The Revelation Chronicles: Evolution, Page 2

  “Tell me something,” Agent Simmons asserted, walking around the room, keeping his sharp eyes trained on Viktor. He noticed the single bead of sweat that slowly trickled down the striking blonde’s hairline and onto his cheek. Viktor had been imprisoned for months, kept in the same cramped room with no windows and very little lighting. A combination of sleep deprivation and sensory overload was routinely performed.

  “I don’t know what you want from me. I’ve told you already; I don’t know these men.”

  “I want you to tell me the truth. I want to catch these guys. And I will do that, with or without your help.”

  Agent Simmons peered at Viktor through his half-rim eyeglasses, waiting for a response. Instinct told him that alien or not, Viktor wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer. But he needed information now. He didn’t have time to wait. Vice President Palmer’s life was on the line.

  “I’m sorry to hear about the predicament your precious world now finds itself in, but I can assure you I have nothing to do with it.”

  “You know, somehow I doubt that.”

  “You don’t trust me, Agent Simmons,” Viktor said with a forced smile. “Trust. That’s the basis of all successful relationships.”

  “You need to give me something other than the bits and pieces you’ve been feeding us. Then we will see about reducing your time in here. I will have you transferred to a more humane holding cell. I’m sure you’d enjoy seeing the sun again along with a nice meal that isn’t fed to you intravenously.”

  “Ironic that you would mention the word humane, don’t you think? But I can’t deny that a hot meal would be delectable. Tell me something, Agent Simmons. I wasn’t able to decipher much from your horrid photos. Did either of these men happen to have glowing green eyes?”

  Chapter 4

  Allison grabbed her things and headed for the door, locking it behind her. She walked down the stairwell of the girl’s dormitory and wrapped a violet scarf firmly about her neck before venturing out into the brisk Michigan air.

  Life in general had been turbulent for Allison in the past few months, to say the least. After being kidnapped and exposed to the shocking truth that humans weren’t alone in the universe, she’d been subjected to unimaginable scrutiny. She was placed in FBI custody and questioned for several days. Allison’s parents were forced to hire a high-priced lawyer who tried everything in his power to secure her release. But the government, enforcing new legislation under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, was able to detain her indefinitely.

  Allison was grilled relentlessly about Charlie and her relationship to him. Questions like how long they’d known each other and if she’d had contact with any other aliens. She’d given them what little she knew, which seemed to frustrate the Special Agent in Charge, Rick Simmons. They even forced her to sign a non-disclosure agreement before her release which basically stated she would be remanded to federal prison if any information was divulged about Charlie or the events at the Grand Tower Hotel.

  After her release, Allison returned to Carver Community College for her junior year, but nothing was the same. Everyone looked at her differently now. Most of the students knew of her close friendship with Charlie and the whispers and rumors circulated all over campus. Her parents strongly urged that she change schools, but she was too pig-headed to transfer. Too much time and energy was invested at Carver to simply quit. She didn’t care about the rumors and dirty looks.

  As if right on cue, Allison passed a group of fellow students, offering a warm smile in greeting. They ignored the gesture, staring at her with open repulsion and whispering between them. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. She’d gone from being the most popular girl on campus to the absolute bottom of the social pecking order.

  It was official. She was now the bearded lady at the freak show carnival. You know, the one who keeps company with the elephant man and the world’s smallest person. She laughed inwardly at the thought. Charlie would have shuddered at the comparison.

  Then, her heart sank. Allison hadn’t seen or heard from Charlie since he saved her life. She had so many mixed feelings about that night. Things had gotten very… complicated. Everything just happened so quickly. Even after six months, she still hadn’t come up with a reasonable explanation for what happened or why. Her heart seemed torn in two. Never did she expect to develop feelings for another…

  Allison walked through the quad, admiring a group of cheerleaders running through their routine. She recalled a time when a number of them were considered friends, but no more. It all seemed so long ago—when things were normal.

  With her mind full of thoughts from a time when things weren’t so complicated, she rounded the corner next to the computer lab and headed for the library. A great deal of studying was in order if she was going to pass her upcoming midterm in political science.

  Without warning, a strong arm grabbed her, pulling her quickly behind a row of shrubbery. She gasped, shocked, as she looked up into the eyes of the one she now bore such strong feelings. The man she’d longed to see for some time, now standing before her in the flesh.

  “Michael,” Allison said, almost in a whisper and trying to catch her breath. “What are you doing here?”

  Chapter 5

  Michael pulled Allison close to him, embracing her tightly. He peered into her eyes, almost as if he were staring into her very soul—an act that made her heart quiver.

  “I had to see you. I’m sorry it had to be this way, but I had no choice.”

  “Do the others know you are here?” Allison asked anxiously. By others, of course she specifically meant Charlie. She had no idea how to explain what was going on, and certainly didn’t know how she’d ever broach the subject with him. It was a conversation she dreaded, but one that was also inevitable.

  “No, no one knows I’m here. I made sure of it.”

  “I am glad to see you, but you shouldn’t be here. You risked everything by coming here.”

