“Catherine? … Don? … what in God’s name is going on here?” Momma said, almost sounding angry.
The two, both looking distressed, glanced to each other. Catherine said, “Dotty … you must have heard … it’s unbelievable.”
“What is? What’s unbelievable … the power plant?”
Don shook his head. “No … well not entirely that … Dotty … there’s been sightings … hundreds of them all over the state.”
Momma’s eyes darted to Cuddy and then back to Don.
“They’re saying everyone needs to get to safety … into protected shelter. That means the firehouse, which was already overflowing, or here at the hospital.”
Cuddy said, “Sightings? You’re talking about aliens?”
All three of them looked up to Cuddy, who wasn’t supposed to be able to offer up this kind of question.
Catherine said, “Yes, Cuddy … exactly. We’ve seen it … the spaceship! Flew right over our house. Half the windows blew out. They’re saying it may be an invasion! It’s horrible.”
Cuddy watched as Momma put a comforting hand on Catherine’s arm and nodded several times sympathetically—but there was nothing Momma could say. It was all too preposterous. She pulled Cuddy away from them, her expression resolute.
She kept her barely controlled voice low so no one else could hear her. “Talk to me, Cuddy … tell me about … all this craziness.”
“What I told you this morning is true. That ship they were describing is looking for the Evermore … they’re looking for Tow … an alien.”
“And you’ve had contact with this … alien?” Her expression was full of worry.
“Momma … the simple fact that I’m having this intelligent conversation with you should tell you things are different. I’ve been on the ship twice … I’ve been … modified. That’s a stupid word for it. But know, I would never lie to you. That spaceship Mrs. Lampard was telling us about … it’s looking for the Evermore … which is in the woods close to our ranch.”
Wide-eyed, Momma put her hands to her mouth. “Cuddy! We need to tell someone … the police!”
“No, Momma, we can’t do that.” Cuddy hesitated while he tried to think of a way to tell Momma the situation so she’d understand … to believe him. “You need to trust me, Momma. I would never do anything to put anyone in danger. But the ship the Lampards were describing … the aliens … they are called the Howsh … they’re very bad. Evil. Tow is good … a pacifist … he is the last of his kind. The Howsh destroyed his planet … they’ve been chasing him through space … for years. He just needs time to make repairs to his ship. I should be helping him.”
At that moment, Officer Plumkin was hurrying through the crowd, making his way back toward the exit. Momma pointed to Plumkin. “But why not tell …”
“The authorities will think they are all together. Think about it, you yourself barely believe me. We need to help Tow …”
“Fine … but this is getting too much for me to handle. The way you’ve changed, the nuclear accident and now … aliens! Son, I feel like I’m losing my mind. It’s like a bad dream.”
A combined cheer erupted on the other side of the room where people had gathered around a TV mounted high on the wall. Cuddy saw that it was CNN and this time it was Anderson Cooper’s face on camera. The feed broke away from him to what looked like a wide view of the sky. The picture changed and it was clearly a shot of five or six fighter jets flying in formation. Cuddy instinctively knew bringing in the military was the absolute worst thing that could happen. Earth did not want to go to war with the Howsh.
“Have you heard?”
Momma and Cuddy spun around to see Jackie approaching. Her eyes were locked on the distant television. When she joined them she said, in a lowered voice, “We’ve been invaded by aliens …”
Momma nodded, again looking as if she had no words to add to an already crazy situation. Finally, she said, “Your father … how is he?”
Jackie looked at Cuddy and gave him a strange look. She waved off Momma’s question. “He’s fine … they’re putting in a pacemaker. Walking around the second floor last night he kept fainting. He’ll be here for another week.” She looked at Momma … “They say it’s a very common surgery and it’s nothing to be concerned with. I just needed to sign some papers.” She turned her attention back to Cuddy. “You were telling the truth.”
“Yes … and there’s more you don’t know. I need to get back to the ranch … right away. Can you take me?”
