Limousine - a short story

Limousine - a short story by Basileus Ioannis

I looked at the clock on the wall...it was just before 6:00am. Damn, I've been up all night again. I took a drag on the cigarette butt...as the smoke curled around my head, I became vaguely aware of the need to take a leak. I was just about to stand up, when the bright light of a car's headlights shone in through the window, illuminating the Venetian blinds...they're here. The piss will have to wait.

I was at the door before the knock came...in the predawn darkness, I made out two figures, long coats...guns glinted in the one bug-infested light of the parking lot. So they made it. I opened the door and motioned for the pair to hurry it the hell up. All you need is some goddamn paperboy seeing them in that get-up. Wordlessly slipping in, they made straight for my couch as I secured the door.

"How'd it go?" I asked. The taller one, head as bald as an egg, looked at me with a weary expression. "Swell. We made contact. You got one of those?" he replied, motioning with an outstretched finger at my cig. I tossed him the pack and a lighter, and he gratefully lit up. "Thanks...looks like our team's in place, observing." He emphasized the last word with disgust...he was a hunter/killer, it was natural for him to hold disdain for the watchers.

It has been less than a full day here...the watcher team was inserted more than a lunar month ago, to establish an observation post. We had to know what we were dealing with, when you're working with an alien species. They sent back a crapload of information...media broadcasts, networked databases, spot reports, behavior patterns, how they ate, how they slept, how they went about their daily lives. Good intel...we have enough now to know how to hit 'em.

"Alright," I said to both of them, "we move now, before that damn sun comes up. Do it by the book," the shorter one visibly winced, "and minimize collateral damage." I looked at the clock again, and it was about ten after...just enough time. "We have thirty five minutes until sunrise, let's make it happen, gentlemen."

As we walked out to the car, I didn't bother closing the motel door...we weren't coming back. The car, a Ford Crown Victoria, looked a lot like a government car...it should blend in nicely. Egg-bald got behind the wheel, I took shotgun, and shorty was in the rear. The car was soon on its way to our target.

About fifteen minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a large dwelling. The lights in the kitchen area were on...hopefully the subject would be ready to move out. I got out and closed the door, walking the short distance from the driveway to the entrance. Ornate wood, with brass door handles...obviously somebody spent money on it. I ignored the doorbell, and rapped on the wood with my knuckles...a few seconds later, the scientist appeared, fully dressed. Adjusting his glasses, he inquired, "Are you my ride?" to which I replied "yes sir, we will get you to the laboratory in time". He kissed his wife goodbye, and as he turned to walk out the doorway, she handed him a brown paper bag...how sweet, she made him lunch. He won't need it.

I held the car door open for the scientist, and he got in the back with shorty. I hopped in the front seat, slammed the door shut, and told baldy "go." The Crown Vic sprang to life, peeling off down the dimly lit deserted road. The eastern sky began to turn blue...I checked my watch, and we had about ten minutes until dawn. Droplets of water began pattering on the windshield...wipers burst to action with a loud noise, but as more rain fell, it became a muted snap snap rhythm. The tires splashed water. As the sky lightened, I could see the overcast above...good hunting weather.

We got to the chain link fence surrounding the tarmac of the airfield...orange mercury vapor lights in the distance reflected off the puddles of water, silhouetting the gate shack looming in the road ahead. A single spotlight illuminated where vehicular traffic would pull up for access...a guard in a military uniform stood at attention, eyeing us cautiously as baldy lowered his window. The tags on the front bumper were current, and we held up our identification cards...the guard waved us through, and the gate opened. I heard the hiss of jet turbines from the open car window as we drove toward the Gulfstream parked several yards away...muttering curses under his breath, baldy closed the window as rainwater came in, hitting his face and arm. He quickly wiped off the water with a towel.

The car stopped as close to the boarding ladder on the airplane's door as we could get it. We got out, and the scientist climbed the ladder first...we followed behind, getting drenched in the downpour. At the top of the ladder, the scientist paused, and turned around...damn it, just a few more steps. He stared at us...and I knew he could see it. The water wasn't hitting our clothes, our skin...it was stopping a hand's width above our coats and heads. He had a confused look on his face, as I produced the gun under my coat. "Inside, please" I said curtly, and shoved him in.

As soon as all four of us were inside the Gulfstream, the door rolled up and shut with a thunk. I secured the scientist in a seat...fear was in his eyes. "Who are you people?" he demanded. "You will be briefed upon arrival" I snapped, as the plane rapidly taxied to the active runway. We had clearance for immediate take-off, and soon we were wheels up.

Clear of the airfield, the Gulfstream climbed up into the overcast. The wings retracted into the hull, and the boosters kicked in, sending us into the safety of space. I nodded to the two hunter/killers, and we reached up and pressed the top buttons of our coats...the disguises were no longer needed. Soon we landed in the hangar bay of the star carrier, and I got up to retrieve our passenger. Sheer horror crossed his face as he gazed upon my unfamiliar features...aliens always give me that damn look. Screw them, at least my wife thinks I'm hot.

The End