Ben Archer

by Rae Knightly

  You can’t die.

  As if reading Ben’s mind, Mesmo set his jaw and forced himself up.

  The dark outline of trees came into view some painstaking minutes later. It took all of Laura and Ben’s strength to haul the tall man through the wooded park. They grunted under his weight and had to pause every now and then so Mesmo could lift his head and take in a deep mouthful of fresh air.

  The sound of tiny, lapping waves reached Ben’s ears. Mesmo must have heard it, too, because his pace quickened. They broke through some bushes and found themselves at the edge of a short beach that led to Lake Ontario.

  Mesmo let go of them. He stumbled forward, walking straight into the water without slowing down.

  Laura reached out her hand as if wanting to hold him back, but remained by Ben’s side. They watched the alien wade up to his knees into the lake. He paused, then let himself drop face first into the water like a rigid plank. The dark liquid submerged him until only rings on the surface indicated where he had stood.

  Ben shadowed his mother’s footsteps as they hurried to the edge, searching the darkness for his presence. They waited, the seconds ticking by in slow motion.

  “There!” Laura whispered suddenly, pointing to her right.

  A barely visible glow moved under the water but became stronger as it glided to a standstill some ways before them. Then it approached the surface, and Mesmo’s head broke through the water. He looked in their direction, a bluish halo emanating from his body.

  Ben watched, astonished.

  Woman and boy stood by the edge, slightly out of breath, wondering what would happen next.

  Then, to Ben’s utter surprise, Mesmo threw his head back and laughed. It was a strong, heartfelt sound that caught him completely off guard. It resonated through the night, open and sincere.

  I’ve never heard Mesmo laugh before.

  Ben cast his mother a quizzical look.

  Laura frowned at him with the same wonder reflected in her eyes, while at the same time, a smile crept on to her face.

  Ben couldn’t contain a grin, his nervousness overcome by a sudden sense of pride at what they had accomplished.

  We did it!

  The thought made his whole body tingle. After all their hardships and turmoil, they had done it! They had freed Mesmo.

  He chuckled at the realization, though Mesmo’s elation fueled the rising feeling inside of him.

  Beside him, Laura’s timid giggle turned into real laughter, and before long, she cracked up completely.

  Ben followed her lead, whooping loudly into the night, letting go of months of bottled up emotions, thrilled at the idea that they had outsmarted both Victor Hayward and Bordock, not to mention an overwhelming relief at being together for real at last.

  He let it all go and found himself splashing, fully dressed, into the lake to join Mesmo. The water enveloped him like a warm blanket. He threw himself into Mesmo’s arms, his tears of laughter turning into emotional ones.

  Mesmo became silent, then wrapped his own arms around the boy.

  They remained like that for a while, Ben feeling slightly bewildered at hugging the alien in flesh and bone for the first time.

  ***

  “You should eat something,” the nurse said. She placed a food tray next to Hao’s bed.

  “Yes, yes,” Hao replied impatiently, as he typed away at the computer on his lap.

  The nurse remained by his side, but the Inspector was so absorbed by his work that it took him a while to acknowledge her.

  Finally, he looked up, then at the tray. “Yes, yes, I’ll eat,” he insisted, grabbing a piece of toast and stuffing it in his mouth.

  The nurse pressed her lips into a fine line, then exited the hospital room.

  Hao got back to his screen, his cheeks full, then reached out for a folder on the side of his bed.

  The room lay littered with boxes, files and documents from The Cosmic Fall. If the High Inspector got wind of this, Hao would be in deep trouble. But at this point, he didn’t care. After all, he had set the High Inspector on Victor Hayward’s track and was waiting impatiently for news of the raid on the businessman’s headquarters.

  As he picked up the folder, his eyes fell on the TV which was constantly streaming news.

  VICTORY AIR–CEO ARRESTED, the red banner at the bottom of the screen read.

  Hao left the piece of toast dangling from the side of his mouth and reached hurriedly for the control to turn up the volume.

