THE LIGHT WE LOST: a gripping thriller

by Valera Titov

  The agents headed towards the front door of the Falcon mansion and let themselves out.

  Glory did not move an inch from her seat on the sofa near the fireplace.

  What had Adam Kennedy got her into? She lived a happy family life and now America’s most senior law enforcers were accusing her of withholding information that could put the safety of the nation in jeopardy.

  Adam, where are you, she thought.

  However, back at the space station, things weren’t going too well for Alan Falcon either. He was an innocent man but the FBI agents there were beginning to think differently.

  Nice guys finish last, so the saying goes…

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  Alan Falcon’s hope of an early night home to spend time with his family was straight out the window. Two FBI men, built like the guys you see in action in Wrestlemania on television, had come to visit him.

  “Look here, Falcon, I am not sure what game you are playing but you are putting the security of over 300 million people at risk,” said FBI Agent Stuart Williams.

  “You have special clearance to most areas of the space program but it’s the data that we are worried about.

  Alan did not understand and requested more information.

  Agent Keith Rundle was happy to oblige.

  “How can Planet X move at 800 miles per hour on one day and only 300 the next? This information impacts on how soon Planet X will arrive on earth or more specifically, how much time we have at our disposal to evacuate earth.”

  Alan was also at his wit’s end to answer the question that had just been posed to him.

  As a physicist, it was also quite intriguing to him as far as Planet X’s change in speed was concerned. There was absolutely no consistency about it.

  “Well Falcon, I can tell you that the distance issue has reached as high a level as the desk of US President John Carmichael III since he needs to know exactly how to handle the situation and how much time we have at our disposal,” said Agent Williams.

  Alan shook his head.

  “Gentlemen, I am just as puzzled about the speed or lack of it, as you and the President is,” said the physicist.

  “It is almost like someone is with a remote controlling it from Planet Earth.”

  The two agents stared at Alan.

  “Oh no, come on guys,” said Alan.

  “You surely don’t think that I am playing a part in remote controlling Planet X from my office desk? I mean that is absurd. I am a family man. I mean what would be in it for me to derail or speed up the process?”

  Agent Keith Rundle was happy to give his view some thoughts.

  “Well, if you sped up the process, you would make more money. As you always say: ‘Nothing personal, it’s purely business, gentlemen’.”

  Before Alan could reply, Stuart Williams took over.

  “So then what do you know about the sudden disappearance of Adam Kennedy, the archaeologist extraordinaire fame?”

  Alan dared not look away from Stuart Williams for fear of being told that he is guilty of withholding information. The FBI men knew how to analyze body language. You had to have some sort of psychology understanding to work in the field for the FBI, Alan had always thought.

  “I know nothing about the disappearance of Adam Kennedy,” answered Alan with a sense of confidence.

  Keith Rundle giggled.

  “It was quite convenient that Kennedy disappears and you marry the love of his life in almost no time at all.”

  Alan Falcon had a Parker ballpoint pen in his hand. For a moment, he thought about throwing the pen with much force in the direction of the FBI man, but fortunately, common sense prevailed.

  “Why the sudden interest in the space program anyway?” he asked.

  “I mean the US President has shown no interest in it since he came to power just over a year ago. The program is getting a few pennies compared with other projects in the budget at the White House.”

  Keith Rundle adjusted his black tie and began to explain.

  “That is where you are wrong, Falcon,” he said.

  “The US President has signed orders to make US$20 billion available for the construction of as many spaceships as possible over the next ninety days. That is if you can give your word that Planet X won’t come crashing into us before the ninety days is up.”

  Alan Falcon nearly fell off his chair. Why the sudden change of heart from the No 1 in the Oval Office?

  The physicist was no fool. He worked out rather quickly that another country may have threatened war against the US and he wouldn’t be surprised if it was the North Koreans with their strong nuclear weaponry.

