“The ARC.” I sighed. “You were at the ARC all this time?”
Here a part of me was scared that he actually knew he had died. Or did he?
“Yeah,” Beck said in response to my rambling. “You must have really hit your head.”
“May I speak to Mera a second alone?” Alex asked. “It’s really important.”
“Sure.” Beck leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. “I’ll be right outside.”
I nodded, but before he could pull away, I grabbed onto him. I grabbed him and held him, allowing my hands to feel his back, neck, head, and then face. It felt so good.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me, too.” Another kiss and Beck stepped back. “Alex, please don’t drive her nuts.”
Alex waited until Beck had left and we were alone. He then walked over and sat on the bed next to me.
“So check this out, Mera. One second I’m downing this vial and looking at you, the next I’m on the porch downing a shot of whiskey. I nearly fucking choked.”
“I’m sorry.” I grabbed his hand. “I’m sorry. I really am. I followed the rules; I did nothing. Said nothing. I don’t know how this happened? Did it happen?”
“You mean suddenly that Beck isn’t dead?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, he’s alive. To you and me he’s been dead. To everyone else he’s been at the ARC.”
“Alex, I’m sorry to put you in this. I swear to God, I don’t know how it happened.”
“Of course, you don’t.”
“I’m serious, Alex, I don’t.”
“And I’m serious, Mera, of course you don’t know how it happened. You didn’t change it …” Alex said then lowered his voice. “I did.”
16.
Alex Sans
From the moment the soldier said, “I’m sorry,” I knew who he was.
Back when it happened, he had taken Marissa from me, then handed her to another as he walked me out. Back then, when it happened the first time, I didn’t speak. I couldn’t speak.
But when I took the Cerebral trip and saw him, I couldn’t help it. It blurted out.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Thirty seconds. I had maybe thirty seconds to get it out.
“Then please, when we’re out there, in a few minutes, someone is going to think they see a lone Sleeper. You will say he’s big. He is, but he’s not a Sleeper. Do not shoot him.”
He looked at me confused, nodded and then I was gone. I had no idea if my words would affect the situation.
Unfortunately for me, when I returned I was sipping a whiskey, inhaled from my abrupt return, and choked.
Of course, I wasn’t at Levi’s house. If I was correct, we didn’t need to take the trip because there wasn’t a need for resolution, so we ended up right where we’d be had Beck never died.
To figure out what all was different was going to be a challenge, but a part of me felt confident it wasn’t going to be that big of a difference in Grace.
How convenient that Beck went to the ARC with Phoenix. Instead of dying in that small town and never coming to Grace, he lived and went to the ARC, arriving here after all that time.
Was I wrong in what I did? Morally, I was. I had no right to cheat fate. But I did it for me and, most of all, for Mera.
In the midst of those thoughts, I felt a slight throb in my arm and looked down at the bandage. I had still been bitten, which meant the confrontation still took place.
Everything had to be very similar or the same. Beck wasn’t around in either scenario.
Everything but Mera’s and my relationship, that had to be better.
Maybe not.
I returned to sitting on the porch, having a drink, and absorbing the sudden onset of memories that I never lived through. However, in essence, I had. Memories that felt real, but seemed more as though I had just watched them on a movie of my life.
Whether Beck was back or not, one thing remained the same. I was bitten, which meant we found that baby and the declaration of Sleeper slaughter was still in effect.
It would prove interesting now, how it would be handled with Beck in the picture.
One thing was for sure: Mera’s relationship with me would forever be different. It had to be. We shared a secret that no one would or could ever know about.
PART TWO – A NEW ORDER
Avenging Jessie
17.
Mera Stevens
A part of me was still having a hard time determining if anything was real. When I woke the next day, I had two sets of memories, one where Beck dies, and the other where he didn’t.
Which was real? It was like a very vivid dream that stays with you as if the events had really transpired. In my case they had, and I had to adjust emotionally.
It was especially confusing when I woke up alone in bed. When I fell back to sleep after hitting my head, Beck was lying next to me. Then I smelled food— eggs, and coffee— and I tossed the covers from the bed. Alex was probably cooking again, and I hated the way he made eggs. Sunny side up with crispy edges, doused with a ton of salt and pepper.
But the kids loved his crazy eggs, so after freshening myself, I went to the kitchen.
The children, all of them, including Danny and Jessie, sat at the long table. So many kids, a dozen in all, and Phoenix was positioned next to Keller. It was an odd sight, watching him guide Keller’s hand to the food.
Beck turned from the stove with a pan. “Morning.”
My stomach twitched; it was so good to see him.
“Mera, how do you do this? How do you feed all these little people?” Beck asked. “I feel like I am nonstop cracking eggs.”
“You have to crack them at night and put them in the fridge. Make do with meals that go far.” I shrugged. “Alex has his own method. Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I wanted to see how it works around here. They have to get to know me again. I made coffee.”
“Thank you.” I walked over to the pot and jumped a little when he darted a kiss to my cheek.
