Return of the Aliens

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  He put his arms around her so she leaned against him to save as much of her strength as possible. While he held her, she noted the runways and the flights coming in and going out. Soon the sun would set, and another night would be upon them. Waiting for the next flight was quickly becoming one of her biggest pet peeves, but at least the layovers in Seattle and Anchorage were between fifty minutes to two hours.

  She absentmindedly took note of the planes as they taxied the runway until they came to a complete stop. Surprised, she lifted her head off of Devon’s chest and focused on the runway where a private airplane was taxing at a faster pace than she’d seen the other planes go. Whoever was driving the plane was in a hurry.

  Devon and the others were drawing their attention to the private plane, but it wasn’t the plane that made Autumn wonder what was going on as much as the person who was chasing it. At first, she thought she was seeing things, but after rubbing her eyes and hearing some startled gasps, she was assured it really was a man who was running after the plane. The man shouldn’t have been able to run that fast, yet he was. The plane accelerated, and its nose rose as it started to ascend. But the man’s pace quickened and he jumped on top of it.

  Autumn couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The plane’s nose rose higher as the front wheel left the ground. The man crept up to the front window on the plane and smashed his fist into it. Several people sharply inhaled, and Autumn was one of them. The man reached into the cockpit and attacked the pilot of the plane. Autumn couldn’t make out the details, except for the blood that splattered on what was left of the window. The plane descended and hit the pavement, causing the man who attacked the pilot to fall to the ground. The plane ran over him before it teetered. Autumn thought it might flip over but it slowed down and came to a stop. Then the man, who’d been severely wounded, stood up, pulled out a cell phone, and walked away as if nothing had happened.

  Autumn shot Devon a shocked look.

  Super soldier, he mouthed.

  An airport employee ran over to the gate desk, and spoke into the public address microphone to tell everyone to stay put while security dealt with the situation.

  A woman next to Autumn turned to her friend. “I think that’s Martin Conner’s plane.”

  “The radio show host?” her friend asked.

  “Yes. I’ve seen that same plane on his website. He did a lot of flying for pleasure.”

  “Well, that wasn’t just pleasure flying he was doing.”

  Autumn tried to remember where she heard of Martin Conner before. She thought Hampton referred to him at one time. The more she mentally recalled all of Hampton’s rants, the more she was sure he had mentioned Martin’s radio show which was known for its anti-global government stance.

  She looked at Devon and softly asked, “Would Martin Conner qualify to be on the red list?”

  Devon nodded. “They’re getting ready to put martial law into effect.”

  She rubbed her eyes, not exactly sure what martial law meant but thinking she didn’t want to know. All she could hope for at this point was that she and Devon would make it to the cabin. She glanced out the window and saw security driving up to the plane. No doubt, their next flight would be delayed. The question was how long. She wrapped her arms around Devon’s waist and closed her eyes, thinking she’d had enough for one day.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  The next morning

  Devon woke up to an airline worker announcing that flights were ready to resume. Lifting his head off the floor, he glanced out the window and saw it was dawn. He couldn’t believe all airports had been shut down so security forces could look for other terrorists. The notion that Martin Conner was a terrorist was absurd, but reports were already broadcasted all over the media outlets that he had bombs on his plane and was headed for the United Nations. From the sound of it, the media was already linking those who wouldn’t take the chip implant to Martin and debated whether or not those without the implant could be trusted.

  No word confirmed any other terrorist had been identified, but everyone had to be scanned or patted down to be sure they were safe. He still got angry whenever he thought of the way the super soldier had patted Autumn down. His protests nearly got him shot, but at least it made the soldier stop. He couldn’t wait to get out of there.

  Next to him, Autumn still slept, so Devon gently shook her. “They’re getting ready to board.”

  She rubbed her eyes and groaned.

  “What a way to spend our wedding night, huh?” he joked.

  She laughed and sat up. “They’re really ready to board?”

  “Yep. She’s making the announcement now.” He motioned to the woman at the counter who spoke into the public address microphone.

  He stood up and helped Autumn to her feet.

  “I hope there aren’t any other unpleasant surprises before we get to our destination,” she said as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve had enough excitement to last me a lifetime.”

  “On the bright side, we got some sleep.”

  Though she rolled her eyes, he detected the faint smile on her lips.

  Chuckling, he led her over to the line where people were getting ready to board. “Are you ready to leave the lower 48?”

  “Lower 48?”

  “That’s how people in Alaska refer to the forty-eight contiguous states in the US.”

  “Oh. Yes. I’ve never been more ready for it.”

  The airline worker called out, “We will start boarding the plane. Handicapped passengers, those in first class, and those with small children may board now.”

  Devon released his breath, not realizing he’d been holding it. He glanced around and was reassured that soon enough, he and Autumn would be at the cabin.

  ***

  Eighteen hours later, Devon and Autumn walked out of the Fairbanks airport. Devon glanced at Autumn who buttoned her coat and shoved her hands into her pockets. He buttoned his suit jacket as he spotted a taxi.

