He perceived a species of great cunning rising out of the depths of the Great Sea. His kind came to call it the Evil Species because it wreaked a great slaughter among them. So many centuries had passed since the last conflict on their planet that they had no weapons, no warning systems, no plans for defense. It took them several years to even comprehend that they had become the preferred food source for another species.

At first they attempted to communicate with the Evil Species, thinking it had exhausted its natural food supply and needed help finding a new way to feed itself. All such attempts failed, resulting only in the shredding and devouring of many ambassadors.

Next they built barriers to keep the Evil Species off the land, but the Evil Species found ways around the barriers and continued their slaughter. Now that it had a rich source of nourishment, his kind, the Evil Species multiplied exponentially.

He perceived that after just one hundred years, the Evil Species numbered half as many as his kind and threatened their extinction.

He observed his kind search their records for instructions on how to construct weapons for there was no one skilled in their production. Terrible weapons were produced and used against the Evil Species. For a time, a rare time of great joy in those days, his kind pushed the Evil Species back into the Great Sea. But their joy was short lived. The Evil Species had the power to make changes in their bodies in days and weeks that would take other species thousands or millions of years. They adapted to each weapon his kind made, rendering them useless.

He observed a general state of fear permeating his kind, fear unknown in their history since before the time of the Leader. The Evil Species adapted to this, too, and learned how to feed on their fear, and later on other emotions as well.

He observed that by the time his kind discovered a way to kill the Evil Species, it was too late; they numbered more than his kind and could replicate faster than they could be killed. His kind retreated to the interior places of their lands, away from the seas, and barricaded their cities. The Evil Species followed, using rivers and manmade waterways to travel in, even adapting to travel on land when necessary. They found cracks in his kind's defenses and destroyed their cities one by one. Upon entering a city, the Evil Species would terrorize the inhabitants for days before tearing them to pieces and feeding on their flesh. None were spared.

Before his mind folded back upon itself, he saw that his kind, fifty or sixty thousand survivors, were gathered into their last place of refuge. Most were children they protected at great cost, not because they were the future generation, they knew there was no future for their kind, but because they represented the only hope that the Evil Species would not spread its death and destruction to other planets.

He observed the Evil Species slaughtering other creatures because there were so few of his kind left. As more species became extinct there was not enough food to sustain them and the Evil Species began to die of starvation. He saw many of the machines that allowed his kind to travel through space fall into lands occupied by the Evil Species. His kind knew that starvation would eventually compel the Evil Species to adapt to the machines, and they would discover how to use them.

He observed as his kind made plans for their extinction.

He wept as his mind folded back onto itself.

("What can we do?") ("There is nothing we can do for ourselves, little one. It is too late for us.") ("Why don't we use the machines to travel to another planet, where we can be safe?") ("Space travel is difficult. Each machine can travel only to the planet it was made to travel to, not others. When a machine sends one out, it cannot send another until the first returns. We cannot save ourselves with the machines.") ("What will the Evil Species do with the machines when they learn how to use them?") ("You already know what they will do. They will send their evil seeds to planets we have traveled to and they will destroy the beings on those planets.") ("Why did you show me this? It's too sad.") ("You must remember our kind, how we loved each other and tried to share our peace with the universe. You must remember what the Evil Species did to our kind and what they will do to others.") ("Why do I have to remember?") ("Because you have the power to stop them, little one, and remembering will help you use that power when you do not wish to.") ("But how? How can I stop them?") ("I will show you how to use your power. But first I must show you what is outside trying to get in.") She held his hand and helped him up from the bed. He saw that while some of the other small ones were also leaving with their Instructors, many stayed in their visions, weeping for the loss of their kind.

They left the building and joined others aboard a transportation vehicle, the walls, floors, and ceiling of which were made of a transparent material as clear as the glass on Earth, but not as cold or hard. They rose soundlessly and were soon soaring above the trees. He looked down through the floor of the vehicle and saw many beautiful birds of all colors and sizes, flying from treetop to treetop. He perceived the exotic music they made. The buildings where his kind lived blended into the forests and hills.

The vehicle kept climbing until it circled high above the city, which did not at all appear to be a city from this height. There were many vehicles such as the one he was in, flying at different altitudes. Faint outlines of small buildings could be seen, but none large enough to be factories or manufacturing plants. He wondered why; surely they needed to make things.

