Blue Streaks

Back Cover A Sci-Fi Erotica Novella by Pat Dale This science fantasy romp is not what it seems. Ostensibly a foray into the inner reaches of space, the characters take you for a spin into a digital existence that literally lights your fire. Then douses it, permanently. One jolly good romp in the hay and it is sayonara, baby. Police Detective Jim Smith chases the horny, high-charged devil down as it fries victim after victim. When he goes digital as a part of the chase, the conclusion looms, but with a twist that could not have been anticipated. Sweet dreams! Read and enjoy, but whatever else you do, do not hit the escape key…

Blue Streaks© 2011 by Pat Dale All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or events, is coincidental and not intended by the author. A MuseItHOT Publication MuseItUp Publishing 14878 James, Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada, H9H 1P5 http://www.museituppublishing.com Cover Art © 2011 by Delilah K. Stephans Edited by Nancy Bell Copyedited by Valerie Haley Layout and Book Production by Lea Schizas eBook ISBN: 978-1-927361-09-2 First eBook Edition *November 2011 Production by MuseItUp Publishing

Blue Streaks A Sci-Fi Erotica Pat Dale

MuseitHOT, division of MuseItUp Publishing www.museituppublishing.com ADULT CONTENT: Contains graphic sexual content.

Chapter One Inside Out Face furrowed with tension, the old man drove along the coastal highway, racing against time and oblivious to the crashing waves on the beach or the traffic whizzing by. His entire being centered on just one thing. Today he had to deliver or else... His focus settled on three people out by the breakers; a sensuous woman with long flame-red hair blowing around her well-tanned face, her voluptuous figure minimally clad in a skimpy pink bikini, and two hunky Neanderthals fighting over her. He’d found it—a chance to save his butt! He swerved across the road to a weather-beaten motel whose paint-peeled exterior shouted cheap. Belying his age, he sprang from the old gray convertible, grabbed the worn leather computer case from the back seat, and raced inside to the registration desk. The motel clerk, wearing a badly soiled sleeveless sweatshirt, mumbled, “Hidey ho, what for you show?” “I need a room. Fast.” “Oh, yeah? Lay a pair of twenties on me, pop, and I’ll provide the keys to heaven.” When the pasty-faced man slammed the money on the counter and scrawled his signature on the page, the clerk looked up at him, then back to the signature. “Harold Prank? Hey, pops, this some kinda joke?” The clerk’s smartass grin froze when the guest replied in a voice that could have come from hell. “Prawnk, you idiot. It’s Prawnk.” He grabbed the key to number eleven. Inside the room, he cleared the desk and pulled a small laptop computer out of the old leather bag. Prank reread the terse letter from his editor. His advance was for five stories and he’d delivered just four. Deadline for the fifth was today, just minutes from now. He knew his fifth story had to be found in the trio on the beach. Within seconds, he opened a new file and typed furiously. **** Eva undulated her lithe body to the sound of the aging Genesis tape on her old cassette player. She was so into her dance and the raucous beat in the strong salty breeze she didn’t notice two men watching her from the rocks.

Frank leered at the woman’s sexy body, showing great promise through its skimpy covering. He whispered, “Fresh meat, my friend. We feast today!” Joe nodded. “Nice bod. Boobs too tiny for a tit fuck but the rest of her’s okay.” “Tiny? What the fuck’s wrong with you, man? Them tits is perfect.” He moved closer to his partner as they stayed low behind the rocky cover. “What we gonna use for an approach this time?” “She looks like a dancer. Look at her wiggle that cute ass of hers. My guess is she’s either a hooker or a stripper. If she’s a whore, we’re shit outta luck, ya know? She’ll want money to fuck us.” His mood darkened. Joe took another drag on the joint and passed it to Frank, who pulled deeply, letting the magic haze soothe his lungs. “No way, man, that babe’s no whore. Gotta be a dancer. I’ll use my old ‘you’re familiar’ line, okay?” “Sure. Whatever. I’ll follow your lead. All we gotta do is get her back here in the rocks and we score big-time. Can’t wait to fuck this bitch! Man, this’ll make three great days in a row.” Eva stopped dancing, suddenly aware of the company she’d drawn with her erotic movements. The blond guy was kind of cute but the other one was two shades short of a hairy gorilla. Blond man said, “Hi, gorgeous. Man, like you’re some kinda kickass dancer. Awesome.” He gave her an innocent grin. “Thanks. I usually come out here to practice and try some new moves. Actually, I am a dancer.” Joe glanced at Frank with a big grin. “What’d I tell you? I knew it! You looked familiar to me but I couldn’t remember from where.” “Yeah! Me neither.” The gorilla could speak. Well, he could grunt. Eva had a thought about getting clear of these two but her mouth gave her away. “I work at the Limbo Lounge up the road about a mile north.” “That’s right,” Frank growled. “We seen you there. Star of the show!” “Well, not exactly the star. But I do okay.” It was clear these jerks weren’t anyone she wanted to be near. “Hey, fellows. Nice talking to you, but I have to go. I don’t dare get too much sun or I’ll peel. See you around.”

Before she could move away, Frank had her by one arm, waiting for Joe to grab the other. Her eyes searched the beach but nobody was close enough to help. She turned to Joe. “This hairy ape the best company you can find, Blondie?” Joe, his brain frozen at the sound of Eva’s appeal, turned to his partner and complained. “Hey, man, like let her go, huh? She’s not the kind of babe we’re after, anyway.” “The hell she’s not, dipshit! She’s got all the equipment I need. If you don’t wanna fuck her, go screw yourself!” Frank dragged Eva toward the rocks. Joe jumped in front of him and swung, knocking Frank down. Eva broke free, but hesitated when the heavy man came up from the sand swinging a baseball-sized rock and grazed Joe’s head. She began running from them, stopping at a safe distance to watch the two slug it out in the sand. Just as an old gray convertible flashed by on the road above, she began clapping her hands and laughing. “Okay, boys. That’s all for today.” The two stopped and got up, rubbing the sand from their bodies as they grinned. Joe rubbed his head and slapped Frank on the back. “Hey, dumb-ass, you almost clocked me too good that time.” “Sorry, buddy. I want it to look good for the cameras tomorrow. Eva, what do you think?” “It’s okay, actually pretty good. We’ll do the sex stuff behind the rock tomorrow when we shoot. I don’t think either of you needs any practice for that. Besides, I’ll be getting plenty of sand up my crotch doing it for the cameras.” They laughed. Just then, the two men felt a strange sensation like a magnet or a vacuum pulling on them. Eva seemed unaffected as she bent down to pick up her things. When she straightened, they were gone. She started for the rocks. “Okay, you two. I said no sex today, but I guess you need a little reward. Let’s keep it simple, guys. Just a straight standup fuck, okay? You’re going to get all the pussy you can handle tomorrow. Hey you two, who’s first?” There was no sign of them behind the rocks. **** Frank came out of the mist first. Hovering in a dingy motel room behind an emaciated old man tapping on a computer keyboard. Joe materialized beside him. Their blood ran cold when the man stopped tapping, looked over his shoulder and gave them a frosty grin.

Frank said, “What the fuck is this, old man? How’d we get here?” “Welcome, boys. I’ve been writing your story, but you let me down by not fucking the shit out of that babe out there on the beach. Now I have to go finish her off myself.” His body blurred, turning fuzzy. Just before he vanished, he added, “Watch the screen if you want to see how this ends but whatever you do, do not touch the damn keyboard.” He was gone. The stunned actors stared, too frightened to speak. They looked around the room for Eva, but she wasn’t there. The screen blinked and lines of print moved quickly on it. **** Eva had just gone into the rocky cove when she discovered she wasn’t alone after all. The most gorgeous hunk she’d ever seen stepped in front of her totally naked, his cock the biggest she’d ever seen, and she’d seen some doozies. “Hi, Eva. The guys said to tell you they’ll catch up to you later.” “Who are you?” The startled nymph stared at the tall muscular specimen, apprehension quickly fading into animal attraction. “I’m Harry and I’m here to give you one final pointer for your film performance.” She grabbed his dick with both hands. “This the pointer you’re going to give me?” “You got it, babe.” Without a hint as to his identity, he took the beach blanket from her and spread it on the sand. “We don’t want you getting any of that scratchy old sand up your cunt, do we?” He pulled her onto the blanket. She dropped her top, letting it fall to her knees. The huge hunk stroked her breasts with gentle caresses, and then pulled her thong off. His expert fingers had her squirming instantly as she gave his enormous cock a two-handed wank. He groaned when she slid down and took half of him in her mouth. “Careful, babe, that’s an all-day sucker you got there. I don’t have all day to do this, you get my meaning?” Her tongue stroked him eagerly and damp heat radiated from her pussy. “Now I know why the director sent you. I bet you’re going to be the new stud for me tomorrow in the grand finale, aren’t you?” The man smiled, fingering her cunt until she was dripping wet. Panting and moaning, she said, “Fuck me, baby! You’re not the only one in a hurry.” He rolled up and thrust his dick into her when she spread her legs wide, planting her heels in the sand. He plunged only halfway at first but deepened his thrusts with increasing intensity,

stalling just before she went over the top. Writhing in agony, she panted “Give it to me, big guy! Slam that huge salami into me!” He did, penetrating until his balls slapped her anus. Then he backed off again. She beat his back with her fists as he hesitated again after bringing her so close to coming. “Damn you, fuck me! Harder! Give it to me, you beast!” Eva, determined to reach climax, arched to meet his renewed brutal thrusts, wrapping her legs around him so tight he couldn’t pull back. He began the final driving rhythm, pistoning deep. Harder and deeper as he answered her scream, he hollered out, “Now!” Just as he gave her one last brutal thrust, they were bathed in a brilliant flash of blue light. “Those fools!” he screamed. “They fucked with the keyboard!” As he began to fade and blur, there was a crackling sound and everything went black. Eva, frozen in eternal ecstasy, wouldn’t notice that or anything, ever again… **** Midmorning next day, the part-time motel housekeeper came screaming into the office. “Oh God! Hank? Come quick! There’s a dead guy in eleven!” The morning manager raced down the hall and peered inside. The computer was on, but the screen was blank. Prank lay on the floor beside the chair, his head at a crazy angle and his unseeing eyes frozen. After the cops arrived, they tried to determine the man’s identity. No I.D. other than a letter from the editor of an erotic mystery magazine. The coroner determined he’d fallen in such a way it broke his neck. As he worked, the lead detective, Lieutenant Jim Smith, went to the computer, keyed it out of sleep mode and scrolled back through the open file. “Hey, guys, look at this. This guy was a writer. He must have been working on this to send to that editor. Porn shit, but he was pretty good. Too bad he never got a chance to finish.” Smith read the letter, pulled out his cell phone, and dialed the number. In minutes he was talking to the magazine’s editor, Rutherford Strauss, who was upset to learn that his writer was dead. “That guy came from nowhere to write some of the best erotic mysteries we’ve ever published, Lieutenant Smith. Our readers have been clamoring for more. He’d done four and was still under contract for one more. That must have been what he was working on. Damn shame he didn’t get it done, I was ready to renew his contract for more.”

