by Paul Moxham
“But we will,” Molly insisted.
“How do you know?” Kenneth cried out. “Be happy and live your life as it is. If you find them, great, but if you don’t—”
“Shut up!” Derek shouted when he saw that Molly was crying. He put an arm around her as he stared at Kenneth. “Can’t you see you’ve upset her?”
Kenneth sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make her cry.”
“Why don’t you leave us if you don’t want to help us find our parents?” Molly shouted.
“But I do want to help you,” Kenneth said. “You’re just not getting what I’m saying. You’re too young to throw your life away—”
“You don’t know the first thing about us!” Derek interrupted, really angry now. He stood up and tried to punch Kenneth in the face.
Kenneth grabbed Derek’s arm. “Trust me, I know what you’re going through.”
“As if you do!” Derek retorted and tried to get free of the stronghold Kenneth had his arms in.
“Just listen and stop struggling!” When Derek went limp, Kenneth continued. “I know exactly what you’re going through.”
“How could you?” Molly muttered.
Kenneth sighed. “Because I was just like you.”
Chapter 6
“What do you mean?” Derek asked.
Kenneth let Derek go and sank to his knees. Holding his head in his hands, he continued. “It’s been more than seven years since it happened.”
“Since what happened?” Molly asked, not understanding what Kenneth meant.
“It was a really cold day in San Francisco. I was sitting at home waiting for my girlfriend to call me. The phone rang, but it wasn’t Amy. It was Frederick Jacobson asking me if my parents had changed their travel plans.” Kenneth’s cheek twitched as he thought back to that day. “Over the next forty-eight hours, Logan and I were on the phone every hour trying to get in contact with the police in Tanzania. Finally, as Christmas Day approached and there was still no sign of my parents, Logan and I flew to South Africa. From there, we caught a connecting flight to Nairobi, where we met up with Frederick. We hired a vehicle and traveled hundreds of miles across grasslands and deserts, trying to find any trace of them.”
“Were they in a tour group?” Molly asked.
“No. They always wanted to go to Africa, so when Dad’s business friend told them his wife had just had a baby boy, they’d decided to go over and see them. They made contact with him once they landed in South Africa, but then they just vanished. We did find a record of them flying into the city of Dodoma, where they hired a car. But that’s all.”
“So they just vanished,” Derek said.
Kenneth nodded. “They mentioned driving around Lake Victoria before going to Nairobi, but Logan and I drove around that lake trying to find a trace of them with nothing to show for it. We stopped at every imaginable place. It was exhausting. Three weeks later, we said goodbye to Frederick and left.”
Molly wiped tears from her eyes. “That’s a sad story.”
“That had to be tough,” Derek said.
Kenneth sighed. “It was the hardest choice I have ever had to make. If it had just been me searching for them, I probably would still be there, but Logan persuaded me to come home. Arriving back at the airport without our parents hit us hard. Not long after, Logan quit pursuing his degree in economics and joined the military.”
“And what did you do?” Derek asked.
“I went to school for a business degree and got a job working with computers. It’s not exciting work, but at least it’s stable. At least, it was until the alien invasion.”
“So what do you think happened to them?” Molly said.
“I don’t know. Even to this day, I don’t have a clue.” Kenneth sighed and took a deep breath. “But I’ve moved on now.” He turned to the teens. “Now you know why Logan and I decided to help you, and why I tried to tell you that you can’t keep searching forever.”
Molly hugged him. “Thanks for everything.”
Derek shook his head. “Isn’t it weird how we ended up together? It’s almost as though my car was supposed to break down on that road last week.”
“Fate works in mysterious ways.” Kenneth chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. He cracked his aching bones and hefted his pack.
The teens followed, but then Molly halted. She glanced back at the house and then at the barn. “Hey! I just remembered why I came rushing up to you.”
Kenneth stopped and stared at her. “What?”
“I saw something,” Molly said, lowering her voice.
Sensing that Molly had something important to tell then, Kenneth huddled in close with them.
“I was waiting patiently by the bicycles, when, just before the door opened, I saw something walk down the side of the mountain,” Molly said. “Wanting to see what it was, I grabbed the binoculars and looked through them.”
“Was it a Seod?” Kenneth asked.
“Well, that was my first thought, but when I looked through them, I saw a person in a dark-hooded jacket. They were hurrying toward the house where you were, but then, suddenly, they stopped.”
“Maybe they didn’t want to be seen,” Derek said. “But why?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, they turned around and hurried back to the barn. As they reached it, they stopped and glanced around. I hid behind that bush down there. Right after that, they stepped inside. That’s when I decided to join you two.”
Kenneth frowned as he glanced back at the house. He saw nothing. “Come on, let’s go.”
“But aren’t you going to—” Derek said.
“Just follow me.” Kenneth jogged down the driveway. Once he had reached the road, he climbed on his bicycle and rode away.
“Hey, wait for us!” Molly hopped onto her bicycle.
But Kenneth didn’t wait. He pedaled fast until he reached a bend in the road. Just past it, he slowed and climbed off the bicycle.
