by Mel Todd
"Nam? Do you feel better?" She said this out loud, knowing the kids would keep reassuring her and pull her into their private mindspace. Already the four of them felt different in a way she didn't have time to analyze.
Nam nodded and took a piece of cheese, but her eyes kept darting back and forth between the kids and McKenna.
"Good. Listen to me. I'll figure out what's going on, but you aren't going anywhere. I want you to eat. Eat all you can. We're making some more food here in a few minutes. Then would you like to shift and go play?"
"Yes. You need to come play with us, Nam. We have the best thing set up." Charley said. None of them had touched her physically yet, but their emotions had helped her a bit. She didn't tremble anymore, and her tears had dried.
~Wefor, is it okay for her to shift?~ McKenna asked, making sure all of them could hear.
[She needs to eat in her animal form and after she shifts out of it. But yes. It is more unwise for her to not shift.]
Nam flinched and looked back at McKenna, her eyes dilated.
~That is Wefor. A friend of sorts. We'll explain later. JD, can you get some chicken grilled up they can eat after they shift?~
"Sure. I'll go get it started now." He said the words outloud, smiled at Nam who nodded a bit, then headed to the kitchen.
"I can shift? Into my tiger?" Nam asked, her voice small.
"Yes. We want you to. When was the last time you shifted?" McKenna held her firmly, but paid attention to make sure she let go the second the girl started to squirm.
"The day you rescued us," she mumbled around a mouthful of cheese and meat.
McKenna cringed, that was over a month ago, almost two. That did not sound good, at all.
"Okay," she kept a smile in her voice. "But you get to play today. Look, JD is already starting to grill. So all of you will have chicken breasts to eat shortly."
Nam turned to glance at JD warming up the grill. McKenna saw a decent amount of the platter of food had been demolished, that made her feel a bit better. It looked like she had another person to fatten up.
I'm starting to feel like the witch in Hansel and Gretel, fattening up kids for the oven.
"Jessi?" The girl looked up at her, her face oddly serious. "Want to show Nam your changing area? Then the boys can change?"
Jessi jumped to her feet, a smile blossoming across her face though McKenna wondered if others could tell it was forced.
"Sure. Come on, Nam. I've been outnumbered for way too long."
Nam hesitated then glanced back at McKenna, asking silent permission.
"Go. Play. Have fun. I'll be in here and I told you all about JD. You can trust him with everything. I do."
"So do we." Charley contributed even as Jessi held out her hand, smiling at Nam.
One last look and Nam sighed and then turned, climbing off McKenna's lap. McKenna let her go and watched as Jessi took her hand, walking sedately outside.
"Charley?" McKenna said as the door closed behind the two girls.
"I'll let you know if she tells us anything. I don't know for sure what happened, but," he broke off looking out the door. "I can't explain it, sorry." He looked at her, biting his lip and McKenna pulled him into a rough hug.
"I get it. Some aspects of this whole thing are more than a bit confusing. Just if you find anything she needs, let me know."
Charley nodded, hugged her tight then headed to the deck. Jamie was already at the door, both hands clenched into fists.
~Jamie? You okay?~ she asked on a private channel, her mental tone soft, coaxing.
~They hurt her. They hurt her, and we didn't know.~ His voice carried pain, and she wanted to hug him, pull it away. She looked up to find Toni watching her, but Toni just nodded and headed into the kitchen.
~Should you have?~
~Yes? No? Maybe? She's here, she's what we were missing. How could we not have known?~ His voice plaintive even as he turned to look at her.
~You did. Charley did. That's why she's here. You can't expect more than that. Be there for her now. Just like you were at that place.~ McKenna didn't know what else to say. These dynamics still confused her. She didn't know how to deal with the adults that had ties to her heart, much less help children through the same relationship maze she found herself in.
He nodded then slipped out the door to the deck. Wanting to throw things, McKenna headed into the kitchen to find Toni destroying vegetables.
"You okay?" She seemed to be asking that a lot lately, but from the tension in her friend's back she knew the answer, but she wasn't a hundred percent sure as to which part had her so angry. Maybe it was all of it.
"I'm trying to convince myself I don't want to find her parents and beat them half to death. I'm freaked out at how my kids are reacting to this girl they barely know. And we still have aliens to deal with. Nope, not all right, but no idea what you could do to help."
McKenna laughed, though the amount of humor in it was low. "Nice to know I'm not the only one freaked out by the kids. Is it just me or do they feel different now?"
"They are different. They feel like a unit. Almost like we do." Toni said, still not turning from where she cut up potatoes. "There is someone missing from ours, can't you feel it?"
With a bit of trepidation, McKenna closed her eyes and felt down the bounds that connected all the adults, and sure enough there was a space, like a link was missing.
"You think we have another person somewhere to fill that?"
Toni didn't answer, focusing instead piling vegetables into foil packets. McKenna thought she might have said something, but a ping her in mind sidetracked her.
~I'm here. How should I come in?~ Perc asked.
~Side door is fine.~ McKenna responded even as she picked up and stared at her phone.
"What are you thinking?" Toni asked, finishing with the foil packets.
