Chapter XI

"Don't ask questions," Joe Tyler told his wife and son as he loaded their suitcases into the back of his wife's, Sandy Tyler's, SUV, "I just have a bad feeling about something and I don't want you near me until I'm sure it's past."

Sandy looked sternly at her husband, "I don't like this. What's going on?"

Tyler looked deeply into his wife's eyes and took her hand, "Please," he said softly, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

Sandy changed her complexion to a loving smile and nodded, "Okay, Joe, okay."

He kissed her gently and then stood back as she got into the SUV and started it up. He waved slowly as she backed out of the driveway and headed out.

Tyler lingered outside, shielding his eyes from the Kansas midday sun, as the black sport utility vehicle drove out of sight, with his family inside. He knew he couldn't risk his family being hurt by whatever this thing was. He had told them to go to Sandy's parent's house until he said it was all right. Luckily enough, Sandy finally gave in and Tyler's son, Michael, didn't have any objections after his encounter.

Tyler made his way back in to his home and sat in his favorite chair in the living room for a couple of minutes. Right after turning on the television to a Kansas City Chiefs game, the phone rang. Tyler tiredly got up, his body was aching from the lack of sleep he had had the past few nights. The phone had rung three times by the time he got to it and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" he asked.

"Hello, Sheriff," said the voice of T. B. Walker, "Very noble thing of you to try and get your family out of harms way."

"Walker," began Tyler, "How the hell do you know about that?"

"I wouldn't be doing my job very well if I didn't keep tabs on those important to my cause," replied the eccentric New Englander. Walker had proven himself to be a clever and stubborn who was seemingly obsessed with finding this "Predator" of his.

"I do not tolerate my privacy being intruded upon by you and your people," began Tyler, "I swear, if I had proof of you doing that, I would have you cut down in court as soon as I could."

Walker simply began to chuckle, "No need to get offended friend. I simply wanted to know what you had been telling people."

"I haven't been saying anything except for when you barged into my home a few days ago," replied Tyler, angrily.

"I realize that," Walker said. Tyler could tell he was smiling, "And I must commend you for that."

"Thank you," Tyler answered with contempt. With that, he hung up the receiver.

The city-cop-turned-small-town-sheriff sat and pondered the events he had experienced in the past week or so. Two people had died, a child hospitalized from shock, cattle were found dead, the green, glowing liquid he had found when he went to look around on Lady Greyhound road, and a lunatic chasing aliens had come to town with scientists. These thoughts lulled him to sleep.

*  *  *

The Yautja encroached upon the Pyode Amedha dwelling just after nightfall; he grew tired of sulking about the outskirts of their community. He came across this particular building with the notice of the large amount of primitive projectile weapons that the Pyode Amedha used.

One of the native bipeds sat asleep inside with some form of electronic projector playing in front of him. One of the projectile weapons sat across his lap. Another one sat polishing another weapon while yet another sat and bottled a white powder and put the bottles into boxes. He then proceeded to open another box that was revealed to have small strips of a green paper that had markings all over it.

The Yautja leaned in close the glass window that he was peering at the Pyode Amedha through. Much to his surprise, a small canine began barking at him through the window. The bipeds suddenly scurried up to their feet and pointed their weapons at the window, but could not see the Yautja because he had activated his cloaking device.

Now was the time to claim some trophies, the visiting alien decided, and made his move. After ejecting his wrist blades, he quickly broke the window before him and jumped into the building. The Pyode Amedha were quickly frightened and began firing their weapons into the area of the window. One of the stray projectiles lodged itself into the creature's shoulder. After letting out a small cry of pain, the Yautja lunged for the three bipeds and quickly dispatched them.

The first he used his wrist blades to cut open his chest. The biped's red, iron-based blood pooled on the floor as its life quickly faded.

The second biped was subjected to the Yautja's spear gun. The spear itself packed so much force that when its tip hit the biped's head; it tore away the biped's head and stuck it to the wall after going through the skull. A mistake, on the Yautja's part; he had meant to hit the native in the chest so that the skull could still be claimed as a trophy, but now it was likely to be useless due to being crushed.

The third, which had been bottling the white powder, threw the box full of the green paper at the Yautja right before the Yautja's shoulder cannon blew his chest apart.

After the carnage was over, the canine which had alerted the bipeds to the Yautja's presence, lie whimpering in a corner while the alien claimed the heads and spines of the first and third bipeds, while he determined the second would be useless and left it.

He smirked at his new trophies as he left the building, in order to heal his wound.

*  *  *

When the call came to Tyler this time, he was finishing up watching a movie that had come on HBO. "What's wrong now?" he asked after seeing on his just installed Caller ID that it was the police department calling him.

"Boss," said the voice of Deputy Willis, "We were about to make a bust on a suspected crack house when we got a call that someone already got them."

"Where?" Tyler asked.

*  *  *

Tyler arrived on the scene of a bloody massacre. When he first arrived in the house, the first thing that him was the smell of massive amounts of blood. Second was the sight of the blood, which was literally all over. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, and even the furniture were at the very least spotted with dark red.

Then the sight of the three mutilated bodies made Tyler fight back the urge to vomit.

He sighed, "I don't think we can keep this from our public…"