Starseed (11 page)

Elle stared her down
. “We liked staying out under the stars.”  Lying through her teeth, she continued. “It was fun.”

Sara shivered and Liz glanced toward her
. “Apparently, she didn't have quite so much fun.”  Liz turned her glare toward Elle.

Caught off guard, Elle tried to ignore Liz and continued to stir her coffee
.

“
Oh, yeah, fun. I had a great time,” Sara said, trying to take the heat off Elle and turned back toward the window to avoid Liz asking her any more questions.

Liz glared at Elle
. “What happened? You both look like you’ve been through the wringer. Did some of your relatives show up?”  She snorted and marched away, her haughty nose stuck in the air. She went to flirt with Benny from the High Mountain Array. They had their heads together over coffee as Elle glanced away.

Just then, Kole scooted in next to her and lifted an empty cup and caught Dotty's eye
. She nodded in his direction and brought hot coffee to refill everyone.

“
Hey, there, handsome. Coffee's hot and the women are willing.”  She winked at him and smiled at the girls.

Elle and Sara frowned in her direction at the willing part
.

“
Well, excuse me, the women are here.”  Dotty laughed and went back to her other customers.

“
Good coffee.”  Kole stared at Elle as if he were trying to read her mind. “What were you girls really doing out in Red Rock Canyon at night?” 

Her stomach lurched
. Elle knew he had let them off too easy.

He sighed over his coffee cup, glanced between them and shook his head
. “Your car was at least ten miles from where I found you. That's a long way to walk for a couple of girls in high-heeled boots.”  He took a swallow of coffee and held Elle’s attention with those glacier blue eyes. “You know you can trust me. Tell me. What happened out there?” 

His piercing stare could see right through her lie, but she couldn’t tell him about the aliens
. Her anger flared in her own defense. “Aren't you the observant one?”  She glared at him and dared him to say another word about the incident. “And in case you need to be reminded, it isn't any of your damn business.”

Kole held up his hand
. “Whoa there, you don't have to get snippy.”  He tossed her car keys on the table. “Bruce helped me get your car. It's parked out front.”

Damn, so that’s where he’d gone
. Caught by surprise, she felt like a first class jerk. “Well…ah, thanks.”  She reached for the keys and stuffed them in her pocket.

Sara leaned toward Elle
. “What difference does it make? Maybe we should tell him.” 

Elle frowned and kicked her under the table, not ready to confess
.

“
I'm going to go crazy if I don't talk about this with someone.”  Sara beseeched her with her eyes.

The fight went out of Elle, but she hesitated to tell Kole the truth
. Like everybody else in town, he’d think she was a kook.

He moved closer to her side and dropped his voice to a lower volume
. “I know something happened. I want to help.”  

She ignored him and he reached for her hand, offering comfort
. “It's okay, you can tell me anything. It won't go any further.”  He spoke with a firm reassuring voice—one that urged her to confide.

Elle’s stomach did flip flops
. “Nothing happened,” she spoke willing Sara not to say anything. “How many times do I have to tell you? We got lost.”  She glared at Sara. Her friend needed to keep their secret. “There's nothing else to say.”

At that moment, Crazy Herman came through the door and made a beeline to their table
. He ignored Sara and Kole as if they weren't there and pulled up a chair next to Elle. “It's happening–again. I saw them last night.”  Fright strained his voice as he carried on. “You're one of them. Can't you tell them to stop coming for me?”

This was the last thing she needed this morning with Kole watching her every move
. “Herman, I've told you a thousand times. I'm not one of them.”  She sighed and let go of Kole’s hand and reached for Herman’s hand. She hoped to give him some peace. Waves of fear rolled off him.

“
It's going to be okay, Herman. We won't let them get you.” 
Or me
. She sent healing vibrations into him, but it was as if there was a brick wall stopping anything she tried. His eyes grew wide with fear as he gazed at her face. “I can't let them take me again,” he said and shook his head. “I know they're coming after me and there’s nowhere to hide.”

“
Herman, it's going to be all right. Sit down with us and try to relax.”  She rubbed his arm through his red flannel shirt. “I'll talk to my dad. Maybe he can help.”   

