Steve’s shorts: Escape from Earth, Part Two of Four…
[Not all my stories have their origin in what-ifs. I began this little novella even before my first novel that I wrote the summer I turned thirteen. I won’t say how many years it took me to finish it, but it has a certain teenage innocence about it still. Enjoy!]
Escape from Earth
Copyright 2016, Steven M. Moore
Part Two: Gumshoe Activity
Chapter Five
“Nice to see that the Feds actually listen to us sometimes,” said Sheriff Olson after welcoming them. “I was happy to see your names aren’t Mulder and Scully.”
Needham searched for words. They were in the sheriff’s small office sitting on old wooden visitors’ chairs that had seen better days. The sheriff sat behind the cluttered desk.
“I’m too old,” said Needham with a smile, “and Carpenter’s too young.”
“Is this Bob McNamara usually reliable?” said Carpenter, jumping to the heart of the matter.
“Mack’s as solid as a rock. He’s my brother-in-law. I believe he saw something. Neither one of us is sure what it was. It’s all in the report.”
“We have that,” said Needham. “We want to see where he saw the flash.”
“Can do,” said Olsen. “Mack said it was like a huge camera’s flash going off. Lit up lots of acres over by the old Wright farm. We already went out there. Did a fly-over too. Lucas Wright’s truck’s gone. Haven’t talked to him yet. He was the only one living in the farmhouse, although his sister Janet goes out there frequently.”
“We’d like to talk to them both. Probably not much chance they saw anything if it was still dark at the time and everyone was asleep. What was Deputy McNamara doing out that way?”
“Attending to a domestic dispute. Two farms over hubby returned from a poker game drunk as a skunk. Started harassing the missus, and she kicked him out. He called us on his cell phone to complain. Mack went out to bring him here to sleep it off. About as much excitement as we ever get outside the pool hall on Saturday nights.”
“Cell phones work here?” said Carpenter.
Olson frowned at her. “We might live in the boonies, Agent Carpenter, but we have the usual technologies. No cable TV, mostly satellite, not that you need either one. Cell phones have taken over. Not many have the untrustworthy landlines anymore. And cell phones make it easier to socialize with the neighbors than hitching up horses and putting on fancy Sunday-go-to-meeting duds.”
Needham smiled. That little put-down would give Carpenter something to chew over if she’d understood the homespun and humorous dig at a city slicker. One reason he hauled her around was to educate her a bit about dealing with other people. Figured she had a steep learning curve still to climb.
“I guess we should speak to McNamara first, and then maybe he could take us out to that farm?”
Olson nodded. “OK by me.”
***
“This is where I was driving when I saw the light,” said McNamara, steering his patrol car onto a narrow country road and pointing through the windshield. Needham followed his indication. Carpenter, in the back seat, rolled down the window to look. “Flash came from over there. Just above the horizon.”
“What’s over there?” said Needham.
“Grasslands mostly, fields fallow due to crop rotation. The Dobsons at the next farm over rent acreage from the Wrights. That’s about where the dividing line between the two farms is.”
“I don’t suppose there’s a road going there,” said Carpenter.
“No ma’am. Hiking or horseback’s the only way. We did a fly-over, though. All in the report.”
Needham remembered the negative report from the chopper’s survey. “You didn’t land.”
“Could have. No reason to. There was nothing there. I was a bit embarrassed, but I know what I saw. Sheriff backed me up.”
“You’re married to his sister,” said Carpenter. “Why wouldn’t he?”
“Ma’am, one thing’s family, other’s your job. Olson and I agree on a lot of things, but we disagree on some. But he knows I don’t lie.”
“I’m sure you saw a flash,” said Needham, sending a warning frown to Carpenter. “Was it like an explosion?”
“What the report said. Lots of light like a huge camera flash but no sound. You’d think some nearly naked rock diva or gang of busy underwear models were frolicking around in the pasture for some publicity stunt. Flash was too bright for that, though. Some staying power too, maybe a few seconds until my eyes adjusted.”
“I guess we should inspect the area from the ground. Any chance of renting some horses?”
Carpenter groaned and Needham smiled.
“Dobsons have some mares the kids ride. Hardly worth the price of the hay they eat, but they’re old and gentle enough for kids.” He smiled at Carpenter. “We can leave your assistant at the farmhouse to get background on the Wrights from Mrs. Dobson. She’s a real quiet sort, but you might get a few words out of her. You and I can go out on the mares.”
Needham was happy to leave Carpenter with Mrs. Dobson. McNamara had pulled a fast one. Mrs. Dobson would talk Carpenter to death, her few words coming at the machine-gun pace of an auctioneer’s. Mack’s dry humor was refreshing.
“She’s a good old gal, but she’s the biggest gossip in five counties,” said McNamara, leading the way later. “Husband’s the quiet one. Has to be, I guess. Hard to get a word in edgewise, the poor man.”
