Second chance, p.1
Second Chance, page 1
part #2 of River Saga Series
ONE
Twenty years ago
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Indie Hart
Her father had warned her this day was coming, yet she couldn’t help but tremble at the sight of the alien ship descending through the clouds. She’d wanted to play in the state championship so badly, but this instantly negated any sense of normalcy from her future.
“Get off the field!” Coach Harry shouted at them, but his voice was almost lost in the sound of the burning thrusters. Indie was transfixed, until she saw Colton gawking at the triangle-shaped vessel hovering above their city.
She jogged to him, slipping her hand into his, and she spat her gum onto the grass.
“This is it,” Colton whispered, likely unaware he’d said anything.
Indie touched his cheek, and she kissed him. Like she’d practiced into her pillow. Colton was her best friend, but her dad had made things clear. Aliens were coming. She might not get another opportunity to show him how she felt. Their moment was short-lived, and they separated. Colton’s expression remained serious, and she heard her mother shouting her name.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“I didn’t want to die without you knowing,” she offered. And it was true. She had loved him for years. Even before she understood what that meant. The butterflies, the clammy palms. But the dolt hadn’t noticed her. Not in that way.
“I have to go.” Indie dashed off, wishing she could explain things to Colton. To tell him her father had prepared her for this very moment. He’d been unable to predict when the incident would take place, which made her question if what he’d told her was real. And now she regretted all those nights she’d stayed up, wondering if her father was crazy.
She’d assumed Ben Hart, as mayor of Fayetteville, was clear of mind. That day not so long ago, with her mother hovering nearby, sipping a gin and tonic, he’d spilled the beans, warning her of an impending alien invasion. Only he hadn’t called it that. The term he’d used was… “an agreement of mutual benefit.”
Seeing the roaring hot orange flames under the behemoth of a ship, Indie wasn’t so sure. She watched Colton reunite with his parents, and she wondered what was so important about him. He was a kid from Arkansas. Wasn’t he? Just as she and her teammates were.
“There you are!” Indie’s mom hauled her by the arm. “We have to go to the safehouse.”
Indie stole one final glance at the ship, watching the hissing air blowing from the center of the vessel, and slammed the door shut.
Her mom banged on the gas pedal, clipping the mirror off Coach Harry’s hatchback. She didn’t stop to apologize. They were one of the first out, beating the steady stream of panicked people.
“Did you know it was happening today?” Indie asked, her throat suddenly dry.
Judging by the fear in Mom’s eyes, she’d been caught off-guard. “Your father hadn’t heard from them in months. I wish they’d have sent warning.”
It was all too incredible. “Them?” Indie stared through the sunroof at the giant vessel. The air was electric, like static was blowing with the breeze. Her mom honked at a boy on a bicycle, scaring him into the ditch. She drove like a madwoman, tires squealing as she rounded a corner too fast.
Instead of going to their house down the street from the Becks, they headed out of town, tires speeding on a gravel road a few minutes from the city limits. The house stood at the end of a lengthy drive, lined with aged trees. Whoever owned this was far better off than the Harts. Indie knew about her father’s gambling debts, and her mother’s taste for the latest fashion trends, so there was no way they’d be able to afford a place like this. She was fifteen, but not stupid.
“Whose house is this?” she demanded, and her mother slammed on the brakes, skidding to a halting stop.
“Indie,” her mom whispered with heavy breaths, “the world as we know it is over. Your father has somehow been placed in their good graces. We want to ensure it stays that way. Do not ask questions. Do not mess this up for me. For us.” Her mom’s makeup was smudged, and she wiped her eyes with a tissue, reapplying eyeliner in the mirror. “Do you understand?”
Indie played with a loose strand of hair. “But why? Why do I have to lie to Colton?”
“I have no idea. Neither does your father. He’s been ordered to do this, so we will. It’ll be better in New York.”
“New York?” Indie barked. “We can’t go away!”
“We’ll do what is asked of us. Indie, I’m afraid from this point on, your life is not your own.”
