Don't Look Back (Warders of Earth)

by S. E. GILCHRIST

  Aliens?

  Em chattered on, seemingly oblivious to the fraught tension in the room. “I’d thought we’d go to the pool.”

  After giving Dan a warning squeeze to his hand, I pushed to my feet. “Sorry. I’ve got a shift at the pub in an hour. I need to get ready.”

  “Tara...”

  Ignoring Em, I brushed past and headed to my bedroom.

  No sooner had I closed the door, than my mobile was in my hand. I found the number I needed and rang. It went straight to message bank.

  “Dad, it’s me. I need to see you. Like now.”

  ***

  Alex

  “I’m getting a bad feeling, Alex.” Shay slumped onto the lounge with a sigh.

  “Yeah, I feel the same way. Wish I could pin-point the source.” The past couple of days had been gruelling but we’d both worked non-stop helping the SES out. In our spare time, we’d gone over every snippet of information in the reports, word by word. Sleep had not been on the agenda.

  Flexing my neck muscles by rotating my head, I yawned before strolling into the kitchen where I opened the refrigerator door and scanned the contents. “Beer?”

  “Sounds good. Where’d the Colonel head off too?”

  “No idea.” I grabbed a couple of tinnies and brought them over to where my mate sat, head back, eyes half-closed.

  “What’s with that Andrews guy? And those blokes?” Shay snapped open his beer and took a sip.

  I followed suit before responding. The ice-cold slide and slightly bitter taste was like nectar down my throat. Like Shay, I nursed it. Neither of us were big drinkers. I’d known at least two other Warders who’d turned to alcohol to ease their troubled conscience and soothe their doubts.

  They now lay rotting in their graves.

  “They were definitely suss.” I rolled the can between my hands. The liquid sloshed against the sides.

  “I checked out Andrews the other night. Nothing popped.”

  “Maybe we missed something. He’s definitely not on the up-and-up.”

  “Could be a simple matter of a shady deal on the wrong side of the law.”

  “I know, that’s why we have to be certain before we make any moves. How about you keep tabs on him?”

  “Sure thing. What about you? Going to keep a close eye on that Tara babe?”

  I glanced over and met Shay’s suggestive grin. “That’s my job.”

  He laughed. “Somehow I think there’s more to it than that, just don’t let the Colonel catch on.”

  “Shit, yeah.” Barely repressing a shudder at my father’s reaction, I rasped a hand along my jaw and remembered I needed a shave.

  “Must be a cool buzz to have three chicks hanging off your arm,” Shay teased.

  I groaned. “That’s a complication I could do without.”

  “Emma seems a nice girl. And determined. If we had more time, I’d bet she’d have a ring on your finger before next Christmas.”

  Laughing, I allowed his comment about Tara’s friend roll over me. I noticed he didn’t mention Crystal Chambers. Like me, did he believe there was more to her than she let on?

  The smile faded from my mate’s face and I tensed.

  Shay dug his phone out of his pocket and began to scroll through his messages. “I got a ping on my mobile, about an hour ago.”

  I waited until he found what he was looking for.

  “Text from Johns. You know him? He’s stationed in New York.” Shay raised an eyebrow and I nodded.

  “He’s good.” And he was good. One of our best but I hadn’t seen him in over two years. As Warders, we spent the majority of our lives living a solitary and secret life. I’d been one of the lucky ones; I had a father and a good friend as support, even if there’d been months when I’d had to work alone.

  “He reckons that according to his sources, there definitely is a MN operative in this town.”

  I sucked in a harsh breath. “Identity?”

  “He’s working on it. Will let us know if he finds anything more.”

  “Ask him to send us all his data. We’ll go over it as well, just in case. Learning that identity must be our top priority.”

  “If there’s an operative, than there’ll be a force close by,” Shay pointed out. “Are we going to send for reinforcements?”

  “I asked a similar question of the Colonel, yesterday. Our sources are stretched. Several marks are having difficulty in believing, so they’ve been provided with extra protection. We’re on our own.”

