Alien Among Us (TJ Steele Book 1)

by L. Edwin Brown

  Brenda and I made our way through the store until we found Kala, Abagail, and Caroline. Standing with them was a handsome tall gentleman in a grey suit and his arms full of shopping bags.

  When Deputy Harcort saw FBI Agent Morse, with his arms loaded with bags, she began to laugh. I was pleased to see Kala did not take the girls out on her own. With the news media going crazy, trying to find out what is going on at the farm, and Abagail never experiencing freedom, may have been too much for Kala to handle on her own.

  I stepped over next to Agent Morse and relieve him of some of the bags. He told me he had escorted Darla Burrows to the hotel and was to stay with the ladies until Deputy Harcort returned. Are you married, I asked Agent Morse. Yes, he replied. Well then you know when women want to go shopping, you either follow or get left behind. He nodded his head in agreement.

  He smiled and said he felt sorry for Abagail and Caroline, knowing they have never experienced, a shopping mall. He said he cleared it through his supervisor, before bringing them here. I thanked him as he and I made our way through the mall, accumulating more shopping bags, as we moved along.

  With everyone’s help, we managed to get the daily purchases, up to our suite. Agent Morse said his goodbyes, getting a hug from Abagail. Kala helped Abagail, pick out a large selection, of young women’s clothes. They also bought Caroline, a lot of things, as well.

  I told the ladies that Sheriff Miller, has asked me to stay in Grand Junction, a few more days. I said we should be able to leave Monday or Tuesday. The ladies weren’t concerned about having to stay longer. They were just hungry and wanted to eat at McDonalds.

  There were other better restaurants in the area, but Abagail was the one, who really wanted McDonalds.

  The McDonalds restaurant was just across the street from the hotel, so we walked. While the ladies ordered, I was remembering the double burger, I got here the other day. Kala was helping Abagail decide, what she wanted. I was holding Caroline and she only wanted fries. I ordered for her and got both of us a chocolate shake. I handed Kala, my money clip and took Caroline over to a large booth.

  When the ladies came over with two trays of food, it looked like we were feeding an army. Kala wanted Abagail and Caroline to sample a lot of different foods. I slid over against the wall and put Caroline next to me. Kala sat down next to Caroline and Deputy Harcort and Abagail sat on the other side of the booth.

  I held Caroline around the waist while she stood on the seat and picked away at a bag of fries. She enjoyed the shake, most of all, drinking all of hers and part of mine.

  My whole life, I’ve spent as a hard nose intelligent jerk and now I’m crumbling under the warmth and love, of this little two year old.

  I could see Kala felt the same way about Abagail and Caroline that I did. All she wanted was to get them back to Florida and into our safe comfortable home. I was hearing Brenda’s thoughts as we ate. She was also glad, I was the one who had saved, these two precious girls.

  When we finished eating and got back to the hotel, the ladies wanted to show off some of the things, they had purchased today. As I was looking at everything, I realized we needed some additional luggage, to pack this stuff in, when we leave for home.

  Tomorrow we need to run out to Walmart and buy some more luggage, I said. Kala agreed and said there was a few more things she wanted to pick up. I had now been in Grand Junction eleven days and was running out of clean clothes.

  The hotel had a small laundry room on the first floor. I shoved my dirty clothes into a pillow case and made my way down to the first floor, where I found an empty laundry room. I filled all three washers with my clothes and started the machines. I sat in a chair just inside the room and read Friday mornings, The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction.

  The front page was covering the events that had transpired in Fruita, on the Douglas Brighton farm. The article only said the FBI was involved in the investigation and there was a possibility that more than one body was found on the property. The article also mentioned a young kidnapped Iowa women, was rescued from the home, Tuesday night, which started the search of the property.

  Other pages included photos of Douglas Brighton and a little information about him and the Brighton family. I was glad there was no mention of Abagail and Caroline in any of the articles.

  When the washers stopped, I tossed the wet clothes into two large dryers, and started them. I ran back up to the suite with a hand full of snacks, from the small market area in the lobby.

