Chrystal Bones (Finding Home Book 1) (7 page)

Two days later they had enough information to get started. It was not going to be easy to find Aaliyah among the billions of people on the planet. Dro had found her escape pod hidden deep underground in the desert of Nevada in an area commonly know as Area 51. It was in the control of the military and was heavily guarded. That was where they were concentrating their search.

While the technology was not as sophisticated as theirs, it would get the job done and the people were by no means stupid. They would have to be very careful if they needed to break in, but it was a good place to start looking. Dro was still going through information looking for any mention of a female alien found on board the pod. So far he had found mention of several aliens kept there but none from twenty two years ago to present time, yet.

Jayden was in his office reading all the reports his men had gathered. It was his job as leader to put all of the information together and come up with a plan. He was a brilliant strategist. He saw patterns where others saw random facts. Connecting one fact to another seemingly unconnected fact and coming up with the right conclusions.

Several clear patterns were emerging from the information he was reading. One pattern showed that ships from all over the universe had been crashing on this planet for hundreds of years. The survivors had been able to blend in and influence the shape of society. Most people, no matter what planet they were from, had the same basic humanoid shape. Some looked more alien than others and those had hidden from the main population instead of blending.

There was a large colony of Mermaids living deep in what was known as the Pacific Ocean. They remained undiscovered by most of the population, but rumors and stories of them were spread across the planet. The aliens who were able to blend in had and had done well for themselves. It was only when a ship had crashed ninety eight years ago, with obviously alien occupants that this world had became dangerous to aliens.

The planet was broken up into several countries each with its own government. No one worked together. They were too busy spying on and bombing each other. For Shalla's sake every major country had nuclear bombs and they were one step away from blowing up the planet. He saw evidence of alien influence and leaps in technology here and there that were obviously provided by outside forces.

The first computers were primitive versions of their own. The Russian satellite Sputnik and the US Explorer 1 were launched into space within a year of each other and both had alien technology onboard. This world the natives called Earth was in no way ready for contact by any aliens. Which was too bad; it really was beautiful. Unfortunately the majority of the governments had a shoot first mentality. They would have to be careful not to give themselves away. The new stealth tech was going to get throughly tested on this mission.

Jayden had just finished reading the reports and putting a plan together when Dro walked in. He was angry, very

angry. Jayden had never seen Dro like this before. He paced back and forth in front of Jayden’s desk before speaking.
"I found her, or I found where she was."

“That is great,” Jayden exclaimed standing up.

Dro put up a hand to stop him.
"She is not there anymore. She was captured at the same time her escape pod was. She was taken to the same place, Area 51. There are laboratories there where the Earthers experimented on her. They tortured her Jayden. They tortured a child in the name of science."

The only time Dro showed any emotion other than the serenity his race was known for was when children were in danger. Especially female children, they reminded him of his dead daughters. He visibly fought for control and when he had gained it he continued.
"They had her for two years before she managed to escape and they have been looking for her ever since. They have been hunting her for over twenty years. How do I tell Idris his innocent sister was tortured and is even now being hunted?"

Both men were silent thinking of how Idris was likely to react. They knew how they felt about it and she was not their sister. He was going to want to kill everyone involved. "Keep digging. Find out who did what and how she escaped if you can. Send me what you have now and I will tell Idris," Jayden finally said.

Jayden felt sickened after he read Dro's report. It would be so easy to hate these Earth people. What they did to a child was beyond anything he could imagine. They had literally cut her open when she was awake and attached probes to her heart shocking it over and over. Once they found out how fast she healed she was sliced, burned and beaten along with a whole host of other atrocities just to see what incapacitated her for the longest time period. It was a wonder she was still alive. The records were incomplete and Dro had been lucky to find this much information on one of the scientist’s private systems. Every other record of Aaliyah had been wiped from the computers.

He looked up as Idris came in.

"You wanted to see me."

"Yes I did." Jayden looked at the man who had been his friend since they had joined forces to bring down a slave ring on a backwards world run by a vicious despot years ago. He delivered the blow hard, fast and bluntly, "Dro found evidence that Aaliyah was held and tortured in a government laboratory for two years before she was able to escape."

Idris's face went blank then bone white. "What? What did you say?" he demanded in a hoarse whisper.

Jayden handed the data pad to him so he could read it for himself. Idris took it with hands that shook slightly. Jayden sat and waited. It took Idris a while to read through all the reports. When he was done he sat there, not moving, just staring at the data pad.

Neither man spoke and when Idris looked up a long time later there were tracks from tears on his face and a hard look of hatred in his eyes. In a voice as cold as the space around them he said, "I will kill them all and then I will destroy this laboratory."

Jayden nodded in agreement. He had been expecting this. He also had every intention of helping his friend do it.

Idris and Dro worked throughout the rest of the day and night tracking the scientists and Aaliyah through the computers. Three of the four scientists working at the laboratory during the time Aaliyah was held, had been killed in the last ten years. Several lab technicians had also died unexpectedly.

None of them from natural causes. Idris was not going to have the pleasure of killing them himself. Someone had already taken care of that for him. That same someone had placed a flag notifying him every time certain files were accessed.

Aaliyah was proving to be more difficult to find. There was several files mentioning the ongoing search for a female alien with a description of her but no pictures were found. A few years after Aaliyah escaped, a virus was introduced into the computers that wiped out the majority of information on her. The only records they could find were the ones they already had and a few notes here and there found on the private computer of one of the technicians. That man was still alive and thriving.

After hours of being hunched over a computer Dro stood and stretched. He looked at Idris,
"If the person who placed that flag had our equipment we never would have found him. I really want to meet this person."

