Episode 7
"Mirash"
Half an hour had passed, and Elenore could still hear voices, including the spine-tingling voice of that horrid, murderous creature of a woman. Isaac wasn’t answering his phone, which only made her more nervous. Whatever was going on surely had to be linked to the precinct, and therefore to Isaac, which made her feel sick with worry.
A confrontation had been ongoing outside, just behind the car by the sounds of it, and unfortunately just out of the view of the rear-view mirror – that was all Elenore could use to see. One voice had to be the woman, but the other was an unknown male.
Rumbles sounded above the town. Elenore watched out of the window opposite, spotting numerous shooting stars swish past in the sky, spiralling downwards. The car shook as the impacts vibrated across town. She wasn’t safe there. She had to get out.
Cautiously, Elenore opened the car door behind her. If she were quiet enough, she would be able to get away without that mad woman noticing a thing.
The quiet click of the door seemed to go unnoticed. Phew. This was her chance. Elenore looked around to see the woman’s back to her. She made eye contact with the two young boys she was facing. Isaac and Harry.
Without a second thought, Elenore’s protective instinct took over. She slowly moved up behind her, and without holding back, thumped her around the head. The woman collapsed harshly to the ground, and Elenore picked up the gun in case she wasn’t entirely unconscious.
“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, young man,” Elenore said to a relieved Isaac.
A confrontation had been ongoing outside, just behind the car by the sounds of it, and unfortunately just out of the view of the rear-view mirror – that was all Elenore could use to see. One voice had to be the woman, but the other was an unknown male.
Rumbles sounded above the town. Elenore watched out of the window opposite, spotting numerous shooting stars swish past in the sky, spiralling downwards. The car shook as the impacts vibrated across town. She wasn’t safe there. She had to get out.
Cautiously, Elenore opened the car door behind her. If she were quiet enough, she would be able to get away without that mad woman noticing a thing.
The quiet click of the door seemed to go unnoticed. Phew. This was her chance. Elenore looked around to see the woman’s back to her. She made eye contact with the two young boys she was facing. Isaac and Harry.
Without a second thought, Elenore’s protective instinct took over. She slowly moved up behind her, and without holding back, thumped her around the head. The woman collapsed harshly to the ground, and Elenore picked up the gun in case she wasn’t entirely unconscious.
“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, young man,” Elenore said to a relieved Isaac.
Spellbound by the aesthetic of the side rooms in the precinct, Arlen was impressed by the tour Jenkins was giving him, Ava and Newton. The rooms were so clean and spotless, and their pod-like shape was incredible. He loved seeing the futuristic design inside the precinct.
“This is the same one as before,” Ava noticed, looking at the alien patient on the hospital-style bed in the centre. The alien was male, with long, dark, wavy hair flowing down to his waist. The colour of his skin was a lush shade of blue, and he looked so peaceful.
“He hasn’t aged a day in fifty years,” Jenkins explained, “Some think that’s just the alien form, and the human disguise ages like the rest of us, but we’ve never known for sure.”
“So Harry might never age?” Arlen wondered.
“Perhaps not, but Harry is a different case. He’s an experiment. He was born in flight. The rules might be different,” Jenkins responded.
“He’s less than a week old,” Newton interjected, still processing everything they had learnt about who Harry was, “Why does he look sixteen? He and Isaac…is that even legal?” Arlen rolled his eyes. He wasn’t sure why Newton hadn’t left to go home, as he seemed to have little interest in helping Harry, preferring to ask inappropriate questions. However, Arlen didn’t want to argue. He had done enough of that already.
“Harry was made to blend into his surroundings,” Jenkins answered, “Biologically, physically and mentally, he’s a sixteen-year-old male. Don’t worry.”
“I can’t get this out of my head,” Ava said with a notable quiver in her voice, “If Harry was meant as a short-term experiment, are we sure he still has a regular lifespan?”
“He’s like us, no? Surely his lifespan’s normal,” Arlen thought logically, and Ava understood it. If he were physically and biologically a teenage boy, surely that means he’ll share their expected lifespan?
“I’m just asking, we need to know. For Isaac’s sake,” Ava reminded.
“True, Arlen accepted. Isaac remained his number one priority. If he and Ava had to carry a burden for him, then so be it.
“Their lifespan is controlled by the ring, and we’ve seen nothing to suggest that the ring Harry’s wearing is any different to the rings of anybody else,” Jenkins explained.
