Indigo Incite (The Indigo Trilogy) (21 page)

“How
come no one else in the IIA has ever figured this out?”

Ian
shrugged. “Probably because the idea has never occurred to them. They’re so
busy focusing on where Star Children are, they’ve never bothered to look at
where they
aren’t
.”

“Huh…”
Sarah grinned. “That’s smart. You know that, don’t you?”

Ian
grinned. “Yeah, I was pretty pleased when I figured it out. Still, I never let
my guard down. I know that one day a tracker is bound to stumble upon the area.
For now, though, it’s about the safest place I can think to be.”

“Unless
you want to move to Kazakhstan,” Sarah joked.

“I have
my passport, just in case.”

She
wasn’t sure if he was joking or not but suspected that he was serious.

“So when
Trevor told me that I should stay here, do you think that’s what he meant? He
knows that I’ll be safe if I stay?”

Ian
glanced down at the boy, with interest. “He told you to stay?”

“He did.
Or rather, I think he told my baby.” She placed a hand on her stomach. “Trevor
seemed to be talking to him.”

Ian
smiled. “I wouldn’t doubt it. He has a way of communicating with…others.”

It
suddenly occurred to Sarah that Ian might be able to shed some light on her gifts—or
lack thereof—and the real reason why the IIA was interested in her. She
explained how she had first met Eddie and Liliana in the diner and how she had
eventually ended up traveling with them. She went on to explain that she and
Liliana could both hear her baby’s thoughts, and he listened intently
throughout her story.

“So what
do you think?” Sarah asked after she had finished her story. “Liliana thinks
there is something special about my baby. Do you think maybe it’s him they’re
after? I mean, you’re a tracker—or rather, you were. If you were still a
tracker, would you be interested in my baby?”

“That’s
an interesting question. I can’t say that I’ve ever tracked an unborn baby, but
now that you mention it…” He paused for a moment as if he were listening to
someone. “Please don’t think this is weird. You can totally say no if you’re
uncomfortable, but would you mind if I placed a hand on your stomach?”

Sarah
shook her head. “Um…no, Trevor already did. I don’t mind. Go for it.”

“He did,
huh?” He looked down at the boy who appeared to be unaware of their presence.
“He must sense something special about your baby, too.”

Ian
stepped in close so that he stood about six inches in front of her, and placed
both hands on either side of her stomach. He said nothing but closed his eyes,
and Sarah was suddenly aware of each breath he took. She was acutely aware of
his presence, aware of the smell of his cologne, the array of freckles on his
muscular arms, and the warmth of his large hands on her abdomen.

She
realized then that her alluring observations were leading her thoughts astray,
and she inwardly tried to shake them off. Even though she was madly in love
with her husband, she reminded herself that it was only normal to be attracted
to a handsome man, especially one who currently had his hands on her stomach.

With a
noticeable chuckle in his voice, Tyler asked, “Are we disturbing you?”

Ian
removed his hands from her abdomen and turned around. Her four friends, who had
apparently become tired of waiting in the trailer, had come in search of them.
Eddie looked back and forth between them and eyed Ian with a look of disdain.

“I’m
sorry, we got to talking…” Ian began.

Tyler
grinned. “It looks like it.”

To offer
an explanation, Sarah said, “I asked him to see if he could sense anything
special about my baby that might explain why the IIA is after me.”

“Oh!”
Grace said. She grinned at Liliana. “Right. So what’s the verdict, Ian? Did you
discover anything?”

Ian
addressed them all, but he looked at Sarah when he spoke. “Sarah’s baby is
definitely special. I sense that he has powers stronger than we have ever seen
in a Star Child.”

“A Star
Child?” Sarah asked. “Are you sure? How can you tell?”

“Well,
for one, Star Children often exhibit a greater variety of powers than the
typical Indigo. I sense that his list of powers is a long one. In addition, he
and Trevor, already seem to have some sort of a mental bond. Even as we speak,
they’re communicating telepathically with each other. That is very common among
Star Children.

“When
you said that you could hear your baby’s thoughts, did it occur to you that
babies don’t typically learn a language for at least a year? If your baby is already
communicating with words. That tells me that he is highly gifted and more than
likely an old soul.”

