Before he realized that he had made a decision, he was reaching for that outstretched hand and taking notice of the fact that his own outstretched hand wasn't trembling anymore.
He felt calm, safe, hopeful. And for the first time in recent memory, he felt brave as he took Sebastian's hand.
Chapter 33
Elexa said, “How much time do we have?”
Deanna shook her head frantically. “I don't know. Not much. It's...imminent.”
Elexa regarded Deanna skeptically. There was something not quite right about her demeanor―her sense of urgency, the words she used and, more importantly, the way she used them. It sounded as if the words had been fed to her, as if she had been coached.
She took notice of the fact that Deanna's eyes were repeatedly shifting between the windshield and Elexa, as if she were attempting to assess Elexa's reaction. Deanna's head would jerk ever so subtly toward Elexa, as if trying to get a better look.
After a seemingly endless moment of heavy and awkward silence during which Elexa kept her eyes locked on Deanna, Deanna sighed and jerked her head toward Elexa.
“What?!” Deanna charged, her eyes piercing.
Elexa was caught off guard by Deanna's reaction―but only for a moment.
Elexa threw her hands up and shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Why are you staring at me?”
“Was I staring? I'm sorry.”
“If you have something to say, then say it.”
“I don't have anything to say. You've been through...something, something traumatic. I just wanted to make sure you're okay.”
Deanna's firm expression settled. She turned her softening gaze toward the windshield. “I'm fine. Thanks for your concern.”
Elexa looked ahead. She had gotten the reaction she had been looking for. Deanna had been defensive. Even when she had appeared mildly satisfied by Elexa's feigned concern for her well-being, her tone had been defensive.
Elexa was satisfied that Deanna wasn't being truthful with them. Elexa had seen the shadow people from a distance, but Deanna had actually been abducted by them. Perhaps she had been compromised in some way.
“Deanna...my dear...where are we going?” Richard chimed in from the back.
“The other land mass. That's where Emily is, right? Well, that's where we're going.”
Elexa kept her eyes fixed on the seemingly endless field of ocean ahead, but she wasn't seeing it. Her wheels were turning, her mind going over a laundry list of potential scenarios and plans to respond to those potential scenarios.
She was certain of two things: Deanna was lying to them, and Deanna would never intentionally hurt them. She took some solace in the latter but was concerned about the former.
Richard said, “Don't be shy about volunteering information.”
Elexa smirked. She was struck by Richard's uncharacteristic sarcasm.
Deanna jerked her head back, momentarily glaring at Richard, before turning back to the windshield. “You don't believe me either, Richard?!” Her tone was hostile, something that caught Elexa's attention immediately, something she was almost certain Richard would have caught as well.
She looked over her shoulder at Richard. His eyes were already on her. They were wide, perplexed, asking questions that Elexa didn't have the answers to.
She gave him a subtle shrug.
“I believe you,” he said softly, his eyes focused on Elexa's. “I'm just trying to make sense of this situation. If we're going to help Emily, we need as much information as possible.”
The massive silhouetted land mass loomed in the distance, momentarily drawing their attention away from the conversation.
Deanna said, “Look, I don't have all the answers. I can only tell you what I saw. Emily was dead. I didn't just see it. I felt it. It was real...or it will be if we don't get to her in time. I wasn't given any information as to how or why it's gonna happen, just that it's gonna happen unless we stop it.”
The cabin remained silent, its occupants fixated on the land mass as it gradually filled their field of vision.
Night had consumed the landscape. It was far too dark for Elexa to make out any of the island's features. The island was massive, and they didn't know precisely where Emily and David had landed.
Once again, she tried calling the other shuttle. No response. She wasn't surprised, and that terrified her.
She tried calling Encounter. Same result, and that terrified her more.
She was beginning to feel like a lost child, and she couldn't afford to feel that way. She was the captain. She was responsible for the safety and security of the crew under her command. It was her responsibility, her duty, to lead them. She couldn't very well lead them if she couldn't lead herself.
