Chapter 16 - Abducted!
The setting sun behind the picturesque line of mountains
created a startling beautiful image that took Mary Wellington's breath
away. Not for the first time that day,
during the grueling hike, she wondered where on Earth she and her husband
were. Mary and David Wellington had been
on their way home after a two-week photo shoot in some of the most remote
regions of
Mary could still remember the day when little four-year-old
Michael came into their lives as if it were yesterday. He had been a quiet boy struggling to fit
into the orphanage where David and Mary found him. The next happiest time of her life had been
when their petition to adopt sixteen-year-old Serena had finally been approved
almost five years after they adopted Michael.
Even with the adoption though, it was still not safe for Serena to join
them until just recently. Michael was
now a teenager and Serena's unhappy past had finally been buried. David and Mary were both older now, but now
all four
David paused in his hike and looked back at his wife. "Hurry up, slow poke! We're going to leave you behind!" Not for the first time in his life, David cast an appreciative glance at his wife of almost twenty years. Whether it was the fact that she couldn't have kids, or the fact that she stayed fit and athletic due to job duties, Mary at 45 was as beautiful as the twenty-something girl he had married all those years before. Seeing her come down the slope with the setting sun behind her back was enough to make him feel the urge to pick up a pen and a pad of paper and write love poems.
Mary increased her pace until she caught up with her
husband. She pecked his cheek quickly
before setting off again. Side by side,
they hurried to catch up to the third CSIA agent, Tim Morris, who was a good
hundred paces in front. He didn't even
turn around to see what was keeping his two teammates. After two days in his company, his
tenaciously stoic attitude no longer surprised the
Mary frowned at Tim's back and mentally threw darts into it. If it weren't for the fact that she wanted to make her last mission as smooth as possible, she would have confronted Tim and given him an attitude adjustment right up his tight ass. Thoughts of the mission caused her frown to deepen. As missions went, this one scored a negative number on the scale of 1 to 10. She and David were field operatives and troubleshooters, not UFO groupies. Still, the mission brief had stated that UFO sightings were confirmed, as were several mysterious disappearances of the local population. The brief also mentioned that Tim Morris was the field operative that had confirmed visual sighting of the UFO and was the only one who could lead the way. Obviously, something of this magnitude was classified as top secret, which was why she and David had been dropped into this area without being told where this area was. Other than that, their mission was simple: visually confirm the existence of the UFO, and confirm that it is in fact extraterrestrial in origin, and not some fancy new piece of military hardware.
For the most part, the last leg of the hike had been almost pleasant. The scenery was beautiful and actually reminded Mary of the mountains of New Zealand. The slope that the trio had been descending down soon turned into level ground surrounded by tall trees. Darkness was almost upon them and they would have to make camp soon. Mary called out to their errant guide. "How much further, Papa Smurf?"
At first, it appeared as if Tim Morris either didn't hear or was going to ignore Mary's question. After a couple of seconds, he stopped and turned to face the Wellingtons as they caught up to him. He was not even breathing hard. "Not far now. We are approaching the UFO landing site. Please be patient and use caution from here on in."
Mary's eyes widened in surprise. Three full sentences! Without another word, their guide spun on his heel and walked further into the increasingly heavy forest.
The sun set behind them but there was something in the forest up ahead. Through the densely packed trees, a faint glow could be made out. Curious, Mary and David picked up their pace and soon found their guide stopped at the edge of a large clearing. Up ahead was the goal of their mission. The first thing Mary noticed was actually not the UFO. It was the large single story building that looked so out of place in this natural forest. Large floodlights lighting up the UFO parked in front of the building was the cause of the glow they had seen earlier. The UFO itself looked as if it was on display at a museum. It was small, about forty feet from saucer tip to saucer tip. The base was wider than the top and it looked so much like the stereotypical 'flying saucer' that Mary first thought that it was some sort of elaborate hoax. Mary half expected people to suddenly jump out from behind trees to yell "Surprise!" She almost laughed out loud until she inspected the UFO with her binoculars. Seen through the telescopic lens of the binoculars, the UFO looked too high tech to be a hoax. The hull was smooth and round. There were figures near the base of the UFO who looked to be guards of some sort. However, it wasn't the UFO itself that finally convinced Mary that this was not a hoax. It wasn't even the fact that the UFO had no undercarriage and that it hovered motionlessly several feet off the ground. What finally convinced Mary was when she zoomed in on one of the guards. Even after making allowances for distance and perspective, Mary used the fence behind the guard as a visual anchor. Assuming the fence was at least ten feet high, that would mean that the guard was at least two feet shorter than the average adult human. The greenish tinge to its skin as well as the extra set of arms that helped prop up what could only be a weapon of some sort clinched the deal for Mary. She put down her binoculars and looked over at her husband. He had just put down his binoculars too and his face mirrored her own sense of shock.
"Oh my god, Mary, it's the real thing!" exclaimed David in a hushed tone.
