HeVan & Earth

by Lucy Kelly

  By this time, they had reached the back of the main lodge. Josephine could see the jet copter landing in the field. The raised landing pad had been cleared of snow to make it easier for the pilot. A snowmobile took off to pick up the passenger and bring him in. Then he would go back to help the pilot tie down and come in.

  Josephine watched her boss step down. “I’ll keep schtum for now. I won’t promise that will last.” It was all she was willing give them at the moment.

  “That’s all we can ask. You have a good brain and a good heart. We’ll leave the decision in your hands,” Ari said, speaking for the first time.

  When the snow mobile stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the back deck of the lodge, Josephine opened the door and waved. A path had been cleared from the doorway to the stairs and salted liberally to keep it from icing over.

  Mike McLuckie was a tall man at six foot one. He was fifty and his hair was still as dark and thick as it had been when he was twenty. He was also devoted to the job. Like his name, he was lucky to be married to a woman who understood and supported him. He also had five daughters he worried about, and for whom he tried to make the world a better place. He quickly crossed the deck and went through the open door.

  “This is my boss, Special Agent in Charge, Michael McLuckie. Boss, this is Sarah and her husbands, Kai and Ari,” introduced Josephine.

  “Welcome,” said Sarah, when they had closed the door behind him. “Josephine explained you have concerns. So our doors are open to you. Is it true you have specific women you are looking for?” she asked him.

  “Yes, I have a list of names,” he said, giving Josephine a sharp look.

  He wondered what Josephine had been telling them. In an undercover assignment, you were supposed to keep your mouth shut. But then her cover had been blown almost immediately.

  “Let’s go to the conference room. I have a computer set up there with an overhead projector. I’ll be able to search the database of our women and can let you know about any who have passed through our doors,” she said. It was all she was willing to commit to. She wasn’t about to give anyone information on all their women.

  Kai led the way and brought out coffee and a platter of sandwiches, while Ari put down plates, napkins, cups, and glasses. By the time Sarah got the computer up and running, there was also water, juice, and sodas to drink, and a selection of other fruits and veggies to nibble on.

  “First name?” Sarah asked.

  Michael pulled a small black notebook out of the inside breast pocket of his suit coat. Flipping the pages, he decided to ask about one of the oldest names. She was a young lady with an abusive husband who kept ignoring his restraining orders. He hoped these people had helped her because, otherwise, she was dead.

  “Heidi O’Connor,” he said.

  “Well, I don’t even have to look up her name. I know exactly where she is. Let me place a VOIP call, and you can talk to her. We have extensive encrypting software so this may take a few minutes.”

  She got to work on the computer. What they saw on the screen looked like gibberish to Michael and Josephine, but it was actually Nephilim script. Sarah and Becky had adapted it into a programming language. All their software had long been converted. As a result, they had no worries about hackers of any kind.

  It also allowed her to go through channels and contact the space station right in front of their visitors. After a few minutes, a picture came on the screen.

  “Hey, Sarah, it’s nice of you to call. Did you need something?” asked Suzanna Miller, former “man in black,” and now commander of the Nephilim space station. They had started calling it the Earth Gate.

  “I’m switching to the room camera so you can see everyone. This is Josephine March with the FBI and her boss, Special Agent in Charge, Michael McLuckie. They’re investigating missing women. We’re proving we haven’t been involved in human trafficking and, instead, are giving new lives and identities to women in peril. The first woman he’s asked about is Heidi. Do you think she can come to the phone?” Sarah asked.

  “Let me check with her. I’ll have to track her down. Could you hold on a minute?”

  “Sure, take your time,” said Sarah.

  The screen went into a holding pattern. At the space station, it was the middle of the night. They didn’t want the FBI agents to know how far away they were, or even that they weren’t in the United States.

  “What is this Suzanna’s connection to Heidi?” Agent McLuckie asked.

  “We have another retreat in an undisclosed location where we’ve sent some of the women in the most danger. These women have persistent abusers who always seem to find them. Like here, our other retreat has a farm. Heidi is gifted with growing things. That's why her ex always found her. With us, she can do what she loves without fear,” Sarah explained.

  “What kind of guarantee can you make to claim that?” Michael asked belligerently.

  “I won’t explain it. Perhaps after you pass our security check, you’ll be given that information,” Sarah said, showing her own teeth. “We are a private organization. We work with women who are desperate, and normal channels haven’t helped. Our only aim is to help women, and we have no ulterior motives. We provide a place to live, as well as education, and help getting them settled in their new life. If necessary, new names and identities are also put in place. We have deep pockets; our founders have sunk billions into our coffers. Still, we’re a relatively new organization. We only opened our doors here in Wisconsin this past October, so it’s been less than six months.”

  “That explains why you didn’t cross my radar before now,” he said.

  Before anything else could be said, the screen came to life again.

  “Okay, I’m going to transfer this call to Heidi now,” Suzanna said before the screen flickered again and, moments later, grew bright. They were looking into a baby’s nursery.

