shitless.”
“What did it look like…the alien?” Adam asked.
“It was tall and pale, with long white hair. It looked something like that wizard-guy from Lord of the Rings, if you ever saw it.”
Adam nodded. “I think you saw a Klin.”
“You’re kidding?” she said, her eyes growing wide. “I thought it was just another stinking alien that the Humans were in bed with. Humm, a Klin in the flesh… Well, needless to say, the other Humans didn’t like the idea that a girl could beat up one of their buddies, so they did a real number on me, and I ended up in a hospital bed. That actually saved my life.”
“How so?”
“When I woke up, there was no one else in the room and I wasn’t even restrained. So I took off out of there. I was still in shock about seeing the alien. In fact, at that time, I thought I was hallucinating.
“Anyway, after awhile, I made it to a loading dock in a large warehouse and climbed into a crate full of green containers. It was tight as hell, but at least I felt safe. Then someone came and loaded the crate onto a spaceship, even though at the time, I still thought I was on Earth, so it was a truck I thought I was on.
“After several hours, I’d pissed myself — is this too graphic for you?” she asked.
“Nah, go ahead. This is fascinating.”
“So I climbed out of the crate and made my way into a series of metal hallways. That’s when I encountered the ship’s crew for the first time. There were eight of them, all aliens, mainly Sileans I found out later. Well, needless to say, they didn’t take too kindly to me being on their ship uninvited.” Then she winked at Adam. “You know we Humans can be pretty bad-ass when we want to be?”
Adam nodded. “I’ve noticed. It’s really comes in handy being out here with these aliens. Riyad said we were the Supermen — eh, super-people — in this part of the galaxy.”
“He’s right. And knock off the politically-correct bullshit. I’m just your average little southern republican woman. I don’t get all twisted up over the way things are said. It’s the meaning that counts to me.
“But continuing: I spent a day or so killing off all except one of the crewmembers. It was mainly self-defense, but I was also pretty pissed off at the time. I’d come to the conclusion that I was not in Kansas anymore, and that my whole life had been high-jacked. I took it out on any fucking alien I could find.
“But this one slippery little bitch was able to lock me in a metal-lined storage locker until she was able to get her ship to Silea. Once there, I was in for the shock of my life — as I’m sure you’ve been through as well. There was nothing but aliens everywhere. Big ones, small ones, smelly ones and things that would make you puke just to look at them. I was arrested and placed in a prison cell for awhile, maybe about two months, as best as I could guess. If the day-night cycle on Silea is close to Earth’s, then it was about two months.
“Then one day, a fat, pimply Silean named Kroekus came and put me in some gladiator-type fight with another female thing with six breasts. I know now she was a Malforian. It wasn’t much of a fight. I whipped her in about a minute flat.”
Sherri was growing more at ease with her story and Adam reasoned this was the first time she’d ever been able to tell it to someone who could actually relate. As she spoke, Adam felt a real bond developing between them that even went beyond that fact that they were both Human. Yes, she was a woman, and they had just had incredible sex — multiple times. Of course, that could have had something to do with the feelings he was experiencing.
Yet he didn’t experience any such bond when he’d first met Riyad Tarazi. All he’d felt from the beginning was fear and apprehension. Many times Adam had attempted to understand his irrational feelings upon meeting another Human, but the best he could come up with as to why he felt no attachment was the instinctive male-to-male competitiveness and distrust that was part of his very DNA. It had to be a primal territorial thing.
Of course, at the time he’d met Riyad, he’d only been away from Earth for a couple of days, as far as his perception was concerned. But even by then, he’d already met a whole cadre of various aliens and was fully aware of his situation. Still, he’d felt nothing but distrust for Riyad.
Yet a female did not bring out that instinctive distrust in him. Instead, it brought out other instinctive urges that were much easier to explain…
“I’ve heard of this Kroekus character before,” was all Adam said aloud, as the thoughts continued to swirl around in his head.
“Yeah, he’s some big-wig on Silea. But to make a long story short, he got me out of jail and hired me to perform in more of his games. I was so good at killing that soon I started performing hit jobs for him and some of his friends. We all have to make a living, and alien prostitutes are not in very much demand unless you share the same genetic make-up as your Johns.” She laughed, and it made him feel good that she was letting it all out. Her spirit and personality were refreshing.
“So you became an assassin?”
“Yep. It’s really not that hard of work, not out here.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Sherri stopped speaking and stared hard at Adam. Then her eyes began to grow big and bright. “Wait just a damn minute,” she said, pointing a finger at him. “Are you the one that’s been going around blowing up shit and whacking dozens of aliens at a time? The Exterminator, they call him?”
Adam flashed a big grin. “That’s me,” he said with pride.
“Well fuck me!” she said loudly. “What are the chances that two stranded Humans would end up in the same profession?”
“It’s just killing aliens, just like in a video game. And besides, you said it yourself: We all have to make a living!”
Chapter Seven
De’ronin Balmor sat in his office in the Nimorian Commerce Department and frowned at the secure message he read on the screen. This was a game-changer. The Overlord was ordering him to pursue a line of inquiry and a timeframe which would not allow him his normal cautious diligence. It would involve him exposing himself to the associates he’d worked with for over twelve standard years. Not only would it destroy any future relationships with them, it would also cost him his job, as well as an unbearable amount of humiliation that he and his family would have to endure.
Apparently, the new Overlord had thought this through as well. Within his order was the promise of relocation to a world further into The Expansion, as well as a handsome monetary reward.
After a few minutes of contemplation, De’ronin instructed his computer to create a hard copy of the authorization Giodol had sent with the order. It would allow him full access to all Nimorian records and facilities.
It would also make a lot of people mad, including his mate. Yet when the Overlord for the Sector called, you jumped, and with no questions asked.
De’ronin packed his desk and placed the mementos of twelve years of employment in his transport. He would not be returning to his job at the Commerce Department.
Next, he walked over to Building Five in the Ministry complex. This was where planetary arrivals and departures were registered, including derelict salvages. He didn’t have any experience with salvages, but he knew someone he could ask.
Caal looked up from his desk when his friend De’ronin entered. “It’s a little early for midmeal,” Caal said, nodding at his friend.
“This won’t take much time,” De’ronin said without sitting. He did not want to dwell on any personal level of interaction, not knowing the scandal that his association with the Juireans would soon unleash. “Just looking for where salvages are registered.”
Caal pushed back from his desk, frowning. “For space or land vehicles?”
“Specifically, spaceships.”
“That would be on the second floor, room twelve. Not sure who’s in charge at this time. What is your
