In His Alien Hands

by C. L. Scholey

  “A Sentinel.”

  “Yes, a Sentinel, an imposing title. Although, I guess it should be seeing as how they’re here to, you know, save the world and all.”

  She would have taken offense if he’d sounded sarcastic, but he hadn’t.

  He gestured upward. “So where’s he off to?”

  She wasn’t sure if she should reveal Bane’s plans or not, but considering he’d already told the leaders of Albion that he’d be leaving, she figured it’d be a matter of public knowledge soon enough.

  “Now that the town is secure, Bane left to battle the invaders.” She felt a little shiver run through her at the thought. He was actually gone, and she didn’t know if she would ever see him again. A stray tear slipped down her cheek, and she rubbed at it absently.

  Vincent stared at her with confusion. “He left? But how’d he get out? I mean that’s what our huge beef was yesterday—not leaving once the shield was in place. He said no one leaves and no one gets in.”

  “He must have meant only the townspeople. He obviously didn’t mean himself since he planned to leave all along once we were safe. Although, I just found out about it last night.” She couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice. “His ship has special technology allowing it to penetrate the shield without bringing it down or undermining it. I saw him go, he passed right through it.”

  “Wow. Impressive.” Vincent stared up at the sky then dropped his gaze to hers once more. “That must have been a bit of a shock to you—him springing it on you that he was leaving.”

  Josie nodded once. “I understand. I mean, he’s so focused right now on keeping everyone safe.”

  Vincent looked at her with compassion. “Of course. The pressure he’s under must be considerable. But still…”

  If he kept looking at her that way, she was afraid she’d break down again. “I should get going. It’s a long walk back.” She headed toward the trees and Vincent fell into step beside her.

  “You’re staying out at that cabin in the middle of nowhere on Bentley Lake, right?” The look she gave him obviously portrayed her confusion. “It’s what a bunch of us in town thought, since it’s so secluded and all. It’s the perfect place to hide out,” he explained.

  Josie figured there was no harm in him knowing where she was staying. “Yes, I am.”

  “Hey, my truck is just across the street in the lot. Would you like me to give you a lift? I’m actually a nice guy, I’ll have you know.”

  She laughed. “Oh, you are, are you?” She’d heard about residents in small towns being so neighborly, and she knew she needed to make an attempt to fit in. Who knew how long they were all going to be stuck inside the orb together?

  He laughed as well. “I can’t have you running off thinking I’m an asshole.”

  “I didn’t…”

  He placed his hand over his heart as though wounded. “Oh, you did! All this time you were being polite, but really you were thinking—”

  “No, I wasn’t, really.” She knew he was teasing her, but it felt good to laugh again. “All right, I accept your offer.”

  Together they left the shelter of the trees and crossed the street to his truck.

  Josie invited Vince—as he insisted she call him—in for lunch. He hadn’t given off any crazy vibes along the drive home and she found herself enjoying his sense of humor and the way he poked fun at himself. They soon sat on the back deck, eating sandwiches and drinking cola. She admitted to herself he reminded her of Bane. Not Sentinel Bane, but old Bane, the one she’d fallen head over heels for. Markley sat in the bedroom window behind her, and she could hear his tail thrashing back and forth.

  “He knows I’m allergic to him and he wants to get his claws into me,” Vince said, indicating the cat. As soon as they’d walked in the cat had hissed loudly at the intruder. Josie, noting Markley’s murderous look, had suggested Vince head out onto the front deck.

  “He’s upset his daddy’s gone.” Although Bane hadn’t acted overly fond of Markley the past several days either.

  “His daddy? Oh, that’s cute.”

  The expression on his face made her laugh. “There’s been so many changes for him. I’m surprised he’s handled it all so well.” She meant Markley.

  Vince set his empty plate down and rubbed the crumbs off his hands. “There have been a lot of changes for the entire world. I’m surprised we’re all not waving guns around.”

