The World of Myth Magazine

I sat in the room for what felt like hours. I knew if we didn't get moving now, we would lose the chance to find the gun and fix this situation. It is not like we can just walk out the door either not with these fancy leg bracelets. Going BOOM is not in my plans.

Chaz on the other hand was pacing back and forth in the room since the guards left. He was muttering in his language and his tentacles were moving around his head like they were fire.

I was about to yell at him to park it when Agent Evora entered the room followed by Smith and Wesson and his partner Tan Boy. Chaz stopped dead in his tracks and whimpered.

Evora looked over at Chaz "Can you find the weapon?"

Chaz looked at me and then gulped. He then looked over at her and replied with a happy whimper. "Oh yes, No problem Boss Lady."

"Excellent. You have exactly seven hours to find the weapon and bring it back here otherwise I give the order and your leg to be engaged."

"We get the idea," I replied "But I want a faster car and no limits on where we can go to get it. It's not like we can run aways" I said while pointing at my leg bracelet.

Evora pulled out what look like an oversized cell phone and tapped on the screen. "Done, you can leave now."

"What no lunch? Chaz asked. I stood and headed towards the door. I grabbed the back of Chaz's shirt on the way and dragged him from the room. "Okay so we are having lunch on the road?"

Smith and Wesson and Tan Boy followed us to the parking garage. It was completely empty except for the Black BMW. Well at least we can die in style.

Tan Boy tossed me a key fob. "This is our car, and we want it back in one piece"

I slid into the passenger seat and started the car as Chaz slid into the passenger seat. Rolling down the window I answered Tan Boy "Then make sure your boss doesn't push the button with us in here." I ground the BMW into gear, on purpose I know how to drive a standard, and tore out of the parking lot.

Our destination was simple, the next available parking lot. We had no idea where the gun was or how to find it and we only have seven hours to find it. "So, Chaz buddy oh pal…Where is the gun?".

Chaz hesitated, "Well I don't know but if I can have a few minutes and your promise not to tell your people. I think I might be able to home in on it."

"Home in on it?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows. "Never mind, sure, why not, it is not like we have any other option and besides it's not any weirder than anything else this week."

"We, our people, can sense each other over distances. There might be enough energy in the gun."

"Just want to point out that in seven hours Evora will push a big red button and turn us into a million little pieces. So, if we can't find this weapon in seven hours …"

He looked at me and gulped "Not helping."

"Focus!" I told him.

Chaz pulled his legs up into the seat with him and he began to make this ungodly noise. It was like a bear with a cold was attempting to hum. At this point I got out of the car to let him hum in peace.

I sat on the hood of the car and watched the pigeons around us. You know the feeling you get when you know you are being watched or something is about to go terribly wrong. Well, I had that feeling when another black BMW pulled into the parking lot.

I leapt to my feet just as the bullets started to fly. "Break time is over Chaz. Where is the gun?" I asked as I fell into the driver's seat. More bullets were directed at us as I put the car into gear and hurtled onto the road. As a hit man I have never been so happy that a car was bullet proof. "Oh Chaz," I asked as I spun the car around another corner. "Directions would be nice."

Chaz mumbled "Go West."

"West?" I asked. "Right, left, my way, your way, keep it simple here. People are shooting at us"

"Follow the sun." He said.

"Fine Cowboy driving into the sunset it is" only problem was we were driving away from the sun. Then I saw it. The entrance to the westbound lanes of the highway on the other side of the road. Two birds and one stone. I slammed on the brakes causing the car to spin on the road. Miraculously I did not flip the car or hit another one, but we were facing the entrance to the highway. I floored the accelerator and sped onto the highway leaving our tail. "So, we are tailless and riding off into the sunset. Now what?"

Chaz sat in silence, so I just continued driving into the sunset. "Exit here." came Chaz's voice still sounding like a bear. "Turn here" came a second command.

"My way or your way?" I asked.

He made this annoying sigh and then said. "Mine."

I turned and soon found ourselves heading out into the middle of nowhere. Grass and fields all around us. "So now what?" I asked.

"Keep going." He mumbled. "Look for the tower. Tower leads to energy."

"What the hell does that mean?" Chaz just continued to make that weird annoying humming sound. So, I did like he asked and followed the road. And there it was a small telecommunication tower right beside a well-traveled dirt laneway that led up a small hill.

Chaz stopped humming and looked at me. "It is up that way" pointing up the laneway. I drove as far up the hill as we could. We soon found ourselves in a dirt parking lot that sat beside a small square building with another larger telecommunication tower on top of it. As we pulled in, we passed another vehicle leaving with a lady driver and this massive dog in the back. We watched her disappear down the laneway.

I looked over at Chaz who looked rather not well. Chaz had turned a pasty white and his eyes were drooping shut. "Hey dude" I said as I shook him.

Chaz peered at me and fell over in the seat. He looked past me before he fell over on me. "That is so hard. I think the weapon is here or my people are here. So hard to tell."

I got out of the car and looked around at the building and tower. The building looked like a storage shed or small garage with a car sized door and double wide man doors. Chaz crawled out of the car and leaned against the car. "So now what?"