"That I probably need to call Roy Wallace and make sure I can legally keep Nam. He's going to flip. Especially with JD still here." McKenna slumped against the refrigerator. "Did I do the right thing? Should I have chased her mom down and made her stay?"
Toni stopped and looked at her and suddenly burst into laughter just as Perc walked in, his arms burdened with more food. "Kenna, you no more could have turned down that child than you could have let mine come to harm. Yes, call Ray, but personally, I'd wait until after the aliens have landed. At that point, I don't think it will matter anymore."
Perc looked back and forth between them. "Did I miss something?"
McKenna smiled. "My life is never boring. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm the poster child for Murphy's Law. You sure you want to be around me?"
A smile lit up his face, and McKenna couldn't help but smile a bit herself. "Of course I am. I'm retired. I have to have something to keep me from wasting away of boredom."
Both McKenna and Toni looked at him, he'd put back about fifteen pounds, though he still needed about another twenty to get back to his original weight. But there was nothing about him that implied wasting away or boredom. They glanced at each other and burst out in laughter.
"Oh fine. I know when I'm not wanted. I'm going to go see JD." He winked at both of them and put the food on the counter, then slipped out the back to where JD was surrounded by furry kids.
Their laughter faded and McKenna felt better for it. "Yeah, I'll worry about it in a few days. For now she's just have an extended slumber party with her mother's approval. Though I might need to trade you kids. I get Jessi, you take Charley?"
"If you need to. We'll see." They were headed to the deck when Cass pinged in her head, the common mindspace filling with her thoughts.
~Hey, I'll be turning down your street in a few minutes. But I think there are three black Suburbans all headed this way. They've been following me for the last three miles.~ A shaky laugh. ~Pretty sure the men in black are here.~
Chapter 10 - MIB
Chatter on the amateur astronomer forums has exploded in the last week. Some of the major telescopes have
been redirected from their scheduled areas. The complaints are stemming from people who had scheduled time to inspect those areas of space. No word has come out as to why there has been this change. What is setting off some of the conspiracy theorists are the armed guards preventing entry to the centers where the information from the telescopes are being collated. ~ TNN News Article
The words acted like a cattle prod on McKenna, but she didn't know if her surging emotions were positive or negative.
Does this mean they believe me, or they are coming to cart me off to a loony bin?
"Guess CPS is definitely waiting until after this meeting," she commented out loud, her voice dry. ~JD, how are the kids?~
~Having fun. Nam is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. You must come see this,~ he responded.
McKenna glanced at Toni who flashed a sympathetic smile and carried the foil packets, went out to the deck. Men in black or not, they needed to eat, make sure the kids weren't scared, and being together was better than being alone.
A spur of the moment idea made her grab her phone and she sent a quick text to Kirk and Anne - *People in black SUVs incoming. Assume gov. Follow up if you don't hear back from me by this evening*
That made her feel a bit better. At least if they were grabbed someone would know something happened.
How sad is it I'm expecting to get kidnapped? I need a new life path.
The thought amused her as she and Toni walked onto the deck and froze at the overload of cuteness. The beginning of the structure Charley and JD had worked on was visible from the deck. It was an obstacle course with tunnels, ramps, ladders, things to jump over and crawl under. All in all, it looked like fun for a four legged form.
The kids were all in their animal forms and were tumbling up and down a ramp and into a tunnel made of corrugated metal, the edges coated in duct tape. Their body language exuded joy as did the tail wagging and perked ears.
The tiger cub that Nam turned into bounced along, following the others. Compared to Jessi she looked tiny and delicate even in this form. McKenna noted she could see too many ribs and made a mental note to get more protein drinks for Nam. None of that changed the fact that they were absolutely adorable. For a full minute she just watched and let the joy of the children push back everything else. But reality intruded all too soon.
~Definitely headed to your place. They're parking on the street behind me.~
~Charley, you guys keep playing. But anything happens run and hide again. But for now I don't want them to think we're scared. You got that?~ She moved over and slipped her phone into their little changing area under their clothes. ~My phone is hidden under your clothes.~
Charley had paused, looking back at her, his ears twitching. ~Okay.~ He stopped bouncing around and leaped up to the top of one of the structures and sat there watching. The cats all looked at each other and slunk into tunnels. McKenna noted Jessi and Jamie made sure Nam stayed between them.
"They did get some food before they played?" she asked as she heard a car door open and shut.
"Yep. Each of them ate a breast, but yes, she needs more food. Protein and fats."
~They're staying in the cars, what do you want me to do?~ Cass sounded stressed.
~Just come on in the side door. It's open. Ignore them. The ball is in their court, and we have grilling to do,~ McKenna instructed with an odd calm that was half-panic and half-relief.
~Okay.~ A minute later Cass came in, her arms filled with grocery bags. "I have drink mixes and rum. I was thinking daiquiris. Now I'm thinking shots."
"Let's see what they say, and how freaked out we need to be."
Perc nodded as he pulled out his phone and texted rapidly. Then smiled at them all. "I told Laura Granger, she's my mentor for the law school stuff, though at this point who knows. But it does mean that if we disappear she'll call the cavalry."