Needham was enjoying himself. He loved horses. Although a bit rusty in his riding skills, the mare made the ride easy.
Chapter Six
The ground survey turned up nothing. Certainly no sign of a space debris crash site. Needham was thinking the trip was a wild goose chase as he parked the rental car in a space at the clinic where Dr. Janet Wright practiced as a pediatrician.
“I bet you’ll be sore tomorrow,” said Carpenter, noting his stiff-legged walk.
“Maybe. What about your hearing?” Mrs. Dobson had also been loud.
“If I stayed here long enough,” she said, “I’d get even with McNamara for that. He should have warned me.”
“We won’t be here for long. I just want to interview the good doctor, see what she knows and where her brother is.”
Needham was impressed with the pediatrician. Pretty and smart, she fit well into the city environment, but he knew she had grown up on a farm.
“I’m on my lunch break. I’ll have patients starting at one. You’ll have to be fast.” She looked from Needham to Carpenter. “Do I need a lawyer?”
“Like I said on the phone,” said Needham, “we just have a few questions. Were you at the farm when Deputy McNamara saw the flash of light?” Her answer was a simple no. “What about your brother?” That answer was yes. “Did he see anything that night?”
“He was probably sleeping. He tends to follow farm hours. Early to bed, early to rise—you know the rest.”
“And make hay while the sun shines,” said Needham. “What about unusual events following that night?”
“He’s had some problems. Our parents died not too long ago, and his girlfriend left him. He rides around in his pickup. There’s a lot of beautiful country around here to help put your mind at ease.”
“Is that his usual behavior?”
“Years ago, yes—he was a good surgeon—but, given the circumstances, now maybe not.”
“Has he described any unusual events? Maybe strange noises, voices, or lights. Farm animals acting up.”
“Nothing of the sort. He just becomes lost in his thoughts. I worry about him.”
“Any chance you know the license plate of his pickup?”
“I’m only out there on weekends. You can probably do a search for it.”
“How about here at work?” said Carpenter. “Anything unusual?”
“I think little Sally Jenkins might have a brain tumor. I’ve ordered an MRI. That’s my life, taking care of kids. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Sounds like it could be depressing,” said Needham.
“Only when I lose one.”
***
“She’s hiding something,” said Carpenter back in the car.
“I agree. I think she’s protecting the brother. We need to talk to him. We’ll drive back to the farm and wait for a while. While I drive, try to pin down that license plate in case he doesn’t show. We might have a suicidal man.”
“That’s not really our problem, is it?”
“Our problem is to get his statement. We can’t do that if he’s dead.”
But Lucas Wright’s truck was at the farm now. He shook hands with them, offered them instant coffee, and they declined.
“Jan called. I’m sorry you wasted your time. I’m not into all this UFO nonsense. I mean, think about it: why would ETs want anything to do with us? Ever hear of the atomic clock?” Needham nodded. “We’re so damn crazy we’ll probably not make another century the way we’re going. The 21st isn’t going too well, don’t you agree?” Carpenter’s turn to nod. “Or, did Jan just say she’s worried about me and wanted you to check on me. She’s my twin, but she thinks I’m nuts.”
“She said you were thinking some things through,” said Carpenter. “Do you plan to return to medicine?” Needham could tell Carpenter liked Lucas Wright. “It seems a waste to give up a successful career, not to mention the chance to help people.”
“It’s a mixed bag,” said Wright with a shrug. “You enjoy it when you can help someone, but it hurts like hell when you fail. A lot of brain tumors aren’t operable, and you feel helpless in that case. It gets to you after a while.”
“It sounded like you have some other issues,” said Needham. “The loss of your parents and girlfriend. Anything else?”
“That’s enough. Say, do you want to see my workshop? I think my robot’s almost ready to walk. It’s in the basement.”
“We’ll pass on that,” said Needham.
***
“He’s a nut case,” Needham said to Carpenter back in the car, “but probably harmless. I think we’re wasting our time here.”
“We have to cover all the bases,” she said.
He smiled as he swerved around a pothole. She was parroting his own words back at him without realizing it. Or, was it on purpose?
He remembered passing a homey looking diner just after leaving the sheriff’s office. Nothing like a good, solid country meal to prepare for the trip back to KC and home.
“I take back my comment,” said Carpenter sipping her coffee after finishing an excellent slice of home-cooked apple pie. “I could imagine a good life here. A man like Lucas Wright, a couple of kids—it could be very peaceful and rewarding. Different than the Big Apple, but still rewarding.”
“Just part of the learning experience, kid,” said Needham. “Our great country has something for everyone, and you have to respect the choices people make.”
“So, not a waste then?”
“Not for you. I’ve seen it all.” He thought a moment. “We’re just federal cops, Julie. We have to chase down the leads like any other cop. Our beat just happens to be the whole country. That can be daunting but also educational.”
She nodded. “What do you make of McNamara’s bright flash without a boom?”