“Do you have an address where we can reach his next of kin?” “No. Strange thing about that guy. We live in the same city but he would only give us a post office box for contact. No address, no phone. Worst part is I never got to meet the man in person.” “I’ll run his prints. Maybe we’ll get lucky. You want the computer?” “No, it was his. Keep it in case his family turns up. I would like to have the story he was working on, though, as soon as you can release it.” “Sure. I’ll download it and send the disc to you after the scene is detailed.” “Great. Maybe one of our other writers can figure a fitting end to his story. That way, the readers can enjoy one more for the road. Too bad a talent like that is lost.” “Well, it wasn’t exactly a great day for Mr. Prank.” “Yeah, you can say that again. But thanks for letting me know, Lieutenant.” Within the hour, the coroner wrapped up his work. Smith returned to the keyboard and scrolled again to the last entry, this time reading the entire story. He did a double take as he read about the hunk fucking Eva. There was more to the story than he’d originally read. In fact, the tale was complete. His skin went clammy and he had a feeling the day wasn’t over yet. The coroner called back a few minutes later. “Sit down, Smith. Take a load off. I’m not sure how to put this to you, but that body has been dead for several days. Maybe a week. I never saw anything like it.” The hair stood up on Smith’s neck. “That’s impossible. He checked in here eighteen hours ago. These people saw him; one of them took his money and talked to him.” “I know. But forensic science doesn’t lie. There’s more, too. I found evidence of salt water and sand on his lower extremities. And the man died with a raging hard on. His dick was glued to his shorts with semen.” “Good God. What next?” “I’m not sure, Jim, but I don’t think God had anything to do with this caper.” “Well, I’m going to turn this place inside out to find what really happened. Are you sticking with your preliminary ruling of accidental death?” “For now. I can’t see how we can do anything else.” The doctor chuckled. “Maybe his heart gave out while he got it on with a hooker. Any evidence of that?” “Nope. Well, yeah, in the story he was writing, but not in the room. Doc, if he’s been dead

for more than a day, who knows where he was when he breathed his last?” “I can’t answer that. I’ve never believed stories about the undead but maybe there’s something to it after all. Let me know if you learn anything else about this guy?” “Okay. Thanks, Doc.” The motel manager stuck his head in to find out how long they’d need to keep the room restricted. Smith asked, “How did Prank arrive?” “He drove up in that gray convertible sitting outside.” Smith looked out and saw nothing. “What convertible?” “I told ya, the gray Pontiac.” “There’s no gray Pontiac out there. Did you get the license number on your registration card?” “Yeah, I got it here.” The man handed him the card. Smith called the number in to get a BOLO issued for the vehicle. On the way to his car he noticed two youngsters walking along the beach, carrying some beach gear. What got his attention was the pink bikini top one of the boys was using to tease the other. “Where’d you boys get this stuff?” He showed his badge and they led him to a rocky area. The tide was ebbing but the beach was still under water. He saw an unusual object next to the rocks and waded in after it; a cassette player with a Genesis tape in it. Hackles rose as he recalled the story he’d just read. It included a tape player and a Genesis tape. Could it somehow be connected to his case? Smith and the boys started back toward the highway when he noticed a crowd a few hundred yards down the beach, shouting for help. He told the kids to wait for him and raced to where the people were gathered. When he approached, it was evident what the excitement was about. Lying on the beach lay a naked woman’s body. One glance and he knew it was Eva. Nicely tanned with coppery watersoaked shoulder-length hair, she’d been dead for some time; apparently washed up on the beach during high tide. Her unseeing green eyes and expression frozen on her face gave the impression she’d experienced ecstasy at the moment of death. Prank died in a moment of coital bliss. Instinct told him that somehow, the two events were connected. That, he knew as sure as anything. But how he knew it, he knew not.

The coroner would confirm later that she’d indeed experienced a moment of orgasmic bliss that, though pleasurable, induced instant cardiac arrest: somehow like electrocution, but without physical damage. The heart had simply gone into such carnal ecstasy it gave up beating. After the wagon carried off its second body, Smith stood by the highway, stunned. His young assistant, Bill Phillips, was annoyingly excited. “Golly, Jim, two weird deaths here one after another. Man, this is something!” “Damn it, Phillips, you amaze me with your fascination for other people’s bad luck. But don’t put your notebook away just yet. I have an awful feeling we’re about to get a report of another deceased before this day is over. Maybe two.” “What do you mean?” “You didn’t read Prank’s entire story, did you? If what he wrote is happening, and it’s been dead on so far, and that was not a pun, we aren’t done.” Five minutes later, Phillips got his chance to be amazed by Smith’s intuition. This time the call came in on the radio. A gray convertible had been found with two men in it. They weren’t headed anywhere, though. A huge tree, felled by a lightning strike, had landed across the car, crushing both men to pulp. Smith asked, “Was one man tall and blond and the other, dark and muscular?” Phillips radioed in the question, then turned back and nodded. “I thought so. The blond was named Joe and the other one was a guy named Frank.” His man nodded again. Jim said, “Just one problem, Bill. There was no storm within two hundred miles of here yesterday, and none today. It couldn’t have been a lightning strike that caused the tree to fall.” Smith was almost amused by the look of panic on Phillip’s face, but the gravity of the situation kept him from saying a word.

Chapter Two Under The Surface Next day, Smith carried the old satchel down the long staircase to the evidence room. Bill Phillips had gone ahead to unlock the door. “Why are we putting this thing in here, Jim? I thought the Prank case was closed.” “It is,” he snarled. “When the captain says a case is closed, it’s closed. Got it?” “Yeah, I got it. So?” Jim had learned from the dead man’s fingerprints that he’d lived in San Jose. When Phillips called the San Jose police, they said Prank had no relatives and had disappeared. He’d been a vagrant, known to the authorities, but with no writing experience as far as anyone knew. On the way back to the squad room, Phillips asked yet another irritating question. “So, what about the other three? How were they connected to Prank?” “They weren’t, far as I can tell. The three were bit players in porno flicks. Eva was prepping for her first starring role.” He snapped, “Damn it, Bill, drop it. Okay?” **** Rutherford Strauss, editor of Scream magazine and the man who’d talked to Smith, called next day to inquire about the outcome. Bill took the call and explained the finality of their leads. Strauss asked, “Could there be anything else in that computer?” Remembering his boss’s pronouncement, Bill replied, “No, we’ve checked it thoroughly and there’s nothing left, Mr. Strauss.” After Strauss indicated he was satisfied and hung up, Phillips wondered how well Jim had really checked the computer. There was something strange about this affair. He regretted lying to Strauss, feeling that Smith was the one who cut the investigation off. **** After dinner, he told Suzie, his fiancée, he had to go down to headquarters to finish some paperwork he’d left undone. She was puzzled. One thing he’d never done was work when he was off duty. That had been the only reason she’d agreed to date a cop. Typically, by this time of evening they’d be naked and cavorting in bed making their own little porn scenes without benefit of cameras or an audience.

Bill took the evidence-room key from the desk sergeant, explaining he needed a couple of serial numbers to complete his reports. He tripped down the stairs and into the room. Inside, he wasted no time pulling the computer out and setting it up on the table. He didn’t recognize the make but assumed it was an older model. After plugging it in, he hit the power switch and waited for the screen to come up. Using the built-in trackball, he clicked on Help. Options included access to hard drive files. The titles to Prank’s five stories came up in short order. Notebook at the ready, he keyed in the first title. Set in San Jose, it was every bit as bizarre as the case he and his boss had worked. He wrote down all the names that came up, circling the ones who had turned up dead in the story. At the second story, set in Portland, he had the strange feeling he was not alone in the room. Looking over his shoulder, Bill thought he saw someone’s shadow, but when he spun around, there was nobody there. He took the information from the second story including names and shut the computer down. That was enough for him to follow up on for now. If the information proved interesting, he could come back and check the other stories. As he put the case back, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. By the time he turned the key in the lock, the hair stood up on his neck. **** Bill waited impatiently the next day for a chance to make the calls. Jim kept him busy all morning, which annoyed him no end. He was certain when he got a chance to check out the names he’d gleaned the night before, what he found would be interesting enough to get Smith back on the case. Finally, midafternoon, Smith needed to run an errand for his ex-wife and invited Phillips to go along. He declined and started dialing the phone the instant his boss’s car was out of sight. In seconds, the San Jose officer was on the line again. The man offered an interesting additional tidbit. Prank had recently been picked up carrying a leather case. They thought he was an indigent and suspected he’d burglarized some home or business. Because nobody had reported it stolen and the man insisted it was his, they let him keep it when he was released. Prank disappeared the very next day. Phillips gave the man the names from story one and waited through a long silence. Finally, the man came back on the line and asked where he’d gotten the names. Bill told him they were

