Song of Ariel: A Blue Light Thriller (Book 2) (Blue Light Series)

by Mark Edward Hall

  “It is not important. What is important is that we rebuild the human race as peacefully and efficiently as possible.”

  “A moment ago you spoke of salvation,” a woman shouted from far back in the crowd. “What did you mean by that? Are you the new messiah?”

  The man on the podium smiled for the second time. “I told you, I am a simple emissary, someone tasked with aiding those who wish to move on with their lives.”

  “Do you know about Ariel?” another voice asked.

  Doug was yanked suddenly out of his reverie at the mention of his daughter’s name and a giant roar of approval went up in the crowd. He was unable to move, nearly unable to breathe waiting for the man’s reply. He was still vaguely aware of the shunt attached to his brain stem and that everything he was seeing was being fed to him through the umbilical.

  “So, you have heard her name,” said the man on the podium, and his strange blue eyes literally sparkled.

  “It is being spoken almost everywhere,” the voice replied. “They say she is a child, the new messiah.” Another loud cheer went up in the audience.

  “I can neither confirm nor deny what you say.”

  “Do you know her?”

  “I too have heard her name spoken, but no, I do not know the child Ariel.”

  A woman’s voice pleaded, “Please, can you tell me, does she exist, or is she just another rumor?”

  “I suspect we will all know the answer to your question in the days ahead. Now please go forward and make better lives for yourselves and your communities. Be kind to each other and to all living things. Thank you for your patience,” the man concluded and left to podium. As he made his way through the crowd they parted as if for a deity.

  It was then that the scene in Doug’s mind changed to another similar scene somewhere else on Earth, and another and yet another. He recognized Asian and African people, Indians and Arabs, Hispanics. Some places were familiar, some were not; some were large cities, some small towns, others remote outposts. All were being spoken calmly to by small men with white/blonde hair and strange blue eyes calling themselves emissaries. Doug did not know if he was witnessing future events or events that were happening at this very moment. It did not matter, for he felt in his heart that everything was going to be all right. He just needed to get through this day. He just needed to find Annie and Ariel. And as the thought struck him the present rushed back over him like a dizzying tide and he realized that he was back in the moment and that Annie was still there with him.

  —Did you see all that, Annie?

  —Yes.

  —All of it?

  —Yes.

  —Who were they?

  —Like the man said, they were emissaries, those who wish to help.

  —Did the Collector come to you?

  —He has always been with me, Doug. He helped to create me. For a long time I hated him—I resented him. Now I understand.

  —What do you understand?

  —That it has all been for Ariel. Everything you and I have suffered was for her, for what she will someday become. For what she will someday mean to so many.

  —She’s our little messiah, isn’t she?”

  —Yes, she is, but listen carefully, Doug. She’s in trouble and you are the only one who can help her. The Collector has allowed us to see and feel and know all but what is unknowable.

  —What is unknowable?

  —Everything we just saw.

  —You mean it wasn’t real?

  —It is but one possible future, perhaps the most desirable of them all, but it can only happen if you do what is necessary to make it happen.

  —What do I have to do?

  —You need to wake up and find Ariel, quickly now. We are being betrayed. Doug, wake up . . .

  CHAPTER 37

  Ice Caves. Northern Maine Wilderness. July 6th.

  “Doug, are you awake?” Someone was asking the question but it wasn’t Annie. Annie had faded from view. He opened his eyes and a watery image of Dr. Danielle Peterson’s pretty face swam into view. She looked frightened but hopeful. “How do you feel, Doug?”

  “I don’t know. I was talking to Annie. She was right here. Did you see where she went?”

  Danielle’s hopeful expression turned grim. “Doug, you’re on a cot in the control room. We thought it would be the safest place under the circumstances.”

  “How did I get here?”

  “We put you here. This part of the ceiling appears more stable than the rest of the cavern. And no, we can’t find Annie anywhere.”

  Doug’s head hurt like hell. He felt up there and found a bandage. He was trying to make sense of what Danielle was saying. He was trying to make sense of what he had just witnessed. Had it all been a dream? “But Annie was talking to me.”

  “You must have been dreaming, Doug. That’s a nasty cut on your head. And I found another wound on the back of your neck. I cleaned them both and put some disinfectant on them. But you need to stay still.”

  Doug touched the spot on the back of his neck and winced. “How long have I been out?”

  “Little more than an hour.”

  “What? You were supposed to have gone with Ariel. Where are the others? Have you checked on Ariel?”

  “We can’t get to her. The ceiling came down and everything got so crazy.”

  Doug finally remembered the collapse and how he’d been trying to get through the clutter. “But what about Jason and Eli?”

  “It was too late?”

  “Too late? What do you mean? Were they killed in the cave-in?”

  “No, no, Doug. We just didn’t get to Ariel in time. She and Danny are trapped back there. She was working with him on the code in his song.”

  Doug threw his legs over the side of the cot and started to rise. “Whoa,” Danielle said. “You’re in no condition—”

  “I need to find them.”

  “I told you, Ariel’s trapped. Doug, we don’t know if the entire ceiling back there came down or not. They might not have made it.”