  Shay lowered his head.

  “What happened with Lorraine wasn’t your fault,” I said, wanting to ease my mate’s pain.

  “Doesn’t matter. I failed.”

  Shit! What to say now? Clearing my throat, I muttered, “It’s a hard ask, expecting people to believe in what most think is impossible.”

  “Maybe we’re not worthy of saving. I’ve seen men do terrible things to each other.”

  “Same.” Carefully, I placed my beer onto a side table then leaning forward, resting my linked hands on my knees as I stared at the one guy I trusted above all others. If he had doubts… “It’s hard to believe in something beyond comprehension. But we must have faith.”

  Shay snorted softly and met my gaze. “I’ve sensed your concern about our ‘friends.’” His lips twisted.

  “We’ll play it as it unfolds. Keep alert.”

  “Always.”

  “Tomorrow we’ll do a recon beyond the town’s limits. Check for any signs of a force hidden nearby.”

  “Right. Tonight, I’ll run another diagnostic on Marnie’s hard drive. Last time, I found a ghost.”

  “Yeah? That’s interesting?”

  “Isn’t it? And get this, the chick is missing.”

  “What?”

  “No sign of her about town since the storm.”

  “You’ve noticed?” I said slowly, wondering why Shay had thought it necessary to keep this girl in his sights.

  “There’s something about her.” He crumpled his empty can. “A deep sadness.”

  That explained the empathy Shay felt toward Marnie. He’d taken the death of his mark to heart and I’d often thought there’d been more than duty in their brief relationship.

  Tara’s face swam before my eyes and my gut rolled over. I felt like I was plummeting from a great height.

  Yeah, he wasn’t the only one. It was more than duty for me now.

  ***

  Tara

  After racing around on my feet (and my superb boots) for six hours, I was beat. It seemed like everyone in town, had decided to visit the pub and discuss the recent events over copious beer schooners.

  A large group of former school mates had entered about an hour ago and had kept me busy mixing cocktails. Crystal was amongst them and had for once, refrained from any snide comments. She seemed unusually subdued and determined to get wasted, if the number of drinks she’d already consumed was an indicator.

  We’d never been friends. Even so, I kept an eye on her as I slapped the damp tea towel down onto the bar and served another customer demanding a beer. Crystal’s shoulders were hunched as she leaned on the table, not interacting with her friends. Normally she was party-girl central. It was strange seeing her staring into space and not speaking to anyone. Whatever her problem was, I hoped it wasn’t serious. I wondered whether I should go over and ask if she needed anything but the thought of getting my head snapped off made me stay behind the counter.

  My dithering only added to my confusion.

  Over in the corner of the main bar, a band was setting up. Every so often one of them would do a sound test and the noise felt like a drill screeching through my brain.

  Any minute now, I was going to lose it.

  Bracing my hands on the bar, I lowered my head and concentrated on taking deep breaths. My head pounded. Mum’s words went round and round. It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t be. Aliens for god’s sake!

  But if it were true, then my ‘disability’ now made sense
in a kind of weird way.

  If only Em hadn’t interrupted us at such a crucial moment. There were so many other questions I needed answered. I knew deep in my gut, there was more my mother wanted to say. But it was hard to get her alone with Em dogging my shadow.

  Prepare.

  Warder.

  Could all those weird messages I’d read in obscure patterns over the years actually be real? The thought turned my insides to mush.

  I had to cling to the bar or my knees would give way. Why wouldn’t Dad answer my messages? If I didn’t hear from him soon, I’d borrow Mum’s car and head over to the observatory. It would mean cutting short my work hours since it was a good forty minute drive. But I needed to see him, talk to him.

  I sensed rather than heard someone approach the bar.

  “Headache?” the sympathy lacing Alex’s voice caused my eyes to sting.

  “No,” I lied, not wanting to appear weak and girly. “Just taking a moment to regroup. It’s been pretty hectic.” I straightened and eyed his tall figure admiring how cool and confident he appeared in his black, silk dress shirt and jeans. In the yellowy light of the bar, his blond hair glowed like sunlight and his smooth olive skin appeared a rich gold. What was it with guys who wore black? They were like chick magnets.