"I know! And we're here to see it up close." said Mary excitedly. It was moments like this that reaffirmed Mary's long ago decision to join the covert ops field. As a field agent, Mary had been to almost every corner of the world and had seen many wonderful sights. This one, however, was the icing on a whole new cake. "Tim, I'm sorry to have ever doubted you. You deserve all the credit for making the call." Mary addressed her comment to the still silent Tim, but it was her husband who caught her attention.
David was busy setting up his tripod and digital camcorder. When he was ready, he stood in front of it and said, "This is David Wellington of the Canadian Times Magazine. What you are about to see is real and definitely not a hoax." He moved to the back of the camcorder and pointed it in the direction of the UFO. He zoomed in on it and looked up at Mary. "The compound looks pretty tight with security, Mary. How do you suppose we're going to get closer to get better shots?"
Mary shrugged and said, "I don't know, honey. Maybe Tim has an idea." She turned to ask Tim for his opinion and stopped short. "Tim, what -" Mary felt a shiver of fear run down her spine as she took in Tim's stance.
Tim Morris was standing several feet away. In his hands was a large gun and it was pointing in their direction. Oddly enough, the thing that caused Mary the most fear was not the gun, nor the fact that it was pointing at her. It was the fact that Tim still had no expression on his face. The gun made a poof sound and Mary felt the impact of a dart in her chest. The drug hit her system almost instantly and she distantly heard David roar with outrage before the gun poofed again, and David's yell was cut short. Mary didn't even know when she hit the ground.
A high-pitched screeching sound woke Mary from her drug-induced slumber. She frowned as the sound peaked enough to hurt her ears. As she slowly opened her eyes, the bright light of the room she was in seared into her brain and she had to squeeze her eyes shut again. After several seconds, she tried again. The analytical part of her mind was telling her that she was probably just suffering from residual effects of whatever drug she was hit with. She cracked her eyelids a bit at a time, and as she slowly became accustomed to the light, she started to make things out. The screeching sound came again, and she winced, as the sound was still too loud for her drug sensitive ears.
Her nose started to itch and she tried to raise her hand up to scratch it. Her arm wouldn't budge. She looked down and saw that she was strapped to a table of some sort and her arms and legs were immobilized. Whoever had strapped her down had also removed all her clothes. The fact that she was able to look around the room meant that whatever she was strapped to was also propping her up so that she was in a vertical position. Movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to look around the room. Small figures scurried to and fro - each one moving purposefully from point to point. Strange machines populated the room and, for the moment, Mary couldn't decipher the purpose of most of them. The figures that were moving around piqued her interest. Seen up close now, instead of through the binoculars, they were clearly alien. They had large eyes, greenish skin and four arms. Their clothing appeared to be a one-piece metallic bodysuit that seemed to be more functional rather than fashionable. They chittered back and forth amongst each other in some kind of alien language.
The wall on the far side of the room to her left had a series of large windows. More alien figures moved back and forth on the other side. From the way they totally ignored the activity inside the room made Mary think that perhaps the windows were one way. Suddenly, Mary started in surprise. A man, accompanied by another alien, was walking along the window path. He was apparently in deep conversation with the alien. They disappeared from view and several seconds later, a portion of the wall in front of Mary slid open and the man and his alien companion walked into the room. Before the door slid shut once more, Mary caught a glimpse of two more men in military garb standing guard just outside the room.
The man and the alien came up and stood in front of
Mary. The man openly leered at her
nakedness while the alien looked at her with seemingly indifference. The man was dressed in a white lab coat
whereas the alien was dressed similar to the rest of the aliens in the
room. The only difference was that the
alien's bodysuit had a gold tinge to it.
"It almost seems like such a shame. This one is a real beauty," said the man in the lab coat. He spoke with an accent that Mary could not quite place. He reached up and pawed at Mary's naked breasts.
Being immobilized meant that Mary couldn't flinch away from the man's greasy touch. Instead, she did the only thing she could. She tried to spit in the man's face, but all that came out of her mouth were a few droplets of saliva.
In response, the man chuckled. "Ah, Mary, Mary. You are such a feisty one. Maybe I'll keep you as my personal slave once the operation is done. It would be so fun to see you change from a spirited woman to a docile beast whose only purpose in life is to serve me!"
How did the man know her name? Mary opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her throat was too dry and all that she managed was a croak.
The man seemed to understand her unspoken question anyway. "How do I know your name? Mary, I know all about you. Your imminent return to civilian life is what prompted your superiors to volunteer you for the Hydra experiment. We need to see how well you adapt to your life after being converted." As he spoke, his wandering hands traveled down her body. His breathing became faster and it was obvious that he was becoming aroused. He turned to his companion and asked, "Are you sure I can't keep her for just a couple of days after the procedure?"
The alien gave a human-like shrug and nodded. The man hissed with pleasure and said, "Excellent! Oh, Mary, you and I will have such fun together. Oh, and don't worry about your husband. He won't mind at all. In fact, he's being upgraded to super soldier status as we speak." The man nodded in the direction to Mary's right.