  “Gentlemen, I will re-check and double-check the data regarding Planet X again, but for some reason, it gives me irregular figures every-time I check it,” said Alan.

  “I am not playing a game here. I get paid to transport human lives to a safer place like Mars and believe me, that is exactly what I intend to do as quickly as possible.”

  For a moment, it looked like the FBI men believed him. He had a day from hell at the office and convincing law enforcers was just the cherry on top. What could possibly make the day any worse: Perhaps, Adam Kennedy walking through his office door?

  Whether the FBI men wanted to believe him or not, he didn’t know where Adam Kennedy was, nor did he have all the facts about the artifact that Adam had been chasing.

  If anybody knew the answers, it would be Glory, but he believed her when she said that Adam was very secretive about his mission on Christmas Eve prior to his departure.

  “If I were you, I would get on the phone and make a call to Moscow, because time is ticking,” said Stuart Williams to Alan.

  “Have the FBI spoken to my wife?” asked the physicist.

  Keith Rundle nodded.

  “She is in good hands, don’t you worry. Pretty little thing, isn’t she?”

  Alan Falcon gritted his teeth. He waited for the two FBI to leave his office and then checked his Planet X data again. Something was wrong. The UFO was supposed to be heading for Planet Earth at great speed, but yet, it was moving slower than yesterday or the past three days, as a matter of fact.

  How was he supposed to make money and convince the White House and the Russians of this immense threat to human life when the threat was going slower and slower?

  Was Armageddon a figment of his imagination?

  Chapter Ten

  Armageddon’s too close

  Glory Falcon wiped the tears from her eyes as she sat on the sofa in the lounge. Eventually, she lost control of her emotions and sobbed loudly. She had gone from an A-standard graduate to a criminal in the eyes of her government – a criminal who was putting the safety of all American citizens at risk.

  Housekeeper, Joey Lawrence, heard the cries from her boss and ran down the passage to the lounge.

  She put her right arm around the shoulders of Glory.

  “Ms Glory, what is it?” she questioned.

  Glory looked up into the eyes of the housekeeper. Why wasn’t her life as simple as that of the 56-year-old woman, who at the tender age of two, had accompanied her parents to the US from Puerto Rico.

  Nowadays, she was as much a US citizen as Glory was.

  Joey had two wonderful kids, both with university degrees courtesy of scholarships that had followed their superb points at government schools.

  Glory was adamant that Joey had problems in life to overcome as well, but she never aired them publicly. Even in tough times, Joey always had a smile on her face. She was a regular church-goer and ran her life by using the F-words; Faith and Forgiveness.

  “How can you always see the brighter side of life when it isn’t there, Joey?” asked Glory.

  Joey pushed her greying medium length black hair away from her face and used an elastic band to tie it behind her head into a ponytail.

  “My God always looks after my family, Ms Glory,” she said with a little smile.


  Glory bit her bottom lip as she thought.

  “Joey, do you believe in Armageddon? I mean, do you believe that the world will end one day and only those who have lived by the Word of the Lord will make it into heaven?’

  Joey nodded.

  “My God forgives those who want to be forgiven, and yes, I do believe that the world will end one day, and the Son of God will return to earth right at the end.”

  Then two things happened. Adam Jnr and Rachel began to cry simultaneously. As Joey stood up to go and attend to them, the door-bell also rang and Glory told her that she would check who was at the door.

  She looked at the grandfather clock in the corner of the lounge. It was 19h45. The FBI agents had left the property at 19h10 and had promised to give her an hour to gather her thoughts. Surely, the American law enforcement men were not back yet? She knew it couldn’t possibly be Alan Falcon at the door. Firstly, he had a key to unlock the door and secondly, she knew that he was being interrogated by the FBI heavyweights at his office at Cape Canaveral.

  She headed to the door in a huff almost certain to find FBI Agents Dirk Lange and Scott Rogers on her porch.

  She opened the door and spoke before seeing the person or persons present.

