I scanned the route he wanted to take. The covered slopes eventually turned east, and we needed to go south west. We'd have to cross a lot of open fields, and it would be a long walk.
"My friend Steven lives on the next ranch up that way. He'll help us. It's only a thirty minute hike, and we could clean ourselves up. No one will want to give us a lift looking like this."
Aric considered it for a moment, and agreed. "We have no choice." We headed north towards Steven's place, keeping to the trees, the helicopters maintaining a constant buzz above the tree canopy.
* * * * *
The Hornesby Ranch was a show place - a perfect example of an idyllic, picturesque farm, with a big white farmhouse kept in perfect condition, alongside a large red barn. The gardens were neatly trimmed, the fences newly painted a pristine white. Steven's parents were meticulous about the appearance of their home, which made the battered old car parked in the drive seem incongruous to the scene. I recognized the car as Jenny's old bomb. What was she doing at Steven's place?
There was no sign of any other cars; I crossed my fingers and hoped that Steven's parents were out. We crept past the barn, setting off the farm dogs into a barking frenzy. Aric stopped and fixed them with a stony stare, and they were instantly silenced.
The front door was open. I pressed the doorbell, sending a twinkling melody ringing through the house. We waited, but there was no answer. I pressed the doorbell again. Still, no one answered the door.
"Odd," I said. "Maybe they're out the back."
We searched downstairs and checked the back porch - both were void of people. I hoped they wouldn't mind helping a hungry neighbor out, and we headed for the kitchen. We were just about to raid the fridge when we heard muffled laughter coming from upstairs.
I raised my eyebrows at Aric, and he led the way up the staircase.
"That's Steven's room," I said, as we pinpointed the source of the laughter.
I knocked quietly on the door, and pushed it open.
Steven and Jenny were lying on his bed, kissing. They jumped up guiltily.
"Don't you know how to knock?" Steven said grumpily.
I gaped at them in surprise. Probably the only thing slightly stranger than being chased all night by evil aliens, was seeing Jenny and Steven together in an embrace on the bed.
"We did. And we rang the doorbell - several times. But I see you were kind of occupied..."
Jenny blushed. Steven eyed Aric suspiciously.
"What have you two been up to? A murder spree? You're covered in blood and dirt."
I could see Aric's eyes roaming around the room, coming to rest on a poster of a flying saucer, with the words "I want to believe' emblazoned across it. Steven noted his interest.
"Hey, did you see those lights up on the Ridge last night?" His face was animated; our dirty appearance forgotten. "Man, they were everywhere. I got some video - a bit blurry, but you can see them darting about up there. Really bizarre."
"They're the talk of the town," added Jenny. "News reporters, military helicopters, everyone's talking about it - it lasted all night!"
"We know - they were after us."
Steven and Jenny stood together, gawking at us. Steven was the first to recover.
"What? Where - how..."
Aric looked at them through cool blue eyes. He spoke in their heads. They both reacted with a start.
"What the hell! How did you do that?" Steven backed up, grabbing Jenny's arm and dragging her with him.
Aric continued to look at them. I have no idea what he was telling them in their heads, but their eyes traveled from Aric, to me and back again.
Jenny moved forward first. She grabbed my arm, then pulled me into a hug. "Are you all right Luce?"
I gave Aric a confused look. "What did you tell them?"
They know enough to help us, he said in my mind.
I nodded and turned to Jenny. "I'm fine, but I'm starving and we need to clean ourselves up."
Steven moved into action. "You can have some of my sister's clothes. I'll find Aric something to wear."
He rummaged around in his closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a polo shirt.
"There's a shower down the hall to the right. Maybe you should go through Amy's closet yourself Lucy, I don't know what stuff will fit."
Aric headed for the shower, and Jenny and I went to raid Steven's sister's wardrobe.
"I can't believe this is happening," said Jenny, pulling out a drawer and rifling through the contents.
"Me neither." I held up a pink T-shirt. That would probably do. "So, how long have you and Steven been, well, you know...?"