incidental references he’d picked up in his investigation. He was told they were unsolved cases that included two mysterious deaths and a missing migrant worker. They suspected foul play but had no evidence and no leads. Phillips promised to forward anything he dug up related to them. He dialed the Portland police next with a feeling he knew what they’d say. He wasn’t disappointed. They told him the people he’d asked about were either dead or missing. It was high time to dig deeper into this mystery. **** Jim was upset when Phillips explained what he’d done. He wasn’t anxious to rake over dead coals looking for live embers, especially after his boss ordered him to drop the case. But he remembered a time when he’d have done the same thing. Besides, he should have checked the computer more thoroughly, himself. The two sat down and drew out a schematic of the three story lines. No obvious link, other than the storyteller. Jim asked if Bill would mind going down to get the details from the other two stories. The young man jumped from his chair and was out of sight in seconds. Smith smiled at his enthusiasm, looked back at the list of names, and lost his smile. Talk about the proverbial needle in a haystack. **** It took Bill only a couple of minutes to set up the computer. He made sure he was alone in the room and shut the door this time. The third story was set in San Diego. This one had five names, all of whom died in bizarre fashion. The fourth story was from Valencia and produced two more names of dead folk. Phillips was beginning to see a common thread to the stories, but not with the clarity he needed. Concentrating on the details, he tapped the power switch. The screen stayed on. He pressed the switch again with no result but he felt that strange electric charge again. Phillips was irritated and uneasy as he looked for an alternative way to shut the damn thing down. Nothing he did worked so he tapped the escape key. A strong pulse of current charged through his body. He watched in disbelief as his hands, arms, and finally his whole body blurred and faded into nothingness. **** Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. Smith, who wasn’t known for patience, became annoyed

that Phillips was taking so damn long. The young detective shouldn’t have taken it further without his approval, anyway. Telling himself they were only opening a can of worms, he hit the stairs to see what the hell the man was doing. The door was shut but not locked. When he opened it and looked inside he saw the computer glowing, but no Bill Phillips. The screen was blank with the cursor flashing in the upper left corner. Bill’s notebook sat open on the table. Jim read the last entries Bill had made and waited for him to return from the john or bring back a Coke from the breakroom. The lists of those who died in the other stories were underlined and circled, indicating locations. Jim felt a tingling sensation, something like he’d experienced in the motel room, but nothing definitive. After another ten minutes, he was exasperated. Reaching to turn the computer off he hesitated when the screen came to life. A message appeared, the cursor flying across the screen. “Jim! Don’t turn me off! Don’t even touch that damn keyboard. I don’t know how to explain this but I think I’m inside the hard drive of this stupid thing. Bill P.” Smith blinked, stunned beyond belief. Then his sense of humor kicked in. That damn Phillips was always playing some kind of practical joke and this must be another. He laughed and reached for the power switch. “Don’t, Jim! Please! This is no joke! If you turn this thing off, I’ll probably die in here. I know what you’re thinking, but this is definitely not one of my jokes. Check it out if you need to. Go see if you can find me but please don’t let anyone touch the keyboard!” Smith’s humor lapsed. He flew through the door, taking the stairs two at a time. Five minutes and ten queries later, he returned. Nobody had seen Phillips for an hour. When he looked back at the screen, there was a new message. “Jim, this is wild! While I waited for you, I did some checking on my own. There are a couple dozen stories in here, mostly written by people other than Prank. This computer must be one that’s been handed from writer to writer. And I’m afraid we’ll find all of the stories are true and detail unsolved cases from all over California.” Smith began to believe the impossible. After the Prank case, he couldn’t refuse to accept what was happening. He thought, If Bill’s in there, I’ve got to get him out. The screen flashed, “Yes! That’s right, Jim. There has to be some way to get me out of this thing. It’s crazy, but I can read your mind from in here. Think of a color.”

Jim thought red. “Red!” flashed on the screen. “Try something else.” Jim thought about Bill’s sexy girlfriend. “Suzie!” The screen lit up in thirty-six-point bold. “Okay,” Jim said aloud, “I don’t understand it, but I see it and I believe it.” “Good. Now can you try to free me? I mean, being electronic is, well, electrifying. But when you thought of Suzie just then, I remembered something even more so! And I sure as hell can’t do it in here, even if I had Suzie with me. Too cramped for comfort if you get my drift.” He said, “Good to see you still can tell jokes. How the hell did you get in there?” “I don’t know. I got the info we needed, but when I hit the power switch, the damn thing wouldn’t shut down. After trying several times, I hit the escape key. Next thing I knew, a feeling of an electrical charge pulsed through me and wham! Here I am, floating around this microprocessor. I wish you could see in here. It’s like a huge space city.” “Can you move around?” “Not very well, at least, not in a physical sense. I think I’ve been assigned to one of the memory gates. It’s kind of humbling to think I could be reduced to a single byte.” “If that’s so, how is it that you know about the details of the other stories?” “It’s the same as how I can read your mind. I can’t move but I’m aware of all the other bits and bytes floating around me, including your brain waves. Man, if the captain could see what’s in your head, it would scare the shit out of him.” “Very funny, Phillips.” “Yeah. But I need you to get me the hell out of here. This is beginning to scare the shit out of me and there’s no bathroom to wipe my ass.” Jim decided not to touch that one. “Okay. Let’s see. Prank was also able to move in and out of the computer, according to his story. If you got in the damn thing, there’s got to be a way you can get out. Maybe if I hit the escape key again, you’ll come out.” “No! Don’t touch that key! You might end up in here with me. Then we’d be really up the old mud creek without a paddle!” “Well, let’s see. It probably wouldn’t do to hook up a printer. You might end up pressed flat or maybe just a smudge of ink.” “Very funny!” Smith was at wit’s end. “Bill? What if I connected a modem and tried to transport you to

another location? Can you connect to any other information stored close to you?” “I think so. Let’s see. Well, right next to me is this byte about a handsome hunk.” “Man, I don’t know if that’ll work. Seems to me you’d have to relate to him in some way.” “Hey, comedian, this is no damn time to be cracking wise!” “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.” Jim smiled. “I’m going after some equipment. Don’t go away.” “Ho, ho, ho. Like maybe I have a choice?” Smith rushed upstairs with a true sense of mission. Minutes later, he brought in a modem, cables, and a cell phone. The screen displayed a message. “Warning! Do not touch this set!” “Bill, you still in there?” “Yeah! Why? Did you think I went out for a beer?” “Okay, my friend. I’m going to hook up the modem. Let me know if you feel or sense anything happening.” He plugged the unit in and asked, “Feel anything?” “Not so far.” “Okay, good. Where should we send you?” “How about Suzie’s place? She has a computer and an online service. The memory will accept a message and the number is 555-3543.” “All right, Bill. I’m ready. Give me the exact message next to you and hang on.” The screen scrolled, “A tall sexy muscular specimen.” Jim held his breath as he activated the modem and dialed; his heart rate doubling. Suzie’s machine accepted the message. A few seconds later, the screen went blank. “Bill?” Jim waited. “Bill!” There was nothing except an empty glow. He waited another five minutes before deciding it must have worked, though there was an empty ache in his gut. He left the computer on and taped a note across the screen warning any and all that it was not to be touched under threat of instant termination. He grabbed Bill’s notebook and raced back up the steps. When he got to his car, he realized he’d forgotten to ask for Suzie’s address. After a moment’s panic, he found it in Bill’s notebook. **** Suzie had just come in from her afternoon college classes. She dropped her purse and jacket on the chair and kicked off her loafers. After a quick visit to the bathroom, she went in to browse

the net for a little while. Bill wouldn’t pick her up for dinner for two more hours. The screen indicated she had mail so she clicked on it. One message read, “A tall sexy muscular specimen.” She wrinkled her brow and laughed. Bill was at it again. She moved the cursor and tapped in, “Yeah! Sure thing, Bill.” As the letters of his name came up, she felt a surge of energy around her. The room was enveloped in a momentary blue glow, and then returned to normal. She sat stunned and halfblinded by the intensity of the glow. “Suzie! It worked! I’m here with you!” It was Bill’s voice in the room behind her. “Okay, now you’ve gone too far, Bill Phillips! You just scared me so bad I wet my pants.” She whirled around and faced him. Only, it wasn’t Bill. “Yiii!” she screamed as the stranger gave her a guilty smile. She was about to scream again, her hair standing up on the nape of her neck at the sight of the nude stranger. Fright slowly melted away, replaced by the heat of sexual attraction. God, this guy was the most gorgeous, sexiest hunk she’d ever laid eyes on. With the biggest cock she’d ever seen, at least twelve inches. Then he spoke in Bill’s voice. “Suzie! What’s wrong? It’s me. Sorry I scared you, but boy do I have a story to tell you! You won’t believe how I just got into your room.” “Who the hell are you? You sound like Bill but you sure don’t look like him.” “What do you mean?” He went to the hall mirror. “Oh my God! Who am I?” “I just said that. Who are you and how the hell can you sound like my fiancé?” He sounded bewildered. “It’s not me. But it is me! I don’t know what happened, Suz. But it’s me inside here, sweetheart.” He tapped his chest. “You have to believe me.” “How do I know it’s you? You don’t look like you and, no, I don’t have to believe you. I think I’d better call the police.” “I am the police. Remember? At any rate, Jim Smith is probably on his way here right now. You will recognize him and maybe he’ll have an answer for us.” “You know Jim Smith? I don’t understand. I…” She began to cry softly. “Suz! Stop it! You know I can’t stand for you to cry.” “Bill? How can it really be you?” She was near hysteria. “Yes, honey. I’ll prove it to you.” He smiled just like Bill; only those green eyes looked so different from Bill’s blue ones. “How about that cute little brown mole on your left breast, about

an inch below the nipple I’m so used to suckling? You know, where I love to run my tongue over it when we make love. And the freckles just above your shaved pussy where I love to lick?” How could a stranger know that? Maybe this creep was a peeper. But she couldn’t help watching his body come to full arousal. “Bill, you’re so—huge down there!” The heat of lust rose inside her; she felt such an animal attraction to this gorgeous male body. The attraction she felt was mixed with guilt that a stranger’s body made her feel like fucking, but the body had Bill’s voice. And he knew what Bill knew about her. “How about that little scar low on your tummy where I like to—you know.” His familiar grin matched his unfamiliar massive erection as he stuck his long tongue out. “How would you like this big tongue tickling your cute little pussy? Look kid, I think we should take advantage of my new body while we wait for Jim to sort this out.” “Okay! Oh my God, you look so damn good! Oh, sorry, Bill. Damn, I don’t know what to think. Looking at your new cock makes me want to fuck your brains out. But it’s not you... But it is you!” “It’s me. Let me prove it to you.” He kissed her, top to bottom, his tongue doing its best to convince her he’d done this before. His hands tweaked her nipples in the way Bill would. His tongue slid down her tummy and laved her labia just like her lover would do. “Okay,” she said, “it’s you. Oh God, this is going to be so good! Wait here and I’ll go into the bedroom to get ready for you.” **** She’d called for him to join her and he was on his way when the screen flashed. Thinking it might be Smith; he went to the screen and read. “Bill, we have a problem. I’m from the story you were next to in here. That’s my body you’re in right now and yours is still trapped in here. We’ve got our physical parts mixed up. If you hit the escape key, we’ll be able to trade.” He hesitated, wondering what it would be like to make love to Suzie in this body. But then he remembered the feeling of being trapped and knew he had to restore things to normal. He tapped the key. There was another momentary flash of blue light and the screen went blank. He turned to see Suzie approaching him, naked and smiling.

