He caught himself. These were crazy thoughts. Lack of rest and the tension must be getting to him. Hell, he thought, I don’t believe in U.F.Os or little green people. I’d better go get some sleep before I flip out entirely.
He made it home, but duty called, delaying Rob’s rest. He hardly had his front door open before his phone rang.
“Rob? Frank here. I know I told you to stay on that story, but something big is about to break. You know those people who spotted that U.F.O.? Well, they’re making a big stink for a thorough investigation. They’ve built up a group of about twenty and they’ve got a little clout. So get out to 5232 Ink Road right away. That’s the address of the man who’s heading up this movement — name’s Claude Patterson. You know where that road is? It’s about a mile past the airport. Find out what you can. Who knows, we might find a tie-in with Mona’s disappearance. Hell, it could be just some kooks pulling a stunt, but they still might have committed murder. You can’t put anything past them these days.”
Rob grabbed a Coke from the refrigerator, hoping the caffeine would wake him up. Instead, when he popped the lid, it splattered all over him.
“Hell,” he said. “I don’t need this.”
He quickly slipped on a clean shirt and pants and rushed out the door.
Driving out Airport Boulevard, Rob puffed on a cigarette while exploring the possibilities. On the way home, he’d listened to all the details on his car radio. These sightings had been reported to all the proper authorities and from what he’d heard, nobody had tried to persuade any of the callers that what they’d seen was a weather balloon — the standard explanation. That was odd.
Another unusual thing was the shape of the object they described. None of them called it round or oval. They all reported seeing a cone. They said they saw something that appeared to be very much like a rocket that disappears in a wink, indicating a speed potential exceeding all known ability.
Once again, Rob had to remind himself that he was a reporter with an objective, realistic viewpoint. He did not believe all of this. It was wild. He just let his imagination run away with him. Wait and see, old boy, he told himself. Hang in there until you hear the report first hand.
A mile and a half past the entrance to the airport, Rob decided he’d overshot his goal. But there was no place to turn around. The road narrowed from four to two lanes and though traffic was light, cars were spaced just right to prevent his attempting a U turn. Cursing his luck, he traveled farther and farther past his destination. Finally, on the right, he saw a road leaving the thoroughfare.
“Damn,” he said aloud. “I’ve already gone nearly four miles and I don’t know if I can slow down soon enough to make that turn.” In his rear view mirror, he saw a car barreling up behind him.
“Okay, buddy, slow down or hit me ’cause I’ve wasted enough time.” He wheeled into the dirt, cutting his steering wheel sharply.
The passing car missed his back fender by inches. Rob heard a thud and thought the man had caught his bumper, but it was caused by a drop in the road as he left the highway. He drove on the narrow dirt road bordered by tall pine trees around a couple of curves, then took a fork to the left, hoping to find a place where he could turn around without getting stuck in the soft dirt. When he did not, he took another turn, this time to the right. Again, he felt a heavy bumping as the car moved uphill. Either it was not running right or he had a flat tire. He put on the emergency brake, automatically turned off the headlights, and jumped out of the car to check.
Crickets chirped and frogs croaked in the pitch-black darkness. Rob whistled to keep himself company. Walking around to the passenger side of the car, he reached into the glove compartment for a flashlight since the road curved just enough to take him away from the lights of the highway. He rummaged through the glove compartment feeling for the light. Something snapped behind him and he jumped. He felt foolish when he saw it was only a limb that cracked off and fell right at the edge of the road.
It dawned on him why he couldn’t find the flashlight. He had thrown it in the trunk the last time he used it. He reached over to switch the headlights back on and nothing happened. He fiddled with the switch, but the lights would not come on.
Oh, God, he thought. What a place to have a dead battery. Glad at least to have a flashlight, he went to the trunk. But luck ran against him. The key to his trunk was not on his key ring. He then recalled that he’d given it to the janitor the other day when he sent him to get something out of his trunk. Running his hand around the tire rim, he determined that at least it wasn’t flat.