“
He can't do anything.”  His eyes grew huge as he glanced around the café and saw Benny. “Nobody can. I've got to go.”  He ran out of the diner as if the hounds of hell were chasing after him.

The diner customers stared after him as he ran out the side door.

“Why was Herman in such an all-fired hurry?” Dotty asked and poured more coffee for Kole. “Are the aliens after him?”

Kole smiled at Dotty
. “That's what the man said. You must hear a lot about this sort of thing from your customers.”

“
Now, Kole, I don't want my name in your fancy magazine or anything. But I'll tell you the truth.”  She leaned closer. “Herman isn’t the only one that’s seen aliens. Lots of folks around here have seen them.”

“
Have you?”  Kole kept after her.

“
Nope. I know better.”  She lifted her coffee pot. “I don't go out at night. The locals around town know it's best to stay in after dark.”

“
You mean to tell me people stay inside in the evening to avoid aliens?”  Kole’s disbelief echoed in his voice.

“
The smart ones do.”  Dotty turned to walk away and then turned back. “Take my word for it. They're out there and I don’t want any part of them.”

Elle grimaced
. “So now you know the secret of Sweetwater. We're infested with extraterrestrials.”

Kole frowned apparently deep in thought
. “To have so many people frightened and seeing things could be a powerful cover-up.”  He glanced at Elle and smiled. “And I know you aren't an evil alien.” 

That familiar sensation crept up in her chest as she gazed into his eyes
. She was lost in those deep pools of blue with tiny golden specks. In all her life, she’d never seen eyes like that. Her anger and confusion dissolved into nothing. Those eyes held the power to soothe.

“
As I was saying, when the locals are scared out of their wits, there's room for other people to commit crimes.”  Kole sipped his drink. “Now, we need to figure out who is doing what.”

“
I agree with you,” she said. “There's something besides aliens going on around here.”  She sighed. “Someone is scaring people, and my guess is they were born right here on planet Earth.

Kole turned toward Sara
. “Will you tell me what happened to you girls last night? You've lived here all your lives. I know you weren't lost.”

“
Okay, if we tell you, then you can't tell anyone else.”  Sara glanced at Elle. “I'm sorry, I have to talk about this or I'll lose my mind.” 

Tired of fighting with them, Elle nodded her consent
. “It goes no further than this table,” Elle said. Kole shook his head in agreement. “Agreed.”

Sara swallowed
. “You're not going to believe this. I don't know if I believe it myself.”  She spit out the words with Elle's help and told Kole everything.

“
So, do you think we're crazy?”  Elle gazed at Kole, waiting for his answer. Was he like the others in town? Would he think she was an alien and be afraid of her?

“
Not at all. When I happened upon you two this morning, I could tell by your faces that you had been through something you didn’t want to talk about. I had hoped that when you were ready, you’d tell me.”  He sipped his coffee. “I don't believe it was aliens.”

“
They had us.”  Sara shivered and clutched her coffee cup as if it were a weapon. “We didn't imagine it. They were gray and had cold empty eyes. We were at their mercy.”  She shivered.

Kole patted her arm offering her comfort
. “Try not to think about it. Put it out of your mind.” 

Easier said, than done
. Elle watched the interaction between Kole and Sara. Even under these terrifying circumstances, he had the uncanny ability to put her at ease.

“
I wish I could.”  Sara set the mug down. As if she were cold, she pulled her jacket tighter. “I'm going to see the image of them putting something over my face every time I close my eyes. I'm never going to sleep, again.”

“
You think that right now, but things will get better. In my opinion, you both look like you’re about to fall asleep on your feet. Now that you’ve eaten, why don't you let me take you ladies home so you can get some rest.”  His eyes sought Elle. She must’ve looked confused for he added, “I didn't say sleep. I said, rest. That will clear your mind. And once you’re rested you might remember something else to tell me.”

Tired to the bone, Elle shoved her coffee cup away
. “That won't be necessary. Now that I have my car, I can drive us home.”  She had to admit he was right. They needed rest. Eating had only added to her exhaustion. The bottom had fallen out. Her brain was scrambled and all she wanted to do was go home.

