Grady's Awakening (25 page)

“Jeez, baby, you can sense air displacement? That’s some sharp skill you have.”

For just a moment, Gina basked in his praise. Her father and brothers had always been complementary and kind about her gifts, but back then she hadn’t been this skilled. She’d always felt second best in the psychic department because the rest of her family was incredibly talented in demonstrable ways. Her meager skills had been weak compared to theirs and mostly untrained. To have Jim’s admiration meant more than she could say.

“They’re getting closer, and they’re good at stealth. There are definitely two of them. Men. Big men. About your size, I’d say. And…”
she reached for the information floating in the air currents,
“…they’re armed. Long sticks. Could be rifles, could be brooms. I can’t tell you more than the size and shape.”

“That’s more than enough. We’ll let them dictate how this encounter starts out, but if they mean us harm, you and I will finish it.”

She liked the way he included her in his plans. Jim never underestimated her. He had never asked her to take a back seat while he did all the work. She liked having his respect as an equal partner. Hell, she just plain liked
him
. Perhaps even loved him.

She was in big trouble when the notion of loving him didn’t even faze her. She understood it then, in that moment, with possible enemies stalking them. She was in love with Jim.

A tall man stepped out into the middle of the track a few yards from their position. He held a rifle at the ready.

Jim stopped shoveling and turned to face the newcomer, keeping his hands in sight, leaning on the shovel handle casually.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” the man wanted to know.

“I’m Jim. This is Gina. We just came up in the pod from the Colorado facility to see if anybody lived here. I assume I’m talking to someone who lives in the old NORAD site?”

The man shifted his weight, and Gina read caution in his every move. His companion remained hidden in the shadows near the tunnel wall.

“The tracks are clear and functional all the way to Colorado?” The man sounded surprised to Gina. He was more curious than dangerous at the moment, if she was reading him correctly.

“Yes, though we had to take it slow past the first few sets of tracks since none of our scouts had been able to go much further. We’re an exploration party, if you will.”

“Well, you found us. So how about you tell us what you want?”

“That’s pretty easy. You’re human. We’re human. We both have secure facilities where I assume you’ve got more people living. We want to make an alliance. To share information. If the foreseers are right, the time is coming when we’ll need allies.”

“You’ve got a foreseer?” The man’s gaze turned to Gina speculatively.

She smiled. “Not me. But yes, there’s at least one among Jim’s people.”

The man quirked a brow at her phrasing.

“Are you sure about this?”
Jim asked in the privacy of her mind.

“Honesty is always the best policy. Better they find out now so they can’t accuse me of hiding anything later.”

“All right.”
Jim sounded reconciled to her bold move.
“I’ve got your back, baby.”

She could’ve kissed him right then, for his support. God, she loved this man.

“Jim’s people,” the stranger repeated. “But not your people? Why’s that? And what are you wearing?”

Gina stepped closer to the man, her palms open in an unthreatening pose. “Noticed my duds, huh? Very good. I’m an emissary from a secret sect of Alvians called the
Zxerah
. The Patriarch of my clan doesn’t want humanity to fail. He wants to facilitate us getting in touch with each other so we’ll be stronger when things come to a head. My clan has a few seers in it too, and the
Zxerah
Patriarch listens to them closely.”

“So he can figure out how best to hoodwink the humans?” the man challenged.

“So he can figure out a way for us all to live together in peace,” she countered.

“Burt, can you hear me?” The stranger spoke seemingly into the air, confusing Gina for a moment until a computerized voice answered in the affirmative. “Could you patch this through to Bill? We need his input.”

“Right away, Michael,” the computer answered. Only then did Gina notice a small speaker placed high on the ceiling of the tunnel. She hadn’t seen those before. Apparently they were much closer to the Canadian facility than she’d thought.

“I’m here, Mike. What do you need?” A new voice came over the speaker. It was a beautiful voice…with that distinctive Alvian trill, though it was well hidden. Still, Gina heard it. She’d lived with Alvians a long time, after all. She knew them well.

“Tell him what you just told me,” Mike directed her. The rifle in his arms was in a relaxed position, but it was still there.

“Greetings, brother,” Gina said hesitantly.

“What are you doing?”
Jim asked, shifting toward her protectively.

“Trust me. That voice is Alvian, and there’s only one explanation I can think of.”

“Am I speaking with Prime Past?” Gina continued. She noticed Mike’s rifle move up to cover her once more, and the man in the shadows tensed.

“Who are you?” the disembodied voice came over the speaker, suspicion in his tone.

“Gina Hanson, adopted daughter of the
Zxerah
clan. Ronin Prime sent me.”

“Keep her there, Mike. I’ll be down shortly.”

“Well, that got a response,”
Jim groused in her mind.
“Mind telling me what’s going on?”

“I told you the Alvians were experimenting on returning emotions. The man who just spoke is most likely the first of those experiments. The seers said one of the Brotherhood would encounter him at some point and that he’d be an ally in our ultimate quest, but I didn’t think I’d be the one to find him. This is really good, Jim. I promise.”

“Give us lights, Burt,” Mike ordered and lights flared in the tunnel, showing them for the first time just how close they were to the end of the line. Just a few yards ahead the track ended in an open chamber much like the one they’d departed from. She saw the second man, also armed with a rifle, standing near the chamber entrance. “I’m Mike, and this is my cousin, Dave.”

The second man nodded at her. “You’re the girl from the Olympics, aren’t you? Some kind of ultimate fighter?”

Gina smiled. “I won gold for
tae kwon do
, but I’ve learned a few other things since then.”

