by Pamela Fryer
If she hadn’t taken this case, she would still live in her naïve little cocoon, thinking Earth was a lonely little planet and giant spiders didn’t exist.
She glanced sideways at Jager.
If she hadn’t taken this case, she never would have met him. Warmth started in her middle and swept out across her limbs. She had to admit he was a special kind of guy, and meeting him had definitely been worth it.
Even though the world as I know it has been changed forever.
He watched back expectantly. He wanted an explanation, she could see it in his eyes, but he was polite enough not to ask.
“There’s a burrito for you in the bag.” Her throat was thick with emotion. All these feelings, both pleasant and unpleasant, ricocheted around in her skull in a whirlwind of confusion. “Unwrap the tinfoil,” she added as an afterthought.
“A young donkey?”
She laughed. “Don’t worry. He’s cooked all the way through.”
Jager grinned back. His smile was like medicine, easing the turmoil weighing on her heart. She slotted the coffee cups into the car’s cup holders and held the bag while Jager put on his seatbelt. She flipped a U-turn and made the first right, heading for town hall.
In her peripheral vision, Brooke watched him take a cautious bite and then attack it with gusto. He finished the burrito in record time. “Donkey is delicious.”
She laughed again. “There’s another, if you want it.”
“It is for you.”
“I lost my appetite.”
Jager unwrapped the top of the second burrito. He then handed it to her. “You must eat. Even if you are not hungry, your body needs nourishment.”
She took it in one hand and steered with the other. It was as good as she remembered. Maxine’s Denver burritos were a staple in high school. But two bites into it, her stomach started to war with her mouth.
“That’s all I can eat. You finish it.”
Like a typical male, he didn’t need any more convincing. She’d been stupid not to have bought three. A man Jager’s size probably needed a hefty amount of food.
She pulled into the empty parking lot at town hall. Despite the miserable encounters that seemed to have stretched on for hours, they were still ahead of Esther.
She parked by the front door to the building and killed the engine. Other than her car, the lot was empty. She could feel Jager’s inquisitive eyes, but each time she glanced over, he tried to hide his curiosity.
A long time ago Brooke had learned it was better to volunteer the information she wanted to share rather than being blindsided with uncomfortable questions about things she didn’t.
Like “Are you fertile?” Lordy, if she’d only seen that one coming.
She sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy.
“You asked me why I hadn’t married. The truth is I was going to.” She glanced at him. “The man in the alley. Richard.”
Jager’s attention perked. “He does not seem a suitable mate for you.”
“He was a lot different when I knew him before. He was my partner at the Portland Police Department, and for a while, he was a good cop. A damned good cop. We worked on the violent crimes unit together. No one knew we were engaged. The department frowned on that sort of thing.” She smiled. “I even had a wedding dress.”
“Ceremonial garb. I saw images in the data files during hypersleep.”
She wanted to know what that was, but Brooke needed to get her story out first, before she chickened out.
“Three months before our wedding, I learned he was taking money from drug dealers, with two other dirty cops you could have met if you’d come into Maxine’s with me.”
It had already been a hell of a day, and it wasn’t even ten in the morning.
“Peter Yelton was really the ringleader, as best as I could figure. One night, they ran into some trouble with three drug peddlers who didn’t want to part with their money. The other cop, Alex Christy, called Richard on his cell phone to keep it off the record. I went along because I didn’t really know what was going on and I trusted Richard. I guess I was naive.”
Her mouth filled with a sour taste. She worried the two bites of burrito were going to make a second appearance. She swallowed and went on.
“When we got there, we found three dead drug dealers, killed in what appeared to be a fight between themselves. No doubt the scene was staged by Yelton and Christy, but it was never proved.”
Jager nodded. “I understand.”
“Anyway, one of the other men was still alive; he was just pretending. When he thought no one was looking, he got up and tried to run. It surprised Richard, and he shot him.”
She shivered as the memory chilled her. Five years later, and just thinking of the incident had this effect on her. She wondered if she’d ever get over it.
“Afterward, Christy planted a gun on one of the dealers. They took the money and some of the drugs. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe what they were doing, all of them in silent agreement as though it was planned ahead, or they had done it before. They set up the scene with military precision. I was too afraid to say anything, and I was heartbroken that Richard was a part of it.”
Brooke balled up a napkin to absorb the sweat greasing her palms. “Peter Yelton, the other dirty cop, kept looking at me like he thought I was going to freak out. I was on the verge of it, believe me. He took Richard aside and they started arguing about my being there. I knew it couldn’t end well.”
She took a deep, shuddering breath. “While they were distracted, I ran. It was past midnight and we were in the worst part of Portland. They were breathing down my neck the whole time. They would have killed me if they’d caught me. I got away by slipping into the sewer system.”
Jager nodded. “I understand now why you did not want to venture into the sewer pipes with me.” He moved his hand as if to touch hers where she rested it on her thigh, squeezing the napkin into a tiny wad, but at the last minute he seemed to reconsider. “Not on any planet have I ever encountered a woman with your courage.”
