When they reached the signs, he picked out the one for stairway and headed in the direction it pointed them to. They went down the next corridor to their left. He noticed the screaming got louder, and even as something in their shrillness made his skin crawl, he hurried to the next sign which stood at the division of the hallway. The one marked for the stairs would take them through another room.
He hid his disappointment. All he wanted was to be out of there already. Glancing at Autumn, he noted her wary expression and whispered, “Let’s hope this room will be the last one we’ll have to go through.”
She nodded. As they went toward the room, the screams got louder, and he guessed this was going to be as unpleasant as everything else they’d seen so far. Bracing himself, he opened the door. This room spanned about a half mile and was empty in the center. Along the perimeter were cages, and in those cages were people who were denied clothing and, from the looks of it, any grooming supplies. He swallowed. Even if most of the people seemed drugged, a couple didn’t, and he couldn’t decide who looked worse off.
Recalling the angel’s warning to keep going, he grasped Autumn’s hand and ran down the length of the room, keeping his focus on the door. When they reached it, he flung it open and found the hallway went left and right. The stairs were to their right, and they didn’t waste any time in going there.
They made it up two flights to level five when Autumn’s angel appeared to them. Devon almost collapsed with relief. He’d never been so glad to see an angel in his entire life.
“Come,” the angel said. “We’ve restrained them long enough to get you out of here. Follow me.”
Devon and Autumn did as the angel instructed.
Chapter Forty-Four
Vanessa straightened her coat and took a deep breath as she approached the nurses’ station. She couldn’t believe what she’d done. The incident in the parking lot seemed like a blur. As much as she tried to remember the details, she only got snippets of how she got from being in Devon’s car to ending up on the other side of the hospital. Then she heard of how Devon was injured and in a body cast. How she hoped she wasn’t the one who did that to him! He’d always been kind to her. She winced and rubbed her head. She exhaled and cleared her thoughts, noting the headache lessened as she did so.
When she reached the nurses’ station, she waited for a nurse to greet her before she said, “Hi. I’m Devon Patrick’s co-worker. Can I see him?”
The nurse looked over her shoulder. “Hey, Claire. Isn’t Patrick the one they took on out of here?”
The nurse nodded. “He’s not here anymore, ma’am,” she told Vanessa.
“Do you know where he is?” Vanessa asked.
“I’m sorry, but we weren’t told.”
Vanessa sighed. That could only mean one thing: the government ordered his release. She didn’t know as much of what was going on as Devon did, but she understood enough to know that even with the Annunaki coming to destroy the Illuminati, there were still some unsavory people working in the government who needed to be weeded out. Despite what she did, she hoped he was alright. Another stab of pain shot through her brain.
“Ma’am, are you feeling sick?” the nurse asked.
Vanessa cleared her throat and gripped her purse. “No. I’m fine. I just need to get some fresh air.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and left the nurses’ station.
Devon would be fine. They wouldn’t have removed him from the hospital if he wasn’t. She winced again and decided to take a couple of pain killers to cope with a pain she wasn’t supposed to be having with the chip. Instead of dwelling on it, she decided to go to work. Maybe someone would know something about Devon when she got there.
***
Alex got off the phone with a client and turned to his computer where he set up the stocks to sell on the client’s behalf. When he was done, he checked his cell phone for any missed calls. The fact that Autumn never called him back shouldn’t have been a surprise, but he was hoping she’d at least try to explain the situation because even though he’d seen it for himself and the Annunaki explained the reason why some refused to take the implant, he held onto the slim chance that he misunderstood everything. But the longer the time elapsed since his last conversation with Autumn, the worse things looked for her.
He didn’t want to think she had betrayed him, but he was beginning to suspect that she and Devon had worked with the grey alien to lure him to Area 51. The more he gave that suspicion more credit, the better his mind felt. It was a strange sensation. It felt as if someone was massaging his brain. Then that gentle warm blanket sensation would follow. Could it be that, deep down, he understood that Autumn had never been his friend to begin with?
Sighing, he put the cell phone back on the desk and brought up his email, chastising himself for hoping Autumn might have emailed him. She never emailed. Even when she was pretending to be his friend, she hadn’t emailed.
As he was about to close out of his email, he caught sight of an ad appealing to concerned citizens of planet Earth to join the worldwide attempt to unify for prosperity and peace. He almost dismissed it, except the surge of pleasure that throbbed through his brain and down his spine beckoned him to take a closer look at it. He liked that sensation. He wanted more of it, so he clicked on the ad and was rewarded with another throb of it.
The global government was looking for people who wanted to protect the world from the second invasion of the greys who were due to return soon. What would you do to protect the Earth? the ad concluded. And only one thought came to his mind: anything. He closed his eyes and savored the pleasure that caressed his brain. Yes. He would do anything to protect the Earth. In the next instant, he was signing up for more information.
