Shadows of the Earth (The Token Book Two), page 29
“No, I was tricking you. Trying to see if I liked you or not.” Nash shoveled quicker, and Silas jumped beside him, doing the same. Soon, they had a hole large enough to bury a body, and Nash hopped in.
“Are we almost there?” Silas asked.
“Think so. It’s been a long time.” Nash scratched his chin while gazing at the middle.
Silas spotted headlights on the country road and jabbed the tip of the shovel down, walking closer to the pathway. A vehicle was on the villa’s driveway. “This is bad.”
Nash frowned. “You keep digging. Let me see who it is.”
Before Silas could object, Nash was stomping toward the incoming vehicle with his shovel in hand.
Silas moved as fast as possible, throwing dirt without caution. He glanced at the white utility van when it stopped, and heard a man’s voice. They couldn’t quite see him from their position, and Silas crouched, continuing to excavate the soil.
Nash spoke with the man, but Silas couldn’t make out the words or tell who had come. He hurried when he saw part of a whiskey bag. Peter had used the original marker for the token, and that added to the reality of his situation.
“Get out of here!” Nash shouted.
Silas clutched the bag, shaking it free, and wiped some of the mud from the surface. He peered in, finding the token he’d been expecting.
He sprang from the hole, keeping his grip on the shovel after placing the Delta segment into his pocket. Silas rounded the villa, clinging to one side, and saw the face of the newcomer.
Darren Jones had his palms in front of his chest.
“Why so hostile? I’m passing through and heard great things about your gardens. I can pay you for your time,” Darren said, using his best podcast voice.
Silas clenched his jaw, furious that Darren had so easily deceived them. How did that happen? He checked the van and had a sinking sensation. Darren had left the Planetae facility with three of the beings, and was now driving a windowless utility vehicle. Were they in it, and what had they done with Plemmons?
“Disappear, stranger,” Nash grumbled.
Darren took a step closer to the big groundskeeper, but Nash didn’t back down. “What’ll it take? Money? I have a thousand dollars with your name on it. Just show me where Gunn hid the token.”
Nash’s gaze flickered to the garden.
“Don’t do it,” Silas whispered from his hiding spot. His own SUV was parked thirty feet from the van, and he wondered if Darren had even noticed someone else was there. Unless he assumed Nash owned the hundred-thousand-dollar ride.
“No deal.”
“Fine. Ten grand. Bring it to me and I pay you,” Darren said.
Nash seemed to contemplate taking the money and selling Silas out, but he spoke after a tense minute. “No. Leave.”
The van shook, and the rear door popped open. Silas froze when an alien appeared, looming behind Darren. “I told you to accept the payment. Now you’ve made my friends upset.”
The alien lifted an arm, and a red light shone from his wrist. Nash grasped his head, letting the shovel fall, and the noise carried to Silas, making him sick to his stomach. Silas averted his gaze, and when he checked again, Darren was marching past the smear left by Nash.
The alien went with him, and Silas wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it up close. They’d watched footage before, but that was on a laptop screen. Observing the obviously non-human entity stalking through the villa shook him to the core.
It walked gracefully, like it didn’t have a care in the world. Standing two feet taller than Darren, it was half again as wide at the shoulders. The arms were long, but given its stature, they didn’t seem out of place. Silas figured it wore gloves, because he couldn’t see much detail in the poorly lit courtyard. It was the feet that stood out, with a rear toe like they’d seen on the Moon after Rory’s initial excursion from Peter’s living room in Loon Lake. This was the same race.
Silas waited until they were out of sight, and ran, pumping his limbs with everything he had. When he got to the SUV, he dropped the keys and fumbled for them as they jangled under the vehicle. Silas dove to his belly, stretching for the fob. He paused when he spied two sets of legs emerging from the van a short distance away.
Silas grabbed the keys and hopped to his feet as the alien pair advanced in his direction.
