by A. D. Winch
The tunnel bent round sharply to the left. After less than a hundred metres, it curved again to the left and after a further ten metres stopped. A dark wall with crisscrossing lines of red blocked her path. It was too hot to get close to, and right in front of it was a solid, black plinth. The red glow from the wall reflected off the shiny flat surface, and Ursula could just see it was made of hundreds of triangles. Whatever it was, had been put there for a purpose. She stepped forward cautiously, seeing if she could get any closer, but the heat was too intense. Whatever she was chasing was close by, very close by. Ursula was convinced that it was behind the plinth but, therefore, out of reach.
The heat was getting to her. She was developing a headache, and she was finding it harder to breathe. She took a step back, wondering what she could do. She raised her water pistol, aimed at the plinth and squeezed the trigger. The water shot out of the barrel, landed on the black stone and fizzed as it evaporated. She did it again but aimed over the plinth. There was a fizz again, a high pitch squall and then Ursula smelt something she could not describe.
She squeezed the trigger again, and as she did so, she felt a sudden sharp pain in her head. It only lasted an instant, but she fell to her knees. She held her head in her hands and dropped to the warm ground. A rasping noise came from behind the plinth, but as she lifted her head to look she felt it pass by her. She turned to see not one, but two shadows moving around the bend and then they were gone. Her head willed her to follow, but she just wanted to stay where she was. It was warm down here, and she craved sleep. She could just curl up and doze off.
If it hadn't been for the sweat dripping into her eyes, she would have fallen asleep. It made her eyes sting, and the aggravation forced her to sit, and then stand before she walked back the way she had come. She was too sleepy to run, and by the time she had reached the shaft she was in no mind to climb it. The rasping sound above spurred her on. She could see the route upwards; she put her foot on the first log and slowly began to climb. This time no logs moved or rolled or failed to hold her weight.
On reaching the higher tunnel, she slid over the edge and dragged herself to the fence. Her head hurt; she felt dizzy, nauseous and so drowsy that she closed her eyes.
""You have to move," she heard Eric say in her head. "Get up!"
Ursula ignored him. She was slowly drifting off to sleep.
Outside the tunnel entrance, Eric paced up and down. He knew that Ursula was about to fall asleep, and the thought worried him. They had been awake for the same number of hours, but he was not tired. There was no reason for her to feel like this. A waft of steam blew past him, and he smelt the gas again faintly. Alarm bells started to ring in his head, and all the bits of the puzzle fell into place. The mine was on fire. The steam was not steam but smoke. Smoke contains carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide causes sleepiness, unconsciousness and then… he couldn't bring himself to think it.
Eric swallowed hard and looked at the mine entrance. Even without a torch, he had to go in. There was no other option. Ursula's life depended on it. His hands began to shake, and he started to sweat at the thought. The beam above the main entrance caught his eye, and he punched it before looking down the tunnel. His anger and pain distracted him from his fear. He punched again and again until the skin on his knuckles split, and then he ran as fast as his injured leg would allow him into the tunnel.
Ursula lay somewhere ahead of him. He could see the start of the railway tracks but nothing beyond. He headed for them and tried to concentrate on nothing other than Ursula and his footing. The sleepers were evenly spaced out, and he quickly learnt what stride to use so he could continually land on them. Ahead of him, he could see light coming through the roof, but then he sensed it. The alien was only a few metres away from him.
Eric could hear his own heartbeat. He looked back towards the entrance, and he could just make out a small rectangle of light. Fear was pulling him back towards it, but he could not go. He could not leave Ursula.
Eric lifted his arm and punched a beam in the roof. Splinters were forced between his knuckles, and as he felt the pain, he turned it into anger.
"Come out!" he shouted into the blackness. "Come out!"
Eric felt the alien move past him. He heard a familiar noise as it headed back towards the entrance. Eric was caught in two minds. He could grab the creature, find Ursula and together they could take a sample. On the other hand, this would delay him, and he had to get to her fast. While he considered what to do, a shadow appeared in front of the light from the entrance. Eric could not make out the shape exactly. However, he was certain that whatever it was that was fleeing was not alone but carrying a body. For a split second, Eric thought it was Ursula but then he sensed her in the opposite direction.
"Don't fall asleep!" Eric yelled down the tunnel and ran towards the shaft.
Torchlight lit up a triangle on the dirt floor, and Ursula lay beside it with her head resting on one arm.
"Why can't I sleep?" she asked in a dopey voice, as Eric bent down beside her.
He ignored the question, turned her over onto her back and slapped her hard against the cheek.
"What the," Ursula began drunkenly, but she did not finish as Eric slapped her again.
"Eric!" she slurred.
Eric ignored her. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's hold.
"Eric!" she cried, hitting him softly on the back.
He ignored her and made his way back towards the entrance. The added weight was difficult for his leg, but the pain was distracting and helped him to keep moving. He had completed the hard bit. Getting out was the easy part. In spite of the pain in his leg, he allowed himself a smile. He was proud of himself.
