I am Number Ten

CHAPTER 4

        I'm following Agent Noto's directions on how to get Albuquerque. I've only stopped for gas, ice packs and bandages for Noto's hand and a few sips of water. As we drive along the highway, I keep my eyes peeled. I get paranoid when a car seems to be trailing us. Thanks to the double agent, I so much as flinch when someone honks the horn at me.

        I pull off one of the interstates and I decide that silence is no longer an option.

"How long have you been working in the FBI?" I ask.

        Noto looks at me as if I've sprouted a second head. It was a simple question, something easy and it takes his mind off the fight, well beating we had. He taps his fingers on the dashboard and re-adjusts himself into a comfortable position.

 "About eight years."

"Wow," I say, trying to sound intriguing, but being the person that I am, I've never had any long-term commitments to anyone or anything, except Annie, the Loric cause and Blake. "That's quite a commitment."

"It is, but I can't say it hasn't taken its toll on my family. I'm constantly away on business and when I am home, I tell them fake stories..." He pauses for a moment and swallows hard. "M-My son doesn't even know what I do. I'm not sure what my wife tells him what I do, but it's all for safety reasons."

I can tell this subject is sensitive for him, so I decide to move on.

"When...when did you and the Mogs start working together?" I ask something that's been eating away at me.

He pauses as he thinks. He lets a hallowed breath escape his lips before he answers.

"I'd say...about three years ago... We were aware that other species like this existed, but we confronted them. They told us they were searching for you and that you were the threat that needed to be exterminated."

My stomach churns at the word "exterminated", three of the ten of us have been taken care of, leaving the seven of us left to fight in this war.

"You realize that once my species is dead, they'll conquer here and enslave or kill the populations? You guys put your trust in snakes.'

"Yes... I see that now."

"But why didn't you see it then?!" I say angrily, fighting the tears in my eyes and gripping the steering wheel tightly. "A random species of aliens, larger, stronger and far superior in every way. Comes to Earth with spaceships, beasts and weapons that make your stuff look like toys and you just trust them?! Your alien movies actually portray quite accurately what's going to happen to your world." I came off a few titles that I've heard of.

"The War of the Worlds, Bodysnatchers even The Matrix has aliens taking over the world! Using humans in God knows what ways!" 

I am mad, I mean extremely mad. How can the humans be so incredibly stupid, trusting those monsters? Helping them and get what in return?

"Then why did your kind come to Earth. No world domination or conquering?" he fires back at me.

"Hell no! The reason we came here is the Mogs terminated Our planet first. We came here because we have no home planet. There aren't enough of us to conquer because the six of us left are trying to stop them." I really want to hit home here so I bring out the big gun. "My baby sister never got to see her first birthday because those monsters attacked our world and only a select few actually made it off alive. I had to watch as my house and family were destroyed by their bombs and I was left with nothing."

Noto stares at me in shock. I'll let it sink in for a moment. I listen to his thoughts. Apparently, the Mogs promised the government "amazing" weapons, protection against us, elements only found on Mogadore that will enhance medical science and so on and so forth. He still believes...Then I realize the only way I'm going to get through to him.