“Where is she?” Terrance asked. He looked sickly: pale and slick with a light sheen of sweat.
“Who?” I asked, before noticing Leslie wasn’t in any cell down the hall. “Leslie?”
He nodded. Sitting on the edge of his small cot in the tiny room, he looked half the size he had when we found them in Nashville.
They hadn’t filled me in on any of this. I imagined the two prisoners would have been kept apart so they could interrogate each alone.
“She’s fine.” I didn’t like making it up, but these people killed in cold blood, and I didn’t think a white lie was tipping the karmic scale in their case.
His head hung down below his shoulders. “Dean, we just want to leave Earth.”
“And where do you want to go?” I asked.
“There’s a place. Just get them to let us go, and there will be no further trouble.” It sounded like a veiled threat.
“What makes you think they’ll listen to me? I’m just an accountant.”
He made a noise like a snicker. “If you ask, they’ll consider it.”
These guys really gave me more pull than I had. I felt like an outsider at the base, but also knew that might change the longer I was there. Not that that was comforting.
“Why should I? We talked to Clayton in D.C. and he blamed you guys,” I said, voice rising slightly.
He looked up from his stoop, making eye contact with me. “The shooting in D.C. was our doing. We knew it would get your attention. There was no other way we could get you in front of us to talk.”
There had been a couple other shootings around the country in the past week, and Heart thought they might be connected to them. “Do you have anything to do with the other recent shootings?”
He shook his head. “No, we don’t. You know how people are. Once a rumor starts, it spreads like wildfire. You don’t think there are hundreds of people in the US that wouldn’t conspire to frame the hybrids for something like this? They hate us. They blame us for all their loved ones being dead, for them being ripped from their homes into the sky, and the torture they endured as they starved in space. Can you imagine their hatred? It’s venomous, and we just want to leave.”
He made a good point, but something was missing. “If you wanted to get our attention, why did you run when we showed up? Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”
He shrank back. “We had our reasons, and they’ll be clear to you soon.”
I hated all the vague talk, and told him so, to which he just shrugged.
“If you want me to believe you, you better damned well give me something more than your word and a shrug,” I barked, standing up quickly. The chair flew back, clanging against the metal floor.
Terrance stood too, face right against the plastic wall between us. “Dean, they’re probably coming, and I don’t want to be here when they get here. Is that what you want to hear?” He was yelling, spittle hitting the barrier.
My pulse raced at his words. He was right. I could almost feel it in my hybrid blood. With each heartbeat, the Bhlat were closer to Earth, or closer to finding our location.
“They told me you claim you didn’t kill those guards in Long Island. Tell me.” Our faces were inches apart.
“We would never have hurt them. They were our friends. Where all the rest of them looked at us with contempt, they were always nice to us. They understood our plight more than anyone. Someone set us up, and I bet it was that piece of crap, Skip.” His anger faded, and he was moving back to the cot’s edge. If I was ever going to read someone’s truth, at that moment, I would have said he wasn’t lying. But how did the guards end up dead just as the two of them were leaving? Skip was an odd man, but was he capable of a setup like that… and murder?
“Tell me everything you know about the Bhlat,” I said, grabbing a notepad from my back pocket.
_____________
Dust flew in the air behind our truck tires as Magnus drove down the side road away from the base. In the daylight, the dome just looked like more rocky terrain, and I was once again amazed at the technology.
“We’re leaving in a couple days, Dean.” Magnus tried to sip from his coffee travel mug, and almost splashed on himself as we hit a bump.
“How much more do you need?” I asked. They’d had an endless train of materials coming to the base over the last month. All of the product was being sent to a warehouse in Santa Fe. From there, Heart’s crew picked it up.
“There were a few items they couldn’t procure, or wouldn’t, so here we are,” he said, grinning widely.
I knew this to mean cigars, Scotch, and a less than palatable Scandinavian beer.
“I wish you were coming with us, bud,” Magnus said. “I can’t believe they’re breaking up the Beatles. You know, we thought about turning them down.” This was the first time he’d told me that.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and they need you two out there. If anyone can kick some ass if needed, it’s you two.”
“Well, I hope there are no asses there that need kicking. I kind of just want to play colonist farmer. Build a cottage on the beach. Maybe start a family.” He looked at me in his periphery.
A family. I knew they were a couple, but the idea of Magnus and Nat sitting on their porch drinking sweet tea while the kids ran around the yard was a strange image, though also one I truly wished for them.
“You’ll be a great dad. That much I know,” was all I could say.
“How about you two lovebirds?” He was fishing for information, and I wondered if it was coming from his own curiosity, or if Nat had given him a mission. They had their suspicions about our new engagement but had been nice enough to only ask indirectly. I wished he would just ask the question straight out.
“Magnus, you’re my best friend, so I’m going to cut to the chase. I asked her to marry me…” I was cut off by him almost driving into the ditch. He’d been staring at me, not the road.
“Really? Who did you ask?” he asked sarcastically. As we swung back to the packed-down dirt road, he looked at me apologetically, but his grin was as wide as I’d ever seen it. “I knew it! Nat owes me ten bucks!”
