Then its head began to turn in her direction.
She quickly ducked so that the entire chair blocked her from its view.
“Governor,” Devon said in a firm enough tone that made the others quiet. “This is not about the world as we knew it. It’s about surviving in the new age. If things get out of control, we have a safe place for you and your family to go to, but you have to play by the rules if you want to make it. My boss will see to it.”
Autumn dared to peek back through the space in the chair and saw that the alien had its attention directed back at the men. She breathed a soft sigh of relief. That was close.
Devon nodded in satisfaction. “Good. We’re all agreed. We’ll revamp the frequency in all the electronic devices so that people will go back to sleep. It’s a temporary fix but it’ll work.”
“We’ll need a suitable distraction too,” the unnamed man added. “We can’t afford to take any chances.” He looked pointedly at the governor. “You know what you need to do, so I expect you to do it.”
People will go back to sleep? A suitable distraction? Just what did all that mean? Autumn was really beginning to wish she hadn’t ventured down here. This thing went deeper than she thought...or wanted to think. She rubbed her forehead. Her fingers itched for a cigarette, but there was no way she could light one up—not here...and not now. So she subconsciously grabbed for something, and that something happened to be her sister’s cross necklace that hung around her neck.
“I have to get back to DC,” the unnamed man said as he stood up. “I give reports on what the governors in each state do or don’t do to cooperate with the New World Order.”
Governor West closed his eyes for a moment but nodded his understanding before he stood up.
The others followed suit, and soon, they left the room.
When she was alone, she exhaled and released her hold on the necklace. She was safe. Now all she had to do was wait for a few minutes until they left and get out of there. Then she could talk to Alex.
She waited for two minutes before she slipped out of her hiding place. Just when she stood up, someone turned the lights off. She gasped and spun around.
Devon frowned, his hand still on the light switch, and narrowed his eyes at her. “What are you doing here?”
She waited for her “guardian” angel to appear and hide her like he did before, but he didn’t. Oh great! What was she supposed to do? The angel told her to come here, she did, and now he abandoned her? It wasn’t like she was being careless this time.
Devon put his hand down from the light switch and stepped into the dark room lit only by the lights in the corridor. “I asked you a question.”
She immediately stepped back, looking for something to arm herself with. Finding nothing suitable in reach, she gripped the chair. It wasn’t light. She hid her aggravation. Where was her angelic helper? Clearing her throat, she said the first thing that came to her mind. “What are you doing here?”
He glanced over his shoulder before he took out a small rectangular device from his pocket. After adjusting something, he placed it on the table by the door. Then he headed in her direction.
Startled, she picked up the heavy chair and got ready to throw it at him. “Stop!”
He was in the middle of the room, just a few feet from her. “You think this is some kind of game? You follow people into buildings and listen in on their conversations?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You’re one to talk. Telling the governor to harm some people so you can put the ignorant masses back to sleep.”
“You’d do well to find other things to do with your time.”
He took another step forward, and she flung the chair at him. It missed him. She grunted. She didn’t even get close! Why did she have to be such a lousy aim?
She noted the concern on his face. “Look, I don’t want you to get into trouble, alright? You shouldn’t be here. My suggestion is that you leave and forget what you saw and heard.”
She shook her head. How could he expect her to do that? Whatever he and those with him had in mind wasn’t right. It wasn’t decent. She knew it.
“Either you forget it or they’ll kill you,” he said, his voice solemn. “Do you want to live?”
“Of course, I want to live.”
“Then you know what you need to do.” He motioned for her to go to the door. “I’ll let you off with a warning this time.”
She debated whether it was wise to stay there and insist he tell her exactly what the men had been talking about, but a movement in the hallway caught her attention. The angel waved her forward. She rolled her eyes. Oh sure. Now, when she’d been caught and scolded, the angel decided to show up.
With a heavy sigh, she strode out of the room. She went over to the angel and wanted to ask why he took so long to get to her, but Devon closed the door behind him and faced her.
“You’ll have to go out another way,” he said.
She glanced from the angel and back to Devon. Didn’t Devon even see the angel? Devon took her by the arm and led her in the opposite direction from which she came. Nope. He didn’t see the angel. Her gaze drifted to his hand and she saw he was holding that strange device.
“What is that?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
“Let’s just say it ensures no one knows this conversation took place.”
His steps were hurried so she decided not to press the issue. Instead, she walked with him to a staircase and climbed a flight before he led her out into a vacant corridor. The entire time, the angel followed, and none of them spoke. Something in Devon’s movements were anxious, so she decided the sooner she got out of there, the better.
They reached a door and he opened it. The bright sunlight made her squint as she stepped outside, the angel close behind. She turned, expecting Devon to leave too, but he shut the door and the lock clicked into place.
“What just happened?” she asked the angel.
