

Return

of the

Aliens

Ruth Ann Nordin
Return of the Aliens \- Smashwords Edition

Published by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords

Copyright © 2011 by Ruth Ann Nordin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please do. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover Photo images Dreamstime at www.dreamstime.com. All rights reserved – used with permission.

Ruth Ann Nordin Books

http://www.ruthannnordin.com
Dedicated to Melanie Nilles (www.melanienilles.com) whose love of science fiction led me to start my own sci-fi thriller.

Special Thanks to Janet Syas Nitsick (www.janetsyasnitsick.com) who gave this a thorough read through to detect the problem areas of this novel and made it stronger.

Special Thanks to Tiffany Davis who proofread this novel in stages as I wrote it out.

Special Thanks to Wendell Nordin who made the awesome teaser trailer for this book which can be viewed at  http://www.ruthannnordin.com/supernatural_thriller_series.
This full-length novel includes all the novellas in the Return of the Aliens' series:

Novella 1: The Vanishing

Novella 2: The Watchers

Novella 3: The Leader

Novella 4: The Mark

Novella 5: The Deception

Novella 6: Nightmare Hall

Novella 7: The Big Event
Chapter One

"You know what they say. 'Always a bridesmaid; never a bride.'" Autumn Daniels made the joke even though it hurt. For some reason, she assumed she'd be married before Marianne.

Marianne laughed. "You're not the bridesmaid. You're the maid of honor."

"Thanks for the reminder." She walked over to the closed door of the dressing room in the bridal shop. "How does the dress fit? Do we need to make any alterations?"

"I don't think so. Come on in and tell me what you think."

Autumn did as her sister bid and smiled. "You will make a lovely bride next week. Alex is lucky to have you."

"I know."

"It's good to know you didn't let that law degree go to your head."

"Ha ha." Marianne turned to face her. "Your time will come."

She rolled her eyes. "Why is it that only women who are engaged or already married say that?"

"You know what your problem is?"

"That there are no good men left?"

Marianne reached up and brushed the strawberry-blonde hair out of Autumn's eyes. "Your problem is that you never let men see you. Really see you." She took out a barrette from her hair and slipped it into Autumn's. Motioning to the mirror, she added, "It doesn't take much to attract attention."

"You have a gift for making things look better than they are."

She shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. The problem could be that you don't know your worth. Men pick up on that, you know."

Autumn decided it was pointless to go through this discussion again. How could her little sister understand? She wasn't even thirty yet. Resisting the urge to settle into her all-too-familiar depression, she gave her sister a quick hug. "I better find out if the saleswoman ever found your veil or not."

Marianne nodded and turned back to the mirror.

When Autumn left the dressing room area, she noticed that the saleswoman was at the counter, staring at her monitor. Hiding her agitation that the employee slacked off at work, Autumn approached her and tapped the veil in her hands. "Is this for my sister?"

The woman jerked. "Oh! You scared me. I thought you were one of them."

She frowned. "One of them?"

She waved for Autumn to join her. "Take a look for yourself. This is a live feed off the news."

Curiosity got the best of Autumn so she obeyed. When her gaze lowered to the computer screen, she slowed her steps. "Is this a movie trailer?"

"No. I...I don't think so."

Once Autumn could read the words on the screen, she verified that the source wasn't a spoof. "Are the other news stations reporting the same thing? Do you have a television?"

"Right over there in the corner."

Autumn hastened to the small area by the window and changed the channel from the cooking show to all the news stations she knew about. She had to be dreaming. This kind of thing didn't happen...not in real life. This couldn't be real! And yet, even as she wanted to deny it, the proof was right in front of her.

Aliens. Little grey men. And President Jordan was making the announcement at the United Nations.

"Autumn?"

She jerked and spun around.

Her sister's fiancé laughed. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Well..." Her gaze drifted back to the television resting on the small table by the wedding catalogues. "You're not too far off."

President Jordan stood at the podium as he continued to speak. "At this time, we don't know the aliens' intentions, but we assure you that all the governments of this world are coming together to determine the best course of action."

"This is cute," Alex Cameron said, shaking his head.

"I don't think it's a joke."

"Come on. There's no way this is for real."

She picked up the remote and pressed the channel button several times. "It's on every channel. They even suspended soap operas for this."

"Oh no. How will we ever survive without knowing who fathered the blonde floozy's baby?"

Hiding a grin, she handed him the remote. "Don't believe me? Check your favorite channels."

"I came here to take your sister to lunch, not get involved in these silly games." He glanced around the room. "Where did she go?"

"She's in the changing room trying on her wedding dress."

He stepped toward the dressing rooms, so she grabbed his arm to stop him. "You can't go in there."

"Why not? We're practically married anyway."

She crossed her arms. "You know that it's bad luck for you to see the bride in her dress before the wedding."

He groaned but obeyed her. "Tell her I'm starving."

"There are aliens passing the moon as we speak, and all you can think about is your stomach?"

He leaned forward and whispered, "We're being taped for one of those hidden camera shows. Really Autumn, I'm surprised you're falling for it."

Deciding to ignore him, she went to the saleswoman who was reading a news article on the monitor. She cleared her throat and waited for the young woman to acknowledge her.

"Isn't this awesome? My aunt said she saw a UFO, but I didn't believe her. Wow. If she was still alive, she'd flip!" She tapped the screen. "Read this part. There's alien spacecraft on the moon! The aliens have been watching us for a long time."

Despite the chill crawling up her spine, Autumn smiled and motioned to the veil on the counter. "Is that for my sister?"

"What? Oh, right." She picked up the veil and gave it to her. "Hey, your sister should get married at that place in New Mexico. You know. Roswell. I mean, in light of this, it'd fit, don't you think?"

Autumn scanned the room. There were several places where a small video camera could fit. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe this was a joke. Taking a deep breath, she turned on her heels and inched toward the dressing rooms. One glance out the window didn't do anything to settle her nerves. Several people had pulled over in their cars as cops raced by in their cruisers toward an accident in the middle of an intersection. A man walking past the window with his friend paused and held his iPhone up so his friend could see it. Autumn caught a brief glimpse of President Jordan on the phone. This couldn't be a joke. At least, not a joke in this shop. But who would set up a joke to an entire section of town? It was possible but still... Why would a TV show go to such lengths to do that?

She pushed her rambling thoughts aside and entered the dressing room area. "Marianne, I have the veil." She waited but her sister didn't answer. "Marianne?" She knocked on the closed door. After a tense moment passed, she turned the knob and stared at the crumpled wedding dress on the floor.

"How long does it take for a woman to get ready for lunch?" Alex asked, coming up behind Autumn.

Glancing at him, she forced the sudden panic aside. "Do you still think this alien thing is a joke?"

"What's going on here? Where's Marianne?"

She bent down to pick up the dress. A bra and panties fell to the floor. Marianne's shirt and pants hung on the hook by the door. Her purse rested on the seat. What was going on? Marianne wouldn't run off without her clothes or her purse.

He stormed back to the front of the store.

As he talked to the sales clerk in impatient tones, Autumn knelt down and searched through her sister's purse, hoping to find some clue as to what happened to her. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Her sister wouldn't leave without telling her. As she pulled out the lipstick, compact mirror, pocketbook and other items from the purse, she spread them on the floor in front of her. All she found were pictures. A tear trickled down her cheek at the photo of her and Marianne when Marianne graduated from college. Then there was a picture of Marianne with Alex. They looked so happy. Marianne looked forward to getting married. She hardly talked about anything else. So why would she leave?

It didn't make sense. Autumn sat down and willed her mind to clear. If she could just think clearly, she'd be able to figure out what was going on. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, counting backwards from ten and exhaled when she reached one. Calm down, Autumn. Focus. There's got to be a rational explanation for all of this.

"She's not here," Alex said.

Autumn opened her eyes.

Alex approached the doorway and turned to the astonished clerk. "Do you see her in there?"

"She could have left out the back," the clerk replied in a shaky voice. "It's happened a couple of times. Some brides get cold feet."

Autumn wiped her wet cheeks with her shirt sleeve. She hadn't realized she'd been crying. Sniffing back the observation, she shook her head. "Marianne and I were close. She would have told me if there was a problem." Settling her hand on the floor, she got ready to stand up when something hard pricked her palm. "Ouch."

"What is it?" Alex asked.

She quickly pulled her hand up and turned to the source of the pain. It was Marianne's cross necklace. Well, there. That solved it. She held it up for them to see. "This was a gift from our parents before they died in the plane crash. She wouldn't have left this behind if she ran off." She blinked back more tears. Gone. Her sister was gone. Just like that. She put the necklace and other items back into her sister's purse and stood up. "I don't know what's going on, but someone must have kidnapped her."

"I'll call the police." The woman ran out of the room.

"Did she have any crazy ex-boyfriends who didn't want her to get married?" Alex wondered as he collected the clothes.

"No." She thought over everyone her sister had dated. "I don't think so." She swallowed the lump in her throat and ran her fingers through her hair. She felt the barrette her sister had put in her hair less than five minutes ago. Five minutes. It had just been five minutes! How did someone disappear in such a short time?

"I wonder if there's a surveillance tape in this place," Alex said. "Maybe we can see if someone entered this store and kidnapped her."

"But she'd still have on her underwear." At the very least. As it was, wherever Marianne went, she was naked. And that was nothing at all like her sister. Still, she followed him to the front where the clerk hung up the phone.

"I can't get through," the young woman said. "The phone is busy."

Alex grumbled but dug his cell phone from his pocket and pressed the buttons. He frowned. "I'm getting the same thing. Autumn, will you try yours?"

Even though she figured it would be pointless, she obeyed. "Same thing." She hung up the phone.

"Do you have a surveillance tape?" Alex asked.

"Of course."

"Can I watch it to see what happened to my fiancée?"

"Let me check with security." After a few failed attempts, she finally got through to security on the phone. "Okay. Thanks," she told the person on the other end before she fiddled with some keys on the computer. "Check it out."

He went around the counter so he could watch what she was doing.

"I don't have anything in the dressing room, but the rest of the store is covered," she said.

"That's all we need," he replied.

It wouldn't do any good. Autumn already knew that they wouldn't get any answers from the tape. She reluctantly turned her attention to the window. What had started as a slight disturbance had turned into a full-blown panic. People ran past the store, crying out for others that they couldn't find. A woman had stopped pulling her stroller and was weeping over an empty seat with a sippy cup and toddler clothes hanging over the belt strap. A fire truck and ambulance roared by, dodging a few cars that remained in the street.

"We interrupt this program for another special report," the TV news anchor said.

She rushed over to the television and sat in front of it, turning up the volume.

"Approximately six minutes ago, there have been reports of people disappearing all over the globe. We have footage of this phenomenon coming into the station as I speak."

The scene on the TV switched to a video where a woman stood in front of a building interviewing a man. One minute she was there asking him a question and the next, she was gone. A chill raced up Autumn's spine. They replayed the event in slow motion, but there was no indication as to how the reporter disappeared. The next scene was of a group of children playing a ball game. One second they were there and the next, they were gone. All they left behind were their clothes.

Autumn clutched her stomach. She was going to throw up. Did that happen to Marianne as well? She put her face in her hands and took deep breaths so she wouldn't pass out. Where did all those people go? Where did Marianne go? How did something like this happen? And how was she going to get Marianne back?
Chapter Two

In the blink of an eye, Autumn's entire life changed...and not for the better. What was she supposed to do without her sister? Marianne was the one person who understood and loved her through all the hardships in her life. It was their parents' deaths that brought them close. And now her heart ached with an emptiness that even their parents' passing hadn't caused. She closed her eyes and more tears slid down her cheeks.

The phone rang next to her bed. She turned her head to her nightstand and mechanically lifted the phone to her ear. "H-" She cleared her throat. "Hello?"

"Girl, you aren't going to take another sick day, are you?"

She groaned. "Is it Tuesday already?"

"Yes."

She lifted her head and saw the time on the clock. It was midday. In the confines of her dark room, it was hard to tell day from night anymore.

"Look, I can't keep covering for you," Alicia said in a firm but gentle voice. "You know how Hampton is. With all those people disappearing, sales have dropped and that means I have to bear the brunt of his foul mood all by myself."

Autumn rubbed her eyes and sighed. Her friend was right. She needed to get back to work. She couldn't spend the rest of her life in bed. Easing into a sitting position, she winced and grabbed the bottle of pain killers and plopped two pills into her mouth before she washed them down with the bottled water.

"So...are you coming in today or not?" Alicia asked.

"Give me twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?"

"I have to shower."

"Are you kidding me? It's noon. You mean to tell me that you're still in bed?"

"Pretty much." She glanced at the calendar on the wall. Two weeks. It'd been two weeks since her sister and millions of other people vanished. Every time she went to sleep, she hoped she'd wake up and find out it had all been a nightmare. But each morning she woke up and dialed her sister's cell phone only to hear that it was out of service. She'd given up on going to Marianne's apartment, and after talking to Alex, she learned he hadn't had any luck finding her either. She didn't get it. What happened to Marianne and the others who went with her? "You're lucky, Alicia. No one in your family disappeared."

"I know."

Autumn caught the sympathy in her voice and appreciated it. "I guess life goes on, right? I'll see you soon."

After she hung up, she stood, feeling as if she were seventy instead of thirty-four. Trudging to the bathroom, she flipped the switch on and ignored her appearance. She didn't need a mirror to know her eyes were puffy and her face was splotchy. She looked like crap and felt worse. She spent five minutes standing still in the shower as the hot water pounded against her back. Everything seemed so mechanical. She was going through the motions, simply existing. Each breath reminded her that she was still alive and had to face another day without her best friend.

She picked up the shampoo and worked it into her hair. The tangles would never get out unless she applied the conditioner, which she did. After she was done bathing, she got dressed and slipped on her sister's necklace. It was all she had now. At least until Marianne returned. As foolish as it was to hope that everyone who vanished would suddenly come back, she held onto it.

When she got to the department store, Alicia looked relieved. She asked the male customer to wait before she ran over to Autumn and whispered, "It's been nonstop ever since people vanished. I mean, they all want to return items they bought for their friends and loved ones. I don't know what the price was on the blouse when he purchased it three weeks ago. Do you remember?"

Autumn glanced at the tall, slender man in the dark suit holding an open box. "You'd think with the way he's dressed, he would have gotten his girlfriend or wife a better gift," she whispered. "That blouse was only $25."

"Thanks." The pretty African American woman hurried back to the register and took the blouse from the man.

As Autumn made her way to the employee lounge, the man glanced her way. A shiver ran up her spine. She blinked and quickly looked away. There was something seriously wrong with him. On the outside, he was as gorgeous as a man could get—tall, dark and handsome. But inside... She didn't even want to think about it. She'd probably never see him again, so it didn't matter. Once she put her purse in her locker, she grabbed a quick drink of coffee before clocking in.

By the time she returned to the register, the man was long gone. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there anything new I should know about?"

Alicia stopped flipping through a catalogue and grinned. "There is a hot guy working in the electronics department."

She rolled her eyes. "I meant work related."

"He is work related."

"You need a date."

"Don't I know it! It's not my fault that men don't know a good thing when they see it." She shrugged. "Their loss, right?"

"I'd like to think so."

Alicia sighed. "We do have new jeans. They're the relaxed fit and they even come in petite. It might be perfect for you."

"I'll check them out. It's been two years since I bought a new pair."

"Oops. There's Hampton rounding the corner. I better look busy." Alicia shut the catalogue and hurried off to a customer.

Mr. Hampton made his way up to her. "Nice of you to come to work, Miss Daniels."

"I took a vacation."

"Without telling anyone in advance?"

"My sister disappeared that day." Why did she even have to explain this? "I didn't have advanced notice."

"Life goes on. Some of us are still here and need clothes."

She bit her tongue so she wouldn't snap at him. With the economy suffering as it was, she couldn't afford to lose her job.

"Next time, plan it ahead of time so I can fill in for your slot."

As he walked away, she stuck her tongue out at him. So what if it was childish? She'd just lost her sister and best friend for goodness sakes! Some understanding would go a long way.

Two women came up to the counter and placed two shirts and a skirt in front of her.

Autumn forced a smile and took the items. "Good afternoon. Did you find everything you were looking for today?"

"Yes, we did," the blonde said. Then she turned to her friend. "It's about time the truth was told. I saw one when I was a girl. My aunt was even abducted. We weren't the only ones who had these encounters. Millions of others have too."

Autumn slowly rang up the clothes as she listened to them. Were they talking about aliens? As in little green men and UFO's?

The blonde's friend looked apprehensive. "Why would they wait all this time before contacting us?"

"They didn't," the blonde answered, obviously excited. "They've been coming down here since that Area 51 incident. The government's known about them all along. They've been keeping everything classified."

Autumn cleared her throat. "The total comes to $50.35."

The blonde handed her a credit card. "Do you think Area 51 was a hoax?"

Surprised that she was talking to her, Autumn thought over the question. "I don't know."

"How can you not know either way?" her friend asked. "You either thought it was real or you didn't."

She tore off the receipt and handed it and a pen to the blonde. "Well, if you're asking if Area 51 is where they conduct experiments on little green men, then I say no. The government has technology that is years ahead of what we know about, so it's logical to assume that Area 51 is where they make and test this technology. Now, if you're asking if I believe in another intelligent species, the answer is yes. It'd be ridiculous to think that humans are the only ones in the entire universe."

The blonde smiled. "That's a good point, but this is not the first time aliens have come to visit us. It is the first time the government is allowing them to appear before the entire world. They'll be broadcasting live at the United Nations at seven tonight. Isn't that exciting?"

The eerie feeling was coming back to her. Autumn waited until the blonde signed the receipt before she tore off a copy and gave her the card back. When Autumn said 'intelligent species', she wasn't thinking of the Area 51 and UFO type of phenomenon. She was thinking of something obscure that would never make it to Earth. Something that would forever remain in the far reaches of space. But having a debate about it was the last thing she wanted to do. So she simply returned the blonde's smile and handed her the bag full of clothes.

The blonde's friend shook her head. "It's all a hoax. There are no aliens. What we'll see on TV is going to be a holographic image."

"And why would the governments of the world do that?" the blonde asked.

"To unite us into a one world government. If enough people panic over this, they'll convince us the only way to be safe is to unite."

The blonde laughed. "Oh come on. You need to stop listening to those crazy conspiracy shows."

"Well, we'll see who has the last laugh when big brother takes over, won't we?"

The two women left in the middle of their friendly argument, and Autumn was glad for it. She rubbed her temples. A headache was coming on and if she didn't take another pain pill soon, it was going to get worse. She found Alicia talking with a customer and motioned that she was going to take a break. Alicia waved for her to go.

Grateful, Autumn left the store and entered the heart of the mall. She got a quick bite to eat and it seemed that everyone around her was talking about the aliens making their first appearance in front of the world. After she finished her muffin and soda, she went to make a purchase she vowed to never make again. She bought a pack of cigarettes and headed for the nearest bench outside the mall.

Her hands trembled as she unwrapped the carton. She knew it was wrong to smoke, but it was either that or commit herself to the nearest mental hospital. There was only so much stress a person could handle before she broke down. She grabbed her lighter and lit the end of her cigarette. After three years of not smoking, she took her first drag and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. How she missed tobacco. So it wasn't good for her. Did that matter when her entire world was falling apart?

As she exhaled, she began to calm down. It's all a dream. I'll wake up. It'll be Marianne's wedding day and we'll laugh this whole thing off. How she wished that was the case. Trying not to break down in front of everyone, she looked around. It amazed her that people could slip right back into their daily routine as if nothing had happened. She took another drag and exhaled the smoke. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Some people did talk about their missing loved ones, but for some reason, this unveiling of the aliens took precedence over the vanishings. In fact, there seemed to be an expectancy that tonight would answer their questions about the disappearances. She hoped so. Even if she didn't fully believe aliens were real, she hoped that something might be resolved tonight.

The watchers are watching you.

Her head jerked up. She saw the man who'd returned the blouse at the mall walk by her. Did he say that?

He didn't look in her direction. He just laughed and said something into his cell phone.

No. It couldn't be him. She returned her gaze to her shoes and got ready to take another puff from her cigarette.

Autumn, we know who you are.

Again, she directed her attention to him. It came from him. Didn't it? There was no one else around.

As he crossed the pedestrian crosswalk, a dark shadow surrounded him and in the midst of that shadow, she saw slanted black eyes staring back at her.

Startled, she dropped her cigarette. "Ouch!" She jumped off the bench and swiped it off her leg. After she stepped on it, she glanced back at the crosswalk.

The man was gone.

She took a deep breath and scanned the full parking lot. Did it happen again? Did more people vanish? Her hands shook so badly that her lighter fell to the ground. What was going on? Were people going to be removed from the Earth until everyone was gone? And the biggest question of all kept picking at her: exactly where did the people go?

A driver backed a car out of a parking spot. As soon as she realized it was him, she nearly cried with relief. Thank goodness. No one else was disappearing. She watched the man as he drove by. There were no shadows this time. There were no voices.

Closing her eyes, she waited for her heartbeat to return to normal before she headed back into the mall. It was just nerves. It had to be. She'd had little sleep in the past two weeks and a great amount of stress. Even if some people could return to their lives as if nothing happened, she couldn't. Her sister was missing. A lot of sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, relatives, and friends were missing. She recalled the announcement on the radio for people in the Bismarck area who had lost a loved one to join the support group. Maybe if she joined, she'd start getting some answers.
Chapter Three

Autumn stepped into the school auditorium, unsure of what to expect. The room was practically full. It gave her some comfort to know that other people were also concerned about what had happened. She didn't feel so alone anymore. Others had been affected by losing loved ones in the twinkling of an eye. She checked her watch. Five o'clock. She could only stay a half hour before she had to return to work. Ignoring her growling stomach, she bypassed several people who lingered in the aisle so she could find a seat. She could eat after work. Right now, she needed answers.

"Autumn?"

She stopped and scanned the crowd.

"Over here!"

Her gaze focused on Alex who was standing in the middle of a row that was toward the front of the auditorium. She waved and made her way over to him, saying excuse me as she struggled to avoid bumping into anyone who was already sitting. In this large place, it was nice to see a familiar face, and they both loved her sister so they had something in common.

"I had no idea there'd be so many people," Alex said over the hum of voices surrounding them.

She sat next to him and nodded. "This is good though. I went to work today and it's like no one vanished. It was spooky." She almost told him about the strange man she saw but decided against it.

"Things are starting to settle down. The first week was the worst. The police had to put down some riots."

"Really?"

He laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

"No. I rarely left my apartment."

He stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Autumn. I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's fine. I guess it's my fault for not turning on the TV or checking the Internet."

"It has been hard without Marianne."

Her heart went out to him. He must feel the loss as deeply as she did....just in a different way. "You were supposed to be on your honeymoon by now."

"So much for that, huh?" He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled. "Listen, Autumn." He shifted in his seat and leaned closer to her so that no one overheard them. "You know that I thought the whole alien thing was a joke when I first heard about it, but I was wondering..."

"What?" Did he ask himself the same thing she did but was afraid to say it? She decided to venture on it. "You think the aliens took her?"

He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, chuckling. "It's crazy. But the timing is too much of a coincidence, don't you think? I mean, one minute the president is making the announcement to the world that these...beings...exist and not even five minutes later millions of people vanish."

"I've thought the same thing."

He looked relieved. "You have?"

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I don't know what else it could be." She glanced around the room, wondering if anyone else was thinking the same thing.

"That's not the strangest part."

She returned her attention to him, noting the anxious tone in his voice.

"Sometimes I think I'm being watched. I even woke up in the middle of the night and thought I saw an alien standing by my bed. I've heard of alien encounters, but I always thought they were people's imaginings, you know?"

She gulped. The knots in her stomach tightened. "What did it look like?"

"Like what you'd expect it to. Gray with large slanted eyes. Like the ones you see in movies."

If he saw the same thing...then she couldn't have imagined it. It had to be real. And that meant that there was something wrong with that man...and that she heard someone, or something, talk to her. "I had a similar experience."

"You did? One was by your bed?"

"No. It was hovering near someone. I don't know who he was either."

"So maybe they're already down here."

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "They may have been here already. It's just that for some reason they're going public with it."

"But why? Why wait until now?"

"Maybe that's what tonight's broadcast will be about." She shivered despite the warm temperature in the room. She was glad she was going to be at work when it was due to air. Then she could at least watch it with Alicia. But then she'd have to go home to an empty apartment, and suddenly, that seemed like a very scary prospect.

The people grew silent as the speaker headed up to the podium at the center of the stage, so she leaned back in her seat and tried not to give further thought to her fears.

***

Two minutes after seven, Alicia got the live video on the Internet. Autumn scanned the area. No customers were in sight, and Hampton was who-knew-where. She picked up her part of the earpiece while Alicia took the other one. If Hampton didn't hear the broadcast, then they just might make this work, though why he refused to let them go to the employee lounge to watch it, she didn't know. Well, maybe she did. He was a control freak.

"You ready for this?" Alicia asked.

"No." But curiosity was getting the best of her.

Even though people had been talking about the grey aliens with the black slanted eyes and even though she saw a blur of it herself, she still expected something different. Different how? That is how they looked in the Area 51 video that was supposedly leaked out over the Internet a few years back. But that was supposed to be made up. This was real. And this alien stood next to President Jordan at the front of the room.

Autumn willed her impending headache away.

President Jordan finished his speech about how this was a new day in the course of human history. Autumn only half listened since it was the same type of spiel she'd expect. After all, the movies involving aliens had some message similar to this, except for the couple she'd seen where the aliens just came to destroy people from the very beginning.

The alien wore a black robe, so people could only see its gray face and long gray fingers. Its black eyes dwarfed its nose and mouth. When it spoke, its voice was clear and low. "We have visited you throughout your history."

Autumn glanced at Alicia. "Shouldn't it need someone to interpret what it's saying?"

"I hear your questions regarding my language," the alien said in a calm tone. "I am speaking in the universal language of all intelligent life forms, but you hear me speaking your language."

"Cute. A mind reader." Autumn should have known. As if losing her sister, hearing voices, and aliens coming to Earth weren't enough!

"We have given you advancements to help you along in your evolution as a species," the alien continued. "But we promised to return, and now we're here. You are now ready for the next stage in your evolution. You have come to the knowledge of the deoxyribonucleic acid which you've abbreviated to stand for DNA. This genetic code is what we deposited here thousands of years ago. We have helped you along in your early development, as a parent watches and cares for a child. Some names you've given us over the course of your existence are Atum, Ra, Gaia, Zeus, and Quetzalcoatl. Those are a few. Most of you now refer to us as aliens. We've watched you and assisted you when needed, even when we didn't make our contributions known to the world. In return, you honored us with sacrifices and worship. We are your creators, or as you call us...your gods. Some of you believe us to be many. Some say we are one."

Autumn grabbed her purse and dug out her bottle of pain killers.

"Girl, this is awesome," Alicia cheered. "I always knew we were planted here by aliens!"

Autumn plopped a pill into her mouth and unscrewed the cap of her bottled water. She didn't know what to think. Matters of aliens...or gods...didn't even concern her—at least not until recently. She quickly swallowed the water, wishing she could wake up to the sanity that once defined her life.

The alien continued talking in a gentle tone that bordered on the effect of being hypnotizing. "The question on most of your minds is why we have come now, at this point in time? As I said, we have come to complete the final stage of your evolution. You have only tapped into 3% of your DNA. There is 97% left to explore. This is not junk DNA, as some of you have claimed. This is the most important part of your genetic sequence, and now that you are able to manipulate it, you are ready to become like us. You will become gods."

This isn't real. It's all a dream...or some elaborate hoax.

"Those who have left did so of their own accord. They did not wish for what we offered. They asked to go to another planet to continue in a lesser capacity, so we obliged them."

Autumn frowned. How is that possible when they vanished before you made this announcement?

The alien looked directly at the camera. "Autumn Daniels, we can communicate directly with everyone, and we know your thoughts."

Alicia grabbed her arm and squealed. "Oh my gosh! It just said my name. He assured me that I'll be one of the first to become like them!"

"What?" Autumn stared at her friend. Her name? It didn't say Alicia's name. It said Autumn.

"We communicate with each person on this planet when we need to," the alien said. "This is part of what you will accomplish when you are able to fully utilize your brain. Your consciousness will expand."

Despite her shaking hands, Autumn put the cap back on her water and set it on the counter.

"Don't be afraid, Autumn. Marianne is safe," the alien assured her.

Alicia laughed. "It said that my parents are waiting to see me. When I evolve, I'll be able to cross into the dimension where those who've died reside. I always knew there were other dimensions."

"That is all for now," the alien said. "When I return, I will bring more of my kind to get the process started on the next step in your evolution." Then it disappeared.

President Jordan smiled. "That's inter-dimensional travel for you."

For some reason, Autumn wasn't reassured about anything. Maybe they took Marianne for their research? Hadn't aliens been abducting and experimenting on people for decades? Marianne had to be somewhere on this planet. The knot in her stomach tightened.

Alicia jumped out of her chair. "I have to call my cousin. I wonder if she got called by name too. I'll be back." She took the cell phone out of her pocket and dialed the number as she left.

Autumn wished she could be as happy about this as Alicia was, but she wasn't. Something was wrong. Maybe she was the only one who sensed it. Rubbing her temples, she willed the pain killer to start working. When her headache left, she could figure out what to do next.
Chapter Four

It was a week later when Autumn saw him again. Except this time, she wasn't at work. This time, she was sitting on a bench outside the Bismarck capitol, staring at the red flowers spelling 'North Dakota' in front of the legislative building. She and Marianne used to walk the perimeter of the lawn and talk. The pain didn't get easier. As she dabbed the tears from her eyes with a kleenex, someone whispered, We're watching you.

She recognized the voice. It was the same one she heard her first day back at work. She hadn't heard it since. Turning her gaze to the source of the voice, she saw a black limousine creep under the tunnel at the front entrance. Something about it made her skin crawl.

A quick look around revealed no other cars. She debated whether or not she should investigate. Had it not been for that familiar voice, she would have returned home. Since no one was in sight, she ran to the entrance and slowed as she neared the tunnel. She had entered the capitol building through the doors beneath the steps in the past—before the fateful day when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked on September 11, 2001. That entrance was closed off for good. At least, that's what people were led to believe.

She slowed and peered into the tunnel. The limousine was still there, the engine humming softly. A security guard stood at the open door and two men got out of the car. One was the same person who had returned the blouse. Another was a man she didn't recognize. They didn't walk into the building as she expected. Instead, they turned and waited for the third person. Only, it wasn't a person. It was an alien. She shouldn't have been surprised to see one. But she was.

As she watched the alien enter the building, the man from the mall glanced in her direction. In the moment his eyes met hers, the alien also turned to look at her. Then a white light flashed in front of her eyes and the man and alien looked away. She blinked. The light hadn't affected her like it should have since it was as bright as the sun. She looked back at the man and alien and realized that they hadn't seen the light. In fact, they acted as if they hadn't even seen her.

But they had to have seen her. They made eye contact with her! So why didn't they call her out? She should have been relieved, so why did the cold feeling of panic wrap itself like a snake around her heart? Turning around to leave, she bumped into an elderly man who was taking keys out of his pocket.

"You don't need keys," she told him. "The doors are unlocked."

He looked at her as if she were crazy. "I'm the janitor. I come here every Sunday, and I've always needed these keys."

"But they just entered the building."

"They?" He peered over her shoulder. "Who is they?"

"The men and alien from the limousine." She glanced back. The tunnel was empty. Okay. This is getting really spooky.

When she looked at the man, he patted her on the shoulder and smiled. "It's been a tough month."

She waited until he walked up the steps above the tunnel before she hurried to her car. Despite the spring air, she shivered. She slipped into her car, turned the ignition and blasted the heat. Something strange is going on. This isn't right. Something doesn't add up. She glanced at the clear blue sky. Not a single spaceship was in sight. She saw some footage of the pyramid-shaped spacecrafts that had emerged over the capitols of every nation in the world, but those had been the only ones to descend to Earth. Then they left after 'representative' aliens came to speak with the leaders. The government had dispatched the military to take care of the riots, but other than that, things were calm. And maybe that wasn't a good thing. Maybe it was too calm. Too normal. What if it was the calm before the storm?

***

Autumn spent the next three days trying to get the image of the limousine and its occupants out of her mind. What were they doing at the capitol building...and on a Sunday...and entering a portion of the building that had been closed off to everybody since the 9/11 terrorist attack? She struggled to make sense of it. All the pieces were there—right in front of her. The vanishing. The aliens. Men taking aliens to secret meetings on Sunday afternoons.

If the aliens really did come to open up dialogue, then what was with the secrecy? But then, was that really a surprise? Should she expect aliens to be honest when the governments hid their agendas? Their agendas. The thought made her shiver. What if they weren't there to help?

Autumn glanced up from putting the sales prices into the computer. Alicia was helping a customer. Though the aliens hadn't made an appearance to the entire world since the televised appearance with President Jordan at the United Nations, people seemed more at peace about the vanishing. Obviously, there were some who weren't, but the general population accepted it.

Yesterday, the aliens gave them sunlight for a full twenty-four hours to show them an example of their control over the solar system. She glanced down the aisle and saw the sun had finally shifted to its normal 3 pm position. Time had resumed back to normal. They promised other signs in the days to come to prove that they were the gods of old, the gods of myths and legends. Gods who were really aliens.

She returned to the cash register and entered in the next sales price. It was too much to take in. She didn't want to think about it. What she wanted was for her sister to come back.

Alicia walked up to the counter. "Pink is your color," she told the customer before looking at Autumn. "Don't you think pink and black look sharp together?"

Forcing a smile, Autumn nodded. "I always thought red and black together was too bold. Pink is more subtle."

"Plus, it's on sale, right Autumn?"

"25% off."

The customer took out her debit card. "In that case, I must have it. I have a job interview, and I want to look my best."

"Good luck." Alicia swiped the tag under the scanner. "In this economy, I feel fortunate just to work in retail."

"Oh, the alien told me I'd get the job."

"Really? When?" Autumn asked.

"When he gave that speech at the UN. Well, I guess it could be a 'she'. It didn't seem to be a specific gender. Did you think it was a man or a woman?"

"Probably neither," Autumn replied.

"Then how does it reproduce?"

Autumn shrugged. What did she care?

Alicia giggled as she put the pantsuit into the store bag. "Obviously, if it put us here and watched our evolution, it figured out its own ways for that. Maybe they clone each other or live forever. You know, I heard that people can prolong their lives by hundreds of years if they can keep their bodies in good health. Maybe they figured out the secret. Maybe that's part of what they'll teach us."

The woman swiped her card and punched in her pin number. "I certainly am ready for a change. When I was in college, I consulted a psychic and she told me that in my future, I would unlock my third eye." She tapped the middle of her forehead. "I don't know exactly what she meant, but I feel that a sense of destiny is upon me."

Alicia picked up the receipt and glanced down at it. "Well, Ms. Hayden, I hope the alien was right and you get the job."

Ms. Hayden thanked her, took the bag and receipt, and left.

Alicia turned to Autumn and squealed. "Good things are coming our way! I just know it."

Autumn's fingers itched to hold a cigarette. It'd been a bad idea to go back to smoking, and now that she had, she didn't know how to quit again. Marianne had given her the support she needed for the task. And now that Marianne was gone... Choking back a sob, Autumn picked up her purse. "Do you mind if I take a break?"

"Not at all. I'm in such a good mood that even Hampton can't get me down today. Go out and enjoy the fresh air."

As she walked out of the side entrance, she wondered, once again, why everyone seemed normal. Instead of running around and panicking, people were...content. She watched two women pass by. They talked of what to wear for their upcoming dates.

Autumn shook her head and put a cigarette between her lips. Her hands trembled as she lifted the lighter to the end of her cigarette and lit it. Am I the only one who fears that something bad is going on? She had never felt more alone in her entire life. Inhaling the smoke, she willed the simple action to calm her nerves. Once she was done, she threw the cigarette butt out, sat on the bench, and placed her face in her hands.

"Are you going crazy too?"

Startled, she looked up. "Oh, hi Alex. Did you come to shop?" That was a stupid question. What else would he be doing there?

"No. I don't feel like shopping. Mind if I sit?" He motioned to the spot next to her.

She shook her head and scooted over. After he sat, she asked, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm not." He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I feel like I woke up in a nightmare and can't get out of it."

"I know the feeling. Marianne always said that I let stress get the best of me." Even as she laughed, tears came to her eyes.

He sighed. "I miss her too."

"Are we the only ones who know that something bad happened to her? To all of them?"

"It sure seems like it."

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "What's wrong with everyone? Why aren't they searching for them?"

"You don't believe they were taken to another planet?"

"No. Do you?"

"No. I don't believe the aliens are good guys. I don't know what they did with Marianne and the others, but I intend to find out."

She lowered her voice so no one passing by would overhear. "How are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to Area 51."

She stared at him for a moment.

"Look, I don't know if anything is there or not, but last night when I was trying to sleep, I kept hearing 'Area 51' and when I woke up, one of the aliens was standing over my bed." He gave a slight shiver.

"Alex, I don't think these things are making personal visits to people."

"Well, there's one that keeps visiting me."

"It scares you."

"Why shouldn't it?" he snapped. He rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I haven't had a good night's sleep ever since the vanishing. The thing is always there, watching me. Last night was the first time it actually told me something. Maybe if I go, it'll leave me alone."

"Alex, that's awful." This made her brief encounter with the strange beings seem tame. She considered her next words. "Do you really think Marianne and the others are there? Somewhere underground maybe?"

"I don't know. But I have to find out or else I'll never be at peace again."

She stared at her hands as she quickly weighed the pros and cons of her rash decision. Finally, she realized that she would do anything to get Marianne back, safe and sound. "Can I go with you?"

Straightening his back, he shot her a cautious look. "Are you sure?"

"She's my sister. If I don't take this chance to rescue her, I'll never be able to live with myself. When do you plan to leave?"

"Tonight."

"But shouldn't you get a good night's sleep first?"

"I won't sleep. Not with that thing hovering over me and staring at me with its creepy black eyes."

She saw his point. If she was going through that, she wouldn't want to sleep either...especially not alone. "I'll tell you what. We'll take turns driving. That way, you can get some sleep on the way to Nevada."

His body relaxed and he smiled. "Thanks, Autumn." He stood. "I should pack. Is seven okay?"

"Sure. I can get off early." And if Hampton had a fit, let him. This was her first real chance to find her sister, and there was no way she was going to blow it.
Chapter Five

The drive through the night should have worn Autumn out, but it didn't. Something, deep down, told her that a piece of the puzzle was about to fall into place. She was doing more than sitting around and wondering what to do next. She needed this. Needed to act. To do something. Anything. Her sister was out there...or up there. She glanced at the clear sky. The stars twinkled. The spaceships were only over the major cities of the world, and North Dakota apparently was too small for aliens to bother with. Well, except for that strange occurrence at the capitol. Nothing about that was reported on the news, and it should have been.

She sighed and shook her head. Changing the radio station, she glanced at Alex who slept in the passenger seat. She wondered what the alien standing over his bed at night wanted with him. The irony wasn't lost on her. If anyone had told her aliens visited them while they were trying to sleep a month ago, she would have called them crazy. As much as she wanted to get back to a sense of normalcy, she feared that nothing would ever be normal again.

The radio played a soothing tune. Good. She needed something mindless to listen to. Up ahead on the vacant road, she saw a figure in white standing in front of her. Startled, she pressed her foot to the brake, careful not to slam it. As she slowed, she blinked several times. She was seeing things. There was no way she could be seeing what she thought she was seeing. But as the car came to a stop, the headlights bounced off the man's body.

This can't be happening. First aliens and now angels?

The man in white with his wings almost hidden behind him motioned for her to leave the car so she could talk to him.

She gripped the wheel as she debated whether to obey him, wake Alex up, or just drive around him. The figure standing before her was imposing, to say the least. His expression was grim, making him seem more intimidating than he might actually be. The only assuring thing about him was the concern in his eyes. But even as her heart slowed, she couldn't fully relax. After all, he wasn't a cute little baby with wings fluttering around with a bow and arrow. Licking her lips, she decided to talk to the angel. She softly opened the door and shut it, careful not to wake Alex. Her steps were hesitant. This thing was different from the dark shadow she'd seen emanating from that man in the mall.

"You must turn back," the angel said.

She didn't know why but she thought he'd sound more...angelic. He sounded like an ordinary man. He even looked like an ordinary man, except for the long white robe and wings.

"Don't go to Area 51."

"Why?"

"There are some things you cannot change, and this will not bring your sister back. Your answer does not lie in the direction you are going."

Hope fluttered in her chest. "Do you know where my sister is?"

"Yes. She is safe. You have no need to worry for her. Worry for him." He motioned to Alex.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Alex stir in his seat. "Why?"

"He must not go to Nevada."

She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket and debated the logic of pressing an angel for more information. After all, did angels engage in a question and answer session with humans? Finally, she decided to press her luck. "Why?"

"They want him there."

"They? You mean the aliens?"

"That is what they call themselves."

That is what they call themselves? Did that mean they weren't really aliens? If they weren't really aliens, then... "Who are they?"

Suddenly, he disappeared.

Surprised, she stepped back.

"Autumn?"

She turned to Alex who was opening the car door.

"What are you doing in the middle of the road?"

"Uh..." She moved her hand through the space where the angel had been standing. All she felt was a warmth that quickly dissipated in the cool air around them. So he had been there. She hadn't imagined it.

Alex approached her. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I don't know anything anymore."

"Hey, don't worry about it." He rubbed her back. "Everything's out of balance."

She brushed her hair away from her face and looked at him. "Do we really have to go to Area 51?"

He put his arm down and frowned. "What's going on? I thought you agreed that this was our only lead."

"I know. But..." She crossed her arms, feeling vulnerable. "I saw an angel here, and he said that we should turn back." There. She said it.

"An angel?"

"Well, I think it was an angel. It looked a lot like one. You know, the wings and all. Anyway, he said that we should go back."

"But I was told to go."

"I realize that."

He turned and took a few steps away from her before he returned to her. "I'm going. I have to go."

"You can't! The angel said that you mustn't, even though they want you there."

"You mean the aliens?"

"I'm not sure. The way he said, it sounded like they're not what we think they are. And he said that Marianne isn't there."

"Where is she?"

"I asked him but he wouldn't say." She was starting to get frustrated. Couldn't the angel stick around and answer Alex's questions? This way was getting to be complicated.

"I've been going through a living nightmare, Autumn. I have to find Marianne and bring her back. I don't want to spend my life without her. I love her."

She knew that. It was obvious in the way he used to look at Marianne, and she respected him for that.

"When I do manage to sleep, I get images of Marianne. She's comatose with all the others who disappeared, and I keep seeing the number 51. Doesn't it make sense that whatever is happening, Area 51 is the key?"

Alex had a point—a good one. She couldn't deny that.

"I'll drive you home, but I have to keep going. I have to find out whether or not she is there. It could be that nothing is there. But I owe it to her to get her out if I can."

"The angel said you could get hurt."

Alex shrugged. "So what? She's worth the risk. I don't want to go through the rest of my life without her."

But the angel said Marianne—wherever she was—was safe. Did she believe the angel? Did she believe the alien that told her Marianne was safe? Both beings told her the same thing, but they stood on opposite ends of the spectrum. Didn't they? What if they weren't? What if they were in this mess together?

She needed a cigarette. Hurrying back to the car, she dug the cigarette out of her purse. Her hands shook as she lit it. She hated this. For a moment when she spoke with the angel, she felt safe. She inhaled, struggling to grasp what was going on. Who could she trust? Maybe she couldn't trust anyone. What if they were all screwed?

"What are you doing?" he asked, coming up to her.

"Trying not to run down the road screaming and pulling my hair out."

"I thought you quit."

She took another drag. "I started back up."

He looked as if he wanted to say something but sighed. "I can't blame you." After a moment of looking up at the sky, he said, "I'll drive you back to Bismarck."

"No. I'll keep going with you."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I don't know who...or what...to trust any more, except for Alicia and you." She finished smoking her cigarette and threw it on the road where she stomped on it. "Do you want to drive or sleep?"

"I'm wide awake. I'll drive."

She went to the passenger side and slipped into the car.

He got in next to her and shut the door. "I guess we'll find out soon enough if she's there or not."

She buckled her seatbelt and settled into the seat. "Yeah. I guess so."
Chapter Six

A full day passed before Alex parked the car close to Area 51.

Autumn examined the flat landscape. Nothing was around for miles. "Why did you park here?"

"I have an image in my mind. The alien I told you about, the one that stood by my bed, sent it to me—telepathically. It said that I would know where to go when I got here." He took a deep breath and motioned to the still night in front of them. "This is it."

That didn't make sense at all, but that was just one more thing that didn't make sense so she wasn't surprised. Instead, she shrugged and got out of the car. "Well, let's find out what's going on."

He turned off the car and lights.

She waited for him to approach her before she spoke. "Where do we go?"

"This way." He motioned south, so they proceeded along the desert terrain in silence.

She shivered and zipped her jacket. Though there wasn't a breeze, she felt as if something cool passed by them. Glancing behind them, she noted that nothing out of the ordinary was in sight. Still, it spooked her to no end. Were they being watched? And if so, by what? She didn't detect any cameras. Perhaps a satellite had picked up their location? No. Whatever it was—if it was a person or alien or something else—it was close. Suddenly, she got the nagging suspicion that they should have obeyed the angel. Well, it was too late to turn back now. They were here, and for better or worse, they had to find out if Marianne was here or not.

He stopped.

Surprised, she halted her steps and watched him.

"It's somewhere along here." He pointed to the ground.

Turning her attention to the sand, she squinted in the moonlight until she noticed a faint line in the ground. She knelt down and brushed the sand out of the way.

"It continues through here," Alex said, tracing the area with his hands. "It forms a square."

What would something like this be doing out here...so far from anything?

"It's a door." He wiped the sand until he exposed a latch. "I think we're supposed to go down here."

Autumn rubbed her forehead in disbelief as he pried the door open. Who would put a door leading into the ground out here? And more importantly, why would they do it?

He pulled out his keychain and turned on the flashlight he had on it. "Take a look."

She reluctantly obeyed. Down the hole was a series of rungs. Great. It wasn't exactly something she wanted to do—plunge into a dark abyss where who knew what laid at the end of the path. But she'd come this far, and she wasn't about to turn back now, especially not when she was about to find out if her sister was somewhere down there. "Did the alien show you this too?" she whispered, even though there was no one around them. Well, there was no one that she could see. And that thought made her shiver. What if someone or something was watching them?

"The alien sent me a series of images, and this is one of them," Alex answered. "I'll go down first and you follow. Okay?"

She nodded.

The descent into the darkness might have spooked her, but it wasn't as scary as she imagined. At least no creepy, slimy creatures slithered up to kill her. If she'd been watching a movie or dreaming, that's exactly the kind of horrible thing that would have happened. No. She wasn't watching a movie, nor was she asleep. She reached the bottom without incident. The passage was quiet enough that she could hear their breathing in the small concrete horizontal tunnel that led to more darkness. Of course. It had to be dark. She stayed close to Alex as they slowly made their way down the path. Even if Alex beamed his flashlight ahead, it was hard to make out where they were going.

"What other images did the alien show you?" Even though she whispered the question, her voice echoed.

"A door down here. The numbers to put into the combination to get in. And then a room full of people who looked like they were sleeping."

"Did you see Marianne?"

"No. But the alien told me that I would find her there."

She bit her lower lip. Could it be this simple? Would they find her sister at the end of this long corridor? All she could do was press forward and find out. She continued walking beside Alex, hoping for the best but fearing that the angel was right—that they shouldn't be here.

They reached a steel door and he directed his flashlight to the number pad. He pressed a series of numbers that resulted in the sound of something being unlocked. That something, naturally, was the door. He turned the knob and it opened. Peeking through it, he said, "It looks good."

She followed him through it. It led to another dark tunnel, except this time, there was a light ahead. That meant they were getting closer to getting their questions answered. Or at least that was her hope. Something in the air stirred. Surprised because the tunnel was airtight, she glanced over her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Alex whispered.

In one instant, she was standing, aware of the pervasive feeling of cold air that swept through the corridor and circled them, and in the next instant, she was engulfed in a sudden warmth that made her collapse, rendering her unconscious.

***

The first thing she became aware of as she regained consciousness was her breathing. Her lungs ached as if something had stepped on them. After a few moments of lying still, the feeling receded. Then she became aware of the cool floor. It was concrete, just as the floor had been when she and Alex started down the dark corridor. Was she still in that strange tunnel?

Opening her eyes took effort, for her head hurt and the dim light up ahead made her wince. She closed her eyes for a moment, willing the headache aside. She groaned. Her entire body felt as if someone had taken it and bashed it against a wall. It hurt all over. She remained still, wondering what happened to her. One minute, she was standing up with Alex, and the next, a mixture of cold and warm air surrounded her. After that, everything went dark.

Something peculiar happened; something that made her journey into the land of nightmares all that more intense. Silence hovered over her, and for some reason, that made it even more bizarre. When she could lift her head, she did. A quick glance around revealed that she was alone. Where was Alex?

A feeling of dread welled up in her stomach. The angel had been right. They shouldn't have come here. For some reason, she knew they took Alex and left her there. What did they want with him? They had to be aliens. It was an alien that told him to come here. Maybe they meant to lure him into a trap? That was the only plausible explanation she could come up with, especially in light of the angel's warning.

Finally, she managed to roll onto her back. She should be afraid here—alone in the dark, shouldn't she? But she wasn't. What she needed to fear was further ahead...where the light was. The question was simple: did she dare continue?

She had to. She couldn't leave Alex here. Whatever the aliens wanted, she couldn't let them succeed. Besides, if Marianne was here, she had to find her. No. Marianne wasn't here. Suddenly, she just knew that wherever Marianne was, she was far away. So now she needed to focus on getting Alex and finding a way out.

Grunting, she rolled onto her side and pulled herself up. The aches were fading in slow intervals, so with each step she took, she felt better. She pressed forward with timid steps, not sure of what she'd find...or what she'd do when she found it. The light grew brighter and bigger. She wondered how much time had elapsed since she collapsed. Pulling out her watch, she noticed that the hands were spinning. She sighed. So much for that.

An image came into focus, and she realized she was approaching a large rectangular window. Actually, there were a series of them lining the corridor. Along each side of the wall was a row of windows and doors. When she reached the first window, she peered into the room.

She frowned. There was a small blue light in the corner, but the rows of bassinets had to be for babies. How many were in there? She estimated about fifty. The place looked like a nursery. An arm shot up from one of the bassinets. Startled, she jerked back. Hugging herself, she continued to the next window. Another nursery? What on earth were all these nurseries doing here?

After about six nurseries on both sides, she looked into rooms where children were playing. The children didn't seem to notice her. She estimated that there were twenty of them per room, and unlike other children, these played alone. One actually levitated a pen and wrote something on the paper. Another child picked up a bowling ball with little effort. Another one jumped up to the ceiling and came back down, landing on his feet. Odd children. Or maybe they were super-children.

She passed those rooms. For some reason, they gave her an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. They couldn't be normal. But what were they doing here? She was near Area 51. Shouldn't she see aliens?

Where are you, Alex? She noted a slight drop in temperature, so she quickened her pace. Something was with her, in the hallway. She glanced over her should but didn't see anything. Just because she couldn't see it, it didn't mean there wasn't something there. If she wasn't so spooked, she would have laughed it off. But something was wrong. Seriously wrong. And no matter how hard she tried to rationalize it, she couldn't dislodge the feeling that she was being watched...and closely so. Oh man, she really could use a cigarette right about now!

As she hurried down the corridor, she looked through the windows of more rooms and noticed that adults were lying—unconscious—on what seemed like hospital beds. Men and women were hooked up to monitors. Each room had only one person in it, and as she stepped up to one of the windows, she realized that this particular room had two extra people in it. She recognized the man and woman who stood above Alex's sleeping form.

Alex!

She inched out of their viewing range so they wouldn't notice her. The man with dark hair stood above Alex with a needle. She squinted. He was injecting something behind Alex's left ear. But what? From where she stood, it was impossible to tell. There was no doubt that the man was the same one who had returned the blouse and the one she'd seen entering the capitol. The woman who wrote something on her clipboard was Ms. Hayden. So this was her new job.

Autumn wondered how she was going to get Alex out of there. The man and Ms. Hayden looked in her direction, so she quickly stepped back. She took a deep breath and tried to figure out what to do. Should she just stay there? Should she try to hide?

She saw the doorknob to Alex's room turn.

Oh great! This is just what I need! She rushed to the nearest door and realized it was locked. Things were quickly going from bad to worse!

The door opened and the man and woman left the room.

Autumn had nothing to hide behind. She was exposed in plain sight. Feeling like a moron, she pressed her back against the wall and tried to blend into the background. As if that was possible. The wall was light blue and she wore dark clothing.

"I'm still kind of nervous," Ms. Hayden told the man. "I've never done anything this important before."

The man closed the door and locked it. He glanced over his shoulder and Autumn held her breath, which was stupid. Really, just because he couldn't hear her, it didn't mean he wouldn't see her.

Suddenly the angel appeared in front of her, his wings extended enough to hide her.

She would have yelped out in shock had it not been for the warmth that surrounded her, calming her down in less than a second. Since he was facing them, she could only see his back—and the majestic wings that sheltered her.

"Devon?" Ms. Hayden asked.

Autumn couldn't see them, and even if she wanted to, the angel wouldn't let her.

The man—Devon—didn't reply for a moment. Finally, he said, "I thought I saw someone."

"Where?"

"Over there."

"Hmm... I don't see anything."

"Must've been my imagination."

She giggled. "Well, this place is eerie."

He chuckled. "You get used to it."

Their footsteps echoed off the floor. "Do you? You're the one seeing things, not me. And you've been doing this for a good seventeen years now."

Once Autumn heard them enter another room, the angel turned to face her. "I warned you," the angel whispered.

Her face grew warm with embarrassment. What could she say? He had warned her, and she came here anyway. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry for yourself. Be sorry for your friend."

What is that supposed to mean?

Before she could ask it, he motioned to Alex's room. "You need to get him out of here before any more damage occurs."

More damage? She debated on whether or not to ask but finally decided she didn't want to know. At least not right now. Not when her nerves had returned to high alert. Since she disobeyed the angel before—and look where that got her and Alex!—she realized she couldn't afford to disobey him now. She rushed over to Alex's room and tested the doorknob. "It's locked," she whispered.

He waved his hand over the knob which clicked.

He didn't need to tell her to try again. She opened the door and shivered. The temperature had to be in the low 60s.

"Be quick."

Startled, she jumped. Right. There was no time to stand around and wonder what was going on here. For most of her life, she'd heard fairytales of Area 51 and the unusual stuff going on there, but this was no fairytale, and the more she learned, the less she wanted to know.

She took a deep breath to calm her shaky hands and detached the wires from Alex's body. She shouldn't have been surprised when the monitors continued displaying activity as if he was still hooked up. That must have been the angel's doing. If I get out of here alive, the first thing I'm going to do is smoke a cigarette. She no longer cared if it was good for her or not. She needed something to settle her down.

