They passed through the McDonald’s drive-thru and left with two Egg McMuffins, and two large coffees with extra cream and sugar. After downing breakfast they made their way to the rendezvous.
“Feeling a sense of Deja-vu?”, Layla said as they cruised east on I-40 towards 566.
“Yeah. Just look at all those red rocks,” Denise said pointing across the highway.
“She’s near one of them and that certainly narrows it down.”
“And near one of them in a trailer. Cyn is going to give us a close look.”
“Wonder who else will be along on this trip?”
“I know Kinsa for certain, with Cyn in the driver’s seat.”
“I wonder if they can make lattes on the shuttle?”
“I’ll be sure to ask, they are SO good.”
Cyn and the shuttle were waiting right where they said they would be, between a large red rock mountain on the left and open fields on the right.
“You are really getting good at this,” Denise laughed once they were safely docked.
Senn greeted them, and it was not surprising to Denise that they would bring some muscle along just in case. But, aside from seeing them pushing buttons that smashed things into oblivion in some mysterious way, Denise was yet to see any signs of hostility or anger come from any member of the crew they’d met so far.
On board were just three crewmembers, Kinsa Cyn and Senn. “Get comfortable,” Cyn said.
“Cyn.”
“Yes.”
“Does one have to go upstairs for one of those delicious lattes?” Denise asked.
Cyn laughed. “No. Kinsa would you?”
“But of course,” Kinsa said.
“Well, now that you are comfortable and lattes are in hand, Senn has something for you,” Kinsa said.
A case Senn was holding opened to reveal two medallions, round and silver in color, attached to soft black leather-like necklaces. Each was two inches in diameter with an X pattern vertically aligned and a button in the center. Circular patterns detailed the background in relief.
“They’re beautiful,” Layla said.
“It is too hot perhaps for black suits in the desert,” Kinsa said.
“These will do what your suits do, and can easily be programmed to do much more,” Senn said. He gave them a demonstration with the one he was wearing, disappearing from view, reappearing as Layla and Cyn before returning back to his own form.
“You sure deliver,” Denise smiled. “We will leave the suits with you.”
“Thank you,” Layla said, sounding genuinely touched.
“Thank you,” Kinsa said.
“I’ll go get those suits,” Layla said after placing her medallion around her neck.
“Is there a name for this device?” Denise asked.
“Fowun. It means Four Directions,” Kinsa said. “It was inspired by your Native Americans.”
“A great name for it indeed.”
They all focused into the business at hand. The shuttle slowly passed over one Red Rock Mountain after another.
Must eat. Denise heard in her head.
Myla. Must eat?
Told I must eat, must get strong.
I am with Kinsa. We are searching for you. An image of a man that looked like he was in his thirties brought her a bowl filled with food.
Eat Myla.
Yes. Hungry and weak.
Are these the people who have been with you all the time?
No. Don’t know. Since conscious, no.
Is it safe to speak to them?
I choose not to. Perhaps think I cannot understand.
Two more men entered the room and were speaking to her smiling. Must eat. Get strong. Going home soon.
“If they’re smiling they’re up to something no good,” Denise said.
“Yep.”
They are feeding her, telling her she must get strong.”
“Fix up the package before you sell it,” Layla groaned.
“Cyn, head east slowly. There are more trailers in that direction.”
Cyn turned the shuttle east, passing over the very spot Denise and Layla were the previous evening.
Myla.
Yes.
Are they sedating you?
Not now.
We may very well be passing over where you are and cannot be sure. Try to send as much information as possible.
Yes.
Any time day or night.
Yes Denizen.
Where you are being kept, can you tell if it is day or night?
Yes.
“Kinsa, is there no way for her to know we are very near, to know we may very well be right over her?” Denise asked.
“There was. They removed it.”
“Would they know how to use it if they wanted to?”
“Unlikely.”
Denizen.
Yes Myla.
Important visitors tomorrow.
Great. Thank you. Stay strong Myla.
“Important visitors tomorrow,” Denise said.
“Some obvious movement?” Layla said.
“Perhaps.”
Denise laid out a grid for them to keep searching from above. “We may not have much luck today if there is no movement. Trailers are easy to find. Cyn, please get us back on the ground. I want to get some visuals while it is still day from all of these places I have marked on the map.”
“Where do you want to be dropped first?” Kinsa asked.
“Anywhere safe near here,” Denise said, pointing to the White Cliffs Mobile Home Park.
“This looks good here.”
“Ready to do some driving sweetie?”
“Oh yes,” Layla grinned.
“We’ll be at the hotel later, probably not until after dark. Can we have more than one craft here tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Kinsa said.
Denise and Layla made their way back to the Mustang to prepare for their drop off.
“I could really get used to one of these,” Layla giggled speaking of the shuttle.
“Me too. Sometimes though, there’s nothing like being on the ground.”
Cyn dropped them off about three miles north of the trailer park.
“We need to come out dressed for hiking and climbing tomorrow,” Denise said.
“We should wash some clothes later.”
