Caught in Your Wake

by Darien Cox

  “Noooo,” Baz said, eyes narrowing. “I tell you. Hybrids would not!”

  “Um...” Nolan raised a finger. “I hate to jump on Tyler’s bandwagon here, but you had an infiltration of rogue hybrids not so long ago that put all the Whites to sleep and tried to sell their babies to the Greys. I wouldn’t put anything past them.”

  “That was small group, and security is bigger now, Nolan! Many new precaution. Whites killed bad hybrids and all hybrids know this. Follow rules or do not stop at Earth base.”

  “Okay, but if it’s not a hybrid doing this to me then who the fuck is it?” Tim said.

  “The gator-worms,” Tyler said. “They could be doing it themselves.”

  “Then why did they have hybrid tech on the camera?” Nolan asked.

  “I don’t know,” Tyler said. “Maybe they bought it or stole it. But it’s reasonable to assume they could be doing this of their own volition. We just fucking watched one carry Tim’s jacket on its tail, a jacket we now know had a camera installed on it.”

  Nolan scowled. “You think those weird black things are the ones stalking Tim and it’s all their idea? That makes no sense.”

  “On the contrary,” Tyler said. “It makes a lot of sense. You’re all using your human comfort-associations. Making the assumption that these crawling black things are someone’s pets simply because of the way they look. But they’re obviously sentient. You can never judge an ET’s intelligence or capacity for mischief by their physical appearance alone.”

  “Shit, Tyler’s correct,” Brett said. “We got ourselves off-track assuming they were someone else’s pawns.”

  “Because it’s hard to understand why creatures like that would want to monitor a human being,” Elliot said.

  “Understanding why extraterrestrials do what they do is always confusing, so nothing can be ruled out,” Tyler said. “Especially when someone’s safety could be at risk.”

  “I guess,” Elliot said. “So you’re saying these things could have nothing to do with the Whites. They could be just some random aliens that showed up to monitor humans.”

  “You mean monitor me,” Tim said, frowning. “I don’t see gator-worms stealing any of your jackets.”

  “Doesn’t mean it’s personal, Tim,” Tyler said. “You’ve been the only human up at that location for months. This could be just another species curious about humanity and you were the first target they saw, so they chose you to monitor.”

  “Do aliens do that?” Tim winced. “Just...monitor people?”

  “All the fucking time,” Tyler said. “And usually target remote locations. Though the ones I’m familiar with are more discreet than this, so we could be dealing with a lower intelligence on the ET spectrum. Still smarter than humans probably, but not all aliens are at the Whites’ level of sophistication.”

  “Shit,” Elliot said. “I hate when Tyler makes sense. I didn’t want to have a creepy new species to deal with. I was just starting to get used to the Whites.”

  “This is good thought, Tyler,” Baz said. “Because is no hybrids to do this. Forbidden.”

  “I heard you the first six hundred times, Baz,” Tyler said. “Time will tell.”

  JT turned to Baz. “So, you think you can help us figure this out?”

  “Yes.” Baz slipped the box with the remains of the camera into his pocket. “I go back to base. Look into. Come see Nolan when know something, yes?”

  “Sounds good,” Nolan said. “You gonna mist out now?”

  Baz glanced at Tim, then his shoulders hunched, that odd, nervous stance. “I think maybe I go to your room?”

  “Yeah, sure, of course,” Nolan said.

  “Come on Baz, I’ll walk you up,” Brett said. “You guys, I have to go chaperone a science fair at the school tonight. Contact me the minute you learn something okay?”

  Nolan nodded. “We will. Later, Baz.”

  “Goodbye,” Baz said.

  “Yeah, see you later, Q-Tip,” Tyler said.

  Baz glanced back at Tyler and smiled. “See you later, monkey-ears.”

  Tim, feeling like his legs were about to give out, lowered himself into one of the recliners. Letting out a long breath, he hung his head.

  “You all right, Patterson?” JT asked.

  Tim looked up. “I don’t know how you guys do this shit all the time. This is nuts. I mean...fucking nuts!”

  “I know.” Elliot sat on the arm of Tim’s chair, ruffling his hair with his fingers. “You’ll get used to it.”