“Courage had nothing to do with it. Desperation to live was more like it. I was terrified. I blew the whistle on them, and later I testified against all three. The charges were dropped against Peter Yelton, but Richard and Alex Christy went to prison. I haven’t seen Richard since.”
“He is a jock.”
“I think you mean a jerk.”
“It is fortunate you survived. I am glad to have met you, Brooke.”
She mustered a smile, while inside it was a battle to keep the burrito down. “Thanks, Jager. I’m glad to have met you too.”
“You must have been hailed a champion.”
“I lost my job.”
Jager frowned. “But you did nothing wrong.”
“I turned on my partner. In the police department, there’s an unwritten code. You don’t betray your fellow officers, even if they are criminals.” She sighed. In a way, it was nice he didn’t understand such ugly politics. “I knew that would happen when I started. The police department didn’t want me, and I didn’t want them either. I don’t need someone calling me a rat because I did what I believed was right.”
“A rodent?”
“It’s a slang term. Rats are vile, disease-carrying vermin. They exist in a colony but they’ll steal food from one another. Being compared to one is not a compliment. It’s synonymous with one who cannot be trusted, someone who turns on his friend.”
“It seems to me it was Richard who betrayed you.”
Brooke smiled. She liked Jager more and more.
“Slang was defined while I was in hypersleep, but I confess I do not understand it.”
She laughed. “You’ll get used to it.”
“I will not be here long enough to get used to it.”
He had a job to do. Once done, he would leave. The thought made her sad. “I would have liked to get to know you better, Jager Tolon.”
“And I you, Brooke Weaver.” The barest hint of a smi
le found his lips. He stared at her with traces of longing in those pale eyes. He glanced to her lips, and back. She wondered if he was going to kiss her. She was feeling so weird this morning, she just might let him.
A car pulled into the parking spot beside her, breaking the spell.
“That’s Esther.”
They got out of the car into warm sunshine peeking through thick, fluffy clouds. Brooke knew what a rarity this was in Oregon in November. She tilted her face toward the sky to enjoy the rays.
“Hello dear. I’m so glad you called me.” Esther hurried over and hugged her. She seemed to have grown six inches wider and six inches shorter since Brooke had seen her last. “I’m delighted to be of help. This is so exciting!”
“I appreciate your coming out on your day off.”
“Pshaw!” She glanced at Jager. “Who’s your handsome friend?”
“This is Jager. He’s with...the CIA. The girl we’re looking for has something important, so it’s imperative we find her right away.”
“Oh my.” Esther put a hand to her cheek as she glanced at Jager with awe in her plump face. “You believe the poor girl’s gone into the access tunnels?” She searched through an enormous ring of keys as she led them to the front doors.
“We followed her in there last night.”
“Why on earth anyone in their right mind would go in there, I don’t know.”
“She escaped from the cult after the raid.” Brooke and Jager followed Esther inside and waited for her to lock the doors behind them. “They’re trained to take drastic measures to escape the authorities.”
“Well, I’d agree those are pretty drastic measures.” Esther’s brows inched up her forehead. “I don’t envy you, having to go in there after her.”
Brooke handed her the cup they’d brought from Maxine’s. “Here’s your tea. Dolores says ‘super-sized hi.’”
“Oh, thank you, dear.” She stopped at the elevator and used a key to call it. “We’re going to Archives. It’s in the basement.” She sipped her tea and made a happy sound.
Esther brought them to a cavernous room filled with rows of file cabinets. She flipped a switch on the wall, and greenish neon lights kicked on with a loud buzz. She wound her way inside to a row of tables in the center. On them were four microfiche machines.
“A lot of the older records have been placed on computer, but the access tunnels haven’t been used since the new substation went in six years ago. That was before J&M Machining pulled out. Nobody ever transferred the tunnels to digital.”
She pulled open an enormous drawer with tiny reels and began thumbing through. “Be thankful I’m an oldie but goodie. The younger girls in the office don’t even know how to work these things.” She winked. “Fortunately the machines can print on our laser printer. Nice, big, eleven-by-fourteen prints.”
“Esther, you’re a lifesaver. Literally.”
“I hope so, for that poor girl’s sake.” She loaded a reel onto the machine. “Now, what exactly do you need? The tunnels were once an extension of Heatherdale’s, but in the twenties when Ridgemont started growing and created its own facilities department, they expanded. Sometime around 1933, the connector was closed off and a pond was formed. You know, the one near the dam?”
“Eww. That was once part of Heatherdale’s water treatment plant? We used to go swimming up there.”
“It could be worse. Some people eat fish they catch up there.” Esther pursed her lips and nodded. “Here we go. This is the schematic. You look around for the pages you want and I’ll go turn the printer on.”
Brooke took her seat in front of the machine and Jager leaned over her shoulder. “Are you able to make any sense of this?” he asked her.
She identified the old water treatment plant and the new processing facility, but without other structures as landmarks, it was hard to make sense of the vining tunnels. “The access tunnels are numbered on the schematic. It looks like fifty-two, fifty-three, and fifty-four are inside the old plant.” She looked over her shoulder and met his eyes. “I remember seeing a five painted on the wall, but the rest of it was covered in mold. I didn’t think to make note of it.”