("There is no need for factories now. Everything we do is for you and the other small ones. All else is lost and in the past.") He remembered the planet's two suns were setting when they went into the building, and knew it should have been night by now, yet it was not.

("Why isn't it dark?") ("Look.") He looked and saw that they were inside an illuminated dome. Their vehicle flew to the dome and stopped. The light in this part of the dome dimmed until they could see through to the world outside.

The small ones cried out.

A monster sat on the outside of the dome, as big as any car on Earth. It had eight legs and a long thick horn that protruded from the rear of its body. It struck the dome with the horn with great force. It's three yellow eyes looked into the vehicle with hate and lust, and he knew the monster would ram him through with its horn and tear off pieces, devouring his flesh until he was no more. It opened its mouth and showed rows of sharp teeth made of metal that glinted. It bit the dome with its teeth, slicing off a tiny sliver.

A bright light shot out from the vehicle, causing the monster to shut its eyes and nash its silver teeth. Huge wings unfolded from its sides and it flew away.

More of the dome dimmed and became clear so they could see more of the outside world. It was nighttime and there were monsters everywhere, some as big as trees, others that crawled on their bellies like the Earth snakes they resembled. Most had congregated around the dome and were pounding and biting it, trying to find a crack to exploit, to widen, to crawl through. Monsters of different sizes and shapes flew through the air, some striking the dome with huge pointed horns, others carrying strange looking creatures in giant claws. The creatures writhed in the monsters' claws, moving their strange mouths, crying unheard sounds of fear and terror. They were released to feed the monsters trying to breach the dome. He hoped the falls killed them instantly so they wouldn't be alive when they were torn apart. Some of the creatures were skewered in mid-air, caught on the horns of flying monsters who then flew off to feast on their prey alone.

All the monsters, despite their differences, had two things in common: they had three yellow eyes and rows of metallic teeth.

("What do you see, little one?") ("I see terrible monsters trying to break the dome, to get at our kind, to kill and eat us.") ("This is what the Evil Species has become and this is what they will become on Earth.") ("What will happen to the people on Earth?") ("I am not a Seer, little one. I do not know what the future holds.") ("But you know where I've been, so you must know what will happen!") She sighed.

("I only know what machine you were sent through, the machine our kind used to contact the planet Earth thousands of years ago. I cannot see its future.") ("It only just started, on Earth, just-") ("Shh, little one. You must not tell me of the future. It is not for me to know.") He cried and felt alone.

The dome clouded until it became opaque, and the vehicle began its descent.

("You were not shown the Evil Species just to see what they have become, you were also shown them to expose their weakness.") ("They're afraid of the light.") She smiled at him.

("Yes, they are afraid of the light. It is my honor to be your Instructor, little one, for you are one of the greatest our kind has ever known. For some reason, they could never adapt to bright light. If they are caught out in the open during our daytime, the suns will kill them. So they hide from the light and come out when the night comes, looking for cracks in the dome, searching for one of our kind who was careless.") She fell into silence.

He soon felt soft velvety grass beneath his feet again and wondered if this would be the last time he would feel it. The Instructor, knowing his thoughts and knowing it would be his last time, led him to a side entrance, allowing more time for him to feel the gentle grass of his planet between his little toes.

They returned to his bed. She stroked his hair and held his hand, calming him, guiding him.

("What else am I?") ("You are an Assassin. Aside from starvation and light, only you can kill the Evil Species.") He shivered at the thought of battling one of the monsters he had seen outside the dome.

("But how can I kill a monster as tall as a tree?") ("Look.") The ceiling opened and his mind unfolded, and he saw.

The first Assassin was a genetic fluke, but when they saw he could kill the Evil Species his kind learned to genetically alter their offspring to produce more.

("But why don't we use our Assassins to kill the monsters here and save our own kind? Why send Assassins to other planets when we could save ourselves?") ("As I told you little one, it is too late for us. There are too many of them and not enough of you.") He cried.

