Part 5

Kerris looked at the screen one more time before increasing his speed to 90 mph as the small truck began to vibrate. The stop for fuel had cost him dearly. He did not expect the fuel stop to be so busy and he regretted taking the truck instead of a faster vehicle. He calculated they were far enough ahead of him that he would not be able to get there before them, but he would be able to arrive before they had the craft ready for flight. He looked at the screen again and cursed silently, pushing the truck to its limit on the open highway. It would be close, but he was confident…just another hour and he’d begin to put Varian’s plan into action. He never saw the state police car parked in the median as he blew past it. When he finally saw the flashing red lights in the rear view mirror, he panicked and pushed the truck on into the night.

The cruiser increased its speed, coming up to the speeding truck on the driver’s side. The patrolman in the passenger seat was a rookie on his first night of duty out of the academy and he was visibly excited about the chase. The night had been very slow up to this point. His partner smiled at him as he accelerated the powerful cruiser.

“Okay, Jay. You were looking for a little excitement. I’m going to pull up to the driver’s side. You motion for him to pull over.”

As soon as they were beside the truck, the rookie was surprised to see a good looking woman behind the wheel. “Damn, it’s a woman,” he said as he motioned for her to pull over and was answered with another increase in speed.

“The bitch won’t pull over Chet,” he said to his partner as they slipped back behind the truck.

“Call for assistance. We’ll do this one by the book,” the older patrolman said in a controlled tone.

Patrolman Jay Pasternak picked up the microphone and called the dispatcher. “This is Car 78, in pursuit of a late model Ford Ranger on Interstate 68…just west of Flintstone. We are requesting assistance. Are there any other vehicles in the area?”

The radio squawked with static then a reply; “Car 78…assistance is on the way. Cars 75 and 63 will road block just east of Exit 50.”

“Roger, thank you dispatch. Run a check on Virginia plate: Alpha - Alpha - 3 - 6 - 9 - Zebra,” the young patrolman replied into the mic. “Okay, let’s box him in.”

The state patrol car, sped past the truck and pulled in front of it, hoping to force the driver to slow down, but Kerris maneuvered the truck around the police car and picked up speed again. They continued this game of tag until the cruiser backed off and slipped behind the truck when they came within a mile of the roadblock. As the vehicles raced west on I 68, Kerris eyed the cruiser behind him as he contemplated how to get rid of it. There wasn’t another vehicle on the road to use in a diversionary tactic and he did not want to pull over and waste the time to deal with them. Their vehicle was more powerful than his truck so he did not want to chance forcing them off the road. And, having them following him was not an alternative either. One mile ahead, his options changed when he saw the flashing red lights.

“Okay, get ready. The roadblock is coming up,” Officer Chet Bains forewarned his rookie partner. But neither of them was ready for the event to come.

Kerris smiled as he sped toward the two cruisers that were parked trunk-to-trunk across the concrete highway. He lifted his right hand and projected a force field fifty feet in front of the speeding truck. When the patrolmen from cars 75 and 63 realized the truck wasn’t going to stop or slow down, they holstered their guns and ran for their lives, diving into the ditches on each side of the highway. When they rolled over to watch the impending collision, they couldn’t believe what they saw. Both cruisers exploded with the impact of the force field, sending up dual fireballs as the vehicles were lifted into the air allowing the truck to pass unscathed beneath them before dropping back down on the highway.

Behind the truck, Chet realized that the truck wasn’t slowing and he shouted, “Holy Mother of God, that bitch isn’t going to stop! Hang on!” He put both feet on the brake to slow the cruiser as he turned the wheel hard to the left. He released the brake and turned the wheel back to the right after completing a 180 turn, but the momentum was still carrying them toward the burning vehicles. To compensate, he stepped on the accelerator to get the cruiser moving away from the falling cars. It was close, but the tires finally stopped squealing, gripping the road once more. He was able to bring the vehicle to a dead stop, just yards from the conflagration. He moved his vehicle to safety onto the shoulder and they both got out, hoping that their colleagues were unharmed.

“Son of a bitch!” the patrolman from car 75 said as he picked himself up out of the ditch. He held a hand up, shielding his eyes from the bright flames as he looked across the highway for the driver of car 63. A plume of noxious smoke was wafting his way, causing him to cough as he staggered out of its grasp. As he made his way to the roadway, he saw the driver of car 63 emerge from the other side. “Frank!” he shouted, “are you all right?”

Frank nodded in reply and the two officers met in the middle of the highway. “Did you see that Dan?” Frank asked his colleague from car 75. “I mean…how…”

They were both staring at the burning mass of twisted metal, when Chet and Jay came up to them.

“How the hell did that truck get through that?” Chet asked as he looked at the mess. Dan and Frank just shook their heads trying to figure out how it all could have happened.

“It was like there was an invisible plow in front of the truck,” Frank added. “It just rammed the cruisers and lifted them up to let the truck pass before dropping the fireballs back on the highway.”

Chet looked at the two experienced officers then at his rookie partner. “Jay, go call this in. Make sure you let them know everyone’s all right.” Jay nodded and jogged back to the cruiser. As soon as the rookie was out of earshot Chet looked at his two friends. “C’mon…an invisible plow? You guys sure you want to put that into a report?”

“Damn, Chet! That’s exactly the way it happened…didn’t it?” Dan looked over at Frank for confirmation, receiving a vigorous nod. “But, you have a point. No one would believe that.”

Chet interrupted, “Make that a she,” he said nodding at the wide-eyed look he was getting.

“Okay, she was going so fast it rammed right though, hitting the rear of both vehicles. By the time the cars exploded, it was already through.” He paused putting his hands on his hips and looking at the dying flames. “Who the hell was that woman?”

Jay returned to the group to let them know the fire trucks were on the way and a couple of wreckers…and an ambulance. Dan and Frank grimaced at that news, hoping they could talk the EMS squad out of taking them to the hospital for a once over. Jay also let them know the dispatcher had run the Virginia plate and found that the truck was reported stolen from the Airport Hilton in Crystal City.

A few cars and eighteen-wheelers were starting to back up on both sides of the highway now, so Jay left to set up flares further down the highway. The wail of sirens could be heard in the distance and Chet went across the median to direct them to the scene.

Dan looked at Frank and said, “We did see that didn’t we?” Frank just nodded his head then walked over to the guard rail and sat down on it to wait for the emergency vehicles to arrive.