The planet's twin full moons provided enough illumination to make out a small clearing of beach surrounded by rocky outcroppings. Deanna maneuvered the shuttle above the clearing and hovered a moment before descending.
“Here?” Elexa questioned.
“Why not?” Deanna replied.
“Well, one, it looks kind of dangerous if we're going to head out on foot, and two, we should probably circle the island and look for the other shuttle.”
It wasn't so much a suggestion as it was an implied command, but Elexa didn't bark orders at her subordinates unless pushed to do so.
Deanna stopped the shuttle just a few feet above the beach and began to ascend. “Fine, have it your way.”
Elexa was mystified. “Why would you even consider landing here? That's not like you.”
“Are you kidding me?!” Deanna barked. “I made a mistake. You're the captain. You made a decision. I said it was fine.”
Elexa was taken aback by Deanna's borderline outburst. She had always been a bit spunky, but this wasn't spunky; this was something else altogether.
For the time being, Elexa kept her mouth shut and her eyes peeled as the shuttle began circling the island clockwise. As per Elexa's implied order, Deanna kept the shuttle in search mode―slow and steady, tight against the shore and the altitude low. Elexa's head was pressed against the port side window, her eyes scanning the shore. Richard was right there with her, his forehead pressed against the port side window behind her.
The shore was extremely rocky. Clearings large enough to land a shuttle were in short supply.
Then it revealed itself: a wide expanse of beach.
Elexa frowned. “No shuttle.”
Deanna said, “They would have landed here. Encounter landed exactly due east of here. This is what they would have seen if they'd headed straight to the island without turning.”
“It's your call captain,” Richard said, “but my suggestion, shuttle or not, is that we at least land and have a look around.
Elexa nodded. “They may have left already. If they did land here, we should be able to find the landing gears' imprints if we look hard enough.”
"If we get down on our hands and knees with our noses in the dirt like a trio of bloodhounds," Deanna quipped.
Elexa rolled her eyes while breathing an inaudible sigh of moderate relief. That sarcastic comment was much closer to the spunky Deanna that she'd fallen in love with. The case on Deanna's recent odd behavior wasn't closed, but she felt comfortable enough to put the issue on the back burner for the time being.
“All right, let's have a look around,” Elexa said.
Elexa didn't waste any time, jumping out of the shuttle the moment it landed.
“Hey, don't wait around on our account,” Deanna called from the shuttle as she shut it down.
Elexa gave the comment its requisite smirk as her eyes scanned the beach.
“We should take this opportunity to talk,” Richard said, creeping up behind her.
Elexa looked over her shoulder. Deanna was searching the beach on the opposite side of the shuttle, far enough that she wouldn't hear them talking.
“Sure,” Elexa agreed, “but spread out a bit, a couple yards over that way.” She pointed off to her left. “We
don't want her to get the wrong idea.”
“Or the right one.”
“Right.”
Richard walked off to Elexa's left, keeping his head down, his eyes on the sand. Elexa hoped he was actually looking rather than just pretending.
“Let's cut right to the chase,” Richard offered.
“Let's.”
"She's hiding something."
She resisted the urge to look at him. “Yep.”
“And she was hostile. That's not like her at all. It's―”
“Out of character,” Elexa interjected. “I know.”
“It's out of character, and it's indicative of a personality change. In this case, it would be a very sudden personality change following a very traumatic event.”
Her eyes continued to scan the beach, but she wasn't sure she was actually searching for anything at that point. Her eyes could have gone over something important, and she probably wouldn't have seen it.
She snuck a quick peek over her shoulder. Deanna was still on the opposite side of the shuttle.
“She snapped at me,” she said softly.
“She snapped at both of us.”
“Out of character.”
“Indicative of a personality change.”
Elexa hesitated before asking, “You think whatever happened to her has affected her personality?”
“No, I'm saying that we have to consider the possibility that that's not Deanna.”
She barely had time to register his words before she heard Deanna's voice in the distance: “I found something!”
