by Susan Grant
“Cancer is almost always curable. Likely, my father lived with symptoms for quite some time, but chose to ignore them.” He’d remained true to character until the end. “I flew out as soon as I heard the news.” If not for the nagging tug of a son’s duty, he wouldn’t have bothered going to the hospital at all.
Or did he race there hoping he’d make it in time? Hoping the man would grab his hand in his final moments and finally tell him how much he meant to him?
Cavin pushed the thoughts from his mind. “I would call him once a year on his birthday. He gave no hint of being ill. But then the man doled out syllables as if they were rare gems. Research was his passion.”
He unfastened his jacket and slung it over the chair back. As Jana looked over his shoulder, he accessed the main display. “He amassed a boggling amount of nano-compressed data—not only meticulous records on every world visited, including your Earth, but every second recorded by the security bot bolted to the ceiling above the worktable.” He pointed to the device. “Every meal we ate at this table is saved and labeled. Stored away, as if I were one of his subjects of study.”
With Jana watching over his shoulder, he quickly zeroed in on the period he’d spent on Earth, and then the last day he ever saw her.
“Oh, Cavin. Look—it’s you! Just how I remembered you.”
“I hated being cooped up on the long voyages, but I always looked forward to the freedom of exploring on my own. Then we came to one world populated by humans, and I saw an alien girl. She fascinated me—because she was so full of life. She was so silent most of the time, then, when no one was around, she’d laugh. Laugh and dance.” He rotated his index finger. “Spinning around on her toes.”
“I remember that girl too.” He detected a note of longing in her voice. “She’s been gone a long time. I didn’t realize how much I missed her.”
She slipped her arms over his shoulders and leaned down, watching as he forwarded through the old recordings of him as a boy. “He logged your entire childhood.” Her breath was warm, her hair silky against his cheek. “Maybe he couldn’t express it, but he did love you.”
Love? His father? He had a funny way of showing it.
And you, Caydinn? How do you show love?
He pressed his hand over his shirt, over the place where the wooden egg rested against his chest, Jana’s gift. Then he slid his hand over hers. He’d never been in love, had never lost his heart to a woman. He’d figured it was due to some inner failing, that like his father he was unable to express love, but the reason was finally clear: he’d kept his heart free for Jana.
The REEF self-repaired in the comfortable shelter of an inn. Cold warehouses were hard on his healing body. He’d thought a real bed would speed the maddeningly slow process. The room was dark except for the illumination given off by the entertainment box. All day, he’d relentlessly searched for hints as to what had happened to his target.
With his internal systems damaged and his exo-armor intermittent, he’d been forced to resort to conventional means of gathering information, his only option until the nano-bots in his physical body finished repairs. But, his biological components were warm, rested and sated, thanks to the ease with which he could help himself to local paper currency via the boxes called ATMs. Several meals’ worth of empty take-out boxes covered the bedside table. He’d developed a taste for the cuisine called Italian. He’d never tasted anything like it in the galaxy. The rodent still chilled in his armored freezer pocket, but the REEF was glad to see that it was unlikely he’d have to consume it to keep up his strength.
“Is it spring fever?” a newsreader asked. “Strange happenings continue to occur in the Granite Bay, California region. Last night, an SUV torn in half. And what appears to have been an electromagnetic pulse disrupted a Roseville subdivision.”
He sharpened his focus. What was this?
“Residents of Granite Canyon Drive remain puzzled by the unexplained phenomenon, and so do local utility companies.”
An electromagnetic pulse. “Greetings, Caydinn,” he murmured, sitting up. He’d found his target. Based on Earth data collected thus far, an electromagnetic pulse equaled a 98.3 percent probability Caydinn was nearby. The man had created a security array for self-protection, apparently, and the mistake could very well be his last.
The REEF smiled a true smile for the first time since arriving on this gods-forsaken world. He swung his feet off the bed and pulled up a sleeve of the thick shirt he’d obtained from one of the men. Since his invisibility was intermittent, the Terran clothing would make him invisible in a different but just as effective way.