  “…in what investigators claim to be the biggest fraud in the country’s history. The founder of Victory Air and owner of the billion-dollar industry responsible for extracting oil for the airliner is accused of having lied about the years of resources still available in Alberta. It is thought the tar sand oil was depleted over four years ago, and that, instead, Mr. Hayward redirected substantial Federal funding–destined to modernize the industry–to the United States, where he obtained the fuel for his airliner, thus avoiding bankruptcy…” the reporter explained.

  Hao munched slowly as he watched cameras flashing at the businessman who was being led down the stairs of his Toronto building. The man’s face was ashen. His eyes were glazed and unresponsive to the shouting reporters around him.

  A police officer wearing a CSIS vest helped Victor Hayward into the back of a police car, which sped off in no time.

  The phone next to Hao’s bed rang. He reached out for it, groaning as he twisted his broken leg somewhat.

  His assistant’s voice said, “You were right. The extraterrestrial was here. We have footage from security cameras…”

  “What do you mean was?” Hao barked.

  “We think the other fugitives helped the alien escape just before we arrived. We’re combing the city for them as we speak.”

  Hao’s knuckles went white as he grasped at the bedsheets. But he said in a calm tone, “Send me the footage as soon as you can.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Hao hung up. He stared at the TV without really seeing it. He should have been there. The High Inspector had put Connelly in charge of the raid, but his partner had not been up to the task.

  Hao carefully slid his cast leg to the edge of the bed, so he was in a sitting position. There were so many unanswered questions. What was the relationship between the fugitives and Victor Hayward? What was the alien doing there? And then there was the question of the boy, Benjamin Archer. Hao had received the boy’s birth certificate from a hospital on the West Coast. There had been no mention of a father, but had that hospital really not noticed there was something odd with the boy’s blood? How could an alien child be hiding among humans for so long? There were too many inconsistencies in this whole investigation, and Hao did not like inconsistencies. He wanted clear, logical answers.

  His eyes fell on the box labelled WITNESSES. He had put a team of researchers on to each witness, they had dug up every last detail on these peoples’ lives, but only Victor Hayward had given any result.

  A name stuck out of one of the folders in the box: THEODORE EDMOND CONNELLY: the only one who had not undergone the same rigorous investigation as the other witnesses. Seeing as Connelly was a police officer, all had automatically assumed that his testimony was reliable.

  But what if it wasn’t?

  Hao set his jaw and pulled out Connelly’s file.

  ***

  Laura caressed Ben’s hair. The boy had fallen asleep with his head on her lap. Laura sat, cross-legged, on the little beach that bordered Lake Ontario, watching Mesmo as he floated in the water, staring up at the night sky.

  Laura glanced up as well and let her eyes adjust until stars became visible. She would have liked to stay like this for hours. Everything was peaceful; an almost imperceptible breeze moved the leaves of the trees above her, the water lapped quietly at the shore, and a comfortable warmth enveloped her.

  But the crack of dawn neared with every passing minute, and she knew the city would wake up soon. She shook Ben’s shoulder gently. “Wake up, h
oney. We should go.”

  He moaned and rolled off her lap into a sitting position, then rubbed his eyes.

  They both stood and approached the edge of the lake, while Mesmo straightened, still submerged in the water.

  “We have to go, Mesmo,” Laura said. “The park’s going to be full of joggers and people walking their dogs in an hour.”

  “You go,” the alien agreed. “I’ll stay here. I need time to recover and this is the perfect place for me.” He let himself sink into the water to show them that he could hide easily.

  When he emerged again, Laura asked worriedly, “Are you sure?”

  Mesmo nodded. “I’m sure. It’s you two who have to be careful. You’re the ones who are out in the open.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Laura said. “We’re safe with Bob.”

  They agreed to meet that afternoon.

  “I’m going to dye your hair,” Laura said. “You won’t make it very far looking like that.” She pointed at his white, wavy hair.

  Laura and Ben said their goodbyes, then slipped through the park.

  Laura plodded behind Ben in semi-darkness, fighting off the morning chill that seeped into her clothes.

  Suddenly Ben stopped. Laura bumped into him.

