King Solomon’s Monsters
A Tania and Kiran Spy Adventure
Somalia, a year ago
Kiran Hawthorne studied the wet Somalia jungle as it passed by their jeep; he ran his fingers through his black shoulder length hair, he wore a black wife beater and khaki pants over steel toed boots, his pretty violet-silver eyes were covered by opaque sunglasses. He glanced down at his cell phone and studied the three small green dots that used to be his family; he watched as they moved around on the screen, wondering if they thought about him as much as he thought about them. Kiran shook his head and thanked God he didn’t have a soul anymore as he reached up and curled his fingers around the gold, ruby encrusted rosary.
He glanced over at Tania Walker, she’d been his partner for two years now, she was made in the same place he was, she was beautiful and cursed to be one of hundreds with the same face, a clone, a copy but the soul she had made her different, it made her imperfectly perfect. Her dark hair was put in a sloppy bun, little wisps of black curls dancing around her face; she wore blue jean shorts and a white tank, her lace up steel toed boots like his. She was also studying the screen of her phone and when he glanced over he saw a photo of her son, Corben, he pursed his lips, knowing she was looking at the boy’s father in his eyes. They were both running from heartache and after two years they’d learned that what made their reasons for leaving similar was best left unspoken about.
Tania glanced up as the jeep came to a jerking stop a few miles away from their destination, she stuffed her phone into her pocket and reached down to grab her bag, sliding a look towards Kiran, “The locals are too afraid to go any closer so we walk.” She muttered, hopping out of the car at the same time that he reached forward to pay their driver and then get out. She pursed her lips and glanced back as the man drove away and Kiran moved up to her side, “Can I ask you something?” he muttered as they started walking.
“Depends on what it is.” Tania breathed, raising a brow at him as she fixed her shoulder strap.
Kiran bit his lip, “You wanna grab a beer tonight?” He said, making a face, “I need company, we’re partners, and of everyone in this godforsaken line of work, I trust you.” he mumbled, nodding.
Tania pursed her lips, “Are you asking me out on a date?” she mumbled, studying his face with a look that was a mix of horrific curiosity.
Kiran rolled his eyes, “No, I thought we could talk or some shit.” He muttered, “Why are you looking at me like that? Dating me is not awful…”
Tania shook her head and breathed a laugh, “I’m sure dating you would be a dream but we’re better friends than lovers.” She muttered, “But sure, we can talk and shit over a beer.” She said as they neared their destination.
Kiran smiled and stuffed his hands in his pockets as they stopped and looked up at the building they were sent to find, vegetation had started to grow into the edges of the crumbling edifice and suddenly it reminded him of a face, the cracked windows like broken teeth smiling at them. He shuddered and started for the entrance with his partner, “You think we’ll find anything?” he mumbled.
Tania shrugged, not even wondering why this place instilled fear in the locals, “If we find nothing, we find something.” She muttered and glanced at him as they entered the place, it was dark and broken glass, papers, and splattered blood littered the floor. She pursed her lips and took a camera from her bag as she started to take pictures of everything, bending down to study the pages through her lenses as Kiran moved towards the computers and started to hack into its memory.
Tania left him to his work and headed into the next room still snapping pictures when she came upon the lab. Her heart stopped in her chest, “Kiran.” She called, “I found something.”
Kiran got up from the desk and moved after her, he froze when he saw what she did, long vertical tubes lined the room, and each looked as if it had been broken out of, “Holy shit…” he breathed, shaking his head.
She swallowed hard and began to snap pictures again, “Whatever was here, is long gone by now.” She muttered, glancing up at him.
They sat on the porch of the little house they had rented for their assignment, Tania was in a rocking chair and Kiran sat on the floor in front of her, a cooler of beer beside them; he took a sip of his cold beer and glanced up at the night sky, comfortable silence between them as she played with his hair, “Do you think about him?” he inquired softly as he took another sip.
“Do you think about her?” Tania replied, finger combing his hair for a moment before taking a swig of her own cold beer, her chest tightening a little.
Kiran was silent for a moment, “Yeah I do, every day actually.” He muttered, taking a longer swallow of his drink and wishing for something with more burn.
