by Geri Foster
“It’s like peddling in thick molasses,” Joseph grunted, struggling to keep going. “We’re barely able to move.”
Cupping her hands around her mouth, Penelope shouted, “Try harder boys. We need your help.”
“No one in the town can move,” Jonah confirmed.
“We know.”
Slowly, the boys descended to land next to them. Their movements were stiff and unnatural. “What’s happening?” Jonah asked. “We’re almost stuck.”
“There are aliens here to kidnap us. Altair is trying to fight them off, but he needs help.”
Joseph slowly managed to get off the bike. “You need to get to Aunt Lacey’s barn.” He spoke like an old vinyl record covered with syrup.
“Why there?”
Jonah blinked. “There’s a weapon inside that we took from another spaceship. It crashed after Frost got here.”
“Frost’s ship?” Penelope asked. Just how many aliens had landed in Magic? And why?
“No, there was another one. We couldn’t find anyone, but inside was a big thing that looked like a weapon.” Jonah held out his hands two feet apart. We hid it good so no one can find it.”
Joseph laughed. “We call it the ‘Boom, boom, chickapowpow.’”
“What?” Ronic asked.
Jonah cocked his head and shrugged lightly. “You know. There’s the Terminator, the Eliminator, and the Evaporator. We had to give it a name.
“Where is it?”
Joseph pointed. “Over at Aunt Lacey’s. It’s in the back of the barn. We hid it in the beams.”
The sound of gunfire filled the air. Penelope didn’t know how much time they had left, so she had to do something fast. What if she couldn’t make it there and back?
“Are you sure it’s a weapon?”
Joseph nodded vigorously. “Oh, we know it’s powerful, all right.”
“It’s worth a try,” Penelope said. “I can’t think of anything else.” She glanced at the contraption the boys rode. “Can I use that?”
The Twins looked at each other. “We’re not sure.”
“I have to try.”
“You can’t,” Joseph said, “you don’t know how to steer it. Besides, our parents gave it to us.”
She grabbed Jonah by his thin arms. “That means you boys are going to have to use all your combined powers to propel me to Aunt Lacey’s.”
Joseph’s brown brows pulled together tightly before hung his head. “I’m not sure we can.”
“We have to try.” Removing Jonah’s goggles from the top of his head, Penelope swung her leg over the bar then put her feet on the pedals. Putting the protective glasses on her face, she glanced at the two small boys. “Okay, give it all you’ve got.”
“We’ll try to get you there. You’ll only have a few minutes before we have to bring you back.”
Her head down, Penelope filled her lungs and stared straight ahead. “I’m ready.”
Chapter Twenty-One
ltair didn’t know how long he could hold off the two Mortarians. They would be easier to defeat if he had his whole arsenal. He only had his sidearm, a few phasers, and the Skull Rattler; which no matter how powerful it was, he needed more.
“When we get the females,” Akan shouted, “we’re going to destroy this town. Everyone dies.” He laughed. “The Coltars have been invited to come to dinner.”
Those vultures would drain the blood from every person on the planet before they were through. And motionless, none of the people in Magic would stand a chance. He had to think of something.
Getting rid of Akan and Ulia was just one part of the problem. He had to find a way to counteract the powerful freeze the used on Magic’s residences before the Coltars arrived. If not, they’d all be slaughtered. He also worried how Ronic and Mystic Star would get back to Vion. And then there was Penelope. His poor love. If Akan and Ulia captured her, she was doomed.
From the inside of his jacket, Altair removed a sonic launcher and threw it at the Mortarians. It exploded in a flash, sending wave after wave of destructive energy. If only they hadn’t destroyed his starship.
He’d brought enough weapons to fight an army in his starship, but most were in his hotel room. Now he had very little. Before long, the two were bound to kill him and regain their strength from the blast. His back would soon be against the wall. Somehow he had to save those he cared about.