Jenny blushed again. "We met up again after you went home from Josie's. He helped me start my car, and well, we sort of... clicked. I hope you don't mind. I know he had a thing for you..."
I squeezed her arm and smiled at her. "I'm happy for you. Steven's a sweet guy."
Jenny offered me a pair of jeans. "Yeah he is. So, you and Aric... I can't believe you met him again. God this is weird."
"Totally weird. You wouldn't believe how freaky things are getting." I held up the jeans against my legs. They'd probably fit if I sucked my stomach right in and didn't try to breathe. Amy was pretty skinny.
Jenny threw me a pair of clean socks. "Aric told me what happened - in my head. What's the deal with that?"
I grabbed the clothes, and headed for the door. I didn't feel like explaining it all. "It's a long story - I'll tell you later. I really need to get out of these filthy things."
Jenny followed me down the hall. "I'll find you something to eat."
I thanked her, and turned to go to Steven's room. I was hoping Aric would have finished in the bathroom.
"Lucy," Jenny stood at the top of the stairs. I stopped, my hand clutching the door knob. "Be careful," she said.
I nodded, and went to look for Aric.
* * * * *
The shower breathed new life into me. I found the others down in the kitchen. Steven was reheating left over spaghetti bolognese, and Jenny and Aric were making sandwiches.
Aric grabbed my hand as I went past. "Feeling better?" he said.
I smiled and slid on to a stool at the kitchen bench. Jenny had offered us the use of her car. We were really grateful. She didn't know if it would get us far, but it was better than walking, especially if the countryside was still swarming with helicopters and those dark suited men.
Jenny's cell phone rang. She answered it, listened for a moment, and looked at me panic-stricken. She covered the receiver with her hand.
"It's your uncle. He's asking if I know where you are. He's been trying to ring you on your cell but it's not answering. He's worried about the lights."
I threw a panicked look at Aric. He shook his head. "You can't tell him."
I went to protest, but he placed his hand on my arm. "If he knows, you may put him in danger too." He told Jenny to tell my uncle she hadn't heard from me. She finished the call. Apparently Uncle Tom and Gus were preparing to search the Ridge for us.
My eyes filled with tears, he must be worried sick. Aric rubbed the back of my neck. "It's for the best Luce." I nodded miserably, and helped bag the sandwiches.
"So where are you heading to?" Steven asked, pushing bowls of steaming spaghetti in front of us.
Aric dug in. "Can't tell you, too dangerous," he said, between mouthfuls.
I swallowed a forkful of spaghetti. It was dry and stuck in my throat. I coughed, waving my fork at them. Eventually I was able to speak again. "I'll phone you when we get there safely."
Aric shook his head again. "We can't phone - they'll track you down."
I peered uneasily at my meal. This nightmare was going on and on.
Steven dumped the empty spaghetti bowl in the sink, and looked out the kitchen window.
"Looks like my folks are home. Wait... no, it's not them. Don't recognize the car."
Aric hurried to the window.
"Quick, we've got to go," he said. He gra
bbed the bag of sandwiches and ushered us outside, issuing instructions to Steven and Jenny that the visitors were not to know who'd really been here. We could see the large black car that had been in Uncle Tom's yard earlier, coming up the long drive in a cloud of dust.
Aric threw the sandwiches on the back seat of the car, and jumped behind the wheel. "Get in - hurry!"
I turned to hug my friends, but Aric called again from the car: "Get in the damned car Lucy!"
I dived into the passenger seat. Aric was trying to start the engine. The battery clicked; the motor whirred and died. He tried again, throwing desperate looks at the car moving closer along the drive.
Jenny's head appeared at the window. "We'll give you a push - pop the clutch!"
They pushed the car and Aric shoved the clutch in with a crunch. The engine sputtered to life. Jenny and Steven cheered, and I waved to them as Aric drove down the drive at a sedate pace.
"What are you doing? You're heading right towards them!"