“No, we would not have. We still have not found him, just a general area of where he might be,” Idris replied tiredly rubbing the back of his neck to work out the kink that had settled there. "I have a feeling that he is a she and you are right. She is very good.”

Idris gave his report while they were all gathered in the galley eating breakfast, "We traced the signal to an area called Oregon. From there it just bounces from tower to tower never settling in one spot. I believe it is Aaliyah." He let that hang in the air then continued, "It all fits. First, she was a genius with computers before she disappeared and she was only a child then. The computers here would be so easy for her hack into. Second, she has always loved water in any form and the signal ends in a place that is bordered by the ocean. Unless I am wrong and I do not think I am, then this,” he said pulling out the ice blue chrystal, still glowing and pulsing from under his shirt, "will lead us to her one way or another." He put a map of Oregon on the screen and they studied it looking for the best landing zone that would hide the shuttle.

Four hours later Jayden had finished putting together a plan that gave them the best chance of succeeding and they were on their way to Earth. A planet known to be hostile to aliens. If they got caught they were fully prepared to fight their way out. None of them had any sympathy for any of the occupants on Earth. It was time to bring Aaliyah home.

Chrystal Bones Billie Jo Hanlin

Chapter 8

As Jayden, Idris and Vihan were winding their way through the minefield of satellites heading towards Earth, Blue and Riley were driving along the winding coast road discussing all they had found out that day and formulating a plan to bring Scotty home. When Blue described her encounter with the rooster and Marco, Riley burst into laughter. She could picture it perfectly and knew Blue could have hurt them a lot more than she had.

"Do you think their boss is going to be a problem?”

"No, he just wants his money. He sounds like one of the better loan sharks out there. He does make sure Marco watches the rooster and that’s something. I have no doubt that he will be taken care of, boss's nephew or not, if he gets out of hand. I told Marco I would let him know where the LCA is when we are done with him,” Blue said with a glance at Riley before turning her eyes back to the road.

Riley shrugged her shoulders in unconcern. Neither of them cared what happened to him after they got Scotty back. Blue continued, "None of the neighbors knew him very well so they weren't much help. One neighbor did see him and Scotty loading the car with sleeping bags and canned food. She asked if they were going camping. She is recently divorced from hubby number two and actively looking for number three. She said it made her curious because he didn't seem the roughing it type since he was wearing a thousand dollar suit. She tried to make conversation because, in her words, he was good-looking and hey, the penthouse. She assumed he had money and was disappointed but resigned when I informed her otherwise. The LCA was in a hurry and brushed her off. Bruised her ego enough that she was willing to tell me everything without any prompting on my part. It fits with what you got from Scotty about the trees."

“Yeah, it does. Scotty could only see out the one window though. We don't know what is on the other three sides,” Riley said thoughtfully.

Blue’s phone gave a beep beep beep. She pulled it from her pocket, looked at the display then handed it to Riley. The tracer she had put on Janie's phone had just been activated. She was receiving a call from a number not on her contact list.

The tracer allowed Blue and Riley to listen in on the call. If it wasn't from the LCA they would hang up. If it was they would be able to hear what was said. It was from the LCA so they listened and concentrated on his words and the tone of his voice. Back at the beach house Blue's computer would be busy tracing the call to its source.

But for now they listened as the LCA demanded five million dollars in forty eight hours if Janie wanted her son back. Otherwise he would just keep the boy and she would never see him again. He never once referred to Scotty as his son. He then mentioned a couple of DVDs he might sell to the media if Janie didn't feel very cooperative.

"You know for someone who has a loan shark on his ass and an eviction notice on his swanky penthouse he sure sounds smug,” Blue remarked.

"Doesn't he just. I wonder what is on those DVDs that has Janie so worried." Riley mused. Blue snorted "It's got to be a sex DVD with Janie as the star and you know it."

“I know. Just once I wish it was about a confession of being a jewel or art thief and basking in her secret treasure room. She does go to all those fancy parties. Plenty of opportunities to snatch some pretty baubles." Riley rubbed her hands in glee and trying for an evil look cackled, “Muwhahaaa." To her pleasure that made Blue laugh. She didn't laugh very much so when Riley could make her she counted it a victory. "Just think of all I could have managed to snatch when I was younger if I had those kinds of opportunities."

“Steal Riley, not snatch. You were a pickpocket."

"You make it sound like a bad thing when you say it that way. I was a really good pickpocket. I never once got caught,” Riley pouted. She held out her hands and wiggled her fingers in front of Blue’s face. “I had magic fingers. Still do for that matter.”

“What you had was big green eyes in a cute face. No one wanted to think that someone as cute as you were was also a little thief,” Blue retorted.

Riley's phone chose that moment to come to life. The theme song from the movie Ghost Busters rang out. She had a different ringtone for everyone on her contact list. Blue’s ring tone was the theme from Star Wars. "Hey Jake. Whats up?"

"Nate called, he wants five million in two days."

"I know. We heard and are even now tracing the call." She caught Blue's wince and gave her a grimace back and mouthed oops.

"Just how did you hear a private call on a private phone? Riley Parker did you bug Janie's phone?" Jakes voice ended in a shout. Riley decided the best course of action was to take the high road. "Well, of course Jake. How else did you expect us to get the information we need to do our job. You are the one who asked us to find Scotty any way we could,” she said in as prissy a tone as she could while trying not to laugh. Giving up, she continued excitedly, "Besides Blue came up with this really neat app that lets us listen to calls. We only listen to the calls coming in from an unknown number. So you don't have to worry we won't listen to your calls. You can continue to talk sweet nothings to your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend!”

"Boy Jake, you sound kind of stressed. Maybe you should look into taking some yoga classes."