"Now we see if we are in the right place or not." I said and then started to walk up to the man-sized doors.

Chaz pushed himself off the car and walked slowly towards me. "If this, is it on the way back, I want more ice-cream."

"If this, is it and we live, you can have a whole liter of the stuff."

"Spazz." He said and then sat down. "You see if they are home. I will keep the dirt warm."

"Rest their amigo." I said and then made my way up to the door.

Upon reaching the door, I turned the handle and was surprised to find it unlocked. The door opened onto a poorly lit hallway. I looked back to see Chaz had fallen over and was sleeping on the ground by the car. He was going to be no help. It was just me and no back up.

I stepped into the hallway and proceeded slowly and came to an empty room. I looked around the room to see if I could see anything. Nothing. It was a dead end. Voices, indistinct, coming out of the floor. "Shit, an elevator." I backed into one of the corners. Hopefully they wouldn't see me in the poor light.

The floor opened and a freight elevator rose. On the elevator was an array of packing crates some open some closed and two men in black suits standing on it. "I assure you, Lord Byron, that all is well. We have the weapon, and we are working at locating all who were modified by it. We are analyzing this weapon and see if we can find a way to reverse what it has done.

"I want action not excuses." Lord Byron demanded. Well, I assume it is Lord Byron after all that is what the other guy called him. "I want results now, Emmerson. And find that alien. I want its head as a trophy."

"Sir?" Emmerson asked.

"You heard me. This is my town and I run it not the government." He spoke. "This alien is going to pay for what he has done to my followers."

"I'm not sure if sending the alien to a taxidermy is the best use. We should experiment on him and dissect what is left. Perhaps then we can…"

"Fine, whatever. Just put his head on my wall. You can keep the rest. Keep me informed." Byron all but yelled and he stormed off down the tunnel towards the exit.

The scientist nodded and moved back to the elevator controls. I slipped into one of the empty crates when Byron and what only could be described as goons came in. The goons were caring Chaz between them. "Seems to have solved one of your problems Emmerson." Turning to the goons motioned to another crate "Put him in there and get it to the lab. Order the perimeter guards to do a sweep the other one is around somewhere." Byron walked back out the hallway.

Emerson started the elevator, and we began to sink back into the floor. "Put him in Bio-Lab Three and then go find that new assistant. He is probably lost again."

At the bottom I watch while they hauled Chaz's crate away. I sat in silence for a few minutes longer to make sure no one was around and crept out of my hiding hole only to bump into a skinny guy in a lab coat, great the lab assistant. This was perfect, my fist flew and cold cocked him before he knew anything had happened. I quickly took his lab coat and ID badge and tumbled him into the crate I was hiding and closed it. Perfect step one of the master plan complete.

The coat was too small, and I looked nothing like the ID, but beggars can't be choosers. The first door I found was an office. I quickly rummaged around but found nothing. I grabbed a stack of files to complete my disguise and proceed to leave the room. Jackpot. On the back of the door, like in hotels, was a fire escape plan though in more detail. There was Bio-Lab Three down the hall and fire escape stairs nearby. Excellent.

The people I passed paid me no attention, except for that cute little redhead, her gaze lingered and so did mine. Our eyes both said if we weren't so busy, I'm sure we could find something to do. Arriving at Bio-Lab Three I peeked inside. It was a huge room filled with complicated lab equipment. I stepped inside and placed my folders on the desk and went looking for Chaz. Sure, enough there he was strapped on an operating gurney waiting to be wheeled in a secured operating chamber.

I moved to unstrap the still sleeping Chaz when I heard Emmerson's voice behind me "Oh good you finally showed up. Lab assistants should be to work on time."

"Uh ya Sorry about that. Traffic was bad." I mumbled.

"Funny," he said, still not looking at me he stared at Chaz. "A fine specimen, however, we need him awake for the procedure." And he did the most unscientific thing ever. He tossed a glass filled with water at Chaz.

Chaz bolted up, cried out and fell back against the gurney, the restraints kept him from falling off. Chaz tentacles were writhing all over the place, obviously they didn't like getting wet. Then they began to hiss at Emmerson.

Chaz looked at me and then at Emmerson. "So, this is part of the plan?"

I rolled my eyes and grabbed Emmerson by the throat and gave a quick squeeze and turn, crack and he was down. Quickly I ran my hands through his pockets and found another ID card and keys. I used the keys to free Chaz and pocketed the card. "Next time Chaz. Go with the cover story." I said.

"Chaz slowly righted himself. "Ohh you're under covers." He replied puzzled. "I was wondering why I was wet and tied to a bed."

"Just let's just find the stupid gun of here before they find us."

"Is that guy dead?" Chaz asked walking past the guy on the floor

"Umm he's just sleeping." I replied with a grin. Oh, he was quite dead but no sense alarming the alien.

"Uh," he said. "So how do we get out of here?"

I didn't look back at him. "We don't yet. Gun remember?" I moved to a set of secured lockers on the far wall. Key card required. I dug out Emmerson's card and swiped it. The doors swung open on their own. Bingo, there was the Vaccinator, carrying case and all the remaining rounds untouched. I motioned to Chaz to put the Vaccinator back in its case while I continued to search the lockers. That's when I found my new friend, a mint condition Remington 870, doesn't even looked like it has been fired. Yes, this will do the trick indeed.

