“You read my mind, Father. So you know what an effect the experience had on me. But despite the fact I was terrified, I defended you to the end. I knew you couldn’t do such a horrible thing.”
“You know Palmer wants to destroy all the Katrans that are loyal to me.”
“Yes. I knew it was his plan all along. To trap you here while he and his men escape to Earth. But how does my blood play a part? That’s one thing I don’t understand.”
His brow furrowed. “Do you remember when I told you that you were part alien and how special you were? That you are representative of both worlds and how important that was?”
My appetite completely vanished. “Yes, I do. And I’ve been trying to figure it out ever since you told me.”
“Remember when I said that I knew a way to fix Heaven but it was something I would only use as a last resort?”
He was scaring me now. “Yes.”
“Mr. X informed me if he could not develop a humidity machine, the only other option would be to try your blood. But of course I told him that was unthinkable.”
“I hope so. But I don’t understand how I can have any blood when I’m dead.”
“I think blood is the wrong term. I would say it’s more of your life essence.”
Great. That didn’t sound any better. “So that option is off the table, isn’t it?”
He reached over and took my hand. “My daughter, I would rather all the Katran face certain death than to do that to you. But I am their commander and I must protect them too.”
It all made sense now. I’d been the reason for the rift between Palmer and Father this whole time. “I understand everything. So how is Mr. X doing on rebuilding the humidity machine?”
“Mr. X is truly a miracle worker. He’s managed to take the tiny pieces that were broken and retool them. Due to his diligence the machine is almost ready. He’s testing it now and it’s already running at fifty percent capacity. You won’t feel any tremors anymore, or any side effects. The Katran are safe now.”
“So why did Palmer make such a big deal about it? Why do I feel like he still wants to capture me?”
Father let out a sigh. “It is all about revenge.”
He picked up his fork and held it high. “Dig in, my daughter. We have a big battle coming up and you need your strength.”
Father had a point, so I picked up my fork and forced myself to eat. The biggest battle of my life loomed just on the horizon. I flashed back to my last Thanksgiving on Earth when I sat blissfully ignorant of what my life had in store for me. When I believed my parents were happily married and had no secrets. Channeling that innocence, I inhaled my turkey dinner. Once I cleaned my plate, I looked up at Father. “Palmer plans to invade earth tomorrow night. I want to take a small party to set up some traps to help with our big showdown tomorrow. Do you mind if I leave now, before dessert?”
The cherubs burst in carrying silver trays loaded down with the dessert course, but Father waved them away. “Great minds think alike. Team Galaxy is waiting for you in the parlor.”
***
A row of smiles greeted me as I entered the parlor. Everyone stood dressed head to toe in black like a ninja squad. Celery sat next to Austin and I spied someone else. Team Galaxy had a new member, Traze. Father used her to replace Blaine. An interesting choice. Now I had two recently reprogramed people on my hands. Father must be testing my leadership abilities to have me work with my murderer. Could I trust Mr. X’s work? I sure hoped so.
Traze stood up and put out her hand. “I’m honored to join your team.”
I shook it. Not like I could object to Father’s selection. Plus I did need an extra person. With the launch set for tomorrow, Palmer would have all hands on deck. “Glad to have you.”
Celery gave me a knowing smile. “I’ve seen Traze’s skills. She’s an awesome warrior.”
I had no doubt. After all, she successfully murdered Gram and me and no one was the wiser. At least I had Celery to count on. She’d recovered completely and was back on her game. I had to trust Austin’s and Traze’s conversions would make them good allies too. So far Traze proved herself to be completely loyal to my father. I had to admit that I felt no hint of the evil person she’d been before. Only the scar on her cheek was left as a reminder.
Austin held out the GPS. “It looks like the head count is around eighty men.”
I nodded. “Thanks.” Opening a large box that sat on a long console table, I handed each of them a device the size of a sardine can. “This is going to be a quick in and out mission. We just need to place these bombs strategically at the opening of the warehouse so they cause enough of a distraction tomorrow to give us a bit of an advantage.”