“Yep.”
Chapter 42
Meeting
Denise awoke suddenly from a dream and sat up trying to put it all together. The sun was up already, and the rhythmic breathing of Layla next to her was the only sound in the room. Was it a dream? She thought.
Meeting Denizen. Leaving.
Myla.
Yes.
She saw a woman who was smiling at her enter the room and put clothes on the bed. She said something to Myla, smiled wider, and left the room.
“Layla, get up, we gotta move,” Denise said, shaking her into consciousness.
“Baby, what’s, something wrong?”
“I thought it was a dream but it’s happening now. They are moving her TO the meeting,” Denise said, nearly falling when she tried to slip into her jeans.
She saw an image of Myla looking in the mirror buttoning her shirt. “It’s a man’s shirt,” she said.
“A man’s shirt?” Layla asked zipping up her jeans.
“Yeah. She is dressed in a blue flannel shirt, pale jeans and what appeared to be some sort of slip on sneaker in white.”
“Good to know. Any idea where they are taking her?”
“Fuck I wish we knew where she was. No, but she looks a lot better.”
“That’s good news. Just one question, how are we going to know which direction to go?”
“Not sure yet, but I do know I need coffee.”
In short order they were in the MCDonald’s drive-thru again ordering exactly what they had ordered the previous day. Upon receipt of their order they parked in the lot to quickly eat their breakfast.
Must eat.
Denise saw an image o
f the same woman who brought her clothing enter the room carrying a small tray with what looked like a breakfast on it.
You are eating first. That gives us a little time.
Eat then leave. Not far to go.
We have a great connection Myla, keep broadcasting.
Yes.
“They just brought her breakfast,” Denise said, taking the last bite of her Egg McMuffin.
“We still need to know where to go. Oh this is frustrating.”
“They better hope you don’t get your hands almost on them,” Denise laughed. “I’m gonna tap into upstairs.”
“Yep.”
Denise relayed all the information thus far to Nola.
We’ll be on the scene shortly with three vessels,” Nola said
“Great.”
“Be careful.”
“We will.”
More images started to come in. The same woman entered her room, walked over to the window and pulled aside the drapes before turning back towards Myla, a large smile on her face. It is such a beautiful day for a drive. Let me take that, it looks like you’re finished.
Denizen.
Yes Myla.
I do not know why, but I am frightened.
Be strong.
Myla shifted to the end of her bed giving Denise a clear view of the mountain outside her window. “It’s so close, the mountain is so close it is like they are right next to it,” she said.
“I wish I could see what you could see,” Layla said.
“Me too.”
Leaving Denizen.
Denise watched the images as Myla was taken from the room and led through the trailer to the exit, her hand in the woman’s with two men waiting outside and two behind her and the woman. She turned to show a clear view of the trailer, and looked around in all directions before being put in the back seat of a black SUV.
“What direction, what direction?” Denise said.
You were told to blindfold her. Why? Just do it.
Denise watched as the face of the man to her right smiled and spoke before everything went black. Blindfold Denise. Sorry.
“FUCK,” Denise screamed. “Honey get us back to what was it, 566 over by the Red Rock Park fast as you can.
“With pleasure.” Layla peeled out of the McDonalds’s parking lot and sent the Mustang into stealth mode as she drove down the block. She flew down I-40 as fast as she could without hitting anyone. There was a lot of early morning traffic.
Layla sped towards the Red mountains in the distance once they turned onto 566. Denise scanned the moutains from left to right. Closer. They were closer, she thought as they passed a turn off to the right. “They all look like houses,” she said. The next two turnoffs were to the right as well. “Nope. There were not a lot of homes around them.”
“This is the turnoff to the park on the left,” Layla said.
“Turn right here.”
They sped down Challenger Road. “Trailers. We’ve got trailers,” Layla said.
“Slow down. Keep going though, this is the wrong angle and they are too far away from the mountains.”
“Right next to a school, and down the road from a State Park?” Layla said.
“That’s it. Let’s park the car right here, but turn it around so we have a clear shot on getting away quickly if we need to. Park it just off the road in case anyone comes.”
“Affirmative.” Layla said.
“Don’t want any dents in this baby.”
“I wonder if it can be dented?”
“Ha.”
They activated their medallions, slipped out of the car and walked the short distance to the trailer. Denise looked into the window and found herself gazing at the very bed Myla sat on moments ago eating breakfast. They walked around the trailer and peeked into the other windows. I can’t see anyone inside. Denise said.
Better safe than sorry. Were you ever a girl scout?
Nope.
You’re gonna be today.
They walked around the trailer away from any windows. Layla activated her medallion first and Denise found herself looking at a young girl scout with red hair and lots of freckles. Your turn.
Ok, I have to stop laughing first. It’s those freckles. A moment later Layla was looking at a girl scout with long black pigtails. We’re gonna have to sound like little girls.
I suppose we could have them work on altering the voice if needed.
They knocked on the front door, Denise turning to look at the looming red mountain behind them. There was no answer. Layla knocked again, much harder this time. No answer.
