“Oh, that’s already done.”
Denise turned on the iPhone to discover it was exactly like the broken one.
“I’m not even going to ask how you accomplished all of that,” Denise laughed.
“You know, when the time comes for me to upgrade, I would like to order my iPhone from you Cyn,” Layla laughed.
“No need. I have one for you as well. Of course you will need to configure it to your liking.”
“Wow. Thank you very much.”
“It is you who have our thanks,” Cyn smiled.
They sat around for nearly an hour as Denise and Layla brought them up to speed on the day’s events.
“We’re going out for a Mexican dinner, would you like to be our guests?” Layla asked.
“Perhaps another time. We’ve a lot to work on with your latest information.”
“Oh, wait, before you leave. Layla can you get the beddings?” Denise said.
Layla walked to her bag and took out the beddings and one of the syringe caps. “Here. We are convinced Myla was on and covered in these. Perhaps they will be of some use to us.”
Myla took the bundle in her hand. She closed her eyes for a moment as she brought them to her face and breathed deeply. “Thank you again.”
“Cyn. There aren’t any buttons on this iPhone I need to not touch until they’re explained to me are there?”
Cyn chuckled. “No Denise, not this time.”
They parted ways, and Denise and Layla prepared for dinner and a tour of Roswell.
Chapter 36
Mexican Dinner
“Always a good idea to know what the police cars look like in a new town,” Layla said as they drove past someone stopped for a traffic violation.
“I always thought so,” Denise said. “It should be up here on the right, yeah there it is, Tia Juana’s.”
“How can we be sure today’s the day?”
“We can’t, but when she handed me this it felt like an ‘If you come they will be there’ moment.”
The restaurant was not very crowded, so they chose a table along a wall. A waitress brought them menus and water.
“It’s hard to find a restaurant with good enchiladas,” Denise said.
“Really?”
“Yes. I am spoiled. One of my neighbors made the best enchiladas. Never found any to compare.”
“Taco dinner might be safe.”
“I think that’s what I’m leaning towards.”
They each dined on taco dinners and a few Margaritas.
“Well, we’re sure we are in the right restaurant. Perhaps this is just the wrong day,” Layla said.
“Yeah, well, I needed a good meal more than anything and we found one here.”
“We could order a few more drinks, wait a little longer,” Layla said.
“Don’t tempt me,” Denise laughed.
“Ha.”
“I haven’t had a hangover in a long time.”
“Let’s take a tour of Roswell, I mean we’re here,” Layla smiled.
“Yes let’s.” Denise motioned for the waitress and asked for the bill. She handed her a fifty-dollar bill and told her to keep the change.
“Gracias,” the waitress smiled.
They finished up their drinks and left the restaurant.
When they walked into the parking lot they saw two Latina women sitting on their motorcycles in front of a sign that read PARKING FOR HOGS, HORSES & MOTORCYCLES.
“Oh my,” Layla whispered.
They walked slowly to the Mustang Galaxy.
Denizen? Denise heard in her mind. She turned to look at the two women with long black hair who were staring back at her.
“Hang on baby, I think they’re here to see us,” Denise said softly.
Layla put on her sunglasses and followed Denise to where they were standing.
“I am Denizen.”
“I am Eva, this is Rose. I did not want to interrupt your dinner.”
“Layla. That was nice of you.”
“Mercedes is a good woman. The one you seek is lucky that she was assigned to that job.”
“Yes she was.”
Eva could not help seeing Denise looking at their motorcycles warily. “You don’t have to worry. I know you’ve had some trouble with a few male bikers.”
“Trouble. No trouble at all,” Layla said.
The sun was starting to set, the light harsh that seemed brighter than Denise was used to. She wished she had not left her sunglasses in the car.
“It is just transportation, like your vintage car. Here,” Eva said, handing Denise a folded up piece of brown Kraft paper. She opened it to find a drawing. “Between the eyes. Not visible on most maps. Plain as day in Google Maps, especially when you have seen it from up there,” she said pointing straight up.
“You’ve been up there?” Denise asked.
“Not recently, but your friends have, and their thoughts speak loudly at times.”
“We’re close then.”
“Close? It’s all relative I suppose.” Eva slid off the seat of her bike and stood next to Denise. “This is where you are now. These are the eyes, roughly mid way between here and the Grand Canyon. It is not far from Gallup. The area around there is rough, hewn, gorgeous, and treacherous. They’ll be able to see anyone coming for miles.”
“Thank you,” Denise said.
“When I was a little girl in Mexico, I met friends from another world. It’s been hard for me to deal with humans since. Find your friend. Act quickly on your visions. It seems pretty clear they are close to making some deal with the direction they are heading.”
“The government corporations,” Layla said.
“Do not underestimate these people Denizen. They will try to make it harder to impossible for you to simply take their prize without something in return, and from here on they won’t be using slobs on motorcycles.”
“Have you eaten?” Denise asked.
“Not yet.”
“The food inside was pretty darn good. May I treat you and Rose to dinner and a few Margaritas?”