“Wow, so
I
was
right,” Sarah said. “They don’t want me. They want him.” She
placed a hand instinctively on her belly.

“It’s
true. I suspect it is your baby they’re after, but don’t sell yourself short. I
sense that you have several abilities within yourself that you’ve been denying.
I think you have a psychic voice within yourself that you stopped listening to
a long time ago. Am I right?”

Sarah
looked at him in awe. “How did you know?”

Ian
smiled. “Because that’s what I do. I used to get paid to know these things,
remember?”

She
didn’t reply, but the look of shock on her face, was answer enough.

“I think
it’s time you start looking within yourself again to discover who you are. Your
baby is going to need you, and the more you know about your own abilities, the
more you’ll be able to help him.”

As he
spoke, she was captivated by Ian’s green eyes, and she wondered if he felt the
same chemistry. She was thankful when Tyler broke the growing discomfort.

“Ian, do
you think you could give us some ideas of how we can find my brother?”

Ian
turned to Tyler. “I was thinking about that. And you know, I think I might have
an idea. It’s a crazy one…Very crazy. But I think if we plan it right, it just
might work.”

Tyler
grinned and proclaimed, “You’re awesome!”

Simultaneously,
Grace cried, “You’re crazy!” She turned with a glare, which made him laugh. She
couldn’t believe their absurd plan was under serious consideration. “Sure, you
think it’s funny." She combed her fingers through her hair. “You’re not
the one who’s going to have to walk into the lion’s den!”

Tyler
grinned. “I’ll be waiting right outside of the lion’s den, ready to catch you.”

“And
I’ll be by your side the entire time,” Eddie told her.

She
turned to Eddie. “So you think this is a good idea, too?”

“I think
it’s about the best damned plan we’re ever going to come up.”

Ian
interrupted. “If you want to go through with it, we’ll need to spend the rest of
the day working out the details, and we’ll need to find something for the two
of you to wear. I don’t think it should be too difficult. Eddie, you look to be
about my size. I think my old uniform should fit you. And Grace, Melissa is
about your size; I’m sure she has an old uniform that you could wear.”

“Melissa
was in the Air Force?”

“She
was. After she got married, she moved back here to her home town. We can go see
her this evening and see what she has for you.”

Grace
sighed and with obvious reluctance said, “Fine.” If this ridiculous plan was
going to be a success, she would have to give it all she had.

*****

Melissa’s
small two-bedroom house had a wrap-around porch and a small garden in the
front. The house was quaint but comfortable inside. Trevor’s mother invited
them to sit and then excused herself to change out of her uniform.

Trevor
pulled Sarah over to a bookshelf, near the television, and showed her his
collection of cast iron antique model cars he’d inherited from his Grandpa
Hank. He was busy explaining details of each car, when Melissa returned to the
living room and took a seat on the couch beside Ian.

“So,
what’s up?” she asked. “On the phone you said you had a big favor to ask.”

“First
of all, I need you to promise not to ask questions and especially promise that
you won’t tell anyone about our visit,” Ian told her.

“Of
course. If there’s anything that I can do to help, you know I will.”

“Thank
you. I knew we could count on you.”

He went
on to explain Grace’s need to borrow an Air Force uniform, and then she
followed Melissa into her bedroom, to try it on. Grace turned in a circle and
then cranked her neck to get a view of her backside. The free-standing, oval,
full-length mirror showed off the perfect fit of the navy blue skirt and light
blue button dress shirt.

“I
promised Cameron that I wouldn’t ask questions, and I won’t,” Melissa said. “I
just hope you know what you’re doing.”

She met
Melissa’s gaze in the mirror and shook her head. “Not really. I’m going to need
all the luck I can get.”

“Well
then, I wish you luck,” Melissa said, with a friendly smile. “Here, let me show
you how to do your hair.”

*****

Back in
the living room, Ian and Melissa went over identification of rank and how and
when to salute, until Eddie and Grace had all of the information memorized.

Sarah
sat on the floor with her back against the couch and watched the interaction.
Trevor scooted in close beside her, and she wrapped an arm around his
shoulders.

