In His Alien Hands

by C. L. Scholey

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank Beachwalk Press and all their amazing staff for making this book possible.

  Chapter 1

  The sun shone through the window of the sixth floor, glinting off the CD in Bane’s hand. He reflected the light against the wall, and Markley saw a shimmering, dancing orb that he began to stalk. The sleek black cat crouched low on his haunches, tail swishing back and forth, then he sprung like a panther, leaping up, claws extended, intent on catching his prey.

  “Holy shit, you should see this cat go,” he said into the phone.

  “Bane, did you hear what I said?” Josie asked.

  “Yeah, I heard, baby. Steaks are marinating, wine’s chilling, and I already tossed a salad,” he said. She was still pissed he hadn’t made reservations, but that had been intentional on his part. He wasn’t about to propose in a room full of people. What if she said no?

  “I said I’d be a little late. Jenko called a last-minute meeting, so don’t start barbequing ’til seven. I don’t want a cold dinner.”

  “Sure, no problem. Now see, if I’d made a reservation we’d have been late. It all worked out for the best.”

  “I suppose,” Josie agreed.

  “See you when you get home.” He hung up the phone. From the pocket of his pants he pulled out a ring box. Putting down the CD, he flipped up the lid of the box and removed the one-carat diamond ring. Catching it in the light, he shone the reflection against the wall and watched the cat go nuts again.

  * * * *

  Josie squirmed in her seat at work. Six others sat around the table, not including Jenko. He rambled on and Josie noticed she wasn’t the only one fidgeting. Behind her boss’s balding head was a huge picture window looking out over downtown. Being twenty stories up, it provided a dazzling view. Not that she could see much of it since he blocked it with his bulk.

  Under the conference table she stretched out her legs and tried to wiggle her toes in her tight, spiked heels. Her ass was cramping up from sitting so long. Boring meetings were a part of the job, but being salaried meant she couldn’t clock any overtime. Not that she was hurting for money. Bane’s income combined with hers—now that he’d finally moved in—allowed them to lead a decent life.

  “Spring line-up is huge,” Jenko reminded them. “Last quarter left us flat, and we need to vamp things up if we want to stay on top.”

  He’d said the same thing this time last year. What did he expect when they designed beachwear? Winter had been mild, so no one was in a hurry to leave town for vacation. Plus, people just didn’t have the money to take off somewhere warm at a moment’s notice. Especially when the economy was still recovering.

  Josie stifled a yawn and focused on the blue sky over Jenko’s head. These meetings always made her mind wander. God, my feet! Why does it always smell like burgers in here? I wonder if Bane fed Markley? She tried to refocus and concentrate on her boss’s words.

  Half-past six and the light was still good. The longer days were nice. No more going to work and coming home in the dark; talk about depressing. Now she could look forward to hanging out at the beach after work which was just a short ride from their apartment.

  Tonight would be special. Two years was a long time for a relationship. A turning point. After two years you’d know if you were gonna make it, or fall flat. Josie hoped it was the former. Bane was the best thing that’d happened—

  “What the hell is that?” Kevin demanded. He stood up and pointed over Jenko’s head.

  Josie’s rumination broke as she stared with her co-workers out the window where Kevin pointed. Even Jenko turned around, though he wore a look of annoyance on his face. She barely became aware she was up on her feet and darting across the room like everyone else.

  “Holy shit!” she gasped.

  There in the sky, floating silently and effortlessly, was a giant circular object stretching over a hundred feet across, gray in color, with a black band around the center. The top half had a row of lights that shone outward through what appeared to be tiny windows. It hovered so close it seemed to be looking right into the office.

  A freaking UFO! Just like in the movies. Josie didn’t know how she felt—in shock most likely. Its presence could be interpreted as many things: horrifying, intriguing, groundbreaking. After complete silence for almost a full minute everyone started speculating at once.

  “This is it. An invasion. My God!”

  “We’re screwed! Look at everyone down there. They’re swarming like ants.”

  “They’re freaking out. Shit! I’m freaking out.”