“It’s as mysterious as those bogeys appearing out of nowhere in space. Too bad the ISS was on the other side of the planet.”
“That might be intentional if China or Russia is involved.”
He shrugged but nodded. “We’re back to square one for now, but let’s keep Mack’s report on the table.”
Chapter Seven
Three months passed. Snows came and went. Lucas worked with Saki on her English. Jan would visit the farm on the weekends when she could, often showing up with bags of groceries. One Friday she hit the supermarket and decided to just keep going. By the time she reached the farm, it was snowing again.
She entered the kitchen and put two bags on the counter. “Lucas? Saki? I need some help with the groceries!”
Not a sound. Where are they? She had never liked her brother living alone. The neighbors, the Dobsons, who rented acreage from Jan and Lucas for their crops, were miles away. The twins had inherited their father’s small arsenal—hunting rifles and shotguns—but Lucas kept them in a locked gun case in the basement where they served more as decorative artifacts from a previous age than protection against intruders. She didn’t think Lucas could ever shoot anyone anyway. Their work as doctors had always been about saving lives, not taking them.
“Lucas? Saki?” Jan checked the basement door. It was locked. Maybe upstairs? Is someone sick?
She stopped when she entered the bedroom that had become Saki’s. The two were lying naked and asleep, Lucas embracing the strange woman and spooning her from behind. Jan sniffed. No doubt about it! She backed away smiling and went downstairs, leaving them to their privacy.
She knew enough psychology to realize that what had happened was probably inevitable. Saki had just lost someone important in her life. Lucas had first lost his parents and then Becky. But is it just rebound sex or something more? Her main concern was that she didn’t want her brother to get hurt. I don’t want that for Saki either. Jan had felt a bond with the woman ever since the scene at the egg.
***
“It just happened,” Lucas said with a shy smile, looking at Saki.
“Yes, happened,” said Saki, winking at Jan. “We need. Long time. Good feelings, not bad.”
Jan nodded. “I understand. It was just a surprise.” She went to the stove and brought back the coffee pot. “I’m just happy you two took a shower before coming down.”
“Shower good too,” said Saki with a laugh. “Hungry now.”
“I brought steaks. Dad used to barbecue them in the fireplace.”
“Good idea if you can do it,” said Lucas. “I’d probably burn them. About the only thing I was good at were the marshmallows afterward.”
“I have those too,” said Jan.
Later Jan and Lucas sipped brandy while Saki read a book, a worn copy of Tale of Two Cities. Jan watched as the pages flew.
“Is she reading?”
“She taught herself,” said Lucas. “She now has a prodigious reading vocabulary although her spoken language skills aren’t great. She has problems with the consonant combinations still, for example, as well as the tenses. She understands a lot.”
Saki stopped and smiled at them. “Lot. Overhear. Whispers no matter. Love me?”
Jan smiled and nodded. “We love you, Saki, but what are we going to do with you?”
“When English good, Lucas take me west.”
“West? Where west?”
“LA hills. Rest my people there.”
“What? There are more?” said Jan. “How many? And how do you know?”
“Six.” She held up the disk, tapped it. “They tell me. Two more dead. We repair their eggs.”
“Tell Jan what you told me,” said Lucas.
“Eggs for escape. Ship hit. No air. No power. Ship there. Repair it too. You help.”
“Are you kidding?” said Jan looking from Saki to Lucas. “We don’t know how to fix anything like that.”
“Saki thinks we can help.” He held out his hands and wiggled his fingers. “She saw me working one night. Read through about ten electronics parts catalogs I have and became excited. Who knows? I have to try.”
Jan thought a moment. “And risk the chance of losing her?”
“No lose,” said Saki. “He go with us.”
“No! Then I lose my brother.”
Lucas shrugged. “If I had married Becky, you wouldn’t have seen me much. If you ever get married, I wouldn’t see you much. Logically, it’s the same thing.”
“But this is just infatuation. Simple lust. It would be a hundred times worse for you than going to live in some foreign country.”
“Lust,” said Saki, making the t extra hard. “Known word. Infatuation? Meaning?”
“It means Lucas’s feelings are all about sexual chemistry, not love. The latter comes with time.”
Saki thought a moment. “No time. No work, still good. Yes? No problem. Big venture. You come too. See friends. Decide later. OK?”
“I can’t leave my kids. My place is here, Saki.” Jan frowned. “What Lucas decides is up to him.”
***
Saki and Lucas waited until the forecast called for a good ten days without any snow.
“Keep me informed,” Jan told her brother. She leaned into the pickup to kiss him on the cheek but whispered in his ear. “I still say it’s an infatuation. For all you know, her friends are dangerous.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe that. I’ll be fine. What was I doing here before? Nothing! Take care of yourself.”
Jan watched the pickup pull away with Saki waving at her with a big smile.
“I hope you’re right, little brother.” She was only eleven minutes older, but sometimes it felt like many years.
***
In libris libertas…
