul then?”
“Yes, that’s right. His mother is Human.”
Curtis wasn’t quite sure if what he’d just told Siegfried was totally correct. He’d known of quite a number of seemingly soulless Ryxins who weren’t pure-bred. Perhaps the theory and research were flawed. But he didn’t tell Siegfried of his doubts.
“Will you help me solve a serious problem I have?” Curtis asked him.
“Of course I will. Is it to do with my grandson?”
“No, it’s someone else. A young pregnant woman whom I need to help escape. She needs a secret hiding place until she’s had her baby.”
“Is she in danger if you don’t get her out?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so and I have to get her out within the next two weeks. Can I bring her here - under cover of darkness, of course?”
Siegfried, who’d been crying again because of Jack, wiped his eyes and blew his nose. “Yes, yes, do whatever you can, my friend. I’m totally appalled by what these mad men are doing.”
“Thank you. You’ve got no idea how much this means to me.”
“Are you the father?” Siegfried asked quietly.
“Yes,” Curtis said and Siegfried pulled a bottle of Scotch whiskey from a kitchen cupboard.
“Let’s celebrate then,” he said, pouring them half a glass each of neat whiskey.
Curtis had downed about half of his glass when he felt his mind suddenly go blank. Someone was sending him a message.
A blustery wind buffeted the car. It had begun suddenly and a seagull, blown off course, swept past the windscreen as Curtis sped to Chamonix Beach. Janux had sounded frightened in her short message to him. The road was unsealed after Moa Bay and gravel spurted from beneath his tyres as he careered around bends.
Finally he was there, and so was a large, black, four-wheel-drive vehicle. Even the windows were darkly tinted so he couldn’t see if anyone was inside.
Everything seemed peaceful and quiet. He had no idea what to expect and walked tentatively around to the back door, which he found wide open. That was unusual.
“Janux,” he called telepathically, “where are you?”
He entered the bach and walked through to the lounge where he almost tripped over someone lying face down on the floor - a large man with a Mohawk haircut. There was a pool of blood around his chest area. Curtis bent and looked closer. He was obviously dead. There was no sign at all of breathing but to make sure he held his hand to his exposed neck area and could feel no pulse.
“Janux,” he called, this time in a loud voice. “Where are you? It’s me, Curtis.”
No one answered and nothing moved. It was so quiet he could hear the loud ticking of the kitchen wall clock. He walked gingerly through the rest of the bach, looking into the rooms. Bedroom, bathroom and kitchen were all that was left to look in. That was it. No one there at all. He looked out of the front window towards the beach and thought he saw movement.
“Janux?” he said, despite knowing that even if it was her she couldn’t hear him. Then he heard a crash and ran to the bedroom. There was Janux on the floor. Above her was a gaping hole in the ceiling.
“What happened?” he yelled, racing over to help her up. She was gasping for breath and sobbing.
“It was a guy called Lion. He told me I had to go with him, so I pulled out my pistol and shot him dead. He didn’t know I had a pistol under my jumper. Then I climbed up there, through the manhole, to hide and after a while I felt it starting to give way. Then the bloody ceiling collapsed.”
“Is he the only one?”
“Yes.” She was sobbing harder now and taking gulps of air.
Curtis put his arms around her. “It’s all right. Don’t worry. You were defending yourself. You’re not hurt, are you?”
“No, I’m all right. Oh, my God, Curtis. I was so afraid. What am I going to do now?”
“We’re going to bury him until tonight and then send him out to sea with the jeep. Do you have a spade?”
“Yes, out the back.” Janux hurried t
o get the equipment while Curtis made a quick check of the jeep to make sure the keys were there so he could move it later.
When he came back he could see she was trembling. He also knew that the Human police force would not get involved in this. Ryxin law was different - it was based on a pecking order with the pure-blood soulless ones on the top rung.
“Here’s a shovel,” Janux said, looking towards the road every few seconds. “I’ll take this spade,” she said and led him to a place behind the shed where the honey was put into jars and stored.
The ground in this area was not hard, and after digging for a while Curtis noticed how sandy the soil was. He worked rhythmically and without pausing for rest.
“The others might come at any minute,” Janux said. She too was spading out the soil as fast as she could. They were both dripping with perspiration.
“I don’t think so. Did he say why he’d come alone?”
“He said he’d been ordered to come and take me to Pohatu Cove where I would be kept until I became pregnant. After that I’d be sent to another home where I’d give birth. And after that I’d be free to resume my normal life. He said if I did that then I would have done my duty as a Ryxin female and would never be bothered by any of them again. And who will my partner be, I asked him. He said it would be one of the committee – that because I didn’t respond to their first letter, I’d no longer have a choice of partner. He said the committee members would treat me well, it wouldn’t be long before I got pregnant and then nine months later I’d be free again.”
“So you were supposed to go with him today?”
“Yes, but I had no intention of going with that mad bastard. No one’s going to treat me like a breeding cow or have sex with me against my will.”
Aliens in Godzone Page 8