Celery held out a tablet with a blueprint of the warehouse. “I think if we place one behind each of the large cargo doors,” she pointed to the spots on the blueprint, “they will trap the men inside were we can ambush them.”
“Thanks, Cel, sounds perfect.” I put my hand out and the others put theirs on top of mine. “Let’s rock this mission.”
***
We hopped on our angels and sped in formation to the studio lot. Sabrina led the group to a spot just out of Palmer’s security system’s range. We dropped out of the sky and landed by a set that looked exactly like the Hollywood Strip.
Celery chuckled as she slid off her angel’s back. “Look, T, they even have a strip club.”
I gave her a smile. “If only they had the Magic Mike guys performing.”
Traze and Austin stared at us. Then Traze said, “Is it part of the mission?”
Austin laughed. He finally got it. “No, Traze, they’re just joking around.”
She ran her hand through her spiky hair. “Sorry, I don't get it.”
I needed to cut her some slack. Traze couldn’t understand Earthling humor any more than my father. “It’s just my way of lightening the mood. To get rid of my nerves before a mission.” The angels took off and I motioned for the team to gather round. “Let’s partner up. Celery and I will take out the men guarding the studio door and you guys take out anyone you see near the warehouse. Then we meet up backstage in studio ten. Sound good?”
They all nodded. “Great. Let’s go.”
Austin and Traze took off toward the warehouse while Celery and I headed for the studio. The GPS showed two men guarding the door. I signaled Celery to take the guy on the left. With a click of the gun, both men lay on the ground shrouded in blue cocoons. Celery pulled out a small pin from her pocket and picked the lock. This time it didn’t work. She tried it again but nothing happened. “I think Palmer is onto us. He knows we’ve broken in this way before.”
I bent down and reached into one of the guy’s pockets. The electric prickles from the cocoon gave me goosebumps. My hand hit a small plastic card. I pulled it out and handed it to Celery. “Try this.”
She found a small slot near the edge of the door and slid the card through. The door clicked open. “We’re in.”
Celery motioned for me to move down the stairs and duck behind the stage. I checked my GPS but only spotted two men at the back of the building. The rest of the men in the warehouse congregated around the ship. It figured they’d be frantically prepping for the invasion tomorrow.
Celery clicked her ray gun when we heard a sound come from behind us. We turned around both ready to fire, until we saw Traze’s spiky hairdo sticking out from behind the stage curtain. I waved her and Austin over. “How did it go?”
Traze tossed the ray gun in her pocket. “We took out ten guards.”
I gave her a thumbs up. “Great. A few less men to deal with tomorrow. You guys ready to set the traps out?”
They all nodded. With Celery on one side and Traze and Austin on the other, we snuck through the huge cargo door to the warehouse. I stopped just inside the door and flipped the light switch. Something had gone terribly wrong.
Celery stood frozen in place. “T, what the hell is going on?” Her mouth filled with suds, but she didn
't care.
Austin put down his ray gun. “Did I miss something?
He missed something all right. We all did. I stared into the vast space of the warehouse. The mothership was gone.
Chapter Twenty
Who Said Life Was Fair
How could I break the news to Father we‘d been defeated before we started? And that it was totally my fault because I didn’t listen to Palmer twenty-four-seven like I should have? There could be no big show down if the enemy already left the battlefield. Transporting each of us one by one down to the Earth would take forever. By the time we had enough people to fight Palmer, he’d enslave half the people of Georgia. I trudged in to the living room as if my feet were encased in concrete.
My father was seated in his usual spot, his eyes closed deep in meditation. “Father, I hate to interrupt you, but I have urgent news.”
He slowly opened his eyes. “Yes, I heard.”
“Guess news travels fast in Heaven.”
He uncrossed his legs and stood up. “It does. But all is not lost.”