He shifted gears and the car bumped over the drive. "Put your head right down. We can't outrun them in this thing. I have to drive right past and hope they think I'm just a visitor."
I crouched down as low as I could in the foot well. Amy's jeans felt like they were cutting me in half. My heart pounded with fear as the big car rolled past. I wondered if they'd seen me.
"We've passed them," said Aric. "The driver checked us out. I don't think he saw anything." He checked his rear view mirror. "They're heading to the house."
He put his foot down on the gas pedal and the old car lurched forward with a creak of protest.
"Can I sit up now?" I asked. I felt like a pretzel.
"Yeah, but if we see any cars, get out of sight again. At least until we're right out of this area. We don't want anyone spotting you in this car and putting the details about."
Unfurling my legs with some effort, I shifted onto the seat, and breathed a great gulp of air. Aric rubbed the top of my hand.
"Are you all right?"
I pushed my hair back and put on a brave face. "As well as can be expected."
"Good." Aric let go of my hand and rubbed his eyes, then returned his hand to mine. I realized he'd been asking if I was okay all day, but I hadn't once enquired about him. He looked terribly tired.
"Are you okay?"
He was forcing his smile. "I'm fine. You should probably get some sleep."
"Are you shielding now?"
"Yes."
"Do you think you'll make it to Newtown without falling asleep?"
"I have to."
We reached the end of the drive and turned right on to the road. If we headed right instead of left, we could avoid Craigsville and get on to the highway further west. The car was making strange spluttering noises, backfiring occasionally and startling us, priming our senses. I hoped the car would last all the way to Newtown, but I doubted it would last the eight hour drive.
I looked at the road ahead. The car settled into a droning rumble. The fence posts were almost hypnotic as we passed them. One, two, three... I resolved to stay awake as long as Aric did, at the least to nudge him awake if he began to wane. I wished I was better at shielding so I could take over and let him sleep, but I was a beginner, and we both knew it was a pointless risk for me to try. Blinking my gritty eyes, I watched the road ahead. My mind was closing shop; the rhythm of the fence posts as we drove by was rocking me to sleep. Thirty eight, thirty nine, forty... I felt my eyelids growing heavier, and I could no longer stay awake.
* * * * *
Chapter Five
"Lucy... Lucy, wake up!"
I groaned and turned my head, my forehead meeting the cold hard glass of the car window. Aric was shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes - they felt like lead weights.
It was dark, and the car was roaring along the highway. A few cars passed us in the opposite direction. In the distance, the lights of a truck stop pierced the darkness.
"What time is it? How long have I been asleep?"
"It's nearly eight. You've slept a few hours."
I sat up in my seat and stretched. "Well, the car's made it further than I thought it would," I noted. "Is that a truck stop up there? Can we make a pit stop?"
"We have a problem." Aric peered into the rear-view mirror.
I looked behind us. There was a bright pair of headlights traveling some distance behind us.
"That's the black car. They've found us. They probably read Jenny and Steven's minds. They've been following us for a while, and they're gaining on us." he said. Butterflies appeared in my stomach.
"What are we going to do? Will they let the Innaki know where we are?" I peered out anxiously at the night sky. There were no strange lights.
"No. They're not on their side."
"You said they were the bad guys."
"They are."
I was confused. "Whose side are they on then?"
"Another side. A side that wants to know what the Innaki see in you."
"Oh god." I groaned. I had enemies on all sides.
"I'm going to pull in at the truck stop - we've more chance of escaping them if we're among other people."
I wondered how we were going to escape from a truck stop in the middle of nowhere.
Aric pressed the gas pedal to the floor and the little car's motor screamed in protest. By the time we reached the truck stop, it had returned to its spluttering and backfiring, with an added shake. Aric pulled the car quickly around the back of the building, and we headed to the door of the diner, just as the big black car was turning into the drive.
The place was nearly empty. A middle aged couple were busily downing the last of their coffee; the man folded up a well-worn map.