Alex's eyes opened, and she shrieked. Quickly pressing her hands to her mouth, she stood still. Had Devon and Ms. Hayden heard her?

"Where am I?" Alex asked, lifting the sheet. "And what am I doing in a hospital gown?"

"Shhh..." She quickly searched the room for his clothes and found them neatly folded in the small closet. She stopped as she picked them up from the shelf. Pulling out one of the folders stacked on a higher shelf, she opened it and nearly gasped. Copies of his medical records? What was going on here?

"You don't have time for this," the angel warned.

She glanced at Alex. He stood up and walked over to her.

"Do you see him?" she whispered as she handed him his clothes.

"See who?" he asked.

She glanced at the angel who motioned for them to hurry. No. Alex couldn't see or hear the angel either. For some reason, she was the only one. But why? "Forget it. Put these on. I'll turn my back."

She approached the window and looked out of it. The hallway was empty. That was good. She looked at the angel. He didn't seem concerned at the moment, so that had to be good too. She hoped. How she hoped. Right now she just wanted them to get out of there alive.

"I'm ready," Alex said, coming up behind her.

The angel pointed out the door and down the hall back to where she'd come from.

"Let's go this way," she softly said as she bolted from the room.

Alex obeyed without question, his footsteps light behind hers.

She took a moment to look over her shoulder when she heard Ms. Hayden laugh. The angel stood in the center of the hallway, his wings extended so she couldn't see Ms. Hayden...and Ms. Hayden couldn't see her or Alex. Autumn didn't know how the angel managed it, but she figured that angels had abilities of protection that humans didn't. Angels! She couldn't believe it. A month ago, she didn't even believe in such things. But so much had changed in the course of a month. Her entire world had been thrown upside down, and she couldn't tell what was real or imaginary any more. For all she knew, this was all a strange dream. One she couldn't wake up from no matter how hard she tried.

By the time she and Alex reached the door at the end of the corridor, she reached for it but something cold reached up and grabbed her hand. Startled, she looked up and saw something fading in and out of the light.

Alex's face paled. He screamed and backed up against the wall. "Get it away from me! Get it away!"

The...thing...blew past her and approached him.

"No! Get away from me!" He held his hands out as if to stop something.

Autumn stood there, watching in a mixture of horror and shock as Alex sunk to the floor, trembling and whimpering. She reached out to grab the dissipating shadow but her arms went through the air. All she felt was a trace of cold air swirling in front of him. What is going on? She blinked several times, trying to find the thing, to figure out what it was.

The angel appeared next to her and touched her shoulder.

In that instant, she could clearly see it. It was an alien and it hovered over Alex. "He belongs to ussss," it hissed. But it didn't talk to her. It talked to the angel.

"No," the angel said.

"Yessss."

"The time for decision has not yet come. You cannot claim him as long as he hasn't made his choice."

The alien scowled, and as it did, its face changed. Its eyes grew smaller and turned red while horns protruded from his forehead.

As soon as she saw the transformation, it vanished.

The angel released his hold on her and touched Alex's shoulder, and Alex quickly calmed. "His fate hangs in the balance. It is prudent that you never bring him here again." The angel looked at her. "Do you understand now why I told you not to come?"

She gulped. "Y-" She cleared her throat. "Yes." She didn't just see what she thought she did, did she?

"You need not fear for Marianne or the others. They are safe, as I told you. It's the ones who are left that are going to face the great delusion."

"What do you mean?" She swallowed the lump in her throat. "What delusion?"

"Are the aliens here to help as they claim? You just saw it for yourself." He motioned to Alex who was blankly staring ahead—who wasn't even aware of what was going on around him. "Those who vanished are safe with God. Worry not for them. Worry for yourself. Your fate also hangs in the balance."

Before she could ask him what he meant, he turned his attention down the hallway.

"Go quickly." Then he disappeared.

Alex groaned.

She knelt by him. "Come on. We need to go." She grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet.

"What happened?" He rubbed his forehead. "I have a headache."

Questions could wait. Already, she could hear a group of people running from another hallway. She turned the doorknob, and the door opened. "Come on."

Alex stumbled forward and crossed the threshold.

She joined him, reached for his hand, and led him down the dark corridor. It seemed to her that a light guided their way from a long distance. The closer they got to the light, the more it eluded them.

The door behind them echoed as it opened. "Down there!" Ms. Hayden called out. "Don't let them get away!"

Those words must have broken Alex out of his trance, for his pace grew stronger.

"Hold it! You are not authorized to be here!" a man yelled.

Then we'll be happy to leave, Autumn thought. She was out of breath by the time they reached the door.

Alex pulled it open and motioned for her to go first.

A gunshot fired, nearly missing them.

Who was she to argue? Ladies first seemed good to her! She darted through the door before another shot rang through the corridor.

Alex followed her and slammed the door shut.

Satisfied that he wasn't hurt, she climbed the rungs that led to the exit. Her chest hurt from the exertion of breathing, but she pressed on. Faster. She had to go faster!

Alex was at her heels, which helped motivate her along.

Someone pounded on the door. "It's locked! I can't get out!"

Did she dare look? Was the angel there, working another miracle on their behalf? No. She couldn't break her attention. She had to keep going.

By the time she reached the exit, she was gasping for air. She dug her fingers into the ground and used her remaining strength to pull herself out. Alex emerged right after her. Collapsing, she watched as he hobbled to the steel door and closed it. Then he gathered the surrounding sand to cover it back up.

Relieved, she looked up at the stars that seemed to be spinning. Realizing she was dizzy, she closed her eyes and waited for the whirling sensation to pass. When she opened her eyes, she studied the stars and noticed that some were still moving. She brought her hands up to her head and groaned. No. Those weren't stars. They were alien spaceships. No. That wasn't right either. Yes, they were UFOs. Many of them, and they were coming to Earth. Only, they weren't aliens. They were of a darker, more sinister nature. They were demons.

Demons. Angels. Really, did she believe in such fairytales? Could she afford not to? How else could she explain what just happened?

"Autumn," Alex said, crawling over to her, also worn out. "Autumn, we lost a day."

"What?" She finally turned to face him.

"My watch. It says that it's May 12th."

"May 12th? But it's May 11th."

"It was May 11th."

A day? They had been in there for a full day? But it didn't feel like that much time elapsed.

Looking contrite, he got up and helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry. You were right. We shouldn't have come here."

She scanned their surroundings. Nothing seemed different. It all looked like they hadn't even gone down there. Even his car was on the side of the road, untouched and waiting for them.

"Let's go back to Bismarck." He reached for her arm.

She leaned against him. Her strength had departed her, and she didn't even want to contemplate the loss of time or what it might mean. She just wanted to go home and wake up to find that this had all been a dream. One terrible, frightening, nightmarish dream. She wanted to feel normal. But she feared that she'd never know the meaning of normal ever again. The nightmare, it seemed, had just begun.
Chapter Seven

Five months later

Screams echoed through the corridor as the elevator door opened. Vanessa Hayden glanced at Devon Patrick. "What's going on down here?" she whispered.

He didn't bother looking at her. Instead, he simply said, "The less you know, the better." and walked forward. He expected his co-worker to follow him and she did. Stopping in front of the security guard in front of a set of double doors, he held up his badge.

Despite the trepidation on Vanessa's face, she followed suit.

The guard nodded and opened one of the doors, keeping his gun in his other hand. Devon refused to make eye contact with him. The guards were well trained, and if one wasn't careful, secrets could come to light. And that's the last thing Devon wanted.

The hallway was dimly lit, making him all too aware that he was a good mile underground—in the bowels of the Earth. Closed doors ran the length of the corridor, except for one, and that's the one he was instructed to take her to. He steeled himself against what he was about to do. There was no room for weakness. They were watching. His gaze darted to the camera in the corner of the hall to his left. The thing was small, but since he'd been there before, he knew where to find it. He stopped in front of the open door and motioned to it.

She peered into the room lit by a blue light and stepped back.

That was when he looked at her.

There was no denying the fear in her eyes or the slight trembling of her body.

"If you don't do it, they'll kill you," he whispered, knowing full well they could hear everything they said.

"But I didn't sign up for this," she softly replied, her voice wavering.

"There are many things you didn't sign up for, but it's your job."

A man screamed from behind one of the closed doors and she jerked.

Closing the gap between them, he spoke at a volume he knew they wouldn't hear. "You won't remember a thing."

Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

"We're ready, Ms. Hayden."

He gently took her by the arm and led her to the alien who looked just like a human woman. The only reason he knew her true identity was because she revealed it to him...except he wasn't supposed to remember that. As long as Vanessa complied, she would live through it.

"You'll be out before you know it," the beautiful blonde said with a smile. "This is an ordinary procedure."

As soon as Vanessa made eye contact with the alien, Devon saw her relax. There. Her resistance had been willed aside. Now she would do whatever she was told.

"You may come back for her in two hours, after your procedure," the alien instructed him.

"Yes."

He said it because he was expected to. He always said...and did...whatever he was expected to. It was part of the game. He waited until Vanessa went into the room and the alien closed the door before he turned around to walk back to the double doors. By the time the guard on the other side opened the door for him, he heard Vanessa scream. Bracing himself, he forced his face to remain neutral as he passed the guard and returned to the elevator.

He pressed the button that would take him further down. No matter how many times he'd been here, the screams shook him to the core. He could never get used to this. But he knew the consequences if he didn't play along, and he wasn't willing to die for anything or anyone.

The doors to the elevator opened and he stepped out, ready for what awaited him.

***

Alex twisted in his sheets. He could feel them hovering over him, inspecting him. Flashes of the incident when he went to Area 51 came in his nightmares—night after night. His mind was slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together. He didn't remember what happened when he woke up in that cold room in a hospital bed. Everything had been blank. All he remembered was running up a deep hole in the ground and being chased by security guards that tried to shoot him and Autumn.

But three months after that night, he began having the dreams. Only, they weren't dreams. Not really. At first, he thought they were, but a month after they started, he realized that they were glimpses of that night. His memory was slowly returning.

Though they never moved their mouths, he heard their thoughts.

"A fine specimen," one of the gray aliens thought to the other three around it.

The one on his right inserted a needle into his arm.

He tried to move but he was frozen in place, as if an invisible hand pressed down on him and kept him still. He struggled to breathe but the invisible hand clenched his lungs. Acute pain traveled in his vein and up his arm.

Then he woke up.

Gasping, he threw the sheets off of him and stumbled to the bathroom in his apartment. He flipped on the switch and squinted in the bright light. With trembling hands, he grabbed the bottle of pills from his medicine cabinet and quickly opened the lid. The cabinet closed as he turned on the faucet to fill up the paper cup with water. He turned it off and plopped the pill into his mouth.

As soon as he glanced in the mirror on the cabinet door, he wished he hadn't. It was back...watching him. The gray alien stood behind him, silent and not moving. It just watched him like it did every night ever since his fiancé and millions of others disappeared. And ever since the aliens announced to the world that they existed. They promised the world peace and prosperity. But this one promised him terrors—and fulfilled that promise every night. At least, it did until he saw a psychiatrist and got the pills.

Taking his eyes off his unwelcome companion, he gulped the water down and closed his eyes. He put his face in his hands and willed the frantic pounding in his heart to slow. Is this how it would always be? Would the monstrosity in alien form haunt him? It fed off his fear. It craved it. It thrived off of it. It was a parasite.

But that's where the pills came in. Once the pill began to work its magic, the fear ebbed from him until his mind cleared. His body relaxed and he exhaled. Opening his eyes, he looked at the mirror. The alien was gone. Relieved, he left the bathroom, deciding to leave the light on and went back to bed.

On the nightstand was Marianne's picture. Five months had passed since she vanished, and though he'd searched for her, she was nowhere to be found. Neither were any of the other millions of people who also vanished. She was gone. And she wasn't coming back. He caressed the frame with his thumb. They were supposed to marry four and a half months ago. If they had, she'd be with him in bed at night. Then he'd have her right by him instead of that alien who stood by his bed watching him. Watching. Always watching. And occasionally giving him thoughts to increase his fears. But that ability to plant those thoughts departed when he started taking the pills. So now, it just watched. And waited. What is it waiting for? He hoped he'd never find out because whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

With a long sigh, he decided it was time to let Marianne go. He couldn't spend the rest of his life holding onto the hope those people would return. Whatever world those aliens sent them to, they were long gone. While the medicine's numbing effect still worked on his body, he threw the picture in the trashcan beside his nightstand and laid back down in bed.
Chapter Eight

Autumn stared at the cross necklace in her hand. Whenever she had it with her, she felt close to Marianne, which was why she carried it everywhere she went. In the light, it almost seemed to glow.

"Nice necklace," Alicia said as she went behind the counter.

Autumn looked over at her co-worker and smiled. "It was my sister's. She never took it off." She slipped the necklace into her pocket and cleared her throat. "So, what's on sale today?"

"Summer clothes. Anything with short sleeves is 30% off."

"Welcome to September," she murmured. "I suppose shorts are on that list?"

"Right, but those are 25%."

"What's our employee discount this time?"

Alicia rolled her eyes. "2%."

"Are you kidding?" Autumn asked, studying her friend's face.

"You know that Hampton hates the fact that there's a sale at all."

"Aren't we lucky to be stuck with him for a boss?"

"Oh yeah. We're the envy of the retail industry."

Autumn laughed, her mood growing lighter. "Yay for us."

Hampton left the employee lounge and headed their way.

"Time to look busy," Alicia whispered before she darted off for the corner of the store so she could refold the jeans lining the shelves.

Autumn hid her amusement and worked on typing the sales' prices into the computer.

Unfortunately, he veered in Autumn's direction.

She inwardly groaned. Work would be much better if she didn't have to interact with him. She avoided eye contact as long as she could, but as soon as he stood right in front of her and cleared his throat, she knew she had to look at him.

"Tell Alicia that the mall will stay open regardless of what's happening in the Middle East," he said in his usual grim manner.

"Aren't the aliens here to stop us from World War III?"

"This isn't funny, Miss Daniels."

"It's not supposed to be," she replied. Seriously, Hammond wouldn't know a joke if his life depended on it. "I'm just saying that was what one of them said on the news last night."

"Yeah...well...they also claim to be the gods from mythology."

She blinked in surprise. Did he suspect the truth? It seemed that she was surrounded by people who mindlessly accepted everything the aliens said. Well, except for Alex. But she had only seen him twice since they went to Nevada.

"Anyway, what happens in the Middle East doesn't affect us here in Bismarck. Okay?"

She gave a slight nod and watched him as he walked off.

As soon as he was out of viewing range, Alicia hurried back over. "What did he want?"

"Just to tell us that we have to keep working if Iran decides to attack Israel."

Alicia shook her head. "If it does, then the aliens will have to intervene."

"So they warn us," Autumn stated. She couldn't understand why demons would want to save people...if in fact she saw what she thought she saw at Area 51. The event might have happened back in May, but she could still see the alien transform into a monster. And that monster had to be a demon, right? If an angel protected her and Alex, then angels existed. If angels were real, weren't demons real too? She rubbed her forehead. Great. Another headache was coming on. It seemed to her that she continually got headaches. Picking up her purse, she asked, "Do you mind if I take a break?"

"Go for it, girl. You need one after dealing with Hammond."

Autumn eagerly left the store and stepped outside. The air was slightly cool, but the leaves hadn't changed color yet. Fall would come soon. Despite the disappearance of her sister and millions of people, the seasons still came and went. Life went on like usual. And the people around her seemed oblivious to the fact that things weren't as "normal" as they appeared. Aliens made contact with them. Sure, they weren't the aliens portrayed in the movies, but they were still aliens. Shouldn't more people be reacting to this? Millions of people vanished. Shouldn't there be more than a few groups forming to discuss this? Shouldn't the media be investigating this?

She took out a cigarette and lit it up. She'd given up on trying to quit. What was the point? They'd all probably be dead soon anyway. What is going on? Why are people going about their lives like a bunch of robots? And why wasn't she affected?

Shaking her head, she sat on the bench by the trashcan and scanned the parking lot. She straightened up when she saw Alex getting out of his car. She stood up and put out her cigarette before she threw it out. As she made her way across the pedestrian crosswalk, he reached her.

"Hey, Autumn," he greeted with a smile.

"Hi. How are you doing?"

"Fine."

She turned so they could walk back toward the mall. "Did you come to do some shopping?"

"No. Actually, I came to talk to you."

"What about?"

He motioned to the bench, so she sat down. When he joined her, he pulled out a letter from his pocket and handed it to her. "It's from Marianne. She wrote me while she was finishing up her law degree. Usually, she sent emails, but this time, she chose snail mail. The storm three months ago wiped out my emails, so this is all I had left. She wrote about you and how you were the best sister in the world. I thought you might like to have it." He took a deep breath and stared at the ground in front of him. "I don't think she's coming back."

"I expected you to move on, Alex," she softly said as she turned the letter over in her hands. Marianne's familiar script graced the envelope. It was dated almost a year ago. Not a day went by that Autumn didn't miss her sister.

"You're not mad at me?" he asked, looking in her direction.

"Why would I be?"

He shrugged and let out a low sigh. "I thought you might feel like I betrayed her."

"I don't feel that way. It's different for you and me. No matter what, she'll always be my sister. You were going to be her husband, but as soon as she vanished, that pretty much put an end to that plan. The angel just told me she was safe. He didn't say she was returning. I don't know if we'll ever see those people that disappeared. But I don't want you to waste time missing her. I'm grateful that you loved her, and she loved you too."

He nodded.

She realized this was hard for him. The decision hadn't been an easy one. "It's okay, Alex. I'd do the same thing if the roles were reversed."

He relaxed. "Have you seen that angel again?"

"Not since that night we went down to Area 51. How have you been doing? Has the prescription from the psychiatrist helped?"

"Yes. It's helped a lot, actually. I see the alien once in awhile, but when I take the pill, it goes away. I think Dr. Reyes is right. It's all in my head."

Maybe. She wasn't so sure. She knew what she saw when they were leaving that underground facility, and she knew she didn't imagine what terrified Alex. But she feared that telling him that would only increase his anxiety, which was the last thing he needed. So she chose to keep quiet.

"There is something that still bothers me."

She slipped the letter into her pocket and studied him, noting the way he seemed hesitant to continue. "What is it?"

"With everything that's happened, someone should be questioning it. Don't you think people are acting strange?"

"They're acting as if nothing happened."

"Exactly. There should be more of a response. It's like no one cares. When I was growing up, I thought if aliens came to this planet, there would be a worldwide panic. At the very least, there ought to be news reporters questioning what's going on. But all I hear is how wonderful things are now that they're here and that they're going to lead us to a new dawn of humanity."

"Everyone's too accepting of it," she agreed. "I don't know why everyone seems to be...oblivious to it."

Alex leaned back on the bench and rubbed the palms of his hands on his jeans. "I wonder if we could find out why."

"You really think that's possible?"

"In the past five months, everything's become possible."

She couldn't argue with him on that point. Her entire world had changed. On the surface, when she watched people going about their daily lives, it was easy to think things were alright. But she suspected it was all a ruse. A ruse for what though? To lull people into a false sense of security? Did the demons posing as aliens have something planned but they needed people to be 'asleep' until the time was right to act? Were they all going to wake up one morning and find out what the real motives of those things were? She shifted uneasily.

Maybe she didn't want to know. She'd already found out more than she wished. Part of her envied those who seemed blissfully unaware of the danger lurking around the corner. However, if something serious was about to happen, if the aliens weren't bringing them into a utopia, then did she have a responsibility to find out? And then what? Tell others? But who would believe the aliens weren't who they were pretending to be?

Alex cleared his throat, directing her attention back to him. "I want to know what happened to me at Area 51. We lost an entire day down there. I have flashes of memories."

She straightened in interest. "You're recalling what they did to you?"

"Nothing concrete. It's all like a puzzle, and I get one piece at a time. All I know is that aliens were there and they were using me like a lab rat."

She shivered. That didn't sound pleasant. But then, she shouldn't be surprised. Nothing in that underground place was pleasant. "Do you remember any people?"

"No. Should I?"

"Well, I did see a man and a woman in your room. They inserted something behind your ear."

"They did?" He reached up and traced the skin behind his ears. "I don't feel anything."

"Let me see." She brushed aside the hair from his ear and squinted, but she didn't see a mark anywhere. "That's odd. It was behind this ear."

"Is it possible you thought you saw it but were asleep?"

She shook her head and eased back into her previous position. "No. The angel was there, and I know I didn't dream him up."

"You really think you saw an angel?"

"Yes."

He simply nodded and glanced at his watch. "I have to get back to work. I just wanted to stop by and give you that letter."

"Thank you, Alex." She stood up with him. "And I hope you can get on with your life."

"Thanks." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "Is it alright if I keep in touch? You're the only one I know who realizes there's more going on than the media's telling us, and I'm tired of feeling like I'm alone in this."

"Of course, it's alright. Let me know if you do figure out what's going on. I'll keep my ears and eyes open."

He smiled before he turned and headed back to his car.

Autumn glanced at the mall entrance. She knew she should go back to work since she'd used up all of her minutes for the break, but she wanted to see what her sister had written. Pulling the envelope out of her pocket, she took out the letter and unfolded it, careful not to tear it since it was her last 'contact' with her sister. As she did, tears came to her eyes, especially when Marianne wrote, I've idolized Autumn ever since we were kids. I'm sure she thought I was a pest. I'd try her clothes on and listen in on her phone calls, but it wasn't because I wanted to be a snoop. It's just that I wanted to be like her. She's always gone out of her way for other people. I admired her for that. There's no one else I'd rather have as my maid of honor than her. If we have children, I'd like her to be the godmother.

Autumn finished the letter, rereading parts of it, and then neatly tucked it back into the envelope. She looked up at the clear blue sky. Why her? Marianne had a husband and children to look forward to. Autumn didn't have anyone to stay for. If anyone had to go, Autumn should've been the one. It didn't seem fair. Marianne had so much to live for.

The watchers are watching you.

Her head snapped up. A familiar car drove through the parking lot. It was him. Devon. The man she'd seen three times. Once at this mall, once at the Bismarck state capitol building, and then at Area 51 when he injected Alex with something. As Devon drove, a dark shadow flickered in the passenger seat. She blinked, but the image was gone.

Him. He knows something. Somehow, he's a part of this whole thing.

That was when she made her decision. She'd have to keep an eye out for him in the future. Maybe then, she could start getting some answers.
Chapter Nine

Autumn sat on the bench in front of the Bismarck capitol building. Was this a good idea? She glanced at her watch. It was her third Sunday here, and snow scattered the ground. She'd wasted two weekends already. Did she want to waste another one? Just what did she expect to see anyway? What were the chances that the strange man with that alien would return in that limousine?

She'd spent a good half hour here. Last time they came at two. It didn't look like that was going to happen again. If she had any other idea on what she might do, she'd abandon this silly notion. But this was her only lead. Alex was hard at work trying to figure out what was going on. The least she could do was follow her gut instinct, and her gut was telling her to start here.

With a heavy sigh, she opted for one more lap around the lawn. If the man and alien didn't show up during that time, she'd give up this crazy plan altogether. She made it halfway around the perimeter of the lawn when she heard the familiar words, The watchers are watching you.

She looked up and saw the limousine drive into the tunnel beneath the capitol steps. Excited, she ran forward, hoping she wouldn't get there too late. If they went in before she could see where they were going, then she'd lose them. By the time she reached the tunnel, she was out of breath. Careful to keep hidden from view, she peered around the tunnel's entrance and saw the limousine pull out of the tunnel.

The door to the entrance that had been closed off since 9/11 swung shut. Waiting until the car was out of sight, she hastened to the doors in time to see the two men and the alien enter an elevator. Squinting, she realized that the down arrow above the elevator door was lit up. Good. So now she knew they were going down. Once the elevator doors closed, she reached for the door handle and pulled the door open. Then she stopped.

Was this a good idea?

Her mind flashed back to the night almost six months ago when she and Alex went to Area 51. The angel had warned her not to go, but she had anyway. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should leave well enough alone and turn back.

"Go."

She jerked and glanced behind her.

The angel stood in front of her, but he wore regular clothes, as if he were an ordinary man.

Blinking in surprise, she asked, "Where are your wings?"

A slight smile crossed his face. "We do not always have wings. Sometimes we appear as humans." He motioned for her to go into the building.

"But...? Is this like that time with Alex?"

"No. You need to be here. I was due to tell you five minutes ago but the power over Bismarck delayed me."

"Power over Bismarck? You mean, an alien?" Or rather, a demon?

"There are spiritual forces at work that you know nothing about but will soon learn. You are needed here."

She knew better than to argue with him. Reaching for the door, she asked, "Are you coming with me?"

"I'll join you shortly. There are things I need to tend to out here."

She glanced around but didn't see anything. Even so, she didn't doubt him. Something was there, and even though she didn't know what or where it was, she could feel its presence. Eager to get away from it, she entered the building.

Silence. Eerie silence. Shivering, she pressed forward and made her way to the elevator down the empty hallway. Her shoes echoed softly off the linoleum floor. Once she stood in front of the elevators, she took a moment to gather her courage before she pressed the down button. Then she crossed her arms and waited. She had no idea what she was doing or what she'd find.

I'm losing it. I'm completely losing it.

That was the only reason why she'd do something this stupid. But the angel wouldn't lead her into something that would hurt her. Would he?

The ding from the elevator brought her attention to the doors that parted for her. Before she could change her mind, she stepped into the elevator. She got ready to press a button, but the one to take her down lit up and the doors closed. Gasping, she jerked and backed into the wall.

Okay. That was spooky.

She waited for an agonizing thirty seconds while the elevator descended. As soon as the doors opened, she ran out of it, glad that nothing else supernatural happened. She looked behind her, but nothing had followed her out. At least, she didn't think something followed her out.

The doors shut and she became aware of the dim corridor. All the lights were off except for a few in the ceiling. To her left, she heard the sound of people talking. She took a deep breath. Okay. So now she knew where to go. Despite her slight trembling, she moved her feet.

I can do this. I can. The angel said it would be alright.

Her steps came to a halt and her eyebrows furrowed. Wait. Did the angel say it would be alright? She mentally ran over their conversation and realized all he told her was to go.

Oh great. He never said I'd be okay!

She turned to go back to the elevator, but a dark shape hovering in the corner of a nearby doorway stopped her.

The watchers are watching you.

With a small squeak, she bolted down the hallway toward the people. She reached the only room with its lights turned on and instinctively came to a stop right outside the door. Still shaken up, she crouched down so that she could hide behind the table along the back of the room. A quick look behind her assured her that the...thing...hadn't followed her.

She found a group of chairs located at the end of the table and hid between them. Peering through the chairs, she saw a group of three men and the alien in the front of the room. She recognized the one named Devon. She also recognized the governor of North Dakota. That left the other man and the alien.

"So things are going according to plan?" the governor asked as he wiped sweat from his forehead with a neatly folded cloth.

"Don't be weak," the alien said. "Only the fit will survive."

Survive? Autumn gulped. Survive what?

"Nothing must compromise the plan," the alien continued.

Devon leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table they were all sitting at. "You and your family will be fine as long as you cooperate."

"The sound wave frequencies are only a short-term plan," the unnamed man spoke. "It won't control the masses for much longer."

"Which is why we need to get their attention onto other matters," the alien said. "The sooner, the better. You humans are slow in getting things done."

"I had a couple of phone calls and letters this past week. People are asking questions," the governor said. "I don't believe they'll be fooled much longer."

"Get their minds off of why we're here," the alien replied. "Threaten their security."

The governor winced. "North Dakota is a relatively peaceful state and—"

"So do what you can to limit the number of casualties," the unnamed man barked. "This isn't why we put you in this office, governor! You served in the Gulf War. You're supposed to be trained to deal with stress."

"I was protecting life over there."

The man laughed. "Protecting life? I got news for you Governor West. That war and the one over there right now have absolutely nothing to do with protection."

At least not human protection, the alien thought.

Autumn blinked. Was she the only one who heard that? She examined the somber looks on the three men's faces as they continued to talk about the plan. The alien wasn't looking at her, but she had a clear view of its profile. She recalled the alien she saw at Area 51. When the angel touched her, she caught a glimpse of its true identity. She wondered if the same would happen if she focused on this one. Taking a slow, deep breath, she concentrated on its face, and after a few seconds, its features darkened and eyes turned red.

Then its head began to turn in her direction.

She quickly ducked so that the entire chair blocked her from its view.

"Governor," Devon said in a firm enough tone that made the others quiet. "This is not about the world as we knew it. It's about surviving in the new age. If things get out of control, we have a safe place for you and your family to go to, but you have to play by the rules if you want to make it. My boss will see to it."

Autumn dared to peek back through the space in the chair and saw that the alien had its attention directed back at the men. She breathed a soft sigh of relief. That was close.

Devon nodded in satisfaction. "Good. We're all agreed. We'll revamp the frequency in all the electronic devices so that people will go back to sleep. It's a temporary fix but it'll work."

"We'll need a suitable distraction too," the unnamed man added. "We can't afford to take any chances." He looked pointedly at the governor. "You know what you need to do, so I expect you to do it."

People will go back to sleep? A suitable distraction? Just what did all that mean? Autumn was really beginning to wish she hadn't ventured down here. This thing went deeper than she thought...or wanted to think. She rubbed her forehead. Her fingers itched for a cigarette, but there was no way she could light one up—not here...and not now. So she subconsciously grabbed for something, and that something happened to be her sister's cross necklace that hung around her neck.

"I have to get back to DC," the unnamed man said as he stood up. "I give reports on what the governors in each state do or don't do to cooperate with the New World Order."

Governor West closed his eyes for a moment but nodded his understanding before he stood up.

The others followed suit, and soon, they left the room.

When she was alone, she exhaled and released her hold on the necklace. She was safe. Now all she had to do was wait for a few minutes until they left and get out of there. Then she could talk to Alex.

She waited for two minutes before she slipped out of her hiding place. Just when she stood up, someone turned the lights off. She gasped and spun around.

Devon frowned, his hand still on the light switch, and narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you doing here?"

She waited for her "guardian" angel to appear and hide her like he did before, but he didn't. Oh great! What was she supposed to do? The angel told her to come here, she did, and now he abandoned her? It wasn't like she was being careless this time.

Devon put his hand down from the light switch and stepped into the dark room lit only by the lights in the corridor. "I asked you a question."

She immediately stepped back, looking for something to arm herself with. Finding nothing suitable in reach, she gripped the chair. It wasn't light. She hid her aggravation. Where was her angelic helper? Clearing her throat, she said the first thing that came to her mind. "What are you doing here?"

He glanced over his shoulder before he took out a small rectangular device from his pocket. After adjusting something, he placed it on the table by the door. Then he headed in her direction.

Startled, she picked up the heavy chair and got ready to throw it at him. "Stop!"

He was in the middle of the room, just a few feet from her. "You think this is some kind of game? You follow people into buildings and listen in on their conversations?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "You're one to talk. Telling the governor to harm some people so you can put the ignorant masses back to sleep."

"You'd do well to find other things to do with your time."

He took another step forward, and she flung the chair at him. It missed him. She grunted. She didn't even get close! Why did she have to be such a lousy aim?

She noted the concern on his face. "Look, I don't want you to get into trouble, alright? You shouldn't be here. My suggestion is that you leave and forget what you saw and heard."

She shook her head. How could he expect her to do that? Whatever he and those with him had in mind wasn't right. It wasn't decent. She knew it.

"Either you forget it or they'll kill you," he said, his voice solemn. "Do you want to live?"

"Of course, I want to live."

"Then you know what you need to do." He motioned for her to go to the door. "I'll let you off with a warning this time."

She debated whether it was wise to stay there and insist he tell her exactly what the men had been talking about, but a movement in the hallway caught her attention. The angel waved her forward. She rolled her eyes. Oh sure. Now, when she'd been caught and scolded, the angel decided to show up.

With a heavy sigh, she strode out of the room. She went over to the angel and wanted to ask why he took so long to get to her, but Devon closed the door behind him and faced her.

"You'll have to go out another way," he said.

She glanced from the angel and back to Devon. Didn't Devon even see the angel? Devon took her by the arm and led her in the opposite direction from which she came. Nope. He didn't see the angel. Her gaze drifted to his hand and she saw he was holding that strange device.

"What is that?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"Let's just say it ensures no one knows this conversation took place."

His steps were hurried so she decided not to press the issue. Instead, she walked with him to a staircase and climbed a flight before he led her out into a vacant corridor. The entire time, the angel followed, and none of them spoke. Something in Devon's movements were anxious, so she decided the sooner she got out of there, the better.

They reached a door and he opened it. The bright sunlight made her squint as she stepped outside, the angel close behind. She turned, expecting Devon to leave too, but he shut the door and the lock clicked into place.

"What just happened?" she asked the angel.

"Exactly what needed to," he answered.

"What? That I would hear the governor's going to stage something?"

"No." The angel smiled. "It wasn't you that needed to be reached this time."

Then he vanished.

She groaned and threw her hands up in the air. Of course, he spoke in weird, cryptic words. Why wouldn't he? He was supernatural, after all. Not once did he give her clarity on anything. Why would he start now? Deciding she'd had enough, she darted across the lawn spanning the side of the capitol building and headed for her car.
Chapter Ten

Alex sat across from Autumn and studied her expression. "That's it?" he asked.

She shrugged. Though the plate of lasagna looked appealing, she had little appetite. She finally gave up on trying to enjoy her half-eaten meal and put her fork down. Leaning forward on the table in the family restaurant, she said, "I don't understand what's going on."

He took a drink of his soda and set it back down. "So you think they're emitting sound waves to keep us oblivious to what's really going on?"

"I'm not sure."

She glanced out the window next to their booth. It was the next day during lunch, and they agreed to meet so she could tell him what happened the previous day. She'd been shaken up when she called and he'd offered to come over to see her, but she decided to wait until today. She had needed time to process what happened at the capitol, and even after twenty-four hours, she still couldn't fully comprehend it. She didn't even dare tell him about the angel or demon. He'd think the rest of her story was unbelievable. She needed something concrete, something solid to tell him.

"The governor was there?" Alex asked.

She nodded and wiped her mouth with the napkin. "He looked scared."

"He knows something we don't."

"Obviously. But is that a surprise? I mean, he is a politician. There's a lot they never tell us."

"True." She couldn't argue that point, especially when she was pretty much ordered to "forget" what she heard, but how could she forget? "Whatever they're planning, it's not going to be pleasant. I guess all we can do is hope that it's not serious."

He tapped his fingers next to his empty plate and asked, "Do you think they're doing this in other places?"

"What? Planning some kind of diversion to keep our attention off of what they're doing?"

"That and sending out the sound waves. Maybe that's why everyone seems to be accepting that the aliens are good guys. They're being subliminally brainwashed."

"Most likely. It can't just be here."

"I wonder how deep it goes. Do you think it has anything to do with talk of the one world government?"

Or maybe it went even deeper than that.

Their server walked up to them. "Can I get you anything else?" she asked.

Autumn shook her head. "No thanks. Well, I guess a to-go box." She motioned to her food.

The woman nodded and looked at Alex.

"I'm fine." He glanced at his watch. "I should get back to work."

"Okay." The server handed them their checks. "I'll take your cards when you're ready and get that to-go box."

Once she left, they set aside their payments, and he let out a low sigh. "You got more than I did. I can't come up with any answers."

"I don't think I got answers. I just got more questions."

The server returned to collect their money and handed Autumn a to-go box. She glanced at Autumn's money and smiled. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we no longer accept cash."

"But I always pay with cash when I come here," Autumn replied, surprised.

"Well, starting last Monday, the new policy is that we will only accept debit or credit cards."

Autumn reluctantly took back the cash and stared at the bills in her hand. "But this is all I have."

"I got it," Alex told her. "Just add her check to mine."

The server nodded and took their checks and his card.

"I can't believe it," Autumn muttered. "Cash should be good anywhere." She set the money in front of him and thanked him.

He shook his head and gave it back to her. "Don't worry about it. Friends help each other out." As she dished the remaining lasagna into the styrofoam box, he continued, "You might want to think about converting from paying cash for everything to using a card."

She sighed. He was right. It was time she got with it and got a debit card. She couldn't deny that it'd be more convenient, especially in situations like this. "I guess that'll be put on my To Do List for this week."

"Why have you held off all this time on getting one anyway?"

"Because when I was in college, I ran into some serious credit card debt. It took years to dig myself out of that too."

"Well, a debit card isn't like a credit card."

"Maybe not but the temptation to overspend if I don't have physical money to hand out is greater."

"So do what I do. Have a savings account to hold most of your money and transfer over whatever you need for the day. If you go over, the cashier will be very happy to remove an item from your cart."

She wryly grinned at him. "I see you've had experience with that one."

"Once. And once is all it took."

She closed the box and looked at him, noting that when he smiled, he was handsome. She could see why her sister was attracted to him.

The server returned with his card and a receipt. "Thank you and I hope you both have a good day." After she handed him the items, she left.

He turned his eyes to Autumn who collected her purse and box. "At least you get to go home and take a nap," he said as he stood up.

She followed suit. "Yep. No Hampton to give me grief today."

"How is the new hire working out?"

"She's right out of high school, perky and blonde, and since she must have a social life, Hampton's making me work weekends now because I'm too old to have a life."

He laughed. "You're not old."

"Compared to an eighteen year old, I am."

They left the restaurant and he glanced up. Curious, she also looked at the clear sky.

"Have you seen the way the alien craft looks as it hovers over a big city? I hear those things span a good three miles."

"I've seen the pictures. I don't get it though. Why would they hover there?"

He shrugged. "The gods have returned to watch over the affairs of men?"

"Or so they say."

"Whatever they are, they're not friendly."

She shot him a good look. "Is that alien still watching you at night?"

"I've tried going through a night without the pills, but I woke up and couldn't move. It felt like I was back at Area 51."

Her jaw dropped. "Alex, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Nothing else happened. It took me five minutes before I could move, and you bet the first thing I did when I could was swallow one of those pills."

"That's awful." Hearing this made her experience with Devon seem minor. She couldn't imagine having one of those things hovering over her like that. And as she scanned Alex, she didn't detect anything sinister around him. "I wish we hadn't gone to Area 51. I should have insisted on it."

Alex smiled and patted her on the back. "That thing was by my bed before that incident, remember? This isn't your problem. It's mine."

"It seems like there should be something you can do to stop it."

"That's what the psychiatrist is for. I have an appointment with him this week. The prescription he has me on helps."

"Does it?" Could it be that simple? A pill and all the problems went away? At least until it was time to take the next one?

"I just take it one day at a time. I'll see you around."

She said good-bye and watched as he went to his car. She focused on him, trying to detect a demon lurking around him, as she'd seen around Devon on a couple occasions. True, she didn't see the thing hovering around Devon at the capitol, but there was something seriously wrong with him. But Alex was a good guy. He didn't go around telling governors they might want to harm people to get the masses to cooperate.

The masses. That was how Devon and people of his ilk saw normal, everyday people like her and Alex. Like her and Alicia. They were just numbers. Easily expendable. Like sheep for the slaughter. She shivered. The masses not cooperating? Send a diversion? Send out sound waves to lull them into a false sense of security. And if they start waking up to what was going on, find a way to get them back in line. She wondered what the governor was going to do.

She watched as Alex drove past her. He waved and she waved in return. There was nothing unusual about him. No dark shadow. No creepy feeling. He turned out of the parking lot and onto the main road. She shook her head. What was she missing? What was it she didn't understand?
Chapter Eleven

Alex tried to move in his sleep but couldn't. His eyes flew open and the alien was sitting on his chest, its cold bony fingers wrapped around his throat. He struggled to breathe, but the fingers dug into his skin, cutting off his airway. He unwittingly recalled the three aliens at Area 51 who hovered over him. They held something over his nose and mouth so he couldn't breathe.

Unlike then, no one had strapped his arms and legs to a metal table. No. He was home in his warm bed, and this alien was trying to kill him! Fear gripped him and held him securely in place, and as much as he wanted to fight back, to defend himself, he couldn't. All he could do was stare into the alien's eyes.

It wanted him dead, and yet, it wanted him alive so it could continue to torment him.

All Alex could do was stare at it, feeling more helpless than he'd ever felt in his entire life. And then...mercifully...everything went black and the pressure around his throat was gone.

***

The next morning, Alex sat in the waiting room and checked his watch. He hated to go into work late, but he needed to see Dr. Reyes. After what happened last night with the alien... He shivered. It never attacked him before. It had watched him. Yes, it freaked him out. But it never touched him, and it certainly never made a move to kill him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He just wanted the alien to leave him alone. He wanted to be able to get a good night's sleep again without having to take pills.

The office door opened and the psychiatrist waved Alex in. "Good morning, Alex."

Alex nodded and went into the nice spacious room. He headed for the beige chair and sat across from Dr. Reyes. Wiping his hands on his pants, he wondered if Dr. Reyes would confine him to the mental ward of the hospital after he heard what he had to say.

"I heard you had a rough night," the older man said as he set a notebook and a pen on his lap.

"Yes." Alex shifted in his seat. The man was going to think he was loony. No one else had been through this. Maybe some questioned the aliens' motives, but no one had their own personal alien trying to kill them. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I saw the alien again."

The doctor frowned. "Have you been taking those pills?"

"Yes. Well, I admit I didn't one night, but I wanted to see if I could get through the night without help. You know?"

"It's very important you take those pills."

"I know. I'm sorry." Alex felt like a child. He shouldn't have to apologize. He was an adult, and if he wanted to see if he could manage one night without the pill, that should be his right.

"Well, don't worry about it. What's done is done." The doctor smiled and scribbled something down in his notebook.

Alex hated it when he did that. It made him feel like he was being written up for bad conduct. Relax, Alex. Dr. Reyes is here to help you. He's not giving you a bad grade.

"Why don't you tell me what happened last night?"

The man with graying hair gave him a kind look that made Alex feel easier. "I did take the pill last night before I went to bed. About two hours after I went to sleep, I felt a need to panic. When I woke up, I couldn't move. The alien...it was sitting on me and trying to strangle me."

The man frowned. "I see no marks on your neck."

He absentmindedly touched his neck. It wasn't even sore. "I can't explain it. I felt it. It was real. I know I was awake." Here it comes. He's going to say I'm crazy and have me locked up.

"So what happened while the alien was doing this?"

"Nothing. I couldn't stop him. I tried to move but was frozen in place. Then I blacked out. When I woke up, it was gone and it was daylight."

The man nodded, said "um hmm" and wrote something else down. Glancing up at Alex, he said, "What you experienced is called sleep paralysis, and it's not all that uncommon."

He blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"If you gathered together six strangers into a room, at least one has been through it, though not as extreme as what you experienced. Sometimes people just wake up and feel terror that goes away as soon as it comes. Some people see an old hag or a hooded figure in the room with them. Then there are those who swear they see things like goblins. There have been studies done on it."

Alex immediately felt better. So he wasn't the only one. He dared to ask, "What about aliens? Has anyone seen aliens?"

"Sure. Haven't you ever heard of alien abductions?"

"Yes. I didn't think it was real until all of this happened."

"I come across a lot of things in my practice. Few things surprise me anymore." The man glanced at his clock that was on his desk. "I'm afraid I have to take care of my next patient. Do you mind if we continue this on Thursday when you have your appointment?"

"That's fine."

"And since this thing appeared to you with malevolent intent, I'm going to give you a different prescription. It might be better than the one you're currently on. If you do notice any complications, let me know and I'll adjust the dosage." He reached over to the small table beside him and wrote on a small yellow pad. "I think you had your encounter last night because you missed that pill. It can set your whole body off balance when things like that happen."

Noting the warning, he agreed to take the new pills every night before bed. If that is what he had to do to make sure another attack didn't happen, then he'd do it. There was no way he wanted to go through that again.

The doctor tore the slip of paper and held it out to him.

Alex stood up and took it. "Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome." The man stood and walked him to the door. "Now, if you have another episode, let me know."

"I will."

He opened the door and smiled. "Have a good day."

Relieved, Alex returned his smile and left. So he wasn't crazy. Now he didn't have to go around town feeling like a freak.
Chapter Twelve

Autumn finished putting clothes on the mannequin in the store and yawned. Glancing at her watch, she realized she had another five hours to go before she could go home. Alicia wouldn't be in for another hour and the Saturday crowd hadn't picked up yet, so she had nothing to do at the moment.

She tapped her foot on the floor and debated whether she should take this opportunity to loaf around or look for any clothes that needed to be returned to their correct locations. Sometimes a customer picked up something, decided they didn't want it, and put it somewhere else. Finally, she opted to search for misplaced clothes. She rolled her eyes. Here it was, a beautiful Saturday and she was stuck at work with her most exciting prospect being what she'd watch on TV when she got home. Again, she wondered why she hadn't been one of the people to vanish. Just what, exactly, did she have to stick around for? It should have been her instead of Marianne.

A familiar giggle caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder and sighed. Katie Winslow, the new employee, decided to come in on her day off with her boyfriend. Katie was holding his hand and blabbing on about someone they knew. Typical gossip. Autumn thought of dodging behind a rack of pantsuits but Katie saw her.

"Oh hey! Autumn!" Katie turned to her lanky boyfriend. "That's Autumn. I work with her."

He nodded, not taking his eyes off the perky blonde who gave him a flirtatious smile.

Autumn inwardly groaned but gave a polite smile and wave before she turned back to the rack in front of her, trying to look busy so Katie and her boyfriend would get bored and leave. However, such was not to be the case.

"Autumn! I have some terrific news to share with you. Come on over!"

Autumn stayed in place, watching as the glowing girl waved her forward. When she realized Katie was practically dragging the guy her way, she sighed and went to meet them. "What is it?"

"I'm engaged!" Katie thrust her hand in front of Autumn's face and squealed. She wiggled her ring finger, making the small diamond sparkle in the light. "Kevin just proposed last night. Isn't that awesome?"

Engaged? Autumn tried not to show her disbelief. Katie was only eighteen for goodness sakes.

"We're here looking for lingerie," Katie said and snuggled against Kevin who kissed her cheek.

She giggled and cooed at him. In response, he nuzzled her neck and she wrapped her arms around him and squealed in delight.

Autumn swallowed. If she wasn't careful, she was going to throw up. Watching two horny teenagers hanging onto each other was more than enough to make her gag. Teenagers. What could they possibly know about real love?

Just as she turned to get away from them, a loud boom resonated through the mall. Without thinking, she dropped to the floor, only half aware of the screams of panic coming from the two shoppers in the store. She glanced over her shoulder and was reassured when she saw that Katie and her boyfriend were fine. She waited to make sure nothing else was going to happen before she struggled to her feet.

Mr. Hampton came running out of his office, his face pale. Motioning to the door, he yelled, "Everyone, out!"

Not that Autumn needed to be told to evacuate, but if Hampton was scared, then this was more serious than she thought. If Hampton was one thing, it was able to handle even the toughest of situations in stride. While he assisted one of the shaking customers, Autumn ran to help another one out the nearest exit. Kevin held onto Katie, so at least she was taken care of.

Once they were outside, a group of fire trucks and policemen were hurrying to the center of the mall. People were rushing out of the building as smoke billowed into the sky. Some people were crying and holding onto each other. Others were searching for loved ones. Still, others looked on in apparent shock.

Autumn shivered. It reminded her of the day her sister vanished.

"Funny how the cops and firemen got here as soon as they did," Hampton muttered under his breath.

Surprised, she looked at her boss. "Why do you say that?"

He glanced at her as if he couldn't believe he had to explain it. "That was a bomb, and it just went off. How could they be that quick?"

His meaning settled into her rattled nerves. Her eyes grew wide. "Are you saying this was staged?"

He rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't be the first time something like this happened, would it?"

Before she could answer, he went over to one of the shrieking women in the crowd. He patted her on the shoulder and did his best to comfort her.

Autumn could hardly think over the sirens blaring, the crying people, or the police using bullhorns to instruct people to evacuate the mall. She tried to come to grips with what Hampton said as she walked through clustered groups of people. The smoke continued pouring out of the main entrance, making her cough as she neared the scene of the devastation.

She passed a cop who spoke into his Scanner Radio. "Yeah. Probably a terrorist attack." And that was all she caught of that conversation since he hurried past her to wave an ambulance over to assist a blood-soaked man who was lying on the ground. The man blinked, and Autumn felt a small comfort in knowing he was alive.

She studied the amount of medical personnel that got out of their ambulances and frowned. The explosion only happened a few minutes ago, hadn't it? She checked her watch. Maybe it had been five. There was no way all these policemen, firefighters and medical personnel should be here yet. She hated to agree with Hampton, but something was wrong.

As she scanned the chaos ensuing around her, her gaze happened to fall upon him. Devon. He was there at the scene, talking into a cell phone and motioning to a cop. She narrowed her eyes at him. Ignoring the people around her, she strode in his direction. Not once did she let her eyes go off of him. There were way too many people lingering about.

Shock gave way to anger as she got closer to him. How dare he be a part of this? Her brows furrowed and her stomach tightened. For all she knew, he was responsible for this. Maybe he set off the bomb. No. He didn't look like the type. Most likely, he gave the orders and someone else did the dirty work.

By the time she reached him, he was still on the phone. His back was to her as he walked back to the mall. She thought he was going to go under the police tape that two men were putting up to secure off the entrance, but he didn't. Instead, he veered around it and made his way to the other side of the explosion. Where was he going? She picked up the pace so that she could make out something he was telling the other person on the phone, but there was too much noise around them for her to make out anything.

To her surprise, he went around the corner of the building, which left them alone for the moment. She glanced behind her, wondering if it was best to keep following him. Perhaps she should go back to Hampton. Now, that was something she never thought she'd willingly consider. Going back to her irritable boss so she could feel safe!

"It's taken care of," Devon said into his cell phone. "Don't send anymore."

Anymore? She turned her attention back to him.

He hung up on his current call and started to dial another number when he noticed her. He jerked and quickly shut the phone. "What are you doing here?"

She couldn't tell if he was alarmed or angry but finally decided he was probably both. Crossing her arms to hide her slight trembling, she said, "You're behind this explosion, aren't you? There is no terrorist attack. You set this up."

He stared at her for a moment, his face unreadable.

The only thing that held her in place was her anger over the needless destruction and suffering that he caused. "You've done this before, haven't you?" Stupid. What was she thinking by confronting him like this? He obviously had important connections, and here she was invoking his wrath. But something in her had snapped, making her unable to stop. "Well? What else have been false terror attacks?"

He calmly placed the phone into the breast pocket of his suit jacket. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb." Her pulse raced with adrenaline. Stupid. She was stupid! This man was dangerous. She just knew it. That was the only reason why a demon lurked around him. And yet, losing her sister and having her entire world tossed upside down was taking its toll on her nerves. She couldn't stop. Even if he pulled out a gun right now and threatened to kill her, she couldn't stop. "Do you know where those people disappeared to? Was that another ploy to get the people to unite for this coming one world government?"

He took a step toward her and she instinctively backed up. He grabbed her arm and shot her a warning look. "I advise you to tread carefully. You think you know what you're dealing with but you don't. This goes much deeper than you can imagine."

"You bastards took my sister from me. I have nothing to lose." And she didn't. She had nothing to live for. Nothing to give up. No reason to exist.

"No. We didn't. We don't know what caused that."

She shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. She'd wanted him to admit it. But he didn't. "You're lying," she insisted, even though it was ridiculous. She wanted him to be lying. She wanted to be able to get to her sister and bring her home.

He shook his head. "That wasn't part of the plan, but it doesn't matter because it's done. Look, do you want to live or not?"

She hesitated to answer. After how close she came to dying just now... If that bomb had been further down the mall... Was she prepared for death?

He sighed. "This isn't a game. If you want to survive, you have to play by their rules."

Shooting him a sharp look, she asked, "Whose rules?"

Before she knew what was happening, he pressed her up against the side of the mall and kissed her. Stunned, she didn't push him away. How could she? She didn't have time to think.

He wasn't demanding in the kiss, though he was insistent that the kiss happen. His hands settled on her hips, and that was when she thought to push him away. His mouth left hers and traveled the length of her jaw and to her neck. Her heart raced, even as she figured that she would be able to push him away once she caught her breath.

He brought his lips to her ear. "We're being watched. There are cameras everywhere. Listening devices. You're being monitored. You have to be careful."

Her eyes flew open and a chill raced up her spine. A warning. She turned her head and saw that a security guard was watching.

Devon let go of her and stepped away and coughed. Giving the older man a sheepish grin, he said, "Sorry. Didn't see you there."

The guard gave a stiff nod. "Save it for the bedroom."

She looked at Devon. He was lying. He knew the guard was there the whole time. It'd all been a show. She didn't know whether to be relieved or upset. So he hadn't been trying to take liberties with her...but then, what man ever had? She sighed and rubbed her head. Her mind was a jumbled mess. So much was happening at once, and too many thoughts went in circles through her head. What did it matter? What did any of it matter anymore?

The guard motioned for them to join him. "Right now, I need everyone where I can get your names. Got to separate the living from the dead."

Dead? She glared at Devon who ignored her. Instead, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. He glanced at her and said, "Go on ahead, sweetie. I'll catch up to you."

She stared at him for a moment and asked the guard, "Some people died in that explosion?"

"So far we have two confirmed bodies," he replied. "Come on. I can't be over here forever."

Resisting the urge to slap the phone out of Devon's hands, she stormed passed him and followed the guard, aware that Devon walked, not far behind.

As she made her way into the crowd of the parking lot, her eyes caught sight of a light post. A camera sat at the top of it. She blinked. Then her gaze shifted to another post. It didn't have a camera, but the one further down did. She shivered and crossed her arms, as if doing so would ward off the growing sense of dread sinking into her.

It was quickly dawning on her that the world she thought she lived in wasn't anything like she believed it to be. Aliens, Area 51, cameras, listening devices, being monitored, led to believe terrorist attacks were real when they were being staged to sway public opinion, demons, angels, heaven, hell... Her head hurt. Just what was real and what was an illusion?
Chapter Thirteen

The phone rang. Devon rolled over in his bed and tapped the snooze button on his alarm clock. Another shrill ring echoed through the dark room. Realizing it was the phone, he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Devon Patrick?"

His eyes flew open and he sat up in bed. "Yes."

"Code?"

He didn't want to give it. He knew where this was headed, and he hated it.

"Patrick?"

Taking a deep breath, he gripped the bed sheets and said, "234-712."

"You are due to report to Dulce at 1500 today." Then the man hung up.

A cold shiver snaked its way up Devon's spine as he hung up the phone. Dulce, New Mexico—a place he wished he'd never have to go to again. And yet, General McHenry gave the order. That meant he had to do it, whether he wanted to or not.

He sat still for a moment, staring at the mirror across the room. How did he end up in this nightmare? Sighing, he rubbed his eyes. He could do this. He'd done it before. It hadn't killed him. At least not yet. Forcing his mind off of what was to come, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom where he turned on the water in the shower.

