“And this big event is about removing man from Earth?” Devon asked.
“Essentially.” The angel hesitated before continuing. “Whatever you do, don’t take the chip. It has angelic DNA embedded in it. That’s how people taking it will get their enhanced abilities. But it’s also a mind controlling device. Once you get it, your thoughts will be manipulated.”
The whole thing—everything—sounded so outrageous to Autumn she couldn’t fully comprehend it all.
Devon, however, seemed to be keeping up with the angel remarkably well. “So I’m right in thinking the Annunaki, greys and super soldiers are all in this together?”
The angel nodded. “It’s all part of the great deception.”
Autumn decided while the angel was answering all the questions, instead of just a couple, she’d ask the one that bothered her the most. “Where are all the people who vanished?”
“Some are safe in the other dimension. Some are not,” he replied.
Stiffening, she asked, “What do you mean? You told me they were all safe.”
“I told you that those who went in the first vanishing are safe.”
“So Alicia’s in trouble?”
“Don’t concern yourself with that. It’ll only sidetrack you and lead you into places you’re better off not going to.”
She frowned. Exactly what did that mean? Before she could ask for clarification, the angel disappeared. Rolling her eyes, she muttered, “That’s what I’m used to. Just when he gives me some cryptic saying, he runs off to do who-knows-what?”
Devon chuckled.
Feeling the mood lighten a bit, she laughed. It felt good to laugh. She’d been used to going about her life, not feeling much of anything—just going through the motions. But being here with Devon and knowing she wasn’t alone in talking to the angel made her feel freer than she’d felt in a long time. “You got more out of him than I’ve been able to. Next time you should ask about the vanished people.”
“I don’t think I would’ve had any more luck than you did. But now we know not all the vanished people were on those ships.”
“True.”
After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat. “Thank you.”
“I don’t control when the angel appears.”
“No. Not about the angel. I mean about talking to me, in spite of my job.”
She set aside her coffee and sighed. “Well, it seemed like you could use a friend to talk to. There are some things we can’t control. I can tell you don’t want to be there anymore. And you could have lied and told me you weren’t working there. I do appreciate your honesty.”
He smiled. “I figured I’d give you an out if you wanted it.”
“Sometimes it’s nice to have someone you can talk to when nothing makes sense. You can’t isolate yourself from everyone all the time. How you’ve managed for as long as you have, I don’t understand.”
“The months and years blend into each other until you don’t notice the passage of time. You learn to go through the motions.”
“That’s no way to live,” she softly replied.
“I wasn’t trying to live. I was trying to survive.”
She caught his meaning and wondered just how deep things went for him in his job, but then she decided she was probably better off not knowing. “So, do you ever do normal things like listen to music or watch movies?”
“I’ve been known to on occasion.”
“Oh yeah? Let me guess? Heavy metal for music and spy thrillers for movies?”
He laughed. “No. I haven’t listened to heavy metal since it was popular in the ‘80s. As for movies, I prefer comedies.”
“You don’t strike me as someone who likes comedies.”
“I love them. They’re a great escape.”
“Do you escape often?”
“Not often enough.”
She didn’t doubt that, but it was nice to see this side of him. It was an indicator that there was a part of him that remained untouched by his job, and it was a part he should enjoy more often. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she ventured, “You know, if you ever want to see a movie with a friend, I wouldn’t mind laughing a little more myself.”
“I’d like that.”
Blushing, she took another sip of coffee and continued their conversation.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Two weeks later, Autumn found herself on the first date she’d had in a long time. She tried to convince herself that it wasn’t really a date—that it was hanging out with a friend like she’d hung out with Alex from time to time. But with Alex, she didn’t experience the fluttery sensations in her stomach or sneak glances at him to admire his good looks. Perhaps more surprising than her admitted attraction to Devon was the fact that she couldn’t recall the last time she enjoyed being with someone this much since Marianne’s disappearance. It was an odd thing to liken being with Devon to being with Marianne, but in many ways, he brought out the more optimistic side of her that Marianne used to.
After their movie, he asked her if she wanted to go for a walk at the park, and since she was reluctant to see the date end, she agreed. As he pulled his car into a parking spot, she wrapped her scarf around her neck and buttoned the top button of her coat. She reached for the door handle, but he touched her arm.
“Did you change your mind?” she asked.
“No. I just thought it might be nice if I opened your door for you.” He shrugged. “It’s something I should have been doing the whole night. Let me make up for lost time?”
She suspected he meant more than opening her door but chose not to mention it. Instead, she nodded and waited for him to open her door. If nothing else, this was proof they weren’t just friends.
When she got out of the car, he took her hand in his and led her to the paved path that wound around the park. “It’s a nice night,” he commented.
She glanced up at the stars, thinking, once again, how different the night sky looked when there weren’t alien ships descending down to Earth. But she didn’t want to dwell on the serious tonight. Devon had taken her to a comedy so they could laugh and forget about their cares for awhile, even if it was for one evening.