***
Devon dialed Dr. Raymond’s number in Page, Arizona, aware that a tired Autumn had her arms wrapped around her purse as they rested outside the entrance of the airport. The trip through the underground tunnel from Dulce had been a long one, even though the angel drove them in a shuttle. Devon didn’t know if Keegan and the others were aware of what the angel was doing, but he and Autumn made it out safely, and since the angel’s only warning was to avoid Bismarck, he assumed it was safe to fly somewhere else. And there was only one place he felt safe going to at this point.
Dr. Raymond picked up on the third ring. “Devon, I heard you were in the hospital.”
“I was.” He glanced at Autumn who had her eyes closed. Scanning the airport parking lot, he said, “Look, it’s a long story, but I’ve been found out.”
“I’m sorry, Devon.”
“I think it was bound to happen sooner or later. Might as well be now.”
“To be honest, I’m ready to get out of Bismarck too. Things are turning bad. It’s not going to happen yet, but today I saw an announcement for people with the chip implants to join the global community to ensure the peace and prosperity of the people. I also got a red dot on my mailbox. You know what that means.”
Devon slowly exhaled. He had wondered when they would open up the internment camps to the public. He glanced at Autumn again. There was only one logical thing to do, and he wanted to do it the right way.
“Is it still okay to fly on commercial airlines?” Devon asked.
At that question, Autumn opened her eyes and looked at him.
“Yes,” Dr. Raymond said. “They’re not going to drag people into those camps yet. I’d give it another few months. The senator I talked to says the chip will be mandatory. One month after they make it mandatory, anyone who doesn’t take it will be an enemy of the state. I hope you’re going to that place you got.”
“Can you call that friend about getting two four wheelers ready by the side of the road?”
“I’ll do that.” After a pause, the doctor added, “Good luck.”
Devon wished him the same and threw his cell phone into the nearby trash.
“Why did you do that?” Autumn asked, straightening up.
“Because once they t
rack down my plane ticket, they’ll be looking for me. I hate to say this, but you should get rid of yours too.”
She didn’t answer right away but finally relented and opened her purse to hand her phone to him.
Once he tossed it out, he figured he might as well tell her what his plan was and ask if she’d be willing to come along with him. He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “I have a cabin in Alaska. It’s in an isolated spot, far from anyone or anything, and I have saved up several years’ worth of supplies. At the time, I thought the elite were going to use the grey aliens to eliminate about 90% of the world’s population and knew I was on the list once they didn’t need me anymore. But with this new development—” he shrugged, not sure what to call it since it hadn’t been anywhere in the plans he’d discovered—“I think it’s best to err on the side of caution and go there.”
“Oh,” she said after a moment of silence. “Okay.”
As crazy as it seemed, he suddenly realized his heart was beating faster than normal, and he had the flashback of being in high school when he asked a girl out for the first time. “Anyway, I was wondering if you’d come with me. We’d have to do some backtracking to get to Las Vegas since there are no direct flights there from this airport, but I’d like to marry you.”
She brushed back a stray strand of her hair and nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
A smile crossed his face and he gave her a quick kiss before taking her inside the airport to get their tickets.
***
Dr. Raymond hung up the phone after talking to his friend in Alaska before a knock came on his office door. “Come in,” he said as he turned his attention to the forms he planned to shred while he was clearing out his office.
“I hear you know the late Senator Byrns.”
His head snapped in the direction of the three men he didn’t recognize. They were in business suits, but they didn’t strike him as civilians.
“We’re from Homeland Security,” one of the men said, showing him his identification. “Sir, we ask that you come with us.”
Dr. Raymond took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He thought he was going to make it out in time, but obviously, he was wrong. Opening his eyes, he made eye contact and said, “I thought you weren’t supposed to come for me until the middle of the night.”
“And give you the chance to escape?” The man smirked before he motioned for him to come with him as he lifted his suit jacket. The gun which was in the holster under his suit jacket indicated Dr. Raymond had no choice in the matter. “Hey, at least you’re on the red list. That means you’ll go quicker.”
Dr. Raymond’s first thought was to resist, but then he remembered the nurses and patients in the building and thought better of it. No need to have open gunfire with innocent people nearby. Without a word, he gave a solemn nod and left with them.
Chapter Forty-Five
Autumn couldn’t believe how many people were in Las Vegas, gambling and drinking as if the world wasn’t about to go into chaos…as if fallen angels and demons weren’t gearing up to make their final attempt to take over the Earth. Perhaps it was just as Hampton once said. People had the mentality of ‘eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die’. It was weird she should think of him. Even if she never liked him, she hoped nothing bad would happen to him.
Beside her, Devon finished filling out the paperwork so they could get married. If she weren’t so exhausted, she might have enjoyed the fact that she was about to marry him. But as it was, she had to struggle to stay awake. While it had already been a long trip, they had to fly to Seattle, then Anchorage, and finally to Fairbanks before they would travel by car. All she knew was that he planned to drop the car off in a deserted spot and they’d take two four wheelers from there. It sounded like they wouldn’t actually get to this cabin for another two days after that.
