I should have known I couldn’t hide anything from Freddy, so I told him about Kara, our connection to each other, and, oh yeah, getting shot at.

  Again.

  “Wait, so I understand you got shot at, but you have abilities most people only read about in comic books, and you dodged the bullets. Get over it! What we really need to talk about here is the fact that you not only have one, but two hot chicks digging you now? Hell, I’m actually starting to buy into this chosen one thing myself. That’s insane!”

  He brought his palms together sarcastically in a praying manner.

  “And now the student has become the master. There is nothing left for me to teach you.”

  “Shut up,” I said, laughing.

  “But seriously, that’s crazy. Just be careful, Charlie. Getting involved with two women is a fine line, and one I would gladly walk. But, it can be hazardous to your health. Especially if one of them is an alien. I’m not even sure how to comment on that one.”

  As we approached the pool, I noticed we wouldn’t be swimming alone. Relaxing on a wicker lounge by the water’s edge was Allison in a very sultry white two-piece swimsuit. I had to pause a moment and pick my jaw up off the floor. Freddy jabbed me sharply in the side and mouthed something I wouldn’t dare repeat.

  “Um, I just realized I need to go call my mom. You know how she likes me to call before the evening news comes on, or she gets really upset. I’ll be back in a few.”

  Very Smooth.

  So, it was just me and Allison alone, again. She was sporting a pair of Gucci sunglasses, and her hair was pulled back tightly in a ponytail.

  “Hi Allison,” I said and took a seat next to her.

  She tilted her head towards me, and I half expected her to ignore me, but she didn’t. She smiled and her face lit up. Whew! Thank God for that. I could breathe a little easier now.

  “Hey you! How have you been? We haven’t seen much of each other lately.”

  My sentiments exactly.

  “I’ve been OK. How you holding up?”

  “I’m doing fine. The people here have been great, and I’ve really gotten a chance to see a different side of Ms. Parkman. That woman is a riot once you get to know her.”

  I took a deep breath and decided it was time to address the elephant in the room.

  “So, I know this has all been a little difficult to accept. And I am sorry for pulling you into it.”

  She placed a hand gently on my knee, and I think my heart skipped a beat.

  “You don’t have to apologize to me, Charlie,” she said softly as she removed her glasses. I quickly lost myself in her beautiful eyes. “I admit I was a little freaked out at first. It was hard to grasp. A guy I’ve known almost my entire life is not who I thought he was? That was a tough pill to swallow. This whole alien business is a little unsettling, but I understand. I was skeptical initially, but after I saw what you did to that car, there’s no doubt in my mind you are special. I’m just thankful that we are OK. You did actually save my life, you know.”

  She smiled once more. A heartwarming smile reminiscent of Jessica Alba, my favorite actress and the ultimate hottie, so that’s saying something.

  I hadn’t realized until then how much I’d missed Allison. It was great to finally have a conversation with her again. I felt like I was in a trance or dream state watching her lips move when she talked. I’d often fantasized about kissing her, and this day out by the pool was no different.

  Chapter 31

  “You OK, Charlie?”

  “Oh, um…yes,” I said, realizing I had been staring at her without speaking for several moments.

  She grinned and replaced her sunglasses. I remembered Freddy’ warning about being caught between two women and realized he couldn’t have been more wrong. I had just met Kara. And sure, there was an indescribable chemistry, but nothing like what I shared with Allison. With her, it was different. I felt completely vulnerable to her every spoken word or casual glance in my direction. Guess I was just a real sucker for love.

  “So how does all this talk of saving the world make you feel?”

  I sighed. With that question, I could feel the weight of the world bearing down on me again.

  “I don’t know. I mean, I accept what and who I am now. It was quite a shock initially, coming to terms with my origins and all, but I have, finally…I think. The most difficult thing to accept is their misguided faith in me. How do I live up to such lofty expectations?”

  Allison sat up and swung her legs over the side of the chair, leaning in close so that her face was surprisingly close to mine. I’d never been so close to her and figured I would need the use of a defibrillator unit to jump-start my ticker again if it didn’t slow down soon. It felt as though it might eventually bore a hole straight through my chest cavity and literally surrender to Allison right there in the flesh.

  Hi, I’m Charlie’s heart, and I am forever yours to love and cherish.

  “You are the most strong-willed and determined person I know,” she said gently. “You’re smart, funny, and a great friend. Your only problem is that you can’t recognize the positive qualities in yourself. Those qualities that draw other people to you and want to be around you, for your wonderful company as well as undying support. People like Freddy. People like me.”

  There was a long pause, and all I could hear was the soothing sound of water cascading from the beautiful fountain inlet as it flowed into the warm pool. But this time, there was no awkwardness, no timidity on my part. I stared deep into her brown eyes as she returned my wanton gaze. I knew at that exact moment in time I wanted nothing more than to be with her.

  I leaned in close and felt her warm breath on my face. It felt so intoxicating. She edged closer and our lips were mere inches apart.

  So this is how it feels to love someone. I could get used to this, I thought.

  I closed my eyes and decided to bridge the gap, to go for it. All the years of waiting had finally led to this moment.

