Keeper

by Jessica L. Randall

  “Oh, no.”

  Miriam was frowning as she stared at another panel.

  Her expression sent darts of alarm through my chest. “What is it?”

  “It’s Teavers.” She hissed a word I didn’t understand. “His ship just docked. Lie down and pretend to be resting.”

  My eyes narrowed as I stood locked in place.

  “Don’t be stupid,” she said.

  “They’re not putting their hands on me again,” I said.

  “Well, if you care about Micah at all you’ll do what I ask. This whole situation isn’t going to look good, and he is responsible. Do you know what will happen to him?” Her face was paper-white. “What will happen to all of us?” she whispered as she stalked out of the room.

  I stood there quivering, although I wasn’t sure if it was with fear or anger. I couldn’t let that happen to Micah or Miriam, so I’d have to lie here and be humiliated again. They might do worse this time. But what other choice did I have?

  Miriam was right. Micah had probably been right before. The best thing was to lay low until we had a chance to do something.

  I heard faint voices, Miriam’s and one that sent chills through my body. It was Teavers. Micah’s father. The same creature who had someone killed for stealing—who wouldn’t hesitate to inflict the same punishment on his son. I lay down on the board and closed my eyes.

  “There was some kind of incident,” Miriam said.

  “What kind of incident?”

  “I don’t know yet. Micah is completing the healing process now.”

  “And the human?”

  I held my breath, waiting for her to tell Teavers about my connection with Micah. Then it would really be over for both of us.

  “She—she is resting. Her injuries were minimal.”

  I exhaled slowly.

  “Bring her history to me.” Teavers’ tinny voice was cold, hard metal now.

  There were a series of beeps, and then silence that stretched out like a naked tree on a cold winter day.

  “Why has there been no progress since I was here last? Is Micah still conducting sec—secretive experimentation, as he calls it?”

  “I don’t know, sir.”

  “This is not the first time I have seen a promising student fail to meet his expectations. Micah’s early testing showed sensitivity that made me hesitant to advance him, but I had hope. Then he took so long to sec-secure a specimen.” Teavers’ voice came closer. “She is promising, and I will not have the time sp-spent wasted. I will conduct the experiments myself. Bring me the instruments for the next phase.”

  I felt my heartbeat race as I tried to catch my breath without letting on that I was awake and in complete possession of all of my emotions. They were telling me to fight now, but maybe I could handle this. Otherwise Micah would die.

  “Miriam,” Teavers continued. “I ap-appreciate the work you have done here, but Micah will have to be moved to what the young students call The Recycling Bin. He has clearly been compromised.”

  “No!” I jerked upright, scrambling off the board.

  “How interesting,” Teavers said. “You are conscious. And attached to your researcher enough to risk your life for him. So either his work has been successful or he is more compromised than I imagined. Miriam, I will investigate further before placing Micah in Recycling. I suspect there is something of value for our research here.”

  I backed up, the cold metal wall pressing against my back. I concentrated hard, letting the fuel of fear and anger build. Teavers was large, but I was pretty sure I could blast him into infinity. I’d have to worry about the consequences later.

  Before I could reach out my hand, complacency settled over me like a soft blanket. I was still kicking underneath it, but it just seemed so much easier to wander over to the examination table and crawl up to rest.

  “There we go. That is much better, isn’t it? Miriam, this specimen has a strong will, and Micah has chosen not to tamp it down. I feel as if she will need to be immobilized permanently, and we will move on to physical experimentations and procedures.”

  I watched him come toward me. His effect on my mind was stronger than Micah’s. All I could think was that when they were coming for you, you couldn’t really run. Teavers picked up something that looked like a syringe with a huge needle. I took a deep breath. My legs shook as I urged them to move. He reached for my arm.

  A big chunk of metal equipment hovered behind Teaver’s head. It landed with a squishy sound.