“I think about him every day.” Tania whispered, “I see him in everything I do, in everyone, I loved him so much…” she breathed, her eyes starting to sting.
“But it was never enough.” Kiran whispered, waiting for the bitterness to fill the emptiness of his shell, “They wanted more, she wanted someone else.”
“He wanted her.” Tania mumbled the heartbreak in her throat, “I was just an imitation, his substitute and even then he grew bored with me.”
“And then she slept with him.” Kiran muttered, “All her faith in me was gone, she chose him.” He said softly.
“It was unbearable to stay.” She alleged softly, “I just wanted him to be happy.”
“So I left and I made it as cruel as possible, I thought she would cry and beg me to stay.” He said through his teeth, his eyes so dark they were almost black, “But she didn’t because she was with him.”
“I disappeared into the night; I removed my existence from his life.” Tania breathed, trying not cry and focus on Kiran’s hair, “And yet I stare at my son and love his father more and more, I go through my messages over and over again as if he called and I might have missed him.”
“But she never calls,” He whispered, “I don’t even think she realizes I’m alive anymore.” Kiran muttered, “And why should she?”
“Why would he want me?” She said her voice thick with emotion, “Why would he miss me?”
“I thought we were soulmates.” He said, “I thought she was the only woman I would ever love.”
“I thought we would be forever.” She breathed, “That nothing would be able to break us.”
“I was wrong.” Kiran muttered, shutting his eyes for a moment.
“I was wrong.” Tania breathed, feeling a tear slip down her cheek as they sunk back into silence.
Kiran finished his drink and grabbed another one from the cooler, they sat there for a little while not saying anything until he finally glanced back at her, “What are you doing to my hair?” he muttered, smiling slightly.
Tania breathed a laugh and took out her phone to snap a picture and hold it out for him, “You like?” she said softly, her eyes still a bit teary.
Kiran made a face, “You French braided my hair?” he grumbled, narrowing his eyes at her.
“You look very pretty Miss Hawthorne,” She grinned before looking serious again, “I sent Simon the photos we took, he wants us to canvas the area around the base just to check if anything might still be out there.” She mumbled.
Tania pursed her lips as she snapped a photo of Kiran bent over a pretty, multi-colored flower, he made a noise as he looked up at her, “Delete it, Walker.” He muttered, mock glaring at her.
“Never, Hawthorne,” She shot back, smiling slightly, “I’m framing it and hanging it up in my living room for all my guests to see.” she muttered and turned to snap more pictures of anything worth a photo.
Kiran grumbled to himself as he continued to search for any sign of something that wasn’t meant to be there, “How far a radius did Simon say again?” he muttered, running his fingers through his hair.
“Fifty miles,” Tania mumbled, studying what looked to be a blood stain on a large banana leaf.
“What mile is this?” He muttered, kneeling down as he touched the unsettled earth.
“The fifth,” She replied when her eyes caught something a few ways off, “Kiran, come look at this.” She said moving towards what appeared to be a crouching child hiding behind what the jungle offered. Kiran frowned as he moved after her, pursing his lips as he studied the little thing, “Do you think it could be what was in one of the tubes?” he muttered.
Tania shrugged, “It’s a possibility.” She muttered, crouching down next to the boy, she reached out carefully to touch his shoulder, “Sweetheart? Are you okay?” she asked softly, she heard him growl and before she could move her hand back, it turned its face and clamped its razor sharp teeth on her fingers. She screeched and jumped back, yanking her fingers away to see that they were bloody. Kiran growled and reached for his gun when another child-like thing launched itself at his leg, sinking its teeth into his calf. Tania grabbed her gun and shot the thing that bit her as another flew out from the foliage and then another and another until they were surrounded by little monsters biting into them, infecting them with what ever biological mutation infected them.
Kiran saw Tania go down first, he growled, trying to kick the things off of them but there were so many, too goddamn many. Kiran felt himself go down as everything started to go black…there was a moment when the things stopped biting, when they moved away from them, in those few seconds of peace, Kiran saw a man in a black coat standing over them. The man pulled a nine millimeter from his side holster and then he murdered Kiran Hawthorne and Tania Walker.
