Alien Tango

might. He’d be as likely to know as my father.”
    Okay, something to do when we got a moment. Call the Pontifex and demand some answers. While dodging murderous attacks, finding out who killed Smith and why, and making a good impression on Martini’s parents. Not a problem, I was great at multitasking.
    We taxied into what looked like a humongous hangar and then to what looked like a regular docking bay. It wasn’t overly lit inside, and I had a hard time making much out through the windows. It reminded me of every horror movie I’d ever seen. “Where are the weapons stored?” I wanted a gun for some reason.
    “In the cache,” Christopher said. Martini and Gower pulled up the floor. I was intrigued that until they did it, you couldn’t have told there was a storage area under there. Christopher slipped into the hole and started handing up guns and clips.
    “Nice,” Kevin said under his breath.
    “I’m sure they have permits.” I doubted it highly, but I had no issues with lying.
    Kevin chuckled. “I’m betting they don’t, but that’s okay. They have their own sovereignty.”
    “They do?” Geez, what else didn’t I know?
    “Like the American Indians, only their reservations are a little more spread out.”
    Interesting—I’d heard the American Indian comparison before, but not the reservation part of the equation. “So, are they considered an ethnic minority?”
    “For some governmental purposes, yes, although they’re also American citizens, either naturalized or legally born here.” Kevin grinned at me. “I only learned this a few months ago myself.”
    “Yeah, well, some of us get the key information last.” Christopher handed me something I was familiar with, a Glock 23. “Awww, my favorite.”
    “Your mother asked that we have some on hand for you.” Christopher shook his head. “Why don’t you carry one all the time?”
    Because I constantly forgot to set the safety, but I didn’t feel like sharing that aloud. “The harpoon takes up a lot of space in my purse.”
    “That thing could hold an entire department store and probably has,” Christopher muttered as he handed more guns out. This was true, but not really the issue at hand.
    “How many weapons are we taking with us? I mean, one Glock and a few clips I can carry. I could stuff another set into my luggage, but that’s about it.” Christopher handed a huge case complete with shoulder strap up to Gower. I took a close look. “A rocket launcher? We carry rocket launchers? On purpose?”
    “Yep.” Martini took it from Gower as Christopher handed another one up.
    “Are you guys insane? We walk out with this stuff, and we’ll be filled with bullets faster than you can say ‘I’m a sociopath headed to Mickey D’s.’ ”
    “Relax,” Martini said with a grin. He pushed something on the case and it disappeared. Gower did the same, then grabbed the third launcher case Christopher handed up.
    “I think that’s good for now,” Christopher said as he climbed out.
    “You mean there’s more in there? What is this, the Guns and Ammo Mobile Christmas Catalog? I thought you all were supposedly pacifistic.”
    Christopher took the third case and turned it invisible. “You worry too much. You need to get her to relax, Jeff.”
    “Normally I could say that’d happen with a lot of confidence. Considering where we’ll be sleeping, maybe we should bring along some grenades.”
    “We have grenades?” I was hitting a pitch where soon only dogs would be able to hear me.
    “Relax, girlfriend. It’s all good.” Reader sauntered in from the cockpit. “We’re supposedly all clear. God alone knows who or what’ll be greeting us. I say we have at least handguns ready, though concealed would probably be wisest.” Gower handed him two guns and several clips, which Reader put about his person.
    Tim came back and got his armaments. Even Kevin took a couple of extra guns. The rest were put into everyone’s luggage. I had three Glocks and more clips than I could count shoved into mine. “My clothes are gonna be wrecked.”
    “Relax,” Christopher said. “Your concert shirts are safe.” He did know me well, I had to admit. “If you need more standard issue, we can get that easily.” The clothes, like the soft drinks and snackage, showed up whenever, wherever, as long as it was an A-C controlled facility. But still, I didn’t want to wear Eau de Gunpowder for this entire trip.
    “Ready?” Martini