“We also need to find Kyle,” Momma said. “I want us all to be together.”
Chapter 22
“Stop!” Momma shouted, spinning around in her seat, startling both Cuddy and Jackie.
“That’s my car …”
Cuddy followed the direction Momma pointed at out the passenger window. And sure enough there it was ahead, parked on the side of the road. A Latino man in greasy gray overalls was connecting its front end to the rear of a tow truck.
Jackie pulled off to the side of the road, right behind the Maxima. Even before the ignition was turned off, the passenger door was opened wide and Momma was out, running toward her car. Cuddy, extricating himself from the back seat, exited through the open passenger door. He and Jackie reached Momma and the tow truck driver at the same time.
“… you don’t understand, this is my car. I can prove it!”
The tow truck driver didn’t stop, continuing to drag a heavy set of chains beneath the car.
“Stop what you’re doing, George!” For the first time, annoyed, George looked up and around. “Cuddy?!”
Cuddy nodded. “That’s my mother’s car …”
George finished attaching the chains to the Maxima’s undercarriage then gave Cuddy an appraising look—like he had two heads, or something. “I have dispatch orders … you’ll have to go pick up the car at the impound garage.”
“No!” Cuddy said firmly.
“What do you mean no—?”
Cuddy took a step forward and, kneeling down, began to unfasten George’s work.
“Hey … I’ll call the police, if I have to. Now, let me do my damn job.”
Momma and Jackie stood back, keeping out of it, though both looked apprehensive.
Cuddy tossed first one, then the other end of the big hooked chains onto the pavement. Standing back up, he slapped his palms together several times to remove some residual rust. Then, staring down at George, he asked, “Do you really want to do that, George? Call the police?”
George locked on to Cuddy’s steady stare, then let his eyes move over to Jackie and Momma. Eventually, he shook his head. “This is bullshit … I shouldn’t even be out here. Radiation … fucking aliens. Go ahead, take it; keys are in the car.” Collecting both lengths of chains, he tossed them into the rear bed of the tow truck. Without looking back, or speaking further, he hurried to the truck’s cab and climbed in and started the motor. They watched in silence as he drove off.
Momma moved to the Maxima’s driver side and opened up the door. Leaning in, she peered around, as if looking for something, as Cuddy watched her through the dirty windshield. Her voice muffled, he heard her say, “There’s blood … not a lot, but it’s definitely blood.”
Cuddy focused his attention on the landscape surrounding them, then stared up at the sky above.
“What are you thinking?” Jackie asked.
He looked toward the middle of the road. “See those tire marks?”
Since the two-lane road was void of traffic, Jackie walked over and straddled the double yellow line. He watched her as she took in the skid marks.
Cuddy said, “There are three sets of skid marks going back a hundred yards or so. Looks like three drivers all locked their brakes at the same time. Something was blocking the road.”
Jackie tracked the black rubber skid marks into the near distance then turned around. “Did you see those … over there?”
At first, Cuddy didn’t see them. Five distinct, circular soot
marks. “Maybe landing thrusters?” he queried.
“You’re asking me?” Jackie said. “I have no idea, Cuddy.”
Momma yelled, “Get off the road … car’s coming!”
Cuddy and Jackie moved just far enough away so the approaching car could get past them. Instead, it slowed down and came to a stop—the sheriff’s cruiser.
“Sheriff!” Momma exclaimed.
All three leaned down to look inside the car. The sheriff’s wide-brimmed hat sat next to him on the passenger seat. Cuddy noticed the sheriff’s shiny domed head was just about touching the interior headliner.
“Whatcha folks doing, standing out there in the middle of the road? Are you nuts or just plain stupid?” Cuddy could see the sheriff instantly regretted his choice of words as soon as he looked at him. “It’s not safe.”
Momma said, “Kyle’s missing, Sheriff. He left the car here … abandoned. I’m worried.”