As she turned her head to follow the man's gaze, the unearthly high-pitched sound reverberated through the room once more. The man in the lab coat frowned and said, "Christ, can't we shut him up? I know being on the stasis table prevents any anesthetics from being administered, but god-almighty, how can you work with that racket?"
Up against the far wall, on Mary's right, a naked man was lying on a large metal table. Like Mary, he was strapped down tight. Unlike Mary though, there was a lot of activity around his table. There was one machine that seemed to be suspended from the ceiling. It was situated near the man's legs and a long machine arm was currently pulling something reddish white from the man's left thigh. Another machine was suspended near the man's chest. Another machine arm with a small round disk attached to the end lowered itself to the man's chest. The disk started spinning and the man writhed and screamed in total agony. The high-pitched noise that Mary had been hearing was the man screaming his soul out. The man's head writhed side to side and at one point, Mary saw the man's face. Through his expression of inhuman agony, Mary recognized the face of her husband David.
Mary started to struggle with her bonds, desperate to reach out to her husband. The man in the lab coat looked back at her and said, "Oh don't worry your pretty little head over him. He won't even remember any of this once we inject Hydra into him. Still, we can't have you struggling too much when we work on you." The man nodded to someone behind Mary and another figure moved into her line of sight. It was Tim Morris. "See, your associate here has already undergone the super soldier treatment. He doesn't look any worse for wear, does he?"
Mary turned her hate filled eyes to Tim, but as always, his face showed no expression or emotion whatsoever. Tim picked up a needle from a nearby tray and unceremoniously jabbed it into her neck.
Almost right away, Mary's world began to fog over. She fought the effect with all her might, just so that she could stay awake long enough to burn the face of her tormenter into her memory.
The man in the lab coat laughed at her expression. Suddenly there was a muffled thump and the room actually shook. The alien dressed in gold whirled around and pulled a device from its waist. It chittered on it for several seconds before it replaced the device back on its waist. It turned to the man and chittered at him. The man in the lab coat looked shaken. "What? Here? How did they find us?"
The alien chittered again. The man shook his head angrily and exclaimed, "This compound was supposed to be undetectable."
The alien chittered and the man shook his head. "I don't care how they found us. I'm going to complain to your superiors!"
There was more chittering and the man's face went white. "In force? Well what are you waiting for? Deploy the Hydra soldiers now!"
The alien shook its head in another human-like gesture and chittered back to the man. In the response, the man started to look wildly around. "Not enough? What do you mean there's not enough here? Don't you know who I am?"
The alien shrugged and chittered back. "Expendable? What do you mean expendable!" The man in the lab coat gestured to Tim Morris who had been standing silently through the entire exchange. "You! New orders. Protect me at all costs!"
Tim Morris moved to stand beside the man in the lab coat. There were more muffled thumps followed by the sound of gunfire. Mary turned her sleepy eyes towards the windows on the left wall. Beams of coherent light were shooting down the hallway outside the windows. Small four armed figures were running, only to be cut down one at a time. A human soldier stood at one end, firing his assault rifle down the hallway. He was hit six different times by laser light, but he refused to go down. An armored bipedal figure stalked towards him from the other end of the hallway. The bullets from the assault rifle bounced harmlessly off the armor. The armored figure came up to the human soldier and clasped his head with two armored hands. The human soldier dropped his assault rifle and grabbed the armored hands. For several seconds, the two strained against each other. Suddenly, with an explosive wrench, the armored figure ripped the head off the shoulders of the human soldier. There was surprisingly very little blood as the body collapsed and the armored figure tossed the dismembered head away. The armored figure stalked off the impromptu stage. More armored figures followed.
There were more muffled clanks and thumps outside the door and the man in the lab coat looked around nervously. "Do something!" he cried, but no one paid him any heed. All the four-armed aliens were standing still, watching the door. They looked as if they had all accepted their fate.
The door exploded inward and Tim Morris leapt into action. A long sweeping beam lanced out from the smoke filled door and cut Tim Morris in half. He fell to the ground in two pieces and Mary's sleepy mind noted once again how there was very little blood. The top half of Tim Morris continued to crawl forward until an armored figure came up and swept a beam of light through his neck.
More armored figures swept into the room. The man in the lab coat started to bluster about how important the research in this room was, and how important he himself would be. In the last seconds of his life, as he blustered and pleaded for his life, Mary placed his accent at last. It was British. The lead armored invader ended his speech with a single shot to the forehead. As the man in the lab coat collapsed, the rest of the armored invaders opened fire on the four-armed aliens - none of whom tried to escape or fight back. Each one died with quiet dignity.
The lead armored invader walked up to Mary and examined her closely. Mary looked back and managed to mouth a silent 'thank you'. Her eyes were getting very heavy, but she continued to fight the effects of the drug. A small part of her mind judged that only a few minutes had passed since she was administered the drug. A high-pitched scream shook her out of her sleepy paralysis. She looked over to where her husband was. An armored figure was pointing its gun at the machine with the disk attachment. A single well placed shot put the machine out of commission. The armored figure then aimed its gun at David. Its intentions were crystal clear. Through the dryness in her throat, Mary managed to croak, "Wait, please."