**** Suzie said, “What was that flash? That bright blue light was just like before.” Her eyes were still trying to readjust from the brilliance. The huge man shrugged and picked her up off her feet without speaking, then headed for the bedroom. He pulled her tight and she felt a tingling sensation all over. When he explored the recesses of her pussy in sensuous movements with his fingers and tongue, she giggled. His tongue laved her clit, slowly and tenderly just like Bill, only better. So much better! Her world rocked and she rode out the most intense orgasm she’d ever experienced while his tongue laved her inner recesses. “Wow! I’ve written my last paper criticizing plastic surgery. God, Bill! You’re huge.” She grabbed his cock and, after sucking it clear to her tonsils, began bobbing up and down on it. He let her suck for a few moments and then pushed her back on the bed. Mounting her like a huge stallion, he thrust his massive throbbing cock deep into her cunt with machine-like rhythm. It was the most thorough fucking she’d ever experienced. Time after time, he brought her to the edge of the precipice only to back off. Three times her body thrummed with explosive force before he brought her to a final cataclysmic orgasm, Suzie screamed, “Yes, yes! Oh God, Yesss!” Her body rose against his final pulsing thrust and fell back, limp, her face frozen into eternal ecstasy. He pulled out, dribbling semen, and returned to the computer where he hit the escape key again. There was yet another blinding blue flash and he was gone. **** Jim was on the steps to the door when he saw a flash through the window. He bounded through the outer door, raced up the stairs to Suzie’s place and slammed into the door, breaking it off its hinges. The computer glowed, but there was no message. Gun drawn, he checked warily through each room until he came to the bedroom. Suzie lay there, eyes open but unseeing, her expression identical to Eva’s. She’d died in coital bliss. Jim phoned for the coroner and the crime investigation unit. As he waited for the others to arrive, he thought about what happened. He had no idea how to write a report on it. Suddenly, a thought chilled him. As soon as the team arrived, he gave instructions and bounded to his car. The sick feeling in his gut told him there was no hurry, but he hit the emergency lights and drove like a madman to the station. He almost fell down the steps

to the evidence room. Bill’s body sat at the computer, his head resting on the keys, panic-stricken eyes staring at nothing. Smith knew what the coroner would find: death by electrocution. He also knew what the doctor would find when he examined the man’s lower extremities. Shorts glued to his dick with semen, Bill Phillips had died in the saddle.

Chapter Three Between The Lines Smith put down the phone and stared at his typewriter. The coroner’s words haunted him. According to the doctor, both Suzie and Eva showed evidence of consummated copulation at the moment of death. However, the residue was not quite human. He’d dismissed his finding with Eva whose body had floated overnight in the bay. After finding the exact same electrolyte in Suzie, he went back to his earlier tests. The two were chemically identical. The doctor didn’t know who or what had humped the two women but it was not human. And they’d both been humped by the same being. After Bill’s body was removed from the evidence room, Jim sat waiting for a message telling him it was an elaborate joke, that Bill wasn’t dead. No message arrived. He asked another detective to stand by while he operated the machine. Taking no chances he put on rubber gloves before touching the keyboard. He needn’t have bothered. The computer memory was blank. Everything was erased. No Prank stories, no message from Bill. Blank screen, blank memory… Blank report. With a start, Smith went back into detective mode. He typed in the facts as he knew them, including what he’d seen on the screen after Bill disappeared. Completing the terse details from Suzie’s apartment, he had another thought. Signing the form and placing it in his out file, he pulled his jacket on and went out to his car. On his way to Suzie’s, he made one stop for coffee. While gulping it down, he reread Bill’s notebook. The names from the third and fourth stories would have to be checked out. He knew what he’d find, but it was his nature to be thorough. Jim reminded himself his sidekick might still be among the living if he’d been more thorough after the Prank incident. A slightly acrid odor lingered in Suzie’s apartment, like an overheated electric motor. The computer hadn’t been touched, other than to turn it off. He hit the power key. Everything from Prank’s set was in the memory of Suzie’s computer. The stories Bill had described, Bill’s quaint messages, the attempt to transfer Phillips electronically. All transported to this unit, apparently including Bill Phillips, temporarily. Every goddamn fucking thing was here. Except for his late partner, that is, and he’d been

transported back to the first unit. Smith wrote down names and locations from the other stories Bill mentioned. He remained on guard, ready to power down at the slightest sign of anything unusual. No need. No feeling of static electricity such as he’d felt in the motel. After he had full notes on what turned out to be a total of thirty-one stories, he was ready to power down. Something puzzled him. These files had been transferred from the little computer, but how? And why? After pondering, he got one of his famous hunches. Perhaps the how was the why. Whatever it was, it seemed to need access to more than one computer. He was tired of calling it a thing. Thinking about what he knew, he concluded it was electrical in nature and possessed some kind of sex drive as well. One hell of a strong sex drive. Jim let out a mirthless chuckle. “Hot rod. That’s what I’ll call it.” He started a second search. Minutes later he’d located the internet access log of incoming and outgoing messages. There was only one outbound, made the day of Suzie’s death. The time was precisely the moment he’d seen the blue flash as he climbed the steps, also the time of Bill’s death. He found a hauntingly familiar phone number. Rutherford Strauss, editor of Scream magazine. He’d dialed it after Prank’s death. He looked through the desk until he found a group of blank discs. Inserting one, he began downloading all the files from the hard drive. After confirming they’d all been successfully copied, he powered down, put the discs in his coat pocket, and left. He stopped at a convenience store a few blocks away and scanned the magazine racks. There, among the plethora of pulp rags, was the latest edition of Scream magazine. In the table of contents, he found the titles of Prank’s work, including his fifth and final story, the one about Eva. His eyes blurred when he looked at the issue date. No way could they have gotten the story from him and printed it so quickly. But, there it was in black and white and sitting on the racks ready for purchase. Glancing further down the table of contents, Jim staggered back into a seat. Listed as coming in the next issue was the story of Bill and Suzie. The new author’s name was listed as Rod Lightning. Jim smiled crazily. He’d come amazingly close on the name. But how in hell could anyone have known about, much less be ready to publish, a story that had only just happened?

The longer he sat, the angrier he got. High time for some straight answers from that Strauss! A glance at the magazine’s address showed it to be in LA, only a few blocks out of his jurisdiction. He could drop by unofficially, as if he was merely filling out background notes on the cases he’d been assigned. His eyes fixed on street numbers when he approached the address, his focus a surprised stare as he pulled up in front of the number. A Mailbox Plus outlet. The proprietor assured him they indeed had an R.L. Strauss listed, but he knew nothing about the man being a magazine editor. When questioned further, he claimed never to have heard of Scream magazine. They handled traditional as well as email, and Strauss’s address was email. Jim wrote it down and thanked the man for his cooperation. **** Jim Smith had a life outside police work; that is, he had had one. Dedication had taken its toll two years earlier. When he’d left her alone for too many nights, his ex-wife Dot got sexually involved with a co-worker. The detective could not push his ego past the hurt and eventually divorced her. She’d never been serious about anyone else and was still there for him when things got too intense. Like now. Jim knocked on the door. She opened it with a question. “Who’s been killed in the line of duty this time?” “Bill Phillips.” “Oh, no. Oh Jim, I’m so sorry. God, he was so young. How did it happen?” Her expression showed regret. He’d lost a partner once before that had thrown him into a six-month depression. She pulled him into her arms, hugging him while he released the tears and frustration that had dammed up for two days. When he started talking, he explained the strange deaths. While he talked, he made mental notes, an idea taking shape. Dot made preparations for dinner as he wrote furiously on a legal pad, now able to look into the logic of the facts. Principally, it needed electricity—and/or electronics. Rod, as he apparently liked to be called, also needed sexual contact with women. When he considered that Prank had only written five stories, it meant either that Rod Lightning had done the others, or there were more of these kooky characters floating in and out of cyberspace. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that sooner?” Getting out all the notes he’d taken from the computer stories, he sorted them out and a pattern formed. He raced to his car, returning with a

map of California. He placed dots where each story occurred, adding the date of each incident. Long before he’d completed the task, he was smiling. When he looked at the dots representing Prank, there were four others between each. There were apparently five authors. But that only took him halfway back, so it could be as many as ten. The rest became clearer as he filled in the data. There was a definite time period; one dot for every three days and each incident at precisely four in the afternoon, Pacific Time. The first dot represented an incident that occurred near Anaheim three months ago, actually ninety-two days. Jim decided to check whether anything out of the ordinary happened on that date near the location. He powered up Dot’s computer as she watched, fascinated. He put in the first disc and read through each story. As he’d suspected, there was another common thread. Each story culminated with the seduction of a woman, ending in her mysterious ecstatic death. So, Rod Lightning had to have sex with a woman every seventy-two hours. Exactly seventy-two hours. Each time, the entity used the identity of some hapless man who’d be endowed with an ideal male body for the event. Dot smirked. “Your culprit sounds like a pretty typical male, to me, wouldn’t you say, darling? Sex at least every three days and constantly dreaming about becoming mister huge-cock world-class stud.” Jim didn’t see the humor and reminded her a typical stud didn’t electrocute his chosen mate. Dot lost her smile and wandered over to a chair to sulk. He was convinced he’d found something concrete. There was something unique about the Eva story. Rod had been caught off guard by the two men who couldn’t leave the keyboard alone. That explained why he had to have somebody operate the computer. Bill had become the key to his freedom. But Rod gained more than freedom from the old computer. He now had the entire damned Internet to roam at will. Rod could be there now, waiting for somebody to call Suzie’s number. Jim got that clammy feeling again. He was close to finding the key to stopping this bastard. Dot said, “Well, if he’s inside the computer at Suzie’s, then why don’t you just keep him there.” “Yeah, right. That’s easy for you to say.” Then it hit him. She was right. “Yeah! Why don’t I just do that?” He hugged her. “You’re a genius, sweetheart!”