It was going to take some getting used to. After I poured my coffee, I saw the bags and boxes by the kitchen door.
“What is all that?” I asked.
“Mera, you know what that is,” Beck replied. “Sonny is leaving.”
Before any words could escape my mouth through my shock, I saw Sonny loading the back of a pickup truck. I hurriedly took a large swig of coffee, set down the mug, and walked outside.
Sonny looked at me and headed toward the porch.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
“Mera, I’m leaving. Looking for a new place. I told you this yesterday.”
“No.” I shook my head. “You said you were thinking about leaving Grace.”
“No, Mera, I told you I was without a doubt leaving.”
“You can’t go out there alone, Sonny. You can’t. It’s dangerous.”
“Then it’s a chance I’ll take, because you know I feel this is going to be dangerous. The sooner I go, the sooner I can find a place for all of us.”
I exhaled and turned my head. It wasn’t how I recalled the conversation going.
“Why are you acting like this again?” Sonny asked.
“Things are different today.”
Sonny looked beyond me to the house. “Does Beck seem different?”
“More than you know.”
“I know you were hoping, like me, that when he got back here, he’d side with us the second he saw that baby. But come on, we should have known.” Sonny tossed his head. “It’s gonna backfire on him. That is the main reason I am finding a new place. So you and the kids have somewhere to go.”
I didn’t have a clue what Sonny was talking about, and I couldn’t ask him. Apparently, things were not as I thought.
“You’re so angry, Sonny.”
“So should you be. A year. A year spent subduing the virus in Phoenix, if Javier can do that, why can’t he create something that subdues it in all S
leepers? Instead of Beck’s Reckoning plan, why not cure them.”
Beck’s Reckoning plan?
“I have to get my stuff.”
“Wait.” I grabbed Sonny’s arm as he brushed by me. “If I said I didn’t know what you were talking about or what you mean by ‘Beck’s Reckoning’, what would you say?”
“That you were lying,” Sonny said. “So why would you say that?”
“Because I don’t know.”
Sonny scoffed. “Mera.”
“I don’t. I really don’t,” I conveyed with emotions and convictions so he’d absolutely not doubt me. One thing about Sonny, he believed people. I know, unless something changed, Sonny believed me.
“Was it from hitting your head?”
“No.” I brought my hand to my face. “Sonny, you know how Levi had that one cerebral time trip left?”
“Has.”
“Had.” I corrected. “Probably still does, but didn’t yesterday. We used it. I went. Alex was supposed to be the assurance, but instead of assuring that I didn’t do anything stupid, Alex did it.”
“What are you talking about Mera?”
“Beck died.” I whispered. “I went back to resolve that last moment and I did, but Alex stopped his death. I had no idea until I woke and saw Beck in bed with me.”
“That’s why you screamed?”
I nodded then saw the look on his face. “You don’t believe me.”
“I want to. I believe you believe it.”
“And you know what? That’s fine. Just tell me about Beck’s Reckoning and how …” I paused when I heard the back porch door open. I turned around to see Alex stepping off the porch and had an idea. “Watch. He’ll be clueless about you leaving. Test him. You’ll see.”
Sonny glanced at me and then to Alex.
“Hey, Sonny,” Alex said. “Going somewhere?”
I replied. “Sonny is leaving Grace, Alex, you know this. He told us all yesterday.”
“Oh, that’s right. Yeah, sorry to see you leave.”
“You’re an asshole,” I told him. “Sonny is leaving and that’s all you have to say?”
“We’ll hear from him. He’s just looking for another place. Isn’t that what you said yesterday? He’s not gonna go find one and not tell us.” He reached out and gave a squeeze to Sonny’s arm. “Good luck. I’ll catch you before you’re gone. I have to go to the clinic; Levi called about the Sleeper baby. No, he didn’t die.” He started walking away.
“Alex,” Sonny called to him. “Um... why did you sleep here last night?” he shifted his eyes to me.
Alex stopped walking. He turned around with a quirky smile. “I’m sorry.”
“You slept here,” Sonny continued. “Did you have a fight with your wife? I can’t see her being okay with you staying here knowing yours and Mera’s past. You were fighting?”
Alex blinked. “Uh …”
“It’ll work out. I’m sure. You’ll be back home tonight.”
“My wife. Yes. We will work it out. Thanks.” After a hurried look of horror, Alex spun and took off.
I looked up to Sonny. “He doesn’t have a wife, does he?”
Sonny shook his head and faced me. “Nope. Who would marry him? Beck’s Reckoning.” He exhaled. “When Beck was at the ARC, he organized the remaining four thousand military and started moving them out to clean sweep areas. They are using everything and anything on that side and plan to keep moving east.”
“But the remaining people at the ARC started leaving. When Danny went there it was pretty much empty.”
“Danny?” Sonny asked. “Why would Danny go to the ARC?”
“Well, they’d survey the area for Sleepers and they went to check on Phoenix.”
“Beck did that from the ARC. I don’t know about the change, but there was no need to send anyone to look after Phoenix.”
“Beck was there.”
