Ben Archer

by Rae Knightly

  Something furry scuttered between Mrs. Nguyen’s legs. Tike dashed across the classroom. At seeing him, Ben’s mind exploded with an imminent threat.

  Run!

  Not a doubt was left in Ben’s mind. He knew then precisely what Tike was trying to tell him. Panic surged through his body. He jumped to his feet, his chair falling over in his haste. At the same time, Hao and Connelly entered the classroom, shoving Mrs. Nguyen aside.

  Ben’s eyes searched wildly for an exit, but the only way out was barred by the agents. Like an animal caught in a trap, he staggered back into the wall.

  An electric silence fell over the classroom.

  Hao took a careful step forward. He was aware of the twenty-four pairs of eyes that were on him, because he forced a smile, “Hello, Benjamin. Would you step outside, please?”

  Ben shook his head wordlessly.

  Hao raised an eyebrow. His hands twitched by his side. He gestured meaningfully towards the students. “Come now, there’s no need to make a scene. Don’t make this harder on yourself.”

  Ben felt his resilience fading like snow in the desert sun, yet he could not make himself cross the only space of freedom that remained between him and the agent. The cold eyes that Connelly aimed at him from behind Hao glued him to the ground.

  There’s no way I’m going with him!

  Hao’s irritation was palpable. He did not need to raise his voice, because his sharp tone was unmistakeably demanding. “Benjamin Archer, you are under arrest. You will step out of this classroom at once!”

  The Inspector’s words triggered a hidden source of anger within Ben. How dare this man threaten him? How dare he remove him from the safety of his classroom and uproot his life at the snap of his fingers?

  “No!” he said, the word born deep within. He wasn’t sure what he was doing–he was driven by instinct rather than common sense, but he didn’t care. This situation was wrong and he meant to let everyone know it was so.

  I’m not going down without a fight!

  “No!” he said again, this time with more vigour. “I’m not going with you! I’ve done nothing wrong and you know it! I’m innocent until proven guilty. I deserve to be treated like a human being!”

  “You are NOT a human being!” Hao’s words flew across the room and planted themselves like knives into Ben’s heart. He swayed at their power.

  A deathly silence that would rival the eye of a hurricane filled the room. A pencil rolled slowly off a desk, then clattered loudly to the ground.

  Hao blinked and glanced at the multitude of wide eyes that were on him. He sucked in air as he straightened. “Enough,” he scowled, gesturing to Connelly. “I don’t have time for this. Get him.”

  The alien who used Connelly’s traits as a disguise, strode purposefully towards Ben and Ben cowered at his every step. Then, suddenly, the Shapeshifter stopped and stared down in confusion.

  “No, you’re not,” Tyler announced, planting himself in front of Connelly. Ben’s classmate inflated his chest and crossed his arms. “Ben’s my friend and I won’t let you take him.”

  “Tyler!” Ben whispered urgently. He could see the muscles in Connelly’s neck tighten.

  “Me, neither,” a voice said, and in an instant, Wes was rubbing shoulders with Tyler.

  Voices flared, chairs scraped on the floor and students flocked to Wes and Tyler’s side.

  “Now wait a minute…” Ms. Evans had sprung out of her chair, arguing with Hao.

  Ben could not escape the Shapeshifter’s glare. He could sense the tenseness in the bald man’s face as more and more students rushed to stand between them.

  “Don’t!” Ben said weakly, praying that the alien would not burst like a nuclear warhead, but his warning was lost in the raucous objections.

  A gust of freezing wind hit him in the neck. A hand pulled him aside.

  “This way!” Kimi urged.

  Ben blinked.

  Kimi had opened a classroom window and was already halfway through it. Catching on, Ben picked up Tike and shoved the dog after her. Kimi slid down a ledge and jumped into the packed snow not far below. Ben stuck out his own head and caught his breath: there were hundreds–no, thousands–of crows littering the trees, school rooftop, windowsills and sky all around him.

  No sooner had he slipped onto the ledge, than a multitude of wings unfolded around him. A deafening noise of grating caws and clicks filled the air. Ben felt a whoosh of feathers as the birds dove inches from his head, then shot through the open window behind him, triggering shrieks from terrified students caught inside the classroom.

