Chapter 111: Sonak Is an Idiot (Patreon)

The next day, I did another search online, looking for a place where they could have transferred the Traveler. Area 51 stood out from the start, but it was such a cliché that I couldn't believe they'd move him there. I kept looking and found more bases in Nevada, but they were much further away, and when I read the articles about the earthquake that hit Nevada when the Traveler sent the message, it was clear that the tremors didn’t reach them. Cliché or no cliché, that left Area 51. The idea of searching for an alien in Area 51 was so embarrassing that I felt totally mortified.

Since Area 51 is in southern Nevada, 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas, I didn't want to go there right away but wait for Al to finish the potion. In the meantime, Mahya and I kept ourselves busy. She wanted me to come with her to gamble, but I didn't feel like it. Instead, I made a list of all the pawnshops in Vegas and started visiting them one by one. There were a lot of pawn shops in Vegas!

The first pawn shop I visited had an enormous display of expensive and semi-precious jewelry. I asked the store owner to see the jewelry, used Appraisal on each one, and wrote down the price. When I did the math at the end, the amount was just over seventy thousand dollars.

I approached the shop owner, "How much would you sell me all the jewelry if I paid in cash?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

The shop owner's eyes widened in shock as he looked at me. His voice rose slightly as he asked, "You want to buy all the jewelry? Are you sure about this? And why do you need so much?"

I took a deep breath and smiled reassuringly. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm opening a second-hand jewelry store in Soho, New York. I can't open the store without stock, and I've heard Vegas has the best selection."

He nodded slowly, processing my words. "That’s actually a great idea. I’m sure you’ll make a killing," he said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I can sell you the entire inventory for fifty thousand dollars, but I'll need a Sales Tax Resale Certificate and an Interstate Transactions form."

Feigning a casual demeanor, I started rummaging through my backpack. After a moment, I conjured the necessary documents, handing them over with a confident smile. "Here they are," I said, filling in the fictitious name of my future store, "Heirloom Haven."

He inspected the documents, nodding in approval. "Alright then, we have a deal," he said, extending his hand for a handshake.

We shook hands firmly, and I felt a surge of triumph. This was just the beginning. I went to store after store and bought all their jewelry until I ran out of the money I won gambling. Despite having another $300,000, I chose not to use that money, resulting in Mahya's victory—I joined her for gambling. After winning another $280,000 in five different casinos and patting my Luck on the back, I finished cleaning all the stores.

Al called to inform us he would finish the following day, and I began searching for accommodations near Area 51, but not too close. The closest place was Rachel, Nevada, at Little A'Le'Inn, 25 miles from Area 51, but it was specific for alien enthusiasts, so I thought it would be a bad idea to stay there. The next place I found was Alamo, Nevada, at the Alamo Inn, 50 miles from Area 51. It already sounded a lot better, especially since it was close to the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge. We could always say that we were dirt bikes and ATV enthusiasts—the place was perfect for that. I booked rooms in the inn and called Al to let him know we would leave when he was done.

In the evening, a few minutes before me and Mahya left for a final round of gambling, we felt Sonak approaching, but something felt wrong. Like he was suddenly weaker, even weaker than Al. I opened the door and waited for him to come. He came out of the elevator, swaying from side to side and dripping blood, resting a blood-stained hand on the wall. I quickly sent a mana dart at the security camera before he got into its range, ran to him, lifted him over my shoulder in a fireman's carry, and carried him into our room.

I laid him down on the sofa and called, "Mahiya, I need you urgently."

She came running and asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know, but he dripped blood and smeared blood on the wall. While I take care of him, I need you to clean up the blood so nothing leads to us."

"I don't have the Clean spell."

"Shit."

I immediately opened the spell list, paid three points, and bought the Clean spell for Rue.

"Rue, buddy, go with Mahya and clean all the blood off the stairs, the walls, the elevator, and everywhere else. Use your nose to find every drop of blood in the area. Pretend Mahya is taking you for a walk to pee and pull her toward the blood. Okay?"

"Rue clean! Rue good boy! Rue helping!"

"You're the best boy in the world. Now hurry, go clean."

