Defenders of Earth (Book 2 of the Keepers Trilogy)

Chapter 22

Callie huddles under a blanket, her eyes trained on the old TV. I try watching the news with her several times, but I can't sit still. I'm still in shock after the incident.

Shortly after shooting that man-Callie had told me his name was Preed and he was an Azeran traitor- Dad had grabbed Callie and I and told us to head for the car. He and Mom risked the slushy, icy roads to get us to ETL as fast as possible. I guess all misgivings about the place were forgotten.

They're currently with a couple scientists, probably sharing their side of the story. Callie and I were pushed into this room and told to wait. The second the door shut, Callie had turned on the TV to CNN and grabbed a fuzzy blanket from the closet.

After a couple minutes, I ask her, "Why are you even watching that?"

"I wanna see if there's any mention," she says stubbornly without turning around. I bend down and change the channel to the local news. Callie protests at first, then falters at the breaking news.

"Possible extraterrestrials in rural neighborhood have appeared twenty minutes ago, terrorizing civilians. Police are on the scene now, but there is no word on the occupants of the nearest house. These aliens are armed and dangerous. Do not approach, I repeat, do not approach."

"Some aren't even alien," Callie says quietly. "A lot are humans under his control." She hugs herself under the blanket. "He probably sent them first. He probably felt they were..." She pauses, searching for the right word in her limited vocabulary.

"Expendable?" I suggest. "Like, their loss wasn't important?"

"That's how he sees it, yeah," she mumbles. "Ex-pend-able."

My stomach feels like it's rolling around, twisting on itself. I had been on many roller coasters, went through many haunted houses, but this is different. This is true fear. Something that I had never felt until now. Part of me wants to cower against my mother and pray nothing happens. Another part of me wants to believe it's a dream. And yet another part wants to do something beyond watching the news. I kind of want action. 

So I leave the tiny room.

It takes Callie a few moments to realize she's now alone. I hear her footsteps as she catches up to me. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not sure, but it'd be nice to not be shut up," I respond. I gesture for her to come along. Callie rolls her eyes and huffs. I look at her with surprise.

"What, you wanna go back and sit on your ass? 'Cause that's the other option. And it's boring."

Callie opens her mouth, then shuts it. "No," she admits. "I did that back at home, and I hated it. I didn't know what was going on, and nobody was allowed to tell me."

I frown in confusion. "Wait, you weren't allow to know? Why not?"

She shrugs. "Because the main teacher, Matilda, wanted power. Scared children are easy to manipulate, I guess," she says bitterly.

I look at my feet, searching for a way to show sympathy. "Wow. I've had bad teachers, but..."

"Oh, no. She is-was, I don't know-the worst teacher."

I change the subject. "D'you think that computer lab room thingy has more info?"

"I mean, we're not suppose to be out and about-oh, you know what? Screw it. Why don't you go there, and I'll find Azudus?"

"So you can ask him about your boyfriend?" I tease her, gently elbowing her side. She swats my chest with the back of her hand.

"Yeah, 'cause that's the real issue." She raises her voice in pitch. "Oh my Gods, I have to get back to Amacus! My life totally depends on him!" She claps her hands to her face.

I snort and shove my hands in my pockets. She squeezes my elbow and takes off.

I find Azudus sprawled on a couch in a darkened room. His long face twitches in his sleep and the sheets are tangled around him. I flick the light and he practically leaps to his feet. Agitation flashes in his eyes before noticing it's me. "Calypso. What are you doing? Why are you here?" 

"Did you not hear the news?" I ask in Azeran. "They're here. Simon's army is here."

Azudus practically shoves me out of the way as he runs out of the room. I try to grab his arm and miss. "Azudus, wait!"

"You say they are here? Then I am not waiting. This is a serious issue, Calypso. This needs to be handled now." Azudus barely slows as he talks; I have to sprint to catch up with him.

"Where are you going? I ask. "Azudus!"

I sigh in frustration and change directions. "This way!" I call to him. "We won't do much good here; all the scientists are in the main room."

I actually have no idea where all the scientists are, but I figure the main room's a better bet than wherever the hell Azudus is going. I'm not even sure he knows where he's going, but I bet he's dying for action. Turamese aren't known for sitting idle; if there's any chance of action, they take it.

I hear his footsteps behind me and I know he's following me. Then he grabs the back of my shirt, causing me to stumble back and nearly fall. "No," he snaps. "They do not want us involved, so we do not let them know we are involved. Understand? If we are to do anything, we must operate without them."

I glare at the ceiling in frustration, but I know he's right. "Then what do you think we should do, Azudus?"

He tilts his head. "I never truly understood how your powers work. But it has to do with a connection to your brain, yes?"

"Yeah. It's connected to the neurons with an electrical conduct through the chain. Why? What are you thinking?"

"We could use the necklace to see where Simon was, say, thirty seconds ago," Azudus suggests.

"The necklace can't connect to a computer, if that's what you're thinking."

"No," Azudus says. "I was thinking we connect you to a computer."