Corin Welles studied the two dead agents, they’d been his friends and they were left to rot on the jungle floor for three days, he swallowed hard, “They’re over here,” he called to the technicians as he pulled out his phone to call Simon, he took a breath as his boss picked up, “Found them yet?” he said in greeting.
Corin shut his eyes, “They’re dead, Simon, they’re dead.” He muttered, his throat tightening.
“How?” Simon breathed.
The agent forced himself to look at his friends as they were being tagged and put into plastic bags, “They’re covered in bite marks, whatever was in that lab attacked them.” he mumbled, looking closer, “Son of a bitch, they were shot.” He muttered, “They were fucking shot.”
Simon growled into the phone and then he was silent for a few moments, “Call Maxwell Keener, tell him he has full authorization. Bring them back.” He said and hung up.
Tania didn’t want to open her eyes; she wanted to hold onto the fantasies in her head, that’s where he was, he’d felt her die and he’d scoured the earth to find her and fix her but she knew if she opened her eyes, it would all disappear, she’d be alone again. She forced her eyes open after a few moments of hoping she was wrong, she couldn’t help the sting in her eyes when she found herself in an empty hospital room. Tania swallowed hard and sat up slowly, almost falling back again as the room started to spin; she took a breath and rubbed her face before she looked at her hands and wrists and arms to find no left over scars or bite marks. She glanced down at the little silver tray near her bed, she pursed her lips studying the set of clothes, fake I.D., and hair dye waiting for her but her eyes only saw the photo of her son and daughter and lying with them and suddenly she felt so selfish, wallowing in self-pity instead of being the best mother she could be. Tania swung her legs over the side of the bed and slid to her feet carefully, she reached for the I.D. she’d been left, ‘Tara King’, she bit her lip wandering if Kiran had got one similar to hers.
Kiran bit his lip, he’d been awake for hours, he changed his hair, his clothes, he’d slipped the I.D. and passports into his pocket but he couldn’t leave the room because if Tania wasn’t in the one next to his, he’d be alone, completely and utterly alone and the thought instilled what would have felt like fear if he’d had a soul. Kiran wrapped his fingers around his rosary before taking a deep breath and starting out of the room, grateful to see Tania stepping out of hers at the same time, her hair was dyed strawberry blond and she wore a black pencil dress and corded purse; she looked visibly relieved to see him and he pulled her into a tight hug, thanking God they were both alive, “How long do you think we were down?” he muttered.
“No idea but I can’t wait to get out of here.” She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist, “Did you get the 211 to Paris?”
“Yeah, seat 2A.” Kiran muttered, squeezing her tight.
“Seat 2B.” Tania smiled as he grinned slightly, “Good, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Paris, same time
Kiran and Tania sat in front of Simon Landry via web conference; their fearless leader looked a bit tired, the sigh that escaped his lips gave away just how tired he really was, “You’re going home.” He said, “Both of you.” he muttered, meeting their gazes respectively, “You deserve a break, to have a life, see your kids, and mend your bridges.” He breathed, signing off without any word from them.
Kiran glanced at his partner, part relieved, part confused, “We’re going home…” he mumbled shaking his head, “Where the hell is that?” he groaned.
Tania pursed her lips and studied her hands for a few moments, “I think I’m going to stay here for awhile.” She mumbled, “Just me and Corben.”
He studied her for a moment, “I think I’m gonna see Anna.” He said softly, getting a twinge in his heart when he said her name.
“Really?” Tania breathed, smiling slightly, “You’re going to try and prove that you were the best thing she ever lost, huh?”
Kiran nodded, “And I think you should go see Chris.” He said, pursing his lips.
The smile slipped from her pretty face, “I can’t.” she said, shaking her head, “I’ve been holding onto him for three years, its time I let him go.” She mumbled, getting to her feet and sauntering towards the liquor cabinet. Kiran got to his feet and moved after her, he didn’t say anything as she poured them two glasses of whiskey. He smiled slightly and held his glass up, “To going home.” He breathed, she uttered the same and they clinked glasses; a toast to the long road home.