Dean checked the time and figured that they had maybe another thirty minutes before they go close to the site. They’d have to park and hike into the hills, and that would take maybe another thirty minutes. Her passengers were all asleep and she was keeping herself awake by listening to the police scanner she had in the SUV. She had decided to jump onto Interstate 68 to make better time, and had taken Exit 22 to catch Route 219 north towards Meyersdale. Glencoe was just a short hop from there. The original route they planned would have taken more time, but afforded better cover. With the possibility of Kerris closing in, Dean opted for the quicker road. She was coming down a hill and had the lights of Meyersdale in sight when Janai abruptly sat up in the back seat, eyes still closed.

“You okay, Janai?” Dean asked. When she didn’t get an immediate response, Dean assumed the worst. “Kerris?”

Janai nodded, and was about to speak when the police scanner went crazy. Police, fire trucks, and an ambulance were all being dispatched to an accident site on the interstate, just east of Cumberland. The noise woke up Katie and Alana.

Calculating in her head Dean guessed. “Thirty, maybe forty minutes. If that was him, it will also depend on what he’s driving and his top speed.”

“How rough is the terrain up to the ship?” Dean asked as a plan came to mind.

With a bit of maneuvering, Katie and Janai changed places. Janai buckled up then kept her eye on the road ahead. Before they got to Glencoe, she told Dean to slow down. She scanned the woods on her right, then suddenly told Dean to stop.

“It’s up this trail,” she pointed in the direction of a very narrow path that looked to be an animal pathway.

Dean looked it over, then put the SUV into four wheel drive. “Okay, make sure you’re all strapped in. Let’s see how far we can get in this baby.” Then she turned and headed the SUV up the path.

It was slow going, and there were a couple of times she thought they’d have to get out and walk the rest of the way, but they kept on going. The trickiest part was the soft shale that would crumble away and not allow the tires traction, but Dean was used to four-wheeling, so she kept on going. Fifteen minutes after they had turned off the road, Janai pointed to a break in the trees off to the left. Dean followed her direction and swung the SUV through the break. The other side of the trees opened onto a small meadow with a shear cliff extending upward from the back of the meadow. Dean stopped and put the vehicle in park and added the parking break for good measure. She checked her watch and nodded…0118, not bad. The headlights of the SUV illuminated the rock outcropping.

“This is it,” Janai announced, unhooking the seat belt and opening the door.

Katie looked at Dean and said, “It is?” and got a shrug from Dean in response before they released their belts and exited the SUV.

Alana unfastened her seat belt and joined Janai in front of the SUV headlights, their bodies casting eerie shadows on the jagged rocks. Together they approached the cliff face and studied the formation. Janai then walked to the left, and stopped when the cliff face ended. She passed her hand over an area of rock and stepped back seeming to wait for something to happen. She looked at Alana then back at the rock, stepping forward again but this time she continued through the rock wall and disappeared within the cliff. Alana turned and watched the faces of the two humans as they observed Janai disappear. She walked back over to them and explained. “There’s actually an opening there. You just don’t see it. Come, I’ll show you.”

The three women walked to the spot where Janai disappeared. Alana took Katie’s hand and led her through the opening while Dean followed closely behind. Once inside, they were surprised by the size of the interior space. A long tube that went around the circumference of the cavern dimly illuminated it. In the center was a craft that looked everything like the old reports of flying saucers would have described. It was circular in shape, sitting on a tripod of legs that extended from the bottom of the craft. It almost looked like someone took two cup saucers and placed them rim to rim, with the top one put on upside down. The top had small windows around the center ridge, and the matching bottom ridge had small lights around its circumference. Janai was standing directly beneath the craft with her arm extended upward. As they watched an opening appeared in the bottom and a stairway slowly extended down.

Katie leaned over to Dean and whispered, “Wow…it looks like something out of an old Flash Gordon movie.”

Alana chuckled when she heard the comment. “Well, it was designed that way purposely. Just in case it was detected in flight, it would be written off as someone’s imagination running wild after too many cliffhanger episodes. Unfortunately, this is one of the older models. Your moviegoers now would scoff at the sight of this craft. We’ve been slowly replacing these with newer models that match a lot of what you see on current science fiction films.”

“If it’s that old, is it still functional?” Dean asked as she watched Janai trot down the stairs and come up to them.

“Yes, and no,” Janai responded to the question. “The fuel rods are good, but the power storage system that operates the life support and controls will need to be repaired.”

Janai laughed. “Well, almost, but ours are made from a plasma that keeps our operational power supply in flux, causing the molecular actions to regenerate power. Unfortunately, this one has a leak and needs extensive repair and we don’t have time for that. Kerris is too close.” She looked at Alana peering deeply into her blue eyes. “We need to move to the next site.”

Alana nodded, understanding the unspoken danger she read in Janai’s eyes. “Yes, Janai,” she said simply as she reached up and placed her hand gently on Janai’s cheek.

“Okay,” Dean sighed, breaking the tenseness of the moment. “Point me in the right direction.”

Kerris got off the interstate at Cumberland and headed north on Route 47. He took a small back road to approach Glencoe from the southeast. It was rough travel and he couldn’t maintain the speed, but hoped the shortcut would get him to the emergency site in time. It was 0130. Daring to take his eyes off the road, he checked the tracking screen. The blip was still in the same spot now for five minutes. “It’ll take them another 15 minutes before they can lift off,” he mumbled to himself as he continued down the bumpy road. He hit a deep hole in the pavement that jarred his entire body and caused the tracking device to bounce off the seat beside him and land upside down on the floorboard. He glared at the fallen device then returned his vision to the road ahead. Ten minutes later, he raced through the sleeping hamlet of Glencoe and found the narrow path to the departure site.

He could taste victory as he gunned the small truck up the path. The light bed of the truck made it bounce and slide as he went up. He finally gave in halfway up the path and left the truck behind as he ran the rest of the way. Approaching the meadow, he slowed and cautiously checked the site. It was empty. He ran forward to the cliff face, hoping that the craft was still there. Finding the opening he rushed inside, relieved to see the craft still there. He stealthily approached the stairway, quietly taking each stair into the craft. When he reached the interior, the sound of anger resounded throughout the cavern like a pinball caught bouncing between bumpers.

Dean was driving with Katie in the seat next to her, map in hand, when they came upon the intersection of Route 160. Katie looked at the map, “Take a right here, Dean. We can catch 219 up this road a bit, then Interstate 70 from 219.”

Janai had suggested the northern route to throw Kerris off their trail. If he followed them north to Interstate 70, he would have to decide which way to travel. There were additional emergency locations to the east and to the west. Hopefully he would guess wrong and give them the edge they needed. If not, they needed a better plan.

