“Once again, that doesn't make you an alien, especially the kind you're talking about.” He looked at her as if he knew something she didn’t and quirked an eyebrow. “If it’s so hard living around here, why haven’t you moved?”
“This is my home for better or worse. My dad is getting up in years and he’s all I have.” He’s always been there for me and I want to be there for him if he ever needs me. She pushed a strand of hair back from her face and sighed deeply. “I have to admit I’ve thought about it, but it’s usually pretty good around here. It only gets bad when sightings happen.” And it wasn’t just her dad. She couldn’t leave Sweetwater until she knew the truth about her origins. “I've always been different from everyone else. And like I told you, I have these visions about things.” She pushed her plate away. The last thing she wanted was food. “I'm ju . . . just strange, a stranger among us, that's me.” Her voice dropped to a low whisper. “I’m someone the rest of the town wonders about. I don’t know the truth and it's driving me crazy. I need your help.” She peered into the depth of his blue gaze and searched for answers.
“Okay. I'm not sure how I can help, but I’ll let you know what I discover about this whole Herman thing and the caves. But what does it have to do with you”
“Herman was the one who found me. He was afraid to touch me and called Dad. He always thought I was one of them . . . the aliens. Maybe, he was right.” She swallowed the huge lump in her throat. “I've always been drawn to that area, to the caves, where the markings are on the stones. Maybe, they were there doing something and left me by mistake. The stars have always called to me. I know there's other life out there.”
He saw Sara come through the door and bit back a curse. They needed more time. “We'll talk about this later, and more in depth.” She believed in other life. He could tell her about himself and his mission. When he’d seen how frightened she was the night he viewed her from the starship, he had made a vow not to take her against her will. Maybe now, she’d be ready and willing to go with him. She did resemble the Star People west of his galaxy—the healers belonging to the Dropa Circle.
Sara pulled up a chair. “I heard about Herman.”
Elle sighed. “Yes, poor old Herman is gone.”
“I heard you and Kole were there with your dad.”
“Yeah, for what good it did. As much as I wanted to, I wasn't able to help him.”
“I'm sure you did everything possible.”
“She did. There was nothing that could be done by anybody.” Kole reached for Elle's hand. If he let himself he could feel an essence of her pain leftover from when he had held her in his arms, preventing her from rushing into the blaze.
“By the time we arrived it was too late for anyone to try to rescue him,” Elle said.
“I heard Herman's brother is having his remains shipped back to New York,” Sara said.
“Yeah, that's what Dad told me.” Elle sniffed and reached for her coffee. “Of course, we'll send flowers,” she said.
“Yes, and remember the good things about him.” Sara pulled closer to the table with a look of concern crossing her sad face. “He cared about people.”
Dotty poured more coffee for Kole and a fresh cup for Sara. “Hey ladies, don't look so sad. Sure, we'll miss Herman, but life goes on. Did you know Herman had prostrate cancer? Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.”
“No, where did you hear that?” Elle asked. How could I not pick up on that?
“Bill told me. Herman had mentioned it to him when he was out at the High Mountain Array doing some plumbing work last summer.” She stopped warming their coffee. “It was in remission, but you know that cancer could've eaten into his brain. Maybe, that was why he thought he was always seeing little gray men.”
“I guess, we'll never know. Here's to Herman.” Elle lifted her coffee cup. “May he rest in peace.”
“Amen to that. Herman was a strange bird, but he never hurt anybody,” Dotty said and took off to the kitchen with tears glittering in her eyes.
“Where do we go from here?” Elle watched Kole closely.
“I don't know what you guys have planned, but I'm done. I'm out of this little adventure.” Sara paused. “Elle, you're my best friend in the whole world. I'd do anything for you, but I can't face those aliens.” She started to shake. “They killed Herman. They could've done the same to us.”
Elle moved to her side and the shaking subsided. “Come on, now. It's all right. I don't particularly want to confront them either, but it has to be done.”
Sara dabbed at her eyes. “I know you feel that way, but after the other night, it makes me wonder who's really in charge. These things can come into our lives anytime they want. Where can we go to be safe? There's no escape from them.” She swallowed. “They got Herman during the day. I'm afraid.”
“It wasn't aliens that killed Herman or took us. I know that for certain, without a doubt.” Elle took a deep breath. “I understand what you're saying and I respect your feelings. I won't drag you along on any more of my craziness. Kole has agreed to help me with my adventures.”
Sara glanced at Kole. “Is this true?” She sighed deeply. “Now, I have the two of you to worry about.” She brushed imaginary crumbs from the table. “Why can't you turn it over to the authorities? Let them solve it.” She glanced back to Elle. “There's a death involved. This is dangerous. And I know your dad will get to the bottom of it.”
“Dad's on top of it, but other things are happening. Something is going on at the High Mountain Array I just know it.” From the way Benny had stared at them on the tour, Elle knew he was somehow involved. “When we were out there, two of the people in the clean room had red clay mud on their shoes. They had to be down in the caves near the river to get into that kind of dirt.” She pushed a lock of hair from her face. “I ask you. What were those scientists doing in the caves?”
