Defenders of Earth (Book 2 of the Keepers Trilogy)

Chapter 16

The building itself isn't that impressive. It's two stories, made of brick, and if it weren't for the huge satellite and telescope protruding from the flat roof, it looks like my school more than an alien lab. Callie glances back at Mom and me, and I give her a small smile. Mom squeezes her shoulder.

Joe stops the van at the front and opens the back door for us. Callie slides out first and stumbles towards the doors. "Here we are," she breathes.

I clamor out after Dad and join Callie. "You excited?" I ask, bouncing on my toes.

"I feel sick," she admits.

Joe unlocks the door and holds it open for us. Inside is a small hallway. For a moment, I think the lights are off, then I realize the walls are painted black. On the opposite wall is a single, metal door. We all step in, and Callie whispers, "I don't like this."

"It's claustrophobic in here, isn't it?" Joe comments, crossing the room to unlock the other door.

"Clausto-what?" Callie whispers to me.

"It feels very small in here," I explain.

Joe opens the metal door. "Callie first," he instructs. "Once she's in the all clear, then I'll send in Mr. Everett."

Callie clenches her fists and takes a deep breath before trooping into the room beyond the metal door. Joe shuts it behind her.

It must be the most agonizing wait I've ever had. It takes fifteen minutes for Callie to be in the "all clear", and it takes Mom and Dad just as long. As a result, it takes me 45 minutes to get past that metal door. I'm bored, restless, and have to pee when Joe finally opens the door and waves me through. I practically fly into the next room and groan when I see an even smaller- albeit brighter-room. A wide mirror-I'm pretty sure it's two way-takes up one wall. "Is your name Mark Leo Everett?" a disembodied female asks me over a speaker.

"Um, yes?"

"Your birthday is September 26th, 2002?"

"Yeah."

The questions go on and on. My address, medical history, etc. Finally, I'm instructed to place my thumb against a scanner next to the "mirror". A green light emits around the pad of my thumb, but I don't remove my thumb until it goes away. Then I'm allowed into the next room, where a bunch of security guards do a very thorough search on me. Then a bunch of lab-coat-wearing dudes do a full vital assessment on me. After they draw my blood, they finally allow me out of the room.

I come out into a huge room, filled with rushing scientists, crowded desks, huge computer monitors, and everything sci-fi. A scientist comes up to me and asks, "Are you one of the Everetts?"

I nod, and without another word, she grabs my arm and pulls me halfway across the room. All around, I hear whispers of Callie. I guess this is what they've all been waiting for- an honest-to-God alien encounter. There's more buzz here than that time a senior got caught with drugs at my school.

The scientist leads me to my parents, who are standing by a huge desk occupied by an even larger man in a business suit. Mom immediately hugs me, and Dad asks, "You okay, kid?"

I nod, feeling very shy and uncomfortable all of a sudden. The man eyes me. "So you're Callie's foster brother?" he asks.

I nod again and find my voice. "Where's Callie?"

"In an interrogation room," the man answers. He notices our hard looks and hastens to explain. "Oh, she's in no trouble. In fact-" he turns his laptop so we can see the screen- "she's doing very well. She's cooperative, and once she's done talking, you can see her."