He closed the door and searched the room but didn't find any bugs. So they hadn't been back. That was good. It meant they didn't suspect anything. Maybe he was getting better at this. He threw off his night clothes, wrapped a towel around his waist and left the room so he could retrieve his cell phone. Dialing a number he wanted them to know about, he also grabbed a new bottle of shampoo from the linen closet at the end of the hallway.

"This better be good, Patrick," his boss muttered in the phone.

"General McHenry called. I'm due to Dulce at 3 pm today."

"Oh. In that case, I'll let you live for waking me up."

It was a half-hearted joke, and Devon didn't bother laughing as if he was amused. There was nothing funny about any of this, but what could he do? He needed to obey orders.

He entered the bathroom and shut the door. The running water masked some of what his boss said, but his boss would be giving him the usual spiel about how he was doing what was best for the country. Devon set the shampoo on the counter by the sink and waited until his boss was done before he thanked him and hung up.

Then he retrieved his second cell phone which was strapped to the underside of his sink and dialed his doctor's number.

Dr. Raymond picked up on the third ring. "Devon, did they call you in again?"

Wiping his sweaty palms on his towel, he said, "Yes. At 3 pm."

"I'll come by your house Thursday night at ten and we'll take care of it."

"Thank you." He hung up the phone. There. Dr. Raymond would remove the implant, and Devon would know what the government planned to do to him this time.

***

Right at 3 pm, two men in military uniforms led Devon to the second level of the Dulce underground base. He stripped and was weighed before he slipped into an off-white jump suit and picked up his identification card. He didn't speak as the men walked him to a shuttle. The tunnel was dim with only phosphorous lights which cast a yellow hue over the cavern.

He wasn't supposed to remember being here, so he refrained from getting on the shuttle until instructed. He sat next to the man operating the vehicle.

"Card?"

He presented the card which the man scanned. Then he pressed his hand to the scanner to verify his identification.

Satisfied, the man nodded and shifted the shuttle into drive. "You're due for level four."

Devon closed his eyes in relief. Not that level four would be pleasant, but it beat level six, which was termed "Nightmare Hall" for good reason.

No one spoke during the ride through the second level. When the shuttle stopped at the elevator, he got out. As if on cue, the doors opened and the alien masquerading as the blonde woman in a blue jump suit waved him in. He hesitated, briefly recalling the way Vanessa responded to her. Vanessa had every right to shy away from the blonde. He knew what her being here meant, and he knew the blonde took a twisted delight in playing cat and mouse with him.

"Come on in, silly. I don't bite." She giggled and reached out to take him by the hand.

His skin crawled at the contact. Before she could deduct that he remembered her, he removed his hand from hers, entered the elevator and stood at the other end of the small space.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

He shook his head. "Am I supposed to?"

Giggling again, she shrugged. "I guess not." She winked at him before she pressed the number four.

The elevator doors hissed and the elevator gave a low hum as it went down.

He closed his eyes for a moment and focused on his breathing. She could pick up on fear, and the last thing he wanted to do was give her any more power over him than she would have once they strapped him to the table.

When he opened his eyes, he caught her staring at him. For a moment her eyes flickered, and he blinked. He'd never seen her in her true form, but he knew she wasn't an alien grey. Reptoid, perhaps? He'd heard Reptoid aliens lived at level 5 and who-knew-what lived at level 7 on down.

After all he'd seen and heard, he wouldn't be surprised if they really did exist. He might be privy to more information than the average person, but he wasn't that high up the chain. So many things were going on behind the scenes. That woman he caught sneaking into the Bismarck capitol had no idea what she was tapping into, and if she was smart, she'd finally back off because if she didn't, it was just a matter of time before they came after her.

The doors hissed open and a white corridor came into view. The blonde got out of the elevator and looked expectantly at him. What choice did he have?

He joined her. The blue door up ahead loomed before him and the sense of dread in his gut twisted tighter. Images of his past visits flashed through his mind. Some things he wished he didn't remember. Well, there was no going back now. He knew too much. He'd done too much.

"We're going to have a lot of fun," the blonde whispered suggestively.

Without another word, she led him to the door and opened it. Slowly exhaling, he stepped forward.
Chapter Fourteen

Devon woke up at 11:30 pm. His heart beat was unusually fast and his back hurt. Where was he? Anxious, he glanced around and quickly realized he was in his bed, safe at home. Breathing fast, he tried to sit up but a sharp stab of pain in his lower back stopped him so he collapsed on the bed.

Dr. Raymond ran over to him. "It was a real doozy this time, Devon."

In that instant, he remembered that he had gone to Dulce. He swallowed despite his raw throat. He'd been screaming. That was the only reason his throat hurt as much as it did. He choked back on a cry. What had they done to him this time?

"They put this in you. I got it before it became a part of your spinal column."

Devon blinked away the tears and focused on the jelly-like implant with two dangling limbs.

"Whatever this one was, it was alive."

"A-alive?" He struggled to breathe through the fear coming at him full force. That thing had been inside of him, wrapping itself in him like a parasite? It was half an inch long. None of the other implants were that big either.

The doctor turned to the dresser in the bedroom and placed the implant in the box with the other five implants he'd removed on other occasions. Turning his sympathetic gaze in Devon's direction, he asked, "Are you sure you want to know what happened at Dulce?"

Devon dreaded that question. Finding out meant he had to relive the whole nightmare all over again. Each time they were done with him, they dropped him off at home and he didn't remember a thing. It wasn't until that fateful day that Dr. Raymond gave him an MRI and found the first implant that Devon realized he was nothing more than a lab rat. Gripping the sheets beneath him, he steeled his resolve. He had to be strong. He had to know what they did and what they wanted. He had to. Failure was not an option. Failure meant someone would come up to his door with a gun and a bullet.

He tried to speak but his voice wouldn't come, so he nodded.

With a heavy sigh, the doctor lifted the needle. "I'm sorry, Devon." He sat beside him on the bed and held onto Devon's stiff arm.

The needle went in with little effort, and the cool liquid found its way into his vein. Soon. Soon he'd recall the horror he'd just been through. Be strong. You can do this!

Dr. Raymond pulled out the needle and placed a band-aid onto the puncture wound. "I'll be here in case you go into another convulsion."

Devon managed a slight nod.

The doctor helped him up.

Though he was weak, he made it to the bathroom. It was the same routine. He knew what to expect. He knelt by the toilet and waited. The sensation of a chill passing over him was the indication he needed. He leaned over the toilet and closed his eyes.

He could do this. He had to remember. This was much too important. His life depended on him knowing the keyword and the name of his alternate personality. So far, he'd accumulated five separate personalities. This was his sixth. And as long as he played along with his superiors, he was safe.

I have to do this.

The chill seeped into his bones, making him shake. The tremors started off small—easy enough to tolerate. But he knew what was coming. He took deep breaths, counting to ten before he slowly exhaled. This simple exercise, he'd learned, warded off the nausea until the end.

An image flashed in his mind. He tried to focus on it, but it quickly blurred back into the recesses of his repressed memories. Not yet. It'd be a little longer. He gripped the sides of the cool porcelain toilet. Within a half hour, it would be over. The wait wouldn't be long. Another minute or two and it'd start.

His teeth began to chatter even as he willed off the increasing cold. A slight amount of bile rose up in his throat. He took a deep breath. 1, 2, 3, 4.... Behind him, the doctor wrapped a warm blanket over his shoulders, and his nausea receded. He exhaled. The reprieve was temporary, but he was glad for it.

He waited there in the silent room for a minute when the first clear image opened in his mind. The tall blonde woman stood over him. She smiled, but it wasn't friendly. It was the smile a predator gave its prey before it struck.

"It's always nice to see you, Devon," she whispered against his ear. Her hand traveled up his leg until it reached his inner thigh.

He struggled to get away but he was frozen to the table. Not again. He didn't want to go through this again!

The scene faded, and Devon's eyes flew open. He was staring into the empty toilet bowl and shaking all over, despite the blanket or the fact that the doctor turned the heating lamp on. So cold. Nothing could conquer the icy sensation pumping through his veins.

A sharp pain under his fingernails made him grit his teeth. He closed his eyes again, and this time, he was strapped to a chair. Two men sat on either side of him. They took turns digging razors under his nails. He screamed and tried to wiggle his way out of the chair but couldn't.

Once again, his focus returned to the toilet in front of him as the feeling of nausea increased. That meant the flashes of memory would be coming faster. He clung to the rim of the toilet, his body on the edge of convulsing uncontrollably. The doctor came near with a syringe, but he closed his eyes and let the repressed memories surface.

He hung by his wrists in a room that made him shiver. His stomach growled and his dry tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. How long he'd been there was anybody's guess, but his arms were numb and he'd long since lost the battle to hold off on urinating. He groaned. He wanted to pass out but couldn't, not with the IV they'd hooked him up to in order to keep him conscious.

Rodents scampered across the floor and tickled his bare feet. He struggled to touch the floor, to steady himself so he wouldn't swing whenever they did run into him. But his toes merely brushed the surface of the rough wood. A snake hissed and slithered around his ankle. They had snakes here? This time when he shivered, it was from fear. He hated those things more than any of the rodents in the room.

Then another memory flashed in his mind and he was strapped to a board and shoved under water. By instinct he held his breath. Exhaustion fought with his need to struggle. He was weak. So weak he could hardly move, and his wrists and fingernails were sore. He was still hungry but had long since given up on the idea of food. How he wanted to go to sleep, to ease the duress his body had been under for the past two days. His lungs began to burn, and just when he was about to inhale the water, they brought him out. He gasped the warm air. Before he had time to see who was handling him, they thrust him back into the water and the process repeated itself.

Bile rose up in his throat and his eyes flew open. He was back in his house, staring at the clear water of the toilet. Even as he trembled, he held onto the rim, his fingers still tender and his wrists rubbed raw from the rope. It all had come back to him, and he remembered that moment his personality split in half—when he reached the point where he couldn't take it anymore.

Luke. The blonde woman named him Luke. That was his new identity. And the code phrase was level six reinforcement.

What did that mean? What was he supposed to do when he heard that?

He gritted his teeth and cried out as the acute pain traveled the length of his back where they had implanted him with that thing—that living creature the doctor had removed from him. His body jerked forward.

"That's it," the doctor said, getting ready to stick him with the needle.

"No! I need to remember!" Devon screamed as vomit rose up in his throat. Almost there. One more piece to the puzzle and this whole ordeal would be over.

The doctor slowly stepped back.

Level six reinforcement. For what?

The blonde woman returned in another memory. She held a needle in front of him and smiled, her eyes turning black and a trace of her horns projecting from her forehead. "The leader's mark. You will inject those who resist with the chip in here."

The final memory in place, Devon released the vomit and threw up in the toilet. As soon as he emptied his stomach, he sat back.

The doctor inserted the needle into Devon's arm. His stomach soon settled and the chills left in quick succession. The doctor helped him up. Thankful to have the experience behind him, Devon leaned on the other man as he lumbered to his bed. As soon as he collapsed on the mattress, his eyelids grew heavy.

"I want to take that thing they put in you and see exactly what it is," the doctor told him.

Devon nodded, too tired to fully comprehend what the doctor said.

The doctor pulled the sheet and blanket up to his neck.

Devon was barely aware of the doctor leaving his house. A peaceful numbing sensation swept over him, and after the pain he went through, he just wanted to enjoy this moment. His breathing grew slower. He felt sleep coming swiftly. His last thought, before he finally dozed off was what the blonde meant by the leader, but he knew he'd find that one out soon enough.
Chapter Fifteen

Two months later...

Devon knew it was a bad idea to come here. He had no business tempting fate. As long as he stayed away, she would most likely give up on her suicidal pursuit to find out what was going on. And yet, he couldn't stay away. Or maybe it wasn't that he couldn't but more of the fact that he didn't want to.

Whatever the case, one thing was for sure: this was a bad idea. But that didn't stop him from entering the mall, nor did it stop him from stepping into the store where she worked. His gaze drifted up to the camera set at the entrance. No longer did the stores hide the fact that they had surveillance. Now it was all in the open.

Any pretense of privacy was being eroded right in front of everyone, and very few people seemed to notice or care. It was unfortunate. They were trading freedom for security, and in the end, it would be their undoing. But this was the aliens' plan. How nicely it all fit into place.

"Can I help you?" a young blonde woman asked as she came up to him.

He wondered if he should ask for her co-worker or just "look". But then, what would he look for in the women's section of a store? Finally, he said, "I have a matter to discuss with someone who works here. She's 5'4", a reddish blonde hair, probably in her early 30s." And pretty. He willed that thought away.

"Oh, you mean Autumn."

So that was her name. "Right."

"She's outside on a break. She likes to smoke a lot." She rolled her eyes and giggled.

"Thank you," he replied, deciding that women as young as the woman in front of him had limited appeal.

His boss preferred those types—probably because they weren't smart enough to figure out what a loser he was. But then, his boss didn't want smart; he wanted easy. And the type standing in front of him would fit the bill. Sighing, Devon headed out of the mall through a doorway that wasn't blocked off by security. He found Autumn sitting alone on a bench a few stores down and took his time in approaching her.

She put out her cigarette but remained sitting. She stared ahead, not seeming to be looking at anything in particular. He wondered what she was thinking. He was aware that they were being watched, but he'd been aware of that ever since he started his job a good seventeen years ago, though he hadn't been a human guinea pig until seven years later.

He stopped in front of her and realized she had her eyes closed. "Autumn?"

She jerked and sat up straight.

An amused smile crossed his face. "I didn't realize this bench was a good place to nap."

"I'm not sleeping," she denied, even though it was apparent she was dozing off. She gave him a good look. "What are you doing here?"

He sat next to her. He would have asked if he could, but he figured she'd say no. "I came to talk to you. How have you been doing since the explosion?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "You have a lot of nerve, you know that? You spent all that time warning me to leave matters alone and now you're digging them up?"

"I'm not digging anything up. I just thought I'd ask a question."

"What do you care? You set a bomb, and three people died that day."

He shook his head. "I told them to stay away from that plant. It's not my fault they didn't heed my warning."

"You're amazing, really amazing." She pulled out a cigarette and lighter. He noted the slight trembling of her hands. "One minute you're telling me I better watch what I say and where I go and the next, you're claiming to be a good Samaritan."

"I've never claimed that. The goal was to scare people, not harm anyone. Sometimes unpleasant side effects are part of the job." He mentally kicked himself. Why was he telling her this? He knew better than to reveal anything personal to anyone.

"I find it hard to believe you care about anyone but yourself," she muttered and lit up her cigarette.

"Well, you're wrong." He did care, and that was a problem because it was probably a matter of time before they found out and conveniently replaced him with someone who didn't. "I do what I have to do."

"Oh really? And does that thing hovering around you tell you what to do?"

His head snapped in her direction. "There's nothing hovering around me."

She shrugged, said, "Whatever," and took a puff of her cigarette.

The way she casually stated that gave him an uneasy feeling in his gut. "I don't," he insisted, unsure if he was trying to convince him or her.

"You must not see it."

A shiver crawled up his spine. He didn't want to ask it but felt compelled to. "See what?"

"The black shadow that lurks near you. It's standing behind you."

He glanced back. "I don't see anything."

"I know. I didn't see it until those people vanished. Ever since then I've become aware of a spiritual world around us."

"Spiritual? As in God?"

"I think so. It's the only logical explanation for angels and demons hanging around."

"You're a nut."

She glared at him. "You're the one bombing places and I'm the nut?"

"Yes, you are." He stood up. Nothing was behind him. There wasn't anything dark and creepy hovering nearby. She was probably schizophrenic or something. "You should get some pills for those hallucinations you're having."

"I haven't come across a single person who sees them, so I'm not surprised you'd say that."

The way she casually made her comments bothered him. She was either psychotic or telling him the truth. He couldn't believe he wanted to see her. She'd been the first person who had seemed completely human to him; someone who wasn't manipulative or part of the nightmare that had become his life. But she turned out to be a complete nut, and that sorely disappointed him. "Seriously, get some help for that."

Her response was to take another puff of her cigarette.

"And it wouldn't hurt to stop smoking. It's a filthy habit, you know."

She looked him in the eyes and said, "It's touching your shoulder."

For a moment, just a brief one, he thought he felt a cold touch on his left shoulder. Great. Now she was making him imagine things. Deciding not to add more fuel to the fire, he spun on his heels and left.

A waste of his time. That's all it was. One big waste of his time. Spiritual things. A world where demons and angels ran around but no one could detect them, except for a select few like Autumn. He shook his head. It couldn't be real. There was no way it could be real.

He returned to his car and got in, quickly looking over his shoulder and to his side. Nothing. There wasn't anything there. And yet...and yet... He shivered and started the car.

How many times had he told people that government conspiracy theories were crazy, even though he knew the truth? He lived the truth every day of his life. He knew things he wished he didn't and had heard conversations he wished he hadn't. Plans were in the works to collapse the world's economies so a one world currency would go into place. There were plans to devastate areas through manipulating the weather. Increased earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts... Plans to unite the governments into a one world order. So many things were happening behind the scenes, and God help him but he was a part of it; he was responsible for some of it.

He chuckled and shook his head. God help him? Now she had him thinking of God.

He drove to one of the exits in the parking lot and rolled his window down where a security guard stood. Taking out his government ID, he handed it to the guard who scanned it over.

"Drive safe, Mr. Patrick," the man said with a solemn nod.

Devon took his ID back, nodded in return, and drove off, watching in the rearview mirror as the driver in the car behind him stopped so he could pass through the security clearance. This was the new world people were quickly being thrust into, and by the time they woke up and realized that it wasn't because of their safety but to control them, it would be too late.

He came to a stop at the red light and rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling as if the weight of the world was weighing down on him. He didn't know what to do. He was in too deep. He couldn't get out...unless he died.

He placed his free hand on the center console and jerked. His hand had touched something that could only be described as an icy mist. Turning his eyes to the passenger seat, he thought he saw a faint distortion in the seat. As soon as he saw it, it disappeared.

His heart pounded anxiously in his chest, and for a good moment, all he could do was stare at the empty seat and wonder if what he thought he felt and saw was real or his imagination going wild. He'd seen a lot of things in his time, but he'd never experienced something like this. In that brief instant, his very core had shaken with fear.

A horn honked behind him.

Directing his gaze to the light, he saw that it had turned green. With a deep breath, he pressed his foot to the accelerator and drove through the intersection. He glanced at his passenger seat. Nothing. He tentatively touched the seat next to him. Nothing.

He released his shaky breath. Nothing. It'd been nothing. Just a figment of his imagination. Yes, that's all it was. Nothing more.

But no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, he was deathly afraid that Autumn was right.
Chapter Sixteen

Alex took the pill out of the orange bottle, once again wondering if this was a good idea. But did he have a choice? If he stopped taking his prescription, then the alien would be back. It hated him. It haunted him. So many people thought the aliens were their friends. It was enough to make him laugh.

How wrong they are, he thought bitterly as he plopped the little pill into his mouth and swallowed the soda. He placed the can on the table in front of the TV and sat back in his recliner. Picking up the remote, he changed the channel. What he needed was a mindless show so he could forget about everything for awhile.

Kicking his feet up and crossing his arms, he relaxed and focused on the sitcom. For fifteen minutes, the husband and wife on the TV show bickered, and he chuckled a few times. Five minutes later and his eyes began to droop. His limbs felt pleasantly heavy, and he gave into the urge to sleep. Maybe it would be better to sleep out in the living room instead of the bed. He'd keep the lights on and the TV going. It was comforting. And he needed comforting right now.

The commercials ended and the show came back on, but he hardly noticed. Caught in the limbo state between being awake and being asleep, he drifted off, enjoying the simplicity of it all.

"Kill her."

He mumbled and turned his head.

"They're laughing at you."

His eyes flew open. No one was in the room with him. Easing out of his chair, he checked the lock on the apartment door. It was bolted. He made it a point to do a thorough examination of his apartment every time he came home to make sure no one was there.

Of course, that didn't keep out the alien. But the pills kept that away. How, he didn't understand. But they worked, and he wasn't about to question it; not after his last encounter when the ghastly thing almost killed him.

So why was he hearing voices? It couldn't be someone hiding in the apartment. It couldn't be the alien.

The pounding of his heart grew faster, and he couldn't determine whether it was from fear or a side effect of the pill. He sat back in the chair which was now upright and placed his head in his hands.

I'm not going crazy. I'm not going crazy.

He rocked back and forth and repeated those words to himself.

"The watchers are watching you."

He lifted his head and looked at the TV. The voice came from there. He was sure of it.

The last three minutes of the sitcom was on. He watched it with apprehension.

The man walked over to his wife and hugged her. "Hey, don't worry about it, honey. You can't help it if they want to rip your brains out."

The audience laughed.

Alex sat up straight and stared at the scene in horror. This was supposed to be a comedy!

"It's the aliens," the wife replied. "They're not what they seem, and they have people working from the inside. They're everywhere. Our neighbors are aliens in disguise."

"You have to be careful what you say and do. They're onto you. You've figured them out," her husband said.

She went over to the window and glanced out of it. "I can see them moving around in the house. Do you think they assume their natural form when no one's watching?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"I have to go find out."

"No. It's dangerous. If they see you, they'll take out your eyeballs and make you watch as they peel your flesh off and eat it. Then they'll have their alien friends over to barbeque the rest of you, and you'll feel every bit of the pain as they sink their teeth into every organ of your body."

The audience laughed again.

Gasping for breath, Alex scrambled for the remote and turned off the TV.

Silence.

Wonderful, blessed silence.

Still panting for air, Alex wiped his damp forehead with a trembling hand. He blinked several times before he realized he was seeing black spots. His pulse quickened, and he was sure it wasn't all fear. This had to be from the pill. The voices on the TV, his physical reaction, the low humming sound tickling his ear drums...

What's happening to me? Why can't I have a normal life anymore?

And so he was back to placing his head in his hands and rocking back and forth. He struggled to take slow and even breaths, but what had begun as a slight tremble through his body became a sudden uncontrollable shaking.

"Kill her," the voice whispered in his head.

He gritted his teeth and tried to hum aloud. Anything to get rid of the voice as it repeated "Kill her" over and over.

A sharp pain sliced through the front part of his brain and trickled down his spine. Screaming, more from fright than from pain, he leapt off the chair and collapsed onto the floor. His head hit the side of the table, and he fell into the bliss of unconsciousness.

***

Autumn practically sped to the hospital. She burst through the front door and ran to the intensive care unit, unable to believe that Alex had gone into cardiac arrest. When she reached the desk to sign in, they allowed her to go into his room.

It was an unreal experience to see him lying in the bed, a tube going down his mouth and two smaller ones going up his nose. Cords ran under his hospital gown to monitor his heart rate and other vital signs. A series of IVs were hooked up to his arms, and she could only guess what they all did, besides feed and medicate him.

She stood at the threshold of the white room and gulped back her tears. Of all people to end up like this, why did it have to be Alex? He wasn't even thirty. What were the chances he had a heart attack?

With uncertain steps, she moved forward and gingerly touched his hand. "Alex?"

Of course, he wouldn't respond. He was unconscious. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Hadn't there been enough loss over the past year already? Opening her eyes, she took another good look at him. There seemed to be some color in his cheeks. That was good. And his breathing was steady. He'd pull through this. He had to.

"It's me. Autumn," she softly said, wondering if unconscious people had any awareness of things that went on around them. She leaned forward and brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen to his right eye. "I don't understand anything that's happening. Overnight, the world's changed, and I don't recognize anything anymore. You and Alicia are the only ones I have left. I've never felt more alone in my entire life. Please don't die on me."

She choked on her last word as her tears fell. When she wiped her eyes, she noticed the angel standing at the other side of the bed. Once again, he looked just like an ordinary man. He had neatly trimmed blond hair and wore a brown suit. She watched the nurse who glanced into the room. She wondered if the nurse would notice the angel, but the nurse smiled at her and went to the next room.

Autumn turned back to the angel and dared to ask, "Will Alex live?"

"Yes."

Giving a sigh of relief, she wept some more.

"He must not take any more pills," the angel warned.

Sniffing, she swallowed and asked, "Is that what did this to him? Did those pills give him a heart attack?"

"He didn't have a heart attack. That's how it looks, but it's not what happened. He was spiritually attacked."

"By what? By one of those...things...I saw at Area 51?" A chill raced up her spine as she remembered the dark shadowy figure with the horns and red eyes. "A demon?"

"A demon is a disembodied spirit seeking a home. That one wants him."

"Are the aliens demons? Is that why he sees the alien in his apartment?"

"They appear as they will but there are no aliens as you think of them. It's all an illusion to make you believe the lie when it comes."

"What lie?"

"Watch the Middle East."

Before she could ask anything else, he vanished. She tried not to let this frustrate her. For once, he was answering some of her questions. She should just be glad he did that much. But she wished he would have answered more.

Turning to Alex with renewed hope, she squeezed his hand again. "You'll be alright." Then she laughed. "Thank God you're going to be alright."
Chapter Seventeen

Devon sat beside Vanessa who slept in a bed at the hospital. He rubbed his forehead. It didn't surprise him that she tried to commit suicide. He'd thought of it often enough. If it wasn't for the fear of what might or might not lie on the other side, he would have done it long ago. He recalled his enthusiasm when he first started working for the government. Giving a bitter laugh, he rubbed his eyes, a sense of weariness seeping into his bones. Vanessa had had the same look of optimism and hope. They signed up to help improve humanity, but they were systematically destroying it.

Vanessa groaned and her eyes fluttered open.

Devon jumped out of his chair and went over to her. "Vanessa?" he softly asked, worried about her state of mind.

She turned her frightened eyes to him. "Why didn't you tell me? The Illuminati...they plan to destroy most of the population and—"

He pressed his hand over her mouth. "Don't. Don't say it. They may not kill you, but there are things worse than death," he whispered. He glanced around the room. Who knew who...or what...was watching and listening? "It was a bad dream," he said in a louder voice. "You're awake now. Everything's going to be fine." Bile rose up in his throat at the lie, but he forced the words out, knowing if he didn't, things would be worse for her...and for him.

Tears formed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. Had she known what she was getting herself into, she never would have gone to the job interview. She didn't have to say it. The message was in her eyes.

Looking away in shame and regret, he reached across the bed and grabbed some kleenex to wipe her tears away. This was stupid, of course. No amount of wiping tears would make the stark reality they were in disappear. They were all sitting ducks. All they did by cooperating was extend their lives a little bit longer with the hope they might find a place to hide and avoid the plans of the world's elite before they succeeded in cleansing the Earth from the billions of people they deemed unworthy of living in the new Earth they planned to establish.

A nurse walked into the room. "Oh good. You're awake," she told Vanessa with a smile. "How are you feeling, honey?"

Vanessa turned her eyes to the window and remained silent. Another tear slid down her cheek.

"It's been a rough time," Devon said on her behalf, realizing how shallow the words sounded. The nurse wasn't in on this. She had no idea what was going on or about the things that were planned. Devon took a deep breath and faced the nurse. "She needs to rest."

The nurse nodded in sympathy. "Poor thing." She took out a needle and got ready to insert something into the IV that was in Vanessa's arm.

Devon stopped her. "What is that?"

Surprised, the nurse said, "It's something to help her sleep. She needs her rest."

He caught sight of the words on the needle and relaxed. It wasn't anything harmful. "I'm sorry." Then he backed away so the nurse could inject his co-worker with the drug to make her sleep. "You'll be fine, Vanessa," he said, wondering if she got the hidden message meant to assure her that nothing poisonous was in the substance.

Vanessa didn't look his way. She just continued to softly cry.

With a heavy sigh, he said, "I'll be back in a couple hours. I have to return to the office."

Since she didn't respond, he left the room and headed down the corridor. How he wished he didn't have to go through this. He wished even more Vanessa could get out, but she was stuck now. She was as much a prisoner as him.

Up ahead, he caught sight of Autumn walking toward him. He hesitated. He could slip down another corridor. She hadn't seen him yet. Her gaze was lowered and she seemed worried. He wondered why she was here, and more than that, he wondered why he wanted to talk to her.

He saw a flash of white blink beside her. She stopped and said something. Devon frowned. It seemed to him that she was talking to someone, and though he couldn't see it, he noted the distortion in the air. There was a current that emanated from the spot she directed her attention to, and that current could only be described as a soothing warmth. Whatever it was, Devon noted there was no evil in it, unlike the sensation he'd experienced in the car that day he'd seen her at the mall.

Her gaze went from the thing beside her to Devon.

Unsure of what to do or say, he stayed still.

She looked back at the thing and shook her head.

Even if Devon had no idea what was going on, he knew that she had no intention of communicating with him. As if to make it final, she turned around and found another corridor to go down.

Devon released the breath he'd been holding. He shouldn't have been surprised. The last time he saw Autumn, he called her nuts and told her to see a shrink. And yet, he felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment. With a heavy heart, he stepped forward. He had to go to work.

As he passed where she'd been, the warmth pressed in on his awareness. He turned to the source, wondering if this was a part of his imagination, but there was a prickling icy sensation that dug into his arm on his other side.

He waited for a second and stared long and hard at the air where the warmth flowed. Then a blurry image with white extended wings came into view. The image didn't clear, no matter how many times he blinked, but he heard a distorted male voice coming from it.

"What? I don't understand you," he told the thing.

The sharp icy pain in his arm made him wince, but he was determined to make some sense out of this apparition before him.

"You don't...." the thing began.

"I don't what?"

"...don't have to..."

Devon rubbed his arm, aware that it was going numb, as if someone was squeezing it. "I don't have to what?" he demanded, willing the thing to finish its sentence.

"...be a pawn."

Then the icy thing lashed out and the warmth departed.

Devon examined the area where he'd felt the freezing air, but he could not detect anything, either good or bad. Scanning the empty corridor, he wondered what the white-winged thing meant.

You don't have to be a pawn.

His gaze went to the camera hiding in the circular fixture that hovered down from the ceiling. Further down the hallway, in front of the stairwell door, was another camera masked over by an identical fixture. Did the thing mean what he thought? That it referred to how the government had been treating him and Vanessa like pawns? If ever there was a definition of pawns, it was them.

With another look around the hallway, he headed for the exit, in a hurry to get out of there.
Chapter Eighteen

Alex didn't want to leave the hospital. It was the first time since the vanishing that he was able to get a good night's sleep, even if the bed wasn't very comfortable. The alien wasn't here. It didn't hover over his bed and threaten to kill him. He didn't hear voices or a strange humming sound. He felt no fear. He wished he could stay there forever.

But he couldn't, and on the day he was due to go home, he sat in front of the overnight bag Autumn brought over for him a few days before and tried to find the motivation to zip it up. He hated his apartment. But more than that, he hated being alone. If he wasn't alone, the alien wouldn't bother him at all.

Someone knocked on the door, so he called out, "Come in."

Dr. Reyes opened the door and smiled. "How are you doing, Alex?"

"Fine, all things considered." He tried to laugh but it came out in a half-hearted chuckle.

"Obviously, the last prescription had a serious side effect." The psychiatrist sat in the chair across from him. "Did you notice any problems before the heart attack?"

"No. Things were okay before then."

"Usually, if there's a problem with the medication, it should appear within a couple days of taking it, and you were on that for two months, right?"

"Yes. I took two pills a day like you said." The last thing Alex needed was for the doctor to think he'd been skipping his medication. He wiped his hands on his jeans and took a deep breath. "I didn't skip any days."

"I believe you, Alex. I want to make sure I know exactly what your symptoms were."

"Right." Alex shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. "Well, let's see. I fell asleep watching TV. Then I heard a voice. The people on TV were saying things that could not have been in the script."

"So you're saying that you heard voices from the TV."

"Right."

"And one of these was the same voice you heard before that?"

"No. It was a different voice. And the voices on the TV were the actors. They were talking, but they were talking about aliens eating people. But it was a TV sitcom, you know? And the episode was about the woman snooping on her neighbors. It had nothing to do with aliens."

"Oh, I know the episode you mean. You're right. No one in the show mentioned aliens."

Alex ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Right. Yeah." I'm losing it. I'm going crazy. He's going to confirm that. Maybe it would be a good thing. If he was in a mental ward, maybe the alien would leave him alone.

"After you heard these voices, what happened?"

Alex shrugged. "Um...I heard a sound."

"What kind of sound?"

"A humming low sound. Kind of like white noise."

He nodded. "Anything else?"

"I don't remember much. I was hot all of the sudden, like I'd just stepped into an oven, and I couldn't see well."

"Things got blurry?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure. I think there was a sharp pain in the back of my neck, and it felt as if my mind was being ripped open. It all happened so fast, and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital."

"Those don't sound like the symptoms of a heart attack," Dr. Reyes commented with a frown. "And it doesn't match the side effects that are possible with that prescription. Do you drink alcohol or take any other medicine?"

"No."

The man leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and said, "Level with me, Alex. I need to know what's going on for your well-being. Do you take drugs?"

"What?" Alex practically shouted, hardly believing his ears. "No! How could you even think that?" He fidgeted in his chair and ran his hand through his hair again. "No, I don't take drugs, and I never have."

"It's okay. I didn't mean to upset you. I just had to ask. You know, to cover all my bases." He sat up straight. "I can't explain why that happened to you, but it's not because of the pills. Nothing in any of the trial studies reported any of those side effects. I think you're safe going back on the pills. I'm going to write you another prescription. I believe you're due for a refill anyway." He stood up and wrote on a pad he dug out from his pocket. He ripped the piece of paper and held it out to him.

Alex stared at the piece of paper and hesitated. Which was worse? Could it be that the pills were not responsible for this hospital stay? Finally, he took it. When he picked up his prescription, he would carefully read the list of possible side effects.

"And I think we should look into doing some psychological evaluations. It's possible we could be dealing with a mental illness."

Alex swallowed the lump in his throat. He expected this. Glancing up at his doctor, he asked, "Will I go to the mental ward?"

Dr. Reyes smiled. "No. Most people with mental disorders take medicine that enables them to cope in the real world. You are mentally capable of going about your life." He patted Alex on the shoulder. "Be sure to see me for a visit in two days. If you have any complications before then, give me a call. Okay?"

Alex nodded and stared back down at the paper.

Once the doctor left, he tucked it into his pocket and got to his feet. He needed to get his things and check out.

Another gentle knock came from the door.

A relieved smile crossed his face. "Hi, Autumn." After the stress and horrors of all he'd been through, he needed a friendly face.

"Are you ready?" she asked, looking concerned.

"I guess." He zipped up his bag and swung it over his shoulder. "Can we stop by a pharmacy to get my prescription filled?"

She waited for a long moment, as if carefully weighing her words. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Dr. Reyes said they had nothing to do with my heart attack."

She bit her lower lip. "I don't believe you had a heart attack."

"The emergency doctor said I had one."

"Doctors can be wrong." She shrugged. "What would happen if you don't take the pills?"

"It could come back."

"The alien?"

"Yes."

With a heavy sigh, she studied his expression. "It's not an alien, Alex."

"Then what is it?"

She hesitated for a moment, shifted from one foot to another, and finally said, "It's a demon."

He laughed. "That's old-time superstitious nonsense."

"Is it? You said the thing attacked you and gives off an evil vibe."

"Yes, but the aliens aren't the good guys they're pretending to be."

She shook her head. "The demons are masquerading as aliens."

"That's really farfetched. Weren't demons around since Biblical times? If these things were going around pretending to be aliens, then why haven't we seen aliens before now?"

She stood still for a moment and thoughtfully replied, "Well, there was Roswell."

"Okay. Fine. That was in 1947. That wasn't way back in the past."

Shrugging, she admitted. "I don't know why they're doing it now. I just know they are."

"And you know they're demons because...?"

"You're going to laugh, but... Well... There's this angel I've been seeing ever since we went to Area 51."

She was right. He couldn't stop the chuckle that rose up in his throat. "I'm sorry, Autumn. I mean, I get that the aliens aren't what they seem, but there's nothing weirdly spiritual going on. These are just things from another planet that aren't the good guys they're pretending to be."

"How can you be sure?" she asked.

"Because then there'd have to be a God, and there is no such thing as God. Now look, the idea of other life forms on other planets is realistic. Given the multitude of planets out there, there's bound to be something."

She bit her lower lip and glanced uncertainly out the window. "I used to believe that."

"And...?"

Shaking her head, she returned her gaze to him. "I've seen too much, been through too much... I see them, Alex. I see an angel and I see dark shadows hovering around certain people. These shadows are sinister. They call themselves The Watchers."

"See? There you go." Relieved to have made his point, he scanned the room for any of his belongings he might have missed while packing. "The aliens would be our watchers. That's what they've been saying. They planted us here and have watched our development as a species."

"But wouldn't that make them good?"

"Not if they have don't have good motives. That's what this is about. Why are they watching us? What do they plan to do with us? Not all parents are good to their children."

She pressed her hand to her forehead. "I don't understand it. Nothing's made sense since Marianne disappeared."

"That was the same time the aliens showed up." And the same time the alien began hovering over him while he slept at night. He shivered, hating how drastically his life had changed...and not for the better. "I know. Nothing has made sense. It's like one day our lives were in order, and suddenly we're spinning out of control."

"Yes. That's exactly how it feels."

He sighed. "Look Autumn, you're my solid connection to any normality that was once in my life. I don't want to upset you. Can we agree to disagree about the spiritual thing?"

She nodded. "Yeah. In times like this, we need to stick together. You know, as friends."

"I agree."

Appearing relieved, she held out her car keys and asked, "Are you ready to go home?"

No. He wasn't. But he'd take the pills and be fine, if the side effects listed on the information sheet didn't include the symptoms he'd experienced that put him in the hospital. If Dr. Reyes was right, then he would take the pills because he couldn't stand the thought of having to deal with that horrible alien ever again.
Chapter Nineteen

Devon drove Vanessa home a week later, once she was put on medication to help with her bouts of depression, as her doctor termed it. It fit, Devon thought. Who wouldn't be depressed in their line of work? He glanced at her. She was huddled in the passenger seat, looking small and alone. He remembered her first day at work. She'd been full of life and energy. He had no idea they'd start exposing her to the deeper levels so soon.

They must be getting desperate. It was the only explanation why they were speeding up their plan. The aliens weren't supposed to show up this soon. They were supposed to wait for another ten years. But what if they aren't aliens? What if they had a more sinister identity?

He recalled the icy sensation on his arm and shivered. He hadn't felt it since, but he'd become aware of something that seemed to be close by. He often saw some slight distortion in the air around him. At one point, he swore he saw a black shadow fade in and out of his vision.

I'm going nuts.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he glanced back at Vanessa and asked, "You want to talk about it?"

She continued to stare out the window, her head resting against the glass. "85 to 90% of the world's population is marked to die, and we're on the list."

"We don't have to be. There are still places to hide."

Laughing bitterly, she asked, "And where would that be? They have cameras and listening devices everywhere." Then she stopped and looked at him. "Are they listening to us now?"

"No. I have a way to block them. They think we're listening to the radio."

She sighed and turned her attention back to the window. "Why did you call the ambulance? Why didn't you let me die?"

"Because I have a hiding place in Alaska. I'll take you with me when it's time to hide. I have plenty of food and water stored up there. When they start taking people to the internment camps, we'll head out. That's when things will get ugly."

For the first time since he'd found her by the empty bottle of pills in her office late that Saturday night, a hopeful look crossed her face. "You really have a place you can hide?"

"Yes. I've been carefully stocking supplies there. It's a small cabin in the middle of nowhere. There's no plumbing or electricity, but it's somewhere to go."

"It beats what the Illuminati have planned." She wiped the tears that trickled down her cheeks. "All this time you think the government is there to help its people, but it's not. You sign up to help people but you find out your mission is to scare them into obedience. And all for what? So they can control our lives and then get rid of those who resist? We're like a bunch of lab rats to them."

"Not everyone in the government is corrupt."

"No. But a lot take bribes. I have to wonder if most of them even know as much as we do."

He shrugged and turned onto another street. "Politics and money go hand in hand. He who has the most money controls what happens at the higher levels."

"And no one can stop it?"

"How? The world leaders, the Bilderbergs, the Trilateral Commission, the United Nations... Even the aliens are in on it."

Her lower lip trembled. "What are we supposed to do?"

With a resigned sigh, he said the only word that had echoed through his head for years. "Survive. Hide, wait, survive. People are taking measures to hide. I'm not the only one. We have to be our own hope."

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the window.

"When the time comes, you can go with me to Alaska. You don't have to lie down and die. You have a chance." She didn't answer, so he added, "Just let me know if you're interested, alright?"

She nodded but continued looking out the window.

How he wished she didn't have to go through this. How he wished none of them did. He longed for innocence. The time when he was young and thought the world was a happy place where people wanted to help each other. Sure, there were a few bad guys, but the government was there to help protect and preserve freedoms. It'd all been an illusion. Once he got his job, he became aware of so many things.

He rubbed his forehead and thought he saw a shadow in the backseat when he looked at his rearview mirror. It vanished as soon as he saw it...or thought he saw it. Maybe he was going crazy. Maybe he was seeing and hearing things that weren't there.

He glanced in the mirror again. Nothing was in the backseat. Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned onto the street where Vanessa lived. Once he carried her suitcase to her apartment, he asked her to call him if she needed anything.

"Okay. I will," she softly replied, glancing around her living room as if she'd never seen it before.

"I mean it. About that place in Alaska."

She nodded but refrained from making eye contact.

Unsure of what else to do or say, he gently closed the front door and left.

***

In the dark room lit only by thirteen candles stood the Bilderberg Group, one hundred and thirty of the most influential people around the world. They surrounded a man who had his eyes closed as he rested on the table in the center of the room. They wore cloaks and chanted. The power shifted through the room, subtle at first but undeniable.

The thing formed, dark at first but grew lighter until it assumed the image of a man and stepped forward. "The Master's DNA."

He held his hand out and one of the Bilderberg members stepped forward. He handed the needle to him.

"Soon. Soon we shall inherit the Earth," the creature said, carefully concealing its black wings lest the others see them. With slow methodical steps, it went over to the man lying down. "Our leader. What was started in Eden, let it now come to completion. Let that which God tried to destroy be achieved. Let man become as God, knowing both good and evil and having the power denied him for so long."

He injected the man with the DNA, and the Bilderberg group held their breath in expectation. Finally, all that they'd worked for and sought was about to come to pass. The air was thick with tension as they watched, waiting to see if their Leader would accept his host.

A subtle shift wavered through the group, making them aware something was there, but they were unable to see it. It, however, wasted no time in assuming its host's body and settled comfortably into it. The man had been trained to accept the Leader, and now the Leader was merging into a physical existence.

With a smile, the Leader opened his new eyes and sat up, seeing things through the eyes of a mortal, feeling things only a man could touch and being confined to a third dimensional world of existence. The limits were binding but necessary. The time had come. The final battle would be soon. He must act in haste. He stood, quickly adapting to the fragile body that was moment by moment wearing down. Mortals. Such frail things. Quickly snuffed out. Disposable. Weak. Pliable. Perfect for his purposes, for as long as he intended to keep them around.

The one with the carefully concealed black wings who had injected the DNA into the Leader's new body gave the Leader a knowing smile, hiding a chuckle as the Bilderberg members stared on in awe and worship.

The Leader smirked at the black-winged fallen angel before saying, "Be gone. Your purpose is served."

The creature faded into a faint blue mist until it left no trace of its presence.

The Leader took in the simple humans who claimed to be the best of all mankind and said, "Engage the war between Israel and Iran. It's time I arrived."
Chapter Twenty

Autumn turned to Alicia two days later at work. They stared at the cell phone in Alicia's hand and watched the morbid details on the news via the internet.

"Why aren't the aliens stopping this?" Alicia asked, looking at her friend.

Autumn, who felt frozen in fear, could only stare at her. "This is World War III, isn't it?"

Gulping, she returned her gaze to the phone and watched the video on the live news feed. Israel and Iran were actively preparing to strike each other, but the question was who would do it first. There was no longer a question of if they would go to war but when. And here Autumn and Alicia were sitting in a department store as if this Christmas season was going to be like any other.

"Maybe it's just talk," Alicia weakly said. "How many times have we been hearing about a breakout over there?"

"Yeah, but this time troops are getting ready."

"The aliens have to intervene. They can't let us destroy ourselves. They have to stop it."

Autumn knew her friend was trying to convince herself of this since she spoke to herself. Not knowing what else to do, Autumn watched the news on the cell phone. Hampton had been warning them that a Middle East breakout was going to occur at any moment, but up until now, she'd hoped he was wrong.

"Tensions are mounting as Israel is asking the United States to be an ally. So far the president hasn't given an answer. It looks like if Israel engages in an attack, it might do so on its own," the newscaster announced.

Autumn decided she'd heard enough. "Mind if I smoke?"

"No. Go for it," Alicia replied.

Autumn stood and numbly grabbed her coat from the employee lounge before she went outside. It was undeniable. Her life had become a horrible nightmare that never got any better. One bad thing happened right after the other, and it was becoming clear that things were only getting worse.

She reached the bench outside and sat down. Her hands shook and she didn't know if it was from the low temperatures or from her nerves.

A warmth came from her right, a warmth which by now had become familiar enough to be comforting. She knew no one else saw the angel as it appeared next to her, but she spoke aloud anyway. So people passing by to enter the store might think she was nuts. So the security guard who checked IDs might glance over and think she was off her rocker. So whoever manned the security camera that scanned the entrance might take a look at the recording and think she was a loon. So what? What did any of it matter anymore?

She lit her cigarette and inhaled before she spoke to the angel who decided to show his white wings today. "Is it possible that I can die from lung cancer before I'm nuked into oblivion?" she asked, realizing her joke was too morbid to be funny.

"You will not be nuked," the angel assured her.

She looked at him, noting the peaceful expression on his face. "I guess if you're immortal, you can't fear death."

"Death only frightens you because it's an unknown."

"You don't know fear, do you?"

"I do, just not on the same level you do."

"What do you have to fear?"

"The choices humans make."

Out of the corner of her eye, she was aware that a woman gave her a bewildered look before passing by. Autumn took another puff from her cigarette. "You mean whether or not we'll blow each other up?"

"No. I mean, whose side you'll choose."

"Side? What side?"

"God or Satan. I can only be a messenger. I can't make you choose, nor can I make you talk to Devon."

She rolled her eyes, fighting off her frustration. "You're upset because I wouldn't talk to him at the hospital."

"No. I'm not upset. I'm worried."

"Worried he'll make the wrong decision?"

He nodded.

She gave a bitter laugh. "I got news for you. He's already made his decision. He works for them. One of the demons lurks around him."

"Not by his choice."

"He's in league with them. He sets off bombs. He tells the governor to put people back to sleep. He was at Area 51 inserting something behind Alex's ear."

"But he hasn't made the choice."

She shook her head. "Don't you see that thing that hovers by him?"

"It's by him. It's not in him. There is a difference. Influence and possession are two separate things, and until he makes the choice, it will not leave."

"Unless he makes the wrong choice, right? Then it enters him?"

"Yes."

Frustrated, she took another puff. "Why don't you talk to him like you talk to me?"

"I tried."

She rolled her eyes. "Tried? You're an angel. That makes you powerful enough to do more than us mortals can."

"Angels are limited. I cannot will myself to contact Devon. He has to be open to it. He needs help getting there."

"And I'm it?" She laughed again. "Last time I told him about the spirit realm, he said I was nuts. He doesn't want to talk to me, nor do I want to talk to him."

"He needs to talk to you, and he does want to talk to you. He's trapped. He doesn't know how to get out."

She finished her cigarette and put it into the trash can. "What about Alex?" When he didn't respond, she took a good look at his solemn expression. "Has he made a choice?" she demanded, aware that as her voice rose, her body grew tense.

"No."

"So why don't I spend my efforts trying to help him? At least Alex is a nice guy who doesn't go around hurting people."

The angel sighed and stared at the man who walked by. "Devon's open. He wants help."

"Just not enough so you can talk to him." She tucked her hands into her coat pocket and fought off the blast of wind that blew around them. "How is it you could talk to me in May? I wasn't seeking out angels. I didn't believe in God."

"You were looking for answers, and you know your sister believed in God. She made her decision. She was sealed."

Finally. Now they were getting somewhere! She turned to him and asked, "Where is she?"

"It's not the end, Autumn. It's just the beginning, but the world is going to pass through some tribulations before it can enjoy peace. Your sister and others who made their choice before the aliens arrived have been spared the suffering to come."

She rubbed her forehead, closed her eyes, and groaned. "Are you ever going to tell me where she is?"

Silence.

Glancing at the space next to her, she saw that he had disappeared. She rolled her eyes. Naturally. She should probably be grateful that he bothered to answer any of her questions.

"I need to talk to you."

Surprised, she looked over and saw Devon standing in front of her. Standing up, she said, "I have to get back to work. Hampton will dock my pay if my break goes too long." She didn't care what the angel said. She had nothing to say to Devon, nor did she want to have anything to do with him.

"I'll reimburse you." Devon stepped in front of her so she couldn't move forward. "Please?"

"No."

She tried to step past him, but he grabbed her elbow and whispered. "Fine. Let's bargain. You want information about what's going on, right? You want to know what's going on and why?"

She almost said that she didn't want to know anymore, but then she remembered Alex and the mess he was in. Maybe Devon knew something that would help Alex. After a quick debate, she nodded.

"Meet me at Sertoma Park by the zoo entrance. We'll talk there."

"When?"

"When do you get off work?"

She couldn't believe she was doing this. If it'd been anyone but Alex, she'd never meet up with Devon. "Seven. I can be there at 7:30."

"Good. I'll see you then."

The shadow appeared next to Devon's shoulder and snarled at her. In the same instant, the angel appeared next to her. The demon hissed but shrank back until it disappeared.

Autumn decided not to dwell on it. World War III was about to erupt into full force. She had bigger things to worry about than Devon and his problems, whatever those were. Without another word to Devon or the angel, she took her ID out of her pocket and went into the building.

The security guard checked her driver's license, nodded, and handed it back to her. "Have a good day, ma'am."

She tried to smile but couldn't because as soon as she scanned the mall, she became aware of the spiritual world around her. Dark shadows hovered around some people while beams of light hovered around others. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, they were gone.

I don't want to see any of them. I just want to forget this is all happening.

She hurried back to work. The safe and familiar world around her, where she avoided Hampton as much as possible, was the only comfort she got anymore. She hung up her coat and returned to the counter where she took a moment to gather her bearings. She wanted everything to go back to normal. But she had a sinking sensation that nothing would ever be normal again.
Chapter Twenty-One

Devon checked his watch as he waited for Vanessa to get the clean bill of health from the psychiatrist. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. The day had been a long one, and tonight, he would have to fly out to Area 51. First, he had to talk to Autumn and find out what she spoke to in that hallway. Something about it was important. He sensed it was the key to what he'd been desperately searching for but had been unable to find.

Realizing, he'd been staring at the wall, he returned his attention to the magazine in his lap. The headline warned of an approaching war between Israel and Iran. Beneath the headline was the question: Is this the beginning of the end? He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. If only people knew... This wasn't where the real action was taking place. But soon after he'd begun to work, he learned that the media reported on events that masked the more pressing issues facing mankind.

The front door opened, so he glanced at who was entering the building. As soon as he recognized Alex Cameron, he looked away, too ashamed to make eye contact. Devon's business at Area 51 had to do with what he and Vanessa did to him there. He took a deep breath and pretended to be interested in the article in front of him.

Alex went to the receptionist and checked in for his appointment.

Devon purposely kept his head lowered so Alex couldn't see his face too well. None of the people ever recognized him after the experiments at Area 51, but there was always that chance they'd wonder if they saw Devon before. Devon wondered if Alex went to see Dr. Reyes because of that night. It wouldn't be the first time someone visited a psychiatrist afterwards. Pushing aside an onslaught of self-accusations, Devon checked his watch again.

Alex sat three chairs down from him and picked up a Reader's Digest. Good, Devon thought. Alex wasn't the type of person to make conversation while waiting for an appointment.

Vanessa came out of the office with Dr. Reyes a good five minutes later.

"Here's the prescription," he told her as he handed her a piece of paper. "Remember to call me if you notice any negative side effects, alright?"

She nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

He smiled at her before he looked at Alex. "Mr. Cameron, are you ready?"

Alex said yes, put the Reader's Digest down, and stood up.

Vanessa blanched for a moment when she saw him. She shot Devon a startled look.

Devon slightly shook his head, a message he hoped she'd understand meant that Alex shouldn't know where he'd seen her before. Dr. Reyes glanced from one person to another, making Devon apprehensive. Something didn't seem quite right about the psychiatrist. His gaze lowered to the paper in Vanessa's hand. She shouldn't take those pills. Where the thought came from Devon didn't know, but he'd learned that his instincts were too important to ignore.

"Come on," Devon told Vanessa. "I'll take you to the pharmacy."

She nodded and practically ran past Alex who shrugged and turned to the doctor who smiled at him and waved him into the office.

Devon waited for Dr. Reyes to close his office door before he led Vanessa outside. Once they were in his car, he asked, "Can I see that prescription?"

Eyes wide, she nodded and handed the white paper to him.

He didn't recognize the medication, but he knew someone who would. Tapping the steering wheel with his fingers, he wondered how much he should tell her. The less she knew, the better. Obviously, knowing too much would drive her to the point of suicide again. He took a deep breath. "If I pay the bill, will you see someone I trust?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm no longer into psychics or any weird stuff like that."

"No. This is a medical doctor. He found some implants they put in me."

"Who? The aliens?"

"Yes. You remember our trip to Dulce?"

"Only a little."

"The first time I went there, they put an implant in me."

Her eyes grew wide and he caught a tremble in her lower lip. "Are you saying...?" She brought her hand up to her neck.

"Probably around the same place we injected Alex," he softly replied.

"But I didn't think we were doing anything to hurt him," she whispered, her face growing pale.

He started the car and backed out of his parking space. "I know. You were told he volunteered for the experiment."

"But..." She gulped and shook her head. "I don't understand. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Orders. I couldn't." Just like his mentor couldn't tell him. Then his mentor had an attack of conscience and leaked some of the information to the reporters. Shortly after that, his mentor had a heart attack, or at least that was what the autopsy claimed. "Orders," he repeated, the word barely audible.

"What else don't I know?"

He waited for a long moment before answering. "I can't tell you." When she looked like she was ready to demand he tell her, he asked, "Do you want a new partner?"

Understanding lit her eyes. "Oh God."

Oh God, indeed. He turned onto the main road and shifted in his seat. "All I can do is take you to someone who can remove the implant and any others you might have." His gaze drifted back to the paper. "And I can tell you that whatever you do, don't take these pills."

She turned forward in her seat and stared blankly ahead.

Knowing there was nothing else he could do or say, he picked up his phone to make the appointment with his doctor.

***

Dr. Reyes glanced up at Alex from the doctor's report. "He says it's safe for you to take the pills."

Alex shifted in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. "Yes. He said the pills had nothing to do with the heart attack."

The psychiatrist waited for Alex to continue, but when Alex didn't, he asked, "Do you disagree?"

