“Smart move, creating the checkpoint,” I told him as we crossed the street to his rental car. It was one of those nondescript dark blue government-type rentals, and I rolled my shoulders before taking the passenger seat.
“It was a damned mess, Walker,” he told me. “Two officers were shot. We killed three men. This was not what I wanted.”
“You saved my life.” I rubbed my wrists, which were raw from the zip ties.
Young’s eyes were puffy, his skin pale. “Rex, we lied to those police officers.”
“We can’t tell them the truth,” Veronica said from the back seat. “There’s too much at stake.”
“You really think your guy is right about Denver?” Young asked.
“Marcus was told Colorado, and he’ll contact us when he’s able.” My cell phone had been recovered from the wreckage, and Young had managed to get it for me. The police thought these men were dangerous kidnappers, confusing me for someone that worked at Bezitrial. The lie was weak, especially considering I’d been wearing an elevator repair man’s jumpsuit. I’d told them the kidnappers made me wear it after they Tased me, causing me to soil my pants.
We departed under the FBI’s wing, but I doubted our story was convincing. At the end of the day, three men had been killed by the police, and I wanted to leave town as quickly as we could.
“Any word from Tripp?” I asked Veronica.
“Nothing,” she whispered.
“He’s gone dark. He found the Token, but what if they caught him?” This day had been a monumental failure. Not only had I allowed myself to be captured, but we’d given Marcus to the Believers, and we had no idea where Dirk, Clayton, and Tripp were at the moment.
“What’s the plan?” Young asked.
“You can drop us off at the hotel, and then we’re leaving.”
He fired up the engine. “I’m coming with you.”
“No way. You shouldn’t be involved with this,” I told him.
“If I hadn’t gotten involved, you’d be tied up in a room with your fingers snapped like twigs. You owe me, and I can help.” He stared at me, and I scanned Veronica for guidance.
“Rex, he’s right. We need him.”
“Fine,” I relented. I was filthy, with blood on my clothing and a pounding headache. But we couldn’t wait to leave. Marcus would already be close to Denver.
Evan started to drive. “You said they’re on a bus?”
“That’s what he told us.”
“Then we’ll take the car. No sense in messing around with airports and leaving a bigger trail of breadcrumbs. We’ll hit your hotel, clean up, and leave in an hour. You can sleep on the way.” Young turned, the wipers splashing the wet snow from the windshield.
“We’re not going to Denver.” I felt Veronica’s hand on my shoulder, giving a light squeeze of assurance. It still ached, but the pills the EMT had given me had kicked in.
“Why not? That’s where the Believers are congregating,” Young said.
As much as I wanted to reach Marcus and help him, the only thing that mattered was locating the Token. “We have to check on the team in Palm Springs.”
“That’s a hell of a drive too.” Young glanced over, worry spread across his brow. “You sure about this?”
“No, but if we let the Token slip away, we’re doomed.”
We were packed up and in the car over an hour after getting to the hotel. It was nice to be in my own clothes, and I’d assessed my injuries. The medics had given me a clean bill of health, but they were adding up. My stomach was scarred, and now my arm and wrists ached. The cut on my head was only a scalp wound that had bled a lot, but it wasn’t bad enough to need stitches.
I took the rear seat and flopped down, using a sweater as a pillow while Veronica and Evan Young talked quietly in the front. The streetlights flashed by as he drove south. A month ago, we’d ventured off with high hopes of learning what happened to my dad, with the thrill of adventure supporting us. Now everything was dire. We were desperate, out of touch with one another. Our benefactor, Hunter Madison, was dead, along with a growing number of allies. Richard Klein, my old mentor, had been killed because of the Believers too.
My sister’s husband was gone, her children without a father. Fred had been the biggest traitor of all. I wondered how many other people I’d ever encountered had been involved with the cult. If the Vice President of the United States was one of them, the possibilities were endless.
We were trusting an FBI agent, but he could have been bringing us directly to their waiting grasps. Right now, I needed sleep. My thoughts drifted to the books I’d bought on dreaming that were packed in the trunk. I hadn’t been able to peruse them yet, but as my mind settled and my body shut down, I wondered how my dad’s dreams played into this all.
When I woke, it was light out, and Veronica was in the driver’s seat. Evan slept up front, snoring randomly.
“What time is it?” I asked, sitting up. My head spun at the sudden movement, but quickly recovered.
“Rex. Glad to see you’re still in the land of the living.” Veronica made eye contact through the rear view mirror, the corners of her mouth crinkling up as she smiled at me. “It’s nine in the morning.”
“Nine?” I’d slept for over ten hours. “You rest?”
“Yep. We traded off as the sun rose.” She peered at the FBI agent beside her. He wore his dark gray suit jacket, but his tie had been rolled up in the cup holder.
“Think we can stop for something to eat?” I desperately needed a coffee, and I’d bet Veronica did too.
“Sure. Let’s let Evan sleep for a while longer.” She stared forward and I looked outside, seeing the terrain changed from the northwest to northern California. Any signs of snow were gone, with brown vegetation poking out from the sides of the highway.
“Did we get word from the others?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“I don’t like this,” I told her.
