by Rae Knightly
“Please let this work, please, please, please,” he begged to himself, as tires squealed up the ramp of the garage door behind him.
Ben hid beside it and waited.
***
Connelly called for reinforcements as he headed for a separate elevator located not far from the receptionist’s office. It was locked with a security system.
Unfazed, Connelly pulled out the security card Hayward had given him willingly only moments ago as he begged for his life, and scanned it. The elevator door opened and soon Connelly was heading down to the level indicated by Hayward.
The shapeshifter glanced left-and-right at the corridor that appeared before him. He headed to the right, finding an open door at the end which led to some kind of laboratory.
His sharp ears caught the sound of distant, screeching tires. He tensed, then doubled back and searched for the source of the noise.
***
The garage door lifted slowly, the driver of the ambulance pressing on the gas pedal impatiently, making the motor roar.
The door had barely raised sufficiently when the vehicle lurched forward into the service street, which was closed at one end. It turned left with the intention of joining city traffic.
Only, a young boy stood right in its path.
The driver swerved so hard that the ambulance swayed and collided into a fire hydrant located at the exit. The jet of water that was released upon impact was so powerful that it enveloped the ambulance under a swirling waterfall.
Ben watched expectantly.
It didn’t take long. The flow slowed and hardened, turning to ice. It crackled and gleamed under the street lights, its churning form caught in time.
Ben heard shouts coming from inside the ambulance. The driver struggled with the door, which resisted under the weight of the ice. It finally gave way with a loud crunch, allowing him to make his escape.
But Ben had stopped watching. He closed his eyes and returned to his physical body with a jolt.
“Ben!” Laura called from far away. He groaned at the force with which his spirit reconnected to his body.
“Get up! Hurry!” Laura half lifted, half dragged him to a standing position.
He became aware of a grating sound. He focused his eyes and ears and found the back doors of the ambulance opening with difficulty, scraping at the ice that surrounded it. Four men, who shouted frantically to each other, spilled out and scampered away, while water continued to flow from the fire hydrant, flooding the street.
Laura and Ben approached the opening at the back of the ambulance. Just then, the shadow of a man appeared, making them gasp. The man stepped into the light. His white hair was disheveled, the tone of his skin light-grey.
“Mesmo!” Ben cried with relief.
The alien slumped against the side of the ambulance.
Laura and Ben reached out to him in a hurry. He made to step down, but his legs gave way, and he fell with his full weight on them. They almost toppled over but managed to hold on to him just long enough for him to regain his balance. Laura swung one of his arms over her shoulders, Ben hurriedly trying to do the same, but the alien’s height meant he wasn’t much help. Still, shifting his weight between them, Mesmo managed to hunker forward, groaning painfully.
The three of them hugged the shadows and made their escape.
***
Connelly sprinted up the garage ramp, anxious to discover the origin of the racket outside. He found the ambulance wrapped up in a small iceberg at the end of the service alley, with water flooding the main street.
The shapeshifter rushed to the vehicle’s back doors and peered inside. It was empty. He balled his fists and hit the floor of the vehicle so hard it left a dent. His body shook with fury. His eyes switched colour as he struggled to keep Connelly’s appearance under the weight of his anger.
Running footsteps approached behind him, and it took all of his willpower to contain himself. If he turned around now, he would explode.
“What’s going on? Is anyone hurt?” a man asked, bumping into him as he tried to glimpse over Connelly’s shoulder into the ambulance.
The shapeshifter shut his eyes tight.
Some more men arrived. “Agent Connelly? What are your orders?”
Connelly inhaled deeply through his nostrils. He opened his green eyes slowly and was about to respond when he noticed an object at the base of the hospital bed which lay overturned on the floor of the ambulance. He reached for the object and his hand closed on a silver watch.
At first, Connelly couldn’t believe his luck, but the way the tiny diamond shone in its centre was unmistakable.
“Agent Connelly?”
Police sirens whirled to a stop behind him, and more people gathered around the ambulance.
Connelly clasped the watch tightly and smirked.
CHAPTER TEN
Arrest
Laura and Ben shoved Mesmo into a doorway just in time to avoid the headlights of a passing police car.
Ben peeked out of their hiding place to make sure it didn’t turn back, then let out his breath as the swirling lights faded away.
“Let’s go!” he urged, glancing at his mother and the alien. His mouth fell open.
Wait a minute! Are they kissing?
Had he just caught Mesmo and Laura in an embrace? He couldn’t be sure, because his mother pulled back with an incredulous look on her face.
“Hey! Time to go!” Ben tugged at his mother’s arm.
She blinked at him, then placed Mesmo’s arm around her shoulder again. “Come on. Bob’s condo is just a block away.”
They stepped onto the sidewalk, but Mesmo dropped to his knees, almost dragging her down with him. “No!” he gasped. “Outside. Water.”
Ben exchanged a worried look with his mother. His mind whirled. “Let’s take him to the park! It’s not far.”
Laura nodded. “Good idea. You can make it, Mesmo.”
Ben couldn’t avoid staring at the alien’s face. It was drawn, his skin almost as grey as Kaia’s had been…
…when she died.