Arlen breathed a sigh of relief. He’d had such a culture shock, processing all this new information. He needed a flow chart if he were to ever understand it properly.
“New arrivals,” another guard popped his head in.
“Wanna come? We’re down on men,” Jenkins suggested.
At last – Arlen could finally get in on the action.
Though he felt relieved to be alive, Isaac felt mortified by his mum’s reaction. She looked absolutely horrified by the situation he had found himself in. He was equally horrified that she was so close to Bella and her attack. He could have lost his mum so easily.
“Who the hell was that?” Elenore questioned.
“One of Harry’s race,” Isaac replied, “She’s dangerous, we were trying to help.”
“You did a great job of that,” Elenore sarcastically hit back, “You had a gun to your head, Isaac. I had to see my son held at gunpoint.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry apologised. His face was crushed. He felt responsible.
“It’s not your fault,” Isaac assured, “You were pushed into this. I said it was a bad idea.”
“Damn right,” Elenore agreed, “I know you want to protect him, Isaac, but you need to protect yourself too. I don’t want to wake up to a call from the morgue.”
“You won’t, I promise,” Isaac nodded as a tear slipped down his cheek. He felt bad for putting his mum in such a situation, because imagining her reaction upon seeing his dead body broke his heart.
“I’ll make sure of it,” Harry smiled, putting his arm around Harry protectively.
“Err,” Elenore was taken aback. She hadn’t heard Harry talk properly until now.
“Long story,” Isaac smiled.
“Excuse me, I hate to interrupt this cute little family reunion,” the grey-suited lady began, “But we need to get her back to the precinct as soon as possible.”
“Go,” Elenore encouraged Isaac to go with them, “But take care.”
“I will. Promise,” Isaac smiled. It was a much-needed reality check. He had to find the balance between looking after Harry and looking after his family.
Watching from behind the one-way mirror, Harry could barely stand to look at Bella. She was sat at a table in the precinct’s interview room, her hands cuffed on top of the table. She could have been there for him, but her words were cruel and nasty. She made him feel disposable, when Isaac had made sure he knew he was anything but.
The grey-suited lady was sat directly opposite her, with a guard positioned at either end of the room. Meanwhile, Harry had Isaac next to him, just as he always did.
“You smashed it out there, you know,” Isaac encouraged, just before the interview began.
“But it didn’t work,” Harry was down on himself.
“Sometimes it’s not about succeeding,” Isaac tried to be uplifting, “It’s about trying. That’s all you can do in times like this.” Harry smiled. He wasn’t wrong.
“Interview commencing at 10:17,” the lady began interviewing, “For the benefit of the tape, please state your name.”
“1-3-9,” Bella replied.
“Alias Bella,” the lady added, “Please name your species.”
“This is ridiculous,” Bella laughed, “There’s a load of us out there now and you’re talking to me. You don’t know how badly you’re losing.”
“Answer the question,” the lady prompted firmly.
“We are the Mirash,” she answered.
“Why did you come here?” the lady queried.
“For a planet to live on,” Bella answered, “And for revenge.” Harry shuddered. The idea of a full-scale war between the Mirash and the humans was horrible, and he knew he’d be caught between two sides.
“Work with us. Call your people off and there will be no more bloodshed,” the lady reasoned.
“Let the Mirashi people you’re holding go free, and then we can talk,” Bella reasoned.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” the lady resisted. Harry sighed. All she had to do was agree and this crisis could be averted.
“Why can’t they just get along?” Harry whispered aloud.
“There’s so much history, I guess,” Isaac replied, “Both sides are in the wrong, and neither is willing to forgive.”
“Oh, I think it is possible,” Bella smugly replied, “If you don’t want your precious precinct to go up in flames.”
Bella pointed at the ring on her finger. A faint ticking sound began counting down.
“Stop it,” the woman commanded. Harry watched as her face turned to pure panic.
“Let them go, then we’ll talk again,” Bella smiled arrogantly.
“She won’t blow it up, surely?” Isaac thought.
“She doesn’t care about anyone else. She’ll do it,” Harry replied. Everything he had seen from her so far had been ruthless and emotionless. She would kill herself and innocent people to win the war if she had to.
