Lost in Magadan: Extraterrestrials on Earth

“What? How do you know? How can you help me escape? You are a spy?” Mike was clearly horrified. “Oh, my god. They could kill me just for talking to you. Do you know I have body guards? They will probably be here any minute. Shit.” Mike shouted.

“I disabled their tracking device; we lost your security hours ago,” Nikita said. “I made them the first day we met.”

“You were sent here to spy on me? All this time we have spent, it has just been to what? Get me to leave my job and come work for you? I feel like such a fool. I was falling for you, but you played me. You played me for a fool.”

“That’s not true. I really like you. I would have spent this past week with you regardless of my job. I had a great time and would do it again! Yes, I met you because of my job, but that’s how a lot of people meet. Yes, I was doing my job, but the sex, the sex I did for myself, for us.” She was desperate for him to understand her.

Should I drop the L word? Things are really coming unglued here. Shit, if I have to kill him, can I even do it? Where is the Master?

“So, what now? If I say no? What if I just walk back to the winery?”

“Don’t, please don’t! I love you. I want you to be with me. I know that means you have to quit your job, but we can offer you so much more. We can make you free! You want to live out in the open; it can happen. You want to be a politician; it can happen. You want to be with me, it can happen. Just don’t turn around.”

He stood there, looking into the tears pouring out of her eyes. He knew she believed what she was saying. Whether it was true or not, was another story. She could believe every word she said, but she could still be wrong, dead wrong.

“I believe you. How could your people promise so much? The U.S. Government will chase me down if I leave. You know that.”

“I don’t work for a government. I work for an alien nation. A nation that controls all governments, including the U.S. Government.”

Mike looked confused, “But how?”

“Trust me. Are you willing to come with me? Are you willing to trust me?”

Mike looked directly into her earnest eyes. “Yes,” he answered. “I will go with you.”

No sooner had the word passed through his lips, did the Master’s antigravity fighter materialize. It was hovering at eye level, just over the cliff, 40 feet below the slow-moving river. Mike jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of the strange craft. It silently moved towards them so that it was above the vineyard, between the cliff and them.

“What is that?” Mike asked.

“It’s a space ship. You should know that, Mike.” Nikita rolled her eyes.

“Damn it. I know it’s a space ship. I meant, what is it doing here?”

“That’s my boss, our boss now.”

A hatch opened near the bottom of the craft, and stairs descended to the soft earth below. Calidus walked down the steps and directly up to Mike.

“My name is Calidus Delusor.” The alien stood seven and half feet tall and had a dark gray complexion with large black eyes. He appeared to be thick and muscular, but his body was mostly covered by a dark metallic armor.

Mike looked up at the beast towering over him. “Nikita tells me you can offer me a better deal than the Americans?”

“I can offer you freedom from your captors. I have a secret base, as large as a small country, where you could move about freely and work in the field of your choice. But coming to work for me is a reward.”

“A reward for what?”

“You must bring me something, something of value from your current employer.”

“What do you need?” Mike asked.

“In time.” The beast paused, “You must first prove to me your loyalty.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Mike stood before the powerful creature. He had never seen a Large Gray alien in the wild. He had seen them in captivity; most of them had been killed in battle. Seeing one in person, standing almost eight feet tall in full battle armor, was frightening, to say the least.

This thing could kill me at any moment. Every word I speak could be my last.

“What would you have me do?” Mike asked, fearing the answer.

“You must prove that you are loyal to me,” the creature hissed in its throaty voice.

“But how?” Mike asked again. The creature stood between Mike and the disc shaped craft near the cliffs. Mike noticed that all the clouds had disappeared and that thousands of stars were sparkling in the sky behind a bright, full moon.

The self-proclaimed Calidus Delusor pulled a Glock 22 from a concealed compartment within the armor on his right leg. In the blink of an eye, Calidus was holding the pistol by the barrel with the handle facing toward Mike.

“Take the gun,” Calidus ordered.