“And got mixed up with the aliens apparently.” David’s tone invited her to say more.

“I literally ran into one of them during my flight from the coast. He took me in and protected me—even from the rest of his race. The
Zxerah
Patriarch has adopted many humans into his clan.”

“So how do you know our friend Bill?” Mike asked.

“If he’s who I think he is, I trained with him and his men once or twice. He’s part of the Brotherhood.”

“Not anymore.” There was real force of emotion behind the words as a tall, blond man entered the chamber and came forward to face her. “You’re looking well, Gina.”

“You too, Prime.”

“I’m not Prime any longer. Call me Bill.”

She dipped her head in agreement even as her lips curled upward. “Bill. It suits you. I’m glad to find you.”

“Dougal 17 didn’t tell you I was here? I ran into him in the skies a few days ago.”

“I’ve been out of touch with the Brotherhood for more than a week. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“So why did you come?”

“My mission started in Colorado, making contact with Jim and his people. My goal was to inform him of the other confirmed and suspected locations throughout North America where we think humans are gathering and living in sites like this.”

“To what end?”

“To put them in touch with each other. Humans have few reliable ways of communicating nowadays. But these old military sites may hold the key not only for communication, but cooperation among the various groups of humans living together and hiding out for safety.”

“Why?” Mike asked. “Why would we need to band together? As long as we stay hidden, the Alvians pretty much leave us alone.”

“If you know any seers, you should have a good long talk with them,” she advised. “More than one visionary tells of a time when everything’s going to come to a head. The outcome for humans will be much better if we can speak with one voice. If we can show the Alvians that we know how to survive and rebuild our society, even in secret. That’s something their social engineers will respect, even while they can’t understand the emotion that drives us. But they will.”

“They will what? Understand emotion?” Dave asked, moving a few steps closer.

Gina nodded. “Sinclair Prime—or Bill, as you know him—was the first of what we hope will be many. Already another group of test subjects has been treated with the same gene-altering agent with good results. Little by little, the Alvian race is embracing a change for the better. A drastic change that will restore emotion to many, if not all of them, in the fullness of time.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Mike sounded amazed.

“I’m not. That’s the goal of the
Zxerah
Patriarch.”

“And he hasn’t got you all brainwashed or something? How can you be sure he’s not rounding us up? Getting everyone in one place to make it easier for them to capture us all at once?” Mike insisted.

“I have enough empathy to feel even his weak echoes of emotion. The
Zxerah
are warriors. As such, they have more emotion than other Alvians. He’s told me the truth. I know it.”

“Will you let me touch your mind?” Dave asked suddenly. “We need to be sure.”

“You’re a mind healer?” Something inside her softened as she remembered her family and the rare gift some of them had.

“You’ve known one before?” A raised eyebrow indicated his curiosity as Dave moved closer to her.

“My brother.” She swallowed hard against the emotional memory her brother brought. “I’ll allow it, if it will help convince you.”

Dave smiled at her. He was a very handsome man, and he had kind eyes. She didn’t get to think much more about him because at that moment he touched her face, his mind seeking hers. She could feel Jim moving close behind her, but he let the situation unfold. He was the perfect partner for her. He allowed her to be who she was but was always there to back her up if necessary.

Dave stepped back, leaving her with a glowing feeling as his power left her. She remembered the feeling from when her brother touched her mind and it made her nostalgic.

“She’s telling the truth as she knows it,” he told his friends. “Her mind hasn’t been tampered with.”

“All right.” Mike lifted his weapon upward, pointing it at the ceiling. “Let’s take this upstairs where it’s more comfortable. Burt, please secure the area and continue to monitor for intruders.”

“Yes, Mike,” the computer voice said over the speaker.

“Do you have a computer like that in Colorado?”
Gina asked Jim as they followed Mike out of the tunnel and into the larger chamber.

“Not that I know of. But a lot of systems were damaged in the earthquakes. I bet Wally would know. I’ll have to ask him when we get back.”

“So you think there’s a good chance we’ll live to tell the tale?”
She couldn’t resist teasing him.

They followed Mike as Dave and Bill brought up the rear in a guard position.

“I’d say our chances are improving all the time. But what in the world are these people doing sharing their hideout with an Alvian?”

“He’s on the run, just as much as they are—possibly even more so. He was given an assignment by the Council and not only failed in his mission, but precipitated the Chief Engineer’s ability to effectively hold the Council hostage to whatever he wanted. They didn’t like that one bit, and the man ultimately responsible for that fiasco got away. They’ve been hunting him ever since. I’m just glad we found him first.”

They all piled into a large elevator which started to climb. Gina lost track of how many levels they rose but was glad when the elevator came to a stop and they all got out. Rather than climb higher, the men led her and Jim to a small, utilitarian room. It looked like a conference room of sorts, though at one time it had probably been somebody’s office.

Their hosts indicated they should sit, and Gina took the seat next to Jim. His presence helped calm her nerves. She was surprised by just how nervous she felt now that contact had been made. Her mission was on track, and she wanted to keep it that way.

“Why don’t you tell us more about this secret sect of yours?” Mike invited once they’d all been seated.

“The
Zxerah
Brotherhood is hard to describe. They’re part ninja, part Tibetan monk and all focused on individual study and enlightenment. A small cadre serves in the Alvian military as a sort of ghost squad. The rest of us live in secret, serving as their support system and spending our time studying and doing reconnaissance for the Patriarch. I first met him not long after the cataclysm. Fate put him in my path, I’m sure. I mean, what are the odds that the first human this man finds is an Olympic gold medal-winning martial artist?”