“Got it,” Dean commented, as she turned right. She looked up into the rear view mirror and caught the sight of Alana’s head resting on Janai’s shoulder as the protector held her close. Dean almost felt like a voyeur as she watched the gentle movements of the hands caressing the blonde head. It was like watching a dreamscape of her and Katie. She could feel the hair running through her fingers; sense the anticipation as the caresses longed to become more exploratory; taste the desire in her lips as they craved to make contact with Katie’s. She could barely keep her eyes on the road. Finally she shook her head and mentally admonished herself, stop it Dean, that’s not you…that’s not Katie.

Katie felt the shiver go through Dean’s body and looked over at her lover, watching her catch a glimpse of the women in the back. She knew exactly how and what she was feeling. She often found herself staring at them. Wondering what was going through their minds. Wondering what kind of reaction they felt at each other’s touch. The whole situation would have been a lot easier to grasp and understand if they didn’t look exactly alike. She reached out and put a hand on Dean’s thigh, gently stroking it with her thumb. “Hey, love. You okay?”

Shaking the previous thoughts out of her system, Dean asked, “Is this next craft old too?”

Janai looked up at the question. “No. In fact it is one of the newer models. It’s much faster and carries a full compliment of current technological innovations.” She paused reflecting on her original choice of starcraft. “I was hoping that by going to the older craft, I could throw Kerris off our track. He would obviously seek out the newer one and I was hoping…” her voice trailed off wondering how he managed to track them.

Dean seemed to be on the same wavelength as she asked, “How do you think he found us? Can he sense your presence without you realizing it?”

“No. If he uses his powers to scan for us, I would know it. Maybe I’m underestimating him. If he figured out we weren’t following our itinerary, he probably figured out I would use that older craft as my tactic to shake our tracker.”

“He should. He gave himself away when he had to use his Theiliosian form to heal.”

“Yes, but then that would be like saying ‘here we are.’ We would be more vulnerable and I won’t do that except as a last resort.”

“Precisely,” Janai agreed. “Our best bet is to beat him to the next site and leave before he can reach us.”

“I may have a better plan than that,” Dean suggested as she let her mind work out the kinks in it. “Let me think on it a bit.”

They came to the intersection of Route 219 and turned northwest toward the interstate traveling quickly up the empty roadway. By the time they hit the interstate, Dean was satisfied with her plan and began to share it with the other occupants. There were just a couple of details that still needed polish, but they had time to work that out over the next four hours. Checking her gas gauge, she decided they would have to stop for fuel. She checked her travel guide and decided that they had better get fuel in Somerset or run the risk of running out down the road. It was late, and there weren’t many service areas open at this time of night.

Kerris ran back down the rocky path to the truck. His anger was blinding his ability to react to the slick and crumbling shale and that complicated the downward run. He slipped and fell on the treacherous footing several times. When he finally got back into the truck, he was seething with anger. Starting the ignition, he gunned the engine and nearly collided with a solid oak tree before he regained control, forcing himself to back down the trail with a bit more self-control. When the tires finally hit pavement, he had regained his composure. He stopped long enough to pick up the tracking monitor from the passenger floorboard. “Ah, off to the north I see. Now, which way will you go from there?” he wondered aloud. “Guess we’ll see when you make your turn.”

He pressed the truck hard once more to make up for the time he had lost. From the position of the blip on the monitor, he realized he must have missed them by a scant few minutes. Now, though, he was at least twenty minutes behind them. Once more, he wished he had selected a faster vehicle. “Well, perhaps I can remedy that mistake down the road.” Confidence restored, he planned his course and followed in pursuit. He kept an eye on the tracking monitor as best he could on the back roads hoping to inch closer with every turn in the road.

“We need to stop for fuel,” Dean apprised the group as she turned her directional on. There was a service station with a small coffee shop at the 219/I 70 interchange that was open all night. She pulled up to the pump and turned off the engine. “I’ll fill it up. If anyone needs a stretch or the rest room, better go for it now,” she instructed the group.

The three passengers didn’t need any more prompting as they all exited the vehicle and headed for the coffee shop. Next to the entrance to the coffee shop was a brand new tow truck. The truck was purple in color and the lettering on the side read Sam’s Service. The operator’s name, Sam Sweetwater, was listed in neat script right under it.

Katie looked it over, admiring the bright purple color. “Mmm, nice truck,” she murmured as she walked past it and into the small coffee shop. Janai and Alana had stayed outside, eager to stand and stretch for a bit. Katie was still looking at the truck over her shoulder when she took a seat at the counter.

“That it is,” came a gravelly voice to her left. “Had the color mixed special.”

Katie turned to face the person who spoke, surprised to see a silver haired woman sitting on the stool next to her. “Oh, hi,” Katie said, a bit shocked at seeing the woman for the first time. “Nice truck.”

“You already said that,” chuckled the older woman. “Kinda late for traveling. Y’all going far?”

“Well, that’s good. Gonna storm in a bit.” The woman picked up her coffee mug and drained the last of it, then set it back down on the counter. “Names Samantha Sweetwater. This is my station,” she said with a nod of proprietorship.

Katie looked around the little shop and was impressed with the cleanliness of it. “Nice,” she nodded. “You run it by yourself?”

“Hell, no! I’m good, but not that good,” she chuckled again. “My daughters help me out most of the time. They’re off in my other truck right now on a call.”

The door to the kitchen swung open and another woman came through it. “Hey, Sam. Why din’ ya tell me we had customers out here?” She was about the same age as Sam and had twinkling hazel eyes and a contagious grin that made Katie grin too. She looked over at Katie and smiled brightly. “What kin I getcha young lady?”

“Um,” Katie knew they wouldn’t be staying long, but checked outside and saw Dean still at the pump.

“Got some fresh baked apple pie,” the woman tempted her. “Still hot, barely out of the oven.”

“Ooo,” Katie said involuntarily. She looked back over to the pump and saw Dean putting the nozzle back in its holder. “Um, don’t think we have time,” she said as she watched Dean walk toward the shop as a dark green Ford Ranger pulled up on the other side of their SUV.

“Aww, sure hate to see that pie get cold.” She looked at the tall dark woman opening the door. “Bet your partner would like a piece.”

At the word partner, Katie swung her head around looking at the cook with a surprised expression. The cook winked at her and said, “Been in this world a long time and know how to read people.” She looked over at Sam and said, “now, this one’s much better at it than I am. She’s a real clairvoyant.”

Katie looked back at Sam who was watching the woman step out of the Ford Ranger. “You are?” Katie asked curiously.

“Mmhm.” Sam replied, not taking her eyes off the auburn haired woman at the pump. She mumbled, “now that one’s trouble.”

Dean stepped in just then, pulling out her wallet and extracting two twenty dollar bills. “Are what?” she said as she closed the door behind her.