  “Hi, sorry I’m not looking right into the camera. Joanie needed her diaper changed. Give me a sec and I’ll be right there,” said the woman on screen.

  They could see her standing at a changing table. On the floor by her feet was a large Great Dane. They saw what looked like another dog at the edge of the room.

  “Don’t worry. It’s been some time but I’ve changed a diaper or two. I have daughters of my own,” Michael said.

  When she was done, Heidi turned around and, stepping over the dog, sat in the rocking chair with the baby.

  “What would you like to know?” she asked.

  “First off, I’m really happy to see you alive and well. I was halfway concerned you were dead,” Agent McLuckie said.

  “If it weren’t for Addie and her sister, Grace, I probably would be. But I’m safe here. Bella and Boris here,” she said, waving to the dogs, “were my first new friends. Then after some more time had passed, I tried love again. I’m really happy now. Is that what you wanted to know?”

  “Mostly. Would you be willing to allow the local authorities to interview you, for my peace of mind?”

  She laughed. “I haven’t joined a cult! But Suzanna used to work for some secret government organization. She quit when her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She runs the security here, makes sure we’re safe. I’m really happy and have no worries I’ll be hurt ever again. I know my daughter will be safe too.” Before she could say anything else, a man entered the room.

  “Hey, sweetie, how’s she doing?” he asked.

  The baby immediately reached up. “Da-da-da-da,” she said.

  Smiling, he took the baby from Heidi’s arms. “I’ll get her some food,” he said, before taking the baby off screen. Actually, he was going to put her back to sleep. She just had her midnight feeding and was ready to be wooed back to dreamland.

  “Did you have any more questions?” Heidi asked, trying hard not to yawn.

  “No, I think I have all I need. Please call if you ever need some help,” the agent said, as he made a note to look into Suzanna Miller’s background.

 
Sarah disconnected the call after everyone said goodbye. She wasn’t able to give answers on all the women they were asked about, but she did have information on many of them. Unfortunately, about three were now living on HeVan, so she had to be creative with her explanations. She promised she would provide the FBI with video logs.

  After three hours of work in the conference room, they had covered all the names in Agent McLuckie’s book. They took a break. The women decided they preferred to stay indoors, but the men took Michael all over the property via snowmobiles. They didn’t keep any shuttles or other large pieces of Nephilim technology on Earth—just in case. Josephine located a quiet corner to call her sister. She wanted to get the whole story about what happened at the zoo, and if she were really okay.

  Sarah decided she needed to check on her baby, and then send a long message to Addie. She and the others needed to know about today’s visit. A decision had to be made about whether or not to let the government know about their existence. If not a decision, at least they needed to start seriously discussing it, with various possible outcomes.

  They showed Agent McLuckie the barns and all the other outbuildings. This included one of the cottages, with the permission of the inhabitants. They headed back to the main lodge to get something hot to drink and finish the tour by showing him around the lodge. By the time they came in the front door of the lodge and headed to the kitchen, they were on a first name basis. Everywhere they went, they showed Michael anything he wanted to see, proving they had nothing to hide. And they didn’t, because all their secrets were in space or encrypted in hack-proof files.

  “I don’t know about you two, but before we go through the lodge from top to bottom, I want some hot chocolate,” said Ari.

  “I’m afraid I’m addicted to coffee. I need regular transfusions throughout the day,” said Michael.

  “Don’t you worry about how that affects your long-term health? You mentioned you have daughters. Shouldn’t you take care of yourself so you can be there for them and your wife?” Kai asked him.

  “You’re making me feel guilty. Let me just say that I don’t smoke and only drink in moderation,” he said on a laugh.

  They passed the wall with pictures of the founders, including Addie. Michael stopped to look at the pictures.

  “These ladies founded this retreat?” he asked.

  “It was their idea. They put up the bulk of the money to buy the land and get us started. Their husbands put up the rest and set up all of our investments. Sarah and Becky run the retreat with Sarah’s friend, Tammy. You haven’t met Tammy; she had a career in the hospitality industry. She’s helped us tremendously. The winter has been long, so she and her husband took their girls to Orlando. They’re spending two weeks visiting all the theme parks. They took three of our guests and their children with them. It’s a little vacation before starting their new lives. Perhaps you’ll get a chance to meet them another time,” Kai said.

  They continued into the kitchen. What Michael kept to himself was that Addie’s birthmark on her forehead was familiar to him. His wife and all his daughters had similar markings. It was actually the reason he had chosen Josephine for this assignment; he knew she had the same birthmark. His wife had a psychic talent they had never told anyone about. She had glimpses of the future. They were very fragmented but enough to often point him in the right direction on his cases. It was her suggestion to look for the missing women and her idea to send Josephine. A lot had clicked into place with that photograph. He was looking forward to talking over today’s events with her. He knew she’d have some keen observations.

