Alien Tango

catch her on foot.”
    “Where are you, we’ll come get you.”
    “Find a vehicle. Seriously.” He sounded tired, and I could hear him panting a bit, though he was trying to hide it.
    “Jeff, do you need adrenaline?” I tried to keep my voice from rising, but I failed if Reader putting his arm around me was any indication.
    “Probably not any time soon.” He couldn’t even lie on the phone.
    “Okay, look where are you? How do we find you?” I was moving to hysterical, I could feel it.
    Gower took the phone out of my hand. “Where are you, exactly? Uh-huh, right. Okay, Kitty and I’ll be there.” He hung up, handed me my phone, Reader let go of me, Gower grabbed me, and we were off.
    Not at full speed, I assumed because Gower didn’t want me to pass out. We whizzed around more things that were completely unfamiliar. I wasn’t even trying to look. I was trying to stay calm.
    We stopped in an area that looked like wetlands. The others were a few feet away from us. “Make it fast,” Gower said. “I’m pretty sure we have alligators about.”
    “Fabulous.”
    Martini was on his knees, hands on his thighs, looking as though he’d run a marathon. Christopher was struggling with Serene—there was nothing he could do to help because she was nuts. “Serene, cut the crap, you moron,” I snapped as I ran to Martini. “You really think I want Brian when I have Jeff? We were doing it because you’re just stupid enough to fall for it, and that way Jeff and Christopher could save your life.”
    “You lied to me!” she screamed. “You tricked me!”
    “ACE! I need help here! I don’t know what you can or can’t do, but she’s super powerful and she’s totally nuts. She’s a threat, but most of it’s not her fault. Is there anything you can do?”
    “Yes, Kitty,” Gower said in his ACE-voice. “Will help Christopher.”
    I laid Martini on the ground. “Baby, this is gonna suck.” I ripped his shirt open.
    “Just tell me . . . you didn’t like it with him.” He was gasping.
    I dug out the harpoon and filled it. “Didn’t like it. Didn’t dislike it. It was work, part of the job. It wasn’t fun, it wasn’t titillating. It was boring.” I did what I always did, leaned down, kissed his forehead. “I love you, Jeff.”
    Then I plunged the harpoon into his hearts, and he bellowed in agony.

CHAPTER 56
    JUST AS AT THE SPACE CENTER, I had to fling myself on top of him to try to keep him somewhat still. I managed to get the harpoon put away and put my whole body on him. I was crying, I couldn’t help it. He was out of his mind again, and I’d had to stab him twice in less than twenty-four hours. This was dangerous for him and horrible for me. And Christopher and Gower had to deal with Serene, so I had no help at all.
    Martini was thrashing wildly, worse than when he’d been injured. He flipped us, and my head slammed into the ground. He reared back, and I managed to roll out of the way of his fist. His eyes were wild.
    “Jeff . . . Jeff, it’s me, it’s Kitty. Stop.”
    He grabbed me, and I could tell he didn’t know who I was. He was roaring, and he started to shake me. He could kill me like this—he was strong enough to do it normally, and the adrenaline made him even stronger. I tried to fight him, but I couldn’t do it. I was still crying, but now it was from fear.
    “Jeff ... please .” I heard something, something not human. Gower had said there were alligators nearby. “Jeff, something’s going to kill us. There’s a ’gator coming!” I was freaked and terrified, and I couldn’t get free from him.
    An image appeared, close to my head. It was floating, but it looked sort of like a warped devil. Martini spotted it and let go of me to try to grab it. He rolled off, still thrashing and bellowing, now hitting air.
    I managed to drag myself to my hands and knees. Christopher and Gower seemed to have Serene under control. But there was something out there, and Martini was fighting a figment of, I had to guess, Christopher’s making. I staggered to my feet and went to him. I could feel the animal watching us, and all I wanted to do was run.
    Martini was still going strong. I waited until he was on his stomach, then I dropped onto his back and wrapped an arm around his neck. He flipped again, but I had my head tucked this time. He was heavy, but I wrapped my legs around him and squeezed. I’d learned how to ground fight, and I’d also been taught that I wanted my opponent