  Chapter 29

  Cheyenne stared at her hands as if she couldn’t believe what she’d done. Her upper lip was raised in disgust. Miriam must have left her for too long. She looked like she’d just woken from a dream.

  Teavers grabbed his head as a pale blue liquid oozed out. The high-pitched noise he made hurt my ears, and I covered them, blinking as I came to my senses.

  He knocked Cheyenne backward and screamed, a series of metallic curses that bounced around the sterile room. “Miriam,” he said, composing himself, “conduct yourself worthily and you may be able to continue in this highly esteemed program.”

  Then he turned to me, and I felt his influence begin to settle over me. But his injury, and maybe his temper, had weakened his power. I felt it press on me, and ebb, like the tide. I stared hard at him and reached out my hands, imagining my power flowing through them, and embraced the pain in my head that meant I had control again.

  His wet lips turned up. “I feel your mind fighting me. You are what we have been searching for.” The discovery excited him, and he took a step toward me with new energy. The forced calm wrapped around my brain.

  I clenched my jaw, struggling to hold tight to my emotions and my will. Anger burned through the haze when I pictured The Recycling Bin, where they wanted to put Micah. My eyes flickered to the corner. I could see Micah’s hands banging on the thick glass. Miriam pressed a button, and he was free.

  Teavers’ turned his head, following the direction of my eyes.

  Micah stumbled out of the capsule. He stepped backwards, his hands fumbling on a tray until he grabbed hold of a sharp metal instrument.

  “Leave him alone!” I took a step forward, concentrating on my hatred for Micah’s father.

  He ignored me, lunging toward Micah and knocking him against the wall. I cried out in pain, falling back as well. I lifted my head to see Micah scramble to his feet. He swung the instrument. This time it made contact, slicing into Teavers’ soft body.

  Teavers made the high-pitched noise again. He shoved Micah against the wall, his large arm pressing against his throat.

  “You can’t hurt him! Kill him and you kill me!” I screamed.

  Teavers paused. He looked back at me, a sickly grin spreading across his face. Then he grabbed Micah, pulling him across the floor and stuffing him back into the capsule and slamming it closed. He took hold of Miriam, throwing her out of the room and sealing the door. Then his eyes paused on Cheyenne, but she was whimpering in a corner. “We’ve had enough interruptions,” he said, his voice sharp with warning.

  He took a step toward me. “Micah was correct. You are certainly worth careful study. Don’t be afraid. Sacrifices must be made for the superior sp-species. One day we will all be one.”

  Pain seared through my brain. He didn’t just want me, or Cody. He wanted our whole freaking planet. He wanted to do away with us, in favor of a cold and calculated superior species. Still, I could feel him overpowering me again. I wasn’t strong enough.

  Then I pictured Cody’s face. He wasn’t getting my little brother. I heard my dad’s voice. Run like they’re coming to get you. Maybe he had run away, but I wasn’t going to. I’d rather die trying to keep this slimy creature away from my brother.

  I let the emotions that made me human give me strength, and I fought to control that strength as I focused on Teavers’ body. I couldn’t picture the inside of an alien species as well as I could the inside of a lock, but I remembered the picture I’d seen in the student exa
mination room. I concentrated on where his heart should be. I felt the strength build in my mind and in my legs like I was waiting at the starting line. I heard the sound pushing its way from my throat as I ran for him, my arms outstretched. The burst of power exploded from inside him before I reached him, and I was engulfed in slime, and the pale blue alien blood.

  I gasped for breath, but slime was stuck in my throat. As I squirmed on the hard floor, hands wrapped around me, and I was dragged away.

  “I’m sorry.” Miriam’s voice seemed far away. “It took time to hack in and open the door.” Something was placed on my face. It began sucking out the sticky substance. I coughed, relieved to fill my burning lungs with air.

  “They can produce that substance in impressive amounts when threatened,” she said. “You’ll be okay.”

