by Zara Zenia
"We should just let them go," he continued, looking up at the big guy who I assumed was his boss.
"Let them go? I don't think so. I don't trust them. They're up to something."
"What? Look at the girl. She doesn't look as though she could hurt anyone. Guys, how old are you two? You look like a couple of college kids."
“Twenty-seven,” I answered as I tried to remember my age in human years. “My little sister just turned twenty.”
The big guy got angry at his colleague and pointed into the corner of the train car.
"Over there. I need a word with you."
The two men huddled in the corner with the shadows cloaking them. Their friend loitered for a moment, looking at us awkwardly before hurrying over to join them. Every few seconds at least one of them glanced over in our direction to ensure we hadn’t made a run for it.
"What do you think they're going to do?" Victorinth asked as she trembled.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I'm sorry but I don't know what's going to happen from here."
She looked disappointed in me and stared at the ground in between her legs, pulling nervously at her shoelaces.
In the distance, I could hear the hushed yet angry tones of the guys as they argued amongst themselves. It was obvious what was going on. The two younger guys wanted to let us go, while the big, gruff man with the permanent frown seemed to think we were criminals.
At last, they stopped talking and it seemed they'd arrived at a mental standoff. Walking back over to us, they all shook their heads.
"Right, this is what we're gonna do."
The youngest one clapped a hand over his forehead and sighed.
"We have to call the cops. I'm sorry but we just do. I mean, I'd let you go and whatever. You seem like nice kids but company policy and all that. We have to let the police know if we have stowaways."
Ashamed, I nodded and looked at the ground.
"I understand."
"Yeah," he looked at me with sorry eyes. "Like I said, I think you're all right and I'd really like to let you go but…" he glanced up at his boss, looking away before he noticed. "Company policy.… You can stay here for now until the cops arrive. But we'll be like, keeping an eye on you."
He then gave a peculiar wiggle of his fingers as though he was saying goodbye to an old friend, a gesture of his goodwill. As he climbed out of the car with his colleagues, he silently mouthed the word sorry then disappeared onto the side of the train tracks.
We could hear them outside, kicking the dried up rocks and mumbling under their breath. Victorinth was still beside me, her hand on my tail to hold it in place.
"These are hard to hide," she said as she let go. "It's a good thing they're not that big like the older Orbans' tails."
"Yeah…" I answered although I wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying.
I was too busy looking all over the place for a way to make a quick getaway. All I could see, was the opening to the train car, and the place where the railway workers were hanging around. It sounded as though the young guy was on the phone. I could hear a one-sided conversation about us over the sound of the wind breezing through the long grass in the nearby fields.
"Yeah … stowaways. Not sure where they're from. They say Virginia but their accents, man. They ain't American."
I hung my head in shame. This was not what I had planned when I fled Richmond and said goodbye to Benzen and the others. This was not going to end well.
"What are the police going to do?" Victorinth asks. "Are we going to jail?"
The thought of my little sister behind bars hit me. I know we haven’t really committed a crime but that doesn't mean we won't be taken in for questioning or that the police won't be hostile if we appear untrustworthy. Suddenly I'm struck by all these ideas of Little Victo being trapped in a jail cell, away from me, in a strange place she doesn't understand and I can't take care of her. I felt tears well up inside me but I swallowed them back down before speaking, my voice coming out croaky and weird.
“The police won't do anything. We've done nothing wrong have we? Especially you."
It doesn't look as though my words have placated her worries though and she keeps her eyes fixed on me, wide and staring.
"We're in trouble aren't we?"
"No. I mean, I hope not."
She doesn't look impressed with me but I'm distracted from her for a moment by the big guy shouting into the rail car.
"They're on their way! So you better say goodbye to your new home."
His voice was sneering and contemptuous. I was angry and humiliated but I never said a word. Grabbing my bag and coat, I pulled Victorinth up off the floor and tried to think of the best thing to say to the police when they arrived.
"I knew it … we're in trouble," she cried as she huddled into her jacket.
I leaned over to give her a hug but I stopped in my tracks when I heard the sound of car tires. They were screeching in our direction. Looking out over the train tracks, I saw a road that dissected the field. There were three white cars hurrying toward us, sirens blazing and smoke coming from the wheels.
"Jesus, it looks as though they're on fire," one of the rail workers mused. "They got here quick, though."
Yeah, I thought. They did get here quick. Which was strange considering we were in the middle of nowhere and the call was only made moments ago. And why do they look so urgent? They screeched to a halt in front of us, men in suits jumped out of the vehicles and hurried toward us through the thick grass.
"They're not the police, are they?" Victorinth stood still, her hands shaking inside her pockets.
"I don't think so."
"I can see it in their eyes."
"Me too."
They are Orbans, I'm sure of it. A species always recognized its own, especially when they're running right at you. All the men were wearing identical suits, their features transformed so they looked as though they were human. Their eyes were all a light gray, the same colors we had adopted to fit in.