He streamed all matching social media posts to his gauntlet, instantly translating them, even as it sapped his strength. Then he powered up his internal map and zoomed in on the location of the affected homes. Granite Canyon Drive. He saved the data and prepared to leave the inn.
He readied his weapons and stored them in various places around his body. With his tongue, he checked for the proper position of the self-destruct cap fitted in a recessed compartment hidden behind his rear left molar in case he was apprehended by Earth authorities and could not escape. An unlikely possibility, but he had orders to not let Coalition technology get into Terran hands. Should that happen, one brief flash of plasma, and there’d be nothing left of him to pick through.
Ignoring a sudden and unexplained chill at the thought—clearly he was still malfunctioning—the REEF slipped out the door and into the anonymity of the night.
Chapter Eight
Jana’s pulse jumped, her palms damp as she walked with Cavin across the expansive circular driveway at the front of the ranch house. The lights were on inside. Floodlights illuminated the driveway and lawn. She glanced at Cavin. “Are you ready for this?”
He brought his hand to her cheek, a calming touch. “We are in this together,” he reminded her.
“You may not feel that way once Grandpa starts the interrogation. When I was in high school, it was tough getting dates because he’d meet all of them, and his interrogation skills were legendary. Only the brave risked it to have a date with me. And there weren’t a lot of brave boys.
“I too quaked in my boots. Running back to the ship that night when he came looking for you.”
“You had a little more at stake than they did.”
She smoothed his collar, admiring the way he looked in his jeans and boots, a vaguely Western outfit sure to appeal to her family. “I’m going to introduce you as friend. And we’ll just sort of ease into the rest of it.”
“Our passion for saving the Earth brought us together. We have conservation in common. You want to protect animals. Me, the Earth. It was like we’ve always known each other.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”
“Love me, you mean.” He’d meant it as a joke to lighten the moment, but it instead came out tender.
She smoothed her hair away from her forehead and pondered him with an expression that took him back to the night he’d kissed her. It had been his first kiss, innocent and sweet. The memory would return on occasion through the years, through war and dark times: Jana’s small heart-shaped face pale in the moonlight, her hair parted down the middle, tied into two braids.
Our daughter will look like that.
The thought startled him. Before he could consider any such blessings from the goddesses, he had a world to save and a woman’s trust to win. Neither would be easy or simple, not with the hurdles he knew stood in the way—and at least one obstacle that would be hard to explain. Would she understand his predicament? Would she accept it?
He almost reached out to touch her hair. He knew how soft the strands felt, sifting through his fingers. It was hard not to wrap her ponytail around his hand, lift her to his mouth and kiss her, and keep on kissing her . . .
“Cavin, stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
Jana pressed a finger against his lips. “Just stop.”
He watched her react to the feel of his mouth, the prick of his barely surfaced whiskers, the intensity of his stare.
The heat between them crackled.
“They can see us,” she whispered. “In fact, my grandfather probably already is watching from the window.” She grabbed his elbow and propelled him toward the front door.
Goddess. He was going to meet her kin. He didn’t know what would be more difficult, convincing Earth that they were in danger, or persuading Jana’s family he was good for her.
Grandpa wheeled out onto the front porch. Despite his health woes, there was plenty of life in him yet, a point driven home by how dapper he looked in a dark blue velvet robe over crisp linen pajama pants and his favorite suede slippers. Keep an eye on him, Jana, Dad had said. Keep him steady. What she intended to tell her grandfather would do anything but keep him calm. She needed to be cognizant of his health, but also gain his help. He knew General Mahoney who knew about Area 51.
Deranged Legislator Woos Two Elderly Retirees Into Alien Caper.
Jana squeezed her eyes shut to stave off a headache that badly wanted to happen. Then she beamed a smile and waved. “Hi, Grandpa!”
