by Susan Grant
“Whether you did or didn’t have an imaginary friend, it’s important to remember just how important imagination is. My grandfather, Governor Jake Jasper, told me that imagination allows us to dream. And, girls, our dreams are the building blocks for the future. I understand that all of you cared enough about California’s future to draw posters in support of protecting our precious wildlife. Mrs. Goodman and I look forward to seeing what you made. Why don’t you show us?”
Surrounded by the chatter of their piping voices, Jana placed her hands on the backs of a couple of girls nearest her and ushered them into the room, where they took seats at a table set up for the catered breakfast.
Mary Ann gave Jana a warm smile. She, like Jana, had grown up in a well-known political family. And now, as adults, they found themselves immersed in the game. It gave them a bond that transcended political ideology. “That was a charming way to break the ice,” Mary Ann said.
“Thanks. It worked out nicely for something totally off-the-cuff.”
“If only I were as good off-the-cuff.”
You’d be amazed what a little desperation can do.
Mary Ann left her to address the girls at the podium. The walls in the room were made of bricks restored from the original capitol foundation from the 1800s. Colorful posters decorated one wall and formed a backdrop to the podium. Jana pressed a knuckle against her mouth, indulged in exactly two seconds of silent screaming then, putting on her “normal” face, she waited for her turn to speak. But no matter what kind of outer shell she presented to the public, one fact didn’t change: an alien invasion was brewing—and Earth was in its path.
A meeting with the state water board and two conference calls pulled Jana away from her research, but she doggedly returned to it, weeding out the facts from the hype. Area 51, also known as Groom Lake, was a secret military facility about ninety miles north of Las Vegas. The number referred to a six-by-ten-mile block of land, at the center of which was a large air base the government didn’t like to discuss. It didn’t add much to what she already knew: the place was a remote testing ground for “black budget” aircraft before they were publicly acknowledged.
There was nothing that stated with any credibility that an alien spacecraft had ever been hidden there. It was a rumor with roots dating back to 1947 when a lieutenant at Roswell Army Air Field issued a press release stating that the army had recovered a crashed flying saucer from the New Mexico desert, sparking a conspiracy theory the Pentagon had never quite been able to kill off. The missing UFO had become urban legend, the inspiration for cheesy movies, some really terrible photos, and one heck of a tourist trade in a place few would otherwise visit.
She dug deeper. Maps of the area showed little more than scattered mountain ranges, a dry lake bed, and assorted dirt roads winding across the bleak and parched high desert. The perfect location for a base around which you didn’t want people snooping.
She added the base commander’s name—Colonel Thomas Connick—to a growing list, and pulled off her glasses. If one were to want to hide a spacecraft, Area 51 would be the place to do it. Jared had been in the Air Force. Did he have any connections left to plunder?
She messaged him. Got an air force question for you. CALL ME.
A few minutes later her phone buzzed. “Hey,” she said. “How are you doing with everything?”
“So far, so good over here. Are you holding up?”
She swiveled the chair to gaze outside. She was sweating under her pale blue blouse that matched the sky outside her small window, a sky empty of any hint of an impending alien invasion. “I feel like one of those circus performers who balance the spinning plates on sticks.”
Jared laughed.
“Each plate’s a promise I’ve made to someone. And all the plates are wobbling.” She turned her back to the computer. “Say, I was wondering if any of your Air Force buddies were ever stationed at Area 51?”
“No one for years, but let me ask around. What do you need?”
Jana pulled her gaze from the sky. “I need a way to get someone onto the base. I thought you might have some connections.”
“At Nellis, I was in the same squadron as Patrick Mahoney. His grandfather is General Mahoney. Do you remember him? He and his wife socialized with Grandma and Grandpa back in the day. He commanded the SR-71 squadron at Beale. You probably don’t remember. You were little.”
She wasn’t surprised to hear of a Jasper connection. Their family knew everyone. “The name’s vaguely familiar…” A fuzzy memory of a big man with a booming voice surfaced, but little else.
“The general used to be Dreamland’s base commander. He was famous for deflecting the media from what they were really doing out there. Apparently he was so good at feeding the press bullshit, the guys on the base dubbed him Baloney Mahoney. He’s long retired though.”
“He might know people.” She added Mahoney to her wish-list of contacts. “What about Colonel Connick. He’s the current commander.”
“Can’t help you there.”
She highlighted Connick’s name to cold call then put a checkmark by Mahoney’s. “Would you see if Patrick will pass along the general’s info?”
“Will do. I’ll see you at six.”
“I’m seeing you at six?”
“Mama invited us to dinner. Normally, my weekdays are pretty booked, but now that I’m a pariah, my schedule’s wide-open.”
Poor Jared.
“Bring your friend.”
She blinked. “Who’s that?”
“Evie said you’re seeing someone.”
About an hour later, she told Nona. “Cancel out my afternoon, or go in my place.”
“I can’t remember you ever leaving this early.”