  “I hope not!”

  “Baz is on the case. You can relax for a while. Hopefully we’ll know something soon, and you won’t have to worry about gator-worms in the woods anymore.”

  “It’s gonna be okay.” Nolan gave Tim’s shoulder a squeeze. “Please try to trust us?”

  “Okay. I’ll try.”

  “Good. Let’s all go have a drink out on the deck. JT has to go prep the pub for the equinox party tonight, and I’m bartending first shift. Elliot’s got his radio show in a couple hours. Let’s shake this day off and relax a little while we have some time.”

  Tim chuckled. “I envy how you can just put this crazy shit out of your mind and get on with your normal life stuff.”

  “Hey, Tim?” Tyler was staring at his phone. “Christian texted. He and Myles want to take us out to dinner tonight.”

  “Who?” Tim said. “You and me?”

  Tyler nodded. “Myles wants to check in and see how you’re handling things. And Christian says he hasn’t seen me in months and wants to catch up. So they want to take the two of us to dinner.”

  “Yeah, you guys should go out,” JT said. “Then stop by the pub after dinner for the equinox party. My guy Rudy’s gonna come down and hang out too, I won’t be working the whole night.”

  Tyler’s smoky eyes flicked to Tim. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

  “Ooh, a double date!” Elliot said. “Of course Tim wants to go. He’s mad about your ass, Tyler.”

  Tim looked up at Elliot. “Do you ever stop?”

  “Not often, no.”

  “Never,” Tyler said. “He never stops.”

  “Hey,” Elliot said. “If you guys need to make me the bad guy so you don’t have to admit you’ve got a date tonight, so be it.”

  “It’s dinner with friends,” Tyler said, still frowning at his phone. “And not your business, Elliot.”

  “I’m gonna dedicate a special love song to you on my radio show tonight, Tyler,” Elliot said. “Mr. Roboto.”

  Tyler smirked at Elliot. “You’re an asshole.”

  “But you still love me anyway.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “You really want to punch me right now, don’t you?”

  “I do.” Tyler nodded, chuckling. “But you always make me laugh, so I won’t.”

  That tiny flame of jealousy flickered in Tim once again. Last night, Tyler seemed offended when Tim told him about the ‘robot’ nickname. Now Elliot was addressing it outright with the ‘Mr. Roboto’ quip, but Tyler was smiling and laughing like it was no big deal.

  Does he still have a crush on Elliot?

  He’d said no, that he didn’t have feelings for Elliot anymore. But Tyler always behaved somewhat...coquettish when Elliot toyed with him. Well, fuck that. Elliot was married. And Tim was single. If anyone was going to have a shot with Tyler, it was Tim, damn it. Or rather, have another shot with Tyler. He reminded himself that Tyler had been in his bed just that morning. This jealousy was without reason. And it wasn’t like him. He’d never felt possessive of a man before. But something about Tyler made him want to tie him up and lock him in his bedroom so he couldn’t escape.

  “Fine.” Tim stood. “We’ll go out for dinner.”

  Tyler glanced up. “You want to?”

  “Yeah. It’ll be fun. We could use a night out.”

  “Great. I’m gonna go downstairs and take a shower. If you want to go home and freshen up, Myles said we can pick you up at your place.�
��

  “Okay.”

  “Good then.”

  Without another word, Tyler left the viewing room. Tim’s gaze followed him until he disappeared out the door. It took him a moment to realize that JT, Nolan, and Elliot were all focused on him now. He glanced back and forth between them. “What? Why you all staring?”

  “Are you banging our robot?” JT asked.

  Tim huffed. “Why would you even think that?”

  “Because,” Nolan said. “You just stared at his ass for like thirty seconds as he walked out of the room. And now your face is turning red.”

  “My face is not red! It’s hot in here. You assholes are all so fucking nosy. Why do you have to get in each other’s business like that? All way too far up each other’s asses. Well, leave me out of it. I don’t want to be part of your little gossip-gang.”

  “That’s a yes,” Nolan said. “He doth protest too much.”

  “Definitely a yes,” Elliot said. “He’s banging our robot.”