“Exactly what needed to,” he answered.
“What? That I would hear the governor’s going to stage something?”
“No.” The angel smiled. “It wasn’t you that needed to be reached this time.”
Then he vanished.
She groaned and threw her hands up in the air. Of course, he spoke in weird, cryptic words. Why wouldn’t he? He was supernatural, after all. Not once did he give her clarity on anything. Why would he start now? Deciding she’d had enough, she darted across the lawn spanning the side of the capitol building and headed for her car.
Chapter Ten
Alex sat across from Autumn and studied her expression. “That’s it?” he asked.
She shrugged. Though the plate of lasagna looked appealing, she had little appetite. She finally gave up on trying to enjoy her half-eaten meal and put her fork down. Leaning forward on the table in the family restaurant, she said, “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
He took a drink of his soda and set it back down. “So you think they’re emitting sound waves to keep us oblivious to what’s really going on?”
“I’m not sure.”
She glanced out the window next to their booth. It was the next day during lunch, and they agreed to meet so she could tell him what happened the previous day. She’d been shaken up when she called and he’d offered to come over to see her, but she decided to wait until today. She had needed time to process what happened at the capitol, and even after twenty-four hours, she still couldn’t fully comprehend it. She didn’t even dare tell him about the angel or demon. He’d think the rest of her story was unbelievable. She needed something concrete, something solid to tell him.
“The governor was there?” Alex asked.
She nodded and wiped her mouth with the napkin. “He looked scared.”
“He knows something we don’t.”
“Obviously. But is that a surprise? I mean, he is a politician. There’s a lot they never tell us.”
“True.” She couldn’t argue that point, especially wh
en she was pretty much ordered to “forget” what she heard, but how could she forget? “Whatever they’re planning, it’s not going to be pleasant. I guess all we can do is hope that it’s not serious.”
He tapped his fingers next to his empty plate and asked, “Do you think they’re doing this in other places?”
“What? Planning some kind of diversion to keep our attention off of what they’re doing?”
“That and sending out the sound waves. Maybe that’s why everyone seems to be accepting that the aliens are good guys. They’re being subliminally brainwashed.”
“Most likely. It can’t just be here.”
“I wonder how deep it goes. Do you think it has anything to do with talk of the one world government?”
Or maybe it went even deeper than that.
Their server walked up to them. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked.
Autumn shook her head. “No thanks. Well, I guess a to-go box.” She motioned to her food.
The woman nodded and looked at Alex.
“I’m fine.” He glanced at his watch. “I should get back to work.”
“Okay.” The server handed them their checks. “I’ll take your cards when you’re ready and get that to-go box.”
Once she left, they set aside their payments, and he let out a low sigh. “You got more than I did. I can’t come up with any answers.”
“I don’t think I got answers. I just got more questions.”
The server returned to collect their money and handed Autumn a to-go box. She glanced at Autumn’s money and smiled. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we no longer accept cash.”
“But I always pay with cash when I come here,” Autumn replied, surprised.
“Well, starting last Monday, the new policy is that we will only accept debit or credit cards.”
Autumn reluctantly took back the cash and stared at the bills in her hand. “But this is all I have.”
“I got it,” Alex told her. “Just add her check to mine.”
The server nodded and took their checks and his card.
“I can’t believe it,” Autumn muttered. “Cash should be good anywhere.” She set the money in front of him and thanked him.
He shook his head and gave it back to her. “Don’t worry about it. Friends help each other out.” As she dished the remaining lasagna into the styrofoam box, he continued, “You might want to think about converting from paying cash for everything to using a card.”
She sighed. He was right. It was time she got with it and got a debit card. She couldn’t deny that it’d be more convenient, especially in situations like this. “I guess that’ll be put on my To Do List for this week.”
“Why have you held off all this time on getting one anyway?”
“Because when I was in college, I ran into some serious credit card debt. It took years to dig myself out of that too.”
“Well, a debit card isn’t like a credit card.”
“Maybe not but the temptation to overspend if I don’t have physical money to hand out is greater.”
“So do what I do. Have a savings account to hold most of your money and transfer over whatever you need for the day. If you go over, the cashier will be very happy to remove an item from your cart.”
She wryly grinned at him. “I see you’ve had experience with that one.”
“Once. And once is all it took.”
She closed the box and looked at him, noting that when he smiled, he was handsome. She could see why her sister was attracted to him.
The server returned with his card and a receipt. “Thank you and I hope you both have a good day.” After she handed him the items, she left.
He turned his eyes to Autumn who collected her purse and box. “At least you get to go home and take a nap,” he said as he stood up.
She followed suit. “Yep. No Hampton to give me grief today.”
“How is the new hire working out?”