  I could have stared at him all day.

  “You’re all dressed up. Going somewhere special?” What I really meant was who are you with? Was it Em? I picked at my short fingernails.

  He shrugged; a movement that had me inwardly sighing over the width of his shoulders. “You look tired.”

  Oh and wasn’t that just perfect. Bags under my eyes and fading bruises on my face. Reality check. Here I was with the hottest guy in town and I looked like a hag. I winced as another shooting pain spiked over the top of my head and mumbled, “I’ve been working.”

  His steady gaze unnerved me and I shifted my weight, sternly resisting the urge to smooth down my, no doubt, messy hair. “I wanted to make sure you’re okay after today.”

  For one mind-freezing second, I thought he knew my secret. The sheer horror of that thought had me gaping at him as if he’d suddenly morphed into the devil himself.

  “Tara? Are you alright? You’ve gone as white as a sheet.”

  My mouth opened and closed. All my blood seemed to leave my head and I felt all floaty.

  “Fuck.” He leapt over the bar, landing lightly beside me much to the amusement of the old timer seated on a stool nearby.

  The old guy yelled, “Go get her, mate!”

  Blinking rapidly, I attempted to hold it together, cringing as all eyes turned toward me.

  “You need to take a break,” said Alex grimly. “When was the last time you drank any water?”

  “Dunno,” I mumbled. Blackness closed in on me. I could barely hear him over the crescendo of noise rising inside my brain to fever pitch. My body shook.

  “Come on.” Alex took my arm and towed me, stumbling, along behind him.

  The only protest I could manage was a feeble, “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere quiet where you can take a breather. You need food too.”

  “Work…” I bleated.

  “Forget it.” He led me into the dining area where he located an empty booth and pushed me toward it. “Sit. I’ll order us a meal. Don’t worry, I’ll square it with your boss. Ask him to take you off the clock.”

  Feeling overwhelmed, I perched on the seat and gripped my trembling hands together on the table. A few minutes later, Alex re-appeared, sliding along the bench until he was right up beside me. The warmth of his body and the tangy scent of his aftershave hit me simultaneously. His thigh rested against mine. My head whirled.

  Whether it was from being so close to his hotness or not, I couldn’t tell nor did I have the energy to try and figure it out.

  “Here, drink this.” He pushed a glass of water into my hand.

  “Thanks.” I sculled it down without pause. A little of the heaviness in my head lifted. The rush of white noise abated. My tense muscles began to relax, my shoulders slumping. “Where’s Em?”

  “I have no idea. Feeling any better?”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  We fell silent. Alex re-filled my glass from the jug he’d brought with him and nudged my hand with the glass. Obediently, I chugged down more water.

  Finally, my heart eased its frantic pace and my dizzy, light-headedness lifted. Sighing with relief, I fiddled with the empty glass in my hands, turning it round and round. When I snuck a peek at Alex, I saw he was staring at the table, a heavy frown puckering his forehead. “Something on your mind?”

  “Yes, you.”

  Not knowing how to answer, I remained mute and waited. At last he moved, lifting his left arm to rest along the back of the bench. If I leaned back, his arm might drop down around my shoulders. My tummy quivered.

  So, I was attracted to him. The knowledge sank deep into my soul.

  Any girl in her right mind would be! But I didn’t know what to do about it. My life was such a mess at the moment and with my best friend keen on this guy, how could I betray her?

  No, he was off-limits, so I’d better keep it cool and just ‘friends’.

  Jacey, one of the waitresses, bustled up to our table with a laden tray in her hands. She winked as she set down a bowl of potato wedges, a plate of garden salad and another plate filled with crisply fried cocktail fish pieces.

  The aroma caused my stomach to rumble and, giving my belly a pat, I laughed. “I didn’t realise how hungry I was, thanks, Alex.”

  “Any time.”

  We smiled at each other.