  “Calm down!” shouted Jenko, always the clear-headed, take-charge leader. “It’s probably some kind of advertising stunt.”

  Though a couple of people nodded their heads, grasping at straws that he was right, Josie felt deep in her gut they were in trouble. That thing out there was no stunt. This was the real deal. They watched, transfixed, at the window.

  “Nothing’s happening,” Tara said. “It’s just sitting there…waiting.”

  “Waiting for what?” Brian asked.

  “Damned if I know,” Tara replied.

  “Well, I’m not gonna wait to find out. I’m outta here,” Kevin said. He rushed for the door and everyone else followed except Jenko and Josie. As their co-workers pushed through the door in a frenzy and made a break for the elevator, Josie looked at her boss.

  “What should we do?” she asked.

  Jenko kept his eyes fixed on the object. “Don’t panic. We should leave, but don’t take the bloody elevator.”

  Everyone had gone by the time they got out into the main office. Josie snatched up her purse and jacket as they whizzed by her cubicle and strode quickly to keep up with Jenko. He headed for the doorway leading to the stairs, and they both squished through at the same time.

  Twenty floors. Thank God we’re going down, not up.

  When they reached the lobby Josie saw it wasn’t quite deserted. About a dozen people stood at the huge window by the main double doors, staring upward. Outside on the street she witnessed mayhem. Some people stood stock-still, gaping up at the sky, while others charged down the sidewalks and weaved around fleeing and stalled cars on both the road and the sidewalk. A few emergency vehicles drove by, dodging everything else while honking at pedestrians.

  “We’ll get flattened out there.” She looked at her boss and noticed his hands were shaking as he took in the scene outside.

  “Don’t go outside,” Jenko said, backing toward the wall. “Not safe.”

  Josie stared at him. Now was not the time to lose it. “I have to go out. I have to get home.” Bane must be freaking out. She silently prayed he wasn’t trying to get to her through this mess. No, he’d know she’d try to make it home. He’d wait. He must wait.

  Jenko grabbed her arm as she turned to walk away. “Don’t,” he warned. “You’ll die out there.”

  She broke free and moved back. “If you want to stay here, fine, stay. I’m leaving.”

  Before he could lunge at her she darted toward the doors. As soon as she stepped outside someone smashed into her. The woman muttered, “Sorry,” and swung her small child up into her arms.

  Josie watched her run down the sidewalk and disappear around the next street corner. Before Josie moved on she tried to get her bearings. She couldn’t catch a bus home like she usually did, not in this madness. It wasn’t far to go, perhaps a fifteen-minute walk—or ten minute run more likely. She kicked off her spikes and began to jog.

  With the chaos all around her, she didn’t make it to her building for almost twenty minutes. She’d glanced upward several times, keeping her eye on the UFO. It remained where it was, and thankfully no other ships had arrived—yet. She couldn’t shake the foreboding in her belly.

  She opted for the stairs over the elevator to her apartment. Only six floors, not too much of a climb. On the fourth floor she stopped for a moment and caught her breath. Please be home. When she got to level six she swung open the
door and started down the hallway. Mrs. Jackson rushed past her, eyes glazed, and didn’t spare her a word. The door to Josie’s place was unlocked when she turned the handle. She went inside and shut and locked it behind her.

  “Bane?” You better be home. In the living room she saw Markley perched at the window, staring outside, his tail swishing back and forth. “Where’s Daddy, baby?”

  A noise down the hall got her attention. She practically ran down the hallway and flung open the bathroom door.

  There, standing in front of the mirror, was Bane. She barely recognized him at first. He’d shaved his head. She caught sight of his eyes watching her in the mirror. They were cold. When he turned around she said, “Did you see…outside?”

  “Yeah.” He stared at her grimly and answered in a hard voice. “It’s begun.”

  Bane was in shock—that must be it. Why else would he shave off all those dark curls she loved so much? Not that he looked bad. Just different.