“Neither do I. I wish we were going to Denver. I’m not losing Marcus too.” The way she said it made me smirk.
“I thought Marcus was my best friend.”
“We’re all a team. First we locate Tripp and the Token, then rescue Marcus and deliver the Believers to the FBI,” she said.
“I’m on board. I think they were going to take me with them to Colorado.”
“You think?”
“They were traveling the same direction as Marcus went for the buses. It makes the most sense.”
“So if they did capture our dads and Tripp, they might bring them too?” she asked.
“I have a tough time picturing anyone stopping Tripp Davis. But if they did, they’re probably dragging them to the big meeting.”
“Then why aren’t we heading there?” she asked.
“What if I’m wrong? The Token means everything.”
Veronica glanced over with big eyes. “Are you certain?”
“No. I don’t feel like I am.”
Special Agent Evan Young shifted in his sleep and startled awake, head turning from side to side. “Where are we?”
“Almost at Sacramento.” On cue, we passed the sign stating it was ten miles up the road.
“Let’s stop at a diner on the outskirts,” Evan said. “I need to hit the can.”
The next one was in two miles, and we exited, rolling across the gravel lot toward the run-down diner. Half of the sign’s lights were out, and a gangly gas attendant watched Veronica as she climbed from the car. “I’ll be right with you,” I said.
I hadn’t talked to Saul and Bev in far too long, and I grabbed the phone, dialing his number. I didn’t want to video chat, not with the bandages on my forehead.
Agent Young puffed on a smoke near the entrance, staring at the highway as three semis raced by.
“Rex, what’s been happening?” Saul answered.
“Saul, things okay?”
He paused. I didn’t like that. “What is it?”
“I think we may have been compro
mised,” he said.
“Damn it. Where are the kids and Bev?”
“Getting their things. We’re…” I heard a doorbell, followed by knocking. “They’re here. Rex, I have to go. I’ll bring them—”
“Go to Palm Springs. That’s where we’re headed.”
“Palm Springs?”
“Right.”
More knocking, louder.
“Saul, keep them safe.” I watched Evan put his cigarette butt out in a cement ashtray and enter the diner, the bells jostling to alert a new visitor.
“I will,” Saul promised, and the call ended. I sat there in the back seat of the rental, staring at my black phone. Everything was a mess. I was supposed to be their leader, and here I was, beat up again, and without any control over the team. Tripp, Clay, and my dad were probably hurt or worse in Palm Springs. My sister was in danger, and Marcus had let himself be taken by the Believers.
“Focus on what you can control,” I whispered to myself.
Evan and Veronica chatted over steaming coffees, served in the classic white cups you couldn’t fit more than one finger through the handles of. A cup waited for me, and they slid a menu over. “It’s eggs or bacon and eggs,” Veronica said, and must have caught my expression. “Now what?”
I peered at the waitress near the kitchen. “They found Saul and Bev. He’s trying to extradite them. I told him to meet us in Palm Springs.”
“Jeez, all the way in Porto?” Young asked.
“Makes sense. They know the Bridge is somewhere there, so they’ll have teams searching for us and the Case.” Veronica blew on her coffee.
“He’ll get them out. Saul knows how they operate.”
“They have the passports from Marcus’ friend, don’t they?” she asked.
“Yep. We’ll all be together again soon.” If we’d lost Tripp, having a trained soldier like Saul was going to be necessary.
It was ten in the morning, and the drive was another seven or eight hours. Just to be sure, I sent Tripp another message. I received no response.
We ate, trying not to stress over what we might find when we arrived in Palm Springs. Evan made a few jokes, and we devoured runny eggs and overdone toast, and were back on the road in record time.
I took the driver’s seat for this leg of the trip, eager for the distraction. I suspected we’d be fighting for our lives in the upcoming days, and I couldn’t dwell on it constantly.
The lull of the tires on the highway calmed me. My hands gripped the steering wheel, and I was once again in control. It felt good.
Part II
The Token
1
January 15th, 2026
Clouds veiled the waning sunlight as we rolled into Palm Springs. The giant white windmills rotated in my rear view mirror as I exited off the interstate, toward Rancho Mirage. I’d been to the city a few times in my life, most recently about five years ago for a convention and event in Joshua Tree National Park. I’d never loved the mid-century modern kitschy appeal of old Palm, but the place had expanded dramatically since the Sixties.
As I got older, I understood why people would want to visit the quiet destination. If you were into golf, swimming pools, and hiking, it was the perfect getaway. My main goal for this trip was to secure the Token and survive to see another day.
“Should we go to the hotel?” Evan asked.
“If they ambushed our parents and Tripp, they’ll be waiting for us,” I suggested.
Evan was in the passenger seat, and he wiggled his eyebrows. “They won’t suspect me, though. Let me check it out.”
“It’s a good idea, Rex.” Veronica yawned behind me, creating a domino effect. She’d rented us a place south of Palm Desert, a house big enough to accommodate Bev and the kids. I regretted asking Saul to bring them here, now that I thought about it, but I needed his expertise.
“Fine. I’ll drop you off a block away. They were in unit eleven,” I told him. “Be careful. Let me know when you need a pickup. We’ll be close.”
