Your Truth is Out There (Find Your Truth Book 1) (27 page)

Alcorn paid no attention to Dilnch, as the little creature led him and Theo, both with hands bound behind their backs, into Ricnor’s grand chamber. Like any well-trained soldier, he was too busy performing reconnaissance: scanning for exits, determining strategically stronger vantage points, and most importantly, sizing up and counting the opposition. In this case, he and his son were badly outsized as well as outnumbered. Even if Gsefx managed to neutralize their weapons, as he promised he would (which Alcorn wasn’t sure he believed), there were several hundred aliens in here and some of these monstrosities could easily tear him and Theo apart with their bare hands, or paws, or whatever the hell they might have at the end of their arms. They were lined up all around the outer wall of the chamber, which was itself another matter entirely. It was a huge, almost cavern-like round room with a domed ceiling at least fifty feet high. It was all white, with no adornment, and no strategic vantage points.

It's nothing but a giant arena,
thought Alcorn.
An arena for fighting—sport fighting to be more precise. They’re all lined up around the outer wall, keeping the arena floor clear … while ensuring no possibility of escape.

Aside from the way they had just come in, Alcorn could only find one other doorway, a heavily-guarded archway, near where a three-foot riser had been built into the wall. On the riser were six rather ornate chairs, all of which were currently empty. In the middle of the chairs, an elaborate throne towered above the others. On the throne, looking rather relaxed, jovial even, sat a very nasty looking creature with dark red skin, long blonde hair, and long straight facial hair. Though he’d never seen this being before, it was abundantly clear to Alcorn that this was the infamous Ricnor everyone seemed to be so concerned about.

As they reached the middle of the room, Ricnor halted them and told Dilnch to approach the throne alone. In the process, the gang’s leader flashed several rows of razor sharp teeth and Alcorn suddenly understood what all the fuss was about. It was almost hard to believe that it had only been a few hours, or sars as they called them out here, since he had first heard the name Ricnor.

After being knocked out in his barn, Alcorn had awakened, only to find himself and his son on board a spaceship, bound and unable to move. Gsefx was there and, at first, Alcorn suspected that everything Henry thought about this alien he’d befriended had been wrong. That, instead of being the wayward traveler stopping on Earth to fix his vehicle, Gsefx’s intentions were significantly more nefarious. But then the blue-skinned non-terrestrial began talking—first about Henry, but only briefly—it was Ricnor he really wanted to discuss.

“Ricnor is the head of the most notorious criminal gang in the entire galaxy,” Gsefx had said. “It’s infuriating that Qilzar would sell us out over these paintings.”

“Are you sure it was him?” asked Alcorn.

“Who else could it have been?” replied Gsefx.

“I’ve been thinking about that as you’ve been talking,” said Alcorn. “It’s been my experience that criminal organizations like your Ricnor gang don’t usually last over the long term, unless they have some sort of protection.”

“What do you mean by protection?”

“What I mean,” Alcorn explained, “is that someone high up, someone powerful, someone with connections, who can keep the authorities off the backs of the gang, is helping them so they can focus on their criminal activities. This person will not seem to be connected to the gang in any way, but their money and power will protect the criminals, and in return the gang will provide their protector a cut of the profits or will simply be on retainer for specific jobs they need done. Often it’s both. At least, that’s the way it’s done on Earth.”

“And you would know this, how exactly, Dad?” Theo asked, looking at his father even more harshly than usual.

“I’ve been around the block a few times, Theo. But don’t worry, I’ve never been involved with criminals … I just know how it works.”

“That would actually explain a lot of things,” said Gsefx, spinning his chair around to look at the ship’s console. “I have to think for a moment.”

Alcorn took the opportunity to have a private conversation with his son.

“Are you okay, Theo?” he asked.

“Sure thing, Dad, I’m fine …” said Theo, who was clearly anything but fine, “… except for the fact that I find out you’re involved with criminals … and aliens … and … and … I have no idea what the hell is going on.”

Alcorn had been heartbroken by the pain and accusation in his son’s voice.

“I know, Theo,” he said, “I would have told you all about it, in fact, I planned to, but when I saw how excited you were about your Raphael project … well, I just couldn't bring myself to say anything. I sure didn't expect you to come out to the barn on your own.”