He took a better look at them. Instead of having large, oval eyes usually depicted in science fiction, they were nearly imperceptible. Rather than a protruding nose, the bone was rounded, with three holes acting as nostrils. They flared on the right invader’s face, and its mouth opened to reveal a plate of teeth similar to a whale’s.
Silas realized he was gawking. The moment one raised its wrist, the light began to flash red, and he took it as a sign to get the hell out of there. Otherwise, he’d end up like the soldiers in New York, or the groundskeeper, Nash. Silas rushed into the SUV, used the push button to start it, and considered running them down. That might put him in range of their peculiar weapons, so he reversed, speeding backwards. The nearest chased him, the powerful legs carrying it at a loping sprint. Silas stuck in reverse, almost at the road, and the being lowered, now using its arms like a cheetah darting through the Serengeti in search of prey.
When Silas hit the pavement, he spun the wheel, threw it into drive and took off.
The alien filled his rearview and stopped, standing at the street. “Take that, you…” The second was thirty yards ahead, arm lifted defensively. The device on his wrist pulsed red, and Silas felt nausea forming in his stomach. He had no choice. Silas pushed harder on the gas pedal and slammed into the bastard. The alien bashed into the windshield, cracking the glass, but not shattering it. Silas heard the body roll over the roof and saw it land, spinning after it struck the asphalt.
He didn’t check to see if it survived.
Silas wiped his nose with a sleeve, finding blood.
He’d made it out alive, and had the first token.
6
Waylen waited for the person in Darren’s Little Compton house to reveal themselves. After an hour, his impatience got the best of him. They made a plan, and for the second time in the last few hours, Waylen trespassed on Darren Jones’ property. They didn’t require the keys, after all, since someone else had already broken in.
Waylen put a finger to his lips and entered the house, gun drawn.
Rather than splitting up, he and Gary checked the main floor together, discovering it had been ransacked. Instead of sifting through the debris, they rushed upstairs.
Gary turned left at the top, and Waylen took a right, silently creeping through the home. The first bedroom was adorned with nautical memorabilia and appeared to be an office. The desk was beachy and light, the fixture on the surface covered in seashells. A wall had pictures of boats in the water and photos of Darren and his family. Waylen looked at one, and judging by Darren’s age, he guessed it was taken five or six years earlier. The kids were small, wearing oversized lifejackets, and he had his hand on the girl’s shoulder, all four of them smiling proudly.
Gary Charles met him in the hall, and they headed to the last room together. It wasn’t latched, and Waylen used the barrel of the gun to prop it open. The bed was occupied.
He gave Gary a nod, and mentally counted to three before barging in and flipping the lights on. “Hands where I can see them!”
The figure shifted beneath the comforter, and he noticed the gun resting on the nightstand, then saw who was reaching for it.
Martina Sanchez had it in her grip before Waylen nearly fired, and he lowered the weapon, urging Gary to as well.
“Why are you sleeping in Darren’s bed?” he shouted.
Martina was fully dressed, and she slid out, holstering her gun. “I came for a lead. It didn’t seem like anyone else cared that we’re on the brink of an invasion, so I took it upon myself.” She glanced at Gary. “Special Agent Charles.”
“Sanchez,” he muttered.
“Did you find anything?” Waylen asked.
Martina started to make the bed and stopped midway. “What am I doing?” She messed it up more, tossing his pillows to the floor. “God, I hate this guy. How could he work with them?”
Waylen had been wondering that same thing. “I was with Darren for a couple of weeks. We used the tokens together every day.”
“You’re forgetting that you worked with Sanchez for years, and she kept a lot from you. The mysterious Department of Outer Space, for example.”
“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Waylen asked.
“It wasn’t like we had annual Christmas parties. They rarely told me what they were planning, which, evidently, wasn’t much.” Martina led them downstairs, then to a second door. She opened it, and Waylen squeezed his nostrils closed.
“What is that?” he asked.