What to do? Rob got back in the driver’s seat and tried the ignition switch, hoping the battery wasn’t really dead. After a couple of “R-rr-rrr’s,” he was sure the car wasn’t going to start. He reached for his cell phone, but it wasn’t on his belt.
“Damn it all!” he blurted out. “What else can go wrong?”
He had no answer. He got out and slammed the car door hard enough to make the car rock. Hoping he wasn’t too far to the highway, he picked up the broken branch and walked down the curvy road.
With no moon or stars, the night was so dark that Rob couldn’t tell which direction he headed in. Listening for noise from the highway to guide him, he heard nothing but owls howling and other night sounds of the woods. Branches scratched his arms as he pushed them aside. It had been years since he’d been in the woods at night as a Boy Scout. This reminded him of one of those times.
He suddenly felt so tired and disoriented that he leaned against a tree and reminisced. Rob had been in the Boy Scouts only a year when he was tapped out for the Order of the Arrow. At twelve years old, the scary tales told by those who had already been through the ordeal required to become a member frightened him. He’d been determined to spend the night in the woods alone, but he had never forgotten the stark terror he felt during that survival test. Never before or since had he been so glad to see daylight come.
Now here he was again — alone in the woods. This time, though, he expected to be out in only a few minutes. I’ve always had a good sense of direction, he told himself, bolstering his confidence. I ought to be able to get back to civilization in no time at all. But after an hour of walking, except for losing sight of his car, he’d made no progress. He looked at his watch, which glowed in the dark. It was the only light around. Only eight-fifteen, ten hours till daylight — a ten hours he didn’t want to waste. I’ve got to get out of here, he thought. Trudging through the woods, he searched for some kind of landmark, but all he saw was shrubs and trees, trees, trees. Squirrels scampered by him, and once he saw an opossum. Up in trees, another owl hooted: “Who, who, who.”
“Yeah, who?” Rob yelled up at him. “Better yet, where? Where am I?”
The owl gave no reply.
Rob had gotten so far off track that he knew without a doubt that he’d strayed from the little-used road into the deep woods. There was no more path. He had to make his own.
His eyes became accustomed to the dark. The moon suddenly appeared from behind a cloud, and he noticed a furry object moving toward him.
All I need now is a skunk, he thought in utter disgust before he saw a friendly little tail wagging behind the animal approaching him.
“It’s a dog,” he said out loud. Gleefully, he called the dog to him. “Here, pup; here, pup. C’mon. You can show me the way out.”
The little fellow had no fear. He came close, and Rob saw that he was a small animal, probably a terrier or a beagle. But as he stooped down to pet the dog, he felt a chill run up and down his spine. No wonder the dog had come to him. This was no ordinary dog; this was Pep.
“How in the hell did you get here, Pep? Tell me fellow,” he said, stroking the dog’s short hair and letting him lick his hand.
Thoughts whirled in his mind. This was miles from the gully. Even if he’d gone that far with his mistress, what was Pep doing way out here near the airport all by himself? No matter, Rob was so grateful to find this smart little creature who could
guide him back to civilization that he dismissed all other thoughts from his mind.
Pep became impatient and pulled on Rob’s fingers with his teeth. He backed off, gave one bark and moved his head, first in one direction, then in another. Rob knew that to mean, “Come on, let’s go.”
In a sudden bolt, Pep raced ahead and scampered under the bushes. Close behind, Rob, encouraged by the prospect of being led out of the woods and hopeful that Mona might be at the end of the trail, cheerfully called out, “Hey, Pep. Don’t leave me. I can’t get through those shrubs like you can. Wait up.”
Pep paused, cocked his head, pranced like a horse and slowed down a bit. Just as Rob caught up, his jacket snagged on an outstretched limb and he had to stop to free it. He whistled, but Pep kept on going. When Rob finally got loose, the rustling of the bushes stopped. He did not know which way Pep went. He pushed through the brush, but there was no sight of the dog. Much to his dismay, Pep was gone.