Her wide, terror-stricken eyes momentarily met Richard's as they both turned toward the sound of Deanna's voice.
“You've got to be kidding me,” Elexa muttered as they both began trotting toward Deanna.
“I'm not. Keep your eyes open.”
His suggestion was like a punch to the stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of her, but she wasn't willing to accept Richard's suggestion as a possibility. At least, she didn't think she was willing to accept it as a possibility. It was crazy. Wasn't it?
She studied Deanna as they approached. Her heart was dancing in her chest.
If Richard's suggestion was crazy, why was she so frightened?
“The landing gears,” Deanna said, pointing to the four indentations in the sand. “And that.” She gestured to the area around the indentations. Footprints littered the area. A fairly large group of bipeds had been there and had apparently surrounded the shuttle. A thick trail of tracks led away from the shuttle's landing area and into the darkness.
Elexa knew what she wanted to do, but it was her custom to consult her crew before making a decision. “Suggestions?” She glanced sharply at Deanna. “Lieutenant?”
Elexa was sizing her up, studying her facial expression, her body language, keeping her ears tuned to the sound of her voice and what she had to say, waiting for something, anything, that would give her the slightest indication as to what the hell was going on with her.
Deanna threw a hand up. “You're the captain, Captain. But I say we follow the trail, see where it leads.”
She moved like Deanna; she sounded like Deanna.
Richard glanced tentatively at Deanna before turning his attention to Elexa. “I agree.”
Elexa nodded. “Let's head out.”
“In,” Deanna said, the hint of a smirk touching her lips.
“Whatever.”
She looked like Deanna; she sounded like Deanna. Elexa was feeling better about the situation. She reminded herself of just how crazy Richard's suggestion was. Papa was losing it; he was paranoid. Deanna had experienced trauma that there was no precedent for, something that neither she nor Richard could understand. The result of that unprecedented traumatic event? She'd been acting a little weird―well, weird for Deanna.
Was Elexa rationalizing? No. Was she cherry-picking, latching onto anything that would help her debunk Richard's crazy suggestion? No. Well, one could see it that way. If someone could reach into her head and sort through the myriad of thoughts on Richard's crazy suggestion, it might appear that she were cherry-picking.
Elexa led the way, content in the knowledge that she wasn't cherry-picking, that the woman trailing her was the woman she'd fallen in love with.
She pulled the flashlight from her belt and turned it on as she led Deanna and Richard further into the darkness. Deanna and Richard followed suit, their flashlight beams joining Elexa's in a frantic dance. Their flashlight beams settled on a tree line in the distance. It was an ominous sight, stopping Elexa so suddenly that Deanna gently collided with her.
“Well, this hike just got a bit spookier,” Deanna commented.
“So it isn't just me,” Elexa responded.
Richard said, “After everything we've been through, after everything we've seen, the two of you are spooked by a forest.”
“A dark forest,” Deanna replied.
“And a large trail of footprints leading into it,” Elexa added.
Richard said, “Well, we're not turning back, are we?”
“No,” Elexa responded, “but it wouldn't be prudent to rush right in either. I'm the captain.” The flashlight beam began to shake. She fought to steady it. “I'm responsible for the safety and security of the crew under my command.” Her voice was trembling. She took a deep breath. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pull rank.”
“No, you're right,” Richard said. “You are the captain. The decision is yours.”
“Well, there is no decision,” Elexa clarified. “We're going in. I just needed a minute to adjust to the idea.”
Deanna said, “Why don't you lead the way, papa?”
She called him papa. Elexa smiled. She would have turned and kissed her if she believed she could get away with it without having to explain what provoked the kiss. She would have to be content with her smile and the knowledge that Deanna was still Deanna. “No, it's okay. I'll lead the way.”
She led them tentatively toward the tree line. She was doing her best to project strength and fearlessness, but her pace had slowed; each step was cautious.
