by Jill Cooper
Jackie closed her eyes and a sob reverberated from between her lips. “How did this happen?”
“I don’t know.” Mark pressed his lips together to keep his emotions under control. He smoothed his wife’s bruises. Her eye had quite the shiner and it pained him to see it. Pained him to know why.
He put his forehead to hers and they kissed. Slow. Embracing each other. Jackie sobbed, her chest heaving and Mark did too. The cry of the mourning. They didn’t know Liz was dead. They didn’t know anything for sure, but in his heart that’s what he felt. His baby was gone and in all the chaos he knew only the glistenings controlled the food. If she was out there and was alive, how would she survive?
What would she eat?
Please let my baby be okay, Mark thought with his eyes squeezed shut. He gripped his wife harder, driving her closer to him like a life line. He never needed her as bad as he did just then.
The flat panel televisions buzzed to life on the walls. Once they had replayed sports’ scores and served public school announcements. Mark lifted his head in attention and a hush fell over the auditorium.
He blinked his eyes as a face came into focus. It was clean and not bruised. She looked well cared for, healthy and somehow even at peace.
His mouth parted and his soul began to heal. “Lizzie?” He whispered.
****
“Dad!” Liz ran out of the farm house and across the fields, her legs pumping like she was on the last few yards at a school sprint meet. Her arms swayed and as he stepped off the truck, she flung her body into his arms.
Mark grunted, but hugged her and lifted her up anyway. “Baby girl.” He whispered and kissed her cheeks, taking her face in his hands. His face searched hers. “Have they hurt you? Are you okay?”
Liz nodded, the nerves in her stomach subsiding to be back with her family. “I’m okay. The glistenings saved me. I thought I was a goner.”
“So you were telling the truth? The video you made, I thought maybe they put you up to it.”
Liz shook her head. “It was my idea and mostly my own words.”
“Mostly.” Mark said with suspicion. He turned and glanced at Victor as he came up with two glistenings on either side of him.
“I saved your daughter, Mr. Nuefeld. There’s no reason to be suspicious of us. It’s your kind that would have seen her dead for her friendship with Jake. A sweet, naïve girl should be protected. And that’s what I have done. You should be grateful.”
Mark opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut. His arms squeezed tighter around Liz as if protecting her in a storm.
Their attention turned to the back of the truck. Several glistenings were carrying a makeshift gurney made of yards of fabric. Between it was the unmoving body of her mother. Liz’s eyes widened and she ran to be with Jackie. “Mom!”
Her eyes fluttered open, but remained closed in the end. She moaned in pain. “Lizzie…” Her trembling hand outstretched to her.
“Take her to the barn.” Victor ordered. “Get Meghan to help her. Medical supplies, whatever she needs.”
“What?” Liz’s voice trembled. “She should be in the house with me.”
“Dear, Liz.” Victor draped his arm around her shoulder even as it made Mark foam at the mouth. “Not everyone can stay in the house. They need to earn that privilege.”
“But,” Liz glanced back at her mother as they escorted her away, “she’s sick. She was hurt.”
“A lot of them will be hurt. Perhaps it will just inspire people to stay in line and not question my leadership.” He looked to Randy and Paul. “We move out to our next mission, but first escort Ms. Nuefeld back to her room.”
“No,” Liz shook her head with frantic speed. She clung to her father and his fingernails grated into her skin as she was forced from his arms. “You promised! You said I would be with them!”
Each of her arms were taken and even though she refused to walk, they dragged her through the dirt like she was a plow. Dirt and small rocks lodging their way beneath her toe nails.
“You promised!” She screeched.
Victor sneered after her. “I promised I would find your parents and bring them here. Which I did. Thank you, Elizabeth for all your help.”
“If you hurt her…” Mark warned.
“Do what we say and I’ll have no reason to.” Victor smiled and followed after Liz back to the house. “There’s one more thing I need to pick up before our trip, Randy. But let’s hurry. We can’t be late.”