  I gave the dryers and hour, before Kala and I ran back down to the laundry. She helped me fold my clothes, shaking my black designer briefs, in front of my face, before folding them. I knew she was just teasing me, but she also like the way they looked on me.

  Saturday morning, I was up early, fixing coffee in a four cup Mr. Coffee, brewing device. Deputy Harcort was the next one to get up, then Kala. We were sitting at the counter, by the kitchen, when Caroline came running out of the bedroom. Her jammies were wet from where she had peed in them over night.

  I picked her up and took her back into her mother’s bedroom. Abagail looked up at me. I said I was just getting Caroline, some dry clothes. You don’t have to do that, she said. I know, I responded. I like taking care of her. Both of you are very special to me. With Caroline in one arm and her dry clothes in the other, I took her back out into the living area.

  Kala came over and nudged me away from the sofa and she changed Caroline. I went back to the stool next to Brenda. I said as soon as Abagail gets up, we will all go down for some breakfast.

  It was almost 9:00 by the time we made it to the elevators. I held Caroline and let her push the button for the first floor. When the elevator door opened, we stepped out to a room full of news reporters. When they saw us they came running in our direction. Deputy Harcort pushed us back onto the elevator and stopped the rushing crowd.

  Once the elevator door was closed, Kala pressed the fifth floor button, and we started back up. I explained to Abagail why we didn’t stay down in the lobby. She had no problem understanding, what was going on.

  Ten minutes later, Brenda was back up, at our suite. She had called Sheriff Miller and requested backup. She told me we were going down to breakfast, but would need to wait until she gets a call.

  I was in the bathroom, when the call came into Deputy Harcort. We can go down now, she said. We walked down the hall to the elevator and rode it back down to the lobby. We were slow and couscous as we exited. There were several county deputy sheriffs in the lobby. We made our way around the continental breakfast room.

  I held Caroline and we gather up food on a plate. The other ladies did the same and took a seat. I sat at a table next to the other three ladies with Caroline and fed her.

  The news media was at the front door, but the hotel management, had requested they leave the inside of the building. They said they were upsetting the other guess, but I knew better.

  While we were having breakfast, Sheriff Miller came into the hotel. He apologized for the news people’s demonstration and said, I might want to go home today. I said if we go out the front door, we will never get away from the news people.

  He said he will make arrangement with the hotel, for us to use the rear service elevator. He will have one of his officers, bring my SUV around to the back. I handed the Sheriff the key to the SUV and said, we needed thirty minutes to pack.

  The Sheriff went out front and told the news people, who had doubled in size, he would be having a news conference in thirty minutes, in the parking lot.

  I took the ladies up to our suite and Kala helped Abagail pack hers and Caroline things. Deputy Harcort, came to the suite, about twenty five minutes later. We had our luggage packed and shopping bags, sitting by the door. A young bellboy was with her. I picked up Caroline in my right arm and a duffle bag in the left. Kala, Abagail, Brenda and the bellboy, grabbed the rest. We headed down the hallway, to the rear service elevator. The bellboy took a key and brought the elevator to the top floor.
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br />   The Service elevator exited in the hotel’s laundry and supply room. We moved out into the hall and out a rear glass door. We tossed all the bags, in the back of the SUV, and everyone hugged Brenda before getting into the car.

  I took the long way out of the hotel’s parking lot. We could see the Sheriff and news people, over in one corner of the parking lot. I drove straight to the private hanger, at Walker field. I turned the SUV around, and backed it up in front of the security gate. The hanger’s owner opened the gate and said, Sheriff Miller had called and told him, to only allow me and my guest, through the gate. He helped us with the bags which we stowed away in the cargo hold. He said he would take care of my car rental and for me to not worry about it.

  Kala had Caroline and Abagail was holding on to me. I could see she was extremely nervous, as we walked towards the steps at the front of my plane. Kala made her way up the stairs into the cabin space. It took a little coaxing to get Abagail, up and into the plane.