Letting out a long sigh, Alex scanned the wall where the man's diplomas and awards were neatly arranged. Finally turning his eyes to the doctor's, he said, "I'm twenty-nine. How can I have a heart attack?"

"Young people get heart attacks. Sure, it's rare, but it happens. Just like young people getting diabetes or cancer. These illnesses trouble our bodies regardless of age."

Alex couldn't argue that point. His gaze lowered to his hands. Despite his better judgment, he'd taken the pills as soon as he got home. Nothing bad happened since then. In fact, his life finally had a sense of normality it hadn't had in a long time. So what was troubling him?

"Have you had any more trouble with the alien?" Dr. Reyes asked.

"No." Taking a deep breath, he said, "You know that man in the suit that was just here? The one who left with the blonde woman?"

"Of course, I do. I saw him in the waiting room."

"Yeah, well, I think I've seen him before."

"How so?"

Alex shook his head. "I'm not sure. I mean, he seems familiar and yet he doesn't."

"Maybe he looks like someone you've seen before?"

"Maybe."

Alex didn't think so, but it was a possibility he ought to consider. Still, there was something that tickled the back of his mind, as if his subconscious mind was trying to tell him something.

"If you'd seen him," the doctor began, "do you have any idea where it would have been?"

"No. I don't." He rubbed his forehead. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he was developing a headache. "I don't."

"It's okay. Give it time. It might come back to you."

"I guess." He let go of the urge to fight through whatever block was in his mind, and his headache eased. That's odd. Glancing at the clock, he realized his time was almost up. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you read through the list of symptoms to watch out for when you take the pills?" Dr. Reyes asked.

"Yes." He'd read through it several times and couldn't find anything that would explain voices from the TV, a heart attack, a humming sound... "Yes, I read the list."

"Good. Did you also get the psychiatric testing I ordered?"

"Yes, I did that too," Alex softly admitted, wondering what those tests would find. Was he going crazy? Hearing voices, seeing an alien that attacked him, and having a heart attack. None of those could mean good things. "I did it earlier this week."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. We'll get to the bottom of what's going on and take care of it."

"When do you think you'll get the results?"

"In about a week. I'll give you a call when they're in and we'll talk about things then."

Alex nodded. He glanced at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his time was up. "I see it's five."

He looked at his watch. "So it is." He stood up and led Alex to the door.

After Dr. Reyes turned the knob, Alex walked by him and into the lobby.

Kill her.

Alex spun around so he could see the doctor. "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything," Dr. Reyes replied.

Alex stared at him for a moment, trying to gauge whether or not the man told the truth.

"Alex, are you alright?"

His eyes met Dr. Reyes' and he shrugged. Dr. Reyes didn't appear as if he was toying with him. Finally deciding he'd imagined the voice, Alex shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm fine." Then he turned and left the building.
Chapter Twenty-Two

Autumn parked her car in front of the zoo entrance and noted the Christmas displays that lined the path further down where people drove their cars and took pictures. She hesitated to turn off her car where it was nice and toasty, but a knock on her window took her attention off that matter. She saw Devon at the passenger window.

She almost didn't roll the window down, but the angel appeared next to her in the seat. "It's safe. Let him in." Then he vanished.

With a slight grimace, she unlocked the car door so Devon could get in.

Devon shut the door and rubbed his hands together. "It's really beginning to feel like the holidays, huh?"

She was sure the look she gave him expressed her desire to be anywhere than here with him.

He seemed to catch on for he got serious and pulled something out of his pocket before he set it on the dashboard. She wondered what it was but decided she didn't care. She had nothing to hide. She wasn't the one who was going around putting implants into people's bodies at Area 51 or bombing places to get people's attention off the aliens.

"Do you have a cell phone on you?" he asked.

"Sure. Who doesn't this day in age?"

"Can I see it?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?" Was he planning to hurt her? Did she know too much and it was his job to do the assassination?

"I'll explain in a moment."

She quickly debated whether or not this was a good idea. The angel was insistent she talk to Devon. Didn't that mean she could trust Devon not to harm her? With a sigh, she took her cell phone out of her purse and handed it to him. "It's off."

"That doesn't matter." He took something thin and black out of his coat pocket and scanned the phone with it. "Now they can't hear what we have to say."

"What is that?" she asked, motioning to the strange device.

"I have a flight to catch at ten. I don't have time to explain everything."

She frowned. "Then why did you ask to meet me?"

"Because I have a feeling that what you know is something that can't wait." He glanced out the front window before he asked, "Is the black shadow with me right now?" His eyes met hers and he waited for her response.

She scanned the area around him and shook her head. "No." She turned her attention to outside the car where the angel seemed to be holding something back. In the dark, it was hard to make out the shadowy figure, but it became clear soon enough why Devon didn't have the demon lurking by him. "The angel has the demon away from you at the moment."

She waited for him to laugh and tell her she was nuts, but he didn't. Instead, he asked, "How do I get rid of it?"

"You believe me?"

With a shrug, he answered, "There was something in that hospital when I saw you, and it spoke to me. Well, it tried to speak to me. It said I don't have to be a pawn. Do you know what it meant?"

"Before I answer your questions, I need you to answer mine." There was no way she was going to tell him everything she knew and risk him running off. Right now, the angel was her only bargaining chip, and she had to use it. "What's going on with the aliens? Who are they and what do they really want?"

"Fair enough. The aliens are here to take back the planet. They were here before we were, and they want us removed, with the exception of the humans who'll do what they want. Those people will be the slave race. The people who agree to do what the aliens want will be allowed to live, and those who resist will be sent to the internment camps."

"Internment camps?"

"In this country, they're FEMA camps."

She thought she'd heard the term FEMA before but couldn't place it.

As if he could read her mind, he explained, "FEMA handles disasters. They're a part of the government that aids clean up and handing out food after hurricanes and earthquakes and other acts of God, or what's supposed to be acts of God."

"What does that have to do with interment camps?"

"Let's say you have a disaster. Your house is flooded out and you have nowhere to go. The people from FEMA come along and offer a place for you to stay while you get back on your feet. Will you go?"

She shrugged. "I don't get what's so bad about that, but obviously there is if you're bringing it up."

"When you get to these camps, you'll find people will be separated out. Those who are deemed productive and are compliant with the alien's wishes will be put into temporary trailers and work until they can return to the outside where they will be tracked to make sure they remain compliant. Those who are too feeble and weak will be quietly disposed of. Those who are resistant or question what's going on will either be brainwashed or disposed of. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

She glanced out the window where two angels now stood. One angel was aggressively holding the demon back while her angel nodded at her. Turning back to Devon, she uneasily said, "The angel indicated that you're telling me the truth. So those who oppose the aliens will die?"

"Yes. That's why we're using the sound waves to keep people in a false sense of security. The more people who remain calm, the better their chances are of surviving."

"A better chance? What do you mean by that?"

"A certain percentage of the population has to die off. You see, right now the Earth is too populated. There are way too many people for them to control. Since the last century, the governments have been working under the radar to help kill off segments of the population, and they've taken measures to do this so that when the time came for the aliens to arrive, the task would be less daunting."

"They do this through internment camps?"

"They've done it through camps in Germany and China. Russia used its KGB to kill off a lot of their people. But there are other ways they're doing it. The food and drinks are made of high fructose corn syrup which increases diabetes, damages the liver and pancreas, and increases heart problems. They're putting fluoride in the water which leads to more health problems like kidney damage and thyroid problems, and fluoride's been known to lower IQs. The real purpose of vaccines is to sterilize people. Why do you think they target pregnant women and children? The point is, it is all about population control. The larger the population, the harder it is to control. And if they can't control you by dumbing you down, they'll try to introduce something that could sterilize you or give you health problems."

"So what does that have to do with bombing places?"

He sighed. "People will give up their freedom in exchange for security. If people feel that their lives are at risk, they'll accept surveillances. Congress doesn't need your permission to listen in on your conversations. Even when your cell phone is turned off, they can hear what you're saying. Cameras are on just about every streetlight and in all the parking lots to keep track of where you're going. Everything you do online is kept in a database. The move to paperless money is to track your expenses. Soon everything will have an electronic component to it. Before long, they'll make everyone wear ID tags in order to buy or sell anything. It's all under the guise of keeping you safe from terrorists, but the reality is that you're in a police state and you don't even know it. They tell you that it's all in place to keep you safe. What so few realize is that being safe means they're going to be slaves."

She didn't know how to respond. What could she possibly say? She took another look at the angel who didn't deny what Devon was telling her, and if she saw right, two more angels had appeared to ward off another demon who had come. She groaned. Just what she wanted to see: a spiritual gathering taking place right by her car.

She turned to Devon who had a somber expression on his face. "Do you see what's going on over there?" She pointed to the assembly.

He squinted and waited for a minute before he answered her. "There's something different in the air. It's like a ripple with a flash weaving in and out of it." He glanced at her. "What am I supposed to see?"

"Two demons and three angels. That demon isn't going to let you go without a fight."

He shivered. "This whole notion of angels and demons is...almost ludicrous."

"Yeah...well...welcome to my world. Ever since those people vanished, I've become aware of the spiritual world around us."

"So how do I get rid of it? I don't want that thing hovering over me for the rest of my life."

She gave her angel an expectant look.

The angel motioned for her to roll down her window.

Surprised, she obeyed.

He walked over to the car, his white wings seeming to grow out of his back as he came closer.

Devon sharply inhaled.

"Do you see all of him?" she asked Devon.

Devon's gaze went to her before he stared at the angel again. "Blond hair, white clothes, and white wings? He almost seems to glow?"

"Yes. That's how he looks."

The angel stopped by her door.

Devon leaned toward her, his eyebrows furrowed as he watched the angel.

"You want to know how to make the demon go away?" the angel asked Devon.

Devon's gaze shifted to her, and she caught the surprise in his eyes.

"He could hear us talk," she explained to Devon. "You should talk to him."

"What I have to say is for you as well," the angel said. "The time is quickly approaching when you both will have to make a decision. The war that was once in Heaven has now come to Earth, and Satan is wasting no time in gathering his allies."

Devon laughed. "Satan? As in the devil?"

"Is there another Satan?" The angel looked Devon straight in the eye, and Devon stopped laughing. "You want the demon to leave you alone? Then choose God. Otherwise, the demon will stay with you."

Uncertainty crossed Devon's face.

The angel turned his gaze to her. "You won't see Marianne again unless you also make the choice for Him." He reached out and touched the cross that hung on Marianne's necklace. "Your sister's been spared from what's to come, but her faith can't save you."

"Save me from what? The demons?"

"From the great deception," he answered.

Before she could ask for clarification, all the angels and demons disappeared.

"Is he still there?" Devon asked.

She sighed. "No. And yes, he often leaves me wondering what else there is, so don't be surprised he left before we could ask what the great deception is."

"Cliffhangers are my life."

She wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but he glanced at his watch.

"I better go. I have a flight to catch."

"Wait!" She grabbed his arm before he could open the door. "What happened at Area 51 with my friend?"

"What friend?"

"Alex Cameron. You injected him with something. What was it and what else did you do to him?"

He hesitated.

"Don't I already know too much to turn back?" she demanded.

"You can't tell others this."

"Alex is my friend, and he's being tormented by an alien. I owe it to him to help him. I got the angel's answer, but I need to know what you did to him at Area 51."

With a heavy sigh, he said, "His genes are ideal for hybrid offspring. We extracted his sperm to make a baby with alien DNA. What the aliens did to him, I don't know. Then I was to tag him with an implant so we can keep track of him."

"What?" She shook her head as she battled the mixture of rage and shock that coursed through her. "A baby?"

"A super soldier." He glanced at his watch again. "Look, that baby is humanity's best hope. My work at Area 51 isn't as nebulous as you think, but I can't get into all of that now. I really have to go. If you want, I can explain more to you when I get back in two days. If I don't make my flight, there will be questions, and those questions can lead them to you. You don't want that."

He took his device off the dashboard and slipped it into his pocket. Then he opened the car door. "I'll find you at work." He shut the door and ran to his car.

Too stunned to do anything, she stared at the spot where the angels and demons had been moments ago. Super soldiers? What in the world were super soldiers? And what did that have to do with angels and demons or the great deception?

More questions. It seemed to her that the further ahead she got, the more she didn't understand. She released her breath and grabbed her purse to find a cigarette. If this was the end of the world, she saw no reason to quit smoking. Right now, it was the only thing that kept her hanging on. She lit up her cigarette and finished smoking half of it before she felt calm enough to drive home.
Chapter Twenty-Three

Alex looked at the bottle of pills in his hand. Just the thought of taking more of them made his heart race with dread. He didn't care what the list of side effects said. These pills made him hear voices. He'd skipped taking them that morning to see if the voices would stop and they had. Most of it was garbled, except for the random occurrences where he was told to kill someone. A female. It was always whispering, Kill her. He had no idea who "her" was, nor did he want to find out.

He put the bottle back in the medicine cabinet and slowly stepped back from it. He didn't have to take the pills. Everything was in his mind. He was sure of it. The alien didn't always appear when he didn't take them. Maybe he imagined it. Maybe there was no alien hovering by him. Like Dr. Reyes said, he'd had no marks to leave physical evidence to prove an alien tried to strangle him. That alone was enough to know it was all in his mind.

Mind over matter. He could beat this thing. He could. It was all a matter of getting control of his thoughts and fears instead of the thoughts and fears controlling him.

The door to the medicine cabinet closed, and Alex saw his reflection in the mirror. He breathed a sigh of relief. No alien. It was just him. There. That proved it. He hadn't taken a single pill since he woke up, and the voices stopped and the alien hadn't returned. Closing his eyes, he took deep breaths to slow his heart. Tentatively, he opened his eyes. No alien. With a grateful laugh, he turned and saw no alien hanging out in his bedroom either. Good. Finally, things were beginning to feel normal. He was getting control of his life again.

Turning off the bathroom light, he retired to his bed.

***

"Flight 876 going to Minneapolis/St. Paul is now boarding passengers in rows 10 through 15."

Devon grabbed his eReader and stood to wait in line. On the TV monitor by the chairs where several people watched in shock, he saw images of Israel attacking Iran and Iran's retaliation. The aliens would jump in and save the day. Then people would beg for the one world government to come in and save them from annihilation. The aliens would be the heroes and people would gladly submit to them, and by the time they woke up and realized who they submitted to, it would be too late. The position of power and control would be firmly in place. Those who dissented would be removed, and when that happened, Devon would make use of his cabin.

He glanced at the eReader in his hand. The book he'd been reading would soon be banned. He was surprised it hadn't been already. That book taught that man had a right to freedom. It spoke of redemption. It spoke of man inheriting the Earth. It had the message the aliens wouldn't want people promoting. But then, why should he be surprised? The Bible was the most controversial book ever written.

Devon walked up to the woman at the gate and showed her his ticket. She nodded, smiled, and directed him to the doorway that led to his plane.

***

Autumn picked up the phone on the third ring. "Alicia?"

"Girl, where have you been? I've been calling you all night."

"Yeah, well, I had to meet someone and then get something to eat. Do you know they aren't taking cash anywhere now? It's a good thing I got a debit card."

"Haven't you been listening to the radio?"

Realizing her friend sounded scared, she dropped her purse and coat to the floor and went over to the TV so she could turn it on. "No. What's wrong? Did Israel strike Iran?"

"Yes. No one expected it. I mean, they were supposed to have talks tomorrow, you know?"

Autumn's mouth went dry when she saw the breaking news on the TV screen. It was eerily reminiscent of the day her sister vanished, only this time, there was a war raging in the Middle East. She gripped the phone in her hands. "Iran is going to set off a nuclear bomb?"

"Yeah, and the Russians are telling Israel to stop attacking Iran, but Israel won't back off until Iran does. Why aren't the aliens stopping this? I thought they came to help us reach our potential," she cried.

Autumn watched as the camera settled on the white house in Washington DC. The alien craft that hovered above it seemed to be glowing. She squinted. Had it done that before?

The reporter spoke into his microphone and glanced at the camera, looking as alarmed as Autumn felt. "The president and vice president are evacuating the capitol. Other leaders of the world are heading for their respective places as well."

"Why would the leaders be hiding if the aliens were going to stop this?" Alicia cried into the phone.

"I...I don't know." Autumn scanned her apartment, wondering if the angel would appear but she was alone. "I don't know what's going on. I was told there would be no nukes."

"Really? By who?" Alicia asked with hope in her voice.

"Uh..."

Autumn's eyes caught sight of Tehran. It was day in Iran, so it was hard to make out the faint glow from the craft, but she was sure she saw it. They're not supposed to glow. They never glowed before. This couldn't be good. The bad feeling in her gut told her that this couldn't be good, even if the reporters were wondering if the aliens were going to intervene to stop Israel and Iran from sending out their nukes.

"Maybe they're going to save us after all," Alicia said.

Autumn swallowed the lump in her throat. Someone or something better intervene...and fast.

***

Alex heard the sirens just as he saw the report on the Internet that stated Israel and Iran released their nuclear weapons. The Russians who had vowed to come to Iran's defense were getting ready to launch theirs as well. And just as he saw another incoming report that the alien craft had obliterated the capital of Iran, a hand wrapped around his throat and squeezed so tightly, it caught off his air supply.

Alex reached up to pry the hand off of him, but the thing hurled him across the room. Pain vibrated through his body as he hit the wall and landed in a heap on the floor. Struggling to get to his feet, the electricity went out so he could only catch a glimpse of his attacker, but there was no doubt that it was the alien.

The alien was real. And it was back.

***

Devon gripped the arms of his airline seat as the plane dove forward. People around him screamed as their drinks fell off the trays in front of them and rolled onto the floor. The plane steadied and Devon gasped, unable to process just what, exactly, was happening.

One of the flight attendants ran down the aisle. She caught up to the other attendant who'd tripped and landed on the aisle floor. She picked her up and cried, "The capitol is gone."

That wasn't supposed to happen. Devon leaned forward and grabbed the woman's arm. "Who attacked DC?"

"The aliens," she quickly answered before she and her co-worker hurried down the aisle.

The plane dove forward again, and Devon forgot about his other questions. The lights flickered on and off, and the oxygen masks fell from overhead. Without thinking, he grabbed his mask and slipped it on, making sure to secure his oxygen flow. Then he turned to the woman sobbing hysterically as she tried to get the mask on her terrified child and did the task for her before helping her with her own mask.

What's happening? Why would the aliens attack DC? They were supposed to save the world, not attack it.

But the aliens weren't really aliens. Hadn't he just learned that tonight?

You have to make your choice, Devon. Whose side are you on?

The immediacy of death and the great unknown loomed before him like a dark chasm. The time for putting off the decision was at an end. The nose of the plane rose again and then dipped back down. Devon gritted his teeth and braced himself for the end. God, save me!

***

Autumn waited in the dark. The electricity was out, and the phone had been cut off. She didn't fully understand what was happening, except the aliens were in the process of annihilating the capitol of every country in the world. But why?

She put the phone down and walked over to her window. North Dakota was a far cry from Washington DC, and all she saw was absolute blackness. Everyone lost their power. The stars and moon shining in the sky gave the misleading notion that everything was peaceful. She took the cell phone out of her pocket and tried to turn it on, but it was dead. What was going on? And more importantly, why?

***

Alex darted for his front door, but the alien jumped on him and they landed onto the floor. The alien pressed its hands up to Alex's head and forced Alex to make eye contact with it.

Kill her.

"Who?" Alex yelled.

It stared at him, and Alex had the sensation of his mind splitting in half. He screamed and tried to shove the thing off of him, but its grip remained secure. Kill her.

Alex knew he was losing the battle so he went limp, giving up the will to live.

***

The power came back on, and Autumn jerked. The cell phone in her hand lit up as well. She looked back out the window and saw the rest of Bismarck lighting up, as if waking up from a deep sleep. And then the sky lit up with a bright blue light. Amazed at the brilliance of it, she opened the window so she could poke her head out and get a better view of it.

On the TV, shots from all over the world revealed that everywhere on the planet, it was as dark as night. The sun had been eclipsed and the only light in the sky was the same blue light she saw now. Perhaps more astonishing was the obliteration of the alien spacecrafts that had been hovering over all the major cities of the world since May. The nukes that had been launched were also destroyed.

She peered back out the window. From the blue light emerged a silver metallic disc. A quick glance at the TV showed her that all around the world, everyone was seeing the same thing. And following the one disc were more discs.

***

Devon didn't notice the leveling of the plane and ascension right away. His eyes were squeezed tight, and his hands still gripped the armrests. A bright light lit up the interior of the plane, and for a moment, he thought this was it: he was dead and had passed onto the next life. But others around him gasped and the child next to him asked his mother what was flying next to them.

Opening his eyes, he turned his attention to the window next to the mother and leaned forward. Silver discs flew out of the light.

"What does it mean?" a woman behind him asked her companion.

"I don't know. Maybe when we land, we'll find out," her companion replied.

That's all they could do, Devon thought. Wait and see what this meant because nothing the aliens planned...nothing the world governments planned...was anything like this.

***

Autumn picked up her phone and tried to dial Alicia, but the recording told her the phone was disconnected. The phone lines had to be down, and Alicia didn't have a cell. Frustrated, Autumn sat in her chair and decided she'd try calling Alicia later.

***

The pressure in Alex's mind departed. He gasped with relief. The pain was gone. Mercifully gone. He opened his eyes and saw the dead alien lying on the floor four feet from him. Startled, he turned his head and saw a tall blonde female alien standing before him. She wore a long blue dress that covered her from head to toe, and her hair hung in soft waves around her shoulders.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"They have been destroyed. They will not afflict mankind anymore. We came in time." She held her hand out to him.

Still unsure but not sensing any malice from this alien, he took her hand and stood up. For the first time since May, he felt a renewed calm flow through his body. After the hell he'd been through, this was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

"Who are you?" he dared to ask.

"The Sumerians called us the Anunnaki. We are the Ancients who created you. We built the pyramids as a sign we would one day return."

"But the other aliens claimed to be our creators."

"It is in their nature to lie, to assume the role of the creator when they are the created. There are many intelligent life forms out there, but not all should be trusted."

She touched his head and a light sparked from her fingers and traveled through the synapses of his mind. At first, it was soothing and healing, erasing the damage the pills and alien had done over the past months. But then, something in his mind seemed to open, and he understood every minute detail of how the human body worked. In that instant, he became aware of every cell in his body, and he became aware of the malignant tumor growing in his brain.

"I'm dying," he whispered.

"No. Not now. Being the creators, we have the power over life and death."

Her hands caressed the back of his head, and she hummed a soft and beautiful tune that reminded him of bells. Then he felt it. The healing power reaching out from her and seeping into him. The tumor shrunk until it was gone. The power reached out to everything in his body, healing old scars from childhood, the cavities in his teeth, and the carpel tunnel in his wrist. His body felt vibrant and new, and he'd never felt more alive than he did at that moment.

"You have been restored," she announced.

He blinked, unable to believe what had just happened to him.

"You are safe now," she said. "We come in peace."

***

The leader emerged from his ship in front of the United Nations, aware that the world watched and waited for him to speak. He stood six feet three inches tall, lean, and handsome. He wore a blue robe that shimmered in the lights that shone down on him from the building. His steps were slow but purposeful. Should there be the perfect image of mortal man, he filled the necessary requirements, and by the smile on his face, the discerning person could detect his pride.

He stood still for a minute, examining a wall that contained words that embodied the supposed purpose of the United Nations. He turned to the nearest camera and quoted, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war any more." He made a shooing motion to the flags and one by one they fell off the poles. "Today this is fulfilled before your very eyes." He paused for a moment and glanced at the wall before he turned his attention back to those who watched him. "I have returned."
Chapter Twenty-Four

That same night

Devon stood in the McCarran International Airport, surrounded by other passengers. All the flight status monitors lining the walls read the same thing: delayed. No flights were coming in or going out, and judging by some reports on the television about some airplanes going down, he suspected they'd experienced a series of carefully coordinated attacks put on by the governments of the world to point the finger at terrorists.

Except it occurred to him that several people around him were trying to call their loved ones on their cell phones and they couldn't get a hold of them. That, in itself, wasn't necessarily alarming. But when he realized some of the passengers were crying out for other passengers who'd been on the plane with them, he worried. It was reminiscent of the day when millions around the world disappeared. Only, it wasn't similar. Not in all aspects. Before, there hadn't been a major attack and a bright blue light that lit up the night sky as if it were noon. No. This was different. The question was just how was this different and why.

As he wandered through the crowd, he caught snippets of conversations from the people around him.

"I was sitting right next to her," a woman cried to another one. "One minute she was there, and then she was gone."

"I saw him vanish right before my eyes," a man told one of the airport employees. "He was right in front of me. I didn't imagine it!"

And on and on the conversations around him went. No one had disappeared around him on the airplane. He hadn't seen anyone vanish the first time either. As terrible as it would be to be one of the people who disappeared, he couldn't help but wonder where they went. And more importantly: was he next?

A familiar woman pushed her way through the crowd. Alarmed, he stepped back. She wasn't supposed to come here to meet him. He was supposed to connect up with a private flight to Area 51. A sense of dread washed over him as she approached. He couldn't avoid her. She saw him. Swallowing, he tried not to think about all the things she'd done to him at the underground base at Dulce.

"Devon," she said, her lips curled into a seductive smile. "I thought with all the—" she glanced around the crowded terminal—"distractions, I should bring you to your destination." She slipped her arm through his and winked. "I promise I won't bite."

Her eyes flashed for a moment, and he swore they turned reptilian. She had to be a Reptoid.

He cleared his throat and faced forward. He hoped she'd assume the fear emanating from his body was because of the second round of vanishings.

"I've missed you," she said, walking so close to him that her hip bumped against his.

Suppressing a shiver, he focused on breathing evenly and slowly.

"We're leaving through that gate up there," she whispered in his ear.

He forced his attention on the gate that was blocked off by a group of military personnel. People were hovered around the twenty guards, asking questions about the latest developments. Devon couldn't understand why so many guards were needed, but he knew better than to ask the woman anything. She'd never give him a straight answer.

"Right now isn't the time to go into it," one of the guards told the group. "You'll have to wait for the President to address the nation."

"How do we know the President isn't one of the people who vanished?" a man asked, his face red with anger. "Last time we lost a few Congress members."

The group rumbled in agreement as the blonde woman and Devon pushed through the crowd. When she and Devon reached the guards, she showed them the top of her right hand.

"Scan me," she said.

Curious, Devon watched as one of the guards took a scanner out of his pocket. Devon didn't recall seeing anything like that before. The guard slid it over her hand, and it was only in the laser light that Devon noticed a symbol of a pyramid etched into her skin. The guard read something off the scanner, and though Devon tried to see what it was, he couldn't catch anything substantial. From what he saw, it looked like a background report.

"Ms. Keegan." The guard nodded and stepped aside to allow her and Devon through.

Keegan. So that was her name. In the years Devon had known her, he'd never once heard her name. But if she was a Reptoid, then the name was a front to give her a human identity.

As soon as she and Devon passed through the wall of guards, the guards closed the gap so that the passengers were sealed off from entering. Devon glanced back, noting the anxiety and anger on the people's faces. He could identify with them. Nothing in any of the secret plans he'd learned included any vanishings, and as if one wasn't bad enough, now there were two. Just how many more would there be before it was over? And what, exactly, did 'over' mean?

Keegan led Devon through the door that took them down the ramp that led to the plane. "You're always so quiet."

Daring a glance at her slight pout, he said, "I don't have much to say."

She laughed and squeezed his arm. "You're just the dark, silent type. You know, I can't resist a man of mystery."

He turned his attention to the open door of the plane. Like she didn't know everything about him already! Well, everything except that he remembered the things she'd done to him. He prayed this wouldn't be a repeat of one of those times. It was bad enough his trips to Dulce left him feeling violated. Area 51 had been a reprieve. He glanced at her again. "We are going to Area 51, aren't we?"

She stopped in front of the door and pinned him against the wall, purposely pressing her body against his. "Unfortunately, yes." Then she brought her hand down to his penis and stroked it while she licked the side of his face.

Bile rose to his throat, and he fought the urge to throw up.

"I bet you taste good," she whispered, her voice not sounding quite human. "You've always been so much fun to play with, but I guess you people think it's rude to play with dinner."

When she let go of him, he finally took a breath. His stomach still rolled with nausea, but at least she was no longer touching him.

"Come on," she said, motioning to the door. "We have work to do if we're to get ready for the big event."

"Big event?" he asked, his interest piqued.

Only several times during his career had he heard whispers about something big coming to Earth, something that would force everyone to unite against a common enemy. What, or who, this enemy was, he never found out, but the leaders of the world seemed to be desperately working with the aliens to thwart what they deemed a threat. Then an idea occurred to him.

"Is that what happened tonight? Are we being attacked by something bigger than the aliens?"

She let out a laugh and placed her hands on her hips. "You're so cute. Honey, tonight you all got saved. The thing to worry about is yet to come." She turned to the door of the plane. "Now, come along."

Though she held out her hand to him, he ignored it and entered the plane, surprised by the few people on board. What did they need with a 747 when they had a total of five people, minus the pilot and co-pilot, on board? He scanned the cabin and sighed with relief when he saw Vanessa. Good. His co-worker was there. Keegan never did anything to him as long as Vanessa was with him. That meant this trip wouldn't result in one of those episodes at Dulce.

Once he sat across the aisle from Vanessa, he glanced at the front of the plane where Keegan ordered the flight attendant to shut the door. The other three people sat a good five rows behind him. He barely recognized them from Area 51, and they looked as uneasy as he felt. He faced forward and saw Keegan wink at him before she sat in first class. Maybe it was good they weren't in a smaller plane. The more distance between him and Keegan, the better.

Turning to his co-worker who was rubbing her temples, he whispered, "Do you know what's going on?"

She looked in his direction and spoke in a low voice. "I was stuck at this airport since this afternoon and saw the aliens blowing up the capitols around the world on the TV. The power went out and shortly after that, a bright blue light lit up the whole sky as if it was daytime. Then she came to get me right before the power came back on." She pointed to Keegan and shivered. "Something's not right with her."

"She's not human."

Vanessa's eyes widened. "She's an alien?"

He nodded. "Yes, but she's a Reptoid."

"There are different types?"

"Yes."

She rested her head against the back of her seat as the pilot backed the airplane out of the gate. "What's going to happen to us, Devon?"

"I don't know." He shook his head, recalling what Keegan told him. Something big was coming. What could be bigger than what they'd just been through? With a heavy sigh, he repeated, "I don't know", and remained silent for the rest of the flight.
Chapter Twenty-Five

The next morning

Autumn didn't know if she should return to work or not, but she had no idea what else to do. Everything had taken on a surreal turn. She should have been prepared for it. After all, if one group of aliens came to Earth, what made her think that another race didn't exist? Just as she saw the blond haired, blue-eyed man—who looked like he walked out of a modeling magazine—on her television, all communication in her apartment went out.

She tried calling Alicia back the night before, but the lines remained down. Her Internet was down. Her cable was off. Police sirens wailed in the area, but she figured that had to do with all the commotion with the blue light and new alien species. The night left her exhausted, so she went to bed, assuming soon enough, she'd learn what happened.

When she woke up that morning, the first thing she did was smoke a cigarette. She stared at the wall for a good ten minutes afterwards, her mind not on anything in particular. She realized a part of her had shut down. It was all too much to take in. She picked up the phone, noted the dial tone, and tried to call Alex and Alicia. Neither answered their phones.

After Autumn got ready for the day, she headed on in to work. When she drove into the mall parking lot and produced her driver's license to the security guard, he stated her name into the cell phone he had up to his ear.

"Excuse me," she began as he handed her the license back, "you never did that before. What's going on?"

"You mean, you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"There's been a second vanishing."

"What?" More people disappeared for no reason at all?

"It happened at the same time the blue light showed up in the sky. You saw it, didn't you?"

She blinked and stared dumbly at him for a couple of seconds. "Well, yes. It was hard to miss."

"Exactly. At that moment, more people vanished, like the ones before."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she dared to ask, "Do you know why?"

"Not yet. But I think there are less people who were taken this time because everything is relatively calm. I'm helping to report those who are still here. That's why I got this cell phone." When she stared at him, he continued, "You asked about the phone, remember?"

Blinking, she shook her head. "Right. Yes." Glancing in her rearview mirror at the line of cars behind her, she thanked him and drove forward.

Another vanishing? More people missing? What was going on? She parked her car and stared out the window, watching others as they walked into the mall but not really seeing them. How many more vanishings would take place? Were they all doomed? Would people continue to disappear until there was no one left?

She glanced at the seat next to her, expecting the angel to appear, but she was alone. Of course. Why should he show up to explain anything to her? He rarely gave her full answers anyway. If she asked him anything, he'd probably speak in such a way that'd leave her with more questions.

Reluctant, she stepped out of her car and headed for the mall, noting that most people were actually concerned this time. A group of them were hovering by a large wall, so she veered off her usual course to see what held their attention. In front of her was a display of pictures. Some of the people gathered together were crying and talking on their cell phones or hugging others for support. This was what she expected would happen when her sister vanished, and yet it hadn't happened then. But it was happening now?

She looked over her shoulder and really saw the other people for the first time that morning. Grief. Anger. Shock. Emotion. People had real emotions this time instead of the dumbed-down state they'd been in before. It was as if someone, or something, switched their minds back on. Then she recalled what she'd overheard in the State Capitol about putting the masses to sleep. They were using sound waves to lull people into a false sense of security.

They must have removed those sound waves. She couldn't explain it any other way. This time, they weren't attempting to put people "to sleep". This time, for whatever reason, they wanted the people to be aware of what was happening.

Then something else occurred to her. Her headache was gone. She'd been experiencing nonstop headaches and had taken pain pills to get by, but that morning, she didn't need those pills. So the sound waves were giving her the headaches. She touched her forehead, wondering how she could have been affected like that without even realizing it.

A woman ran up to her with red, puffy eyes. "Have you seen my son?"

Autumn's gaze fell to the picture of the teenage boy wearing a high school graduation gown and cap. She sighed. "No, I'm sorry."

The woman thanked her and went to another person.

Autumn hastened into the mall and into the store where she worked. There was barely anyone in the whole department. Even Alicia wasn't at her usual spot at the cash register. She ran to the employee's lounge, hoping to find Alicia there, but the small room was empty.

"Oh good. You're still here."

She turned and saw Hampton as he leaned on the door frame. "Have you seen Alicia?"

"She didn't come in at ten when she was supposed to, so I called Katie. She's on her way."

Her stomach tightened into an all-too-familiar knot. "Do you think Alicia..." She hated to say it. Alicia never missed a day of work because, as she put it, it was bad for karma.

"Go on over to her place and see if you can find her," Hampton said.

Surprised, Autumn stared at him. Since when did her boss willingly allow anyone time off for any reason?

He rubbed his eyes. "I don't buy that those new aliens are any better than the first group that came here, do you?"

"I don't know what to think. Everything's happening too fast."

"Exactly. They're coming at us from all sides."

"They?"

"The government. Jeez, Autumn, don't you watch the news?"

With everything that'd been going on, she hadn't bothered so she shook her head.

Looking irritated, he crossed his arms and said, "Well, if you ever get a chance, you should. Listen to Martin Conner's radio show next time you're in the car. What he discusses will wake you up. There's more going on in this world than what happens in Bismarck."

Not appreciating his condescending tone, her face flushed. "I'm well aware of that."

"Then why don't you ever watch the news?"

"Maybe I have a life."

Though he rolled his eyes, he didn't argue with her. "Whatever's happening, it's big. Life as we know it, is over."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. The fact that everyone is suddenly panicking over their lost loved ones means that this crisis has been planned for a specific reason."

"You think the governments made all those people disappear?"

"Government. Since you don't watch the news, you aren't aware of the one world government that's been developing right under your nose. And the few who run this government have us exactly where they want us. It's called order out of chaos, or as those pulling the strings behind the stage call it, 'Ordo ab Chao'."

Autumn wished she could smoke in the lounge. Not only did she have to worry about Alicia, but Hampton was lecturing her! Worse yet, he was blocking the doorway, so she couldn't get out of there.

"There's an elite group of people who are the real power behind the governments," Hampton said. "They have been orchestrating one crisis after another. Then they come up with a solution, and each time they do, they erode our freedoms. We're at the brink of a one world dictatorship, and when we get there, they will manage all of us like a bunch of slaves. Haven't you read George Orwell's' 1984?"

She sighed. No matter how she answered this, she was screwed. If she said yes, he'd ask her questions about it. If she told him the truth and said no, she was in for it, so she opted for another tactic. "What do the aliens have to do with the one world government?"

"I don't believe they are creatures from other planets. I think they're holographic images."

"Holographic images can't destroy the capitol building of every country around the world."

"So you watched the news enough to learn that, hmm?"

She hid her annoyance.

"That one is obvious," he said. "The government did it under the guise of being aliens. It's nothing but good cop, bad cop. I used to play that game when I was a kid. You have one group of aliens who are the big bad guys out to destroy us and just when everything looks hopeless, you bring in the good guys who save the day. See? Order out of chaos. Mark my word, Autumn. They'll find a way to stop people from 'disappearing' and everyone will flock to it just so they can be safe. When that happens, our slavery is ensured."

Throwing her hands up in the air, she grunted. "Fine. You have it all figured out. So where are they? Where are all the people who disappeared?"

"Probably hidden somewhere or dead."

She gritted her teeth. No. She refused to think her sister, and possibly Alicia, were dead.

"Don't think the powers that be won't kill anyone to accomplish their goals, Autumn." He straightened and put his hands in his pockets. "We're all disposable. None of us matters in the large scheme of things. We're all just numbers."

"You have a rather morbid view on life."

He shrugged. "One man's morbid view is another man's realism. We're born, we live, we die. End of story."

"I don't believe that."

"No?"

"No. There has to be a purpose to our existence."

"Really? And what would that be?"

"I don't know. I never thought about it, but this life can't be all there is." Why was she torturing herself by talking to him? She tucked her purse under her arm. "May I go look for Alicia? Maybe she got into an accident on her way to work."

He finally moved aside. "Go on."

Taking a deep breath, she headed on out of the lounge, inching away from him as she passed him. As she left the store, she saw Katie. "Good luck. Hampton's in his usual cheerful mood."

Katie giggled. "Oh, he's a big teddy bear deep down."

Autumn stopped. "How can you be so happy? More people disappeared."

"I know. We're lucky the Annunaki came before the greys removed all of us from Earth." She shivered. "Boy, you think you can trust someone and this is what happens. I seriously thought the greys were our benefactors. They were so convincing. Thankfully, their plan's been exposed."

"What plan?"

Katie laughed. "You need to watch the news more."

So that made it the second time today someone told her to watch the news, and coming from someone much younger than her, it was even more offensive than Hampton's condescending tone. "For your information, my power went out last night."

"Everyone's power went out for awhile," Katie said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Look, don't worry about it. Get a mocha, kick back at home, and turn on the TV. Oh wait, you're a smoker. Even better. Light up and watch TV. It'll become self-evident."

Forcing herself to not roll her eyes, Autumn muttered a thank you and headed off. What was there to say to her? In many ways, it was good Hampton would have to deal with her. Those two would balance each other out nicely. Mr. Gloom and Doom and Miss Cheery. If she wasn't so concerned about Alicia and Alex, she would stay and watch the two in action. Hampton was bound to tell Katie that things weren't as great as she thought.

Autumn left the mall and dug out her cigarette and lighter. As she lit up, she scanned the crowd of people, wondering if the angel would appear and explain what was going on. But he wasn't there. It was just as well. With all the people hovering around, she wouldn't hear much of what he said anyway. She took a puff of her cigarette before she went to her car, hoping she'd find Alicia and Alex so she could put her fears to rest.
Chapter Twenty-Six

Devon glanced at Vanessa as they entered an auditorium at Area 51. This hadn't happened before, and Keegan hadn't been with him—not at Area 51. Something was up. He wondered if it had anything to do with the big event Keegan mentioned before he boarded the plane.

Keegan motioned to two seats toward the front of the large room packed with other government employees. Devon guessed there were approximately five hundred people there. This was new. But then, everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours wasn't in any of the briefings he'd been to. He walked with Vanessa down the aisle and sat down.

Scanning the people, he wondered if anyone else knew what was going on. He realized they were all told what the higher ups wanted them to know. He'd been privy to more information than Vanessa, but it was suddenly dawning on him just how little he knew. Who in the audience knew more than him? And was that person prepared for all of this?

"Do you think they're going to explain what happened last night?" Vanessa whispered, clenching her hands together.

"I hope so," he replied.

After five more minutes, a man wearing a service dress uniform strode up to the front of the room where a large curtain hung from the ceiling. He approached the podium and took the microphone. "Good afternoon. I'm General McCormmick. I'm sure many of you have questions about last night and how it ties into what we're doing here with our experiments."

Devon shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Something was off. He wondered if anyone else picked up on it, but a quick look through the crowd told him that he seemed to be the only one who noticed it.

"A great war is coming," the General continued. "It's not a war between nations. Our enemy will not come from Earth but from above. More greys are coming. In order to prepare for this war, we need better soldiers than those we have." The General waved to someone who was at the back of the room. "Normal human soldiers can die too easily. Their limitations are too great."

Devon focused on the General's words, wondering where he was going with this.

"The children we have created from the people we brought here are very special."

Vanessa shot Devon a worried look.

He shrugged. What could he tell her?

When the children varying from ages two to seventeen walked down the aisle, Devon looked over at them. He hadn't seen the children up close. They appeared normal. He didn't see what was so special about them...until an eleven-year-old boy glanced in his direction with dark eyes that held no trace of humanity in them. Devon leaned away from the children. Though they looked human, he was fully convinced they weren't. Not fully anyway. He might have had a hand in their conception, but he didn't understand the full magnitude of what they could do.

Devon scanned the room again, wondering if anyone else noticed how soulless these children were, but no one gave an indication of it. What was wrong with him? Why was he the only one who detected these weird things going on? Well, besides Autumn. She claimed to speak to angels. Had he not seen the spiritual realm for himself, he wouldn't have believed her. Would she notice something inhuman in these children?

While the group of twenty children made their way to the front, the General said, "As you know, there are hundreds of children underground. I brought these particular ones here so you can see what they are capable of. I assure you, they are fully capable of handling themselves in any military situation."

The children lined up in a single row, staring off into the distance as if they were comatose. Devon shivered and crossed his arms. Yeah, they definitely weren't human. No one stood that straight. They were highly attractive, and maybe that was the problem. They were too perfect. None had any discernable flaws. No blemishes. No ears too big or eyes too small. They were proportioned too exact. It gave Devon the creeps.

"We've been giving them advanced hormones to speed up their growth," the General said. "Once these children become adults, we place them in societies around the world. Such adults are already out there, unaware of who they truly are. At the right time, we will wake up their subconscious minds, and when we do, they will move forward to protect us from annihilation when more of those grey aliens return."

Annihilation? From more greys...who were really demons? Devon rubbed his eyes, feeling wearier than he could ever remember feeling in his entire life.

The General motioned to a man in the front row. "May I have your gun?"

The man nodded, stood, and handed the gun to the General who turned and pointed it at the oldest boy on the stage. Vanessa gave a slight gasp and held onto Devon's arm. Devon was too bewildered to react. The General fired the gun five times, aiming at the most critical places on a human being. And yet, the boy stood. Emotionless. Not bleeding. Not in pain. Nothing to indicate he was even aware he'd just been shot in the heart, forehead, stomach, and two lungs.

"Nelly," the General asked a toddler, "what is the square of 12?"

"144," the girl replied, still looking forward.

"And of 55?"

"3,025."

Several people murmured in awe.

The General stepped aside. "Thomas, run the perimeter of this room."

Devon had enough time to blink twice before the eight year old was back at the front of the room.

"Susan," the General asked, "how high can you jump?"

One moment, Susan was on the stage, and then she was hanging onto a light fixture. She returned back to her spot on the stage in one fluid movement, her eyes fixed on some unseen object at the back of the room, much like she had before.

The General smiled at the crowd. "She can go higher than that, but you get my point." He cleared his throat. "Jeffrey, recite for me the tenth chapter of Nicolo Machiavelli's The Prince."

The boy who appeared to be around eleven, spoke up. "It is necessary to consider another point in examining the character of these principalities: that is, whether a prince has such power that, in case of need, he can support himself with his own resources, or whether he has always need of the assistance of others. And to make this quite clear—"

"Thank you, Jeffrey," the General intervened, raising his hand to stop the boy. "You did perfectly."

The boy gave a slight nod but didn't show any other reaction that might indicate a sense of pleasure in being able to accomplish such a great feat for a child.

"Would anyone like to ask him to quote from another book?" the General asked the crowd. "Pick any book you like. The children are well versed in them all."

No one volunteered a book, but was there a need to? The General had proven his point. These children were little encyclopedias with bodies able to perform impossible tasks. Judging from the way the oldest boy was no longer showing any signs he'd even been shot, Devon concluded that nothing could kill them either.

There were adults with these capabilities infiltrated in societies all over the world as well? Devon thought he was going to be sick. Just how many of these super soldiers were there? And what did this mean for regular, ordinary people like him and Vanessa? He dared a look in her direction, and she appeared as bewildered as he felt.

"The attack last night showed us what the greys intended all along." The General walked to the podium and opened a small case.

Devon squinted but couldn't see what the General held up.

"Sergeant, do you mind?" the General asked someone in the back of the room.

Devon glanced over his shoulder as the woman pressed a button that lowered a screen from the ceiling. The screen magnified the small rectangular object in the General's hand.

"It's so small you hardly notice it," he said. "It's an RFID chip. This will stop the greys from removing anyone else from Earth. But, of course, we need it to do more than that. Let's be realistic. The only way you're going to survive in this new world of ten million super soldiers is to be their superiors. The super soldiers will keep order in our world, but we will be their rulers."

Ten million people just like those children were spread out across the world? Devon knew that was a small number compared to how many people were still left on the planet, but ten million of these super people was an impressive number.

"In addition to giving you superhuman abilities," the General continued, "it has the potential to prolong your lifespan. The chip will target health problems at the cellular level so you'll never get sick. Aging doesn't have to be a problem either. Hypothetically, you could live forever."

But what about the elite who wanted to destroy most of the population? Devon couldn't see that the elite would sanction this chip, especially if it came with superhuman abilities. The pieces of the puzzle didn't fit, and that led him to an even greater sense that something wasn't right. There were too many lies, too many red flags. How was a person supposed to decipher the truth against all the rampant deception?

The General put the chip back into the container and the screen returned to its spot in the ceiling. "As government employees, you'll have the first chance to receive these chips. We'll start injections in a month. After that, we'll open this up to the public. Any questions?"

A man in the middle of the room raised his hand.

"Yes?" the General asked.

The man stood and straightened his suit jacket. "Will these chips be mandatory?"

"No. Those who don't wish to receive theirs may decline. However, be aware of what you'll be turning down. Can you afford not to take it when the rest of the world is advancing?"

This time a woman raised her hand, so he motioned to her.

She eased out of her seat. "What does this have to do with the Annunaki? The leader who arrived said he came to bring peace, but you're talking about war."

"Yes. Well, you can't have peace until after the war. The greys are coming back, and when they do, there will be more of them. The leader of the Annunaki has promised to ensure that humans will not war with other humans. Any other questions?"

Another woman raised her hand. "How can we believe the Annunaki when we couldn't believe the greys?"

"Well, they stopped the greys from destroying us. Not only that, but as of one hour ago, the Annunaki uncovered one of the locations where the greys took a thousand people who vanished last night."

At this announcement, Devon straightened in his seat. So people who vanished were being found?

Another person raised his hand, but the General said, "Let me guess. Where were those people taken? Aboard one of the greys' ships. Unfortunately, the people didn't survive the crash when the greys were defeated. We are looking at the remains of the rest of their ships to see if we can account for others who disappeared. There is a hypothesis that some people were taken to the grey home world. The Annunaki are looking into that as we speak."

A somber silence hung over the room, and Devon didn't know what to think. Could it be that everyone who vanished was aboard those ships? But for what purpose?

"The super soldiers are designed to protect us," the General continued, "and the chip implant will ensure no one is removed from the Earth. We are taking every measure we can to protect everyone. Are there any other questions?"

No one else raised a hand so he dismissed the meeting.

As the people began to file out of the room, Vanessa asked, "Do you think the chip is worth taking?"

"I don't know." Devon shook his head, feeling more confused than ever. Was this real? Could demons disguised as greys remove people from the Earth? Were the Annunaki angels in disguise? He hadn't seen one, so he had no idea, but then, he hadn't been able to see demons and angels until last night, and never once had a grey appeared as a demon to him. It seemed the more he learned, the less he knew until it occurred to him that he didn't know anything anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Seven

Autumn stood outside Alicia's apartment and dialed her number for the tenth time that morning. Still no answer. Grunting, she hung up and dialed Alex's cell.

This time he picked up on the second ring.

"Oh, Alex, thank God!" She brushed her hair back from her face and wiped the tears from her eyes. "You're still here."

"Yeah. Hey, I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls sooner, but I had to talk to my psychiatrist," he said.

She winced. After all he'd been through, this was the last thing he needed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm great."

Her eyebrows furrowed at his cheerful tone. "Great?" Alex hadn't felt great since he last saw her sister. "Alex, do you know that more people vanished last night?"

"Yeah, but everything's going to be okay."

What was going on? "How can you say everything's okay? We got attacked last night from those..." She paused, knowing very well he would only laugh if she called them what they really were. "Those things destroyed the capitol of every country on this planet, the leaders are dead, and more people disappeared. How can you say everything's okay?" Now that she thought about it, it was amazing the mall was even opened today. What were businesses still doing operating?

"We have to meet. I can explain everything better in person than on the phone. Want to have lunch?"

Her initial reaction was to say no. Everything was tossed up into the air and all he could think about was food? But she needed to know why he could be so upbeat. "Okay. Yeah, I'll meet you for lunch."

"Perfect. See you at the usual spot."

She nodded and hung up. Then she turned and peered through the small window in Alicia's kitchen. If she saw things correctly, there was a half-eaten dinner left on the small table. The sunlight bouncing off the window pane made it hard to tell for sure, but she was sure that's what it was.

A car pulled up in front of the apartment building. Glancing over her shoulder, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the apartment manager getting out of his sedan. She ran down the steps to meet him.

"You think one of my tenants might have vanished?" he asked as he closed the car door.

"Yes. She's my co-worker. She was supposed to be at work this morning but never made it. I've been calling and knocking on her door, but there's been no answer. That's not like her."

He took out his notepad. "This is Alicia Knight's apartment, correct?"

"Yes."

He walked up the stairs with her and stopped at Alicia's door. As he slipped the key into the lock, the door opened. "This isn't a good sign," he said as he pushed the door open. "If she left home, she would have locked it, right?"

The knots in her stomach tightened. "Right. Alicia was good about being careful."

She followed him inside and felt a fresh wave of tears spring to her eyes. Alicia had been eating, and her phone was off the hook. Her TV was turned on in the living room. While the manager investigated the rest of the apartment, Autumn watched the news.

On the screen was an imposing figure of a man, or what looked to be a man, who was stunningly beautiful, for lack of a better term. He had golden blond hair, high cheekbones, a classical nose, and a strong build. She almost laughed at his clothing, which was reminiscent of the Greek and Roman tradition. The group of thirteen equally beautiful men and women around him wore the same garb. The caption rolling across the bottom of the screen announced the need to prepare for a second grey alien invasion.

The manager returned to the living room and sighed. "Unfortunately, I think she disappeared with the others last night."

Though she expected it, it still hurt. First her sister. Now her friend. Would they all end up disappearing until there was no one left? Shivering, she crossed her arms and asked, "Do you have any idea what happened to those people?"

"The new aliens say the people were abducted by the greys. The new alien leader, An, says he came with his kind in order to help us."

"An?" That was an odd name. "Is that his first or last name?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe aliens don't have last names."

"But they don't look like aliens. I mean, they aren't anything like the greys."

"Nope. These guys came from Nibiru. I believe they said in ancient times their planet was called Marduk."

She rubbed her temples. When she got to her car, the first thing she was going to do was smoke a cigarette. "I think I'm going crazy."

He laughed. "I don't blame you. It's a lot to take in at once. Even I don't know if I believe them. The idea of warring alien species coming here to Earth is a little far-fetched to me." He shrugged. "Anyway, I'm sorry about your friend."

"Thanks." What else could she say? The manager was nice enough to come out when she called him. "I guess I'll call my boss and tell him not to expect her to come to work."

With a grim nod, he joined her in walking out of the apartment. She went to her car and slipped into her seat. She started the engine and, for the first time, turned on the radio to listen to the news instead of music. Taking out a cigarette, she lit it up and slowly inhaled.

Why didn't the angel show up? She exhaled and listened to the radio, wondering exactly what An meant by ensuring the security of mankind, and despite what he said, she doubted those who were left were lucky.

Perhaps the only actual newsworthy thing was the announcement that An was turning over all of Israel to the Jews. This was a day she never thought she'd see, and had the Arabs not taken such a hard hit during the previous night's attack, there might have been a greater outcry from the Palestinians.

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and rubbed her forehead. If the greys were demons, then did that mean these new aliens were also of nebulous origin? She closed her eyes and willed the angel to appear, but when she opened them and looked at the empty seat next to her, she knew he wasn't going to show up. Putting her cigarette out in the ashtray, she shifted the car into drive and headed to the restaurant to meet Alex for lunch.

As she drove there, she continued to listen to the news, grudgingly admitting she should have been paying attention to world events sooner. It took her longer to get to the restaurant since there were two checkpoints she had to go through to show her ID.

Once she pulled into a spot in the parking lot, she got out of the car and walked up to the entrance of the restaurant. She stopped and read the sign on the door that said cash would no longer be accepted. This she expected, thanks to her last trip here, but other places were doing this as well. She supposed it was just a matter of time before Hampton installed the no cash policy, though he claimed he was fighting against it. Autumn sighed. It was just a matter of time before cash wasn't good for anything.

After she entered the restaurant, she went to the booth where Alex was waiting for her. While his attention was on the menu, she paused and took a moment to absorb the drastic change in him. The difference wasn't in his appearance. He wore a nice suit, his hair was neatly combed to the side, and he was clean shaven. But the way he sat and smiled spoke volumes in how he felt. No more slouching or looking as if he hadn't gotten enough sleep. In his new posture, she detected confidence that had been lacking before, even when he was engaged to her sister. He looked the same on the outside, and yet, he wasn't the same person.

"Alex, wow," Autumn finally said as she sat across from him. "I hardly recognized you."

Placing the menu down on the table in front of him, he smiled and leaned forward. "I know. I hardly recognize myself. I'm a new man, Autumn. The alien that showed up at my apartment last night changed me."

"Alien? You mean the same thing that's been hovering around your bed?"

He shook his head. "This was a new one. A good one. She got rid of the bad one. Did you hear about the new ones on the news? The aliens from the tenth planet have come back to save us."