  “Agents Lange and Rogers, you said that I have one hour to gather my thoughts and…”

  Glory Falcon stopped in mid-sentence as she recognized the individual standing just less than thirty inches from her face.

  Glory’s legs battled to support her upper body frame as she gazed into the eyes of the father of her twins. She just stared at Adam Kennedy for what in her mind seemed to be minutes or hours, but in reality was just a few seconds.

  “Can I come inside or are you going to stare at me until Armageddon?”

  “Yeah, Adam, please come inside. The FBI are swarming around Cape Canaveral and here asking about you and the artifact that you were pursuing,” said Glory, as she ushered her visitor into the house and peered up and down the street to make sure that they weren’t being watched, before shutting the front door. Adam Kennedy licked his lips, tracing his tongue along his chapped lips. He was a bundle of an emotional mess but he was doing his best to look strong. It wouldn’t do him any good to fall apart in front of Glory who already had so much on her plate. He wished he could take away her pains and turn back the hands of time to when she was a young girl with stars in her eyes. He could see the emotional pain stretched across Glory’s face. Her beautiful eyes, narrowed with sorrow and the tip of her nose looked raw. She still made his heartbeat, she still made his pulse race and at night, sweet thoughts of her lured him to sleep. He loved this woman, despite everything that had happened. He loved this woman even though she was with another man now. Thoughts of the sizzling nights they had in each other’s arms flashed across his mind. He still remembered how deep her moan used to be when he slipped his tongue into her wet slit. The way she arched her back while he slid his hard shaft into her was a beautiful work of art. She was so responsive, passionate, and natural. She held nothing back, she gave as much pleasure as she received. She wasn’t a selfish lover.

  What wouldn’t he give just to hold her tight and kiss her? Alas, she was no longer his woman. The thoughts of her writhing in passion underneath another man sent a surge of anger through his body. In a way, she still belonged to him, his love for her had never died so she was still his. He wished he could pull her into his arms once again and feel her heartbeat. He would brush back her hair and kiss her neck softly. He would trail his tongue down her creamy neck, making her moan out with pleasure. He would slowly pull up her dress and caress her thighs. He would elicit those tiny cries of passion he loved to hear from her. He would make her so wet that she would beg him to take her. Adam pushed away his thoughts and forced his mind back to the present. Thinking these thoughts would only worsen the situation. She was married to another. He told himself that over and over again but his mind still refused to believe it. Alan Falcon had married her while he had been missing on the Amazon mission. Adam Kennedy had no problem with Alan. The men had never been friends but respected each other’s abilities in their respective fields of expertise.

  Adam stared into Glory’s eyes. The love chemistry was still there. He could see her hands trembling, which meant that she was just as shaken as he was. He wondered how she would react if he closed his mouth over her luscious mouth. Would she sigh and suck on his tongue? Or would she push him away and slap him across the face? Glory still felt something for him, he was so sure of it. She had never forgotten him or the crazy memories they had created.

  As Adam walked into the lounge, his eyes caught on the wedding photograph of Alan Falcon and Glory, which was positioned in a small frame on the sideboard. Next, he saw the framed photographs of Adam Jnr and Rachel. The archaeologist was no fool. He could see his own eyes when he looked at the photographs of the twins.

  “How old are they now?” he asked.

  “Adam, I wanted to tell you but I had no way of making contact,” said a distraught Glory, who could see how much Adam Kennedy was hurting.

  “Glory, I have so much to tell you,” said Adam, dressed in a smart tweed overcoat and black pants. Glory gazed at her ex-lover. He looked even more handsome now than when he had left for the Amazon mission. His facial features were far more positive than what she had witnessed on the last video message that had been sent to her Tablet computer.

  “Adam, I have so many questions for you too,” she quipped.