  I wiped the goo from my eyes as I sat heaving on the floor. My head hurt so much I squeezed it with both hands, but it didn’t help. I couldn’t regret defending myself, but I was covered in the fluid of what had been a living creature—Micah’s father—moments before. I couldn’t move.

  Somewhere in the room, Cheyenne was still crying. I became aware of a banging sound again. Miriam hurried over to let Micah out.

  He burst out of the capsule and ran to me, wrapping his arms around me. He lifted me up, and I rested my head against his chest as he carried me away. Then Miriam was taking off my disgusting slimy clothes. I sputtered as warm water washed over me. Miriam handed me a towel and helped me dress. The clothes must have been hers because the pants were short and tight on me.

  She wrapped a blanket around me that was very thin but impossibly warm. I knew there were important things to discuss. I knew our lives were still in danger. But my head and body ached with exhaustion. I collapsed into a heap and slept.

  Chapter 30

  I woke up in the field again, but this time I was in Micah’s arms. A smile stretched across his face, which looked pale and bluish in the moonlight.

  I heard voices murmuring somewhere behind me.

  “Shhh,” Micah said. “I want you to myself for a moment.”

  A tingle went through my chest, the first really good feeling I’d had in a long time. It faded when I remembered what had just happened.

  “But what about—everything? We’re not safe.”

  Micah stroked my hair. “We’ll have a meeting soon to discuss our present status, and our plans. I told you, I will make sure you and your family are taken care of.” He smiled. “Although to be truthful, it seems you have done most of the work.”

  “Wait.” I frowned. “Taken care of? Where will you go?”

  “Wherever you go.” He leaned forward as if he wanted to kiss me. Then his brow creased. “Or—that’s where I would like to be.” He shook his head. “I have destroyed the life you knew. Not only that, I have stood by and condoned disgusting behavior on the behalf of my species.”

  “You’re right. You have.”

  He closed his eyes a moment. Then looked at me again. “I must be a monster to you, inside and out.”

  Looking at his strangely beautiful face, I wanted to laugh. “That isn’t what I see.”

  “What do you see?” He took a breath, as if steeling himself.

  “I see someone who was willing to change. Who risked his family, his future, his life, actually, to do the right thing.”

  The crease didn’t disappear. “Some of my motives may not have been entirely selfless.”

  “Well, don’t think your people have cornered the market on that.”

  He tipped his head as if he didn’t understand. I smiled and stretched my neck to kiss his chin. He tipped his face down so his lips met mine.

  “They’re here,” I heard Austin say as headlights flooded briefly over the yellow mustard weed.

  I struggled to sit up and turned around. Kaela, Austin, Miriam, Angelica, and Auggie, stood in a cluster watching the car. The doors opened and Mom and Cody got out.

  My breath caught, and I stood up. I felt weak for a moment, the night-world turning black. Micah stood by me, holding my arm as I waited for it to pass. Then I saw them coming toward me. Cody was running. I squatted down and held my arms out for him. He giggled as I fell backward rolling around with him on the ground.

  “You don’t know how good it is to see you, buddy.”

  “Even if I just wiped a booger in your hair?”

  “That’s nothing.”

  I looked up, and saw Mom waiting. There were tears in her eyes as she pulled me up and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. They told me they were going to help you, and after your father—I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Mom. I’m sorry, too.”

  Kaela and Austin joined us, hesitant, as if they didn’t want to interrupt. I smiled and hugged them both.

  “Here.” Kaela handed me a water bottle and a protein bar. “Power up.”

  I grinned as I opened the water and sipped.

  Augustus stalked over, followed by Angelica and Cheyenne. Miriam was close behind.

  “Now that everyone’s here, we need to get down to business.” Auggie was loud and to the point as always. But he ruffled my hair. “Glad you made it out of there,” he whispered.

  “Thanks,” I said. “So what’s the plan?”

  Mom looked at me, her expression pained. “We’re going to run.”