Father must be trying to make me feel better, but it wasn’t working. “Now what? Mr. X didn't happen to invent a mass transportation device in his spare time, did he?”
Father chuckled. “No. He has been far too busy working on the humidity machine.”
I plopped down on a throne chair, totally exhausted from rushing back to tell him something he already knew. “I hope at least it’s up and running. I need some good news.”
“Yes, the machine is running at full capacity.”
Strange, he no longer wore a mask. Even more remarkable, he no longer showed any signs of aging. “That’s awesome. Seems it has no side effects this time.”
“There is no need to wear masks any longer. However, there is one new side effect but it is far easier to tolerate.”
Hum. Wonder what it could be? “I haven’t felt anything strange.”
“You will. In time, the Katran will grow a few inches taller.”
“Oh, that’s not so bad. I’m used to being tall. What’s a few more inches.”
He gave me a smile and took my hand. “Come, my daughter, I have a surprise for you.”
I could use a surprise after my lousy day. Yet, I worried about what might be happening to Ryan and the people down on Earth. “Father, I appreciate your attempt to make me feel better, but we have to find a way to transport large groups of people if we are ever going to beat Palmer.”
He nodded. “Of course. My top men are working out options as we speak. But can you just humor me for a moment?”
“All right.” I reluctantly followed him as he led me across a large inner courtyard lined with a series of cherub fountains. I’d never been to this part of the palace before. On the far side of the courtyard stood a separate building with arched windows. Father opened the massive double doors with a flourish.
“Your surprise awaits.”
After all this buildup, I wondered what made him so excited. Inside the doorway a vast space spread out like a giant ballroom. Lavish gilded plaster moldings scrolled along the long walls like gold vines crawling up from the ground. “The place is so beautiful. What is it for? Do they have grand dance parties in Heaven?”
He laughed. “Maybe my predecessor did such a thing, but I have something very special hidden here. Something I knew might be useful if things with Palmer became dire.”
I stared into the open space wondering what could possibly be hidden in an empty room. Could Father have a cloaking device like at the warehouse? “Well, I don’t think things could get much worse.”
Father waved his arms in a grand gesture like a game show host. Then he snapped his fingers. “I saved this for you.”
I let out a gasp when in the blink of an eye the room no longer stood empty. Instead an enormous metal object filled the space. I raced toward a space shuttle just like the one on Battlestar Galactica. I ran my hands along the cold metal surface still not believing it was real. “Father, this is the best gift ever.” I climbed up the ramp and unlatched the cockpit door. “Palmer is toast.”
***
No sci-fi fantasy I’d ever seen could match this moment as the shuttle burst through the clouds of Heaven and headed toward Earth. Father loaned me his best pilot and his most loyal men to help with the attack on Palmer. Thanks to Father’s secret, Palmer had no idea the shuttle even existed. Father convinced him the shuttle didn’t survive when they first crash-landed in Heaven. He knew Palmer was up to something and wanted to make sure he had a way to escape Heaven if things went south. It turned out to be a very smart move.
I met Celery, Austin, and Traze in the lounge. They sat around a table shaped like a mushroom that floated just inches off the floor. Austin pointed to a large couch hovering by the back wall. “It’s so rad the way everything is suspended off the floor.” I nudged his glass of water. “What a great way to keep things from spilling.”
Celery kicked the table but it continued to stay perfectly still. “Yeah it’s really cool. Just like the way the old clipper ship tables used to tilt back and forth with the ship.”
I’d usually wonder how she knew that little historical tid-bit, but I had seen the movie Master and Commander too.
Traze held up a tablet with the map of the landing location I sent them. “Don’t you think it would be wise to land someplace where the shuttle will be concealed? There is a large grove of trees just a few kilometers away.”
I better be careful or Traze would be running the show. “Yes. If you notice there’s a red X where I plan to land. It’s right inside the woods. ”
She glanced at the map and then put it down. “I was just trying to be helpful.”