Arriving at the original crash site near Isaac’s house, where Harry arrived, Ava was scared of what to expect. Another arrival had landed, and she had low expectations after the debacle the night before. What’s more, Jenkins was the only guard to spare. A trainee and three untrained teenagers against someone who was bound to be carrying a gun. She didn’t fancy their chances.
“Put these on,” Jenkins instructed, giving them a bulletproof jacket each.
“Did you see the gun that woman had?” Newton reminded, “That vaporised their skins, a jacket’s not going to stop it.”
“Don’t wear it then,” Jenkins hit back. Ava couldn’t help but giggle. Though she and Newton got along, he was an idiot at times and it was amusing to see the piss being taken out of him.
Immediately, a shot fired right over Ava’s head. She ducked in time, but it smacked into the tree behind, smoke immediately filtering out of the impact.
“They’re here,” Ava commented. More shots fired, one of them hitting the car, splintering the windscreen. They had no easy way out.
“Take cover,” Jenkins commanded, “We need a visual.”
Ava crawled to the nearest tree. It was just about big enough to conceal her. She carefully peered round the side. Arlen was doing the same a couple of trees along. He looked just as nervous as she felt.
“Oh come on, I could do with a little target practice,” a male voice goaded. Ava managed to spot him; he was young, like the others Ava had seen, and very good looking. He was also walking in the direction of Isaac’s house. Closer to her.
He fell out of view. Ava couldn’t see him, and she didn’t want to try and get a glimpse in case she compromised her cover.
A gap of silence followed. Ava could hear her breath, and it made her anxious. The tension could be cut with a knife.
She caught eyes with Arlen, who was watching her already with eyes opened wide. It looked like he was trying to say something without talking, and it didn’t look promising. Ava cautiously turned around. There he was: the man.
“Which way to the security precinct?” he whispered directly into her ear as Ava felt the tip of the gun press up against the side of her head.
“Not far, a couple of minutes that way,” Ava pointed, her hand shaking as much as her voice.
“Show me,” he said, pushing her along. Ava felt horrified, but she shook her head to Arlen. She didn’t want him to intervene or follow her. It could get them all killed.
Panic levels were off the scale in the precinct. Isaac felt useless as guards rushed back and forth, and whispers were kept firmly out of his ears. He didn’t enjoy not being in-the-know, especially after they were specifically asked along to help.
“What’s going on?” Harry wondered.
“They’re considering her offer, I guess,” Isaac presumed. Ultimately, he had no idea, but that’s certainly what he would be doing in this situation. Especially when they didn’t know how long until the bomb was set to detonate, “Unless she’s bluffing.”
“I don’t think she’s the type to bluff,” Harry mentioned.
“Me neither,” Isaac sighed. He spotted the side room doors being opened. Isaac couldn’t help himself being nosey, so he went to check the one immediately in front of where he was stood. Sure enough, the guards were helping the patient up from the operating table. The wires were being pulled out of his chest, and he was waking up. They were going ahead with the deal.
“I wonder if he’s peaceful,” Harry thought. Isaac loved his black-and-white outlook on the world. Things were either good or bad – if only the world were so simple.
“Let’s go see,” Isaac suggested. He couldn’t help being curious. The situation of fifty years before was still an enigma to him – maybe this was his chance to find out more?
Isaac made eye contact with the Mirashi man as he stepped inside the pod. He looked extremely attractive – like a blue version of Isaac’s dream guy.
“What’s your name?” Isaac wondered.
“2-0-8,” he replied, “Taylor.”
“Hey Taylor, I’m Isaac, and this is Harry,” Isaac politely introduced himself.
“You’re one of my kind,” Taylor immediately identified Harry.
“Technically,” Harry sheepishly responded.
“Oh my god, you’re…,” Taylor seemed starstruck, as if he had met a celebrity, “You’re the experiment.”
“How do you know about me?” Harry seemed shocked. Isaac was too – this guy had been on Earth for fifty years, how could he possibly know of Harry, who was technically six days old?
“They started working on you during the battle. They said you’d be the perfect insider. Are we back? The Mirash?” Taylor wondered.
“Yeah, but they’re playing hard ball,” Isaac replied.
Taylor looked concerned, but Isaac was pleased – at least the Mirash weren’t all bad after all.
“Mr. Avery and Mr. Simpson, you’re needed this way,” a guard called from the doorway. Isaac was intrigued – there must have been a development.
