“Can we please be civil at least through dinner?” Michael said.
He could read my thoughts. Obviously, it was a plea for me to sit down. I rubbed my temples, deciding my empty stomach won out. I pulled my chair out, sat back down, took my fork, and began to eat. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I tasted the meat. As I chewed, my thoughts went to Daniel and the way his gaze caught mine. He read my thoughts, but he never once said a word. He was always the quiet one, just observing. Dusty looked like the cat who ate the canary. I must be the only one who didn’t know what was transpiring.
“Now, as I was about to say before your little outburst, Samantha, you may return to your home in Trinity as soon as I know for sure you are not in any danger.”
I took a linen napkin and wiped my lips as I listened.
“I realize you need to tell your father you are safe, but if I let you go, I can’t promise you will remain so. Agent Harmon and I can’t keep you here, but if you decide to leave, you will risk never seeing Lucien again.”
“You don’t even know if Lucien is coming back,” I said, shooting an accusatory glance at Cassiel.
“You’re right. I don’t know for sure, but Lucien wanted me to do everything I needed to do to keep you safe. And until that time, you are not safe. We are in a critical state right now. There are forces involved here other than my niece and nephews. Take Dusty, for instance.”
All eyes turned to Dusty; he sat wide-eyed. He put his fork down, and his eyes never left Jordan.
“He is an Ordic, very similar to the human race in looks and intelligence, and his genetic code is remarkable. However, he is dying.”
“What? He’s dying?” I said.
Dusty’s eyes welled with tears. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. His gaze reached mine.
Jordan paused for a moment to let me catch my breath. “But not in the sense that you and I will die, Samantha; his time here on Earth has come to a close in this dimension. He is a hybrid also, but he is from three generations of DNA. He is almost human to the point that he can eat and drink as humans, and his IQ is that of a genius like these children here. He has the gifts of pyrokinesis, and he’s clairvoyant; but he does not know how to use these abilities.”
“Uncle, he does now,” Michael interrupted.
“Good, good,” Jordan said with a fatherly smile. “Nevertheless he must be kept safe until his time has ended. The Grays want him too, Samantha, as they want you. They would love to experiment with his DNA, as with yours.”
My eyes grew dark and my thoughts raced. I sat there staring at the candle as the wax dripped onto the white linen tablecloth. Jordan’s voice trailed off in the hollow of my mind. I raised my eyes and Cassiel’s gaze caught mine. He could see my anguish and I could sense his. Jordan continued with his concerns.
“There is a secret government bunker that was to be used during the Cold War in the event of an atomic strike. It was built for the Senate to have a place in which to reconvene, should that happen. Now you must go beyond the makeshift wall at the west wing of the Greenbrier Hotel. It’s there you will find a metal door that escaped the Grays’ encampment at Dulce and Area 51. Agent Harmon, Nathan, and a dozen other government officials who oppose MJ 12 and Project Blue Book are using that as a safe house to protect the hybrids that were rescued from Dulce years ago, back when there was a firefight. A firefight be-tween the Grays and government intelligence living among them in the underground compound at Dulce. Some sixty humans were incinerated. The surviving Grays retreated below the ground, but one of the surviving humans was carrying a child. She gave birth in the desert where she soon died from a virus manufactured by the Grays. It’s the same virus that is slowly killing off the human race one by one.” Jordan’s voice faded into the night. “It’s the Grays’ way of decreasing the population, a way of narrowing down humans to the fittest for their genetic crossbreeding to be successful.”
He took another long sip of his wine. With a folded linen, he patted his lips and then cleared his throat. Agent Harmon decided it was his turn to educate me on the importance of my arrival.
“The Grays are trying to create a superior race, using their DNA and tweaking it a little at a time with crossbreeding. A little of this and a little of that, to make it sound simple.”