Chapter Twenty-Five Jake
Jake came in for his landing through soot and fog.
His feet crunched on the broken pavement of what was once Swift Current Saskatchewan. The grass was brown, singed from fire. The creek which he always admired that ran through the city was darkened the color of mud.
Where he stood was supposed to be downtown, but the buildings were all burnt to the ground, crumbling and in front of the old cinema were a series of pickup trucks where humans were being carted like livestock onto. A makeshift sign was propped up against some fallen bricks. “Human Transportation Here”
Jake morphed back into a man and charged across the street. His hands coiled into tight fists he lashed out at the first glistening he grabbed his hands on, yanking him by the shirt. The man was Christopher Plummer.
Chris’ eyes widened. “Jake, you’re back?”
Jake snarled, his jaw so firm his teeth ached. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? What the hell happened here, Chris?”
Chris held his hands up. “It’s not as bad as it looks. We…just needed to take a stand. And you weren’t here. Victor had an idea and it seemed…”
Victor. Jake saw red and he pummeled Chris with his fist until he was cowering on the pavement in a fetal position. Jake grabbed his shirt and forced him back on his feet. “This goes against everything we’ve stood for. Everything! How dare you.” Jake pointed at the wide eyed humans, most had their heads down and were pretending they were somewhere else.
“Let them go!” Jake sneered. “You can’t treat them this way.”
“They want to come.” Chris’ hands shook. When Jake pulled his arm back to punch him again, Chris put his arms up defensibly to protect his face. “I swear, no one is forcing them to do anything they don’t want to do.”
Jake shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”
“Where else would they go?” Chris asked. “We have all the food. Everything else…has been destroyed.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed and he fought the urge to beat him down again. “The storage warehouses, the greenhouses?”
Chris’ eyes made a beeline for the pavement. “All under glistening control.”
Jake let his old friend’s shirt go. He pushed him back dismissively and couldn’t even look at him in the face anymore. “This was not what we were about, Chris. You can stand there and say it was all Victor’s idea, but this isn’t us. There will be no coming back from this. Asshole, how could you go along with this!?”
He grabbed Chris and shook him before pushing him down onto the pavement again. “I’ll deal with Victor myself.”
Jake charged away, running down the street. He didn’t even need to channel anger to turn into a glistening and fly away. The anger was right there, on top of everything else. Easy to tap into and hid every other emotion Jake had ever had, just beneath the surface. There was no love, no kindness.
He felt off and through the smoke, flew toward the Monroe farm. The only thing in his heart was revenge and death.
Jake was going to end things once and for all.
The farm came into view.
****
Jake landed right outside the wheat fields and charged toward the house. Outside their barn and in their vegetable garden he saw people working he had never seen. He saw them cleaning out the pig pens and harvesting the vegetables like humans worked for glistenings. There was only one reason a human would work for a glistening.
Survival. Fear.
Jake hated it. This
wasn’t how he wanted to get his freedom. This wasn’t how he pictured humans and glistenings working together. Humans lorded themselves over glistening and now the tables were just flipped. Humans and glistenings weren’t walking side by side like he wanted. In the short term, the glistenings might have thought this felt great. Revenge. Vengeance, but Jake knew it wasn’t the answer.
It would be short lived.
How long could it be before the government sent bombs, jets, to wipe them all out? And all that death, destruction was on Victor’s head.
Jake morphed and charged into the farm house. “Victor?” He charged in the kitchen, then the living room. “Victor!” About ready to take the stairs, someone put his hand on his shoulder. Jake shrugged it off and spun, ready to stop whoever got in his way when he stared into the face of his father.
“Dad.” Jake’s anger melted away when he saw the despair in his father’s eyes. But then he remembered why they were both hurting. First Mom and now Marie. He went to move up the stairs and then was crushed in a hug. Jake sighed and hugged Jeff back.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m sorry I didn’t protect her. I didn’t know…”
Jeff just squeezed him tighter. “I know. Of course I know all that. You couldn’t have known what was going on in her mind. Her heart.” Jeff shook his head, sniffling back tears and Jake just wanted to protect him. And to do that, he would start with ripping Victor’s head off.