Going out of his mind, Newton was amazed at just how amateurishly Arlen had acted. He saw Ava being abducted and still didn’t act on it. He could have thought on the spot to save her – that’s what Newton would have done, for sure.
Newton couldn’t deny that he felt protective over Ava, and he got the feeling she was the same back. In fact, Ava was the only one who really cared about him at all. Isaac and Harry were so focused on each other, and Arlen had already made his opinion pretty damn clear.
“What the heck, dude?” Newton vented.
“I did all I could,” Arlen defended himself. He was so stubborn.
“You stood and watched,” Newton wasn’t backing down.
“What would you have done, big man? Go ahead and tell me,” Arlen raised his voice, just as Jenkins stood between the two of them.
“I would have protected her,” Newton yelled.
“He had a gun to her head; you don’t think he would have used it on you? On her?” Arlen reasoned, “Besides, Ava can look after herself better than any of us could.”
“I know,” Newton sighed, calming down. He slumped onto the ground against the nearest tree stump, “I’m worried.”
“Same,” Arlen collapsed next to him, “But we know they’re going to the precinct. The most secure place in town. She’ll be okay, and we can follow them.”
A moment of silence followed while Newton considered Arlen’s stance. Ultimately, they wanted the same thing – they wanted their friends to be safe.
“You’re not such a douche,” Newton muttered. It was his unique way of apologising.
“You are,” Arlen laughed, “But that’s not such a bad thing.”
Newton laughed. It seemed they had found some common ground of sorts.
Now they had to get Ava back.
Back behind the one-way mirror, Harry was feeling worried yet weirdly optimistic about what the grey-suited lady was going to say to Bella. They had seen the guards beginning to release the Mirashi people, but the precinct wasn’t as innocent as they pretended to be. Both sides had the ability to be ruthless.
“We accept your offer,” the lady said, “Now carry out your part of the plan.”
Sure enough, Bella pressed the button on her ring. Subsequently, the ticking sound ceased. They were safe, for now, much to Harry’s relief. That said, Bella still looked extremely comfortable. Far too smug.
“Now give me Harry,” Bella demanded. Harry’s stomach dropped. Why did she want him? To finish what she had tried to start in town?
“No,” Isaac muttered. He was in a state of disbelief.
“We’ve been more than reasonable,” the lady tried to decline.
“And you’ve proven you will listen to me. Give me my experiment back,” Bella demanded.
The lady looked directly towards Harry. Though she couldn’t see him through the one-way mirror, Harry knew she was considering the deal. She stood up to leave the interview room, and seconds later, she joined them on the other side of the mirror in the room next door.
“No way,” Isaac said immediately. They shared the same initial gut reaction. It was a horrific thought.
“It’s this, or we all go up in smoke,” the lady reminded, “She turned that bomb off, but it’s not gone, she could reactivate it at any time. Harry, we would keep surveillance on you at all times.”
Harry understood what she meant. He had to take one for the team. He had to protect Isaac.
“Okay,” Harry agreed.
“What? No,” Isaac still couldn’t accept the plan. They had the same intention of protecting each other, but different ways of going about it. Harry had to help him understand.
“This is me, looking out for you,” Harry reassured, “Come and rescue me.” A tear fell from his left eye. He felt nervous and scared, even if it was the right thing to do.
“You bet I will,” Isaac nodded, convincing himself. He didn’t just have one tear; he had an entire waterfall gushing down his face. Harry let go of his hand and smiled at him one final time, before heading next door to Bella. He tried wiping away the trail the teardrop left behind, but it only multiplied as more and more began to fall.
Harry begrudgingly entered the interview room, putting on a front as best as he could.
“This is it. Your last request, then you leave my friends alone,” Harry requested.
“Deal,” Bella held her hand out for a handshake. Harry obliged, firmly shaking her hand.
Still handcuffed to the table, Bella managed to press the button on her ring. In an instant, they were gone. The ring had teleported them away. Away from the precinct. Away from safety. Away from Isaac.
“What? Where are we?” Harry wondered, observing around him. They were on top of a hill overlooking Riverhampton. The night sky made the view look serene and pretty. If only the residents really knew what was really going on.
“Just outside town,” Bella replied, “Meeting some friends.”
Harry noticed a swarm of people making their way towards them, climbing the hill. Bella had an army at her command, and Harry had become a part of it.
Ava didn’t attempt to struggle. She knew it would be useless when the gun her captor was holding would kill her in an instant anyway.
