by Darien Cox
Baz smiled. “Apology. Frustration.”
“It’s okay. But you really need to stop spying on Rudy. You’re gonna get a potty-mouth.”
“Ah ah ah ah! Yes. Okay. Not spy. Okay...words. You say technology?”
Christian nodded.
“Whites have. Others want. Understand?”
“I’m with you. Go on.”
“Okay others? To...to want. They. Whites take craft. Use technology to take craft. To...bring to base. Inside other? Vehicle? To analyze. To tell. Others.”
“Subterfuge,” Christian said. “The Whites think the others crashed on purpose. So the Whites would grab the craft, take it to their base. Then the others would somehow record details of the tech the Whites used and send it back to whoever. Like a Trojan horse. Am I close?”
A long, relieved-sounding sigh escaped Baz. “Baz words. Not so bad. Okay, Chrischris. Good. Okay. Yes. Others to get inside base. To do harm? Possible.”
“See? You’re good at this.”
Baz smiled.
“I still don’t understand why the Whites won’t destroy the craft themselves, if that’s what they want. Why have they left it with us? After all that’s happened, I know it’s not a courtesy because we found it. The Whites may not trust these others, but they don’t exactly trust us either.”
“Hoggin, you, Shaytee, all? Stay off entrance. Away from field, yes?”
“Yeah.” Christian frowned. “We’ve been staying away from the field.”
“They happy. Agreement, yes?”
“Oh.” Christian wasn’t sure if he should mention that Ogden had merely told them to stay away from the field for now. Until the higher-ups figured out what to do about an alien presence under the mountains. He doubted Ogden and his crew would consider it an agreement.
“To take vehicle. No. Risk. Others...you say subterfeeje?”
“Subterfuge. Right, I understand that part.”
“Also. To take. To...take from Hoggin? Vehicle? Hoggin to say...to think...belonging to Whites? Clumsy. Threat. Hoggin to say... Back to field! Bother Whites!”
“Understood, but I doubt that’s the only reason. I’m not convinced the Whites care that much about stepping on our toes, agreement or not.”
“Okay. Whites, Baz, not to be see. Not to be see by angry nasties. Whites, to destroy, others, angry others say...Whites kill. Trouble for Whites. Annoying. Others. Stir pot? So annoying. Dangerous.”
“Oh, boy.” Christian rubbed his temples. “Okay, so first, the Whites want us to know it’s not theirs. Figured if they scooped it up, Ogden would assume it was theirs. And start bothering them again. Obstructing their entrance in the field.”
“Okay.”
“And if the Whites destroy the craft themselves, these others will likely start more trouble with them.”
“Yes. Okay. Mix...combine. Two problems. Humans. Others. Whites, decision.”
“What decision? To just let us do their dirty work for them? Kill two birds with one stone? That way Ogden won’t blame the Whites. And the craft gets destroyed. But we’re not assassins, Baz. This isn’t our fight. And that’s exactly what Ogden is going to say. He’ll never agree to destroy that craft. Do you know how huge it is for Ogden’s homies to get their hands on something like that?”
“No, no, no, Chrischris. To destroy? Not for They. Not retaliate. To protect.”
“Protect who?”
Baz pointed at Christian.
“Us?”
“You.”
“How will it protect us if we destroy the craft? These angry nasties you speak of will just get pissed at us, won’t they? Not that the Whites likely care about that.”
“No, angry others to say, oh, humans destroy. This risk. Not...expect. But okay. Humans destroy. Always humans destroy, not think.”
“Yeah, well pardon me if I don’t take your word on that. That’s pure speculation that they’ll just brush it off as a bunch of dumb humans blowing shit up.”
“Protect, Chrischris. Destroy to protect. Hoggin. Humans. Hoggin want...move? No.” Baz shook his head repeatedly. “No to move vehicle. Dangerous to move vehicle.”
“Why? Why can’t they move the craft? They’re planning to take it out of the marina soon.”
“Yes. Okay. But must stop. Stop Hoggin to move. Perimeter? Inside. Seal.” He clapped his hands, then opened them. “Outside. No seal.”