Theo paused for a moment, before answering.

“Okay, I suppose I get that,” he said, finally. “But now can you tell me what is going on? Who the hell is this? And where are we?”

”This is Gsefx, we met him about a month ago when he had engine troubles and had to land on Earth to make repairs.”

“Who’s this Henry he keeps talking about and what’s this about a painting?”

Gsefx turned back around before Alcorn had a chance to answer.

“I know who is behind it,” he said as he got up from his chair. “I’ll be leaving you, which means you’ll be on your own with Ricnor’s henchmen. They won’t be able to hurt you, but they are going to take you back to their headquarters.”

“Whoa, wait a minute,” said Theo, “that doesn’t sound like a good plan to me.”

Gsefx walked over and placed something around Alcorn’s neck.

“This is a translator. It’s always on, so be careful what you say. You’ll be able to understand anyone talking in Galactine Standard, which should be pretty much everyone, and they will be able to understand you, as long as you speak North American English.”

“Gsefx, what about …” began Alcorn, but he was interrupted when a door between the ship’s two sections opened before he was able to finish. The squatty, mean-looking alien Gsefx had earlier called Dilnch hopped through.

Without a word Gsefx pointed a device at Dilnch, pressed a button, and the short little creature screamed and dropped to the floor, unconscious. Another alien came through the door, one that Alcorn had not yet seen, but assumed from what Gsefx had said, was named Klarnus. He and Gsefx exchanged a few words before Gsefx rendered him as unconscious as his partner.

“Where’s Gsefx?” roared Ricnor, loud enough for the whole room to hear, snapping Alcorn back into the moment. “And where are my paintings?”

Dilnch dropped to his knees, his head bowed.

“Sir, we couldn’t stop him. He knocked us unconscious with that enhanced scrambler of his, and then took off.”

Ricnor stood up, baring all of his teeth.

Impressive display,
thought Alcorn.
Very impressive.

“Dilnch! Get up and tell me where my paintings are!”

Dilnch stood up, but couldn’t meet Ricnor’s harsh gaze.

“Sir, he took half of the paintings, but left the other half—they’re being unloaded as we speak. He said that he would return with the other half within the agreed upon time limit, and that, as a gesture of his good faith, you could have these two hostages to do with as you wish.”

Ricnor smiled and looked at the General and his son.

“He did, did he? How nice.”

“Sir, he did add one other thing,” said a trembling Dilnch.

Ricnor’s smile disappeared.

“Careful Dilnch, your next words could have a very profound effect on your future.”

“Yes, sir. He said that you could do whatever you wished with these hostages, but that he expected you to maintain your part of the agreement regarding his wife and boss, Lhvunsa and Qilzar. He said they are not to be harmed.”

Ricnor stepped down from his perch and approached Dilnch, his teeth shining in their full glory. What Alcorn found most interesting about his newest adversary was that the more he watched Ricnor, the less dangerous he became. It was all showmanship. Ricnor was a dangerous creature, no doubt, but Alcorn had dealt with his type before, people who depended more on the emotion of fear than the actual terrifying follow-through. The fact that he wasn’t human meant little in this equation. Ricnor was an adversary to be wary of, to be sure, but he was far from unbeatable.

Ricnor stood face-to-face with Dilnch, who was clearly on the verge of collapse. Then Ricnor smiled.

“Is that all?” he asked. “I hadn’t planned on killing them until after the deadline anyway.”

He laughed and grabbed Dilnch by the shoulders.

“Now, let’s have some fun with these Earth creatures, shall we?”

Ricnor snapped his fingers and someone tossed a large weapon to him. It was one that Alcorn recognized as an obliterator. He handed it to Dilnch.

“Let’s see what one looks like when it explodes.”

Alcorn remained expressionless as he watched Dilnch’s eyes light up with pent-up joy as he took the weapon from his leader. Clearly the little psychopath was going to enjoy this. He turned toward Alcorn and started walking toward him, picking up speed with every step. When he was just a few feet away he slowed and started to lift the weapon toward Alcorn’s head. That’s when the General made his move.

