Secrets Beyond the Moon: Strangers from the sky

by NB Blackbell

  Hey, I know it would be hard, but is there any chance of finding out if there is a list of witnesses to anything that has been happening in this city?

  Jake looked up at John. "We'll find out in a moment. I just messaged her to see if it's possible. Minutes later, the phone started beeping, Jake opened the message.

  Yeah, I can have a look, but I would need someone to distract their attention, so I didn't get caught. Any idea?"

  Jake took a second to think to himself, then messaged her back.

  I'm not sure who yet, but I will send a distraction your way soon.

  Laying the phone down, he looked at John. "Who do we have that can distract the police at the station while Loretta takes a look for us?"

  John took a moment before answering. "How about Isabel? She is level headed, smart and a looker. She could distract the men in blue." Jake hesitated for a second. "I don't know about sending her. I would never forgive myself if anything ever happened while she was there. Although I do understand why you chose her, maybe we can ask her, and if she is comfortable with it, we'll send her." John stood up and went to search for Isabel. After a lengthy search, he found her in her room. "Isabel, I was wondering if we could talk." Smiling, she let him in. "What's up?"

  John looked Isabel in the eyes. "I need a favour, and you can say no if you're not comfortable with it. Loretta requires a distraction down at the station. She needs to get into the main computer and copy an important file for us. Do you think you are capable of being a distracter?" Isabel took a deep breath,”Okay. I can have my car break down in front of the station by extracting a few plugs?" John was intrigued. "That sounds like an excellent idea. We'll have our eyes on you at all times. We need this done as promptly as possible. Oh and please be careful."

  Ten minutes later, Isabel pulled up to the station. She wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but she knew she was doing it for a good reason. Jake had planted a mini camera on her before Isabel left, so Isabel knew she was safe. After popping the hood, she headed to the front of the car where she reached down and gave one of the plugs a tug, causing it to separate. 'There, that should do it,' Isabel thought to herself. Shutting the hood, she headed up to the station and walked in the door. Jake and the others sat in front of the monitor, watching every move Isabel made. On the other monitor, they watched Loretta. The room was quiet. No one wanted to miss anything.

  Isabel walked up to the counter. The officer peered up at her and smiled. "Hi, can I help you?" Isabel smiled back. "I hope you can. My car died, but luckily for me, it was just outside the station. I have no idea what's wrong with it. Is there any chance you can take a look at it for me?" The officer looked at her. Then he laid down his pen. "Okay, give me just a second. I'll meet you out there." Isabel glanced over at Loretta, then turned and walked back to her car. A few moments later, two officers came out of the door and walked towards the car. This gave Loretta a chance to get what she needed off the computer. One officer popped the hood and took a look while the other stood there talking to Isabel. Laying his hand on her shoulder, he asked her. "Where were you headed before it broke down?" Isabel felt flushed and dizzy.

  Leaning back against the car, her mind suddenly drifted; she was experiencing a vision. There was a pantheon before her and a man with silver eyes. He was wearing the same symbol she saw on the stranger in the square. Isabel started to shake, and when she came out of it, she looked up at the officer. His eyes flashed silver at her. She knew she was in trouble. Jake leaned forward. His eyes got big. "I think she's in trouble. Did you see that?" He watched as the officer leaned forward into Isabel's face, grabbing both her shoulders. Then the screen went blank. "Oh my god! Where did she go?" The entire room gasped and started yelling, "Where is she?" Jake turned and looked at John, who stood there, covering his mouth. "John, who was that officer with her? Do you recognize him? Does anyone have any opinions about what we just saw?"

  Jake's phone started to buzz. It was Loretta texting him:

  "Thanks, Jake. I got what you needed."

  Jake wrote back: "Something happened to Isabel. Can you look around and see if you can find her?"

  Within seconds, Loretta replied, "Okay."

  Jake placed the phone on the table and turned back to talk to John. "I shouldn't have let her go. I should have gone." John laid his hand on Jake's arm. "Calm down. Getting upset is not going to help her. We'll figure this out. How long before the curfew?"

  Jasper looked at her watch, it’s five forty seven. We have an hour and thirteen minutes left." John turned and looked at Larzo. "Go down to the station and look for her. Don't go alone. It's not safe." Larzo nodded and headed out the door. Jasper continued to watch Loretta's video feed, knowing that whatever Loretta saw, she would too. Loretta looked around to see if Isabel was anywhere in sight. She walked up to Officer Johnson. "Did I see my friend Isabel pop in here earlier?" He looked up at her and replied, "No, I don't think so. It's been pretty quiet all day." Loretta bit her lip, "Oh, okay; my mistake. Well, if you guys are done with me for the night, I'm going to head home. I would like to get there before the curfew." Picking up her purse, she headed towards the door and out to the parking lot. As she headed to her truck, she looked around, hoping to see Isabel's car. Loretta leaned against her vehicle and thought to herself, There's more going on than Jake told me. As she went to open her door, she noticed Larzo and a buddy walking through the parking lot. She gave him a little wave to get his attention. He hurried over to her truck, "Did you see her?" Loretta shook her head no. "I'm not sure what's going on, Guys, but I need to know." Larzo nodded, "Yes, you do, but not here. I don't see any trace that she has even been here. Have you seen her car?" Loretta took a deep breath and opened the door of her truck. "Nope, I took a look around, and I if I hadn't seen her here with my own eyes, I would say she hasn't ever been here. I'm heading back to speak to Jake. Be careful, Guys." Shutting the door behind herself, she headed back to the hotel. Larzo and his buddy took one more look around before doing the same.

  Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Jasper was freaking out. She had quit watching the video feed and headed up to her room, but not before giving both Jake and John the look of death. After entering her room, Jasper walked over to the window, reaching down and giving Buddy a scratch as she walked by. She leaned against the window sill and began thinking to herself, My best friend is gone. What am I going to do now? Isabel is my lifeline, and I'm hers. I wasn't with her, and now she is missing.

  Jake stood tapping at the door. He felt guilty enough sending Isabel out into such a dangerous situation and didn't need Jasper being mad at him too. Jasper unlocked the door, then turned and walked away. "Jasper, wait," said Jake. "I had no idea anything like this was going to happen. I mean… how could I? This is all new to me too." Jasper looked over at Jake. "I know, but she is my best friend, and now she is gone. What am I going to do without her, Jake?" Jake walked over and hugged Jasper.

  "I feel the same. We will do everything we can to find Isabel. I promise." Jake reached over and pulled out a chair. Quietly, he mumbled to himself as he sat down. Looking over at Jasper, he muttered, "This is getting so complicated. One day we're living pretty normal, then all of this happened. I was just getting used to the fact that something weird was going on. It never really got to sink in. Now it's just scary. I never imagined how dangerous this whole situation was. I just figured there was a psycho roaming the streets at night, killing a lot of people." Jasper sat next to Jake. I don't think anyone could have imagined it; I mean seriously, shapeshifters? They are supernatural creatures and are not even supposed to be real. Jake let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I still have trouble even saying it."

  Loretta knocked at the door, "You there.” After hearing Jasper yell come in, Loretta stepped into the room and headed straight to the table where the two sat. "What the hell is going on, Guys? I feel like I missed something today." Loretta pulled out a chair and took a seat. "Tell me that Isabel is not really gone. Placing his hand on Loretta's shoulde
r, Jake looked her in the eyes. "I wish I could tell you that it was true, but I can't. We're not exactly sure what happened, although there is a factor or two you should know." Loretta sat up straight, feeling a little worried. Jake took a deep breath. "We saw on the monitor that the chief of police is, in fact, one of them." Loretta's eyes got big. "Are you kidding me?" Shaking his head, Jake replied, "No, I wish I was.

  We have his eyes becoming silver on tape. This is while he was speaking to you. The others that were on duty are also a part of this. One cop placed his hands on Isabel's shoulders and then suddenly, her camera ceased working. Now we can't find her or her vehicle." Loretta glanced over at Jasper, who sat quietly listening. "Are you okay? This has to be hard on you, with your best friend now missing." Jasper turned and looked out the window. "I'll be fine. We're going to find her. We're not going to stop till she's home." Loretta got up from the table. It's good to know someone has a belief that there will be a positive outcome. I'm with you on this. I won't give up either. And, furthermore, I'm not going back to that job as long as there are shapeshifters involved. Are you guys hungry? I'm thinking of heading to the kitchen to get some dinner." Jake nodded, "Yeah, I think we'll join you." Tugging on Jaspers's arm to help her up, the three of them headed down for dinner.

  Later that evening, the group all gathered in the board room. John stood up in the front. "Can I have everyone's attention, please? I want to fill you all in about what has happened. Today we discovered that the police department is involved. The police chief is indeed one of them. Officer Johnson and his partner are also suspected to be a part of this. We know that he had something to do with Isabel's disappearance. This information has been captured on the video feed, and if you would like, you can view it after the meeting. Also, we now have a list of witnesses to events that have occurred throughout the city. Unfortunately, these witnesses have gone missing. My theory is that they could identify someone, so they had them removed. This is way past serious, Folks. Something needs to be done about it before it goes any further. So, if you have any ideas, don't hesitate to come forward and let me know. Thank you all for coming. We'll speak later." John walked over to Jasper as the crowd of people started to chatter about the new known facts. "I want you to know we are not giving up on finding Isabel. We just need to figure out what happened. Did you get a chance to read the list Loretta brought us?" Jasper shook her head no. "Is there anything useful on it? John laid his hand on her shoulder and leaned forward, just a little. One lady watched her friend disappear right after a guy in a suit grabbed her. She said it was as if he never even saw me. There was also a homeless man who watched as a dead body appeared out of nowhere. It landed in front of him. One man swore that there are no bodies in the graves, that it is some kind of mind trick. If I didn't know what I know now, I would have never believed it, but I now know better." Shaking his head, John turned and headed towards the door. "We will figure it out, Jasper. I promise."

