That seemed to infuriate Cy more than I'd ever seen. "And what's your truth?" he said through his teeth.
"I haven't lied to her," Benji said.
"What have you omitted?" Cy said, unyielding.
"Omitted? Let's talk about omission. You don't lie? Please. Not being honest is lying, Cyrus. Don't fool yourself."
Cy's jaw worked under his skin. "I haven't lied to you. But he"--he pointed at Benji--"hasn't told you who he really is. Tell her, Benji, or I will."
The line between Benji's eyebrows deepened. He was clearly troubled by Cy's threat. He looked to me, trying to find the words to say next.
His expression made me nervous, even more so than Cy's threat.
"I've tried to tell him that we can trust you," I said. When Benji didn't return my smile, I paused. "You said I could trust you. You meant it...right?"
Benji struggled for a response.
"Benji?" I asked, leaning down until we were eye-to-eye.
"I didn't want to lie to you," he said, reaching for me. I took a step back. "If you'd asked, I would have told you. I swear, I've tried. I kept waiting to find the right time, and then there just wasn't a right time."
No matter how many breaths I took, the air couldn't satisfy my lungs.
Benji looked desperate. "If you remember our conversation at the cafe, I was working up to it. I wanted you to know, but how could I tell you? You wouldn't have believed me, not until you knew the truth about Cy."
"Who are you?" I asked.
Benji opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He shook his head. "I don't want you to hate me."
Cy spoke, "He's Benji Reynolds, son of Agent Frank Reynolds, chief intelligence officer for Majestic Twelve."
I looked at Benji, my mouth gaping open.
Benji took a step toward me. "Rory, just let me explain."
"Tell me it's not true. That's the only thing I want to hear from you right now."
Benji looked up at me. "It's true."
I stepped back, physically evading the truth. "So, you were a plant, just like Ellie? I was your target?"
Dr. Z was immediately next to me, holding my arm. He always knew what I needed. And right now, I needed not to fall onto my knees in shock.
Benji came to my other side, but I pushed him away. "I knew what Cyrus was. Even before that, I knew Majestic was watching Dr. Zorba. I know this looks bad--really, really bad--but I wasn't using you, Rory, I swear. Dad said he wanted me to watch out for your safety. Heck, I wanted to watch out for your safety. And by the time I knew what Majestic really wanted, it was too late. I'd already made a decision by then."
"We do not have time for this," Apolonia said, crossing her arms over her stomach.
"No, we don't," Cy said, reaching out for me. "C'mon, Rory."
"What kind of decision?" I asked, facing Benji.
Benji shrugged, as if it should have been obvious. "That I was in love with you."
Dr. Z watched for my reaction. "If you recall, Rory, Ellie also said that there was one member of Majestic who couldn't stay away from you."
"Well, Ellie was right about that." Benji lowered his chin, staring me straight in the eyes. "Look at me, Rory. You have to know. All I've ever wanted was to keep you safe."
Tsavi grinned. Cy looked as if he wanted to end Benji's life, and Apolonia looked impatient.
"Rory," Cy said, bending his fingers a few times, asking me to come to him.
"What was too late?" I asked.
Benji took a few steps toward me and then cupped my shoulders. Purplish half-moons under his dim brown eyes revealed just how sleep deprived he was from looking for me the night before and from watching over me on the infirmary table. His shirt was wrinkled, and his hair was tousled. "It was too late for them to convince me to help them because whatever side you were on was where I wanted to be."
I fell into his arms, and he pressed his cheek against my hair, squeezing me tightly against him.
"I knew they were coming for the rock. That's why I wanted to get you away from there before dinner. I was going to try to get you both out before they came. But I've had to plan every move carefully, Rory. I couldn't help you if I didn't have inside information. I wanted to tell you everything. It just had to be the right time."
Cy laughed once and then turned around to face me, his fingers laced on top of his head. "He can't go with us, Rory. We can't trust him. He's Majestic!"
My mouth formed a hard line. I understood this was important to Cy. Everyone in that room had a lot at stake, but Cy didn't know Benji like I did. "Do you trust me?"