The lead armored invader must have sent a silent communication because the figure that was about to put David out of his misery pointed its gun up and rested the butt against its hip.
Gases hissed all around Mary as the clamps that were holding her upright sprung open. With no strength in her legs, she fell forward. The lead invader caught her in a surprisingly gentle embrace. Mary rested her face against the armored chest and allowed herself to be half carried, half dragged to David's side.
To put it simply, David was a mess. Humpty Dumpty had fallen off the wall and the King and all his men had opened him up to see what made him tick. There was not a part of his body that had not been opened up. The machine arm by his legs was still holding his left thighbone. David's chest showed the most horrific damage. The machine arm with the disk had cut him open right down the middle. Through the gap created by the machines, Mary could see David's lungs heaving and his heart beating.
Mary looked up at the figure currently supporting her. "Please, help him." she begged.
The figure shook its head and gestured to the fallen four-armed aliens. The message was clear. The only beings that could have put David back together were now dead. Whoever these new invaders were, it was clear that they were enemies of the four-armed aliens. They had attacked what appeared to be an enemy stronghold and had not anticipated that there would be innocent parties involved.
Mary nodded her acceptance and felt tears stream down her face. She looked down at David's face and saw the same acceptance reflected on his pain filled face.
"Kill me, please," whispered David in a hoarse voice.
Mary looked around for some way to end David's life painlessly. With an indomitable strength of will, she struggled out of the embrace of the invader who supported her. On shaky legs, she approached the figure with its gun pointing in the air. Wordlessly, she gestured to the gun. The figure looked behind her first and then carefully passed the gun to Mary.
Either the gun was made out of lightweight materials or Mary's will and determination gave her much needed strength. She hefted the large weapon and pointed it at her husband.
David gave her a reassuring smile and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too," whispered Mary. On sudden impulse, she pointed the gun at the table underneath David and pulled the trigger. A bright red beam connected the gun to the table as Mary swept the gun back and forth. Sparks flew into the air and smoke obstructed her sight. When the smoke cleared, David's face was as still as death. Free of pain at last.
The figure that gave her the gun took it back from her before she could drop it. With her strength totally spent, she fell limply to the ground. The drug that she had been fighting off was winning the battle. Just before her eyes closed one last time, the lead armored invader reached up and removed its helmet. A grayish lizard-like face emerged from under the helmet. In a gesture that was very human, the lizard alien bowed its head in Mary's direction. Mary managed a nod in return and then oblivion claimed her.
On Saturday, November 15, just two weeks and a day after Michael found the mysterious object that had so changed his life, Michael found himself staring once more into the mirror. It was funny how having a girlfriend suddenly made life so much more complicated. There were benefits to be sure, but this was the first time Michael had ever had to dress up for a school event. He was relatively sure that Tracy would not have minded if he didn't show up in a tuxedo, but at the same time, he wanted to make sure he looked his best for his new girlfriend.
Girlfriend. The word had such a nice ring to it! After Michael and Tracy had declared their love on her front door step, he and May were invited into her house for a quiet talk. May had begged off, preferring to give the two new lovebirds some time alone. Grateful for May's intuition, Michael and Tracy had spent a quiet afternoon cuddled on her couch. They did not do much more that talk though, because Tracy had refused to pass any more of her germs to Michael. However, since Tracy was no longer on the cheerleader squad, she had ample time to drop by Michael's house everyday after school. At Michael's insistence, they spent much of their alone time simply talking and getting to know each other better. Having a girlfriend was such a novel experience for Michael that he wanted to take things slow and cherish every moment of it. From much of what Tracy had said of her past boyfriends, Michael knew that she had done much more in less time. However, he wanted Tracy to know just how special she was to him, which was why he was exerting so much self-control every time he saw her. It had been getting more and more difficult every time he was with her, but in the end, he had persevered. The thought that Serena, with her unusual schedule, could drop by at any time also helped to cool his ardor. Tonight though, Serena had said that she would be packing up her small apartment all weekend, in preparation of moving into the Wellington's house. Tonight, after the dance, Michael and Tracy would have the house all to themselves.
Michael frowned at his reflection and adjusted his tie once more. No matter how he adjusted it, he just could not get the darn thing straight!
<<Perhaps the thought of the anticipated activities for tonight is affecting your eyesight, young one. The tie looks straight to me.>>
What? Oh, are you
sure? Wait, what activities are you
alluding to?
<<I would not know, since I am genderless. From your behavior though, I would guess at
some sort of primitive mating ritual.>>
Primitive mating ritual?
Hah! I know for a fact you've
been browsing the porn movie memories in my head.
<<True. They
have been most enlightening. Is that
what you hope to do with Tracy tonight?>>
To his credit, Michael blushed beet red at the thought. Umm, I'm not sure. I know Tracy's 'done it' before, and while
I'm anxious for my first time; I also don't want Tracy to think that it's
something I expect.