  “Tell me about the artifact, Adam. The FBI will be here any minute looking for you and the artifact. They think that I know your whereabouts and hiding information from them. They believe that because of the artifact which is coupled to the space program, I am placing the lives of millions of American citizens at risk.”

  Glory continued.

  “The other FBI team is busy interrogating Alan Falcon as we speak. Armageddon is getting closer and if the space program doesn’t get activated soon, all aspects of human life are at risk. Tell me what is going on, Adam. Please tell me.”

  Glory sat on the sofa opposite Adam and was feeling so weak. In fact, she felt weaker than when she was struggling to stand upright when she had answered the front door a few minutes earlier. It was like the world was coming to an end for Glory Falcon, if not for all human life on the planet, then just for Glory Falcon. Armageddon’s too close.

  Adam Kennedy licked his lips. He could see the emotional pain stretched across Glory’s face. What wouldn’t he give just to hold her tight and kiss her. Alas, she was no longer his woman. Alan Falcon had married her while he had been missing on the Amazon mission. Adam Kennedy had no problem with Alan. The men had never been friends but respected each other’s abilities in their respective fields of expertise.

  Adam stared into Glory’s eyes. The love chemistry was still there.

  Eventually, Glory looked away. Eventually, Glory looked away. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and butterflies were fluttering about in her stomach. She tried not to look Adam in the eyes, as she was afraid he would see right into her mind. He would know he still drove her crazy. He would know she longed to be with him. He would know her panties were getting moist just looking at him. He would know he had awakened a deep fire in her. ‘Oh, I have to get him to leave,’ she thought. Her shoulders were tensed, and her stomach had clenched tightly. Every part of her body was crying out for Adam. She shook her head as if to clear her mind and forced herself to meet his gaze again. She was shocked to see desire dancing in his eyes. Adam wanted her.

  The realization pleased her but at the same time, it made her feel numb. So many things had happened in his absence and it wouldn’t be fair to her husband, Alan if she did anything with Adam. Why was life so complicated?

  “Adam, it’s too late for anything to happen between us now,” she said.

  “Time has marched on. Fate stepped in to keep us apart. I am married. Let’s just accept it for what it is.”

  But just when she dec
ided to stop loving Adam and be a good wife to Alan; when she vowed not to let Adam sneak into her mind again, she met Adam again by accident or fate, she couldn't tell.

  She was dying inside even as she said those words but she had no choice. She felt an intense ache in the pit of her stomach and it slowly traveled up her belly. The fire in her was slowly spreading all over her body as her nipples grew harder. Adam’s gaze fell on her chest and she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. He had aroused her with only a look. She should be ashamed of herself and the way she was acting around him, but she wasn’t. Adam was her one true love. He was the genesis of her life and she couldn’t easily get rid of the feelings she had for him. She knew it would be a gradual, conscious effort on her part. She felt a jab of pain in her heart as she remembered her first night with him. In his arms, she had become a woman in every sense of the word. He had also filled her belly with babies and those babies had brought so much joy into her life. No, she wouldn’t be able to easily get rid of her feelings for this man. This man called Adam Kennedy who could get her hot with just a glance. He made her feel like a little girl who just got her first puppy. Even the thoughts of him put her in a good mood.

  “Adam, it’s too late for us now,” She said sadly, “Please…let go of whatever feelings you have for me because I belong to Alan Falcon now,” Adam Kennedy was about to respond when the doorbell rang again. This time, Glory was adamant that the FBI agents were back and standing on her front porch.

  “My God, Adam, quick, hide in the pantry cupboard just off the kitchen,” she said.

  “These FBI guys don’t play around.”

  Adam ran out of the lounge and Glory could hear his shoes rubbing against the wooden floorboards until it eventually reached silence.

  Glory made her way to the front door. She was very sure of what she was going to tell the FBI agents. Fortunately, she didn’t have too.

  “Good evening, again, Agent Lange and Rogers,” she said, as she greeted the law enforcers and ushered them into the lounge.