Cy's eyes bounced between me, Benji, Dr. Z, and finally, Apolonia. Her eyebrows moved infinitesimally toward each other. Cy took a breath and looked at me again. "Do you trust you?"
I reached for Benji's arm, and he moved toward me. "He wouldn't do anything to hurt me, Cy. I believe that."
"It's settled then," Tsavi said. "They'll return any moment, this time with more men, and we have to make contact with Hamech."
"Be mindful of the fallen crew," Apolonia said. "We will retrieve them and take them home to their families."
With glossy eyes and a small smile, Tsavi spoke, "They died an honorable death. Hamech will give them grand Kahtpech funerals." She watched Apolonia for a moment and then went into the other room before quickly returning with short, thin robes for Dr. Z and me.
Dr. Z thanked her and then put his on. There was no zipper, but the front seamlessly joined together as if by magnets.
Dr. Z's eyes widened, and he smiled at Tsavi. "It's very warm, thank you."
"My pleasure."
Cy smiled at Tsavi. He appreciated his people being kind to humans, and Tsavi seemed to like us. The feeling was mutual. She seemed more...human--at least more so than Apolonia. Knowing Cy, I couldn't imagine what made him fall in love with such a dry, emotionless, and angry person. He once called her emotional. I couldn't disagree more. From what I'd witnessed, it was unclear if she even had a soul. Cy was a warm, kind being. He begged the soldiers--men who were out to harm all of us--not to engage his betrothed, so we wouldn't have a massacre on our hands. How can he love such a monster?
Apolonia walked to a door and tapped her finger on a rectangle full of strange symbols. They lit when her finger made contact, and when the door slid behind the wall, a closet full of weapons was exposed.
"What are you doing?" Cy asked.
Apolonia threw a small palm-sized weapon to Tsavi. It looked like the rubber grip on a bicycle but solid.
"We need weapons, Cyrus," Apolonia answered.
"We can't continue harming the humans. We have you and your sword. That's all we need."
Apolonia touched Cy's face tenderly, but her expression still seemed emotionless. "I have already lost so many. I can't leave Tsavi defenseless."
Cy nodded and turned to Tsavi. "Try not to kill anyone."
Tsavi smiled. "Of course."
Cy and Apolonia led the way out of the ship, followed closely by Tsavi and Dr. Z. Benji and I straggled behind. He helped me over bodies and wreckage even though my wounds were healed. Other than fatigue, I felt fine, but I let him worry about me anyway.
Finally, daylight hit my face. The cold air hit me at the same time, and my next breath came out in a cloud of white mist. My eyes squinted, and I lifted my hand, shielding my face from the morning sun. Benji pulled the robe from my other hand and held it up.
"Dr. Zorba called this warm. It's a millimeter thick and has no liner."
"I guess we'll see," I said, slipping my arms into the sleeves. The front melded together, and instantly, the cold dissipated from my body. "The fabric must include some special form of technology. It's better than my goose-down coat."
"And all this time, I thought you didn't own a coat," Benji said with a teasing smile and a wink.
We climbed down from the Nayara and over the mound of dirt the ship had excavated during its crash landing. The wreckage and debris from the battle were still smoking.
"Rendlesham has quarantined this area, I'm sure," Cy said.
I strained to see the top of the hill we came over. "I wonder if those roadblocks are manned."
"Definitely," Dr. Z said. "I've been thinking about Apolonia's need to contact her father. The old KIXR building is ten miles from here. It's been for sale for years, and it is old enough that the signal won't be as efficient."
"So, we cannot use it?" Tsavi asked.
"No," I said. "Efficient broadcast signals make the signals weaker for someone to pick up in space."
"That's right," Dr. Z said. "Old radio programs were broadcast from massive ground stations that transmitted signals at thousands of watts. In theory, those signals could be picked up relatively easily across the depths of space. This is exactly what we need--an inefficient old station. Kempton's communication head went out to take a look five weeks or so ago--you know, for spare parts for the radio science department. They weren't willing to sell it without the buyer taking the entire building, but he said all the equipment and the towers were still there and intact. I can't be certain that the equipment and towers are still functional, but I'm sure three KIT students, a KIT professor, and three beings of assumed superior intelligence could get it up and running."
