AEAYII - Chapter Nine
Jake sat on top of a crate watching Tawaya pouring some kind of acid on the Bad Blood's bodies while the sobbing doctor poured the contents of a petrol canister on the floors, boxes, and walls.
The agent, Barry, had purchased enough burgers and enough French fries for almost ten people, and when he threw the bags of fast food to the ground much of their contents had spilled.
-1-
Despite this there was still far more than enough for Jake.
He walked past the frightened doctor and stooped to gather up the bags and the wrapped burgers which had fallen out.
Tawaya was not pleased that Jake had been walking across the glass and debris strewn ground and after she saw that his feet had been bleeding as he picked up the bags of food she wrapped her arms around his waist and carried him into the other room.
He yelled in surprise at the sudden lifting, but he knew that it was Tawaya and in the short distance from the hall to the other room he relaxed and pushed himself back into her chest and arms.
Enjoying the feeling of her arms and body pressed against him.
When Tawaya entered into the room with the Yautja bodies she placed her Little Jake onto a crate to the side of the doorway.
Then she poked her head into the hallway and gruffly clicked and motioned for the doctor to follow.
Tawaya nodded to Jake and when the doctor stepped into the room Tawaya pointed towards an orange Jerry-can by some open supply boxes.
Evidently the female Yautja knew what gasoline-petrol was and what it could do.
-2-
Taking a large bite of a bacon burger Jake pushed the mouthful to the side and called out to Tawaya, his voice was excited and his overall demeanour was entirely jarring to what was currently going on,
"Hey! Tawaya, remember those oink-oinks we talked about before?"
As one of the Bad-Blood's bodies began to slowly dissolve and bubble, leaking and pouring off the sides of the metal table, the large female Yautja looked up from her work and towards her little human.
Wordlessly she nodded.
'How could I forget them? Great prey…' she thought.
Jake immediately smiled, finished chewing, and nodded while pointed to the burger.
"Tawaya there's bacon in a few of these! You remember? I told you I'd get you bacon someday!"
Tawaya's head tilted to the side and her body language gave off a look of disbelief.
'As hungry as I am right now… Really Little Jake? Food is the furthest from our concerns…'
The doctor had stopped mid action and turned to see Jake over her shoulder.
"What the fuck…" she whispered under her breath.
Jake's voice rose in disappointment, "Waah, come on, you've got to try one!"
Tawaya looked to her side at the doctor, having noticed she stopped moving. Immediately the human resumed spraying the petrol and kept her head down.
Rolling her shoulders and wincing from her injuries, Tawaya still had work to do; 'We don't have time Little Jake to be…' She looked at his eyes.
'He was earnestly smiling… and, and he… Oh gods damn it!'
She begrudgingly broke the silence, "In a moment Little Jake…"
The young man nodded and went back to eating his greasy meal. He sighed as he took another bite; "I honestly have never had a burger this good…"
He swallowed another mouthful.
"I suppose thinking you're going to die makes everything a little bit better." He chuckled.
Jake looked up from his hands and at the doctor, "Eh?" he asked, "What do you think doctor?"
The woman shuddered as she sprayed the rest of the fuel onto the door. She dropped the can and turned around slowly, her voice was quiet and she didn't dare look at Tawaya.
"I… I don't know…"
Jake furrowed his brow.
Looking to his side he reached a hand into one of the two, thick, brown paper bags and grabbed a foil-wrapped burger.
Raising his eyebrows comically Jake indicated he was about to toss the small package at the doctor,
"Ready?" he asked rhetorically.
Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyelids fluttered nervously as she anticipated the incoming projectile.
As he threw the foil covered package the doctor sputtered and anxiously reached out her hands reactively. She nearly fumbled the burger but surprisingly she was able to catch it.
The doctor had been an uncoordinated and physically meek nerd her whole life, books, scalpels, reports, x-rays… She could handle those no problems, but get her in the vicinity of a football or a cricket bat and she trip over herself before ever even playing.
Jake smiled and exclaimed, "Hey! Yeah you got it."
She was surprised at herself and for a moment she smiled too.
Taking a smaller bite this time Jake nodded and pushed the food on his tongue over into his cheek to talk, "Oh man you will not be disappointed…"
Continuing to eat Jake just wordlessly nodded, encouraging the doctor along to join him.
The doctor began to eye the food with apprehension, and then she looked at the young man with disbelief. Hearing Tawaya move behind her the doctor dared to look over her shoulder.
Seeing the tall alien again made the doctor's heart skip a beat.
"O-okay…" she stuttered.
Her hands shook as she messily un-wrapped the foil. Mayonnaise and ketchup had squirted out the sides during the burger's travels, either in the air when Jake threw it, or when Barry had dropped them on the ground.
Either way liquid began to run out of the foil and onto her hands.
The sight made the doctor's stomach growl and groan quietly in desperation.
'If I'm going to die here I may as fucking well…' she finally thought.
The burger had shifted around a little bit; its patty had moved and was no longer centred between the buns, its' sauce was dripping out the sides and spilled out the foil and down the woman's' fingers.