Dean looked at her watch and sighed. “Sounds great, but we can’t.” She looked at Katie and changed her mind, “but we’ll take four pieces to go.”

“I knew you couldn’t resist,” the cook said as she turned and went into the kitchen. “Be right back.”

Dean sat on the stool next to Katie and swiveled around to watch Janai and Alana. The woman with the auburn hair had come around from the pump and was talking to them as they walked toward the coffee shop. The stranger and Alana reached for the door simultaneously, both grasping the handle at the same time. Alana seemed to hold on a bit longer than necessary before apologizing and releasing her grip. The stranger smiled and pulled open the door, allowing Janai and Alana to enter first. Alana’s expression turned somber and she gripped Janai’s hand once the stranger walked past them towards the rest room. Janai was surprised by the move and looked at Alana curiously.

Just the look on Alana’s face was enough to convince the others that her request need not be questioned. The cook came out with a bag containing the pies and handed them to Katie who had a very worried look on her face. Dean paid Sam for the gas and pie and the four women walked quickly out the door, followed by Sam.

Dean looked at the woman, surprised at the comment, but didn’t say anything. The look on Alana’s face was enough for her, so she merely nodded in response and got behind the wheel. By the time she started the ignition, the others were in their places, seat belts clicking into place. She didn’t say anything as they pulled out, but in the rear view mirror, she noticed Sam straightening up by the rear tire of the Ford, and slowly amble back into the coffee shop. They traveled a mile before anyone spoke. Alana broke the silence.

“Yes. When our hands gripped the door handle at the same time, it felt strange, so I opened my senses and read her…his mind. He’s been following us. Tracking us with a device of some kind. I could visualize it on the truck seat.”

Katie nodded in understanding. “Sounds like a standard issue tracking model. But how could it be tracking us? Unless he somehow planted a chip on the SUV.”

“Janai, grab the black bag we packed. Not the one with the weapons, the other one,” Dean instructed.

Janai reached behind the seat and selected the proper bag, unzipping it and waiting for Dean’s instructions.

“Take out the black box with the long black antenna on it.” Janai complied. “Turn it on and start at the back. Move it slowly over every inch of surface.”

Janai leaned over the back seat and did as she was told, but there were no Saabble sounds from the instrument. When she turned to move back, bringing the instrument in front of her, the box began to beep. Dean watched in the rear view mirror as Janai swept the seat they were using. Whenever the box came near Janai, it began to beep.

“It’s you Janai. Something on you,” Dean informed her. “Give the box to Alana and have her sweep your body.”

She did so, and as Alana passed her hip pocket the beeps became louder and more insistent. Janai reached in her pocket and pulled out the contents. She looked at her driver’s license and credit card. Holding them up one at a time to the box, they found the culprit. It was her American Express card.

“Serus!” Janai exclaimed. “He did this.” She went to throw the card out the window when Dean shouted for her to stop. “But…”

“No. Let’s use it to our advantage. He thinks he can just sit back and follow with the tracking unit. Well, let’s give him something else to follow, shall we?” Dean grinned in the rear view mirror and received and identical grin back.

At the next rest area, they pulled over and found a likely candidate. Katie sauntered up to the young man on the motorcycle with a smile. “Excuse me. I wonder if I could get you to do me a big favor?” She batted her eyelashes at him for extra measure.

“I need to get this credit card to the gas station at exit 219 near Carlisle. Would you be going that way? I could make it worth your while?”

The kid thought about it for about ten seconds then shrugged. “What’s it worth to you?”

“Well,” she winked at him, cutting off his sentence. “Let’s just say, I’m playing a little well deserved joke on my ex.”

That made him grin thinking that maybe he could pocket the cash and just maybe he’d hang on to the card long enough to get some new leather pants. “Yeah. I’ll do it!” he agreed.

“Can you head it over now? I, um, I need to get it out of here fast, before he realizes it’s gone,” she added for good measure as she nodded toward a burly man coming out of the men’s room.

“Sure.” He held out his hand and she gave him the card and the cash. He took both and put them in his zipper pocket, then started the cycle up. Katie waived her fingers at him as he pushed the cycle back and headed out the ramp, then crossed the median and roared off back to the east.

Kerris exited the rest room, surprised to see just Sam and the cook in the room. He looked outside and saw the SUV was gone. He wasn’t worried. He could track them wherever they went. He paid for his gas and walked out of the shop.

“Nope, not for at least ten miles,” Sam replied with a hint of humor in her voice.

“Whatdya make of them twins?” the cook asked her partner. “Real cuties they were.”

“Yep, but they weren’t twins, Sally. Just looked that way.” Sam turned to look at her partner of 30 years. “Now, how about a piece of that apple pie?” When Sally went back into the kitchen after the pie, Sam Sweetwater swiveled back around and watched the woman get back into the truck and pull out.

Kerris looked back at the two old women talking amiably in the coffee shop then opened the driver’s door on the Ford and slipped in behind the wheel. He passed his hand over the ignition, put the truck in gear and drove to the ramp entrance for the interstate. Taking a quick look at the tracking unit, he noticed their signature was standing still. “Making it easy for me to catch up, huh?” He accelerated in response, hoping to catch a visual of the SUV. When he looked back down at the screen he saw the bright blip was now going east on the interstate. “Nice try, but you can’t slip away that easy,” he growled as he slammed on the breaks and looked for an appropriate spot to cross the median. There was a U-turn just ahead, so he slowed ignoring the sign with the no u-turn symbol on it, and pulled out onto the eastbound side. He was accelerating when he felt the steering wheel jerk and the truck begin to shake. Pulling over to check the vehicle he got out of the truck as a motorcycle sped past him. When he saw the flat tire, he pounded the side of the truck. “I don’t have time for this!” he yelled to the sky.

A passing motorist noticed the good-looking auburn haired woman standing by the truck with a flat tire as she pounded the side of the truck. He pulled over and backed up his Saab until he was in front of her truck. Calling to her as he got out of his car, he said, “Need some help, Miss?” It was the last thing he ever said. Kerris dumped the man’s body into the bed of the pick up, grabbed his bag and the tracking unit out of the truck and got into the idling Saab. Checking the tracking unit, he saw that the SUV must have passed him sometime during the brief switch. “Okay, let’s try this again.” He put the car in gear, happy that the vehicle had more power than the small truck. The speedometer was just inching up to 70 mph when it started to rain. Locating the windshield wiper control, he flipped them on and continued east, taking time to peek at the tracking screen. He smiled as he saw he was catching up. He was almost within visual range but the rain cut that distance down to close for comfort. The blip started to slow, so he matched its speed, slowing the Saab perceptibly. Peering through the rain, he saw a single taillight stopped under an overpass. “Must be just up a bit further,” he grumbled as he continued past the motorcyclist who was pulling on rain gear. He looked through the windshield again and did not see any other taillights. Glancing at the tracking unit, he couldn’t believe that the blip was now behind him…and stationary. Cursing in Theiliosian, he slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop on the wet pavement. He looked behind him, and saw a solitary headlight moving slowly. Grabbing the tracking unit, he watched as the blip came closer and closer then passed him as the motorcycle also passed.