Chapter Twenty-Two
enelope grabbed the handlebars and held on tight. A shriek erupted from her lips when the contraption wobbled and she nearly fell off. Then, after rising about ten feet, she dropped suddenly to within inches of the hard ground. “Come on boys,” she gritted out. “Try harder.”
Suddenly she shot up and zoomed away. Screaming like a runaway train, she closed her eyes and prayed. Wind shoved against her, but she was determined to hold on. In what seemed like seconds, the bicycle landed inside the barn on Lacey’s property.
Catching her breath, she swung off the machine on shaking legs. Looking behind her, she was glad her eyes had been shut, because the entrance had only been about two feet wide. Looking around she couldn’t see very much. Clutching the wooden stairs to the loft, Penelope climbed quickly.
Stomping through the scattered hay, she checked the areas where she thought the Twins might hide something.
Nothing.
“I’m not going to make it in time.”
She watched as a small mouse jumped from the sidecar and started running. Knowing the Twins were capable of many things, she quickly followed the rodent. In a matter of seconds they were on the other side of the barn.
“It’s in there,” Jonah said, as he appeared in full size before her eyes. “Get it and let’s go.”
“I didn’t know you were coming, Jonah.”
“I had to. We hid the thing so good nobody won’t ever find it.”
Taking the heavy object from its hiding place, Penelope shook her head. The thing reminded her of one of those huge water blasters, but with so many gadgets she wondered how long it took its original owner to learn how to use the thing. Lifting the heavy gizmo, she staggered backwards. The damned thing weighed as much as one of the Twins.
“How in the world did you boys get this up here?”
“We used our powers,” Jonah answered calmly.
“I wonder if it’s actually a weapon or some kind of machine.”
“It’ll blow stuff up,” Jonah assured her. “Me and Joseph fired it once and knocked a hole in one of the cliffs.”
“That’s good enough for me. Let’s get it back to Altair.”
Jonah stopped, looked down and pointed. “Look, there’s Aunt Lacey. She can’t move.”
Struggling down the wooden steps with the only hope Altair had, once on the ground, Penelope put down the heavy object. She ran over to Lacey and placed her hands on each side of her friend’s temple.
“What’s happening?” Lacey’s mind screamed.
Penelope closed her eyes. “Two aliens came to take the princess away. Altair is trying to stop them. I’m taking him that weapon in the hopes that it will save us.” She opened her eyes and watched as Jonah moved around more freely. “You must use all your powers to make your body obey your mind. Concentrate on moving your little finger.”
Staring at Lacey’s right hand, Penelope smiled when the digit flickered slightly. Sweat peppered Lacey’s face. “I must warn Frost,” Lacey said telepathically. “He has to be warned.”
“I’m leaving. Stay in command of your body and make it move. I have to get back to Altair. When you can, tell Frost and Theo we need them.”
Jonah turned himself back into a little mouse, then she hopped on the flying bike and they took off. Fighting the urge to close her eyes, Penelope looked at the stilled town below. At the sound of gunfire, they descended.
Chapter Twenty-Three
ltair had used up his arsenal of weapons and tricks. A laser had ripped through his upper bicep, but he’d survive the wound. It was Akan and Ulia cautio
us approach that had him worried.
Altair’s attention was grabbed by a noise behind him. Ronic and Mystic Star had returned with one of the young Twins. He suspected it was Joseph because he wore a black top hat. The boy could barely move, but it astounded Altair that the child could move at all.
“You need to run and get as far away as you can. I have no more ammo and the Mortarians are advancing.”
Ronic looked up and pointed to the sky. “Look, there’s Penelope.”
He followed Ronic’s gaze to see the woman he loved riding that crazy thing the Twins traveled around on. As she landed nearby, the other Twin jumped out of the sidecar and tried to run toward them, but his movements were exaggeratedly slow.
“We got it,” he shouted.
Penelope came closer carrying what looked like either a mad scientist’s idea of a joke, or a weapon. He ran over and relieved her of the massive object. “What is this?”
