The Flyer (The Flyer Series Book 1)

by Frédérick S. Parker

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, resting my forehead against his. “I couldn’t pull the trigger. I couldn’t risk hitting you.”

  “It’s okay.” Aaron pressed himself against me. “We’ll get through this.” I nodded. “Sorry about your job, by the way,” he added.

  “It’s fine. I’ll find another.”

  “Okay, break it up you two,” Cody grunted, tucking the stollen feather in his shirt pocket. “We still have a long journey ahead of us.”

  For the next two hours we walked in relative silence. Every now and then Aaron would glare at our captor over his shoulder. When my belly started rumbling again, Cody gave me more deer jerky, but this time he didn’t give any to my boyfriend. I tore my stick in half and handed it over. Before Aaron could accept it, the fame fanatic butted in.

  “Don’t give him any.”

  “But he’s hungry.”

  “So?” Cody jerked his gun, indicating that we should walk farther apart. “My rations are limited. You’re the one I’m concerned about. Don’t want my money ticket going hungry. Besides, he doesn’t need it. From the looks of him, he could stand to miss a few meals. Don’t know how you managed to haul his fat ass off the ground.”

  “I don’t have a fat ass!” Aaron declared, rounded on Cody, his deep green eyes aflame.

  “Whatever,” the fame junky said lazily, coming to a stop as my boyfriend stared him down. “That gut is testing your shirt to its limits.”

  “Say what you want,” Aaron sneered, giving his round belly a proud smack. “My baby likes me just the way that I am.”

  Cody raised his gun so the muzzle was resting against my boyfriends midsection. When I took a step closer, he cast an unsettling smirk my way. “Relax, I’m not going to shot him.” then turning his attention back Aaron, said, “You’d better enjoy that while you can ‘cause when I tell the world about him, he’s going to be straight. Nobody wants a gay angel.”

  My boyfriend’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t say anything.

  “I’m not gay,” I snarled, taking another step toward Cody, hoping to intimidate him with my size. “I’m bi and if you tell the world about me, I’ll make sure everyone knows it.”

  “Not if your wings are out, you won’t,” Cody sneered, pushing on the gun which in turned sank into Aaron’s plump belly. “I’ll make sure of it. Now keep moving.”

  I wanted more than anything to grab him and tackle him to the ground, but so long as he had possession of that firearm, I was powerless. As we pushed on, my boyfriend rubbed the spot where our captor had poked him. His expression was inscrutable so I moved a little closer.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” he grunted, casting the fame fanatic a lethal stare. “I just can’t wait for this asshole to get what he deserves.”

  “That’s it!” Cody snapped, grabbing Aaron by the shoulder and spinning him around. “I have had it up to here with your snarky attitude. Now that I know the angel can talk, I don’t need you.”

  “What, you’re going to shoot me?” my boyfriend demanded, making it sound like a challenge.

  “You know I would,” the wild man hissed, raising his gun. “But you’re not worth the bullet. I’ll just leave you out here. Let the wildlife take a shot,” he chuckled at this. “You’d make a sizable meal.”

  “You can’t just leave me out here. People will notice I’m missing.”

  “They may notice, but they’ll never find you. Haven’t you heard? People get lost out here all the time, never to be heard from again. Heck, the authorities have been trying to track me down for years.”

  For the first time, Aaron started to look nervous. When he cast me a sideways glance, I immediately took over. “If you leave him behind, you might as well leave me too.”

  “Oh, really?” the crazed Bigfoot hunter grunted, aiming his weapon at my boyfriend’s chest. “Maybe I should do away with him. Then you’d have no reason to stay.”

  I briskly stepped in between the nose of the firearm and Aaron. “If you shoot him, you might as well shoot me too. There’s no way I’m abandoning him.”

  “Is that right?” Cody lowered his gun. “You’re really willing to die for him?”

  “Yes.”

  He studied me for a moment, then shrugged. “Whatever. It’s no skin off my teeth. If you want your tubby boyfriend to tag along, so be it. Consider it an early birthday present. But if he continues to run his smart mouth, all bets are off. Got it?”