A bright green pickle was half visible in front of her, in-between what looked like lettuce; at least she assumed it was lettuce.
She cringed and her thoughts repeated themselves, 'I hope that's lettuce…'
The overall presentation of the food was horrible.
It was probably the greasiest, most unappealing thing the doctor had eaten in recent memory.
'But…' she thought again, 'fuck it…'
She hadn't eaten since her last meeting with Sherbrook. This was hours before Everett, Barry, and Valdez had left…
"Those idiots…" she mumbled.
'We didn't need the kid… we really didn't… But Sherbrook just had to have a live witness…' She stopped mid-action. 'The poor fool…' she thought.
Clearing her mind she shut her eyes and brought the food to her mouth, opening her jaw widely she took a bite and began to eat.
Jake was eating some fries and sighing as Tawaya took care of the last body.
"You know, I'm surprised that the acid doesn't smell…" he said, holding a fry between his fingers like a cigarette.
Tawaya nodded. "It's meant to be so Little Jake…"
Jake nodded and continued eating.
"Why's that?"
Tawaya placed the cap back onto the phial of liquid.
"It makes it like nothing was here."
Jake nodded and chomped down on his cigarette-fry.
The doctor had to admit… it wasn't as bad as it could be… she was still in absolute terror that's for sure! She kept thinking 'am I going to be killed? Or are they actually going to let me go?'
She shook her head and cleared her thoughts.
'Take comfort in the carbs… just enjoy the greasy food…'
The doctor tentatively took a few steps towards Jake.
She swallowed what she had first bitten off and she cleared her throat.
'Be careful though…' she thought, 'this kid's definitely unstable…'
The fact his hair was violently dishevelled, both his wrists were scraped up and raw, he was wearing a hospital gown, and he had several spots of blood smeared on it did not at all help the sight…
Stealing a glance at the Yautja she took a few more steps towards the boy.
"I-is it… okay if I-I sit down?" she finally choked out.
Jake's face registered surprise and he looked to either side on his box.
There was a folding chair that had fallen over to the left side of the large wooden crate he was on.
Pointing to it he nodded. His mouth was full and he struggle to swallow as he attempted to get out words, "O-of co-course!"
The doctor looked at Tawaya again, but the large alien was focusing on her work, seemingly unconcerned with the doctor's movements.
Standing the chair back up properly the doctor sat down in it while shaking.
'Just eat the food… you're going to make it… you're going to make it…'
"Little Jake." The Yautja called.
The doctor stopped and her eyes shot open.
"The humans had more information yes?"
Jake nodded, "Yeah I'm pretty sure they did."
Turning to the doctor Jake raised an eyebrow, "What else did they have?" he asked.
The doctor stuttered, "H-hang on…"
Wrapping the foil back up she finished chewing what she had in her mouth and placed the food on the ground.
-3-
After the Tawaya destroyed the cadavers she and her Little Jake watched the doctor gather each of the agent's cellphones and douse them in petrol.
At Jake's prompting the doctor even took the files that Sherbrook had had stolen from the local police and ran them through the shredder in the office Jake was previously held in.
The whole time Tawaya watched the doctor and stood closely behind her.
After finishing the doctor stuttered severely as she told Tawaya, "T-that's a-all w-we h-had here…"
Tawaya grumbled and the doctor flinched.
Then the alien walked back into the hallway and to her Jake.
Breathing a sigh of relief the doctor followed.
Earlier when Tawaya first entered the autopsy room, after killing the humans and greeting Jake, she gloated over the Yautja bodies and happily severed the head off of the last bad blood.
It now sat on the floor by the crate Jake sat on; it's dull, dead, eyes mutely staring out at nothing…
The doctor looked at the head and gagged.
Even though she had been dissecting one of the corpses earlier, and she had even stripped off their clothes and tribal adornments.
The situation got to her and she immediately felt ill.
Her stomach rumbled with revulsion and she held back a wretch.
'This is so… fucking…' the doctor shuddered. 'This is wrong…'
Jake looked over with slight concern.
"You okay?" he asked.
The doctor nodded and tensely responded, "Y-yes I'm fine…"
She looked forwards towards the female Yautja.
Earlier, when she had first arrived to begin her work the doctor had taken each individual item off the bodies and bagged them in plastic baggies of corresponding size.
She had given a number and an item description to each before packing them into a large grey evidence bin at the end of the autopsy tables.
'All that work…' she thought.
'But it's worth it if you live you idiot!' her inner voice immediately responded.
Touching Jake's shoulder Tawaya clicked and issued a low growl-purr. Jake smiled and touched her hand, returning the gesture.
When she stepped back from him she bent down and took up the decapitated head of the last Bad-Blood and moved to the evidence bin.
The doctor somehow found the courage to speak up, "T-that's everything that was on them in terms of t-technology and ar-armaments…"
Tawaya stopped and turned to look at the doctor.
Tensely the woman held her breath and watched the alien quietly.
Tawaya nodded in acknowledgement and leaned down to put the head into the bin.