  “Sh!” he said, raising his hand in warning.

  “What is it?” she asked hurriedly.

  They stood still, listening to the rustling leaves and far away sound of cars.

  “I don’t hear anyth…” she began, but Ben raised his hand higher.

  He stepped slowly towards a compact group of shrubs, Laura following closely behind with her heart thumping. Behind the bushes, she found a small, arched bridge made of bricks. A stream trickled under it. Ben headed for it.

  She was about to ask what on Earth he was doing when she noticed the sound. It was faint at first, but the closer she got to the bridge, the louder it became.

  It was a humming sound, one that she recognized immediately. A buzz whisked by her ear, then several others, and soon she found herself surrounded by a cloud of insects.

  “Bees!” she exclaimed.

  Ben grinned. “Beetrix’ hive,” he confirmed.

  ***

  “Hello? Is this Tamara Connelly?” Hao spoke into the phone. Connelly’s file lay open before him, and he stared at the picture that was clipped to the side. It showed a youthful woman with curly hair and a dark-skinned face. Her smile revealed neat, white teeth that belonged to a happy person.

  Hao hadn’t seen the picture since his meeting with Connelly and the High Inspector months ago, when they had first been assigned to The Cosmic Fall case.

  The woman’s voice who answered did not reflect any trace of happiness, however, and Hao could hear a baby crying in the background. “Connelly?” the woman said scornfully. “I don’t go by that name no more. Who’s this, anyway?”

  Hao cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to bother you, Miss. My name is Inspector James Hao. I’m with the CSIS.”

  The baby’s cries became louder but then died down, and Hao could hear it cooing near the receiver.

  “What do you want?” Tamara asked curtly.

  “I’m calling about your husband, Theodore Edmond Connelly.”

  To his surprise, Tamara cackled darkly. “Theodore? Does he let you call him that?”

  Hao knit his brow. “Excuse me?”

  Tamara sighed. “Anyone close to Ted knows not to call him Theodore. He’d punch you in the nose if you dared utter that name. He hates it! Says it makes him sound like an old uncle or something.” Her voice faltered.

  “Mr. Hao, have you heard from my husband? I’ve called your office hundreds of times. They won’t patch me through. He hasn’t spoken to me since that crazy meteor business. He’s literally disappeared off the face of the Earth! And I can’t live like this anymore, Mr. Hao.”

  The baby began crying again. “Hold on,” she said.

  Hao heard her shushing the baby, then her voice came clearly again. “What was it you were calling about again?”

  Hao searched for the right words. “Oh, er, I was calling to let you know that your husband is doing a great service to his country…”

  “Oh, will you shut up already!” Tamara blew up. “I had a baby girl two months ago, Mr. Hao. Are you listening to me? Ted became a father for the second time, and he hasn’t come home once to meet her!”

  Hao heard her burst into tears. It took her several minutes to calm down.

  She sniffed and said with a broken voice, “It’s just not like him. We were happy, before. But I’ve had enough! You can tell him I want those divorce papers signed. I’m tired of waiting. Goodbye, Mr. Hao.”

  He thought she would hang up, but instead, she added. “And tell him…tell him, if he won’t talk to me, to at least call his son Kyle for his fifth birthday. It’s the day after tomorrow, April third.” Her voice broke again. “That’s the least he could do.”

  Silence fell between them, Hao at a loss for words. Then he heard a click, and the line went dead.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Light Years

  “Well, hi there, lazy heads,” Bob said.

  Laura entered the living room, following Ben who rubbed his hair and yawned. Bright sunlight seeped into the apartment.

  Bob was sitting on the sofa with one foot leaning on the coffee table, his hand on the TV control. “I thought you’d never get up. It’s two in the afternoon! Were you partying all night or what? I heard you come in at dawn.”

  Ben glanced at Laura.

  “We met up with an old friend,” Laura said quickly. “We had a lot of catching up to do.”

  “I see. The friend with a cat name, huh?”

  Laura opened her mouth to answer, but Bob had already lost interest and was pointing the control at the TV. “Hey, didn’t your dad know this guy, Victor Hayward?”