The sheriff first studied the Maxima, then his eyes tracked all the skid marks. Cuddy noted the tired resignation on his face before he looked up at Momma. Probably the closest thing to compassion he could conjure up. “He may have been taken. I’m sorry … this is … all … so unbelievable, Dotty …”
Momma, now angry, said, “Oh no, you’re not going to tell me my boy’s been taken by those …” her words died off.
The sheriff let out a long breath before answering: “Earlier, three cars were abandoned here. No one was in them when Plumkin arrived on the scene. But he saw it. A space craft … or whatever it was.” His eyes lifted toward the sky back behind them. “He saw it up in the air … heading off.”
Cuddy, Jackie, and Momma all turned and stared into empty open sky.
“Best you get indoors. I’m sorry about Kyle, I truly am, but I have my own family issues to attend to.”
Momma, who’d begun to wring her hands, looked more kindly at the sheriff and asked, “What’s happened, Dale?”
“It’s my boy … Tony. He’s been badly beaten up. His friend Gary, too.”
Jackie glanced at Cuddy.
“Actually, talking to your boy here was on my list of things to do today.”
Momma said, “Cuddy’s been with me all morning, Sheriff.”
Rolling his shoulders, the sheriff said, “No … since they woke up their story is … they got into it … beat the living daylights out of each other. That’s their story, anyway.”
Cuddy thought about that, but it didn’t ring true. Tony and Gary were both cowards; more apt to pick on the disabled or a helpless dog. Thinking about it, he let a faint, lopsided smile cross his lips. It was Kyle! It made sense. Probably was only a matter of time before Kyle settled things with them … for what they had done to him and Rufus.
Jackie asked, “Can we get back to the aliens? Kyle might be … up there now, like a hostage, or a prisoner, or something.”
Momma nodded in emphatic agreement, while unconsciously continuing to wring her hands—her face taut with worry.
“The latest reports say anything approaching that alien ship will get shot down. It has some kind of ray beam. Five of our F-16s were plucked out of the sky in only a matter of seconds. It’s like the end of the world. People are scared. Hell, I’m scared! And today things have only gotten worse. First Arnold Air Force Base was attacked … then with McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, and then Camp Frank D. Merrill in North Carolina … all have all been destroyed. So there’s no one coming here to help us … we’re completely on our own.”
Momma stared at the sheriff, her temper again beginning to rile up. “Well, don’t come all unraveled here, Dale. Everyone’s counting on you to hold things together.”
He took her scolding and nodded. “Best you all get out of the street … I’m sorry about Kyle,” he said, and drove off in the direction of town.
Cuddy said, “I need to get back to the ranch … help Tow. Maybe he’ll know how to find Kyle.”
“Can I help?” Jackie asked.
* * *
They reached the ranch ten minutes later, Momma driving her own car while Cuddy rode with Jackie in the VW bug. Pulling alongside the already parked Maxima, she cut the engine. Momma was already hurrying toward the porch. Cuddy reached for the passenger door handle when Jackie placed a restraining hand on his leg.
“Cuddy … can you just wait a minute?” Feeling her hand resting on his thigh, Cuddy immediately felt his heart rate double. “Um … yeah … sure. What is it?”
“There literally is a world out there … filled with terrified people … and you are the only one that knows what’s really going on. The only one! It’s … staggering. Think about the responsibility!”
“Why? I’m already freaking out.”
Looking across at her, Cuddy saw her smile at that. To him just then, she was breathtakingly beautiful. It was disconcerting, for some reason embarrassing, that after all these years he only now was coming to that realization.
She said, “I’ve been thinking about everything.”
Cuddy looked at her and waited.
“That alien friend of yours, Tow,” she smiled again, realizing how preposterous that sounded, “chose you. You know that … right?”
Cuddy looked away, letting his gaze drift toward the distant tree line, then nodded.
“Future actions will impact more than Kyle, your momma … or me. They will impact life as we know it today.”
“I already know that!” he snapped. “I need to get to him now … to Tow.”
“What I’m saying is I want to help. I want to go with you to the ship. I’ve got nothing better to do. It’s not like I’m going to be able to take the MCAT this year.”