  Ignoring him, I turned my attention to Aaron. “You good?”

  He nodded, his shoulders squaring slightly as he cast the fame whore one last look before we moved on. I was just glad Cody’s nasty comments about his figure had no effect. Aaron didn’t utter another word, but he made no attempts to hide his girth. We’d been walking in silence for several minutes when Cody suddenly demanded my phone.

  “Why?” I asked nervously.

  “It just occurred to me that if you really have a mother, she must be an angel too. Two angels are better than one.”

  “Leave her out of this,” I snarled, ready to turn and face him, but he aimed his gun at my boyfriend, a bored look on his face.

  “Come on. Must we drag this out?”

  My heart hammered as I handed over my phone. The fame seeker turned it on and went to my contacts. He tried to call my mom, but it wouldn’t go through. No service. What a relief! It was bad enough I was in this situation. I didn’t want her getting dragged in as well. While my mother could pass as human, her ability to download knowledge would be of great interest to many.

  “Crap!” Cody hissed, placing my phone in his pocket. “Whatever. We’ll be in range by tonight. I’ll just try later.”

  True to his word, he sent a text message to my mother telling her to meet me in the visitor’s center parking lot at the National Forest tomorrow morning. Of course my mother eagerly texted back that she would be there, thinking she was talking to me. When he set up camp, Cody gave me the rest of his food, saying that once we got started tomorrow it would only take us an hour or so to get to the visitor’s center. Once again he refused to let me share my food with Aaron. By now my boyfriend looked miserable as his insides gurgled loudly. I tried to sneak him some food, but Cody made sure we were at least twenty feet apart when he secured our handcuffs to two different trees. He then set up his sleeping bag between us. He didn’t close his eyes until he saw that my plate was clean. Every time I stalled, he would point his gun menacingly at Aaron. My hands were literally tied.

  The next morning, Cody woke me up at 7:00am. I hadn’t gotten much sleep. Only two or three hours. Aaron looked like he'd gotten even less. It killed me to see him looking so broken down. Just you wait, Cody, I thought to myself as he disconnecting my cuffs from the tree. First chance I get I’m taking you down. Nobody treats my boyfriend like that. Nobody. Once he’d packed up his things, the fortune seeker, spurred us on. The closer we got to the campgrounds, the more his excitement grew. He’ll make a mistake. It’s just a matter of time. My patience paid off. We couldn’t have been more that ten minutes from the nearest campsite when Cody tripped over a log. He’d been so busy rambling about what he planned to do after he became famous that he wasn’t watching where he was going. As his gun went flying, I didn’t miss a beat. Letting my wings surge free and spinning on the spot, I looped my cuffed wrists around him before he hit the ground. Gripping him firmly around the chest, I kicked off the ground. Good thing my left wing was better. I was not missing the opportunity to put the fear of god into the bastard who tortured my boyfriend.

  As I took Cody high into the air he screamed, begging me to put him down. A couple times he tried to grab at me, but each time he did, I let him slip a little. It didn’t take long for him to get the message. When I was sure he was good and scared, I returned to where we’d left Aaron. He had a smug grin on his face, Cody’s gun in his hands. When I touched down, my boyfriend didn’t waste a second jabbing the fame fanatic in the gut with the mouth of his own firear
m.

  “Not so tough now are you, hot shot? What were you saying about enjoying it while it lasts? I hope you took your own advice.”

  While Aaron held Cody at gun point, I retracted my wings before reaching in his shirt pocket and taking back my feather. Then I snatched my phone. After placing both in my own pocket, I took his bag and dig through it until I found a key to the heavy duty handcuffs. Once both Aaron and my wrists where free, we toss the cuffs back into his bag.

  “What do you want to do with him?” my boyfriend asked, staring menacingly at Cody. “I have it on good authority there’s a cliff near here we can throw him off.”