“I don’t want to leave.” Indie tried to open the door, but it was locked. Her mom’s fingers remained on the button.
“You will come into the house, where your father is waiting. We have one life, Indie. Let’s make the most of it. At least we’ll be together.”
Indie thought about Colton and sighed. “Fine.” As much as she wanted to run away from here, the curiosity bug had bitten her, and she was afflicted. Indie needed to know what was going on, and how her dad of all people, a mayor in Arkansas, had been contacted by an alien race.
They pulled up to the old two-story colonial, with crisp white pillars, painted ivory shutters, and an American flag flapping in the wind.
Her father walked out, smiling too widely for the circumstances. “Dear.” He kissed his wife’s cheek and took Indie’s hand like he was greeting them at a party.
Another man stepped from inside, and Indie’s heart pounded at the sight. There were ridges on his forehead. Small dark eyes, holes for nostrils. His lips were gray and thin. Everything about him sent alarm bells ringing, but she was frozen in her footsteps. He wasn’t human.
“Indie. Estelle. I’d like you to meet Director Ulison.”
Ulison extended his hand, and she counted six fingers.
“The pleasure is mine.” His voice was even, without emotion.
Indie’s mom shook with him, but when it was Indie’s turn, she instinctively recoiled at his advance. “Dad, what is happening?”
“Please be polite, Indie. One day, you’ll understand, so don’t make this harder than it is.”
Indie nearly fell down the flight of steps, but Ulison reached out, catching her by the arm.
“You are fine, girl. Listen to your father.”
Indie stared at the slender fingers wrapped around her, and shuddered with revulsion, trying not to let the man spot her discomfort.
“I see you didn’t explain everything to your daughter, Mr. Hart. Perhaps I was remiss in choosing you as our contact,” Ulison said, and her father paled.
“No. I didn’t want to worry her. She’s a good kid.”
“Will she play her part?” Ulison assessed her with those dark beady eyes, as if trying to read her soul.
“Yes,” Estelle Hart said. “We’ll execute the plan as necessary.”
Indie was about to complain, but it would fall on deaf ears.
“It’s time to do the test,” Ulison said.
“Test?” Indie didn’t like the sound of that.
Her dad gave his best mayoral smile and ushered them inside. “Yes. It’s the most remarkable thing. A percentage of our people will take to the elements being distributed into our atmosphere, but Ulison offered us a chance to learn before the rest of the herd.”
Herd. Indie’s instinct was to run. “To learn what?”
“If we’re qualified to fight alongside the Angor,” he said. None of it made sense to her, but she hesitantly entered the house anyway. Her mind was reeling, but Indie still appreciated the scent of the home. The woodwork reminded her of the old museum she loved to visit in the downtown core. It smelled like history.
Ulison motioned for an alien woman to come forward, and she stared at the humans, like they were as strange to her as the Angor were to Indie. “This is Abbyl. She will administer the test.”
Abbyl patted a dark cherry wood chair, and Indie’s father clambered into it. “Let me go first. To show them there’s nothing disreputable transpiring.”
The woman opened a metallic case, unclasping the locks with the touch of her finger. The device resembled a pen, and she pressed the tip. Air escaped, blowing in Ben Hart’s face. He coughed and inhaled more.
“It takes a moment,” Abbyl informed them.
Indie realized they were speaking English. Add that to the queue of mysterious phenomena occurring around her.
Her dad impatiently tapped his finger on the chair’s arm. Abbyl retrieved another tool out of the case. It beeped and flashed a glowing green light over her dad’s face. “Negative.”
He looked crestfallen.
“That’s okay, Ben. There will be much you can do for us in New York,” Director Ulison said. “Not all wars are fought at the front lines. We require governors; soldiers of a different kind, willing to make tough decisions. You will be one of those people.”
Indie noticed how this lifted his spirits. Her father had never been good at hiding his emotions. It was a trait she’d inherited.