“The Twins said a spaceship crashed here and this was inside. Jonah said they blew a hole in a nearby canyon wall with it.”
After a careful inspection, he hefted the object onto his shoulder and said, “Everyone down. I’m not sure this will work.”
He pointed then pulled what he hoped was the trigger. Suddenly, a huge rocket flew out of the back of the weapon and exploded against the building behind him with enough power to incinerate the brick wall.
Akan and Ulia stopped their approach and sought cover.
Altair turned the contraption around. “Sorry, wrong end.”
He pulled the trigger twice, demolishing the massive rock Akan and Ulia were cowering behind. When the smoke cleared, Altair approached and saw that both men lay dead.
“It worked,” he said, smiling. “It really worked.”
“Told you,” Joseph said with a wide grin. “That’s why we call it the Boom boom, chickapowpow.”
Altair held it up. “Really? It’s actually a Cyo-Demolisher.” He shook his head. “I haven’t seen one of these in years.”
Jonah frowned. “We like our name better.”
“Well,” Altair said, securing it to his side, “it doesn’t belong in the hands of children.”
“Aw, that’s not fair,” Joseph whined.
Penelope leaned down and stared into the boy’s eyes. “How about we let your parents decide?”
Jonah shook his head and backed up a step. “Naw, you go ahead and keep it. We only wanted to shoot it once, anyway.”
“What about all the people?” Ronic asked. “They are still paralyzed. How will they protect themselves from the Contars?”
Mystic Star stepped forward. “I think I may be able to help with that.” Moving away from them to stand in a small clearing, Mystic Star closed her eyes. She spun around in a circle so fast that Altair couldn’t make out her features. A bright beam of light came down from the sky, encircling her.
They all backed up cautiously when she lifted ten feet off the ground. Still spinning, she raised up her right hand. The light grew brighter, Mystic Star glowed, and then everything stopped as she floated back to the ground.
Looking around, Altair watched as people begin moving about as if nothing had happened. “How did you do that?” Ronic asked. “Was that a spell?”
“No,” she replied. “I’ve been able to draw power down from the sky since I was a young girl. I haven’t used it in a very long time.” She lowered her head. “I wasn’t sure it would work on Earth”
“Let’s alert Theo and Frost that invaders are coming.” Altair took off running toward the sheriff’s office. “If those aircraft start landing, we’re in serious trouble.”
Struggling to keep up with Altair, Ronic asked, “But how will we stop them?”
“Our fleet should be here soon.” He held up the Demolisher, “and I still have this.”
Theo and Frost met them in front of the jail. “What’s going on?” Theo asked.
“The Mortarians have turned loose the Contars. Their ships will be arriving any moment,” Altair said.
“I’m familiar with that race.” Frost stepped forward. “We have to stop them.”
“Our fleet is on the way, but we have to hold them off until they arrive.”
Lacey arrived on a broomstick. “Are we in danger?”
“It appears so,” Frost said, looking up into the sky. “Look, they’re here.”
Lacey shaded her eyes. “What is that?
“Death,” Altair said.
Chapter Twenty-Four
enelope prayed Altair was wrong and the blood-sucking creatures wouldn’t drop down and kill them all. The way things had gone today, Gonzales was the least of her problems.
Lacey stood on the ground with them, waiting. Unsure what their plan was, Penelope worried Vion’s Star Trooper wouldn’t make it in time.
As the starcrafts neared, a two-story sized dragon flew into the air and slapped several of the transports to the ground, while setting others on fire with his breath.
Was that Theo?
“This is better than Star Wars,” Joseph said excitedly.”
Jonah pointed at the incoming spaceships that were obviously from Altair’s planet. “Looky there.”
“Okay,” Altair said, his eyes wide. “Now I believe in Magic.”