  It was encouraging, as all their daughters were gifted. He knew Josephine had a gift she used in her work. His wife, Georgia, believed the gifts and the marks were related; she had stories of her mother and aunts. The one thing he noticed no one else had—and perhaps he had because he was a man—was, there didn’t seem to be any men with the mark. In fact, he didn’t know of any woman with the birthmark of having given birth to a son. That beat the law of averages, and he was curious as to the cause. Yes, he and Georgia would have a lot to talk about.

  The rest of the visit went as planned. When it was time to go, Michael told Josephine to stay for a few days. She was still recovering from her car accident, and she would be in a position to gather Intel. He grabbed the jet copter ride back to Chicago and Georgia.

  Chapter Nine

  HeVan…

  Justyn came out of medical after long hours of keeping vigil. He was fired up to start his search for the ones responsible for Grace’s and Jalen’s injuries. He wasn’t ashamed of the tears on his face, though he brushed them away with an angry swipe. Jett would remain with their brother and Grace, as well as keeping an eye on their baby girls. That’s where he was headed now, to sit and hold his girls before leaving on his quest.

  As he entered the large, airy nursery, he wondered again why Grace insisted on shortening the names of their daughters until they sounded like boys when they were such beautiful girls. He picked up an armchair and carried it over to the crib holding the three babies. They didn’t like being apart and cried when they were put into separate beds.

  Reaching over, he carefully picked up all three of his babies in his large hands, cradling them in his arms. He slowly sat down, looking at their faces, memorizing any small changes in their expressions. He was delighted when they woke from their nap and opened their eyes one after the other.

  “Hello, Jordan; hello, Rebeccah; hello, Harriett. You are all looking happy and beautiful this afternoon,” he told them.

  Jordan and Rebeccah blew bubbles and Harriett cooed. A part of him was glad they didn’t have the same powers as their cousins. He knew they would have gifts and appreciated they were waiting until they were older to manifest them. He didn’t need to worry even more than he already did.

  “I’m going away for a while. I will be watching over you, and your Papa Jett will be here for you. I have a job to do. I just want you all to know I will miss you and I love you all very, very, much. Now, would you like to hear another story about when I was a little boy? Okay. Once, when I was a little boy…”

  Addie backed away from the door to the nursery. She woke in bed and remembered what had happened. She rushed to the nursery to check on her girls. When she saw how intent Justyn was, she didn’t want to interrupt. Now she had questions and she wanted to see how her sister and Jalen were doing. Perhaps she could help them heal some more. Not wanting to waste energy by teleporting to medical, she hurried back down the corridor. As soon as she left the nursery suite, her personal guards fell in step behind her. Arjun had doubled her guard after Grace’s attack. She was trying not to let it get under her skin about being watched all the time. Having people in her personal business all the time was bothersome. Still, this is what she signed on for as queen.

  She didn’t sign up for assassination. The fog in her mind cleared now that she was awake, she was becoming more alert as she strode down the corridor. She was also becoming angrier and angrier. Whomever did this would pay! She wasn’t feeling like a pacifist now, she wanted blood!

  By the time she neared medical, she was practically stalking. Anyone in her way took one look at her face and got out of there—fast. Entering medical, she blew passed the waiting rooms and headed instinctively to her sister. She needed to see Grace again with her own eyes. As she entered the critical care center, she saw her grandmother and she changed course to talk to her first.

  The two women embraced, and Addie could tell Granny Mac was holding back her tears; it had her worried.

  “I’ve been asleep. What can you tell me?” she asked.

  “Passed out, from what I hear, my baby,” Glynnis said. She stroked her hand over Addie’s head and down her shoulders, then hugged her again, happy she was okay. She wouldn’t have been able to stand it if both her girls were hurt.

  “Don’t scare me like that again,” she lectured, and then guided Addie to a seat so she could fill her in on how the patie
nts were doing.

  Glynnis knew her girls better than anyone and could see the anger swirling just below the surface.

  Addie had always been slow to anger, with a level head. One of the things that made her a good scientist, and Glynnis felt it would serve her well as queen. Grace had always been hotter off the mark. Becoming a police detective had given her the training she needed to keep her emotions under control. She was concerned Addie would blow, and as queen, she could do a lot of damage. Glynnis felt it was her job to calm Addie down to the point where she could be rational again.

  “Addie, Grace and Jalen are going to make complete recoveries. I know you will do everything you can to speed up the process. I need you to sit here and calm yourself. You have an entire world watching to see how you react to this situation. Take a deep breath. Now take another one. Did you eat when you woke? You need to keep up your strength. How are your girls doing?” she asked, trying to shift Addie’s mind on to other things.

  “The girls were all still asleep, and Justyn was in with his daughters. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I came here. I need to go in, and see if there’s anything I can do for Grace and Jalen.”

  “Not before you eat something,” said Arjun from the doorway. Rune was behind him, pushing a cart, and behind him, was Catherine.