  Ben’s brain exploded with noise, not so much from the thunderous cawing outside, but from the staggering clamour inside his brain.

  Run! Danger! Get out! What are you waiting for? Get away!

  Ben pressed his glowing hands over his ears and screamed. His body weight dragged him over the edge and he landed in the snow with a thud. The crows were outside and inside of him. He was a boy lying in the snow, but he was also a thousand birds swirling through the air and diving into the hectic classroom.

  “Ben!” Kimi’s distressed call came through to him.

  He gasped in pain and felt the cold snow beneath his body. It brought him back to his senses long enough to stand and stagger away from the school with Kimi’s support.

  When they were two blocks away, the sudden void in his mind made him retch horribly.

  He knew that Kimi was watching his glowing hands with a mixture of fear and wonder. But she grabbed him under the arm and pulled him down the street. The cold seeped through their clothes and their shoes, as they hadn’t been able to put on snow gear.

  Ben was vaguely aware of his surroundings and of Kimi, who shot him anxious glances as they advanced. He felt utterly exposed to the skill. In his mind’s eye, the blue filaments grew arms and attached themselves to millions of neurons in his head, weaving an intricate web through his brain, and he was too weak to fight it.

  Tike entered his thoughts, sending him an image of police cars with swirling lights in front of a townhouse. Ben’s stomach heaved.

  “Wait!” he wheezed as he stopped Kimi from dragging him on. He took a deep breath to settle the nausea and tried to focus on his surroundings. “Not Thomas’ place,” he said. “Too late. Police are already there.”

  Kimi gave him a strange look, but said, “Can you make it to my house?”

  Ben nodded.

  She took him by the arm again, but Ben gasped suddenly.

  “What?” Her eyes widened as they stopped again.

  “My mom!” Ben exclaimed. “She doesn’t know! I have to warn her!”

  “Come on!” Kimi urged. “I’m taking you home. Then, I’ll get your mom.” She pulled him forward through the snow-packed streets. Light snowflakes floated through the air.

  They made it to Kimi’s house. She opened the door and shoved him in. “I’ll be right back,” she said, heading away before he could say anything.

  “Kimi, is that you?” Ben heard Maggie say. She appeared in the living room door and frowned worriedly. “Ben?” She took him by the shoulders and led him through the door, where he found Thomas sitting on a couch and placing a cup of coffee on a low table.

  He took one look at Ben and sprang up. “What is it?” he asked hurriedly, catching Ben in his arms.

  Ben choked up into his sweater. “They’re here!”

  ***

  “Enjoy your latté,” Laura said, as she handed a steaming cup to a customer over the counter. The customer was headed to the door of the coffee shop when it swung open and Laura saw someone collide head-on with him. The latté flew through the air, then landed in a splash on the floor. “Hey!” the customer yelled, but the offender did not offer an excuse and instead searched the place with frantic eyes.

  “Kimi?” Laura exclaimed, recognizing the girl’s long, black hair.

  Kimi rushed around the counter and placed an icy hand on Laura’s arm. She wanted to speak but instead broke down in
a fit of coughs. “Girl, you’re freezing!” Laura scolded worriedly. “Where’s your jacket?”

  Kimi caught her breath and stared straight at Laura. “Ben said to come quick!” she said, wheezing.

  Laura felt her heart drop. “Where’s Ben?” she asked urgently, already removing her Tim Horton’s cap.

  “My place,” Kimi coughed.

  “Come on.” Laura led Kimi to the back of the coffee shop.

  “Some men came to the school looking for him.” Kimi explained.

  “Hey, lady,” the unfortunate customer called after them over the counter. “I want my latté!”

  Laura dropped the cap next to a sink, grabbed her winter jacket and wrapped Kimi in it. “Let’s go,” she said, heading for the back exit.

  “Hold up! Laura!” someone called behind them. A large woman with a similar cap hurried to catch up with them. “Where are you going?” the woman puffed. A pin attached to her apron said MANAGER.

  Laura let go of Kimi. “I’m sorry, Rhina, I have to go,” she said.