<<If I have interpreted her actions all week long
correctly, you could have had your 'first time' long before now.>>
Yeah, I kinda got that feeling
too. But I don't want her to think that
I think she's easy, you know?
<<I think I understand.>>
I mean, there was that time on the living room couch on
yesterday afternoon...I thought for sure it was going to happen right then and
there.
<<But I warned you of the impending approach of
your sibling, Serena.>>
Yeah, good catch on that one. I didn't even hear her car door slam.
<<So Serena did in fact surmise correctly, did she
not?>>
Yup again. She's
pretty perceptive. She even gave me a
condom and told me that she'd make sure to stay away all weekend.
<<It is nice to have older siblings, is it
not?>>
Yup...Speaking of which, I have a favor to ask.
<<If I can manage it, I will help.>>
Oh, I think you can manage this one. If something does happen tonight, and I'm not
saying it will, can you...well, it is pretty private...
<<Say no more, young one. If events transpire tonight as you hope, then
I shall retire to a dark and remote corner of your mind and not emerge until
you are finished.>>
Michael paused and thought about what Big Bro just said. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out if Big Bro was making a joke or not. Well, since I can't prevent you anyway, I better not catch you peeping!
Finally giving up on his tie, Michael emerged from his washroom. In his bedroom, he picked up the suit that was lying on his bed. Gingerly, he tried it on. Serena had picked it out from his father's closet and announced that it was perfect for the type of event he was going to. A tuxedo would have been too pretentious, but this was just right. A glance at his wall set his mind to musing on another important event of the past week.
Mrs. Hoover had called Michael into her office on Thursday morning. In her office was another teacher that looked vaguely familiar. Mrs. Hoover introduced him as Mr. Howard, the Shop teacher. On Mrs. Hoover's desk were Michael's ninja helmet and two sheathed swords.
Mr. Howard began by apologizing for breaking Michael's sword during the fire on Halloween night. It turned out that it was he who removed Michael's sword from his back and tried to wedge the door open.
Michael tried to brush it off as being not a big deal. "Mr. Howard, it's fine really. It was just a cheap stainless steel knock off anyway."
Mr. Howard, however, would not be put off. "Cheap or not, I broke it, and it is my responsibility to replace it."
Michael tried to protest again but Mr. Howard stopped him by
picking up a familiar looking sword.
When he pulled it clear, it had only half a blade. "Stainless steel is such a brittle metal
for a sword," said Mr. Howard as if conducting a lecture. He sheathed the broken blade and set it back
down on Mrs. Hoover's desk. He picked up
the other sword and pulled the blade free.
Even to Michael's untrained eye, he could see the difference. Where Michael's knock off ninja sword was
straight, the sword that Mr. Howard pulled out had a curved blade. "Carbon steel is much better suited for
swords. Take this one for example. The blade is made from ASSAB-K120C powder steel and is
differentially tempered so that the edge has a hardness of HRC60 and the back
has a hardness of HRC40."
Much of what Mr.
Howard was saying meant nothing to Michael, but he watched the live blade in
Mr. Howard's hands with growing fascination.
"The edge is
harder so that it can be sharpened, and the back is softer so that it can
absorb impact better," said Mr. Howard as he continued his impromptu
lecture. Mrs. Hoover pointedly cleared
her throat and Mr. Howard quickly finished the rest of his lesson. "The blade is hand forged and has been
folded in the traditional Japanese way."
Mr. Howard sheathed the blade and presented it to Michael with two
hands. "This sword is yours."
Michael reached up
and tentatively received the sword from Mr. Howard. "Are you serious? Have you any idea how much something like
this is worth?"
Mrs. Hoover smiled
and said, "Oh, about $1,500, plus all applicable taxes of course. I signed off on the receipt yesterday."
"Holy sh-, I mean, wow!"
Michael pulled the blade free and examined it. With the live blade in his hand, he felt
something stir inside of him - something awesome and inspiring. "It's beautiful," he said softly.
"What you have
there is a replica samurai katana, made to very high standards," said Mr.
Howard. "A much more authentic and
honorable weapon than your imitation ninja sword."
Michael nodded
numbly and sheathed the blade.
"I... I don't know what to say."
"Say nothing,
Mr. Wellington," said Mrs. Hoover.
"Accept it with our thanks for your heroic efforts on Halloween
night. Originally, we were going to
present it to you tomorrow night at the school dance but then we decided that
handing over a sharp sword to a student in public would be sending the wrong
sort of message to the rest of the students." When Michael nodded his agreement, Mrs.
Hoover continued. "You may keep the
sword in my office until class is over.
I wouldn't want you to carry it all over my school!"
True to her word, after his last class, Mrs. Hoover had allowed Michael to carry the sword home in a long cardboard box. Keys jangling in the front door broke Michael out of his musings.
"Hey, little bro, are you alone?" called out Serena from downstairs.