Chaz went to take one, but I smacked his hand. "No guns for you for one year. You get to baby-sit; you carry the Vaccinator."

"Why can't I have a gun?" he asked.

"I don't want to get shot." I told him. "Stay behind me and stay quiet." I growled

He sighed and followed me carrying the briefcase close to his chest.

We slowly made our way to the door, and I peeked out. No guards. We then headed down the hallway towards the emergency exit I noted earlier. As we started up the stairs, we saw one of the goons from the elevator coming down. He stopped when he saw me. I still have the lab coat on so I did what anyone would do. "Taking the prisoner to the other warehouse. "I said as I bluffed and continued to walk up the stairs towards him.

We continued up the stairs until his goon brain caught up to the thought of a lab assistant armed with a tactical shotgun escorting the prisoner out the emergency exit. He stopped two stairs away from me looking confused. I swung the butt of the shotgun around catching him by surprise. The shotgun connected with the side of his head, and he fell down the stairs, his bones making some awful cracking sounds on the way down. He landed with his head turned a very bad ninety degrees.

Chaz jumped behind me and almost called out in fright. "Wow Dude not Kool."

"It's us or them Chaz." I whispered. "Now move before more show up."

We climbed to the top of the stairs when an explosion rocked the building. World War Three was being held outside this door and there was no way I was opening it.

Silence returned as fast as it had left. I opened the door just a crack when it was ripped out of the frame. There silhouetted in the door frame was a beefcake of a man. He made the goons look like midgets. I did what any smart guy would do. I dropped my shotgun. "I am with," should I use Evora's name, then I grabbed Chaz "Him."

"Non-hostiles," The giant said as he looked around the stairwell. "Anymore?"

"One, dead in the stairwell, one dead in the lab, one locked in a crate on the elevator and what looks like a bunch of non-combatants. Missing is Lord Byron, their leader, and a goon." I replied.

Chaz added "Ohh, they are just sleeping. Right?" He asked as he looked at me.

"Right" I replied looking at Beefcake with that just go with it look.

"Lady chick wants to know if you have the objective. "The officer asked.

Chaz held up the briefcase. "We do." He said all cheerfully. "She wants to know how you found it." He asked.

"Single use tracking device in the handle, attuned to the users." I replied covering Chaz's supernatural juju.

"Very well." He replied. "We have a chopper standing by to take you back to headquarters."

Chaz got all excited. "I get to ride in a flightless bird." He cheered. Excited over a helicopter ride and he has flown in a spaceship.

I just rolled my eyes and followed him out to the outside. I looked over to our car and it was a crater. That poor BMW, Smith and Wesson and Tan Boy were not going to be happy.

Chaz climbed in and I looked back, more men were pouring into the complex. Sounds of more explosions and gunfire. The chopper lifted off leaving it all behind.

A short time later we landed at headquarters where we were escorted inside. This time we didn't wait long. Evora opened the door and came in. This time no guards with her. "I must say boys. You both did so well. Not only did you find the gun, but you also found the headquarters for an extremist cell group.

"Well, that's great. So glad to be of service. "I replied sarcastically. "Now that the Vaccinator is back, and we are all alive. I'm guessing you are tired of seeing our mugs so we will be on our way never to see each other again."

"Wrong" she said. "The Alien, Chaz, will go home and you, smartass is still part of my team. It's' this or jail in some forgotten corner of the world." Evora continued "I need you to head up a team that will be using these guns on a bigger scale. Delivering vaccines or whatever else we deem best to the idiot sector of the populace that are too stupid to do what is best for them.

I looked at Chaz and stuck out my hand "Well it was nice working with you Chaz. Say hi to the family for me." Chaz looked at my hand and then at Evora. "No." He squeaked and then repeated himself in a more manly, alien or something fashion. "No."

"No?" Evora replied with a hint of anger in her voice.

"We are a team." Chaz started "I want to stay and fix this." Chaz said as he moved in front of me.

"It's either you go or …" before she could finish.

Chaz said something stupid or perhaps brave or maybe even intelligent. "Let me take him with me, back to my planet. He can serve his people by working with my people."

"I can't make this call." She then turned and left the room.

"Are you nuts?" I asked Chaz.

"If you stay here, you will shoot more people for them and most likely put more people to sleep" he said while making air quotes. Perhaps Chaz was not as dumb as he appeared to be. "If you go with me, you will help save people. Plus, you would not have to wear the leash." He pointed at the ankle thing. Before I could say anything, she came back in.

"You can have him." She said and the ankle bracelet came off my leg.

I looked at Chaz. "Now what?" I asked

"Now we go." He said and he faded. And that was it. I faded too. Off into the universe I went. My last thought on Earth was, no wonder he was so happy to ride in a helicopter.

Addendum - This whole thing never happened of course. Even if it had the government, or some shadow organization covered it up. But there are believers out there who know the truth. Stay strong my friends. And Aliens did it! Well, some of it.

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