Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology (23 page)

"
Well, that's just great! What is the plan then, K?"

"
To keep you close until Rakar comes for you. Even if he knows I am protecting you, he has no choice but to show himself in order to retrieve the virus."

"
How do you know he's not coming now?"

"
My tracking device will detect his signal. I will stay until morning, at which time you will tell your parental figures you are leaving to see your friends. We will then wait for Rakar to come to us."

"
So, on top of everything else, I am now the bait? What happens if you somehow catch him and he takes the virus out of me?"

"
I take him into custody and return to Xorpeen. You return to your normal existence."

"
Yeah, normal. That sounds like a great plan."

There was no way I could get back to sleep after K
's visit. He had left my room after our talk, but said he would remain close by. It took everything in me to keep from jumping out of bed and running to my parents and telling them to call the police—the army, hell, the freaking president or something. I realized there was no point. One, it was completely unbelievable. They would throw me in a loony bin before I could prove anything. Two, it wouldn't change the fact that I supposedly had some killer mutant virus inside me that could wipe out our entire planet. My only choice was to trust K and hopefully help him catch Rakar.

Not only could I not go back to sleep, it was Sunday and my parents always liked to sleep in until ten. I didn
't want to raise their suspicions by waking them at six a.m. to tell them I was going over to Tara's house, so I had to lay there and wait. Wait for my parents, wait for Rakar, wait-wait-wait. I only hope the virus inside me didn't react to me freaking out, because it was happening—big time.

I was already hot on my parents
' heels when I heard them walking down the stairs from their bedroom. "Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. I'm heading over to see Tara, okay?" I said, already reaching for the front door.

"
Hang on a second," Mom said, stopping me in my tracks. "So early?" she asked.

"
We've been texting all morning about yesterday, you know? We're just going to hang out and talk a little."

"
Uh-huh. Don't you want to eat something before you go?"

"
I already had a cereal bar. I'll be back later, okay?"

"
Fine, sweetie. Drive safely and let me know if you are going anywhere else."

"
I will. See you guys," I said, closing the door behind me. I walked down the driveway with my head on a swivel, looking for K. I didn't know what else to do so I climbed into the car and backed out of the driveway like I was really heading to Tara's. About halfway down the block, but far from view of my house, K stepped out into the road from behind another vehicle. I thought for a second about running him over, but didn't figure it would do any good. "Hey," I said as he opened the passenger door when I came to a stop. I drove forward, waiting for him to give me some type of direction. "So, are you going to tell me where we're going or what the plan is? And by the way, no taking over my body or communicating telepathically. Just speak," I said.

"
As you wish," he answered. "There is an abandoned storage facility off Route Seven, approximately thirty kilometers away."

"
You mean the old tire factory?" I asked. "Why there?"

"
It lies far enough outside the proximity of the surrounding residential area to not attract any attention."

"
And what makes you think Rakar is just going to show up? Why would he do that if he knows you are going to try and capture him?" I asked.

"
He cannot afford to wait. Now that his location has been detected, he knows it is only a matter of time before reinforcements show up. This is his best opportunity to reacquire the virus and escape. I am simply providing the opportunity."

"
You're not worried that he will kick your ass and get away?" I asked. It was blunt, but a fair question. I didn't know who I was dealing with here. For all I knew, K could have been the joke of his police force.

"
I have been in my position for many of your years. I am experienced in apprehending criminals," he replied indifferently. At least I hadn't offended him. Not that I would have cared. My life was on the line here too. I just wanted to get through this without losing my life or destroying the planet.

We pulled into the gravel yard of the old tire factory, which looked completely desolate as always, except for empty soda and beer cans scattered around. I knew the place because it was a regular weekend hangout for teenagers in the local area. We would congregate here on occasional Friday or Saturday nights and party. It was isolated and out of the way, so the cops would never show up to bust us.
"Okay, now what?" I asked as I shut off the ignition.

"
You wait here while I check the area," K answered. He climbed out of the car, shutting the door behind him.

"
Wait here? Are you kidding me?" I asked, jumping from the car to go after him. He turned and held up his hand to stop me.

"
I can make you stay if need be, but I would prefer not to do that," he said as he pointed me back to my car.

"
What am I supposed to do if he shows up and you're not here?" I asked, not understanding his stupid plan.

"
Remain calm, return to your vehicle and lock the doors. I will be close by," he insisted.

"
Oh, sure. Remain calm. Go ahead, little worm. Just sit on this hook while I lower you into the water. Nothing bad is going to happen. Whatever," I said, grumbling all the way back to the car. I turned around to plead my case to stay with K one more time, but he was nowhere in sight. I had no idea how he was able to disappear so quickly, but he was gone. I continued backing up, looking in every direction for him until my rear end bumped into my car.

"
Jenn?" Bobby's voice called out, causing me to whirl around.

He walked out from behind a nearby tree. I tried screaming out for K, but obviously Rakar had taken control of my vocal chords.

"Don't be afraid. It's me."

"
Bullshit, Rakar. K told me everything and when he comes back, your ass is toast."