“Very good, Janai. You figured it out.” Tossing the tracking unit into the back seat, Kerris put the car into gear and pulled onto the highway. He found a gravel U-turn area, but it was occupied with a state patrol car. Not wanting another chase, he opted to find another one. He was fairly confident that he knew where his quarry was headed, and that the rain would have slowed them down too. By the time he was heading west on the interstate, he calculated that he may be only 30 or 40 minutes behind them and he could easily close the gap with the Saab. “Just a matter of time, now,” Kerris spoke out loud, “I know where you are going.”

Chapter 16

Saturday, 0600 Hours

The rain slowed their progress quite a bit. It normally wouldn’t have, but the blinding downpours caused them to slow to a crawl. When the rain finally let up, they were able to pick up speed again after they turned south on Interstate 77.

“You’ll need to get off on Exit 1, then take Route 7 towards Marietta,” Janai instructed, as they got closer to their final destination. “Look for Route 26 and take it into Wayne National Forest.”

“You sure like to hide these things in deserted places,” Katie commented as she followed the instructions with a finger on the map she held in her lap. “But, then it wouldn’t do to have someone stumble onto one, now would it?”

“I can guarantee you that wouldn’t happen. Each starcraft is cloaked. You could be standing right on it and wouldn’t even know it unless the cloaking device was deactivated.”

Alana smiled at her counterpart. “You would be surprised where many of them are. But, you’re right most are in fairly inaccessible places.”

Katie turned in her seat to look at them. “Alana, how come Kerris didn’t know you read his mind? Wouldn’t he have picked up on your doing that?”

“No, he wouldn’t have been aware of it. It’s a bit complicated,” she began. “My ability to read thoughts is not an ‘enhancement’ like some of our other abilities. It’s something I was born with. My mother also had this gift and I inherited it.”

“But, wouldn’t Kerris know that you could read his thoughts?” Katie asked, still confused.

“The only people that know I have inherited this trait from my mother, are my father and Janai. My father wanted to keep it a secret. He knew that as I grew older it would become a valuable asset to him, as my mother was.”

Janai picked up the story at this point. “The Empress Valana was more than a wife to Alana’s father. She was a vital part of his intelligence gathering and his greatest advisor. No one knew of her ability to read minds, and she was able to help her husband maintain peace throughout the realm with the information she gathered. Unfortunately, she died shortly after Alana was born.”

”Who’s his main advisor now?” Dean asked as she turned onto Route 26.

“My uncle, Varian,” Janai said bitterly. “Things have not been well in the realm since. The Emperor sent Alana here to gain as much knowledge as she could from your people before she assumed a role at his side.”

“As advanced as your people are, what did he expect you to learn here Alana?” Katie asked with a look of surprise.

“I wondered that too as he gave me no direction in what to be looking for,” Alana began, “but I have found the people of earth to have many attributes that we lack.”

“Such as?” Katie inquired.

Alana laughed. “Such as your fierce need for independence, your compassion for those in need, your creativity, your quest to maintain equality and justice, and your resilience in the face of danger…”

Janai looked over and added with a smile, “and don’t forget their passion.”

Alana flushed and softly added, “Yes, your passion.”

“Passion?” Dean questioned.

“Yes, passion. Not just in matters of the heart, but for seeking beauty in everyday life…to live…to succeed…to learn…to create…to enjoy life!”

“Ah,” Dean sighed. “I guess we just don’t think about that. It’s something we just do, it’s a natural part of us.”

“Yes, especially the people of your country,” Janai added. “We have forgotten all of these things. As Alana reminded me recently, we just exist. Our creativity has stagnated…our passion is gone.” Alerted by the sign that said they were entering Wayne National Forest, Janai changed the subject abruptly. “In two miles you will see a fire road on the left. Take that turn.”

All eyes now focused forward, all looking for the dirt road. Janai turned and looked behind her, not seeing another vehicle behind them. “I do not sense any danger. Perhaps the little ruse with the young motorcyclist took Kerris off in the wrong direction.

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Dean interjected as she spotted the road and turned. The fire road seemed to be well kept and was fairly smooth.

“There will be a small creek flowing over the road just around the next turn. You should put the vehicle in four-wheel drive and follow the creek bed to your left. Don’t worry, you have enough clearance with this vehicle to get us where we need to go,” Janai assured them.

Dean maneuvered the SUV skillfully through the stream. Rounding a bend they came face-to-face with a waterfall that was at least sixty feet high and forty feet across. “Now what?” Dean asked as she stopped the truck gauging the pool in front of the waterfall to be at least ten feet deep. She twisted in her seat and looked at Janai.

“Now,” Janai said calmly as she held her hands out, “we go straight into the waterfall.”

“Well, the truck needed a wash,” Dean mumbled as she put the vehicle back into gear and slowly crept forward. Katie closed her eyes and held on to the door handle with her right hand and the side of the seat cushion with her left. As they entered the pool, the SUV rode as smooth as though it were on a paved highway straight into the falling water. The water sounded loud and fierce as they went under it to the other side. When they emerged, Dean turned on the headlights and saw a wall of rock.

“Just keep going. This is very much like the last site.”

Dean did as instructed and soon they were inside another cavern, only this one was much larger. And, so was the craft it held. Katie had begun peeking as they edged forward now and she just let out a whispered, “Wow!” and Dean whistled at the sight of the craft before them.

“Yep,” that’s what I’d imagine a spacecraft to look like all right.” Dean pulled the SUV over to the left of the craft and put it in park, then turned off the ignition. Alana and Janai quickly exited the back seat while Dean and Katie just sat in their seats staring at the craft. Dean estimated that it was at least sixty feet in length, thirty feet across. The back of the craft split into two tail sections, each housing what she assumed were the propulsion units. It didn’t have the tripod legs the older craft had. Instead it had a short landing gear type of pad at the front, and two more at the rear, under each of the propulsion units. It was almost boxy in shape, but still appeared sleek and powerful. It also looked like a life-size prop off of some sci-fi movie lot.