They reached the entrance, and Eric carried Ursula back outside. He walked away from the tunnel entrance until he could smell cold, fresh air and lay her down on the ground. Her eyes were closed, and she was grinning.
"Eric Meyer, you're my hero," she giggled sleepily.
Eric slapped her and wiped the smile away, but she did not open her eyes. From her hand, he removed the water pistol and fired it into her face. Each squirt made Ursula move her head one way and then the other. Eventually, she opened her eyes and glared at him.
"What do you think you are doing?" she asked angrily.
Eric stepped away and let out a sigh of relief. Ursula was back.
"We have to go. It’s gone," he replied.
"Why did you slap me? Why did you shoot me with the water pistol?"
"I'll explain on the way. I saw it leave. It will be moving slower. It's carrying a body. Come on. We have to go."
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Chapter 28 - Tracking Malfunction
The mobile phone was sitting on Granddad Benjamin's knee when it rang.
"I had better answer this," he said, quickly swallowing the dessert Mémé had made them all. He walked away from Jason's bed. "I hope that I don't miss anything."
Mémé gave her husband a look that he interpreted as a mixture of boredom, anger and jealousy.
"Go! Go! Go!" Jason encouraged. He lifted a long arm and pointed towards the door, but he did not turn away from the screen. "Me and Mrs Benjamin will be fine, won't we Madame B? We've got them running, and they don't know which way to turn."
Mémé smiled at his enthusiasm and was pleased that Jason was so positive. She watched as her husband left the room and suggested, "Why don't I have a little tidy up, while Jerome is gone? I feel like a spare part sat here."
"Be my guest," Jason replied, "but you're not a spare part. Every great artist needs an audience. Just don’t look under my bed."
Outside in the hallway, Jerome answered the call.
"Hello, this is Jerome Benjamin speaking."
"Hi, it's Alexander. How is it all going there?"
"Hold on a second. I wrote it down," and Granddad Benjamin removed a piece of notepaper from his pocket. "Number one, Jason says that his email disease is spreading w
ell and that more and more people are receiving information about the OSS. Number two, there has been a large increase in the number of people searching for OSS information on goggle. Number three, the number of likes on his spacebook page is growing by the minute. Number four, some of his friends have been sending twits. These have been retwitted lots and continue to be retwitted. Does this mean anything to you? It all sounds like gobbledegook to me. Number five, the videos that he had from you and that he had put on," he paused. "Hold on, I can't read my writing."
Granddad Benjamin looked carefully at the notepaper in his hand and tried to decipher his script. "I think I have written that the number of views on you tub is increasing. Jason also says that he and his haka friends, 'have the OSS on the run,' and 'they can't contain it anymore.' To be honest, I have no idea what he is speaking about, but he seems to be enjoying himself and keeps punching the air and cheering, so I would say that everything is going well. How about you?"
Alexander was delighted by the news and allowed himself to believe that their plan might actually succeed.
"Are you still there?" Granddad Benjamin asked.
"Yes, sorry. I was daring to dream for a second."
"Where is Ursula? And Eric? And Andrea? Are they with you?"
Alexander found it odd that Granddad Benjamin had not mentioned Johan, but he did not dwell on it.
"I have mainly good news and some strange news. The good news is that the tracking devices are working well. I know for sure that Ursula, Eric, Andrea and Johan, are all off the base and are all moving. This is good news as it means that they are all still alive.
"Andrea is currently in the desert. I can't collect her until she reaches the road, but I am sure she will. It will just take a little time, but she knows which direction to head. Right now, I am driving on a freeway outside of Roswell. My father seems to be in a vehicle and driving away from the base."
"Oh," uttered Granddad Benjamin, sounding surprised.
"I hope to meet him when he reaches the freeway."
"That will be good if you could. And the children? Ursula? Eric?"
"The good news is that they are off the base."
"What's the bad news?"
"There is no bad news. As I said to you, I have some strange news."
"Do you know where they are?"
"I do know where they are, but…, well…, for a while, I lost them, and then I zoomed out from my current location. They reappeared three thousand kilometres away in a small town in Pennsylvania."
"Are you sure that it is them?"
"As long as they are wearing their trackers - yes. I have to hang up as I'm nearing where I think I'll meet my father."
"Thank you very much, Alexander. Watch my little miss for me."
"I will Mr. Benjamin. I'll speak to you soon, bye."
Alexander hung up and threw his phone onto the dashboard. He glanced over at the laptop on the passenger seat and saw his father's dot getting closer.
There were large advertising boards beside the road, and if he were correct, then his father was behind them and heading for the freeway. Alexander slowed down as he passed billboards that read 'Visit Roswell,' and 'Come to the capital of UFOs.' He stopped his news van next to one which announced, 'Welcome to Alien Country,' and waited. The dot was moving nearer to him and was less than three kilometres away. He watched it come closer with his fingers in his mouth and made the decision to meet him.
