Alien Attachments (7 page)

The photographer in her couldn’t help but appreciate the good looks of the team. Ria was definitely the odd woman out, but somehow she had a presence all her own. This group would photograph well and she wished again for her camera.

Marco nodded greetings before jogging off to the tunnel door. Armond ignored them.

“Call me the second you know anything,” Ian said.

Ria placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t understand. It worked fine this morning.”

“Let’s just hope Marco’s is working,” Ian said as he turned to Jared.

“Armond and Ria’s portals aren’t functioning. Marco’s checking his.”

“What does that mean, boss?” Jared said.

Ian ran a hand through his hair. “We’re not entirely sure. Communication with Sandaria is down, which implies the main portal on Cat Island isn’t functioning. It shouldn’t do that unless there’ve been four portal moves within an hour. No one has used it since this morning. Armond, your experience with the Portal Masters makes you the expert. Any idea?”

“I’m afraid I have nothing further to add at this time.”

“Right,” Dani said, obviously having nothing to add herself. “I’m going to go get cleaned up and try on some clothes.”

* * * *

By the time Dani showered and tried on all the clothes Gina had purchased for her, it was half past six. She settled on jeans and a white button up shirt, with small frills that ran all the way around the neck. She didn’t usually do frills, but decided the effect wasn’t half bad. She put her damp hair in a loose ponytail, slipped on some strappy sandals, and headed downstairs to the great room. Marco and Armond were back and they looked grim. She reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped.

Marco’s face brightened when he caught sight of her. “Dani! Come and join us.”

Dani glanced at Ian. “Is that okay? If this is a meeting or something…”

“You’re fine. Come on in,” Ian said. “You’re looking better.”

“Better?” Marco said, “Don’t you know beautiful when you see it, boss?” He patted the cushion next to him eagerly.

Dani sidestepped the couch and selected a chair facing the windows.

Marco pressed his bear paw sized hand over his heart as though he’d been stabbed.

“Nothing personal, Marco, I just want to enjoy the view. It’s beautiful.”

Dani buzzed inside. She threw Ian a sideways glance and found him watching her. She was seriously attracted to the man. He seemed like the type that liked to keep his relationships casual. She liked casual. Casual was safe. Then again, he was an alien. Which left all sorts of questions bouncing around her head. In his swimsuit, everything appeared normal, but the interesting bits in his trunks were still a mystery. The more time she spent with him, the more she wondered. Especially with the crazy chemistry between them. No one had affected her so physically before.

Gina entered from the kitchen wiping her hands on a dishtowel. “Dinner will be ready at eight o’clock, Signor Ian. Italian stew for us tonight.”

Murmurs of appreciation spread around the room, and Ian thanked her.

The Italian woman made her way over to Dani and fingered the ruffle of her collar. “Ah, so lovely. Is good fit,
si
?”

“Yes. Thank you.” Dani liked the portly woman. She smelled of bread and pasta. The grandmother Dani never had.

A moment later, a large burly Italian entered from the kitchen, putting something in his mouth.

“
Oy
,” Gina shouted. “That better not be my bread for supper.”

The man feigned shock. “How could you ask such a thing?” he said around a mouthful, before swallowing.

Gina wagged a finger at him. “Dani,” she said, “this is my Battista. When he’s not helping to save the world, he’s getting in the way around the villa and eating all the food before dinnertime. Please feel free to ask for anything you need.”

Battista came around the chair and Dani stood to meet him. He took her hand and kissed the back. His eyes crinkled when he smiled, and as with his wife, she liked him immediately.

“Ah,
bellissima
, you are so pretty. And so tall. Anything at all you need, you ask,
si
?”

Marco cleared his throat. “She’ll ask you,
after
she asks me, right darlin’?”

Dani grinned.

Jared came over and gave Battista a pat on the back. “You’re looking good old man.”

“Bah, who are you calling old? You beach dog.”

“I think you mean, beach bum,” Dani said.

“Bum? But that is a bottom, no? Ha! Jared, you are a beach bottom!” Battista laughed his way back to the kitchen.

Dani pondered the comfy chair, but what she really needed was a walk. So much had happened today, and the EPs were back to discussing possible solutions. “Hey Jared, want to go for a walk? Bellagio is beautiful at night.”

