Messiah

by J. E. Taylor

  He stared at the ring in his hand and glanced at her, wondering if this was a dream and for an instant, he had the surreal feeling that if he opened the door, he’d be back in that godforsaken death pod and all these wonderful years on Earth would have been nothing but an elaborate dream. Fear saturated his cells and he clamped his eyes closed, praying this was real.

  “André?”

  Her voice broke through his terror and he opened his eyes. “Ready?” he asked.

  “I am,” she said.

  He opened the door and relief swept through his bones at the mundane office and the judge draped in black robes behind the desk. They stepped in.

  Judge Simpson looked up from the papers strewn on his desk. “May I help you?”

  “Yes, we’d like you to marry us,” André said.

  “Do you have a license?”

  André pulled out his driver’s license and handed it to the judge.

  The judge chuckled and studied the identification. “You’re a little young to be getting married,” he said, handing the license back to André.

  “Yes but we have our parents’ consent.”

  “Do you have the approved application for marriage?” he asked.

  André slipped his license back into his wallet. Shit, here we go again. “You’ve got it there on your desk,” he said and waved toward the papers, willing the judge to do his bidding.

  The judge pulled out a blank marriage license and filled it in according to André’s silent instruction and when he finished, he turned it to André with a dull, distant look in his eyes.

  André sent a sideways glance at Katrina and closed his eyes, tapping into his mother’s mind and scrawling her signature in the slot for parental consent. Commander Lawrence’s was harder but he managed to get a ghost of a glimpse and signed his name as well. A small headache formed behind his right eye and he slid the paper back to the judge.

  The judge nodded, smiling as he picked up the form, focusing on the document in front of him. “Ah, yes, yes, I do indeed and it looks like everything is in order.”

  “Yes, sir.” André smiled, giving another push.

  The judge stood and pressed an intercom. “Betty, can you and Harry come in here to witness a marriage ceremony please?” He smiled as they waited. An elderly woman and a middle-aged man came into the room and glanced between the young couple and the judge.

  André smiled and stifled a yawn. Even the little pushes wiped him out, but this was worth every second of exhaustion.

  Judge Simpson began the simple civil service. “Do you, André Robbins, take Katrina Lee Lawrence to be your wife?”

  “I do,” André replied.

  “Do you, Katrina Lee Lawrence, take André Robbins to be your husband?”

  “I do,” Katrina said, looking up into André’s eyes and he sighed with relief.

  “Take the ring and slide it onto her finger and repeat after me. This is a symbol of my love and fidelity,” Judge Simpson said and waited.

  André positioned the ring at her first knuckle and looked into her green eyes. A mix of emotions sprung forth and he took a deep relaxing breath before speaking. “This is a symbol of my love and fidelity,” André said with a slight tremor in his voice and he slid the ring on her finger.

  Judge Simpson looked at Katrina.

  Katrina slid the ring on André’s finger. “This is a symbol of my love and fidelity,” she said without being prompted.

  “By the power vested in me by the grand state of Illinois, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he said. “You can kiss your bride.”

  André leaned over and kissed Katrina. He smiled as he stood back up. “May I have a copy of the marriage license?”

  The judge smiled and nodded. “They’ll give you a copy in the clerk’s office,” he said and had the witnesses sign the certificate as well as Katrina and André before he signed and stamped the marriage license with the state seal. “Just ask for a copy when you drop this off at the clerk’s office on the first floor.”

  “Thank you, Judge Simpson,” André said and they headed out of his office, stopping in the clerk’s office to file the certificate and get a copy.

  When they stepped outside into the bright sunshine, Katrina asked, “Was that legal?”

  “Yes, as long as our parents don’t charge us with forgery,” he said and stared at the copy of the marriage certificate in his hand. The fact he broke the law yet again weighed heavy on him, but when he glanced at her, it all made it worthwhile. She was now his wife and he folded the certificate, sliding it into his wallet. “Where to, Mrs. Robbins?”

  “Lake Michigan.” Kat smiled. “But first, you look like you’re in need of a hotel.”

  She didn’t know the half of it. All that mind bending had left him in a state near collapse and while she had visions of more carnal activities on her mind, all he wanted was an hour of sleep to get his bearings back, and then he’d gladly comply with her silent wishes.

  THE DOOR BURST OFF the hinges and André shot up, his arms tightening around Katrina. A squadron of police barreled into the luxury honeymoon suite of the hotel bordering Lake Michigan. Fifteen guns trained on them and Katrina yanked the sheet up, covering her naked form and uncoupled from the straddled position she fell asleep in.

  Commander Lawrence stormed to the end of the bed, his gun drawn and pointed at André.

  André didn’t flinch; he just glared at his father-in-law, looking from the end of the barrel to his face. “I married her today, sir,” he said.

  The gun never wavered. “Get your hands off my daughter,” Commander Lawrence growled.

  “Dad, I married André.” Katrina spoke, causing her father’s gaze to fall on her. “I’m his wife.” She held up her left hand, showing him the ring.

  “The marriage certificate is in my wallet,” André said. He looked around the room at the wall of cops. “Do you mind?”

  “André Robbins, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Katrina Lawrence,” the closest officer began.