  “Bullshit!” Ariel’s alive and no one can tell me otherwise. I have to find her.”

  “She’s right, Doug.” The voice had come from Slim Pickard. “Danielle’s telling the truth. That whole section of ceiling came down. No one could’ve survived that. ”

  Doug’s patience was wearing thin. “Did you see them die?”

  “No—”

  “I tell you they’re alive! What are you doing to find them?”

  “After the big explosion brought everything down Rick told us we had to stay put, that it was safer out front.”

  “Damn him! Where is he?”

  “In the main room,” replied Slim. “Everything’s quiet right now but we don’t think it’ll stay quiet for long. Rick and Jason are giving everyone a lesson on weapon use.”

  “You guys should’ve been digging through that rubble an hour ago.”

  “We’re preparing for a fight, Doug. That big explosion was some sort of heavy ordinance. Cleared out a huge section of forest and choppers are landing by the dozen, offloading troops.”

  “Did the explosion kill the animals?”

  “Some. Most of them skedaddled. It was as if they knew Ariel was gone.”

  “I told you, Ariel’s not gone.”

  Danielle sighed. “Doug, how can you know that?”

  “I just do.” Doug staggered to his feet, but not before he again touched the sore spot on the back of his neck. “Jesus,” he said. “It really happened.”

  “What really happened?” asked Danielle.

  “Never mind. I need to find them before it’s too late.”

  “Doug, you can’t get through—”

  “Don’t tell me what I can’t do! I saw Annie heading in that direction just before the ceiling came down and I will find her.”

  “We looked everywhere,” Danielle said. “If she’s under that mess she’s gone.”

  “Did you find any blood?”

  “No.”


  “I didn’t think so. That means she made it to Ariel’s room. Slim, come with me. Danielle, go get Rick, Jason, Johnny and Dr. Randal.”

  A glance passed between Slim and Danielle.

  Doug stopped. “What?”

  “Randal’s missing.”

  “What the hell? Where could he have gone?”

  “No one knows. It’s possible he got through before the explosion brought everything down. Or he might be trapped under the cave-in.”

  Doug was silent for a long moment before saying. “Where’s Laura and Charlee?”

  “They’re both out front with the others. Laura’s worried sick over Danny, and Charlee . . . well, we’re all worried about Charlee.”

  “Why?”

  “She’s just not acting right. She’s just sitting there staring into space. She won’t talk or interact. Not even with Eli. I’ve seen this before. She’s terrified and I think she’s gone into shock.”

  “We’ll have to deal with her later,” Doug said. “Right now we need to find out where everyone is. “Nobody saw Randal leave?”

  Danielle shook her head.

  “Did he give anyone reason to think he might betray us?”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Annie told me we were being betrayed.”

  “Maybe he’s in league with Nadia.”

  “No, Nadia didn’t betray us.”

  “But Rick said—”

  “I don’t care what Rick said. I know Nadia. Listen, something happened when I was out. I don’t have time to explain now. You wouldn’t believe it anyway.” Doug was busy going through some junk at the back of the control room. He was throwing stuff around. “Jesus, I don’t believe the generator’s still running. Without it we’d be in big trouble. There they are,” he said coming out with two big iron wrecking bars. Gripping one in each hand he slammed them both on the floor, point first. “Rick and I used these when we first cleared out the cavern for a living space. Slim, think you can give me a hand.”

  “Sure. Anything.”

  Danielle said, “Doug, you shouldn’t be doing this.”

  Ignoring her admonition, Doug said, “Do either of you know if that explosion detonated the perimeters?”

  “Rick said yes. That’s part of what brought the ceiling down.”

  “Okay, well, now we don’t have to worry about that. Tell him to get his ass back here, along with every other able bodied person. We need help. And tell him I’ve got a plan.”

  “What plan?”

  “Tell him I think I know how to defeat those guys out there.”

  “How?”

  “Please, just get them in here. Come on, we don’t have much time.”

  Danielle did an about face and headed for the main room.

  “Where do we start?” asked Slim.

  “First we need to find Ariel and Annie.”

  “How do we do that?”

  Doug handed one of the wrecking bars to Slim. “What you guys should have been doing an hour ago. We make a path through those rocks.”

  CHAPTER 38

  Northern Maine Wilderness. July 6th.

  It was like an oven down on the surface. Whorls of ashes twisted and spiraled in wind inspired by the flash firestorm. The pilot had been right about the white phosphorous. It certainly did the trick. Spencer could not believe his eyes. The fire had burned fast, reducing everything to ash and dust in a matter of minutes. The place looked like the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. Because the humidity was high and the heat-inspired wind had receded, he realized there wasn’t much danger of an extensive forest fire. As his chopper was settling onto the ground Spencer could see that there were a few smudges still burning on the perimeters of the blast but the worst of it appeared to be over. The good news was that the ordinance cleared out an enormous area, large enough for all the choppers to get in. The better news was that the massive detonation had more than likely killed or injured everyone in or near the blast site, so resistance would be minimal. There were reports of a few wounded from the first landers, but Spencer had his men take care of them, and not in a good way.