“
We . . . we're not cr . . . crazy,” Sara stuttered.

“
I know.”  He laughed. “You're two of the sanest people I've ever met.”  He picked up the check and threw down a tip for Dotty. “You’ve been through a lot. You’ll have a much better perspective on things after you’ve gotten some rest.”

Elle pushed everything out of her mind and focused on what Kole was saying
. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, he made sense. Plus, he believed her. She could trust him not to turn against her. With a warm feeling in her heart, she smiled and let him escort her from the restaurant.

“
I'm going out there to take a look around. I'll check in with you later this afternoon.”  He squeezed her hand which caused butterflies to erupt in the pit of her stomach. Gentleman that he was, he opened her car door and held it until she was comfortable behind the steering wheel.

“
I'll give you a call when I get back.”  He winked at her and nearly caused her heart to skip a beat.

Through the car window, she watched him get into his Jeep as Sara slid into the front seat beside her
. The man had a hold on her heart the size of Colorado. She sighed, resigned to the fact Kole was somehow going to be a part of her life at least for the next few weeks and watched him pull away from the diner. She turned toward Sara. “Let’s go to my dad’s house. I think we need to have a word with him before he leaves for the afternoon shift.”   More than just a word, she needed her dad.

Chapter Nine

Later that day, after Elle had taken Sara to her house, she sat and listened to her father’s rant
. Not only was he her father, he was the sheriff and this was the sheriff talking.

“
Sara is scared witless. You girls don't need to go messing around with this stuff. You can't go back out there. I won't allow it.”  Unrelenting, Sheriff Thomas glared at her, his frustration obvious in everything he said.

“
Sara and I have been through the worst thing that could happen. They took us and let us go. We’ll be fine.”

“
What if they take you again and don't let you go. You don't realize how dangerous this could be. Stay away from that area.”  He raked a shaky hand through his hair. “I’ve read stories on the Internet of folks disappearing at the hands of so-called aliens never to be seen. I can’t let that happen to you.”  His steely gaze pinned her in place. “Promise me, you won't go back out there.”

She knew he meant well
. They had always been honest with each other and she couldn’t bring herself to lie to him. “You know I can't do that. I have to find out what really happened to us.”  She was adamant. She paced the floor and tired to express why she was being so difficult. Maybe if she could explain it right he would understand why she had to do this. “I know they weren’t aliens. Yet, I saw them. I'm confused and I have to figure this out or I'll never be able to trust myself or my instincts. Don't you see how important this is to me?”

He put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a big hug
. “Baby girl, I'd never forgive myself if I let anything happen to you.”

“
Nothing will. I know this. Every fiber of my being is telling me I'm going to be okay. There are mysterious forces at work, but there are other things going on as well.”

His cell phone rang and he glanced at it
. “I have to take this.”  He sighed and turned toward the kitchen. “I'll be right back.”

“
Of course, I'm fine.”  Tired and depressed with the whole conversation, she went out on the empty country porch and leaned back in the chaise lounge. She closed her eyes to soak up the sun, and immediately fell asleep.

A few hours later, she woke to see Kole thoughtfully studying her
. She brushed the sleep from her eyes uncomfortable under his piercing gaze.

“
I'm glad to see you took my advice and got some rest.”  

Unnerved by his sudden appearance, she needed a moment to reorient herself
. “I didn't expect to see you here so soon.”  She yawned. “What time is it?”

“
It’s about four. Your dad just called me. He wants me to go with him to another crime scene. It was something about a dead cow.”

“
A cow?”  A tingling started in the pit of her stomach. She was immediately filled with a choking feeling of dread. It crawled through her heart and into her throat, almost making her sick. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and sat up to take several deep breaths.

“
Are you okay?” he asked. “You look pale.”

“
Yeah, I’m all right. I was just a little nauseated for a minute.”  She rubbed her eyes and yawned trying to get herself together to talk with Kole. “Now what’s going on with a cow?” 