“I don't have any idea, but I want no part of it. If you go out there looking for trouble, you're going to find it.” Sara sniffled.
“Sara, you're part of this mission whether you want to be or not.” Kole handed her a napkin. “It involves you, too. We need you to be our contact in town. You can keep your ears and eyes open so if you hear or see anything unusual then you can warn us.”
“I . . . I could do that.” She blew her nose.
“Then it's settled. When we do this, you’re the one to stay in town.”
She glanced at Kole. “When are you going out there?”
“I was thinking at about dusk when they make the shift change.” His eyes caught Elle's.
“Maybe we could sneak in without being seen.”
“Tonight? That's great.” Excitement glittered in Elle’s big green eyes. “The sooner, the better. I want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.”
“Okay, Sara you have both our phone numbers.” Kole smiled at her and read her inner thoughts. She would cooperate. “We'll check in with you every few hours. If we don't contact you by morning, I want you to call Sheriff Thomas and tell him where we’ve gone. You're a very important part of this mission.” He took a bite of apple pie and savored every morsel. When it would be time to leave planet Earth, he was going to miss Dotty’s apple pie. He grinned at Sara and put her further at ease. “You're our safety net. We're counting on you.”
“I'm there for you.” Sara reached out and held both their hands.
“What do we have going on here?” Liz stood next to their table. “Looks like a cozy threesome. Is there something you should tell me?” She looked pointedly at Elle. “Are the aliens landing?” she said sarcastically.
“Liz, please, I'm not in the mood for you, today,” Elle said. She had enough of Liz and her rotten comments to last a lifetime.
“You should be ashamed of yourself for speaking to me like that,” Liz hissed. “You have a lot of nerve, little girl.”
Kole frowned. Elle was a good person and didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. She rose from her chair and Kole grabbed he
r hand. “Easy there, Elle. This woman isn't worth it.”
Elle caught Kole’s gaze and changed her mind. “You're right. Get out of my sight, Liz, or I might forget I'm a lady.” She sat down and sipped her coffee, ignoring Liz.
Liz sneered. “You're nothing, but a small town freak. I'll never come into your shop, again.” She took her hateful self across the room and sat with some of the men from the Array. Every now and then she pointed toward Elle.
Kole was sure Liz was talking about Elle and he didn’t like it one bit. So this was what it was like when she was growing up.
“I have to get out of here,” Elle whispered under her breath. He leaned toward her and sent a warm vibration into her heart to give her courage. She wasn’t the only one who could do that. “Stay put. Don't let that woman chase you out of your favorite restaurant.”
Elle eased back in her chair. “Of course, you're right. I'm not going anywhere.”
“Kole is right. Good for you, she's a lost cause, the town gossip and everybody knows it. We're here with you. Let her stew in her own juices,” said Sara.
“More coffee?” Dotty asked and glanced toward Liz with a frown. “Is she giving you a hard time?”
“Nothing more than usual,” answered Ella. “I don't know why I let her get to me that way.”
“You’ve put up with her rants for years. If it was me, I probably would've smacked her a long time, ago.” Dotty refilled their cups. “I'm proud of you for telling that old biddy off. It's been a long time coming.” Dotty glanced toward Liz. “Did you know she's dating Benny Savonti? The guy that’s sitting next to her. He works at the Array. Bill tells me, he's a handful. Always trying to get out of work.”
“Nope, can't say I heard that,” Elle said. “I don't know much that goes on out that way with those people. How about you? Do you know anything about what happens out there?”
“No more than you. I've heard the stories of alien sightings and stuff like that, but Bill tells me that's the imagination of some of the locals wanting it to be so. There's nothing out there, but the scientists and their work.” Dotty sighed. “Sounds pretty boring to me, being stuck out there in the boonies.” She topped off their coffee cups and smacked her gum deep in thought. “He did say some of the guys are exploring the caves on their days off. He said if you go in the cave entrance on Herman's property that it runs through Red Rock Canyon and comes out on the Array side. Some of the guys came out that way and didn't know where they were.” She laughed a deep belly laugh. “Had to call Bill to come and rescue them.” She shook her head. “To be so smart, they can be awfully dumb about common sense things.”
She glanced toward Elle. “Ignore that old tart, don't let her get to ya.” She grinned and dashed off to fill someone else's coffee cup.
“Did you hear that?” Elle smiled at Kole. “We can go into the cave on Herman's property and get onto the Array land from there.”
“Good idea,” Kole said. Thank my lucky stars for this tidbit of information. The universe is working on my side. “I think we'd better get prepared. Have you ever gone into the caves?” he asked.
“Yeah, when I was a kid, our girl scout leader took us into them. We went about a mile into one. It became real narrow in spots and then opened up into this large cavern. It was beautiful inside. Stalactites that looked like giant icicles hung from the roof of the cavern.” “It's good to know you aren't claustrophobic.” He had a long way to go to get to his destination—the entombed disks.
She laughed. “Now, that would be a problem. Luckily, I’m not.”
“I'm going to go pick up the supplies we'll need for tonight. What do you say, I'll meet you at your house at about six and we'll go in on Herman's side of the Array.” He pushed a twenty under his coffee cup. “Dotty can keep the change. She may have saved the day.”
