Revolution (29 page)

             
He pursed his lips. "So all that food in the Jeep…?"

             
"Is going to save my family," I said with conviction. "At least for a little while."
             

             
He nodded. McDonald just kept eating like we weren't there. Then the door banged with a knock and another man entered without waiting for an answer. He, too, was wearing an Enforcer uniform and he went right to the stove to grab a plate of food. He came and made an annoyed noise. I realized he was waiting for me to scoot over, so I did.

             
He sat beside me and started eating. Chesser smiled at me and nodded his head toward the man. "This here's Smith."

             
Smith looked at me and nodded. "Mmhmm."

             
Ok…

             
"So you're all Enforcement officers?" I asked. Smith looked down at his shirt and back up to my face. He gave me a
Duh
look and went back to eating. "Right, yeah. So you all help people around here?"

             
"We usually get things in return for our services," McDonald chimed in and smiled at me. He had Hamburger Helper in his teeth. I barely stopped the throw-up.

             
Chesser cut in with, "What he mean
s
is that we usually trade with them. We help them escape, they help us with something if we need it. Nothing like he's trying to make out."

             
"What?" McDonald said and kept chewing. "Nothing wrong with asking."

             
"Anyway. You're fine," Chesser assured me. "I'm sure you're willing to help if we needed it, right?"

             
"Help with what?"

             
"Just stuff. Like if we need someone to break in somewhere to get info or something."

             
"What kind of info?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

             
"Well, we try to intercept the Enforcers when they bring in rebels to the facility. See, if a group of rebels attack an Enforcer, then it doesn’t look suspicious. We can keep right on working as usual, but helping as much as we can under the radar. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer and your
soul sucking aliens even close
r
than that."

             
I smiled. "I'm sure my family wouldn't mind helping with something like that. And no offense, but you just stop people from reaching the facilities? Anything else?"

             
"We've been trying to figure out a way to expose the aliens. If people learn the truth, sometimes the compulsion melts off."

             
I nodded. I knew that.

             
"See, we had a secret operation going at one of the facilities in Effingham. We had a guy on the inside who told us everything that went on and videotaped it all. Though, those things can't be seen on the tapes." He pinched his lip. "Anyway, we had it all planned out to get all the records and show people that the rebels were being tortured and then killed. There's a big broadcast station near here that we could reach the whole state with. But…some of the rebels came and blew the place up. Our whole inside operation was blown to bits with it."

             
I stared at him. "That was us," I murmured.

             
"What?"

             
"That was us. My family came and saved me from that place. They bombed it when we left."

             
"That was you!" he yelled. "
Ah, I can't believe it. What were you doing there…oh. That was where you were being held," he realized and everyone at the table stopped and looked at me.

             
"Yes," I answered and ducked my head. I hated to be looked at like that.

             
"So your family must be pretty well trained to pull off something like that."

He cursed and then put his hand flat on the table as he leaned forward a little bit. "I'm so sorry. It sounds stupid to say that by letting things happen, we're working for the greater good, but-"

             
"It's not stupid. I understand. If my going through that causes us to be able to end all this? I'd do it a thousand times over."

             
He leaned back. "Maybe, but
it still sucks to think about.
My friend was in there and he told us the things they made him do…" He shook his head. "I wouldn't have been able to do that to someone innocent just to keep my cover, but we're grateful for him. He helped us a lot and we made a lot of progress for it."

             
"So, any grand plans now?" I asked to remove their eyes from me and back to their food.

             
"Well…" Chesser drawled and looked around at them. "We've been thinking about having some sort of mass broadcast. I mean, we all know it won't go further than the state line, but at least we can get this one thing done, right? If we got the whole state to work with us, the aliens wouldn't stand a chance. I'm not sure what we can do…it's just a thought."
             
Lily was the first thing to pop into my head. Something Mrs. Trudy had said about Lily being the key. That she was all we needed. Something was working in my brain, trying to process it all. I felt like I was on the precipice of something that could great.

             
"You're a million miles away," Chesser commented.

             
"I'm thinking about my daughter. Lily," I said and couldn't help, but smile.

             
He smiled, too. "You got a little girl?"

             
"She's four. I actually feel a little guilty.
I got to eat more than she did tonight." I wiped my mouth and looked down at my empty plate.

             
"Hey, it's ok," he tried to soothe. Little did he know there was no soothing a Mamma who was trying to protect her baby. "In the morning, we'll get you back to them, ok?" I nodded. "Say, why didn't your husband do the shopping?"

             
"He's a…" I bit my lip. They could be trusted, but to them, Keepers would still be aliens. Would he refuse to help me if he knew? "Remember that I said that we had Keepers who lived with us?"

             
McDonald and the other guy perked up.

             
"Yeah."

             
"I…I'm married to one." His jaw slacked. I rushed on. "The Keepers are the Lighter
'
s opposites."

             
"Lighters?"

             
"That's what the aliens are called. Keepers are the ones who've fought the Lighters from the beginning.
They're kind of like…angels.
They came here when the Lighters did, to help us stop them."

             
"And you're married to an alien?" McDonald asked, his lip curled.

             
"Yep." I crossed my arms on the table. "I know it seems strange, but there are just like you and me. Except they can fight the Lighters like nobody
's
business."

             
"Then why aren't they out there fighting Lighters instead of playing house with you?"

             
I sighed. This was going to be hard. "Have you noticed any people that have shown signs of…abilities or powers?" They stared blankly. I felt defeated and tired of explaining. "The Keeper
'
s job is to watch after his charge. My brother is one of these charges and they have tasks they need to complete. The Keepers watch after them until they can figure out what it is. They can't leave their charge until the task has been completed."

             
They continued to stare. I turned to stare out the window. There was no back yard. I was staring at the wide plank fence and the highway beyond that. I really wished I was home.

             
Thankfully, they didn’t ask me any more questions and
soon, Chesser asked me if I was ready for bed. I followed him to the next trailer and walked into his bachelor pad.
It wasn't dirty;
there was just nothing in it. The one couch and a TV on top of a box was the only thing in the living room at all.

             
"Uh…I'll take the couch. You can have my bed."
             

             
"No," I interrupted. "I don't want to take-"

             
"When was the last time you slept in a bed?" he asked and looked at me from under his lashes.

             
"A long time," I admitted.

             
"You're taking the bed," he insisted. "I'll take the couch, it's fine. My shift starts at
eight, so we'll get an early start."

             
I nodded and said, "Thank you, Chesser."

             
"I know you have a family to go home to and all, but it feels…kind of wrong to let you go back there when I know you guys have it rough."

             
"We all have it a little rough right now." I smiled. "We’ll be fine. We always have been."

             
He tipped his head once. "Goodnight."

             
"Night."

             
I went straight down the hall to the impossibly small bedroom and landed right on the mattress. I was exhausted and I didn’t even take my shoes off. They hung off the end of the bed and I smelled the man whose bed I was in as I drifted to sleep thinking about Merrick and Lily. Wishing I was home, but taking this small comfort for now.

             
"
I don’t need to be the king of the world, as long as I'm the hero of this little girl! Heaven isn't too far away! