Dib smiled as he reached to hand the girl a five. She took his hand and drew the bill away slowly, hips swaying as she put the money between her teeth and flipped upside down on her pole. He leaned back and watched, hands folded in his lap. This wasn't his scene, especially considering most of these girls were so close to underage they were probably still seventeen in a different timezone, but he was trying to fit in and seem like he was enjoying himself. The precinct had suspected this club of trafficking for some time now and him being the youngest member on the force, they'd chosen him to scope it out.
Warmth on his ear startled him and he turned his head quickly. A brunette, older than the other girls but still young enough to attract customers, smiled and reached to grab the collar of his jacket, tugging lightly. She straightened and started walking away, heels clicking. Dib rose to follow her, giving the girl on stage one last look. He was only human. She smiled and wagged goodbye at him before turning her attention to the only other customer at the stage.
The woman led him to the back rooms, drawing aside a curtain and gesturing for him to enter. He stepped into the dimly-lit room and looked around, frowning. Hands slid around his hips, turning him slowly and pushing him to sit on the edge of the round bed. Lips caressed his throat, hands expertly removing his coat. He swallowed thickly as she pressed him back against the bed, sidling onto his lap and grinding her hips down against him. His gun dug into his lower back painfully.
"You look like a cop," she whispered in his ear before giving it a nip.
He forced a smile as she kissed along his neck and chest slowly, working her way down.
"Do I, now?"
The woman sat up, his badge in her teeth. She took it between two fingers and turned it over, looking at it, then at him, brow raised.
He sat up on his elbows, making a face.
"What, we can't have fun too?"
"My girls are clean," she said, sliding off him and crossing her arms. Dib got up and smoothed his shirt out, hoping it was dark enough for her not to notice the uncomfortable tightness in his jeans.
"We've heard rumors of trafficking," he replied, reaching to take his badge from her and clip it on his belt.
"Absolutely not. My girls are all of age, cop."
"Detective. And that still doesn't make it right."
"Hey," she snapped, "They come to work for me, I don't force anyone into this."
"You're exploiting fresh college kids who can't pay their bills."
"Yeah, we all make a living," she looked him up and down, smirking. "You're telling me you never plant? You never push allegations? You have numbers to make up, just like the rest of us."
"I don't do that," he replied, picking up his coat. "But yeah, okay, we all make a living. Just let me look around, alright?"
"Make it quick. If the owner finds out she'll eat you and me alive, and that's not as good as it sounds," she licked her lips and turned, flapping the curtain open as she stepped out.
He regained his composure and stepped after her. He explored the club thoroughly, checking IDs and poking around the back rooms, avoiding the 'occupied' ones. The brunette followed him silently. He couldn't find anything much incriminating other than a few fake IDs. He turned to her.
"Get these girls out of here," he said, holding up the fake IDs he'd confiscated. "You know I can't do anything since the Mann Act was overturned but keep it clean."
"You done?" she put her hands on her hips, pouting. Business never seemed too far from her mind.
He looked around once more and his brow furrowed as he noticed a door near the back of the stage.
"What's that?"
"What?"
He started walking towards the door, tucking the IDs in his pocket. She hurried alongside him.
"Just a utility closet," she said, glancing over her shoulder at a working girl who was approaching them. She waved and the girl nodded, trotting away as best her heels would allow.
"Open it." He stopped at the door and looked at her.
"I don't think I have a key for it."
"I said open it."
She bit her lip, shifting.
"Open it," he demanded again, reaching behind him to touch his weapon. She reached into her bra and pulled out a key, not looking at him as she leaned to unlock the door and push it open. The woman stepped back and glared up at him.
"Well go on," she snapped.
"Don't you move," he warned before drawing a small flashlight from his pocket and clicking it on. A set of wooden stairs led down into darkness and he descended slowly, shining the light around when he reached the bottom. The woman watched him from the top of the stairs. He found a light switch on the wall at the bottom of the stairs and flipped it on. Dirty lights flickered to life, buzzing overhead with harsh fluorescent. A hallway stretched in front of him and he approached the first door on the right, peering in through the small window and shining the light inside. A young girl dressed in nothing more than a large tattered tshirt looked up at him from a corner, lifting a hand to pull her hair away from her face to see. He moved to the next room quickly, peering inside. Another young girl, no older than fifteen or sixteen. Dib checked the next three rooms after that, finding young girls in each. He pulled out his cellphone and started to dial but paused, squinting at a windowless door near the end of the hallway. He approached it and reached to turn the knob, pushing it open slowly. A figure huddled in the corner silently.
"Hey, are you alright?" he asked softly, shining his light into the room. The figure lifted its head and red eyes gleamed at him. Dib stepped back quickly, startled. The shadow blinked and shifted, crawling forward on hands and knees into the light of the hall. Dib stared at the creature, mouth open. It stopped at the edge of the doorway and reached out a hand to him, head bowed. It was naked, its skin pale green all over.
"You found the prize," the brunette said as she stepped towards them, heels clicking harshly on the concrete.
"What.. What is this?" Dib asked, staring at the creature.
"We don't know. Owner bought it off a sideshow attraction up in Utica. Some of the customers like it. Big bucks. Exotic."
The creature lifted its head to look up at him again, hand still outstretched. A childhood memory clicked and Dib's eyes widened. Fifteen years ago, his father. Sideshow.
"Its very obedient," she continued, arms crossed over her bare midriff. There wasn't much on her that wasn't bare. He pocketed his flashlight and slid out of his jacket.
"What are you doing?" she asked as he knelt down and put his coat over the creature's back. It flinched when touched and lowered its head again without a sound. He didn't respond, taking it's hand and drawing it to its feet. He pulled the hood over its head, careful of the two velvety stalks pinned against its skull, and pulled the coat tight around it. It didn't object, lifting its hands to hold the coat closed around it.