As he took her hand and led her to a chair, she wondered how long she’d been awake. She guessed it’d already been three days since the last time she had a good night’s sleep. Well, she did take a nap on the airplane. And that’s how they would get through until they reached the cabin. They’d nap whenever they could. One thing was for sure. Neither one of them wanted to spend the night anywhere in order to get some rest. Seeing the Reptoids, the demons, mutated embryos, carefully preserved organs, and screaming people were more than enough to convince her to get as far from civilization as possible.
Leaning against him, she closed her eyes, aware of the TV playing nearby. She caught snippets of the conversation from the news program, and after a minute, it occurred to her that the commentators were arguing whether or not the chip implant should be mandatory. Curious, she opened her eyes and focused on the TV where three men sat at a table.
“I don’t want something in me to track everything I’m doing,” Ethan said. “If you take the chip, you’re giving up your privacy.”
Sean leaned forward. “This isn’t about privacy. It’s about security. It’s just a plus it comes with health benefits. Who doesn’t want super strength or to be able to live well over a hundred? It’s possible this could extend our lives indefinitely.”
“Benefits or not,” Ethan began, “there are people who don’t want anything implanted under their skin. Why should they be required to do this?”
Alvin cleared his throat. “I hit my seventy-ninth birthday last month, and I look like I’m thirty-three. I feel better than I ever have before. The implant has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Ethan shook his head. “We’re talking about freedom to choose. Fine. You want to take the chip. There’s no one stopping you, but why should I take it if I don’t want to?”
Autumn sighed and turned her attention from the TV. Glancing at Devon who had his eyes closed, she whispered, “They’ve already decided to make the implant mandatory, didn’t they?”
Devon opened his eyes and looked at her before he nodded.
“So this is just another distraction?” she guessed.
Again, he nodded. “It’s to get people ready for it and to find out who won’t follow the new world system.”
She momentarily shivered, and he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close to him. On the TV, the footage switched from the commentators to the people making a peaceful protest in front of the United Nations building. The wording on the signs varied, but the message was the same. Those people didn’t want to take the chip and wanted their freedom to choose.
“They’re taking pictures and making notes of who is in that crowd,” Devon softly said. “That’s what they do. Those people will probably end up on the blue list.”
“The blue list?” she asked.
“There are three lists. A red list, a blue list, and a yellow list. Those on the red list are taken first because they pose the greatest threat. This happens two weeks before martial law is put into place. Those on the red list will be killed immediately. Those on the blue list oppose the new world system but don’t have enough influence to do anything about it. They’ll be taken to internment camps for re-education, and if they don’t change, they’ll be disposed of. Those who change their mind will take the implant and become part of the system.”
“And those on the yellow list?” she whispered.
“They’re already part of the system. They may not know it, but they’re already in the system.”
She scanned the room. Besides another couple who were waiting to get married and the music from the other room which served as a chapel, they were alone. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that cameras hidden somewhere had just recorded their conversation. “This probably isn’t something we should discuss here.”
“We’re already on the blue list, Autumn. It’s just a matter of time before they would have come for us. There are too many people to take at once.” He squeezed her shoulders.
He didn’t finish the thought, and she didn’t want to voice it either. That was why they needed to hide out in Alaska—somewhere far removed from anyon
e else. A place where there were no cell phones or computer or any other way for someone to figure out where they were. She tried not to give thought to the people who weren’t getting out of harm’s way, but tears filled her eyes anyway.
Devon sighed and rubbed her back.
The couple who just got married left the small chapel, and the woman who was there to witness the weddings came out and called for Devon and Autumn to join her.
They stood and went to get married.
***
Alex got to his apartment and checked his mailbox. With a frown, he touched the yellow dot on the outside of his box. Strange. He didn’t recall seeing that before. He scanned the other mailboxes and saw a couple of blue dots, but for the most part, they were yellow.
“Weird,” he murmured.
After he took out his mail, he blinked in surprise. The packet with information on how he could contribute to the peace and prosperity of Earth had already come. That was fast. For the first time he could remember, the government wasn’t slow. But then, the Annunaki were in charge so he couldn’t be completely surprised.
On the front of the large white envelope, it said, The first time the greys came, we weren’t prepared. The second time, we will be. Thank you for your interest in protecting the good people of planet Earth.
A smile crossed his face and the pleasant sensation throbbed through his body. The sensation was quickly becoming addicting.
***
After Devon and Autumn got married, they found the departure gate for the flight that would take them to Seattle and waited by the window. Autumn was afraid if she sat down, she would fall asleep, and by Devon’s bloodshot eyes, he might too.
Return of the Aliens Page 26