  “He didn’t kidnap me!” Katrina yelled. “I married him.”

  “You have the right to remain silent...”

  André traded a glance with Katrina. This wasn’t working. No matter what he said, he’d either be arrested or shot based on the commander’s instructions. He sent a small push. “This is a family matter, not a police matter.”

  Collectively the officers blinked, and all the guns lowered except Commander Lawrence’s. After a quick gaze between André and Commander Lawrence, the squadron filtered out of the room, closing the door behind them.

  Commander Lawrence watched in dumb fascination before he snapped his gaze back to André. Fury etched into the commander’s features, transforming his handsome face into an ugly mask of rage. He pulled the trigger and a flash shot out of the laser gun.

  André only had a fraction of a second warning and tackled Katrina, pushing her down on the mattress, out of the way of the laser beam. The shot cut through the headboard where his head was moments before and anger leapt to the forefront of André’s mind.

  He let loose, vaporizing the gun and singeing the commander’s hand in the process.

  The pain in his head grew to a throbbing pulse at the exertion. He reached for the bathrobe on the edge of the bed, handing it to Katrina without taking his gaze from the cursing commander standing at the end of the bed, shaking the burn from his hand.

  After Katrina eased off the bed, he grabbed the other bathrobe and threaded his arms through the plush fabric, tying the robe before sliding from the bed. He crossed to the table, grabbing his wallet, and plucked the marriage certificate from the folds, holding it out to Commander Lawrence.

  Commander Lawrence cradled his burnt hand to his chest, his breath coming in harsh rips matching that of André, his gaze jumping from the piece of paper to his eyes. He snatched the sheet from André and scanned the document, his jaw tightening with every word.

  “In Illinois it’s legal,” André said. “Y
ou don’t have to be eighteen if you have parental consent.”

  The commander stared at the form, his face taking on the same tone as a fire engine. “I don’t care whether you think it’s legal or not. You are a goddamn alien, a freak,” he growled. “You don’t have any rights here.”

  He turned full toward the commander, his jaw dropping at the discriminatory slant.

  Katrina stepped in front of André. “Daddy, I love him.”

  “You are sixteen. You have no clue what love is,” he spouted back at her.

  “You told me you met Mom when you were sixteen.”

  His lips thinned and his eyes narrowed. “What I had with your mother isn’t even in the same league as this. You don’t even know him.”

  Katrina looked down at the floor. “I know enough that I want to spend the rest of my life with him and you forbid me to see him. What else were we supposed to do?”

  Commander Lawrence gaped at his daughter. “Katrina, you are coming home with me.”

  “No, Dad, I’m not.”

  He took a step toward her, and André stopped him short with an invisible wall.

  “No way,” André replied. “I’ll take her somewhere where you can’t find us,” he warned.

  MATTHEW FLEW INTO THE hotel room, out of breath, praying he wasn’t too late. The commander had left swearing he would kill André when he got his hands on him. He slid to a stop as he took in the scene.

  Commander Lawrence glared at him, flinging a piece of paper in his direction.

  Matthew caught the paper and looked at it. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at the title. “A marriage certificate?” He looked up at André, receiving a nod and he returned his gaze to the signatures, Linda’s signature. His gaze shot back to André. “Your mother never signed this.” He held it out.

  “Are you sure, Dad? She was in my room for a while last night. Who’s to say she didn’t sign the consent form?”

  Matthew dropped his gaze to the form, confirming again that his wife’s distinctive scrawl graced the page. Doubt crawled under his skin and his eyes drifted to André’s left hand, where a wedding band glimmered.

  He knew his wife.

  He knew she’d never do this behind his back.

  Clenching his jaw, he raised his eyes to meet his son’s defiant glare. “You are in a world of trouble, young man,” he said, handing the paper back to his son.

  “If you try to break us up, we’ll run away again.”

  “André, you can’t run. Your picture is all over the television.”

  André looked at his father. “Who said we’d run inside the domes?”

  Outside? Is he out of his goddamn mind? “She’ll die on the outside,” Matthew said. “There isn’t enough oxygen.”

  André cocked his head in challenge, raising an eyebrow. “How long has it been since someone tried?”

  “That’s how we enact a death sentence, André. The last one was sent outside the dome in Texas three weeks ago. He lasted less than twenty minutes before he died,” Matthew said.

  André closed his eyes and rested his chin on the top of Katrina’s head, his arms still protectively around her. “I’m not going home unless Katrina is with me,” he whispered into her hair as he opened his eyes and met his father’s gaze.

  Matthew put his hands on his hips and studied the patterns in the plush rug.

  “I swear Matthew, I’ll have you court-martialed,” Commander Lawrence threatened.

  “I’ll tell the president that you tried to kill my husband without justification,” Katrina countered, glaring at her father.

  “He needs to be locked up, Katrina. He’s dangerous,” Commander Lawrence growled at his daughter.

  “Bullshit!” Katrina yelled.

  André’s eyes narrowed and a small red ring formed around his iris. “If you try to lock me up, I swear to God, I’ll wipe out any memory you have of me,” André said, trumping everything else. “And that may end up sending you to the loony bin for the rest of your life.”