End
A Tania and Kiran Spy Adventure
Somalia, a year ago
Kiran Hawthorne studied the wet Somalia jungle as it passed by their jeep; he ran his fingers through his black shoulder length hair, he wore a black wife beater and khaki pants over steel toed boots, his pretty violet-silver eyes were covered by opaque sunglasses. He glanced down at his cell phone and studied the three small green dots that used to be his family; he watched as they moved around on the screen, wondering if they thought about him as much as he thought about them. Kiran shook his head and thanked God he didn’t have a soul anymore as he reached up and curled his fingers around the gold, ruby encrusted rosary.
He glanced over at Tania Walker, she’d been his partner for two years now, she was made in the same place he was, she was beautiful and cursed to be one of hundreds with the same face, a clone, a copy but the soul she had made her different, it made her imperfectly perfect. Her dark hair was put in a sloppy bun, little wisps of black curls dancing around her face; she wore blue jean shorts and a white tank, her lace up steel toed boots like his. She was also studying the screen of her phone and when he glanced over he saw a photo of her son, Corben, he pursed his lips, knowing she was looking at the boy’s father in his eyes. They were both running from heartache and after two years they’d learned that what made their reasons for leaving similar was best left unspoken about.
Tania glanced up as the jeep came to a jerking stop a few miles away from their destination, she stuffed her phone into her pocket and reached down to grab her bag, sliding a look towards Kiran, “The locals are too afraid to go any closer so we walk.” She muttered, hopping out of the car at the same time that he reached forward to pay their driver and then get out. She pursed her lips and glanced back as the man drove away and Kiran moved up to her side, “Can I ask you something?” he muttered as they started walking.
“Depends on what it is.” Tania breathed, raising a brow at him as she fixed her shoulder strap.
Kiran bit his lip, “You wanna grab a beer tonight?” He said, making a face, “I need company, we’re partners, and of everyone in this godforsaken line of work, I trust you.” he mumbled, nodding.
Tania pursed her lips, “Are you asking me out on a date?” she mumbled, studying his face with a look that was a mix of horrific curiosity.
Kiran rolled his eyes, “No, I thought we could talk or some shit.” He muttered, “Why are you looking at me like that? Dating me is not awful…”
Tania shook her head and breathed a laugh, “I’m sure dating you would be a dream but we’re better friends than lovers.” She muttered, “But sure, we can talk and shit over a beer.” She said as they neared their destination.
Kiran smiled and stuffed his hands in his pockets as they stopped and looked up at the building they were sent to find, vegetation had started to grow into the edges of the crumbling edifice and suddenly it reminded him of a face, the cracked windows like broken teeth smiling at them. He shuddered and started for the entrance with his partner, “You think we’ll find anything?” he mumbled.
Tania shrugged, not even wondering why this place instilled fear in the locals, “If we find nothing, we find something.” She muttered and glanced at him as they entered the place, it was dark and broken glass, papers, and splattered blood littered the floor. She pursed her lips and took a camera from her bag as she started to take pictures of everything, bending down to study the pages through her lenses as Kiran moved towards the computers and started to hack into its memory.
Tania left him to his work and headed into the next room still snapping pictures when she came upon the lab. Her heart stopped in her chest, “Kiran.” She called, “I found something.”
Kiran got up from the desk and moved after her, he froze when he saw what she did, long vertical tubes lined the room, and each looked as if it had been broken out of, “Holy shit…” he breathed, shaking his head.
She swallowed hard and began to snap pictures again, “Whatever was here, is long gone by now.” She muttered, glancing up at him.
They sat on the porch of the little house they had rented for their assignment, Tania was in a rocking chair and Kiran sat on the floor in front of her, a cooler of beer beside them; he took a sip of his cold beer and glanced up at the night sky, comfortable silence between them as she played with his hair, “Do you think about him?” he inquired softly as he took another sip.
“Do you think about her?” Tania replied, finger combing his hair for a moment before taking a swig of her own cold beer, her chest tightening a little.
Kiran was silent for a moment, “Yeah I do, every day actually.” He muttered, taking a longer swallow of his drink and wishing for something with more burn.