  Josie moved back against the wall as Bane stalked past her. He paused before the giant closet doors in the hallway and slid them open. Reaching up over his head, he pulled down a large duffle bag and tossed it onto the floor at Josie’s feet.

  “Pack only necessities. We travel light,” he said.

  “What? Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere safe. The city is compromised.”

  Josie stared at the bag. Bane pulled out his camping backpack—an on-going joke between them since he’d never camped—and strode past her into the bedroom. She picked up the duffle bag and followed him. He pulled open drawers and began tossing in clothes and items from atop the dresser.

  “We can’t just leave,” she told him. “I have work tomorrow. And what about your book? And Markley?”

  “You’re not going to work tomorrow. Forget the book and the cat too.” Bane marched over and picked her bag off the floor and tossed it onto the bed. “Pack your shit or I’ll pack it for you.”

  Forget his book? “Why are you acting this way?” It was as if his entire personality had changed. The man standing before her was not the Bane she knew. She didn’t want to know this man. Had the UFO affected him so badly? She knew fear did strange things to people.

  Bane ignored her while pitching some of her clothes and toiletries into the duffle bag. He stuffed a blanket in as well and then picked up both bags and headed past her. Josie followed him and watched him rifle through the kitchen cupboards. He packed a frying pan, small pot, and some cooking and eating utensils along with a few sharp knives.

  This was really happening. He was determined they were going to leave. Maybe she was the one with something wrong with her? Should she be taking this more seriously? Was it really an invasion?

  She walked over to the window and stroked Markley’s fur. The UFO still hovered in the sky. It was getting darker out, which made the thing appear even more sinister. It hadn’t moved, and she didn’t see any more of them. Perhaps it was friendly? Maybe just here for a visit?

  She could see the army had arrived and was making its presence known. Helicopters darted around in the sky, though not too close to the spaceship. Military vehicles were all over the streets in addition to soldiers. This was some serious shit.

  If Bane thought it best they leave, then fine, they’d leave. But damned if she was going to leave her cat behind. She headed for the closet but stopped when she stepped on something hard, hurting her foot. They were already sore and aching from the trip home, not to mention her nylons were practically shredded.

  What the hell? It was a ring. An engagement ring to be precise. She bent down and picked it up. She looked over at the kitchen and noticed the steaks marinating on the counter. Their second anniversary...had Bane planned on proposing to her tonight? She felt a lump in her throat. If it weren’t for that damned UFO she and Bane would be celebrating right now.

  She slipped the ring into the pocket of her jacket and went to grab the cat carrier. Markley protested, but she managed to stuff him inside. Bane had taken his backpack into the washroom and she could see him going through the medicine cabinet. He’d left the duffle bag on the kitchen floor, so she stashed a bag of cat food inside and Markley’s food and water dishes. She also put her purse inside. Bane had already stuffed a few water bottles in the bag.

  She set the cat carrier by the apartment door and hurried to change her clothes. Since they’d most likely have to walk—they didn’t own a car, and maneuvering any vehicle outside seemed impossible anyway—she opted to put on a pair of thick socks, jeans, a t-shirt, sweater, and her hiking boots. She was in the living room pulling on her jacket when Bane entered. He fastened up both bags and put them by the door. If he noticed the cat carrier, he didn’t mention it.

  “Ready?” he asked her.

  “As I’ll ever be. It’s bad out there, I just came through it. Are you sure you want to go out? Maybe we should wait ’til morning?”

  “No. The darkness will cover our escape. We leave now,” he insisted.

  “Our escape? Do you really think we’re in danger? Couldn’t it be friendly?”

  “It’s not.”

  Bane wrote sci-fi espionage for a living. He was good at it. But perhaps all that alien stuff had clouded his judgment? By the look on his face she could see there’d be no reasoning with him. His mind was made up. And who knew, maybe he was right? They could be in danger, and leaving now might be their only chance.

  Josie picked up the cat carrier while Bane swung on the backpack and picked up the duffle bag. They headed out into the hallway, and she pulled the door shut and locked it behind them.