“
Some farmer found a dead cow near Independence Pass so we're going up there to take a look. Check to see if there's anything similar to what happened out at the Sandborn Ranch.”

The Sandborn Ranch
. That’s where she had seen the vision of the horses. Her dad had told her about what had happened. It wasn’t fair. What was the good of having these visions if she couldn’t use them to help others? It broke her heart knowing that she had been unable to save the horses. Failure was an ugly word, but she had failed those animals. She couldn’t shake the feeling of dread trying to consume her.

“
Kole, you made it.”  Sheriff Thomas pushed open the screen door and joined them on the porch.

“
Can I go along?” Elle asked. “Right now, I don't want to be alone.”  Sleep had helped her get some energy back, but the awful feeling wouldn’t let go. She felt it. Something horrible was going to happen, but she didn’t know what. It drove her crazy when she got like this, but there was nothing to do except wait it out. Maybe if she kept busy, the dread would lighten.

“
Of course, Elle, you can come with us. I have to get a few things together and then we can leave.”

An hour later, Elle sat in the back of the patrol car and idly listened to Kole and her dad's conversation
. She was lost in her own thoughts. She stared out the window at the countryside and then it faded into nothing. The vision was strong, completely overtaking her. She saw Herman cowering in a corner. The walls, ceiling and floors were covered in tin foil. She could feel his heart beating as hard as a lightening bug’s wings against a glass fruit jar while trying to escape.

She clutched her stomach, physically experiencing his fear-deep, gut wrenching and unbearable
. Herman was in dire danger. She grabbed the armrest and held on for her life. Her cell phone vibrated against her side. It jerked her back to reality. She pulled it out of her pocket, read Herman’s name on the face plate and answered. “Herman, where are you?”  Her stomach clenched in pain as if she were still in the vision. “Are you in trouble?” she asked, feeling the fear clawing at him.

“
Yes, they're here. The aliens. I saw them get out of a black helicopter over in Red Rock Canyon and one followed me home.”  He choked back a sob. “They're out in the light of day. It chased me and I hid in the basement. It’s gonna get me. I can hear it prowling around upstairs.” A loud bang sounded in the background. “Help me,” he shouted and the phone went dead.

She shivered and shouted over the back seat
. “Dad, get to Herman's place. He's in bad trouble.”

“
What?”  He glanced in the rear view mirror catching her eye. “What's going on?”

“
It's Herman. Someone is in his house.”  She had to gain control of herself and get him help. “He's hiding in the basement scared to death. Hurry, Dad. He needs us.”  She knew it was up to the powers that be. An overpowering darkness swept over her, nearly smothering her. She rolled the window down and gasped for fresh air.
Hurry. Hurry. Hang on, Herman.

“
It's only a couple of miles from here.”  Her dad wheeled the car around and pushed the gas pedal to the floor with sirens blaring. He headed toward Herman’s home. “We'll be there in a few minutes.” 

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach as they drove over the ridge to see black smoke billowing high into the brilliant blue afternoon sky
. “His house is on fire. Hurry, Dad.”  She caught Kole observing her as if she’d lost her mind. So what, if he thought she was bonkers, it didn’t matter. Herman’s life is in danger. That’s top priority.

“
I'm going fast as I can on this gravel road. Elle, call the fire department and tell them it looks like the whole place is going up.”  His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. They slid sideways into the long driveway leading to Herman's house. Flames filled the afternoon sky with the loud popping and cracking of burning wood.

The stench of burning insulation assaulted their lungs as they ran up the driveway.

“Stay back,” her father shouted and put his arm out to prevent them from going any closer. “It’s too hot. We can't go in there.”  He stopped Elle and Kole as an explosion rocked their world.

Elle hit the ground
. Kole covered her body as pieces of the burning building rained down around them. She squirmed underneath him and tried to free herself. “We've got to do something.”  Tears streamed down her face as she recalled Herman calling to her for help. “Herman is in there,” she whimpered.

Kole held her to his chest, protecting her from falling debris and pulled her away from the flaming structure
. “I'm so sorry. There's nothing that can be done until the fireman get here,” he whispered in her ear.