“She’s right out of high school, perky and blonde, and since she must have a social life, Hampton’s making me work weekends now because I’m too old to have a life.”
He laughed. “You’re not old.”
“Compared to an eighteen year old, I am.”
They left the restaurant and he glanced up. Curious, she also looked at the clear sky.
“Have you seen the way the alien craft looks as it hovers over a big city? I hear those things span a good three miles.”
“I’ve seen the pictures. I don’t get it though. Why would they hover there?”
He shrugged. “The gods have returned to watch over the affairs of men?”
“Or so they say.”
“Whatever they are, they’re not friendly.”
She shot him a good look. “Is that alien still watching you at night?”
“I’ve tried going through a night without the pills, but I woke up and couldn’t move. It felt like I was back at Area 51.”
Her jaw dropped. “Alex, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Nothing else happened. It took me five minutes before I could move, and you bet the first thing I did when I could was swallow one of those pills.”
“That’s awful.” Hearing this made her experience with Devon seem minor. She couldn’t imagine having one of those things hovering over her like that. And as she scanned Alex, she didn’t detect anything sinister around him. “I wish we hadn’t gone to Area 51. I should have insisted on it.”
Alex smiled and patted her on the back. “That thing was by my bed before that incident, remember? This isn’t your problem. It’s mine.”
“It seems like there should be something you can do to stop it.”
“That’s what the psychiatrist is for. I have an appointment with him this week. The prescription he has me on helps.”
“Does it?” Could it be that simple? A pill and all the problems went away? At least until it was time to take the next one?
“I just take it one day at a time. I’ll see you around.”
She said good-bye and watched as he went to his car. She focused on him, trying to detect a demon lurking around him, as she’d seen around Devon on a couple occasions. True, she didn’t see the thing hovering around Devon at the capitol, but there was something seriously wrong with him. But Alex was a good guy. He didn’t go around telling governors they might want to harm people to get the masses to cooperate.
The masses. That was how Devon and people of his ilk saw normal, everyday people like her and Alex. Like her and Alicia. They were just numbers. Easily expendable. Like sheep for the slaughter. She shivered. The masses not cooperating? Send a diversion? Send out sound waves to lull them into a false sense of security. And if they start waking up to what was going on, find a way to get them back in line. She wondered what the governor was going to do.
She watched as Alex drove past her. He waved and she waved in return. There was nothing unusual about him. No dark shadow. No creepy feeling. He turned out of the parking lot and onto the main road. She shook her head. What was she missing? What was it she didn’t understand?
Chapter Eleven
Alex tried to move in his sleep but couldn’t. His eyes flew open and the alien was sitting on his chest, its cold bony fingers wrapped around his throat. He struggled to breathe, but the fingers dug into his skin, cutting off his airway. He unwittingly recalled the three aliens at Area 51 who hovered over him. They held something over his nose and mouth so he couldn’t breathe.
Unlike then, no one had strapped his arms and legs to a metal table. No. He was home in his warm bed, and this alien was trying to kill him! Fear gripped him and held him securely in place, and as much as he wanted to fight back, to defend himself, he couldn’t. All he could do was stare into the alien’s eyes.
It wanted him dead, and yet, it wanted him alive so it could continue to torment him.
All Alex could do was stare at it, feeling more helpless than he’d ever felt in his entire life. And then...mercifully...everything went black and the pre
ssure around his throat was gone.
***
The next morning, Alex sat in the waiting room and checked his watch. He hated to go into work late, but he needed to see Dr. Reyes. After what happened last night with the alien... He shivered. It never attacked him before. It had watched him. Yes, it freaked him out. But it never touched him, and it certainly never made a move to kill him.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He just wanted the alien to leave him alone. He wanted to be able to get a good night’s sleep again without having to take pills.
The office door opened and the psychiatrist waved Alex in. “Good morning, Alex.”
Alex nodded and went into the nice spacious room. He headed for the beige chair and sat across from Dr. Reyes. Wiping his hands on his pants, he wondered if Dr. Reyes would confine him to the mental ward of the hospital after he heard what he had to say.
“I heard you had a rough night,” the older man said as he set a notebook and a pen on his lap.
“Yes.” Alex shifted in his seat. The man was going to think he was loony. No one else had been through this. Maybe some questioned the aliens’ motives, but no one had their own personal alien trying to kill them. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I saw the alien again.”
The doctor frowned. “Have you been taking those pills?”
“Yes. Well, I admit I didn’t one night, but I wanted to see if I could get through the night without help. You know?”
“It’s very important you take those pills.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Alex felt like a child. He shouldn’t have to apologize. He was an adult, and if he wanted to see if he could manage one night without the pill, that should be his right.
“Well, don’t worry about it. What’s done is done.” The doctor smiled and scribbled something down in his notebook.
Return of the Aliens Page 7