“They have soldiers too, you know,” Ava informed as he pushed her through the eerily quiet and dark town centre, “They’ll shoot on sight.”
“Just like your soldier friend in the woods? I’ll believe it when I see it. Humans are cowards,” the man ranted.
“We can help you find your people, I promise,” Ava tried to reason as best as she could.
“I know where they are. They’re in the precinct, and you will help me get them out,” he decided. Ava was amazed at his temerity. He had a very high expectation of what he could achieve with her – unrealistically so.
They reached the precinct after what felt like an hour of walking, though Ava guessed it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. Surprisingly, the front gate was open. The man pushed her straight through it, moving closer to the front door. As they approached, a series of guards filtered outside and surrounded both Ava and the man.
“Put your weapon down,” one guard commanded. The man held firm, keeping it pressed against Ava’s head.
“Ava!” cried the voice of Isaac from the doorway. She caught the look of horror in his eyes. It broke her heart.
“Move away or I’ll shoot her,” he threatened.
“No!” came Arlen’s voice from behind. Ava looked around to see both Arlen and Newton running across the compound towards her.
The man pointed his gun in their direction, but that didn’t deter them. Ava watched as his finger pressed down on the trigger. Ava’s heart sunk as the spark of electricity fired towards the boys. She couldn’t bear to watch.
“This is the same one as before,” Ava noticed, looking at the alien patient on the hospital-style bed in the centre. The alien was male, with long, dark, wavy hair flowing down to his waist. The colour of his skin was a lush shade of blue, and he looked so peaceful.
“He hasn’t aged a day in fifty years,” Jenkins explained, “Some think that’s just the alien form, and the human disguise ages like the rest of us, but we’ve never known for sure.”
“So Harry might never age?” Arlen wondered.
“Perhaps not, but Harry is a different case. He’s an experiment. He was born in flight. The rules might be different,” Jenkins responded.
“He’s less than a week old,” Newton interjected, still processing everything they had learnt about who Harry was, “Why does he look sixteen? He and Isaac…is that even legal?” Arlen rolled his eyes. He wasn’t sure why Newton hadn’t left to go home, as he seemed to have little interest in helping Harry, preferring to ask inappropriate questions. However, Arlen didn’t want to argue. He had done enough of that already.
“Harry was made to blend into his surroundings,” Jenkins answered, “Biologically, physically and mentally, he’s a sixteen-year-old male. Don’t worry.”
“I can’t get this out of my head,” Ava said with a notable quiver in her voice, “If Harry was meant as a short-term experiment, are we sure he still has a regular lifespan?”
“He’s like us, no? Surely his lifespan’s normal,” Arlen thought logically, and Ava understood it. If he were physically and biologically a teenage boy, surely that means he’ll share their expected lifespan?
“I’m just asking, we need to know. For Isaac’s sake,” Ava reminded.
“True, Arlen accepted. Isaac remained his number one priority. If he and Ava had to carry a burden for him, then so be it.
“Their lifespan is controlled by the ring, and we’ve seen nothing to suggest that the ring Harry’s wearing is any different to the rings of anybody else,” Jenkins explained.
Arlen breathed a sigh of relief. He’d had such a culture shock, processing all this new information. He needed a flow chart if he were to ever understand it properly.
“New arrivals,” another guard popped his head in.
“Wanna come? We’re down on men,” Jenkins suggested.
At last – Arlen could finally get in on the action.
Though he felt relieved to be alive, Isaac felt mortified by his mum’s reaction. She looked absolutely horrified by the situation he had found himself in. He was equally horrified that she was so close to Bella and her attack. He could have lost his mum so easily.
“Who the hell was that?” Elenore questioned.
“One of Harry’s race,” Isaac replied, “She’s dangerous, we were trying to help.”
“You did a great job of that,” Elenore sarcastically hit back, “You had a gun to your head, Isaac. I had to see my son held at gunpoint.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry apologised. His face was crushed. He felt responsible.
“It’s not your fault,” Isaac assured, “You were pushed into this. I said it was a bad idea.”
“Damn right,” Elenore agreed, “I know you want to protect him, Isaac, but you need to protect yourself too. I don’t want to wake up to a call from the morgue.”
“You won’t, I promise,” Isaac nodded as a tear slipped down his cheek. He felt bad for putting his mum in such a situation, because imagining her reaction upon seeing his dead body broke his heart.
