Alien Tango

were staring into each other’s eyes, and I could feel its breath. Interestingly, it didn’t smell nearly as bad as the guys who’d been in the swamp had, but I didn’t think I was going to live to share this with anyone. I was still screaming but thought about stopping, because what was the point? I’d be shrieking in pain in just a few moments anyway.
    It lunged toward me, and my scream went up. But before its jaws closed on me, it whipped away. I followed the movement to see Martini swing the ’gator by its tail and fling it down the hall.
    “Get it out of here!” he thundered at someone.
    “You couldn’t knock it out?” Christopher’s voice shouted back.
    “Jump!” Michael’s voice. “Shit! Jump, jump, jump!”
    “Stay there,” Martini said to me. He disappeared. I stayed put.
    I heard some loud bickering, then it got quiet again. I stayed put. I didn’t want to discover Alliflash had outrun an A-C. Because part of me figured it could.
    Martini was in front of me again. He was still a mess, but he had a jacket on and didn’t smell anymore. I assumed one of the girls had something that got rid of swamp gas or else he’d stopped to shower fully clothed.
    “Why the hell did you open the door, where the hell did you go, and what the hell did you think you were doing?” he shouted. At least it wasn’t a bellow. “Paper balls? You were throwing balled up paper at an alligator ?”
    I couldn’t help it; my lower lip started quivering, and tears came into my eyes. I tried to talk but realized I’d burst into tears if I did, so I shut my mouth.
    Martini’s expression softened. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” He reached for me, and the tears came. He pulled me into his arms, and I buried my face in his neck and let the hysterics come. My legs were tired, but I couldn’t be sure that an alligator wasn’t coming by, so I wrapped them around his waist. I didn’t care about the ick on his clothes, I just wanted to be safe, and I knew I was safe if he was holding me.
    He turned around so he could see down the hall, and he rocked me. “Kitty, baby, why’d you open the door?” He stroked my back.
    “I wanted to help you.” This came out like a wail.
    “Why didn’t you scream when you first saw the alligator? I could have gotten to you a whole lot sooner if I’d realized you were in danger.”
    “You couldn’t feel how scared I was?” I felt hurt and a little bit betrayed. He was the super empath and he didn’t notice?
    He kissed the side of my head. “Baby, you were scared already, everyone else was radiating some form of fear or terror, and my blocks are going haywire, so my filtering isn’t working well. We had to secure the room, Lorraine went ballistic and sprayed me down while giving me the big lecture about overdoing it, I had to convince ACE to put the hostages down, things were hectic. By the time I felt your fear move up to terror, you were nowhere in sight. I tried to follow you, but you were moving so much that it was an erratic trail.” His arms tightened around me. “It had you cornered twice, didn’t it?”
    I nodded, my face still buried in his neck. “I hurdled it the first time.” Memory tickled. “There are some people locked in a room wherever I was cornered first.”
    “We found them. You left a strong signature there.”
    “You make it sound like I lifted my leg against the wall.”
    He laughed. “No. Emotions leave a trail like scent does. Normally it’s fairly easy to hone in on terror, but you were moving so much and so fast, it was confusing the trail.”
    “I’m sorry.” My tears were slowing down, but I was still a long way from calm.
    “Screaming was a good idea. Wish you’d done it sooner.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    Martini sighed. “Baby, stop apologizing. You were just . . . being you.” He moved me so I was looking at his face. “I love you, Kitty, and I don’t want anything to hurt or frighten you.”
    “Is everyone okay?”
    He smiled. “Yeah, baby, everyone’s fine. Our human guys are a little beaten up, but they’re okay. Oh, by the way . . . sugartits?” I was still crying but I started to giggle. Martini shook his head. “And, walrus-boy? What the hell were you doing calling James walrus-boy?” He gave me a beady look. “You’re not really interested in his walrus, are you?”
    I burst into laughter. “No, Jeff, only yours.”
    He grinned. “Good to know.” He bent and kissed me, and my body started to relax.
    Our kiss