“My brothers and I are basically the same, but our kind abandoned us. All that we know, we have learned from computer files in the vessel that brought us here, and that is that we were not the prettiest of the supposed intelligent beings.” Michael said, his eyes never wavering from me. “We’re not alone, just as my uncle is trying to tell you. And now they know who you are and what you have, they want. They will seek you out, Sam.”
Jordan stood with a swift rise and pushed out his chair, still agile for a man in his late seventies. He wasted no time and came toward me, lingering behind me. I turned my head to the side just enough to see his shadow.
“Samantha, leave if you feel you must. We will not stop you, but remember how you felt in the cellar at Oakridge. How vulnerable and afraid you must have been.” Jordan gently lifted a strand of my hair. “Then imagine never seeing your father again, or Lucien. Because once you leave, you’re on your own. I hate to sound cold, but those are the facts. Now, I will leave it at that; I am tired. I bid you all goodnight.”
The Fosters, one by one, excused themselves. I was left with Agent Harmon and Nathan Moore, who decided that I needed to think about what Jordan had said. I wasn’t a willing participant if I decided to stay, but I didn’t think I would make it down the driveway on my own. Either way, I was doomed without Lucien.
Agent Harmon said his good-byes to me and left the dining room, leaving just Nathan and me. I was still sitting in the same spot when Nathan pulled out a chair and sat next to me. His dark eyes were stern with a hint of worry. He leaned in close to me and said, “You know if there were some way I could get you out of here, I would. Your father has become a good friend to me, and I hate to see him in a bad way. I think I can convince Jordan that we could let him know you’re okay. Just let me figure it out.”
I nodded, not knowing what to say. I was still stuck on what Jordan had said before he left.
“Nathan, you have to tell me. Is everything going to be okay?” I said in a tiny whisper.
Nathan smiled and nodded. “It has to be.”
With that, he stood and left.
Once I had sulked in the dining room a good while, Eden came looking for me with some clean linens for Lucien’s bed. I was so tired that as soon as I hit the sheets, I was out for the night in a peaceful, dreamless slumber.
49 The Wait Over Is
Two weeks passed since the dinner. It was time for Cassiel and me to take Dusty to the hidden bunker deep beneath the West Virginia soil. I hadn’t expected that I would feel as anxious about the trip as I did. For some reason, I felt I would never see this place again.
I hurried and slipped on the clothes I had worn the day before and met Eden in the kitchen. She was cheerful and not at all her usual smart-ass self. She even made me eggs and bacon.
She explained the itinerary for the trip. We were going to take a plane from Albuquerque to West Virginia, with a layover in Texas. While Eden went to find Jordan, I poked my head in the computer room to find Daniel manning the computers. He never paid attention to me, so I quietly went to find Eden. She was in Jordan’s office, rummaging through his be-longings. But what for? She seemed to be unaware of my presence, which in itself was strange for the Fosters. She acted surprised when she saw me and quit what she was doing, stuffing an envelope into her back pocket. Then she quickly led me outside where Jordan was already waiting with the other Fosters. Dusty was leaning against the Jeep while Cassiel, Michael, and Gabe were huddled among themselves with Jordan in the center. Dusty’s eyes beamed with excitement when he saw me heading toward him.
All the plans had been set into
motion. I was incredulous about the whole venture. Dusty showed a little uneasiness with this unknown journey, that soon he would be embarking on a new life somewhere not in this dimension. I pondered what lay ahead for him. Then I thought about the equinox. It was less than two weeks from now. I would be eighteen soon. Dad couldn’t lock me away again. Now I had no reason to stay away. By law, I could come and go as I pleased.
I hoped Nathan would come through for me and talk to Jordan about getting word to my father as soon as we got Dusty to Greenbrier. My eyes scanned the ranch, hoping to see him; but he was nowhere in sight. I could see Michael handing Cassiel the plane tickets. Eden took out the envelope she had put in her pocket and pulled out a wad of bills.
“There you are, my dear. Just make sure you don’t spend it in one place,” Jordan said as he strode to my side. He bent his head low and whispered, “You shall stop at your father’s on the way back from Greenbrier. Nathan called ahead to let him know you would be arriving.”