("But I can try, can't I?") ("You cannot kill them all. They will find a way through the dome and then, when they have eaten us all and are starving, they will learn how to use the machines. They will travel to other planets and destroy the beings that inhabit them as they are destroying us. We will have the blood of billions on our hands. The Leader taught us all life is sacred and that it is better to sacrifice a few to save many. Remember, little one, there is nothing greater than giving your life for another.") He could not stop the tears.

She held his hand and stroked his hair.

("Assassin, look.") His mind unfolded and he saw his power, and he saw how he was to use it.

The vision folded. His mind was his.

They left the building, hand-in-hand, Instructor and Assassin. This time they did not detour through the velvety grass or take a flight over the city. He knew where they were going.

They were going to the machine and he was going to Earth to face the Evil Species.

They entered a building that looked like other buildings on the outside, but was very different on the inside. There were many long corridors leading away from the main entryway, each terminating at a door.

Each Instructor led their small one - ("Are they all Assassins?") ("No. Not all.") - to their corridor and then to the machine that would take them to their assigned planet. He walked down the corridor and wished it was longer, so long that he would never reach the end.

He felt alone.

("You will not be alone, little one.") The door opened and they entered a small room with two beds.

("Why are there two beds? I thought the machine could send only one at a time.") ("Our scientists have made modifications to the few machines still under our control. All Assassins will have a Facilitator accompany them to their planet. See, you will not be alone.") ("Earth is a big planet, Instructor, how will I find the Facilitator?") ("You needn't. The Facilitator will find you.") ("But how can you be sure?") ("It is what they must do, just as you must kill the Evil Species.") ("Will it be a boy or a girl?") ("A girl is sent for a boy, and a boy for a girl.") He laid down on the bed.

("You're going to die, aren't you? The monsters will eat you, won't they?") He began to cry again.

She looked sad but was not afraid.

("We must all die, little one.") ("Why don't you kill yourself when they break through the dome? Then you won't have to feel them tearing you to pieces.") He sobbed for the pain she would feel.

("It is against the teaching of the Leader to kill ourselves, but we will be asleep when they come for us and we will not feel.") ("But I'll never see you again!") ("We will meet again, little one. The Leader taught us that death is nothing more than a passing from one life to the next. Perhaps in the next life there will not be an Evil Species, perhaps it will be bound by pure love. Perhaps we will be friends there.") They sat in silence, and he realized they were waiting.

("Will she arrive soon?") ("Yes. We haven't much time. They will soon find a way in.") The door opened and an Instructor led a small girl into the room. The white part of her emerald green eyes were red; she too had been crying. He saw her communicate with her Instructor but did not hear the words of affection and instruction.

His Instructor squeezed his hand and he knew it was time to leave. He had no more tears to cry.

("Go with honor and remember us little one.") The Instructors left and the light dimmed. The walls hummed and he felt energy surging through the chair, into his body and mind.

He reached for his Facilitator's hand and found it waiting for him.

("I'm afraid I won't remember.") She squeezed his hand.

("I'll be there to help you. You are a Seer and I will help you see.") ("Promise you'll find me.") ("I already have. I have made you love me so that you will trust me.") ("Will you remember, too, about our kind, about the Evil Species?") ("They said we'll remember together when the time is right.") He knew she spoke the truth.

The humming increased and the room felt like it was moving. He held her hand tight.

("I'm afraid I won't be able to kill the monster.") ("You are an Assassin, the greatest of our kind. With me at your side helping you to see, to remember, you cannot fail.") Lawless sat up, shook his head and rubbed his eyes, trying to recall the dream, but the images were fading too fast; something about home. He shook his head again.

What home?

The June sun burned through the window. He was strangely comforted by the bright light.

A warm, soft, gentle hand slipped into his. Another hand stroked his hair.

"Hey," a voice whispered into his ear, a voice he knew from somewhere, from some place that wasn't here.

Home?

Chapter 15.

"What happened last night?" he asked, feeling her hands on his neck and shoulders; she knew exactly which muscles were tight and sore.

"What's the last thing you remember?" she said, working on a knot.

He thought, feeling the tension melting from his shoulders and neck. "The last thing I remember is the girl getting raped by Nick's friend. They all got killed, didn't they?"

She stopped massaging for a second. "You don't remember anything after that?"

"No. Why, what happened?"

She resumed her assault on his tight muscles and thought it was probably best he didn't remember. He needed to know what happened, and she was going to tell him, but hearing it secondhand wouldn't be as harsh as remembering.