"Uh..." She fingered her menu, uncertain of how to respond. "I heard something about it." And what little she heard probably wasn't enough to make a conclusion about everything that was going on. It was happening so fast. If only things would slow down, she might be able to take a step back and properly assess the whole situation. As it was, she felt as if she was trapped in a swirling onslaught of events.

"One of those aliens came to me last night. She said she was the Annunaki. I had to do some research on that term when I got up this morning." He laughed. "It's the weirdest thing, you know. I got less sleep last night than I've been getting for a long time, but today I feel more awake and energetic than I've ever felt before. It's like I don't need a full eight hours of sleep anymore. I could probably do fine with a couple of hours."

"So you fell asleep right after meeting this—" she tried to remember the exact term he used—"Annuaki?"

"Annunaki. There's an 'n' in the middle. Yeah, after she got rid of the grey alien and healed me, I went right to sleep. Hey, Autumn, I had a brain tumor, and it was malignant."

"What? But how could you know? And what do you mean had?"

"She showed me what was wrong with me and healed me. That's why I've been hearing all those voices and had all that other weird stuff going on."

She bit her lower lip and tried to decide if she believed that or not. How could he be sure he had a tumor? And how could this...alien...show it to him?

"I think they did something to me at Area 51 that gave me the tumor," he said, his tone turning serious. "I wasn't the same after that."

"You weren't the same after my sister vanished. The grey alien was tormenting you at that time, remember?"

"And it wanted me to go to Area 51. Now I know why. I told you I had those nightmares where I remembered parts of that time down there. They ran experiments on me."

Sighing, she nodded. She didn't think she'd ever stop feeling guilty for not insisting they return to North Dakota.

He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "It's okay, Autumn. It's not your fault. I'm the one who chose to go there, and I would have gone with or without you."

"Can you read minds now?" she asked, making a lame attempt at humor.

Chuckling, he squeezed her hand before letting it go. "No, of course not. I just know you beat yourself up over that. As your friend, I'm telling you it was my decision. I take full responsibility for it."

Their server hurried over to them and pulled out her pad. Her face was flushed and she was out of breath. "Good afternoon. My name is Tonya. Our specials today are the potato and cheese soup, the roast beef sandwich, and the chicken and dumplings dinner. Would you like to try one?"

Autumn blinked. The woman went so fast, she didn't have time to assimilate anything she said.

"I guess with the second round of vanishings, you have to work twice as hard today, huh?" Alex asked.

Their server exhaled and nodded. "It's been crazy here. We lost two employees last night, and I've been working nonstop."

"I understand what it's like to feel stressed out." He reached out and touched her arm. "I just want you to know it's going to be alright. The Annunaki will make sure no one else will vanish again."

The server smiled and visibly relaxed. "You're right. It's good they showed up when they did, huh? Who knows if there'd be any of us alive today if those greys succeeded?"

"Exactly," he said. "As horrible as losing all of those people and world leaders were, we've been saved. And it's even better than being physically spared from death. One of the Annunaki visited me last night. She opened up my mind. It's hard to explain, but I feel as if my whole life, I've had a blanket covering my eyes and now that blanket's been lifted. I can understand things I've never understood before. For the first time, everything makes sense. How we got here. Where we're going. It's amazing."

Autumn pinched herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming. How could he think everything was okay when things were getting more bizarre?

"You are so right," the server said. "I feel it, deep down." She turned her attention to the pad in her hands. "May I take your order?"

Once Alex and Autumn ordered their meals, the server left, looking notably more relaxed than before.

Autumn's gaze went from their server to Alex. "Aren't you the least bit concerned that we could vanish next? First, I lost my sister, and today Alicia's gone."

"Sure, it's a shame. The greys abducted far too many people, but the Annunaki will put a stop to it. They won't let the greys torment us anymore. Autumn, the Annunaki are amazing. They can do things that we can only dream of. They're so far advanced from us mentally, emotionally, and physically. You have no idea what they can do."

Shrugging, she admitted, "You're right."

"Last night, I saw our creation. Way back in our history, they came here to mine for minerals they needed on their world, and they took some of their DNA and blended it with our primitive ancestors' DNA. Back then, we weren't ready to be fully like them, so they promised to come back and finish what they started. Only, the greys came before them and tried to deceive us into believing they were our creators. Did you know the Annunaki had created them too? But the greys failed to put aside their political and religious differences, so they couldn't evolve. The greys resent us because we're now unifying our governments and our religions. The greys figure if they can't evolve, then we shouldn't either."

Autumn took a deep breath and tried to figure out a way to say she couldn't believe any of this. "Is it possible you had a dream?"

"I didn't dream that grey alien, and I didn't dream the Annunaki's visit. I knew those greys weren't good. You knew it too. We'll never forget those we lost. First Marianne and now your friend Alicia. They're dead. A group of a thousand people were found aboard one of the grey's ship after it crashed. All were dead. It's only logical to assume more people will show up dead as we search through more ships."

Autumn swallowed the lump in her throat.

Alex squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry, Autumn. Marianne and Alicia aren't coming back. If they're found, we can give them a decent burial. I'll help you with all of that."

Something didn't seem right about it all. Deep in her heart, she knew Marianne was alive. She hoped Alicia was alive. Autumn had no doubt one of those new creatures called the Annunaki, be they aliens or something else, visited Alex, but she suspected this entity wasn't telling him the truth. As much as she hated to agree with Hampton, she suspected there was a 'good cop, bad cop' scenario going on. And if that was the case, then it was possible that the Annunaki were lying about finding dead bodies of the people who vanished.

She took another deep breath and listened to Alex as he continued to ramble on about how great life was going to be. For all their sakes, she hoped he was right. But deep down, she feared he was wrong, and that scared her to no end.
Chapter Twenty-Eight

Three months later

Devon glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. It was getting harder and harder to get away to Alaska to check on his cabin. The second vanishing had pretty much wiped out any vestiges of privacy. Though he returned to Bismarck without incident, he was becoming paranoid that all of his gadgets weren't enough to block them from tracking his every move.

What he needed most was guidance, and he couldn't think of anywhere to get it except from one person. In the past three months, he hadn't felt any presence beside him. While the demon was no longer lurking around him, there wasn't an angelic presence guiding him either. With the things he'd seen and heard, he understood the world was hurling fast toward something big.

He drove to the mall and checked his watch. Autumn might be at work. He didn't know the hours or days she worked, but he knew the department store opened at ten. As he drove from the airport, he turned on the radio to hear more news of a pending financial meltdown. This wasn't exactly new. It was why the currencies around the world, particularly the United States, were losing value at breakneck speed. It cost him three times as much to travel as it had last year, and with the talk of freezing wages, he was feeling the constriction in his budget. So news of the collapsing U.S. dollar didn't surprise him.

What surprised him was An's statement. An was claiming the meltdown was being orchestrated by a group of elite people who controlled the world's financial institutions. Devon slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road so he could better concentrate on the radio. He couldn't believe it. An was giving away the plans of the wealthiest people in the world—something he never imagined anyone in a position of authority would do.

But there it was on the radio in An's speech. He was exposing everything, even their plans to remove 80-90% of the population to maintain control over the world's remaining people. Everything he and Vanessa had discussed was being brought out before the entire world.

Devon didn't know what to think. As much as he wanted to believe this was good, something about it seemed wrong. But what? And why? What exactly did these aliens, if that's what they were, plan on doing? Was the big event a war against the global elite? Nothing in the elite's plans included the return of the Annunaki, unless that was classified information even he wasn't privy to.

The angel. He had to ask Autumn to talk to her angel. Turning down the volume, he waited for the traffic to clear before he started to drive again.

When he finally reached the mall, he parked the car and tried to detect the changes that had occurred since he'd last been here. For the most part, not much had changed except for pictures of lost loved ones that littered the walls. He wondered if Autumn was one of those who disappeared. He hoped not.

He got out of the car and scanned the entrances, wondering if she might be taking a smoking break, but she wasn't. If he knew her phone number, he could call. It was just as well that he didn't. There was no sense in leading his superiors to her. She needed to stay as safe as possible.

He strode into the mall, aware of the scanners as soon as he walked through the entrance. So machines had replaced the guards who'd been checking IDs. He wondered if the same thing had been established in the parking lot, except those were far more subtle than these tall columns with red scanner lights that ran down the length of anyone who walked into the place.

As he headed for the department store, he caught sight of some signs on the stores announcing they were going out of business. This was not a good sign, but considering the economic climate, he couldn't say it was completely unexpected. He just hoped Autumn was still at work because he couldn't think of anywhere else to find her. The angel wasn't showing up to him and giving him guidance. The angel was showing up to her.

When he entered the department store, he scanned the area and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Autumn ringing up a customer's purchase. He went over to the counter and waited while the customer argued with Autumn about not being able to use cash.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but my hands are tied," Autumn said. "I understand your frustration. I felt the same way when I had to get a debit card, but it's all over the place now. I don't see how anyone can buy anything anymore unless they make their purchases electronically."

Now this was what Devon had expected. This was in the plans as the elite moved the world toward a one world currency. He wondered how the exposure over their plans would affect the economy. Would these new aliens still insist on a one world currency or give up on it?

The customer sighed and pulled out a credit card. "Will you still take credit?"

"It's getting to be less and less that places are doing that, but yes, we still take credit," Autumn replied, glancing in Devon's direction.

He offered a slight wave, but she turned her attention back to the customer and completed the transaction. Once the customer left, he approached the counter. "When can I talk to you?"

"I didn't think we had anything else to discuss," she said, her attention turned to the computer in front of her.

He didn't know why her standoffish attitude should sting. He hardly knew her, and the couple of times when they did see each other, it wasn't like they developed a friendship or anything.

Glancing at him, she sighed. "I'll get a break in half an hour. I'm not allowed to talk unless it's business while I'm on the clock."

"I'll be back in half an hour then."

She nodded and then left the counter so she could organize the shirts on one of the racks.

Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised by the reception she just gave him. Maybe he was lucky she was willing to talk to him at all.

He spent the next half hour at the food court, not particularly tasting anything he ate. As he watched the people around him, he wondered if there were any super soldiers among them. Were there people in the mall who were unaware that they'd been experimented on? He didn't recognize any of them from his time at Area 51. But then, he'd worked on people from all over. Sadly, he didn't know the nature of the tests he ran, nor had it been safe to ask. Those who asked too many questions were disposed of well before their time.

He rubbed his eyes. The weight of all he'd done pressed heavy on his shoulders. How many lives had he destroyed during his career?

His watch beeped. Picking up his tray, he stood up and tossed the half-eaten food into one of the trash bins before dumping the tray on the shelf above it. He made his way back to the department store, once again surprised when he saw Autumn waiting for him. When she saw him, she headed toward the exit, and as she probably assumed, he followed her until they reached the bench where she usually sat.

She pulled her coat tighter around her and dug a package of cigarettes out of her pocket. "Yeah, I know. It's a filthy habit. Save me the lecture."

"I won't lecture you," he said as he sat beside her.

"Good." She took a cigarette out and shoved the pack back into her pocket. "What do you want?"

"Have you talked to your angel recently?"

Using a lighter to light her cigarette, she chuckled. "He's not my angel."

"Well, he never shows up to me."

"He hasn't shown up to me either since we last talked."

Disappointed, he sat back and scanned the parking lot. Even during this time, people continued to shop for items they didn't need. Why weren't they all investing in things they'd eventually need, like food and water? Something big was coming down the pike, and this was the time to stock up on necessities. Turning to Autumn, he asked, "Do you have enough food and water saved up for at least six months?"

Exhaling smoke, she laughed. "What?"

"Have you been stocking up on food?"

"If you saw my paycheck, you'd understand that isn't an easy task."

"Yeah but it's not impossible."

She rolled her eyes. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm doing good to make ends meet. Retail doesn't exactly pay a whole lot. Not like your fancy job."

"My job isn't fancy."

"No? You're not exactly hurting for money."

Considering everything they did to him, he didn't get paid enough. He was no better than a glorified lab rat. "Anyway, try to save an extra item or two when you shop, okay?"

She took another puff from her cigarette and shook her head. "It won't do any good. If we're going to die, we're going to die."

"That's a morbid attitude."

"Well, it's the truth, isn't it? I'm tired of worrying all the time. I'm tired of being scared. Some people are convinced things are about to get better. Others think things will get worse." She shrugged. "The way I see it, thinking one way or the other isn't going to change how things will be."

Noting the weary tone in her voice—the tone that told him she'd given up and would go along with whatever the Annunaki wanted—he leaned forward and whispered, "Maybe it won't change how things will be, but it's still a good idea to prepare as much as you can."

"Why? So I can end up dead like all those people who vanished did?"

"That's the official story."

"Official story?"

"Yeah. It's what the Annunaki and those they put to head up the countries around the world want us to believe. He who controls the media controls the masses."

"So what are you saying? That the people who vanished are still alive? Did you see the wall where the pictures of vanished loved ones are hanging? Those with the red X on it are for those who were found at the crash sites."

"I'm not saying some people weren't on board the ships. That could be for decoy purposes."

"Either way, it's not going to change anything. We're stuck in this mess, and there's nothing we can do to get out of it."

He shook his head, leaned back, and crossed his arms. "Wow."

"Wow what?"

"Of all people who'd give up, you were the last one I thought would. I mean, you went down into the capitol building which was locked. You came up to me and demanded answers when that bomb went off at the main entrance of this mall. I thought you had it in you to tough it out."

She glared at him. "You're one to talk. You've sold out your humanity to treat people in Area 51 like a bunch of cattle to be bred and numbered. Then you go around setting off bombs to get the masses to cooperate into being slaves for the so-called aliens. I may not be standing up and fighting against the system, but at least I'm not helping the system along."

"I told you I thought I was making humans who could fight the greys and the global elite. I didn't know the greys would be taken out or the elite exposed."

"Exposed?"

"It's all over the news. The Annunaki have exposed the elite's plans. It's just a matter of time before the elite are taken down."

"Does that mean you're out of a job?" she asked, not hiding her sarcasm.

He resisted the urge to groan. "I've had enough of the third degree from you, alright?"

She rolled her eyes and put out her cigarette.

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but everything I've been told has been a lie," he said. "I thought I was helping people. And before you say it, I'm aware that helping involved doing some damage along the way."

"I heard this before."

She stood up so he reached for her arm to stop her from leaving. "Well, here's what you haven't heard. These children at Area 51... I don't think they were created to defend us even though that's what I was told the last time I was there."

"Then why am I going to worry about it? All worrying has done is made me sick to my stomach. I'm tired of it."

"I understand. I'm tired of it too. I'm tired of not being able to look at myself in the mirror because of what I've done."

She eyed him for a moment as if judging whether or not to believe him.

"I'm quitting. I'm turning in my two weeks' notice when I get to work today."

She sat back down. "You're quitting?"

"I can't take it anymore. And to be honest, I don't think we have much time left. I'm not sure how it's all going to play out, but I suspect things will get worse before they get better. I plan to lay low and wait for it to pass." He took a deep breath. "I need to go back to work for another two weeks and then I'm done."

"That's good."

He didn't dare tell her anything else. He'd wanted to ask her angel for protection, but that obviously wasn't going to happen. A big part of him wondered if his superiors would let him walk out of his job. Putting in his notice was a huge risk. He could only hope he'd make it to Alaska. Once there, he could hide out until the 'big event' took place. Then he'd decide what to do from there. If he lived that long...

Autumn cleared her throat. "I don't know where the angel is. I haven't seen him since that night of the second vanishing. Maybe the angels disappeared along with some of the people."

That didn't make sense, but Devon didn't argue the point. "Thanks anyway." He stood and checked his watch. "Look, I don't know if I'm going to see you again, but I'm sorry about your friend and what happened at Area 51. If I knew what kind of children were being created—" He stopped himself. She already knew more than a lot of others, but he figured it was still best she not know anything else.

"Actually, Alex is doing great."

Devon tried not to show his surprise. Of all the people who'd been taken to Area 51 for the many experiments the government wanted to do to them, he had yet to hear that one of them was doing well. He recalled seeing Alex when Vanessa saw Dr. Reyes. Alex had looked like a wreck.

Autumn shrugged. "He said one of the Annunaki came to visit him and healed him."

"Yeah, I heard they're going around performing miracles."

"Do you think they can be trusted?"

"Do you?"

She frowned. "No. They scare me."

"Me too," he admitted, especially since Keegan was excited by their arrival. Anything Keegan liked was bound to be bad. "Do you see anything evil manifesting from them like you did with the greys?"

"They're not the same as the greys. I don't know what the difference is, exactly. They're beautiful to look at, but..."

"You think appearances can be deceiving?"

"Pretty much." She adjusted her coat collar and shrugged. "What can I do about it? Nothing. So I don't."

She'd given up, and while a part of him couldn't blame her, another part felt the need to give her some hope. "It can't be hopeless. Humanity has to survive."

"You're probably right. I need to get back to work."

"You don't expect to be one of the survivors, do you?"

With a half-hearted chuckle, she asked, "And why would I be? There's nothing special about me."

He wanted to argue with her but decided against it.

"Good luck on finding another job." She smiled at him before she headed back into the building.

Reluctant, he went in the opposite direction to his car so he could report to work.
Chapter Twenty-Nine

Alex sat in the waiting room at Dr. Reyes' office, hoping this would be his last visit. Ever since the Annunaki healed him, Dr. Reyes had him undergo a series of tests to make sure he could give him a clean bill of health. Alex drummed his fingers on the armchair and glanced at the clock. With any luck, he'd be able to tell Autumn the good news.

Dr. Reyes opened his office door. Alex watched as he said good-bye to an older man who'd just finished a session with him. When Dr. Reyes motioned for Alex to come into the office, Alex stood up and did as instructed. He went straight to the chair where he usually sat and waited for Dr. Reyes to sit across from him.

Alex scanned the room, taking in all of Dr. Reyes' degrees and awards. Then his eyes fell on something he hadn't noticed before. It was a symbol he'd seen on Masonic Lodges. The compass intersecting the edge of a square and the G in the center was familiar enough. But as many times as he'd driven by the lodges, it never once occurred to him to ask what that particular symbol meant.

Dr. Reyes retrieved a folder from his desk and sat across from Alex. "How are you feeling today?"

"Great," Alex replied, smiling.

He opened the folder and looked over the contents.

Alex crossed his legs and glanced around the room, noting the picture of Dr. Reyes in front of a pyramid. "I don't remember seeing that picture before."

Dr. Reyes looked up from the folder. "I've had it up there for about six years now. You probably didn't notice it before because you were preoccupied by the things going on in your life." He shut the folder and smiled. "I take that as another good sign."

"Good sign?"

"Yes. You're becoming more aware of your surroundings. When we aren't doing well, it's easy to get stuck in our own world, even to the point where we block out everything going on around us."

Alex caught sight of another pyramid, except this one wasn't in Egypt. "Where was that picture taken?"

"Palenque, Mexico. That is called the Temple of the Inscriptions."

"Wow." He noted a couple of other pyramids on the wall behind him. "You went to all of these places?"

"Yes. I like to travel."

Especially to pyramids, he noted before turning his attention back to Dr. Reyes.

"You know, the Annunaki built those pyramids when they were here the first time," Dr. Reyes said.

Surprised, Alex asked, "They did?"

"The pyramids all point to portals where they could cross from their world into ours. Are you familiar with the idea of Stargates?"

"Not really. I mean, I know there are movies and TV shows about them."

"Well, Stargates were used by the Annunaki around the world. They built the pyramids as markers to designate where the Stargates were located here on Earth. Back then, of course, people believed they were gods and worshipped them."

"I guess that makes sense. The female Annunaki who healed me opened my mind. In an instant, I saw a view of the whole universe. It was amazing. You see something like that and you realize how much more there is to life than this existence."

Dr. Reyes nodded. "I haven't had a similar experience, but I imagine you're right. I've been anticipating their return."

"We're living in exciting times," Alex said.

"We are indeed." He put down the folder and smiled. "Well, I see no reason to keep you coming back."

"I get my clean bill of health?"

He chuckled. "Yes, and I'm happy for you."

Alex joined him in standing and shook his hand. "Thank you for everything, doc."

"If you need to come back for anything, you're certainly welcome to, but—and I mean this in all sincerity—I hope you never have to return."

"Me too." Alex laughed.

This time when Alex left the office, he took a deep breath, glad he didn't need psychiatric help anymore. He couldn't remember a time when he felt freer. After he got into his car, he started it up and headed over to the mall to celebrate the good news with Autumn.

***

An and nine Annunaki stormed into the Canadian hotel where the Bilderberg Group assembled in secret. He knew their plans to get rid of him. He had exposed their plans for global domination and they were, predictably, searching for a way to recover from the blow, but their plans were in vain. Their use had run out. It was time to get rid of excess garbage.

He forced the locked doors to open, the other Annunaki following close behind. The one hundred and thirty group members turned their startled gazes in his direction, but his attention was on the three Annunaki who sought to betray him. He'd deal with the traitors first.

"So," An began as he headed for the front of the large room, "you've sought to dethrone me."

The three Annunaki stood together, chins raised in defiance.

"You can't claim sole authority over the Earth," one of them said.

"Yes," another added. "We demand full equality when you establish your reign."

An stared at them for a moment, noting their determination, and laughed. "Did the war in Heaven teach you nothing? I was made higher than the rest of you. At least they—" he glanced at the nine Annunaki who stood behind him—"have more sense than to try to usurp my authority. Because of this, the Earth will be divided into ten kingdoms instead of thirteen."

Before they could protest, he called down a lightning bolt from heaven and struck them with it. All at once, they were gone.

Turning to the group of humans, he stepped toward them. "Your time is up."

A man stood and shouted, "You can't do this to us! You promised you would give us eternal life and our own kingdoms as long as we followed your orders. You demanded the elimination of the majority of the world's population and the centralizing of the banks. We followed your orders!"

An let out a low growl. "I did promise those things, and I will deliver on those promises today."

Several people relaxed, though most had the good sense to stay on their guards.

"I will give you eternal life where you'll be lord over your own kingdom," An said. "You'll get to rule over your own little cell in a place called Hell."

"No such place exists," one of the women argued despite the trepidation in her voice.

"Oh, Hell is very real," An said. "You pathetic humans. You were made lower than the angels, and yet God wants to give you the Earth for an inheritance? Earth is mine!"

He sent forth more lightning from the sky. The Earth rumbled, and the nine Annunaki sent forth fire and wind to devour the hotel in a gulf of flames. Sprouting black wings, they flew out of the blaze, but not before one of the Bilderberg members shot An in the head. Two Annunaki caught him and carried him out of the inferno.
Chapter Thirty

Autumn glanced up from the sales sign she was putting up on the winter clothing that hadn't sold and saw Alex walking through the store. She called out to him and waved. When he saw her, he moved in her direction.

Alex stopped beside her. "Did you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"Someone shot An. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital."

Shocked, she lowered the sign she was holding instead of putting it on the rack where sweaters hung according to size. "Dead? But I didn't think the Annunaki could die."

"That's what I thought too. Apparently, we were wrong."

She didn't know what to think. If the aliens were of a spiritual nature, they shouldn't be able to die. "Are they sure he's dead?"

He shrugged. "The shooting happened a couple hours ago, and he hasn't moved or anything."

She shook her head and placed the sale sign up. "I don't know. It doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't. Why would someone want to kill him? He hasn't done anything to harm anyone."

"No. That's not what I meant. I just don't see how they can die when they have the eternal fountain of youth at their disposal. It seems that they should heal from anything." She didn't even bother mentioning the spiritual aspect of the equation because every time she did, he laughed it off. If he wasn't open to recognizing the spiritual forces around him, then there wasn't much else she could do about it. Clearing her throat, she added, "I guess the Annunaki aren't as invincible as we thought they were."

"That's a shame."

She didn't agree but kept her thoughts to herself.

"Anyway, three other Annunaki went back to their planet," he continued. "They have to decide whether or not we're ready to evolve. They say the elite's plan to wipe out a good portion of our planet and the recent attack on An might be proof we're still too warlike to enjoy permanent peace."

She went to the rack of winter coats and put up another 'sale' sign. "Well, it's hard to sympathize with the elite dying if they wanted to get rid of us because of overpopulation."

"Granted, that's true, but An's plan was to send them to prison, not kill them. There are humane ways to take care of criminals."

Nodding her consent, she went to the last rack of clothing that was part of the sale. "Apparently, someone thought there was a better way to take care of them."

"Do you agree with it?"

"I think something should have been done to stop them. Did it have to be murder? Of course not. I'm just saying that someone thought the end justified the means, that's all."

"I hope the Annunaki don't give up on us and return to their planet. I'd like to think we're not as bad as the greys."

She wouldn't be upset to see the Annunaki go but held her tongue.

"Anyway, are you ready to eat?" Alex asked.

Scanning her section of the department store, she saw that she was finished and nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready. Let me clock out and get my things."

While he waited, she went to the employee lounge and collected her things. She just put on her coat when Katie ran into the small room.

"Did you hear the terrible news?" Katie asked.

Autumn paused when she realized Katie was crying. "Yes, but Katie, it's not like you knew An or anything."

"But he came to give us a better life. How could someone do this to him?"

"Damn good thing they did," Hampton said, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms. "Maybe now we can start exposing all of the corruption among the governments of the world."

Katie wiped her eyes and glared at him. "How can you be so cold? Even if he was an alien, he deserved better than this."

Hampton let out a dry chuckle. "Oh please. He was a holographic image. Nothing more. It's all part of Project Blue Beam. Satellites giving us a holographic space show where we see our 'messiah'. This 'An' isn't really dead. You can't kill a hologram."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Project Blue Beam? That's lame. If this was Project Blue Beam, then every nation would have seen the major religious figure of their belief system, and then after everyone saw their specific god, it would morph into the 'true' god. An is the same to all people. He didn't start out by appearing as different gods first."

"So they modified it." Hampton shrugged. "It's still from the same source."

"Oh good grief. Don't tell me you're one of those conspiracy theory nut jobs."

"You need to wake up and see what's going on around you," he told her. "The signs are everywhere." He shook his head. "Kids. Autumn, you know this alien thing is a bunch of B.S., don't you?"

Autumn groaned. "I'm not involved in this."

Ignoring their protests to take a side, she pushed past Hampton and hurried to Alex. Work was hard enough to go to without Alicia there to talk to. She didn't need to get tangled up in useless arguments. For the first time since the day she decided to stop fighting what was happening, she had the urge to have a good cry. All she wanted was for her sister and good friend to come back while people around her bickered over whether or not conspiracy theories were real!

At least she had one friend who wasn't caught up in fighting over stupid things. And Alex was doing better. The demon that haunted him was no longer a problem. It was the only bright spot she could see in this whole mess.

***

Two days later, Devon was sorting through the things in his office, trying to decide what to shred and what to turn back in to his superiors. He couldn't wait to get out of this job. It'd been too long since he felt like a human being. He longed to get an ordinary job and be an ordinary person again.

A knock on his office door caught his attention. Looking up from the papers in one of his folders, he saw his supervisor, and by the serious look on the man's face, Devon gathered this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Devon," his supervisor began as he sat across from him, "I understand that times, being what they are, would lead you to want to quit, but I'm afraid I can't let you."

Devon frowned. "Why not?"

"We lost a lot of people in those two vanishings. We're understaffed in some places around the nation."

"So no one is allowed to quit?"

His supervisor shrugged. "I'm sorry. My hands are tied."

Devon sat back in his chair and tried to absorb the reality that he really couldn't walk out of his office in two weeks and never look back.

His supervisor sighed before leaning forward. "Look, if it makes you feel better, I talked my boss into letting you have a raise. I know it's not what you wanted, but considering the state of the economy, you could do worse." He stood and added, "Oh, your funds are no longer in US dollars. We're transitioning to a global currency. There's going to be a crash in a month, and at that time, the Annunaki will implement their new system."

Devon's eyebrows furrowed. "But with An dead, aren't they rethinking their plan to stay on Earth?"

"That's the official story, but you know there's always the real one beneath the surface."

Glancing at his supervisor, he asked, "Does that mean An isn't really dead?"

"Probably not."

"Then why stage his death?"

"That's anybody's guess. Even I don't know everything." Smiling, he tapped Devon's desk. "It'll be fine. Once we get those super soldiers going, they will protect us when the greys return, and once we get the chip to enhance our bodies, the super soldiers won't be superior to us. The super soldiers are here to do our bidding, not for us to do theirs."

As his supervisor left, he turned his attention back to the open folder on his desk, his anger and frustration mounting to the point where he thought he might scream. He was stuck. Trapped. Just as he'd been stuck in a never ending nightmare since they hired him. They owned him. His life wasn't his own, nor would it ever be. He rubbed his eyes. What was he supposed to do? What could he do? Whether he liked it or not, this was his lot in life.

In one swift motion, he shoved everything on his desk to the floor. It wasn't enough to quell his raging emotions, but there was nothing else he could do so he put his head on the desk and closed his eyes. Taking deep breaths, he willed himself to calm down.

"Devon? What's wrong?"

Reluctant, he looked up at Vanessa who stared at the messy floor. He didn't feel like going into the whole sordid story with her. The only person he cared to talk to was at the mall, and no doubt, she'd assume he lied about wanting to quit. Then she'd probably never speak to him again.

"Devon?" Vanessa asked.

He blinked and focused on her. "I dropped some things. By accident." It was an obvious lie, but it was the best he could offer.

"Okay," she slowly replied with a raised eyebrow.

"You look like you're feeling better," he said, quick to change the topic.

"Did you hear the news? The elite are dead! All of them. We no longer have to worry about their plans for reducing the population. It's terrible that An died, but I'm so relieved he got the truth out."

"But the Annunaki might not be the benefactors they claim to be."

She laughed. "Or they might be. They're already protecting us. It's such a relief to no longer fear the future." She knelt down and started collecting the things he'd thrown off his desk.

Kneeling beside her, he helped. He didn't have a good feeling about the Annunaki, and even as good as removing the elite seemed to be, he worried that the Annunaki might eventually pose a greater threat.

Once his things were back on the desk, Vanessa returned to her office and he was left alone to ponder his future, thinking there was no way Autumn would want to be a part of it. And that depressed him more than anything else.

***

The next day while Autumn was eating breakfast, she turned on the TV and decided to watch the news. She lifted the spoon to her mouth but didn't eat her cereal. Her attention was glued to the Annunaki on the screen who was talking into the camera in front of the United Nations.

Putting the spoon back into the bowl, she leaned forward so that she could read the headline of her newspaper from yesterday. There it was in black and white. An had been confirmed dead from a shot to the head. She turned her gaze back to the TV where An was speaking. He had a scar across his forehead but looked perfectly fine.

She picked up the remote and turned up the volume. This couldn't be real. Once someone was dead, that was it. But he was Annunaki. Maybe the Annunaki could come back to life. If they're spiritual beings inhabiting a physical world, maybe he was never dead to begin with. Maybe it was all a ploy. But a ploy for what?

"We've decided to stay here and oversee the next stage in your evolution," An spoke. "This decision wasn't made lightly; however, you have unified as a species by removing your national and religious boundaries. That being said, we have the first step implemented."

Autumn squinted at the RFID chip he held up to the camera.

"This will enhance your life," An continued. "It will make you stronger and smarter so when the greys return, you'll be ready to defend yourselves against them. And better yet, it will ensure no more vanishings will happen ever again."

As the camera focused in on the chip, Autumn wondered, once again, who the Annunaki really were, and what, exactly, was that chip really for?
Chapter Thirty-One

Six months later

Devon stood in line, shifting uneasily from one foot to another. Did he really want to do this? He glanced at his co-workers who were waiting to get the RFID chip implant. They called it the Human Enhancement Program, but he wondered if it was more than that. That little chip, which was the size of a grain of rice, might have the ability to turn them into postmodern humans, but it also would hold the bearer's medical, financial, and personal information. Anyone who wore it could be tracked wherever they went.

It was bad enough with all the cameras and microphones planted in all of the electronic equipment. Now the government wanted access directly inside a person? The face of the police state had just become overtly apparent, and yet, people were lining up in droves to get their chip. He shivered. The program was voluntary, but he suspected that wouldn't last long. Sooner or later, it would be mandatory. Then where would they all be?

They'd all be trapped. There wouldn't be anything to stop the government from doing whatever it wanted. It was bad enough he couldn't quit his job.

The line moved forward, putting Devon two people away from receiving the chip. To his left, a woman who'd been standing in line got out of it, opting not to take the injection—at least not today. Devon thought she might be the smartest one in the room.

"Where would you like it?" the nurse asked the man at the head of Devon's line who sat down in the chair and handed her his ID.

"What are my options?" the man asked.

"The right hand or forehead."

"I can't put it somewhere else? Like my arm?"

The nurse shook her head. "I'm sorry, but the chip needs to be in a location where your body heat will allow it to function properly."

"Alright," the man replied. "Well, let's do my forehead then."

"Before we do that, I need you to sign a piece of paper."

The man took the piece of paper from her and read it.

As Devon watched her link the man's information into the chip, he decided he couldn't do it. Stepping out of line, he found Vanessa further down. He stopped beside her and whispered, "I need to talk to you."

"Can't it wait?" She looked over her shoulder. "I've already been waiting for twenty minutes. I don't want to lose my place."

"It's important."

Sighing, she stepped out of line and followed him out of the cafeteria. He waited until they reached his office before shutting the door behind him.

She turned to him and crossed her arms. "Devon, what is this about?"

"You can't take the chip," he said.

"Why not?"

"It's wrong. They're rounding up people like cattle."

Vanessa stared at him for a moment, as if trying to determine whether or not he was joking before she laughed. "Oh come on. We're not animals. We're human beings."

"Who are being branded."

"I don't see what the difference is between this and a social security card or a driver's license."

"This is inside you. It modifies your DNA. It contains everything about you on it. There are too many things that can go wrong with a setup like this."

Brushing her bangs from her eyes, she said, "If the elite were still in control, I'd agree with you. But they're not. We're okay now. The Annunaki have been nothing but good to us, Devon. I know you think we're all headed for a cataclysmic event, but we're not. It's been half a year since they showed up, and things are better than ever. They've worked miracles here. No more poverty. No more hunger. No more war. Can you imagine such a thing happening with the elite in charge? They thrived on our misery."

"You remember Keegan and the others who operate the base at Dulce? They love it that the Annunaki are here. They're anticipating something big because of this, and I think it's not about the greys returning."

"Of course, it's about the greys coming back, but the greys are no match for the Annunaki or the super soldiers. Devon, you need to have more faith in all we've worked for."

He shook his head and revealed something he feared deep in his gut. "I don't think so. I think the greys, Annunaki and super soldiers are working together."

She turned to the window and looked outside where the sunny day gave no indication that anything was wrong. "I've given all of it serious thought, Devon. I weighed the pros and cons, and honestly, the pros outweigh the cons. Let's say your scenario comes to pass and the Annunaki, the greys, and the super soldiers are working together to destroy mankind. Doesn't it behoove us to take the advancements so we can stand up to them?"

"But what if they don't just enhance us?"

"I'm not afraid of being monitored. I'm not doing anything that's illegal. I have nothing to hide."

Rubbing the back of his neck, he tried to think of another angle to convince her that this might not be the greatest thing to ever happen to her.

She walked over to him and placed her hand on his arm. "Don't take the chip today. Take time to think about it. There's no rush."

"What if it turns out to be the wrong decision?"

"I'll just remove it."

He wondered if they could do that. Would something that manipulated a person's DNA be permanent?

"This way I won't need that cabin of yours in Alaska," she said. "I don't want to live my life in fear anymore. This chip will give me security. I want to be able to take care of myself, no matter what happens."

Realizing he couldn't change her mind, he shrugged. "Alright." What else could he say? She wasn't a child who needed to be told what to do. She was an adult, and he had to respect that.

"I'll be fine, Devon," she said, giving his arm a slight squeeze before she went to the door and opened it. "You'll see. Everything's going to be okay."

Even if she was certain of that, he wasn't. He sat in his chair and stared at the wall, not really seeing anything. He thought over his life and all the decisions he'd made which led him to this point in time. And as he did, it occurred to him that he'd never felt more alone in his entire life.
Chapter Thirty-Two

Autumn clocked off work and headed for her car, ignoring the posters announcing the upcoming arrival of the chips to Bismarck. She had no intention of taking it. She didn't care how good Alex thought it was. Something about it didn't seem right.

After she got to her car and drove out of the parking lot, she turned on the radio and debated whether to listen to the news or music. Who was she kidding? She had enough of listening to Hampton and Katie ramble on about current events. What she needed was a break from it all. She turned the dial to her favorite station and drove down the street.

When she came to a stoplight, she glanced at the lane next to her. She blinked in surprise. Devon was in the car idling beside hers, and judging by the way he rubbed his forehead, she judged that he was having a bad day. She honked her horn to get his attention. Maybe it wasn't the smartest decision she ever made, but he seemed like he needed someone to talk to.

He looked in her direction, and she motioned to the coffee shop up ahead. When he nodded, the light turned green so she pointed for him to drive in front of her since the shop was on her side of the road.

She followed him into the parking lot, parked her car next to his, and got out. As soon as she reached his side, she said, "I haven't seen you since March."

"Yeah, well, I've been working."

Noting the way his shoulders sagged and the weary expression on his face, she asked, "Long hours?"

"They wouldn't let me quit. I still do the same job." He glanced at the coffee shop and then back at her. "Do you still want to talk to me?"

"They wouldn't let you quit?"

"I put in my two weeks' notice but was told I couldn't leave. I'm doing the same thing I was before." Pausing, he shrugged. "So, would you rather go home?"

He didn't want to be doing this, and he wasn't defending it. Taking in his resigned tone, she sighed. "No. You can't control everything that happens." After an awkward moment, she added, "I haven't had some chocolate in awhile, and they sell great brownies here."

With a smile, he said, "That does sound pretty good."

"They make good ones."

"I'll have to try one then."

As they walked toward the small building, she glanced at the clear night. The September breeze was a little cool but still nice enough to enjoy. "It's a nice night." In some ways, it reminded her of that night she and Alex went to Area 51—the first time she saw the angel in the road. Back then, she thought she was going to find her sister. But all she found were more questions, and so much was still left unknown. "Did you lose anyone when the vanishings occurred?"

"No. I wasn't close enough to anyone though."

She nodded before they entered the shop. In his line of work, she supposed that was natural. Maybe in some ways, he had to detach himself from the rest of the world in order to do what he needed to do. She knew if it was her, that's how she would cope.

Once they collected their drinks and brownies, they sat in one of the booths by a window. She ran through a list of topics to discuss but had no idea what would appeal to a man like him. With Alex, it was easy. She had more in common with him. She had little in common with Devon. It seemed to her the only thread connecting them was the realization the world was influenced by spiritual beings.

Devon sipped his coffee before speaking. "I remember you asked about your sister. She vanished the first time."

"Yes, and then my friend Alicia vanished the second time."

"I'm sorry. I don't know where any of them went or why we're still here. I know as much as you do and that's what they tell us on the news. That they were all aboard the grey ships and died when the Annunaki defeated them."

"Which is what they want us to think?" she ventured.

He nodded and bit into his brownie. "Obviously, some people went on those ships, but the number of reported dead bodies was significantly less than the number recorded missing."

Fiddling with her napkin, she asked, "How much of what I see on TV can I believe?"

"Most of it's true, but you have to ask yourself what are they diverting your attention from?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Well, what you see on TV is on the center stage. It's where you're supposed to direct your attention to. I've found that, more often than not, the real show is taking place behind the curtains."

"That's almost creepy."

"Almost?"

She smiled. "Alright. It is. So how do you know what's true and what isn't?"

"With all the disinformation floating around, you can't be entirely sure. All you know is what you experience."

"So, you think that when someone doesn't believe me about seeing angels and demons, then they're just as right as I am?"

"No. As strange as it sounds, I'm beginning to think the spiritual world is a lot more real than the physical one."

"Really? How so?"

He finished his brownie and drank some coffee. "I know what I experienced, and I know what we saw that night at the park. That was real. I called on God when I was on the plane because I thought I was going to die. While the so-called aliens were attacking the capitols around the world, my plane took a nosedive. Needless to say, it gave me a whole new perspective on what mattered and what didn't."

She fingered the cross around her neck. Marianne believed it was real, and after all Autumn had been through, she couldn't deny it either. Not really. But how did God fit into everything that was going on?

"So, the angel hasn't been back since that night, has he?" Devon asked.

Turning her attention to the coffee, she shook her head and took a drink.

"That's odd, isn't it? Why would the angel stay away?"

Then, as if on cue, the angel appeared next to her.

She jerked and nearly spilled her coffee.

"I only come when it's necessary," the angel replied.

Autumn glanced at Devon and was reassured when she realized he saw the angel too. It made her feel less awkward to be in a public place with the angel when Devon witnessed the same thing she did. "It hasn't been necessary up to now?" she asked the angel.

"No, it hasn't," the angel replied.

She should have expected that answer from him.

"So why now?" Devon whispered, glancing around the room.

Autumn checked the other people and was assured when no one paid them any mind.

"Because now you're asking the important questions," the angel said. Turning to her, he said, "You want to know how God fits into all of this?"

Her eyes grew wide. "Well, I was thinking it."

"God is returning soon," the angel said.

"What about the greys?" Devon asked, leaning forward in interest.

"The greys are still here. They never went away. They just conveniently 'disappeared' as the Annunaki told them to. Something the world has forgotten is the identity of the Annunaki," the angel said. "They came from the heavenly realm through portals on the Earth. People saw them descend from the sky in their crafts and called them gods. Today, you call them aliens. They come from another dimension. This world you're on is like a hologram. The real world exists beyond this one, just out of reach. In the world beyond this one—in another dimension—lies eternity, and in eternity is a place you humans call Heaven. It was in Heaven, long before humans came into existence, where a war was fought."

"The war between Satan and God?" Devon asked. "The one where Satan tried to take God's place?"

The angel nodded. "And Satan took a third of the angels with him. Those angels are what the Sumerians called Annunaki. In other cultures, they were the gods and goddesses of their mythologies. They've been called different names over the course of human history, but the goal has always been the same. They want to claim Earth as their own."

"Fallen angels," Autumn whispered. "Not demons?"

"Demons are disembodied spirits that were the product of fallen angel and human DNA manipulation," the angel said. "Back in Noah's time, people called them Nephilim. Today you call them super soldiers."

Devon's eyebrows rose in interest.

The angel looked over at him. "Didn't it ever occur to you to question the source of your non-human experiments down at Area 51? Hasn't your time with Keegan been enough of an indicator as to what's going on? Some produce offspring through the lab. Others, through different methods."

Devon blanched. "Like rape?"

"Or through consent. It really doesn't matter to the fallen angels. The end goal is to build an army to fight God when He returns."

"So Keegan's not a Reptoid?"

"In her true form, that is how she looks, but she's a fallen angel who's been hard at work setting the stage for the final event."

Devon winced and rubbed his forehead. "I didn't know it ran that deep."

"There are many things you didn't know."

Autumn knew she was missing something important, but by the sickened expression on Devon's face, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the details.

"I saw these super soldiers," Devon continued. "They had superhuman abilities."

"Like Superman?" she asked.

"Worse," Devon replied.

"And this time, they aren't giants," the angel said. "So it's harder to tell who they are. Most are dormant, going about their lives, unaware of who they are."

"Can they die?" Devon asked.

"Not easily, and their spirits are still doomed. The mixing of angelic and human DNA was never in God's design. People think the flood in Noah's day was about people committing crimes, but what was really going on back then was a different story altogether. The Nephilim had taken over to the point where only Noah and his family were untainted by the angelic genes. The flood was the only way the human race could be preserved. When Satan rebelled against God, he lost dominion of this planet, and he wants it back. You see, God gave man the Earth for an inheritance. Don't think for a minute Satan will let humans remain here with him and his fallen angels."

"And this big event is about removing man from Earth?" Devon asked.

"Essentially." The angel hesitated before continuing. "Whatever you do, don't take the chip. It has angelic DNA embedded in it. That's how people taking it will get their enhanced abilities. But it's also a mind controlling device. Once you get it, your thoughts will be manipulated."

The whole thing—everything—sounded so outrageous to Autumn she couldn't fully comprehend it all.

Devon, however, seemed to be keeping up with the angel remarkably well. "So I'm right in thinking the Annunaki, greys and super soldiers are all in this together?"

The angel nodded. "It's all part of the great deception."

Autumn decided while the angel was answering all the questions, instead of just a couple, she'd ask the one that bothered her the most. "Where are all the people who vanished?"

"Some are safe in the other dimension. Some are not," he replied.

Stiffening, she asked, "What do you mean? You told me they were all safe."

"I told you that those who went in the first vanishing are safe."

"So Alicia's in trouble?"

"Don't concern yourself with that. It'll only sidetrack you and lead you into places you're better off not going to."

She frowned. Exactly what did that mean? Before she could ask for clarification, the angel disappeared. Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "That's what I'm used to. Just when he gives me some cryptic saying, he runs off to do who-knows-what?"

Devon chuckled.

Feeling the mood lighten a bit, she laughed. It felt good to laugh. She'd been used to going about her life, not feeling much of anything—just going through the motions. But being here with Devon and knowing she wasn't alone in talking to the angel made her feel freer than she'd felt in a long time. "You got more out of him than I've been able to. Next time you should ask about the vanished people."

"I don't think I would've had any more luck than you did. But now we know not all the vanished people were on those ships."

"True."

After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat. "Thank you."

"I don't control when the angel appears."

"No. Not about the angel. I mean about talking to me, in spite of my job."

She set aside her coffee and sighed. "Well, it seemed like you could use a friend to talk to. There are some things we can't control. I can tell you don't want to be there anymore. And you could have lied and told me you weren't working there. I do appreciate your honesty."

He smiled. "I figured I'd give you an out if you wanted it."

"Sometimes it's nice to have someone you can talk to when nothing makes sense. You can't isolate yourself from everyone all the time. How you've managed for as long as you have, I don't understand."

"The months and years blend into each other until you don't notice the passage of time. You learn to go through the motions."

"That's no way to live," she softly replied.

"I wasn't trying to live. I was trying to survive."

She caught his meaning and wondered just how deep things went for him in his job, but then she decided she was probably better off not knowing. "So, do you ever do normal things like listen to music or watch movies?"

"I've been known to on occasion."

"Oh yeah? Let me guess? Heavy metal for music and spy thrillers for movies?"

He laughed. "No. I haven't listened to heavy metal since it was popular in the '80s. As for movies, I prefer comedies."

"You don't strike me as someone who likes comedies."

"I love them. They're a great escape."

"Do you escape often?"

"Not often enough."

She didn't doubt that, but it was nice to see this side of him. It was an indicator that there was a part of him that remained untouched by his job, and it was a part he should enjoy more often. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she ventured, "You know, if you ever want to see a movie with a friend, I wouldn't mind laughing a little more myself."

"I'd like that."

Blushing, she took another sip of coffee and continued their conversation.
Chapter Thirty-Three

Two weeks later, Autumn found herself on the first date she'd had in a long time. She tried to convince herself that it wasn't really a date—that it was hanging out with a friend like she'd hung out with Alex from time to time. But with Alex, she didn't experience the fluttery sensations in her stomach or sneak glances at him to admire his good looks. Perhaps more surprising than her admitted attraction to Devon was the fact that she couldn't recall the last time she enjoyed being with someone this much since Marianne's disappearance. It was an odd thing to liken being with Devon to being with Marianne, but in many ways, he brought out the more optimistic side of her that Marianne used to.

After their movie, he asked her if she wanted to go for a walk at the park, and since she was reluctant to see the date end, she agreed. As he pulled his car into a parking spot, she wrapped her scarf around her neck and buttoned the top button of her coat. She reached for the door handle, but he touched her arm.

"Did you change your mind?" she asked.

"No. I just thought it might be nice if I opened your door for you." He shrugged. "It's something I should have been doing the whole night. Let me make up for lost time?"

She suspected he meant more than opening her door but chose not to mention it. Instead, she nodded and waited for him to open her door. If nothing else, this was proof they weren't just friends.

When she got out of the car, he took her hand in his and led her to the paved path that wound around the park. "It's a nice night," he commented.

She glanced up at the stars, thinking, once again, how different the night sky looked when there weren't alien ships descending down to Earth. But she didn't want to dwell on the serious tonight. Devon had taken her to a comedy so they could laugh and forget about their cares for awhile, even if it was for one evening.

Clearing her throat, she strolled with him down the path and said, "It is a beautiful night. It reminds me of when I was a girl and my sister and I would try to catch lightning bugs. At some point, we'd stop and try to point out the different constellations." Grinning, she added, "I was older, so I used to enjoy knowing more than her. That's mean, isn't it? But you can't really feel sorry for her. She graduated college and got a law degree. I didn't have the patience for college, so I dropped out in the second semester and worked retail. But even then I could still name more constellations than she could. I might not have had the degree, but if we ever got lost in the woods, I could find my way out because I know where the North Star is."

He chuckled. "It sounds like you two were close."

"You picked that up based on what I just said?"

"No. Well, some of it," he conceded, "but I remember how you came up to me the second time we talked and demanded I tell you where she was. That took a lot of guts."

"I don't know. Later on, it just seemed stupid."

"I admired that about you. In a world where few seem to care about those around them, it was nice to see a woman who put her sister before herself. If I knew where your sister was, I would have helped you."

She studied his face in the moonlight and picked up on the sincerity of his statement. He probably would have. Back then she wouldn't have believed it, but she did now. Unsure of what to say, she continued to walk beside him, finding comfort and strength in his touch. Despite the chill in the air, she was warm, and she knew it had more to do with being next to him than being bundled up in a coat.

"So, do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asked.

"No, but while I was growing up, I wanted one that I could manipulate into doing what I wanted."

She laughed at his joke. "Well, then you didn't have a real childhood because having a little brother or sister who'll do your bidding is the best thing about being the oldest."

He glanced at her and grinned. "It probably is."

"You know, it's kind of nice to see you smile."

"I've smiled before."

"No. This is different. You're relaxed." She stopped there in her observation because she knew it meant he was opening himself up to someone for the first time in a long time. Who knew how long he'd kept the core part of himself closed off to others? "It's nice," she finally finished, not wishing to get too personal since they still had much to learn about each other.

He stopped walking so she halted her steps and turned to him, wondering if she said something wrong. But he was smiling softly at her, and her cheeks warmed. He was looking at her the same way she'd seen Alex look at Marianne, and never in a million years did she think a man might look at her that way. His fingers brushed her cheek before he cupped her face in his hands. She closed her eyes and waited in anticipation for the kiss. When his lips touched hers, it was so light that she almost missed it, but then, he kissed her again, and this time, his lips lingered on hers. There was a gentleness in the way he handled her, and that spoke volumes for the way he felt. He didn't need to say the words. She knew, and in her response, she hoped to convey the same message.

The kiss ended too soon, but she knew it would be the first of many so she was content to take his hand and continue their walk.

***

A week later, Alex had mixed feelings as he watched Autumn talking to another man in front of the mall. He and Autumn hadn't shared anything beyond a friendship, and yet, it was strange to think of her with someone else. After a moment of internal debate, he proceeded forward.

His steps slowed as he approached, and he tucked his hands into his coat pockets, noting the way Autumn laughed at something the man said. Alex frowned. He couldn't recall seeing her laugh like that since Marianne disappeared.

"I guess it might be a fun movie," Autumn told the man, brushing a wisp of hair from her eyes. "Okay. You talked me into it. I'll go see it." She glanced up then and smiled. "Oh hi, Alex." Clearing her throat, she stood and motioned to the man. "This is Devon. Devon, this is Alex."

Devon stood and shook his hand. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Alex replied, not sure of what else to say. But then he remembered seeing Devon before. "Weren't you at Dr. Reyes' office?"

"Uh yes. I took my co-worker there," Devon said.

Alex caught the hesitant look in Devon's eye and wondered about it. Something else seemed familiar about him, though Alex couldn't put his finger on it. Ignoring the prickling sensation in the back of his mind, he forced a smile. "So, you know Dr. Reyes?"

"No. I don't really know him. I know of him."

Again, Alex detected a hint of uncertainty about him. "He's a good man. He helped me a lot while I wasn't doing so well." Though Devon nodded, Alex sensed that Devon didn't believe him. "Well, he was good to me. He was the only person besides Autumn who believed me when I was going through a rough patch."

"Oh?" Devon glanced her way.

"Alex was engaged to my sister," she told Devon. "The vanishing wasn't easy on either of us."

"No, it wasn't," Alex agreed. Sometimes he still missed Marianne, but thankfully, the pain had ebbed and he could think of her with fondness.

"I imagine it couldn't have been," Devon replied, glancing at the ground. "Well, I should go. I only came for a couple of minutes." He looked at Alex. "It was nice meeting you." Turning to Autumn, he added, "I'll see you later?"

She nodded and waited for Devon to leave before clearing her throat. "How have things been? I haven't seen you in awhile."

"Things are okay. It looks like you're doing pretty good."

"Oh." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Yeah. I guess so. All things considered."

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Devon getting into his car. "Where do you know that guy from?"

With a shrug, she mumbled, "Around."

He frowned. Since when did Autumn hide the truth from him? Of all people he could trust in this world, she'd been at the top of his list. "What aren't you telling me?"

Her gaze traveled to the empty space next to her.

"Autumn?" he demanded, not enjoying the fact that she wasn't as open as she'd been in the past.

"You don't see the angel?" she asked.

His gaze traveled to the empty spot she pointed to. "There's no one there. It's just air, Autumn."

She looked as if she wanted to protest but finally said, "I hope you won't take the chip."

He laughed. "Is that why you're acting weird? Because I want an upgrade?"

"It's not an upgrade, Alex. Not really. It changes you. If you take it, you won't be the same person. They'll control you."

"They?"

"The Annunaki."

"I can't believe you. You know what I've been through—what they did to me at Area 51. The Annunaki healed me from all of that. Can you honestly look at me now and think I'm not better off?"

"I admit on the surface—"

"On the surface? I'm better all over. Inside and out."

"And you don't need to get worse again. Look Alex, I'm telling you this implant does something to people. It mingles with their DNA and something happens to change them. I don't understand all of it, but it's what the angel is telling me to tell you."

"What angel?"

"The one standing right next to me. The one you can't see."

He shook his head and dug his wallet out of his back pocket. "You need help." Pulling out Dr. Reyes' card, he handed it to her. "I'll take you to the appointments if you want."

"I don't need a psychiatrist, Alex!"

"Don't you? You're the one who's seeing things that aren't there."

"I'm not the only one who sees him. Devon can too."

Now it made sense. Devon was feeding into her delusions! "Autumn, there's nothing there, and this guy—Devon—is lying to you. Seriously, can't you tell there's something creepy about him?"

The door to the side entrance of the mall opened and Hampton marched over to them. "Autumn, you were supposed to be back at work two minutes ago. I'm docking your break time tomorrow for this."

Sighing, Autumn turned back to Alex. "I'm sorry. I have to go. Can we talk about this later?"

Though Alex nodded, he wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about any of this again. In some ways, he felt betrayed. She was hiding something from him, and he had a feeling it was something important. Was it something about Devon? Was Devon someone he wasn't pretending to be? He'd seen Devon somewhere else before, but he couldn't pinpoint where.