“I have to help out an old friend who’s visiting from out of town.” Way out of town. “Do me a favor, see if there’s been any suspicious space activity recently—worldwide. That report on the mysterious lights has been on my mind all day. I’m considering launching an investigation on the effect of space junk on our oceans and forests.” Good one, Jana. “Did it all burn up, or did some wash up on the beaches…or farther inland?” She knew where Cavin’s ship was, but what about the REEF’s? “Meteor hunters track down that stuff to sell, but what is it doing to the environment? See what you can find out.”
“I’ll look into meeting opportunities with NASA officials.”
“Yes, good. Thanks, Nona. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Chapter Seven
Jana met Cavin on the gravel road. Hands down, it had been one of the longest days of her life, but one look at Cavin and her anxiety lifted. It was like she was a kid again, racing barefoot across the grass to meet him.
Then the events of the day body-slammed her back to reality.
She jumped down from the truck. “That firefight we had with the REEF? It’s everywhere—on social media, the national news. An EMP knocked out the phones, the power, people’s cars. Ray-guns, space battles, cars split in half—”
“The car splitting was entirely the REEF’s fault.” His mouth curled into a faint smile. He strode toward her in full body armor. Was he expecting trouble?
“Aaaand, my sister called. Apparently, there was an electromagnetic pulse on her block.” She showed him her phone. Her cheek twitched as she watched him absorb a video of utility company trucks surrounded by Evie’s neighbors. “What did you do?”
“I scanned the home for threats. It was a harmless pulse of energy.”
She groaned. “You were looking out for us, I give you that, but we’re supposed to be staying undercover, not attracting attention. I don’t want my people finding out about you before we’re ready for them to find out about you. We Earthlings sometimes have a shoot-the-messenger mentality—especially when it comes to aliens arriving with invasion warnings. Trust me on this. I couldn’t bear if they came to take you away. I couldn’t—”
“Hello.” He swept a hand behind her head and pulled her, stumbling, into a kiss, kiss
ing her until she softened like butter and melted into the hard contours of his body. His hand slid around until he cupped her jaw, keeping her face at just the right angle to explore her deeply with his tongue. When she slipped her arms around his shoulders, he made a rumble of pleasure in his chest. His hair was like coarse silk under her fingers, and his mouth, so sweet. Familiar and sweet. He tasted like chocolate, she realized. Evie’s chocolate kisses. Her tirade was far from over, but his kiss was so hot that not even her urgency to finish warning him could fight back.
Woman Self-combusts. Condition Traced to Toenail Polish. FDA To Issue Warning.
Finally, he released her. She leaned in, her palms flat against his armored chest. “That was quite a hello.”
“We have many hellos to catch up on, Jana. Twenty-three years’ worth.” He fixed her rumpled sweater, pulling on the hem to smooth it, a gesture so casually tender she tingled all over with a surge of affection.
Her cell phone buzzed, and she jumped a mile. He waved at her phone, grumbling, “More images posted by people of other people’s concerns? Do you not have any privacy on this planet?”
“No. Don’t even get me started on that subject. But this is my father calling.” She turned. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hi, sweetheart. I’m glad I finally caught up with you.”
Knowing how much he was suffering caused her stomach to knot up. “Tell me what I can do to help. Isn’t there anything? Just say the word.”
“I need you to hold down the fort for me at the ranch. Look after your mother. I may not be able to make it home for Easter. I’ll try.”
“I understand, Dad.” But she didn’t understand how one person’s or a few people’s words could bring a good man like her father to his knees.
“Grandpa’s nurse had to come today.”
“Why?” Jana’s heart sank.
“He’s not in immediate danger, but his pressure was very high. He’s upset and worried about the accusations, and that you may be next in line to be attacked. Your mother was afraid to leave him alone, but of course the nurse is afraid of him. She ended up sending her home.”
“He is a force to reckon with when it comes to caregivers.”
“That incorrigible old coot is a force to reckon with—with anyone. Keep an eye on him. Keep him steady. He listens to you.”
“I will.” She glanced over at Cavin, and he smiled, causing her heart to backflip.
What had she promised Grandpa? The middle road was her middle name? That she’d be perfect? Cavin wasn’t making it easy.
“On a more positive note, the accountants going over my finance records haven’t found a thing. It’s been a ray of light in a couple of very dark days. I’ve got to go, Jana—I’m on the air in less than ten minutes. My third cable news interview of the day. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Doing? Jana thought of Cavin, their plans, and bit her lip. Beleaguered Congressman’s Woes Go Galactic.
“Is everything okay, kiddo?”
“Fine. Everything is good. Don’t worry about me.”
“Love you, kiddo.”
“Love you too, Dad. Hang in there.”
“The call upset you.” Cavin asked, his brows lowering.
“My grandfather isn’t feeling well. He’s upset about the scandal. He’s okay, but I worry about him.” She pulled a shopping bag off the back seat and pushed it into his arms. “I went shopping. New clothes. Boots. A paternity test—don’t look so shocked. It’s to collect your DNA. Oh, and I got you a phone. Now all we need is an alibi”.
“An alibi?” He looked so cute wrinkling his brow. “I am not familiar with this word.”
“It means we have to come up with a good story. We’re going to need one. My mother invited you to dinner.”