“That would be nice.”
Denise reached into her bag and pulled out one of her pre-filled envelopes of cash. “Here you are Eva. Consider the rest a tip for a tip after you’ve paid for your dinner.”
“Thank you.”
“We’d better be going. I have a lot to think about.”
“I really dig your bikes by the way,” Layla smiled.
“Thanks.”
“It was a pleasure to meet you,” Denise said.
“Likewise.”
Eva and Rose headed into the restaurant and Layla and Denise headed out for a quick tour of Roswell and another meeting at the hotel with their friends from the Tyrine.
Chapter 37
Outside Encino
Denise and Layla got an early start despite the fact they were up well past midnight discussing the possibilities with Nola, Aren, Mari and Cyn. They had brought with them detailed imagery of ‘The Eyes’ that Myla was allegedly somewhere between.
“My gut feeling is telling me we need a good breakfast before we hit the road,” Denise said.
“That and a lot of water and snacks. I’d stock up on that driving through this region even if I wasn’t looking for someone that may very well be out in the desert,” Layla said.
“We need to change cars. What would you like to drive today?”
“Something that won’t get a second look, and something newer than the vintage vehicles everyone has seen us in so far. I don’t know, how about a 1999 Ford Taurus in silver?”
“We’ll make it so somewhere inconspicuous.”
They checked out and decided to eat at the IHOP down the street from the hotel, pancakes, eggs, sausage, hash browns and lots of coffee.
“There’s a Wal-Mart on the way out of town we can hit for water and goodies. Might be a good idea to pick up some nice size back packs too just in case,” Layla said.
“You know what’s best,” Deni
se giggled, a small dribble of syrup traveling down her chin.
“Your lips look great.”
“They survived you all night,” Denise laughed.
When they left the restaurant Layla pointed the Mustang north up Main Street. She then changed the Mustang to a Taurus before they parked in the Wal-Mart lot. Inside they purchased a few cases of water, a shopping bag full of snacks that would not melt or perish in the heat, two large backpacks, a pair of Nikon binoculars and a car charger so they could keep their iPhones charged just in case.
Their suits were not in the trunk. Nola took them back to the Tyrine to have them modified, but promised to deliver them later in the day.
“Which way?” Layla asked.
“We’ll be coming up to 285 on the left and stay on that for 140 miles.”
“A little driving music please.”
Denise chose a CD of songs by Morrissey and The Smiths.
“Ooh, haven’t heard these in a while. Good choice.”
The scenery was flat and full of wide-open spaces. Denise would focus on trying to contact Myla to no avail.
“Lots of places boarded up, looking like they’ve been out of business for a long time,” Layla said.
“Yes, I noticed.”
“Some of these places are pretty cool looking though,” Layla said as they drove slowly through a town called Encino.
“Why do you think they did that to those two huge trees?” Denise asked pointing to two trees in the front of a home with all the top branches sawed off.
“Firewood maybe.”
“Oh my. See anything wrong with that sign?” Layla asked.
“New Menagement. Seen any schools yet?”
“Nope.”
They passed an old abandoned and broken down house that had a fresh looking sign leaning against the front porch that read Drive Cautiously Ahead.
“Ah, 70 mph,” Layla said as she picked up the pace once again.
Roughly ten miles out of Encino they noticed a man sitting on the tailgate of his old Chevy pickup truck. When he saw them coming he held up a sign that read DENIZEncino.
They slowed to a crawl when passing him. He waved as they did. “That’s got to be more than a coincidence. Stop.” Denise said.
Layla pulled the Mustang over on the shoulder and they both got out and walked over to the back of the truck.
“Do you need help with your truck?” Layla asked.
“No,” the man laughed. He looked like he was in his sixties. His long silver hair was tied back in a ponytail. “It is you I think that could use my help.”
“And why do you say that?” Denise asked.
“Because I saw you coming.”
“You saw us coming, like just now, down the road?” Layla said.
“No,” the man laughed again. “I have seen you coming for days. I am happy to see your lip has healed.”
“Thank you. I am Denizen.” Denise said.
“Yes. I am Ahtun. What I have to say will not take long.”
“Ahtun. You are a Native American. What does it mean?” Layla asked.
“One who lives below.”
“So have you met anyone from up above?” Layla asked.
“Yes, when I was a young man. They have not returned in a very long time, but they said they would in my lifetime.”
“I will miss our friends when they leave,” Denise said.
“Here, look at this,” Ahtun said pulling out a map he or someone else drew. “You are to meet another guide but they will not be there until tomorrow.” Places to stay are far and few between west of Albuquerque, so if you need a place to stay until tomorrow, I would recommend doing so there.”
“We are meeting someone in Albuquerque?” Layla asked.
“No. If you choose to stay there, I recommend the Hotel Andaluz. The staff there is very friendly and the accommodations are superb.”
“Ok. So where are we meeting the guide? Does the guide have a name?” Denise said.
“Her name is Yoomee. It is roughly ninety miles west of Albuquerque. You will exit Highway 40 here, 412, Pillowcrest Road, and continue on it until you arrive here, at Bluewater Lake.”
