~Betrayal~

~Betrayal~

It was called Hollow Earth in Upworld literature and considered complete and total fantasy by modern civilization. But like most aliens and its own inhabitants; Jimmy’s Hybrid kin, the Callan Clan of Deep Creek, called it the Bloworld. The Callans were a hybrid race. Humans fused with extraterrestrial DNA by the Grey Aliens and bred as Holy Warriors for the Catholic Church of old. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Callans went their own way. First to Scotland and later to the new British Colony called America. There they settled in a cove off of the James River in Virginia and named it Deep Creek where they live to this day working the river, and as mercenaries for hire.

           Debbie was an Alien. Nordic Pleiadians some called them. But to most they were Errans. A stunning and elegant race with pale skin, long flowing white hair and vivid emerald green eyes. As the Comista of Earth, leader of the Erran contingent in this solar system, Debbie had contracted Jimmy’s people to enter the Bloworld and procure a radioactive gemstone called musgravite. Errans were Healers and Debbie needed the extremely rare gem for experimental treatments of human diseases.

           Jimmy’s Grandfather, Cap’n Dick, was the undisputed leader of the Callans for the last 300 years. His girth and massive shoulders made him seem larger than life. He accepted the contract and chose Jimmy to accompany him on the unpredictable mission. The Bloworld was a convoluted and dangerous place under the best conditions. Upworlders were not well thought of there. Debbie understood his reasoning of a contingent of only two men-at-arms. One was folly and 3 or more could be perceived as open aggression. But she was not happy with Cap’n Dick’s choice of his own Grandson as his confederate. You see, Jimmy was also Debbie’s husband of many years. But Granddaddy had made his choice and having never been to the underworld, Jimmy was excited about it.

           **********

           Two days had passed since starting their journey through these strange underground caverns, Grottos and even sprawling cities. Civilizations that were fairy tales to surface dwellers lived here. Rinders, dwarf like creatures that that consumed the mitochondrial DNA of humans as recreational drugs. Aliens races. Greys, Blue Elbrines, The Insectoid Mantis race. Living and doing, whatever it was they do in seclusion, without interference from Humans or their governments. And of course the Drachonians. The fabled Reptilian underworld race of Lizard Men, in existence since before man was a mammal hiding from Dinosaurs.

            It was a Drach, hired by Debbie, who guided them. Glocken of the Reptilian Corca Achte Clan. With his labored movement from a mangled leg, lax attitude and sketchy loyalties, Jimmy and Cap’n Dick were wary of him at first. But as traveling together will do, tensions eased and soon enough, Glocken didn’t seem so bad. Jimmy was actually starting to like him. Because of the slow early progress, Jimmy and Granddaddy had decided to take turns carrying Glocken through the Bloworld to make better time. After 43 hours of running, they were tired. Even Callans had limits. Granddaddy told Jimmy to hold up while he had some water. Since it had been a while, Jimmy took out a clove of garlic and tossed it to mark the trail.

           “No need for stinking tracking plant,” said Glocken. “Smell salt?” Jim and Dick both nodded. “Close to New Goshen. Salt mines in Blue City. Make lights burn. See.” He pointed ahead and coming from around the bend a faint trace of light. He slid from Granddaddy’s back. “Go, just you and you now. Glocken done.” He began to drag his bad leg away.

           Jimmy called to him. “Glocken. Hold on. Come in to the city with us. Get some rest and some food. Hey, I’m buying.” Jimmy held his arms out invitingly.

           Glocken turned and said, “My kind no let in Blue city. Glocken go.”

           As he limped away, Jimmy called out, “Okay then. Thanks.” Glocken kept moving with no response. Jim turned and looked at Granddaddy.

           “Come on John Henry. Let’s get that Musgravite and find some Arak.”

           They went on around a sweeping turn and Jimmy asked, “What is Arak?”

           “It’s as close to Vodka as we are gonna find around here. Hey. Look at that.” Coming towards them, a small ball of light was growing bigger. “Someone is heading this way.”

           As Glocken’s scent faded, Jimmy sniffed the air deeply. “You smell something weird Granddaddy?”