“The seal only remains intact when the craft is inside the Whites’ perimeter?”
“Yes. Okay.”
“Well...how big is the perimeter? The mountains? The town line? How far does it go?”
Baz leaned forward and gently touched Christian’s hand. “Not far enough. Hoggin to take? Outside perimeter.”
Christian stared back at Baz for a long time without speaking. Finally, he asked, “Is that thing gonna pop open once they take it far enough outside of Singing Bear Village?”
“Possible.”
“Does it open automatically once it’s outside the perimeter?”
“No. Open from the in.”
“It opens from the inside.”
“Okay.”
“So if something’s still alive in there, they could open the craft once it’s no longer sealed. They could get out.”
“Okay.”
“I take it that would be bad.”
“Angry. Not kind. Not...careful. Not Whites.”
“You’re telling me the Whites are the good guys in this scenario. Sorry, but I’ve always found them pretty self-serving.”
“Yes. Okay. Yes. Selfish Whites. Because...” Baz rocked back and forth, then raised a finger. “Others, angry others? Hurt. Possible. Hurt humans? Humans say threat. Humans say Whites, all, others, same. Threat. Allen? Allen?”
“Alien?”
“Yes. Alien. All the same. Hoggin say. Threat. Big mess.”
“I see.”
“You see? Understand, Chrischris?”
“I think so. If they take the craft and move it, and the others come out and get into a confrontation with Ogden’s team, some of them could get hurt. Then the powers that be won’t distinguish. They’ll just see it as aliens hurting humans. And there’s an alien base they know about sitting right over there. The Whites.”
“Yes.”
“But I thought you said we’re no threat to the Whites? That nothing in our arsenal can harm them?”
“Okay, yes. Not harm. But...problem again. Annoyance. Also, agreement? They. Happy. Happy with you. Agreement.”
“Right. Our big agreement to stay off the field.”
“Chrischris.” Baz touched his hand. “They. Whites. Maybe not...love? Maybe disgust. Humans? But reason. Reasonable. To be left alone.”
“So bottom line, they can’t destroy the craft themselves, because the angry others will be a problem. And they don’t want Ogden to move the craft, because if there’s an incident, we humans will be a problem. So their solution is for us to destroy it. Here. Now.”
“Yes.”
“Well, those are pretty fucked up options, Baz! And I’m not even sure we can destroy the craft. Ogden and Wiley haven’t had a chance to properly examine it, they don’t even know what it’s made out of.”
“I have.” Baz reached in his pocket. “I have. For you.”
Baz held out his hand. Resting in his palm was a small, gray, rectangular item. It looked soft, rubbery, like a pencil eraser. “What is that?”
“Slap.”
“I don’t understand.”
Baz slapped his hand on the ground. “Slap on vehicle. Stick? Move. Move away. Vehicle destroy.”
“Great. I was hoping you were about to give me the mathematical code for reversing gravity or something. Not a weapon. It’s an explosive?”
“No, no fire. Like...” He set the gray thing on his thigh, then searched the ground, picking up a leaf. “Like this.” He crumbled the leaf, rolling it into a tiny ball. “Like this. Gone.”
“So...it’s going to implode?”
“Ah ah ah. Imp
lode. Funny, Chrischris.”
“Glad my ignorance amuses you.”
“Apology. Okay. Implode. Close enough.”
“Okay, I’m not agreeing to anything, but say we do this. How far back to we need to get from the thing? And how fast?”
“No far. Ten...twelve big walks. Sixty second.”
Christian shook his head. “Ogden will never agree to this. He’ll just rip whatever that...thing is you’re holding apart and examine it, just like the craft. You don’t give a guy like Ogden alien weaponry, Baz. Trust me, that’s a bad idea.”
“Ah ah ah!”
“Why is that funny?”
“See.” He pulled a second item out of his pocket. It was identical to the first, same gray rubbery look, same size and shape. “One thing. Design specific? Only to vehicle destroy.”
“Okay. So it’s designed specifically for that craft. Can’t be used on anything else.”