The large severed item barely fit into the container, and the dreadlocks spilled over either side of the plastic.
Jake furrowed his brow, "Why do you want the head?" he asked in between bites of yet another fry.
Tawaya leaned down and picked up the bin easily.
Her voice was plain and monotone, "I have the others; I wanted this one as well."
Jake pursed his lips, "Of course… okay then."
All in all, the doctor guessed that the container would have had around fifty pounds of crap in it… coupled with the weight of the head it might have been closer to seventy.
But Tawaya picked it up effortlessly…
The doctor's eyes widened at the ease with which the alien moved.
Despite her fear, despite her uncertain future, the doctor couldn't help but watch with both fascination and unbridled curiosity at the extra-terrestrial that was moving, breathing, and even talking! Right in front of her!
"How do you work?" she ended up blurting out.
Jake furrowed his brow and looked at the doctor in confusion.
Tawaya hadn't heard her or decided not to pay her attention.
Despite not receiving a response the doctor continued to stare in transfixed awe.
Her mind raced as she attempted to analyse the creature.
Tawaya nodded to Jake as she held the container.
Jake made a 'humph' and pointed to the bag of food.
"Come on Tawaya… I mean, it's free."
She made a low rumble sound, and eventually the doctor realised that it was a laugh.
'They… they laugh?' she thought.
Jake continued, "Also… I know the place is doused in petrol… but how are we going to light it?"
He looked at Tawaya for a few seconds before turning to the doctor. Tawaya too turned her head and began looking at the small woman.
Quietly the doctor responded, "I have a l-lighter."
Searching her coat pocket she pulled out a small black disposable plastic lighter.
Jake leaned over to take it and then got down from the box.
As soon as he landed he winced loudly, the cuts in his feet were still fresh and he looked at the female Yautja.
"Hey… uh Tawaya… how are we going to get out of here? It's not like I can walk that far you know…"
Tawaya looked down at the bin of shit and the head she was carrying.
The plain expressionless mask looked back at Jake and the two seemed to silently be in a conversation together.
The doctor stood awkwardly.
The silence was growing until she put her hands into her trouser pockets.
Car keys…
Her eyes opened widely.
"I…" she began. Both Jake and Tawaya looked with interest at the woman.
"I have a rental outside…"
Jake's face became interested and he looked to Tawaya.
"If I give you these keys…" she paused and took a breath, "You'll let me go?"
The alien didn't move but Jake held out his open palm and nodded, "Of course…"
The doctor refused to move, "How do I believe her?" she motioned with her head towards the alien and Jake looked over.
The boy chuckled awkwardly, "I think if she really wanted to kill you she'd have done it by now…"
Jake nodded to Tawaya and smirked, "Right Tawaya?" he asked rhetorically.
Wordlessly the Yautja made a single nod in agreement.
The doctor couldn't tell if she should be relieved or not and slowly she began handing the keys over to the young man.
He sniggered, "though I'd run just for good measure…"
The doctor stopped and Jake easily took hold of the key chain.
Her eyes seemed to ask, 'are you serious.' But she didn't wait for a response and as soon as the keys were out of her grasp she bolted towards the door behind her.
Sprinting down the hall and leaping over Barry's corpse the doctor pushed open the doors to the building and began hyperventilating and ecstatically sobbing as she got farther and farther from the horror show that was their former operations building.
'I did it! I'm out!' she thought.
"I'm OUT!" she triumphantly yelled.
"They're not behind me?" She mumbled in disbelief, she turned her head and darted her eyes over her shoulder.
The street was empty and dark and the building was getting further away.
"They're not behind me!"
She began to laugh and cry in equal measure.
"I'm alive!" she yelled.
The doctor kept sprinting until she was several blocks away from the building. 'I'll go as far as I fucking can, and I am never agreeing to a field operation again!'
-4-
After the doctor sprinted out of the room loudly Jake turned to Tawaya, holding back laughter.
Tawaya grunted and clicked her tusks.
"Oh my god did you see her face?" he asked.
Tawaya nodded.
Jake's laughter petered out and he eventually relaxed his arms.
He stared at Tawaya intently.
He half smiled and made a fake laugh before his voice dropped, "You're really here…"
She nodded.
Jake's face appeared pained and he looked away briefly.
"Heh, okay… I know this is crazy but…" he held up the keys and lighter, "Let's blow this place and get out of here."
Tawaya stood quietly.
"I know I don't have my licence on me, but… I can still drive a mean automatic."
He lightly stepped forwards, heading to the door out of the room he waved Tawaya to follow.
"God help us if it's a stick shift…" he laughed.
-5-
Author's note:
Happy new year everyone!
For whatever reason this one was really difficult to write, and I apologise about the short length… But more will be coming at you soon!
As always I'm open to any comments, tips, tricks, or suggestions, and I hope you've enjoyed my stuff so far. If you see any errors of such point them out please! I've got no editor other than spell-check and sometimes I miss stuff ha.
New chapter to come, new works to come, and as always:
Lots of love,
VV