“Don’t
go,” Trevor whispered to Sarah. Grace watched with curiosity as Ian took a seat
beside Sarah on the floor.

“You
don’t have to go, you know,” he said to her. “You’re welcome to stay. I know
your husband is gone right now. Maybe…maybe you would be better off if you
stayed here for a while, at least until we know that things are safe.” He
glanced discreetly from Sarah to Melissa and back again, and Grace saw that he
didn’t want to say too much in front of Trevor’s mother. “If you want to stay,
I can find a place for you.”

“I don’t
know,” Sarah began. “My aunt is waiting for me back home—”

“And if
you go home, what do you think will happen? They
will
come for you,
again. Even if your friends succeed at this plan, the people who are interested
in your baby won’t give up.”

Sarah
stared at him and for a few moments and said nothing. “I’m scared,” she said
finally. “You’re right. I can’t go home.”

“I don’t
know what this is all about,” Melissa interrupted, “and I promised that I
wouldn’t ask questions, but I know Cameron. If he thinks it’s best that you
stay, maybe you should consider it. Obviously my son likes you, and he’s a hard
one to win over. I don’t have a lot of room here, but you’re more than welcome
to stay with me. We have an opening at the restaurant for a waitress. Do you
have any experience?”

“Actually,
I do. I work at my aunt’s restaurant back home. But I don’t want to impose on
you. It’s a generous offer, but—”

“No buts!”
Melissa reproved. “I would actually welcome the company. With my husband gone,
it gets lonely around here. It would be nice for some adult conversation.”

“I don’t
have any of my stuff here though. And I don’t have a clue how I would explain
this to my aunt, much less my husband!”

“I’m
sure we can think of something,” Ian said. “If you want to stay, we’ll figure
out a way.”

Grace
glanced at Eddie, was looking back and forth between Ian and Sarah as the
conversation unfolded. Judging from his expression, it appeared that he didn’t
like the idea of Sarah staying behind. She silently agreed that Sarah and her
baby probably would be safer in Roswell, and though she hated to admit her
selfish reasons, it occurred to her that if Sarah did stay, Eddie might pay
more attention to her.

“I know
it’s hard, Sarah, but Ia…Cameron’s right.” Grace realized that she had almost
called him by his real name and hoped that Melissa hadn’t noticed the fumble.
“You have to do what you think is best for your baby.

Eddie’s
sharp glare directed at her went unnoticed by everyone else. He was obviously
not happy that she had voiced her opinion.
Oh well
, she thought.
He’ll
get over it
.

When all
was said and done, Sarah decided to stay in Roswell. As they drove back to
Ian’s place, Grace and Liliana sat with her in the backseat and discussed her
possibilities for the future. Grace admitted to herself that she would miss her
new friend but knew Sarah’s decision was a wise one. Roswell and Ian would
provide safety for her and the baby.

*****

“If we
get caught, I don’t know how I will ever explain this to my parents.” Grace
eyed the entrance to Edwards Air Force Base as the car crept slowly forward. Each
vehicle in line was admitted only after careful examination and questioning by
the security guards.

“We’re
not going to get caught,” Eddie reassured her. “It’s time to think positive and
put on your game face. Are you ready?”

“Ready
as I’ll ever be.” She sat on her hands in an attempt to hide the visible
tremors. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, she looked like any other visitor who
had come to see the air show.

The car
moved forward another few feet, and Grace bit her lower lip, in anticipation.
Ian’s explanation of their plan continued to replay in her mind.

“How are
we supposed to get in to a secure Air Force base?” Eddie had asked. “Even if we
do have uniforms, we don’t have identification.”

“There
aren’t many ways,” Ian had agreed.

“There’s
an air show this weekend,” Melissa interjected. “I thought about taking Trevor,
but didn’t feel up to the long drive, just for the weekend.”

“There
is?” He turned to Eddie and grinned. “It’s perfect. You guys are all set.”

Eddie
shook his head in confusion. “How so?”

“Whenever
there’s an air show, they open up the base for visitors. They get thousands of
spectators. All you have to do is drive in. No one will look twice at you.”

When
they reached the gate, Eddie explained to the guard that they had come for the
air show. The guard nodded and told them to have a nice day, and they were
admitted without hesitation. Grace breathed a sigh of relief. Ian had been
right.

