“So, what’s the plan?” Heather asked, sitting down with her own bowl and sandwich.
“Well, when they bring Dad, Sydney is going to go with them,” Shay answered, not looking up from her soup.
“The hell she is!”
“We’ve tried to argue with her,” Xander cautioned his mom.
Heather turned towards Syd. “You can’t. I’m not going to allow it.”
Sydney didn’t know how to argue with someone’s mom so she spooned more soup into her mouth instead.
Shay responded for her. “Mom, none of us like it either. But it will buy us some time. We’ll be able to go to the media. We will have time to find someone to help us.”
“And in the meantime what happens to Sydney?” She had stopped eating and was glaring at them all. Xander and Sydney ate in silence refusing to meet her eye.
Shay wasn’t able to explain their plan in a way that put their mom at ease—mainly because none of them were at ease about what they planned to do. Finally, Syd had to speak up when Heather began to list the things that the group of men could do to her. She saw Xander tensing beside her and knew she needed to divert his attention so he would calm down and be rational.
“I know this could go really badly. But they have to know they can’t do anything too bad to me. If I refuse to help them then they are screwed.”
“They’ll use us against you,” Heather argued.
“That’s why you guys will have to get out of town,” Syd told her. Shay and Xander gave her a wide-eyed look.
“Not a chance,” Heather stood and looked like she had grown by three feet.
“Please?! It’s the only way we will be able to do what we need to do without worrying about you.”
Heather shook her head up sat down again. “No. No way.”
Sydney noted it was with much less conviction this time though. “I know you want to help. But the best way to help is to stay safe.”
“Ridiculous,” Heather took a violent bite of her sandwich. “I guess you agree with her?” she looked at her daughter and son.
“Yes,” Shay glanced at her and took several bites of her sandwich to help counteract her disobedience.
“She’s right, Mom,” Xander looked up. Under the table he put a hand on Syd’s knee. “If we know you and Dad are safe, we will have less to worry about.”
“Wait until your Dad hears this. You guys might be ganging up on me now, but when he’s back—” her voice broke and she took a second to steady herself. “When Richard is back, he’ll agree with me. We are staying here to help you.”
A knock on the door made them all jump. “Who’s that?” Shay asked.
Xander stood slowly. “They’re early?”
Chapter Nineteen
Sydney’s body went cold and her heart thudded painfully.
Xander tried one more time. “Don’t do this…”
She couldn’t look at him. Instead, she took a deep breath and made her way towards the front door on numb feet.
“Sydney!” Heather called.
“Mom, don’t,” Shay pleaded barely louder than a whisper.
Heather grunted. “Let go…”
Sydney paused in front of the door. They hadn’t been able to come up with a good plan to make sure they weren’t double-crossed by the Gringos so she was just hoping for the best. Everything was happening too fast and she felt like she was losing control. Syd turned around and waited for Xander. He made his way slowly towards her, his phone out. He pushed a few buttons and when a fist pounded against the door again both he and Syd jumped. She could hear Zak pick up the phone on the other end and Xander nodded at her.
Taking a deep breath, she grasped the knob and it took an enormous amount of strength to turn it. All the food she had eaten rolled in her stomach and it took effort to not throw up. She held her breath as she pulled the door open. She tried to prepare herself for the worst, but was still surprised to see to an ordinary man standing in the doorway. Clearly, this was Richard—Xander and Shay’s dad. Even if Syd hadn’t seen pictures of him, she would recognize him. He had the same jawline and pouty mouth that Shay had. He was ruffled and had a scrape on his forehead and a purple and yellow bruise around his left eye, but he looked otherwise uninjured.
“Dad!?” Xander gasped behind them.
Sydney was shocked to see Richard on the doorstep and only a little startled when the sport-coated man from the previous day stepped from the side. He put his hand on Richard’s shoulder and looked past them both into the house. When he didn’t see any weapons or ambushes waiting for him, he pushed Richard inside.
Richard looked past Sydney to his son, and a smile spread across his face. He pulled away from the Gringo and hugged his son. “Are you OK?”
Xander leaned back and looked at him like he was crazy. “Of course! Are you OK?”
“I will be. What did you exchange for me?”
Xander looked from his father to Sydney. “It’s complicated, Dad.”
“Who’s this?” Richard looked at Sydney again.
She felt like she was going to cry or puke, or both. “Hi.”
“This is Sydney,” Xander moved towards her but the Gringo stepped forward.
“That’s enough,” he said. “We’re leaving.”
“Who’s leaving?” Richard growled.
“Me and Sydney.”
“No,” Richard started shaking his head.
“I told them the same thing,” Heather hurried in from the kitchen.
“Dad!” Shay was right on her heels.
As Richard pulled them all into a hug, Sydney started backing towards the door.
“No,” Xander nearly moaned. “Syd, don’t go.”
The Gringo put his hand to his lower back and Sydney knew there was a gun there. “I’ll be OK,” she tried to sound more confident than she felt.
