11. Bad Guy
Chapter eleven
Bad Guy
A ngela’s stomach bottomed out. Seeing Stathos-6 on the television in such a prominent position of influence went against everything she thought she knew about her species. Her vision tunneled in on the image before her. She could vaguely hear Talia shouting at her in the background, but her mind was elsewhere.
Angela stood in the center of a blood coated battlefield, only she was not Angela in this memory. Heavy suits of armor flashed against the heat of the sun. Swords clashed and clanged against each other, nearly drowning out the sounds of men shrieking in horror and gurgling as they drown in their own blood.
A tall figure mounted on horseback shouted into the blaze of battle. “We fight for the stars and the stars for us!”
“Angela!” Talia shook her shoulders freeing her mind allowing her consciousness to flood back to the present.
“What is happening?” The fear in Talia’s voice was as clear as the fear on her face.
Angela gulped and looked into Talia’s beautiful brown eyes with flakes of gold dust and attempted to lose herself in them.
“I… I-don’t know. I don’t know what’s happening.” Angela chewed on her lip and clutched the couch cushions beneath her quivering body. “The senator’s son, that’s my handler.”
Talia’s mouth fell open. She twisted her head to stare at the young man displayed on the screen. “Ange, what does that mean? You’re freaking me out!”
“I thought… I was told that we were collecting samples to help this planet. To leave as little of a footprint as possible.” Angela gulped and dropped her head into her hands, her next words came out thick and heavy. “I don’t know anymore if that’s true. I can’t remember it all, and the things I do remember-” She paused and lifted her head to stare at Talia again, so open, so innocent. “The things I have been remembering, none of them are pleasant.”
Talia rubbed slow circles on Angela’s back and she wanted nothing more than to sink into her touch. Angela rubbed her face, wet with tears, against her sleeve. Thinking to herself how unmanageable these human bodies could be.
Angela clenched her teeth and sat up straight as she brushed her thick brown hair away from her face with her hands, steeling herself before she said. “My last encounter with my handler, Spencer.” She gestured to the T.V. before continuing. “Was completely different than the first encounter. The first meeting with him, that I can remember anyway, I was in Brad’s body, and I embraced him like a brother, like my oldest friend. But the last time I saw him, in Angela’s body, I had the distinct feeling that I wasn’t safe. That my failure, whatever that might be, was angering him.”
Angela turned and held Talia’s hands. When Talia didn’t pull away this time her heart soared, giving her more reassurance than any words of comfort ever could. “I don’t think we’re safe. Until I can understand what exactly my purpose on this planet is, I don’t think we’ll be safe.”
Talia squeezed Angela’s hands, but had a sharpness in her eye as though she were looking for an emergency exit. “What do you mean, we ?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I am in this body. I think there’s a reason I have known you in two different assignments, and until I understand what that reason is, I think we need to leave.”
Talia released Angela’s hands, taking her warmth with her, and slowly backed away to her spot on the other end of the couch. Angela could see the wheels turning in Talia’s mind, debating what Angela had said, weighing her options in an impossible situation.
Talia’s voice shook as she spoke. “So, you’re saying-what? That we need to go on the run, like criminals? Can’t your people-species find you? What if they put some kind of tracker in the body?”
Angela spoke clear, and slowly as she considered her words. “I did think that at one point, that they could find me anywhere, but after you helped me see that these samples I’ve taken are clearly from my kind, not yours, and that they’ve lived human lives, they must have been able to hide from the mothership. That means we could hide too. At least until I have more intel, the longer I’m in one body, the more my memories and my mind will come back to me.”
Talia suddenly shot up from the couch and began to pace as she chewed on her fingernails. “This is fucked Ange-” She hesitated and glared. “I don’t even know your real name and I don’t feel comfortable calling you Angela. She was- is , my best friend, and you-well, you’re an alien I just met who is now telling me I have to run away with you. This is some straight up kidnapper shit and I don’t trust you.”
Angela’s heart sunk straight through the floor, past the basement, and down to hell. Her human body betrayed her again as she felt tears sting her eyes and snot run to the tip of her nose. She had no words left. No fight remained inside her. She could only nod her head and slink back to her room before quietly shutting the door and turning the lock.