“I think they were here. Darren brought his friends to this place for a day or two. I’m assuming he needed to procure some supplies before finding a more permanent solution. You can only stay so long with three aliens living in your basement,” Martina said.
Waylen took each step slowly, the smell growing far stronger. The basement was finished with painted white wood paneling and white oak floors.
“I found the source of the smell.” Gary checked the furnace room and gestured at a pile of bones.
Waylen waved a few flies from his face. “What are those from?”
“I didn’t look close enough, but I’m guessing they’re from a cow,” Martina said.
“Where did he go?” Waylen pulled it shut, and his phone vibrated. He saw Silas’ name and answered it.
“… hit one of them.”
“Slow down,” Waylen said, sensing the panic in Silas’ voice. He put it on speaker so the others could hear. “What did you do?”
“I chased after the third Delta…”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. I figured you’d try to talk me out of it,” Silas said. “I have the locations, or at least this one for certain. The other two are more difficult.”
“Silas,” Waylen said while Gary and Martina stepped closer. “What did you hit?”
“An alien!”
Waylen glanced at the mechanical room. Somehow, the scent didn’t seem as bad the longer he lingered in the stench. The sound of the buzzing flies lowered as they were cordoned off.
“I drove to Harbinger, North Carolina. Rory’s parents were visiting, and I took it as an excuse to head home for a few days. I talked with Beverly, Peter’s former assistant, and she had all these files. It wasn’t too difficult to discover where he’d gone on his trip around the country, not when you knew what to look for. Once I decided Harbinger was a solid lead, I searched for the building Rory described, and found it,” Silas said.
They listened as he explained the experience with the gardener, then Darren’s arrival, and Silas’ anxious exit.
“Where are you now?” Martina asked.
“Who’s that?” Silas demanded.
“It’s Martina. I’m here with her and Special Agent Charles.” Waylen thought Silas might comment on the fact it was after midnight, but he didn’t.
“I’m on the way north.”
“Meet us in Boston,” Waylen said.
“Why?”
“There are aliens on the loose, and they’re after the same thing as you. Plus, we might need the Deltas I’m carrying to figure out where to locate the rest.”
“Rory’s going to be pissed,” Silas muttered.
“When do her parents leave?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Stay in touch and be careful. Where are the other two?”
“I think one’s in California. The last in Arizona,” Silas said.
Gary and Waylen shared a knowing glance. “Gotcha. Silas, you did well. But next time, keep me in the loop?” The tokens in his jacket felt heavier, like an immeasurable weight he couldn’t shoulder for much longer.
A sound came from upstairs. “Charlotte,” Waylen said when the call ended.
“Who?” Martina asked with her gun drawn.
The basement door creaked open. “Waylen?” Charlotte called.
“Down here,” he said.
She slowly descended, and her gaze shifted from Waylen to Gary, then settled on Martina. “Why is…”
“I asked you to stay in the car.”
Charlotte’s nostrils wiggled. “What’s that smell?”
Martina didn’t hesitate to shove the furnace door. “It’s a pile of bones. We believe aliens ate whatever kind of animal it was.”
“Who are you?” Charlotte asked, her gaze still on the pieces of skeletal remains.
“Martina Sanchez.” She holstered her weapon and offered a hand. Waylen felt two different versions of his life collide.
“Charlotte Halstead.”
Martina looked at Waylen. “The White House press chick?”
“I work with the press secretary, yes.”
“We’re all caught up.” Waylen started for the stairs. “We have to beat Darren and his friends to the last tokens.”
“Then what?” Gary asked.
“I wish I knew.”
____________
“I don’t want to go home,” Kathy said.
“Honey, I have that event tomorrow, and need to prepare for it.” Oscar placed their luggage in the back of the car, and Rory anxiously observed her parents. While she’d had a delightful visit, she was ready to continue with her semester, rather than catering to them each evening after classes.
She hugged her mom, then dad, Oscar lingering longer before kissing her on the cheek. “You need anything at all. Call me.”