Eddie
glanced sideways at her, with a grin. “See? Piece of cake. Nothing to worry about.”

“Sure. That
was the easy part. Now the real fun begins.”

As
promised, there were large crowds gathered for the day’s events. They
eventually found a parking lot with no one in sight then took turns changing in
the backseat, while the other stood on the lookout for anyone who might wander
by.

Grace
stepped into the parking lot and made her first appearance to the world as
Airman First Class Smith. She looked at herself in the car window to examine
the tight bun in her hair. It looked perfect, just as Melissa had taught her.

“You
look great,” Eddie said, from behind.

She took
one last glance at herself in the window and then turned to him. “I do?” The
compliment caused her pulse to beat faster.

“Absolutely.
I’d believe you’re in the Air Force.”

She looked
him up and down, in careful examination. He was stunning in Ian’s uniform. To
complete the ensemble, Ian had given Eddie’s hair a short buzz cut, and Grace
admitted to herself that he pulled the look off well.

She
couldn’t tell him that he looked ‘hot’, so instead she said, “You’re nametag’s
a little crooked. Here, let me adjust it.” She reached out, adjusted the
nameplate, and then gave him a firm pat on the arm. In her manliest voice, she
said, “There you go, Sergeant Martinez. You look good. Don’t forget your hat.”

“Thanks.
I guess we might as well do this thing, huh?”

She let
out a deep breath. “I guess so. It’s now or never.”

They got
back in the car and followed Ian’s instructions until they located the building
that housed the office of Colonel Davis. After they had exited the car and
ensured that their hats appeared straight and proper, they strode toward the
entrance.

Grace
had been curious why Ian had possessed an Air Force uniform. He had explained
that it had been a necessary disguise, for certain missions. “Martinez was the
best name that they could come up with for you?” Grace had asked. She observed
his red hair and freckles. “You don’t look much like a Martinez.”

“Well,
people often believe what they read,” Ian had said. “If anyone ever noticed
anything odd, they probably didn’t want to insult me.”

Luckily,
Eddie did look like he could be named Martinez; at least that was one less
concern. They had decided that Melissa’s last name, Smith, was generic enough
so they wouldn’t have to worry about tracing the uniform back to her, if Grace
should happen to be caught.

They
located a directory board and saw that Colonel Davis’s office was located on
the second floor. They rode the elevator up together, and when they stepped
off, Eddie said, “I’ll be just a few steps behind you.”

“All
right,” Grace said with a forced smile. She was acutely aware of each step as
her dress shoes clicked on the shiny floor. She glanced over her shoulder once
to make sure that Eddie still followed. He offered a smile of encouragement. At
least he had her back.

It was
Sunday, and very few people were working. She realized that any time she passed
someone she held her breath in anxious anticipation. She didn’t want to
obviously stare as she tried to observe the rank on each uniform but worried
that she would neglect to salute an officer and get stopped for reprimand.
Along the way, she received a few smiles and friendly nods, but no one stopped
to question her presence. As she continued in the direction of Colonel Davis’s
office, the conversation she’d had with Ian continued to play in her head.

“Colonel
Davis is the main liaison between the IIA and the Air Force,” Ian had
explained.

“The Air
Force is also a part of the IIA?” Eddie had asked.

“They
play a small role. The Air Force makes it their business to be involved with
anything that has to do with aliens. If the IIA discovers a genetic link
between Star Children and extraterrestrials, the Air Force wants to be the
first to know. So, they’ve made a point to make themselves a part of the IIA.
In turn, the IIA gets unlimited access to the secret underground tunnel system.

“Secret,
underground, tunnel system?” Grace questioned.

“Yep, it
branches off in several directions. One of the main branches spans from Edwards
Air Force Base to Area 51.”

“You’re
serious?” Eddie asked. “Area 51? That’s not where we’re going is it?”

“No, but
the tunnel has several branches that lead to a variety of locations. You’ll
start off in the main tunnel that leads north, toward Area 51, but then you’ll
branch off and head east. That’s where the main IIA office is located, about
forty miles northeast of the base.”