We laughed and chatted about the future over the next hour on the way to Santa Fe. It was so nice to put all the other stuff aside, and just be friends on a road trip.
We entered the city, and Magnus had me check the nav system for something I hadn’t even thought about, mainly because Mary said it wasn’t necessary: a jewelry store.
We passed by a school just on the border of the city, probably catering to all the deep-dwelling super-suburban families, as well as the rural ones. Some children romped in the playground, but the few that were there seemed subdued, swinging in silence. Teachers had always been an important commodity, but now their task of helping educate these traumatized youths was a huge task. Magnus had brought up children, and I wasn’t sure I could ever go down that alley. With Janine unable to have kids, I’d thought that ship had sailed. Of course, now I knew why. Because she wasn’t human. I thought the world’s birth rate would either take a drastic nose dive over the next year, or people would be happy to be alive, and take pleasure in the fact.
Magnus must have looked at a map before we left, because he seemed to know exactly where he was going without checking the GPS. Soon we arrived at a strip mall on the outskirts of Santa Fe, lined with generic franchises, some of which weren’t open, the windows boarded up.
Other stores were doing business as usual. After the Event, so many business owners were no longer with us that their companies were sometimes handed to family members, who often didn’t want the burden of running a post-Event-world store, which I didn’t blame them for. I could hardly go back to bean-counting after everything we’d been through, so I understood completely. But life did need to go on, normalcy and routine were necessary to rebuild our world, and many businesses did end up running after it was all said and done.
The first stop was a liquor store. The building looked
new, but it’d seen better days, like the whole area. A couple down-on-their-luck guys hung out on the sidewalk in front of it. With all the housing and new jobs becoming available, it made me sad to still see what looked like poverty, though I could probably attribute it more to addiction.
“Good thing they gave me a company card. This could get ugly.” Magnus smiled widely as he flung the door open. “Come on,” he called as he walked past the two sitting men.
The liquor store was half empty, but considering logistics were just starting to get back in order, that wasn’t a surprise. A lot of these places were looted in the weeks people arrived back on Earth. Newfound life, and all some of the population could do was steal from each other. I thought about the colony ship leaving and felt a stab of guilt as I wished I could leave Earth behind and just start fresh somewhere else.
“Hello, good sir.” Magnus walked up to the cashier, who looked almost as large as his new customer.
The man grunted. “What can I do for you fine gentlemen?” he asked, eyeballing us suspiciously. I was grateful we’d decided on not wearing our uniforms. Something told me we might be dealing with some more hostility if we had.
“Scotch. I want it all.” Magnus raised his eyebrows as he spoke.
“Sure thing. We got some good stuff left over here.” The man started to walk to the next aisle.
“No. I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. I want it all. The stuff out back.” I had no idea what the hell Magnus was talking about, but he seemed to.
“Who are you?” the burly proprietor asked.
“Let’s just say, the president would be very thankful if you could supply me with what I need,” Magnus said, and the man took a step back.
“Look, I ain’t doing nothing the other stores ain’t,” he said, hands raised in the air as if to feign no responsibility for something.
“Relax. I just heard through the grapevine you had the best selection of 20-year-old Scotch in the area, and a lot of it, I might add. I’m paying, and I don’t even need a great deal on it,” Magnus said, and the man’s tense posture did relax.
“Why didn’t you say so? Drive around back. I’ll get you set up.” The man was now smiling like he’d won the lottery. “Name’s Gus.”
I followed Gus, our new friend, through the staff-only doors, and into the small warehouse space. He slid open a door, revealing a semi-truck trailer full of liquor. Magnus popped through the steel door beside it and whistled when he saw the stacks of hazel liquid he was after.
Twenty minutes later, we were leaving, our truck canopy three-quarters full of various booze bottles. I’d even grabbed a few bottles of some nice Bordeaux for Mary and myself. A few was actually a case. We had no idea how long we would be cooped up in that dome, so I couldn’t be too careful.
“Next stop coming up,” my big friend said, once again grinning like a school kid who’d just pulled a prank.
We drove through what was once an affluent neighborhood, only half the yards were untrimmed, and nature was on the warpath after being left for a year. The houses were large, with great yards and long driveways. After a few lefts and rights, Magnus pulled over as we approached a dark Spanish-style house.
“We’re here,” he exclaimed, as if I’d know where here was.
He took a case of Scotch out of the truck and nodded me to follow him up the driveway. A dog barked from inside the house, and it warmed my heart a bit. So many animals hadn’t made it after being without food or water for so long.
Magnus trudged up the steps, setting the case of Scotch down, and knocked on the wooden door. Moments later, it opened, and a German Shepherd growled cautiously from behind a screen door. I eyed him warily.
“How can I help you?” an old man asked, and I noticed him for the first time. Through the screen, he wasn’t much more than a dark top and a wisp of white hair.
“I’m Magnus. My friend Slate told me you could be of service.” He lightly kicked the box of liquor at his feet.
The man’s face came closer and he unlocked the door, pushing it open slowly. We ceased to exist as he licked his lips and looked down at the step.