“I will,” she promised. The clouds were low and heavy, threatening to douse the campus at any moment. Rory noticed bits of mist floating through the air, but the sight barely registered. She was confident the sensations would wear off eventually, given enough time away from the Delta. Whatever she’d done in that box in Louisville had triggered a reaction, but she didn’t expect it to stick forever.
Kathy stared at her once in the car and rolled the window down. “I love you, Rory Swanson. And we’re both extremely proud of the woman you’ve grown into.”
Rory’s eyes filled with tears while she waved. “Thanks, Mom. I love you too.” They drove off, leaving Rory standing outside her faculty dorm building as the first drop fell.
“That was heartwarming.” Garnet appeared from the entrance, hands clasped to his chest.
“You were watching?”
“I thought about sneaking by, but didn’t want to interrupt,” he said. “I’m heading for a coffee. Care to join me?”
“I should work on my plan for tomorrow,” she told him. “I’m way behind after the visit.”
“Nonsense. The kids don’t know any better. Just give them a reading assignment and kick up your feet. That’s what I do when I’m tired… or hungover.” Garnet grinned at her and gestured in the coffee shop’s direction.
“Fine.” Rory patted her pockets, realizing her phone wasn’t on her. “But an hour max.”
That seemed to appease her colleague, and they began the short walk. “Your parents seem nice. Mine were awful.”
“Were? Did you lose them?”
“No, I just refuse to speak to the lousy killjoys.” Garnet opened an umbrella when the drops came faster, and held it out so they might share. “I left at seventeen and never looked back.”
“You’ve done well enough for someone with no support system,” she said.
“It could be better. I’ve had great feedback from a few of your students, Rory. You almost inspire me to try harder.”
“Me?”
“Showing up early, keeping them interested with anecdotes, and all this real-life publishing contract business. It helps to hear it from an author currently writing a new bestseller, rather than a stuffy suit who’d won an award in the Seventies like their previous guest lecturer,” Garnet said.
When they neared the coffee shop, the downpour grew in intensity. Water splashed her feet and the cuffs of her pants as it barraged the sidewalks. There were already pools of rain gathering at the welcome mat, and Rory stepped over them as Garnet held the door for her. It was quiet, given the fact most students were still in their last class for the day.
They ordered, and Garnet rested the damp umbrella on the wall when they took a seat. Mist and darkness floated from the windows, and Rory did her best to ignore the creeping sensation that always followed.
“Rory, what did the guy you warned security about look like?” Garnet asked. He faced the windows, frowning, with her aimed at the coffee bar.
She spun around in the chair, seeing a man peering through the glass, hair plastered to his brow. Rory rushed to the exit. “Silas, what are you doing?”
“Rory.” He hugged her, his clothing soaking wet. “You didn’t answer your phone.”
“It’s at home,” she said. “And I was in a class all day… then my parents...”
“We’ve been trying to reach you.”
“We?”
Silas motioned to the street, where two cars waited. Waylen lifted a hand off the steering wheel. In the vehicle behind, Special Agent Gary Charles and Martina Sanchez observed their interaction. Rory realized the Shadow that had been following her seemed to have vanished.
“Why are you all here?” Rory demanded.
Silas touched her wrist. “It’s not over.”
Rory backed up. “Silas, I told you I’m done.”
“I… I found the token.”
Rory slapped his shoulder. “Silas! I said I was finished with this!”
“We need your help.”
“No.” Rory stalked off, splashing through puddles.
Silas chased her, keeping pace. “I met with Darren, and the aliens attacked me. Rory, they’re after the Delta too. We can’t let them have it.”
Rory froze in her tracks. “How… You were in the city to see your family.” His lack of response answered her question. “You lied to me.”
“We can’t just leave it. We’re in this until it’s finished. There’s another Shadow on Earth, and we have to secure it before them. It’s as simple as that!” Silas was drenched, and he halted in front of her, his eyes pleading.