“Not much I can do here,” Jared said. “What do you say, boss?”

“Go for it,” Ian said. “Make sure you stay together. And don’t be late. Trust me, you don’t want to miss Gina’s cooking.” Ian shot her his wicked grin, sparking that odd buzz.

“So I’ve heard.” She took a moment to enjoy the buzz before turning to go. “We’ll catch you guys in a while.”

Jared led her across the sitting room to a large foyer. Ten-foot, double wooden doors graced the entryway. A massive Morano glass chandelier hung over the marble tiled floor. They walked out into a balmy summer night. The air smelled of the lake and greenery. A brick wall, covered in lush vines, guarded the villa. A wrought iron gate stood open at the end of the drive. They strolled through and crossed a narrow road.

Dani inhaled deeply. “It smells so different from Cat Island. Normally you’d spend eight hours on a plane before making the transition.”

On the far side, a narrow alley angled over a small crest then back down to the village.

“Can you imagine if everyone in the world had the ability to get around so fast? It would change everything. Talk about a global economy.”

“Might well destroy everything too,” Jared said. “Extremists could take terrorism to a whole new level.”

“Yeah, always the bad with the good, huh?”

They continued to follow the alley in companionable silence until they reached an intersection at the top. Directly ahead, the soft glow of the village radiated over the rooftops as the path led down to the port where the ferries disgorged their tourists and locals. They continued across the small clearing when a soft plucking sound came from the alley to their left. The hair on her arms stood straight up, as Jared swung out his arm to stop her.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Dani said in a low whisper.

Jared held his finger to his lips and pulled out his phone. They listened, still as statues.

Pluck, pluck.

Jared hit a button, and three short beeps sounded. He grabbed her upper arm and propelled her to the right.

Dani stumbled and glared at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Get up the alley. I’ll hold them off till Ian and the others get here. They’ll find us by my phone.” He put the phone back in his pocket and pulled out a gun about the size of a small banana. He’d shot the others with a sawed off shotgun, what was this tiny thing supposed to do?

“Jared, you can’t be serious. You might as well spit at them. Come with me, come on.” She tugged at his sleeve, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Don’t worry. This here is a little alien technology, compliments of our friends. Ian gave it to me when you were upstairs. Now, move already. Nothing you can do without a weapon, and I only got the one. Get up the alley and out of sight.”

Dani hesitated, but he had a point. She turned to go.

“Dani.”

“Yeah?”

“Stay close. The gang will be here in a few minutes.”

“I’ll stay close all right.”

The plucking sounds came louder and faster as a Torog crested the hill. Heart pounding, Dani sprinted up the alley. Ahead and to the left she spied a turnoff. An unfamiliar zing echoed down the alley, and Dani glanced back. The small gun shot a red beam directly into the Torog’s skull. The alien fell backward as a mass of brain matter spilled onto the bricks. Dani stopped, but another Torog went for Jared, who took aim and fired.
Shit, how many are there?

Her heart raced as she took off again, rounded the corner, stumbled, and plowed head first into the stinking chest of a Torog.

No!
Panic shot through her as she turned to get away.

Massive arms encircled her. The alien jerked her up and spun her around, holding her back pinned against its body. The stench of its breath and skin was putrid. The creature placed its hand over her open mouth, and she tasted the acidic and slightly tangy skin. Bile rose in her throat and silence fell over the alley. Dani struggled, but it was no use. Incredibly strong, the more she struggled, the harder the rancid thing squeezed until she couldn’t breath. Stars danced in front of her eyes as she silently cried out.

* * * *

The emergency signal blared from all the phones at once. Ian checked the GPS. “They’re at the intersection on the way to town. Move.”

The four blasted out the door and ran across the street to the alley. The sound of Jared’s gun buzzed over their footfalls. They crested the hill to find Jared standing over two dead Torogs. “Took you long enough.” Jared lowered his arms, shaking slightly.

“Where’s Dani?” Ian scanned the clearing. “Jared, where the frack is Dani?” He spun around and froze as her psi slammed into him. Like when they were in the pool, he sensed everything she did. The crushing weight and stench of a Torog as it dragged her up the alley enraged him. He bolted up the passage, turned the corner, and fired. The Torog’s head exploded, covering Dani in blue blood and brain matter. Ian closed the distance between them. Both fear and shock were in her eyes.