As she went back into the mall, Alex retreated back to his car and tried to decide what he should do next.

***

Autumn drummed her fingers on the counter, wondering what to do. Never once did she think she might develop a friendship—and more—with Devon. And yet, here she was, torn between protecting him and telling Alex the truth. Had the angel not intervened to tell her to keep silent in the matter regarding Devon, she might have caved. Alex was her friend. At one time, he was almost her brother-in-law. Marianne loved him so much she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. Betraying Alex had been a lot like betraying Marianne.

The guilt tore at her. After all he'd done for her and how good he'd been to Marianne, he didn't deserve to be lied to. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Try to look happy to be here," Hampton barked as he passed by.

Inwardly groaning, she opened her eyes and straightened. For his benefit, she plastered on a wide smile, knowing it looked as fake as it was.

Rolling his eyes, he said, "I know it's October, but you don't need to scare the customers. It isn't Halloween yet."

As soon as he was out of sight, she relaxed her face. If Alex could see the angel, it would make everything so much easier. But he refused to even explore the possibility of a spiritual world around them. She didn't understand it. Alex was a great guy. He'd been a devoted boyfriend to Marianne. He never engaged in the nefarious activities Devon had. And yet, Devon had been the one who sought help that couldn't be found on this world. If anyone should have believed her about angels and demons, it should have been Alex.

A customer walked over to her with a coat in her arms, so Autumn turned her attention back to her job.
Chapter Thirty-Four

"I feel like a new person," Vanessa said.

Devon glanced from the road to where she sat in the passenger seat and wondered just how, exactly, she was different. On the surface, she seemed the same. Sure, she was happier, but that was how she'd been when she started working with him. Curiosity getting the best of him, he decided to ask, "How so?"

She shrugged. "Well, for one, my eyesight is perfect. I don't need contacts anymore. I also don't have any wrinkles."

"I didn't know you had wrinkles."

"I did. They were starting to form on my face."

He chuckled. "Come on. What are you? Thirty?"

"True, they were barely there, but I noticed them every time I looked in the mirror. My friend took the implant, and her gray hair returned to its original brown color. This thing is amazing. It reverses the aging process."

"I hope that doesn't mean you'll end up a baby."

She giggled and shook her head. "Of course not, silly. It just keeps us in our optimal age as adults."

"Does that mean you won't die?"

"If we take good care of ourselves, we could potentially live as long as the Annunaki, and they're thousands of years old."

"What if the Annunaki aren't aliens? What if they're a lot closer than that?"

"Closer like what?"

Shrugging, he came to a stop at the red light. "Are you familiar with fallen angels?"

"Sure. In fiction."

"What if all the stuff about God, Heaven and Hell, and angels and demons are real?"

"So you're thinking the Annunaki might be angels?"

"Fallen angels."

"As in the bad guys?"

"Yeah. You know, the whole good versus evil thing. What if all the mythologies around the world had a shred of truth in them? What if some of the fallen angels who came to Earth in our past masqueraded as gods?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I used to wonder about stuff like that when I was in high school. Not necessarily that the gods were fallen angels, but I wondered why so many myths across the different cultures had similarities to them, especially when it came to the flood account." She winced and rubbed her forehead.

"What's wrong?"

Putting her hand down, she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "Nothing."

"That wasn't nothing, Vanessa. Are you in pain? Didn't you put the chip into your forehead?"

"Yeah. I thought it'd be a better place for it."

With a hesitant nod, he drove forward when the light turned green.

She bit her lower lip and turned her attention to the window. "So, you think there's something to the myths?"

"I've been doing a lot of reading, and the more I study the myths and compare them to the Bible and the Book of Enoch, the more everything makes sense. I know the Book of Enoch is not in the canon of Scripture, but it sure does explain a lot if it's true. It's an account of the pre-flood days where some fallen angels came to Earth and mingled themselves with people."

"And you think those fallen angels were considered gods?" She winced again but pressed on. "Then what? The offspring would be demigods? Like Hercules?"

"The Sumerian accounts of the Annunaki say the Annunaki came to man in his earliest stages and tinkered with his DNA. From there, people evolved. What if that was really the fallen angels mingling their DNA with humans to produce those mythological heroes? The Book of Enoch says God locked up those fallen angels but there were still others who remained. What if the rest of those who remained are now here to finish what the original ones started?"

Rubbing her forehead, she asked, "I don't know. I mean, I guess it would explain some things." She gritted her teeth.

"Are you alright?" He tried not to take his focus off the road, but the way she was wincing in pain was beginning to alarm him. "Vanessa?"

"Can we stop talking about this? I have a headache."

"I think there's something wrong with that chip. I'm taking you to the hospital."

"What?" She gasped and sat up. "No! There's nothing wrong with it."

"You're in pain."

"It's getting better now."

"I don't know. I'd feel better if you got it checked out."

"But they might remove it!"

"That wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to you," he said, making a right turn onto the next street.

It wasn't where they were supposed to go, but he thought if the hospital staff could remove that chip, then maybe he could explain the things the angel told him. He could even take her to Autumn. Maybe the angel would show up.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Testing his theory, he said, "I think God is coming back soon. I think the Annunaki are preparing for a war with Him."

She let out a soft cry and gritted her teeth.

"Your headache's worse now, isn't it?"

"I'll be fine. I just need a pain reliever," she muttered.

"A pain reliever? I thought that chip removed common human ailments like headaches."

"I've only had this chip for four days. It probably takes awhile to completely upgrade my body." She exhaled, looking relieved. "See? I already feel better."

He took in her relieved expression and frowned. "God."

She winced.

So there was a connection. The implant was, in some ways, mimicking Pavlov's classical conditioning. It was teaching people to avoid undesired thoughts, and God just happened to be one of them. As much as he knew she wouldn't like it, he turned onto the street where the hospital was. Maybe the hospital staff would get it out of her if he said it was giving her unnecessary pain, and if the hospital staff wouldn't take it out, he'd take her to his doctor. One way or another, he'd do what he could for her.

As he turned into the parking lot of the hospital, she narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you doing?"

"Something's wrong with you. You shouldn't be having a headache." When she frowned, he hedged, "It could be a side effect from the implant. Maybe something is wired incorrectly."

"No. Nothing's wrong."

Ignoring her, he parked three spots down from the glass entrance of the emergency room. He turned off the engine and slipped his key into his pocket. "It can't hurt to be sure." Before she could protest, he got out of the car and went to her side. He opened her door and held his hand out to her. "At least put my mind at ease?"

Refusing to accept his hand, she got out of the car and crossed her arms. "You're not trying to help me. You want my chip removed."

He hesitated to respond. "The chip won't let you even think of God." He caught the flicker of pain in her face and added, "All I have to do is mention God and that chip puts you into some weird—"

He didn't have time to blink before she grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground as if he weighed no more than a feather. She squeezed his throat, cutting off his airway, and despite the fact that he tried to pry her hands off of him, her nails dug deeper into his skin. Though he kicked at her with all of his strength, she didn't let go.

Autumn's angel appeared beside Vanessa. "You don't have permission to kill him."

Vanessa's red eyes glowed and her voice deepened into that of a man's. "Whose permission?"

"You know very well the answer to that," the angel replied.

"Vanessa belongs to us. She took the mark. She made her choice."

"As it is written, let it be. But Devon belongs to God, and you can't kill him without God's permission."

Devon felt as if the world was spinning around him but forced his attention on their conversation. Something significant was taking place, but the question was what.

Vanessa hissed at the angel. "God isn't going to be in charge much longer. We'll win this time." Then she released the pressure on Devon's airway so he could breathe again. Shooting Devon a sharp look, she growled, "Man will not inherit the Earth. Earth belongs to us."

The angel stepped forward to intervene, but two demons appeared and restrained him.

With a triumphant smile, Vanessa flung Devon across the parking lot, and all Devon saw was a passing blur before his body slammed right through the windows that lined the emergency room. He landed on the floor amid the broken glass, only partially aware he was skidding along the tile while people screamed. When he finally came to a stop, he had enough time to see a nurse hovering over him before everything went black.
Chapter Thirty-Five

Autumn cautiously entered Devon's room and stared in disbelief at the body cast that covered him. A tube was in his mouth and his eyes were shut, but the heart monitor beeped in normal rhythm, which was the only indication she had that he was alive.

It seemed unreal when she saw the report on the news about Devon being thrown clear across the parking lot and into the emergency room. Then his attacker was reported to have leapt up on top of the hospital building and ran off to who-knew-where? No one was even sure who did it.

With a heavy sigh, Autumn sat beside his bed and wondered if her life would ever be normal again. If she wasn't losing someone, she was visiting someone in a hospital. And Devon was the last person she thought she'd be coming to see. For some reason, she assumed he was above getting hurt because of his job.

She glanced around the white room with all the monitors surrounding his bed and shivered. She hoped she'd never end up in a place like this. Licking her lips, she tried to figure out what to do. Was she supposed to sit here and wait for something to happen or talk to him as if he could hear her?

After being silent for an awkward ten minutes, she cleared her throat. "You promised me you'd take me to a movie, and I'm holding you to it. So you have to get better." The joke seemed to fall flat which made her grow silent once again.

Finally, out of desperation to hear something other than herself or the machines, she clicked on the TV. She recognized the figure on the TV who called himself An—someone who was supposedly an alien. Not in the mood for more of the praise the media would lavish upon him, she changed the channel. Rolling her eyes, she changed it again, only to find he was on every station. With a sigh, she set the remote down, trying to decide if she was better off with the silence or not.

After a short debate, she decided to keep it on. She glanced at Devon and wondered if he had any idea he was in the hospital. For all appearances, he remained asleep, blissfully unaware of the condition he was in. Boy, are you going to hate waking up, she thought.

On the TV was An and nine Annunaki standing in front of the newly completed third Jewish temple. She couldn't help but think Marianne would be awed by the event. Marianne said one day another temple would be built, that it would signal the soon return of Jesus Christ to Earth. Without thinking, Autumn fingered the cross necklace Marianne once wore.

A blonde woman walked into the room, diverting Autumn's attention from the TV. The woman wore a nice dress suit and had her hair pulled back into a tight french braid. Her eyes widened as she looked at Devon. "Hmm... That Vanessa sure did a number on you, didn't she?"

Autumn watched as the woman strolled over to Devon's bedside and stroked the arm of his cast. Autumn shifted uncomfortably in her chair, wondering which bothered her more—the fact that the blonde ignored her or the way the blonde smiled at Devon. No. There was no contest. The smile bothered her more. On first inspection, it struck Autumn as one a lover might give the object of her affection, but then it seemed to take on a more primitive quality, as if the blonde couldn't wait to eat him.

Autumn shivered and forced her attention back to the TV where An was entering the temple.

"You should know better than to defy the Master," the blonde said. Autumn looked over at the blonde who clucked her tongue and tapped Devon's nose. "The Master won't like you tampering with what's his." The blonde kissed the top of his nose. "Poor Devon. There are things worse than death."

Autumn resisted the urge to tell the blonde to get away from him. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Are you his girlfriend?" She assumed he didn't have one since he was dating her, but she suddenly needed to be reassured.

The blonde turned her gaze toward Autumn and snickered. "You humans can be so cute." She traced the length of his cast and let her fingers linger on his pelvic region before giving Autumn a knowing look. "Jealous?"

There was something wrong with the blonde, Autumn decided as she turned her attention back to the TV. She wasn't sure if she should leave or not. The blonde intimidated her—something Autumn guessed was exactly what the blonde intended, but she didn't feel right leaving Devon alone with her.

On the TV, An entered the place in the temple called the Holy of Holies and sat down. Thunder rumbled from the sky. Autumn glanced out the window. Not a cloud was in sight. Stranger yet, the reporter on the TV commented on the thunder as well.

The blonde woman let out a low growl, so Autumn turned her gaze toward her. Staring at the ceiling, the blonde clenched her fists. "I will never bow down to You." Then she morphed into a reptilian looking creature that sprouted wings. In the next instant, she was back to her human form.

Autumn jumped up, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. What in the world did she just witness? It was nothing like the demonic creatures she was used to.

The blonde smiled at Autumn. "Hallucinating?"

Hardly. Autumn knew what she saw. A movement passed by her, and before she had time to direct her attention to it, another movement slipped past her other side. Gasping, she backed up against the wall as a dark mass grouped around the blonde. One by one the creatures took form. At first they were grey aliens and then they changed into shadowy figures with red eyes. She blinked and tried to assess how many were in the room. Twenty? Maybe thirty?

"Time is running out, Autumn," the blonde snarled. "You've been delivered into our hands, and we'll own you before the big event."

Autumn inched toward the door, wishing she could look away from them. Something in the way they shifted about, as if in a subtle dance, was hypnotizing. Though no sound came from the sinister creatures which crept closer to her, she could feel them laughing.

The blonde frowned in mock sympathy. "Oh poor, Autumn. Are you hallucinating again?"

One of the creatures hissed and lurched for her.

Screaming, Autumn bolted to the door and ran into a nurse who stood in the hall, just outside the room. When she looked back at Devon's room, the shadows vanished and the only people in the room were Devon and the blonde whose eyebrows rose.

"Are you okay?" the blonde asked, her voice soothing.

"Yes, ma'am. Are you okay?" the nurse asked.

It took Autumn a full three seconds before she could react. Blinking, she scanned the room again. Her pulse raced with dread. No. She didn't imagine it. It was real. It was like that time she saw the demon hovering over Alex at Area 51. Only this was much worse because there were more of the creepy things, and they seemed to multiply each time they moved. She could have sworn she'd seen fifty all together.

"Ma'am," the nurse said, nudging her arm. "Would you like a glass of water?"

"That's a good idea," the blonde added. "Autumn's been under a lot of stress. A nice, cool glass of water is exactly what she needs, especially when the place she'll be going to will be very hot."

The nurse wrapped her arm around Autumn's shoulders and led her to a chair. "Come on. Sit and I'll get you something to drink."

Autumn mutely sat in the chair not too far from Devon's room. She took deep breaths as she struggled to relax. She didn't imagine it. The whole thing was horribly real. Groaning, she placed her face in her hands and tried to think of what she should do.

Again, her attention went to a TV. Squinting, she read the caption rolling across the bottom of the screen stating that An claimed his death and resurrection made him a god.

The nurse handed her a cup of water and patted her shoulder. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little," Autumn lied. What was she supposed to do? Tell the nurse that she just witnessed a room full of demonic activity? And what was up with that blonde turning into a reptilian creature? Was that how fallen angels really looked? She thought the angel mentioned it but wasn't sure at the moment. Since the nurse watched her, she forced down the water and smiled. "Thanks."

The nurse seemed content for she nodded and headed off down the hall.

Autumn glanced around and noticed that no one was watching her, so she stood up and quietly made her way back to Devon's room. She peered around the doorway and saw the blonde woman surrounded by hordes of demons who hissed at Devon.

"I'm aware he's been sealed!" the blonde snapped at one of the demons. "We're limited but we can still use him."

"So long as he doesn't figure out how to stop us."

She snarled and swiped at the demon that dissipated and then reappeared toward the other side of the room, protected by the other demons between him and her. "I'm higher than you in the ranks," she told him. "You'd do well to remember that."

"I pledge allegiance to no one," he hissed.

Morphing into the reptilian form again, she stormed through the crowd of demons and grabbed the rebellious one before it could dissipate. "You are under my command. Would you like to be confined to one of the chains along the walls of Hell?"

It shrank and quivered. "No. I'm sorry. I'll do what you say."

She growled and let it go. "Let that be a lesson to all. I've sent others of your kind to Hell when they overstepped their bounds. You Nephilim are beneath me. Mind your place."

The other demons cowered from her intense stare.

Spreading her black-scaled wings, she made her way back to Devon and placed her hands on him. "You're no good to me in this condition. I spent years working on you, and if you think I'm going to let a little thing like God stop me, you have another thing coming."

A warm hand touched Autumn's shoulder, making her jump. She whirled around and saw the angel.

"You need to leave," he told her, his wings spreading out.

Noting the sword and shield in his hand, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you're here. That...that thing is ready to hurt Devon."

"You need to get out of here. They've requested to have you delivered into their hands."

She gasped and glanced in Devon's room where the Reptoid set her hands on his chest. "Them? You mean her and the others with her?"

He nodded. "Go quickly. And don't speak to anyone until I have a chance to talk to you."

Devon's heart monitor accelerated at a rate that caused a couple of nurses to run into the room. The Reptoid snarled as the nurses surrounded her, and Autumn marveled that the nurses couldn't detect the spiritual forces around them. The nurses passed through the demons and Reptoid, but the Reptoid kept her hands on Devon, focusing on something Autumn couldn't discern.

"Go home," the angel told Autumn before he headed into the room.

As much as Autumn wished to stay and make sure Devon was going to be alright, she knew it was a bad idea to ignore the angel's warning. She hurried down the hall to go home.
Chapter Thirty-Six

Alex tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair and glanced at the car keys resting on the coffee table. Should he talk to Autumn? Give her a chance to explain things? Maybe he misunderstood what was going on between her and that guy. Maybe he and Autumn didn't see eye to eye on the implant or spiritual matters, but he and Marianne hadn't agreed on similar issues and they got along despite their differences.

As he glanced around his apartment, he thought of how he and Marianne were supposed to get a house shortly after getting married. Sometimes he missed her and the future they were supposed to share together. Even if the Annunaki had come and healed him, there was still the lingering emptiness in his life.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. There was one picture he kept of Marianne, but he didn't keep it because of her. When he cleaned out his apartment from all memories of his fiancée, he opted to have one last memento of his previous life. In the picture, he had his arm around Marianne's shoulders, but his gaze went to Autumn who stood to Marianne's other side. The day had been a nice, sunny one, and they stood in front of the Heritage Center. Autumn looked nothing like her sister. The two were opposites, and that applied to outward appearances as well as their personalities.

Sighing, he glanced at the phone. Maybe he should call her. Decision made, he grabbed the phone and dialed her cell phone number. Her cell went directly to her voice mail, which meant she had turned off her phone. But that wasn't so unusual. She could be at work.

He ended the call and tried to think of what to do. He'd been meaning to get the implant but never seemed to have the time. Maybe he'd get it over with and then try calling her again, or he could stop by the mall and see if she was there. Either way, he figured it was best if they had a long talk.

Liking that decision, he put his wallet back into his pocket and collected the car keys.

***

The angel passed through one of the nurses who hovered around Devon as the heart monitor showed him that Devon's heart rate continued to accelerate. He held the shield up as the demons tried to bite and scratch him. They were too low in the ranks to be of any consequence, but he did worry about Keegan. Her rank was above his, and his request for reinforcements was slow in coming. No doubt she'd requested reinforcements as well and fallen angels had come to intercept the angels who'd left the third heaven to help him.

Readying himself for battle, he touched her shoulder. "You are not authorized to kill him."

Keegan spun around in her Reptoid form and hissed at him. "I'm not killing him, you pathetic sniveling coward who willingly bows before Him."

"Then what are you doing?" he demanded, watching as Devon struggled to breathe.

"Healing him. He's been delivered into my hands for a short time. If you have a problem with it, then go see Him about it." She turned back to Devon and placed her hands on his chest. A green light surrounded Devon's body while the nurses used their equipment to stabilize him.

"Why?" the angel asked.

When she didn't answer him, the angel slid his sword under her hands. She howled as it scorched her.

"I know what your plans are. This isn't about Devon. He's already been sealed. You want Autumn."

She snarled and knocked him over with one of her wings. He tumbled through the air until he passed through the wall and up into the sky. He adjusted his balance, extending his wings on the wind. Righting himself, he caught sight of the two angels who'd been sent to help him as they battled against the fallen angels who held them at bay.

Gripping the shield and sword, he flew back down to the hospital room. He pushed through the hordes of demons that seemed too excited over the prospect of healing Devon. Something about the whole thing wasn't right, but then, anything the fallen angels and demons did wasn't right.

He struck Keegan in the back with the sword, backing up in time as she roared and turned to retaliate. She leapt forward, but he flew up in time to avoid her sharp claws.

Devon's heart monitor stabilized, and the demons, Keegan, and the angel turned their attention to the nurses who breathed a sigh of relief.

"Get the doctor," one of the nurses ordered another nurse.

Keegan turned to the angel and sneered. "I told you I wasn't killing him."

The angel lifted his shield and sword. "It is in your nature to lie."

She advanced, her fangs glistening with slimy saliva.

The angel tightened his grip and got ready for her attack while the demons hissed a cheer for her and circulated the room in excitement.

Just as she roared and lurched at him, two fallen angels dropped in from the ceiling and knocked him to the floor. The sword and shield fell out of his hands as the fallen angels shoved him against the wall and secured him in place with chains.

The angel struggled but couldn't free himself from them. The only recourse he had was to wait for the other angels who'd been sent to help him. He only hoped that they wouldn't be much longer because he needed to get to Autumn before Keegan dispatched someone to speak to Autumn first.

***

Alex waited in the doctor's office for his name to be called. He flipped through the magazine on the table next to him and pulled out his cell phone. It was probably a bad idea to try calling Autumn again, especially since he kept telling himself he'd wait until he got the implant. Then he could assure her that the implant wasn't something to be feared.

With a glance at the article revering An for the miraculous chip, Alex sighed and dialed Autumn's number. Again, her phone took him straight to her voice mail. Why wasn't she picking up? Even if she was at work, this should be her break time.

He waited for the beep before he softly spoke into the phone. "Hey, Autumn. Will you call me when you get this message? I have something important to tell you."

As he hung up, the nurse called him back to the examination room. He slipped the phone into his pocket, stood, and followed her down the hall.

"You have the first room on the right," she told him with a friendly smile. "I see you're here for the implant."

"Yes." Clearing his throat, he chuckled. "Would you believe I'm nervous?"

She grinned. "There's no need to be. It's easier than a shot."

"Really?"

"Yep." She showed him her hand. "Barely a pinch, and it was over in a second."

Inspecting her hand, he barely noticed the mark where the implant had been inserted under her skin. "Did you feel any different after you got it?"

"I felt like a new person. Sharper, smarter, more energetic, healthier. It's amazing how this thing works. I even lost some weight without trying."

He nodded. It sounded just as good as the commercials claimed. So far, he couldn't come across any negative things about it, except for what Autumn said. But she was letting fear get in her way. She hadn't taken it. Her fears, as far as he was concerned, were unfounded.

"This will be a simple procedure," she told him as she motioned to the chair.

He sat down and waited while she checked his temperature and blood pressure. "How do I look?"

"Better than the last time you were here," she replied, thumbing through his chart. "You had borderline high blood pressure, but now, that's no longer an issue."

He nodded, not surprised to hear that. Before, he'd been taking medication and dealing with the grey alien who delighted in tormenting him. If there was one thing he could do without, it was the grey alien.

"I'm required to have you sign this form consenting to the chip," the nurse said. "You have to deny God and swear allegiance to An. Will you do that?"

Laughing, he said, "That's funny. How can I deny something that doesn't exist?"

She shrugged. "I said that same thing, but the Annunaki insist we deny God."

Thinking this was probably the funniest thing he'd heard in a long time, he took the pen and signed it.

"Thank you, Mr. Cameron. The nurse who'll administer the implant will be in shortly." She took the paper.

"Thank you." Relaxing as much as he could in the chair, he closed his eyes and tried to figure out the right words to say to Autumn. Up to this point, they'd been friends, but he thought they could be something more.

A minute passed before the door opened and a familiar blonde came into the room carrying a box with three sixes written on the side of it.

His eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't be sure but... "Are you the Annunaki who came to my apartment to get rid of the grey?"

She smiled. "Yes. I've been sent to oversee the affairs of Bismarck."

"So there are more Annunaki here than the ones heading up the ten nations?"

"There are many of us. Some were sent to lead nations and others to lead smaller forms of government, but we're all a part of the larger system. Each part needs the other. Just like a human body. Some parts might seem more important than others, but without everything doing its part, the whole system collapses."

"It sounds efficient. Your order of hierarchy, I mean."

Pulling the lid off the box, she said, "A house divided will fall."

"I'm surprised that you're sent here to be a nurse. I thought all Annunaki, even if they aren't leading the world would still have some governmental roles."

She took his right hand and studied it. "What I'm doing is more important than it appears. I'm helping mankind move to the next level."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply this part isn't important. I certainly appreciate it."

Pausing in her study of his hand, she made eye contact with him, and for a moment, he wondered if he was making the right decision. But then she gave his hand a friendly squeeze. "Alex, you've been through more than the average person. Those greys tried to break your spirit, and there are fragments of your memory that are missing."

His eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not sure I follow you."

"Alex, we've been watching you. We couldn't intervene on your behalf until the time was right. This chip will give you pieces of the puzzle you've been missing."

"What pieces?" he whispered as his gaze fell to the box full of needles.

"That night at Area 51. I've healed you from the damage they did to you, but if you take this chip, you will learn some unpleasant truths. I want to prepare you as much as I can."

Taking a deep breath, he wondered how unpleasant those truths could be.

"You will be better for it," she whispered.

Would he? He turned his attention back to her and noted the concern on her face. "Well, I'm a grown man, right? Surely, I can handle the harsher realities of life." After all he'd been through with that grey that haunted him in his apartment, he couldn't imagine anything else being worse. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he made his decision. "I want the implant."

With another smile, she pulled out a needle. "Would you like it in the hand or the forehead?"

"My hand, I guess."

"You'll only feel a slight sting. I'll stay here with you until your body adjusts to the changes."

"The changes are immediate?"

"The ones you feel will be."

He wasn't sure what she meant, but he figured the only way to find out was to go through with it. Placing his hand on the armrest, he watched as she aimed the needle between his thumb and forefinger.

"It'll be over before you can count to one," she said as the needle brushed his skin.

And, sure enough, before he had time to blink, he felt the sting as the chip went into his hand.
Chapter Thirty-Seven

The first thing Devon became aware of was the absence of pain. The last time he'd been conscious was right after Vanessa threw him through the window of the emergency room. Pain shot through his entire body before he lost consciousness. Now, as he opened his eyes, he realized there was no pain.

He tried to move but couldn't, except to wiggle his fingers. Then he noticed the tube that was down his throat and the tubes plugged into his nose. Taking in his surroundings, he realized he was in a hospital room, and worse, he was in a body cast. Just how much damage did Vanessa do in her enhanced condition?

Devon couldn't move in the body cast, but he could wiggle his fingers. He felt fine, but something told him that he shouldn't feel okay. He'd just been thrown across the parking lot and smashed right into the emergency room at breakneck speed. He should have been dead.

A nurse came over to him and smiled. "How are you feeling, Mr. Patrick? You got lucky. We thought we were going to lose you for a while there. But you're fine now."

A doctor walked into the room and picked up the chart at the foot of Devon's bed. "Good afternoon, Mr. Patrick. We've been ordered to release you."

"Release him? In this condition?" the nurse asked, not hiding her surprise.

"His employer demanded it."

"But his employer isn't a doctor."

"His employer is the government."

She glanced at him, her expression uncertain.

Devon wanted to shake his head, to scream for them not to let him leave the hospital, but with the tube in his mouth and his body stuck in a cast, he couldn't do anything but watch...and wait.

Two male nurses came into the room. One of them turned to the doctor and showed him a piece of paper. "We've been told to wheel him to the front entrance."

The nurse laughed. "You can't just wheel him down. He's hooked up to machines."

"Unhook him," one of them replied.

"Do as he says," the doctor told her and stepped back so the men could enter the room.

As the female nurse unhooked the machines, the male nurses got his bed ready to transport. Devon caught the shimmer of a white light against the wall. His eyebrows furrowed. He struggled to focus on the light which seemed to move. It took a moment to realize the light was Autumn's angel who was chained to the wall. He thought the angel tried to tell him something, but the bed moved forward and he had no way of turning his head to look back at the angel.

"He must be someone important," the doctor murmured to the nurse as the male nurses wheeled him out of the room.

Devon couldn't catch much of anything as he was transported down the hallway. Dark shadows seemed to be swirling around the area, but his eyes couldn't pick up anything distinctive. The nurse at the foot of his bed stopped and pressed a button that allowed the double doors to open. Devon tried to swallow, except the tube that was still in his throat prevented it. Something wasn't right. He shouldn't still be in a cast with a tube in his throat if he was allowed to leave the hospital. And the angel had been chained to the wall for a good reason. Perhaps the angel was trying to prevent something from happening? Something that was now going to happen to him?

Devon blinked, aware his pulse had sped up. Yes, the angel had been trying to warn him. And if the angel—a spiritual being—was incapacitated, then whatever was happening to him couldn't be good. He tried to tell the nurses to stop but couldn't. Grunting, he stared at the nurse in front of him, hoping the man would take the time to really look at him. The nurse didn't. He continued to move the bed forward and greeted another nurse as she passed by, oblivious to the noises Devon was making.

Then the nurse suddenly stopped and offered an apologetic smile. "My shoe laces came undone. Sorry."

Devon tried to make eye contact, but the man knelt down. Devon couldn't see the nurse behind him, but it didn't matter because that nurse was talking to another person who passed by. He groaned in frustration.

"We'll have you out of here soon," the nurse at the foot of the bed said as he stood back up. "I'm sure the government will take you somewhere better."

Devon blinked hard and grunted a protest.

The nurse in front of him motioned to other one. "You ready to go or are you going to keep on yapping?"

The nurse behind Devon said good-bye to the person he was talking to, and the bed moved forward. "You're the idiot that can't keep his shoes tied, and you're talking to me about wasting time?"

"Look, Patrick here is probably anxious to get settled into his new hospital room. It can't be easy to be awake in a body cast. I hope he's not in any pain." The nurse pulled the bed up to an elevator and pressed a button. "Are you in pain?"

Finally catching the nurse's attention, Devon gave one hard blink.

The nurse frowned and glanced at the other one. "Does one blink mean yes or no?"

"One is for yes and two is for no." The other nurse came into Devon's view. "Are you in pain?"

Devon blinked twice.

"Huh," the nurse said. "I wonder what the problem is."

Unless they asked him a yes or no question, Devon didn't see how he could tell them. He waited, hoping they'd ask him something he could answer.

"Are you tired?" one of them ventured.

Devon blinked twice.

"Do you need something?"

Devon blinked once.

"Is it something we can give you?"

Devon blinked once.

The nurses glanced at each other and shrugged. "We have no idea what that could be."

Devon turned his eyes in the direction of the nurse call button that was attached to his bed and pointed to it.

"Hey." The nurse nudged the other one. "Did you see that? He pointed with his finger."

"I think I know what he wants. He doesn't want to leave this hospital."

Devon blinked once.

"Why not?"

The other nurse shook his head. "He can't answer a question unless he can answer it with a yes or no." With a quick glance around, he whispered, "Let's take that tube out of his mouth."

"We can't do that," he whispered in return.

"I don't think he needs it anymore. Something happened to him since we last saw him. Maybe he's been miraculously healed."

He laughed.

"Miracle healings do happen." Glancing at Devon, he asked, "Have you been healed?"

Devon blinked once.

"Oh cool! Did you see an angel?"

Devon blinked once.

"He's pulling your leg," the other nurse said as the elevator doors opened. "Finally. These elevators are so slow. Let's go."

The nurse hesitated. "I don't know. He doesn't want to go. What if the angel told him something? Did you get a message from the angel?"

Devon blinked once, figuring it was close to the truth. The angel tried to tell him something, and if he could go back to the room, he'd find out what it was.

"I'm taking the tube out."

The other nurse grabbed his arm as the elevator doors closed. "You're not authorized to do that."

He rolled his eyes. "Something serious is going on, and it's our duty to protect the patient. He's still in this hospital, and that makes him our responsibility."

The other nurse relented.

"Okay?" he asked Devon.

Devon blinked once.

As the nurse got ready to take the tube out, the elevator doors opened and a familiar set of heels echoed off the floor. Devon's breath caught in his throat as Keegan came into view. What was she doing here?

"I'll take it from here, gentlemen," she told the nurses, making purposeful eye contact with them.

Their eyes grew wide and they backed away from the bed.

Devon wondered what they saw. Was it her Reptoid appearance? Did she actually permit someone to see her like that?

She turned to Devon and smiled. "Naughty, Devon. You should know better than to try to avoid doing what you're told. You're supposed to come with me. Government's orders." She waved at the nurses who stared at her with the same terrified look Devon saw Vanessa give her that time he took her to Dulce. It was after that incident when Vanessa stopped smiling.

Keegan pulled the bed into the elevator and pressed the button so the doors closed.

Never at any time had Devon felt more helpless. His only consolation was knowing she couldn't violate his body since he was in a body cast.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the nose. "You've been a bad boy, Devon. Here I invested all these years into you and all for what? All so an angel can try to stop me from taking you with me?" With a pout, she crossed her arms and added, "I'm liable to think you don't enjoy spending time with me. But don't worry. I've got something special planned just for you. We'll get you out of that cast soon enough, and then we'll wait for your surprise."

He didn't like the way she snarled as her eyes flashed to their reptilian form. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for whatever horrors she had planned for him this time.
Chapter Thirty-Eight

Autumn glanced at the clock in her apartment for what seemed to be the hundredth time. The angel hadn't come to speak to her, and she needed to get to work. She couldn't afford to miss another day of work, nor could she afford to be late. Hampton had given her a severe warning that she'd lose her job if she didn't go to work unless she was dying in a hospital somewhere.

With other employers making the implant necessary for employment, she didn't have much of a choice if she wanted to have food on her table and a roof over her head. As much as Hampton bothered her, she was grateful that he didn't make the implant a mandate. She still had a job, and right now, that job bought her a little more time to stock up on food and water as Devon suggested.

Getting to her feet, she grabbed her purse and cell phone. She debated whether or not to turn the cell phone on but decided against it. The angel said not to talk to anyone, and she would be sure to obey the angel this time.

***

Alex felt the rush of memories within thirty seconds of being implanted with the chip. The female Annunaki threw the needle out while his mind took him back to that time in Area 51. Bits and pieces rushed at him. Grey aliens hovering over him. Tubes going up his nose and down his throat. Cool fingers touching his forehead. Then when their probes went lower on his body. He shivered.

The female Annunaki went over to him and rubbed his back. "It's alright, Alex. I won't leave you until you come through this."

Her touch and soft tone soothed him, so he stopped resisting the memories. Closing his eyes, he let the memories emerge from their hiding place. The first thing he recalled was arriving at Area 51 with Autumn and finding that tunnel underground. There was a door at the end of the dark corridor, and he used his flashlight to see the number pad so he could punch in the combination which allowed them to open the door. They found themselves at another dark tunnel, except this time, there was a light up ahead. Just as they went forward, Autumn stopped. He asked her if she was okay before she shrieked and collapsed.

Startled, he dropped his flashlight and knelt by her. "Autumn?" he whispered, gently shaking her. But she was unconscious.

He started to pick her up, but a sudden chill swept through the tunnel. Glancing up, he caught sight of shadows that'd been hovering nearby the entire time he and Autumn had been there. It was hard to detect a form in any of them, though he was acutely aware of their presence. He shivered and picked Autumn up before he took a step back.

This was a mistake. He never should have insisted they come here. Maybe Marianne was down here somewhere, but there was no way he and Autumn were going to find her with those things lurking in the shadows. Maybe they could find another entrance. As he turned to leave, a group of shadows blocked his path. Looking over his shoulder, his suspicions were confirmed. They surrounded him. He held onto Autumn as he tried to figure out what to do.

One of the shadows stepped forward, and he caught sight of the grey alien. His jaw dropped. It was the alien who stood by his bed every night. It sneered at him and held its hand up. Extending one of its long fingers, it pointed to one of the shadows beside him. Another grey emerged from the darkness and reached for Autumn.

Alex tightened his hold on her. "No!" He couldn't let anything happen to Autumn because he was stupid enough to come here.

The alien hissed, and other aliens stepped out from the shadows toward him, their bony hands reaching in his direction.

Gulping, he turned around, seeking out any spaces between the aliens that he might slip through while they slowly crept closer. Shaking his head and muttering no over and over, he inspected the horde of aliens who seemed to be thriving on his fear.

"A fine specimen," one hissed, its black eyes flashing with something Alex could only describe as lightning.

"Fine indeed," another moaned in a mixture of sexual ecstasy and intense pain.

"Please, let us go," Alex whispered. He tried to clear his throat and speak louder, but he couldn't even swallow. What did these things want with him and Autumn?

"We've been ordered to take you in for experiments," the alien who'd stood by his bed responded in a happy tone. "We will find fit extensions through your seed."

What was that supposed to mean?

And then one of them touched him, its fingers piercing through him like an icy needle. He screamed and made a run for it. He managed to barrel past them despite the surge of cold air that traveled through the length of his body. In a split second, he actually believed he was going to make it, but the mass of shadows slid along the walls of the tunnel and spun around him. He fell down, taking care to land on his back so Autumn wouldn't get hurt.

The aliens came into view, their hands seeking him. He squirmed from their hands the best he could, but they closed in on him with swift precision and grabbed him. He screamed again, not knowing which was worse: the icy ripples shooting through him or the sensation of being torn limb from limb. His body remained warm and it remained in one piece, so he knew it was all an illusion. Even so, he never felt anything more real in his entire life.

They tried to grab Autumn but hissed and pulled back. "We haven't been given permission to touch her," one hissed at the others. "Leave her. We'll bring forth children from his body and dwell in them."

Before Alex could grasp their meaning, a white flash hovered over Autumn, and though he held onto her with all of his strength, the heat from the light forced him to let go. The light lifted her body in the air. He called out to her and attempted to stand, but the aliens clasped their hands on him and dug their nails into his skin. His screams echoed down the tunnel.

To say it felt like sharp knives piercing his flesh would have been an understatement. But in his mind came something far more worse than the physical state of his torment. A flash of fire, horns, and chains emerged, and with it came the feeling of complete and utter hopelessness as he glimpsed eternity. He didn't know what it meant, exactly, but he was glad when the mental image and feeling of despair ended.

The aliens lifted him up and carried him down the tunnel until they brought him through a set of doors. Passing through the doors, he squinted in the bright light. He glanced at his body, surprised there was no blood anywhere. There should have been blood. And his clothes weren't shredded either. Was it all an illusion? Did they really attack him? He tried to fight, to free himself from his captors, but it was no use. His body was paralyzed. He wasn't going anywhere unless they wanted him to.

They carried him to the end of the hall and through another set of doors where a set of footsteps echoing off the floor caught his attention. He saw the black shoes first. Polished. Shiny. Then he lifted his gaze to the immaculate dark blue suit and on up until he saw a man's grim expression.

A man's face he'd seen in snippets as memories of that night came to him in his dreams. And yet, when he saw the man talking to Autumn at the mall, he didn't make the connection. Devon. And Devon knew Autumn.

"Bring him to the table," Devon said.

They obeyed, placing Alex on a steel table before strapping him to it. Not that Alex was going anywhere. He still couldn't move.

Devon walked over to him, put a mask over his nose and mouth, and slipped on a pair of latex gloves. "This will sting for a second."

Alex wanted to ask what Devon was doing—what the aliens were doing as they watched in anticipation. Next to the table was a tray with a single needle on it.

With a look at Alex, Devon placed a hand on his shoulder. "You won't remember a thing." Then he picked up the needle while an alien rolled up Alex's sleeve. Devon's eyes met Alex's one more time. Devon whispered, "I'm sorry," and inserted the needle into his arm.

Alex opened his eyes and glanced at the Annunaki who squeezed his hand in sympathy.

"I'm afraid there's no turning back," the Annunaki said in a soothing tone.

Taking a deep breath, Alex said, "It's better I know who I can trust and who I can't." Then he closed his eyes and got ready for the rest of that night to come back to him.
Chapter Thirty-Nine

Autumn bit her lower lip as she sat behind the counter and rung up the woman's purchase. The angel told her not to speak to anyone, so she tried to get away with a lot of nodding, smiling, and waving. She glanced around her and sighed. The angel wasn't anywhere. She assumed that whatever he meant to tell her was important. So where was he? And what was happening to Devon?

The knots in her stomach tensed. She just knew something was wrong. She hated sitting here at work while Devon was facing who knew what? And then Alex... How could she explain anything to him when the angel forbade it? She had to listen to the angel.

Turning her attention back to the register, she finished making the transaction and held the bag of clothes toward the woman.

The woman took the bag and left.

Hampton came up to her with an all-too-familiar scowl on his face. "Say hello and good-bye to the customers, Autumn. We're here to sell clothes, not run a mime show."

Autumn waved her consent, hoping it was enough to get him off her back.

"Look, I'm not going to be working here after the end of the month."

Surprised, her eyes grew wide.

"It turns out that since I refuse to take the chip, I'm not allowed to work here. Do you have the implant?"

Autumn shook her head. She couldn't believe this. The Annunaki and human governments assured everyone that the chip would be voluntary.

"We're all just a number to them, Autumn. They're branding us like cattle."

She couldn't argue with him, but she still couldn't believe he was going to lose his job because he wouldn't take the implant.

He let out a heavy sigh. "Just wait. Soon we won't be able to buy anything unless we have that mass controlling chip. Human enhancement my—" he shrugged "you know."

Rubbing her forehead, she let out a shaky breath. Was this why Devon mentioned saving up on food and water? Because if she didn't take the chip, then she would end up unemployed? But if she was unemployed, then she wouldn't even have an apartment to live in!

Hampton shook his head. "The ironic thing is that people still believe these Annunaki are the good guys, and so many of them will take that mind controlling chip. By the time the Annunaki are revealed for what they really are, it'll be too late. More people really need to listen to Martin Conner! He's the only one left on talk radio who has any common sense."

As he walked off, Autumn closed her eyes, hoping he was wrong. She'd like to think someone would come along and expose the Annunaki. Perhaps the angels might step in to do that? She opened her eyes and searched for the angel, but he was still nowhere to be found.

Digging her phone out of her pocket, she debated whether or not to turn it on. She figured she better not. Setting it beside her on the counter, she reached for her bottled water and took a drink, wondering how much longer she'd be allowed to earn a paycheck. The threat of losing her job because she refused to get the implant was a morbid possibility, and despite her best effort, her hands shook.

Nerves. My nerves are completely shot. She sure could use a cigarette right about now, but her break wasn't for another hour. Tapping her fingers on the counter, she tried to decide what she could do to pass the time.

Her phone rang.

Surprised, she jerked and stared at the phone which beeped and blinked in a ring she designated for only one person. Marianne. She hadn't heard her phone ring that special tone since the morning of her sister's disappearance.

Tentative, Autumn reached for the phone and checked the caller ID. Sure enough. It said Marianne. For a moment, all she could do was watch the phone light up in her hand while it continued to beep. Gulping, she selected the button to answer it.

"Hello?" she hesitantly asked, aware of the fierce pounding in her chest.

"Autumn?" came Marianne's voice.

Autumn almost dropped the phone. "Marianne?"

"Help me, Autumn."

Gripping the phone, Autumn asked, "Where are you?"

Marianne said something, but the static on the other end prevented Autumn from hearing her.

"Where? Marianne, you're breaking up."

"Dulce. They have me trapped in level six. I—"

She struggled to hear her sister through the static. "Dulce, New Mexico?"

"Yes. Please hurry. I—"

More distortion came from the other end, and Autumn bolted to her feet. "Marianne? Where? Where in Dulce are you?"

Using Marianne's voice, Keegan whimpered and answered, "The base. There's an underground base here. Autumn, they're going to hurt me. Please hurry! Autumn—" Then she hung up the phone.

With a smile, she tucked the phone into her pocket and turned her attention to an unconscious Devon who was with her on the plane, still in his body cast and on a gurney.

"Well now, my dear," Keegan whispered as she tapped his nose. "When you wake up, things are going to get very interesting, aren't they?"

Returning to her seat, she buckled her seatbelt and smiled.
Chapter Forty

The cab came to a stop, and the driver shook his head. "I'm not going beyond this point."

Autumn turned her attention from her phone. She hoped Marianne would call again, but so far, she hadn't. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she asked, "But the underground base is about a mile away, isn't it?"

"And this is as close as I'll get to it."

Reluctant, Autumn got out of the cab and glanced at the late afternoon sky. If it were anyone but Marianne, she wouldn't go. But this was Marianne, and she'd walk on hot coals with her bare feet to see that her sister was safe. Currently, that meant walking by foot the rest of the way. She took a flight all the way to New Mexico, and she wasn't about to turn back now. As she paid the cab driver, she asked, "This road will take me to the base?"

"Yes. But lady," the driver grabbed her hand, "are you sure you want to do this? I've never seen anyone come out. At least, no one who isn't from the government." He scanned her up and down. "You're not from the government."

"No, I'm not." Forcing the worry in his expression from her mind, she cleared her throat and removed her hand from his. "Whether I make it out or not doesn't matter. I need to know I did everything I could for someone dear to me."

"Vaya con Dios," he whispered.

She didn't know what to say to that, so she nodded and turned in the direction of the base. With a deep breath, she pressed forward. She was in such a hurry after Marianne's phone call, the only things she had with her were a coat, a purse, and a cell phone. Marianne sounded so scared. The only thing Autumn could do was rush to the airport. Looking back, she might have packed something, though she didn't know what that something could be. It wasn't like she was skilled with a gun or anything. She didn't even know how she was supposed to get into the underground base.

Pulling out a cigarette, she lit it up and peered up at the evening sky. Soon enough, it would be dark. She assumed that meant getting into the base would be easier, but who knew? Taking a puff from her cigarette, she couldn't help but think this was the stupidest thing she'd ever done. If it were anyone but Marianne, she'd turn back. But this was about Marianne, so she continued her lonely walk.

***

Alex wasn't one to sit in a bar, but after everything he discovered, he needed a drink. The surprising thing was that the chip implant enabled him to drink as much alcohol as he wanted without getting drunk, and he didn't know if he liked that or not because right now he might be better off drunk—at least for tonight.

If he'd known how bad that time at Area 51 had been, he might have refused the implant. There was no going back now. The memories were out in the open. All the prodding and probing those grey aliens did to him... He couldn't think of a single orifice on his body they didn't insert something into, and Devon had left Alex alone in the room with those horrible creatures.

Probably the worst part of the whole experience was being paralyzed while the aliens did their experiments. They seemed more interested in his reproductive organs than anything else, for they kept talking about taking his sperm and blending his DNA with theirs. This would enable them to inhabit a hybrid alien-human body that would look entirely human but have superior strength and intellect. They called these hybrids 'super soldiers', and these soldiers were to fight the threat from above when the big event occurred.

Alex had no idea what they were talking about, but Devon was a part of it. Worse than that, Autumn had a role in the whole thing. He wasn't sure what her part was, exactly, but seeing her and Devon talking in front of the mall as if they were old friends made everything obvious. No wonder she looked guilty when Alex confronted her.

Gritting his teeth, Alex drank another shot of whiskey and slammed the glass on the table. How he wished he could get drunk for one night just so he could forget the sting of betrayal that made him wish he'd never become friends with Autumn in the first place. He rubbed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. He'd been such a fool.

Someone sat next to him, so he glanced to his right, surprised to see the blond Annunaki who'd given him the chip. "You come to bars?" he asked.

She smiled and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Not often. I was walking by and happened to see you from the window. You took the memories hard."

"Yeah well, I thought Autumn was my friend." He ran his hand through his hair and let out a bitter laugh. "You think you know someone and then you find out they turned you over to the bad guys."

The Annunaki touched his arm and gave it a light squeeze. "You're better off knowing the truth."

"I know." There was nothing worse than being played for a fool.

"Alex, those who don't take the implant can't be trusted."

He straightened in his chair and glanced around the room, knowing that some of the people there hadn't taken the implant. "I can't trust any of them?"

"Devon and Autumn refuse to take the implant. That's because they are in league with the greys. You saw it for yourself. You know what those greys did to you at Area 51. They've been doing this to people ever since the Roswell incident in 1947. And your governments were keeping everything secret." She paused and stroked his arm. "Can you imagine this world continuing with the greys working covertly with people on this planet? You know the damage they did to you. Do you think it's right for this to continue?"

"No. No, it's not," he whispered.

"And that's why I'm here. That's why the other Annunaki came. The time has come to put down the evil."

He scanned the bar, noting those with the chip implants had a symbol either on their right hand or forehead. "Can those without the implants see this?" He held up his hand and motioned to the image of the glowing pyramid.

She shook her head. "Only those we can trust can see the mark. It's to keep those we can't trust unaware of our game plan."

"Which is?"

"To make Earth safe for everyone."

He nodded. The mark was a good strategy, and it helped him know who he could trust.

"Alex," she added in a soft voice, "when we defeat the greys and those who have joined them, this planet will be a wonderful place. The utopia we've sought for so long will finally be here. Then, with the chip, man can be god."

The bartender poured another shot of whiskey into Alex's glass, so Alex thanked him and brought it to his lips. "So what do we do to those who don't have the implant?"

"Unfortunately, there's only two things we can do. Either have them take the implant to ensure they're on our side or get rid of them."

He took a deep breath before he downed another shot of whiskey. The chip in his right hand throbbed, sending a strange sense of pleasure to his brain which then submitted the sensation to the rest of his body. It was akin to being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold day. Nice. Comforting. Soothing. It might seem like a drastic measure—getting rid of those who opposed the Annunaki—but it was a necessary one.

"I'll do my part to make sure the greys don't destroy our prospect for peace on this Earth," Alex vowed.

She smiled and sat back. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me, Alex."

***

Autumn peered around the truck parked not too far from the well-lit entrance of the underground base. The man guarding the front paced back and forth, looking bored. She sighed and sat down, careful to remain out of his view. How was she supposed to get in there? And when she did get inside, how was she going to find Marianne? What exactly was level six?

Closing her eyes, she reached out and touched the necklace, suddenly wondering if she should have waited until the angel came to speak to her before she ran off to New Mexico. But where was he? She hadn't seen him since she was in Devon's room at the hospital. That was ten hours ago. Surely, she wasn't expected to avoid speaking to a single person for that long.

If it were anyone but Marianne...

She opened her eyes and turned her gaze to the night sky. Her mind flashed back to that time at Area 51 after she got Alex out of the room they were keeping him in. Back then, she'd seen hundreds of spaceships descending to the Earth. Now, she just saw the twinkling of stars.

Am I doing the right thing?

She took her phone out of her purse and turned off the volume in case someone called. So far, her sister hadn't called back. Biting her lower lip, she weighed the pros and cons of proceeding into the underground base, if she could even get in.

The ringing of another phone caught Autumn's attention. Looking around the truck, she watched the man answer his cell, and then he turned his back to her and walked a good distance from the entrance. Her pulse sped up. If she was going to do it, now was the time. She had to go in there. If she didn't, she'd always regret it because then she would have failed Marianne when Marianne needed her most.

Decision made, she made a run for it, trying to be as quiet as possible as she headed for the entrance.

The guard kept his back turned as Keegan instructed. He didn't dare ask her why he was supposed to let the woman into the base. Asking questions of any kind wasn't good. That's how Riley mysteriously 'disappeared'.

"She's almost in," Keegan told him. "Don't turn around yet."

He glanced up at one of the cameras along the perimeter and wondered which one she used to monitor things. Clearing his throat, he said, "I haven't moved," though it was unnecessary. But he said it because he couldn't stand the awful silence on the other end. One thing he hoped to never do was meet Keegan in person. He heard accounts from people who claimed to have seen her in her true form. They said she was Reptilian. It made sense. Plenty of them lived here.

He shivered and crossed his arms as he waited for Keegan to end the call. Again, the dreaded silence hung thick on the line, and he resisted the urge to turn the phone off.

"Alright. She's in," Keegan finally said.

He nearly collapsed with relief.

"You've been a good boy. Now return to your post."

She hung up, and he let out an audible sigh of relief. Thank goodness! It was over. He slipped the phone back into his pocket and continued pacing back and forth in front of the entrance, pretending he didn't notice the woman as she hurried down the corridor. She thought she could hide from all the cameras as long as she clung to the shadows. He shook his head. She'd be lucky if she ever saw the light of day again.
Chapter Forty-One

Devon's heart raced with nervous dread. He recognized the long white corridor that loomed before him. But unlike the other times he'd been to Dulce, he was wearing his dark blue suit. When he woke up, he found himself fully recovered and his clothes neatly folded in a pile on the chair beside him. On top of his clothes was a note with the instructions to get dressed and step outside his small room.

It didn't dawn on him until he opened the door that he was at Dulce, and the corridor was on a level he'd been to in the past—one he dreaded above all others. Level Six. Nightmare Hall. He stood still in the corridor and tried not to think of all the things Keegan did to him here.

Keegan. She had brought him here. With a shiver, he tried to figure out if he could escape before she found him. Probably not. There were too many cameras, too many monstrosities lurking nearby with their attention on all humans who darkened these corridors.

God, what did she want to do to him this time?

Then he remembered he was wearing clothes and breathed a small sigh of relief. That meant she wouldn't do anything sexual to him. Of all the things she'd done to him, that was the worst.

With hesitant steps, he proceeded forward. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could get out of here. He didn't make it five steps before Keegan appeared from another hallway.

"Oh good! You're awake," she said as she approached him. "You're looking pretty good for a man who had almost every bone in his body broken. That Vanessa sure did some damage, but I healed you."

"Why?" He mentally cursed himself for asking the question. It wasn't his place to ask her anything.

She looked as if she might scold him for a moment but then shrugged and slipped her arm around his. "I'll humor you this time. I have a surprise for you, and how can I show it to you unless you're healthy enough to enjoy it?"

He frowned as she led him forward. This wasn't good. Nothing with Keegan was good, but this had a particular ominous warning to it that had all of his senses on high alert.

They stopped in front of a room. Winking, she opened the door. "You'll wait here while I get it for you."

Get what for him? His stomach tensed, but he obeyed her and entered the sterile room. A row of tubes and microscopes rested on a table which was against a wall to his right. In the corner of the room to his left was a large freezer that stood upright. Behind him was another table with needles carefully laid out and marked in a language he didn't understand. He assumed it was alien language—or demonic, depending on how one looked at it.

She patted him on the shoulder and motioned to the chair by the center table. "Have a seat. The surprise is not quite ready for you yet."

He hesitated but knew he had no other option, so he did as she instructed and swallowed the lump in his throat. He could do it. He could get on that table when the time came and allow her to do whatever experiment she wanted. As long as he had his clothes on, it couldn't be that bad.

"Now, you just sit tight," Keegan said and massaged his shoulders.

He closed his eyes and forced his mind off her touch. Her hands alternated between the sensation of freezing his skin and making it burn.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I can't wait to see the look on your face when you see what it is." A chill ran up his spine as she let go of him. "I'll be back soon."

He watched as she shut the door, leaving him alone in the room. Rubbing his eyes, he repeated, I can do this, over and over until he started to think it was possible.

***

Autumn looked around to make sure no one saw her and pressed the elevator button. She checked her cell phone. Still no call from Marianne. She pressed Marianne's number in her autodial, but a busy signal came through the other end. Frustrated, Autumn shoved the phone into her purse and zipped it up. She wouldn't waste her time in trying to call Marianne to find out exactly where on level six she was. She'd have to wing it once she got there.