“I think about him every day.” Tania whispered, “I see him in everything I do, in everyone, I loved him so much…” she breathed, her eyes starting to sting.
“But it was never enough.” Kiran whispered, waiting for the bitterness to fill the emptiness of his shell, “They wanted more, she wanted someone else.”
“He wanted her.” Tania mumbled the heartbreak in her throat, “I was just an imitation, his substitute and even then he grew bored with me.”
“And then she slept with him.” Kiran muttered, “All her faith in me was gone, she chose him.” He said softly.
“It was unbearable to stay.” She alleged softly, “I just wanted him to be happy.”
“So I left and I made it as cruel as possible, I thought she would cry and beg me to stay.” He said through his teeth, his eyes so dark they were almost black, “But she didn’t because she was with him.”
“I disappeared into the night; I removed my existence from his life.” Tania breathed, trying not cry and focus on Kiran’s hair, “And yet I stare at my son and love his father more and more, I go through my messages over and over again as if he called and I might have missed him.”
“But she never calls,” He whispered, “I don’t even think she realizes I’m alive anymore.” Kiran muttered, “And why should she?”
“Why would he want me?” She said her voice thick with emotion, “Why would he miss me?”
“I thought we were soulmates.” He said, “I thought she was the only woman I would ever love.”
“I thought we would be forever.” She breathed, “That nothing would be able to break us.”
“I was wrong.” Kiran muttered, shutting his eyes for a moment.
“I was wrong.” Tania breathed, feeling a tear slip down her cheek as they sunk back into silence.
Kiran finished his drink and grabbed another one from the cooler, they sat there for a little while not saying anything until he finally glanced back at her, “What are you doing to my hair?” he muttered, smiling slightly.
Tania breathed a laugh and took out her phone to snap a picture and hold it out for him, “You like?” she said softly, her eyes still a bit teary.
Kiran made a face, “You French braided my hair?” he grumbled, narrowing his eyes at her.
“You look very pretty Miss Hawthorne,” She grinned before looking serious again, “I sent Simon the photos we took, he wants us to canvas the area around the base just to check if anything might still be out there.” She mumbled.
Tania pursed her lips as she snapped a photo of Kiran bent over a pretty, multi-colored flower, he made a noise as he looked up at her, “Delete it, Walker.” He muttered, mock glaring at her.
“Never, Hawthorne,” She shot back, smiling slightly, “I’m framing it and hanging it up in my living room for all my guests to see.” she muttered and turned to snap more pictures of anything worth a photo.
Kiran grumbled to himself as he continued to search for any sign of something that wasn’t meant to be there, “How far a radius did Simon say again?” he muttered, running his fingers through his hair.
“Fifty miles,” Tania mumbled, studying what looked to be a blood stain on a large banana leaf.
“What mile is this?” He muttered, kneeling down as he touched the unsettled earth.
“The fifth,” She replied when her eyes caught something a few ways off, “Kiran, come look at this.” She said moving towards what appeared to be a crouching child hiding behind what the jungle offered. Kiran frowned as he moved after her, pursing his lips as he studied the little thing, “Do you think it could be what was in one of the tubes?” he muttered.
Tania shrugged, “It’s a possibility.” She muttered, crouching down next to the boy, she reached out carefully to touch his shoulder, “Sweetheart? Are you okay?” she asked softly, she heard him growl and before she could move her hand back, it turned its face and clamped its razor sharp teeth on her fingers. She screeched and jumped back, yanking her fingers away to see that they were bloody. Kiran growled and reached for his gun when another child-like thing launched itself at his leg, sinking its teeth into his calf. Tania grabbed her gun and shot the thing that bit her as another flew out from the foliage and then another and another until they were surrounded by little monsters biting into them, infecting them with what ever biological mutation infected them.
Kiran saw Tania go down first, he growled, trying to kick the things off of them but there were so many, too goddamn many. Kiran felt himself go down as everything started to go black…there was a moment when the things stopped biting, when they moved away from them, in those few seconds of peace, Kiran saw a man in a black coat standing over them. The man pulled a nine millimeter from his side holster and then he murdered Kiran Hawthorne and Tania Walker.