  “Live our lives in hiding?” I asked. “Like Dad?” She flinched, and I wondered if she’d been filled in about Dad’s abduction. Probably not, although she had to have her suspicions after what had just happened.

  “No way. They’re going to find us.” I didn’t know which we I was referring to, but someone would find us.

  “Something happened while you were asleep,” Micah said gently.

  “Our spaceship careened into the canyon.” Miriam didn’t sound very happy about it. “Of course, some information was changed in the system first.”

  “Thanks to the number one hacker,” Austin said, grinning as he looked at Miriam.

  “Number one alien hacker, maybe,” Angelica said stiffly.

  “You and Augustus were never abducted,” Miriam said. “Our people will have enough cover-up work to do with the crash that they’ll probably avoid the area for a while.”

  A while was a start. It wouldn’t save the world.

  “I’m fine, if you’re wondering,” Cheyenne said. “I hadn’t been tagged yet, apparently, so I can go home as soon as you losers let me.”

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” I said. “That was a nice hit, by the way. You saved my butt.”

  “Don’t you forget it,” she said, a hand resting on her hip.

  “I won’t. But you’d better. Say a word about any of this and you may find yourself in a mental facility.”

  Cheyenne scowled.

  “So what about the government? Are we all clear?” I asked.

  “We’re not sure,” Angelica said. “It will take some time for me to find out who knows about you. I can get you guys new identities. That would be the safest route. You can start a new life somewhere. Anywhere you want.”

  I had to admit it didn’t sound half bad. I’d always wanted to travel. But not like this. And I didn’t want to leave my friends. “So we’ll lay low for a while until we know,” I said. “I’m not just going to run my whole life.”

  Mom nodded, pulling Cody close to her. “We’ll assess the situation first. If it’s safe, we can stay.”

  I looked down, noticing I’d been rubbing my wrist, and turned to look at Micah. “But wait. What about the trackers? Eventually your people are going to find us.” My eyes widened. “And Ethan, he has one, too.”

  “Ethan will be fine. He was a bit of a dead end, in more ways than one, so Miriam had no trouble shifting focus away from him when she switched to Cheyenne. We will still attempt to disable the tracking substance.” He glanced at Miriam. “Miriam thinks it might be possible.” His voice was tight, as if he didn’t believe it himself.

  “And if
it can’t be done, it doesn’t matter where we are,” I said. “They’ll find us eventually.”

  “Micah, I told you,” Angelica said. “I’m on this. I’m pretty sure this guy can help us. I just have to track him down and get him to meet with us.”

  “What if it’s a trap of some sort?” Micah asked. “Perhaps it is a way for your government to locate people with information.”

  “I still think he’s legit. I’ll go if you want. It’s worth it if it might help people.”

  “She’s right,” I said, my voice stronger. “This is one battle won, maybe. But they’re not done with our planet. We need to find ways to fight them. We need to join with other people and spread awareness and solutions. We have to take the risk.”

  Epilogue

  I dropped my backpack and gym bag on the floor and headed to the basement, which was already buzzing with familiar voices.

  Our basement had become something of a hub, crowded with computers, tables and chairs, and equipment. Auggie sat at a table rifling through a pile of newspapers for clues about alien activity on Earth. There was a laptop next to him with several tabs open, most likely UFO chat rooms. He was passionate about locating victims and offering any help we could give them. It wasn’t much yet, but we were getting close. And Auggie always said it was best to stick together. He gave me a nod and a smile before turning to peck at the keyboard with his big, thick fingers.

  Cody was sitting beside him with a pile of books and papers in front of him. He looked up, and a big smile spread across his face. “Lexi!” He jumped up and ran to give me a hug.

  “Is that really homework?” I asked.

  “Yeah, homework first, saving the world second. I know the rules.”

  I grinned and fuzzed his head, letting him go back to work beside Auggie.

  Arms wrapped around me and Micah nuzzled in close. “He’s doing well.”