           “Just the salt. What are you getting?”

           “I don’t know. It’s familiar but it’s not from that city up yonder.” He turned back in the direction they had just come, deeply pulling in every whit of the mystery scent.

           “You got a good smeller I… Wait. Jesus Christ. I smell it now.”

           They also began to feel and hear rhythmic thumping. Jimmy said, “I got it. It’s like that smell from Lucifer’s temple. What the hell is it?”

           Cap’n Dick turned and faced the curve behind them as he unslung his harpoon. “It’s bad trouble boy. Run or fight Jimbo?”

           Jimmy pulled his .45 Glock with his left hand and the Katana with his right. “We Fight!”

           Then it came around the bend running at an even pace. He was enormous, at least ten and a half feet tall filling the cavernous tunnel. Maybe five or six hundred pounds. He wore an armor plated vest and periskelis like the Greek battle skirts of old. Also a metal helmet. He brandished two weapons. A claymore, basically a short sword for a creature of his size. And a Moro or Persian short spear. Both blades went into rhythmic patterns as he came at them like a giant lawnmower. His deep and resonant voice boomed out the words, “DIE CALLANS OF DEEP CREEK!”

           Two shots from the Glock revealed he was basically bullet proof. One bounced off of the chest armor and the other shot to the thigh did not even rate a flinch. Jimmy holstered the .45 and squared off. “He’s coming too hard,” Yelled Granddaddy. “Get clear of this charge and I’ll slow him down.”

           There wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver in the draft so Jimmy timed a dive to the ground with the slashing figure eight of the Giant’s sword. From the corner of his eye, Jimmy saw Grandaddy throw a body block at the feet of the Giant and send him sprawling and losing his spear. The Giant sprang up with surprising speed for his size and turned to face them, grasping the Claymore with both hands.

           “Jim.” Grandaddy whispered. “To have a chance against this thing, I need to get behind him. Get his attention boy.”

           “Yes sir!” Between the size and the armor, Jimmy opted for attacking his legs. “Hey, you fucking Mug,” Jimmy hollered as he charged. After two quick slices to a knee the size of a pineapple Jimmy spun his Katana around in time to block a round house swing of the Giant’s sword. The force of it knocked him from his feet, through the air and brutally slammed him into the rock wall. Jesus. How could anything be that strong, thought Jimmy. As the man mountain came in for the kill, Jimmy spied Granddaddy slipping behind him. Grandaddy swung his Harpoon like an axe and severed the achilles tendon of the right ankle. As the colossus screamed in pain and dropped to his knee, Grandaddy continued to spin and cleaved the left fibrous achilles tendon as well. The Giant went down howling in agony, his head plowing into the ground at Jimmy’s feet. Jimmy pulled his Glock and emptied it into the Giant’s brain through a small ear hole in the side of the helmet. Granddaddy ran up the huge body and plunged his harpoon into the spine at the base of the neck, rocking it back and forth, sawing through nerves and muscle.

           They both stepped away and took a second to catch their breath, watching the body for signs of life. When he was sure the beast was dead, Grandaddy put a headlock hug on his Grandson and began to laugh. Jimmy pulled back and took Cap’n Dick’s face with both hands. “Grandaddy. You are unfucking believable.”

           Grandaddy quickly regained his usual stoic composure and said, “That’ll teach that bastard to mess with the Callans.”

           They both turned, alert that people were approaching. It was a group of aliens. Tall, slim, blue skin, and shining bald heads, all wearing the same white, floor length satin robe. Jimmy’s best description of the emblem embroidered on the left side of each chest was an atom with a dagger through it. They walked up and then stopped in a perfect isosceles triangle. Four in the back, three on each side and one in the front. Each held a staff upright, with a small glowing white sphere on the end. The soft light they emitted seemed much harsher in the deep blackness of the Bloworld tunnels. All eleven spoke as a unit. “Dick Archer, leader of the Mighty Callan Clan and James, husband to the Comista of Earth. We offer salutations and regrets for your being attacked inside of our borders. We came as soon as we sensed your danger. Attempted communication with the Comista of Earth was unsuccessful. You have terminated a battle hardened Si-Ti-Cah. Most impressive.” Squeaking noises escaped from some of them intermittently.