She told him what happened after he entered the monster, everything.

Tears rolled down his face when he heard his vision had saved the two officer's lives; there had been so little good news since Jose Sanchez was found dead in the canal a few days ago. It seemed everything he, they, tried had failed.

"I don't remember any of that, but how could I forget?" He wiped a tear. She massaged, and he said, "Aren't your hands tired? How much of that can you do?"

"As much as I need to do. As much as you need." She worked some more, felt the knot give, and went into the kitchen to make coffee. He followed.

"Where's Baskel? Has anyone called looking for me?"

"I don't know. Your cell phone died last night and I haven't turned it on since putting in on the charger."

"Why not, and what about your phone? Surely Baskel has your number by now."

"I was supposed to call him when we got in last night but I decided not to, and I unplugged the phone."

"Why'd you do that?" He couldn't believe a police officer would, on purpose, cut off all communication with fellow officers during a crisis like this.

"You needed to sleep. You'd have been no good to anyone last night in the state you were in when I dragged your sorry ass up the stairs."

He looked sore, but what could he say? He didn't remember a thing.

He saw the time on her microwave. "It's ten o'clock? You let me sleep until ten? They must be crazy, wondering where I am." He started rubbing his forehead.

"Don't flatter yourself, Lawless. The world would still go on, even if you broke gravity and spun out into space."

They stopped and looked at each other; something silent passed between them, some kind of intelligence, a memory perhaps, and they knew, but didn't say, that that was not true: the world would not go on as they knew it without him.

The intelligence passed through their conscience minds in a millisecond and was forgotten as quickly as it had come. But it would not be buried for long; it lay concealed in their subconscious, waiting for the right moment, the exact circumstance, to activate and initiate programs and routines, set into motion actions that could save a world from disaster, a catastrophe it had not imagined in all its darkest thoughts and nightmares.

The creature lay in the dark cool water, analyzing the events of its successful hunts. The experiences had been rich with physical and psychic nourishment. It now knew the beings who lived on this planet were weak and their weapons ineffective against it; it knew it could feast on them at will.

It hid in its first place of refuge after coming to this planet, far from the humans, shielded from their psychic noise and disruptions. This is where it came to analyze and plan, relive its hunts and feedings, its kills.

And feed its young.

The muscles of her long sleek body contracted, a reflex brought on by the familiar and calm surroundings of her lair and the silent cries of hungry young. The spasms forced the prey she had eaten back up through her digestive tract. A series of contractions brought up a head, the skin and hair mostly digested. Another contraction and the mid-section of a prey was produced. Coils of intestines floated out into the still black water.

Small three-eyed creatures moved into the open from the dark crevasses of the lair and snapped up tissue and flesh, cracking open the skull and sucking out the brains. They clashed their silver teeth, needing, demanding more to sate their unquenchable hunger.

The adult creature's stomach contracted again and again, until it had regurgitated everything it had not digested. She would go and feed again, soon, when the planet's bright star was hid, but her young must be fed here.

And there were so many to feed.

The time was fast approaching when they would accompany her, so she could show them how easy it was to kill and eat the prey on this planet, how defenseless they were against the monsters that lived in their waterways.

"Where the hell is Lawless?" Baskel screamed into his phone when Jensen's line rang endlessly, for the tenth time. After trying Lawless's numbers and getting nothing, he had gotten her home phone from the Sheriff's Department.

"He doesn't answer his damn cell phone, his home phone rings off the hook, and that damn deputy's phone doesn't pick up either."

He slammed the phone down and said, to no one in particular, "When I find his ass, he better be dead or I'm going to kill him."

He left the police station to look for Lawless. He was tired, cranky, and worried, with nerves irritated from too much caffeine. And he was scared. He'd heard Howard's eyewitness account of what this creature was capable of, and he'd seen plenty of corpses to know what it wanted.

As terrifying as the monster was, the thing he feared most was being left to fight it without the advantage of Lawless's kooky dreams and visions.

And where the hell was Lawless?

He kicked Lawless's door in when no one answered, told a nosy neighbor to get lost when she poked her head in to see what the ruckus was about. She scurried away to find a complaint form to file with the homeowners association.