Indie’s mom went next, with the same negative result. It was Indie’s turn to take the chair, and a wave of uncertainty swept over her. But her mother had said not to ask questions, and for aliens, they didn’t seem very overbearing. They were pleasant enough, and well spoken. Not what she’d expected.
The mist hit her cheeks, and she breathed it in. It was sweet, like watermelon on a hot summer day. The two minutes went by at a snail’s pace, with her father impatiently knocking his foot on the floor and gritting his teeth. Her mother was across the room, somehow managing to find a bar. She downed a stubby glass, half-full of amber liquor, not making eye contact with anyone.
The female alien… what was her name… Abbyl, examined the device’s readout, a glowing strip along the edge of the pen, and smiled. “Well, Miss Hart, it seems that you’ll be joining the ranks of our army.” She showed the display to Ulison, whose eyes betrayed his stoic posture. He was surprised by the result.
No one had called her Miss Hart before. She glanced at her mother, who was pouring a second drink.
“This is great. Just fantastic!” Her father gathered her in a ferocious hug. The gesture itself felt alien. He didn’t usually pay her any real consideration. She squeezed him back, and he let go, holding her at arm’s length. “Honey, you are going to make a difference. I know it. When we reach the city…”
“I apologize, but you’re not leaving for New York quite yet,” Ulison said.
“Why not? You promised we’d join you—”
Ulison raised a finger, silencing her father. She’d never seen him concede so easily to anyone. “Mr. Hart, I assure you your family has a place there. You’ve been instructed as to what needs to be done. If you forgot, Abbyl has put the reminders on this device. Follow the directions. Ensure the boy is seen to.”
The boy? Were they talking about Colton? “What does Colton have to do with anything?”
Ulison snapped his attention to her, narrowing his gaze. “Miss Hart, you’d be wise to listen to your father. There is much more at stake than you can imagine.” He was tense, but relaxed when Abbyl set a hand on his forearm.
“Indie, what did you want to be? What is your passion?” Abbyl asked with a friendly tone.
She glanced at her mother in the corner, attempting to be a wallflower, hiding from the company. Her dad began to whisper an answer, and she ignored him. “A veterinarian.”
“Okay. That’s good. An animal doctor, isn’t it?” Abbyl asked.
“I want to help them.” Indie felt stupid, like she was a seven-year-old playing with a toy pony, putting a cast on its tail.
“This is far more important than any animal. If you help us, you’ll be saving all the animals on Earth. As well as the humans,” Abbyl told her.
The hair on her neck stood up as the shiver darted through her spine. “I will?”
“That’s right. It’s simple. We’ve established a plan. I know it will be difficult to leave your home, but do it for the animals that have no voice.” Abbyl stowed the device, closing the case with an overwhelming finality.
“What does it mean? To be part of the army.”
“You now have Xeno. It will be uncomfortable. You will have bouts of pain, aching in your chest, burning in your lungs. But it will make you stronger. Eventually, you will die, Indie Hart… and be reborn into the warrior you were destined to become.” Ulison’s words were low but powerful. “It is not a burden. Xeno is a blessing.”
“Did you hear that, honey? A blessing. Thank you for bestowing it on my daughter!” Her dad was relentless in his sucking up.
Ulison and Abbyl walked to the door with Ben Hart in tow, assuring them that Indie would participate in their plan to the letter. She noticed a device sitting on the table, away from the rest of the Angor’s supplies, and Indie walked over, hefting it. No one was looking in her direction as she slipped it into her pocket.
The aliens departed, and Indie glanced at the tablet, wondering what she was supposed to do. She set a hand to her chest, thinking about her lungs and heart. What would happen to her? She was going to die?
Her mother crossed the open room like an apparition. Her father slumped into a chair, all the energy sapped from his legs. His face was slack, his arms dangling at his sides.
“Can we trust them?” Indie whispered to her mother.
“I think so.” The expression on her face told another story.