Michael buttoned the suit jacket and went downstairs. "Hey Serena, what're you doing here?"
Serena's face lit up when she saw him in his father's suit. "Wow, you look great! You really have grown. David's suit fits you almost perfectly!" At Michael's blush, she laughed and said, "Oh, don't worry about me, hon. I just came to drop these off." She handed Michael a box of condoms.
"What the hell?"
"Well, I got to thinking about how beautiful your girlfriend is, and how flustered you both looked yesterday when I came home unannounced. Then it occurred to me that one condom may not be quite enough for two healthy horny teenagers!" said Serena with a twinkle in her eyes.
Michael flushed even redder and snatched the box of condoms from Serena's hand. "Aw, geez, Serena!"
Serena laughed and flounced out of the front door before Michael could think of a suitable retaliation.
Michael hid the box in the drawer of the hallway table. His mind was busy thinking of a way to get back at Serena. She didn't have a boyfriend that he knew of, but that could change in the near future. When she found a boyfriend, she had better be careful because payback was fun!
Several blocks away, someone else was having problems with clothing for the night's festivities. May was hanging out in Tracy's room. She already had her outfit on. Tracy, on the other hand, was going through several different phases of dress and undress. She had already tried on five different dresses and still could not find a suitable dress.
She examined her latest dress in the mirror and snorted with disgust. "Damn it, May, even this one says that I'm too easy!" The dress she had on was cut daringly low in front.
May eyed the dress from the bed where she was watching the show with much amusement. "What's wrong with too easy? Don't you want to get lucky tonight?"
"Well of course I do, I just -" Tracy glancing over to where May was barely suppressing her laughter. "Ok, ok, fine, yes Michael makes me all hot and bothered and I'm dying to get to know him in the biblical sense. But..."
"But you're worried about what he might think of you, and if he'll respect you in the morning. Besides, sex is suddenly a touchy subject because you can't help but to think that you've been around the block a few times while Michael is in all likelihood still a virgin," finished May.
Tracy looked at May through narrowed eyes. "Seriously, girlfriend, sometimes I wonder if you're telepathic too!"
May laughed and replied, "Oh relax. The only way I could be a telepath and still keep my empath gift is by heavy drug and surgical modifications. The end result is that I would have both gifts, but be quite insane! You're just too easy to read, girlfriend!"
Tracy harumphed and started to remove her sixth dress. "Well, I don't think I'm that easy to read. I just happen to be wearing my heart on my sleeve at the moment. I've never been in love before you know!"
"Go ahead, keep playing dress up one hour before the dance starts. I think I'm enjoying the show," said May saucily.
"Oh, quit that May. I know you're not a lesbian. Not if you're in love with a guy." Tracy finished removing her dress and stood at the foot of her bed in nothing but a strapless bra and panty. "Speaking of which, May Li, you still haven't given me much detail about this guy that you're so conveniently in love with!"
"That's because I don't know much about him," said May brightly. "All I know is that he saved my life last week and swept me off my feet. In fact, that song by Benny Mardones, Into the Night, pretty much describes my situation."
"That's not fair!" cried Tracy. "I think you made him up just to get me to admit my feelings for Michael."
"Who ever said love was fair or even rational?" said May seriously. "I can't stop thinking of Da Gueur. There are times when I almost think he's near, but when I turn around, he's not there."
Tracy sighed dramatically. "My best friend is in love with an alien! Oh, the horror!"
May jumped up from the bed. She playfully smacked Tracy on her panty-clad bottom. "You know it, girlfriend! Here, let me see if I can find something suitable for you." May walked into Tracy's closet and perused the dresses that were hung up. "Hmm, it's not a Halloween dance, so that outfit you had on for Halloween won't do, and it's not a Christmas dance so we don't want something too fancy." May closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Tracy at one point or another had worn all these dresses. As such, the closet was filled with Tracy's essence. As an empath, May was able to relax her senses and fill herself with the love she felt for her best friend. Somehow, it was different than what she felt for her guardian angel and she sent out a silent 'thank you' to the mysterious being for showing her the difference. May opened her eyes and picked out a dress. Walking out of the closet, she passed it over to Tracy.
Tracy squealed in delight as soon as she saw it. She quickly and carefully began to pull it on.
"So, are you guys going to do it tonight?" asked May out of the blue.
"Do what? Oh, that." Tracy said while looking thoughtful. "Honestly? I don't really know. Michael's shown the most restraint out of any boy I've ever dated. We were making out yesterday and I could tell that he was getting really into it, and you know what? He still didn't try to cop a feel or anything."
May's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean he didn't even touch you or anything? I thought you guys almost did it yesterday before Serena walked in on you."
Tracy smiled tartly. "Oh he touched me alright! I had to wiggle out of my sweater and slip off my bra, and then I had to take his hand and move it to my breast before he touched me. But when he touched me...whoo boy, the sparks flew! You know, he's letting me set the pace and I'm loving it!"
Tracy finished pulling on the dress and May moved over to help zip up the back. "Wow, Tracy, you look fabulous!" gushed May.