  “I don’t care,” Michael said defiantly staring at her with his dark green eyes that could make her knees buckle. “I needed to see you.”

  Michael surveyed the area, and once satisfied the coast was clear, led Allison away from the bushes. They walked slowly and talked. Michael, ever diligent, kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. He wore a dark hooded sweatshirt and pulled at the sides often to make sure no one could see his face.

  “How are the others getting along?” Allison inquired.

  “Everyone’s fine,” Michael said blankly, not offering much in the way of detail. Allison cocked her head slightly and looked up into his eyes, trying to read them. Then she realized that reading Michael was about as easy as reading a closed book.

  Allison led them to a wooden bench in front of the library where they sat down. She tucked an errant lock of hair behind the ear and faced Michael with an nervous smile, at which point he quickly looked away.

  Michael was shy and quiet by nature, but assertive when the time called for it. Always had been, since as far back as he could remember. He’d never shown any genuine interest in girls, not since the debacle that was his junior prom.

  Heather Swanson was his date and he’d been lucky enough for her to say yes. She was only one of the prettiest and most popular girls in school. At the end of the night, when it was time to seal the evening with a kiss, Michael choked. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; it was the simple fact that he’d never kissed a girl before. To spare himself the embarrassment, he chose to leave her on her doorstep with not even as much as a hug goodbye.

  That was typical Michael. He was never good in socially awkward situations and retreated internally. Heather Swanson was devastated, and with her circle of friends and influence, she made sure everyone knew about it. He was branded romantically radioactive and a social outcast for the remainder of high school. But his time with Allison in captivity had stirred something within him. He knew what he wanted now and would stop at nothing to get it.

  Chapter 6
r />   The two sat and talked for quite some time. Well, Allison actually did most of the talking while Michael listened. She talked a lot when she was nervous or anxious, and being with Michael certainly qualified. It made her uncomfortable. Not the bad type where you can’t wait to get away from someone or something, but the good kind of uncomfortable you get when you’re around someone you find insanely attractive. Like, ‘Oh God, I hope I don’t have any lunch stuck in my teeth’ uncomfortable.

  “So, what are we doing here?” Allison asked, after another awkward silence that seemed to last forever.

  “I don’t know.” Michael stared at his shoelaces, unable to string the words he desired together. “This just feels right. Being with you.”

  “I understand, and I feel the same way,” Allison said softly. “But, honestly, how would this work? You aren’t human which, believe it or not, is not a deal-breaker. I’ve met some real jerks in my life that were out of this world, let me tell you. I’ll take a quiet, brooding alien any day.”

  She cuffed her arm inside Michael’s, feeling the rock-like quality of his biceps.

  “Was that a compliment?” asked Michael with hesitation.

  “If you ever saw my dating rap sheet, you would know it was a ringing endorsement.”

  Michael laughed and relaxed as he looked out over campus. He watched while students moved back and forth across the grounds, like hungry pigeons at the park. They were hungry for higher learning though, not bread crumbs and French fries.

  College wasn’t really Michael’s thing. He was never one for school on any level. He didn’t much care for the crappy sports gear sold on campus at Carver Community College either. The dark blue windbreakers made the students look more like underpaid crossing guards at a middle school intersection.

  Then, his heart began to pound in his chest and he froze. He realized the ones in windbreakers weren’t students at all, but federal agents. Right down to the bold yellow lettering and white earpieces. They rapidly converged on Michael from all directions, covering every possible escape route.

  “We’re going to have to pick up this conversation later,” Michael said, remaining calm, but alert. “We are completely surrounded. Do exactly as I say.”

  Allison didn’t argue, rising to her feet with Michael’s left hand squeezed tightly around her wrist. She glanced down and noticed his right hand turning a dark shade of blue before igniting in flame.

  One of the agents held up his hand, halting the approach of the others, their assault rifles steadily trained on Michael. Infrared dots, too numerous to count, danced upon his chest.

  “My name is Agent Simmons. I just want to talk. There are lots of innocent kids here. Let Miss Archer go and we can have a conversation. There’s no need for things to get messy.”

  Michael glared at the agents surrounding him with very little emotion. If he was even remotely nervous, he didn’t show it.

  “You brought an awful lot of firepower just to talk,” Michael said flatly. “Well, if firepower is what you like, then I guess I’m your man.”

  Michael raised his hand quickly, thrusting it forward in a semi-circular motion. A towering wall of flame ignited that reached almost ten feet in height.

  “RUN!” he yelled, pulling Allison along behind him like a rag-doll. In the millisecond she had to react, Allison moved her legs as fast as she could to keep up. The fire would keep the agents at bay momentarily, but extinguishers were already being brandished to put out the flames. They had to use this small window of time to slip away.

  “Do you have a car?” Michael asked urgently. “We need to leave here now.”

  “Parking lot over there,” Allison said panting hard. She pointed with her free hand.

  The two raced across the lot and up to Allison’s new two-door smart car. It was the smallest thing Michael had ever seen. She fumbled for the keys in her backpack.

  “Really? This is your car?” Michael asked cynically. “Where’s the rest of it?”

