Addicted In Cold Blood (41 page)

They need a lot of it though, all of the time. With mind control, they could simply have the person sit down, slit their finger, drain the pints needed, recuperate and never remember what the hell happened. There was never supposed to be anything more to it than that. Once the FBI found out about this, their mission, they started killing them because the Zarkstormians were handicapping the drug trade. The Zarkstormians were initially no match, because they were no longer warriors, at least, the majority of them, but there was a small pocket of them that had
both
qualities.”

“The warrior aspect and the enhanced intelligence?”

“Yes!  And they were sent here to Earth, but they couldn’t withstand our environment for long periods of time. They became very ill or died after a while due to environmental causes. Their entire project was falling apart at the seams. They thought me and my men were FBI Agents, that is why they killed two, and kept me for questioning. Once the FBI declared war on them, things got even worse. They sent me and my men there to see what we could scope out...only they didn’t tell us we were on an alien mission!

“Soon, the FBI realized they couldn’t fight this the same way...this new alien was a beast, not like the ones sent from years past.” His eyes turned to steel as his voice lowered. “Ones like the one you met, Xzion, could annihilate a room full of people in seconds flat! All of the victims were either drug dealers, government officials involved with the drug trade or the unfortunate casualty. This man that you were with, for six months, is a Zarkstormian combatant, a militia Zarkstormian at that and the fact that he didn’t kill you...” The old man shook his head in disbelief.  “...they don’t hesitate, Claudia. They
never
hesitate. It looks like the FBI finally met their match. They had you and your police department feeling like fools, when they knew damned well no one could defeat him. I suspect he is the only one of his kind, based on the reports and time frames between the killings. It is taking too long to be more than one being.”

“...I think you’re right.” Jayme wrung her hands as she looked down at her quaking knees.

“They only let me live so I could tell the FBI what I saw. Well, so much for that. The FBI declared me crazy,” he continued. “I went to the public, and the world laughed at me. You’re alive...you had a relationship with him. Be very careful, Claudia. Once the FBI gets wind that you were with him, and out here talking...well, I think you already know.” He looked at her sternly.

Jayme felt sick to her stomach. The urge to vomit moved through her like clawing, scratching tree branches spiraling out of control from the pit of her stomach. She thought about all of the times she and Xzion made love, him all over her, and she all over him. She was sickened, thinking about the fact that he wasn’t a man...he was a
thing
...and he’d been inside of her, kissing her, making her melt, making her want him. She shot up out of the chair and dashed toward the bathroom, relieving herself as she held her hair back and purged in the small toilet.

When she calmed down, she returned, patting her clammy face, and resumed her seat. She felt the old man lean over and touch her shoulder, giving comfort.

“Claudia.”

She looked up at him, her eyes reddened.

“You don’t look like a Claudia, you’re much too pretty,” he said sincerely as he patted her. “This feels good for me, for selfish reasons of course. After all these years, finally, someone believes me.” His voice shook. “But, I’m sorry you had to find out this way. In any case,” he pulled away and looked down at his lap, “I don’t blame the Zarkstormians for this mess, I blame our officials.”

“I have so many questions, but it doesn’t even matter...all the answers, no matter what they are, won’t make me feel any better.”

I wish someone would burst out of a closet and yell that this was a joke, a hidden camera show...but it isn’t a joke. It really happened, I really fell in love, and now...I am really talking about aliens and strange places in outer space...

“I want to tell you something. I spent two weeks with them. They are
not
kind, but they are also not exactly cruel, either—unless their lives depend on it, do you understand me? They saw me as a threat, thought I was there to try and kill them. They took care of me once they found out what was going on, that I had been misled, but this was back in 1972, Claudia. I am sure they are more desperate now... Let me show you something.” He stood and shuffled slowly over to a stack of papers. He handed them to Jayme.

She flipped through them, seeing that the old man had saved every single newspaper article regarding the murders, all over the country.

“I knew it was them. I knew they were back and I knew whoever they sent this time, he was not going to stop until they got what they wanted, what they needed. This ‘XXX’ Murderer, as they call him, his name is Xzion, according to you, that much we’ve established.”

Yes, that is his name, and I’ve said so many times...thought it even more...

“I’m sure he wasn’t even born when I was there, but I can tell you this much—he was the answer to their prayers. He is exactly what they needed, what they used to be, centuries ago, before the evolution. He is a relic, in a new body, with an evolved brain. Those guys fought creatures ten times their size and won. Their strength...unparalleled. I met some of the few they had, like aborigines in Australia—everyone wants to see them, they are part of the culture, revered by many. These guys though, they were not as intellectually fine-tuned as the later generations. They were more like their ancestors, but they needed someone with
both
qualities and I knew after I saw the pattern, read these articles, they’d found their guy.” He sat back down and put his hand on her knee.

“It seems to me, you made him more...like
you
, more human, as you spent time together, Claudia.”

“What do you mean?” she choked out, trying to keep her composure.

“He took care of you...he protected you. He empathized, said he was ‘sorry’...you
changed
him. He might be an alien to me and to the world, but you know him, he is no alien to you. He let you get inside and he explored you as a person—he studied you. Through
you
, he got a chance to get close to all of us, don’t you see? He got to find out what our minds and hearts were really about. It doesn’t matter that you initially did that, to try and get away from him—make the hostage bond, form a connection to establish trust. It doesn’t matter how it began, it only matters how it ended...”

The words clung to her, making her feel unease once again yet she tried to get past it. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse...

...
And that is why he had those brains. Those weren’t from any of his victims; they were his own people...dead people he needed to use, to save his own kind...experiments...