“Hi, punkin. Who’s that you’re whispering to? Bring him here.”
She took Cavin by the elbow and propelled him up the steps. This first meeting had to go well. It had to. The help she hoped to gain from her family hinged on it. She bent down and kissed his cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“Angry! Angry that I have to wear pajamas to dinner. Angry at the rumors and lies directed at my family. Angry that this goddamn witch hunt could affect your father’s reelection—and yours. That’s how I’m feeling. Namaste, the nurse told me. What kind bullshit is that? I sent her packing.” He gripped the armrests of the wheelchair. “They wanted to hospitalize me overnight for observation.” He spat observation with such contempt that she had to smile. “But I talked them out of it. Said my blood pressure was too high. Said I was overwrought. I’m fine. Your mother should be locked up next for imprisoning an old man.”
Jana laughed. “Grandpa, you’re not old.”
“They tell me I am.”
“Don’t believe it. But I do want you to take care of yourself.” She could only imagine the effect on Grandpa’s blood pressure if she were to tell him Dad’s reelection was going to be affected. Only not by rumors and lies. It would be affected by things beyond his worst nightmares.
“Cavin, this is my grandfather, Jake Jasper. Grandpa, I’d like you to meet my friend Cavin Caydinn.”
Grandpa’s sharp eyes didn’t miss a detail of Cavin’s appearance. “Where’s home, Cavin Caydinn?”
“Far to the north, sir,” Cavin explained as they’d rehearsed.
North, as in way north—the North Star.
Grandpa grunted. “An accent. French Canadian, eh?”
Jana elbowed Cavin so he wouldn’t correct her grandfather.
“I am honored to meet you, sir.” Cavin shook the older man’s hand.
Despite mild palsy, Grandpa’s grip remained as powerful as his intense blue eyes. He held on to Cavin’s hand a moment or two longer than necessary.
It was a test, she thought, designed to unbalance Cavin; she’d seen it done to too many men over the years. But Cavin was polite and composed, his expression pleasant. He’d met worse than Governor Jake Jasper during his time serving as a Space Marine.
“So, what do you do, Caydinn?” The frown came back. “Jana’s told us nothing. You’re not an actor, are you?”
“An actor? No, sir. I am a military officer.”
“Ah. Very good.” The military was a profession highly respected in the Jasper family. But just wait until he found out what kind of officer Cavin was—and that it wasn’t in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Jana explained, “He’s taken some leave to help me with crisis mitigation.”
“How long have you known my granddaughter? She had breakfast with me on Tuesday and didn’t say a thing about you.”
“Grandpa, Cavin is just a friend. He—”
“How long?”
“I have known Jana for almost twenty-three years, sir. For most of that time, we lived apart, but we never forgot each other. Only recently did we reconnect.”
Jana bit her lip.
“Twenty-three years?” It seemed to take a moment for her grandfather to absorb the news. “Are you sleeping with my granddaughter, boy?”
Jana made a choking sound. “Grandpa!”
Cavin snapped to attention. “No, sir.”
Grandpa looked him over with a mix of pleasure and surprise. He started wheeling inside then stopped. “Do you want to sleep with my granddaughter?”
Sorry, she mouthed to Cavin. Her grandfather was ruthless, bound and determined to shatter his admirable composure.
“I have nothing but respect for your granddaughter. If our relationship develops to that point, then yes, sir. I would want that.”
Grandpa didn’t miss the loaded glance they exchanged. His fluffy white brows descended over his eyes. “Hmmph. Honesty. I like that in a man.”
He turned the wheelchair with a whir of an electrical motor. Jana and Cavin followed him through the foyer and down the hallway. Jana’s mother met them in the kitchen. Tears streamed down her wan face. “Oh, Mama,” Jana said, walking into her outstretched arms. Her heart twisted. “You’re crying.”
“This time, it is onions.” She dabbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Then Jana saw the cutting board.
