Defenders of Earth (Book 2 of the Keepers Trilogy)

Chapter 8

Dr. Wilson is so close to losing it, it's great. "What the hell does that even mean?" he shouts.

"Matt," Dr. Casey says warningly.

"I don't trust you," I say simply.

"Callie, we just want to-" Dr. Casey begins, but I cut her off.

"You do not want to help me. You want to probe me, find out secrets. You have no idea what I keep, and you want to find out. I don't trust you, for all I know you're-" I stop, because my next words were helping Simon. And they don't-for all I know- know who he is. And telling them would require telling them everything they want to know.

"We're what?" Dr. Wilson says. "What are we to you?"

I shake my head for fear of opening my mouth and spilling the truth.

"Callie, this is-" Dr. Casey starts. I interrupt her again. 

"A matter of national security. You do not know where those people went. I may. I get it."

"Callie, how long have you spoken English?" Dr. Wilson asks. It's so random that I answer without thinking.

"Three months. Why?"

"Your English is a little off, like someone who's just learning the language. But it's impeccable for someone who's only spoken it for three months. What language did you speak beforehand?"

"Az-" I begin, then stop. Idiot. Idiot, idiot, idiot!

"What's Az?" Dr. Wilson asks. "Sounds like you stopped yourself from answering."

I shrug. I almost expect him to ask, Az, as in, Azeran?

Instead he asks Dr. Casey, "Do you know of any languages that start with Az, Beth?"

"None that I'm aware of," Dr. Casey says with a shrug.

"Is it made up?" Dr. Wilson asks me.

"Aren't all?" The old Callie has-finally-emerged with a smart-ass entrance. I had always loved messing with superiors.

"I suppose so," he mutters bitterly. "But does anyone else speak this 'Az' language?"

I nod. "Sure, James and Astrid-they live up here," I answer, pointing at my head. Technically, they still live in my heart, but I'm not one for poetry.

"So you have voices in your head?" Dr. Casey asks.

I nod. "Yes." I lean in and whisper, "And they're aliens."

"Callie, this isn't a joking matter. We need to know what you know."

Sadly, I'm not joking.

"You cannot force someone to spill secrets," I say.

"Goddammit Callie," Dr. Wilson says angrily.

"Matt," Dr. Casey says through gritted teeth, "if she doesn't want to share now, we won't make her share now."

Share now? What the hell does that mean? I'm not sharing, period.

Dr. Wilson stands up and leaves. Dr. Casey stands up too, but extends her hand to shake mine. "I do apologize for my colleague's behavior. He's a little short tempered."

"It's okay," I say, shaking her hand, while mentally filing away the word colleague to ask about later.

I hear Dr. Wilson shout something outside the kitchen window and I go to peer out it.

Right where I landed three months prior are a bunch of scientists starting to pack away equipment. It looks as if they were taking tests of that spot. Collecting data.

If they discover the rift I'm screwed.

"Dr. Casey? What are they doing?" I ask, pointing out the window.

Dr. Casey comes and stands by the window. "I'm not sure," she admits, leaning against the sill. "They said that it was important to your case."

"Oh?" I try to keep the panic from creeping into my voice.

Dr. Casey shrugs. "I'm sure we'll have more info on a later date." She turns to me and says in a soft voice, "Are you sure there isn't something you want to tell me?"

The reason why I've flipped back and forth on the ETL is because they may be working for Simon. At the same time, they could help me against that threat. The story of the soldiers and nukes missing match up to what I heard on Azera. If they don't know who did it-and it seems like they don't-then they obviously don't work for Simon.

Dr. Wilson I cannot trust for reasons I cannot fathom. Dr. Casey, maybe.

I've made up my mind. I'll tell them what's bothering me, but without disclosing on my past.

"There is," I say in a low voice.

"Oh?"

"In a few months, my enemy will arrive. That's when I'll open up my past. I'll keep it under lock and key until then."

"Callie...who is this enemy?"

"You might know," I say a little coldly. I'm obviously implying Simon.

Either she's a great actress or she doesn't know what I'm implying, but she takes it the wrong way. "Callie, we never even heard about you until a few months ago. We're not the enemy. We're friends."

"We could be. I don't know. I don't trust you. I didn't know about you until a little bit back."

"Then how could we know your enemy?" Dr. Casey asks.

I've said enough. I just shake my head and turn away. "Goodbye, Dr. Casey."

"Callie-when you come to your senses, or when your enemy arrives or whatever, just call this number, okay?" She hands me a business card. "Just say you'd like to make an appointment."

I nod and pocket it. I don't even look at her. I don't want to acknowledge her. I don't want to acknowledge that she may be a friend, I don't want an human lab keeping tabs on me, I don't want to talk to them, I don't want to tell anyone about my past, I don't even want my past to be mine.

I just want to disappear.