by Black, Chuck
Drew took a deep breath. He’d taken only one small step on a very long journey. If only he knew where to begin. Was Ben even alive? Drew fought the weight of the futility of his task.
The buildings and streets bustled with activity as the business of the afternoon moved onward. Drew’s stomach growled, and he knew he needed something more substantial than a muffin to sustain him. He ordered a couple slices of pizza from an Italian pizzeria on the corner and then sat at an outside table. As he ate, he watched people.
He was amazed at how important everyone thought their lives were as they scurried to and fro. Did they have any idea what was at stake? Drew watched as a well-dressed man carrying a briefcase left an office building a little farther up the street. Drew’s heart skipped a beat when he saw a dark invader materialize through the glass door behind the man, who turned and walked along the mirrored glass walls of the building. The invader followed close behind, constantly speaking into the man’s ear.
As the invader continued his assault on the man’s mind, Drew saw bitterness and anger rise up within him. When he was directly across from Drew, the man stopped and looked up at the building from which he had come. Drew watched in astonishment as the invader removed his leather glove and reached sharpened fingernails into the man’s chest and gripped his heart. Some imperceptible curse left the man’s lips, and when he turned to go, Drew saw the man’s countenance was full of rage. The invader followed behind him with a constant onslaught of malicious influence.
Drew watched people and invaders for the rest of the afternoon. Here in the city, the presence of the invaders was much more significant. He’d been right in assuming that they would be more concentrated in heavier populated areas. He practiced controlling his reactions to seeing invaders and also his ability to watch them without being obvious. Their tactics were still a complete enigma, but then, it was difficult to understand the tactics of a general just by watching a few troops. The invaders were militaristic, which meant there had to be a chain of command, and at the top … a commander.
Drew shuddered to think of it.
The invaders he saw were likely at the bottom of the command line, but they were plenty fierce and terrifying. He couldn’t image what the visage of the commander might hold.
He meandered through the downtown streets and saw many similar instances of invader-human interaction. Once, he even saw a disheveled man with two faces, similar to what he’d seen in the gunman who attacked the campus at Drayle.
How and why would an invader take over a human like that? Did the human know the invader was in him? It was like a scene out of some bizarre science-fiction body-snatcher movie.
Farther up the street, but too far to make out any details, he was sure he saw another brief but violent encounter between a light and a dark invader.
The world spun around him, and he saw, heard, smelled, and felt every detail of humanity like never before, both the good and the bad. He watched and heard the coarse exchange between a taxicab driver and a passenger, saw a teenager shoplift a video game, watched as a man helped a woman pick up a bundle of dropped mail, saw a businessman exchange money for drugs with a dealer in an alley—and every little detail with every encounter. In many of the encounters, he knew what was going to happen just by watching the faces and eyes of the people involved. He was seeing the world and humanity as it wasn’t meant to be seen … but why? Was he supposed to do something about it? When the invaders were involved in the encounters, bad things happened unless a light invader interceded. Of course, Drew noticed that most people didn’t need help being rude or deceptive.
It was odd, though. Drew didn’t see many children. When he did, there always was a light invader nearby. Were children more vulnerable to the attacks of the dark invaders? Were the light invaders trying to protect the future of humanity by guarding children?
As Drew pondered all he saw, he came upon a startling yet comforting conclusion. None of the invaders in the city noticed that he could see them. That brought no small amount of encouragement. So he could—and perhaps already had—dropped off the grid of both humans and invaders. If that was the case, it would make his search for Ben far easier.
OVER THE COURSE OF the next two weeks, Drew searched shops, restaurants, and office complexes block by block using the Tech Center as the epicenter of his search. He learned that by tapping into his heightened senses, he could watch a busy room and scan every person in it in seconds. And yet, despite his abilities, he still felt like he was looking for a needle in a haystack.
One day as Drew was scanning the inside of a department store, he spotted two invaders talking with each other. Drew maneuvered behind a clothes rack and watched as one of the invaders pointed to a young woman at one of the checkout counters. The other invader sneered and disappeared through the wall in a flash. Drew considered moving on but could not bring himself to abandon the girl. Something bad was in store for her, of that he was sure. He pretended to browse through the clothes. She came toward Drew, and the invader followed close behind.
“Can I help you?” Her white-blond hair draped around her shoulders, and her makeup was model perfect. She was a pretty girl of about nineteen.
“No thanks. Just looking.” Drew smiled, working hard to ignore the massive dark figure lurking over her shoulder. His hypersenses kicked in—he couldn’t stop them this close to an invader.
“If you need any help, just ask,” she offered with a returning smile.
She turned to leave, and he risked a panning glance across the face of the invader but wished he hadn’t. The large black pupils pierced him with contempt. Drew fought the urge to run. He looked toward the retreating girl, and as he did, the invader leaned close to Drew. He resisted the temptation to recoil. If he gave away his cover to one invader in Chicago, it could mean the end of his search for Ben. He stayed still as the invader whispered something in his ear.