  There were at least three hundred new reinforcements now on the ground and more choppers were landing and taking off all the time. Jets and drones had been sent in as well, and they were patrolling the area above the destruction.

  Almost before Spencer’s chopper hit the ground, the woman, Angelica—or whatever the hell her real name was—jumped out of her seat and had the door open. She stepped out onto the skid and leapt to the ground hauling ass in the general direction of the cave entrance. Freaky. It was like she was wearing some sort of homing device.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Spencer yelled over the noise of the idling rotors.

  Angelica stopped and half turned toward him. “What I was sent here to do. Find the little bitch everybody’s so anxious to get their hands on.”

  “How do you think you’re going to do that? You’re not even armed.”

  “I don’t need to be armed.”

  Spencer’s temper flared and he went after the woman. “I know you’re a goddamn spook,” he said, grabbing her arm and spinning her around, “but you’re not bulletproof.”

  “You have no idea what I am,” Angelica said, pulling violently away from him. “You have no idea what I’ve done or what I’m capable of doing.”

  “You’re supposed to be following my orders,” Spencer said.

  Angelica cackled hideously. “What a joke, you pathetic little man. You’re just a puppet. You don’t even know the name of the person who gives you those orders.”

  “Of course I do.”

  “No you don’t. You’ve never known. You just follow along blindly like a sheep to slaughter.”

  “Tell me then. Tell me who my master is, you insubordinate bitch!”

  “Same as mine. The only difference is, I know his name. You don’t have a fucking clue why you’re even here, do you.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Christ, Spencer, you are such an idiot. Why do you think they sent me? They knew that I was the only one capable of doing what you’ll probably fail at.”

  “You’ll never get her on your own.”

  “Oh, trust me, I’ll get her. But first I’ll take care of that asshole mother of hers who left me for dead four years ago.”

  “You know your ex-boss is breathing down our necks.”

  “You still don’t get it, do you Spencer? My ex-boss is your boss.”

  Spencer’s face collapsed into confusion. “That’s crazy—”

  “Is it? Think about it. What better way to destroy the last vestiges of a failed government than to turn the military against itself.”

  “No, this isn’t what’s happening,” Spencer said. His eyes grew wide, however, as enlightenment dawned on him. “You’re after those alien artifacts, aren’t you? You want them for yourself. That’s what this has been about since the beginning.”

  “My master wants them, you idiot. And he wants the child. My job is to deliver him both. Now stay out of the way and let me get the job done. Angelica turned and began hauling ass.”

  “Hold it right there,” Spencer said drawing his weapon and aiming at her back. “I will kill you.”

  “Screw you,” the woman said and kept on hoofing.

  “No, screw you,” Spencer said and pulled the trigger. The gun went click and he heard the woman cackle, high and freaky, like some kind of witch.

  “Anyone ever tell you you’re an asshole, Spencer? Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking I’m stupid.”

  Spencer checked his weapon and saw that it was unloaded.

  “Shoot the bitch,” Spencer ordered several of his troops who were standing guard over the chopper.”

  “Sorry, sir, we can’t do that.”

  “That’s a direct order!”

  The soldiers were rubbing their foreheads. “She won’t let us, sir.”

  “Christ! Then at least go after h
er. Make sure she doesn’t screw anything up.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You staying on the ground?” the pilot asked Spencer.

  “Why? You got some place important to go?”

  “Just got orders to get back in the air as soon as possible. Command says those incoming bogies are carrying some heavy ordinance. At least up there we’ll have a fighting chance. Down here we’re just sitting ducks. Jonas also said there’s some strange shit going on out in the world. It seems police and military are just laying down their weapons and walking away. It’s happening everywhere.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Spencer said. “The country will go into chaos.”

  “That’s not what’s happening. People are acting real calm, like sheep. Not much trouble at all.”

  Spencer put his headphones back on. “Jonas, you still there.”

  “I’m still here, sir.”

  “What the hell’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. They tell me the old man’s gone crazy.”

  “Why, what’s happening?”

  “Something nobody expected. Not even him.”

  “What?”

  “Seems the aliens have landed.”

  CHAPTER 39

  Ice Caves. Northern Maine Wilderness. July 6th.

  “Aren’t you scared?” Charlee Loring asked Johnny Cobain. They were sitting alone out in the main room as the combined noises of exertion and shouting and grinding rock carried to them from the back of the caves. Everyone else had gone there to work, to try and spring Ariel, her mother and Danny Wolf from their prison of fallen rock. Dead or alive, they were determined to get them out. Charlee had not wanted to be involved, and it was okay with everyone. They all understood that she’d been through a harrowing ordeal and needed time to heal.

  Charlee had become increasingly edgy and frightened since coming here. She didn’t know exactly why this was so but she had a theory. After Jason had found her in Kardell, Texas, following the deaths of her mother and everyone else she knew there, things had been sort of okay for a while, because … well, because she’d had Jason. He had saved her, and he had comforted her, made her feel that everything was going to be all right, and Charlee supposed it had only been natural that she’d fallen in love with him.