"That's assuming a lot," Benji said.
Tsavi, Cy, and Apolonia turned to look at Benji.
"What?" he said. "I'm sure they've built on past inventions and ideas just as we have. They're a much older race. But that doesn't necessarily equal higher intelligence."
Cy narrowed his eyes. "I learned to speak nearly every language on your planet, including how to write them, colloquialisms, and your ridiculous contractions in the two months it took me to travel to Earth after I tracked the meteor here."
"Can you compose a symphony?" Benji asked.
"Can I...what?" Cy said, clearly perturbed.
"My point is, we're all good at something. Languages appear to be your strength."
I elbowed Benji. "They already don't trust you. You're not helping yourself."
He pulled out keys. "I have the only car, and it's fast. Does that help?"
WE ALL STOOD, hidden by the woods, staring at Benji's orange Mustang. The paint was obnoxiously conspicuous, the engine was offensively loud, and the backseats were two captain's chairs instead of a bench.
"What?" Benji asked.
"We should just put a sign on it that says, CAPTURE US," Cy said. "And there are six of us."
"I can make two trips," Benji replied.
Cy shook his head. "We need to stay together."
Benji frowned. "Why?"
"You're right," Cy said, holding out his hand. "Your car is necessary, but you're not. Hand over the keys."
Dr. Z sighed. "Whatever we do, we must do it now. I'm sure there will be more soldiers coming at any moment."
"Cy--" I began, but Benji took a step in front of me.
"I realize we haven't much time, but you're not taking my car and leaving me in the woods to walk home. I want to help, but I'm not an idiot."
"Okay," Dr. Z said, holding up his hands. "I'll stay behind."
"No one is staying behind. We can all fit," I said. I took Benji's keys from his hands and pushed a button on the keyless entry remote. The trunk popped open, and everyone stared at the empty space. I climbed in, lay on my side, bent my knees, and propped my head with my elbow.
"This is ridiculous," Cy said.
Benji smiled at me. He broke something off his keychain and then tossed his keys to Cy. "You wanted to drive, right?" He climbed in, too, and made a show of getting comfortable next to me.
"What are you doing?" Cy growled. His patience with Benji was waning.
"It's cold, and there are two too many bodies versus seats in the Mustang. I'm volunteering to keep Rory warm." With that, he reached up and pulled down the trunk lid.
It was pitch-black, and for a moment, I wasn't sure if this was a great idea. I could hear Dr. Z and Cy discussing the directions to the radio station and then Cy and Apolonia speaking quickly in their language. It didn't sound like a pleasant conversation.
The trunk lit up, and Benji's face was just a few inches from mine. A tiny flashlight was in one hand, and he was propping his head with the other. "My dad said to always keep one of these on my keychain. He said I would thank him one day. Thanks, Dad."
I laughed. I couldn't help myself. It was slightly enjoyable watching jealousy on Cy's face, and I sort of liked the badass side of Benji.
The motor snarled, and we began moving. As Cy went over bumps, Benji and I giggled. I wasn't sure where the radio station was, but I assumed Cy would have to take back roads to get there. I didn't realize until the ride began to get really bumpy that Cy would have to stay off-road until we cleared the roadblocks.
"I hope your car isn't too damaged after this."
"I hope we don't get stuck or that Cy doesn't drive us off a bridge. I don't think we thought this through."
"He wouldn't. He doesn't like you, but he has a weird compassion for humans."
"Is that--ow!" he yelled. Cy had taken a bump too fast, and Benji banged his head on the trunk lid. He rubbed his head and then pounded the side of his fist against the interior wall of the trunk. "Take it easy! He probably wants to make sure we're too rattled to cuddle."
I smiled. "He's got his hands full with the warrior princess."
"Oh. I wondered if they were...if so, he's doing a poor job of hiding it."
"Hiding what?"
"How he feels about you."
"I think you just get under his skin."
"Very likely. I'm the competition."
"He's in love with her, Benji."