“Let’s go,” The Gringo gripped her arm like a vice. He pulled her towards the door and she turned away from Shay, Xander and their parents. Grabbing her purse, she could feel a sob slip past the knot in her throat and she made a small, croaking sound. The last thing she heard from inside the house was Richard demanding to know what was going on. The Gringo slammed the door shut and pushed her towards a black sedan parked at the curb.
“Get in,” he snapped opening the back door.
Sydney realized anyone watching would think she was being arrested. Unless they saw him bringing in Richard. That would raise more suspicion. But she knew better than to hope anyone could help them. She slid into the back seat and barely got her feet in before he slammed it shut.
He got into the passenger side quickly and Syd finally noticed the driver. He was young, dressed similar to the Gringo and he looked nervous. The Gringo waved him on and he pulled away from the curb so quickly it caused Syd to be thrown back into the seat. “Slow down,” the older man snapped.
Syd didn’t trust herself to speak. She took a few deep breaths and clenched her fists to stop them from shaking. When she felt confident enough, she risked asking questions. “Where are we going?” No one answered, but she could see the younger man glance in the rearview. “What are your names?” After a few more moments of silence she sighed. “You know, it’s going to be really annoying if you guys just keep ignoring me.”
“Gary,” the older man grunted finally. “This is Jason.” He seemed to relax more the further they were away from the house.
“Well, I would say ‘nice to meet you…’” Syd snorted ruefully. “Thank you though. For not hurting Richard. I have to say, I’m surprised you brought him. We figured you would try to double-cross us.”
Gary shook his head. “No point. More trouble than it would be worth.”
“Yeah, we figured the same thing.” The car grew silent again. “What exactly are you guys wanting me to do?”
“You are supposed to help find some stuff.” Gary’s voice was tight.
“For who?”
He didn’t answer for a while. “Moreno.”
Sydney’s heart thumped again. “So, he’s not dead?”
“No.” Gary’s disappointment was obvious.
“What’s he like?”
“A crazy asshole.”
“Then why are you helping him.”
“Lots of reasons. Now would you shut up a while?” He rubbed a hand across his face.
Sydney raised a brow and leaned back deeper into the seat. Stomach acid gurgled and she wished she hadn’t eaten so much today. “What if I can’t do what he wants me to do?”
“Just hope you can,” Gary barked and Sydney tried to tell herself she had asked enough questions for now. But her curiosity and nerves got the better of her.
"How did you know about Randall and the other bodies?" she asked after a few moments of silence.
Gary didn't answer for a long while. "Piecing together the puzzle," he finally grunted.
Realizing she wouldn't get more, Sydney stopped asking questions. She tried to imagine what Shay, Xander, and their parents were going through right now. No matter what Heather had said, surely they were angry at her at least a little. She hoped Xander and Shay could convince them to leave town. It would make her feel better knowing they were safe. The only plan they had was to go public. They were going to compile as much evidence as they could, then start blogging and emailing. Sydney tried hard to be confident it could work. But reality kept intruding and warning her that, without proof, they would be laughed at as conspiracy theorist kooks.
It was late afternoon when Jason pulled into the parking lot of an office building. Sydney had been too wrapped in her own thoughts to pay much attention to where they were but suspected they were near Arlington Heights. Despite the fact that it was Saturday, there were plenty of cars in the lot. Jason parked and Greg hurried out of the car. Sydney tried to open the door but discovered the child locks were on and she had to wait for him to open it. He held it open and she slid out, and the reality of the situation settled on her shoulders weighing her down.
“Let’s go,” Greg grabbed her arm again and she winced at his grip.
Chapter Twenty
The building was bland as most office spaces were. Gray carpet, fake plants and boring prints on the walls. Gary didn’t give Sydney much time to look around, instead, he pulled her forward and directed her by the arm. Despite the cars in the lot, the office seemed empty, eerily silent, and dimly lit. They followed a hallway past closed doors until they reached the end. A door straight ahead was marked as emergency stairs and warned that an alarm would sound if opened. Gary used a key to open a door on the left and he dragged her inside.
Gary flipped on a switch and she saw it was probably used as a closet most of the time. But, now, it was empty except for a cot. He pushed her further into the room and left quickly. She could hear the lock engaged behind her and she sighed heavily. I’m getting really tired of being locked in rooms. She tried sitting on the edge of the cot but the bar dug into her butt and legs so she laid down instead. She put an arm over her eyes and wished she could nap. But she was too wired with worry.
She was surprised they didn’t take or search her purse. She considered getting her phone out to call Xander and Shay, but resisted the urge. There was nothing they could do right now. And if Gary caught her with the phone he might take it away. Then she wouldn’t have it when she really needed it. She wondered why they didn’t check for weapons, but then realized why. If she attacked them, she put her friends at risk. Gary didn’t need to tell her they were being watched. Just like he didn’t take her phone. He didn’t need to. She knew what was at stake. It’s what she would do. In fact, Zak was supposed to have followed them. But she had no idea if he had been successful or not.