Then an eerie sound reached his ears. It was like a huge respirator breathing in and out. Suddenly he saw what was making the noise — a tall cone-shaped object towering close to the tops of the pine trees. His eyes widened and he was overcome with fear. Paralyzed on the spot, he moved not a muscle. Instinct told him that he was not alone, but before he recovered from the shock, he felt a force go into his body. With that, his head began to swim.
Chapter 5
“PEP, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” chided Mona as she let the little dog back into the ship. “I’ve called and called and you didn’t come. Bad boy. Now don’t you do that again.” She gave him a pop on the backside. He put his head between his front paws and crouching down ashamedly, he crawled under the bed.
Mona was upset. The first time she’d let Pep out he hadn’t wandered at all. She hoped he’d learned his lesson, for she couldn’t chase after him — not here. Satisfied that her dog was back safely, she turned her attention to the police radio. Nothing new. She then raised the volume on the ship’s radio and heard voices speaking very low. Because of the weak transmission, she could barely discern Torpi’s voice; however, by putting ear against the speaker, she could tell that he called for Eric.
“Eric,” Mona called out. “Torpi’s trying to reach you.”
After announcing his presence, Eric strained to hear Torpi’s words. “I must inform you that we now have the advantage over you. We have something to bargain with. We have captured a man. If you value his life, you will meet our demands. In a moment, I will give you our terms.”
“Poor devil,” Mona exclaimed. “If they’re telling the truth, how did they get him? They haven’t left this spot.”
“He may have come to them,” Eric responded. “I wonder what they are waiting for.”
In an instant, his question was answered. “Because of the medicine we gave him, the prisoner lost consciousness. We are waiting for him to awaken so he can speak for himself and verify what we are telling you. We already know who he is. We checked his wallet. But we want to make you believe us. His name is Rob Parker — a reporter for The Times, and he also has an Associated Press card.”
Mona stifled a scream; letting them know that she recognized the name would only help their cause. Rob, oh my God, she thought. It’s him for sure, he is also a stringer for the AP. This is unreal — two reporters from the same paper incarcerated on two enemy space ships. Impossible!
But was it true? Could they have somehow gathered this information on Rob simply to use as a threat? Telling Eric exactly who Rob was, she whispered her fears to him, saying, “I refuse to believe they have him until I hear Rob’s voice.”
Unfortunately, proof was not long in coming. Whatever they gave Rob wore off rapidly. In the background, Mona heard him saying, “Pep, where are you, Pep?” Next, he asked, “Where am I?”
Asking, “Did you hear that?” and receiving a positive reply, they moved Rob away from the microphone — but not before Mona realized that it must have been Pep who led Rob to the Aliens’ ship. What had her dog done? Why was Rob out here in the first place?
The answer hit her. Of course, Dees had sent him to check on the sightings. If Rob found them, then somebody else might, too. Mona couldn’t decide if that was good or bad.
Interrupting her speculations, Eric made an announcement. “We have waited long enough. The Aliens will use your friend, Mona. They will kill him if they have to. They cannot have more than six people on board. I have listened to the voices, and that’s all I can detect. We are not totally outnumbered. What we need is the element of surprise to get an advantage. I want each of you to get a gun. Yes, even you, Mona. We must attack now.” He paused to let them absorb the enormity of his words and then continued. “It is still dark. We will all deboard and try to sneak over to their ship without being seen. I have one weapon they do not know about. It is a device to open their door by remote control. But it only works on one of the ships we left behind. I hope the one they are in is the right one. If so, we will enter their ship and start shooting. Only then will we find out if bullets hurt them.”
Seeing the worry in Mona’s eyes, he consoled her. “When Rob sees you, Mona, he will come over to our side. Since his appearance is different, it will be easy to avoid injuring him. However,” he cautioned, “I cannot speak for the Aliens. I will do the best I can to ensure his safety.” It was not much of a promise, but it was the best he could do.