The sand gave way to thigh-high grass and weeds. Each cautious step took a bit more effort as each of them had to raise their feet a bit higher to traverse the short field.
She peered into the forest as they approached. The planet's twin full moons couldn't penetrate the dense foliage. She knew it was nothing more than an irrational fear, but the forest seemed alive. It seemed to breathe, inhaling and exhaling with each step she took. Of course, each large step she took caused her view of the forest to bounce. Her fear did the rest.
She reached the tree line and stopped, Deanna and Richard sidling up along either side of her. She squinted, peering into the darkness. Even at this close range and with three flashlights piercing the forest, she couldn't see much further than a few yards.
She didn't say a word; there was nothing to say. She stepped into the forest and onto the well-worn trail. She moved ahead cautiously, keeping the beam of her flashlight moving about as her eyes scanned the surrounding trees and the trail ahead. She could see Deanna's and Richard's flashlight beams bouncing around next to hers, and she could hear their footsteps. It was a small comfort. She didn't want to risk glancing back at them to make sure they were still there.
A powerful gust of wind did more than just stop her in her tracks; it pushed her back on her heels. She had been caught off-balance, mid-stride, and would have fallen had Deanna not been there to catch her, her arms looping under Elexa's shoulders, the warmth of her cheek pressed against her ear.
“Something tells me we're not wanted here,” Deanna whispered into her ear after the wind settled.
Elexa regained her balance but was in no rush to leave Deanna's arms. “You're imagining things.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yes, because I'm imagining the very same things.”
“Papa?”
“This forest was made for imagining things,” Richard said. “It's right out
of a children's storybook.”
Elexa left Deanna's arms and turned, scanning what little she could see of the forest. She felt as if they'd stepped into another dimension. They'd only walked a few yards into the forest, but she couldn't see the field they'd just walked through despite the twin full moons that were beaming down when they entered the forest. The trail back to the field led to a wall of darkness.
She turned away from Deanna and Richard to face the inevitable. There was no turning back. “Storybooks have happy endings; don't they, Richard?”
“Well, I haven't read one in a few centuries,” he said ironically, “but I would assume that most of them do. I mean, they're written for children.” Elexa detected a slight tremor in his voice.
“Well, let's hope our little storybook has a happy ending.”
She thought she heard a gust of wind rising. She planted her right foot behind her, bracing for the impact. But the impact never came. Not even a slight breeze. But she'd heard it, and as quickly as she'd heard it, the sound was gone.
She heard it again, a sound like a light breeze making its way through the trees. But it wasn't steady. It came in spurts, and it came from both sides of the trail a few yards ahead of them.
“Do you hear that?” she whispered. And as soon as she asked the question, she had her answer. The truth hit her like a strong gust of wind on the coldest winter day, and it froze every molecule in her body, froze her senses. It wasn't the wind she was hearing.
“I hear something,” Deanna said. “Sounds like―”
“Whispers,” Elexa interjected.
“Yes.”
The whispers ceased.
There was movement―darkness separating from darkness, darkness stepping onto the trail.
Chapter 34
A bad idea, George thought. A really, really, bad idea! How the hell did you let him...correction―how the hell did you let them talk you into this.
They were a collective. He hadn't interacted with an individual of the collective; he had interacted with all of them simultaneously. He was still having trouble wrapping his head around that particular concept. George had spent most of his time in the glowing, underwater city with the singular One. Could he be blamed for referring to him in the singular? Him? Or was the singular One he interacted with a her? Did the individuals in the collective have gender? Did they procreate? George hadn't given much thought to the matter. All right, he hadn't given any thought to the matter. How could he? His inquisitive brain had been overwhelmed by sights and sounds beyond fantastic, sights and sounds he couldn't have imagined when he was a boy with an imagination that knew no limits, looking up at the countless stars and seeing himself among them, interacting with the countless inhabitants of the countless planets that surrounded those countless stars. Nothing in his limitless imagination had prepared him for what he had just encountered.
The Perfect Moment in Peril Page 22