The creature’s arms still circled Dani’s body as it fell backward. Ian lunged forward and grabbed Dani’s shoulders. She was soaked and slippery, so he grabbed handfuls of her collar and pulled against the dead weight. Finally, as its body relaxed, the arms slipped down Dani’s side and its bowels released their contents at her feet.

Her skin was pale and her eyes wide. She stood looking at him, wild-eyed, dripping bits and pieces of Torog.

Ria and Jared rounded the corner, breathing heavily. Dani swayed slightly.

“Where’s Armond and Marco?” Ian asked, ready to catch her if she fell.

“Couple of locals heard the commotion. Armond is working his magic while Marco keeps watch. Clean-up crew is on the way.”

Dani stepped away from the mess at her feet, pulling herself away from Ian’s hold. She was covered in reeking blue liquid and bits of matter. Ria hurried to her side.

“She’s in shock,” said Ian. “Get her back to the villa and clean her up.” He wiped his hands off on his shirt.

Dani shook her head. “No. I’m not. I’m not in shock.” The look she gave him was one of mixed fear and anger. “You shot me. Or at me. You didn’t even look, you just turned the corner and fired.”

“Dani,” Ria said.

“No!” Dani pointed a finger at Ian. “I am not expendable, do you hear me? I may be a lowly human, but you can’t just shoot us because we’re in the way.” Dani wiped some slimy matter off her face and flung the pulpy stuff to the ground.

“Don’t be absurd,” Ian said.

“Absurd?” She waived her hand, flinging more excess matter over the carcass. “That could be me spread out all over there.”

Ignoring the blood, Ria took hold of her upper arm. “It’s all right, Dani. Ian is amazingly accurate. We all are. Remember, we’re not human. He’d never hurt anyone on accident.”

Ian’s eyes narrowed. “Is your mouth always ahead of your brain? I saved your life. You’re welcome.” He turned to Jared who stood frozen to the spot. “Get her back to the villa. Take Ria and Marco with you. Armond and I will wait for the clean-up crew and make sure we don’t have any more guests.”

“Sure, boss,” Jared said, coming back to life.

“Ria,” Ian said, “put the shields up around the villa. Do it now. Have Armond and Marco do the same to their bases. This makes no sense. I don’t know what they’re doing or why but we’re in lockdown as of now.”

Ian turned to Dani. “I’m sorry about your clothes.”

“My clothes?” Dani said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

“Yes,” Ian said, finally losing his temper. “Your clothes. Because from what I can see, the rest of you is perfect. I mean fine. You’re just fine.”

Ian turned and waived his hand in dismissal. He needed to check the alley to make sure there were no other humans around.

“He’s sorry about my clothes?” Dani said as they left. “And now he walks away? I swear Jared, he didn’t even aim. He just fired. The only reason I’m alive is pure luck.”

“Settle down, Dani,” Jared said. “Ian Cavacent doesn’t do luck. This is all new to you, give it some time.”

“Come on,” Ria added, “let’s get you cleaned up. No offense, but you stink.”

Dani made a puffing sound but didn’t argue.

Ian waited until their voices faded before returning to the alley entrance. He watched them walk down to where Marco and Armond stood near the Torog bodies. Armond would be able to redirect any humans that came upon them. He’d erase their memory for a few minutes and send them in another direction. When they figured out something was off, he and these stinking Torogs would be gone. Armond’s ability to erase human memories was a psi skill he’d never heard of, let alone seen before. One of many oddities about the albino.

He couldn’t help but watch the swing of Dani’s hips as she turned the corner. He blew out a breath and paced, pondering the last few minutes. He’d not only sensed her presence and reacted without thought, he’d
been in her head
. Not good. Instinct solely to protect her, regardless of danger to himself or the others. It was inexcusable and completely out of character.

The unmistakable whining sound of the cloaked cleanup crew arriving echoed up the alley. Only in emergencies were these vehicles used. They may be invisible but they were solid mass. Too much risk of exposure to use frequently.

Ian slapped both palms against the wall in front of him and leaned in, feeling the warmth of the stone. What if she was, in fact, perfect? Perfect for him. He knew it was true.