Clearing her throat, she strolled with him down the path and said, “It is a beautiful night. It reminds me of when I was a girl and my sister and I would try to catch lightning bugs. At some point, we’d stop and try to point out the different constellations.” Grinning, she added, “I was older, so I used to enjoy knowing more than her. That’s mean, isn’t it? But you can’t really feel sorry for her. She graduated college and got a law degree. I didn’t have the patience for college, so I dropped out in the second semester and worked retail. But even then I could still name more constellations than she could. I might not have had the degree, but if we ever got lost in the woods, I could find my way out because I know where the North Star is.”
He chuckled. “It sounds like you two were close.”
“You picked that up based on what I just said?”
“No. Well, some of it,” he conceded, “but I remember how you came up to me the second time we talked and demanded I tell you where she was. That took a lot of guts.”
“I don’t know. Later on, it just seemed stupid.”
“I admired that about you. In a world where few seem to care about those around them, it was nice to see a woman who put her sister before herself. If I knew where your sister was, I would have helped you.”
She studied his face in the moonlight and picked up on the sincerity of his statement. He probably would have. Back then she wouldn’t have believed it, but she did now. Unsure of what to say, she continued to walk beside him, finding comfort and strength in his touch. Despite the chill in the air, she was warm, and she knew it had more to do with being next to him than being bundled up in a coat.
“So, do you have any brothers or sisters?” she asked.
“No, but while I was growing up, I wanted one that I could manipulate into doing what I wanted.”
She laughed at his joke. “Well, then you didn’t have a real childhood because having a little brother or sister who’ll do your bidding is the best thing about being the oldest.”
He glanced at her and grinned. “It probably is.”
“You know, it’s kind of nice to see you smile.”
“I’ve smiled before.”
“No. This is different. You’re relaxed.” She stopped there in her observation because she knew it meant he was opening himself up to someone for the first time in a long time. Who knew how long he’d kept the core part of himself closed off to others? “It’s nice,” she finally finished, not wishing to get too personal since they still had much to learn about each other.
He stopped walking so she halted her steps and turned to him, wondering if she said something wrong. But he was smiling softly at her, and her cheeks warmed. He was looking at her the same way she’d seen Alex look at Marianne, and never in a million years did she think a man might look at her that way. His fingers brushed her cheek before he cupped her face in his hands. She closed her eyes and waited in anticipation for the kiss. When his lips touched hers, it was so light that she almost missed it, but then, he kissed her again, and this time, his lips lingered on hers. There was a gentleness in the way he handled her, and that spoke volumes for the way he felt. He didn’t need to say the words. She knew, and in her response, she hoped to convey the same message.
The kiss ended too soon, but she knew it would be the first of many so she was content to take his hand and continue their walk.
***
A week later, Alex had mixed feelings as he watched Autumn talking to another man in front of the mall. He and Autumn hadn’t shared anything beyond a friendship, and yet, it was strange to think of her with someone else. After a moment of internal debate, he proceeded forward.
His steps slowed as he approached, and he tucked his hands into his coat pockets, noting the way Autumn laughed at something the man said. Alex frowned. He couldn’t recall seeing her laugh like that since Marianne disappeared.
“I guess it might be a fun movie,” Autumn told the man, brushing a wisp of hair from her eyes. “Okay. You talked me into it. I’ll go see it.” She glanced up then and smiled. “Oh hi, Alex.” Clearing her throat, she stood and motioned to the man. “This is Devon. Devon, this is Alex.”
Devon stood and shook his hand. “How are you doing?”
“Fine,” Alex replied, not sure of what else to say. But then he remembered seeing Devon before. “Weren’t you at Dr. Reyes’ office?”
“Uh yes. I took my co-worker there,” Devon said.
Alex caught the hesitant look in Devon’s eye and wondered about it. Something else seemed familiar about him, though Alex couldn’t put his finger on it. Ignoring the prickling sensation in the back of his mind, he forced a smile. “So, you know Dr. Reyes?”
“No. I don’t really know him. I know of him.”
Again, Alex detected a hint of uncertainty about him. “He’s a good man. He helped me a lot while I wasn’t doing so well.” Though Devon nodded, Alex sensed that Devon didn’t believe him. “Well, he was good to me. He was the only person besides Autumn who believed me when I was going through a rough patch.”
“Oh?” Devon glanced her way.
“Alex was engaged to my sister,” she told Devon. “The vanishing wasn’t easy on either of us.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Alex agreed. Sometimes he still missed Marianne, but thankfully, the pain had ebbed and he could think of her with fondness.
“I imagine it couldn’t have been,” Devon replied, glancing at the ground. “Well, I should go. I only came for a couple of minutes.” He looked at Alex. “It was nice meeting you.” Turning to Autumn, he added, “I’ll see you later?”
She nodded and waited for Devon to leave before clearing her throat. “How have things been? I haven’t seen you in awhile.”
“Things are okay. It looks like you’re doing pretty good.”