  Silence filled the room and Matthew stared at André. This was a new power he wasn’t aware of. Dangerous if left unchecked, and for the first time since he brought André home, he wondered about the wisdom of his decision.

  “It’s up to you, Commander,” André replied, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Your memories and possibly your sanity or letting us go?”

  Commander Lawrence cursed under his breath and turned his attention to Matthew. “This is your fault. You brought him here instead of terminating him on his ship like you were ordered to.”

  “He was just a child.”

  “And now that child has brainwashed my daughter.”

  “Jesus Christ, Dad. He did not brainwash me. This was my choice. I asked him to marry me, to get me the hell out of our house. It’s a nightmare living with you,” Katrina yelled, the anger filling the room.

  Commander Lawrence looked at André, his face still an angry shade of red, but not the heart attack red it had been a few minutes before. His gaze bounced between André and Katrina and he uncurled his hands. “Katrina, he is dangerous.”

  “I’m only dangerous if I’m pushed into a corner, sir,” André said.

  Silence filled the room, all parties at an impasse and the commander turned to Matthew.

  Matthew guessed he was going over everything including the altercation at the house, all of which happened so fast, his brain was just now catching up. When his hardened gaze returned to Matthew’s, he knew he was in deep shit.

  “You’ve been hiding his abilities for the past six years, haven’t you, Colonel?”

  He nodded to his commanding officer.

  “Why?”

  “I knew you would want to use the boy to make him into a military weapon. He was lost and needed a home, not some institution that would brainwash him and turn him into a killing machine.”

  “And yet he still turned out to be a menace to society.”

  Matthew sighed. “André’s a good kid, sir. Despite all this.” He waved his hand at the two teenagers.

  “I left him in your care, Colonel, and this is how he turned out?”

  Matthew stiffened and shot a glare in André’s direction, silently telling him to shut up before his son could even open his mouth. “Yes, sir,” he said, knowing any other response would be a futile effort.

  “You realize I could have you court-martialed and tried for treason,” the commander said.

  “Yes, sir,” Matthew said.

  “You’d give up your life to protect him?”

  Matthew met the commander’s gaze, searching his own soul for the answer. His heartstrings were tightly wrapped around André, as much as they would have been if André was his own flesh and blood. He inhaled and nodded. “Yes, sir, I would. Just as you would for your daughter.”

  TREASON.

  The word triggered nasty memories, memories of tortured screams, of frantic pleas, of painful promises and the air sucked from his lungs. He knew more about that word than a child had a right to, along with the accompanying consequences. Treason meant death and the commander just threatened his father with it. He couldn’t pull enough air into his seized lungs, only a high-pitched wheeze that pulled attention from everyone in the room.

  “What’s wrong?” Katrina turned out of his grasp and he dropped to his knees, meeting Matthew’s gaze.

  André put his hands on his knees and concentrated on getting his breathing back to normal, his eyes never leaving his father’s. “Treason,” André gasped again and his eyes filled with tears. “My parents,” he hissed through the gasping breaths.

  “The commander isn’t serious, André. He was just reminding me of the possible consequences of my actions.” He glanced over at Commander Lawrence. “Right, sir?”

  Commander Lawrence glared at Matthew without answering. His gaze shot to André. “Your parents were convicted of treason?”

  “Yes, sir,” André said, looking at the floor, regaining control over his breathing.<
br />
  “Why?”

  “Because of me, sir,” he answered, still staring at the carpet. His lungs loosened, air drawing back and leaving him dizzy, expecting this world to shatter, leaving him alone and cold in a sludge filled space ball.

  “Why?” Commander Lawrence pushed.

  “Because my powers were so refined and my eyes, sir... my eyes are blue,” he said.

  The steam evaporated from the commander and his eyebrows rose. “Did you say your parents were tried for treason because your eyes are blue?”

  André nodded. Shame laced its way through him and his face heated with it.

  Commander Lawrence looked at Matthew, still not understanding. “His eyes?”

  “Unfortunately, yes,” Matthew acknowledged. “His parents tried to hide him from the government because he was different. That’s why they were killed and André was exiled.”

  Commander Lawrence returned his gaze to André, studying him like a lab technician would study a unique and dangerous virus.

  “I’m not a threat, Commander,” he said, regaining his faculties and standing.

  “I’ll make that determination,” he snapped, crossing his arms.

  “My actions should be enough. If I was an actual threat, I would have taken both you and the entire police force out. And believe me, I hold that capability.”

  “What would prevent you from doing that in the future?” Commander Lawrence asked.

  “Because I know right from wrong and this is my home, sir. The only real home I’ve ever had.”

  “And yet you pulled this irrational stunt.” Commander Lawrence waved at the room. “That doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in your abilities to discern right from wrong.”

  André shifted from foot to foot and traded a sideways glance with Katrina. “She asked and I really couldn’t say no. Not with the way I feel about her, sir.”

  Commander Lawrence let out a bark of a laugh and approached André so he was toe to toe, towering over him. “I will never accept you into my home and I sure as hell am not letting my daughter stay with you.” He reached for Katrina’s arm and she stepped away.