“Can you believe this?” Katie asked as she looked at the clock on the dashboard. It read 6:57 in the morning. She tried to fathom the last 15 hours of their lives. “It’s just so unbelievable. Their whole story is so fantastic, but looking at this…wow!”

“I’ve always held the belief that we are not alone in the universe,” Dean answered as she faced her lover. “Most of us...humans, are too arrogant to believe that there could be life forms more advanced than us. But, I’ve always felt that there had to be something, some…form of life…out there that is greater than us. Earth is but a speck of dust when you consider the vastness of the universe. If there is a God, I figured he had to hedge his bets and put life elsewhere.”

“I guess I never really gave it any thought,” Katie considered as she returned Dean’s gaze. She looked back at the craft and shrugged. “Guess I will now.”

Janai and Alana had gone in to inspect the craft and now came back out smiling.

“Guess this one’s a keeper,” Dean surmised as she watched them approach. She and Katie finally released their seatbelts and got out of the SUV. “I gather this one’s in good shape?” Dean inquired of a smiling Janai.

“Yes,” her twin replied. “It’s in very good shape. It won’t take us long…a few minutes to bring everything on-line for our exit, although I would really rather leave at nightfall than in daylight.”

“Ah, you don’t have the old Romulan cloaking device on board, eh?” Dean said jokingly.

Alana looked at her in confusion. “Romulan cloaking device?”

Katie chuckled and poked Dean in the ribs. “It’s from the Star Trek movies…a device that made the Romulan spaceships invisible.”

“Ah, I see,” Alana said still trying to understand.

“No,” Dean laughed, realizing that they needed to regain their sense of humor along with their passions. “You’re not supposed to see!”

They all laughed at the silly joke, glad for a bit of levity to release the tension of the past few hours.

“How about a tour while the systems come on-line?” Katie asked eagerly.

Without hesitation, Alana and Janai agreed. “Yes, we would like that.” Katie headed toward the craft, while Dean went back to the SUV and retrieved her two satchels before trotting after them. She still had an uneasy feeling knowing that Kerris was still somewhere out there. Besides, the nape hairs on her neck were starting to itch….

* * * * *

The rain had also slowed Kerris’ progress, but he was now making very good time. He turned onto the fire road at 6:40 AM and started to grin. “Soon, we will meet again, my sister…soon. Too bad it won’t be the family reunion you would like.” The Saab was performing very well on the fire road, so Kerris chanced driving it on the shallow creek bed and was satisfied with it’s functioning. He slowed near the final turn and stopped the vehicle just short of the turn that would expose it to the waterfall. He shut off the car and quietly exited, surveying the approach to the cavern. Deciding his best option was to stay in the woods to circle the pool. That way, he would not have to use his powers to enter the cavern…providing that Janai did not close the entrance. If she had, then he would have to use his powers to gain access, but by then it would be too late for them to react. He came around the gap between the waterfall and the rock wall and slid behind the water as he hugged the wall. The wall curved inward as he cleared the falls. He stood there for a moment relishing the fact that he had finally outsmarted Janai and would complete the assignment Varian had given him. The idea he had to make it look as though the humans had committed the act brought an even bigger grin to his face. He hoped the High Council would become incensed to the point that they would begin an all-out retaliation on the humans of earth. Kerris reached out tentatively to touch the rock wall, smiling as his hand disappeared though it. Before entering, he changed back into his Theiliosian form, insuring his ability to use his full powers if needed.

He took the pistols out of his coat pocket and checked the clips, then slipped the safety to the off position on both guns. Taking a deep breath, he quietly moved forward, entering the secret cavern. The cavern was brightly lit. The exterior lights of the spacecraft illuminated the space with the intensity of daylight. He stayed close to the interior wall as he entered and took cover behind the SUV and waited. He didn’t have to wait long.

The first to step out of the craft was the tall dark-haired human followed by the shorter blonde. In the ships doorway stood Janai and Alana, still in their human counterparts appearance and attire. Janai and Alana gave each human a farewell hug and walked out of the craft a few steps with them. As the humans turned to head to the SUV they slipped on their sunglasses to cut the glare from the intense light. Half way to the SUV, Kerris stepped out from his hiding place, leveling a gun at each pair.

“Hello, Janai,” he said with a cruel grin. “What a touching farewell. Too bad it will be their last!” He pulled the trigger and shot Dean directly in the chest, then quickly followed with a shot to Katie’s chest. Neither woman had time to react, falling backwards with the force of the shots and landing heavily on the cavern floor. Their arms and legs tangled together in an erotic pose.

“Kerris!” Janai shouted as she swept Alana behind her. “Don’t do this! You’re not evil…you’re the other half of me…Varian has put you under his powers.”

“Too late, my sister, I like being corrupted,” he said as he stepped around the bodies before him. “You should have changed back to your Theiliosian form. You know how vulnerable you are in human form.” He laughed as he pulled the trigger of the other gun, hitting Janai in her chest. She clutched at the wound closing her eyes in pain and disbelief, then fell face down on the floor.

“Nooo!” Alana screamed as she watched Janai fall. She pulled a weapon out from behind her back that Kerris recognized as a pulse disruptor. “Why?” she said as she leveled it at him with a shaking hand.

“Varian made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” he said simply as he pulled the trigger twice more, first hitting the weapon and knocking it out of her hand, then with precise aim, placing the next round directly into Alana’s heart. She fell immediately on top of Janai, blood from both bodies now evident on the floor of the cavern.

Kerris walked over and looked down. “Too bad, sister. You could have been an asset to the new empire.” He took the gun he used on the humans and placed it near Alana’s hand, then walked over to the pulse disruptor and picked it up, placing it in his pocket. Next he walked over to the humans, and put the other gun in the tall woman’s hand, noticing that the watch on her wrist read 07:35. He stepped back to survey his handiwork nodding at the scene before him. “Perfect,” he said with delight. “In three days, I’ll be reporting to the Protectorate about the death of my dear sister Janai, and the beautiful Princess at the hands of humans. When the Protectorate’s minions arrive, it will look like they killed each other off.” Laughing, he walked toward the cavern entrance. Looking back, he whispered, “Say hello to Aunt Tonis for me!” then walked out. The noise of the Saab’s engine being gunned could be heard as Kerris turned the vehicle and slowly departed leaving the drumming sound of the waterfall behind him.

* * * * *

Chapter 17

Saturday, 0740 Hours

Janai opened first one eye, then the other. “I think it’s safe now,” she whispered to the body intertwined with hers. Alana moved carefully off of her protector and removed the sunglasses she was wearing. Janai sat up and pulled off her sunglasses and then the Army sweatshirt she had on. She ripped off the Kevlar vest and checked her chest. There was a red spot in the center where the force of the bullet impacted the vest. “It’s a good thing Dean brought these along. We never could have pulled this plan off without them.” She stood and helped Alana stand before slipping the sweatshirt back on. “C’mon, we don’t have much time.”