“Right. Look, Mr. Tracy, or should I just call you Dick? I hate to complain, but it’s past ten and I have to go to work at four in the morning. Want to sleep here tonight?” She’d tried to sound matter of fact but the glint in her eyes always lit his fire. His arms were still around her so he pulled her close and kissed her passionately. She didn’t try her usual standoff game. Five minutes later, they’d yanked their clothes off and ended in a tangle of legs and bodies. It had been too long for both. He plunged between her spread legs, impaling himself deep in her wet pussy. Pumping steadily, he lasted only a minute before blowing his load. She cried, “Ahhh!” as she felt his pulsing release. He said, “Sorry. I couldn’t hold back, sweetheart.” “It’s okay, honey. I came too.” “You did? Good. Want to try it again?” “Maybe after I get off work today. I’ve got to get some sleep now.” He kissed her and headed for the bathroom. When he got back she was asleep. **** He awoke when she kissed him goodbye. “I’m on my way to work.” As his head cleared, he called to her. “Hey babe, I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to use the computer today when you come home.” “Will you be here?” she asked. “Nope. Sorry. I’ve got to get this case solved for once and for all.” She nodded and disappeared. He dragged himself out of the sack and back to the kitchen table where his notes lay in a pile. She’d left a pot of coffee for him so he sipped the brew and doodled on the pad while his brain came back to full throttle. Today had to be the day. He’d figured old Rod had to have a story somewhere by four this afternoon. Both Eva and Suzie had died at that time and he was sure he’d learn the others had, too. If what he’d been thinking last night was correct, he’d need to do some fast leg work in the next few hours. He threw his clothes on and drove at breakneck speed to Suzie’s apartment. After checking the log to confirm that no more calls had been made in or out, he disconnected the phone line. “Gotcha!” he yelled at the dark computer. Smith would have to rouse the Mailbox Plus proprietor and convince him to sever the connection to Strauss’ computer. He still had no clue to the editor’s involvement, but there was

one. It wasn’t easy, especially at five a.m., but he managed to persuade the proprietor it was life or death so he did as requested. He had Rod cornered in Suzie’s computer. Jim returned to the station, his next eight hours spent checking each and every location on his map, confirming the details to be exactly as he’d expected. He gave each police department the info and they rejected his theory. Those who hadn’t seen Rod’s handiwork couldn’t believe such an outlandish tale. After a dozen tries, he gave up and just collected data. **** Dot still had a soft place in her heart for Jim but she knew there was no way they’d ever get back together. Besides, she had a new sex partner. Her job as opening manager at Hamburger Haven put her in close proximity to several interesting men. The first had been the maintenance manager, who’d broken up her marriage to Jim. Now, the second assistant wanted to be more than a co-worker. She’d told him enough of Jim’s case that he was interested in hearing more. His motive was more likely getting into her pants, but both were avid fantasy readers so it was natural she would invite him home to see what she was talking about. Once there, animal nature took its course and they were humping by three o’clock. Some time later, as she showered, Joe sauntered into the kitchen and glanced at the notes Jim had left behind. Shortly after he went to the computer and switched it on, Dot came out wearing nothing but a towel on her hair and a big smile. When she saw Joe at the computer, she remembered Jim’s warning, but ignored it. Joe spied her and got up from the chair with a grin on his face. He hit the power switch but rather than shutting down, it went blank. He tried again with the same result. Finally he hit the escape key and the set gave off a blinding blue flash. Dot tried to refocus even as Joe seemed to blur and fade. When her vision cleared she saw the most gloriously hung male she’d ever laid eyes on standing before her, leering. Between his legs was at least a foot of bulging, throbbing cock. She hadn’t got a word out when the hunk came to her and led her straight to the bedroom, and the greatest sex act of her life. He tried to go directly for her pussy but she had other ideas. For a few seconds the hunk accepted her slurping blow job before becoming impatient. With a glance at the clock, he pushed her on her back and speared her cunt with his huge dick. She screamed in utter joy as he pumped

rapidly. She reveled in being fucked three times by three men in one day. But this was absolutely the best of all. He took her to the greatest and last orgasm she’d ever experience and then she fell back, dead, her unseeing eyes glazed with joy. **** Jim sat in Suzie’s apartment, waiting for four o’clock to arrive. At three forty-five, he turned the computer on and stood back, watching the screen nervously. At three fifty-nine, he drew his weapon and slammed a shell into the chamber. Four o’clock came and nothing. By four-fifteen, he was puzzled and disappointed. Maybe he’d been wrong about the timing, but he didn’t think so. He drove past the Mailbox Plus office. All was normal there. Could it be, he’d trapped Rod inside the computer and finished him off? Something nagged at him. It had been too easy. Then the truth struck him like the proverbial ton of bricks. “Shit!” He drove like a madman to Dot’s place. He could smell the acrid odor even before he opened the door. A nude man, someone Jim didn’t know, was draped over the computer, clearly dead. Seconds later, he found Dot lying on her bed, also naked and also very dead. From her expression, she’d experienced the same ecstasy as Eva and Suzie. Jim pulled his revolver and put the barrel to his head. “James Fucking Smith, you dumb shit, you don’t deserve to live. You stupid bastard, you brought that killing son of a bitch into Dot’s house in those damn discs!” Before he could pull the trigger, he heard his name coming from the computer. Unknown to him, Dot had added sound to her machine. Now turned to stone, he listened to the voice of his adversary, Rod Lightning. “Jim Smith. Don’t underrate yourself. You almost had me. In a way, I wish you’d been more successful. Believe it or not, I don’t like doing this any more than you like tracking me down. However, I have no choice in it. Perhaps you will be victorious when we meet again in three days. Good luck!”

Chapter Four Lightning, Rod Police Lieutenant James Francis Smith gawked at the blank screen, his six-foot frame slumped and his mind in shock. Rod Lightning had thrown down the gauntlet. They’d meet in three days and he had a strong feeling this time would be climactic. He’d been so close to nailing Rod. It would have been done if this idiot, whoever he was, had left the computer alone. But he hadn’t. Smith walked slowly back into the bedroom to take a long last look at the woman he still loved. Dot laid there, her eyes wide open, seeing nothing. He wanted to pull a cover over her nude body but knew he had to leave everything as it was until the scene was fully investigated. He pulled out his phone and made the call. After the two bodies were removed, Josephson came over to Smith. “Jim, I’m really sorry about Dot. I think you and I both know what we’re going to find here, don’t we?” Jim grunted affirmatively. “By the way, did you know Joe Franklin?” “No, Doc. Never heard of him. When I checked his I.D., I found a work card from Hamburger Haven. Apparently, he was one of Dot’s employees.” The coroner nodded silently. “Well, I guess I’m in for another long night. I’ll give you a call when I have something solid.” Jim didn’t have to wait to see what concrete evidence would come from the autopsy. His mind returned to the computer. What should he do with those damned discs? Was Rod Lightning out there somewhere, waiting for Jim to find him? Or would the hulk come out and fight on Jim’s terms? Smith removed the disc from the machine. After he’d put it and the others in his coat pocket, he erased everything from Dot’s hard drive. When he’d made sure there was nothing left, Jim shut it down. By the time he locked the empty apartment, he had one hell of a headache. Eight p.m. on Thursday, August twenty-second. Sixty-eight hours and counting. That fact alone kept him from depositing his weary frame into a booth at the Blue Note Lounge and drowning himself in Vodka Sours. Instead, he sat at his kitchen table working feverishly over the notes he and Bill had made throughout this series of

bizarre killings. Judy Arnold, his across-the-hall neighbor, sat opposite him, finishing off the last of the spaghetti she’d made. His sat untouched. “Jim, you’ve got to eat. I know you’re depressed about Dot, but you have to keep your strength up. If what you’ve told me is accurate, this is one time you can’t afford to be weak, physically or mentally.” His sad eyes flashed a weak smile. “You’re right, Judy. I just can’t shake the feeling I’m responsible for Bill and Suzie, and now Dot and her friend being dead.” He pushed the papers aside and made short work of the lukewarm food. Judy, who lived with her invalid mother, was the closest he came to having a girlfriend. They’d met at the mailboxes and become good friends. Because he still carried emotional baggage, he’d never been sexually aggressive with Judy, though he found her sensuously attractive. Oddly enough, his reticence made her even more aggressive toward him. She’d occasionally come over to play an enticing game of seduction. They always ended in bed to the full satisfaction of both. Afterward, Jim would retreat into himself, leaving her sexually satisfied but emotionally frustrated. Judy must be wondering what would happen with his ex-wife dead. One thing was clear. Dot would remain alive in Jim’s mind until he solved this case. Ten o’clock found him sitting there holding his head. His brain felt like it was in an apple press. Then it hit him. Juice! Smith’s eyes opened wide at his first optimistic thought in hours. Rob was electric and subject to the laws of electricity. Judy, nursing her third glass of wine, saw sparks flying from his eyes. Mistaking it as a signal he was ready for one of her games, she came around behind him and rubbed her 36Cs against the back of his head. He pushed away from her inviting body. “Not now, Judy. Please be patient with me. I just came up with an idea of how I can nail this thing.” “I’m sorry, Jimmy. I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I just...” He got up and pulled her into an embrace. She returned the gesture but frowned. “Maybe I’d better go on home so you can concentrate.” “No. Please don’t go. I need you here, close to me. I just realized something. I’m not complete when you’re not here with me. Make sense?” “Perfect sense, Jimmy. That comes from your heart.” She went on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips. “I’m going across to make sure Mom’s ready for

