by Chuck Black
Validus turned and stared at Drew. A long moment passed, but Drew didn’t retreat. This invader had answers to his questions.
Finally, Validus walked over to Sydney’s purse and reached inside. When he removed his hand, Drew saw that he had translated a tube of Sydney’s lipstick. He removed the cap and let it fall, but it dissolved back into the purse before it hit the ground. Validus walked to the mirror in the room and began to write.
As the letters appeared, eerie chills flitted up and down Drew’s spine. He knew that the message only existed in the invader realm, and that he was the only human who could read it.
They want to kill both of you.
Once Drew read the message, the letters dissolved to nothingness.
“A terrorist attack like that would take weeks to plan, and they knew she would be there. Why are they trying to kill her?” Drew whispered.
Validus hesitated, then wrote another message.
She has what you need.
“What do I need?” he whispered.
Validus didn’t move. Evidently that question would go unanswered. Why the mystery? Drew wondered.
He turned away, disturbed and frustrated. Today was close. Sydney had almost died…again. Every time he was near her, tragedy struck. Whatever power she possessed that he needed, he couldn’t take the chance that she would die first. He looked back at Validus.
“If I leave her forever, will they stop trying to kill her?”
The huge invader looked disgusted, almost angry. He dropped the lipstick tube, and it dissolved away.
Drew didn’t need him to answer anyway. No matter what the light invaders wanted, Drew was not about to sacrifice Sydney for the sake of their mission or for his own life.
He glanced toward the bedroom where she was sleeping.
“Will you protect her?” he whispered, wondering if Validus was through with him.
The invader’s fierce look softened slightly, and he offered one subtle nod; then he turned his back on Drew to stand guard at the window again.
—
In the morning, Drew ordered room service and brought breakfast to Sydney in bed—orange juice, scrambled eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, and yogurt.
Sydney yawned, sat up, and held her hand in front of her mouth. “Morning,” she said shyly.
“Don’t worry, my breath is just as bad. I’ll keep my distance.”
“Wow…I’ve never had this before,” she said as Drew set the food across her lap.
“Come to think of it, neither have I.”
Sydney smiled. “Some Saturday mornings I would serve my dad and mom breakfast in bed. I was so proud of my runny eggs and burnt toast.” She laughed. “They raved about how delicious it was.” She fixed her eyes on Drew. “Thank you.”
“I only wish I’d cooked it myself, but you’re probably glad I didn’t.”
He made two cups of coffee while Sydney ate. When she was done with her food, she came into the other room and sat on the couch next to Drew. He handed her a cup of steaming coffee, and she smiled her appreciation.
“I have a million questions to ask you,” she said.
Drew looked down at the coffee cup in his hands, the steam swirling and disappearing into the air. Just like the essence of a dead invader.
“No doubt, but I won’t be able to answer them, Syd. Being around me is dangerous.” He looked into her eyes. “The less you know and the farther I am away from you, the safer you are.”
Sydney seemed to know what was coming. “Drew, I’ve seen you do some amazing things…things normal people can’t do. And if you really are seeing beings that no one else can see, then you are either seeing angels and demons or…” She paused.
Drew glared at her. “Or I’m crazy?”
She averted her gaze. “I didn’t say that.”
“But that’s what you meant. Is that what you think I am, Sydney? Some nut job? Have you ever seriously considered the possibility that Ben and I might be right? That I’ve been telling the truth this whole time and that humanity is being manipulated?”
“By aliens?” Sydney snapped back. She made it sound as crazy as it seemed.
Drew started to stand up, but Sydney reached for his arm.
“Please don’t go, Drew. It’s just that this is all so bizarre. You’re asking me to believe something that sounds crazy. You’re asking a lot of me.” Her voice trembled.
“Do you know how I knew where that detonator was?” Drew asked. “One of those invaders pointed to him, the same one who got me out of the FBI handcuffs so I could save you. It may be crazy, but it’s true.”
Drew felt his face flush with anger. He tried to calm down, but he was once again reminded that he was alone in this. If Sydney wouldn’t believe him, no one would. He was alone, and he needed to operate alone. But as frustrated as he was with her, he still loved her. He looked at the mirror and was reminded of the message from Validus. The only way for her to be safe was for him to disappear out of her life.
Sydney slowly leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. “Please don’t leave me again, Drew.”
He closed his eyes and calmed himself. Every time she was near him, he was amazed at the power she had over him. And this simple act of vulnerability didn’t help. Her plea was almost more than he could bear.
“I’m not even supposed to be with you right now,” he said quietly. “This impromptu trip to Chicago might be my undoing.”
“But you saved hundreds of lives,” Sydney said softly.
“Perhaps, but I broke protocol, and they’ll be keeping a closer eye on me now than ever.” He reached for her hand. “Syd, it’s no coincidence that your life is in jeopardy whenever I’m near. You know that, don’t you?”
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.
“That’s why I have to leave you…forever. I care too much about you to keep putting your life in danger.”
Just then Validus materialized through the wall of the hotel room.