McKenna grinned at him, glad she wasn't the only one thinking like that. The doorbell rang, and she took a deep breath. "Party time. JD, can you get me a hamburger? You know how I like it. I don't want them to think we're pushovers. We have a barbecue going on." The smile felt forced, but the support that washed through the mindscape helped.
At least if they think I'm crazy I still have friends.
[You are not mentally disturbed. If necessary, the phone communication can be utilized again.]
~That I would prefer to save for a bit, as well as the mental communication. That is information that we can use to protect ourselves. Letting anyone else know that right now scares me.~
[Valid.]
Everyone fell silent as she opened the door and looked out at the four men on her doorstep. Glancing past them she saw three figures at the vehicles, no weapons in evidence but obviously a guard. At this distance she couldn't tell what branch of the service they were. McKenna shifted her attention back to the men in front of her.
The person standing at the door looked like he was in his mid-fifties, fit, an Army uniform with multiple pins and ribbons. His hair cut close with touches of gray, serious brown eyes that were currently narrowed at her, waiting for her to say something. McKenna notice his slim briefcase and wondered what it held. She took her time as she catalogued the other men. One wore an Air Force uniform, the blue being a dead giveaway, probably in his forties, with no expression at all on his dark face, his African heritage absorbing the bright sun. The third wore a decent suit, with glasses, a pinched expression, and fingers that twitched like he counted something on the fingers of his right hand, his left held a computer bag bursting at the seams. The fourth screamed guard, he wore a gun at the waist of his fatigues, his eyes scanned constantly, and of all of them he scared her.
"May I help you, gentlemen?" she asked leaning against the door.
"Are you McKenna Largo?" The Army guy asked, and she knew damn well they knew who she was, but she went along with the charade.
"Yes. And you are?" She tried very hard to not seem as nervous as she was, the very real fear they could kidnap them rode the back of her mind.
"I'd really like to talk to you inside, as opposed to standing on the front step for all the world to see," he countered, his tone neutral.
McKenna made a show of looking past him at the empty land around her and the small amount of traffic. He didn't flinch or look embarrassed. She gave him points for a good poker face.
"Come on in. But you," she directed her attention to the one with the gun.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"I have children inside in the form of animals. Under no circumstances are you to draw that weapon in my house or around these kids. Is that understood?"
His tanned skin, dark hair, implied Hispanic, but she suspected he had native American blood in him. "I understand your concerns, ma'am, but you are not my first priority."
"Maybe, but I will not allow my kids, any of the kids, to be hurt or scared." Her voice had no give, not that she knew what she would do besides let Toni kill him. Not like any of them were bulletproof.
[That would be exceedingly difficult to do. The best might be to make you more resistant to puncture wounds. But normally the Elentrin use energy bursts, so that would not be effective against them.]
McKenna tried not to stumble as she thought about being bulletproof.
~Later, we will talk later,~ she promised as she led them to the back. "Gentlemen, everyone is out here. Please take a seat." As she'd gone to the door, someone had grabbed a couple of the folding stadium chairs and set them up. JD still stood at the grill, but Toni and Perc had arranged their chairs so anyone headed towards the kids would have to go through them. Cass still had the grocery bags in her hands and smiled at them all as they walked out.
"Hey, I'm about to go make some daiquiris. Would you guys like any?"
"One for me please, Cass." McKenna said as she sat in the chair next to Toni. From here she could see the kids, the grill, and the table and chairs they had left for the government men.
The lead man looked around, his eyes narrowing even mo
re. "We would prefer to speak to you alone, Ms. Largo."
"Ooh, Ms. Largo. Not even Officer or Detective. Ouch." McKenna sighed and let the fake sarcasm drop. "Gentlemen, everyone here is a shifter. We all know about the aliens, much more than you do, and frankly some of them can explain this better than I can. It is all of us or none."
The man blinked, looked at all of them and sighed, sitting down. "Miss Borden, if I weren't on duty I'd gladly accept your offer. As it is, no."
"Okay, I'll bring out some cokes and stuff." Cass gave them a smile that almost looked real though her tension radiated in the mindspace as she slipped back into the kitchen.
The guard had taken up a position at the far end of the deck against the railing, watching everyone. McKenna was fine with that, the only kid currently visible was Charley, and he moved fast when he wanted to.
"My name is Brigadier General George Davis. I'm one of the senior officers for the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command, usually called SMDC. This is Major Richard O'Neill. He is one of our primary officers for interfacing with other nations for atmospheric protection from ballistic objects, is involved with NASA, and is also an astronaut." The Air Force officer nodded at her, still standing almost at attention.
"Dr. Daniel Shanks is our premier scientist and has verified the information that you passed on to the secretary. We have a lot of questions for you." His voice stayed calm, but she could hear the tension in it, and it made her nervous.
"Thank you—um, can I just call you George? I really don't want to repeat that every time." He nodded, his face unreadable. "Whew. George, take a seat, relax, 'cause I'll answer everything I can, but be aware you aren't going to like the answers or how I know them."
He nodded at her, and the three of them took seats, George turning to face her even as the doctor pulled out a laptop and a phone and fired them up. The colonel, Richard, just watched everyone, his eyes sharp.