Alien Abduction: Holiday Abduction Part 11

But if it were some kind of disease or bug, then that meant there was a cure. He rushed himself into the decontamination chamber, hoping the various cleansing options would remove the turmoil going through his mind.

While he emerged sanitized and clean, he couldnt purge himself of the illogic that led to him leaving her behind.

Nor did it make his need of the barbarian human lessen.

Subjecting himself to the invasive probing of a medical unit, searching for some deeper reason for his mental incapacity, also came up negative.

I still want her.

And by all the planets hed seeded disharmony on, he would have her.

Frukx her wishes on the matter. Vhyl was the Black Hole of Aressotle. What he coveted, he took. Take her he would, and he knew just where to find her.

With the wrist communication device hed given her during their last moment together to afford her some measure of protection against her own people, he could track her movements. It would allow him to swoop back at his leisure and abduct her. Not give her a choice.

You will be mine.

Just not right yet. First, he needed to take care of a minor problem. Namely Mos s.h.i.+p.

During his quest to regain his cutthroat side via medical and scientific means, the humans had surrounded the dead aliens vessel with a miniature army. Large trucks arrived spilling soldiers. Bright lights were set up and cast a glare on the landed craft. Men in uniforms barked orders while others ran around to no purpose Vhyl could ascertain.

The excitement over their discovery was palpable but would be short-lived.

Despite Vhyls pleasure when it came to rule breaking, even he didnt dare violate the prime directive. Do not let barbarians get their hands on our technology. Mos vessel, even if archaic in design, could not remain in their possession. Humans werent ready for that kind of knowledge yet.

So, Vhyl did the only thing he could. Directing a concentrated beam of energy at the grounded s.h.i.+p, he melted it.

While this method wouldnt have worked on his vessel or anything built in recent times, Mos s.h.i.+p was a much older design, which meant it wasnt constructed with the toughest materials. Under the concerted heat of his laser, it slowly collapsed"despite the screams of the humans running around in a panic"into a slag of junk.

While he performed this task, slowly because he didnt want to accidentally kill any humans"talk about ruining his fun"various aerial crafts tried to penetrate the protective s.h.i.+eld around his s.h.i.+p. Their puny weapons system could do nothing.

The one thing Vhyl could not prevent was the various videos that captured his s.h.i.+ps presence, but, given it had no identifying markers, the council would have a hard time pinning the crime on him.

Perhaps I should send them a memo so they know who to attribute the breach of their rules to.

Tren, a distant Aressotle cousin who sat on the council"and led it after killing those who dared to stand in his way"would probably place a bounty on his head.

Or, as the warriors on his planet called it, crown him with great honor and a promise of fun times.

The procedure to destroy Mos s.h.i.+p took many Earth hours, more than he liked. It meant Jilly had plenty of time to relocate"and get into trouble.

How he liked that facet of her personality.

Setting his sensors to track the signal on the wristband he gave her"which she hopefully hadnt ditched"he went in search of his female. And when he found her, hed take her, even if she protested. He almost hoped she did.

If she wanted to fight his choice, then it would make the coitus theyd indulge in later all the sweeter as he showed her the positive aspect to her abduction.

He ran into a problem though with his plan.

Someone got to her first.

Someone dared to take his human.

SOMEONE. TOOK. MY. FEMALE.

In other words, someone had declared war on Vhyl and was about to die.

Chapter Eleven.

Who cares if its Christmas morning, Jilly-bean. Those cows aint going to milk themselves. " Grandma, who always acted tough, yet always left a present in the stall with Bitsy their cow.

As Christmas mornings went, Jilly was probably having the worst one ever.

And I thought the year Grandma gave me a Barbie instead of the crossbow I asked for sucked.

Abducted by a s.p.a.ce pirate, which she might add looked like a cross between a crocodile and a man, with stubby arms and an actual tail, who seemed to think he could use her as leverage to get Vile to trade the artifact"not likely given his mercenary code of ethics"or, if that didnt work, sell her as a rare delicacy to some race who craved human flesh, Jilly was really regretting her wish on that false star.

Yeah, her life had changed. Yeah, she didnt have to worry about the farm anymore. But she couldnt say her situation had improved.

My own fault for turning down my purple hunk.

How she wished she could go back in time and replay that decision. However, there was no use crying over spilt milk. Get out there and milk the d.a.m.ned cow again, her grandmother would say. Except, in this case, she didnt have a cow to squeeze, and she certainly wasnt about to cozy up to her captor.

Seven-foot, talking crocs, with plain evil yellow eyes, just werent attractive.

And her second impression of Snaggle Tooth, her name for him since she couldnt p.r.o.nounce the gibberish hed introduced himself with, didnt improve. Ordered from her cell by a gang of pigs, or at least descendants of pigs with their snout noses, black beady eyes, and tusks growing from their mouths, Jilly wondered at her fate.

Will they keep me alive until they deliver me to those aliens who want to eat me as dessert?

Freeze dry me to keep me fresh?

Fatten me up to charge more per pound?

Nothing wrong with her imagination.

Yet she would have never imagined what shed see when she entered the command center of the s.h.i.+p. While replete with fascinating Star Trek-type displays and equipment"lots of flas.h.i.+ng lights, dials and b.u.t.tons, all begging for her to push them"what really caught her attention was the huge view screen on the wall. A live video feed of none other than Vile.

Sigh. How she missed his handsome, purple presence. How she hated him for putting her in this predicament. How she wished, once more, shed not been such a freaking idiot.

His placid expression only twitched for a millisecond when he spotted her.

Was he happy to see her? Mad? Worried?