Aric pulled me into a booth near the counter. The door opened, and the suited men stepped inside. They looked straight at us, and took a booth close to the front door.
Aric leaned close and took my hands in his. "When that couple leave, I want you to follow them and ask for a lift outside. Stay with them - they're going to Newtown. They have an RV in the car park. You need to get in it."
I stole a look at the couple. "How do you know?" And then I realized - he'd read their minds. It was a handy skill to have sometimes.
The waitress approached and Aric ordered coffee. I was facing away from the suited men, but I sensed their gaze on my back. I started to shake. Aric squeezed my hands again.
"Look at me Lucy." His eyes caught mine, and I couldn't look away. His voice took on a smooth, beguiling quality again. "You've been really brave. I'm proud of you. You're going to get through this. Don't be frightened."
I could feel my heartbeat slowing down, and my body ceased shaking. I didn't want him to stop speaking - his words were like a soothing massage - rolling over my soul, easing out any thought of trouble; all that mattered was being able to look into those two blue pools, and listen to his gentle voice.
The spell was broken by a sound resembling a machine gun. I jumped in my seat, ready to dive down under the table. A large group of bikers rode into the car park, their motorcycle engines roaring. Aric grinned at me. I could see his mind incorporating them into his plans.
The bikers strode into the cafe, and the atmosphere instantly transformed from quiet and strained to noisy and bustling. The middle aged couple, disturbed by the new arrivals, packed up their things, left a tip on the table, and headed for the door.
"Go," said Aric.
"But I... "
Aric pushed my hands away. "Go, quickly - you must go with them. Don't wait for me."
"What about you?"
"I have to deal with those two."
"But..."
"Lucy, go, trust me okay?"
I blinked back tears and made for the door. The couple were already outside and heading for their RV, parked in a corner of the car park. I tried to ignore the two men sitting near the door, and walked quickly outside, throwing one last look back at Aric. But he wasn't there. Turning around in a panic, my eyes searched the b
ooths. I spotted him at the counter next to a couple of bikers. The two suited men were getting up out of the booth.
Go, get to the RV - hurry! Aric's voice was in my mind.
I ran after the couple.
"Excuse me!" I called. They stopped and waited for me to catch up. I arrived breathing harder than I should.
"Hi!" I said as cheerily as I could. "You wouldn't be going to Newtown would you?"
An ambiguous look passed between them.
"Why, yes... yes we are," said the man.
"I was wondering if you could give me a lift. I'm on my way there, but my car died..." I shrugged my shoulders and smiled sweetly, hoping they'd have sympathy with my plight. A crash of broken glass came from the cafe. The suited men had yet to emerge into the car park.
The lady looked back at the cafe.
"Yes, of course dear. You don't want to stay in this awful place too long."
I smiled through gritted teeth, and followed them to the RV. A heavy ball of dread was weighing down my stomach. Another crash of glass shattered the night air.
The couple pointed to a seat in the RV, and I perched on the edge, pushing the curtain aside for a view of the cafe. I could make out all sorts of movement through its windows, but there was still no sign of the suited men, or Aric. I felt like I was going to be sick.
"Let's get out of here," said the man, and the RV's engine roared into life. As we pulled out of the car park and headed on down the highway, tears rolled down my face. The kindly woman left her husband to drive, and sat down beside me. She put her arm about my shoulders. Placing a box of Kleenex on to my lap, she threw her husband a worried look.
"There now," she said, patting my hand. "Things can't be all that bad, can they?"
I burst into sobs, my shoulders heaving... "Oh yes, they can.
* * * * *
For a while I felt nothing but utter despair. Aric was back in the cafe and I was on my own, in an RV with strangers, going to a town where I knew no one. A chilling thought crossed my mind - if Aric wasn't here, then I wouldn't be shielded, and the Innaki would be on their way. Drying my eyes, I threw the woman an apologetic look, and peered out the window. The sky was empty. I breathed deeply and turned back to the woman.
Starcrossed: Perigee - A paranormal romance trilogy Page 9