It was true. The dress that May had picked out was baby blue and relatively simple in design. It reached just past mid-thigh and the neckline was conservative while showing a bit of cleavage. The back of the dress was cut low, but not low enough to be considered sleazy. However, Tracy was not quite convinced. "But I bought this dress at a garage sale this summer. I can't wear it to a school dance!"
"Trust me, it's perfect. It's conservative yet daring, and definitely not sleazy."
Tracy spun around in the mirror and decided that May was right. "I wish you would wear a dress too though."
May looked down at her outfit. She had chosen to wear a pair of dress pants and a fancy blouse. "Heck, if Michael stands you up tonight, we could go as a pair!"
Tracy shared a chuckle with May. If the two of them showed up at the dance as a couple, that would really start the rumor mill running! She went to her dresser, took out a foiled packet from a drawer and slipped it into her purse. She winked at May and said, "I don't know for sure what's going to happen tonight, but you can never be too careful!"
The doorbell rang and both girls jumped up. "He's here!" exclaimed Tracy. "Oh, how do I look? How's my hair? Is my perfume too strong?"
May grabbed her own purse and then took Tracy's hand. "Come on, Juliet. Romeo is waiting!"
Michael's eyes nearly bugged out when he saw Tracy. "God, you're so beautiful!" he blurted as soon as she finished hugging him.
"Aww, you're so sweet," said Tracy, and she rewarded his honesty with a healthy kiss on his lips. "Mom, Dad, we're off!" cried Tracy to her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Adams came out from the living room to see their only child off.
"Have a good time," said Mrs. Adams. "Don't forget to be home by 1:00 am."
Tracy winked at her parents and closed the front door. "So, are we going to call a taxi?"
Michael cleared his throat and said, "Actually, I kind of borrowed my dad's car. I've only got my G2 license but Serena says that as long as I drive carefully, I shouldn't be stopped."
"Cool, then I'll do my best not to distract you while you drive," said Tracy tartly. She allowed Michael to open the door for her and then she sat down in the passenger seat. Michael opened the rear passenger door for May as well and Tracy was glad that he was giving her best friend the same treatment.
For her part, May didn't feel like a third wheel at all. She kept up with the casual banter from the backseat just fine. While she was grateful that Tracy and Michael didn't dissolve into gushy dialogue, she would have been oblivious to the obvious affection between the two only if she were blind, deaf, dumb, and not an empath.
The school had rented a dance hall in the Markham City Hall area. They had gone through the expense to make up for the fact that the Halloween dance had been a disaster. They justified the expense by telling the students that this dance would also be the substitute for the Christmas dance. Of course, that was just a cover story and although no students knew it, Mrs. Hoover had every intention of throwing her students a surprise Christmas party next month when the gym was finally finished its renovation.
The hall was nothing short of spectacular. There were festive decorations all around, and, in the ceiling, there was a giant skylight that clearly showed the moon and stars. May danced all the fast songs with Michael and Tracy. Linna and Catherine came over with their dates soon after the dance started and the whole group danced together. May was happy to notice that neither of Linna's or Catherine's dates were jocks.
A slow romantic melody came on and May silently faded into the background. She didn't want her friends to feel awkward about their relationship in front of her. In truth, there were no guys currently in the hall that she would've liked to dance with anyway. She closed her eyes and thought of her personal guardian angel, the being she called Da Gueur. Almost right away, she felt something warm and gentle caress her emotions. Startled, she opened her eyes and looked around but could see no trace of Da Gueur. She looked to where Michael and Tracy were dancing slowly to the song. For a brief moment, the feeling seemed stronger. Could it be? Then, the moment passed and the feeling was gone.
May closed her eyes again, and once again, the presence of Da Gueur seemed to surround her. Experimentally, she tried to communicate by forming a silent message in her head. If Da Gueur were close by, then he may pick up her thoughts.
<<Are you there? Da Gueur, is that you I'm feeling?>>
May could feel a startled emotion and then her pulse quickened as a response formed in her head.
<<Yes, young one, it is I.>>
<<Why so formal?
Call me May. Where are you? Why don't you show yourself?>>
<<I am close by May. I sensed your presence but I did not think
that you would sense mine.>>
<<I sometimes feel you close by. Maybe we have a connection of some
sort?>>
<<Perhaps it is all a coincidence.>>
At these words, May felt a stab of disappointment but
decided to try and push her luck. <<Perhaps
it's love?>>
<<Love? I do
not believe in love. My race is
genderless.>>
<<That's ridiculous!>> May allowed her derision to color her
thoughts. <<Genderless? That's crazy!>>
<<Why is it insane?
I am an artificially created being after all.>>
<<I don't believe you! Remember, I'm an empath, and you don't feel
artificial to me!>>
<<Alas, May, it is true. I am a Shiza-haran and I was created in a lab
without gender.>>
<<If you're genderless, why did you introduce yourself to me as Big Brother?>> There was a pause as May's last question hit home. May smiled in triumph as she felt Da Gueur's confusion.