  Here goes nothing.

  “Mr. Reese, I am terribly sorry to disturb you sir, but your presence is requested straight away.”

  Startled, I opened my eyes and looked around menacingly for the source of the ill-timed interruption.

  It was Mildred, the ever-present butler.

  I winced.

  “Tell them I will be there shortly,” I said, openly agitated.

  “Yes sir,” said Mildred. He bowed and turned to leave.

  “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.” I looked at Allison apologetically, but she simply responded with her usual smile.

  “Go. I understand. I’ll be here when you get back, and we can pick up our conversation where we left off.” She winked and planted a soft wet kiss on my cheek just before I stood to leave.

  Life was definitely good.

  Chapter 32

  I walked back inside with my head held high and my confidence somewhere nearing the stratosphere.

  Something was different.

  I had finally gotten intimate with the girl of my dreams! Well, sort of. I’d delivered on a perfectly executed bunt and made it safely into first base. At least it wasn’t a sacrifice fly.

  Mildred met me near the foyer and led me down a long and winding hallway to a part of the mansion I’d never seen before. The décor became less extravagant and aesthetically pleasing, then completely nonexistent. Only mundane bare walls of a grayish color remained. Most of the dull-painted white doors in this part of the mansion were closed as we continued on, and I wondered where he was taking me.

  We finally approached an isolated room near the dark end of the corridor with a huge metal door. I thought it was a bit odd, but then again, so was a guy who could dodge bullets, right? Mildred grasped the doorknob with a bony hand and twisted, slowly leading the way into the room. With his slumped shoulders and overall creepy vibe, he reminded me of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons show.

  I was not prepared for what awaited me on the other side of that door. I was amazed
by the vast technology. State of the art computers and monitors filled the room, each animated with a different type of data or video feed. Some were images of the estate grounds as far as I could tell, but others were of locations unknown to me. Several people moved busily from one terminal to the next, conversing quietly over sheets of data. They paused briefly upon our entrance, but quickly returned to work. It’s what I’d imagine the situation room at the CIA or Homeland Security would look like. And, I guess it was Homeland Security for us, unconventionally speaking.

  Across the spacious room was a large glass-topped conference table. Suspended above was a type of new-age computer screen, except for the implausible fact that nothing was physically there. It was some sort of holographic projection. Michael, Nick, and Kara were already present and seated comfortably around the table. Arthur, Jason, and Robert were there as well, along with two other men I’d never seen before.

  “Have a seat, Charlie,” Arthur said, chomping on his pipe. He had a grave look of concern on his usually jovial face. I walked around the table and plopped down in the leather chair next to Nick.

  “We’ve just received valuable intelligence that the Chirac are moving on a little known facility thirty miles east of here. Although this particular facility is heavily guarded, they will have no trouble overrunning security,” said Arthur, looking keenly from one person to the next.

  “What’s so special about this facility,” Jason asked.

  “It’s a DOE facility that safeguards an item known as plutonium-238. It is the only element in this solar system that can be substituted for faladium, a powerful element from our home planet of Etheus.”

  Arthur pressed a button on the odd-looking triangular remote in front of him. A large image of an imposing metallic device materialized above us. It was mind-boggling how realistic the image appeared.

  “This is why it is so important. We have credible evidence that the Chirac are constructing a replica of the device that destroyed Etheus. This device is called the Orion device. If allowed to succeed, the same will happen to this planet. I think I speak for everyone at this table when I say we do not want that to occur. Plutonium-238 is the only component they require that is not already in their possession. We need to stop them. The war to save this planet begins tonight.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” asked Nick in his usual brash and arrogant manner.

  My ears were ringing, and I could feel my pulse steadily quicken. I knew why I was there and what we had to do, but I wasn’t expecting things to happen so soon. I wondered if the others felt the same way. Probably not. Especially Nick. The guy was a bona fide glory hound and thrill seeker who would most likely get us all killed. My gut did somersaults at the thought. I tried to remain stone-faced to mask the fact that I was scared to death.

  It’s ok. If it makes you feel better, I’m scared too.

  In the midst of all my inner turmoil, I’d forgotten about the newly discovered bond I shared with Kara. She must have sensed my anxiety.

  I guess I just don’t feel like I’m ready for this.

  You’re ready. If I had any doubts about you before, they were washed away by what you did today. I’ve never seen anything like it.

  Well, I hope I’m ready enough to stay alive and keep you safe.

  I didn’t even know where that came from. It was like my brain was on autopilot, and I’d fallen asleep at the wheel. Keep her safe?

  Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Just focus on what you need to do.

  “We’ll be entering the facility in two teams. One through the main entrance; the other through the west entrance,” said Robert. “As you can probably guess, one team will serve as a diversion for the other. It’s imperative we maintain the element of surprise. I’ll be leading the main team along with Charlie. The rest of you will be under Jason’s command. Any questions?”

  Everyone was silent.

  “Then let’s get ready. We leave in twenty minutes.”