"
No, Jenn, listen. Rakar is still controlling my body, but he is letting me talk to you. Kawise is lying to you. Rakar is not a criminal. He is a renowned scientist on Xorpeen. He was working for their government, trying to develop a cure for a mutant gene that affects their species, when he discovered the government had lied to him and were planning on using his research to develop a weapon. He couldn't allow it to happen, so he destroyed his data, took the only remaining sample of the virus and fled."

"
If you're telling the truth, why didn't he just go to their police or whatever they have?"

"
He had nowhere to go. They come from a hostile galaxy of planets whose ruling bodies are all battling for control over the precious elements they need to survive. Kawise works for the government. He is only using you to lure Rakar out, and then he will likely kill you."

"
Oh, like that's not Rakar's plan too. Why won't he stop controlling me and just take his virus and leave?"

"
He will if you will come with us. Trust me."

"
Ha. I don't even know if it's really you talking to me, and you want me to trust you?"

"
It is me, Jenn. Just come with us now. Rakar will take what he needs and leave, then we can be together, just like before."

"
I want to, but I don't know who to believe."

"
Believe me," he said, walking toward me with his arms outstretched. I held my hand out to take his when a booming sound like thunder cracked around us.

"
Rakar, stop!" K commanded, flanking us from behind one of the abandoned buildings.

"
Greetings again, Kawise. I assumed you would be joining us, a little later than I expected, however. I have already explained the truth to the female," Rakar answered. At least they were speaking in our language, so I was able to follow along.

"
You mean your version of the truth. Regardless, you are coming with me, now," K said, holding up some type of gadget that didn't exactly look menacing.

"
Do you really think I am going to willingly give up my host and allow you to imprison me in your little cage there?" Rakar answered, indicating the device that K held in his hand. I couldn't imagine what it was, but Rakar obviously did not want him to use it. Rakar reached quickly behind his back, pulling out a nine-millimeter pistol he had tucked into his pants. "I didn't want it to come to this, but I will kill the female and unleash the virus on this planet before I will let you take it back to Xorpeen. Now, step away and lower your entrapment device," Rakar said, pointing the gun at me.

K looked at me before returning his gaze to Rakar. He lowered the gadget he was holding to the ground and took two steps backward.

"You. Go retrieve the device," Rakar said, barking the order at me.

I walked over to K and reached down to pick up the strange contraption. His eyes remained fixated on Rakar.

"Very good. Now, if you will excuse me," Rakar said after I handed it over to him. He returned the gun to his pants, reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked to be a regular smartphone. After swiping the screen and tapping a few times, K suddenly dropped to the ground. The human host remained in a heap, evidently unconscious while K stood before us in his true form.  He looked like the luminescent liquid inside a hot lava lamp. The only time you could make out his limbs was when he moved, at which point you could see that he had an almost human shape to him.

"
I am sure you are curious as to what this little device is," Rakar said. "You see, what Kawise would tell you if he could speak in your language at the moment is that each of our species is embedded with a molecular code, a security combination, if you will, that enables us to inhabit and uninhabit a host without risk of being removed without our control. I have created an algorithm using your cellular technology that unscrambles our molecular code, allowing me to remove Kawise from his host."

"
You did that with a cellphone?" I asked in disbelief.

"
Indeed. 'There's an app for that,' as you humans like to say," Rakar replied, chuckling. "Now, we will get Kawise tucked away in the entrapment unit, and then tend to you, my dear," he continued, pointing it at K. Before he could activate the device, I grabbed him by the arm, sending me flying back, but also causing Rakar to drop the entrapment unit. K surged forward, grabbing Rakar as a struggle ensued. Bobby's body suddenly flopped to the ground and the two alien forms continued to attack each other. The air around them zapped and popped, and they became so bright I had to shut my eyes.

I struggled to my feet, reaching for the entrapment device that lay on the ground. I had no idea how it worked, but it had a trigger that looked like any other gun. K and Rakar continued to struggle. Even if I wanted to use the device, I couldn
't tell their forms apart. I could just as easily trap K. Holding the device out in front of me, I pointed it back and forth at each of the forms, trying to discern who was who. "K!" I yelled to get his attention. In a split second, one of the forms shoved the other away and turned my direction. It had to be K. I pointed the device quickly at the other form and pulled the trigger. A jolt of energy shot from the gun, pulling the form into the entrapment device like a tractor beam. It became instantly hot to the touch, causing me to drop the device at my feet. K, who had once again inhabited his previous human form, rushed over to pick up the device and tapped some type of code into a small screen.

I ran over to Bobby, who was beginning to regain consciousness.
"Bobby, are you okay? Can you hear me?" I asked.

"
Yeah, I feel okay. Just dizzy," he said, trying to sit up.

"
Do you remember anything?" I asked.

"
I remember everything. Where is Rakar?"

"
He's in the entrapment device," I answered as K walked over to where Bobby and I were sitting.

"
My planet owes you a debt of gratitude," he said with a smile on his face. It suited him, even if it wasn't his true form. "By the way, what made you decide which of us to believe?" he asked.

"
Well, K. I don't know how they do it on your planet, but here on Earth, we have what is called a bullshit meter, and mine is as good as you will find. I could tell by the way Rakar snickered after his corny app joke that he was full of it."