“Indie, of course we can rely on the Angor. They’re here to herald a new age for us. And with the Harts at their side, we’ll secure our position at the top.” He stayed sunken into the chair, rubbing his hands together like he was freezing.
Indie sat in disbelief, confident that no matter what she was forced to do, she wouldn’t betray her people.
Ever.
TWO
Dicore
Now
The sunlight glinted off the ax as I swung it, chopping the log in half. Adley grabbed the split wood, stacking them on top of the pile. We were close to finishing today’s task. I let the ax head settle on the ground and wiped the sweat from my face.
“Is every day a hundred degrees?” I asked, and Adley shrugged.
“Apparently. Want me to have a go at it?”
I handed her the tool, stepping aside.
The colony was full of activity, and I smiled while witnessing the tenacity of mankind. We’d been through hell since arriving on Dicore. From the Stingers’ assaults, to the Hellrats, and the revelations about the Unity War. All of it put us on edge. But we were alive, and most of the citizens of Dicore had a renewed sense of survival.
It didn’t help that Palora had returned the week before, without explanation. Indie had gone from the colony and joined Ulison, never coming back to discuss the updated plans. It was probably for the best. It gave us a chance to find a new identity for Krissa, the Rusa woman we’d discovered in an alien ship under the northern lake.
Adley chopped the wood, and I waited for a few minutes before placing them on the top of the pile. Desmond was in a heated discussion with Franklin.
Judging by Desmond’s expression, it was bad news.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Adley, and jogged to the water tower.
“What is it? Did you find Ambrose?” The curly-haired man hadn’t been seen since we’d left camp a week ago, and everyone was worried, especially Adley. I was doing my best to keep her busy, but the concern was permanently etched on her brow.
Desmond gave me the slightest of nods. “We did.”
“Is he okay?” Past Franklin’s shoulder was Gordon Tremblay, near the exterior of our residential building.
“No, Colton. He’s not.”
I ran past them, stopping where Bull and Gordon glowered into the maintenance hatch. Ambrose was inside, his neck bent unnaturally. His dead eyes stared up, meeting my gaze. The smell was terrible.
“Someone killed him. Dumped the body,” Gordon said.
“Maybe he tripped. Landed on his head,” I suggested. The fall was a good ten feet.
“Don’t think this was an accident.” Gordon waved a couple soldiers to his side. “Colton, I’ll go down there and search for signs of foul play, and then we’ll haul Ambrose out. Any objections?”
I glanced to the fence, where Palora was landed a mile outside. “Maybe we should wait for Indie.”
“No. She’s obviously busy doing whatever an Assistant Director does.” Gordon began to climb the rungs and flipped a switch when he stepped over Ambrose’s body. A gentle light source turned on, casting shadows on the dead man’s face.
Gordon scoured the area, but he claimed that nothing seemed suspicious. They used a few ropes and hefted Ambrose up the ladder, with me and Bull watching the process. When he was on the ground, Doctor Gwen arrived.
“Oh my,” she muttered. She wore a pair of white medical gloves and a lab coat, making her look the part. “When you said you needed me, I didn’t think…”
“Can you determine the cause of death?” Desmond asked her, finally approaching our group.
Gwen gaped at the body. “It’s a little out of my area of expertise, but I suppose I could examine him.” She glanced around, finding a captive audience. “In my office.”
“Great,” Desmond said. “We’ll arrange transportation. Do your best.”
The crowd began to depart as the soldiers prepared to deliver the body. Now that we had the supplies from Palora, we were well underway at making modifications to the city. The landscape would change very quickly in our little village.
Adley arrived, the ax firm in her grip, and she looked at the soldiers carrying the covered body a half block away. “What’s happening? Did you find…” Realization sank in, and she started to run for him. I blocked her path.
“There’s nothing you can do, Adley. He’s at peace.”
She broke down. “I shouldn’t have let him go. I mentioned that I had a fully charged light in my pack, and he left the safety of the compound during the storm to retrieve it. He was constantly trying to do stupid things for me.”
