Guns And Dogs (10 page)

“Aren’t you worried people will see us, Argos?”

“Using Gina’s cloaking field is a huge drain on her energy reserves, besides who’s gonna believe a flying car story?”

Johnny shook his head. “I dunno. Seems unwise to me.”

Argos chuckled. “Well, well, well, look at you Johnny Veto, haven’t even completed your first AL mission and you’re already disagreeing with me. I think we’ll get along
just
fine.”

Gina’s sensors detected a Xenarian life form beneath them and Argos began their descent less than a kilometer from the reading. “We don’t wanna spook our good friend Dicer, now do we Johnny?”

They landed less than a kilometer from where Dicer was located, right outside Bakersfield, on the southwestern fringes of Sequoia National Forest, near the foot of Breckenridge Mountain. Johnny and Argos donned their field jackets before checking their equipment, while Jessie and Studs guarded the landing site.

“This way,” Argos said. “And remember what I said about getting too close to Dicer.”

Johnny nodded and drew his gravity pistol as Argos led the way. Jessie and Studs made up the rearguard.

Argos eyed the readings on his handheld device. After walking for a few minutes, Johnny smelled burning wood as a layer of heat warmed his face. “Put on your field mask,” Argos said.

Johnny followed orders before looking back at the dogs. “What about them?”

“They’ll be fine, those aren’t the real Jessie and Studs, they’re holograms. The real dogs are guarding the landing site where we left Gina.”

“When were you gonna tell me this, Argos?”

Argos looked at Johnny. “Johnny we’re on the clock now, so pay attention.”

They continued their trek until Johnny spotted a cluster of burning trees. The smokey fumes created a billowy canopy, which blocked out the sun. Argos muttered something before tossing one of the grenade-like devices at the burning trees. The device exploded, instantly extinguishing the fire and causing the smoke to disperse. Moments later they heard an outcry that sounded like someone in great pain. Was it a camper in trouble? Or something else? Johnny had a feeling he’d find out soon.

“That maniac Dicer has been busy,” Argos grumbled. “Johnny, approach Dicer from the north, I’ll signal you when I’m in position. Then, I’ll flush him out towards you. Make sure you’re ready to hit him with that gravity gun. Check your wristlink for the coordinates.”

Johnny took off north through the forest. Above him the birds were restless from trying to escape the fires that were threatening to engulf their nests. “Can’t wait to take this jerk down,” Johnny said. He drew his gravity pistol and kept an eye out for Dicer before he heard the piecing outcry again. He felt the ground vibrate under him before a family of deer exploded into the clearing he was traversing. He immediately hurled himself out of the way to avoid being run over.
That was close.
He picked himself up and realized he’d dropped his weapon. Trying not to panic, Johnny activated his wrist link flashlight, searching the forest floor for his weapon.

Argos’ voice whispered to him from his wristlink: “Johnny do you copy? Johnny? Where are you? I’m in position.”

“Argos I’ve hit a snag, standby.”

“What do you mean a
snag
? I’m about to launch one of my grenades at Dicer.”

“Please standby.” Johnny switched off his communicator. The last thing he needed was Argos chiding him while he was trying to find his weapon.

He saw it lying less than a meter from where he stood, it was next to a rock. He grabbed it and switched on his wristlink. “Sorry Argos, I’m ready now.” He checked his wristlink for the coordinates. “I’ll be at the required coordinates in fifteen seconds.”

“Copy. And Johnny, never switch off your communications during a mission.”

“Sorry, Argos.” Moments later he heard the outcry for a third time and this time it was very close. He settled behind a large cluster of ferns situated behind a moss-covered tree. Ahead he saw what looked like a man wearing a flamethrower on his back. Screaming and torching foliage. He was now calling out words and using profanity. Johnny wondered if this was Dicer. “He sure doesn’t look like an insect.”

“I’m in position, Argos.” Johnny aimed the gravity pistol at the man. “But I thought Dicer was an alien.”

“He’s wearing a holo-emitter so he looks human. Species-change technology hadn’t been perfected at the time of his capture. Now wait for my signal.”

Johnny nodded. In the distance Dicer continued torching the forest while yelling in an alien language. Johnny aimed his weapon at him. Argos spoke through his communicator: “Now!”

He saw another grenade which Argos had hurled at Dicer, who was too enamored with his arson to notice. The grenade landed few feet from him.