    “You get a lot these Giants around here?”

“No. In fact, this is first in many thousands of years.” The front Blue reached inside of his robe.

“Whoa, whoa. Easy boy! Who are you?” Jimmy asked while quickly reloading a fresh magazine into the Glock.

           “We are the Blue Elbrines. Watchers of the Void and Masters of the Orb. As per our agreement with your wife, the Comista of Earth, we offer this musgravite.” Jimmy stepped up and took the silvery small gem on a gold chain that the Blue produced.

           “Thanks Buddy. What’s your name?”

           “We are the Blue Elbrines. Watchers of the Void and Masters of the Orb.”

           Jimmy looked at his Granddaddy who smiled and made him laugh with, “I’m guessing they are the Blue Elbrines.”

           The group responded. “We are impacted by your levity considering…” They were interrupted by a crackling swirling display of electrical bolts spraying out from the Orbs on their staffs which quickly formed into a shimmering barrier surrounding not only the Blues, but Jimmy and Granddaddy as well. Sensing more trouble, the Callans pulled their weapons. A stealth shield faded and two big headed Grey aliens, each about four feet tall and naked except for utility belts, appeared standing next to the dead giant, checking his status. It was the first time Jimmy had seen a Grey in person and he noticed that they had no genitalia. The Callans realized that the ambush must have been a trap. Fully intending to capture, if not kill the Greys, the wall from the Orbs kept Jimmy and Cap’n Dick at bay. “We cannot allow you to initiate conflict during this time.”

           Granddaddy was furious. “Why not? Those Fuckers obviously set us up.”

           “The treaty clearly stipulates non-aggression during retrieval of fallen soldiers.”

           Granddaddy started towards the front Blue. Jimmy took his arm. “Grandaddy stop. We will take care of this, but for now let’s abide by their rules. They kept their end of the bargain and gave us the musgravite,” Jimmy asserted.

           After a long pause Granddaddy responded, “Okay Boy.”

           Confident he was dead, the Greys climbed on the chest of the giant and using what resembled tactical flashlights, levitated his massive body and floated forward. Approaching the curve, the stealth reactivated and they disappeared.

           When the barricading field vanished, Jimmy and Granddaddy started after them.

           “Callans. Please. Won’t you return to New Goshin for nourishment and repose?” Asked the collective as a unit.

           Jimmy called back over his shoulder as they broke into a run. “Thanks, but we got shit to do!”

           Grandaddy was sprinting all out trying to keep up with Jimmy. Astounded, the Callans saw what they were after within minutes. Up ahead, the dead giant hovered while the two Greys conversed with Glocken. Seeing Jimmy and Cap’n Dick approaching, weapons drawn, the Greys climbed back on the floating corpse and left quickly. Glocken simply stood and waited for them holding a cloth sack, his face a mask of despair.

           Far from a trusting soul, Jimmy was still stunned and more than a little hurt to be sold out. He felt that he and Glocken had bonded somewhat. “What’s in the bag Glocken. Blood money I’m guessing.”

           Glocken seemed dazed. “You defeated a Si-Ti-Cah? How?”

           Before Jimmy could answer, a backhand from Granddaddy put the Drach on the ground. The sack hit the dirt and combination of breams (Bloworld currency) and gold coins, spilled out. “We’re Callans. It’s what we do you piece-of-shit.”

           “Why?” Jimmy asked him. Glocken lie still, silent.

           Grandaddy stepped on his bad knee and crushed it, while placing the tip of his harpoon under the Reptilians chin. Glocken screamed with agony. “Answer him or this will be the longest nightmare you’ve ever had.” Glocken hesitated. “You’re gonna die either way. Just a matter of how long it takes.”

           With tears in his eyes Glocken whispered, “Greys stole only son. Lose honor. Glocken sorry.” Then he grabbed the pole and pulled the blade deep into his throat, ending his own life.

           Surprised, Grandaddy looked up at Jimmy. “Damn. That was unexpected.”