  And for one insane minute, it was like there was no one else in the room.

  The clatter of cutlery hitting the table broke our connection. Face hot, I tore my gaze away and nodded my thanks to Jacey who sauntered off grinning.

  Keep it cool.

  I picked up a fork and speared a piece of pan-fried barramundi and bit off a mouthful. “It tastes great. Aren’t you going to eat?”

  “Yeah, I’m starving too.” He moved his left arm, draping it now around my shoulders. The weight was warm and comforting. I couldn’t believe how much I longed to cuddle into his side.

  He said coolly, “You don’t mind do you?”

  “No. I like it.” Did I really say that?

  But Alex didn’t make any derisive remark, only smiled and picked up a fork. While we ate, Alex spoke about the work he and Shay had been doing with the SES and the damage to the town that still needed to be fixed. Gradually, I relaxed, enjoying listening to his quiet, deep voice and the feel of his arm around me.

  He made me feel protected.

  Safe.

  “I need to get back to work,” I said gruffly.

  “If you’re sure you’re feeling better…?”

  I nodded.

  “Your boss said you can work out the remainder of your shift in the kitchen. Less hectic. I tried to talk him out of it, but he was adamant he needs your help. Sorry.” Alex slid out from the bench and stepped aside to allow me to follow suit. When he held out his hand I took it, a buzz of electrical excitement tingling up my arm where his fingers closed strongly over mine.

  Ooooh yeah. Talk about hot! This guy needed a safety warning tattooed on his chest.

  “When you’ve finished your shift, how about we go into the bar and listen to the band? I’d like a dance with you.”

  “Sounds like fun.” Surprisingly I meant it. I could do with some R and R after the past few days. And surely, Em wouldn’t mind if I had one little dance with him? Besides, I was fairly certain Dan was right, I was the one Alex was interested in. A little thrill sizzled over my flesh.

  I checked the time on the old railway clock. “I’ve got an hour and a half to go which gives us about twenty minutes before the band packs up.”

  “I’ll hang around here. Take it easy, okay?”

  I gave a quick smile and hurried off through the door that led to the kitchen and pantry areas. Aw
ay from the noise and bustle of the bar, the remainder of my headache fled while I kept busy doing some washing up and stacking the washing machine. When I’d finished I made a quick visit to the loo, brushed my hair and applied fresh lipstick. Tugging at my clothes, I found Alex where I’d left him.

  His gaze locked with mine as I crossed the room to his side. I went all hot and fluttery inside at the sight of his slow smile and steady stare.

  The lights were dim in the main bar. Hand-in-hand, we entered the room. A blast of sound hit me and I teetered on my heels. On the raised dais the lead singer belted out a song at the top of his lungs, competing against the blare of his band’s instruments.

  The room was packed with people, some dancing, some standing around watching, others laughing and yelling at each other.

  Alex glanced over his shoulder at me and grinned. He wound his way through the crowd until we reached the dance area where he swung round and placed his hands on my waist. Drawing me closer until our bodies touched, he leaned his chin against the side of my forehead and began a slow swaying dance.

  My body pinged into overdrive.

  I wound my arms around his back and half-closed my eyes. Heaven. Em was right; he was sex candy on legs. Heat, hard-packed muscle and sinew, he moved with the lithe grace of a panther and the lure of a dangerous predator.

  Along with that thought, came the questions.

  Who was this guy?

  He has the word ‘Warder’ tattooed on his neck.

  What did it mean, if anything?

  My bestie was interested in him.

  And his father could be involved in said bestie’s mum’s disappearance.

  Jeeze, what a mess!

  For the life of me, I couldn’t imagine Alex hanging around in such a small community for long. He looked like a fast-paced life was more his style. For all my protestations about moving away and seeking the bright lights of the city, I knew I could never live far from my parents and little brother.

  They relied on me.

  And for all my raving about wanting to live elsewhere, I’d miss them. So even if Em weren’t on the chase, a short-term relationship was not what I wanted.

  But what was stopping me from pretending for a few minutes?