  She was thoughtful for a moment. “I think that’s why the Sentinels concentrate on the smaller towns—a lot less people to worry about. They seem more laid-back here and not as prone to the hysteria you’d see in the big cities with a mass population.” She’d seen firsthand the effect the invaders had on her city. She could only imagine how insane it was there now.

  When Vince didn’t respond to her ponderings and remained silent and thoughtful she asked him what was wrong.

  “Oh, nothing. I just find my mind wandering to all kinds of dark places sometimes.”

  “Are you worried? Bane assured me we’d be safe here.”

  He didn’t appear convinced. “I know, but don’t you ever question what he tells you? From what you’ve said I get the impression he’s not the same man you knew.”

  “He’s not. He’s completely different,” she admitted.

  “Different how?”

  She shrugged, not really wanting to talk about her concerns, yet at the same time relieved to have someone to confide in. “He’s completely focused on his mission. It’s a huge weight to carry and probably the reason why he’s been so commando, so cold.”

  “I know I shouldn’t mention this, but yesterday in the park, the way he spoke to us—at us—I got the impression he didn’t even want to be here. As though he resented having to protect us. But it’s probably as you said, he’s carrying a huge weight.”

  Josie didn’t want to admit that Vince was right. She’d felt an underlying resentment, almost distaste in Bane, not just for her but for all humans. Maybe it was stress, or maybe it was because the Acacians were so vastly superior. Who knew?

  “You must be worried about him. I’m sure he’ll be fine though, probably be back before you know it.” He attempted to change the subject, obviously seeing her unease. He got to his feet. “I should go.”

  Josie didn’t really want to be left alone, but she could think of no legitimate reason to keep Vince there. “It was nice talking to you.”

  He nodded and smiled, moved toward the stairs, then paused. “If you like, I could pick you up tomorrow and we could go to Eagle’s View. It’s that big hill in town. There’s a road you can drive up right to the top, and there’s a lookout. It’ll give you a chance to see all of Albion.”

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  “Okay. Pick you up around ten?” When Josie nodded in agreement he started to descend the steps but paused again. “I’m sorry about what I said with Bane not liking us. We are a pretty annoying race.” He laughed. “There’s no reason for him to dislike us. Unless he’s actually the enemy… Sorry. There goes my maniacal mind again. That’d be pretty crazy, don’t you think? I mean, we’re completely trapped in here. Who’s to say one of those big UFOs won’t come along and attach a tractor-beam and haul us across the universe?” He laughed again. “Can you tell I watch a lot of Star Trek? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Josie went over to lean against the railing of the deck. Vince was only joking around, but what he said made her suddenly anxious. What if he was just repeating what others had said in town? And the worst thing of all…what if it was true?

  It was not an idea she’d ever entertained; that Bane could be the enemy. But what if he were? It would make perfect sense actually. The way he seemed to despise humans, and how he’d conveniently penned them up in here then gone off to God knew where. Sure, he’d said he was going to fight the Cadeyrns but what if that was a lie? What if everything he said was a lie?

  When the UFOs showed up and all those Sentinels—if that’s what they really were—t
urned on, maybe they were the ground force tasked with securing as many human specimens as possible? Like that old television series V, they could be preserving people in the small towns for a victory party snack. Not to mention the amount of fresh water lakes Bane had handily sealed up in this bubble as well.

  She squeezed the rail beneath her hands and told herself to get a grip. There was no way Bane was the enemy. Vince had stirred up her imagination, but that was all it was—a fantasy. Bane was no more a danger to this town than she was.

  * * * *

  Bane decided to fly over the town before heading to the cabin. The past four days had been extremely long and difficult. Returning to the city that he and Josie had fled, he’d witnessed complete devastation.

  As he’d feared, the Cadeyrns had come down from their ships, eliminating as many people as possible. As he’d told Josie, the weapons they used disintegrated up to ten people in one shot, leaving no trace of slaughter. Yet, the city was in an uproar, and the carnage from trampled bodies or those hurt or killed from flying or crumbling debris was in no short supply. Most windows had blown out from the earthquakes. If buildings stood at all, glass, metal, and hazardous rubble lay strewn all around streets, blocking alleyways and sidewalks, making traveling difficult and dangerous.