“Yes, yes, come on in. Jasper, be good to these fine folks.” With that, we entered the old man’s large home. It was tidy, but I got the sense it hadn’t been cleaned in a while. An odor wafted to me, reminding me of my history professor at university: seeds and shuffleboard dust.
“Don’t mind the mess, I don’t get much company any longer,” he said, and led us past the large two-story foyer and into an office on the right. It was full of built-in cherry red bookcases and a large desk. The kind that didn’t hold a computer, just papers and a phone.
He gestured to us to sit in the matching leather chairs on the opposite side of the desk, and we obliged him, Magnus leaving the Scotch on the floor near the door.
“What’s this all about?” I asked Magnus, who still had that big goofy grin covering the lower half of his face.
“You’ll see,” he replied.
“I’m assuming you heard of me through some reliable source or another, which hopefully means you’re trustworthy. My name’s Herman, and that furry fiend is Jasper,” the older man said. I scanned the walls and saw pictures of what I could only assume was family. The big house seemed empty now except for Herman and his dog.
He seemed to notice me looking and cleared his throat. “My daughter is still with us. Moved to Africa to help with those remaining there. Water wells are their priority, but most of the population has now moved to plumbed-in areas. She says that in a few years, they should be able to cut back deaths related to bacteria in water by ninety percent over there.” He paused, and his eyes were misty with emotion. “My wife passed before everything… five years ago. Anyway, down to business. You need a couple of rings?”
Rings? What did he mean?
“Yep. Two of your finest engagement rings. Then some matching bands. For me and my partner in crime over here.” Magnus winked at me.
The man leaned back in his chair. “Oh. I see. Well, congrats on finding each other in this tumultuous time.”
Finding each other? “I think you may have the wrong idea. I’m recently engaged, so I get that, but Magnus…” I stopped and his smile grew even larger.
“Going to ask the question right before we go. Figured we could have a big party,” he said.
“I’ll be damned. Nat’s going to make an honest man out of you after all!” I was on my feet and so was my big friend. We were hugging, and I saw Herman looking at us like he knew a secret we didn’t. That look was enough to get me to stop our man hug.
Herman used a key, turning it to reveal a sliding drawer. From it, he pulled a briefcase, which was also locked with one of those old spinning combination locks. He spun the individual rows until he had the right passcode and clicked the case open with his back to us.
“Here we go,” he said, spinning around and setting the display case down on the desk. My breath caught as I saw a wide assortment of ridiculously large stones in various cuts, in numerous settings. But those weren’t what I saw first. A ring with a large green stone sat among the plethora of pink and white diamonds.
“Where did you get that?” I asked, heart stuck in my throat.
He looked at me for a moment and didn’t say anything. I could feel the pendant against my chest and had forgotten I’d even been wearing it. It was as if it knew another like it was around, causing it to make tiny vibrations. Probably just my imagination.
“I’ve procured some interesting items over the last year. You see, I was a jewelry and stone trader before.” He didn’t have to say before what. “I heard about these magnificent stones and had to have one for my collection. I haven’t shown another soul, until I saw the Hero of Earth show up at my door. Thought you might appreciate it, Dean.” His voice was calm, a contradiction to what I was feeling.
“Wait, I thought the government got all the stones back. Unless someone chosen didn’t tell them about it, and kept i
t,” I said, seeing the picture of his grown daughter on the wall. She looked athletic, strong, and just the type of person the Kraski would have selected for the mission. And she was now conveniently in Africa, away from prying ears and eyes. “Are you willing to part with it?”
His eyes misted over lightly, just for a moment. “That depends on the bargain.”
I hardly heard them negotiating, but in a few minutes, Magnus had the green-stoned ring in a bag, and we were looking at the other rings. Mary had told me she’d never cared about huge diamond rings. It was something she’d told Bob, but he hadn’t listened, and she’d spent the next few years walking around with a carat and a half on her hand. When I picked out a small pink diamond set on a thin band, they gave me inquisitive looks.
“Oh, very elegant,” Herman said.
Magnus had a huge princess cut for Natalia, and when we had matching wedding bands to go with the engagement rings, we were back at the door, the Scotch still in Herman’s office. Jasper got a last scratch behind the ear, and we were off.
“What else did you give him in exchange?” I asked as the door shut on us.
“I told him the Earth Defense wouldn’t come turn his house upside down looking for more alien jewelry. He was all smiles after that,” Magnus said, hefting the bag of rings in his left hand.
“You knew the whole time?”
“They were talking about a ring seller under suspicion of having one. Not sure how they knew. Maybe they found a way to track it, or they heard rumors of his daughter being one of those left behind. Either way, we have it, and I figured while we were at it, we can get our beautiful ladies some bling.” The word sounded quite funny coming from my large friend. I couldn’t fault his motivation.
Herman’s daughter had been left behind like us. I wondered about her story and wished I could talk to her. Working on wells in Africa was something worthy of the title Hero of Earth, and I hoped she found what she was looking for. Most nights as I went to sleep, I dwelled on what it would have been like if someone else had gone to space and I’d been left back on Earth.
The Survivors: Books 1-6 Page 32
