Kiss My Assimilation

Chapter 12 - Mayor Reynolds

"Please, have a seat miss Goldman." The mayor offered amiably. He, himself stayed up and headed for the window. He leaned against the adjoining wall and continued. "I take it that the members of Second Chance couldn't make it?"

"No sir, they hum... had to get rooms at the resort. The one at the lake, I forget the name." Annie said lamely.

"Nacimiento." The mayor added helpfully.

"Right. They asked me to represent them if its possible." Annie said hopefully.

"You must see them all the time." Mayor Reynolds asked cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Annie asked the man puzzled.

"I mean, see them as in, up close and personal."

"Personal? I see them yes, I do work for them after all. But I'm not always with the guys. I'm not their nanny. I'm just a facilitator."

"But you get to see them." Persisted the man.

"Err... Yes. Is this for a private performance for one of your nieces? I must warn you that the guys don't do that sort of thing." Annie said.

"My nieces as you say would eat them up like candy my dear." He chuckled softly as he drew the curtains closed. "Sensitive eyes." He explained.

"So, what can I help you with mayor?" Annie said, coming straight to the point. She didn't want to spend more time than needed in this gloomy office. The mayor was starting to creep her out.

"Well," he started hesitantly, "I needed those boys to be here, but you'll do in a pinch." He circled the big desk and sat down at one of its corners.

"Glad to help." Annie said, bristling at the 'in a pinch' remark.

"Glad you feel that way miss Goldman. You see, these boys see a lot of people. Important people sometimes is it not? They could spread the word one concert at a time. Great time saver. Great time saver."

Spread the word?...oh shite. Annie thought. "You're one of Them aren't you?" Annie said in a little voice feeling like a small mouse caught by the house cat.

"Very astute miss Goldman, very astute of you. Yes, I'm one of 'Them' as you call us."

Annie felt the cold grip of fear paralyzing her into inaction. The other times she had to face the invaders, she had time to think. But she was caught completely by surprise this time. The cumulative stress of the past days had something to do with it too. She was just at the end of her mental rope.

"You see," the mayor continued, "we are constantly in need of expansion." He said spreading his arms, then he pointed to his bulging stomach. "And fresh meat, you being it I'm afraid."

"J-- Jennifer Lopez or whatever was inhabiting her at the time explained that you can't coexist with your hosts. You're parasites." Annie babbled, terror struck.

"Parasite. Tsk, tsk. Such a nasty word for our condition. Yes, I guess we are. I received reports from a friendly detective in L.A. that some of us have been killed." He stopped talking and did a horrible twist of the head that resulted in a wet crunching sound. The little hairs on the back of Annie's neck stood up at attention.

"Unusual to say the least. You see, miss Goldman, we are an ancient race and we evolved to a form what made us the apex predators in most environments. To hear of one of our kind being killed is almost unheard of. Then the detective gave me even more shocking news if that's possible. He could place you near every incident that cost the lives of our brethren. I am curious to see the link between you and this boy band of yours with those deaths." The mayor said menacingly, leaning closer to Annie's ear.

She tried to back away as much as the chair allowed but didn't accomplish very much. To Annie's horror, something was moving in mayor Reynolds open mouth. Something pink orange and pulsating.

Something snapped inside her mind and she lost her shit right there and then. She screamed like a banshee trying to push the mayor away from her face. He put his fingers inside her mouth, stifling the cry. Soon his whole hand was pushing past her teeth crushing her tongue back in her throat. She couldn't breathe. Her hands batting feebly at the mayor's face. She couldn't look away from his face who started to break away and part to let the monster out. The orange and pink pulsating flesh pushing at the cracks in the babbling face before her. She tried to reach for her purse but couldn't find it. She left it in Bugsy's car! No!

As the finality of the information sunk in and despair set its bloody claws in her soul; she heard a loud report and saw a small hole appear on the mayor's forehead, right above the right eye.

The mayor's body went limp and slumped against her pinning her down crushing her lungs with it's enormous weight.

In panic she looked towards the light coming out of the open door. She noticed a lone figure silhouetted by the brightness behind it. The office lights came on and Annie saw Deidre at the light switches. She was staring at the mayor's crumpled figure. The lone silhouette she had seen was Bugsy standing there with a smoking revolver in her hands. Bugsy came over. Annie felt the weight lifted as the body was pushed away from her. She batted the mayor's hand out of her mouth and gulped in air like a surfacing swimmer. She choked on spittle and blood and was violently sick the next moment.

When her retching calmed she heard Deidre saying in a small voice. "You killed the mayor!" Deidre's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she crumpled to the ground in a faint.

Bugsy looked at her and made no movement to go see if the receptionist was unhurt. She instead helped a shocked Annie to unsteady feet. "You okay?"

"Define 'okay'." Annie replied out of breath.