  He’d flown over a mass exodus of people fleeing for their lives, many carrying nothing more than children or their pets in their arms and the clothes on their backs. Using all the weapons at his disposal, he’d fired upon the enemy whenever and wherever able, to no or little effect. He’d inflicted damage, but there were just too damn many of them. This morning he’d given up, knowing he could make but a dent in the enemies’ armor, and prayed that backup would soon arrive.

  Fueled by only a few hours of sleep snatched here and there the past few days, he reentered the orb with relief, knowing that a meal and bed awaited him. And Josie.

  Seeing the apartment building they’d lived in together standing mercifully erect among scattered slabs of steel and concrete reminded him of the life they’d shared together. They, like this building, had withstood the destruction. But for how long? Vestiges of their romance had crept into his uneasy slumber when his defenses had been low, leaving him with warm, nostalgic feelings upon rising. It amazed him how much he longed to see her face again.

  The town was on the verge of dusk and eerily calm and quiet. He brought his ship down before the cabin and leapt from the open hatch to jog toward the deck.

  “Jose?” he called, bursting through the door.

  Markley cried out and practically leapt into his arms from the table. Bane stroked his sleek fur and talked to him gently while he moved through the cabin. Josie wasn’t inside, and when he saw that Markley’s food and water bowl were empty he grew concerned. He filled up both bowls and watched as the cat lapped greedily at the water before turning to the food. It appeared he’d gone some time without either.

  Bane left the cabin, and after checking that the canoe was still flipped over at the water’s edge, he jumped back into his ship and raced for town.

  Chapter 9

  Josie clung to the bars of the cell inside Albion’s police station. For two days she’d remained a prisoner. Worried for Markley, she’d begged one of the officers to go out to the cabin and feed her cat. God only knew if he’d actually done it or not.

  The day after Bane left the town started to turn on him. It began with slight doubts and speculations, but by the second day things had snowballed out of control. Vince had taken her to visit Eagle’s View as promised, and the outing had been pleasant enough. The next day she learned that after taking her home he’d gone right to the police station, spreading rumors and propaganda against Bane. It hadn’t taken much to make the small, suspicious town believe all that he said.

  The following afternoon she’d been lured to town with a promise of a picnic in the park, but instead she’d been brought before a mob in the very place where Bane had assured everyone of their safety. Unable to answer their outrageous, accusing questions, she’d been taken away to use as security in the event of Bane’s return. Fearful of his technology, the people had figured she was the only bargaining chip they possessed.

  Just as she sat down on her cot to rest for the night she heard all hell break loose. Inside her cell she could see nothing, but she heard an explosion and several alarms going off in rapid succession. Shouting soon followed. She made out Bane’s voice and could tell he was getting closer to her. Soon she heard him calling her name.

  “Bane, I’m in here,” she cried.

  Moments later he was in the room, standing before the bars. Several armed police and even some townsfolk cradling shotguns surrounded him. He seemed not to notice or care. He reached through the bars and took hold of her hands.

  “Are you all right? Did they hurt you? I swear to God, if they hurt you…”

  Josie had never seen him so enraged. “No, I’m okay. I’m just worried about Markley,” Her voice caught on a sob. “Why are you doing this to us?” she aimed that question at Jack Herald, the mayor, who’d stepped into the room.

  “Everyone needs to settle down,” Jack said. “There’s no need for guns or violence.”

  “The hell there isn’t,” snapped Vince, stepping forward.

  Bane spun around and grabbed him by the throat so fast that no one had time to react. Slowly, he picked Vince up off the floor until they were at eye level. “Open this up or he dies,” Bane said with a snarl.

  At once it sounded like a hundred guns were cocked.