Eric continued. “If we are successful in overcoming the Aliens and can also avoid attracting attention of the Earthlings, then we will deal with our next problem — how to remain on Earth. I can tell that our bodies are not yet fully adjusted to this atmosphere. My breathing is becoming labored. But there is still hope. Right now, though, we must confront the enemy. Follow me.”
With guns pressed tightly to their bodies, they crawled guerrilla-style on their bellies toward the other ship. So far, they hadn’t been seen. As they moved up under the blades dug into the ground, Mona trembled at the thought of what those blades could do to a human body — like the two men who had been victims of those powerful weapons. She would be glad to get out of there.
Then, a scary thing happened. Pep came tromping over to where they lay. He’d sneaked out when they left. He was sure to give them away. They pushed and shoved at him, but Pep was bound and determined not to leave. Finally, Mona snatched him up under her arm and hoped he wouldn’t bark, and he didn’t. She’d have to take him with her, though. Besides tensing them all up, carrying the dog made crawling much more difficult.
The situation was so ridiculous. There were creatures from two worlds attempting to fight each other on a planet where only Mona, and now Rob, actually knew they existed. And Mona, an Earthling, was caught with a Beagle under her arm to hamper her. It was totally unbelievable.
Mona couldn’t dwell on that. The entrance to the Alien’s ship was on the opposite side. Popping his head out from underneath, Eric finally located it. They all held their breath, waiting to see if his instrument worked. He pushed the button. Nothing happened. The respirator, located under the cone, turned on. It frightened them with its big wheezing noise. Mona squealed. Pep yelped.
Eric said, “Shh.” Glaring at Mona, he said, “No matter what, you must keep your self-control.”
From the scurrying around in the ship, they knew they’d been found out. In a final desperate effort, Eric pushed the button hard.
The ship’s door flew open. But instead of Eric’s group surprising the enemy, they were the ones who were surprised. Torpi stood full figure at the entrance. He was protected by a double-door-type shield. Bullets from Marcus’s gun did him no harm. Hands on his hips, he laughed at their futile efforts.
“Did you think me fool enough to come without protection? I am wise to you, Eric. You cannot harm me. But I can harm you. However, I have an alternate plan. If you agree to it, no one will be hurt.”
He described his devious plan in detail. “As you recall, Eric, we worked together on the plan to transgress time. I know how to do this as well
as you. But unlike you, I have no scruples. I can, and I will, use this knowledge to move every living human on Earth into oblivion. If you doubt my ability,” he pulled Rob from behind him, “I can demonstrate with Mr. Parker here.”
After Eric’s negative reply, Torpi continued. “You only have to tell me all you know of how to survive on Earth. You really have no choice. The safety of all humanity is in your hands. It is your move.”
Eric hedged. “Give me time. I will go back to my ship to think.” Much to his surprise, Torpi agreed to wait twenty-four hours for his answer.
It was a heavy burden. Eric knew that he was in a difficult position. What had happened to all their good intentions in the beginning of this venture? They wanted to meld back into human society not only for their own sakes but to help all of humanity by providing a cure for cancer. Now, their efforts were being hampered by a greedy, selfish group with only self-serving interests. Eric did not trust Torpi one bit. Even if he gave his enemy the information he wanted, he knew Torpi would destroy anyone who crossed him. Eric also knew that the power-hungry Eric’s real goal was to rule the world. No, no matter what the cost, Eric would not budge an inch. Somehow, he would have to find a way to stop Torpi.
They returned to their ship. Certain that Torpi did not want to alert the Earthlings any more that he did, Eric felt that they were in no immediate danger. Time was their lever.
“What are we going to do now, Eric?” asked Marcus.
“For now, nothing. We do not have all the information Torpi seeks, as you know. I think they are merely taunting us. They have used their maximum force, and it is not strong enough to harm us. As for Torpi and his threats, his knowledge may not be as broad as he claims. We worked together, true, but Torpi was not involved with all phases of transgressing time. His threat may be hollow.”
Time Will Tell Page 7