After they left, I cut off all the clothes from Sonak, diagnosed him, and cast Anesthesia. The first bullet was lodged near his left shoulder. I carefully made the incision, working with precision to avoid damaging any vital structures. As I pulled the bullet out, I cast Healing Touch, and the tissue knitted together seamlessly.

Moving to the second bullet, which was embedded in his lower abdomen, I repeated the process. I carefully extracted the bullet, my fingers deft and sure. Another cast of Healing Touch followed, and I watched as the wound closed, the healing magic doing its work.

The third bullet was trickier, near his ribcage, too close to his heart. I maneuvered around the bones with great care. After a few tense moments, I successfully removed it and immediately cast Healing Touch. The spell once again worked its magic, mending the torn tissues and restoring his body.

The fourth bullet had lodged itself in his thigh. I made the incision, carefully removed it, and cast Healing Touch; the muscles and skin knitted back together.

Finally, the fifth bullet was the most challenging, positioned dangerously close to his spine. I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. With painstaking precision, I extracted the bullet and cast Healing Touch one last time, watching in relief as the wound healed without complication.

I sent one last Healing touch through him, cast Clean and Purify on everything, and stopped the Anesthesia. He kept sleeping peacefully, but I wasn't having it. I shook him awake none too gently, my grip firm on his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open, confused and startled. I glared down at him, my expression a mix of anger and urgency. "What did you do?" I demanded, my voice tight with frustration.

He blinked, trying to gather his thoughts. "I was trying to rescue my friend," he said, his voice shaky and defensive.

"And from where exactly did you try to rescue him?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning forward slightly, my eyes boring into his.

"At the military base where I felt both of you," he replied, looking away as if avoiding my gaze.

"Where exactly in the base?" I pressed, tapping my foot impatiently.

"In the square building with the soldiers built around the Gate," he mumbled, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his admission.

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "You're an idiot, you know that? First, you didn't bother to find out about security. You must have thought that if you were invisible, you could get through without being noticed. Did it occur to you that these are people who work around the Gate and are used to invisible Travelers? Huh?" I paused, watching him squirm under my scrutiny. "And I'm sure you didn't bother to research military weapons, did you? You thought you had a mana shield and you'd be fine. Why do you think we didn't go in there from the start? I told you we should plan our approach."

He fidgeted, his fingers twisting nervously in his lap, and mumbled, "I thought you were cowards."

"You thought!" I half-shouted, my voice rising in pitch and volume. "Why didn't you talk with us to find out? You assumed something out of your ass and ran with the assumption." I jabbed a finger towards his chest, emphasizing each word.

His face flushed with anger, and he shouted back at me, "You did not do anything to help!"

"Because we were waiting for you!" I shot back, my hands now gesticulating wildly. "There's no point in making a plan and then changing it when somebody else joins. We didn't know anything about you; how could we plan anything?"

He looked at me, his anger slowly dissolving into a look of resignation. His shoulders sagged, and he avoided my eyes, saying nothing.

"Besides," I continued, my tone softening just a fraction, "your friend is not on that base."

His head snapped up, eyes wide with disbelief. "How can you be sure? Maybe we cannot feel him because of the mana suppression."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions. "Because the wind scouted for me. Nothing can hide from the air; it's everywhere. Your friend is not on that base."

"The wind?" he asked in a bewildered tone, his eyebrows knitting together.

"I told you I'm an elemental wizard, didn't I?" I said, shaking my head in frustration. "Never mind that for now. How did you get here?"

"On a motorcycle, I bought the skill to ride it," he replied, glancing up at me briefly before looking away again.

"Where is it now?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing.

"I stored it," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Did anybody see you?" I asked, my tone growing sharper.

He looked down, his face flushing with guilt and uncertainty. "I'm not sure; I was in a terrible state," he mumbled, his voice trembling slightly.

Mahya and Rue came back, and Mahya said urgently, "There are military in the lobby talking to the manager."

"Did they see you?" I asked, my tone tense.

"No, Rue saw them, and we snuck away. They might have seen Rue," she replied, her eyes wide with concern.

I stood there, thinking rapidly, trying to come up with a solution, and suddenly got an idea. I turned to Sonak. "Change glamor. Also, you're naked; put on only underwear." Turning to Mahya, I said, "Undress as much as you feel comfortable." Then I told Rue, "Go to the bedroom to watch TV quietly, and don't come out until after they leave."