If she had looked back, she might have seen the quick flash of remorse on Talia’s face. But she didn’t, and as a result, felt as though she had nothing left to live for. She would hide in her room nursing her broken heart until Stathos-6 eventually came for her.
Angela didn’t know how long she had been sleeping. Something loud, thunderous, clashed in her head, and a second high pitched sound echoed to her ears. She opened her brown eyes thick with crusty tears and listened.
“ANGELA!” Talia’s panicked yell, filled Angela with adrenaline. She scrambled out of bed and leaned for only a moment against a wall when her vision swam, then she hurried to her bedroom door, yanked it open, and ran down the hallway. She skidded to a stop in the living room where she saw Stathos-6 face down on the carpet and Talia standing over him gripping a camo pink stun gun.
“He busted through our door!” Talia shouted, breathing heavily, and gestured to the wide open front entry.
Splintered wood littered the ground. Angela looked back to the stun gun and realized that Talia must have had it charged and ready to use on her. Miraculously, instead of more heartbreak at that thought, Angela had nothing but pride and admiration for her girl taking initiative to defend herself and fight back.
Slowly, happiness started to creep back into Angela, and she found herself smiling, she chuckled.
“Do you seriously think this is funny?” Talia practically growled at her.
Angela stifled the laughter that wanted to come out. “No, absolutely not funny. I’m just surprised you had it in you to tase someone. I’m proud of you.” She smiled.
Talia stared at her incredulously. “I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or be offended.”
“Well, you’ll have time to think about it on our drive.”
“Wait, what drive?”
“He won’t stay unconscious for long. We need to leave. I’m not taking no for an answer this time,Talia.”
The resoluteness in Angela’s voice surprised even herself, but Talia didn’t have a rebuttal so Angela felt hopeful again that she would be able to keep Talia safe.
Talia nodded. “Good thing I packed a go bag last night.” She paused and looked hesitantly at Angela before saying. “I packed one for you too.”
Angela let her words sink in. She didn’t feel worthy of this woman’s kindness, in fact she didn’t even feel worthy to be in the same room as her. Even after what Talia had said last night, she had still packed Angela a bag. That must have meant that through it all, Talia did care for Angela, no matter how small an amount, and perhaps even trusted her more than she let on.
Angela had the sudden urge to wrap Talia in her arms, but she refrained and said. “Thank you.”
Talia nodded again. “You’re welcome. Let’s go huh? Before this dude wakes up and blows another hole in our apartment.”
Angela grinned. “Lead the way.”
Talia grabbed two small duffel bags from their coat closet and carefully walked around Spencer’s body on the floor and then outside.
Angela asked as they walked down the stairs. “So, go bag, huh? Not exactly a normal part of most people’s vocabulary.”
Talia shrugged her shoulders. “I like to watch doomsday preppers, great show, and meeting my first ever alien , kind of brought out the prepper in me.” She stopped and looked up at Angela from the stair below. “I still don’t trust you… but I also do not not trust you, and I just wanted to be ready.”
Talia turned back around and continued to descend the open-air apartment stairs. Angela wanted to say something, but her throat was thick with grateful and hopeful emotion. They made it to the bottom and hurried to their covered parking spot where Talia’s white 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse, was parked. Talia unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat. Angela looked uncertainly at the interior.
Talia saw her expression and said, “I know, it has a lot of miles, but the engine has recently been rebuilt. It’ll take us wherever we want to go. Well, anywhere in North America. So, where to?”
“Somewhere alien friendly?” Angela said sarcastically.
“Roswell it is!” Talia turned the ignition over and shifted into reverse.
“Wait, seriously Talia? I was only kidding.”
“What? It’s a great idea. Far away from here at least. It’s a start.”
“Alrighty then, New Mexico here we come!” Angela grinned as Talia shifted into reverse, then into first, and then second, and took off down the street.
She didn’t know if Stathos-6 would follow, or if they would be able to hide from the mothership. She only knew that Talia was the only thing that mattered now, and she had a chance to protect her. Maybe a change of scenery would trigger more memories, more information that she could use to their advantage. That little voice in the back of her head seemed proud of her. She felt deep down that she was doing the right thing by running away, and having Talia by her side was a happy bonus.