  Chapter 33

  Just as the sun disappeared over the horizon, we loaded up two vans and departed the mansion. Dark menacing clouds had begun to roll in and hid the stars from view. I didn’t get the opportunity to talk to Allison again before I left, which was a real bummer. I felt like I’d made a real breakthrough in my quest for manhood. I mean, my first real kiss with a girl. Well, even if it was just a peck on the cheek, it still counted in my book. And with that book having a lot of blank pages, everything counts.

  I shifted in the passenger seat and looked around at the others. The ever-resigned Robert drove the van. He seemed preoccupied by his own thoughts while he focused on the tail lights of the van in front of us. The other two guys had introduced themselves earlier as simply Carter and Price. They had the feel of ex-military to me and pretty much kept to themselves, constantly rechecking their weapons and ammo, which I thought odd and just a little intimidating. Carter had a ghastly scar that ran the length of his left cheek. Price was taller and had a face like a mackerel with a pointy nose and eyes that bulged out of his head awkwardly. He also seemed to be in a bad mood most of the time. Or, maybe it was simply because of the unfortunate way he looked. I hadn’t realized that humans were aware of our struggle and amongst the ranks. I wondered how many of them there were.

  “Are you ready?” Robert asked quietly.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied.

  “I know this is your first real test against the Chirac. Don’t worry, you will do just fine. I won’t lie; it will probably get a little hairy in there. That’s to be expected. If things get out of hand and take a turn for the worst, I want you to promise me something.”

  Robert paused a moment.

  “What’s that?”

  “I want you to promise me that you will run.”

  Was he serious? Now, why would he ask me to run? I hoped it wouldn’t come down to me having to hightail it out of there.

  “You are too valuable to our cause to be captured by Vicktor. He is extremely capable and will stop at nothing to achieve his agenda. You are not quite ready to face him, so if the situation presents itself, you run. Promise me,” Robert said sternly.

  “I promise.”

  Rain started to fall, not a heavy downpour, but steady enough that Robert had to switch on the windshield wipers.

  “Remember what I told you, back at the warehouse?”

  I nodded, watching the wipers move back and forth.

  “Aside from you, Vicktor is the most powerful being I’ve ever encountered. But, unlike you, he’s had considerable time to master his abilities through the years. You have only scratched the surface of your potential.”

  There it was again. Like Arthur, he believed there were other things I could do. That was unexpected considering all the cool things I could already do. Hopefully, I would live through the night to experience them.

  “What else can I do?” I finally asked, anxious to hear the answer. I was hoping for something really cool. Something that could make me into an irresistible lady’s man or insanely rich and famous. Now that would be cool, but highly doubtful.

  “You will find out in due time, possibly when you least expect it,” Robert said bluntly. Well, he was a real buzz kill. I pondered if he had a life outside of all this, or if he was sour and serious the majority of the time. I could only imagine him on a date. And how was I supposed to practice and perfect my skills if I didn’t know what they were? At this rate, I would never be ready to face Vicktor.

  Chapter 34

  The two vans eventually pulled off the main road, taking a bumpy and heavily vegetated dirt road for a couple miles before coming to a halt at the edge of a cliff. The rain had finally stopped. We all filed out and approached the edge. I noticed the cliff actually overlooked the DOE facility, tucked quietly in the middle of the sleepy valley below.

  Robert gripped the night vision goggles slung loosely around his neck and took a look.

  “Seems quiet from here, but there’s no way to know for su
re,” he said. “We need to get a closer look. Nick, you up for the job?”

  “Do you even have to ask? I’m your man sir,” he replied.

  “I just need you to do a check of the exterior and see if you notice anything suspicious. Don’t get cute. A quick look, then report back to me,” Robert said. He spoke in a commanding tone to emphasize his point. I wondered if Nick even noticed. He was so self-absorbed, I wondered if he ever noticed anything outside of his own little world.

  “Quick is my specialty,” he said and was off in a flash, running back down the road we’d come with lightning speed. It was almost impossible to keep track of Nick, but I decided to try anyway. I asked Robert to borrow the night vision goggles and gazed on the facility below, squinting hard so I could see clearer. Not that it actually worked.

  Peering through the goggles, I could see the towering perimeter fence lined with razor sharp concertina wire intertwined menacingly along the top. Like a giant snake protecting its den, the wire ran the entire distance around the facility. I noticed two parked military vehicles within the perimeter fence, but I couldn’t see anyone inside. At that very moment, I spotted Nick while he zipped from one spot along the fence line to the next, pausing briefly ever so often. It was similar to watching a hummingbird move rapidly from plant to plant in search of sweet nectar. Somehow, I didn’t think he’d take too kindly to being compared to one. It wasn’t manly enough. Then, before I even noticed, he was back and leaning on the hood of the van with what was fast becoming a very annoying grin.

  “Piece of cake,” he said. He hadn’t even broken a sweat, nor was he breathing hard. “The armored patrol vehicles are intact but there was no sign of anyone outside. From what I could tell, the guards inside the facility are also nowhere to be found. There is a security guard at the entry control point, so you guys will have to find a way around him.” He was sure to note that he didn’t particularly need any assistance getting by the guard.

  “I’ll take care of it,” offered Kara.

  Robert thought about it a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Yes, that will probably be the most efficient way to deal with him.”

 
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