Page 39 of Grumpy Alien Boss

"Not necessarily," he says.

My fingers trace the edge of Dar's choker as Bob launches into his story. The Grolgath - his people - are noble time travelers here to stop the evil Vakutans from corrupting human destiny. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. He's literally stealing Veritas's story and flipping the roles.

"Your boss, Darwin Rook?" Bob's voice drops to a whisper. "He's one of them. A Vakutan. We need your help to capture him."

The metal deck creaks under my feet as I shift my weight. "And how exactly would I help with that?"

"Lure him somewhere isolated. Somewhere we can take him without witnesses."

I cross my arms, channeling my best skeptical expression. "That's a pretty big ask. How do I know you're the good guys here?"

The tension in Bob's shoulders eases at my question. His strange, puppet-like movements become more fluid.

"Everything Hurst says about the reds is true. Every conspiracy, every theory." He spreads his hands. "That will have to be enough proof for now."

Heavy footsteps thunder down the metal stairs. Another man bursts into our space, his face flushed and sweating.

"There's a Vakutan on board!" he pants out.

Bob's whole demeanor changes in an instant. "Then it's time to go." He turns to me. "Mrs. McGee, I suggest you evacuate with us."

"What do you mean, evacuate?" My stomach drops at his tone.

"We've rigged charges throughout the ferry. When they detonate, the vessel will sink catastrophically."

The casual way he says it makes my blood run cold. "There are innocent people up there! Families with children!"

Bob shrugs. "Sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

That's all I need to hear. I lunge forward and grab his wrist, digging my treated fingernail deep into his flesh. The effect is instant - his skin bubbles and warps, flesh stretching and contracting like melting wax.

Bob screams, his human disguise dissolving into a mass of writhing tumors and twisted limbs. The sound that comes from him isn't human anymore - it's a wet, gurgling shriek that echoes off the metal walls.

The other Grolgath stumbles backward, his eyes wide with horror at what's happening to his companion.

"What... what did you do to him?" he gasps.

I bare my teeth in what might be a smile. "Want to find out?"

He bolts up the stairs so fast he nearly trips over his own feet. The sound of his retreat fades quickly, leaving me alone with the thing that used to be Bob.

"Where are the bombs?" I demand, but Bob's face keeps shifting and melting. His mouth opens and closes, making wet squelching sounds instead of words.

Shit. The chemical was supposed to just reveal his true form, not... whatever this is. I back away from the writhing mass that used to be Bob. The other Grolgath could be setting off those charges any second now.

I race up the metal stairs, my heels clanging against each step. The sound echoes through the maintenance corridors as I follow the path the other alien took.

A flash of movement catches my eye down a side passage. I sprint after it, nearly slipping on something wet on the floor. When I look down, my stomach lurches - there's a trail of green blood leading around the corner.

I round the bend and stop dead. Two scaled bodies lie crumpled against the wall, their reptilian features twisted in death. Dar's handiwork, no doubt. The surviving Grolgath stands over them, his human disguise flickering like bad TV reception.

"Tell me where the bombs are," I say, taking a step forward. "You've seen what I can do."

The Grolgath's response is to pull out a sleek silver pistol and point it at my chest. His hand doesn't shake at all.

"That's close enough," he says. "I watched what you did to Bob. You're not getting within arm's reach of me."

A blur of motion drops from above. Dar lands behind the Grolgath in his full Vakutan glory, scales gleaming red and black in the dim light. Before the Grolgath can turn, Dar wraps his massive arms around the alien's waist and lifts him off his feet.

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