I jumped into his arms with relief. Jordan hugged me a moment and then released me.
“He only knows that you wandered off after the fire alarm sounded.”
“I don’t understand; where does he think I am now?”
“Nathan let him know you are safe. All he needs to know is that you will be coming home soon.”
“So, this means you’ve decided to let me go?”
I was elated, but not sure I was buying what he was telling me. It was too quick a change, like the ride to Roswell International Airport quick. We were there in a matter of minutes. Cassiel and Gabe were sitting in the front seat, talking between themselves. Dusty looked aimlessly out the window. I finally asked how he felt about all this. To my dismay, he said he was eager to leave Roswell and head to the mountains of West Virginia. For the life of me, I didn’t understand why. He was going to be hidden away underground and then taken to another world beyond our dimension. It all seemed so final, like death.
Maybe that is what death is. It’s going to the next level; to a world beyond what we can feel and see with our Earthly eyes. It makes me question everything I’ve ever learned about Heaven.
What if that is what Heaven is…a second or third dimension?
I remembered when Lucien had given me my Christmas gift—the image of my mother and Finn. I thought it was a hologram, which made me think back to the last time I saw Lucien. And why haven’t I seen Finn in while? Why haven’t I seen my mom? With what Jordan explained to me about Dusty leaving, it all made sense. Was that the dimension he was referring to? Were my mother and Finn in the third dimension, or were they in Heaven? Could it all be the same thing?
50 Roswell International
Before my thoughts had finished, we were pulling into the Roswell International Airport. I counted mostly small aircraft and helicopters, roughly thirty single and multi-engine airplanes, and three American Airlines Eagles jets all parked in rows at the terminals.
This same base was once called Walker Air Force Base, also known as the Roswell UFO incident. This was where it all started July 4, 1947, during a thunderstorm when the spacecraft crash landed. If it weren’t for Jordan taking the capsules containing six embryos, Lucien and his siblings would have been killed.
We stepped out and made our way to the entrance of the small airport. There must have only been about fifty people waiting for flights. Cassiel parked the Jeep in the rear. Our flight wasn’t expected for another fifteen minutes, so I took advantage of the time to use the restroom, leaving the boys at the ticket counter.
“Just make it back on time, Samantha,” Cassiel blurted out.
“Don’t worry. Jeez, give me a break,” I said grimly.
I followed the restroom sign to the ladies’ room. I filled my palms with cool water and splashed it once over my face, then patted myself dry with a paper towel. I wished I still had my phone. I hated not having one, but I had left it in the burning Oakridge Estates. I straightened my hair one last time in the mirror and turned to push the ladies’ room door open. My eyes narrowed to the two men who were standing inches from Gabe and Cassiel. Poised behind the bathroom door, I halted just enough to see what was going down. In fear of being caught, I stepped back into the restroom, leaving the door open just a few inches. Cassiel and Gabe were in what seemed to be a heated discussion with two men in dark navy suits. Dusty was standing back out of the way when the bigger of the two men approached him.
Cassiel pushed Dusty behind him. I opened the door to the ladies’ room another inch and poked my head out when Gabe caught notice of me. His eyes suggested that he didn’t want me to come out so I stayed put. I felt trapped. I stepped all the way into the bathroom and pondered over the situation at hand. My eyes scanned the bathroom and stopped at the garbage cans. I scurried over to where the can stood and flipped it over, kicked off the curved top, and dragged it to the window. Luckily, the window was next to a sink. I climbed up, moved to the garbage can, then hoisted myself up. It’s a good thing I had taken that kickboxing class while at Oakridge; at least something good had come from my stay at the loony bin.
