Manipulate (Book 1, Alien Cadets)

Chapter 17

Downy felt like killing something when Sam climbed, unharmed, from the trouncer cage. Downy had worked it out so carefully. Leaking the information to Sam at the carnival, suggesting he spread it around (though the live TV interview had been Sam’s idea), and waiting for the inevitable trial. Even though the trial had gone slightly awry, the main point, Sam’s execution, had gone as planned.

And then! To watch that abomination of a trouncer protect Sam, when he should have been slashed to pieces and consumed before his body could even void itself… Downy had been cheated. 

Downy got some satisfaction watching Sam and the others frantically search for Nat and Jia. They found Jia’s body in the ashes on the beach, and identified her from a healed break in her right ankle. That was unfortunate too, he’d hoped Sam would think it was Nat for a while.

The worst part wasn’t even Sam’s survival. The worst part was his new authority.  Suddenly Greg and General Gustav were offering Sam choices, listening to his advice… following his orders! Of course, Sam didn’t phrase them as orders, but it was clear to Downy that he was taking over. He’d even demanded they give him the trouncer that saved his life.

Greg hadn’t liked that, but Sam wasn’t being the humble student anymore.

“You think it’s dangerous?” Sam said. “Jia was murdered last night. Possibly Nat too. Jonathan is never coming back. I could use a dangerous bodyguard.”

He paused. “No offense Mike.”

Mike grinned. “None taken.”

“That trouncer saved my life. I want him.” Sam said.

“They are unpredictable, it is not a wise choice,” Greg argued.

“With all due respect, they aren’t the only unpredictable ones,” Sam said. He held Greg’s gaze and eventually Greg nodded.

“You may make the attempt,” he said.

Downy dared to hope the trouncer would redeem itself and shred Sam’s measly ribcage, but it didn’t. It was a day of disappointments.

Downy used the uproar to move to an empty room down the hall. He couldn’t stand living in the same room as Sam anymore. Anyway, the trouncer wouldn’t even let Downy in.  A hundred times, so many nights, Downy had crouched next to Sam’s bed, tracing the path he could slash an inch from Sam’s jugular, or the arterial vein in his arm, or the pulsing artery in his inner thigh. The humans had so many vulnerabilities. But he hadn’t done it, and now his chance was gone.

Downy used a claw to slash open the latest communication he’d received from Shara.

It was straightforward.

“The plan for Nat has failed. Execute Sam immediately. No more subtlety. He’s more likely to influence the trial now than before. Get rid of him – our boss demands it.”

Downy crushed the paper in his hand. It was easy for her to say that. He couldn’t just kill Sam. It would be too obvious. His position would be desperate. He would be executed by the Spo, and there would be no friendly trouncer to save him.

No, he had to do it someway that wouldn’t immediately betray him. The tower vandalism had been well enough, time to cash in on that. He would kill once more, to establish the crazy serial killer persona, and then take Sam out tomorrow, when his trouncer pet wasn’t nearby.

That night, Downy waited in the cafeteria until most of the students were gone. It took forever. They were all weepy about Jia and Nat, but they also wanted to replay every moment of Sam’s failed execution. They all wanted to talk to him, and pet that abominable trouncer that seemed so pleased to receive affection. He would enjoy killing that animal. Trouncers were not as easy to kill as human animals, but he could use a ritual machete to chop its limbs off. The blood of the trouncer would clot almost instantly, but without limbs its circulation would slow, until finally its heart would arrest and seizures ensue. Downy would like that.