"Hey," she stepped forward and grabbed his arm. He turned quickly, pulling from her grasp.
"You stay right here and don't you move. You're under arrest." He touched the creature's shoulder and encouraged it forward. It went with him easily, head down as it followed him to the stairs.
"Boss isn't going to just let you take him," the woman called. "Girls are replaceable but that thing.."
He led the creature upstairs and glared at the congregation of working girls that had gathered around.
"Get out of here," he said. They turned quickly, hurrying to grab clothes and purses and coats. He wouldn't have to tell them twice. The lone man sitting at the stage wisely took leave as well.
Dib led the creature outside into the dark, glancing around before escorting it to his vehicle. He unlocked and opened the back door.
"Here now, get in and lay down," he said. The creature obeyed, crawling into the back seat and laying down, still huddled inside his large trenchcoat. He closed the door and called the district, reporting what he'd found.
Officers arrived quickly, blue lights flashing around the dark parking lot. They rescued six girls, all underage, the youngest being twelve. The brunette was taken in for questioning and would be facing serious charges. Dib handed over the fake IDs though he doubted they'd find the working girls. If they were smart they'd disappear and rethink their lifestyle choices.
"Hey, good job Membrane," his supervisor approached him as the last girl was carried out.
He smiled tiredly.
"It gets to you. Four years and it still gets to you."
"I know, but you did good," the older man clapped his shoulder before going to help clear the premises.
Dib fished his keys from his pocket and slid into his vehicle at the edge of the parking lot. He started it up and pulled away from the building, not glancing into the back seat until he was out of sight of the others. The creature was still exactly where he'd left it, curled up on the back seat under his coat.
Dib looked forward again, wondering for the first time what the fuck he was thinking. Too late now. He drove home in silence, pulling into his garage and parking. He got out and opened the rear door.
"Hey, come on," he almost asked, unsure how to address the thing. It got up and crawled out, standing before him. He locked the car and led it into the house, the living room.
"Wait here," he said as he went to his bedroom. He searched for a few minutes, coming up with an old pair of jeans and a sweater that didn't really fit him anymore. He returned to the creature and set the clothing on the coffee table beside it.
"Here, you can wear these."
Dib left to his bathroom to give the creature some privacy. Dib washed his face and sighed, rubbing at his chin as he looked in the mirror. He needed a shave. He picked up his razor and turned on the warm water but a loud crash startled him and he hurried back to the other room. The creature was perched atop his filing cabinet in the corner. The clothes he'd given it hung off its gaunt body, making it appear even thinner.
It stared wide-eyed at his cat, whom was sniffing the overturned potted plant in the middle of the floor.
"It's okay," he said, reaching down to rub the cat's back. It purred and leaned up into his touch, tail lifting. The cat twined between his legs a few times before moving towards the kitchen, meowing. Dib looked up at the creature again and offered a hand to help it down, wondering how the hell it had gotten up there so easily. It shied away and he lowered his arm.
"Alright, it's alright," he said softly. "You're fine."
He moved into the kitchen at the urging of Ellie and took down a can of kitty food. The cat jumped up onto the counter and rubbed against his hand as he opened the can and scraped food into her dish. He gave her ear a rub and tossed the can away. The creature watched silently from atop the cabinet. Dib glanced at him, then opened the fridge.
"Are you hungry?" It looked absolutely starved, nothing but bone beneath the green skin. He looked around and had no idea what to even offer it. Maybe some leftover lasagna? He brought out the covered dish and set it on the counter, taking down two dishes. He microwaved the food, returned the dish to the fridge, and carried them to the living room.
"Here," he offered, setting the bowl on the coffee table and then sitting in a chair across the room with his own, giving the creature space.
It peered down at the bowl, antennae lifting off its head slightly and twitching. It then looked away to the cat again, disinterested though the hunger in its eyes was clear. Dib noted this as he ate.
When finished, he rose and carried his bowl to the kitchen sink. Ellie meowed for more food but he scratched her chin instead, smiling.
"No, fatty. You're on a diet now, remember?"
He looked over the counter at the creature thoughtfully.
"Come here."
It glanced at him nervously, not meeting his eye, and began climbing down off the cabinet slowly. It stepped around the counter but kept a distance, eyeing the cat warily. Dib shooed Ellie away and waved for the creature to come into the kitchen. It did as told, head lowered.
"Look," Dib said, opening the cabinets. "I want you to find whatever you want, okay?" A brief horrific thought crossed his mind as he imagined the creature's carnivorous potential but he brushed it away. The creature looked around the kitchen briefly but didn't move. Dib turned and left, hoping maybe some space would bring it around to feeling more comfortable. He went to his office and sat down to his computer with a sigh.
What has he brought into his house? He turned his monitor on and typed in 'Utica sideshow'. He found a few news articles featuring the 'Utica Sideshow and Freak Exhibit'. Apparently the seasonal sideshow had closed down ten years earlier due to numerous complaints from concerned parents about the oddities and 'freaks' featured in the show. He found a few photos of ponies with 'horns' taped to their foreheads, two-headed piglets and snakes, a 29-inch tall woman ('Worlds smallest woman!'). A little more digging found a dark, blurry image of the creature he remembered as a child sitting in its folding chair in the gated booth. The creature now in his kitchen.
'Real live alien!' the caption read. He clicked the forum and scrolled through the comment section.
'Guy in a mask'
'I remember this. terrifying'
'so fake'
'lol whats that even supposed to be. ?'
Dib bookmarked the sites and brought up his closing reports due that night. He switched to his reading glasses as he started working. There was definitely something he would omit.