Sydney shook her head. “Drew, I do believe you. And I believe that God is drawing you to Him. These beings you call invaders…I wish you would open your eyes. There’s a spiritual battle going on for your soul.” She reached for his cheek. “Promise me one thing.”
Drew shook his head, “I can’t—”
She put her fingers over his lips. “If you care about me, you must promise me one thing.”
How could he refuse her anything?
“Promise me that you will ask God to reveal Himself to you. Promise me that you will be willing to be convinced of the truth, no matter where it takes you. Promise me that you will read the Bible one more time with a heart to know the truth.”
“Hey, hey, hey…that’s three. You said one,” he teased.
“It’s only one really. A promise to get to know God.”
Drew hesitated. It was contrary to everything he was feeling in his gut. He needed to find Benjamin again and blow this whole invader realm wide open.
“Isn’t your job as an agent to discover the truth?” Her eyes began to fill. “Then why are you so resistant to discovering the truth about God? Are you that proud? You of all people, with the gifts and visions He has given you!”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, and her passionate plea rattled his heart.
“Hey,” he said and lifted his hand to wipe her tears away. “Okay…I promise, Sydney. I promise.”
She bit her lip and forced a smile through the tears. “And when you do, I don’t care if it’s thirty years from now, you find me and tell me. Okay?”
He nodded. “Okay. And now you have to promise me something.”
Sydney wiped away the rest of her tears. Drew found the next few words the hardest he would ever speak in his life.
“You live your life, Syd. Where I’m going and what I have to do, no one in the world can follow. You deserve a life and a good one.”
She turned away. “You hurt so much, Drew, I can hardly stand it.”
He knew the hurt all too
well. He was never so miserable and so happy as when he was with her.
She turned back. Drew lifted his hand to her cheek, and she leaned into it. “Promise?”
The tears spilled again, but she nodded.
Drew reached to grab a tissue for her and saw Validus staring at him. The warrior’s grave expression was impossible to interpret. At least Drew had the word of the warrior that Sydney would be protected.
13
EXPOSING ALIENS
“That was too close,” Tren said.
Validus and his team were back in Philadelphia where they had a chance to debrief the last few days.
“Carter is too vulnerable as a CIA agent,” Rake added.
“He’s right, Commander,” Crenshaw said. “The Fallen have too many opportunities and too much influence over the people the CIA is going after. One of these times we’re going to be outmanned and too late. Then where will the world be?”
Jayt shook his head. “It’s a shame, though. With time, Carter could make a significant impact on Apollyon’s tactics to spread his destruction. Except for Messiah, since creation there’s been no human with his capabilities in such a position to do good on the earth.”
Validus considered the viewpoints of his warriors carefully.
“Rake and Crenshaw are right. Our primary mission is to keep Carter alive until he trusts in Messiah, regardless of the good he can do as an unsaved man. Carlyle is still our best option, since she has the most influence over him, but the momentum of their lives is moving apart, not toward each other.” Validus looked around the table at his veteran warriors. “I’m open to suggestions. In spite of his vow to never see her again, we must get their lives to intersect.”
There were a dozen ideas, and Validus considered them all, but none seemed viable. Tren and Persimus remained quiet, as they were always inclined. Validus would seek their council in private later.
When the debrief was over, Validus asked Persimus and Tren to stay behind. “Do either of you have anything to offer?”
Tren glanced toward Persimus, then back at Validus, his eyes seething with words unsaid.
“Speak freely, Tren,” Validus said, crossing his arms.
“You have access to five hundred warriors, and you didn’t call them in. We lost Sason because of it.”
The guardian’s words cut deep because they were true, and Validus had no rebuttal. His gaze went to the floor. “It was a mistake that I will live with for the rest of my life.” He looked back up at Tren. “But don’t think for a moment that the loss of Sason is the end of it. No matter how many warriors I call to the fight, we will lose men. Until Apollyon and his minions are cast into the lake of fire, we will fight and we will suffer loss. What happened in Chicago is something that will tear at me for a long time, but it won’t stop me from ordering warriors into harm’s way.”
Tren glared back at Validus, but the edge of his anger was gone.
Validus turned to Persimus. “Do you have something to say to me?”
Persimus nodded. “It might take some time, but I think I have an idea. It’s rather unorthodox, but it might get you what you want with Carter.”
Validus tilted his head. “I’m all ears.”
—
When Drew and Reed got back to Philadelphia, Drew was called into Sloan’s office.
“What were you doing in Chicago, Carter?”
Drew hesitated. He had been working on an answer for days, but he couldn’t come up with a good story, so he decided to tell the truth.
“I was checking up on an old girlfriend from college.”
Sloan shook his head. “You expect me to believe that? And you just happened to be in the same place as a terrorist attack in one of the cities where you predicted it would happen?”
Drew stayed silent and looked guilty.
Sloan sighed. “Forget it, Carter. It’s pretty hard for me to reprimand you because your actions saved a lot of lives. Besides, Langley wants you back on the investigation now. They want you to brief them on the investigation you presented.”