“Mr.
Berlin.” Jayme clasped her hands and hung her head, causing her recently unbraided hair to fall forward and shroud her from the light. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve spent my entire career protecting people. I can honestly tell you that I was rarely scared as a child, teen or adult. I have walked into dangerous situations and not blinked an eye. I’m an adrenaline junky, I thrive on it. Not even when I’d been kidnapped was I scared like this, because I believed I was going to make it, that I was going to survive. For the very first time in my life...right this second...I am terrified, Mr. Berlin!” Her voice quaked as her eyes glossed with tears. “I am so afraid.” She hated the way the words felt pouring out, but it was a relief to lay them down, even if they were at a crazy old man’s feet.

“Well, you just make sure you’re afraid of the right thing, Claudia.”

The steely tone of his voice didn’t go unnoticed.

“Your friend, Xzion, he isn’t your enemy. You probably need him now more than ever. I suggest you find him, Claudia, or whatever your
real
name is, for your own protection. That is your ticket to survival—
he
is it. I think you know who the
real
alien is—the
true
monster in this scenario—and it ain’t Xzion.”

Xzion wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth as the two warrior militants dragged him back to the domed chamber. He managed to catch one off guard and hammer him down to the ground like a nail bit, but soon he was overpowered as four others rushed to their fallen comrade’s aid, zapping Xzion with a heat gun straight to the cranium. He shrieked in pain, gritted his teeth and bit down on his tongue so hard, he’d almost severed it. Aton walked in front of the crowd, shook his head at Xzion and turned away as people took their seats in the vast auditorium, dressed in their royal navy blue robes. He knew the routine, he’d seen it before—some of his closest friends who were caught violating the rules had to attend and every single one of them, as apprentices. Forced to attend for class, to see what happens when you disobey your commander and chief. Aton was gracious until you decided to think for yourself. Then, all bets were off. Worse yet were allegations ledged at officers. They were never the same, and were ostracized from their society.

Xzion felt himself sink deeper into a dismal abyss of heated anger upon seeing his mother and father, the two that had brought him into the world, sitting shoulder to shoulder, toward the back of the room. His eyes met his mother’s, and she turned away as if in shame, her long black hair cloaking her profile. His father kept watch, disappointment etched all over the man’s face.

Xzion stood still for if he didn’t, the metal shackles around his ankles and wrists would rattle.  Aton stood to his side and began to speak in their native tongue.

“Trial I.D. is UI-0-HK. Plaintiff: Military
University of Zarkstorm, Ward 13 Militia Officer. Defendant: Xzion Khrome.

“Xzion Khrome is an example of the pride and joy of our kingdom gone awry. He was a platinum student, from the tender, innocent age of five. Once born, our most revered scientists and doctors discovered he was an anomaly, one that could possibly save our entire race. He was brought to my attention after conferencing with his parents, astute intellectuals also from the University, as you all are aware of.  His father also has warrior lineage. Xzion was enrolled and exceeded all of our expectations. He not only mastered all the University courses, he surpassed the military milestones, breaking records, time and time again. He was mentally and physically agile—a rare find, a born leader. I come to you,” Aton paused, turned and looked at Xzion then back at the audience, “humbly, for I am disturbed to have to bring my prized pupil to you all on these charges. He was not aware of this, but I was training him to be my successor...”

People began to speak amongst each other until the judge struck the gavel, instructing everyone to hush while Aton continued.

“Mr. Khrome was born with the rare MXZ gene, allowing him the physical characteristics of our ancestors, their strength and physical resolve, and the endurance and intellect of the rest of us. In culmination with this, he was able to withstand environmental temperature changes with little to no harm to his cerebral vortex, unlike the rest of us. That is what made him ideal for the lifesaving mission he was sent upon.”

Xzion glared at Aton, wishing he had just one bullet...just
one
. He’d make it work, send it straight to the heathen’s dome in the central nerve-plex...

“Three years ago, Xzion was assigned to planet Earth to rid that world of their drug addiction. It was a win-win situation. We wished to extract the blood from the humans, not terribly prolonging or interrupting their daily routines. Afterward, we’d erase the encounters as soon as the extraction was complete. We would not need to be there, naturally; we’d be able to do it remotely, via mind control and simply pick up the samples intermittently, via our portal runners.

“As you all realize, we soon discovered this was easier said than done, due to humans’ intense drug dependency.  We could not gain control over our subjects, and the blood supply we needed was contingent upon not a small sector, but most of the Earthly population, since we’d need to consume the blood daily, like vitamins. Xzion was our answer to that issue.” Aton paused.

“Remove the addiction, administer mind control, remove the sample, and carry on for synthesization—that was the plan. This would be a life-long medication for us, but it would work, and that is what mattered. We need human blood for our coolant—we’ve known this for over sixty years. Human beings are the only species with blood that works this way, that works in agreement with our own system. Yes, we have to purify it, and that is sometimes tricky, as Xzion and I have figured out, but it
can
be done.

“In that time, all these years, our large population has dwindled and we are nearing extinction.  Our mothers, fathers, friends and coworkers have died. The ice and coolant systems can only help so much; it is a temporary bandage to our disease. Xzion was able to withstand extremely high temperatures in the
Sahara Desert of the Earth world and as long as he was able to get relief in a timely fashion, he was able to heal in time for his next assignment. He was invaluable!

“Xzion, dare I admit it, was my favorite student of all time.” His shot Xzion a look of disdain. “He’d
never
disappointed me. He was an exceptional pupil—bright, and had the strength of twenty men. He was well-trained and had put his personal endeavors on hold, for the greater good of our people. Everything was going well, until approximately seven months ago.