Surprising everyone, including Theo, Alcorn freed his hands, slid to the ground, and swept Dilnch’s legs out from underneath him, taking him to the ground while at the same time grabbing the weapon away from the befuddled Jikian.

“Whoa!” said Theo, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Who knew the old man had moves like that?”

Alcorn smiled inwardly at his son’s remarks, but didn’t have time to engage in idle banter. He jumped up quickly, popped Dilnch in the jaw with the butt of the obliterator, then flipped the weapon lengthwise and slammed it down across his knee, shattering the weapon into hundreds of tiny pieces.

“Space junk,” he said as he put his foot on Dilnch’s throat.

Alcorn looked over at Theo just in time to see his son free himself and grab hold of an ever-so-slight rippling motion that had slid up silently beside him. In one fluid motion, Theo reached into his inside vest pocket and drew out the curved dagger Gsefx had slipped there before leaving them. He held it dangerously close to the rippling motion.

“Funny thing about sticking a knife into something that may or may not really be there,” said Theo, “you never know what you might actually cut into.”

The rippling motion solidified into the form of Klarnus.

“Be careful, boy,” said the Yelton. “You can cut yourself playing with knives.”

Theo took the knife and held the tip right to the edge of Klarnus’ eye. Klarnus let out a long, low growl, but his body went completely still.

“You were saying?” said Theo.

Alcorn smiled at his son. He’d been proud of Theo before, but at this moment in time, if they died right now, which was a distinct possibility, he didn’t think he could be prouder of the man his boy had become. Not because he was holding a knife at an alien criminal’s vulnerable spot, but because he was strong under pressure. He was the best of both his mother and him, which is all anyone could ever want for their children. The sound of clapping interrupted his moment of pride. It was the sound of a single individual clapping. It was the sound of sarcastic clapping. It was the sound of Ricnor clapping.

“Very good,” said the gang’s leader, his face the picture of sheer rapture as he moved toward them. “Glorious, in fact!”

Alcorn looked around. None of the other aliens had moved. They should have come in to take them down. To either kill or at least detain them, but they hadn’t moved.

Dammit.
Ricnor had expected this
.

“I was expecting something,” said Ricnor, “but nothing quite this entertaining. You are splendid, absolutely splendid. What is your name?”

“Don’t come any closer or we’ll kill your men, or whatever they are,” said Alcorn. “We mean it. We’ll kill ‘em.” He knew it was cliché, as Henry would call it, even as he said the words, but what else was he to do? He also knew they couldn’t kill Dilnch or Klarnus, if, for no other reason, that once they were dead, he’d have no protection at all.”

Ricnor did stop at least, if only to laugh.

“By the Gods, you are entertaining,” he said. “Here, let me take care of that for you.”

Ricnor motioned once and immediately two high pitched pinging sounds rang out. Dilnch’s body, already limp from Alcorn’s knockout punch, went completely flat as the Jikian’s body literally melted beneath the General’s boot. At the same time, Alcorn heard his son gasp and looked up to see Theo let loose of what remained of Klarnus.

“Those two were dead no matter what you did or didn’t do, Earthling,” said Ricnor, all trace of humor gone as quickly as it had appeared. “They screwed this assignment up from the very beginning and I do not tolerate failure. Your little show here was entertaining, but nothing more.”

He turned to walk away, then stopped as if considering something, then turned back to Alcorn.

“Because you were entertaining, I will let you live until Gsefx returns with the rest of the paintings. After that, your fate will rest with him.”

He turned and left the room.

Well now … that went better than expected,
thought Alcorn, as several hands, claws, and other assorted appendages grabbed a hold of him and his son.

“You did what?” said Henry, his voice rising somewhere past incredulity, but not quite reaching the level of full-on hysteria. “You took General Alcorn and his son hostage and then turned them over to the same gang of … what … intergalactic terrorists that took your wife?”

Henry was shocked beyond what he thought he could handle. Granted, he didn’t really know the blue-skinned being sitting next to him, using two of his hands to pilot the spaceship they were currently flying in, while using the other two to calmly explain how he’d sent the General to his untimely demise. He looked around him, as the realization of where he was and what was happening to him suddenly, and fully, sunk in.