“Yes. Two? This.” He set the second gray thing on the ground and picked up a stick. “To damage. To scratch. To break?” Baz jabbed the gray thing with the stick, penetrating the center.
It liquefied, then sizzled, forming small gray bubbles on the ground. Steam rose and then it was just gone.
“Wow. So Ogden can’t fuck with it or...that will happen.”
“Go poof.”
“Yeah. I can see that. I’d better be careful with this thing. But...this is Whites’ technology. Is there any way the angry others will know the craft was destroyed this way?”
“No. To be quick. Not to discuss in front of vehicle? Then be quick. No leftover. Others in the...up?” He pointed to the sky. “Say stupid humans destroy. Not know.”
“You’re putting a lot of faith in these others determining we’re no threat because of our stupidity. I hope you’re certain of that.”
“Pretty certain.”
Christian studied Baz carefully. “Who are they, Baz?”
“Angry. Angry nasties.”
“But where are they from?”
Baz’s head bowed. “Far.”
“That’s not very specific. Or am I too much of a stupid human to understand the distance?”
Baz rocked back and forth, silent.
“Who are they? What do they look like? Do they breathe oxygen? Where are they from? Why are they angry? Can you tell me anything about these two things I’ve got sitting at my own damn marina as we speak?”
“Baz not to know.”
“You don’t know?”
The hybrid’s lower lip trembled slightly. “Don’t know.”
“Take your glasses off.”
Baz stopped rocking. “Why to take off?”
“Because I like someone to look me in the eye when they’re lying to me.”
Baz’s shoulders stiffened. Christian remained silent, watching him. Slowly, Baz lifted a white hand, and slid off the sunglasses.
Christian’s heart pounded, but he kept his expression as blank as he could manage. He’d seen Baz’s eyes briefly before, but they were still a shock. The ring of blue surrounded an inner ring of green, both colors iridescent. They reminded Christian of the colors of tropical fish, bright, almost electric, with tiny spots of yellow within. The pupil was oval. Lashes long and pure white. The eyes were big, a size up from human, but not scary-huge like the full Whites’. He had high, delicate cheekbones, and despite the strangeness of his features, he was really quite beautiful.
Christian focused on Baz’s eyes, acclimating himself to them, wanting desperately to glimpse the man...or rather the hybrid man inside. Wanting to see Baz’s thoughts reflected back. Baz blinked, and the eyes shifted down, then back up, meeting Christian’s gaze. What Christian saw was shyness, and caution. Comfortable now that he could read expression in Baz’s face, Christian spoke.
“Okay, Baz. Now look me in the eye. And tell me again that you don’t know anything about the angry others.”
“Dangerous.” Baz’s big eyes narrowed, then widened. “Too dangerous.”
“For who?”
“Many.”
“Why are they angry? Not kind? Is it their nature, or do they have a reason to be pissed off at the Whites?”
“Baz not to say.”
“Why?”
“They.”
“The Whites won’t let you.”
“Okay. Yes.”
“But you know the reason.”
Baz cast his glance down. The white eyelashes were so long they brushed his cheeks. “Baz know. But not to speak. They.” He glanced up again. “Chrischris, Hoggin, authority? Baz. Whites. Authority.”
“I get it. You have to do what they say.”
“Okay.”
“So for all I know the Whites could have started shit with these angry others. And you want us to kill two of them.”
“Chrischris. Dangerous. Look to eyes. No lie. Dangerous.”
“Are they the Greys?”
“No.” Baz whistled out a breath. “Nooo.”
“You can’t tell me anything else?”
“Apology. Not to say.” Baz held his hand out. The gray rubbery thing rested in his palm.
Christian stared at it a moment, then held his hand out. Baz dropped the thing in his palm. Christian gently ran his thumb over the top of it. It was soft, slightly pliant, like clay.
He looked up when Baz put his sunglasses back on. “I need to go to Myles now.”
“Okay.” Baz stood, so Christian did too, gazing up at him. Things felt awkward now, which was understandable considering the conversation.
“He’ll wake up now?”