Luckily, it didn’t take long for someone to return. She expected Gary, but it was Jason who unlocked the door. “Hi,” she said, sitting up quickly.
“Let’s go,” he didn’t return the greeting.
“Where?”
“Let’s go,” he repeated.
Syd rolled her eyes. One of those, she thought. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to try to seduce you to escape or anything.” She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a faint blush color the guy’s cheeks as she passed by him.
“Go back the way we came and turn left. There’s an elevator there.”
Syd followed his directions and once in the elevator she waited for him to push the button. They rode in silence to the fifth, and top, floor. Right off the elevator, several men were sat at a desk. They were dressed in suits and she assumed they were armed. They eyed her warily as Jason led her past them. Her skin prickled as she wondered what they knew, or suspected, about her.
She was led through a frosted glass door into a larger office. From there they opened a set of double doors to find a conference room half full of more men in suits. While Syd was pretty sure these were armed too, she didn’t think they were security. These guys looked like they were in charge. She was almost relieved when she saw Gary near the head of the table.
“Sit down,” he told her.
Wanting to be as far away from everyone as possible, she chose the seat at the end of the table, the opposite of the man seated at the head of the table. Her heart sank as she got a good look at him. He was South American and half his face and part of his neck were covered with what looked like burn scars. Several of the men snickered, others rolled their eyes or ignored her choice of seats.
“Welcome,” the burned man said in heavily accented English. “My name is—”
“Moreno?” she said. She figured interrupting him was stupid, but she couldn’t stop herself.
Gary scowled and Moreno smiled. “Yes. You have heard of me?”
“Unfortunately.”
This man Moreno chuckle. “From who?”
“Several people. First from Doc.”
Now Moreno scowled. “And where is our doctor friend?’
“Dead.”
“Oh! He is?”
“Yep.”
“And I guess you killed him?”
“Yes.”
Moreno shrugged. “Just as well I guess.” He fiddled with his coffee cup in front of him. “Do you know what I want from you?”
“To help you find the aliens.”
There was a ripple of discomfort in the room and Gary winched but Moreno smiled. “Aliens?”
“What do you think the Dyians are?”
Moreno looked like he was going to answer, but after a subtle glance around the room, he just shook his head. “I need you to help find them.”
“What makes you think I can?”
“I know they can sense you.”
Sydney wondered how much Moreno knew about the Dyians. He was giving her a lot of credit. She shrugged. “In theory.”
Moreno giggled. “I like you.”
Sydney tried not to let her feelings show on her face. “Well, I would say the same…”
The Colombian laughed loudly—too loud. He tossed his head back and Syd could see the exasperated look Gary gave him. Moreno’s laugh trailed off. “You are fiery,” he winked at her. “If you help me, I will let you and your friends live.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I kill you all. Your friends first. And it will be a very bad death."
“Well, I guess I don’t have much of a choice then. Do I?”
“No,” Moreno shook his head. He turned to Gary. “Are you watching the friends?”
“Of course,” Gary sounded bored. “They haven’t moved since we left.”
Sydney clenched her teeth. “Leave them alone.”
“We will. If you cooperate,” Gary glanced at her.
“Do you guys realize I don’t know how this works? I don’t know how to find the Dyians. It’s not like I have some kind of built in GPS.”
“I am confident you will figure it out,” Moreno told her.
Sydney looked at the rest of the men in the room. They were all white, and well dressed. Some stared at her and others refused to look at her. One gave
her a steely cold smile that sent chills over her shoulders and she turned away quickly. A hand on her shoulder made her jump but it was just Jason. “Come on,” he pulled her to her feet and pushed her towards the door.
By the time they made it to the elevator Gary had caught up with them. After the doors closed he turned to her. “I don’t know if you and Moreno and your friends are all crazy or if there is some truth to this, but you better figure out how to do whatever he wants.”
Sydney raised a brow, surprised. “You don’t believe in all this?”
“Fuck no.”
“Then why are you helping?”
Gary sighed. “My boss owes him a favor. This is returning the debt.”
Syd couldn’t hide her disbelief. “Why are you being nice to me? Aren’t you some kind of drug king pin?”
Jason laughed and Gary gave her a humorless smile. “We just follow orders. I don’t see why we are wasting our time on this. But I just do what I’m told. If you are smart, you will too.”
“If I don’t?”
“I have my orders. And I have no problems following them.”
"What was the deal with all the other people there?"
Gary was quiet for a moment. "Investors," he finally answered.
It was obvious they thought Moreno was nuts, so what was the point in having them there? Sydney ground her teeth. Being made a spectacle of was just adding insult to injury. She was going to have to figure out a way give Moreno what he wanted—or at least make him think she was. But, she was pretty sure she was no longer infected, which meant her chances of being able to locate infected hosts was near impossible. She had no clue how to find them. Before they had always found her. Including at the coffee shop in Millville. A cold realization washed over her and her skin prickled uncomfortably. The hosts could still find her.
Xander
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