“Nor did I.”
“I suppose we could go back there and enter through the same pipe. Since that’s where the Tetra went down, that’s probably the best place to start again. And that way we could get the number and identify our location on the map.”
“That is a wise decision.” He spoke softly so Esther couldn’t hear. “I must return to my ship for medicine anyhow.” The low rumble of his deep voice caused bumps to rise on Brooke’s flesh.
Did this man have any idea how damned sexy he was? She turned around and scrolled through the maps, though she didn’t really see.
She felt a touch to her hair. Jager picked up a lock of it and rubbed it between his fingers. Did he think she didn’t feel that? Anyone else and she would have a few choice words, but Jager...he made her feel like melting butter.
“Okay, the printer’s ready,” Esther called. “Fire away.”
“We’ll start with grid six,” Brooke said over a gulp. “This is the farthest possible point it...she could go since the tunnels are cut off at the old water treatment plant.”
She leaned sideways and felt a slight bump as Jager’s hand returned to the back of her chair.
“How’s that printing, Esther?”
“Just fine, dear.” She ambled over and showed Brooke the print. “LaserJet is so nice, isn’t it?”
It was easier to make sense of it on paper. “I’m going to print the surrounding grids. That okay?”
“Absolutely. The information in this room is public, and the printer is paid for with taxpayer dollars.”
Esther returned to the printer to wait for the sheets. Five minutes later, they had everything they needed.
“Esther, I can’t thank you enough,” Brooke told her as they walked back to the door.
“Nonsense! The person who wouldn’t help you is a person I don’t want to meet.”
Brooke felt a pang of homesickness. No one she knew in New York would offer such generosity. If only this town wasn’t haunted, she might consider coming home.
“I’m proud to know I helped. You just find that girl and help her get straightened out.”
“I’m going to do my damnedest.”
The bright sunshine outside stung her eyes. She was weary to the bone. Maybe it was time to quit this racket. They stopped at the cars. Library sciences was sounding better and better.
“The girl we’re looking for hitchhiked here from New York. Some sleazy pervert tried to grope her and she stabbed him in the leg. The man wasn’t hurt badly, but she’s wanted on assault charges. Her father is a senator who’s going to get it all taken care of, but in the meantime, I don’t want her taken into custody. She’s messed up and needs professional care, not a jail cell.”
“I understand.” Esther pinched two fingers at the corner of her mouth and made a zipping motion. “I never saw you.”
Brooke hugged her. “You’re a doll.”
“I do hope you’ll consider coming back to Ridgemont. You’re terribly missed.”
“And you’ve reminded me how much I miss it too. I’m seriously considering it.”
“Well then, right now I’ll settle for that, and a promise you’ll tell me how this all turns out.”
“You got it.”
* * * * *
As Brooke settled into the driver’s seat, she felt as if her body continued moving sideways for another three seconds. She grabbed the steering wheel in an effort to steady her shifting vision.
“Esther is a kind woman. She must be very old. At what age does an Earth human’s hair turn pink?”
Brooke laughed. “Not everyone’s does. Sometimes it turns blue.”
“Ah.”
“Just a minute,” she told him. Brooke hopped out and opened the trunk. She took out two bottles of water from the case she always carried and gave one to Jager. She st
arted the car, opened hers, and drank half in one swig before pulling out of the parking lot.
Jager frowned. “Brooke, are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine. Just really thirsty.” She pulled onto the two-lane highway leading out of town. “Tell me more about this Intergalactic Alliance.”
“The Interplanetary Alliance.” He sighed out his obvious reluctance.
“Confidential information?”
“I face punishment for what I have already told you.”
“I think under the circumstances it was necessary. Besides, I just told you my life story. You owe me.”
He sighed again.
“Look, I know men from any planet don’t like to talk, but you better start giving up the goods. I’m not going to write a book or anything.” She threw a sideways scowl. “If there is such a big alliance, why is it Earth isn’t involved? Earth isn’t involved, is it?”
“It is not. Your planet has been observed since the first single-celled life-forms developed, and more closely watched since Homo sapiens evolved. Because this is a living planet with self-sustaining resources, yours is a protected solar system. It is Article Ninety-three of the Interplanetary Alliance’s charter. No alien visitation is permitted, and contact is regulated by the officers of the Alliance.”
Wow. That was a lot to take in, and she wasn’t quite sure she even got it all. When the car’s tires hit the center line, she swerved back into her own lane.
“So, Earth is just a little wildlife refuge in the grand scheme of the universe?”
“The laws have not stopped illegal landings, like the outlaw I pursued here two of your Earth years ago.”
“Did you get him?”
“Of course I did.” The way he said it didn’t sound cocky at all, only like he was surprised she didn’t know that.
Brooke was learning to appreciate this guy more and more. Jager was Earth’s personal savior.
“Has anyone who ever stopped here gone missing? Like in 1958?”
“Many of your legends are based on true occurrences, but the incident you are referring to is fictitious.”