  “Not necessary,” I said, also staring down the fortune junky. “He’s been living in the National Forest illegally for the last ten years. The park rangers will love to have a word with him.”

  “Perfect.” Aaron replied, not taking his eyes off Cody. “We can add kidnapping to those charges.”

  When we called the forest rangers and told them about Cody Grayson, they were eager to meet up with us. Entering the visitor’s center parking lot, the police were waiting for us. They thanked us for our help before dragging our former captor away. He tried to tell them that I was an angel, but of course they thought he was crazy. Aaron gave him the finger as he was forced into the back of one of the squad cars. Once they disappeared from sight, my boyfriend turned to face me.

  “Happy Birthday,” he said, giving me an exhausted smile.

  Taking his face in my hands, I kissed him. The past twenty hours were rough, but with him by my side, I couldn’t ask for a better gift.

  “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Aaron gazed up at me, his eyes sparkling. “The feeling is mutual.”

  I was just bowing down for another kiss when someone called my name. Turning around, I found my mother hurrying toward me, a large dark suitcase trailing behind her. I hadn’t seen her in a week and she looked worn out and tired. Just like I felt.

  “Hey, Mom.” It was only then that I remembered Cody’s text for her to meet us here. She was packed and ready to go. Stepping away from Aaron I accepted her embrace.

  “So, you’re finally ready to come home?”

  “Yes, but we’re bringing someone with us.”

  “Who?”

  I gestured at Aaron who my mother only just seemed to notice. “My boyfriend.”

  “Uriah, I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s human. There’s no place for him on our planet.”

  “Listen, Mom, you wanted me to come. I’m coming, but this is my one condition.”

  She hesitated before turning her attention to my boyfriend. “Are you sure about this? We are traveling through a portal to an alien planet.”

  Aaron gave a casual shrug. “Okay. I’ve been meaning to get away.”

  “Did Uriah tell you that the portal is unstable? It could close behind us, trapping you on our planet forever.”

  Aaron’s green eyes shifted over to me. This was clearly news to him and, judging by the look on his face, not good news.

  “My mother is trying to scare you,” I quickly said. “Yeah, the portal could close at any moment, but it hasn’t in the last ten years. I doubt the next day or two are going to make any difference.”

  He still looked on edge, but my boyfriend nodded. “Lead the way, Mrs. Smith.”

  “As you wish.” Mom looked less than pleased as she turned to me and said, “When you texted asking to meet at the National Forest, I thought maybe you’d discovered where the portal is.”

  “It’s here?”

  “Yep, just this way.” She headed down one of the trails. It wasn’t the one that leads to the bluff. This one led to one of the campsites. About twenty-five feet in, Mom stepped off the trail and headed for a large tree with a knot halfway up its trunk. On the other side, she stopped and pointed to a small clearing.

  “Can you see it?”

  Looking carefully, I soon found what she was pointing at. Turning my head just right, I caught a faint distortion in space. It looked like a heat wave, contorting the brushes behind it. Now I know where it is, I thought as I shot Aaron a gleeful look. Smiling back at me, he reached over and took my hand. As eager as he looked I could tell yesterday’s ordeal was weighing heavily on him. He needed food and rest. The adrenaline of escaping Cody the barbarian wouldn’t last long.

  Taking my other hand, my mother led us forward. Stepping through the portal was like walking through a breeze way; a gust of chilly air, then we came out the other side. Everything abruptly changed. The National Forest was replaced with an open, lightly wooded area. The trees were tall and far apart, their bases shrouded in large damp ferns. The trees had thick trunks and their branches were clustered close to the top. A soft melody drifted through the air, enchanting my ears.

  “The house is this way,” Mom said, gently pulling my attention away. Turning around, I found that we were standing at the edge of the forest. There was a small log cabin a few yards away. Leaving the shimmering blue portal behind, my mother led the way to a house I hadn’t seen in almost ten years. Coming up the front walk, my eyes searched for something familiar, but I got nothing. I gripped Aaron’s hand a little tighter as Mom opened the front door. Entering the cabin, I had to duck significantly to keep from scraping my head. Why is the frame so low?