the night. Then I’ll come back and keep the coffee going. We’re going to beat this Rod Lightning or Lightning Rod, or whatever the hell it is.” He smiled in the direction of her vanishing image and sat back down. Somehow, the odds had shifted in his favor. When she came back, he was writing furiously, deep in thought. For three hours, she kept his cup full and her mouth shut. The clock on the bed table showed four a.m. Sixty hours to go. His head lay on the pillow, a smile on his face as he dropped off toward sleep. She’d curled her body into his, seeming at peace and still warm with the afterglow of lovemaking. Jim had taken her to a slow and tender climax for the first time ever. Four hours later, he was up quietly after kissing her freckled cheek, the look of bliss still showing on her face. He left a very personal note on the table before slipping out the door. Fiftysix hours and counting. **** One thing was certain and demanded immediate attention: he had to find Strauss, who figured to be the key to this mystery. As he replayed Lightning’s message in his mind, Jim thought about the true meaning of his words. “I wish you had been more successful...I don’t like this anymore than you...I haven’t any choice...Good luck.” “Luck, hell!” Jim shouted out the car window. “Luck has nothing to do with it.” He pushed the pedal to the metal and screamed his way across town. Before he got to the station, he got a call from the coroner. “Jim, I finished the autopsies. Just like the others. Some sort of electrical shock. Dot had the residue. Like the other two, only…” “Only what, Doc?” “Sorry, Jim. She had human semen too. Belonged to the other deceased.” The line went quiet. After a long pause, Smith answered. “It’s okay, Doc.” His face was a mask as he continued. “I’ve known for a long time it was over when we divorced. I just wouldn’t let it go, until now. But thanks for caring about my feelings.” He shifted back to the business at hand. “She and Joe had sex. He went in to play with the computer and Rod Lightning shows up and fucks Dot to death. That about it?” “Jesus. You sure have a way with words. You almost make it sound normal.”

“It is almost normal. I’m starting to believe there’s something very normal behind this entity. Doc, I’ve got two days to solve this thing,” his voice firm, “and I’m going to do it. Thanks again.” At his desk, he began the search for R.L. Strauss. Within an hour, he ruled out horror, sci-fi, and fantasy magazines. Whatever he was, he was not a real editor. But Scream magazine was very real. He had a copy to prove it, but couldn’t locate the source. As he widened his search, he called a colleague who worked with the nationwide police computer coordination system. By midafternoon, he’d replied with discouraging results. He’d found nothing, but said there was something in the nothing. Jim growled, “Look, I appreciate your help but I have enough of a puzzle on my hands. What do you mean you found something in nothing?” “When files are deleted from hard drives, they leave ghost images. In other words, there is, by their absence, proof that something had been there. Each time I close on a file that should be Strauss’s, there’s a ghost. All traces of the man are being eliminated.” Jim thanked his friend and hung up. It was four p.m., Friday, August twenty-third. Fortyeight hours to go until...what? **** It was midmorning before Judy awoke in Jim’s bed. She smiled, remembering the tender way he’d seduced her. Her sore nipples gave testimony to the fact he could truly light a girl’s fire. And after last night she knew for sure he had true feelings for her. She padded into the bathroom, shaking her auburn curls and surveying her body in the mirror. Not bad for thirty-five. While dressing, she thought back to her short and unhappy marriage. While a decent man, he’d had no time or room for her mom. When he insisted she choose, Judy couldn’t abandon her mother to a home for invalids. She went back to her apartment to her mother, who was still in bed waiting for help. She was not pleased Judy spent the night across the hall. As Judy told enough of Jim’s case to satisfy her curiosity, Amelia relented in her verbal sparring. Once she was bathed, clothed, and fed, Amelia decided to take a nap. Judy used the time to slip over to Jim’s and bring back the discs. A freelance writer, she was curious to see the stories Jim had described. She scanned the discs, one by one, spotting a curious pattern. The earlier stories were set across one part of southern California, describing a pair of ellipses. Later ones

began a long stretch northward past Sacramento to Portland before returning to the coast and south to the episodes Jim was working. As she worked, not realizing she’d duplicated his findings she decided she shouldn’t let him know what she’d done. She made sure the discs were where he’d left them and scanned the map on his table. Since he already knew what she’d learned, it wouldn’t be necessary to share it with him. At least she’d be on his wavelength now. After seeing Jim drive up, she met him in the hallway. He kissed her on the cheek and seemed happy to see her, but not in a great mood. “It’s really nice to have someone to come home to, especially today. I’m afraid I rolled snake eyes on my latest theory. I feel the pressure building inside but I can’t do anything about it. There’s no trace of Strauss. He’s out there somewhere. But where?” “It is really confusing, isn’t it? But I have an idea. I hope you don’t mind but I looked at your notes today.” “Confusing and frustrating.” He nodded. “I don’t mind you looking. I’m glad you want to help. One thing, though. I don’t want you anywhere near those damned computer discs. There’s no telling what might happen to you.” “They’re really that dangerous? I didn’t know.” Judy fought down her panic and proceeded to explain her perspective on the data. “The pattern on your map isn’t a random one, Jimmy. Come on in.” She drew him into her apartment where Amelia was sitting in her wheelchair. “Mom, you know Jim Smith, don’t you? From across the hall?” “Oh, yes. Hello, Mr. Smith. I understand you have a new roommate.” **** “Good evening, Mrs. Jones. Please call me Jim, will you?” He parried her snippy inference about her daughter. “I appreciate having Judy help me last night with the case I’m on. She’s good enough to be a detective. Did you know that?” “Mom, I want to show Jim what I did today. Would you like to have coffee with us while we work?” The older lady said she was about to miss her favorite TV courtroom show and rolled away, leaving them alone. After Judy spread her map out, Jim swore softly. “Damn! I didn’t see that before. Do you know what’s close to those towns down there?” He pointed to the double cluster

of dots. “Desert?” “Desert for sure. But there’s more. They circle a small military base close to old Edwards Air Force Base. Look.” He put an X on the map indicating the base, intersecting the two ellipses exactly. “Now I have an idea where our Mr. Strauss might be, and why his identification is playing hide and seek with our data systems.” “Jim, what is it? Why is that so important?” “They don’t even give out a name for the place. They call it X Base. Nobody knows exactly what they do, but there is extremely high security around the place. “Last year, we had an all-points for a fugitive who got in there and hid. They not only wouldn’t let our men in, they wouldn’t release the fugitive. Their security chief said he’d seen more than they could allow him to tell. All we got was a promise he’d never ever go free. Far as I know, he’s still locked up in the place.” “Wow! Maybe I stumbled into something good, huh? What a story! Do we go down there and sneak in to find your man?” “Whoa. We aren’t going anywhere, especially to a place we might not get out of.” “Okay, boss. If we’re not going anywhere for awhile, suppose I start dinner. You will eat with us, won’t you?” “After that great spaghetti, try and keep me away.” “I didn’t think you even had a clue what that was. Glad you liked it. But, sometime, you should try it fresh and hot. Like me.” **** After dinner, they went to his apartment to get away from Amelia, who’d indicated she approved of him. While they sat on the sofa holding hands, he remembered an old friend who’d been into military secrets in a big way. He dialed the phone. Hanging up from the call, he said, “Electronics! Not just any electronics but leading edge experimental stuff with military significance. Now I have to know who this Strauss really is and whether he’s involved with the military in some project. But how will I find out without giving myself away? I have to be able to sneak up on Lightning if I’m to grab him.” “Not to mention staying alive.” As he climbed over her warm inviting body, Jim glanced at the clock. Forty-two hours for

all the answers he needed. When she got aggressive, he relaxed in the notion there’d be plenty of time in the morning. After all, his appetite had to be sated, too. **** On Saturday morning they went to the station so he could make more inquiries. By ten in the morning, they’d learned of a leading electronics research designer named R.L. Strauss in Silicon Valley. His query met a dead end again when the company said he was no longer employed there. And, no, he’d left no forwarding address. Jim put the phone down and looked into Judy’s intriguing amber orbs across from him. “No luck. No address. No nothing. Damn!” He started to slam his book closed but stopped. “Holy shit! Oops. Sorry, Judy. I just remembered I have this man’s address, the only one I need. His phone number, too.” “You do? How’d you get them?” “He gave them to me. Rather, he gave me a phone number and that’s how I found the address by accident. It’s an email address. If he’s inside X Base, a physical address won’t do us any good, anyway.” He dug through his notes until he came up with those from Mailbox Plus. “I don’t want a chance this thing could be set loose in here if I happen to screw up again. Let’s go home. I’m going to have a little tête-à-tête with Strauss.” He grabbed her by the arm. “Come on, sweetheart. You really are a home-grown detective, aren’t you?” She beamed as he dragged her willing body to the car and home. Once there, he wasted no time dialing the number he’d been given just over a week earlier. After three rings, a voice came on. “You have reached 371-5791.” “Yes. I want to speak with Rutherford Strauss.” “Your code, please?” “Code? Look, I’m Lieutenant James Smith, LAPD, and I’ve spoken with Strauss at this number regarding a case I’m working on. Could I please speak to him?” “I understand, sir. However, we’re on heightened security and this is one of the lines that must have special clearance. Sorry, sir.” The line went dead. He looked at Judy and winked. “He’s there. They wouldn’t complete my call without the proper security code, but the guy as much as admitted he’s there.” Judy’s freckles wrinkled into a big grin. “What do you think the code is?”