The hotel was mid-range, nothing fancy. An older couple strolled by the sidewalk, in thick jackets and pants despite the fact that it was sixty-five degrees outside, a far cry from Boston weather in January. The Vacancy light was on, and I kept driving, letting Evan out a block farther. He was out of place in a suit, and without luggage, but I doubted he’d incite more than a first glance from anyone driving by.
Saul had texted me hours ago, saying they were heading to the airport. After two connecting flights, they’d be arriving a full twenty-four hours from now. I was glad they’d managed to escape with their lives. It also made me wonder what he’d done with the nuclear device hidden in the vineyard.
Waiting for Evan was painful, so Veronica and I talked, trying to avoid the big discussion. It inevitably returned to the cult and the Bridge.
“Who do you think is across this second Bridge?” she asked.
“The Believers have fought so hard to ensure it remains closed, but the only reason they’ve failed is because they don’t know where to access it. Dad said the city on the other end was destroyed. It could be that the Unknowns did that, or another race. I hate how precious little information we have.”
“Let’s think about this.” She’d climbed into the front seat and turned to face me as we waited a couple of blocks from the hotel. “The Objects are coming closer and will be here in a month. The Believers are ramping things up, heading to Denver. They’re probably getting ready to welcome the aliens.”
“That’s what we have to assume.”
“What’s China going to do? I heard they’ve gone dark. Russia is the opposite, eager to fight them. I’ve also read that they’re not the only ones that think we have to prepare for an altercation.”
“But mostly, the nations are speculating that these are asteroids, and that they’ll miss us since their trajectory isn’t set to collide with Earth,” I reminded her.
“Maybe that’s a smart move on the Unknowns’ part. Pretending they aren’t coming to crash into us.” Veronica twiddled a finger into her dyed brown hair. “It feels like a fairy tale. A miraculous Token that can save us?”
“We’ll go to Rimia.” I took her hand. “You and me. We’ll see it for ourselves with the seventh Token. If there’s nothing on the other end, at least we’ll be together.”
She smiled despite the unrelenting pressure on us. I leaned closer, propping myself on the central console, and touched her cheek with a palm. She nuzzled in, and I kissed her. She tasted like coffee and the chocolate bar she’d eaten in place of dinner.
We broke apart at a knock on the window. It was Evan, and his timing couldn’t have been worse.
Veronica wouldn’t make eye contact with him, but she grinned at me. I wanted to ignore him and drive off with her.
He climbed into the back seat and slid to the middle. “Sorry for interrupting.”
“What did you find?”
“Their room is empty.”
“How do you know?”
“I borrowed a keycard from maintenance,” he said, ending the discussion. “Their bags are inside, but no sign of them.”
____________
The Believers’ building was way different than the high rise in Seattle. This was a sprawling manor in the desert. The mountains rose up behind the back yard, and the front was green and lush, with a dozen palm trees scattered around in perfect symmetry. The gate blocked anyone from coming in, and we stayed as far away as we could, using a pair of binoculars to spy on the residence.
My shoulder still ached, but my head was clearer today after a decent sleep. I didn’t have a single dream, and woke with a sense of purpose. Veronica had slept in the room beside me, and if Evan hadn’t been tagging along, I would have suggested we share a bed for the first time. I had no clue what was going on between Veronica and me, but I thought she felt the connection as strongly as I did.
Evan passed the binoculars to me, and I peered into the lenses, scoping out the mansion. “Still no movement. Th
is was where Tripp sent the last message from. He said he’d found the Token.”
“Then it might be inside,” Veronica said. “Can you ask your buddies to help? Storm the place with a full SWAT unit?”
“No. I’m not even supposed to be here. You should have heard the voicemail from the Deputy Director. I’ve been asked to return to Kentucky immediately.”
“You’re not cutting out on us, are you?” I asked, watching the house. The place was massive, with over twenty windows on the front end alone. They were all closed off with white plantation shutters.
“No, I’m going to see this through. If you’re telling me aliens are actually coming, I don’t think it matters if I get fired, does it?”
He’d taken the backstory with surprisingly few questions. “I guess not. Doubt I have a job to return to either.”
“As soon as these things arrive, we’re definitely going to be under a flight restriction. No more flying rich kids around for a while,” Veronica added. “I guess we’re all unemployed, then.”
“What do you think they look like?” Evan asked.
“The Unknowns? If Hardy and the Believers are accurate, they’d be like humans,” I told him.
“Human? How would that be possible? I always thought aliens were little green men, or tall gray things with round black eyes.”
“They were here before us. We came from their stock, according to their texts—prior to their desertion of Earth, with the promise of returning again someday. We’ll have differences, of course, because humans have adapted since the early years of Homo erectus, Neanderthals, and then Homo sapiens.”
“Where does this leave primates in the evolution…” Evan began.
“I don’t have any idea. For all we know, the Unknowns created animals and left them here, or brought them from other worlds. But if we were made in their likeness, and they disappeared, we’ll be similar in many ways, despite millions of years of evolution,” I told them.
“The environment has changed a lot since then,” Evan said.
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