“Okay, I'll wait to hear from you.” Elle watched him leave the restaurant. She was happy he would be going out to the caves with her.
“You're blessed to have Kole help you with this stuff.” Sara sipped her coffee. “I'm sorry, I can't go with you.”
“It's okay. For some reason, I know Kole and I are supposed to do this, alone.”
“Have you changed your mind about him? I know he likes you. I can see it in his eyes.”
“Guess I've known it all along. I've liked him from the first moment I set eyes on him. When he told me he wasn't looking for a relationship, I tried to put him out of my mind, but it didn’t work.”
“There's got to be another reason why he doesn’t want a relationship. The man is crazy about you. He looks at you like a starving man looks at a roast turkey.”
“Oh, great, now I look like a dead bird.” She grinned. “I hope at least it's a skinny bird.”
Dotty arrived with her hands full. “Girls, the witch left.” She placed apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in front of both of them. “Thought you could use some comfort food. It's straight out of the oven.” She laughed and went back to retrieve another order.
Sara took a bite and sighed. “What would we ever do without Dotty? She's watched over us since we were kids.”
“Don't want to find out,” Elle said. “I'll never forget how she made my Halloween costume one year. Dad was trying to do it himself and the pumpkin costume looked like a tablecloth. I was devastated until Dotty fixed it.”
“That must've been before he hooked up with Rose.”
“Yeah, Dotty and Dad went to school together and have always been good friends. Rose's husband was still alive back then. She and Dad didn't get together until he'd been gone a few years.”
“Do you think they'll ever get married?”
Elle had thought about that many times. “Yes, someday soon I hope. The way Dad is pursuing her, she doesn't have a chance. It's only a matter of time.”
“Good. They make a cute couple.” Sara ate a spoonful of pie and ice cream. “This is so good.”
“Dotty always knows which buttons to push. She's like the mom, I never had.”
“Do you think you'll ever find your real mom and dad?”
“I haven't any idea. I’ve searched for a long time and I would love to know...to know if she or my dad had ever had visions or this sixth sense thing.” Until she knew about her real parents there’d always be this empty spot in her heart. They didn’t want me. The familiar pain was sharp and deep. She tried to think about something else.
“I have a feeling Kole is going to help you in a lot of areas. Maybe this one, too.”
“Kole is special. I've known it since I first saw him.” Sara’s right. Kole is a part of my destiny.
“I'm happy for you. He seems enamored.”
“I can't read him. When I think I have a handle on what's going on inside him, he goes off in another direction. It's as if he's blocked me from his true feelings and that's not possible.”
“It's probably a good thing you can't see him so clearly. It would be boring to know everything that's going on with him.”
“Yeah, you're right. I have to admit he keeps me guessing and it's nice to be surprised for a change.”
“What do you want me to do while you and Kole are in the caves? Will your cell phones work in there?”
“I don't know. We were kids when we went in the caves. We didn't have cell phones.” She ate her pie thinking it would be for the best that Sara wouldn’t be put in harms’ way. She and Kole needed to do this alone. “We won't stay in the caves the whole time, just long enough to get onto the Array property. I suppose we can call as soon as we get through the cave.”
“Good, I'll be worried until I hear you’re on the other side.” Sara hesitated. “I'm sorry, I'm not going with you.”
“It's okay. Even though I know it wasn’t aliens, I'm shook up about the abduction, too. I'll be relieved to know you are here in town, safe and sound.” She smiled. “Like Kole said, it makes sense to have you here to call in the troops if we come face to face with trouble.”
“I'm going to hope and
pray nothing goes wrong. I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you.”
“Don’t worry. Things will happen that are supposed to and nothing else.” Elle sighed. “And I feel certain that if anything should go wrong Kole is there for me.” It was true, no matter what should happen, Kole would be there to help her. She knew it with every instinct she had ever possessed all the way to the bottom of her soul. “I have a good feeling about tonight.” She smiled at Sara. It was true. Whatever was going to happen this evening was meant for just her and Kole. There was something on the edge of her mind that she needed to know, but it just wouldn’t come through. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate the vision just wouldn’t come to her.
Damn, I hate when this happens. I want to know what’s going to happen and know it now. Why can’t I see my own destiny?
Chapter Eleven
Later that afternoon, as the sun was slowly sinking in the southwestern sky, Kole threw his stuffed backpack into the Jeep and went back inside the bed and breakfast. It was almost time to pick up Elle. Just to be safe he had included a first aid kit, apples, bottled water, a can of chicken noodle soup, a can opener, matches, those Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory bars which he couldn’t get enough of, flashlights and a blanket.
Clicking off his mental list, he knew they were set with supplies, but still he wrestled with an uneasy feeling nagging at the back of his mind. Not being able to tell Elle the truth about his mission was eating away at him. With only one more thing to do before it was time to go, he resigned himself to the idea that she was a believer and he would be able to share his secret with her soon.
For now, he'd do things the way the Earthlings did, but if push came to shove, he'd have an edge. Reaching into his jeans pocket he rubbed the five protective stones given to him by the Ancient One. His advantage from the stars.
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