The teens caught up with him as he pushed the bicycle into the bushes.
“What’s going on?” Molly asked.
“I’m not sure, but I want to find out why that person didn’t want to see us,” Kenneth replied. “Are you sure it wasn’t a Seod?”
“Well, they were dressed in a jacket and wearing a cowboy hat, so it was impossible to see his face,” Molly admitted.
“What about their legs?” Kenneth asked.
“Dark blue cargo pants. But if it was a Seod, why would he dress up as a human? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. That’s why I intend to get to the bottom of this.” Kenneth looked up through the trees. “If we stay within the tree line, we should be able to get level with the barn.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Derek said. “Let’s do it.”
The three of them hiked up the mountain. No one spoke as they each tried to think of a reason why someone would hide in the barn. None of them could think of a suitable answer, and as they caught sight of the barn, they were all eager to find out the truth.
Kenneth held up his hand as he hid behind a tree. “Let’s wait here for a few minutes and see if we hear or see anything.”
The teens each chose a tree to kneel behind. Two minutes passed before they heard footsteps as Mike approached. He cautiously made his way to the barn, stopping every now and then to glance around. Once he reached the structure he opened the side door and entered.
As Mike disappeared from sight, Kenneth hissed at the teens, “Follow me and be as quiet as possible. We can’t afford for Mike to know we’re here.”
“Gotcha,” Derek replied.
“We’ll be as quiet as mice,” Molly said.
Kenneth crept toward the barn. Silence reigned. After reaching the cover of the structure, he leaned against the wall of the barn. The teens did the same and everyone listened. They heard nothing.
“Maybe they’re talking on the other side of the building,” Molly whispered.
“Or maybe they’re just quiet,”
Derek said.
“We’ll try another wall,” Kenneth muttered.
Keeping close to the building, he stalked along the side of the structure until he reached the door Mike had gone through. Stopping just short of it, he leaned against the wall.
The teens ran up and joined him, making an effort to be somewhat quiet. They all grinned as they heard voices on the other side.
It was clear to Kenneth which voice belonged to Mike. As Molly had said earlier, he had an unusual accent, kind of a mixture of American, British, Indian, and South African. As for the other voice, it was also strange. It spoke English, but he couldn’t tell what accent it was. It certainly wasn’t American or British.
“How can they refuse to help?” Mike seethed. “Can’t they see it’s their fight too?”
“Of course, but they’re scared,” the second voice said.
“Are you scared?” Mike asked.
“Yes,” the second voice replied.
“So why do you do it?” Mike asked.
“I don’t know,” the second voice said. “It just seems so unnecessary. If only we could arrange a treaty.”
“I can’t see anyone agreeing at this point in time,” Mike said. “That’s why we need everyone we can get, and we need them now, before it’s too late.”
“That’s what I told them, but they still said no,” the second voice said.
“Did you find out when the military is planning to attack?”
“Yes. Tomorrow morning,” the second voice replied. “Just after dawn.”
Kenneth frowned as he waited for the talking to resume. Suddenly, the door flew open. Mike charged out, a pistol in his hand. “Stay where—”
“Drop the weapon!” Kenneth shouted as he raised his pistol and aimed it at Mike’s neck.
The man spun around, but Kenneth’s arctic voice froze him.
“Stop! Drop the weapon now!”
Mike dropped the pistol onto the grass, and Derek quickly grabbed it.
“Good, that’s better. Now, let’s see where your friend is,” Kenneth said, pushing Mike inside the barn.
“Just hold on. I can explain.”
“You will, but not right now.” Kenneth gazed around at the barn. All was silent. Various hay bales sat here and there. He frowned. “Where’s the other person?”
Mike furrowed his brow. “Other person? What other person?”
“I heard you talking with someone.” Kenneth grabbed his shirt. “Where are they?”
“I was talking to myself.”
“Don’t play dumb with me!” Kenneth pulled him close and hissed, “I heard two distinct voices.” He glanced around the darkened barn. “Derek, Molly, do you see anything?”
“Not yet,” Derek said as he walked to the other side of the building.
Suddenly, the other side door flew open and light filtered in. A second later, a figure went through it.
“He’s escaping!” Derek rushed forward and, once outside, leaped at the man’s legs.
The two tumbled down the slope. As they did, the man’s cowboy hat flew off and Derek let go of the legs in surprise. He stumbled to his feet as the others rushed over.
Kenneth took one look at the man and saw that he was, in fact, a Seod. The creature stood up but didn’t make a move to run away.
Kenneth raised his pistol and prepared to fire.
Mike ran between the two and waved his hands. “Don’t shoot!”
“Move out of the way!” Kenneth flipped off the safety and tried to get a good shot.
“Trust me,” Mike shouted. “He won’t hurt you.”
Kenneth hesitated for a moment, and Derek clenched his fists. “Shoot him before he runs away!”
Mike locked eyes with Kenneth. “If you stop to think for just a moment, you’ll realize he could have shot you by now, but he hasn’t.”
Kenneth looked past Mike at the Seod and saw a silencer sitting in a holster-type thing around his waist. “Well, maybe that doesn’t work.”