  Jasper and Jake headed back up to the room. Jake sat at the table while Jasper cleaned up and fed the pets. Buddy was happy to see her but wasn't his usual bouncy self. Who would be being locked up in a hotel room? Nookers was stretched out on the bed as if he didn't have a care in the world. Jasper reached down and massaged him behind the ears. It must be great not to worry about everything. "Jake, do you think life will ever be normal again?" Jake leaned on his elbow and looked at Jasper. "I really don't know. I definitely hope so, but at this point, I'm not sure that things will ever be normal again. I'm in love with her, and I never got to tell her." Jasper sat down next to him. Pulling her legs up on the chair and her knees under her chin, she said, "She knows Jake, everyone knows." Taking a deep breath, "I feel a little numb. My heart is sad, but my mind won't let go of the idea that Isabel is out there waiting for us to find her. I want to go back to when life was normal when I would walk Buddy every day and go for coffee while I worked. I miss clubbing in the evenings and going to art class. I don't even sketch anymore. I just don't feel it." Jake gazed over at her, "Don't give up your belief, Jasper. I think that whatever is happening will play out in our favour, or at least I hope it will." Jasper picked up a smoke. "Do you mind? I really don't want to run downstairs to have this." Jake pushed the ashtray towards her and opened the window. "You go ahead. I need to make a phone call. I want to check out the hospital, just in case, and see if those people were checked in as mental patients."

  "This is Richmond Psychiatric Department, Cathy speaking."

  Jake leaned back in his chair. "Hi, Cathy, this is Jake Davenport. I work at West Side Mental Health Building. I was wondering if you could do me a favour. I would like to know if a few people I know are in your department. Cathy grabbed her keyboard. Okay, give me their names."

  After Jake gave her the names, she scrolled down the list. "Yes, Dr. Davenport, they are indeed here. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Jake bit his lip silently, "No, not at the moment. Thank you, Cathy. I'll get back with you if I need anything else. Have a good day," he said as he hung up the phone.

  Jake got up from his chair. "Found the missing people. I'm going to head down and let John know. Jasper got up as Jake headed to the door. "One more mystery solved." Flopping down on the bed next to Nookers and Buddy, Jasper said quietly, "I might lie down for a bit or at least try to get my thoughts together."

  After Jake dropped by to give John the news, John and Faith sat at the table together. Faith reached over and took John's hand and said, "They look up to you. You're the smartest guy I know. I want you to know, I believe in you." John smiled at his wife, "I know you do. You're always there right by my side. Now that we know where these people are, do we actually need them, or should we leave them there where they are somewhat safe? My thoughts are and this is just my opinion, but, what if we took them out and the ones who put them there notice? That could be dangerous for us all. The shapeshifters might realize they are not a secret anymore, and they would come after us." Faith felt worried. "You're right. That could be a huge issue. I think we should keep them there. At least we know where they are for the time being." John took out his phone and sent Jake a quick text:

  Jake, I think it would be smart to keep the folks in the hospital. We don't want to alert the shifters that we are on to them. This way, people will remain safe, and it gives us time.

  John turned and put his phone back into his pocket. "That should take care of that. We have to come up with a plan to get rid of them. It really is them or us." Faith nodded and sat, twirling her hair. "I know you're right, and I will support whatever you come up with. Have you heard back from any of the other groups?" John shook his head.,"No, not yet. I put an ad on Craig's list to inform them of what has happened. Perhaps it's time for another one." John lifted his phone and opened Craig's list. He started to make a new ad. He always wrote in code, so only the right people knew what it said:

  "Uncle John looking for worker ants to help clean up a mess. Contact right away through text, 514-276-3389."

  Throwing his phone on the table, John asked, "Let's hope that gets their attention. I've only used the newspaper method a few times. Some groups feel the cell phones are not safe enough. Personally, I don't agree. If it weren't safe, they would be on to us by now." John grabbed his phone and laid it on the table next to his bed. Adjusting his pillow behind his head, he turned the television on, hoping to find something to watch. He checked his watch for the time. It was still early, so he was hoping that there was something other than reruns on. Faith lay next to him. As she snuggled up close, her eyes began to shut. This was a good thing considering how the stress kept her from sleeping lately.

  Jake tossed and turned on the bed. No words could take away or describe what he felt inside. The guilt in his heart over sending Isabel out to do what he should have done ate at him even though there was nothing he could do now. He prayed he would see her again and get the chance to tell her how he felt right after he apologized. Jake thought about the whole situation, the sketches, the voices, and al
l the evidence they had pulled together. This all started with Jasper, he thought to himself. She is the reason we are alive and safe. He lay there and smiled at that thought. Perhaps tomorrow he would try to do something kind for her. See if he could brighten her world up just a little. Pulling the blanket up close to his face, he slowly dozed off to sleep.

  Chapter Six

  "Beep beep, beep." John woke up to his telephone beeping. After opening it, he noticed that quite a few texts had been sent to him. Sitting up, John leaned against the wall. He looked over and smiled at Faith, who lay sleeping next to him. Upon opening the texts, he noticed that they all were remarkably similar:

  "They are here. Numerous of us have seen them. What do we do?"

  John sent a group text, making sure not to exclude anyone: