by R. D. Brady
“I didn’t know, Maeve. I would not have allowed Alvie to be taken. Yes, I want this lab shut down. Yes, I want Agaren free. But not this way.”
“But why let Alvie be taken? I mean, we don’t have to be here. You would have come for the Gray no matter what once you learned where he was.”
Tilda paused, staring off into the distance before speaking. “But we might not have been successful. Penny brought not only you but the triplets into this. Fighting for them, keeping them safe, reuniting Alvie with them, that is motivating. And not just for us.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Gray has been in captivity for decades. He’s never tried to leave. But Alvie will tap into his protective instincts. Somehow Penny knew that. She knew Alvie being taken would tap into all of our protective instincts.”
“So now what do we do?”
Tilda looked toward the mountain. “We figure a way to shut the mountain down and get Alvie out.”
Maeve glanced back at the house. Penny was their ace in the hole for this mission. But what would happen if things went wrong? Which one of them would she sacrifice next?
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
Tilda had said she had people coming in for the infiltration, which was going to happen tonight. Not that they had a plan, but Tilda said they’d have one along with enough resources by the afternoon.
Maeve was trusting her basically because she didn’t see another option. And besides, Penny’s actions had drained her of any ability to rationally determine who was trustworthy and who was not.
Now Maeve sat outside the house on a log, staring up at the sky. Chris and Adam were off in the woods helping the triplets release some energy. Greg was taking a nap. And Maeve just needed a minute to deal with Penny’s revelation. She was having trouble wrapping her head around the idea that a twelve-year-old girl had done all of this. She had placed all of them in incredible jeopardy. And Alvie, good God, what were they doing to him?
She put a hand to her mouth and swallowed down her fear. She couldn’t give in to it, not now. Alvie needed her. And if she started to let her imagination get away with her, she’d be no good to anyone.
“Dr. Leander?”
Maeve turned as Nadine walked toward her, her steps uncertain. “Hey, Nadine. How are you feeling?”
“A little spacey, to be honest.” She gestured to the log next to Maeve. “May I?”
Maeve really wanted to be alone. But Nadine looked lost and she could empathize with that feeling. “Sure.”
Nadine sat down, and neither of them said anything. But the tension grew until Maeve let out a breath and moved to get up. “I’m going to—”
“I know what Penny did,” Nadine said quickly.
Maeve sat back down again. “Which part?”
“Your friend, Alvie. I know she arranged for him to be taken.”
Maeve sucked in a breath.
“I don’t really know what to make of all this. The triplets, they’re cute and they seem sweet, but at the same time it just all seems so …”
“Unreal.”
“Yeah. Do you feel that way, too?”
Maeve shrugged. “I grew up with Alvie. My mom raised us together. He’s always just been mine. I never really questioned his existence in my life any more than someone would question the existence of a brother or a sister, you know?”
Nadine nodded.
“But when I learned of all the others, even with my exposure to Alvie, it was shocking. It was—”
“Unreal,” Nadine finished for her.
“Yeah.”
“Is Alvie like the triplets?”
Maeve hesitated, not quite sure how to answer that. She didn’t think Nadine would be up for a lecture on cloning. She seemed to be struggling with what she knew right now. So all she said was, “Yes. They’re a lot alike.”
“I’m sorry for what Penny did. I’d say she’s sorry, but I don’t think she is.” Nadine sighed. “I love my daughter, but her way of thinking is very foreign to me sometimes.”
“She’s autistic?”
Surprise flashed across Nadine’s face. “Most people don’t recognize that. They tend to think autism is more of a boy issue.”
Despite the fact that one in sixty-eight children was diagnosed with autism, Maeve knew that autism was woefully underdiagnosed in girls. Most of the characteristics of autism used in diagnoses were created through studies of boys. Girls, however, presented much differently than boys. In fact, brain scans of girls with autism do not appear similar to boys with autism or girls without autism. Instead, they appeared like that of non-autistic boys in the areas of socialization. As a result, intelligent females with autism often imitate social behaviors that they don’t feel to blend in, making their diagnosis difficult. Autistic girls with lower IQs were more likely to be diagnosed earlier than girls with higher IQs.
“She’s high functioning. It took years to get a diagnosis. Females often present different from males, which I didn’t know. I just knew there was something different about her than kids her own age. Girls with it are actually more social, but they still have the obsessive traits, the difficulty reading social cues, and the hand flapping. My husband, he couldn’t handle that Penny was different. He would get mad when she said things in public that embarrassed him. He left when she was six.”
“I’m sorry.”
Nadine shrugged. “Some men are just not meant to be fathers, especially not to a special-needs kid.”
Maeve thought of Chris, who’d immediately embraced his role as the father in their unusual little family. She knew how easily he could have cut and run. But he hadn’t. He stayed. “How’d Penny end up working with the NSA?”
Nadine smiled, but there was a wistful quality to it. “She started reading before she was two. I had a hunch and brought home math cards one day and she would point to the correct answers. Jerrold and I thought we had this genius on our hands. And we did. But then just after her second birthday, her behaviors changed. She would have these fits, and there was nothing we could do to calm her down. And she’d repeat these behaviors over and over again. It was the hand flapping that made Jerrold crazy. One day, he hit her, he was so mad. And that was the day I kicked him out. She hasn’t seen him since. He doesn’t even call on birthdays or holidays. It’s like he just wrote her off.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I bought her her first computer when she was seven. She took to it like a duck to water. We had her in a private school at that point, but it wasn’t really working. She was struggling too much. A lot of the kids were intellectually challenged while Penny was the opposite. She needed more challenge intellectually but less socially. Nowhere seemed the right fit. I knew she was having a tough time. But then one day I came home and she was staring at the wall. She wouldn’t move, she wouldn’t respond. She just stared. She wet herself. I was so scared.” Nadine’s bottom lip trembled.
She took a breath to compose herself before continuing. “I took her to the hospital and she was admitted. She spent a week there and they filled her with different drugs, trying to get the right combo. But it only seemed to make it worse.”
Nadine looked away. “I was up for partner in my law firm at the time. I had been so focused on achieving that goal that I hadn’t noticed she was slipping away. I knew what she needed and I knew the hospital, the schools, they couldn’t give it to her. So I quit and I started homeschooling her. It worked. She came back. Math, science, I couldn’t keep up with her. I ended up taking her to the community college so she could take classes. And one semester, I signed her up for a management information systems course. By the end of the semester, government agencies were lining up on our doorstep trying to get her to work for them.”
“I didn’t want to let her at first. She was just a kid. But computers, they gave her a joy that nothing else did. Something about all that information and being able to control it, understand it—I think it gives her a purpose. She struggles in so many ways, but never the
re.”
“So I asked her what she wanted to do. And she told me she wanted to work for the NSA. She was ten. So every morning I drive her to the NSA building at Buckley. I started working for them as well. Nothing too serious. I review employee contracts and some other legal agreements. But I get to be in the same building as her in case there’s a problem and I actually get to use my law degree.”
“Did you know she was contacting people outside the agency?”
“No, but then again, I never knew what she worked on. She has a higher clearance than me. I thought, at worst, she was intercepting emails or something. But tracking down aliens? No, that never crossed my mind.”
Maeve knew Nadine had had it rough but still … “Why do you think she did this?”
“That’s actually why I came out here to speak with you. I don’t always understand her motivations, but this one … I think I do. This Gray—he’s important to her. I know it seems crazy. She’s never met with him, never spoken with him, but somehow she’s connected with him. And that’s not something she’s been able to do with many people.”
“Because of the autism.”
“Yes and no. Friends are something Penny has never been able to make. It’s not just the autism that makes it difficult, it’s how smart she is. She just can’t fit in with kids her age. She’s never going to giggle over boys or wander the mall with friends to find the perfect outfit. She doesn’t understand why girls would do that. But she wants to want to do that.”
“And she thinks of the Gray as a friend,” Maeve said.
“Yeah,” Nadine said.
Maeve still smarted at what Penny had done to Alvie, but she could feel Nadine’s anguish for her daughter. She gave her a small smile. “On the bright side, I think we can all agree that Penny takes loyalty to friends to whole new level.”
Nadine shook her head and returned the smile. “Yeah, it is a weird sort of good sign. But I know that Penny has put us all in the crosshairs. And I’m guessing whatever you all have planned next will be dangerous.”
“It will be.”
Nadine’s eyes were serious. “Tilda said there are some people that can help if things don’t turn out the way we hope.”
“Yeah, she mentioned that.”
“I promise you, I will get the triplets there and make sure they’re safe. After all this, it’s the least I can do.”
“Thank you.”
Nadine nodded, standing up. “Okay. I’m going to go see if I can get Penny to eat and maybe the triplets. Do they eat normal food?”
“They really like mac and cheese.”
Nadine smiled. “Penny, too. Well, I’ll make a lot.” She headed back for the house.
But Penny was already heading out the door, Tilda right behind her. “She’s almost here,” Penny said.
Maeve stood, wiping off her pants. “Who?”
Tilda grinned. “An ally, apparently.”
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
DULCE, NEW MEXICO
It was almost midday when Norah and Iggy crossed into Dulce, New Mexico. Although Guardian hadn’t told them where they were heading, she’d figured it out a few hours ago. It was the only place that made sense. After all, if you’re in New Mexico and wondering about aliens, Dulce was pretty much the only option right after Roswell. But she couldn’t figure out why Leander would be here.
The Tesla pulled off the highway and onto a small side road. Soon they were heading away from any sort of civilization, and wide-open spaces greeted them. Norah took out the Glock and checked the magazine again, even though she’d checked it half a dozen times so far.
The Tesla slowed down and turned onto a dirt road. The car bucked a little at the uneven surface and Iggy, who was perched on the back of Norah’s chair, gave a little cry. She reached up and patted his arm. “It’s okay,” she said, hoping she wasn’t lying.
They drove along for another five minutes, Norah only getting more tense. Then Iggy let out a growl as the Tesla came to a stop. A thick copse of trees surrounded them, but there was no sign of life.
The hairs on the back of Norah’s neck stood straight up. Somebody’s watching us.
Get out.
The words appeared on the dashboard display.
The doors unlocked. Norah silently cursed herself up one side and down the other. What the hell had she been thinking, blindly following a voice on a car? She was in the middle of nowhere. A perfect place to ambush her and Iggy without anyone catching sight.
“God damn it,” she muttered. She looked up at Iggy. “You stay behind me, okay?”
Iggy just looked at her. She sighed, wishing she knew whether or not he understood her. Taking a breath, she cracked the door open. It sounded like a gunshot in the quiet woods.
She had just stepped out of the car when a voice yelled out. “Gun!”
“Shit!” Norah dove for the ground, slamming the door shut to prevent Iggy from escaping as she hightailed it around the front of the car. “Guardian!” she yelled. “Guardian sent me.”
No gunfire answered her. A male voice called out. “Who are you?”
“Norah Tidwell, formerly with D.E.A.D.”
“Formerly?” he asked.
“Well, they tried to kill me the last two times I saw them, so yeah, formerly.” She took a breath. “I’m looking for Dr. Maeve Leander.”
The voice took on a harsher tone. “Why?”
Norah sighed. “Because she once told me that not all aliens were evil. And I need her help protecting one.”
She could hear arguing not far from her, though she couldn’t make out the words. Then a female voice called out. “Agent Tidwell?”
Norah looked toward the spot where the voice had come from but couldn’t see anything. “Leander?”
“My friends here won’t let you come any closer until you throw down your weapon.”
Norah hesitated, but she was outgunned. And she recognized Leander’s voice. “Okay. I’m throwing it out.” She tossed the gun toward the light.
“Come out with your hands up.”
Norah closed her eyes with a groan. Stupid, stupid. As Norah stood, movement to her left drew her attention. A small figure darted from the shadows and stood in front of Norah. She backed up, hitting her lower back against the car, her eyes wide. It was an alien. It looked like some sort of Gray but not like any of the ones she’d seen. It looked a little more human somehow. She sensed no threat from the creature. It reached up and took her hand.
Two more appeared behind it. Norah’s eyes grew wider. “Um, Leander?”
“Agent Tidwell, I’d like you to meet Snap, Crackle, and Pop. And somehow you seem to have earned their approval.” Maeve Leander stepped out from behind a tree.
Norah felt the tension leave her shoulders, knowing the danger had passed. “I could really use your help.”
“We’re not really in a position to help anyone right now.” A man she recognized as Chris Garrigan stepped out from the other side of the car. She hadn’t heard him approach.
The triplets stepped away from Norah and moved quickly to the car door, bouncing up, trying to see inside. A mewling sound came from inside the car followed by an excited cry. “Ig! Ig! Ig!”
Maeve frowned. “What is that?”
“That is Iggy,” Norah said, meeting Leander’s curious gaze. “And he’s the reason I’m here.”
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
Maeve was having a tough time believing that Agent Tidwell was sitting across from her right now. Norah had looked equally shocked when Greg appeared, hale and hearty. But that was nothing compared to the shock on all of their faces when they met Iggy.
Norah explained how she had come across Iggy and what she had done to keep him safe. And Maeve was impressed. The woman had guts and conviction. Right now, Iggy was jumping around with the triplets and Hope. But every few minutes he would run back to Norah and sit in her lap for a few seconds, as if to assure himself that she was still there. And he was awfully cute with those big eyes
and big belly. He would let out this little purr each time he snuggled into Norah’s lap. For being together for such a short time, he had most definitely bonded to her.
And yet again it was Guardian who had brought her to them.
What were you thinking, Penny? Maeve would like to just ask her what her overall plan was, but she didn’t think that would get her the answers she wanted. From studying her actions, it seemed Penny’s goal was protecting aliens, in spite of what she had done to Alvie. But even that, looking at it from Penny’s perspective, she could see. Penny thought that having Alvie get pinched was the best chance for the rest of them to save the Gray. It was just the emotional cost of that action that the young genius did not understand.
And the emotions of the bond between Iggy and Norah was probably beyond Penny’s understanding as well.
Maeve watched Iggy totter off after the triplets again. Greg watched him go with a giant smile on his face. “You have your own personal gnome. Do you realize how cool that is?”
Norah flashed him a brief smile. “Iggy’s a pretty special little guy.” Then her smiled dimmed. “But that hasn’t stopped my old agency from trying to kill him … and me.”
“If it makes you feel any better, the government is trying to kill us, too,” Greg said.
Norah’s voice was Sahara dry when she spoke. “Believe it or not, that doesn’t make me feel better.”
“Yeah, it probably wouldn’t make me feel better, either,” Greg muttered.
Maeve took pity on Greg before he could shove his foot any further into his mouth. “I didn’t see anyone that looked like him in the files.”
“He’s not in the official files. I checked,” Norah said.
Tilda watched the little guy with a look of awe. “He’s one of the purebreds. He’s a Maldek. They’re one of the less intelligent species. They were home guardians, similar to dogs. Affectionate, but passionately protective when bonded.”