Their hug was long and comforting. Then her mother kissed the top of her head as she used to when Jana was a child. “Thank you for doing as Grandpa has asked. He asks a lot of you, but he knows, as we all do, that you are strong enough to rise to the occasion.”
“Don’t get people riled up. We need to keep a low profile until this blows over.”
“Of course, Mama.” Jana’s smile felt so forced that she wouldn’t be surprised if it came out looking like a grimace.
“Ah! Who is this man?” Suddenly her mother was all aglow.
“He’s Jana’s friend,” Grandpa said with no small amount of sarcasm placed on that last word. “A Canadian she’s known for over twenty years whom we’ve somehow heard nothing about.”
“Cavin Caydinn,” Jana put in.
Her mother focused the full force of her glamorous warmth on Cavin, beaming as he clasped her hand. “It is an honor and pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Jasper,” Cavin said.
Mama dropped onions, garlic, and sliced potatoes into sizzling oil. Soon a delicious aroma filled the kitchen. “Tonight we will forget our troubles,” she proclaimed. “We will be happy in our company and delicious food. There is time to be sad tomorrow, but not tonight.”
Jared walked through the door from the patio, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans, his hands filled with a heavy platter of steaks. The sight of Cavin brought him up short. “Hey, Jana,” he said and put the platter on the counter. “How’s life in the middle lane?”
Jana shot him a glare at his teasing as the men shook hands.
Cavin had so many qualities in common with Jared. For one, they were both military officers. They were kindhearted, protective—good men. Willing to risk everything for what they believed in. They also shared a mischievous streak a mile wide.
Everyone loaded up their plates and took seats at the table. As conversation swirled around him, Cavin absorbed it all as if he were having the time of his life. It was almost poignant, to Jana, the way he seemed to enjoy being in their company. She was reminded once again how little exposure he’d had to a family environment. She wanted to share more of this with him, what she never could when they were children. That was, if her family still saw Cavin in a favorable light after they found out who—and what—he really was.
When the end of the meal came around, Jana folded her hands on the dining table. “I…actually we—Cavin and I—we have something very important to tell you.” Everyone’s attention shifted to her. “Grandpa, you have to promis
e you won’t get upset, or I won’t be able to tell you.”
“Hmmph.” His jaw hardened, his legendary temper banked—for now.
“You went to Reno, got married,” Jared guessed.
“Jared—”
“You’re engaged,” her mother said, clapping her hands.
“They’d better not be,” Grandpa grumbled. “Not if this is the first I’m hearing of it.”
“For the love of God, can this not be about my social life? It’s bigger than that.” Jana glared at them. “It’s bigger than all of us. Not only does this affect Dad’s election, it will affect all the elections to come, here and around the world.”
“Punkin, I haven’t seen you exaggerate this much since you were a child. What an imagination you had. Talking to animals, and magical friends.” Grandpa’s irritation melted with obvious affection and the pleasure of old memories. “Magic, you said he was. It certainly kept you out of trouble. I thought you might have been sneaking off to be with a real boy.”
“I was.” Jana touched Cavin’s arm. “He was that boy.”
“You were the boy she ran out to see?” Grandpa turned to Jana before Cavin had a chance to reply. “You told me he was from the stars.”
“He is. Cavin is an extraterrestrial.”
In the corner of her eye, she saw her mother drain her glass of wine.
Cavin nodded, his face solemn. “Jana is correct. I am he. I have come to warn Earth of an alien invasion.”
Chapter Nine
The silence at the dinner table went from deep to bottomless as Cavin described the galactic balance of power and why his government wanted Earth.
By the time he finished, Grandpa’s cheeks were flushed. Fortunately, he’d turned more of a pink, white and blue than a true red, white and blue that would have showed his blood pressure spiking. He was either getting used to shocking news, as Jana was, or they’d put him on some really good medicine today.
Jared’s focus was intense. “So, let me see if I have this right. The galaxy is split in two—your people and the Drakken Empire. At war for hundreds of years now.”
