Bea Cannon - A Small Gray Dot

“No. He wasn’t human, Percy, and his boss isn’t human. None of those people in the living quarters at Semptor are human, either. They’re all aliens and they’re here to finish what started seven and a half years ago. They want our world.”

Lem, his eyes showing white all around, said, “Gawddam! They th’ ones what brought th’ Event, ain’t they! I knew it! Them motherfuckers killed just about everybody!”

Not exactly accurate but I didn’t correct him. It was close enough.

Percy, his voice filled with outrage, said, “Son of a bitch! ”

Duncan was staring at me. He said, “How do you know, Tenn?”

“I’ll tell you all about it, Duncan. But first I have to go get Morgan.”

Harlow, practically in tears, moaned, “What about me? Don’t leave me here with no goddam alien! What if he ain’t really dead?”

I glanced at Bedlow again, who had deflated even further. “He’s dead,” I said. I looked at Harlow’s arm. The bullet hit him in the right forearm and the bleeding had already stopped. I shot him with the 9mm. He should’ve been glad I hadn’t used the .45 – or the .357. In that case, he wouldn’t have an arm. And would be in the process of bleeding to death.

“Let’s get him to his feet. Get his handcuffs Duncan.”

Gripping their rifles tightly, Percy and Lem followed us out. I don’t think they wanted to be alone with Bedlow’s body. I didn’t blame them.

We handcuffed Harlow to the sink elbow in the powder room, and turned to leave. He immediately began hollering that we were leaving him to die because that alien was going to come back to life and eat him.

“Then you need to be very, very quiet so he won’t hear you in here, don’t you?” said Duncan as we started out the powder room door.

Harlow, eyes popping, promptly snapped his mouth shut. As I closed the door, I shook my head at the pissy idiot sitting there on the floor. I probably should’ve shot him with the .357.

I studied my impromptu partners. “Okay. I’m going down to Semptor to get my client’s sister. After seeing that… alien… in there, and knowing there are others, I’ll understand if you don’t want to go with me, but I could use your help.”

“You don’t think they woulda killed her, do you?” asked Lem a worry frown bunched between his eyebrows.

I shook my head. “No. they want something from her sister. Killing her wouldn’t serve that purpose.” I pulled out my knife and reloaded it into its spring holder up my sleeve. Then I stuck the 9mm back into its slot in my boot. I studied the men.

They looked at each other. Then they all nodded. “We’re going with you, Tenn,” said Duncan. “I don’t know what the hell’s going on, but we can’t let you go in there by yourself.”

I was touched. And grateful. “Okay. Let’s go.”

I checked my watch. Two forty-five. Time was moving along at a fast clip.

Many of my tracking jobs involved my having to come up with on the spot solutions. While this case was proving to be more complicated than usual, the situation was familiar. A plan began forming and as we went back down the hall, I swung into Bedlow’s room.

“Why’re you stopping here?” asked Percy.

“I need Bedlow’s car keys. I don’t believe he would’ve slept with them in his pocket so they’re probably in here somewhere,” I said scanning the room past the raised bed. I hoped he hadn’t had them on him. I definitely didn’t want to go back and search his pockets though I would if necessary.

There was a dresser with no mirror and a tall wooden cabinet or wardrobe. The dresser top was bare but with a sense of relief, I spotted a key ring on an oddly shaped table across from the bed. There was also a metallic, rectangular object lying beside the keys. It bore a slight resemblance to a pencil case but I didn’t think that’s what it was.

I picked it up and studied it. A little shorter than a six-inch ruler, it was about a quarter inch thick and two inches wide. There was a depression on either end. I turned it over. There were three lines inscribed in what I took to be writing because it was the same as was in the records we’d gone through on the doctor’s computer before he activated the translator. I held it up to Duncan.

“Have you ever seen this before?”

He took it, turning it over. Then he frowned and shook his head. “Nope. Never.” He handed it back.

I hesitated then stuck it in my back pocket. Dr. Bennett would appreciate getting his hands on more of the Binqua technology. I picked up the keyring, checked to make sure one of the keys had the Chevy logo, and we headed to the garage. I switched on the light. No need for stealth at the moment. I picked up the gas container. It held five gallons and was full. The rags would work. I swept my eyes around. The only other things needed were glass bottles. I didn’t see any.

“What do you have in mind, Tenn?” asked Duncan.

I had a question of my own before I answered his. “Do they ever lock the gate down at Semptor?”

“Well, no. There’s never been any reason to. They’ve got cameras all over the place and some of the people… the aliens … living down there are always on patrol.”

The patrol and the cameras indicated there’d been trouble in the past. Apparently, in spite of the difficulties in getting around Blue Heaven, some folk were willing to give it a shot in order to, say, pick up some goodies from the company warehouses without paying.

The cameras would be a problem but I nodded. “Okay. We’re going in there and we need some added firepower.” I smiled. “How good are you guys at throwing?”

“Um, pretty good, I guess,” said Duncan eyeballing me.

“Have you ever heard of a Molotov cocktail?”

He stared at me. Then getting it, he nodded. Percy and Lem looked puzzled until he explained.

“There’s only one problem,” he said. We’re gonna need bottles and I don’t see any in here.

“Yes, I know. Okay, let’s do some searching. And Lem and Percy – only glass will do, or crockery. No plastic.”

They went back inside while I checked the cans. The one for trash was empty but I quickly found two pink glass bottles and a bunch of plastic water bottles in the recycling can. I guess Bedlow was into saving the environment – for the Binqua.

I pulled out the glass bottles. Two were probably enough but more would be better. I hoped the guys could find more, but I’d make do if they didn’t. I tore the rags into strips, stuffed one into each bottle and poured in the gas, making sure not to fill them all the way up. I was twisting the caps down tightly when they came back out.

Duncan was grinning. “Nothing in the kitchen but look what Percy found.”

Percy stepped from the door with an armful of what looked like twelve-ounce beer bottles followed by Lem bearing a few more. Between them, there were ten.

I lifted an eyebrow. “Where’d you get those?”

Percy grinned. “From th’ cabinet in th’ bedroom. They’ve got some kinda liquid in them. I opened one an’ took a sniff.” He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “They look like beer bottles but whatever’s in them ain’t beer.” He set them down on the garage floor.

I held one up. It resembled the two from the recycle bin, and didn’t look very thick. They should break easily. I removed the screw-down cap and brought the bottle to my nose. It smelled like a cross between ammonia and manure. I grimaced. Some type of alien drink, I supposed.

Wondering if it would burn, I asked, “Anybody got a light?”

Lem had matches, Percy and Duncan had lighters. I poured a small amount from one of the bottles onto the floor, and held a match to it. The match fizzled.