A man appeared around the corner, talking on his cell. She searched for a place to hide, but he spun on his heel and headed back to where he came from. She breathed a sigh of relief. That was close. The elevator door opened and she stepped inside before anyone else got within viewing range of her.

Pressing the button that would take her to level six, she settled against the wall, thankful for the brief reprieve. Even as she chastised herself for coming here, her pulse raced with the hope she might see Marianne soon. All she wanted to do was get Marianne out of here and go home. Then she could go on with her life.

She brushed the tears from her eyes and regained her composure. Focus. If she focused on the goal, her mind would be clear and she could do it. Exhaling, she straightened and got ready for the doors to open. Once they did, she peeked into the dimly lit hall. So far, so good. No one was in sight.

She stepped out of the elevator and scanned the hallway, unsure of whether to go right or left. The sign on the wall in front of her wasn't in a language she understood, so that was a dead end. Since the hall on her left looked the darkest, she opted to go that way, figuring it was easier to blend into the shadows as she'd been doing all this time. It had worked so far. No one found her yet.

She hurried down the hallway, practically on tip toes in an effort to be quiet though she was painfully aware of the soft echo bouncing off the walls. The hall curved to the right, so she followed it and slowed when she realized a large window was up ahead. It was eerily reminiscent of her time at Area 51. But maybe that was good. She got Alex out of there. Maybe she'd get Marianne out of here. Yeah, but last time you had an angel's help, she thought. Last time, she'd made a horrible mistake in not listening to him. And as much as she didn't want to admit she was making a mistake this time, the small voice in her head told her she was.

Pushing it aside since she'd gone too far to turn back now, she walked up to the large window that was ten feet wide and five feet high. She gasped as her gaze settled on the panoramic view of a room that, if she was to guess, spanned a good mile. In this room were rows of sleeping people who were suspended in mid-air. She had no idea how many people there were, but she had to find out if one of them was Marianne. If she could get Marianne out, then they'd go to the police and tell them about all of these people who were being kept here. Then the rest of them could be released.

She rushed down the hall until she found a door and opened it, conscious of the click it made. Entering the room, she realized she stood at the top of a staircase. There were so many people. How was she going to find Marianne? A thorough scan of the room didn't help her, so she decided to do the only thing she could: go down the stairs and walk between the rows of people. Her steps were shaky, but she managed to get to the bottom of the metal staircase. Gulping, she chose a direction, praying it was the right one and traveled down the dimly lit room. It was eerie to be surrounded by people whose eyes were open when they seemed to be sleeping. She thought of waving her hand in front of their eyes but lost her nerve. If one of them blinked, she just might lose it.

Her steps were barely a whisper on the hard floor as she inspected everyone, wondering if—or when—she'd see her sister. Sniffing back the urge to cry, she focused on why she came. If she could see Marianne again... She wiped a tear from her eye and proceeded forward.

And then her eyes caught sight of someone who was familiar. Alicia! Forgetting to be quiet, she rushed forward and stopped at Alicia's comatose body. She nudged her friend and whispered, "Alicia?"

Alicia didn't respond. Autumn supposed she shouldn't be surprised but she was. She shook Alicia, trying to figure out a way to break her free from whatever invisible force was suspending her, but it was no use. Alicia swayed from side to side but didn't wake up or fall to the floor. Autumn brushed back more tears.

"Come on, Alicia," she whispered as she turned Alicia's face toward hers. "It's me. Autumn. Can't you wake up?"

Alicia's vacant eyes stared right through her.

"Well, you found one of your friends after all," someone said from behind her.

Gasping, Autumn let go of Alicia and spun around to face Keegan.

"Fancy meeting you here," Keegan smoothly stated, motioning to the two guards who stood behind her. "I see you couldn't get enough of me from when we met in the hospital."

Autumn's throat went dry. She took a step back but bumped into something. Looking over her shoulder, she saw another guard. Where did he come from?

Keegan clasped her hands behind her back and clucked her tongue. "Oh, Autumn. When will you learn that when an angel tells you not to speak to anyone until he returns, he means anyone?"

It was then Autumn understood two things. One, she failed again. Her lack of faith had caused her to get into two dangerous situations. The first, at Area 51. And now, here. She had no reason to believe she'd get out of this like she managed to get out of Area 51. The angel would let her rot for this one, wouldn't he? Or maybe the more accurate question was, would God hand her over to the fallen angels and demons now? God? Where did that come from? But it made sense. If there were angels and fallen angels, then there had to be a God, didn't there? Devon believed it. Marianne believed it.

The second thing Autumn understood was that Marianne wasn't here. Marianne had disappeared the first time. But Alicia disappeared the second time. Autumn caught a glimpse of another familiar face—one from a picture of a son that his mother had showed her that day after the second round of vanishings occurred. What made the first vanishing different from the second?

Keegan walked up to Autumn and gave her an all-too-happy smile. "Your thoughts betray you."

Autumn reluctantly looked at her. "You can't read my thoughts."

"I can feel your emotions. You're afraid. You're looking around this room and wondering why Marianne isn't here."

Autumn opened her mouth but didn't speak.

"It's simple, Autumn. Didn't Marianne ever tell you about a Rapture? I'm sure she did. She was such a goody-goody. Always reading her Bible. Clinging to what it said. She was absolutely infuriating. If it weren't for her prayers, we would have gotten our claws into you long ago."

Autumn noticed two more guards moving in from her left and right. They had her boxed in. Even if they didn't, she doubted she would be able to escape. She was no match for these spiritual entities.

Keegan giggled and beckoned Autumn to follow her. "I have someone waiting for you."

Autumn shook her head. There was no way she wanted to go anywhere with this fallen angel...or any of the others that surrounded her. She wanted out of here, but she had no idea how to do it. Did she pray for it? But to who? God?

Keegan clapped her hands, breaking Autumn out of her thoughts. "Now, now. There'll be none of that type of thinking here. Either you come along with me or they'll carry you." With a smirk, she added, "And if they do that, I can't be held accountable for what they'll do when they touch you."

It was then Autumn noticed the guards' pointed teeth and red eyes as they sneered at her. She didn't have a choice. No matter what she did, Keegan would get what she wanted. Reluctant, she moved forward.

"Good," Keegan said in a pleasant voice. "It's nice to see that you have some common sense. Come along. Your friend has been waiting for you long enough. We don't want to keep him waiting."

Him? "You mean Alex? Did you bring him here?"

"Interesting. You have no need to worry about Alex. He's one of us now."

What was that supposed to mean?

Keegan turned on her heel and headed for the stairs, putting an end to the conversation, and Autumn had no choice but to follow.
Chapter Forty-Two

Devon stood up when he heard the door open. Keegan gave him a wink before she stepped aside. It took a moment for his mind to register who followed Keegan into the room with several guards surrounding her.

Autumn.

He tried not to show the horror he felt, but Keegan snickered. "I thought you two should be reunited," she said. "Did you know she paid you a visit at the hospital?" She chuckled and put her arm around Autumn's shoulders. "Silly me. Of course, you didn't. You were unconscious." She squeezed Autumn's shoulders, and Autumn winced. "I can see why you're attracted to her. She's kind of cute, even if she is human."

Devon closed his eyes and wished he could go back in time. He thought he'd been so careful when he saw Autumn, but for all he knew, Keegan toyed with him and made him believe Autumn was safe the entire time. He dared to open his eyes and look at Autumn, knowing there was no way he could adequately convey how sorry he was that she ended up here because of him. Autumn only glanced at him, the fear evident in her eyes, before she directed her attention to Keegan and the guards.

Keegan let go of Autumn and walked over to him. "Don't feel too bad. You did fool me for a while there. I'm actually impressed you managed it for as long as you did." She motioned to one of the guards. "Shut the door, hmm?"

He obeyed and returned to where the others stood.

Keegan cupped his face in her hands and made eye contact with him. "Level six reinforcement," she whispered.

His mind flashed to what that code meant and what he was supposed to do when he heard it.

"Take her to the table," she instructed a guard.

Autumn fought to get away from the two men who grabbed her, but she was no match for them. Keegan held her hand out to another guard who picked up a needle from one of the trays on a table. Devon's attention shifted from a struggling Autumn to a very happy looking Keegan. Then his gaze went to the needle. The guard handed it to Keegan.

Keegan's smile widened as she showed Devon the needle. "Luke, you know what you need to do for those who refuse the leader's mark."

Devon stood still for a moment, aware that Autumn was being strapped to the table. She called out for Devon to help her, and he had to fight the urge to wince. This was one of his nightmares coming to life.

Autumn screamed and one of the guards strapped duct tape over her mouth so her cries for help were muffled.

"Luke," Keegan purred in his ear. "You need to do the right thing. She needs to get the chip."

Devon's mind flashed back to his last time at Dulce when they had created a new personality for him. Had the parasite they inserted into his spine not been removed, he wouldn't have a choice. But he did have a choice. He glanced at Autumn who was secured to the table. Taking a deep breath, he did the only thing he could think of.

He slowly made his way toward her, bracing himself so he wouldn't react to the tears she kept blinking away as she struggled against the straps that bound her. The look in her eyes told him she feared him and what he was going to do to her, and that pained him more than anything else. He hated the way she viewed him in that moment. A monster. A traitor. Someone who'd betrayed her trust.

His gaze fell to the cross necklace around her neck, and he leaned close to her, pretending he was ready to inject her in the forehead when he whispered, "Make the decision, Autumn. If you do, they can't touch you."

She stopped struggling and focused on him.

"The angel. Remember what he said when we were in the car? That night at the park? The night of the second vanishing?" He lowered his gaze to her necklace for emphasis.

Autumn's gaze lowered to the necklace and she nodded.

He heard Keegan's familiar steps approach, so he spun around and struck Keegan in the chest with the needle.

Keegan morphed into her Reptilian form and roared. "Guards!"

The guards morphed into black shapes that swirled around Devon and Autumn.

"You owe me, Devon," Keegan hissed. "I spent a lot of time working on you to get you ready for hybridization, but now I can't touch you because you're covered under the blood of the Lamb."

Encouraged, Devon used his body to form a barrier between the others and Autumn. Mustering the courage he didn't feel he had, he closed his eyes and prayed for help. Keegan hissed and shoved him against the wall. The shadows leapt at him, and though he struggled against them, they kept him pinned to the floor and snarled, sulfur emanating from their mouths. He coughed from the stench, sure he was going to throw up.

Devon managed to wiggle enough so he could see what Keegan was doing. Even as the shadows hissed at him, he saw Keegan grab one of the needles and return to Autumn who wasn't squirming on the table.

Autumn did it. She made the choice. That was the only reason she'd stop trying to escape. He recalled how he'd felt on the plane when he asked God to save him. As terrified as he'd been when he thought he was going to die, in the next instant a warm feeling of peace had come over him. And now that peace had settled over Autumn. She was protected, and nothing Keegan could do to her would cause lasting harm, which meant she couldn't get the chip.

As he suspected, Keegan's attempt to implant the chip into Autumn failed. Keegan growled and marched over to him. She lifted him up by the collar and shoved him against the wall. "I hate you," she hissed, her eyes glowing red.

He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw flames roaring in them. "I read the book, Keegan. I know how it ends. This big event you spoke of that night of the second vanishing... That's the night man inherits the Earth. It's when you and all those who follow you will lose."

Her claws dug into his shoulders as she let out a low growl. "You can't be sure. The future hasn't happened yet."

"You think you're in control? You want to kill me, but you can't because God won't let you. You can't do anything unless He gives you permission. This is His domain, and He's promised it to man. He—"

"Enough!" She drew back one of her hands.

He braced himself for the blow of her impact, but she couldn't strike him. Her hand remained frozen in mid-air. He felt her frustration and knew she wanted more than anything to kill him but couldn't.

One of the shadows resumed human form and said, "We may not be able to put a chip into Autumn, but we can inject her with a disease."

Keegan glanced from the guard and returned her gaze to Devon. With a sly smile, she told the guard, "Do it." Still holding him against the wall, she chuckled. "I guess your girlfriend won't be of much use to you after all."

Devon knew he couldn't physically stop the guard as he went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a needle, but if the angel would come... He began praying that God would send help when Keegan dropped him to the floor and stepped on him with enough force that it knocked the air out of his lungs.

"They'll be no praying here," she snapped.

The rumbling sound rolled over them, and before Devon could blink, Autumn's angel led a group of other angels through the walls and into the room.

Keegan and the guards whirled toward the angels. "Chain them up!" Keegan ordered before she ran over to the door and pressed an alarm.

The angels lifted their swords and shields before they charged for Keegan and the guards. Keegan and the guards shot fire from their mouths to hold them back, but several held their shields up and advanced.

One of the angels helped Devon to his feet while another unstrapped Autumn, removed the duct tape over her mouth, and gave her the purse she'd brought with her. "Hurry," the angel told him. "Take Autumn and get out of here. And whatever you see, don't stop."

Devon wanted to ask what the angel meant by the last part of his instructions, but another angel ordered them to go. Devon took her hand and hurried out of the room.
Chapter Forty-Three

As Devon and Autumn ran down the hall, the emergency alarm blared and the lights dimmed to the point where he had a hard time finding the door he thought might take them to the elevator. He found the door to the left and opened it.

Two Reptoids barreled down the hallway in their direction, so Devon motioned to Autumn to go back. He found the closest door that was unlocked and drew Autumn into the empty hallway with him so they could hide before the Reptoids saw them. He listened at the door and heard the Reptoids outside the door talking. He couldn't make out their language, but they were probably discussing the nature of the emergency.

He turned and joined Autumn in running down the hallway until they reached another corridor and turned. Up ahead was a series of windows. As they walked by, he took a moment to look through them and saw labs. He'd heard of the human-animal and animal-animal hybrid experiments that were on this level, but he'd never gotten a look at the labs.

Even from the glass and dim lighting, it was hard to make out the hybrids in their cages, but he was sure he saw a horse with wings in one cage and a seven-foot batlike man in another. When he realized a few people in lab coats were retrieving their belongings, probably because they were instructed to evacuate the level, he motioned to Autumn to duck below the windows so no one would see them as they hurried down the hall. They made it to another door before anyone caught them and found an elevator.

He pressed the button to go up, but as he feared, it was shut down due to the emergency. "We'll have to take the stairs," he told Autumn.

She nodded and joined him as he hurried down the rest of the corridor. What he most hated about Dulce was the fact that the levels were like a maze. It was easy to go in circles or hit dead ends if one wasn't careful. He found the stairs and opened the door. As they took the first step to go up, a vibration and assorted cursing from above made them stop.

A multitude of demons slithered down the steps, startling Devon who backed up and quickly led Autumn down another flight of stairs. There was no way they could avoid that many demons, nor was he interested in trying to get around them on a stairway. He thought to go down a few steps and wait for all of them to get to level six, but they seemed to keep coming.

"We'll have to go through level seven," he told Autumn.

"Level seven? How many levels are there?"

"No one is sure. No human is allowed below level seven, but some hypothesize there are alien culture centers from level eight on down."

She shivered, so he squeezed her hand. "We'll make a quick trip down through level seven and come back up another stairway. Right now all the demons and fallen angels are heading for level six. Once they get all of their reinforcements in, the stairs will be clear."

"I hope so," she muttered under her breath.

He led her to the lower level and cautiously opened the door. The dimly lit hallway led them straight out to a set of doors further up ahead. He hadn't been below level six, but he knew enough of the alien language to recognize the symbol for the stairwells. All he had to do was follow the signs located throughout the maze of hallways. "Let's hope this is quick," he whispered and stepped into the hallway.

She joined him and they walked down the corridor. She inched closer to him, and though she did it for comfort, it comforted him as well.

When they reached the set of doors, he opened one and peered out of it. A knot tightened in his stomach. The large room contained jars of numerous genetic experiments. He glanced back from the way they came and debated going back, but then the door at the other end of the long hallway began to open and in his panic, he pulled Autumn into the large room with him. He held the handle of the door down so it wouldn't make a loud click when he shut it. Whatever was behind them would be coming through here, and he thought of hiding until the thing passed, but then thought better of it. The angel warned them to keep going, regardless of what they saw and that's what they'd do.

Holding onto Autumn's hand, he weaved around the jars of various sizes. The small jars sat on tables while the jars that were taller than him rested on the floor. Autumn let out some gasps, and though he tried to keep his focus on the other door at the end of the room, curiosity won out and he turned his attention to the contents in the jars.

The jars were filled with liquid, and he couldn't decide if the liquid was there to keep the hybrid offspring alive or well-preserved in death. The things didn't seem to be alive, but then how would he know? His part in genetic tampering had been to help make super soldiers at Area 51. The stuff they were doing here was out of his league.

His steps slowed as he realized each jar had a number taped onto it. Furrowing his eyebrows, he started keeping track of the numbers as he and Autumn weaved around the jars, aware that the thing behind them was now in the room. As long as they kept quietly moving around the big jars, the thing shouldn't be able to see them. He guessed they had another quarter mile to go before they reached the door on the other side.

Still, his gaze kept going to those numbers because it suddenly occurred to him that they were government employee identification numbers, and his was bound to pop up somewhere in here. All those experiments they did on him... Everything Keegan had done to him... The results had to be somewhere in this room.

Even as he inwardly shuddered and told himself to keep his focus on the door, he continued to study the numbers. They went up. That pattern led him further up ahead until he caught sight of his number. His steps came to a halt as he examined the two large jars and five small jars. Mutant children. One had no limbs and a Reptoid head. Another only had half a human body with Reptoid scales on it. Two in large jars seemed almost human except there were no genitals. When one opened its eyes and mouth, there was nothing there. Just skin. The other stretched an arm and its body shook violently. The fluid prevented it from making a sound, but it appeared to be in pain. A small jar contained an embryo with its heart and half of its brain on the outside of its body.

Devon shook his head and took a step back. He thought he was going to throw up. Even though he knew Keegan had to be making offspring from him, seeing the evidence hit him like a ton of bricks.

Autumn pulled on his hand. "It's getting closer," she mouthed and pointed toward several large jars three rows behind them.

Something in him snapped, and he followed her as she maneuvered around other jars that were large enough to hide them. They made it to the door and quickly slipped through it. Devon scanned the hallway that was lined with doors. He glanced at the door they'd just shut and knew he had to make a decision fast. Picking a door at random, he tested it. Since it was unlocked, he opened it, noting how cold it was in the room. The door they'd just shut began to open, so he urged Autumn inside and followed her in, making haste in closing their door before whatever was behind them could see which room they chose.

Autumn began to scream, so he clamped his hand over her mouth and drew her close so he could turn her eyes from the contents of the freezer. He guessed it was the size of a bedroom, but it contained human organs on the shelves, neatly wrapped, preserved and tagged. Taking his eyes off the many organs, he turned his attention to the door, wondering if the thing behind them would open it.

After a minute passed, he let go of Autumn and gingerly opened the door. The hallway was clear. Breathing a sigh of relief, he motioned to her that it was safe and she hurried out of the freezer with him. He peered down the length of the hall and saw some signs. Good. Now they were getting somewhere! He took her hand and strode forward, only mildly picking up on the sounds of human screaming as they got further down the hallway.

When they reached the signs, he picked out the one for stairway and headed in the direction it pointed them to. They went down the next corridor to their left. He noticed the screaming got louder, and even as something in their shrillness made his skin crawl, he hurried to the next sign which stood at the division of the hallway. The one marked for the stairs would take them through another room.

He hid his disappointment. All he wanted was to be out of there already. Glancing at Autumn, he noted her wary expression and whispered, "Let's hope this room will be the last one we'll have to go through."

She nodded. As they went toward the room, the screams got louder, and he guessed this was going to be as unpleasant as everything else they'd seen so far. Bracing himself, he opened the door. This room spanned about a half mile and was empty in the center. Along the perimeter were cages, and in those cages were people who were denied clothing and, from the looks of it, any grooming supplies. He swallowed. Even if most of the people seemed drugged, a couple didn't, and he couldn't decide who looked worse off.

Recalling the angel's warning to keep going, he grasped Autumn's hand and ran down the length of the room, keeping his focus on the door. When they reached it, he flung it open and found the hallway went left and right. The stairs were to their right, and they didn't waste any time in going there.

They made it up two flights to level five when Autumn's angel appeared to them. Devon almost collapsed with relief. He'd never been so glad to see an angel in his entire life.

"Come," the angel said. "We've restrained them long enough to get you out of here. Follow me."

Devon and Autumn did as the angel instructed.
Chapter Forty-Four

Vanessa straightened her coat and took a deep breath as she approached the nurses' station. She couldn't believe what she'd done. The incident in the parking lot seemed like a blur. As much as she tried to remember the details, she only got snippets of how she got from being in Devon's car to ending up on the other side of the hospital. Then she heard of how Devon was injured and in a body cast. How she hoped she wasn't the one who did that to him! He'd always been kind to her. She winced and rubbed her head. She exhaled and cleared her thoughts, noting the headache lessened as she did so.

When she reached the nurses' station, she waited for a nurse to greet her before she said, "Hi. I'm Devon Patrick's co-worker. Can I see him?"

The nurse looked over her shoulder. "Hey, Claire. Isn't Patrick the one they took on out of here?"

The nurse nodded. "He's not here anymore, ma'am," she told Vanessa.

"Do you know where he is?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm sorry, but we weren't told."

Vanessa sighed. That could only mean one thing: the government ordered his release. She didn't know as much of what was going on as Devon did, but she understood enough to know that even with the Annunaki coming to destroy the Illuminati, there were still some unsavory people working in the government who needed to be weeded out. Despite what she did, she hoped he was alright. Another stab of pain shot through her brain.

"Ma'am, are you feeling sick?" the nurse asked.

Vanessa cleared her throat and gripped her purse. "No. I'm fine. I just need to get some fresh air." Without waiting for a response, she turned and left the nurses' station.

Devon would be fine. They wouldn't have removed him from the hospital if he wasn't. She winced again and decided to take a couple of pain killers to cope with a pain she wasn't supposed to be having with the chip. Instead of dwelling on it, she decided to go to work. Maybe someone would know something about Devon when she got there.

***

Alex got off the phone with a client and turned to his computer where he set up the stocks to sell on the client's behalf. When he was done, he checked his cell phone for any missed calls. The fact that Autumn never called him back shouldn't have been a surprise, but he was hoping she'd at least try to explain the situation because even though he'd seen it for himself and the Annunaki explained the reason why some refused to take the implant, he held onto the slim chance that he misunderstood everything. But the longer the time elapsed since his last conversation with Autumn, the worse things looked for her.

He didn't want to think she had betrayed him, but he was beginning to suspect that she and Devon had worked with the grey alien to lure him to Area 51. The more he gave that suspicion more credit, the better his mind felt. It was a strange sensation. It felt as if someone was massaging his brain. Then that gentle warm blanket sensation would follow. Could it be that, deep down, he understood that Autumn had never been his friend to begin with?

Sighing, he put the cell phone back on the desk and brought up his email, chastising himself for hoping Autumn might have emailed him. She never emailed. Even when she was pretending to be his friend, she hadn't emailed.

As he was about to close out of his email, he caught sight of an ad appealing to concerned citizens of planet Earth to join the worldwide attempt to unify for prosperity and peace. He almost dismissed it, except the surge of pleasure that throbbed through his brain and down his spine beckoned him to take a closer look at it. He liked that sensation. He wanted more of it, so he clicked on the ad and was rewarded with another throb of it.

The global government was looking for people who wanted to protect the world from the second invasion of the greys who were due to return soon. What would you do to protect the Earth? the ad concluded. And only one thought came to his mind: anything. He closed his eyes and savored the pleasure that caressed his brain. Yes. He would do anything to protect the Earth. In the next instant, he was signing up for more information.

***

Devon dialed Dr. Raymond's number in Page, Arizona, aware that a tired Autumn had her arms wrapped around her purse as they rested outside the entrance of the airport. The trip through the underground tunnel from Dulce had been a long one, even though the angel drove them in a shuttle. Devon didn't know if Keegan and the others were aware of what the angel was doing, but he and Autumn made it out safely, and since the angel's only warning was to avoid Bismarck, he assumed it was safe to fly somewhere else. And there was only one place he felt safe going to at this point.

Dr. Raymond picked up on the third ring. "Devon, I heard you were in the hospital."

"I was." He glanced at Autumn who had her eyes closed. Scanning the airport parking lot, he said, "Look, it's a long story, but I've been found out."

"I'm sorry, Devon."

"I think it was bound to happen sooner or later. Might as well be now."

"To be honest, I'm ready to get out of Bismarck too. Things are turning bad. It's not going to happen yet, but today I saw an announcement for people with the chip implants to join the global community to ensure the peace and prosperity of the people. I also got a red dot on my mailbox. You know what that means."

Devon slowly exhaled. He had wondered when they would open up the internment camps to the public. He glanced at Autumn again. There was only one logical thing to do, and he wanted to do it the right way.

"Is it still okay to fly on commercial airlines?" Devon asked.

At that question, Autumn opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Yes," Dr. Raymond said. "They're not going to drag people into those camps yet. I'd give it another few months. The senator I talked to says the chip will be mandatory. One month after they make it mandatory, anyone who doesn't take it will be an enemy of the state. I hope you're going to that place you got."

"Can you call that friend about getting two four wheelers ready by the side of the road?"

"I'll do that." After a pause, the doctor added, "Good luck."

Devon wished him the same and threw his cell phone into the nearby trash.

"Why did you do that?" Autumn asked, straightening up.

"Because once they track down my plane ticket, they'll be looking for me. I hate to say this, but you should get rid of yours too."

She didn't answer right away but finally relented and opened her purse to hand her phone to him.

Once he tossed it out, he figured he might as well tell her what his plan was and ask if she'd be willing to come along with him. He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. "I have a cabin in Alaska. It's in an isolated spot, far from anyone or anything, and I have saved up several years' worth of supplies. At the time, I thought the elite were going to use the grey aliens to eliminate about 90% of the world's population and knew I was on the list once they didn't need me anymore. But with this new development—" he shrugged, not sure what to call it since it hadn't been anywhere in the plans he'd discovered—"I think it's best to err on the side of caution and go there."

"Oh," she said after a moment of silence. "Okay."

As crazy as it seemed, he suddenly realized his heart was beating faster than normal, and he had the flashback of being in high school when he asked a girl out for the first time. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd come with me. We'd have to do some backtracking to get to Las Vegas since there are no direct flights there from this airport, but I'd like to marry you."

She brushed back a stray strand of her hair and nodded. "I'll go with you."

A smile crossed his face and he gave her a quick kiss before taking her inside the airport to get their tickets.

***

Dr. Raymond hung up the phone after talking to his friend in Alaska before a knock came on his office door. "Come in," he said as he turned his attention to the forms he planned to shred while he was clearing out his office.

"I hear you know the late Senator Byrns."

His head snapped in the direction of the three men he didn't recognize. They were in business suits, but they didn't strike him as civilians.

"We're from Homeland Security," one of the men said, showing him his identification. "Sir, we ask that you come with us."

Dr. Raymond took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He thought he was going to make it out in time, but obviously, he was wrong. Opening his eyes, he made eye contact and said, "I thought you weren't supposed to come for me until the middle of the night."

"And give you the chance to escape?" The man smirked before he motioned for him to come with him as he lifted his suit jacket. The gun which was in the holster under his suit jacket indicated Dr. Raymond had no choice in the matter. "Hey, at least you're on the red list. That means you'll go quicker."

Dr. Raymond's first thought was to resist, but then he remembered the nurses and patients in the building and thought better of it. No need to have open gunfire with innocent people nearby. Without a word, he gave a solemn nod and left with them.
Chapter Forty-Five

Autumn couldn't believe how many people were in Las Vegas, gambling and drinking as if the world wasn't about to go into chaos...as if fallen angels and demons weren't gearing up to make their final attempt to take over the Earth. Perhaps it was just as Hampton once said. People had the mentality of 'eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die'. It was weird she should think of him. Even if she never liked him, she hoped nothing bad would happen to him.

Beside her, Devon finished filling out the paperwork so they could get married. If she weren't so exhausted, she might have enjoyed the fact that she was about to marry him. But as it was, she had to struggle to stay awake. While it had already been a long trip, they had to fly to Seattle, then Anchorage, and finally to Fairbanks before they would travel by car. All she knew was that he planned to drop the car off in a deserted spot and they'd take two four wheelers from there. It sounded like they wouldn't actually get to this cabin for another two days after that.

As he took her hand and led her to a chair, she wondered how long she'd been awake. She guessed it'd already been three days since the last time she had a good night's sleep. Well, she did take a nap on the airplane. And that's how they would get through until they reached the cabin. They'd nap whenever they could. One thing was for sure. Neither one of them wanted to spend the night anywhere in order to get some rest. Seeing the Reptoids, the demons, mutated embryos, carefully preserved organs, and screaming people were more than enough to convince her to get as far from civilization as possible.

Leaning against him, she closed her eyes, aware of the TV playing nearby. She caught snippets of the conversation from the news program, and after a minute, it occurred to her that the commentators were arguing whether or not the chip implant should be mandatory. Curious, she opened her eyes and focused on the TV where three men sat at a table.

"I don't want something in me to track everything I'm doing," Ethan said. "If you take the chip, you're giving up your privacy."

Sean leaned forward. "This isn't about privacy. It's about security. It's just a plus it comes with health benefits. Who doesn't want super strength or to be able to live well over a hundred? It's possible this could extend our lives indefinitely."

"Benefits or not," Ethan began, "there are people who don't want anything implanted under their skin. Why should they be required to do this?"

Alvin cleared his throat. "I hit my seventy-ninth birthday last month, and I look like I'm thirty-three. I feel better than I ever have before. The implant has been the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Ethan shook his head. "We're talking about freedom to choose. Fine. You want to take the chip. There's no one stopping you, but why should I take it if I don't want to?"

Autumn sighed and turned her attention from the TV. Glancing at Devon who had his eyes closed, she whispered, "They've already decided to make the implant mandatory, didn't they?"

Devon opened his eyes and looked at her before he nodded.

"So this is just another distraction?" she guessed.

Again, he nodded. "It's to get people ready for it and to find out who won't follow the new world system."

She momentarily shivered, and he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close to him. On the TV, the footage switched from the commentators to the people making a peaceful protest in front of the United Nations building. The wording on the signs varied, but the message was the same. Those people didn't want to take the chip and wanted their freedom to choose.

"They're taking pictures and making notes of who is in that crowd," Devon softly said. "That's what they do. Those people will probably end up on the blue list."

"The blue list?" she asked.

"There are three lists. A red list, a blue list, and a yellow list. Those on the red list are taken first because they pose the greatest threat. This happens two weeks before martial law is put into place. Those on the red list will be killed immediately. Those on the blue list oppose the new world system but don't have enough influence to do anything about it. They'll be taken to internment camps for re-education, and if they don't change, they'll be disposed of. Those who change their mind will take the implant and become part of the system."

"And those on the yellow list?" she whispered.

"They're already part of the system. They may not know it, but they're already in the system."

She scanned the room. Besides another couple who were waiting to get married and the music from the other room which served as a chapel, they were alone. But she couldn't shake the feeling that cameras hidden somewhere had just recorded their conversation. "This probably isn't something we should discuss here."

"We're already on the blue list, Autumn. It's just a matter of time before they would have come for us. There are too many people to take at once." He squeezed her shoulders.

He didn't finish the thought, and she didn't want to voice it either. That was why they needed to hide out in Alaska—somewhere far removed from anyone else. A place where there were no cell phones or computer or any other way for someone to figure out where they were. She tried not to give thought to the people who weren't getting out of harm's way, but tears filled her eyes anyway.

Devon sighed and rubbed her back.

The couple who just got married left the small chapel, and the woman who was there to witness the weddings came out and called for Devon and Autumn to join her.

They stood and went to get married.

***

Alex got to his apartment and checked his mailbox. With a frown, he touched the yellow dot on the outside of his box. Strange. He didn't recall seeing that before. He scanned the other mailboxes and saw a couple of blue dots, but for the most part, they were yellow.

"Weird," he murmured.

After he took out his mail, he blinked in surprise. The packet with information on how he could contribute to the peace and prosperity of Earth had already come. That was fast. For the first time he could remember, the government wasn't slow. But then, the Annunaki were in charge so he couldn't be completely surprised.

On the front of the large white envelope, it said, The first time the greys came, we weren't prepared. The second time, we will be. Thank you for your interest in protecting the good people of planet Earth.

A smile crossed his face and the pleasant sensation throbbed through his body. The sensation was quickly becoming addicting.

***

After Devon and Autumn got married, they found the departure gate for the flight that would take them to Seattle and waited by the window. Autumn was afraid if she sat down, she would fall asleep, and by Devon's bloodshot eyes, he might too.

He put his arms around her so she leaned against him to save as much of her strength as possible. While he held her, she noted the runways and the flights coming in and going out. Soon the sun would set, and another night would be upon them. Waiting for the next flight was quickly becoming one of her biggest pet peeves, but at least the layovers in Seattle and Anchorage were between fifty minutes to two hours.

She absentmindedly took note of the planes as they taxied the runway until they came to a complete stop. Surprised, she lifted her head off of Devon's chest and focused on the runway where a private airplane was taxing at a faster pace than she'd seen the other planes go. Whoever was driving the plane was in a hurry.

Devon and the others were drawing their attention to the private plane, but it wasn't the plane that made Autumn wonder what was going on as much as the person who was chasing it. At first, she thought she was seeing things, but after rubbing her eyes and hearing some startled gasps, she was assured it really was a man who was running after the plane. The man shouldn't have been able to run that fast, yet he was. The plane accelerated, and its nose rose as it started to ascend. But the man's pace quickened and he jumped on top of it.

Autumn couldn't believe what she was seeing. The plane's nose rose higher as the front wheel left the ground. The man crept up to the front window on the plane and smashed his fist into it. Several people sharply inhaled, and Autumn was one of them. The man reached into the cockpit and attacked the pilot of the plane. Autumn couldn't make out the details, except for the blood that splattered on what was left of the window. The plane descended and hit the pavement, causing the man who attacked the pilot to fall to the ground. The plane ran over him before it teetered. Autumn thought it might flip over but it slowed down and came to a stop. Then the man, who'd been severely wounded, stood up, pulled out a cell phone, and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Autumn shot Devon a shocked look.

Super soldier, he mouthed.

An airport employee ran over to the gate desk, and spoke into the public address microphone to tell everyone to stay put while security dealt with the situation.

A woman next to Autumn turned to her friend. "I think that's Martin Conner's plane."

"The radio show host?" her friend asked.

"Yes. I've seen that same plane on his website. He did a lot of flying for pleasure."

"Well, that wasn't just pleasure flying he was doing."

Autumn tried to remember where she heard of Martin Conner before. She thought Hampton referred to him at one time. The more she mentally recalled all of Hampton's rants, the more she was sure he had mentioned Martin's radio show which was known for its anti-global government stance.

She looked at Devon and softly asked, "Would Martin Conner qualify to be on the red list?"

Devon nodded. "They're getting ready to put martial law into effect."

She rubbed her eyes, not exactly sure what martial law meant but thinking she didn't want to know. All she could hope for at this point was that she and Devon would make it to the cabin. She glanced out the window and saw security driving up to the plane. No doubt, their next flight would be delayed. The question was how long. She wrapped her arms around Devon's waist and closed her eyes, thinking she'd had enough for one day.
Chapter Forty-Six

The next morning

Devon woke up to an airline worker announcing that flights were ready to resume. Lifting his head off the floor, he glanced out the window and saw it was dawn. He couldn't believe all airports had been shut down so security forces could look for other terrorists. The notion that Martin Conner was a terrorist was absurd, but reports were already broadcasted all over the media outlets that he had bombs on his plane and was headed for the United Nations. From the sound of it, the media was already linking those who wouldn't take the chip implant to Martin and debated whether or not those without the implant could be trusted.

No word confirmed any other terrorist had been identified, but everyone had to be scanned or patted down to be sure they were safe. He still got angry whenever he thought of the way the super soldier had patted Autumn down. His protests nearly got him shot, but at least it made the soldier stop. He couldn't wait to get out of there.

Next to him, Autumn still slept, so Devon gently shook her. "They're getting ready to board."

She rubbed her eyes and groaned.

"What a way to spend our wedding night, huh?" he joked.

She laughed and sat up. "They're really ready to board?"

"Yep. She's making the announcement now." He motioned to the woman at the counter who spoke into the public address microphone.

He stood up and helped Autumn to her feet.

"I hope there aren't any other unpleasant surprises before we get to our destination," she said as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I've had enough excitement to last me a lifetime."

"On the bright side, we got some sleep."

Though she rolled her eyes, he detected the faint smile on her lips.

Chuckling, he led her over to the line where people were getting ready to board. "Are you ready to leave the lower 48?"

"Lower 48?"

"That's how people in Alaska refer to the forty-eight contiguous states in the US."

"Oh. Yes. I've never been more ready for it."

The airline worker called out, "We will start boarding the plane. Handicapped passengers, those in first class, and those with small children may board now."

Devon released his breath, not realizing he'd been holding it. He glanced around and was reassured that soon enough, he and Autumn would be at the cabin.

***

Eighteen hours later, Devon and Autumn walked out of the Fairbanks airport. Devon glanced at Autumn who buttoned her coat and shoved her hands into her pockets. He buttoned his suit jacket as he spotted a taxi.

"Wait here. I'll see if he'll give us a ride." Devon headed over to the taxi where the man rolled down his window. "Can my wife and I get a ride to Hamilton Avenue?"

"Got an implant I can scan?" the driver asked.

"No, but I do have a Rolex." He pulled up the sleeve on his jacket and showed it to him.

The driver's eyes grew wide. "And all you want is for me to take you to Hamilton Avenue?"

Devon nodded.

The driver pointed to Autumn. "And that's your wife?"

"Yes."

He looked uncertain for a moment but shrugged. "I know better than to ask questions. Questions can get a person in trouble. Alright. Get in."

Devon removed his gold watch and handed it to the driver before he waved Autumn over and opened the back door so she could get in. After he joined her, he told the driver, "We need to go to the storage place over there."

The driver nodded, checked over his shoulder, and drove forward.

Devon settled back into his seat and held Autumn's hand. He looked out the window at the snowy landscape. Coming in late October when the temperatures were already five below zero Fahrenheit wasn't ideal, and though Autumn's coat suited North Dakota weather just fine, he was glad he thought to pack two of everything. When he thought he might take Vanessa up here, he doubled up on his rations, clothing, and started construction on a second cabin, but when she took the implant, he opted to forgo the second cabin.

He'd had no interest in Vanessa beyond that of helping someone out. For sure, he didn't want to see her attempt suicide again. He sighed with regret. It was too late for Vanessa. Once she took the implant, there was no going back. That wasn't something he understood until he became aware of how determined Keegan was to implant Autumn with the chip. That chip was a lot more than human enhancement. It was enslavement. With a regretful sigh, he decided to put the past in the past. There was nothing he could do about Vanessa.

The taxi driver pulled up to the self-storage unit, so Devon thanked him as he and Autumn got out of the cab. When the driver pulled away, Devon released his breath. "Almost there." He dug into the pocket of his pants and pulled out two keys. One he'd need for the garage and the second for the car. "My car is this way."

She crossed her arms and shivered as she followed him. "You're only wearing a suit. Aren't you cold?"

"I've been through worse than this."

And he decided, for now at least, he'd leave it at that. Maybe someday he'd tell her about his other experiences at Dulce, but they had more important things to worry about at the moment. He found the garage he'd rented for the last eight years and unlocked it. Once he lifted the door, he was relieved to see that the 1975 Pinto was still there. Though he didn't voice his worries to Autumn, he wondered if Keegan caught onto his evacuation plan and would find a way to confiscate his car. The angel was probably protecting them even now. Whatever the case, he saw no reason to slow down.

He hurried to the trunk and opened it. Good. Everything they would need for the two days' worth of travel once they ditched the car was there. He retrieved two parkas and handed one to Autumn. "This will keep you warm."

She took off her coat and slipped the new one on while he took out a pair of gloves.

"We'll put the snow pants and boots on later," he said. "Are you thirsty or hungry?"

"No. I got enough in Anchorage to last awhile."

Nodding, he decided there was nothing else they needed for the moment, so he put his parka on and slammed the trunk shut. "If you want to eat or drink anything, let me know."

"Okay."

He unlocked her car door and shut it before he went over to the envelope the owner of the storage unit had set out for him. Like before, he pulled out the gold coins from his parka pocket and slipped them into the envelope. Then he went to his car and started it up, relieved when it turned over on the first try. The thing was old and beaten, but it didn't have a tracking system in it which served his purposes perfectly.

"Why a Pinto?" Autumn asked.

He adjusted the temperature inside the car and smiled. "It was my first car. This isn't the same one I bought when I was eighteen, but it brings back some good memories."

"What did you think you would be doing back then? Work related, I mean."

Shifting into reverse, he backed out of the garage. "Well, at one time I fancied the idea of being a race car driver."

"Seriously?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. But don't worry. I'm not going to do any racing during this trip."

"Good because living on the edge doesn't appeal to me."

"What? You don't like the risks?"

"I went to Area 51 and Dulce, and you ask me something like that?"

He stopped the car and shifted it into neutral before putting the emergency brake up. "So, what did you think you were going to be doing when you grew up?"

"Anything but retail," she mused. "And that's the truth."

With a grin, he got out of the car and shut the garage door. After he went to the office to drop off the key, he returned to the car and got in. "It'll take about seven hours to reach the four wheelers. From there, it'll be about two days until we get to the cabin."

As he put his emergency brake down and shifted into first gear, she asked, "You're just going to leave this car by the side of the road?"

"I'm going to hide it the best I can in the trees. It won't be perfect, but maybe it'll be well enough so that someone driving by won't notice it. We won't be going on any well-traveled roads."

"I expected as much."

With his feet still on the clutch and the brake, he reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm glad you're here."

Smiling, she squeezed his hand in return. "So am I."

He leaned forward and kissed her before he drove onto Hamilton Avenue.

***

Two days later

Autumn was exhausted by the time they reached the secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere, but the fact that it was as removed from anyone as they could possibly get, made her feel safe. She turned off her four wheeler and lifted the helmet from her head.

Holding his helmet under his arm, Devon got off of his four wheeler and walked over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just stiff." She accepted his hand and managed to wiggle off the seat. "And numb."

He chuckled. "You can rest inside. I'll bring the backpacks in."

There was no way she was going to argue. She didn't think she had enough energy to walk to the cabin, but she leaned against him and managed it. After he opened the door, she went inside and placed the helmet on the small table.

"I didn't expect someone else to live here, so I'll have to make a second chair," he said. "You can sit in this one. I need to get some wood to make a fire."

The cabin was too cold for her to take off her snow pants, parka and gloves, so she kept them on. Even so, she found she was chilly. The arctic gear did a lot to protect her from the freezing temperature, but being on a four wheeler for most of the day had taken its toll on her. After she sat down, she crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Finally. She had felt like she was on the run. It was ridiculous to feel like a fugitive when she'd done nothing wrong.

She opened her eyes when Devon returned with an armful of logs in his arms and set them by the fireplace. Turning her attention to her surroundings, she realized the cabin was one room. It had a cook stove, a bed, and shelves of survival foods. "Is that all you have for food?" she asked.

"No," Devon replied as he placed some logs into the fireplace. "I have more in a storage shed."

"So what is that?" She pointed to a large metal tub with two things inside it.

"A washboard and a wringer to wash clothes. I put up a clothesline outside but I have one in here too."

She followed the direction he indicated and noticed the line running from one end of the cabin to the other. "And for water and the bathroom?"

"A well and an outhouse. As gross as it sounds, I even have a chamber pot."

Well, what else were they going to do if they didn't have electricity? "I feel like I stepped back in time."

"I even have a kerosene lamp."

She caught the sparkle in his eyes and sighed. "I'll have you know that I didn't bring any dresses or long skirts, so I won't be able to dress the part," she teased.

"It's not like we had time to shop. You'll have to make do with what you got on, and I have some things you can wear."

"And when these clothes wear out, then what? I hate to disappoint you, but I didn't make clothes. I sold them. Unless you learned how to sew?"

He laughed. "No. I might be ambitious, but I'm not that motivated. I made sure to pack a lot. However, should you wear out your clothes and not fit mine, I'll be more than happy to let you go around here naked."

"You are such a man."

Grinning, he turned back to the fireplace and worked on getting a fire started.

She stood up and stretched. The numbing sensation in her rear was starting to go away, and her legs weren't so shaky anymore, so she went over to the small window and inspected what was now her new home for an indefinite period of time. "Do you mind if I walk around for a bit outside?"

He glanced at her. "As long as you don't plan to undress out there. If so, I'd rather have you in here."

With an amused shake of her head, she tightened the strings of her hood and headed outside. Snow covered the ground, and there were two other small buildings—three if one counted the outhouse. But her mind wasn't on her surroundings.

For the moment, it was on Alex. Everything happened so fast that she barely had time to process it all. One thing that bothered her was that she never got to smooth things over with him. She didn't know what she could have said to make things better. Devon did have a hand in what happened to Alex at Area 51. She didn't think Alex knew it, but if he was getting pieces of his memory back from that time, then he might have a suspicion of what Devon had done.

Not that it mattered. It was all in the past, and she had no way of calling Alex to do anything about it. If she'd thought about it, she would have called him before she left Las Vegas. She had more than enough time then. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She should have called.

"You wouldn't have said anything that would have made it better."

She looked in the direction of the familiar voice and wasn't surprised to see the angel. This time he appeared as a regular man, wearing a coat, gloves, and a hat. "How do you know what I was thinking?" she asked.

"I know what God tells me." He offered her a sad smile. "Things were set in motion, and Alex chose his fate long ago. There was no way any of us could reach him."

"You mean, you tried?"

"There are many ways we try. We don't appear as angels to everyone. Some have entertained angels and never knew it because they thought they were dealing with other people. The final attempt to reach Alex was before he reached Area 51. He was too resistant to see me, so I had to go through you."

"I knew I shouldn't have gone with him." That might possibly be the greatest regret of her life, besides losing Marianne.

"He would have gone without you, Autumn. The fact that you were there was the only reason he got out alive. The demons wanted to kill him. It would have looked like a heart attack, but the end result would've been the same. You saw how terrified he was after you got him out of the room. When that demon hovered over him, it was trying to kill him."

More tears filled her eyes, and again, she wiped them. "It's not fair. Alex is one of the nicest people I've ever met."

"Unbelief is a powerful weapon, Autumn," the angel softly replied. "It prevents God and those who serve Him from reaching people."

"I didn't believe. Not until I was at Dulce. So why could you reach me?"

"Because you were open to the truth. Alex was closed to it."

She didn't want to believe it. She wanted to believe Alex wasn't so far gone that he couldn't be reached.

"You've done all you could. Stop beating yourself up over things you couldn't change." After a moment of silence, he continued, "I came to tell you that the Earth has been delivered to An for a season. He will have the right to overcome many saints. A few will be spared, but if the days of An's season weren't shortened, no one would be left alive."

She frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means the world is about to face the greatest trial in human history. The restraints have been removed, and the fallen angels are given full reign until Jesus Christ returns. I've protected your journey up to this point, but I can't do anything else for you. No matter what happens, know you made the right choice."

When he vanished, she wasn't surprised. He often spoke in cryptic words that she couldn't understand, but she shivered as she contemplated what the world would look like with all restraints on evil removed. Maybe some things were better left not imagining. With an uneasy sigh, she returned to the cabin.

***

Keegan tapped her fingers on the chair, wishing she could revert to her natural form but An forbade it so she didn't dare. She clenched her teeth and growled. If she was running the show, things would be more efficient. An couldn't win the war in Heaven. What made the others in the room think he could win the war on Earth?

She glanced around the room, noting only those in the highest positions in the fallen angelic ranks had been invited to An's precious little meeting. Whether people called him An, Satan, or Lucifer, she had one name that kept popping up: Incompetent. First, the botched war in Heaven, then the cross... Anyone could see that God was leading him right into that one. And because An had to crucify man's Savior, the fallen angels were in real danger of losing possession of the Earth.

She felt her human persona begin to change into her Reptilian form and quickly stopped the transformation. It wouldn't do any good to show her disgust toward their leader...at least not until they won the Earth. Then all bets were off, and she'd grab the first rank in the order of command. Her lips turned upward as she imagined everyone bowing down to her.

"Are you paying attention?" An asked from the head of the large table. He set his hands on the table and glared at her. "I could've knocked you down a rank for letting two believers go."

She snarled. "There were angels of higher ranking order on the attack. I set the alarm but someone took too long." She gave a knowing look at the Annunaki who went everywhere with An as a prophet and hissed.

The Annunaki hissed back.

"Enough!" An clasped his hands behind his back. "We need to stay unified. A house divided will fall, and if we're not careful, our squabbles will cost us this war." After a moment of silence, he nodded. "Good. We have the same goal, and God is coming back for those who are His, which means if there are none of His alive to come back for, then we win. I don't care if it's just one who belongs to Him. One is too many. We need to remove all of them or make them take the chip."

The Annunaki who hissed at Keegan smirked in her direction. Keegan bared her fangs. She almost had Autumn. Autumn was within a few seconds of getting that implant. How was she to know Devon would pull a fast one on her and say a prayer? She grimaced. How she hated prayer! It was the biggest obstacle in her way.

She mentally went over the plan. First, she was to implant Autumn and then she was to hold Devon at level six until God handed over all rights to An to wage war on the saints and prevail. Then she could have killed him. But no. He had to pray, and those angels came right in to his defense. Every time she thought about it, she wanted to rip out a human's heart and shove it down their throat, even if that human had an implant.

An tapped his fingers on the table in a slow, almost hypnotic, rhythm. "We'll have to find ways to kill off more people, especially those who are hiding. We need a disease. One that is airborne and fatal. We need to open the internment camps and start shooting anyone who doesn't have an implant. All must swear allegiance to me or die."

Keegan cleared her throat.

An rolled his eyes but motioned for her to speak.

"Don't forget Petra," she said. "There are lots of unmarked people hiding out there."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I've been working on that."

And doing a lousy job as usual. She held back the comment. How long would it be until the others woke up and dethroned An's pompous, incompetent—?

"The super soldiers can find humans who are hiding in sparse locations," an Annunaki said.

"Yes, but we can only use them to kill humans until it's time for them to go to Megiddo."

Keegan swirled in her chair. "If you're so sure we can kill off all the humans who aren't implanted with the chip, why worry about the final battle? You know, the big event."

"Every plan needs a backup," An growled.

"At least you thought that far ahead this time," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" An yelled.

With wide eyes, she shrugged. "Nothing."

"One more snarky retort from you, and I'll knock you down a rank."

She pretended the threat didn't bother her. While she knew better than to antagonize him, there were times when she couldn't help herself.

"We're agreed then?" An asked the group. "We focus the next years on killing as many humans as possible."

They nodded.

"Good," he said. "Now, let's do it."
Chapter Forty-Seven

Six months later (April)

Vanessa scanned the list of terrorists who'd been identified. It seemed to her that the list got longer and longer each time, no matter how many people had been rounded up and sent to the internment camps for re-education. If more people would just take the chip, it would make life so much easier, but some still refused even though most places refused to sell goods or services to those who didn't have one. She couldn't wait until the implant became mandatory. Then no one could buy or sell anything without it, and her workload might finally lighten.

A knock on her open office door made her look up from her desk. Her supervisor smiled. "Good news. We found you a partner."

She didn't share his enthusiasm. Ever since Devon supposedly "disappeared" at Dulce, she'd gone through two partners. One needed to be re-educated at the internment camp, and the other fled only to be tracked down and killed. Who knew how long her new partner would last? To humor her supervisor, she set the list down and stood up. "Great. Where is he?"

"Down the hall." He motioned to her. "Come on."

She followed him. Each time a new partner had been placed in Devon's old office, a momentary sorrow welled up in her. Devon was no longer here. He probably made it to Alaska. It'd been his plan all along, and she hoped he made it. He was miserable at this job, so he shouldn't be here.

And aren't you miserable as well? She shoved the thought aside before she got a headache. Peering into the office, she watched as her new partner set a couple of books on the shelf lining one of the walls.

Her supervisor cleared his throat, and her partner turned around. "Alex, I'd like you to meet your partner, Vanessa Hayden. Vanessa, this is Alex Cameron."

"Pleasure to meet you," Alex said, extending his hand.

Despite her unease, she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I'll let you get settled in," her supervisor began, "and if you have any questions, Vanessa knows the ropes."

As he left, Vanessa experienced a slight wave of panic. What if Alex recognized her from Area 51?

Alex smiled and waved her over. "I don't bite. Come on in."

Vanessa stepped into the office and cleared her throat. Devon said Alex wouldn't remember her. She studied Alex, searching for any signs that he recognized her, but he turned back to his books and put up another one which was titled New World Order Guide. Other titles included Internment Camp Protocol, The Implant Manual, and Preparing for the Greys. "Wow. You really take this stuff seriously."

"Of course, I do," he replied. "I want to make sure the greys are defeated."

"Oh?"

"I had a personal experience with one."

Her stomach tensed. He had to remember that night at Area 51!

"Yeah. Right after the first vanishing, the grey appeared by my bed every night. It was horrible. I could feel its evil intent, you know? Then one night it told me to go to Area 51. Like a fool, I went. I wouldn't have, but I thought I was going to find Marianne there. Marianne was my fiancée and one of the people who vanished." He shrugged. "She wasn't there. The grey alien was. Actually, there were a lot of grey aliens there."

She gulped and crossed her arms, her fingernails digging into her skin.

"They took me to this room where a man injected me with a needle, and the next thing I know, all the aliens are hovering around me, probing me and running all kinds of experiments on me. After that, they let me go. I found a...a friend lying in the corridor and woke her up so we could go. Little did I know my friend set the trap."

Vanessa's eyebrows furrowed. Where was the part where she collected samples of his blood or helped Devon inject him with a tracking device?

Alex shrugged. "Had I realized my friend was in league with the greys, I would have left her in that tunnel to enjoy their form of entertainment."

Vanessa blinked at his bitter tone.

"So anyway, I got out of there, and the Annunaki came and healed me. I've been a new man ever since."

She waited for a long moment, judging whether he was leading her along or telling her the truth as he remembered it.

He went to his desk and pulled out another book to place on the shelf. This one read History of the Annunaki. Then he took out a picture from the box and set it on the desk.

Curious, she stepped forward and saw that it was a picture of An sitting in the Jewish Temple.

"He's great, isn't he?" Alex asked. "I've read all of his essays on the betterment of mankind, and he's right on everything."

She bit her lower lip but nodded. "So, that's all that happened to you at Area 51?"

"Yep." He motioned to his empty box. "I guess I'm officially moved in."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "I should get back to my office. I have a list of terrorists to look into." She paused. "Well, I guess we both do."

"Great! I've trained long and hard to make people safe from the greys."