<<Perhaps it was so that you could relate to me better?>> It was weak and May could tell that Da Gueur felt the same.
<<That's a weak argument. You come down out of the heavens looking like the Silver Surfer meets Archangel. You could have said you were a god and I would have believed you!>>
Da Gueur did not reply right away. The pause stretched out and May worried that
she may have offended him. <<Da
Gueur? Are you there? I'm sorry if I ->>
<<Hush now May!
Your enemies are near. You must
leave at once!>>
<<Enemies?>> May opened up her gift and set it around herself like a net. A dark pulse appeared and it was getting closer. The Demons were here and Diablo was with them!
<<How close are you? Can you help?>>
<<I am close but other events prevent me from
making an appearance at this time.>>
<<Kinda busy at the moment
eh? I better go warn Michael and
Tracy.>>
With her mind set on warning her friends, May almost didn't catch Da Gueur's next comment. As it was, it did not even register in her brain until much later.
<<I will warn my brother. You just clear the premises now!>>
When May reached Michael and Tracy, they had already stopped dancing. "Michael, Tracy, we've gotta get out of here. There's trouble coming!"
Surprise and confusion emanated from Tracy, but Michael didn't seem all that surprised. "Is it the Demons?" he asked.
May nodded sharply. In May's current state of mind, so filled with fear and worry about the Demons harming her friends, she didn't stop to wonder how Michael could have known about the Demons.
The doors to the hall suddenly burst inward and dozens of large dark figures ran into the hall. They fired guns into the air, scattering people as they charged in. The Demons quickly herded the students and teachers towards the back. One enterprising Demon targeted the music speakers and opened fire. The music screeched to a halt. Soon, the crowd was under control, under the watchful eyes of the Demons.
A lone figure stepped through the broken doors. "Diablo!" gasped May. May watched him stalk arrogantly into the dance hall. Her mind was racing as she tried to come up with a plan. In all likelihood, Diablo was an empath. There would be no hiding from him. Without any prior concentration or preparation, Diablo started walking in her direction. Apparently, Diablo was a strong and well-trained empath. May thrust her purse into Tracy's hands. In a hushed voice she whispered, "Cell phone. Speed dial 1. Call for help!"
The crowd in front of May parted for Diablo as he approached. He grinned evilly as soon as he laid eyes on May. "So, Child of the Night. I have found you at last!"
Everyone except for Michael and Tracy pulled away from May. "Get away from me," hissed May over her shoulder. Her friends, however, did not budge. With her options closing fast, May decided that no matter what happened to her, she couldn't get her friends involved. She started walking towards Diablo.
For a gang called the Demons, its members all looked like normal human beings. Their leader, however, looked like Frankenstein's monster. Diablo was a big man. He had broad shoulders and a beefy chest. His head topped seven feet. May cringed inwardly as she took in Diablo's appearance. As she took in his head and face, her fear increased. Diablo's head was shaved completely bald. Straight surgical scars crisscrossed all over his head and face. May eyed the scars and comprehension began to dawn upon her. Her worse fears were confirmed when Diablo raised his right hand and she felt an invisible force pull her towards the gang leader.
Telekinesis! Diablo was a telekinetic as well as a powerful empath! What other gifts did that horribly scarred visage hide? May's arms and legs were immobile, bound by the same invisible force that had captured her so efficiently. She could not even reach out her hand to return her fear back to the one generating it.
Diablo leaned his face down until it was several inches from May's face. "I have waited for this moment for a long time, Child of the Night. Would you like to know how I found you? I dreamt that I would find you in this place, on this night, and I did!" Diablo threw his head back and laughed maniacally.
May felt her heart plummet down into her stomach. Clairvoyance too? If this was her enemy, then she was in some serious shit. Only the Centre had the resources and the desire to augment a psion the way Diablo was obviously augmented. Though it was impossible, proof of the Centre's meddling was staring in her face right now. It was impossible because the Centre burned to the ground the night the psions gained their freedom over twenty years ago.
"Leave her alone!" the lone voice cried out, ending the insane laughter.
Although she couldn't see him, May recognized Michael's voice. With her body immobilized, she only had her voice left. "No, Michael, stay back! Don't get involved!"
Diablo looked up and hissed, "Too late, Child of the Night. He's already involved." He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a handgun. May watched helplessly as Diablo cocked the gun and fired it over her shoulder.
There was a thumping sound behind her and tears streamed down May's face as she heard people scream in fear. Through it all, she could hear Tracy screaming Michael's name over and over.
Diablo licked the barrel of the gun and grinned wickedly. "Poor, silly little dead boy!" Then, he cackled his insane laughter once more. When his chuckles subsided, he put his handgun back into his holster and pulled out a small familiar looking dart. "I believe this belongs to you. How ironic!"
Through her tears, May watched helpless as Diablo jabbed the dart into her neck. The pain was brief and the drug hit her system and acted quickly. May's body went numb and then her vision and her mind went blank.