“I promised him … Tow … that I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Cuddy said.
“Well, that ship pretty much sailed. Take me with you … please!”
Chapter 23
Momma was on the phone as Cuddy and Jackie prepared to leave the house. She covered the mouthpiece with her hand and said, “I don’t like this … you two going out there on your own. Let me call the sheriff …”
“No!” Cuddy said, more sternly than he intended. “We’ll be fine. Promise me you won’t tell anyone, especially the police? Promise me, Momma.”
She hesitated then nodded. “But, Jackie, you call me on that cell phone of yours. I need to know what’s happening.”
“I will, Mrs. Perkins, I promise.” Jackie, smiling, gave her front jeans pocket a couple of pats. They left the house and headed for the barn, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows before them. Jackie asked, “Is there anything I should know … you know, before we get there?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know … I’ve never met an alien before.” She looked nervous, perhaps even a trifle scared.
“He’s sick … he’s dying. Has the Dirth.” Cuddy suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked hard at her. “He might not even be alive. Last I saw him he was pretty sick.”
“Is it—”
“Contagious?” He finished her sentence. “I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think so.”
Together, they walked into the cool darkness of the barn. Cuddy paused just long enough to give Ellie a few pats on the horse’s nose, then, exiting the barn, he said, “I guess I should tell you the rest of it … the things Tow told me. About the Howsh … and his own people, the Pashier. The destruction of his home world, Mahli, and what’s most important to him … something called the heritage pod.”
Entering into the woods, they stopped at the brook. Cuddy, starting at the beginning, told her everything that had transpired since he first met the glowing Pashier alien only days before. Jackie interrupted him several times to get better clarity on certain events. She was most interested in, concerned with, the effect of the wellness chamber on Cuddy. He tried to explain what he’d been dealing with since.
“I guess what’s most surprising is that, after all these years … since I was seven and fell from the hay loft … the memories I thought were lost �
� gone forever … were not. I just couldn’t make the right mental connections to them. The problem is, Jackie, that I remember much of what’s happened over my life. Even things people have said to me, or what I’ve seen on TV. But that doesn’t mean I understand it all … there’s a lot I’ll need to learn. I can do that … over time … but it’s overwhelming. But worst of all, the feelings I felt … way back then … I remember them now, too. I spend all my conscious moments trying to bury a ton of emotions.”
“Doing that doesn’t at all sound healthy, Cuddy.”
“I’m dealing with it. Anyway, it’s getting dark. We better keep going.”
Ten minutes later, they reached the edge of the clearing. Cuddy watched Jackie’s expression as she caught sight of the alien spacecraft.
She stopped and stared. “This is … un … fucking be … lievable!”
Cuddy smiled and focused on the closed hatchway, wondering if perhaps Tow was too sick to greet them. He regretted wasting so much time getting back, and then wondered if some of his concern was that he’d brought someone along with him. He’d brought Jackie.
“Are you absolutely sure you want to … you know … be a part of all this?” Cuddy asked, looking unsure.
“Are you kidding me? I want to help … to have a chance to protect Earth and humanity … I haven’t had any sense of purpose since my father’s heart attack. No … I’m a part of this, like it or not.”
At that very moment, the hatchway began to open as the gangway descended toward the ground. Cuddy was surprised at the elation he felt when the glowing figure moved into view. He was alive! Tentatively, Tow raised a hand in a half-hearted wave.
Approaching together, they stopped at the bottom of the gangway. Cuddy said, “This is Jackie, Tow. She’s my friend. And Jackie, this is Tow … he’s also my friend. Can we come in, Tow?”
Tow lowered his head and leaned forward as he stared at Jackie for a long moment—as if examining her with his eyes. He then hobbled down the gangway and awkwardly held out his left hand. He tentatively looked over to Cuddy, “Is this the right gesture … how humans greet one another?”
The Simpleton: An Alien Encounter Page 12