Uncertain, she shifted from one foot to another. "Yeah, well, we do a little more than make people safe. We lead the super soldiers to those who are to go to internment camps. It's not always pretty when it comes time to re-educate them," she whispered, not wishing to voice more of her concerns in case she got a headache.

"They deserve it, Vanessa," Alex said. "They're the reason the greys have been allowed to do so much harm. People like that can't be allowed to remain alive. They'll turn us over to the greys if given the chance. My friend was more than willing to sacrifice me to them. She knew how much pain the grey caused me and pretended to care, but the whole time, she was working with the man who was in charge of the greys at Area 51. That's how those people really are. You can't trust them. If they refuse to swear allegiance to An by getting the implant, then there's nothing we can do to help them."

She broke eye contact with him in case he detected her guilt. Why he didn't remember the fact that she was there at Area 51, she didn't know, but there was no way she was going to tell him. With another deep breath, she said, "I'll bring the list and we can start going through it."

"Great!" He clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

She shot him a startled look, surprised he should be as eager to track down people as he was. But then, maybe he didn't understand how horrifying it was to watch people denied food or given electric shocks or... She winced and rubbed her forehead. Pushing the memories aside of the awful things she'd done and seen and undoubtedly would again, she went to her office to retrieve the list.

***

One year later (April)

Hampton glanced at his wife as she cowered in the corner of the vacated house they'd been hiding out in for the past two months. As soon as the chip became mandatory, they'd fled to the mountains in Montana, thinking it might be safe enough. But they'd been wrong. The world government had its teeth into every part of the planet.

"Jay," his wife whispered, reaching for his hand.

They turned their attention back to the window. There was no doubt about it. The super soldiers were creeping up the hill, maneuvering around the trees in an ungodly graceful formation. It was like watching shadows dance. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. No. They weren't shadows. They were enhanced humans, even more powerful than those who took the implant. And they weren't coming with good intentions.

He looked at his wife. "We won't go alive."

It was something they'd decided when they left Bismarck. Better to die fighting for their lives than to waste away under duress at an internment camp. He went to the kitchen counter and retrieved the machine guns and handed one to her.

"We take as many of those bastards out as we can, okay?" he asked.

Even as she cried, she went to the window and opened it. He hurried over to the other one and did the same. They got their guns ready. The super soldiers were still a ways off, but he saw no reason to delay the showdown.

"On the count of three," he whispered, ignoring her sniffles. "One, two...three." Then he pressed the trigger.

The couple aimed at all the super soldiers they could find through the trees. The soldiers fell down. Some even fell back down the hill. His heart raced the entire time as adrenaline pumped through his body. It was fight or die, and he was determined to live, but he understood there was a good chance he and his wife might not make it. But they had to try. A man who didn't die trying to defend his family was no good.

The last super soldier fell, and they stopped shooting. Breathing hard, he glanced at his wife who turned her terrified eyes in his direction. Was that it? Did they make it?

He had only enough time to take a deep breath when something crashed in through the roof. His wife screamed, and he turned his machine gun on the super soldier that had landed on his feet. Hampton shot him and watched as the force of the bullets pushed the soldier back against the wall.

But another soldier came down from the ceiling, and though he had bullet wounds on his face and chest, he didn't bleed. Gasping, Hampton glanced out the window and saw the soldiers getting to their feet. What's wrong with those things? Why don't they just die?

The soldier held its gun out to Hampton who did the only thing he could think of. He shot at the soldier again, this time hitting every major organ in his body. His wife joined him and fired her gun, but the soldier laughed while the other soldiers slipped in through the roof.

Hampton knew it was over before the soldier fired his own bullets. One hit Hampton's wife and the other hit Hampton, and those two bullets accomplished what Hampton's bullets couldn't. Hampton and his wife fell lifelessly to the floor.

The super soldier lowered his gun before he took out his cell and dialed a number. "Yes, sir. We got two more enemies of the state. That's number 45 on the list this morning. The man and woman refused to cooperate so we had to eliminate them." He nodded and slipped the phone into his pocket. Turning to the others who were removing their bullets from their bodies, he said, "Next on our list is Dr. Michael Reyes."

Nodding, the others followed him out the door.

***

Six months later (October)

Alex approached the internment camp at Minot Air Force Base and showed the guard his hand. The guard scanned it and nodded. "Mr. Cameron, you've been approved to enter."

Alex didn't bother responding. Usually, he'd never visit a prisoner, but as soon as he heard this particular person's terrorist activities were discovered, he had to come up to the base. He walked through the entrance at the electric fence and made his way to the front of the building where the second guard opened the door.

Without a glance in the guard's direction, Alex strode through the doorway and down the hall.

"Sir," a woman called out. "Sir?"

He ignored her. He didn't have time for this!

She ran up to him and stood in front of him.

Gritting his teeth, he let out a low growl, not caring if she heard him or not.

"I need you to sign the register," she said, motioning to the open book that rested on the front desk.

"Is your computer system so inept that when they scanned my chip, you weren't able to bring up exactly who I was?" he snapped. "Is that how poorly things are run here? If it is, let me know so I can lodge a complaint with the main office in Bismarck."

She paled and pressed a hand to her neck. "Oh, no. I didn't mean to imply that we didn't have your information brought up on the system when the guard scanned you. We did."

"So why would you need my signature in a register?"

"It's protocol."

"It's not my protocol. Do you know who I am? Do you understand the amount of influence I have? A single word from me, and I could have you on the terrorist list just like that." He snapped his fingers and dared her to argue the point.

Gulping, she murmured an apology and scampered back to her desk with her head lowered.

Good. It was nice when others beneath him understood their place. Adjusting his tie, he proceeded down the hall, passing closed doors. He didn't concern himself with the moaning and crying in the place. If the insubordinate fools would just take the implant, they could be freed to live their lives in peace and prosperity. But no. Most would rather face death. It wasn't his fault so many people opted to side with the greys.

When he reached the cell of interest, he cleared his throat at the guard who stood nearby and motioned to the closed door. The guard quickly hurried over and opened it for him. Alex entered the small windowless room. The prisoner looked up from a small cot in the corner of the room. The cot was the only item in the room. There was no toilet or sink, and Alex didn't show his revulsion at the sight and smell of urine and feces allowed to accumulate on the floor at the other side of the room.

"Get the thing I ordered," Alex softly told the guard.

The guard nodded and hastened out of the room.

Clearing his throat, Alex set his gaze on a man he'd once respected above all others. A man whose eyes were sunken in. A man who'd lost considerable weight. A man who had some scars on his neck and probably more under his white prisoner uniform. Alex felt a sneer turn his lips up. "Dr. Reyes. How ironic it is to see you here."

Dr. Reyes stumbled off of his cot and approached him. "Alex, is it really you?"

Alex laughed and slapped him on the shoulder with enough force to make Dr. Reyes wince. "You know, after you healed me, I honestly didn't think I'd ever see you again. But here you are—and looking pretty good for someone who's been to the re-education programs at this fine facility—and here I am. Only, this time I'm not the one who needs help, am I?"

Dr. Reyes grabbed Alex's shirt collar and whimpered, "Alex, I believed I was helping you. I didn't know what they were putting in those pills. I thought the Annunaki came to bring us to a new age of enlightenment. I didn't realize they wanted to remove us from the Earth. They don't care about you, Alex. They don't care about any of the people. They want to get rid of everyone so they can have the Earth for themselves."

Alex shook his head.

He clung on tighter to the shirt. "It's true! You're not helping the good guys. You're helping the bad ones."

"No," Alex began. "The bad ones are the greys. You remember them, don't you? The pills you gave me that were supposed to make that grey alien go away? Guess what? When I got my implant, I learned some things, and one of the things I learned was that those pills were to open my mind so I could receive more of the grey's attacks." Letting out a bitter laugh, he added, "Those pills were hallucinogens that were supposed to increase my anxiety. Is it any wonder why I was such a mess back then?"

Dr. Reyes broke down and started crying. "I didn't know, Alex. I'm so sorry. God, forgive me." He leaned on Alex's chest and continued to cry. "God, forgive me."

Rolling his eyes, Alex said, "How pointless it is for you to call on something that doesn't exist." He pulled Dr. Reyes away from him and looked at him. "Look, just to show you that I haven't lost all of my humanity, I'm willing to offer you assistance, which is a lot more than you've ever done for me. All you need to do is take the implant, and you can get out of here."

More tears filled his eyes as he shook his head. "I can't."

"If you don't, you'll die. I saw the report on you. You've failed the re-education program, Doctor. You're set for extermination tomorrow morning. You don't want to die, do you?"

Dr. Reyes closed his eyes and whispered something, and it took Alex a good few seconds to realize it was a prayer. Alex didn't understand Reyes at all. Here, the man stood in front of him, obviously terrified of facing the guillotine, but he insisted on clinging to an imaginary God instead of trusting in things he could see with his own two eyes. Pitiful.

The guard returned with a bottle of pills.

Alex took the bottle and held it up. "I've done all I can for you. If you insist on dying, I can't stop you. But I've made an order to the cook. If you want to eat or drink anything before you die, you need to be a good boy and take some pills. You know how important it is that you take your pills, don't you, Doctor?" He chuckled. "Of course, you do. You insisted I take mine. In fact, I remember being talked down to like a wayward child if I missed one."

The doctor's eyes fell to the bottle Alex set on the floor by the door.

"Considering this will be your last day alive, I thought it would only be fair to have the cook prepare something palatable to the taste buds. So I told the cook if you're a good boy and take your pills, you can have an inch-thick juicy steak, medium well, with a baked potato and fresh apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert."

Dr. Reyes gulped before he sat back on the cot and put his face in his hands.

Alex shrugged. "Either way, it matters little to me. I'll have a full stomach when I go to bed tonight, and better yet, I'll still be alive this time tomorrow."

Alex left the cell with no desire to look back. He motioned to the guard to shut the door, which the guard did. Dr. Reyes' muffled crying was oddly comforting to him. He was glad the man chose to die. The jerk had it coming to him after allowing the grey to torment him. Alex smiled and headed down the hallway.

Kill her.

Alex halted in his steps and frowned. When did he hear that voice before?

Kill her.

Closing his eyes, he focused on it. Kill who? he wondered. A warm sensation spread over him as he opened his mind to accept whatever the voice told him to do. And as the blurry image came into focus, it occurred to him what the voice had been telling him all along but he'd been too naïve to accept.

Autumn. The voice was telling him to kill Autumn. And was it any wonder? After how she'd betrayed him, the voice was trying to warn him, to protect him, to get his revenge. Had he understood that before, he could have removed the grey alien from his life a lot sooner.

Opening his eyes, a smile slowly spread across his face and the feeling of pleasure throbbed through his body.

Yes, I will kill her.
Chapter Forty-Eight

A year later (October)

Vanessa stopped her car at another guard checkpoint. Wincing, she rubbed her forehead, wondering why she continued to have the headaches when she was careful not to let her thoughts veer in directions it shouldn't. She pulled down the sun visor and inspected her forehead in the small mirror. Rubbing the small red area located over her implant, she noted its tenderness and wondered if she should be worried.

"Vanessa?"

Forcing her eyes off the small mirror, she looked at Alex who glanced up from the checklist in his hands. "What?"

"We're next." He motioned to the car ahead of them that pulled forward.

"Oh." She rolled down her window so the guard could scan her forehead and waited while he scanned Alex's hand.

The guard tipped his hat. "Thank you for tracking down terrorists, Ms. Hayden, Mr. Cameron. And congratulations, Mr. Cameron, on locating the most terrorists over the past four months."

Alex leaned across her and smiled. "Those greys won't get another foothold on this planet."

"With men like you helping An, I don't doubt it," the guard replied.

The guard motioned for them to drive, so she rolled up the window and continued driving down the road. She exhaled and rubbed her forehead again, wondering if she should be concerned about this thing. The implant was supposed to eliminate things like sores, so why was she getting one?

"The next street on your right might be the location," Alex said as he made an asterisk by the name on the sheet.

Vanessa shifted in her seat. She didn't particularly care for how eager he was each time they came up to a new residence where a terrorist might be hiding. He seemed more interested in someone named Autumn than anyone else, and every time she asked him about it, he told her it was none of her business. She sighed. He might have lasted longer than her other partners, but she didn't care much for him.

Sometimes she missed Devon but wouldn't want him to be involved in this endless rounding up of people suspected of terrorism. She thought once the chip became a mandate, then her workload would decrease but the opposite was true. There had been a huge swell of resistance to it. The more she was afflicted with headaches, the more she didn't wish the implant on anyone. She'd thought of quitting, much like Devon tried to. Except, with the implant, they could find her anywhere and bring her back. Devon was smart enough to avoid it. She hoped he was safe.

Gritting her teeth against the throbbing pain in her forehead, she forced her attention on the road. Don't think about Devon or the implant. Just do your job.

She turned onto the street and drove half a mile before she parked in front of a doublewide. Catching sight of the curtain that moved a bit when someone peered out the window, she sighed and got out of the car with Alex. This wasn't an easy part of the job. Her stomach tensed and tangled in knots as she followed Alex to the front door.

Alex banged on the door, startling her. "Got to make sure they hear us," he told her.

She bit her tongue on the reminder that he didn't have to act so intimidating. Instead, she crossed her arms and braced for the unpleasant confrontation.

The door slowly opened and the man gulped. "May I help you?"

Alex and Vanessa pulled out their IDs. "My name is Alex Cameron, and this is my partner, Vanessa Hayden. We work with the Global Organization for Security. May I see your mark, Mr. Tanner?"

The man nodded and held up his hand.

Vanessa spotted the pyramid glowing on his hand and slipped her ID into her purse.

Alex tucked his ID back into his pocket. "We received word you're hiding a family who's refused to take the mark. May we search through your home?"

The man glanced uneasily from Alex to Vanessa and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay." He stepped back.

Vanessa couldn't make eye contact with the man as she followed Alex into the house. In the living room sat a woman with a boy and girl who looked to be in college.

"May I see your mark?" Alex asked.

The three complied and lifted their right hands.

"You wouldn't happen to know a family by the name McConner, would you?" Alex asked, his gaze not wavering from their wide eyes.

Vanessa thought she was going to throw up. Their guilt was evident on their faces. They were hiding fugitives. She rubbed her forehead, aware of the tender spot.

Finally, the woman cleared her throat. "There's no one here but ourselves."

Alex nodded as he turned and headed down the hallway. Not knowing what else to do, Vanessa joined him. His footsteps fell silent on the carpet, and Vanessa thought she might go crazy by the tension in the air. She hated this. The unbearable silence right before they found a fugitive hiding—usually in a closet, under a bed or even in an attic. She swallowed the lump in her throat and hoped this time the fugitives would manage to hide well enough.

She decided to wait in the hallway while Alex checked all the bedrooms and bathroom. Closing her eyes, she tried to steady her nerves. How long could she keep doing this? Hunting people down and killing them as if they had no right to live? When she took the implant, she had no idea her job would take a turn for the worse. She thought the Illuminati were a threat and they had been, but the Annunaki were a million times worse.

Alex left the last bedroom and passed her on his way to other end of the house. Not wishing to join him, she went into the bathroom to check her forehead and frowned when she realized the spot was redder than before. Something was wrong with her, and she was sure the chip was causing it.

A door slammed, and she jumped. Clutching her stomach, she hurried down the hall and saw an upset Alex rush over to the man standing in the living room. Alex grabbed him by the collar.

"I know you're hiding them!" Alex spat. "You know the rules. If you give those who don't take the implant even a drink of water, you could die! That chip can implode and kill you all if I order it! Now, spare yourselves and turn them in. We can re-educate them. Do the right thing for this planet, Mr. Tanner!"

The three people on the couch huddled together, and Vanessa turned her gaze from them. Bile rose in her throat. There was no way Alex would let them live, no matter what they did, and she secretly hoped the fugitives would escape this time.

The man took a shaky breath and shook his head. "I...I don't know any fugitives."

Alex punched the man so fast that Vanessa barely had time to blink. The man fell back against the recliner, and Alex hovered over him, grabbed his collar again, and yelled, "Liar! You know where they are!"

"Please, stop!" the woman cried. "He doesn't know!"

Alex paused, his fist in mid-air, and turned his attention to the woman. "He doesn't? But you do?"

The woman's lower lip trembled and the boy and girl sitting next to her held onto her. Vanessa glanced at the man and saw him give a slight shake of his head in her direction, but the woman blinked back her tears and nodded. "They are under the house. A part of the skirt can be removed. It's at the north side of the house."

"Thank you," Alex said and ran out the door.

Vanessa didn't want to see what he'd do, but she also couldn't bear to stay in the house with them so she decided to leave. She didn't make it down the last step when the first gunshot rang through the air. Before she could talk herself out of not looking, she saw Alex fire another three rounds with his gun in quick succession. The people hiding under the house didn't even have time to cry out for mercy like the others he'd shot in the past.

Vanessa hurried to the car, taking deep breaths of fresh air to quell her nausea. She ignored her headache and made it to the car in time see Alex make a call on his cell phone as he strode in her direction. In many ways, he was nothing more than a monster to her.

By the time, he reached the car, she heard him say, "Yes. Four of them. A man, woman, a toddler and a baby. They're dead. I'll set the signal for the others."

A family with young children? Those were the terrorists who posed a threat to global security? She couldn't stop herself from crying. She was no better than him because she'd done nothing to stop him. She never did. All she ever did was go along with it.

As soon as Alex hung up, he scowled at her. "Don't sympathize with them, Vanessa. They want to resist the implant? They know the rules. The least they could have done was take it for their children, but they didn't love their kids enough to do that. They deserved to die." Then he made another phone call. "Yeah. I have order 894 to eliminate the traitors immediately." After a long pause, he said, "Yes. Brian, Lillian, Jacob, and Regina Tanner. They are to be executed at once."

Vanessa grabbed the door handle and hopped into the car, unable to stand the screams from inside the house that followed.

***

Devon stroked Autumn's back as his lips caressed hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. This was everything he hoped his life would be like when he got his job—before he learned what it was he'd gotten himself into. As soon as he realized his role in the government, he gave up all hope he might have a normal life.

But here he was. Sitting by the fireplace with his wife snuggled up to him on his lap. Enjoying the completion of loving a woman and being loved in return. Having a place to call home instead of just surviving from day to day in a world cut off from the things that made life worth living. How long they had, he didn't know, but he'd been given a second chance in life—one he refused to take for granted.

When their kiss ended, he buried his face in the side of her neck and clung to her. "Are you sure you don't want to go for a walk with me?"

"I want to get some reading done. I still have a lot to learn."

He glanced at the open Bible on the table and kissed her again. "Okay. As long as it's for a good cause, I can handle the rejection."

With a roll of her eyes, she chuckled. "How great you suffer."

"I do. I have to go out into that cold weather all by myself."

"Well, when you come back, I'll warm you up."

Figuring he better make his daily check of their property before it got dark, Devon stood up, set her on her feet, and got ready to head on out. With a smile in her direction, he pulled the hood of his parka around his head and left the cabin.

He had several traps set up along the perimeter of their land to buffer them from intruders and a few pits to catch animals for food. Each day, he made his rounds to see if there was anything unusual in the area. Once in awhile, he drove the four wheeler, but he preferred to walk since it kept him in shape. The walk took him a full hour. He hoped his preparations weren't needed, but he figured sooner or later Keegan might discover where he and Autumn went. On this day, like the ones before it, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw nothing to be concerned about.

He collected a couple of logs and headed back to the cabin. Balancing the logs in one arm, he opened the door and stepped into the warm room. The fire was still going strong, but it wouldn't hurt to add a smaller log now and add more later. His gaze fell to Autumn who'd fallen asleep at the table, the Bible closed beside her. He shut the door and made his way to the fireplace where he placed the log into it. Afterwards, he put the remaining logs next to the fireplace and shrugged out of his coat. Then he placed the parka and his boots by the door.

He went over to the table, picked her up, and took her to the bed. Trying to keep quiet, he slipped in next to her and pulled the blanket up and around them. He gathered her in his arms and closed his eyes.

He wasn't sure how much longer they had to wait until Christ returned. From his study of prophecy, he estimated they had about six months left. If they could just hold out for half a year, then everything would be alright.
Chapter Forty-Nine

3 months later (January)

Keegan, in human form, went to level six at the underground base at Dulce and checked her watch. This better not take long. She had an important meeting with the Annunaki in charge of the three eastern major nations: Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. They were the kings of the east, and they controlled a significant portion of the Earth and its chipped population. With any luck, those without chips would soon be eliminated. Some unchipped people remained, and that bothered her to no end. She let out a low growl as she strode down the hallway toward the room containing all of the people who'd been taken in the second vanishing.

She found the closed door marked in the Reptilian language called The Waiting Room and opened it. The people remained suspended in mid-air, perfectly preserved, and comatose. Too bad all people weren't that way.

As she hurried down the stairs, she called out, "What do you need me for?"

The Reptilian gave a quick bow to her before he said, "We have a request for a thousand more organs."

She frowned. "Ridiculous. We just sent out two thousand last month, and all of our storage is depleted. What about some of the other underground bases? Can't any of their human organs be spared?"

"Everyone's running low," he replied and showed her the paper which held orders from the king of North America.

"Are you serious?" She gritted her teeth and looked at the thousands of humans suspended in the room. "Were the demons that created the super soldiers inept in other areas or is this it?"

He shrugged and faced the people. "I don't see why it matters. Organs are a resource, like oil or water. We can clone these and maintain the super soldiers' bodies indefinitely."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath so she wouldn't scream in frustration. She opened her eyes and scanned the large room. How many did they have in here? Twenty thousand? That was a fraction of how many vanished the second time, but at the time she received them, it seemed like a lot. Now, she wondered if it was enough. "Super soldiers are supposed to be perfectly enhanced. Why are their organs failing all the time?"

"Like I said," the Reptilian began, "we can start cloning these organs. Then we'll have a renewable resource."

She sighed. "We don't have a choice, do we? An wouldn't collect any of the organs from the people who died in the internment camps. I don't think the cloned organs will last as long as the originals, but we have no choice."

She clenched the paper in her hands, wishing she could ring An's neck. She hated him. He was so incompetent, and yet others in the flock worshipped him, including the pathetic chipped humans.

With a heavy sigh, she said, "Fine. Make it happen. These people were supposed to last us a good two thousand years, but so be it. We'll start using them now." Her watch beeped. "At least the others on level five and below level seven will dine well on the remains. I have an important meeting to go to. Get the cloning process started and send the fresh organs out as soon as you can. Lucky for us blood type and all come into play. It'd be way too convenient for God to make a one size fits all human. No. He has to have variety."

She knew the Reptilian wasn't listening to her. He'd already turned to the human called Alicia to get her body ready to remove her organs. In a huff, she continued to mutter curses toward God and An under her breath as she went back up the stairs and left level six.

By the time she reached the entrance of the underground base, the three Annunaki were waiting for her. She plastered a smile on her face and invited them down to level five where she and others of their kind resided. She took them to her dim and dank living quarters.

"Please have a seat," she offered, motioning to the chairs around a table. "Do you wish for something to eat? I have fresh human limbs."

An Annunaki crossed his arms and shook his head. "I must get back to my post in China. There are still unchipped humans running around, and many are in the mountains. Do you know how hard is it to track down people hiding in the mountains?"

Taking that as her cue, Keegan sat down and crossed her legs. "I hear the situation is worse than that for you three, is it not?"

The two males and one female looked at her, their eyebrows furrowed.

"It's easier to track people down if you have gas to run planes and vehicles," Keegan said. "I hear An's been stingy in how much oil he's willing to disperse to you."

"Get to the point," a male Annunaki snapped.

She resisted the urge to hiss. With a shrug, she said, "It seems to me he promised you three an equal share in the Earth's resources, but I don't see you getting the same amount as the other kings. I can only imagine how you'll be treated if we do manage to claim Earth on the day God comes back. But then, with An having botched up the first two wars with God, I'm sure he won't win this time either."

One leaned forward. "What do you suggest?"

"The Euphrates River has dried up," she replied. "An army won't have any trouble getting to An. You figure it out."

The three stood, so she quickly followed.

"We'll think about it," the Annunaki in charge of China said.

"But if An wins and we opposed him...?" the one in charge of Japan asked.

"And if he doesn't win, who will we have to blame for it?" Keegan retorted. "Look at his track record. Do you really believe he'll win? He can't even get rid of all the unchipped people."

"Neither can you," the Japanese king hissed.

"But I'm not running the show, am I?" she asked, refusing to show her anger at the reminder that she lost Devon and Autumn. They were the only two humans she'd ever lost, thanks to the angels. She dug her nails into her skin, comforted by the pain it inflicted. "The burden is on An, not me."

The Chinese king nodded. "We'll think about it. Now, I have to get back."

Keegan showed them out, maintaining an appearance of grace as she rambled on about lining up the super soldiers for the battle at Megiddo and how she was helping to equip all of them with new human organs. It was mindless talk, but she had nothing else to say. They could very well report what she told them to An, and that would be the end of it for her. She'd be locked up in chains for eternity, but if God won, she'd be locked up in chains anyway so this was her best chance of avoiding that terrible fate.

After they left, she decided it was time to see if she could find out where Devon and Autumn went. It was the only blemish on her record. Tapping her fingers against her lips, she thought she might know someone who could tell her where Devon would go. With a smile, she got ready to take a flight to Bismarck.

***

Vanessa stumbled into the bathroom and threw the empty bottle of pills into the sink. What good did swallowing every pill in it do? She was still alive? Gasping through her pounding headache, she looked in the mirror above the sink and cried at the puss-filled sores that covered her skin. Some of the puss leaked out from the one above her eye and trickled down the side of her face. She couldn't take it anymore!

She picked up her brush that rested on the counter and banged it on the mirror until it shattered. Gritting her teeth, she took the sharpest looking piece and dug it across the vein in her wrist, finding the pain from the cut more tolerable than the sores that pulsed and throbbed all over her. She blinked through the tears and watched her blood slide down her hand and to the floor.

Good. Maybe this would be it. Maybe now her agony would be over. She put the lid to the toilet down and waited, praying this would be it. None of the doctors had a cure for the sores, even though some others with the chips were also breaking out into this rare skin condition.

We're working on a cure, they promised, but that was when the whole thing started three months ago, and she was sick and tired of promises. She wanted relief!

To her dismay, her blood clotted up, and no amount of digging the shard further into the cut helped to open it. She cried, harder this time and threw the shard to the floor. There was only one more thing she could think of, and as much as it frightened her, the thought of having to live with the horrible sores indefinitely prompted her to rush to her dresser and pull open a drawer.

She took out her gun and made sure it was loaded before she placed it up to her forehead, aiming directly for the wretched chip that gave her the ability to heal in every way except for the sores. Closing her eyes, she pulled the trigger.

***

One month later (February)

Vanessa's eyes fluttered, and she took in her surroundings. She was, mercifully, without pain, but she doubted this was the afterlife, if such a place existed. The ceiling above her came into view, and she became aware of the TV in the background. She focused on the news report that said the Annunaki in control of the Middle East and North Africa and the Annunaki in control of the Russian Confederation just made a move to attack An who was leaving Jerusalem with his armies in defense of the sudden development.

Clearing her throat, Vanessa rubbed her forehead, suddenly noting the IV stuck in her arm. Someone next to her chuckled, so she turned her bandaged head and saw Keegan sitting next to her hospital bed.

Keegan clucked her tongue and smiled. "How fickle you humans are. One day, you're lining up for a chip that promises the fountain of youth, and a silly thing like a judgment from God has you wishing to die."

Vanessa grimaced and turned her gaze from Keegan. How long would Keegan insist on tormenting her before she got bored and left?

"So, you want to die, huh?" Keegan continued, leaning forward and brushing Vanessa's chin with her fingers.

Vanessa reluctantly turned her attention back to Keegan. Maybe if she humored Keegan, Keegan would hurry up with her business and then leave.

"I know how you can remove the chip," Keegan whispered.

"You do?" Vanessa croaked. She cleared her throat again and winced. Her throat was sore. She wondered if a tube had been in her throat.

"I sure do." Keegan gave her a wicked grin. "I even healed you of the sores so they're no longer a problem."

"Why would you do that?"

Keegan shrugged. "Consider it proof that I'll remove the chip if you do one teeny tiny favor for me."

Vanessa knew she was going to regret it but asked, "What favor?"

"I need you to find Devon."

She stared at Keegan for a long moment, noticing the hard glint in the woman's eyes as she stared at her. Licking her dry lips, she asked, "Devon?"

"Yes. Your first partner when you signed up for this job. The one who ran off a little over three years ago." Giving her a knowing smile, she added, "You know where he is, don't you?"

Vanessa forced her eyes off of Keegan's and stared at the ceiling. Her heart raced with nervous dread. She wanted the chip removed so much, but did she dare betray the one person who'd been good to her? Of all the people she'd ever known, he was one of the few who looked after her. He had offered to give her refuge in that Alaska cabin. He was willing to help her remove the chip, if possible.

"Vanessa," Keegan whispered. "It's your choice, of course. You don't have to comply. But I have to warn you, the sores can come back, and it's only the people who have the chip that risk getting them. Is keeping Devon's secret worth suffering for decades, for centuries...or maybe even forever?"

Tears filled Vanessa's eyes as she became aware of the nagging headache throbbing above her eyes. This could possibly last forever?

Shrugging, Keegan stood. "Okay. You have your choice to make, and I'll respect it."

"Wait," Vanessa called out before Keegan could leave. "Wait." She took a deep breath and licked her lips again, not believing what she was about to do but being so weary of the constant pain, she had to do something—anything—to stop it. "Alaska. He has a cabin up there. I don't know if he made it there or exactly where it's at."

"Interesting. And the airlines showed he went to Las Vegas and never left," Keegan murmured.

"What's that?"

"Nothing." Smiling, she leaned forward and patted her hand. "You'll take Alex with you. He's good about getting rid of people who turn traitor on us."

Vanessa gulped. Alex was a little too good—and happy—about killing people. She figured Keegan might want to take Devon back to Dulce, but Keegan's desire to see Devon dead didn't come as a surprise. Wincing, she willed her tears away.

"I'll get Alex." Keegan patted her hand. "As soon as Devon is dead, you'll be chip free."

As Keegan left, Vanessa choked back on a sob, noting her headache was getting worse.
Chapter Fifty

One month later (March)

Keegan shook her head when the news came in that An had subdued the Russian Confederation, Egypt, North Africa, and some of the Middle Eastern countries. She couldn't believe it. Two of the more powerful fallen angels hadn't been able to muster up enough support and strength to knock An out of his place. It amazed her that An managed so well given the odds against him.

She tapped her fingers on the table in her living quarters. They were one month away from the big event, and they were no closer to an effective strategy than before. Worse yet, super soldiers were fighting super soldiers which meant more organs needed to be shipped out. She rolled her eyes. It was always more organs. Her post went from productive experiments in order to develop better bodies for the Nephilim to overseeing an assembly line of cloning so they could ship out organs.

This was not what she wanted, and it certainly wasn't going to be what she intended to do for eternity, if An could manage to pull off winning. Her hands trembled as she thought over the implications of An losing. She didn't want to go to Hell. She had to do something. She couldn't just idly stand by and watch the action at Megiddo take place when they got ready to attack God when he returned.

A knock came at her door. Groaning, she hurried over to it and flung it open. "You know I don't like being disturbed when I'm in my living quarters!"

The Reptilian bowed his head. "My apologies. The kings of China and Southeast Asia wish to speak with you about your plans regarding Megiddo."

Her eyes lit up. "Where are they?"

"They request for you to meet them in the Hong Kong airport tomorrow."

"Tell them I'll be there."

As he left, she clasped her hands together. Maybe there was a chance after all. China alone boasted of far more manpower, super soldiers, and fallen angels than any of the other kingdoms. Yes. Maybe this would work! She hurried to get ready for the next plane out.

***

Though the Alaska air was fifteen degrees, Alex hardly noticed the freezing temperature as he trudged through the wooded area. His anger warmed his flesh to the point where he didn't think he needed his parka and gloves, but he kept them on. Despite the darkness hovering around him, he saw everything perfectly.

He shifted his backpack, turned, and waited for Vanessa to catch up to him. Too bad he needed her to help him locate Devon and Autumn. She was slowing him down with her reluctance to kill them. He hid his disgust. She should know better than to sympathize with those who refused the chip, and yet, he'd seen her cry on more than one occasion because of the terrorists.

"It's too bad you weren't there at Area 51 to be used as a lab rat," he told Vanessa.

She paused, her eyes wide. "What do you mean by that?"

"That so-called friend of yours—Devon—allowed the greys to do all kinds of experiments on me, and it hurt, Vanessa. Never once did he lend a hand to get me out of there. You wouldn't think another human would allow the things those greys did to me, but he did. He'll do the same to you if the greys win and he comes out of hiding. Don't think he'll spare you just because you're a friend." He let out a bitter laugh. "I had a friend who didn't mind betraying me for the greys. I know where these people's loyalties lie."

She looked away from him as she grabbed the straps of her backpack and stepped forward.

As she was ready to pass him, he grabbed her arm and she winced. "Don't grow soft," he snapped. "I need you to focus. Where did he say his cabin was?"

Clearing her throat, she shrugged. "He never gave me an exact location. It's in the interior of this state." She glanced at the trees surrounding them. "Somewhere far away from any roads. It was north of Fairbanks. That's all I know."

Alex scowled. Even at their superhuman rate of hiking, this could take a long time. Did they even have enough time? The greys were due to return in a month or so. Cursing under his breath, he let go of her and headed forward.

I'll kill them. I'll kill them if it's the last thing I do.

Pleasure pulsed through his body and he smiled. With an ecstatic sigh, he closed his eyes and let the sensation consume him. After years of searching for them, he was going to finally kill them. His hands itched to pull the trigger. More pleasure pulsed through him. He couldn't wait.

***

Keegan listened to the two Annunaki who headed China and Southeastern Asia, delighted at how well they had planned their attack. And better yet, she was going to be a part of it.

"What we need from you is total control of the super soldiers," the Annunaki in charge of China said. "You maintain their organ supplies. Perhaps you can suggest their use will be best used fighting on our side?"

A wry grin crossed her face. "I'd love nothing more than to do such a thing. I'll start making calls to the other underground bases as soon as I leave here. Only, I want one thing when you get to Megiddo. Let me in the battle. I want to see the bloodshed of the chipped humans and the fall of God." She licked her lips in anticipation.

"Done," he replied.

Thrilled, she stood with them and headed out of the private estate. Even An couldn't stand up to so many super soldiers. This would be the end of him for sure. Then she'd acquire a higher rank, and instead of doing experiments, she might lead a nation.

As she headed out, she caught the news on a radio sitting in the entryway about the impending collapse of the world system. Good. If it did, more disgruntled Annunaki might turn against An. That would make the goal of ridding him even easier.

***

2 weeks later (early April)

Vanessa struggled to keep up with Alex, but her headache got worse and worse the further northeast they walked. She stumbled and fell to the ground, not caring if patches of snow clung to her hands. When she glanced to her left, she caught sight of a car hidden further back among the trees. What would an abandoned car be doing a mile from the road? From the looks of it, it hadn't been touched in years. It had to be Devon's. He had a sentimental attachment to Pintos that she never understood. That meant he had to be here somewhere.

Alex stopped and groaned. "You are the weakest person I've ever met." Turning, he glared at her. "You do have the human enhancement chip, right?"

His sharp tone only made her headache worse. Gasping, she rubbed her forehead. She had tried to get up but the weight of her backpack caused her to lunge forward and fall again.

Alex rushed over to her and yanked her up by her arms. "Where are they, Vanessa? Where are Devon and Autumn?"

She couldn't do it. She couldn't turn them in.

"You know. You've known all along, haven't you?" he yelled.

Gritting her teeth, she willed herself not to mention the car. It made her brain throb in pain from the effort, but she managed to hold her tongue.

"You're worthless," he hissed. "No wonder I've been ordered to call in for your execution once you led me to Devon."

His words didn't have time to register before he let go of her. She tumbled to the ground and put her head in her hands. The pain was mounting. She became aware of the chip as it sent electric pulses through her brain. She'd been marked for execution. That could only mean one thing. Keegan never intended to remove the chip. Whimpering, she struggled to breathe as her brain expanded inside her skull.

"This is his car, isn't it?" Alex yelled as he rushed by her. "That means they went this way."

She didn't bother looking in the direction he meant. She became aware that she was about to die, and even as she felt relief that soon this pain would be over, she had the sudden looming sense of dread that she was about to end up somewhere else—a place where the pain would never end.

"Yes," Alex said. "I have order 894 to eliminate a traitor. Her name is Vanessa Hayden."

Vanessa gasped and clawed at the ground, wishing she might go on living, even if she had to deal with headaches and sores. The eternity that spanned before her caved in on her from every side, and she understood she should have never taken the implant that condemned her. From the moment she turned her back on God and decided to swear allegiance to the Annunaki, her fate had been sealed. The pressure in her brain came to an abrupt end before her brain exploded inside her skull.

***

In the throne room in Heaven, the multitude of angels and saints waited for the time when they would join Jesus Christ to claim Earth for mankind. Among the saints stood Marianne, Dr. Reyes, and Dr. Raymond. Time had no meaning in this realm, and though it seemed like a second ago since she'd arrived, Marianne was aware that on Earth considerable time had passed. Now the time was quickly approaching before she and the others were due to engage in battle. They were given white linen to wear, along with swords and shields.

An archangel announced it was time to announce the fall of the world's economies, so an angel went down to Earth in haste to declare it to all who lived there.

Marianne held her breath in anticipation. Soon, they would take Earth back from Satan, and all the misery that had plagued mankind since the fall in the Garden of Eden would be no more.
Chapter Fifty-One

1 week later

The Annunaki from the eastern nations fought against An and his forces at Megiddo. Keegan, in her Reptilian form, took the chains in her hands and wrapped them around a human's neck and squeezed until his head came off. Not even a chipped human was any match for her. Almost disgusted that it'd been so easy, she shoved the corpse away from her and scanned the battlefield in the night. The stench of blood from the chipped people and their fallen horses made her stomach growl, but she had more important things to do than satisfy her hunger. Her eyes were keenly attuned to all the gunfire and clanging of swords from every side as she judged where An might be.

The chains in her grasp were meant for him. If she could just bind him, then they'd get rid of him before God returned. That was their best chance at winning this battle—the final battle which would determine the eternal fate of fallen angels and of man. She'd be damned before man inherited the Earth.

Through the mass of super soldiers and chipped men who fought around her, she caught sight of An, struggling with the king of China. Tightening her hold on the chains, she spread her wings—intentionally wounding a human with the sharp edge—and flew into the air.

***

Shortly past one in the afternoon, Alex finally made it to the section of the Alaska wilderness that had sheltered Devon and Autumn for three and a half years.

He shrugged his backpack off and let it fall to the ground. Then he bent his knees and leapt up into a tree, perching along a branch thick enough to hold him. Using his enhanced hearing, he focused on the sound of laughter. With precision, he turned his gaze to the source of the laughter and magnified his vision until he saw the cabin. A few feet from it, Devon was holding Autumn in his arms. He kissed her and then whispered something in her ear which made her laugh again.

Snarling, Alex pulled out his gun. Steadying his weight, he aimed the gun in Autumn's direction, but before he could pull the trigger, she and Devon walked down a path. Trees blocked the view of them, and Alex swore. So close. He almost shot her brains out. But maybe it was better this way. He couldn't put them through the torture he had endured at Area 51 if he got rid of them so easily. He must not let his impatience override good judgment. Watching them suffer first would be much better.

He leapt down from the tree and landed on his feet. Straightening his shoulders, he proceeded forward, leaving his backpack behind.

***

Keegan flew above a pile of dead bodies and landed behind An who was wielding his sword against the king of China who matched him blow for blow, their swords clanging on their shields. Flicking her tongue along her teeth, she brought the chains up and carefully made her way up to An. She had to make sure he didn't see her. Otherwise, her plan wouldn't work, and everything she'd worked for would go up in smoke.

The king of China roared and aimed his sword at An's head. An drew his shield up in time to avoid the blow. Keegan let out a low growl. So much for injuring An to the point where he wouldn't be able to defend himself. She brought the chains up and judged when the proper time to strike might be. An lurched forward, and she chose that moment to act. Springing forward, she raised the chains above his head and wrapped them around his chest.

***

Devon held his hand up and paused, so Autumn stopped talking and waited. She scanned the peaceful landscape, noting the sunlight seemed to flicker. Surprised, she glanced up at the sky and frowned. The stars appeared in the sky, or at least they looked like stars. The sun flickered again.

Chimes sounded along the perimeter of their sectioned off land, and Autumn looked at Devon, wondering if she should be concerned. Without a word, he took her hand and raced for the nearest building, which happened to be the place they kept the four wheelers. She didn't have time to think over what was happening when someone plowed into her from behind within a foot of the building. Letting go of Devon's hand, she fell to the ground, the wind being momentarily knocked out of her.

Her attacker rolled her over and grabbed her by the chin. It took her another second before she could breathe, and when she finally did, she was able to focus on the person hovering over her. She gasped. "Alex?" she whispered. She hardly recognized him, but it was definitely him. The scowl on his face and sharp glint in his eyes made her shiver.

"Miss me, Autumn?" Alex growled.

She blinked as he morphed in front of her. In one instant, he looked human and in the next, he resembled a grey alien. "What happened to you?"

Autumn saw Devon with a crowbar coming up behind Alex before he struck Alex across the back of the head with it. Alex slumped to the side, unconscious for the moment. Devon reached forward and grabbed Autumn by the arm.

She stumbled with him to the four wheeler and sat down, her chin still hurting from where Alex squeezed it. She fought back the tears. She didn't understand it. Why would Alex want to kill her? What had she done to him? She knew he was upset with her the last time they talked, but was that any reason to want her dead?

Devon hopped in front of her and started the engine. Glancing over his shoulder, he called out, "Hold on."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and hung on as he drove forward, barely missing Alex who was getting to his feet.

"You're not getting away from me!" Alex yelled, his voice distorting.

Autumn gave no thought to the distortion as Devon maneuvered around trees as Alex pursued them. She glanced over her shoulder, alarmed that he was keeping up with the speed Devon was employing. She never saw anyone run that fast. She could only guess how fast Devon drove the four wheeler through the bumpy terrain. Maybe 50mph. Maybe even 60mph? Bracing herself for the dips in the path, she tightened her hold on Devon and prayed they'd make it out of this alive.

***

Keegan squeezed the chains around An's chest and prevailed against him as he fought to be free from them. But then something happened that she hadn't planned. Satan left the human enhanced body provided for him and lurched at her. Startled, she let go of the chains and stepped back. She thought he'd fully fused himself with the body. She didn't realize he could leave it at will.

She shrunk as he loomed before her. His horns protruded from his head. His wings sprouted from his back. His nose became longer and more pointed. His fingernails lengthened and sharpened. He smiled, his fangs glistening in the moonlight, as he gathered the chains from the human body which stirred from his position on the field.

The king of China dropped his sword and ran. Had he stayed, Keegan might have had a chance, but without any support, she was no match for Satan as he threw the chains around her and swiftly bound her in place. She roared, but Satan had already turned his back on her so he could step into the human's body.

***

On the edge of the third dimension, above the Mount of Olives, the multitude of the saints sat on horses, sword in hand. The angels spread their wings. Some held swords. Others held fiery darts. In the middle, Jesus Christ sat on a white horse. The saints and angels waited for Him to give the signal to intervene.

***

The sky flickered above Megiddo, and Satan and the fallen angels lifted their gazes toward the heavens. "Attack!" Satan called out, and the other fallen angels followed the sentiment.

"Call in the nukes!" Satan ordered the kings of the west, Middle East, and Southwest Asia who stood around him. "Tell the commanders in your divisions to aim for the Mount of Olives."

They nodded and dispersed.

"Now, if we can all unify instead of fighting each other, we can make this work," he muttered.

"Sir," a chipped human said from behind him.

Snarling that a mere human would dare approach him so informally, he whirled to face the pathetic creature.

"Why are we aiming for the Mount of Olives. There are no greys there," the human continued, as if he didn't notice the angry heat radiating from Satan's body.

With a sly smile, Satan said, "That's because the greys have been here all along. Who do you think inhabits your bodies after you take the chip?"

The human blanched.

Well, that was mildly amusing, but Satan had work to do. This was his Earth! No human had the right to take it from him, and God wasn't going to stop him. Not this time. He didn't care what the prophecy said. This time he would win!
Chapter Fifty-Two

Devon turned on the light to the four wheeler as he sped through the wooded area. It was as dark as night, and it was still day? He didn't understand it, but the stillness in the air and lack of any noise besides the running of the four wheeler and Alex running after him and Autumn were all he could hear. Then a thought came to mind. Was this it? Was the Second Coming of Christ happening right now? His heart leapt in anticipation, but he knew he couldn't get distracted. Not now. Not when Alex was closing in on them.

Devon veered around a tree and made a loop so he was heading back to the cabin. Maybe Alex would fall in one of those pits he'd dug out. Devon squinted as he tried to figure out his way between the trees. The light from the four wheeler wasn't enough, but he hated to slow down.

A sound above him caught his attention. He swerved around another tree in time to see Alex jump in front of him. Alarmed, he made an attempt to swerve around him when the four wheeler flipped over and he and Autumn went flying through the air until they landed on the ground.

***

On the battlefield, the fallen angels, super soldiers, and chipped humans watched in dread as the sky above the Mount of Olives opened and a great assembly of horses galloped in their direction. The riders held their swords, ready to engage in battle. The angels dispersed from above. Some headed out to the other areas of the Earth while some remained over Megiddo and shot flaming darts upon them.

When Satan realized the darts had the power to make everything it touched melt and that these were specifically aimed at the artillery he had organized for this event, he shouted for those on his side to fight. They had to act now before all was lost! Two nuclear weapons launched into the air, but the fiery darts made them of no consequence.

Hatred welled up within him. He hated God.

"More nukes!" he yelled out to the kings of the nations. "We need more! Launch them all at once. Surely, they can't get all of them at the same time!"

The kings rushed to send out the orders.

Turning back to the Mount of Olives, he called out the charge to rush forward to stop the saints before they could pave the way for Jesus Christ to reach the Jewish Temple.

Those that were still alive on the battlefield obeyed. When the saints reached the bottom, they intercepted them. The battle grew fierce as those on the Earth got more desperate. It was becoming clear to Satan that the saints were prevailing. He didn't know what their swords were made of, but they cut through everything in their path and rendered many humans dead and super soldiers incapacitated.

Just as the creeping fear that he might lose swept over him when he engaged God in battle in Heaven, so the same dreaded fear was beginning to slither up his spine now. As the battle continued with the saints pushing those on Earth back, Satan turned his eyes to the top of the Mount of Olives where Christ got ready to step on it. His knees buckled, and though he fought it with all of his strength, he ended up bowing before Him.

***

Devon was barely aware that Autumn was still with him when Alex strode over to him. He tried to move his head but couldn't. In fact, it occurred to him he couldn't move much of anything.

Alex knelt by him and shook his head. The grey's face began to show through Alex's flesh. "I remember that night at Area 51, Devon," he said in two voices but not seeming to notice the distortion. "You didn't stop those greys. You were human, and yet you turned another human over to them." The grey brought his face further out and added, "How does it feel to be confronted by one who wants to experiment on you?"

Devon swallowed and winced. "I'm not afraid."

"No?" the two voices asked.

"No." He licked his dry lips, aware of the coppery taste in his mouth. With a light chuckle, he added, "God's already won."

Alex glared at him. "God doesn—" He took another breath and tried again. "God doesn—"

The grey hissed and slipped back into Alex's body.

Devon wondered why Alex couldn't deny God's existence but was distracted by the faint breathing coming from Autumn. He wanted to reach out and touch her hand, to die connected to her but couldn't. She was too far from him.

Alex stood up and went over to Autumn. "You know, Autumn. I'm tempted to let you die this way, but then, I'd deny Devon the pleasure of knowing I killed you." He shrugged and pulled out a knife. "I thought slowly would be better. When I was at Area 51, those greys stuck all kinds of things into every orifice on my body. It felt like knives being inserted all over me. Since you sent me there, I thought you might like to get a taste of what I went through."

"Stop it," Devon croaked.

"What is that, Devon? Does it bother you if I do this to your woman? You didn't mind doing it to me."

Devon swallowed. "She had nothing to do with it. I didn't know her back then."

Alex laughed. "Beautiful. Right. I guess that's why I have the memories of what happened."

"I don't know what you remember, but I didn't meet Autumn until five months later. I'm the one you want to kill, not her."

Aware his breathing was becoming ragged, Devon stopped talking. A light shimmered over him, and he blinked so he could get a better view of it. The angel materialized and touched him, and Devon felt a warmth traveling through him and healing him. Then the angel went over to Autumn.

The grey hissed and leapt forward to grab the angel's wrist, causing Alex to lurch forward and drop the knife.

"What the—?" Alex demanded.

Able to move, Devon reached for Autumn and helped her get out of the way. He held onto her and watched as the angel and grey fought. Alex grabbed his hand and cried out when the grey stood halfway outside of his body. The grey hissed and dove back into Alex's body. Alex grabbed his head and groaned in pain. The grey's foot moved forward and Alex took a step. The grey reached out his hand toward the angel, and Alex's hand went along with it.

Autumn buried her face in Devon's shoulder and shivered. "I can't watch anymore."

Devon stroked her back in an attempt to comfort her, but he couldn't take his eyes off the angel and Alex.

***

Satan saw Jesus Christ's feet touch the Mount of Olives before he heard the low rumble that shook the entire Earth. When he looked up, he saw an angel flying toward him. The angel carried a key and a great chain. Satan trembled. The key. That was the key to the bottomless pit. He tried to flee, but he couldn't move. He glanced around for someone who might help him, except the Earth was opening up and the fallen angels and super soldiers were falling into the great chasm that grew wider and wider.

The angel reached him and bound him in the chain so Satan couldn't escape. As Satan cursed God, the angel flew him into the abyss that awaited him. He passed others of his kind who were being bound by other angels, and further still he went until he was in the bowels of the Earth and secured. He continued to curse God while he gnashed his teeth in pain.

***

Alex sprung for the angel's sword, but the angel flew into the air. Devon couldn't be sure, but it didn't seem like Alex even knew there was an angel in the vicinity. He seemed to be led completely by the grey.

Devon didn't notice the rumbling sound at first. He thought it was his imagination. But the Earth shook beneath him and the grey yelled and cursed something in a language Devon didn't understand. The ground split open where Alex stood, and though Alex made a move to run from the chasm forming beneath him, a screaming fallen angel reached out and grabbed his ankles. Alex dug his fingers into the dirt and tried to claw his way from the chasm, but the fallen angel overcame him. With a shriek of despair, Alex fell into the flames the leapt up to receive him.

In the next instant, the Earth closed up, and Devon remained still, not sure if he trusted his senses to tell him what was going on anymore. Everything he'd seen was unreal. All he could do was hold Autumn and hope it was over.

The angel went over to him and smiled. "It is safe for you to go back to Bismarck. When the Lord steps into the Temple, the sun will light the sky once more."

Devon watched as the angel flew into the dark sky. He wasn't sure what to expect from this moment forward. But he knew Autumn would be with him, and for now, that was enough.

***

The Earth's chasm closed up on Megiddo and all that remained of those who battled the angels and saints were human and horse carcasses. The field ran red with blood. It was a somber moment for all who remained and took in the extent of the violence done on the Earth. But a new day had come. As Jesus Christ led his horse forward, the saints and angels followed, singing His praises.
Epilogue

Six months later

Given permission to travel to Bismarck, she did. As she left her post, she took the time to examine the Earth, noting it was still healing from the bitter wars fought over mankind's history. But this was a new day, and this time, war had ceased for the Prince of Peace ruled from Jerusalem. She thought it was a beautiful sight to see people of all nations joined with the angels in giving glory to Jesus Christ. All of nature was at rest. The lion and lamb shared the same space without thought to how things had been when Satan and his minions led the affairs of the world.

She was eager to see her sister, but she didn't want to rush her trip. Upon her return to Earth, she had many things to do in Washington DC to help establish the new ruling body to serve under the King of Kings that she didn't take a good look at the planet. Now, as she did, she noted the clean air and water, the mountains and plains, the flowers and trees. In many ways, the Earth was different, and yet, it was the same.

And then the day came when she arrived in Bismarck. Her white robe and crown told everyone who saw her that she had been a part of the church age in human history. She could have taken a cab to reach the residence she needed, but she opted to walk. Her new body resembled her old one, minus the weaknesses. She could walk and never grow tired. She didn't need to sleep or eat, though from time to time, she chose to. All of her senses were sharper than before, so she chose to use her sense of sight to find the house she needed when she reached the beginning of a street in a suburban neighborhood.

She found the yellow house and smiled, her heartbeat picking up at the realization she would finally see her sister again. As she neared the house, she realized her sister was outside, tending to some flowers. Wishing to surprise her, she kept her footsteps silent as she walked up to the front porch.

Unable to hide her excitement any longer, she called out, "Autumn?" in a soft voice.

Autumn looked up from the flowerbed and gasped. "Marianne?"

She laughed, even as tears came to her eyes. "Yes. It's me."

Autumn rushed forward and hugged her.

Marianne wrapped her arms around her and cried, holding onto her for a long moment. Even if it'd been years since they last saw one another, in many ways, it felt like it'd been in the blink of an eye. Pulling away from Autumn, she wiped the tears from Autumn's face. "I thought this was going to be a joyous reunion."

Autumn chuckled and nodded. "It is. Oh Marianne, I never thought I'd see you again. It's been so long since the vanishing, and I wanted so badly to see you."

"I wanted to see you too. I'm glad you're here." She clasped her sister's hands and noticed the protruding belly. "Autumn, you're pregnant?"

With a shy smile, she rubbed her stomach. "Six months along."

"That's wonderful. And I told you it would happen for you, didn't I?"

She rolled her eyes. "I guess that goes to show that you know everything." The front door to the house opened, and Autumn took Marianne's hand and led her forward. "Marianne, this is my husband, Devon. Devon, this is my sister, Marianne."

Devon walked down the porch steps so he could shake her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

"I hope it's been good things," Marianne teased.

"Only the best," he assured her. "It's nice to finally put a name with a face."

She smiled from Devon to Autumn, noting the way he slipped his arm around Autumn's waist and the glow on Autumn's face and rejoiced that her sister was doing so well. "So, what do you two do?"

"I'm in charge of making sure the local government structure acts according to the King's laws so corruption doesn't settle in," he replied.

"And I don't work retail," Autumn added.

Knowing how much Autumn dreaded her job at the mall, Marianne laughed.

As the three continued to talk, the angel flew by, close enough to enjoy the reunion but not so close as to interfere. He smiled, lifted his wings, and traveled higher into the air, content to look down and see the many others who were being reunited with their loved ones. And then he spanned the sky where other angels flew to enjoy the peace that had finally come to Earth. After watching the fallen angels meddle in human affairs, it was nice to see God in control. Content, he continued his flight toward Jerusalem to receive the next message he would deliver.