Cavin led Jana to his ship, walking through the same woods they’d explored as children. She looked soft and beautiful in a gray sweater and the blue pants the Terrans called jeans. Boots reached to her knees, and her hair bounced in a ponytail.
“My first instinct was to cancel, to say we couldn’t make it, but we need to get out in front of this,” Jana was saying.
He was doing his damnedest to not stare at her mouth. “In front?”
“It’s what we call taking charge of the narrative. My father is fighting for his political life. My brother’s reputation is being destroyed. My grandfather’s health is fragile. I don’t want to add another burden. But they may be able to help us get inside Area 51. If time is as short as you say—”
“It is,” he said grimly.
“Then we have to do this. We can start out by saying you’re a friend of mine, doing political consulting work, helping me to navigate this crisis. Then, once everyone’s let their guard down, we’ll ask for their help. There’s a complication—Evie thinks I’m involved with someone, a romantic relationship. She already told Jared. I’m sure she told my mother too, who probably told my grandfather.” Her blue eyes searched his face. “You’ll have to play along.”
With Jana, he wanted to do more than “play” at romantic involvement.
“Grandpa is going to be the challenge. He worries about my social life as much as he does my politics. He thinks I can’t commit. He wants me to settle down. If I’d have found someone like you, I probably would have been married by now.”
“I am glad you are single.”
“My family isn’t. My grandfather dreams of me being president someday. Thus, he wants me to make a politically advantageous relationship choice.”
Politically advantageous. Cavin’s smile fell. He was anything but that for Jana. Perhaps in his society, but not here. Not on Earth. “Is that you want?”
She didn’t answer right away. “My family is everything. I would never do anything to disappoint them. Or embarrass them.” She hunched her shoulders. “Anyone I bring home is going to be scrutinized. I’m warning you. Be ready.”
“Do not worry. I will play along, and I will win your family’s trust.”
“You don’t know Grandpa.”
He extended his arm, stopping her. “We are here.”
She peered into the woods. “What am I looking for?”
“A small science-class vessel. Dark hull. Floating a few hands off the ground.”
She squinted. “I don’t see it. Wait—wait. Don’t tell me.”
It was as if they were playing one of their childhood games, just the two of them, lost in each other. They were older, the trees were taller, but the feeling was the same. “A hint—you can smell it. The ship is made of luranium—a nano-composite. It has a distinctive odor when burned to a crisp. It took damage to the forward heat shield and the aft engine pod. The air still carries the odor.”
She wrinkled her nose. “A faint chemical smell.” Then her face lit up. “There’s a distortion in the trees—over there. Like bad photoshopping.”
He did not know the term “photoshopping”, but she’d guessed correctly.
He aimed his gauntlet at the ship. “Now step back and I will make the ship appear.”
The vessel shimmered to life. It gleamed dully, stubby winged and boxy. At least in his view it was boxy, after a career flying around in sleek warcraft.
“Whoa. All you need is a rabbit and a beautiful assistant, and Criss Angel will be out of business.”
Cavin looked to her for a translation. “He’s a magician,” she explained. “He creates illusions for entertainment.”
As they walked around the ship, he pointed out where he had begun to smart-patch the damaged sections.
She brushed her hand across the ship’s identifier. “What does this say?”
“CSS-117a. It’s original name was Malamay. My mother’s name.”
“That’s so pretty. Why did you change it?”
“My father never spoke about it—he never spoke about her. His way of handling his grief, I suppose.” He shrugged. “Conversations about feelings were off-limits. In that respect, he made me a good Marine.”
They climbed the
gangway. He moved his hand over the security panel and the hatch retracted. She followed him through the clear bio-film, and jumped when it snapped shut behind them.
Jana’s eyes widened further, her gaze sweeping across the flight station and the forward view shield in wonder. To Cavin, the ship was an old crate, what he’d once considered a prison as a rebellious boy, but her awe brought a new perspective.
It was dim inside, and cold. “I have to keep the ship on minimum power so that the REEF cannot detect it.”
As Jana explored the small, dingy old ship, he inhaled the fresh scent of the cleanser she’d used to wash her hair. He was tempted to pull her close and kiss her again—he’d start here and they’d finish in his bunk…
“Jared would love to see this—my brother—he’s a fighter pilot. He flew for the Air Force and now the Air National Guard.”
“I would welcome your brother’s visit.”
“You’ll meet him in an hour.”
If her grandfather wanted Jana to choose a man very different from Cavin, certainly her brother as a warrior would want the same. The pressure for him to make a good impression was mounting.
Would saving her planet win him the woman? He rubbed his knuckles across his chin and thought about what Jana had told him about the Terrans. They’ll be afraid of you. He’d come to help, but it might drive them away.
“When we were kids, you’d go home—to this,” she said, brushing her fingertips across his father’s workstation. “You’d sleep there, have dinner here. Did it look much different then?”
“Not at all. Coming aboard was like stepping back in time. I hadn’t been back in twenty of your solar cycles, not since I enlisted in the Marines, but it looked exactly as I remembered it.”
“What happened to him—your father?”
“The ship was found adrift. He was still alive when they transported him to the hospital. Cancer, they say.”
Jana’s face fell. “I’m sorry. I’d hoped your people might have found a cure.”