“Where is he?” Jake demanded.
Jeff shook his head. “He left. He took Paul and Randy and flew off. There were some glistening escapes from New Haven last night. I think he’s gone to meet with them. Bring them back here.”
“Which New Haven?” Jake demanded.
“Fourty-nine. Fifty Five. A few others.”
That was thousands of glistenings. Thousands of them just free and thirsty for blood. Jake wiped at his mouth. “I need to find him and I need to stop him.”
“But how? He’ll hurt anyone that stands in his way. The only reason I’m out is because I lied. I swore allegiance to him.”
Jake swore under his breath. “Out? Out from where?”
“The basement.” Jeff mumbled. “But I wasn’t hurt. Just….detained. Meghan made sure I was well taken care of. It was her idea that I…pretend.”
“Where is she now? If she knows what he’s up to I need to talk to her.”
“She’s upstairs. With Liz.”
Jake’s eyes widened. He hadn’t even thought of her since getting back. Some friend he was. But he hadn’t thought he’d ever see her again, not after his senate testimony went national. “She’s prisoner? Here? You let him take her?”
“I wish it was that simple.” Jeff sighed and gave him a condensed version of the news. “Liz was kidnapped by a bunch of men, angry that she was friends with you. They hurt her and were going to kill her. Victor came across her bleeding in a field. He saved her before the fires could claim her.”
Jake’s mind was reeling. Liz was hurt by her own people because of him? His stomach revolted with vomit and he swallowed it back.
“It’s because of her that the humans are here. Victor’s plan all along was to use her to get the humans to become passive. Submit. She thinks it was her idea.” Jeff shook his head. “But you know how convincing Victor can be.”
Wasn’t that the truth? “These people need to be freed.”
“How?” Jeff asked. “Their homes are burnt. Their livelihoods are all but gone. If we send them out there, we’re leaving them all to die. They’ll starve. Or worse.”
Jake sighed and closed his eyes. He needed to come up with an idea to do something. Anything. Then his dream flooded back to him and the words his mother said to him repeated in his head. He needed to take care of the humans, like they were family. Show them not all glistenings were monsters, not all of them wished man dead.
“Then we take care of them. Where are they sleeping?”
“The barn.” Jeff said simply. “And the housing we were working on for ourselves.”
“Then get them together. Give them food. Drinks. Fresh clothes. Anything they need. And if there are kids, sick, let them in here. Let them have my bed.”
Jeff nodded and gripped his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here. We need you. The humans need you too, I just don’t think they realize it yet.”
“After they’ve eaten, I want to talk to them. You think they’ll listen?”
“I think right now they’ll listen to anyone, but there are glistenings out there. Hovering over them in dragon form. They’re scaring them.”
“I’ll deal with them.” Jake glanced up the stairs. “But first…”
Jeff nodded. “I know you want to see Liz.”
“Think she’ll see me?” Jake asked.
“Only way to know is to ask.”
“I’ll send Megan down. Make sure the kitchen is prepared to dish out some good, hot food. It’s going to be a cold night.”
Jake took the stairs two at a time and found two friends standing by the door. They looked relieved to see him. “Jake, thank God you’re back.”
The other shook his head. “Victor said we were doing the right thing, but I don’t know any more.”
“I’ll try to fix this. But head downstairs. My dad is going to need everyone’s help tonight. I need a few moments with Liz. Is she in there?”
“Yeah.” He blinked. “Victor thought we should make sure she didn’t try to escape.”
So she was a prisoner? Jake fought back a rush of anger. “Just go for now. I’ll deal…we’ll talk later, all right?”
He watched them go. How could his friends, good people, be swayed so easily by Victor? Jake knew the guy was smooth, but that smooth? It didn’t make any sense to him. None of what was going on made any sense.