  * * * *

  Bane had seen the spaceship outside soon after hanging up the phone with Josie. It was Markley who first drew his attention to it. The cat had perched on the windowsill and hissed, tail swishing back and forth like crazy. Staring out the window, Bane had felt disbelief, then shock, followed by a sharp pain inside his head, which had made him drop to his knees. Images had flooded his brain, causing long-buried memories to rise to the surface. Memories that had no meaning in this world. It was as though they came from someplace else—someone else. But after a few minutes everything had made perfect sense.

  They were under attack. He knew that now. And he had a job to do.

  Vaguely, he recalled who he’d been and the details of the life he’d led. He’d shaken off the lesser character while a stronger identity emerged—one hiding beneath the surface, awaiting its opportunity, its sole purpose. With lightning speed he’d been reminded of his mission—his and several others who’d roamed the Earth with sleeping identities. Now they were united in their objective.

  Survival.

  * * * *

  Bane slung the duffle bag over his shoulder as they left the building, leaving his hands free. He took Josie’s hand in a tight grip, and they headed out.

  Fear gripped Josie’s belly, tying it in knots. Her eyes alternately scanned the spaceship and drifted among the people and their terrified faces. Is this the end? If she’d thought the chaos she’d raced through an hour ago had been bad, it was even worse now. The army’s arrival had not curtailed the anarchy. In fact, it seemed to have enhanced it. Masses of people roamed the streets. Uniformed men and women tried to contain the mob and urged them to return to their homes. Everyone’s heads were turned upward in anticipation and fear.

  Bane seemed to have a destination in mind as he wound them determinedly through the streets. His steps were sure and quick, and Josie had to trust him. Where are we going? She wanted to ask him, but speaking was impossible. The frightened noise of the crowds and boom of megaphones firing instructions would drown out her voice.

  The area beneath the spaceship was now cordoned off by fences and guarded by armed soldiers. Noticing the commotion, Bane drew up and headed down an alleyway, leading them on an alternate route. As they cut through another alley, a man suddenly lurched in front of them, holding a piece of rod iron. From inside his crate, Markley hissed. Bane stopped and pulled Josie behind
him.

  “Out of the way,” Bane said. The cold tone of his voice sent a tremor through Josie. He didn’t sound at all like the man she knew.

  “End of the world,” the man slurred, obviously drunk and deranged.

  “For you it will be if you don’t move,” threatened Bane. He gave Josie a nudge backward and shrugged off the duffle bag and backpack, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

  The man raised the rod. As he brought it down Bane grabbed it. A struggle ensued while Josie stood frozen in shock. “Stop it!” she cried. She put down Markley’s crate in case she had to intercede.

  Bane was a big guy, easily a foot taller than Josie’s five foot four. The man he struggled with was short but stocky. A glimpse of the attacker’s face revealed sudden fear and exhaustion. He now clung to the rod in desperation, possibly wondering what would happen if he dared let go. She’d never seen Bane react with such violence before. He had always been the voice of reason and caution. Josie backed up until her rear end bounced against a pile of trash. All around she could hear panicked voices and rushing footsteps. Strangely, the alley remained ignored.

  Bane moved back enough to lift his booted foot and brace it against the attacker’s belly. He shoved, sending the man reeling back to land on his ass on the pavement, dropping his weapon. Bane grabbed the rod and raised it up. Josie saw his intent as the drunken man cringed and lifted his hands.

  “Don’t! Bane, leave him be.”

  Bane shot a scowl at her before returning his attention to the drunk. “Get out of here,” he snapped.

  The man scrambled to his feet and fled. Bane released the rod and it clattered to the ground. He pulled on the backpack and swung the duffle bag over his shoulder. Then he reached for Josie, his expression cold. Quickly, Josie snatched up Markley’s crate. Hand in hand, they left the alley and hurried down a dark street.

  Chapter 2

  Over an hour later Josie and Bane were still walking. They kept to the far side of the jam-packed highway, cautious of panicked drivers. The spaceship became a small light in the sky behind them, dimming along with the bright city lights. No one stopped to offer them a ride.