She couldnt tell. Nor did she dare guess. As far as she was concerned, he wasnt there out of any concern for her. He was only making an appearance because Snaggle Tooth had called him.

He doesnt know how to love. He said so himself. But did that mean he didnt care?

Despite his nonchalant demeanor, she noted Viles fingers drumming the armrest to his chair. Unlike what shed expected, his seat resembled more of a La-Z-Boy recliner than any kind of captains chair in a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p.

Snaggle Tooth grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her until she stood right in front of the large screen. As requested, here is my proof I am in possession of the human female.

So I see. And?

And, if you do not give me the artifact, I will kill her. Snaggle Tooth said it with way too much relish.

You do know who I am? Vile asked, again seeming so calm, but was it just Jilly, or did his eyes harbor a hint of rage?

I know of you.

A sigh and a roll of Viles eyes made his next words almost comical. Then you should already know how this conversation goes. You make demands I trade the treasure for the girl. I remind you that she is simply an expendable female. You try to convince me of her worth on the Obsidian market. I nonchalantly reply that I am rich beyond belief and dont care. Whereupon, you make threats, I get annoyed, and blow your s.h.i.+p to small pieces.

A sly expression entered Snaggle Tooths mien, which meant he went from pretty ugly to really ugly. The old Black Hole who built a reputation on thievery and killing might have blown my s.h.i.+p up, along with all its occupants. However, I am going to wager the new one wont.

Then you will lose that bet, and your life. I hope your estate is in order, as you are going to die today.

The certainty with which he said it sent a s.h.i.+ver down Jillys spine.

I think youre bluffing. I know for a fact you were tracking the girls movements. Its why I took her, and its why you followed me out of the Earths star system.

Hold on, did crocodile dude just say Vile was stalking me?

Hope fluttered in her breast.

Vile scowled. And to think those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds on Lojica claimed no one could detect me on radar.

No one except someone with a Lojica radar system, said Snaggle Tooth with a wide smile consisting of too many sharp teeth.

I see I shall have to upgrade my detection system, or eradicate everyone elses. As to your claim I was tracking the female? I was merely ensuring her well-being so as to prevent an intergalactic war from breaking out.

Now it was Jillys turn to frown. Was it her or did his reply make no sense?

It seemed she wasnt the only one to find fault with his reason.

Enough of the lies. You want the girl. I have her. Either you give me the artifact, or she dies.

Enough of the d.i.c.k waving. Time for her to step in and see if she couldnt salvage a way to stay alive.

Um, excuse me, but dont I get a say in this?

The dual-snapped No! didnt shut her up, although, it did incite her temper.

f.u.c.k you both, she snapped. I will not have the pair of you discussing my future as if my wants in the matter dont count. Is it too much to ask that I get a say in this? It is, after all, Christmas f.u.c.king day. A day that is supposed to be about giving, and the only thing youre both giving me is a G.o.dd.a.m.ned headache.

Silence, girl, Snaggle Tooth boomed, but she didnt cower.

Fear wouldnt free her. Neither would stubbornness. But Grandma didnt raise her to sit quietly by as others decided her fate.

Oh dont you tell me to shut up, Mr. Would-Look-So-Much-Better-As-A-Handbag. You, she stabbed a finger at lizard man, are the reason why were having this discussion. You had no right to kidnap me or to threaten me or offer me as a canape for some alien buffet. I have rights. Or so some galactic council with all kinds of laws claims. I know for a fact I am a protected species. I demand you return me to my home before I report you. Which she wasnt sure how shed accomplish, but it was the best threat she could think of given she didnt have access to a gun. How she missed Problem Solver.

She caught Viles on-screen snicker, and she turned her glare on him next.

Dont be so quick to laugh there, mister. After all we shared, I cant believe youd let me die so you could keep some stupid artifact. To think I was actually regretting not choosing to go with you. And even stupider me for believing, for a second when I saw you on-screen, that you cared enough to come save me.

You want to be with me?

Yeah. Or I did. Now I just want to slap you.

Kind of hard to accomplish, given youre over there and Im over here, he pointed out.

No duh.

Dont give me att.i.tude, woman. It was your choice to stay behind, and I allowed it out of, he made a face, respect for your wishes, even if it went against all my planets teachings. If Id behaved like a proper mercenary, I would have abducted you.

Why didnt you? Ill tell you why. Its obviously because you dont care about me. If you did, you would have ignored my protests, swept me off my feet, and carried me off. Or is that flew me away? Whatever, it doesnt matter. Fact is you left without really any fight. Some warrior you are.

Take that back. I am the fiercest warrior you will ever know.

Says the guy who didnt even try to force me to go with him.

A mistake. One I intended to fix. Ill have you know I came back.

Too late, which means your change of heart does me little good now.

Do you truly wish youd come with me? He asked her so seriously.

For a moment she thought of telling him no. But, given she was about to die, what could it hurt to give him the truth? Yeah, I wish Id said yes. But like Grandma always said, wishes dont grow on trees. Apples do, and if I dont stop mooning about what I cant have, sh.e.l.l throw a bushel of them at me.

Not exactly the warmest sentiment, but it made Vile grin. I think I would have liked your grandmother.

Oddly enough, Jilly would have wagered Grandma would have liked him, too.

Since we both made mistakes, let us start over. What will it take to convince you that I truly do care about you?

What do you think? She glanced around her, sticking her tongue out at Snaggle Tooth, who seemed utterly stymied by their verbal byplay.

Very well, my barbarian. Fazird, despite the stain on my reputation, and the tears my mother will cry at my capitulation, I agree to surrender the XiiX to you in exchange for the human. Unharmed.

You do?

He did?