  “Wait here. I’ll see if he’ll give us a ride.” Devon headed over to the taxi where the man rolled down his window. “Can my wife and I get a ride to Hamilton Avenue?”

  “Got an implant I can scan?” the driver asked.

  “No, but I do have a Rolex.” He pulled up the sleeve on his jacket and showed it to him.

  The driver’s eyes grew wide. “And all you want is for me to take you to Hamilton Avenue?”

  Devon nodded.

  The driver pointed to Autumn. “And that’s your wife?”

  “Yes.”

  He looked uncertain for a moment but shrugged. “I know better than to ask questions. Questions can get a person in trouble. Alright. Get in.”

  Devon removed his gold watch and handed it to the driver before he waved Autumn over and opened the back door so she could get in. After he joined her, he told the driver, “We need to go to the storage place over there.”

  The driver nodded, checked over his shoulder, and drove forward.

  Devon settled back into his seat and held Autumn’s hand. He looked out the window at the snowy landscape. Coming in late October when the temperatures were already five below zero Fahrenheit wasn’t ideal, and though Autumn’s coat suited North Dakota weather just fine, he was glad he thought to pack two of everything. When he thought he might take Vanessa up here, he doubled up on his rations, clothing, and started construction on a second cabin, but when she took the implant, he opted to forgo the second cabin.

  He’d had no interest in Vanessa beyond that of helping someone out. For sure, he didn’t want to see her attempt suicide again. He sighed with regret. It was too late for Vanessa. Once she took the implant, there was no going back. That wasn’t something he understood until he became aware of how determined Keegan was to implant Autumn with the chip. That chip was a lot more than human enhancement. It was enslavement. With a regretful sigh, he decided to put the past in the past. There was nothing he could do about Vanessa.

  The taxi driver pulled up to the
self-storage unit, so Devon thanked him as he and Autumn got out of the cab. When the driver pulled away, Devon released his breath. “Almost there.” He dug into the pocket of his pants and pulled out two keys. One he’d need for the garage and the second for the car. “My car is this way.”

  She crossed her arms and shivered as she followed him. “You’re only wearing a suit. Aren’t you cold?”

  “I’ve been through worse than this.”

  And he decided, for now at least, he’d leave it at that. Maybe someday he’d tell her about his other experiences at Dulce, but they had more important things to worry about at the moment. He found the garage he’d rented for the last eight years and unlocked it. Once he lifted the door, he was relieved to see that the 1975 Pinto was still there. Though he didn’t voice his worries to Autumn, he wondered if Keegan caught onto his evacuation plan and would find a way to confiscate his car. The angel was probably protecting them even now. Whatever the case, he saw no reason to slow down.

  He hurried to the trunk and opened it. Good. Everything they would need for the two days’ worth of travel once they ditched the car was there. He retrieved two parkas and handed one to Autumn. “This will keep you warm.”

  She took off her coat and slipped the new one on while he took out a pair of gloves.

  “We’ll put the snow pants and boots on later,” he said. “Are you thirsty or hungry?”

  “No. I got enough in Anchorage to last awhile.”

  Nodding, he decided there was nothing else they needed for the moment, so he put his parka on and slammed the trunk shut. “If you want to eat or drink anything, let me know.”

  “Okay.”

  He unlocked her car door and shut it before he went over to the envelope the owner of the storage unit had set out for him. Like before, he pulled out the gold coins from his parka pocket and slipped them into the envelope. Then he went to his car and started it up, relieved when it turned over on the first try. The thing was old and beaten, but it didn’t have a tracking system in it which served his purposes perfectly.

  “Why a Pinto?” Autumn asked.

  He adjusted the temperature inside the car and smiled. “It was my first car. This isn’t the same one I bought when I was eighteen, but it brings back some good memories.”

  “What did you think you would be doing back then? Work related, I mean.”

  Shifting into reverse, he backed out of the garage. “Well, at one time I fancied the idea of being a race car driver.”

  “Seriously?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah. But don’t worry. I’m not going to do any racing during this trip.”

  “Good because living on the edge doesn’t appeal to me.”

  “What? You don’t like the risks?”

  “I went to Area 51 and Dulce, and you ask me something like that?”

  He stopped the car and shifted it into neutral before putting the emergency brake up. “So, what did you think you were going to be doing when you grew up?”

  “Anything but retail,” she mused. “And that’s the truth.”

  With a grin, he got out of the car and shut the garage door. After he went to the office to drop off the key, he returned to the car and got in. “It’ll take about seven hours to reach the four wheelers. From there, it’ll be about two days until we get to the cabin.”

  As he put his emergency brake down and shifted into first gear, she asked, “You’re just going to leave this car by the side of the road?”

  “I’m going to hide it the best I can in the trees. It won’t be perfect, but maybe it’ll be well enough so that someone driving by won’t notice it. We won’t be going on any well-traveled roads.”

  “I expected as much.”

  With his feet still on the clutch and the brake, he reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Smiling, she squeezed his hand in return. “So am I.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her before he drove onto Hamilton Avenue.

