“Let’s see if he’s hungry,” I said.
I approached the glass tube, aware of his glowing eyes glaring a hole through me. My heart was really getting a workout through all this. I couldn’t remember it ever racing so much in my life. There’d been nothing but our own government to fear and they would have had to go through my mother. Mom wasn’t here to be the biggest, scariest monster in the room anymore. This alien was. I clenched my teeth to keep them from chattering and took a deep breath.
“Do you eat? Are you hungry?” I asked when I was inches away from his prison.
His voice rumbled out, making me shudder. He was the Dark Lord, for sure. I just knew it.
I looked back at Patty.
“He said release him,” she said. Her face had paled to ghost white, and her heart was pounding. The acid scent of her fear swirled in the room, mixing with mine and the sharks.
“Are you going to try and kill us? We’re prisoners too. I killed the crew when I broke out. I really don’t feel like being waxed this close to freedom. We need help with the ship. Promise you won’t hurt us, and I’ll think about letting you out,” I said, keeping my voice as calm as I could.
The shark warbled and whistled in protest.
“Be quiet!” I snapped at him.
The Orixas started speaking again, his lines lighting up. The ridges on his head pulsed in a light display with flashes and brief pauses.
“He said he gives his word he will not harm us. He can fly the ship,” Patty said. She looked at me and shrugged. “What do you think, Jack?”
I was thinking I’m going to let him out.
Jesus Christ, I was going to let him out!
Please, please don’t kill us.
I’d fight him. I’d die for sure, but it might give Patty enough time to lock down the hold. If that was even an option.
“Can the hold door lock?” I asked the shark. He whistled in response and Patty nodded yes.
“I want you to lock this hold door open. And then you and the shark lock the blast doors to the hold. If I don’t come to bang on the door in ten minutes, get the girls and lock yourselves in the sleeping quarters,” I said.
Patty had a gun. She could keep the shark under control.
“How do I open the cage?” I asked.
He warbled and rocked his head no.
“Either you tell me how to open this cage or I’m going to crack open your skull and eat your brain in front of you, then I’ll figure it out on my own,” I said. I took a step toward him and he scrambled to a control panel I hadn’t seen on the floor. He waved me over and pointed at two buttons.
More buttons!
“He said push the larger one to open the tube, and the other unbinds him,” Patty said.
The shark stumbled to the door to jerk a panel off, revealing a lever that he pulled down, locking the door in place.
“Go. Seal those doors,” I said.
Patty took a deep breath, gave me a crushing hug and then nudged the shark with her gun to make him walk, and they disappeared down the corridor.
I turned and waited. The alien regarded me with his yellow eyes, tails thumbing the cage floor.
The sound of metal sliding against metal came from the hall. Doors locking.
“Alright. Don’t eat me,” I said.
The alien chuffed.