Jake knocked softly before he opened the door and peered inside. He saw Liz sitting in a chair and Meghan was kneeled down holding Liz’s hands. When they turned to see who entered, Meghan’s face lit up. “Jake,” she rushed to him and hugged him. “Are you a sight for sore eyes.”
He embraced her, but his eyes were on Liz. She stood up and put her back against the wall. She didn’t look happy to see him. Instead she looked scared. It was what Jake feared would happen once she found everything out.
“I need to talk to Liz.” He said softly.
Meghan threw her a glance and nodded. She whispered. “She’s been through a lot so be gentle. Not that I have any doubt you will.” Meghan touched his cheek before leaving the room.
Jake put his hands in his pockets. “I heard what happened. Are you okay?”
“Far from it.” She pushed her lips together. “I feel like a fool. How I…chased after you. Now I don’t even know what to call you.”
He edged a step closer, but hung back when Liz’s shoulders hunched. It was like he was a disease and after everything that had happened, Jake couldn’t say he blamed her. “Whatever you’re comfortable calling me.”
Liz ‘hmmphed’. “I guess I just wish you were who you said you were. I wish you were Nick because I could really use him right now.” Her eyes clung to tears in vain as they started to roll down her cheeks.
“I’m him. I’m the guy you knew. Just with a lot more baggage.”
“I’ll say.” Liz bit on the inside of her cheek. “Is this what you wanted? Is this what you planned? The news said that everything you did, going to Congress, was just a distraction so your sister could wage war. So the glistenings here could launch a terrorist attack.”
Jake shook his head. “This is the last thing I wanted.”
Liz closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, thank God. I defended you. I knew in my heart you couldn’t have been such a liar. But look where it got me. I’m practically a prisoner here and…I think Victor used me. I think, nothing is as he says.”
Jake stood in front of her and slowly moved his hand to wipe her tears away. Gingerly his fingers swept at her skin.
“But he did save me from being kill
ed. By my own people. By people who were friends once.” Liz took a shaky breath.
“I can’t reverse time and undo everything Victor has done. But I am going to do my best to fix it.”
“How?” Liz asked and the desperation marred her usual beautiful, innocent face.
“I wish I knew.” Jake whispered. “I feel weak. I feel like I should have known this was coming and it’s all my fault.”
Liz shook her head. “You’re anything but weak. You marched into DC with hope in your heart for peace while you knew everyone around you would want you dead.” Her hand rested on his chest. “You are anything but weak. Brave. Maybe stupid.”
Jake laughed bitterly. He couldn’t say he disagreed.
“But maybe not. Maybe if Victor hadn’t done the things he did, maybe it would have worked.”
“Maybe.” Jake said and let the word linger, hanging between them like a rain cloud. “I’ve ordered everyone rounded up in the barn. We’re going to serve a warm meal and then I’ll talk to them. See if I can find a way to address everyone not as human or glistening, but as one people.”
“You think that will work?” Liz asked, her lips twisted to the side.
“I have to try. If you’re hungry and want to come down, feel free. It’ll take some time to get everything ready---.” Jake moved to leave. He didn’t want to push things too far, but Liz grabbed his wrist.
“Let me help you. Serve the food and stand with you when you talk to everyone. I want to fix this too or at least support you. Maybe I can show everyone you’re not so bad.”
Jake laughed, wide-eyed. “Well, thanks a lot.”
Liz gave him a wry smile. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Liz,” Jake sighed, “you have to know that the reason I stayed away from you, the reason I resisted all of your charm and beauty was because I was afraid of what would happen once my secret was out. It was always just a matter of time and I didn’t…want to put you in danger.”
“I know.” Liz whispered and edged closer to him. She peered up at him and Jake could feel her hot breath against his skin. It made his heart speed up to have her so close to him again, despite everything the glistenings did to her. She was still willing to trust him….maybe there was hope for them after all.