  ***

  Two days later

  Autumn was exhausted by the time they reached the secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere, but the fact that it was as removed from anyone as they could possibly get, made her feel safe. She turned off her four wheeler and lifted the helmet from her head.

  Holding his helmet under his arm, Devon got off of his four wheeler and walked over to her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Just stiff.” She accepted his hand and managed to wiggle off the seat. “And numb.”

  He chuckled. “You can rest inside. I’ll bring the backpacks in.”

  There was no way she was going to argue. She didn’t think she had enough energy to walk to the cabin, but she leaned against him and managed it. After he opened the door, she went inside and placed the helmet on the small table.

  “I didn’t expect someone else to live here, so I’ll have to make a second chair,” he said. “You can sit in this one. I need to get some wood to make a fire.”

  The cabin was too cold for her to take off her snow pants, parka and gloves, so she kept them on. Even so, she found she was chilly. The arctic gear did a lot to protect her from the freezing temperature, but being on a four wheeler for most of the day had taken its toll on her. After she sat down, she crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Finally. She had felt like she was on the run. It was ridiculous to feel like a fugitive when she’d done nothing wrong.

  She opened her eyes when Devon returned with an armful of logs in his arms and set them by the fireplace. Turning her attention to her surroundings, she realized the cabin was one room. It had a cook stove, a bed, and shelves of survival foods. “Is that all you have for food?” she asked.

  “No,” Devon replied as he placed some logs into the fireplace. “I have more in a storage shed.”

  “So what is that?” She pointed to a large metal tub with two things inside it.

  “A washboard and a wringer to wash clothes. I put up a clothesline outside but I have one in here too.”

  She followed the direction he indicated and noticed the line running from one end of the cabin to the other. “And for water and the bathroom?”

  “A well and an outhouse. As gross as it sounds, I even have a chamber pot.”

  Well, what else were they going to do if they didn’t have electricity? “I feel like I stepped back in time.”

  “I even have a kerosene lamp.”

  She caught the sparkle in his eyes and sighed. “I’ll have you know that I didn’t bring any dresses or long skirts, so I won’t be able to dress the part,” she teased.

  “It’s not like we had time to shop. You’ll have to make do with what you got on, and I have some things you can wear.”

  “And when these clothes wear out, then what? I hate to disappoint you, but I didn’t make clothes. I sold them. Unless you learned how to sew?”

  He laughed. “No. I might be ambitious, but I’m not that motivated. I made sure to pack a lot. However, should you wear out your clothes and not fit mine, I’ll be more than happy to let you go around here naked.”

  “You are such a man.”

  Grinning, he turned back to the fireplace and worked on getting a fire started.

  She stood up and stretched. The numbing sensation in her rear was starting to go away, and her legs weren’t so shaky anymore, so she went over to the small window and inspected what was now her new home for an indefinite period of time. “Do you mind if I walk around for a bit outside?”

  He glanced at her. “As long as you don’t plan to undress out there. If so, I’d rather have you in here.”

  With an amused shake of her head, she tightened the strings of her hood and headed outside. Snow covered the ground, and there were two other small buildings—three if one counted the outhouse. But her mind wasn’t on her surroundings.

  For the moment, it was on Alex. Everything happened so fast that she barely had time to process it all. One thing that bothered her was that she never got to smooth things over with him. She didn’t
know what she could have said to make things better. Devon did have a hand in what happened to Alex at Area 51. She didn’t think Alex knew it, but if he was getting pieces of his memory back from that time, then he might have a suspicion of what Devon had done.

  Not that it mattered. It was all in the past, and she had no way of calling Alex to do anything about it. If she’d thought about it, she would have called him before she left Las Vegas. She had more than enough time then. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She should have called.

  “You wouldn’t have said anything that would have made it better.”

  She looked in the direction of the familiar voice and wasn’t surprised to see the angel. This time he appeared as a regular man, wearing a coat, gloves, and a hat. “How do you know what I was thinking?” she asked.

  “I know what God tells me.” He offered her a sad smile. “Things were set in motion, and Alex chose his fate long ago. There was no way any of us could reach him.”

  “You mean, you tried?”

  “There are many ways we try. We don’t appear as angels to everyone. Some have entertained angels and never knew it because they thought they were dealing with other people. The final attempt to reach Alex was before he reached Area 51. He was too resistant to see me, so I had to go through you.”

  “I knew I shouldn’t have gone with him.” That might possibly be the greatest regret of her life, besides losing Marianne.

  “He would have gone without you, Autumn. The fact that you were there was the only reason he got out alive. The demons wanted to kill him. It would have looked like a heart attack, but the end result would’ve been the same. You saw how terrified he was after you got him out of the room. When that demon hovered over him, it was trying to kill him.”

  More tears filled her eyes, and again, she wiped them. “It’s not fair. Alex is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

  “Unbelief is a powerful weapon, Autumn,” the angel softly replied. “It prevents God and those who serve Him from reaching people.”

  “I didn’t believe. Not until I was at Dulce. So why could you reach me?”