  “Oh yeah, baby.” JT laughed. “Tyler takin’ the highway to the ranger zone!”

  “Oh God, please shut up.” Tim sat down, resting his face in his hands. “You’re all so annoying.”

  “Relax.” Elliot rubbed his shoulder. “Just remember what I said last night. Be careful with him.”

  “Why should he be careful?” JT said. “They’re both single. Adults. Hot.”

  “Because Tim is way too normal for Tyler,” Elliot said. “He’ll get in over his head.”

  “Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Tim mumbled through his fingers.

  “And lower your voice!” JT said. “Tyler’s just downstairs.”

  “Hang on a sec.” Elliot got up and walked over to the door, closing it, then strolled back down and sat on the floor in front of Tim’s chair. “You did fuck him though, didn’t you?”

  “Give the guy a break,” JT said. “It really is none of your business, Elliot.”

  Elliot looked at JT. “You’re supposed to be the smart one. You actually think this is not a recipe for disaster? Patterson here, fooling around with Tyler?”

  “No, I don’t. I sincerely have no idea why you’d have a problem with that. Tyler’s all right.”

  “I know he’s all right, but he’s a little off, you know?”

  “I agree with Elliot,” Nolan said.

  “Oh, huge surprise there,” JT said.

  “JT,” Nolan said. “We got special instructions from Ogden that Tyler had to sleep in our basement. With a lock on the inside of the door. What do we really know about him? He’s been volatile on missions before. He’s short-tempered. He always wants to shoot things. I just think there’s some serious skeletons rattling around in that closet.”

  “Oh for fuck sakes,” JT said. “Who the hell doesn’t have skeletons?”

  “Tim,” Elliot said. “Tim here doesn’t have skeletons. The only things in his closet are golf clubs and moth balls. Maybe an umbrella. He’s like the most normal guy we know.”

  “Again,” Tim said. “I’m sitting right here.”

  “Fine, Tim’s a nice average guy,” JT said. “But to say he should avoid Tyler is just unfair, and frankly kind of mean. Tyler’s a good person. He’s just got some issues, big deal. You guys don’t have to be such assholes about it.”

  “JT, we’re not being assholes,” Nolan said. “I like Tyler, I care about the little punk. So wanting to know what his damage is about? That’s more concern than nosiness, I swear.”

  “What, the basement thing?” JT said. “That’s easy. Eighty percent of reported alien abductions at a residential home happen to people sleeping in rooms on the top floor.”

  Tim’s eyes widened. “You...you’re saying you think Tyler was abducted? By aliens?”

  JT huffed. “Obviously.”

  “No, not obviously,” Nolan said. “And you made that figure up.”

  “I did not. It’s an actual percentage based on studies done at headquarters. If I know that, Tyler definitely knows that.”

  “Yeah, okay, so maybe that study freaks him out,” Nolan said. “Doesn’t mean he was abducted. Or do you know something about it we don’t?”

  “Not specifically,” JT said. “It’s simple deductive reasoning. I talked to some of Ogden’s other little baby soldiers when they were in the village during the fiasco with the lake crash. A lot of them were recruited after alien encounters. It’s Ogden’s thing. Shit, Elliot you know that, you used to cover sightings up for him and trash people’s lives if they talked about it. You telling me he never recruited anyone that way?”

  “Shit,” Elliot said. “He did use that as a recruitment tactic sometimes. You make a good point.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” Nolan said. “JT’s just speculating.”

  “JT’s speculations tend to prove correct more often than not. He’s more than just a pretty face. He’s a pretty...brain.”

  “Aw, thanks, Elliot. You have a pretty brain too.”

  “You mean it? You’re not just saying that?”

  “Quit joking around,” Tim said. “You really...” He glanced toward the door, then lowered his voice to a whisper. “You really think Tyler was abducted?”

  “I think it makes sense, considering the evidence,” JT said. “We know Tyler’s been with Ogden since he was a kid. He hates aliens with a passion. He needs to sleep in the basement with the door locked. He’s clearly got PTSD. All the signs are there. He’s an abductee. Duh.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Nolan said. “A million different things could explain all that, and you don’t know for certain he has PTSD.”