He took Mesmo by the arm and stared at the man with intense determination.
You can’t die.
As if reading Ben’s mind, Mesmo set his jaw and forced himself up.
The dark outline of trees came into view some painstaking minutes later. It took all of Laura and Ben’s strength to haul the tall man through the wooded park. They grunted under his weight and had to pause every now and then so Mesmo could lift his head and take in a deep mouthful of fresh air.
The sound of tiny, lapping waves reached Ben’s ears. Mesmo must have heard it, too, because his pace quickened. They broke through some bushes and found themselves at the edge of a short beach that led to Lake Ontario.
Mesmo let go of them. He stumbled forward, walking straight into the water without slowing down.
Laura reached out her hand as if wanting to hold him back, but remained by Ben’s side. They watched the alien wade up to his knees into the lake. He paused, then let himself drop face first into the water like a rigid plank. The dark liquid submerged him until only rings on the surface indicated where he had stood.
Ben shadowed his mother’s footsteps as they hurried to the edge, searching the darkness for his presence. They waited, the seconds ticking by in slow motion.
“There!” Laura whispered suddenly, pointing to her right.
A barely visible glow moved under the water but became stronger as it glided to a standstill some ways before them. Then it approached the surface, and Mesmo’s head broke through the water. He looked in their direction, a bluish halo emanating from his body.
Ben watched, astonished.
Woman and boy stood by the edge, slightly out of breath, wondering what would happen next.
Then, to Ben’s utter surprise, Mesmo threw his head back and laughed. It was a strong, heartfelt sound that caught him completely off guard. It resonated through the night, open and sincere.
I’ve never
heard Mesmo laugh before.
Ben cast his mother a quizzical look.
Laura frowned at him with the same wonder reflected in her eyes, while at the same time, a smile crept on to her face.
Ben couldn’t contain a grin, his nervousness overcome by a sudden sense of pride at what they had accomplished.
We did it!
The thought made his whole body tingle. After all their hardships and turmoil, they had done it! They had freed Mesmo.
He chuckled at the realization, though Mesmo’s elation fueled the rising feeling inside of him.
Beside him, Laura’s timid giggle turned into real laughter, and before long, she cracked up completely.
Ben followed her lead, whooping loudly into the night, letting go of months of bottled up emotions, thrilled at the idea that they had outsmarted both Victor Hayward and Bordock, not to mention an overwhelming relief at being together for real at last.
He let it all go and found himself splashing, fully dressed, into the lake to join Mesmo. The water enveloped him like a warm blanket. He threw himself into Mesmo’s arms, his tears of laughter turning into emotional ones.
Mesmo became silent, then wrapped his own arms around the boy.
They remained like that for a while, Ben feeling slightly bewildered at hugging the alien in flesh and bone for the first time.
***
“You should eat something,” the nurse said. She placed a food tray next to Hao’s bed.
“Yes, yes,” Hao replied impatiently, as he typed away at the computer on his lap.
The nurse remained by his side, but the Inspector was so absorbed by his work that it took him a while to acknowledge her.
Finally, he looked up, then at the tray. “Yes, yes, I’ll eat,” he insisted, grabbing a piece of toast and stuffing it in his mouth.
The nurse pressed her lips into a fine line, then exited the hospital room.
Hao got back to his screen, his cheeks full, then reached out for a folder on the side of his bed.
The room lay littered with boxes, files and documents from The Cosmic Fall. If the High Inspector got wind of this, Hao would be in deep trouble. But at this point, he didn’t care. After all, he had set the High Inspector on Victor Hayward’s track and was waiting impatiently for news of the raid on the businessman’s headquarters.
As he picked up the folder, his eyes fell on the TV which was constantly streaming news.
VICTORY AIR–CEO ARRESTED, the red banner at the bottom of the screen read.
Hao left the piece of toast dangling from the side of his mouth and reached hurriedly for the control to turn up the volume.
“…in what investigators claim to be the biggest fraud in the country’s history. The founder of Victory Air and owner of the billion-dollar industry responsible for extracting oil for the airliner is accused of having lied about the years of resources still available in Alberta. It is thought the tar sand oil was depleted over four years ago, and that, instead, Mr. Hayward redirected substantial Federal funding–destined to modernize the industry–to the United States, where he obtained the fuel for his airliner, thus avoiding bankruptcy…” the reporter explained.
Hao munched slowly as he watched cameras flashing at the businessman who was being led down the stairs of his Toronto building. The man’s face was ashen. His eyes were glazed and unresponsive to the shouting reporters around him.
A police officer wearing a CSIS vest helped Victor Hayward into the back of a police car, which sped off in no time.
The phone next to Hao’s bed rang. He reached out for it, groaning as he twisted his broken leg somewhat.
His assistant’s voice said, “You were right. The extraterrestrial was here. We have footage from security cameras…”
“What do you mean was?” Hao barked.
“We think the other fugitives helped the alien escape just before we arrived. We’re combing the city for them as we speak.”
Hao’s knuckles went white as he grasped at the bedsheets. But he said in a calm tone, “Send me the footage as soon as you can.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Hao hung up. He stared at the TV without really seeing it. He should have been there. The High Inspector had put Connelly in charge of the raid, but his partner had not been up to the task.