The next thing she knew, Theo was standing next to them, smoke still seeping from his pores. “That was exciting,” Penelope said in awe. “I’d love to see an instant replay of that.” She turned to Altair. “See why I have no reason to worry about Gonzales?”
“You haven’t testified yet, so don’t be too sure,” Theo barked. “We don’t know what’s coming at us.”
A man dressed in attire similar to Altair’s joined them. “A clean-up crew will be here very soon, sir.”
“I’ll wipe the memories of the people in town,” Frost offered. When Lacey smiled at him, he shrugged. “That’s the least I can do.”
“The Vion put his hand on Ronic’s shoulder. “This way, My Prince.”
Ronic approached Altair and wrapped his arms around him in a show of deep affection. “I hope we meet again, my friend.”
Stepping out of the prince’s embrace, Altair bowed slightly and said. “That’s my wish as well, My Prince. I truly want to see your whole family again.”
“Until then,” Ronic said. “Take care of yourself and your lady love.”
“I will.”
The Prince of Vion took Mystic Star’s hand and walked beside the man who would lead them to the waiting spaceship.
“You sure you don’t want to join them?” she asked.
He put his crooked finger beneath her chin and lifted her lips to his. I’m staying right here.”
“You don’t have to worry about the trial,” Theo said. “She’s in good hands.”
“I know,” Altair said. “I just want to make sure nothing goes wrong.”
Penelope turned to him and raised her light brows. “Where will you stay?”
“I have a room at the hotel.”
“Do you have money?”
“Yes, I have enough to see me through.”
She didn’t know if she believed him or not. While she thought he was no doubt the best looking man she’d ever laid eyes on, she knew he wasn’t from this world. He wasn’t even Human.
How could she love a man so different? Yet, looking into his blue eyes, she realized there was nothing to know about him except he was a solider, a man, and lonely. Someone trained to protect his leaders and people. And now he was a man loved her with all his heart. It crushed her to think Topper had the power to end their relationship before it ever really began.
She turned to head back to her home. When she looked over her shoulder and saw him following, she asked. “Where are you going?” She spoke without breaking stride. “You must be exhausted from all that fighting.” She looked at the blood on his sleeve. “You were wounded?”
“Just a scratch.”
“Come to my place. I have a first aid kit. I can take care of that for you
.”
They walked to her home wrapped in an uncomfortable silence. After all, what did one say to an alien? He knew little about her world and she knew nothing of his. She wondered if he would be happy spending the rest of his life on Earth. What would happen if, or when, he missed his native planet?
At her door, they paused and she looked at him. “I don’t even know what you like to eat.”
“Whatever you have. I love Earth food.” She studied his features and her breath caught in her throat. He looked like he wanted to belong somewhere. Did he realize that his own planet only used him? That he meant nothing to them?
The sadness in his eyes told her he did.
They entered and she had him sit at the kitchen counter while she hunted down the items she’d need to patch him up. When she returned, he stood at her back sliding door, staring out.
“Your world is beautiful.”
She took his hand and led him back to the chair “Let me bandage this while you tell me about your planet,” she said. “How different is it than mine?”
He removed his brown jacket and the tan shirt beneath. As he shoved it off his shoulders, Penelope fought to keep from gawking. His body fascinated her, and it was one that no uniform should conceal.
When he put his elbow on the table, she took his hand and washed the wound. He didn’t flinch, nor did he meet her gaze. A small smile danced on his lips.
“My world is smaller, but looks very much like your backyard. Our civilization is more advanced. Our government is actually a Kingdom that is controlled by The Federation, A Coalition, and a High Council.”
“My, you must have a lot of laws.”
“Not so many. Once Earth has the technology to move through deep space, they will learn there are rules and responsibilities that come with intergalactic travel.”
She laughed. “I don’t care to ever leave Earth. I’m perfectly happy in New Mexico.”
He shot her a questioning glance. “But not Magic?”
“Oh, I do like it here, but my family.” She chuckled. “My big family is in Sedona.”