Mike glanced at the Seod and nodded. In response, the creature reached up and removed the helmet type thing that covered his head.
Chapter 7
Kenneth and the teens couldn’t speak when they saw the head of the Seod. It looked similar to a human’s, but it was larger and wider at the top. Two big, black eyes stared at them. The gray skin looked smooth.
Finally, Derek spoke. “Hey, he looks like a Gray.”
“He should,” Mike said. “His species have been visiting Earth for so long it’s hard to stay undetected. Some of the assumptions made about the Grays aren’t true, but in regards to their appearance, they’re pretty accurate.”
“Isn’t he tall for a Gray?” Molly asked. “We did a study about extraterrestrial species and—”
“I’m normal for my species.” The Seod held out his hand. “My Earth name is Carl.”
Kenneth shook his head in amazement as he shook Carl’s hand. “How can you speak English?”
Mike glanced around. “How about we continue this talk inside?”
“Why?” Molly asked.
Mike hesitated. “It’s complicated. Just follow me inside and I’ll explain.”
After picking up the cowboy hat, the Seod placed the helmet back on his head and followed the others. Every few steps, the teens would glance at Carl and shake their heads in wonder.
They entered the house and sat down in the living room. Once everyone was settled in, Mike glanced at the three of them in turn. “What I’m about to say is so secret there isn’t a word to describe it. You got it?”
They all bobbed their heads but kept their mouths shut, so Mike continued speaking. “If word got out about what I’m about to tell you, we’d all die. So keep your traps shut, okay?”
“My lips are sealed,” Kenneth said.
“Ours are too,” Molly muttered.
Mike hesitated and glanced at Carl. “Shall I tell them everything?”
“What do you think?” Carl replied.
“Well, we do need to trust someone, and I do know the parents of these teens. They seemed like decent people.” Mike locked eyes on Kenneth. “What about you? What’s your connection with these two?”
“He’s been helping us find our parents,” Derek said. “If you’re in a tight spot, he can help you.”
Kenneth glanced at the Seod and then at Mike. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but if it’s about saving people from being killed, I’m all for it. I’ve seen too many dead bodies these last few weeks.”
“Okay, here goes. Seods are, in many ways, like humans. Some of them are good, some of them are bad. You might find it hard to believe, but this mission to Earth was supposed to be as peaceful as possible. And, in some cases, it is.”
“For a peaceful mission, a good many people have died,” Kenneth muttered.
“That wasn’t our intention,” Mike stated.
“Our intention?” Kenneth scoffed as he shared an eye roll with the teens. “What do you mean by that?”
Mike hesitated. “Well, you ought to know the full story.” He smirked. “I’m also a Seod. Well, half human and half alien. I’m what you might call a Hybrid.”
The three stared in shock and surprise. None of them could speak for a minute.
“But how can that be?” Molly backed away. “You look just like a human.”
Mike made a big show of flexing his biceps. “It was a long process, one that involved changing the shape and figure of my body, but I can’t complain about the results.”
“But how did you do that?” Kenneth asked, astounded. “We can’t do it.”
“Correct. But our technology is far more advanced than yours. Anyway, we’re getting off track. Neither your people nor mine have time to waste, so I’ll give you the brief facts. First, we didn’t come here to harm you. We just wanted to get a metal out of the ground.”
“What kind of metal?” Kenneth asked.
“I won’t go into specifics because it doesn’t matter, as you
, earth people, don’t use it, but for us, it’s a matter of life and death. Second, our leader was overthrown while our ships were heading to Earth. That’s why some people are following the new leader whose instructions are to get the metal as fast as possible and at whatever the cost.” He sighed. “I’ve come to admire the beauty of this planet, and I don’t want it to descend into war.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t we already at war?” Kenneth asked.
Mike smiled thinly. “Well, to you, yes, but not for us. The wars we’ve had on our planets—”
Molly frowned. “Planets?”
“Yes, we live on more than one. As I was saying, the wars we’ve had have been far more destructive than yours. We actually lost several planets to war and had to flee and start all over again. I don’t want this to happen on Earth.”
“Do you really think you can make a difference? Just you and a few—” Molly said.
“The Alliance is not just a few people. Yes, we do need more, but we are still more than a few.”
“How many more do you need?” Derek asked.
“It’s not so much how many we need, but where they are,” Mike admitted.
Kenneth looked at Mike. “I still don’t know why you are telling us this.”
“I want you to get a message to General Loreto,” Mike said.
“General Loreto?” Kenneth asked. “And how can I do that?”
“Earlier, you mentioned you were at the military compound, and since the only military command center is in Sparks, which is where the general is, I thought you could pass on a message from me.”
“Since you know where the general is, why don’t you do it?” Kenneth asked.
“I wish I could, but I can’t. I’m on their wanted list,” Mike said.
“Wanted list? What for?” Derek asked.
“For aiding and abetting criminals,” Mike said.
Kenneth frowned. “I won’t work for a criminal. If you—”
“He was saving me,” the Seod interrupted.
Kenneth cocked an eyebrow at Mike. “Is that true?”