They raced over to where Dean and Katie were lying in front of the spacecraft. Janai became very concerned when she saw the amount of blood that had pooled beneath them. Janai and Alana picked up their counterparts and carried them into the spacecraft. There was a small area in the rear of the craft that they had prepared for this part of the plan. If only they had had two more Kevlar vests, Alana thought as she watched Janai work on them. Dean had insisted on doing the switch much to Alana’s surprise. Her mind raced back to the brief minutes they had when the intruder alert activated when Kerris tentatively put his hand through the rock wall.

“That’s the intruder alert,” Janai cautioned as she flipped on the scanner and the exterior lights. She immediately recognized the figure as it morphed from the auburn female into her brother. “It’s Kerris!”

“Good,” Dean commented calmly as the three others looked at her wondering where this comment came from. “I have a plan. One that will hopefully work as long as you’re as good a healer as you say you are.”

“I am,” Janai confirmed. “What’s your plan?”

“We’re going to switch places.” She picked up her black bag and pulled out two Kevlar vests. “Here, you two…put these on,” handing them the vests. Then she handed them their sunglasses. “Use these too. The only way he can tell who’s who is by the color of our eyes.”

“What about your eyes?” Alana questioned.

“No problem. The lights will be in his eyes and he won’t be able to tell the color. But you two will be walking towards him.” She motioned at the scanner as they watched him settle behind the SUV to wait. “Can’t chance him seeing the difference up close.”

“I see,” Katie jumped in, seeing where Dean was going with her plan. “You’re expecting him to kill us…well, them…and then come after Janai and Alana…us.”

“But these vests won’t be a match for his powers,” Alana cautioned.

“He won’t be using his powers. Just before he entered, he slipped the safety off the pistols. That meant he intends to use them instead of his powers.”

“I saw that too,” Katie concurred. “He’s probably trying to make it look like we,” she pointed at all of them, “killed each other.”

“But that will mean, you and Dean will not be protected. He will kill you.”

Dean sighed heavily. “Yep, that’s about the way it will work. Our deaths have to be real or it won’t work.” She looked up at Janai. “Are your skills good enough to fix that?” Janai waited for what seemed like a long time before she nodded. “Good enough for me,” Dean nodded.

“Me too,” Katie said quietly as she wrapped a hand around Dean’s arm.

“So, you want him to think he succeeded?” Alana spoke quietly. “That way he will go back and announce it to the Protectorate and the High Council.”

“But, then we will show up and expose him and Varian for the traitors they are,” Janai finished.

“Exactly,” Dean and Katie said in unison.

Then they hurriedly pulled out the items Janai would need to bring them back and slipped into the vests and sunglasses. Janai went up to Dean pulling her aside.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Janai asked for the final time. “I could just deal with Kerris on my own. He is my brother.”

“No, Janai. You don’t want that on your conscience. Let your High Council deal with him and Varian. This way is better.”

“Thank you Dean. I hope that someday we will meet again…under more pleasant circumstances.”

“Me too, Janai, me too.”

When the foursome exited the craft and hugged, they all hoped that it wouldn’t be for the last time.

“Thank you, Katie.” Alana whispered in her ear.

“You’re welcome, Alana. See you soon,” she said with a wink then released her twin and watched the scene play out exactly the way they had expected.

Janai laid them both on a large medical palate and was quickly adjusting the flow of liquid into their bodies. One final check and she paused long enough to morph into a gaseous state floating up off the floor of the craft and finally settling over their bodies. Slowly her form spread out and entered them both, beginning the healing process.

* * * * *

Alana was sitting at the controls of the craft waiting for Janai to join her. She had changed into her Theiliosian form and was looking at her reflection in the forward windows of the craft. She ran her fingers through her long red hair absently as she pondered the events of the last day. She considered her appearance and stood, carefully examining her body. She was dressed in a skintight bodysuit in a luminescent pearl color. Her long red hair was cascading over her shoulders stopping at her full breasts. Every curve was outlined and seemed to shimmer in the dim lighting. Alana in her true form was tall, as tall as Janai. Her skin was very pale, almost matching the pearl luminescence of the bodysuit. Her people had always protected their skin from the harsh ultraviolet rays of their two suns. She turned and flexed her muscles watching the luminescence dance with the motions. Her body was strong, but not as strong as Janai’s. She had always marveled at the muscle definition of Janai’s body and now, more than ever, longed to feel those muscles move beneath her touch. Sighing, she sat back down and continued plotting their flight home. She did not hear Janai enter the forward cabin. When she felt Janai’s hands on her shoulders, she shuddered at the chills that ran down her spine.

“You are very beautiful, my Princess,” Janai said softly as she slid her hands along Alana’s arms.

“Thank you, Janai,” Alana whispered as she turned and looked at her protector. Her breath caught as she saw the woman she loved so dearly standing before her. Janai had changed back into her normal form and was wearing a matching bodysuit, but of a luminescent purple color. Her short curly blond hair was neatly feathered and outlined the pale skin of her face. Alana noticed immediately the weariness in Janai’s eyes. “How are they?”

“They are sleeping,” Janai responded simply.

“Will they be all right?”

“Yes. I was able to restore them, but they will be asleep for a long time.”

“Did you take care of…?”

“Their memory? Yes. They will not remember a thing.”

“What about the side effects? Won’t they know?”

“I’m hoping they will not. But, those two are quite remarkable and some day…” Janai shrugged. “It’s a small price to pay for the sacrifice they made.” She looked at the charts Alana was working on. “I see you have the course set.” Alana nodded. “It’s nearly 1800 hours, earth time. We should be on our way.”

“What about the vehicle? Are we going to just leave it here?”

“We have no choice. This ship is not capable of teleporting such a large object. I’ve removed all of their things from it and planted a memory of it being stolen. Once we have them home, we’ll take care of the others that were touched in anyway by Kerris’ actions.” Taking the seat next to Alana, Janai powered up the craft. It hovered a few inches off the ground, and then moved forward through the waterfall. Water dripped off the starcraft as it floated in air above the pool.

“Ready?” Janai asked.

“Yes.”

Janai entered the course command and the ship lifted straight up then streaked across the dark winter sky. Anyone watching would see a bright light streaking along the horizon, and then disappearing among the other stars in the night sky. Once they achieved orbiting status Janai stood.

“Come. Let’s take them home.”