"They're in there!" the big guy shouted and pointed into the rail car to give away our location.
But the men already knew, they were jumping inside the train, their Orban scent filling the space.
"You have to come with us," one of them ordered.
"No," I answer defiantly. "I won't."
"You will," he looked deep into my eyes. "Because you are ordered to … and you know why."
"We are not moving," I linked my arm into Victorinth's and we stared at the men with fire in our eyes.
"Yeah. We're not going anywhere!" Victorinth shouted.
It surprised me to see her so livid and confident. I pulled away from her and gave her a strange look. What had gotten into her? But secretly I was pleased that she had come out of her shell, although I wished it was under safer circumstances.
"I won't ask you again," the main suited Orban took a menacing step forward. "You will come with us, or we will use force."
"We will not come with you," Victorinth spat at him.
"Very well," he nodded at his two associates.
They stepped forward and pulled out peculiar looking batons from the insides of their jackets. To a human, it would have looked similar to a police truncheon but to us, they were a familiar weapon used amongst the Orban military. I stepped in front of Victorinth to shield her but it was no use. I was hit over the head, blood ran into my mouth, tasting like metal. I tried to wipe it from my face but as I raised my hand, I was overcome with dizziness and I lost my balance. I stumbled forward and fell to my knees, blackness closed in around me.
Chapter 5
Madison
Bradley was standing in the open doorway of my office with a coffee in one hand and his head in the other.
"These alarms are going to be the death of me," he said, handing me the coffee.
"Thanks," I took the steaming, paper cup from his hands.
Meanwhile, my own head was thumping at the pain. Since I handed over the coordi
nates for the craft that was heading our way, the emergency alarms have been sounding through the buildings, as well as every other type of siren, light, and signal you could think of. For a while, some of the other people on this floor began wearing ear plugs but only until Gibson caught them and fired two before shouting obscenities at another. Gibson, the lunatic.
Typing away furiously at my computer, I had to finish a report on the sighting and it needed to be finished today.
"Shit, shit, shit," I said through clenched teeth as I battered my fingers against the keyboard. "I have no idea what I'm doing."
"You're doing great," Bradley laughed from the doorway. "Well, I mean not really. You're useless at this stuff but you're not going to like … die or anything. Gibson seems to be in a good mood today."
I glared at him.
"Shut up Bradley. Right now I feel as though I'm going to die. My heart will explode. Gibson will laugh at me and probably fire my corpse and I will die again."
He rolled his eyes and sat down beside me. Picking up my coffee, he began to sip at it.
"Gingerbread skinny fucking latte," he wrinkled up his nose. "What's wrong with a good old-fashioned espresso?"
"Oh my God, Bradley, be quiet. If I don't get this finished like right now I'm going to have an aneurysm."
"Calm down," he said and threw a piece of crumpled up paper at my face.
It bounced off my eye and fell onto the keyboard. I picked it up and launched it at him. In my state of heightened anger and stress, I missed him completely despite him only being two feet away from me. He burst out laughing, clutching at his stomach as his stupid laugh rang in my ears.
"You sound like a demented donkey," I told him, kicking him in the shin.
"Ow! Jesus, what was that for?"
"Sometimes I find it hard to believe you graduated from Yale." I swiveled back around in my chair and faced the computer. "I'd be surprised if you even graduated from kindergarten."
"Oh my God," he gently punched my arm.
I felt like I might slap him across the face if he touched me again.
"Before all this," he said, waving his hands at the flashing lights. "Before all this drama you were fun, you know."
He was right. The last week had changed me but that was only because it seemed as though everything I had geared up my whole life for was coming to fruition.
Turning back to face him, I clutched his head in my hands and narrowed my eyes.
"Aliens, Bradley. Do you know how long I've waited to find out they exist?"
"Ahem."
There was a cough in the doorway. Looking up I saw Gibson tapping at his watch and glowering at us. I pulled my hands off Bradley as I felt my cheeks grow pink.
"Madison," Gibson said, shaking his head. "Time is of the essence and yet here you are, playing around like a child."
He took a step into the room and looked around at all the personal touches. He sniffed at the potpourri and nodded.
"Very nice," he nodded. "I see you have good taste."
Then he picked up my coffee and took a sip from it. At this point, I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to drink it. Gibson, the weirdo.
"Gingerbread skinny latte. I have to say it's one of my favorites, although it's rather unseasonable at this time of year isn't it?"
He stared at us both.
"I said, isn't it?"
"Erm, yes sir."
"Absolutely, completely unseasonable," Bradley answered as his face turned crimson.
"You know," Gibson continued as he paced up and down the room, looking at my family photographs pinned to a corkboard above my desk. "I should chastise you for your horsing around in here. There's serious business going on, terribly serious business but here you two are, throwing paper around and pushing each other like toddlers."
"It's the alarms and the lights," I tried to explain. "They're driving us all crazy."
"Be quiet!"
I flew back in my chair as though his breath had knocked me out.