  “Hey, don’t judge. It gets great gas mileage.”

  “Hopefully it goes over sixty miles an hour and doesn’t get us caught,” he said, squeezing his large frame into the passenger seat. “I don’t know whether I should sit inside or jump on top and hold on for dear life.”

  “Oh, shush it!” Allison exclaimed, throwing the car in drive and slamming the gas pedal. On the way out of the lot, she swerved and barely missed Agent Simmons who had caught up to them, but had the good sense to dive out of the way at the last second. Michael checked both the rearview and side mirrors thoroughly before sitting back in his seat.

  “Looks like we’re in the clear for now. We need to get rid of this car.”

  “Hey, buster, I know you don’t like the car, but my parents just bought this for me. It’s eco-friendly.”

  Allison maneuvered the streets like a professional race car driver. Okay, maybe more like a demolition derby driver. A demolition derby driver with prescription lenses—which she'd forgotten at home.

  “The authorities will be all over this car in no time. I’m all but certain they were already tailing you, so they know what you drive. We’ll dump it somewhere they won’t find it for a while and move on.”

  “I guess I’m in it for the long haul now,” Allison said and laughed unconvincingly, her voice filled with angst.

  “I didn’t mean to bring this to your doorstep. I’m sorry.”

  Allison thought about everything she’d experienced with Charlie.

  “No need to apologize. I’ve been here before. Where are we going?”

  Michael exhaled slowly and the silence in the car was deafening. The road noise and whine of the engine was the only sound. This wasn’t going to be easy.

  “We’re going to join the others.”

  Chapter 7

  I awoke in a cold sweat. I’d had another bad dream. Couldn’t seem to shake them lately. The dream was always the same each night. It started with me falling into the river and losing Freddy, and I usually woke up after seeing my father Viktor’s face. Gone, he still tormented me, even though he was no immediate threat—that I knew of. I could sense his pain. Lots of it. I can’t say I felt any genuine sorrow for him. I just didn’t understand why I had to experience it too, subconscious or otherwise.

  According to my mother, Viktor and I shared a bond, one that couldn’t be broken or altered. We could hear each other’s thoughts and communicate telepathically. It was a gift I so wished could be returned to sender. I also shared this bond with Kara, my Daelin, or future wife according to Alarian legend. This was a rare occurrence on our home planet of Etheus, maybe once in a millennium. Supposedly our union was the key to saving our race from possible extinction. Every time I thought about it all, I wanted to blow chunks.

  I rummaged through my backpack for a clean t-shirt and found a black one. I pulled it over my sandy blond hair and brushed my locks back behind the ears after freshening up in the sink. We were currently holed up in an old defunct peanut factory. The previous owners must have left in a hurry, because hundreds of peanut shells littered the floor en masse, which meant each step I took made that very annoying crunchy sound.

  I headed to the area we used as our hub of operations: the entrance to the peanut factory. Nick was currently engrossed in a comic book on the couch with both feet propped up as usual and savoring a giant stick of jerky. Hard at work on the laptop was Kara. Tech-savvy Jasmine had supplied us one complete with state-of-the-art software that was capable of some pretty amazing things. It came equipped with a backdoor into the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS. The TDRS was a communications satellite used by NASA and other, more covert government agencies. With it we could tap into virtually any security system or access any network across the world. It was our way of staying a step ahead of those who sought to find us.

  “There’s coffee on the table—three sugars, one cream,” Kara said. Her eyes never left the computer screen.

  “Just the way I like it,” I said.


  I strolled over to the old wooden table we’d found out back and grabbed the coffee cup, taking a nice, slow sip. As I walked toward Kara, I casually knocked Nick’s feet off the couch.

  “Hey!” he cried, throwing his hands up in frustration.

  “Now, now boys,” Kara said with a solid voice impression of a stern mother. “Play nice.”

  “He started it,” Nick said, pouting before going back to his reading. It wasn’t hard to get a rise out of him. We’d been pranking and pestering each other for months. There was nothing else to do really, so we resorted to caveman mentality. Michael never joined in though. I guess it was beneath him. He and I didn’t really have much to say to each other. Come to think of it, he didn’t have much to say to anybody.

  “Where’s Michael?” I asked. I stood behind Kara and peeked over her shoulder. She was working in a computer program I didn’t recognize. Then again, that wasn’t hard. I didn’t know much about computers to begin with.

  “I’m not sure. He was gone when I got up this morning. He’s been doing that a lot lately.”

  “He knows better than to leave without at least telling someone where he’s gone,” I said, agitated. It was difficult playing leader to a group that hardly ever did anything you said.

  “Did he at least take a burner phone?” I was hoping for some semblance of order. We each agreed never to go anywhere alone and always take a cell in case the hideout was compromised, and we needed to run. Rules are made to be broken, I presume.

  “Let’s see,” said Kara. She minimized the window of the program she was working in and opened another. An automated map with gridlines appeared, triangulating on his cellular signal.

  “He’s a few blocks away and heading in this direction,” she said, sliding the laptop over in my direction for me to see.

  I sighed.

  “Thanks.”