It was cool outside the van, and the hills cast shadows across the desert as the sun rose. Alexander adjusted his blue cap and zipped up his News Team fleece. The cinema-sized billboard towered above him, and Alexander felt small in comparison. He looked up at the gigantic letters and wondered if he really was in alien country? The old him would have laughed at himself for even considering this. However, after meeting his father, reading his mother's diary and speaking to Eric, he was no longer so sure. Three people, two of whom were scientists, had told him that they had personally encountered an alien. However, until he saw one with his own eyes, he would continue to doubt.
Alexander walked between the van and billboard. There was no way under, but he found what looked like the edge of a large door cut into the bottom of the billboard. The edges were so thin that it was impossible to see them from the freeway. If he had had any unbitten nails, then he would have been able to slide one into the groove. Instead, he followed the outline with his fingers. He could see no way to pull the door open so decided to walk around the billboard.
The desert stretched out behind, but there was no sign of a road. Two banks stretched out from the billboard towards the mountains. Rising above the banks were plumes of dust that were coming closer. Alexander clambered up the sand and rock until he lay on the top of the nearest bank. In the channel below, he could see a jeep hurtling towards the billboard. It was only a few hundred metres away and skidded to a halt as it reached the track's dead-end.
Alexander had to move away until the dust settled. His mirrored sunglasses provided some protection for his eyes, but he was worried that he would breathe in dust. When it began to settle, he climbed back up the bank and looked down. An Indian-looking lady was scrambling up the other side. Her white pumps were turning brown as she found a footing and then slid back over the small rocks.
Alexander searched below, but he could not see his father. He wasn't in the jeep or around it or on the bank.
Perhaps, he had already climbed over, Alexander thought, but deep down he knew that this was unlikely.
The woman looked harmless. She was dressed in grey jogging bottoms and a pink top, rather than an army uniform. Across her shoulder, was a handbag but no weapon. Judging by her inability to climb, Alexander decided that she was not a particularly physical person.
The woman reached the top of the bank and slid back down again. Alexander heard her howl, and then she spun around. She took him by surprise, and he did not have a chance to hide.
Her bloodshot eyes stared at him, and she froze with a look of terror.
Alexander stared back. She was not a person to be feared.
"Please help me," she pleaded and then added hopefully, "Alexander?"
The man looking down at her reached out and hung his arm over the top of the bank.
"Dig your toes in as you climb," he instructed.
She followed what he had said and reached his hand. He pulled her over the ridge, and they both slid down the other side.
"You're Alexander?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes," he replied, standing above her.
"Your father said that you won't trust me. But the children will vouch for me."
Alexander looked at her and saw the tracking device appear from under a sleeve.
"What's this?" he asked angrily, attempting to pull it from her arm.
"Professor Schwarzkopf gave it to me, to help me escape. He told me that you would find me."
"Where is he?" Alexander demanded.
Doctor Kahn hesitated as she looked into his face, and before she opened her mouth, Alexander knew that his father was gone. The man he had only known for a few months. The man who remained a stranger to him. The man who… He did not know what to feel. He felt sadness for the years they had missed out on, and that the years to come had been wrenched away too. They had never had a chance to put things right.
"Did he say anything?" Alexander asked, hoping that he had at least been in the old man's thoughts.
"He said to live your life and that he loved you," she repeated wrongly.
Alexander smiled to himself. He found it hard to believe that Johan had said that he loved him.
"Maybe I would have grown to love him too," he muttered.
"That was exactly what he said," Doctor Khan said in surprise.
"Perhaps we were related after all."
Doctor Khan got to her feet.
"I don’t want to seem insensitive, but please can we leave. I'm sure they'll be after me once they know I am not there."
Alexander looked
at her suspiciously and replied, "But I know nothing about you."
He strode off towards the freeway, leaving Doctor Khan to run after him.
"My name is Doctor Karima Khan," she said desperately. "I worked with your father on the extra-terrestrial craft. I am a specialist in human biology and ran many tests on samples I received from Black Queen and White King."
"Who?"
"Er, Ursula Benjamin and Eric Meyer. I am originally from India, but I was recruited by the OSS while I was at university here before I returned home. I thought it was a great opportunity. However, gradually, I became aware that I was trapped and they would kill me. I liked…"
"Enough!" Alexander shouted and stopped by the news van. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't." She paused. "But please take me with you. If you don't trust me, just tie me up and put me in the back. I won't be any problem. I promise. And I won't hold it against you."
Alexander got into the news van and turned the ignition key. Doctor Khan was left standing beside the freeway. He didn't know her, and for all he knew she was a plant - another agent to be led straight to the children, in the same way that Sasha had been. He did not want to get burnt twice. He opened the window to look at her. She had not moved from her position.
She was young, but fear made her look old. Her hands were shaking; she looked frail, weak and terrified.
"Give me your handbag."
She passed it to him instantly, and he rummaged around inside. There was nothing that aroused his suspicions, and he threw it on the floor in front of the passenger seat.
"Do you have a phone?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied and pulled it out of her pocket.
"Put it on the tarmac under the front wheel, and the tracking device on your arm too."
She did as she was told, and Alexander drove the van forward until he heard a crunch.