“I haven’t a clue. Actually, I don’t need to talk to him as long as I know where he is. It might be fun, though, to try to get through.” He dialed again. “You have reached 371-5791.” “R.L. Strauss, please.” “Your code, please.” “Rod Lightning.” There was silence for some seconds. “Would you repeat that, please?” “Rod Lightning.” After another hesitation. “Sorry, sir, but I cannot transfer a call without the proper code.” Click and silence. “I must have been close. They asked me to repeat it before cutting me off.” She was deep in thought. She asked, “Jimmy, you said this was a military base?” “Yes. So?” “So, let me try. My dad was career Air Force until he was killed in a plane crash.” She dialed and waited. “You have reached 371-5791.” “Mr. Rutherford L. Strauss, please.” “Your code, please.” “Lightning, Rod.” “One moment, please.” She winked at Jim and handed him the phone. “R.L. Strauss speaking.” “Dr. Strauss, Jim Smith here. Do you remember me from the Prank case?” “Oh yes, of course. Lieutenant Smith, how did you get through to me?” “That isn’t important. What is important is that you know more about what’s happening here than you told me. By the way, how is Scream magazine coming along?” “Oh, just fine and dandy.” “I’ll bet it is. Rod Lightning is one hell of a writer, isn’t he?” “Yes, one of the best. Look, Smith, I know you didn’t go to all this trouble to talk literary criticism. What’s on your mind?” “Just this. Since I first talked to you, I’ve lost a good partner and his fiancée, and now my ex-wife to this abomination. Your author, whoever or whatever, has challenged me to meet him

tomorrow. I want to know what your connection is to him.” “Please accept my deep and sincere apology for your loss. I’m truly sorry. Sadly, the information’s classified and cannot be released. Do you know where he is right now?” “What? You mean you don’t?” “Unfortunately, no. I have to admit this is very embarrassing.” “Look, Strauss, I’m aware your area of expertise is in electronics, virtual reality to be exact. Is this another military experiment that’s gotten out of hand?” “I’m sorry to hear you say these words, Jim. You’re treading on dangerous ground and would be wise to back off before you’re drawn in deeper. Do you get my point?” “Loud and clear. Now hear my response. I’m coming for you, so you know. We now know dozens of people have died because of this monster and your refusal to cooperate may be dooming dozens more. This is between us, now. I would like to know just one more thing. What is your relationship to Lightning?” “Fair enough. He’s my—son. Watch yourself, Jim Smith.” The phone went dead. Jim’s face had gone ghostly pale as Judy watched him. When he shared what had been said, she asked, “If Strauss doesn’t know where Rod is, how will you find him?” “Oh, I know where he is. And I know where he’ll turn up tomorrow.” He shook himself out of the blue funk he’d settled into during the conversation with Strauss. “Now, let’s get out of here for awhile. I need to relax.” He looked into her inquisitive eyes. “I have an idea. Let’s take your mom on an outing. It’s a beautiful day. She must enjoy getting out of the house from time to time.” “That’s a wonderful idea. She’ll love it. You’re sure this is what you want to do? I mean, you’ve got everything ready for tomorrow?” “Yep. I’ve got all the answers I need for now. Let’s go have some fun.” **** They took Amelia for a great afternoon of sun and relaxation. By evening, she’d seen enough of Jim to know she wanted her daughter to be with him; herself as well. Later, they tucked her in for the night and went back to his place. The two woke up Sunday, energized from a night of sexual fulfillment, to enjoy a long, leisurely breakfast with Amelia. The older woman seemed to delight in the look of love that had Judy glowing. Late in the morning, Jim excused himself to run an errand.

When he returned to the apartment it was twelve noon. Four hours to go. He opened the packages and set up the crude equipment around his computer. First, he rolled twelve-gauge Romex from the kitchen to the computer, stripped the ends of the wire and twisted them together. No idea how much current to expect, but he hoped this would do the job. After clamping one end of the wire to the water pipe under the sink, he spread heavy screen wire around his high back chair and fastened the other end of the wire to it. It should work as a shield and would send Lightning to ground zero if he came out to play. Smith put the discs next to the computer and returned to Judy’s apartment. At three-thirty, he excused himself again. Before leaving, he admonished her to stay out of his apartment until he came or called. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a fierce hug. Then, with a tender kiss, she released him to do what he had to do. **** After he left, Judy sat thinking through the details. Something was nagging at her consciousness but she couldn’t bring it into focus. He was so sure he was protected, but what if he’d missed something? She turned on her computer to review the stories again. Whatever it was, it was in there somewhere. As four o’clock approached, she scrolled furiously back and forth. At three fifty-five, Jim came back, powered up, and inserted the final disc. After he had the finale of Dot’s story in place, she watched him climb behind his makeshift screen and wait. Curious about something that bothered her, she went back across the hall. Judy found what she was looking for at three fifty-nine; the lightning strike that felled the two men. Many people make the mistake of believing they’re safe from lightning if they’re grounded. Jim set himself up to be electrocuted! She dashed out of her apartment and into the hallway. As the clock struck four, she rushed in, shouting for him to get away from the computer. Nothing happened. His screen still showed Rod’s last words to him. They froze, both staring at the screen. Then he turned to her. “How did you know to look for that part of the story?” She blushed. “I know I shouldn’t have but I wanted to help. Friday, while you were gone, I took the discs over and scanned through the stories.” “Did you leave them in your hard drive?”

“Yes.” “Oh my God!” He raced out of the apartment and across the hall. He opened Judy’s door as the last of the bluish glow dissipated from around the computer. There was a faint acrid odor, one much too familiar to him. The cursor was blinking and there was a message on the screen. “Jim Smith. Where were you? I couldn’t wait past my appointed time. Surely, you know that by now. I’m sorry for what I had to do but I really do not have a choice. Be assured I made the experience quite pleasant for the lady. If you’re not trying to avoid me, I’ll look for you in seventy-two hours. Better luck next time. R.L.” He was behind Judy now as she tore through the house and screamed from her mother’s bedroom. Rushing in there, he looked over her shoulder. Amelia lay there, stilled forever. Her unseeing eyes were frozen in a look of absolute bliss. But she was so different. Her gray hair was a glowing light auburn and her body was feminine perfection, down to shapely perfect legs. She looked about thirty, in the bloom of her life. Somehow Rod Lightning, while ravishing her, had been able to restore Amelia’s body to its youth. Judy turned and clung to him while sobs wracked her body. Jim held her close and said nothing, his mind racing again. He’d been caught short once more. He knew Judy would blame herself for her mother’s death and he wouldn’t be able to convince her otherwise. But, somehow, he had to end this, once and for all. After making the dreaded call, he told her to wait for the investigating team so she could explain what happened. He left her there beside Amelia and went back to the computer. After leaving a message on screen, he punched in the email address of R.L. Strauss. As the message was being sent, Smith reached out and tapped the escape key. His body slowly blurred, faded, and was gone.

Chapter Five I’ll See You In My Dreams Jim’s first perception was of the enormity of the structure he found himself inside. Bill called it a huge space city or something to that effect. Smith became aware of thoughts and details, a myriad of facts bombarding him. Also the understanding that mere milliseconds had elapsed since he’d keyed himself into the electronic pipeline. Suddenly, he realized he was right next to Rod Lightning, who wondered why Jim Smith would be here with him. At that instant, he caught the tail end of the message he’d sent to Strauss and directed his mind to lock onto the message as well as Lightning. “Where are we going, Jim Smith?” “Home, Rod. We’re going to go see your daddy. Hang on.” “No! I don’t want to go back there!” “Tough shit!” Before he could express another thought, they passed through some sort of portal and materialized into a large lab filled with electronic gadgetry. On one wall stood a huge screen that displayed his message. He looked around to see a small gray-haired man, probably in his fifties, standing there smiling dolefully at him. “Hello, Lieutenant Smith. I see there’s no need to reply to your message. My, you do tend to take a hands-on approach, don’t you?” “Damn straight on that!” Strauss turned to the other figure in the room. Jim followed his gaze and looked at the real Rod Lightning for the first time, tall, well muscled, and stark naked. Well-hung but flaccid, it was clear why women couldn’t resist him. But as he cataloged the man’s features something triggered in his memory. That face was familiar. “I suppose I should thank you for bringing my son back to me, Jim. He’s been naughty again and wouldn’t come back as he was supposed to. Welcome home, Rod.” “This is not my home and you’re not my father. And I’m damn sure I won’t like what you have for me to do next.” Before Strauss could respond, the screen blinked and repeated its same message. He grunted

as the room went hazy. Slowly, the center of the haze materialized into Judy, standing before the big screen. Her eyes were huge as she struggled to focus on the men in front of her. “Jim? Is that you?” “Oh, my. Who do we have here?” Strauss was nonplused. “Mr. Strauss, I’d like you to meet Judy Arnold. Her mother, Amelia Jones, was the latest of Rod’s victims. Only minutes ago.” “Judy, this is Rod Lightning.” She turned toward the hulk who seemed to lose stature under her angry stare. “What’s going on, Jim? I looked in just as you vaporized. When I saw the message on the screen, I decided to try to follow you.” Her eyes were amber slits, like an angry panther’s. “Are we going to kill these bastards and get the hell out of here, or do we still have to play by their rules?” “Much as I would like to zero them out, I’m not sure that would end the problem.” “Jim, Jim,” Strauss said, “Hold on, will you? Perhaps I owe you an explanation of what has happened. Only…” “Only what?” “What we’ve been able to do is so radical we can’t let anyone know about it and leave. Ever want something so much that after you had it, it ended up owning you?” “I’ve experienced that. What has that got to do with the truth?” “The truth!” Strauss hissed. “To be sure, let’s have the truth. Do you yet realize what you and your lady friend just did?” “You mean being transported here, wherever here is? It’s just now beginning to sink in.” Jim turned to gaze at Judy, who nodded in agreement. Strauss said, “I was close to a huge breakthrough in my research lab up north. When I realized the possibility of electro-molecular transport, I contacted the Pentagon. It seemed they were doing similar studies on EMT down here. Oh, by the way, in case you haven’t guessed, this is indeed the infamous X Base. I agreed to join their team.” As Strauss continued his explanation, Rod slowly sidled toward the only door. Jim saw the movement and stepped into his path, glaring at the frustrated giant. “Don’t worry about Rod. There’s an activated field just outside the doorway. If he steps into it he’ll disintegrate. I’m sure he doesn’t want to die.”