Benji grinned. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"Not denying that I'm competition."
I grinned. "I'm glad you're okay. I shouldn't have asked you to drive me to the ship."
"Me?" he said, his eyebrows shooting up. "They're not after me. If I hadn't seen you over that hill when I did--well, I was about five minutes away from a full-blown freak-out. For a second, I thought you were in that ship with Cy. Either the ship would leave and I'd never see you again, or the soldiers would shoot it down and you'd get hurt. I wasn't prepared for either outcome."
"So, it wasn't all an act then? You didn't want the rock?"
Benji's face compressed, and he leaned toward me. "I don't care about the rock. You're the only thing I've wanted since the day I met you."
"But you wanted to get into the lab."
"The only reasons I wanted in the lab were because you were there and to make sure Cy wasn't hitting on you."
I laughed and leaned in, touching my lips to Benji's for just a moment, before Cy hit another bump, and we both banged our heads on the ceiling.
After half an hour, the Mustang finally came to a stop, and the engine turned off. I was relieved, but Benji looked a bit disappointed. The trunk popped open to reveal Cy standing over us. He held out his hand to help me out.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "Sorry about the sharp turns. Helena is crawling with Humvees. We had several close calls. It's not easy sneaking around in an orange sports car."
"It was a little rough but not bad," I said, stealing a glance at Benji.
We followed Dr. Z to the front door of the radio station. None of us were surprised that it was locked, but Benji successfully picking the lock with some wire from his trunk surprised us all.
"What?" he said.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Cy asked. "That's a fairly expert move for a conservative engineering student."
"My dad taught me. He also taught me how to shoot a gun, start a fire, hotwire a car, and filter water effectively. He's seen a lot during his time in the Majestic Twelve program. He wanted to be sure we survived if something happened."
"He didn't show you how to stop a bloody nose?" I asked.
Benji shrugged and grinned. "Dad didn't have to teach me how
to play dumb if a beautiful girl was willing to take care of me."
I narrowed my eyes at him, but his mischievous grin was contagious.
"Do you always carry a lockpick in your trunk?" Cy asked.
"It's two paperclips, one bent like so," Benji said, holding out his hand. "They were in my backpack in the trunk."
"Amazing coincidence, that's all," Cy seethed.
A raggedy, skinny gray cat meowed and rubbed itself against the wall of the station and then against Benji's leg.
"Aw, poor guy," Benji said. He tried to pet him, but the cat maneuvered out from under Benji's hand and kept rubbing his side against Benji's other leg.
"Looks like you've found a friend," I said.
"Animals and kids love me," he said before smooching at the overgrown kitten.
We all started following Dr. Z into the radio station, but Cy motioned for Apolonia and Tsavi to guard the front door. The building was sectioned into two different-sized rooms with a wall and a single narrow door. The front section contained the DJ booth, speakers, a desk, neon signs, chairs, and a bathroom. The back, from what I could see, looked like storage. Both halves were dark and full of equipment and cobwebs.
The professor hobbled to the DJ booth and sat down, looking over the knobs and buttons. "Someone find a power source. I'll try to figure this out in the meantime."
The cables behind the DJ booth led down into a hole in the floor, so Cy, Benji, and I fanned out, searching for an electrical box.
Several minutes later, Cy and I met in the center of the back wall without finding anything.
"I'll check outside," Benji called to us.
"You do that," Cy muttered under his breath.
"Why are you so hell-bent on hating him?" I asked.
"I'm just waiting for him to betray you."
"You mean, us."
"No, I mean, you. One can't be betrayed by someone one doesn't trust." He sighed, frustrated. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer, "This is a bad idea, Rory. His father is Majestic. Benji has been raised with that allegiance, and you think one girl is going to make him switch loyalties?"
"Why didn't you make him leave then?"
"Because you wanted him to stay."
"Since when do you listen to me?"
Cy checked over his shoulder, and then his eyes met mine. "I do care for you. When Tsavi, Apolonia, and I leave this planet, I don't want you to be alone. If Benji is what he says he is, then you're going to need him even if it makes me physically ill to put any thought into that scenario."
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