Touched by an Alien

rolling bag. “There, all set.”
    “We look ridiculous.”
    “Maybe so, but I just want to get my stuff out.”
    “How can you even stand?”
    “Practice.”
    “You don’t want us to save the Coca-Cola and frozen dinners, too?”
    “Yes, but you said we couldn’t go back into the kitchen.” I thought fondly of my stereo equipment and TV, but I had my iPod and all its paraphernalia with me, so my music was safe. “You ready?”
    “I was ready fifteen minutes ago.”
    “Fine.” I hit the alarm. “Let’s go.”
    We moved at a sluggish version of hyperspeed. It was enough to get us out of the building without being seen, at least as far as I could tell, since no one seemed to know we were there. We stopped in the park and watched. The folks in my building were pouring out. Good.
    Everyone was out, pets and children in tow, over at the park where Mr. Nareema was counting noses and Mrs. Nareema and their children were counting pets. Mr. Nareema announced all humans but me accounted for, and the rest of the clan shared that all the pets were present, too, when the bomb went off. It was impressive. But if the Nareemas hadn’t been totally paranoid, at least some of these people would have been killed. Innocent people.
    “I want to hunt Yates down, okay?”
    “Works for me. I don’t think I can get us back to the airport with all this stuff, though.”
    “Can you get us back to wherever you stashed my car?”
    “That I can do.”
    “Okay, give me a minute.” I took the bags off and ran over to our clutch of tenants before the Nareemas could call my parents to tell them I was dead.
    I shared my living status, feigned ignorance about all the whys and wherefores, and, joyous reunion over, headed back to Christopher. No one mentioned him or my luggage.
    “Did you do something to their minds?”
    He shrugged. “Just made them see me with your dogs, not your luggage. It’ll make it easier all the way around.”
    “Do you need to manipulate any images before we go?”
    “No. This wasn’t caused by a superbeing.”
    “In that sense.”
    “Good point.” Christopher looked around. “Nice area.”
    “Yeah.”
    “You can’t come back here to live, you know.”
    “Picking that up. I’m sure I have options.” My parents’ house, for one. “Can I rent a room in the Science Center?”
    Christopher chuckled. “Sure. Most agents don’t pay rent.”
    “Oh, bonus.” This A-C gig did have its advantages.
    “Let’s get out of here before someone else tries to blow you up.”
    “I thought this was all in a day’s work for you.”
    “Superbeings, yes. The additional action you drag along? Not so much.”
    “I’m special.”
    Christopher smiled. “True.”

CHAPTER 57
    I PUT THE LUGGAGE BACK ON , he took my hand, and we moved at slow hyperspeed, which should have been an oxymoron but wasn’t. We were still moving too fast to be seen clearly, but I wasn’t nauseated at all. We reached a part of the desert preserve and moved toward an abandoned dam.
    “We’re at another alien crash site, aren’t we?” I asked as we slowed to human speed.
    “Yeah, how did you know about that?”
    “One of my best friends was into this stuff.” He still was, but why share that? I might need a source they weren’t mind manipulating. “The rumor is that this dam was actually built to hide an alien burial ground or something.”
    “Actually, it was built so we could have a safe location here. A lot of activity goes on in Arizona, so we needed a small base.”
    “Makes sense.” We moved into what looked like a cave. “You sure this is safe and hasn’t been infiltrated?”
    “Hands up.” This wasn’t a familiar voice.
    We put our hands up. Christopher kept hold of mine, though. “What’s your rank?” he asked, sounding very calm.
    “Amateur.”
    I felt Christopher relax. “It’s me.”
    A guy who was far too handsome to be human stepped out of the darkness. “Sorry, Commander, but you know the rules.”
    “Just get someone to take this luggage,” Christopher said as he dumped my garment bag on the ground. “It weighs a ton.”
    The guard spoke into a com attached to his shoulder, and within seconds more A-Cs appeared. They took my luggage, and then we wandered in.
    “Welcome to Caliente Base,” Christopher said as we got fully inside, and I saw a mini version of the first floor I’d ever seen at the Science Center.
    “You all were here when my superbeing created, weren’t you?”
    “Yep.