Strauss pointed to chairs for his uninvited guests. As they cautiously seated themselves, he resumed. “I had long since moved from interactive screens and three dimensional holographic displays into the fascinating realm of virtual reality. When we combined our data, it became clear we were ever so close to being able to transport live beings. One problem remained, one we worked on night and day without success.” Jim interrupted. “You were on the edge of sending someone through a wire?” “Not just a wire, but by electronic beam. Think of it! The military ramifications are staggering. It had become ‘look out Star Trek.’ Quantum leap has been trivialized but that’s the dimension of our work. But only if we found a solution to our problem.” “What was the problem?” “We needed a source of power safe for humans, but with sufficient magnitude and spectrum. I hate to admit it but we cooked a couple of dogs in our early attempts.” Jim’s sarcasm overflowed. “I’m sure Bill and the other victims would find your concern for the animals touching.” Strauss dropped his gaze. “I’m truly sorry for what happened. You’re right again, but when you hear the rest of the story, you may be less inclined to judge us so harshly.” “Don’t count on it.” He glanced again at Rod who sat sulking, face in his hands. “We have the most advanced computers in the world but even they couldn’t bring us closer to a solution. We felt we needed a miracle. What we got was a lucky break.” Strauss’s eyes sparked. “Have you ever watched a meteorite shower at night? What everyone likes to call shooting stars?” “Sure. I used to go up into the canyons to find a place where the city lights didn’t haze up the night sky. My friends and I tried to count them once.” “Did you ever notice the blue ones?” “Blue? No, I guess I never noticed a difference in color.” “Neither did we until one of our team went to Palomar. While there, he noticed a few of them were blue while most of the others were red or yellow. Spectrum analysis proved the blue ones to be exactly what we needed, but we still couldn’t duplicate them. Then one night, one of the blue meteorites hit the ground just outside our perimeter. It took the troops a week to find what was left of it.” “When we got it into the lab, we found that it had a live field radiating in the very spectrum

we needed. It was perfect. We installed the rock into our transporter and tried it. That lucky cat didn’t get cooked. It went from this room to the next in the blink of an eye. We had done it, or so we thought.” “Wait a minute. You said you only had one problem and it appears you solved it.” “Sometimes, in science, one problem’s solution becomes another solution’s problem. In a word, when we looked in on the cat, it was operating the computer.” Judy couldn’t take it. “Oh, come on! You’re putting us on about this, aren’t you?” “Knowing what I do now, Judy Arnold, I only wish it were a joke. We thought we were losing our marbles from overwork while we watched that damn cat playing like a kid with a new game. Then, someone suggested returning the cat to the meteorite and when we tried, it came back dead on arrival. Electrocuted.” Jim’s skin crawled at the word. “So we knew the rock and its field weren’t as simple as we’d thought. Long story short, it turns out the field was a being. An entity, if you will.” “Whoa. This is beginning to sound like some kind of outer space soap opera.” “Nothing that entertaining, I fear. I don’t mean to imply it was a being in the sense we are. But it was something and it was very much alive. We called it a blue streak for want of anything remotely scientific. Our efforts centered on how to free it from that chunk of rock. That, I’m afraid is where our friend here entered the picture.” Jim looked at Rod again. The huge man dropped his hands from his face. “I know that man, damn it!” Jim blurted out. “That face is one I’ve seen before.” His eyes widened as his memory registered but before he could say it, Strauss spoke. “That’s right. Your former fugitive who crashed our gates to escape the police, is none other than Rod Lightning. Actually, his first name really is Rod. The surname escapes me.” “Rod Johnstone! How in hell did he get into the middle of your experiment?” “I wish I knew. In a place that has greater security than the White House, we never dreamed an outsider could simply walk in. But that’s apparently what he did. “And that’s where we differed on strategy. I wanted to turn him over to the state police or you. The Air Force OIC wouldn’t hear of it. He wanted no mention of what we were doing, even by a runaway sex offender. “One of my colleagues got a brilliant idea. We wanted to use a human in our project in order

to communicate with the streak. Although we corrected our early mistakes so there was no chance of losing anyone, we had no volunteers. We asked Rod if he would participate in exchange for his freedom. He jumped at the chance.” Judy said, “You mean you offered to let this pervert go free if he helped you?” “Yes, that was the deal. But of course, we couldn’t let him go back outside. Ever.” Jim was furious. “Who in God’s name gave you the right to make deals like that? We chased the creep around LA for a year after he raped three girls and their grandma. If you’d seen the crime photos, you’d have offered him nothing except maybe castration!” Jim shook his head as tears flooded down his cheeks. “If I had any idea this is who we’ve been after, I would have had the Feds down here in nothing flat!” “I know, I know. We learned why the police were so upset with us, but not until the experiment was already in progress. By then, it was far too late, because when we transported Rod into the next room, his body and the life force of the alien merged inexorably into a hybrid being. Somehow, it created a cycle of seventy-two hours during which the entity slowly lost control until the man could create a situation in which he had sex. That activity seemed to restore the streak to control in the next cycle.” Jim nodded. “That’s why he left the messages for me. The streak is hooked up to this freak and can’t get free. He’d rather be caught than keep up this behavior. On the other hand, Rod baby gets lots of great sex but he’s so charged he ends up frying his babes. No wonder he’s trying to evade you. And me.” “The streak and the freak, huh?” Judy, still incredulous the answer could be so simple, said, “But what about the damn magazine?” “That was someone’s cover story while we tried to track Rod down and get him back. The entity would transmit details of each crime. We had them printed in a fake rag. I know it sounds stupid but it’s the truth. One thing I’ve learned down here is that when we combine the genius of science with the pig-headed military brass, the result is chaos.” Jim said, “Okay, let’s say for a minute I accept your explanation. Just what do we do with this thing?” “That’s our dilemma. If we let him go, he’ll kill one or more people every three days. On the other hand, if we destroy him, we lose the chance of a lifetime to make contact with a being from the outer limits of the universe. Which is the greater good?”

“Don’t you mean greater evil?” Judy snarled at Strauss. At that moment, Rod jumped from his chair and raced for the door. As he pushed on the bar, Strauss screamed, “No, Rod! Don’t! Stop! The field!” Jim sprang from his seat and dived for Rod’s legs. Just as he gra… **** “Stan! Wake up!” I opened my eyes to see an evil creature floating above me, blurred and moving slowly back and forth, menacingly. As my focus cleared, I realized the creature was my wife. I’d been dreaming. “Betty, what’s up?” “Not you, you lazy dimwit. You fell asleep and were ranting about your rod or something or other. You must have been having a dream.” “It was more of a nightmare and thanks to you, I’ll never know if he got away. Damn!” “Don’t you mean she? I’d like to know who the hell Eva and Suzie are. And Dot and Judy. Especially that bitch Judy. From your sleepy muttering, you must have some wild sex life going on I know nothing about. Nightmare, my ass!” “I wanted to know if Rod got through the door. He was trying to escape or get killed or something. You really screwed things up waking me just then.” “Screwed, huh? So, which of those bitches are you screwing now, Stanley?” “What bitches? They must have been in the dream.” I was still half-awake as she glared at me, hands on hips, ranting like some kind of hellish damn magpie. “Why the devil did you wake me, anyway?” “You old reprobate, you promised to teach me to surf the Internet this afternoon on that computer you got. You’ve slept the time away and I still don’t know what to do.” I shuddered at her whiny voice, wondering if it would be this way the rest of my life. “Is the computer on?” “Yes. I’ve been playing around but so far all I’ve found is an online science fiction magazine.” “What’s it called?” “Scream Play, I think.” “Scream, did you say?” My senses went on full alert. “Uh-huh.”

“Betty, isn’t this Wednesday, the twenty sixth?” “Yes. Why?” “Oh, nothing.” I looked at the clock, then back to the nemesis of my life with a smile. Could I really be this lucky? The red numerals showed 3:59 p.m. “Go right on in. Find the escape key and tap it, honey. I’ll be there in a minute. And I can promise you, you’re going to get the thrill of a lifetime out of this.” She padded in, her eyes bright with excitement. When she tapped the key, I could see the reflection of the room glowing momentarily with a blinding blue haze. Shortly after, I heard her demanding the hunk fuck her harder and then her high-pitched coital cries of joy when he did. Suddenly there was another blue flash and the house went silent. Moments later, an acrid metallic odor wafted through the doorway, assaulting my nostrils, assuaging my soul...

About the Author After a career as a professional musician and educator, Pat Dale turned to the pen to craft more than a dozen novels to date. A native Missourian, the author traveled far and wide before settling near Kansas City to enjoy the scenic beauty of America’s heartland. Dale uses musical rhythms and values to write what some would call poetic prose. Whether romance or suspense is your cup of tea, the author’s endearing and sometimes frightening characters will lead you into worlds you might otherwise never have visited. So sit back, pick up a Pat Dale novel, and whisk yourself into those worlds for a few hours of fantasy. You are cordially invited to visit the author’s website at: http://www.patdale.net Also by Pat Dale: Dance with the Devil Sleeping with her Enemy

Also Available at MuseItUp Publishing A Sci-fi Erotica Short Story by Kate Lynd eBook ISBN: 978-1-927361-04-7 A human rebel against the Capturian Forces, Caliope was enslaved for five years and tortured. She never expects to meet James, a half-breed too human for his own good. Their connection is electric. Their love is forbidden. Their daughter may be Earth’s only hope.

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