“I’ll make sure of it,” Harry smiled, putting his arm around Harry protectively.
“Err,” Elenore was taken aback. She hadn’t heard Harry talk properly until now.
“Long story,” Isaac smiled.
“Excuse me, I hate to interrupt this cute little family reunion,” the grey-suited lady began, “But we need to get her back to the precinct as soon as possible.”
“Go,” Elenore encouraged Isaac to go with them, “But take care.”
“I will. Promise,” Isaac smiled. It was a much-needed reality check. He had to find the balance between looking after Harry and looking after his family.
Watching from behind the one-way mirror, Harry could barely stand to look at Bella. She was sat at a table in the precinct’s interview room, her hands cuffed on top of the table. She could have been there for him, but her words were cruel and nasty. She made him feel disposable, when Isaac had made sure he knew he was anything but.
The grey-suited lady was sat directly opposite her, with a guard positioned at either end of the room. Meanwhile, Harry had Isaac next to him, just as he always did.
“You smashed it out there, you know,” Isaac encouraged, just before the interview began.
“But it didn’t work,” Harry was down on himself.
“Sometimes it’s not about succeeding,” Isaac tried to be uplifting, “It’s about trying. That’s all you can do in times like this.” Harry smiled. He wasn’t wrong.
“Interview commencing at 10:17,” the lady began interviewing, “For the benefit of the tape, please state your name.”
“1-3-9,” Bella replied.
“Alias Bella,” the lady added, “Please name your species.”
“This is ridiculous,” Bella laughed, “There’s a load of us out there now and you’re talking to me. You don’t know how badly you’re losing.”
“Answer the question,” the lady prompted firmly.
“We are the Mirash,” she answered.
“Why did you come here?” the lady queried.
“For a planet to live on,” Bella answered, “And for revenge.” Harry shuddered. The idea of a full-scale war between the Mirash and the humans was horrible, and he knew he’d be caught between two sides.
“Work with us. Call your people off and there will be no more bloodshed,” the lady reasoned.
“Let the Mirashi people you’re holding go free, and then we can talk,” Bella reasoned.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” the lady resisted. Harry sighed. All she had to do was agree and this crisis could be averted.
“Why can’t they just get along?” Harry whispered aloud.
“There’s so much history, I guess,” Isaac replied, “Both sides are in the wrong, and neither is willing to forgive.”
“Oh, I think it is possible,” Bella smugly replied, “If you don’t want your precious precinct to go up in flames.”
Bella pointed at the ring on her finger. A faint ticking sound began counting down.
“Stop it,” the woman commanded. Harry watched as her face turned to pure panic.
“Let them go, then we’ll talk again,” Bella smiled arrogantly.
“She won’t blow it up, surely?” Isaac thought.
“She doesn’t care about anyone else. She’ll do it,” Harry replied. Everything he had seen from her so far had been ruthless and emotionless. She would kill herself and innocent people to win the war if she had to.
Arriving at the original crash site near Isaac’s house, where Harry arrived, Ava was scared of what to expect. Another arrival had landed, and she had low expectations after the debacle the night before. What’s more, Jenkins was the only guard to spare. A trainee and three untrained teenagers against someone who was bound to be carrying a gun. She didn’t fancy their chances.
“Put these on,” Jenkins instructed, giving them a bulletproof jacket each.
“Did you see the gun that woman had?” Newton reminded, “That vaporised their skins, a jacket’s not going to stop it.”
“Don’t wear it then,” Jenkins hit back. Ava couldn’t help but giggle. Though she and Newton got along, he was an idiot at times and it was amusing to see the piss being taken out of him.
Immediately, a shot fired right over Ava’s head. She ducked in time, but it smacked into the tree behind, smoke immediately filtering out of the impact.
“They’re here,” Ava commented. More shots fired, one of them hitting the car, splintering the windscreen. They had no easy way out.
“Take cover,” Jenkins commanded, “We need a visual.”
Ava crawled to the nearest tree. It was just about big enough to conceal her. She carefully peered round the side. Arlen was doing the same a couple of trees along. He looked just as nervous as she felt.
“Oh come on, I could do with a little target practice,” a male voice goaded. Ava managed to spot him; he was young, like the others Ava had seen, and very good looking. He was also walking in the direction of Isaac’s house. Closer to her.