“Oh.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Yeah. I guess so. All things considered.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Devon getting into his car. “Where do you know that guy from?”
With a shrug, she mumbled, “Around.”
He frowned. Since when did Autumn hide the truth from him? Of all people he could trust in this world, she’d been at the top of his list. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Her gaze traveled to the empty space next to her.
“Autumn?” he demanded, not enjoying the fact that she wasn’t as open as she’d been in the past.
“You don’t see the angel?” she asked.
His gaze traveled to the empty spot she pointed to. “There’s no one there. It’s just air, Autumn.”
She looked as if she wanted to protest but finally said, “I hope you won’t take the chip.”
He laughed. “Is that why you’re acting weird? Because I want an upgrade?”
“It’s not an upgrade, Alex. Not really. It changes you. If you take it, you won’t be the same person. They’ll control you.”
“They?”
“The Annunaki.”
“I can’t believe you. You know what I’ve been through—what they did to me at Area 51. The Annunaki healed me from all of that. Can you honestly look at me now and think I’m not better off?”
“I admit on the surface—”
“On the surface? I’m better all over. Inside and out.”
“And you don’t need to get worse again. Look Alex, I’m telling you this implant does something to people. It mingles with their DNA and something happens to change them. I don’t understand all of it, but it’s what the angel is telling me to tell you.”
“What angel?”
“The one standing right next to me. The one you can’t see.”
He shook his head and dug his wallet out of his back pocket. “You need help.” Pulling out Dr. Reyes’ card, he handed it to her. “I’ll take you to the appointments if you want.”
“I don’t need a psychiatrist, Alex!”
“Don’t you? You’re the one who’s seeing things that aren’t there.”
“I’m not the only one who sees him. Devon can too.”
Now it made sense. Devon was feeding into her delusions! “Autumn, there’s nothing there, and this guy—Devon—is lying to you. Seriously, can’t you tell there’s something creepy about him?”
The door to the side entrance of the mall opened and Hampton marched over to them. “Autumn, you were supposed to be back at work two minutes ago. I’m docking your break time tomorrow for this.”
Sighing, Autumn turned back to Alex. “I’m sorry. I have to go. Can we talk about this later?”
Though Alex nodded, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk about any of this again. In some ways, he felt betrayed. She was hiding something from him, and he had a feeling it was something important. Was it something about Devon? Was Devon someone he wasn’t pretending to be? He’d seen Devon somewhere else before, but he couldn’t pinpoint where.
As she went back into the mall, Alex retreated back to his car and tried to decide what he should do next.
***
Autumn drummed her fingers on the counter, wondering what to do. Never once did she think she might develop a friendship—and more—with Devon. And yet, here she was, torn between protecting him and telling Alex the truth. Had the angel not intervened to tell her to keep silent in the matter regarding Devon, she might have caved. Alex was her friend. At one time, he was almost her brother-in-law. Marianne loved him so much she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. Betraying Alex had been a lot like betraying Marianne.
The guilt tore at her. After all he’d done for her and how good he’d been to Marianne, he didn’t deserve to be lied to. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
“Try to look happy to be here,” Hampton barked as he passed by.
Inwardly groaning, she opened her eyes and straightened. For his benefit, s
he plastered on a wide smile, knowing it looked as fake as it was.
Rolling his eyes, he said, “I know it’s October, but you don’t need to scare the customers. It isn’t Halloween yet.”
As soon as he was out of sight, she relaxed her face. If Alex could see the angel, it would make everything so much easier. But he refused to even explore the possibility of a spiritual world around them. She didn’t understand it. Alex was a great guy. He’d been a devoted boyfriend to Marianne. He never engaged in the nefarious activities Devon had. And yet, Devon had been the one who sought help that couldn’t be found on this world. If anyone should have believed her about angels and demons, it should have been Alex.
A customer walked over to her with a coat in her arms, so Autumn turned her attention back to her job.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“I feel like a new person,” Vanessa said.
Devon glanced from the road to where she sat in the passenger seat and wondered just how, exactly, she was different. On the surface, she seemed the same. Sure, she was happier, but that was how she’d been when she started working with him. Curiosity getting the best of him, he decided to ask, “How so?”
She shrugged. “Well, for one, my eyesight is perfect. I don’t need contacts anymore. I also don’t have any wrinkles.”
“I didn’t know you had wrinkles.”
“I did. They were starting to form on my face.”
He chuckled. “Come on. What are you? Thirty?”
“True, they were barely there, but I noticed them every time I looked in the mirror. My friend took the implant, and her gray hair returned to its original brown color. This thing is amazing. It reverses the aging process.”
“I hope that doesn’t mean you’ll end up a baby.”
She giggled and shook her head. “Of course not, silly. It just keeps us in our optimal age as adults.”
“Does that mean you won’t die?”
“If we take good care of ourselves, we could potentially live as long as the Annunaki, and they’re thousands of years old.”
Return of the Aliens Page 20
