“Cheers, everyone, to saving Earth.”
They lifted their arms and clanked their pop cans in a toast, “To saving Earth!”
“I second that,” said a voice stepping out of the trees behind them.
Casey wrapped her arms around the towering figure with wavy blond hair and buried her face against his broad chest. The insignia on his blue one-piece uniform barely scratched her skin. “Orthon,” she whispered. “I’ve missed you so much.” She jumped away, suddenly suspicious. “What’re you doing here? We didn’t say anything to anybody.” Glaring, she cast a questioning look toward Mike, who lifted his arms in mock confusion.
“I know,” Orthon mouthed before he turned toward the others.
Mike and Jack hurried to shake his hand as Orthon smiled. “It’s great to see you. I thought I’d pay you a visit on this very special day to catch up.”
“Hey, how come Blue didn’t bark when you came?” said Mike.
Patting Blue’s head, Orthon said, “I talked to him in his mind before I even set eyes on you.”
Casey shook her head. The telepathy thing still freaked her out. “How’s everyone?”
“After you left, everyone returned to Agartha. Our royal family can’t thank you enough, and we’ve never been happier. We even named today Earth Day, in honor of Thorn and the three of you. We’ll celebrate it from this day forward.”
“Wow!” Casey’s cheeks threatened to burst out in flames any minute. She certainly didn’t deserve any of Orthon’s praise. Blinking, she tuned back in to the conversation. “A holiday named after us? That’s—”
“The least you could do for us after we saved your butts,” Mike chimed in. When Casey nudged him, he shot her an amused look. “Just kidding, girly-girl. We didn’t see it coming, Orthon. Thank you.”
“Why not?” said Orthon. “Do you know anybody who has saved ten billion lives? I’m including your population and mine of course. You guys and Thorn made a great team.”
A brisk wind swept back Jack’s hair. “Speaking of Thorn, where is he?”
“He spent a few hours with us, then had to leave with General Ashtar and Commander Gallant on another mission. They send their best wishes and hope you’re happy with the rewards The Galactic Federation has bestowed on you. They’ll see you next anniversary, when we bring you back for a celebration. I want you to know you’ll be taken care of for the rest of your lives.”
Casey shook her head in disbelief. An alien benefactor? Never thought in a million years I’d have one of those, but it is pretty awesome. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Orthon smiled. “No, it’s our way of thanking you for all you’ve done. I have something that I believe belongs to you.” He handed her an envelope.
“What is it?” She peered inside, curiosity taking over her good manners. Then she let out a gasp and poured the contents into her hand. It was the silver locket and ring she had dropped in the ocean because they feared it would attract the sharks. “Oh my gosh! I thought they’d be lost forever. How did you get them?” She peered at Orthon. “A better question would be, how did you even know about them?”
Orthon winked. “Nothing escapes us in Agartha.”
Casey pulled him close in a tight hug. “That sounds a bit freaky, but thank you. My grandmother gave them to me before she passed away, and they mean the world to me. I even had our family picture put in the locket.”
“Lucky we found them then,” he said.
She cleared her throat, raising her gaze to his. “Orthon, how did you know where we were?”
Orthon let out a short chuckle. “A good Agarthian agent never gives up his sources. Do you mind if I sit?”
Mike handed him a slice of pizza. “Make yourself at home, buddy.”
“Thank you,” he said, taking a bite.
Casey watched him as he chewed slowly, his brows raising a few times. “What do you think?” she asked.
Orthon nodded enthusiastically. “It’s, uh, salty and rich but…good.”
She laughed as her mind came up with its own translation: “It’s, uh, good, but…not as great as our lettuce.” She shook her head. “Agartha’s one place where McDonald’s would never stand a chance. They’d be closed down in a heartbeat instead of making millions.”
They all chuckled.
“Where’re you parked, Orthon?” Jack glanced around as he took a swig of his drink.
“Above the trees. Don’t worry. She’s cloaked.”
Casey wiped her mouth with a napkin, grinning. “Guess you don’t have to bother looking for a parking spot. I just hope you don’t get a ticket.”
He laughed. It was nice to see his face light up when he wasn’t so serious.
“You’re one cool alien,” said Mike. “Maybe I could drive us to the moon, ya know? For old times’ sake?”
Orthon clapped his shoulder. “My ship only needs one pilot. I’m not sure I’d be happy in the passenger seat.”
“Well, if you need a pilot, just give me a call. I come with the highest recommendations,” said Mike.
“What about you, Casey?” asked Orthon. “Thorn said you were fantastic.”
She shook her head. “Thank you, but I’ll just keep my feet on the ground.”
“Wait a sec,” said Mike. “He recommended her but not me? I saved their lives a million times. I was the one who—”
“No, he mentioned you too. In fact, he spoke of you as the savior of the mission.” Orthon winked at her.
Mike beamed. “Really? I guess the dude knows what he’s talking about.”
Casey wished Thorn would come visit too. Memories of him and Agartha flooded her brain. She pondered for a moment and then giggled.
Jack spun toward her. “What?”
“Remember when Mike held that baby T-rex and it tried to bite off his hand?”
“And you, missy,” said Mike, “should’ve seen your face when you thought you had a spider on you.”
Jack slapped his forehead. “Don’t even get me started. I’ve got goods on both of you. I should write a book one day.”
Orthon chuckled.
“Jack!” Casey playfully slapped his hand.
“You’re easy to wind up today,” said Jack. “Must be the outlook of another fishing trip, but I hope your dad picks a better location this time—preferably one that doesn’t involve a hidden civilization and the local T-rex and its hungry offspring.”
“Another fishing trip sounds like fun,” said Mike. “Maybe we could ditch Jack so we get to spend some alone time together.”
“You hear that, Blue?” said Casey. “The guy still thinks everyone on Earth has to have the hots for him. Go sic ‘im.”
Blue barked and licked Mike’s hand.
Casey burst out in laugher. “No, I said sic, not lick.” She patted Blue’s enormous head. “I really need to send you to obedience school, don’t I?”
He rolled over and started purring while Casey gave him a tummy rub.
After all the things they’d seen, there was no way life could just go on as it had before. It helped to talk about it with Mike and Jack and also to paint. Hopefully, no one would ever go in her art studio and see her walls lined with a world of fantasy and science fiction—a world that she knew was actually real.
The End.
Termination - Book 9 in The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series (The Conclusion) Page 7