I summoned all my strength, then took my elbow and repeatedly struck the glass as hard as I could. The broken window was just wide enough for my bottom to squeeze through. I was almost free when my belt got caught. I wiggled and squirmed until I went tumbling down, hitting the ground. I got to my knees and pushed myself up, dusting off the dirt and gravel, then quickly looked around. I was right by the side of the airport, about fifteen hundred yards from the runway. I remember Jordan saying there were only about three jet flights a day leaving Roswell International. And it looked like if we didn’t get to the terminal now, we were going to miss ours.
51 Illuminanti
I did a quick survey of the grounds; there must’ve been about fifty or so people scattered around, waiting for the next flight to Dallas. I gathered my courage and walked around the airport to find out where the boys were. When I turned the corner, Cassiel and Gabe came bolting out the front glass doors.
Cassiel’s nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge. “Where the hell did you go?”
My gaze ping-ponged among the three of them. “What? I saw you guys with the thugs in the suits, and it didn’t look like you were discussing last night’s hockey game.”
“You’re right. They’re men from an elite government organization more powerful than Blue Book.”
“Illuminati,” Gabe offered.
“Illumi-what?” I asked.
“They think they’re the enlightened ones. “They’re trying to prompt a new world order. A secret society that runs the money. They make the laws and decide who lives and dies.”
“Not much of a secret,” Cassiel said with a short chuckle.
“You’re out of your mind; there’s nothing like that. Maybe in an X-Files episode.”
“It doesn’t matter right now, Samantha. We have to think quickly. Our plans have changed. There is no way they’re going to let us fly out of this airport alive.”
Cassiel turned to his brother. “How far are we from the train station?”
“I have no idea.”
“I thought you two had superpowers?”
Cassiel took his phone out of his back pocket. His fingers hit the key pad.
Gabe put his arm around Dusty’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, kid, we’re going to get you to Greenbrier. It’s just a question of how.”
Dusty just smiled; he had no idea what those men could do. The four of us gathered behind the exit of the airport, standing beneath a yellow hangar. We lingered there, trying to figure out how to get out. We were in deep shit.
“Unless....” Gabe shapeshifted into a pilot, standing next to a small charter.
“Excellent, Gabe.” Cassiel hit him square on the back. “Good thinking.”
“I’ll be right back,” Gabe said, taking off toward the entrance to the airpor
t.
“Wait! You don’t have to,” Dusty said. He stood looking at a white and red striped, low-winged, four-passenger plane that was just landing. Our eyes followed Dusty’s as the plane taxied up to the refueling ramp. “You see that?” Dusty asked.
Gabe nodded in agreement. “That single-engine plane is a Piper Cherokee. The owners are leaving for a meeting and will be gone for two hours. He just told the line boy to leave the keys in it.”
There he goes again, head-hopping.
Cassiel squatted with his elbow on his knee as though he was sizing up that plane. Judging by the look on his face, he was up to something. He scanned the area, reminding me of a hunting dog looking for a scent. “It looks fast enough,” he said when he stood.
“It is; it has fixed landing gear.” Dusty flashed a smile.
Gabe changed back into himself. “You’re right. One less thing to worry about.”
“How do you guys know that? Never mind; I don’t even want to know.”
“How far do you think it will get us?” Cassiel asked.
“We’ll worry about how far we can get once we get airborne,” Gabe answered.
“It will have a full tank,” Dusty said. “With luck, we will only need to make one stop for gas. Two at the most.”
“You’re going to steal this plane? Are you serious?” I said.
“How else do you presume we get out of here? It’s better than Gabe hitting a pilot on the head and tying him up in the bathroom.”
Cassiel did have a point.
52 Piper Cherokee
We waited and watched the line boy fill the tank of the Cherokee, then tie it with ropes and take it to the remote corner of the parking ramp. The ramp attendant busied himself at the far end of one of the taxiways, repairing a broken taxiway light. That’s when we made our way toward the Piper.
“Okay, let’s get Dusty to Greenbrier.” Gabe flashed Dusty a brotherly smile.
Equinox (Beyond Moondust Trilogy Book 2) Page 15