Hao carefully slid his cast leg to the edge of the bed, so he was in a sitting position. There were so many unanswered questions. What was the relationship between the fugitives and Victor Hayward? What was the alien doing there? And then there was the question of the boy, Benjamin Archer. Hao had received the boy’s birth certificate from a hospital on the West Coast. There had been no mention of a father, but had that hospital really not noticed there was something odd with the boy’s blood? How could an alien child be hiding among humans for so long? There were too many inconsistencies in this whole investigation, and Hao did not like inconsistencies. He wanted clear, logical answers.
His eyes fell on the box labelled WITNESSES. He had put a team of researchers on to each witness, they had dug up every last detail on these peoples’ lives, but only Victor Hayward had given any result.
A name stuck out of one of the folders in the box: THEODORE EDMOND CONNELLY: the only one who had not undergone the same rigorous investigation as the other witnesses. Seeing as Connelly was a police officer, all had automatically assumed that his testimony was reliable.
But what if it wasn’t?
Hao set his jaw and pulled out Connelly’s file.
***
Laura caressed Ben’s hair. The boy had fallen asleep with his head on her lap. Laura sat, cross-legged, on the little beach that bordered Lake Ontario, watching Mesmo as he floated in the water, staring up at the night sky.
Laura glanced up as well and let her eyes adjust until stars became visible. She would have liked to stay like this for hours. Everything was peaceful; an almost imperceptible breeze moved the leaves of the trees above her, the water lapped quietly at the shore, and a comfortable warmth enveloped her.
But the crack of dawn neared with every passing minute, and she knew the city would wake up soon. She shook Ben’s shoulder gently. “Wake up, honey. We should go.”
He moaned and rolled off her lap into a sitting position, then rubbed his eyes.
They both stood and approached the edge of the lake, while Mesmo straightened, still submerged in the water.
“We have to go, Mesmo,” Laura said. “The park’s going to be full of joggers and people walking their dogs in an hour.”
“You go,” the alien agreed. “I’ll stay here. I need time to recover and this is the perfect place for me.” He let himself sink into the water to show them that he could hide easily.
When he emerged again, Laura asked worriedly, “Are you sure?”
Mesmo nodded. “I’m sure. It’s you two who have to be careful. You’re the ones who are out in the open.”
“We’ll be fine,” Laura said. “We’re safe with Bob.”
They agreed to meet that afternoon.
“I’m going to dye your hair,” Laura said. “You won’t make it very far looking like that.” She pointed at his white, wavy hair.
Laura and Ben said their goodbyes, then slipped through the park.
Laura plodded behind Ben in semi-darkness, fighting off the morning chill that seeped into her clothes.
Suddenly Ben stopped. Laura bumped into him.
“Sh!” he said, raising his hand in warning.
“What is it?” she asked hurriedly.
They stood still, listening to the rustling leaves and far away sound of cars.
“I don’t hear anyth…” she began, but Ben raised his hand higher.
He stepped slowly towards a compact group of shrubs, Laura following closely behind with her heart thumping. Behind the bushes, she found a small, arched bridge made of bricks. A stream trickled under it. Ben headed for it.
She was about to ask what on Earth he was doing when she noticed the sound. It was faint at first, bu
t the closer she got to the bridge, the louder it became.
It was a humming sound, one that she recognized immediately. A buzz whisked by her ear, then several others, and soon she found herself surrounded by a cloud of insects.
“Bees!” she exclaimed.
Ben grinned. “Beetrix’ hive,” he confirmed.
***
“Hello? Is this Tamara Connelly?” Hao spoke into the phone. Connelly’s file lay open before him, and he stared at the picture that was clipped to the side. It showed a youthful woman with curly hair and a dark-skinned face. Her smile revealed neat, white teeth that belonged to a happy person.
Hao hadn’t seen the picture since his meeting with Connelly and the High Inspector months ago, when they had first been assigned to The Cosmic Fall case.
The woman’s voice who answered did not reflect any trace of happiness, however, and Hao could hear a baby crying in the background. “Connelly?” the woman said scornfully. “I don’t go by that name no more. Who’s this, anyway?”
Hao cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to bother you, Miss. My name is Inspector James Hao. I’m with the CSIS.”
The baby’s cries became louder but then died down, and Hao could hear it cooing near the receiver.
“What do you want?” Tamara asked curtly.
“I’m calling about your husband, Theodore Edmond Connelly.”
To his surprise, Tamara cackled darkly. “Theodore? Does he let you call him that?”
Hao knit his brow. “Excuse me?”
Tamara sighed. “Anyone close to Ted knows not to call him Theodore. He’d punch you in the nose if you dared utter that name. He hates it! Says it makes him sound like an old uncle or something.” Her voice faltered.
“Mr. Hao, have you heard from my husband? I’ve called your office hundreds of times. They won’t patch me through. He hasn’t spoken to me since that crazy meteor business. He’s literally disappeared off the face of the Earth! And I can’t live like this anymore, Mr. Hao.”
The baby began crying again. “Hold on,” she said.