  “Bane, put him down, please,” Josie begged.

  Vince’s face turned pitch red and he struggled for every breath.

  Suddenly a gun leveled on her.

  “Drop him or she dies,” the police chief stated furiously.

  Bane immediately let go of Vince, who collapsed to the floor.

  “Now, here’s what’s going to happen,” the chief said. “We’re going to unlock that door and let your girlfriend out, and you’re going to get in there instead.”

  “No!” cried Josie.

  “Fine,” Bane agreed. The cell door was opened, and as Josie passed Bane he pulled her into his arms briefly. “Don’t worry,” he said.

  Bane was locked in the cell and ordered to disarm while a gun was held on Josie. He complied and handed over various weapons tucked in his boots, belt, and strapped to his arms and legs, along with his small, circular weapon that had zapped the group in the park.

  Confident that he posed no more threat, the mayor urged most of the men to clear the room.

  Josie clung to Bane through the bars. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault,” he told her. He turned his icy stare on the police chief and Jack. “What’s going on? I leave for a few days and the whole town goes to hell.”

  “Hold on there, son,” Jack said, holding up a hand. “We’ve got some concerns.”

  Vince shook his head and climbed wearily to his feet. “Son of a bitch.”

  “Be glad you’re on that side.” Bane sneered at him.

  “See, I warned you how dangerous he is. Here to save humanity, my ass,” Vince swore.

  “You’re wrong about him, Vincent,” Josie spat.

  Jack turned to her. “Why don’t you head on home and let us work this out?”

  “I’m not leaving,” Josie argued.

  “Yes, you are,” Bane confirmed. “I need you to be safe, Jose. Go back to the cabin, okay? Markley needs you.”

  The gentleness of his voice made her tear up again. Numbly, she nodded her head. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning. He’d better be free by then or there will be hell to pay.”

  “Are you threatening an officer of the law, ma’am?” one of the remaining officers asked.

  “Damn right I am.”

  “No, she’s not. She’s leaving,” Bane assured them. “Jose, go. Let me handle this.”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and backed from the room. Once outside she stood on th
e sidewalk for several minutes. Resigned, she trekked through town and passed by the park. A crowd had gathered around Bane’s ship, which sat defiantly in the center of the field. Several minutes later, as she walked down the dark road to the cabin, the bright glow of headlights came up behind her.

  Vince pulled up beside her in his truck and leaned out the window. “Want a ride?”

  “Go fuck yourself.”

  He kept rolling along beside her as she quickened her pace. “Come on now. Don’t be like that.”

  “All of this is your fault! No one had any doubts about Bane until you started spreading your lies. I thought you were a nice guy, but you’re an asshole.”

  He gunned forward and pulled the truck across the road in front of her. Jumping down from the cab, he stalked toward her.

  Josie backed away. “Stay away from me, I’m warning you.”

  “What are you gonna do? Sic your alien boyfriend on me? Oh, that’s right, he’s detained at the moment.”

  Josie wanted to carve that smirk right off his face. She bent down and picked a palm-sized rock off the side of the road. When Vince continued forward she drilled the rock straight at his head. Amazingly, it hit him square between the eyes and sent him stumbling to the ground.

  When he didn’t move Josie approached him cautiously. As she bent down beside him she saw a gash on his forehead. There was no blood. Curious, she knelt and touched the wound. His skin felt strange beneath her fingertips, almost rubbery. She pinched the edge of the gash and tugged slightly only to fly back in shock when it tore away and revealed bleached, scaly skin beneath.

  His hand suddenly shot up and grabbed hold of her wrist. Josie snatched the rock by his side and bashed at his face. Horrifyingly, his skin tore away to reveal a hideous form beneath. Releasing her, he grasped his head and rolled away as she continued her assault. He soon passed out and lay still on the road. Josie sprung to her feet and raced toward the truck. It was still running, and as soon as she leapt in she put it in drive, floored the accelerator, and spun it around, heading back to town.