  I put Abagail in the first row seat, next to the window and hooked her seatbelt. She was trembling and her knees were bouncing up and down. I put my hand on her knee and looked into her eyes. I won’t let anything ever happen to you or Caroline. Do you trust me, I asked. She instantly settled down and kissed me on the cheek. I then sat Caroline next to her and fastened her seatbelt. Kala sat across the aisle, in the aisle seat, and fastened her seat belt.

  I leaned over and kissed Kala on the lips and said keep an eye on our precious cargo. I will, she responded. I moved into the pilot seat. I place my headgear on and started communicating with the tower. I gave them my verbal flight plan and they finally released me for take-off.

  As the Gulfstream G200 began to move Abagail stared over at Kala. They smiled at each other, although Abagail’s, was a nervous smile. Caroline was holding her stuffed rabbit, completely content with being on an airplane.

  I taxied to the end of the runway and waited for the go ahead. When the tower cleared me for takeoff, I moved out onto the runway and wasted no time increasing thrust. We were airborne quickly and climbing to thirty five thousand feet.

  The pressurization of the cabin space, bothered Caroline a little, but she was fine, once I leveled off and was cruising. As soon as I had reached our cruising altitude, Kala unhooked her seatbelt and went back to the refrigerator and got several bottles of water for the others.

  After an hour in the air, Abagail became more comfortable. Our flight time was four hours to Sarasota. When we landed in Florida, it was ninety degrees and sunny. I taxied over to Florida Coastal Aviation’s hangar. Samuel Black came out to greet us, along with another young man with a four wheel cart.

  I saw my Cadillac Escalade parked inside the hanger. I stood at the bottom of the steps and held Abagail’s hand as she exited the plane. Caroline was next and when she was on the top step, she jumped into my arms. Kala came off last and took Caroline from me. I opened the cargo hold door and the young man help me unload the luggage and shopping bags onto the cart. I’ll take care of the plane, Samuel said.

  After the Escalade was loaded, Samuel opened the gate and I drove through onto West University Drive. At the end of the road I turned left onto University Parkway and took it out to Interstate 75. It took about forty five minutes to get home.

  When we pulled into the driveway, I pulled up in front by the stairs to the front porch, rather than under the house. When Abagail got out of the SUV, she looked at the grand entrance. I picked up Caroline and told her, this was her home.

  We walked up the stairs and entered the house. The place must have looked like a castle to Abagail. She stood in the foyer looking around and was afraid to move any further.

  I got something I want to show you, I said. I sat Caroline down and took Abagail’s hand and nudged her into the study. On my desk was a photo album. I flipped to the first page, where there was an eight by ten photo of Lorain.

  This is your grandmother, I said. She put the tips of her fingers on top of the photo. It was as if she was feeling her grandmother’s real face. I turned the page and showed her a photo of her grandfather. I said he died young, but I know he would have loved you. On the page next to her grandfather, was the photo of her mother. It was the same one, I had used on all my flyers.

  She placed her hand on her mother’s photo and began to cry. I put my arm around her, and just held her, until she stopped. I said I was going to have her mother’s body sent here, so we can place her next to your grandmother, is that alright with you? She nodded her head yes, and started crying again.

  Caroline came into the room and hugged her mother’s leg. I knew there was nothing I could say that would make, the last eighteen years of Abagail’s life, any better. All I could do now was make each and every day more wonderful for her.

  I flipped through the photo album and told her about her family, all the way back to her great grandparents, who lived on the Edwards Air Force base, next door to me. I closed and handed her the photo album, telling her, it now belongs to her.

  I managed to get her to move through the big house, wanting her to except this place, as her home. I showed her the swimming pool and said I would teach her and Caroline how to swim. I took her up to the second floor and said she could pick any of the bedrooms, she wanted for her own. I said Caroline could also have her own room as well. We can redecorate and make the bedrooms exactly the way she wants them.