He fell out of view. Ava couldn’t see him, and she didn’t want to try and get a glimpse in case she compromised her cover.
A gap of silence followed. Ava could hear her breath, and it made her anxious. The tension could be cut with a knife.
She caught eyes with Arlen, who was watching her already with eyes opened wide. It looked like he was trying to say something without talking, and it didn’t look promising. Ava cautiously turned around. There he was: the man.
“Which way to the security precinct?” he whispered directly into her ear as Ava felt the tip of the gun press up against the side of her head.
“Not far, a couple of minutes that way,” Ava pointed, her hand shaking as much as her voice.
“Show me,” he said, pushing her along. Ava felt horrified, but she shook her head to Arlen. She didn’t want him to intervene or follow her. It could get them all killed.
Panic levels were off the scale in the precinct. Isaac felt useless as guards rushed back and forth, and whispers were kept firmly out of his ears. He didn’t enjoy not being in-the-know, especially after they were specifically asked along to help.
“What’s going on?” Harry wondered.
“They’re considering her offer, I guess,” Isaac presumed. Ultimately, he had no idea, but that’s certainly what he would be doing in this situation. Especially when they didn’t know how long until the bomb was set to detonate, “Unless she’s bluffing.”
“I don’t think she’s the type to bluff,” Harry mentioned.
“Me neither,” Isaac sighed. He spotted the side room doors being opened. Isaac couldn’t help himself being nosey, so he went to check the one immediately in front of where he was stood. Sure enough, the guards were helping the patient up from the operating table. The wires were being pulled out of his chest, and he was waking up. They were going ahead with the deal.
“I wonder if he’s peaceful,” Harry thought. Isaac loved his black-and-white outlook on the world. Things were either good or bad – if only the world were so simple.
“Let’s go see,” Isaac suggested. He couldn’t help being curious. The situation of fifty years before was still an enigma to him – maybe this was his chance to find out more?
Isaac made eye contact with the Mirashi man as he stepped inside the pod. He looked extremely attractive – like a blue version of Isaac’s dream guy.
“What’s your name?” Isaac wondered.
“2-0-8,” he replied, “Taylor.”
“Hey Taylor, I’m Isaac, and this is Harry,” Isaac politely introduced himself.
“You’re one of my kind,” Taylor immediately identified Harry.
“Technically,” Harry sheepishly responded.
“Oh my god, you’re…,” Taylor seemed starstruck, as if he had met a celebrity, “You’re the experiment.”
“How do you know about me?” Harry seemed shocked. Isaac was too – this guy had been on Earth for fifty years, how could he possibly know of Harry, who was technically six days old?
“They started working on you during the battle. They said you’d be the perfect insider. Are we back? The Mirash?” Taylor wondered.
“Yeah, but they’re playing hard ball,” Isaac replied.
Taylor looked concerned, but Isaac was pleased – at least the Mirash weren’t all bad after all.
“Mr. Avery and Mr. Simpson, you’re needed this way,” a guard called from the doorway. Isaac was intrigued – there must have been a development.
Going out of his mind, Newton was amazed at just how amateurishly Arlen had acted. He saw Ava being abducted and still didn’t act on it. He could have thought on the spot to save her – that’s what Newton would have done, for sure.
Newton couldn’t deny that he felt protective over Ava, and he got the feeling she was the same back. In fact, Ava was the only one who really cared about him at all. Isaac and Harry were so focused on each other, and Arlen had already made his opinion pretty damn clear.
“What the heck, dude?” Newton vented.
“I did all I could,” Arlen defended himself. He was so stubborn.
“You stood and watched,” Newton wasn’t backing down.
“What would you have done, big man? Go ahead and tell me,” Arlen raised his voice, just as Jenkins stood between the two of them.
“I would have protected her,” Newton yelled.
“He had a gun to her head; you don’t think he would have used it on you? On her?” Arlen reasoned, “Besides, Ava can look after herself better than any of us could.”
“I know,” Newton sighed, calming down. He slumped onto the ground against the nearest tree stump, “I’m worried.”
“Same,” Arlen collapsed next to him, “But we know they’re going to the precinct. The most secure place in town. She’ll be okay, and we can follow them.”
A moment of silence followed while Newton considered Arlen’s stance. Ultimately, they wanted the same thing – they wanted their friends to be safe.
“You’re not such a douche,” Newton muttered. It was his unique way of apologising.