Rue licked my hand, then shouted, "Yes, Boss!" and dashed off to the room. I laughed, feeling some of the anger drain out of me.

Sonak wore underwear that was clearly out of this world. Glancing at him, I said, "That won't work." I threw him a closed package of boxer briefs and said, "Put one of these on."

I stripped down to just boxers and one sock, and Mahya got down to her underwear and a bra. In a haphazard manner, I took our clothes and scattered them around the room. Taking out another pair of pants, a shirt, and shoes, I added them to the scene. I took out a pack of cards, shuffled them, and threw them in a pile on the floor in the middle of the carpet.

I took out three bottles of whiskey, opened one, poured some into my hand, and spread it on my chest and face. Then, I went to Mahya and Sonak and told them, "Put this on your face and body until you stink."

Taking the second bottle of whiskey, I poured half a bottle onto the carpet near the entrance to the suite, and channeled Heat to dry the stain and spread the smell more. Opened the third bottle, poured more onto my hands, and waved them to scatter drops around the room. God, our living room smelled like a liquor factory.

I gave one bottle to Mahya and one to Sonak and said, "When they knock on the door, sit on the floor around the cards with the whiskey in hand and giggle like loons."

Sonak took a breath to say something, but Mahya gave him a death glare and said, "Do as he says. He's a master at this."

I took a theatrical bow her way and said, "Thank you."

She laughed, and I saw that some of the tension drained out of her. She nodded, her eyes determined, and Sonak gave a small, uncertain smile. We all took our positions, and I could feel the tension in the room rising as we waited for the inevitable knock on the door.

After fifteen minutes, there was a knock on the door. I sauntered over to open it, letting my hips sway slightly. On the other side stood the manager of the lobby with two soldiers. As soon as I opened the door, the manager started apologizing, but I ignored him. Instead, I looked at the soldiers from bottom to top with a slow, deliberate gaze and licked my lips demonstratively.

Turning my head back to the room, I purred, "Look, honeys, room service sent us handsome soldiers."

Mahya and Sonak giggled. Mahya's laughter was particularly convincing, a sultry, enticing sound.

"Did you come to play with us?" I asked, my voice dripping with seduction.

"Sorry for interrupting, sir. We'll continue; you can go back to your business," one of the soldiers said, his eyes darting around nervously.

"Oh," I said dramatically, leaning against the doorframe and arching my back just enough to emphasize my figure. "Don't go so fast. It's a very fun game. We're playing strip poker, and if we run out of clothes, the loser has to give a blowjob."

Mahya shouted, "Or head!" and giggled again, covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I scrunched up my nose playfully and said, "Or head. But blowjobs are a lot more fun."

One of them muttered, "I hate Vegas."

I waved my hand from side to side, spraying whiskey everywhere. "How can you hate Vegas? It's the most amazing place in the world. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Come play with us. I promise I won't tell anyone." I reached out as if to touch the chest of one of the soldiers, but he took a step back.

I made an offended face, stuck out my chest, and asked, "What, I'm not to your liking? People say I'm beautiful." I pouted, my lips forming a seductive pout, my eyes wide and inviting.

They just turned and walked towards the second door on the floor. The manager tried to apologize again, but I cut him off, flipping my hair back and shooting him a smoldering look. "Next time you send soldiers as room service, make sure they want to play. It's no fun being teased."

He nodded and practically ran away, his face beet red. I closed the door behind him, leaning against it with a satisfied smile. Mahya and I exchanged a glance, and both of us started choking on laughter. I didn't want to laugh too loud, but I couldn't hold it back. I fell on the couch, buried my face in a pillow, and shook with laughter. After a few minutes, I could lift my head from the pillow, still giggling.

Sonak looked at me and Mahya with a mixture of admiration and horror. It was impressive that he managed that specific mix. "Why did you offer to blow them up?"

Me and Mahya lost it again and roared with laughter. I wiped tears from my eyes and said, "A blowjob is an oral sex performed on a male."

Sonak's eyes got wide as saucers, and his face matched the color of his hair—both of them were fiery red at that moment. We lost it again. My sides were hurting from so much laughter, but it was good to get all the tension out.