Shortly after the attack in Chicago, Premier Jabbar of the IGA promised to work with the United States to eradicate terrorism, offering any support he could. Drew spent weeks following up the investigation of the suicide bombing. With the analysis of the intel he had conducted, coupled with additional information Premier Jabbar offered, the FBI was able to intercept and prevent two more attacks on US cities. Both the US intelligence community and Premier Jabbar were highly praised throughout the world for their successful partnership in stopping terrorism before it happened.
As was always the case after encountering Sydney, Drew was disquieted by her words, for they kept ringing in his mind. He didn’t forget the promise he had made to her, but he did stuff it away for a while.
The whole encounter renewed his determination to find Ben. This time he would have to do it without her help.
He just hoped that his brainiac friend had finished the Light Accelerator by Stimulated Optical Kinetics project, or LASOK for short, and could prove to Sydney and the rest of the world that Drew was not crazy. Whatever missions he went on for the CIA paled in comparison to the one that would expose the aliens to the world. He needed Ben.
His search would be encumbered by the fact that he couldn’t let anyone at the CIA know he was doing it. He would have to search on his own time and with his own resources, and it could take him months, even years to accomplish.
That was the plan, but what Drew didn’t see coming was the attention he had won from his supervisors for his successful missions in Puerto Rico and Chicago. Within two months, Drew was being tagged for high-priority missions of every kind, and he excelled at them all. One of the consequences of such consuming responsibility was that his search for Ben did not transpire.
Drew and Reed worked well together, and occasionally they crossed paths with their previous Farm CTs, Riggs, Hadad, and Connor. On one mission, Drew teamed with Riggs and Hadad and came to highly respect their skills as CIA operatives in the field. Drew participated in two more missions with one of the Special Operations Group teams in Syria and in Iran. He could not deny the satisfaction he felt after a successful mission, knowing that he was serving his country well.
He noticed that Validus and most of his invaders did not seem to appreciate the added danger those missions brought. However, his team of seven performed like a squad of tactical superheroes, improving themselves with each mission, and two of the warriors, the large hulking warrior and the ninja-like warrior, seemed to thrive on it all.
Over the course of the next ten months, Drew and Reed became more than members of an operational team. Their friendship was forged in the fire of life-and-death situations. When lives were on the line, Drew didn’t hold back on his abilities to eliminate threats, and Reed was astounded with each new skill that he witnessed.
“It’s like you have radar that tells you what’s going to happen before it happens,” Reed said after one close call. “I swear you actually dodged that bullet.” He looked Drew over for an entry wound. “When are you ever going to let me in on your secret?”
Drew looked at his friend and wondered once again: Could he?
“You just have to look for things that no one else sees.”
Reed stared at Drew. “What kind of things? Are you saying you see things that no one else can see…things that aren’t really there?”
Drew eyed Reed, not sure what he was implying but nervous that perhaps his actions might have given away what he was experiencing.
“Give it a rest, Reed. Everything’s good, and we need to wrap up this mission.”
Reed nodded, but he looked concerned.
—
A few days later, a car was waiting for Drew outside of his apartment building. As he approached, the driver rolled down his window and looked up at Drew.
It was Mr. Ross.
“Get in, Carter,” Ross said, then rolled up his window and unlocked the doors.
Dre
w opened the passenger door and entered the vehicle. Ross began driving, and Drew wondered if there was a destination planned or if this was just a ride to talk.
“Well, you’ve certainly made a big splash your first two years in the agency,” Ross said. “I thought I could pace you a little better by putting you out in Philadelphia, but I guess I was wrong.”
“I don’t follow, sir,” Drew said, and he didn’t.
“You’ve been doing a great job for us, Carter. Better than I’d hoped, actually.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m glad you’re not disappointed.”
Ross looked over at him, and Drew knew there was something else coming.
“Tell me about your last Zapata mission.”
“We successfully conducted our first exchange of weapons for drugs as directed. A micro GPS transmitter was placed in the butt of each weapon, and we are currently tracking them to the terrorist cells. From what I understand, our SOG teams are planning assault missions to take out the terrorists and recover the weapons before they are used against us, but you would know more about that than me. We’re also following up on the lead that Zapata might be using his contacts in the US to smuggle terrorists in, but that’s going to take some time to develop and investigate.”
Was that what Ross was looking for?
“I’m interested more in what’s not in the reports you submitted,” Ross said.
Drew felt his pulse quicken. Wherever this was going, Drew didn’t want to be there.
Ross waited.
“I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”
Ross calmly pulled the car over to the curb in front of a three-story office complex. He put the car in park, then turned slightly in his seat so he could look Drew in the eye. Drew forced himself not to fidget. Ross was too smart, too discerning. Drew had learned that the first day he’d met him in the FBI interrogation room.
“When I put an agent in the field, regardless of how good he is, I have to know that he is psychologically and mentally able to handle the stress of life-and-death situations. We all deal with that stress differently, but I think you may be dealing with it in ways that are outside the scope of what our agency would deem as normal. Our reputation is on the line, Carter, especially in this day of terrorist attacks every time we turn around.” Ross stopped and scrutinized Carter. “So tell me, Carter, are you seeing things that aren’t there? Things that other agents can’t see? Perhaps people that no one can see but you?”