“You are,” Arlen laughed, “But that’s not such a bad thing.”
Newton laughed. It seemed they had found some common ground of sorts.
Now they had to get Ava back.
Back behind the one-way mirror, Harry was feeling worried yet weirdly optimistic about what the grey-suited lady was going to say to Bella. They had seen the guards beginning to release the Mirashi people, but the precinct wasn’t as innocent as they pretended to be. Both sides had the ability to be ruthless.
“We accept your offer,” the lady said, “Now carry out your part of the plan.”
Sure enough, Bella pressed the button on her ring. Subsequently, the ticking sound ceased. They were safe, for now, much to Harry’s relief. That said, Bella still looked extremely comfortable. Far too smug.
“Now give me Harry,” Bella demanded. Harry’s stomach dropped. Why did she want him? To finish what she had tried to start in town?
“No,” Isaac muttered. He was in a state of disbelief.
“We’ve been more than reasonable,” the lady tried to decline.
“And you’ve proven you will listen to me. Give me my experiment back,” Bella demanded.
The lady looked directly towards Harry. Though she couldn’t see him through the one-way mirror, Harry knew she was considering the deal. She stood up to leave the interview room, and seconds later, she joined them on the other side of the mirror in the room next door.
“No way,” Isaac said immediately. They shared the same initial gut reaction. It was a horrific thought.
“It’s this, or we all go up in smoke,” the lady reminded, “She turned that bomb off, but it’s not gone, she could reactivate it at any time. Harry, we would keep surveillance on you at all times.”
Harry understood what she meant. He had to take one for the team. He had to protect Isaac.
“Okay,” Harry agreed.
“What? No,” Isaac still couldn’t accept the plan. They had the same intention of protecting each other, but different ways of going about it. Harry had to help him understand.
“This is me, looking out for you,” Harry reassured, “Come and rescue me.” A tear fell from his left eye. He felt nervous and scared, even if it was the right thing to do.
“You bet I will,” Isaac nodded, convincing himself. He didn’t just have one tear; he had an entire waterfall gushing down his face. Harry let go of his hand and smiled at him one final time, before heading next door to Bella. He tried wiping away the trail the teardrop left behind, but it only multiplied as more and more began to fall.
Harry begrudgingly entered the interview room, putting on a front as best as he could.
“This is it. Your last request, then you leave my friends alone,” Harry requested.
“Deal,” Bella held her hand out for a handshake. Harry obliged, firmly shaking her hand.
Still handcuffed to the table, Bella managed to press the button on her ring. In an instant, they were gone. The ring had teleported them away. Away from the precinct. Away from safety. Away from Isaac.
“What? Where are we?” Harry wondered, observing around him. They were on top of a hill overlooking Riverhampton. The night sky made the view look serene and pretty. If only the residents really knew what was really going on.
“Just outside town,” Bella replied, “Meeting some friends.”
Harry noticed a swarm of people making their way towards them, climbing the hill. Bella had an army at her command, and Harry had become a part of it.
Ava didn’t attempt to struggle. She knew it would be useless when the gun her captor was holding would kill her in an instant anyway.
“They have soldiers too, you know,” Ava informed as he pushed her through the eerily quiet and dark town centre, “They’ll shoot on sight.”
“Just like your soldier friend in the woods? I’ll believe it when I see it. Humans are cowards,” the man ranted.
“We can help you find your people, I promise,” Ava tried to reason as best as she could.
“I know where they are. They’re in the precinct, and you will help me get them out,” he decided. Ava was amazed at his temerity. He had a very high expectation of what he could achieve with her – unrealistically so.
They reached the precinct after what felt like an hour of walking, though Ava guessed it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. Surprisingly, the front gate was open. The man pushed her straight through it, moving closer to the front door. As they approached, a series of guards filtered outside and surrounded both Ava and the man.
“Put your weapon down,” one guard commanded. The man held firm, keeping it pressed against Ava’s head.
“Ava!” cried the voice of Isaac from the doorway. She caught the look of horror in his eyes. It broke her heart.
“Move away or I’ll shoot her,” he threatened.
“No!” came Arlen’s voice from behind. Ava looked around to see both Arlen and Newton running across the compound towards her.
The man pointed his gun in their direction, but that didn’t deter them. Ava watched as his finger pressed down on the trigger. Ava’s heart sunk as the spark of electricity fired towards the boys. She couldn’t bear to watch.