The grenade exploded releasing a static discharge that surrounded Dicer, its force knocked the flamethrower off his back, damaging it and igniting the propane inside it. Flames engulfed his human body and he ran towards Johnny, who was ready for him. Johnny stepped out behind his cover and fired his gravity pistol at Dicer; it extinguished the flames and stopped Dicer’s advance, causing him to trip and fall face-first onto the forest ground. He wrestled with the green beams contracting around his body in a futile attempt to free himself. “AHHHRRRHHH!” Dicer writhed about like an overturned beetle, but, before he could collect his bearings, Johnny fired a second volley at him. Another burst of green energy rays slammed into Dicer. He screamed again, stopped scrambling, and looked at Johnny vehemently.

“Human! Why have you attacked me?” He tried extricating himself from his position, but he was frozen.

“Why you torching this forest, dude?” Johnny retorted.

Dicer’s face flushed red. “You shall suffer for this outrage!”

“Not before we make you suffer.” Argos appeared and pressed his foot down on Dicer’s neck. “Remember me, bug face?”

“I thought we had a deal Dicer? Why have you violated the terms of our agreement?” Argos asked. Remembering what Argos had told him earlier, Johnny kept his distance from the Xenarian.

“Bah!” Dicer said. “I won’t speak until your accomplice frees me from these gravity shackles.”

“You think we trust you? After what you’ve done, Dicer? You had a cozy little life here on Earth. I’ll ask you again, why have you violated the terms of our agreement?”

Dicer looked at Argos desolately, realizing that he wasn’t going to get his wish he exhaled. Keeping his distance, Johnny saw that Dicer resembled a bald 40ish man with an unshaven face. His nose was thick, and his bloodshot grey eyes resembled an insomniac’s. He wore a stained white t-shirt and cargo pants with a strange blinking-device attached to his belt. “If I tell you they’ll kill me, Argos,” Dicer said.

“What makes you think
we
won’t?” Johnny asked.

Dicer looked up at Johnny and scowled. His holo-emitter winked out for a few seconds, causing his disguise to drop briefly, revealing his true appearance: a large centipede-like creature with two large antennae mounted on his head. A dozen jagged limbs resembling poised daggers were kept in check by the gravity pistol’s energy shackles. Despite this they still looked dangerous. Seconds later the holo-emitter restored Dicer’s human form, and Johnny exhaled. He wasn’t too fond of insects, especially distensible ones.

“I’m running low on patience, Dicer,” Argos said. “I want answers.”

When Dicer didn’t answer Argos looked up at Johnny. “Let him have another barrage; maybe if he’s chafed a little more he’ll decide to talk.” Johnny drew his gravity pistol and aimed it at Dicer.

“I’ll talk; I’ll talk. Blasted humans. But I can’t tell you everything, not here.”

“Why not?” asked Johnny. “We’re the ones calling the shots.”

“So you are.” Dicer coughed. “Very well young human, I was hired by the Lycarians,” Dicer said, “to start the wildfires; cause a distraction.”

“Why?”

Johnny looked confused. “Who are the Lycarians?”

“A remote alien race, not a threat to Earth,” Argos said dismissively.

Dicer laughed. “Not anymore, they have very ambitious plans to restore their interstellar dominion.” He stretched himself but found the energy shackles constricting.

“What did they offer you Dicer?”

“Freedom! And a chance to resume my work as an interstellar assassin. Earth is not to my liking.”

“It’s better than you deserve. Now tell me more about this distraction, Dicer, what was it supposed to accomplish?”

“That’s all I know, Argos Better. Now, release me from this harness you’ve confined me to. You know we don’t like being confined.” Argos shook his head and scoffed at Dicer.

Johnny looked at Argos. “So what do we do with him?”

“We can’t interrogate him here, Johnny, so we’ll have to take him to Penal One.”

“Penal One? I read about that during my training. Some sort of space prison, right?”

Argos nodded. “We can run scans on him to confirm that he’s telling the truth. I’ll contact Patrice. She can take the space elevator and meet us up there.” He turned towards Dicer whose face looked pasty. “We’re going for a little trip, bug boy.”