“Well Supergirl,” Denise said trying the front door that was locked. “Do your thing.”
Layla popped the lock with ease. They entered and closed the door behind them. The place still smelled like breakfast. “Let’s get the beddings,” Layla said. They walked to the bedroom Myla had been kept in and gathered up the beddings she had been sleeping on. The trailer looked clean, too clean for Denise. She walked to the kitchen to find the refrigerator empty. There was no garbage to be found. It looked as though someone had lived there and had just moved out.
“What is it,” Layla asked, seeing the look of rage forming on Denise’s face.
“Fuck. It’s all too clean. They’re not planning on coming back,” Denise said through clenched teeth. She stormed out of the trailer and used the medallion to get back into stealth mode, Layla doing the same. “Let’s not give them anything to come back to, just in case.”
“You mean?”
“Yep. Demolish it Supergirl.”
Denise followed Layla to a safe distance from the trailer.
“It’s so big.” Denise watched as Layla left the trailer in a mangled heap rather effortlessly.
Airport. Denizen, airport.
Myla.
Did they say which airport?
No.
“Get us out of here,” Denise said once they were safely back in the Mustang.
The image in Denise’s mind was that of Myla’s blindfold being removed to reveal two men and a woman looking in at her through the opened dark window. “Asian. They’re Asian,” Denise said.
“That can’t be good, Layla said.
Leaving. Denizen we are leaving.
Tell me everything they say.
You will accompany us to Brownsville where we will finalize the deal.
“What airport, WHAT FUCKING AIRPORT?” Denise screamed.
The image showed the dark window going up and the SUV moving through many turns to a waiting plane. Terry, take the SUV, pick up the others back in Lubbock, and get to Brownsville quick as you can.
Myla was escorted onto the plane with all but Terry. Denise watched as the plane taxied to the runway and took off. The sun was behind them. When they left the ground the sun briefly glared strongly through the window Myla was looking out of as the plane banked and turned, eventually climbing to a height of not being able to make landmarks out clearly.
Myla.
Denizen.
We know what direction you are heading in. We are not far behind.
Yes.
“We need to find every thing or place that calls itself Brownsville from here to the tip of Florida,” Denise said.
“Palm trees. You know I’ve been seeing images of palm trees since Lubbock.”
“So have I,” Denise said.
Cyn, Nola, anyone?
We will be in the area within a minute.
One of you, come and pick us up. The others, see if you can find a private plane heading southeast with Myla aboard.
We will pick you up in the same place as yesterday, Cyn said.
We are on our way.
“They’re picking us up in the same place as yesterday.” Denise took out her iPhone, opened Google Earth and searched for ‘airports Gallup NM’. There were six. She ruled out four of them immediately as two were owned by the Navajo Tribe, and two were labeled for the same larger Municipal Airport. “Black Rock or Mystic Bluffs.”
“Airfields?”
“Let’s try to find a black SUV heading for Lubbock.”
“Oh joy,” Layla sighed. “Not fucking Lubbock again.”
“Fucking Lubbock, again.”
Chapter 43
Hot Lotto
After a search of an area Denise and Layla felt was as far as an SUV could have traveled in the time Myla took off and they were in the air produced no results, they had Cyn drop them off back near Gallup. She would return when they were finished to get them far enough down I-40 where they could travel in stealth in hopes of spotting the SUV.
They returned to the hotel room to shower and pack before checking out. Denise sat on the bed with the iPad in her lap while Layla showered. She keyed in New Mexico Lottery, and checked the winning numbers for the Hot Lotto ticket she’d purchased the day before at the gas station. 3-6-9-12-21-18 stared back at her. She could not help but giggle with delight at what she saw, not so much that she had the only winning ticket for the $2,520,000.00 prize, but that she had ‘dreamt’ the numbers, clearly saw them the night before. The words of Mercedes, Ahtun, Yoomee and the old woman in the Mexican Restaurant rang in her head. Act quickly on your dreams.
“These are not just dreams,” she said, looking at the iPad screen.
“Did you say something?” Layla asked, stepping out of the bathroom drying her hair with a towel.
“Yes. Let’s have Cyn drop us off near Albuquerque. We can have a good lunch there before hitting the road to nowhere.”
“Oh, I know. I cannot eat another McDonald’s meal unless absolutely necessary for a while.”
“I know what you mean.”
She took a screen shot of the address in Albuquerque where she had to go to claim her prize. Unlike her home state of Illinois, a winner only had 90 days to cash a winning ticket in. She had no idea when or if she might be back in New Mexico.
In short order they were back on 566 and in the friendly clutches of Cyn and the shuttle. She dropped them off close to where they were picked up days earlier, assuring them that she would be moments away if needed.
“Ok, what’s for lunch?” Layla asked.
“Mexican. I definitely have a taste for Mexican,” Denise smiled. “I’ll direct you.”
“Studio 6, are you planning to stay in Albuquerque?” Layla asked when Denise told her to turn right off Osuna Road Northeast.
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