Alien Tango

crouched low.
    “We didn’t barge in, thanks for the warning,” Martini said softly. “Let me know when you can sit up without gagging—we can’t afford the noise.”
    I nodded—slowly. Head felt reasonably okay. I nodded again, and Martini helped me get to a sitting position. My lower back hurt, and I reached around—amazingly, the Glock I’d shoved into the back of my pants was still there. I’d forgotten about it. I wondered if this meant my butt was too big.
    “No, it’s perfect, we’ve just been busy.” Martini grinned at my expression. “Some of your emotions are like reading a bulletin.” I raised an eyebrow. “You reached behind you and felt surprised, then insecure,” he explained, grin still on full.
    “Nice. So, what’s our situation?”
    “We’re going to wish you had more guns in your purse,” Christopher said, his voice low and tense. “Take a look, but be careful.”
    I realized we were under a set of windows. I moved up onto my knees, Martini supporting me, to see an interesting sight. The room was big, and it looked just like in the movies, so I knew we were at Mission Control. There were two groups of people, one on each side of the room. Well, three groups—but I didn’t count the guys in the middle who were holding a lot of guns trained on the other groups.
    I spotted our team with the smaller group of people. A good many of these were female, and all of them were really great looking. The other group had what were clearly humans in it.
    “Remember dear Maureen from Saguaro International, and her big scene?”
    “Yes,” Martini said. Christopher and Gower nodded.
    “Well, this is exactly what she was claiming. They’ve separated the A-Cs and overt A-C supporters away from the regular humans.”
    “That’s beyond bad,” Brian said. He was looking at the scene like the rest of us. “Some of your guys look the worse for wear.”
    Kevin, Reader, Tim, and my five pilots were all bound, and the Security team had done some soccer practice on them. Chee was also bound, as were a couple of other human males I didn’t know but had to assume were A-C friendlies.
    “Well, at least most of our weapons are in your dad’s office.”
    “Think we have time to get them?” Christopher asked.
    “I don’t think we can use them,” Martini said, and he sounded as he always did in these kinds of situations—pissed off and totally in charge. “Too many civilians, too much risk.”
    “I could try creating a diversion.” It was interesting to hear the word ‘No!’ hissed by five different men. I felt as though I were in a room full of big, angry cats. A weird idea hit me. “Um, Jeff? Are you strong enough to wrestle an alligator and win?”
    Dead silence filled our little area. Christopher broke it. “Did I actually hear that right?”
    “Yes. Can any of you wrestle an alligator and have a hope of winning?”
    “Probably,” Martini allowed. “But why?”
    Brian chuckled. “Same old Kitty. There are alligators here; we’re kind of proud of them. And we have some big ones, too.”
    “How nice. A zoo trip. Perhaps after we save everyone.” Martini had the sarcasm knob up to full again.
    “No, a distraction. I don’t care how safe a gun makes you feel, it doesn’t compare to a big-ass alligator heading for you with intent to snack.”
    Gower was twitching. “Paul, are you okay?” Michael asked.
    Gower sort of nodded. “ACE is having trouble understanding what’s going on.” He looked at me. “Can you give it a go?”
    “Sure. ACE, there are people who aren’t as nice as others. People who would have been happy if you’d killed Michael instead of getting him home safely.”
    “Why?” Gower asked in the voice that I was recognizing as signifying ACE was in control of their brain.
    “Lots of reasons. But the main one is that he’s an A-C. The men in there with the guns, they don’t care that they’re threatening helpless people. They want to get rid of the A-Cs, and they don’t care how they do it.”
    “But A-Cs here have nowhere else to go. Exiled. Must live with Earth. They help Earth, every day.”
    “I know. But those people with the guns don’t care.”
    “ACE is from A-C, too. Would they hate ACE, even though here to protect?”
    “Yes, they would. They would fear you, like they fear the A-Cs.”
    “But why?”
    Brian answered. “Because, in so many ways, they’re better than we are.”
    “Explain. Please.”
    Brian shrugged. “They’re