“What does her name mean? It’s a hobby of mine,” Layla asked.
“Star.”
“Sweet.”
“Are you from around here?” Denise asked.
“This is my home planet. I move often.”
A black and white State Police car cruised past them, slowing down to see what was happening.
“Directions if he asks,” Ahtun said. The police car simply continued down the highway.
“You said you saw me coming,” Denise said.
“Yes, as shall you if you have not already started to see the future.”
“I think I have, it may have been a dream, and yet here we are, in the New Mexico desert.”
Denise excused herself and walked back to the car to get an envelope of cash. When she handed it to Ahtun he kindly refused it. “I have more money than I can spend in six lifetimes,” he laughed.
“I hope I haven’t offended you,” Denise smiled.
“Not at all. Being able to see the future makes it easy to invest in your independence,” he smiled.
“Yes, I suppose it would.”
“Thank you,” Layla said.
“Yes, thank you. Will we ever see you again?” Denise asked.
“The future is unwritten. Anything is possible.”
“Indeed.” Denise smiled.
They each gave him a hug before they got back into the Mustang and headed for Albuquerque.
A few miles up the road, Layla looked back to see if he was behind them but she could not see his truck anywhere.
“He vanished,” Layla said.
“He may have never REALLY been there at all.”
“Albuquerque has to be one place I may have never chosen to visit in this lifetime,” Layla said.
“Want to know what it means?”
“Of course.”
“White oak.”
“Let’s have pizza for dinner.”
“Pizza sounds nice.”
Chapter 38
Albuquerque
Hotel Andaluz was the nicest they had stayed in so far. What made it even nicer was the fact that around the corner was JC’s New York Pizza Department. The menu looked wonderful, at least online.
Mari, Senn and Kinsa came to their room on the fifth floor to talk about the following morning. Layla could not help but be a little wary of everyone they’d been meeting along the way, and the directions took them well off the beaten track into the New Mexico wilderness on secondary roads.
“I felt a sense of trust with Ahtun,” Denise said.
“We will be over the area all morning tomorrow,” Mari said.
“Let me explain the new feature in your suits,” Senn said. “They work by the same principle as that built into the car that alters its outer appearance. Kinsa’s suit is fitted with the modification. Kinsa if you please.”
Kinsa activated the suit and in a blink Layla was standing in her place. She changed it again to be Denise, then the man working at the front desk who checked them in, before returning to herself.
“Fascinating,” Denise laughed.
“I am impressed. No side effects?”
“A tingling sensation upon activation and deactivation,” Mari said.
“I know, I know, you have a lot of preparations before tomorrow so you cannot join us for a pizza,” Denise said.
“Not just any pizza, but a New York style pizza,” Layla grinned.
“Actually, Senn is the only one who cannot attend. Mari and I would be delighted to join you for dinner,” Kinsa said.
“Yes. Girls night out,” Layla said.
Great. We’ll be ready in a jiffy.”
“Is being on our world offensive to you, in lieu of all that has happened?” Denise asked Kinsa as they walked to the restaurant.
“No. Although most of the inhabitants of your wor
ld are illogical and cruel, the percentage that is not makes it tolerable. Then of course, there is you and Layla, the closest to us, the easiest to call friend.”
Layla and Mari walked ahead of them like an advance guard.
The restaurant smelled wonderful, a blend of baking and all the ingredients that went into good Italian cooking. It wasn’t overly crowded, so once again Layla asked for a table along a wall.
“What do you think of the pizza,” Denise asked. She ordered two Little Italy pizzas, peppers only on a thin crust.
“I don’t have much to compare it to,” Kinsa said. “I never tried pizza until I met you. But, compared to what you chose for us as a addition to our menu just after we met, I can see now our menu can be improved upon.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Layla giggled.
“Yes,” Mari smiled. “And, I’ll be taking what we don’t eat with us so we get it right. This pizza is delicious.”
“So, it’s a nice evening, would you like to walk off dinner?” Denise asked upon exiting the restaurant.
“Yes. It is a nice evening,” Kinsa said.
They strolled west up Central Avenue Southwest that took them through what appeared to be a blend of old original architecture and new, full of shops and restaurants.
“What are restaurants like on your home world Kinsa,” Denise asked.
“On our world, the equivalent of your restaurants are places for social gathering and dining, but at them you can dine on anything in our growing menu. Today’s pizza will be added to that menu. They don’t exist to compete or for profit. We did not evolve with the concept of personal riches. The spaces are all individually styled and creatively so.”
“No tips?” Layla asked.
“No. Money does not exist on our world,” Mari said.
“How fantastic. We really fucked up didn’t we?” Layla laughed.
“The path your species chose was not the best path perhaps,” Kinsa smiled.
When they got to the corner of 5th Street Northwest Denise asked how they were holding up to all the car exhaust from vehicles passing by.
“We will be emitting your ‘Chicago Subway’ in a little bit,” Mari smiled.
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