Strange and unnatural feelings about the girl rose up within him. Just then she turned around and saw Drew staring at her. He saw subtle evidence of concern in her eyes. He averted his gaze and moved to a different department, away from the invader. He found a bench and sat down. His breathing was heavy and his heart was pounding. Once again, an invader had influenced his mind. This one was darker and more powerful. How could an invader have the ability to influence his emotions and thoughts like that? How far did the invaders’ powers over a man go?
Once Drew regained control of his emotions, he stood and, from a distance, reacquired the girl in the clothing department. Thirty minutes passed, but nothing happened, despite the invader’s gawking presence. Just as Drew was about to leave, he saw the second invader enter from the outside. Beside him was a young man in obvious emotional distress. The invader was whispering poison into the man’s mind. He spotted the girl and kept his distance, but the invader kept working on him. Drew wanted to leave but knew he couldn’t. If he helped her, he risked being exposed to the invaders. But if he didn’t, guilt would haunt him. He was a prisoner of his father’s call to honor and his own conscience.
After another twenty-five minutes, the girl was relieved by another worker. Drew checked his watch. It was twelve o’clock, and the girl was taking her lunch break. She walked toward the entrance that connected the department store with a mall hallway at the back, where there was a food court. Drew quickened his pace to parallel her, while keeping an eye on the man following behind.
The girl stopped and spoke briefly to another coworker. As she did, she glanced toward Drew and spotted him looking at her again. This time she looked alarmed, even frightened. Drew turned about and started walking in the opposite direction to the front of the store and the entrance that led outside. How could he have been so careless? How in the world would he be able to avoid the invisible invaders if he couldn’t keep his cover from an unassuming cashier?
He was at the door and was about to leave when he realized no matter what she thought, he couldn’t leave her. He retraced his steps, and by the time
he returned, the woman and the trailing man were gone. He quickly made his way into the food court and scanned the area. There were hundreds of people, and the sound was deafening for Drew. He changed vantage points twice until he spotted her. She had just purchased a tray of Chinese food and was making her way to a small table on the side of the eating area.
This time Drew was careful to position himself far enough away and to the back of her so she couldn’t see him. Then he spotted the young man coming her way, his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. The invader was still working him, and his emotional distress was now replaced with bitter anger. Drew moved in closer—senses ramping up. The man swung his leg over the chair and sat down, startling the girl. He smiled a malevolent smile, and the girl’s pleasant face transformed to alarm and anger. She looked around as if for a way to escape. Drew grabbed an empty cup off an abandoned table and sat down kitty-cornered from the girl and the man.
“I told you to stay away!” the girl said sternly. “We’re through, Dex.”
“No … no, we’re not.” The man’s voice rattled … on the verge of losing control. “We’re through when I say we’re through. You can’t leave me, not now, not ever.”
“You’re sick and you’re tripped out again. I don’t know why I ever went out with you. Leave me alone, or I’ll call the cops.”
Drew watched the man’s hands out of the corner of his eye. The man’s right hand was gripping something in his pocket. If it was a gun, it was a small caliber, but Drew bet against it. The girl grabbed her food and drink and was about to get up.
“You’re not leaving,” Dex said.
“Watch me,” the girl replied as she stood up.
“Sit down!” Dex spoke through clenched teeth. “Or you’ll regret it.”
The girl froze. The invader was now smiling. Drew scanned the courtyard and spotted a security guard, but the second invader whispered something into the guard’s ear and he disappeared down an adjoining hallway.
“I mean it, Trish. Sit down!”
Drew couldn’t see her entire face, but what he did see indicated absolute fear. She sat down.
“You need help, Dex. Seriously.”
“No … all I need is you. Tell me you won’t leave, and I’ll take care of you forever.”
The girl just stared at him.
The invader reached into Dex’s chest from behind, and Dex’s face filled with fury. He reached across the table with his left hand and grabbed the girl’s right arm. He stood up, moved to stand beside her, and lifted her out of her chair.
“Well, if I can’t have you, no one will!”
Drew stood up and came to the table. He positioned himself, his feet apart, weight slightly forward, and hands ready. The man’s right hand was still clutching something in his pocket; his left hand squeezed Trish’s upper arm so tight that the skin around his fingers turned red. Drew looked at Trish and saw the terror in her eyes. For one brief moment she looked confused as she recognized Drew. Almost imperceptibly she shook her head back and forth. Her eyes darted to her captor’s coat. Behind Dex, the invader’s countenance filled with rage. He called out for the other invader.
Drew risked a glance toward the distant dark invader. He had turned to come, but at the same instant, a light invader streaked in from behind a nearby wall with his brilliant white sword drawn. There was something familiar about the light invader. Drew refocused on the man and the girl.
“Hey, dude, why don’t you just relax and let the girl go. I don’t think she’s done with her food yet.”
“Get lost!” Beads of sweat formed on Dex’s forehead, and his pupils were dilated. This wasn’t going to end well.
Just then Trish tried to yank her arm from his grip, but it didn’t work. She screamed as Dex whipped out a four-inch switchblade, extending the blade as he did so. Drew blocked Dex’s first thrust with his left forearm, simultaneously punching Dex on the left side of his rib cage with his right fist. Dex released his grip on Trish as he recoiled from Drew’s forceful blow. Drew slid his left hand down to grab Dex’s wrist before he could pull back his knife hand and strike again. Drew’s next move was so quick it surprised even him. He grabbed Dex’s throat with his right hand, turned, and flipped him over his hip and onto the ground. Dex hit the tile with a thud. Screams and shouts rose up from the surrounding tables. Dex was conscious but dazed. Drew slammed Dex’s hand into the tile until the knife flew across the floor three feet away. Drew flipped him over onto his stomach and yanked both hands behind his back.
“Somebody get security!” Drew shouted.
Within a couple of minutes, two security guards came and handcuffed Dex. When they stood him up, he began cursing and shouting at Trish, at Drew, and at the security guards. The guards had their hands full, but one of them turned to Drew and the girl.
“We’ll need to talk to you. Stay right here and we’ll be back in a few minutes.”
They both nodded. Drew was glad he couldn’t hear the vile curses that came from the lips of the invaders.
Drew turned to Trish as the security guards escorted Dex away from the food court. “You okay?”
“Yeah … I guess.” Her arms were wrapped around her stomach. “Thanks. I think he would have killed me if you hadn’t helped.” Her lips trembled. “And I thought you were the creeper … sorry.”
“Hey, I get it. I’m just glad everything turned out.” Drew gave her a quick smile. “Stay away from guys like that, okay?” He turned to go.
“Hey, where are you going? They want to talk to us.” She seemed afraid to be left alone again.
“You’ll be okay. You tell them what happened. I have to go.”
“You … you were watching me. How did you know?”
“I saw him come in, and he didn’t look right. The way he was watching you I figured you might be in trouble.”
He tried to leave again, but she stepped in front of him. It was a plea not to leave her.
“What’s your name?”
Drew looked to where the security guards had disappeared. His time was running short. He scanned the room and realized that the invaders had left, including the mysterious light invader. Had he been helped again? He put a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“I promise you are going to be okay now.” He walked her over to a table and sat her down. He looked her right in the eyes and smiled. It helped her.
Drew left the food court down the hallway opposite the direction the guards had gone. Once he was a couple of blocks away, he found a place to eat and recovered himself. The encounter left him facing a new burden … a new responsibility. The words he had spoken to Ben years earlier echoed in his mind … words from his father.
“It’s wrong to do nothing when you have the power to do something.”
17
THE GUARDIAN
As the days turned to weeks, Drew had to fight the urge to call or write or e-mail his mother or Jake. How he missed them! Loneliness was now a constant companion, and any time he saw something that reminded him of home, the ache in his heart grew. He despised this unchosen mission that had trapped him, that had made him a prisoner and separated him from the only part of his life that he loved. And yet …
Each time he came to the precipice of giving up, he remembered Ben and the invaders hunting him. The code of loyalty flowing in his blood and the training and example he had received from Jake would not release him to apathy, so he pressed onward.
Drew continued his search for Ben, but soon he realized there was not enough precision or purpose in his method, so he reevaluated. Ben would have to have a job. Without an identity, he would be limited. It would be tech related but blue collar. Ben was famous for fixing computers both during high school and during college, so Drew reasoned he would resort to that which he already knew and did well.
Computer repair shops. That’s where he needed to look.
On his way home one evening, Drew walked through an alley and spotted a smashed, discarded computer. An idea brought a smi
le to his face. Within a couple of minutes, he had the cover off and the hard drive removed. It was an old system, because the hard drive was only 120 gigabytes. It didn’t matter to Drew; he just needed the prop. He tucked it in his backpack and went on his way.
Back in his room, Drew took the outer case off the hard drive and dragged one of the heads across the top platter, damaging both the head and the platter. He scratched and broke open a couple of circuit lines that looked important as an added measure. He was ready.
Drew did an Internet search for computer repair shops in Chicago, and his enthusiasm faded. Hundreds of little red dots peppered the map around the Chicago area, and hundreds more were spread out west and up and down Lake Michigan. It would take months or even longer.
He dropped his head into his hands. Was it worth it? Was it even possible? He wanted to go home. It had only been two months, but he was already weary of it. He closed his laptop and clicked on the television, hoping to numb his aching head. The news was reporting on the atrocities happening to innocent people in Sudan, eastern Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and other nations throughout the world.
Drew changed the channel. Another story on a kidnapping in New York. He changed the channel again. A story about the rise of human trafficking, not only in third-world countries but in America too. On and on the stories went, and Drew saw the plots of the invaders unfold. He had glimpsed just a few minor incidents, but he could imagine what was happening globally on a grand scale. What would the world be like without the influence of the invaders? Anger welled up within him. He and he alone knew what was happening. “It’s wrong to do nothing when you have the power to do something!” His own words shouted at him.
“If it takes me twenty years, I will find Ben.”
Ben held the key. In his mind was the answer to revealing the invaders to the world, but he needed help. Drew found his resolve in the atrocities happening at the hands of the dark invaders. He would not fail … could not fail!