"I WOULD chastise you but I'm aware of how important you are, Madison. The world will be a very different place thanks to your observation. You're off the hook, for now," he pointed at his watch again. "But any more of … whatever that was and you're out on your ass! You hear me?"
I nodded, swallowing down my anxiety as I jiggled a foot up and down nervously.
"Good.… The Trojan Group is a serious establishment and we don't have time for little girls and their games."
"I understand sir," I simpered although I was raging inside.
"Me too sir," Bradley chimed in. "Won't happen again," he looked at the floor although I could tell it was to stifle a laugh.
"Very well." Gibson clapped his hands. "Moving on. Madison, you're needed in the briefing room. Have you finished the report?"
I felt my heart race. I moved to speak but my mouth had dried up.
"Er. Yeah! Just finished," I lied, frightened of getting into any more trouble.
"Good. Well follow me," he instructed and began striding down the hallway.
"Shit!" I panicked as I slammed my laptop closed and ran after him.
Looking over my shoulder as I left, I saw Bradley laughing at me, his big smug face loving every moment of my discomfort. I really needed some new friends.
Hurrying to a jog to catch up with Gibson, I followed him up the stairs and down another hallway that looks identical to all the others. Arriving at the briefing room, I could see it was packed. The high-up men in suits all sat around the mahogany table while everyone else stood behind them. The room smelled like stale sweat and coffee.
There was one free chair at the top of the table and Gibson pointed to it.
"Please, take a seat."
I found myself sitting beside Deputy Director Johanssen, a tall blonde man in his fifties with a proud aquiline nose and light, blue eyes. He nodded as I sat down.
"So you're the one who spotted the craft traveling in our direction."
"That's correct," I nodded as I opened my laptop.
My hands were shaking as I scrolled through the pages of my report. Peering over the top of my computer, I saw that everyone was staring at me with expectant expressions. They all think I'm a genius, some sort of hero that caught the bad guys, but truth be told it was an accident. I didn't mean to find out where they were heading, I was merely following dots across the screen.
"Right, so my report," I began although I wasn’t at all ready.
"We'll hear that later," Johanssen placed a hand on my arm. "Right now we just have to tell you, tell everyone actually, that thanks to your quick observation and speedy diligence, we have now captured the extra-terrestrials."
The energy in the room felt explosive. My heart was beating like crazy, thumping inside my chest as though it was going to break through my rib cage. As I looked around, I could tell everyone else felt the same way. They were all wide eyed and ecstatic, alive with the excitement they once had as children, the same excitement that propelled them to get a job at the Trojan Group.
"Captured?" I asked Johanssen. "Does that mean th—"
"Yes," he smiled. "They're on their way to this facility right now."
"What?" I think I might pass out. "Here! They're on their way here?"
"Yes.… Which brings me to something else. Gibson, would you care to explain to the young lady here?"
"Certainly," he stepped in front of me. "Madison, you have certain … how do I say it, medical training don't you? The kind that may prove useful in a crisis?"
What the hell was he talking about? Why did Gibson always have to talk in that peculiar way? Things were never straight and easy with him.
"That is correct, sir," I said. "Before my career in astronomy began, I obtained my physician's assistant degree."
Johanssen nodded, scribbling away on his notepad as he bit his lower lip.
"That's perfect. Just what we need."
"Just what we need for what?"
Johanssen looked up at me, his brigh
t eyes glinting with an intention I couldn’t quite identify. There was something about him I couldn’t explain. I thought it was his eyes, they were a shade of blue that I'd never seen before and his voice was … also not quite identifiable. And the way he felt when he touched my arm. His hand was icy and smooth like cold stone even though the room was sweltering.
"Your medical training will be invaluable," he says enigmatically.
"But why?" I ask again.
There was a look in his eyes that looked like terror, but why would that be? I was only asking an innocent question. I looked at his hand. His fingers were clutched around his pen so tight that his knuckles had turned white, his wrist shaking as he held the tip to the page.
"We're not going to hurt them are we?" I cried. "Please! I mean I'm sorry. I didn't intend on being so dramatic it's just that … I've waited my whole life to examine a creature from the universe and I just want them to know that I come in peace."
"I'll ensure that they know you mean them no harm," Johanssen stared right through me as he spoke.
His voice was flat and calm although I could tell that there was a palpable tension in his body as he struggled to keep his cool.
"Thank you," I murmured as I kept my eyes on his quivering hand. "That means a lot."
Chapter 6
Jarick
What I felt the most was the cold. It penetrated through me, chilling my bones and making me shake uncontrollably. They threw water over me, trying to make sick with the cold but they couldn't manage it. I'm shivering and my teeth are chattering, but I'll never let them win.
"It's only cold, it's only cold, it's only cold," I repeated over and over again like a mantra.
On the ground in front of me sat an ice cube, it was starting to melt into the concrete floor and I helped it along by placing my foot on top of it and squeezing it between my toes. I knew it wasn’t going to warm me up but the sharp sting from the freezing cube that shot up my leg kept me awake a little longer.