  You will never be locked in a room. You can come and go as you please. I’ll teach you how to survive in this world. We’ll send Caroline to the best schools and I’ll teach you things your mother was taught.

  Caroline came running through the house laughing and jumping around. She was happy and her new found freedom was exciting her. Kala came into the foyer, just as Abagail and I were coming down from upstairs. We need to go to the store she said. Your refrigerator is empty. Let’s take the girls out to eat, than stop by the store and pick up some groceries, said Kala.

  How does that sound to you, I asked Abagail? Okay she said. Kala and I took Abagail and Caroline to the Kasey Key Fish House, for dinner. Everyone in the restaurant made a big fuss over Caroline. She is one of the most adorable little girls, you’ve ever seen.

  After dinner we went to the local Publix Grocery store. Neither Abagail nor Caroline had ever seen this much food. It took me a while, but I finally got Abagail, to pick out some things, she liked to eat. Caroline had no problem letting me know what, she wanted. We filled the grocery cart with food making sure we had plenty, milk and bread. When we got out to the car and opened the back, and we all began to laugh.

  We had forgotten about the luggage and shopping bags, we tossed in the SUV at the airport. I rearranged things until I had enough room to load the groceries.

  When we got home I pulled under the house, closed to the stairs that lead up to the kitchen. Abagail took Caroline and Kala and I grabbed some of the grocery bags. Once upstairs we sat the bags on the counter. I made three more trips, just to get all the groceries up to the kitchen. I then began to bring the luggage up.

  I put mine and Kala bags, in the master bedroom, and Abagail’s and Caroline’s, in the foyer, at the bottom of the stairs. Later that evening Abagail choose the bedroom in the back of the house that had the large covered deck. She loved it, because of the ocean view and the large glass doors. She said she wanted Caroline to sleep with her, until she got use to the house.

  That night Kala and I were lying in bed. What’s bothering you, she asked. I have the brains to develop some of the world’s most sophisticate military equipment, but I’m lost when it comes to those two sweethearts upstairs.

  You’re not lost, she replied. You have everything under control. You have that sweet little girl wrapped around your finger and her mother trust you with all her being.

  Maybe so, but I need help with them. I’m here, Kala said. Will you help me, I asked. I’ll be by your side, if that’s what you want. Will you give up your apartment and move in here with me and the girls. Most of my things a
re already here.

  I’ve told Oscar, I would be taking a leave from the restaurant, to help you with our girls. I pulled Kala over next to me and held her, while she fell into a deep sleep.

  I lay there remembering the vision I had of Lorain, on the beach with the palm trees. She told me to take care of Kala and love her forever. I knew in my heart, even though I loved Lorain, I was now in love with Kala.

  The next morning Caroline came running through the house, looking for Kala and me. She looked into the master bedroom and came running over and jumping on the bed. You got to admit, she’s better than an alarm clock, said Kala.

  I got out of bed and took Caroline into the kitchen. I knew now, I would always need to wear pajamas, with this little rascal in the house. I also wondered how Kala and I would ever have another intimate moment together.

  After the other ladies were up, I fixed everyone breakfast. Abagail found it unusual that I could cook. Caroline didn’t care, she just liked the French toast and warm maple syrup.

  After breakfast I took Caroline to a swim shop in Venice. I bought her several floatation devices. With the help of a female sales clerk, I purchased Caroline, three little bathing suits. I then took her back home and covered her in sun screen. I took her out to the pool. I got into the pool and walked over next to the edge. Caroline ran over to the edge and jumped into my arms.

  I put one of the floatation devices on her and lower her into the water. She splashed around and kicked her feet. I stayed right next to her, making sure she stayed afloat. Several times she went under, but it didn’t bother her. She took to the water like a fish.

  Kala came out by the pool and told me, she was taking Abagail, to the mix and match bathing suite shop, on Siesta Key. I wave at her and went back to watching Caroline. I let her play in the pool for several hours, before getting her out of the sun. She played under the canopy on a large thick yoga mat, while I read the Sunday paper.