  Laura tensed and stared at the screen. They watched as the pale businessman was led away by police in front of the Victory Air building.

  He looks like he’s seen a ghost!

  Even Laura could tell there was something going on with the man. But there was no time to analyze the thought because Victor Hayward’s image was replaced by one of Mesmo.

  POLICE SEARCHING FOR CRIMINAL IN CENTRAL TORONTO, the caption read.

  The image was a grainy black-and-white one. Mesmo’s high cheekbones, square chin and straight nose, along with his white hair, was unmistakable.

  Laura slipped in front of the TV. “Victor Hayward?” she said. “Yes, I think that was my parent’s neighbour back home. I don’t remember, really.” Anxious to change the subject, she asked, “So, what are your plans for today?”

  Bob sighed, switched off the television and said, “I know it’s Sunday, but I’ve got to head into work for a couple of hours. Want to meet up at the park later?”

  Laura straightened some cushions nonchalantly, while Bob picked up his jacket that hung from a kitchen stool. “Uh, I think Ben and I are going to stay here and rest,” she answered. “Tomorrow’s a big day, you know? With school and work starting…”

  Bob cast her an annoyed glance. “I was hoping to take you guys out for dinner. I know this really great place.”

  Laura’s heart did a double flip. She knew why he wanted to take them out.

  “How about we do that next Saturday? Let’s see how things work out with the new job and school first. Then we can celebrate,” she said.

  Bob finished straightening his jacket while he stared at her.

  Laura swallowed.

  He’s becoming impatient.

  Bob picked up his keys and wallet and said, “Right. Saturday it is then.” He pressed the elevator button. The doors swung open, and he disappeared inside, without saying goodbye.

  Laura let out a long breath of air.

  Ben came up behind her. “Mom, but I don’t want to stay here. I need to go to the park.” He held up his hand; the queen bee rested on it.

  She nodded. “I know, so do I,” she said. “I ju
st wanted to keep Bob away from the park, now that Mesmo is all over the news. While you take care of Beetrix, I’m going to bring Mesmo some of Bob’s clothes and dye his hair; otherwise he’s going to stick out like a sore thumb.”

  ***

  Laura placed a towel over Mesmo’s back to prevent the hair colour from staining his clothes. She checked that the creamy substance was spread out evenly over his hair, then nodded satisfactorily to herself as she sat beside him.

  They had found a spot behind some boulders and a patch of sand long enough that they could sit with their legs stretched out towards the lake.

  She observed the alien closely and found his skin to be a healthier olive tan. The sun on his face was going to help a great deal, too. But it was clear he had lost a lot of weight while in captivity. Her stomach tightened at the idea he had been cooped up for so long inside four walls–something his people could not cope with, he had said.

  He must have realized she was staring at him because he turned his honey-brown eyes her way.

  “How are you holding up?” she asked, trying not to blush.

  He smiled, laughter lines creasing at the corner of his eyes. She realized he must have been a fundamentally cheerful person before his troubles began. “Better, thanks to you,” he replied.

  She smiled back and crossed her arms over her knees. “So, what’s going to happen now?” she asked softly.

  He didn’t let go of her eyes.

  Feeling giddy, she had to force herself not to look away.

  “Now, Laura Archer,” he said. “You will go on your way, and I will go on with mine.”

  She swallowed and was unable to speak for a while. “What about Ben’s skill?” she asked finally, pretending not to be affected by his words.

  “What about it? It is Ben’s, now. He can use it as he pleases.”

  Laura frowned. “You don’t want it anymore, then?”

  “It was never mine to want. Ben provided the information I needed, that is all.”

  “Yes, he told me. The animals are sick and at risk of dying out.” She stared at the ground uneasily, afraid to analyze the thought. “That night, when we saw the Northern Lights, you said something. You said ‘We cannot invade what is already ours.’ Does the Earth belong to the Toreq?” She knew her voice was coming out a little too anxious, but she couldn’t help it; the idea that aliens were secretly running the planet gave her goosebumps.