They went to the makeshift medical area where Dean and Katie were lying, arms wrapped in each other beneath the sheet. Alana first sent down all of the gear they had packed returning it all to it’s proper place, plus the replicated sweatshirts. These were minus the bullet holes and bloodstains. Janai picked up Dean and Alana picked up Katie.

* * * * *

Sugar was the first to note their arrival. She mewed excitedly to her mates and all three scampered to the master bedroom where they stopped in the doorway and watched. First, two pinpoints of light appeared. One was off white and the other was purple. As the lights grew in intensity, the cat’s tails thumped back and forth on the carpeted floor. Dimming, the lights expanded, elongating into the transformed figures of Janai and Alana, each carrying their human friend. Janai walked to the right side of the bed, Alana to the left. Janai focused on the bed covers, using her powers to pull them back. Then they each gently placed their human on the bed and covered their naked bodies with the bed covers. The three felines jumped up on the bed, sniffing their human masters with satisfaction.

“Yes little ones, they will be fine. I’m sorry we can not stay longer, but we have much to do before our journey home,” Janai explained, assuring them as she reached out to stroke each one. Alana came around to Janai’s side of the bed and slipped her left hand around Janai’s waist and leaned her head on her protector’s shoulder.

“This has been quite an educational trip,” Alana said softly. “Father was right. I have learned much from these people.” She looked up into Janai’s emerald eyes and smiled. “I’ve also learned much about you.”

“And us,” Janai added. She turned to face Alana fully, placing a hand on each shoulder. “What I have learned from these two particular humans is that my duty to protect you will not be complicated by my love for you. It will in fact, be strengthened. I saw that in their actions tonight.” Slowly, Janai reached up with both hands and gently held Alana’s face. “I love you, Alana.” She moved closer, pulling Alana into her until they would have to meld together to get any closer.

Alana slipped her arms around Janai and spread her hands across the strong back muscles that she felt tense and then relax at her touch. As their lips met, their bodies began to pulse into light forms once again, becoming a united pinpoint of light and finally disappearing completely.

* * * * *

Chapter 18

Sunday, 0230 Hours

Dean opened her eyes and stared out the skylight above her head. That was the strangest dream I have ever had. She lifted her head and checked the bedside clock. Hmm, it’s only 2:30, yet I feel like I’ve been sleeping for hours. Quietly, she turned her head to see two emerald eyes looking at her.

“Hey,” Dean whispered. “Can’t sleep?”

“Nope.”

“C’mere,” Dean said patting her shoulder. Katie eagerly slid the short distance over to her lover and complied. “I just had the strangest dream,” Dean confided.

“Really? About what?”

“I don’t remember all of it. It’s kinda fuzzy, but it was certainly not my normal dreamscape.”

“Hmm, I had a strange one too. I dreamt we got shot and died.” Katie shivered at the all too real dream memory.

“Ouch. Bet that hurt,” Dean said as she pulled the blonde closer to her. “That’s weird, because we got shot in my dream too.”

“Good thing it was just a dream,” Katie said as she turned to stare out the skylight. “Wow, what a nice clear night. Look at all the stars!”

“Yeah. They’re pretty amazing tonight.”

The two women watched the heavens, content in each other’s embrace. They were soon joined by the three felines who also seemed to lift their heads to watch the sky.

“Wow!” Katie croaked excitedly. “Did you see that one?”

“Yeah. Must have been a meteor.”

“Sure was bright.”

“Mmm,” Dean acknowledged as they continued to stare at the stars.

They laid there in the comfort of each other’s arms, sleep still eluding them as they continued to watch the twinkling lights. Each quietly thinking about the strange dream they had. It had just seemed so real…

Finally, Katie rolled over to face Dean, propping her head on her hand. “How about some chocolate ice cream?” Katie whispered lightly.

“Now you’re talking!” Dean answered with a grin.

THE END

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

EPILOGUE

It took Janai and Alana a few hours to locate all the people that had direct or indirect contact with Kerris. They mourned the loss of the two young officers and the others Kerris sent to their early deaths. The only solace they could offer the loved ones, was to instill a sense of peace into their minds.

Lieutenant Green, Detective Graves, and the Coroners were the most complicated tasks they faced. It took both their powers to clear these questioning minds. They had to alter the death records and lab reports, but that part was child’s play. By the time they were finished it was 0230 in earth time.

“Time to go home, Janai. We can’t fix everything.”

Janai sighed in acknowledgement as she tried to control the anger she had felt building. She recorded all of Kerris’ actions, each a violation of the realm that was punishable by death. The destruction he caused could have had irreparable consequences on earth if they had not been able to contain the major issues.

“I’ve entered our course and double checked the systems,” Alana commented. “The systems are set to wake us when we enter our quadrant.” She looked up at Janai, a veiled smile on her face. “I delayed our sleep cycle for a few hours.” Alana walked over to Janai and rested both hands on Janai’s chest causing her protectors eyes to widen considerably. “I thought maybe we could spend some time together…in my quarters.” She leaned in and kissed Janai softly then reached down and took her by the hand to her quarters, initiating the systems to begin the trip home as they walked out of the control room.

* * * * *

The tribunal of the High Council was expeditious in concluding their deliberations and sentenced the traitors within a week of Alana and Janai’s return home. Justice was dealt swiftly the morning after sentencing. Alana’s ability, although still known only to her father and Janai, was key to discovering their accomplices who were dealt the same justice. Janai observed the executions from afar, steeling herself for Kerris’ turn. Alana stood back watching Janai in silence, but when Kerris was led to the chamber, she could no longer hold back. The tears that rolled down Janai’s face as the charges were read, tore at her heart and she went to Janai’s side. She knew that if she held Janai’s hand, she too would experience the flood of emotion and pain that swept through her protector and lover. That thought fortified her to do exactly that. Alana reached out and held her lover’s hand, so she could share her grief totally. They wept together until their eyes could no longer produce tears. Then Alana gathered her lover into her arms and led her back to their chambers.

END NOTE:

The National UFO Reporting Center (www.UFOcenter.com) logged the following UFO report from Marietta, Ohio at 1800 hours on January 7, 2001. It reads: “Bright light go’s threw 1/2 the sky and over the horizen in 5 sec.”

The full report states: “Me and my father was pumping the oil well and I was looking up in the sky and I said dad look at that light up in the sky, it is going really fast. It was a bright white/yellow light. It covered � the sky distance in 5 sec. and we watched it go out of sight over the horizen. The light was not flashing, it was on the whole time. At first I thought it was a falling star but when it went the intire distance of the sky I knew that it wasn’t. There was no tail, just a bright light going very fast.”