  “But…are you coming back?” Rhina asked in dismay.

  Laura shook her head. Her chin quivered.

  Rhina’s shoulders sagged, but she said, “Wait a minute. You can’t go without your pay.” She dug into her fanny pack around her waist and fished out a handful of dollar bills and coins. “Here, take it. Don’t worry. I’ll figure things out with the others later.”

  “No…I…” Laura objected, pushing the woman’s hand away.

  “Take it!” the woman insisted. “It’s all I have on me. It’s your share of this week’s tips. You’ve earned it.”

  Laura hesitated, then accepted the money. “Thank you,” she said, her eyes falling on the unhappy customer.

  Rhina rolled her eyes. “Don’t you worry about him, dear. We’ll fix him up with a gift card or something.”

  Laura hugged her. “Goodbye,” she said, holding back the tears.

  “You take care, now, you hear?” the woman insisted.

  Laura nodded, then headed through the exit with Kimi. A gentle snow fell around them as they hurried down the cold streets.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Dreamcatcher

  Laura found Thomas and Maggie poring over a large map, which they had spread out on the countertop of the kitchen island.

  “Where’s Ben?” she asked as she rushed to join them.

  “Outside,” Thomas pointed to the outer deck which lay off the dining room.

  Laura made as if to join him, but Thomas grabbed her firmly by the arm. “There’s no time.”

  Laura set her jaw, then nodded in understanding. “What’s the plan? Are we flying?” She stared at the map.

  Thomas shook his head. “Too late for that. Canmore Air is swarming with cops.”

  Laura gaped. “What do we do?”

  “Do about what?” Mesmo’s voice startled them.

  “Mesmo!” Laura felt a wave of relief.

  “Who’s Mesmo?” Maggie frowned.

  Thomas and Laura stared from Mesmo to Maggie.

  Thomas took Maggie’s hand. “Maggie, this man is not Jack Anderson. His real name is Mesmo. I know this is a lot to ask, but I need you to trust him. I need you to trust me.”

  Maggie glanced thoughtfully at the tall man in the fur hat. “My people have told me that Angakkuq crossed the country to confer with a great spirit here. I don’t know who…or what you are. I don’t know what you did to my daughter. But I do know she is alive, thanks to you.” Her eyes fell on Thomas. “Tell me what you need.”

  Thomas’ brow relaxed and he nodded in thanks. “It’s not Mesmo I’m worried about. We need to find a safe passage out of Canmore for Ben and Laura. Mesmo will follow them in his own manner.” He turned his attention to the map. “There aren’t many options. We obviously can’t send them back west. They need to go east.” He followed Highway 1 with the tip of his finger until it reached the city of Calgary. He jabbed at the name on the map. “There!”

  “But how?” Laura studied the area around Thomas’ finger. “The only way out of Canmore is north, by way of this road that links to the highway. They’ll have set up barricades and will be checking every single car driving out of Canmore.”

  They stared at the map as if waiting for it to give them an alternative.

  Suddenly, Maggie said, “The Kananaskis!” She bent over the map and pointed at the main road linking Canmore to the highway. “Look,” she said. “Before you reach the highway, you turn left into this small road. It makes a U-turn and will take you south, past Canmore. You follow it all the way down to…here.” She indicated a spot that seemed lost in the middle of nowhere. “There is a crossing here that will take you over the Kananaskis Mountain Range.”

  “That’s a huge detour!” Thomas exclaimed.

  “It is,” Maggie agreed. “But once they reach the other side of the mountain, they can travel north again and rejoin the highway between Canmore and Calgary–here.”

  Laura contemplated the map. She followed Maggie's instructions in her mind and realized they would basically be making a huge circle around Canmore that would eventually get them back to the highway.

  “I don’t know,” Thomas’ voice reflected his uncertainty. “A snowstorm is approaching. I think it’s too risky.”

  “They can make it,” Maggie insisted. “If they leave now, they should be over the Kananaskis in a couple of hours, before the worst of the storm hits.”

  Thomas glanced at Laura. “What do you think? You’re the one who has to drive.”