  Leaving the large suitcase by the door, my mother led the way into the main room. There was a large rug on the floor, a fireplace to the left and a rocking chair positioned in the middle. Apart from a small table with an oil lamp and a bookshelf, there wasn’t a lot in the room. Also the place had a really archaic feel to it. Very hand-made.

  “Jedediah, we’re back!” my mother called, coming to a stop in the middle of the rug. A short, stocky man entered out of what I’m guessing was the kitchen. His face was broad and his thick muscular arms looked a little long for his body. They gave him a sort of simian look. My first thought was that this must be her brother, but she’d never mentioned having one.

  “I expected you last week,” he said, coming over and kissing her. “What happened?”

  “Just a slight delay,” she replied, turning to smile at me. “Uriah, you probably don’t remember him, but this is your father, Jedediah.”

  “My father?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. The man was almost a full foot shorter than me. I think he was even shorter than Aaron. However, looking closer at him, I did notice that we did share some characteristics. He had the same golden eyes and cream-colored skin as me. The main reason for our differences is that he was a Builder.

  “To finally hear him speak!” Jedediah exclaimed, his eyes going wide. “I waited so long to hear your voice, son.”

  I didn’t know what else to say. He was staring at me like he’d waited his whole life for this moment while I'd barely thought of him. As far as I’d been concerned he was the man who couldn’t be bothered to step through the portal to visit his son. But I could see the love in his eyes. How much he’d missed me.

  “Hey,” I managed as Mom gave me an encouraging smile. After staring up at me for an uncomfortably long time, my dad’s eyes switched over to Aaron.

  “And who’s this?”

  “Aaron Applegate,” my mother replied. “Our son’s boyfriend.”

  I didn’t know how the man I’d only known for the first eight years of my life would react to this and for some reason I cared. To my surprise he just nodded and smiled as if that were the most normal thing in the world.

  “Nice to meet you, Aaron.”

  “Likewise.” My boyfriend looked just as surprised as I felt.

  “Well, I just got breakfast on the table,” Jedediah said, his focus turning back to me. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  Mom laughed. “This one is always hungry.”

  “I should have guessed.” He led the way to the kitchen. “You can’t get that big and not have a healthy appetite.”

  On entering the kitchen, I was surprised to find it looked just as old-timey as
the main room. There was a stove and some cupboards, but other than the table, it was empty. No refrigerator, freezer or microwave. No toaster or coffee machine. Did this house not have electricity? There was another oil lamp in the center of the small round table.

  “You live without electricity?” I asked as my father gestured for everyone to take a seat.

  He cast me a puzzled look. “Everyone here lives without electricity.”

  “Everyone as in…?”

  “The entire planet.” Now he looked at Mom who was avoiding his gaze. “You’re mother didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “There is no electricity on Antomia. At least not the surface. The lightening strikes the clouds, but it never makes it to the ground.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since the Supernova!” now Jedediah was gaping at my mother. “Tell me you told him about the Supernova.”

  “I did,” she murmured, getting up and retrieving plates for the table. “I just didn’t get to the part about the electricity.”

  “What else didn’t you get to?” he demanded as she placed silverware around the table. “You were supposed to teach him about our world.”

  “I told him everything he needs to know.”

  “That remains to be seen,” Jedediah grunted. He began spooning a thick brown stew from a large caldron which perched on the stove onto each of our plates. Meanwhile, I wondered what else my mother had omitted from my studies. According to her, hundreds of thousands of years ago, a star expired near our planet. She told me that this event had reproductions, but she’d been vague about what they were. Had she left out certain details about my home planet on purpose? My father distracted me from this troubling thought by asking about my time on Earth. While we ate, he tried to learn as much about me as possible. When I told him how Mom moved us out to the country when I was fourteen, he looked astonished.

  “Why would she do that?!”

  “His genetic suppressant was starting to diminish,” she quickly cut in. “It was no longer safe for him to live in the city.”