“You wake man,” Baz said. “He wake.”
“What if I need to contact you?”
Baz glanced around. “Come to here.”
“Where exactly is here? It’s all misty.”
“Wait. I go. You see.”
Christian nodded. “Okay. Um...see you later.”
“Chrischris. Baz ask?”
“Ask what?”
“Chrischris to keep.” He pointed to the item in Christian’s hand. “To keep before Hoggin hear, to listen, to say. To be safe?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Chrischris to keep. To wait. Give to Hoggin, not yet.”
“You want me to hang onto this and not give it to Ogden until after I hear how he responds to all this?”
“Yes. Okay.”
“In case I decide I don’t agree with him. And want to use it myself.”
Baz shrugged. “To be safe?”
“I need to think about that.”
“Okay. Baz goodbye.”
“Okay. Um...thank you. I appreciate you talking to me.”
Baz smiled. “Pleasure.” He reached out and gently touched Christian’s shoulder. “Kind, Chrischris. Chrischris kind.”
Baz’s arm lowered. The mist thickened, obscuring him from view. Then it cleared, and Christian could see woods. Turning, he looked back and saw the lights of Myles’ house in the distance.
Myles.
Christ, how long had Christian been out here? This wasn’t exactly an ideal first date, if that’s what it was. He started for the house, but paused first to call Ogden.
“Christian, what’s wrong?”
“When are you moving the thing?”
“Two days at best. Why?”
“We need a meeting tomorrow. All of us. Someplace other than the marina.”
“What’s the matter? Why not the marina?”
Because someone inside that giant turd could be listening. “I don’t want to talk about this on the phone. Just set it up, okay? And for God sakes, don’t move that thing until we speak.”
“Should I be concerned?”
“Probably.”
“Okay. Your house. Morning.”
“See you then.”
Breaking into a jog, he hurried back to Myles’ house, wondering if he could possibly salvage what they’d started earlier in the night.
So much for my little slice of normal.
Chapter
Eight
“Myles. Myles!”
Myles startled awake. He looked up and saw Christian standing next to the bed. “Christian.” Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes. “Shit. What time is it?”
“Are you all right? How do you feel?”
Myles frowned at Christian, who looked gorgeous in jeans and a white tee shirt. But Christian hadn’t been dressed when Myles first got back and came into the room. “You’re dressed.”
“I had to deal with a phone call. I didn’t want to wake you so I went outside.”
“Christ.” He stood up, looking down at himself, still fully dressed, shoes on. He was completely disoriented. “I got back from Spangles, and saw you sleeping. I was about to wake you up. I swear I don’t fucking remember falling asleep!”
“You must have been more tired than you thought,” Christian said. “Are you okay? Do you feel all right?”
“Yeah.” Myles studied Christian’s face, noting the concerned expression. “Why, do I look sick?”
“No.” Christian smiled. “You look fantastic.”
In a flash, the rush of excitement and attraction returned, and he recalled licking Christian’s tattoos on the sofa earlier. But Christian was dressed now. And despite the flirtatious smile, he seemed agitated. “I’m sorry this night didn’t turn out the way you wanted, Christian. Sorry I had to take off. Are you...do you have to leave? Do you want to leave?”
“Do you want me to leave? You’ve had a long day. Long night.”
“I...I have. Sorry it got so fucked up.” He wanted to say no, don’t leave. A small part of him even wanted to beg Christian to stay. But something was definitely off about Christian now, he could see it in his eyes, and feared the mood had been soured, the spell broken. At least for Christian.
“Do you want me to stay?” Christian asked.
“Do you want to stay?”
Christian lunged at Myles, their bodies crashing together. “I want you so bad,” he said, wrapping his arms around him and rubbing his cheek against Myles’ face. “So let’s just cut the bullshit. I’m staying the night.”
With the press of Christian’s hard body, the smell of him, Myles switched off his doubts and allowed his need to take hold. Grabbing Christian’s ass with both hands, he squeezed, lifting him and pulling his body against his growing erection. “I’m sorry I fell asleep.”