  Laura straightened, suddenly realizing that she and Ben would be on their own soon. “What about you?” she asked.

  Thomas pressed his lips together, his eyes on Maggie. “I think I’m going to stay this time.”

  Maggie offered him a smile.

  Thomas spoke to Laura, his eyes still on Maggie, “I don’t think the secret services will be very interested in me anymore.” He fished keys out of his pocket and gave them to Laura. “Here, you can have my car.”

  “No,” Maggie objected. “They’ll be looking for it. Take mine. It’s a pickup truck with sturdy wheels. It will get you over the mountains.”

  “Thank you,” Laura whispered, her head swirling at the task ahead.

  ***

  Ben stared at nothing in particular. He sat outside on the top steps of a wooden stairway that joined the deck with the yard. He had grabbed one of Kimi’s jackets, covered his head with the cape and leaned against the wooden railing.

  Mesmo appeared in his field of vision and crouched beside him.

  Ben hid his face under the cape unable to face the alien. The boy’s words came out with difficulty, his voice empty of emotion. “Hao said I’m not human.” His chin began to tremble. “I don’t know what I am anymore.” He finally turned and glared at the alien. “This is all your fault,” he said accusingly, his nostrils flaring.

  “Benjamin…” Mesmo began.

  “Leave me alone.” Ben lowered his face into the cape again. His tone was final. He felt Mesmo pause, then move away. He wanted the alien to stay and comfort him, but the part of him that was angry and unaccepting wouldn’t allow it. He heard the deck door slide open and for a moment his mind tricked him into believing the alien had doubled back.

  Mesmo can’t open doors, he reminded himself.

  Black army boots came to stand beside him. “My mom said to try these on,” Kimi dangled snow boots at him. “She said you’re going over the mountain in our pick-up truck. She’s putting together some backpacks with emergency gear. Every Dakhona knows to never approach the Kananaskis without emergency gear, even if you’re in a pick-up truck. The mountains can be unforgiving. The Dakhona regard them with the greatest respect.”

  Since he didn’t react, she plopped beside him with a sigh, dumping the snow boots before her as if they weighed a ton. They didn’t speak for a painfully long time.

  Ben heard Kimi’s voice waver when she broke the silence. “You knew this was coming, didn’t
you?” she asked. “Back at the hospital, you already knew you were going to leave…” Her tone wasn’t accusing, but it hurt anyway.

  He looked at her without answering. He found tears streaming down her cheeks and his heart tightened. “I don’t have a choice.” He wrung his hands together. “I have to go.”

  “But, it’s your dad they’re after, isn’t it? Maybe you could stay, and your dad could go away for awhile…” He heard the false hope in her voice.

  Ben shook his head. “He’s not my dad.”

  She knit her brows.

  Ben sighed. “My dad died shortly after I was born. I never got to know him.” He gestured vaguely inside the house. “His name is Mesmo. And, no, I can’t stay. He goes wherever I go. We’re stuck together in that way.”

  She blinked and turned away. After a silence, he heard her say with a touch of unease, “Ben? What did that man mean, when he said you’re not…human?”

  It hurt to hear her say it just as much as when Hao had said it.

  Ben shuffled his feet in the snow, then breathed, “It’s true.” He listened to his own words, trying to accept them.

  She turned to him abruptly, her eyes filled with tears. “No, it’s not!” she said vehemently. “Don’t be daft! You’re my favourite human being in the whole world.” She wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.

  The sweet gesture cracked his resolve. Overcome with emotion, Ben shut his eyes and squeezed her tightly.

  They were still hugging when Laura stepped onto the deck, her arms full of bulging backpacks. “Ben?” Her voice broke up their embrace.

  Kimi stared at Ben with reddened eyes. She leaned over to him and pecked him with cool, soft lips on the corner of his mouth, then ran into the house.

  Ben watched her disappear, his heart breaking slowly.

  “Ben?” His mother’s voice called softly. “We have to go.”

  He nodded forlornly, then changed into the snow boots. When he stood up, he began to remove Kimi’s knee-length jacket from his shoulders, but Maggie stopped him. “No, keep it. You’ll be needing it.”