Penal One resembled a giant tire iron orbiting Earth. White lights dotted its elongated structure, while a retractable corridor was tethered to its southern node, allowing the Space Elevator to transport personnel and cargo between Penal One and AL Command Headquarters on Earth. As Gina made her approach towards its opening hangar bay doors, Johnny cast a look at Dicer, who was sitting in the back seat, still restricted by the gravity shackles and now watched over by Jessie and Studs. The Xenarian eyed the dogs disdainfully.

“How long has Penal One been around, Argos?”

“It was completed just last year. Every space agency on Earth contributed manpower and funds towards its construction.”

“I’m surprised it’s been kept secret this long.”

“It’s cloaking field keeps it hidden from the prying eyes of satellites.”

After obtaining landing permission from Penal One’s Dockmaster, Gina was cleared to dock in Hangar Bay 4. The docking maneuvers were performed expertly by Argos. After the hangar doors closed, the bay was pressurized before they handed Dicer over to Penal One security.

Argos led Johnny deeper into the Penal One prison colony. “This is where all extraterrestrial criminals are incarcerated. Some because of violations to their parole, like Dicer, others because of their danger to Earth, and the rest because their own governments don’t want them extradited. And quite frankly I don’t blame them.” They passed through a cell corridor where various aliens were detained in transparent cells. Most of them ignored Johnny and Argos, but a few eyed the newcomers with interest. One of the aliens, a vulture-like creature with feathery wings banged on his cell wall, trying to attract Johnny’s attention. “Hey! You! Young human! Get Jezzit out of this cell and Jezzit will make you rich!”

One of the security guards approached the cell and waved a menacing-looking staff at Jezzit. “You better be quiet in there bird boy, or your daily rations will be reduced for one week.”

Argos smiled. “Jezzit will try anything to break outta here. But I think it’s time you met someone, Johnny.” He activated a door that opened into a large control room.

“And who might that be?”

“Me!”

Johnny looked up and saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with smooth black skin eyeing him from atop a platform. Around him were control displays and flat-screen monitors. Standing beside him was Patrice. She still had that condescending look on her face. Johnny felt she’d be more attractive if she smiled, and he wondered if she ever did.

“That’s Director Otis Mitchell,” Argos said, “he’s the man who runs AL.”

“
The
Otis Mitchell? Hall of Fame NFL cornerback for the Sacramento Stars?”

Argos nodded.

Johnny, Argos, and the two Dobermans boarded a lift that took them to the platform. Once there, Johnny had a prime vantage point of Penal One’s control room. Director Mitchell shook Johnny’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you Mr. Veto. Your training scores were quite impressive.”

“Thank you, sir,” Johnny replied. Patrice made no attempt at acknowledging him other than a curt nod.

“Your father was our best agent Johnny, I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“Me too.”

“How did your first mission go?”

“Alright, I guess, sir. We caught a Xenarian named Dicer.”

Director Mitchell’s face became serious. “Ahh yes.” He looked at Argos. “I’m familiar with Dicer. I heard he violated his parole.”

“I’ve transmitted the full report to your desk computer, sir,” Argos said. “But yes, we found him torching a section of Sequoia National Park. He claims he was hired by the Lycarians.”

“Interesting. You think there’s any truth to it?”

“Perhaps, but I didn’t know the Lycarians were active in this sector.”

“Then it’s time we found out,” Patrice said, her fingers danced across a keyboard. Dicer appeared on the monitor in front of her. He was being held in a detention cell, his arms and legs secured by energy shackles. In the background were two AL personnel wearing white lab coats examining data on their tablets.

Patrice spoke into a slim microphone and addressed Dicer: “What was your mission?”

Dicer remained silent, and stared blankly into space.

“Looks like he’s not going to cooperate,” Argos said.

“Better run the thought-catcher,” Mitchell ordered Patrice.

Patrice’s fingers flitted across the keyboard again and Johnny watched as an emitter descended from the ceiling of the interrogation room before discharging a green light that probed Dicer’s skull. Readings began flashing on Patrice’s monitor and Mitchell eyed them curiously. “He’s been telling the truth, but with regards to his link to the Lycarians, his memories have been erased. They’ve done quite a job I may add. Definitely didn’t want to risk him betraying them.”

“What does this mean?” Johnny said. “Is he part of some conspiracy against Earth?”

Director Mitchell’s face could not hide his disappointment. “Hard to say, son. These Xenarians aren’t the most reliable creatures.” He turned towards Patrice. “Anything?”