  Tim winced.

  “What?” Nolan said. “Why you making that face?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Patterson, come on.”

  “Okay, he may have said something about PTSD.”

  JT smiled. “Uh? Who’s ridiculous now, Nolan?”

  “Fuck,” Elliot said. “Now I feel like an asshole for giving him a hard time.”

  “You are an asshole,” JT said. “Can we get that drink now? I have to go to work in like an hour, and equinox night is crazy, I’m not doing it sober.”

  “Yeah, let’s head out on the deck,” Nolan said. “I’ll make margaritas. Patterson? You coming?”

  “I’m gonna head home and shower. You guys will let me know if you hear from Baz?”

  “You got it,” Nolan said. “Have fun tonight.”

  And just like that, JT, Elliot, and Nolan got up and left the room. Another bombshell discussion, and once again, they were acting like it was just par for the course. ‘Oh, Tyler may have been abducted by aliens, let’s go have margaritas.’

  Tim was reeling. He hated even having the thought, but maybe Elliot was right. Maybe Tim was too normal a dude to be messing with Tyler.

  Because if JT’s speculations were correct, Tyler wasn’t just out of Tim’s league in terms of common ground. He was in a whole other galaxy.

  Chapter Nine

  If not for Christian’s obvious cluelessness, Tyler might have thought this was a setup, a ‘double date’ as Elliot teased. But now that they were an hour into it, this didn’t feel like a date at all. Tim was on the opposite side of the table with Myles and seemed to have forgotten Tyler even existed. Tyler was beside Christian, who’d commanded most of his attention since they arrived. Not that it was a hardship—he liked Christian. But he couldn’t keep his eyes off the forest ranger, and a strange unfamiliar feeling was brewing.

  When he’d first seen the big boat docked here with its festive lanterns and open-air dining room, he’d thought...this is way too romantic for just a night out with friends. A restaurant on a boat, with a perfect view of the lake and mountains, night sky so midnight blue and speckled with stars it looked artificial. Cozy tables with candles for mood lighting. It was all a perfect aesthetic for a romantic evening. It had initially made Tyler nervous, because he didn’t know how to do romance. He wasn’t sure what was expected and was afraid he’d screw
it up.

  But he needn’t have worried. It was the equinox celebration in Singing Bear Village, so the romantic vibe was widespread and unavoidable. A swarm of floating water-lanterns drifted past on the lake’s dark surface, and fireworks periodically spider-webbed across the sky. With the flames of bonfires dotting the beach and the sweet, sultry scent of burning wood, the village was alive and sexy tonight, whether one was in the mood or not. It wasn’t about him and Tim, and it wasn’t a date. But now he was conflicted, disappointed even, because he thought maybe he wanted it to be.

  “So did you?”

  Tyler did a doubletake at Christian, because he hadn’t been listening. “What?”

  “Ever meet Ogden’s wife?”

  “Oh. No, we might see Ogden more often than you guys do, but he’s still an enigma, even at headquarters. We’re not even sure he’s human,” Tyler joked.

  Laughing, Christian nodded as his chopsticks chased a shrimp across his plate. “Ogden used to terrify me in the early days. Now he just makes me slightly tense. Probably because we only really see him when things have gone to shit.”

  “Yeah, I hear that.”

  Christian was probably the only member of the village crew Tyler considered a close friend. Not a confidant like Brett, but they’d grown chummy while he’d been assigned to guard his marina a couple years ago, and Tyler was comfortable with him. He was happy to see Christian and catch up, but his focus was repeatedly drawn across the table, where Tim and Myles’ deep voices and boisterous laughter filled the air. The two reminisced and drank Mai Tais like the world was about to end. Tyler simply nursed his own cocktail, because while all seemed peaceful and festive in the village this evening, there was still a potential threat out there targeting Tim, and who knew else.

  Tim, on the other hand, seemed to have temporarily put it out of his mind, which was surprising considering his nerves earlier in the day. It was Myles’ influence, Tyler decided. Tim appeared more relaxed around his old friend, his smile easier. He was clearly thrilled to be around someone who represented normalcy to him—unlike Tyler, who represented all that was weird and dangerous in the world.