She leaned into his chest, unable to stop the flow of tears
.
Herman is inside
. She shivered as he held her close and rubbed her back. A siren screamed in the distance and a fire truck appeared, speeding down the road toward them.

“
The firemen will take it from here,” Kole said. He continued to hold her close to his side as he walked her down the drive. “Your dad will tell them we think Herman is inside, but we'll need to stay out of their way.”

What seemed like several hours later, she sat on a log with Kole watching as the firemen drenched the smoldering remains that used to be Herman's home
. “How could something like this happen so quickly? A few minutes ago he was on the phone with me.”  She wiped soot from her face. “He was a sweet, little old man, somewhat confused, but harmless, wouldn't hurt a thing.”  In her entire life, she had never felt so helpless. He was right there, and she couldn’t get to him.

“
Bad things can happen to good people.”  Kole reached across the log to take her hand.

She squeezed it back and held on
. Sensing he cared about Herman, too, the warmth of his heart comforted her. “I understand things happen, but he told me an alien was in his house going through his things. I believed him.”  It seemed so senseless. She sniffed.

“
Aliens didn’t do this.”  He squeezed her fingers and pulled her close to his side and gave her as much comfort as she would allow. He kissed the top of her head and then bent down and looked into her eyes. “There's something I have to tell you.”

She gazed into his eyes
. There was an intensity burning that wasn’t there earlier. The expression on his face grew more serious by the second. She heard a warning from her soul.
He speaks a twisted truth
. Cringing, she listened for more information.
Oh, my, what does that mean?
She summoned the universe, not willing to believe what she was sensing. Nothing else came through.

“
What is it? You can tell me anything,” she said and continued to watch his expression. The now familiar feeling of dread flowed through her and caused more annoyance.
This can’t be happening. Not with Kole. I trust him.

He held her at an arm's distance
. “You have to agree to keep my secret.”  He gazed into her eyes and held her complete attention. “Can you do that?”

“
I don't know,” she answered honestly, knowing it depended on what he had to say. Not being able to look away, she couldn’t take much more of this as her dread level elevated up another notch.

“
You have to understand you can't share this with Sara. Nobody can know except your father.”

She relaxed a little
.
It can't be that bad if Dad gets to know.
“Why Dad and not Sara?”  She was being stubborn, but she'd always shared everything with Sara.

“
Because he's your father and the sheriff. He's worked hard on these cases and deserves to have some answers.”  He frowned. “Plus he has a big old gun.”  The tension eased between them.

She couldn't help but smile
. “Go ahead, say it.”  Whatever it was would be okay.

He gave her one more intense look and exhaled
. “I'm an undercover special agent. I've been sent to this area to investigate the alien sightings and Herman was working with me.”  

Kole is an agent
? How could I not know?
It dawned on her that he wasn’t telling her everything. She knew it. “What do you mean, you were working with Herman?”  She pulled away. “That can’t be. He never acted like he knew you.”  Confused, she waited for his answer.

“
That was part of the plan. He realized nobody, not even you, could know what he had told me because it would put you in danger.”

“
Why all the secrecy?”  She continued to hold his hand. The truth of the matter was she had to decide if she trusted Kole. Thoughts of him coming to her rescue those many times flooded her mind. Yes, she did. She trusted him with her life. Eventually, he would tell her everything. She sighed and looked away. “So you’re an agent. Will you help me search for the truth?”

“
I'd be happy to help you, but you can't be involved. I suspect there are some shady characters in the shadows. They will stop at nothing to keep their secret, even murder. I can't risk you getting hurt.”

“
That is so much bull. I’m sick of hearing how I’ll get hurt. Now you sound like my dad.”  She jerked away from him as her father walked up.

“
Is everything okay?”  He glanced between them. “Is something going on I need to know about?”

“
No,” Elle answered, snuggling back under Kole’s arm. She didn’t want her dad to know what they’d been discussing. He wouldn’t want her to be involved, either. “I'm just upset about Herman. Have they found him yet?”  She hoped against hope that Herman had somehow gotten out of the inferno, but her heart told her it hadn't happened.