Corin Welles studied the two dead agents, they’d been his friends and they were left to rot on the jungle floor for three days, he swallowed hard, “They’re over here,” he called to the technicians as he pulled out his phone to call Simon, he took a breath as his boss picked up, “Found them yet?” he said in greeting.
Corin shut his eyes, “They’re dead, Simon, they’re dead.” He muttered, his throat tightening.
“How?” Simon breathed.
The agent forced himself to look at his friends as they were being tagged and put into plastic bags, “They’re covered in bite marks, whatever was in that lab attacked them.” he mumbled, looking closer, “Son of a bitch, they were shot.” He muttered, “They were fucking shot.”
Simon growled into the phone and then he was silent for a few moments, “Call Maxwell Keener, tell him he has full authorization. Bring them back.” He said and hung up.
Tania didn’t want to open her eyes; she wanted to hold onto the fantasies in her head, that’s where he was, he’d felt her die and he’d scoured the earth to find her and fix her but she knew if she opened her eyes, it would all disappear, she’d be alone again. She forced her eyes open after a few moments of hoping she was wrong, she couldn’t help the sting in her eyes when she found herself in an empty hospital room. Tania swallowed hard and sat up slowly, almost falling back again as the room started to spin; she took a breath and rubbed her face before she looked at her hands and wrists and arms to find no left over scars or bite marks. She glanced down at the little silver tray near her bed, she pursed her lips studying the set of clothes, fake I.D., and hair dye waiting for her but her eyes only saw the photo of her son and daughter and lying with them and suddenly she felt so selfish, wallowing in self-pity instead of being the best mother she could be. Tania swung her legs over the side of the bed and slid to her feet carefully, she reached for the I.D. she’d been left, ‘Tara King’, she bit her lip wandering if Kiran had got one similar to hers.
Kiran bit his lip, he’d been awake for hours, he changed his hair, his clothes, he’d slipped the I.D. and passports into his pocket but he couldn’t leave the room because if Tania wasn’t in the one next to his, he’d be alone, completely and utterly alone and the thought instilled what would have felt like fear if he’d had a soul. Kiran wrapped his fingers around his rosary before taking a deep breath and starting out of the room, grateful to see Tania stepping out of hers at the same time, her hair was dyed strawberry blond and she wore a black pencil dress and corded purse; she looked visibly relieved to see him and he pulled her into a tight hug, thanking God they were both alive, “How long do you think we were down?” he muttered.
“No idea but I can’t wait to get out of here.” She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist, “Did you get the 211 to Paris?”
“Yeah, seat 2A.” Kiran muttered, squeezing her tight.
“Seat 2B.” Tania smiled as he grinned slightly, “Good, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Paris, same time
Kiran and Tania sat in front of Simon Landry via web conference; their fearless leader looked a bit tired, the sigh that escaped his lips gave away just how tired he really was, “You’re going home.” He said, “Both of you.” he muttered, meeting their gazes respectively, “You deserve a break, to have a life, see your kids, and mend your bridges.” He breathed, signing off without any word from them.
Kiran glanced at his partner, part relieved, part confused, “We’re going home…” he mumbled shaking his head, “Where the hell is that?” he groaned.
Tania pursed her lips and studied her hands for a few moments, “I think I’m going to stay here for awhile.” She mumbled, “Just me and Corben.”
He studied her for a moment, “I think I’m gonna see Anna.” He said softly, getting a twinge in his heart when he said her name.
“Really?” Tania breathed, smiling slightly, “You’re going to try and prove that you were the best thing she ever lost, huh?”
Kiran nodded, “And I think you should go see Chris.” He said, pursing his lips.
The smile slipped from her pretty face, “I can’t.” she said, shaking her head, “I’ve been holding onto him for three years, its time I let him go.” She mumbled, getting to her feet and sauntering towards the liquor cabinet. Kiran got to his feet and moved after her, he didn’t say anything as she poured them two glasses of whiskey. He smiled slightly and held his glass up, “To going home.” He breathed, she uttered the same and they clinked glasses; a toast to the long road home.
End
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