I shouldn't give her such a hard time. But I still couldn’t shake the image of her face hovering over me as I lay dying in the street. “Okay, so let’s go over the mission plan. We are going to land in the grove. Hopefully Palmer and his men will be so busy capturing people they won’t notice us.”
Austin nodded. “He will try to enslave as many people as he can. He has been planning this invasion for a long time. Palmer’s ego will blind him.”
I hoped Austin was right. “You, Celery, and Traze, will go with my father’s men and capture as many of the enemy as possible. Leave Palmer to me.” They all nodded. “I’ve got to go. I’ll be back at T-minus 19:00.”
With the crew under control, I needed to contact Ryan. I motioned Celery to follow me. “Hey, Cel, you mind keeping an eye on things for a bit? I have to let the UFO guys know we’re on the way.”
She gave me a smile. “Sure. But I know who you’re really dying to talk to.”
“Busted.” I tucked the looking glass under my arm. “I’ll be in my cabin.”
“Say hi to Ryan. Tell him I’ll see him soon.”
Celery had officially reached ultimate best friend status. She teased me just like Julie did. As I strode down the corridor, my footsteps echoed off the metal walls. As we sped through space, I stared out the porthole window and watched Earth grow larger and larger. I ran my hand over the blue orb. My dream of space flight—a dream no longer.
I lay down in the hi-tech bed floating against the wall of Father’s cabin. Something stuck to the wall caught my eye. A picture of Mom with her hair swept back and a huge grin on her face. The special smile I now knew was just for Father. So he missed her too. How many nights did he stare at her picture wishing he never left Earth? I wondered if they’d ever be a couple again. Running my hand over the picture, I wished someday we could be a happy family together. The picture of my mother happy and carefree gave me hope she could be that person again. The engines roared as we hurtled through space. My wish would never happen if I didn't get rid of Palmer and his mutinous men.
Running my hand along the rim of the mirror, I dreamed of the day when I could be back with Ryan, permanently. .
At first nothing came into view, but then I heard Ryan’s voice. “Sure, Trinity, I'd love to hear your ideas over dinner.”
&
nbsp; What the H? I concentrated hard and her face came into view. She batted her eyelashes. “Awesome. So I’ll catch you at Chuck’s at eight.”
I gripped the mirror as I watched her flit away, her shoulder length purple hair swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Here, I was worried they were all taken prisoner by Palmer. Instead, they’d had time to set up a dinner date. Ryan turned on his boot heels and headed over to a doublewide trailer. Probably the Georgia UFO squad headquarters. I took a deep yoga breath to calm my nerves. Ryan couldn’t be cheating on me, could he? I had to admit I’d been out of the picture a lot. Obviously this long distance relationship wasn’t working out. But he had to know I loved him. I was just a bit busy trying to save Heaven and Earth. No biggie.
Before Ryan hit the front step I called out to him. “Ryan it’s me. Are you all right? Is Palmer there?”
This time he didn't turn and look for me. He knew I was talking to him through the mirror. “Hey, I was hoping to hear from you.”
I bet. “Is Palmer there?” I repeated. “His ship took off. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to warn you sooner. Things have been beyond crazy.”
“No, he’s not here. Although we did see a bunch of laser lights in the sky last night. But no sign of a spacecraft.”
That’s weird. Where did Palmer go with the mothership? Then it hit me. “Crap. He’s fooled me again.” I instinctively reached for my mouth to wipe the suds away. Then I laughed, remembering I’d left Heaven far behind.
Ryan walked to the far side of the trailer and sat down on a large boulder. “Taylor, what’s going on? Why do you think Palmer is here? Did he change his landing location? If he did, we’re screwed.”
“No. All our intel says he’s still headed for the farm in Georgia. It’s just I thought he’d launched the invasion by now. Because the mothership wasn’t in the warehouse when Cel and I went to run a mission.”
“So where the heck is it?”
“Probably still in the warehouse. Palmer used a cloaking device.”
Heavenly Returns Page 17