Sonny nodded. “Mera, I know I am writing the Doctrines, but did you ever stop to think that we aren’t supposed to change the future? Randy tried, it didn’t work. Maybe mankind does have an extinction timeline and this is the beginning.”
“If you don’t think it can be changed, why are you leaving?”
“This is gonna get bigger than Beck. This cleansing, this Reckoning, this killing every Sleeper. I’m leaving because I have to. The world may end, man may become extinct, but it won’t happen in our lifetime. I have to find somewhere for you and the kids to go, when the time comes— and it will— that you have to run.” After a solemn look, Sonny touched my shoulder gently as he walked by me to the house to gather the remainder of his things.
18.
Alex Sans
I tried not to show the look of sheer confusion and panic on my face when I hightailed it from the house. I’d catch up with Sonny before he left. I had things to give him and I wanted my goodbye to be private. Despite Mera’s stock name-calling of me, I wasn’t cold or callous about Sonny leaving. It saddened me.
But at that second, I was in a whirlwind of disbelief.
I had a wife?
I panicked.
How the hell did that happen? Beck wasn’t even in Grace, how did I end up getting married? The only thing I could rationalize was that in the Beck-is-dead time, I never tried to find anyone because I was too busy worrying about Mera. More than the how I got married, I really needed to find out ‘who’ I married.
I know women. If I didn’t fight with this wife, then I was going to be in trouble staying out all night.
What the hell? Who was it? I started thinking of every woman in the camp. Who was eligible, who was nice, who could I tolerate?
Arriving at the clinic didn’t help, I needed to think clearly, I needed to find out, but I also didn’t want to alert anyone. Not that they would know, but how does one forget his wife?
Heck, it didn’t even come to me with all the new memories that flooded in. It could have and I ignored it. Maybe I hate this woman and am trapped.
Maybe …
I stepped inside the small clinic and didn’t see anyone. Levi summoned me to speak about the baby. Maybe he found out more through the DNA, not that I would know. So since I couldn’t see Levi, I knew where the baby was last seen.
I walked by the nursery on my way to the closet and was surprised to see the Sleeper baby in there. Not only had they moved him, Pastor Mike was holding him with a smile.
I waved through the window and walked inside.
“Hey, Mike. Man you have the magic touch. He isn’t so beastly today.” I looked down at him. “His eyes are still weird.”
“He’s still a beautiful child.” He showed me the baby. “Want to hold him?”
“Nah, I’m good. I didn’t wash my hands. What… uh brings you here?”
“I wanted to see for myself the child that everyone fears.”
“That would be Phoenix or Keller.” I said. “No one knows about this one.”
“I’m not talking about the general population; I am talking about the select few who want to put this child to sleep.” He gave a nod toward me. “Present company included.”
“This baby is proof that they are evolving. We can’t have that. We can’t have our future belong to them. They already outnumber us.”
“Them?”
“Sleepers.”
“They are us, Alex, just different.”
“Uh, Padre? They kill people.”
“So do we,” Michael replied.
“Without reason and with deadly instinct.”
“So do we.”
I grunted and tossed out my hand. “I’m not arguing with you.”
“Argued enough last night?”
My eyes lifted and I felt a bright relief hit me. Michael mentioned me fighting; Michael knows my wife. “So you heard about the fight?”
“Yes. She told me.”
“She has a big mouth.”
“Alex, please. Be nice. She has a valid point.”
“To her.”
“To me as
well,” Michael said.
“Damn it.”
“What?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Where is she now?”
“At home.”
This time I thought it, Damn it.
“Weren’t you just there?” Michael asked.
“It’s complicated.” As I reached up to the back of my head, I spotted Patty. Patty had stepped into the nursery. She didn’t work at the clinic. Besides the sewing goddess, she was like the town nut roll and food queen. She was putting something on a table right inside the nursery door. Apparently, the babies weren’t eating anything. She had to be there looking for me. She was single, halfway normal. A left over from the religious cult that lived there, but still, perhaps it was her. She was looking at me as if she had a bone to pick with me. I excused myself from Michael and approached her.
“Hey, Patty. What are you doing?”
“Leaving cookies for the caretaker.”
“Are you mad at me?” There, I thought that was better than asking if she were my wife.
“Why are you asking?”
“Because I stayed out all night.”
“I don’t worry about how late you stay out, Alex. That’s your business. Not mine. You are the man, I am the woman.”
I grumbled inwardly. It was that darn subservient upbringing. No way was I married to her. But just on the outside chance, I asked her, “Why didn’t I come home then?”
“I am getting nervous speaking so much to you. Perhaps this is a question you should ask the person you live with. Or maybe if you did not drink so much of the devil water, you would not stumble around calling out names in the middle of the night.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I shook my head. Before I grunted again, Levi appeared in the door. Saved. I wasn’t asking him. By the look on his face, he wasn’t there about my marriage; he looked worried.
At his request, I joined him outside and he closed the nursery door.
“Don’t you want any of Patty’s cookies?” I asked.
Levi just stared at me.
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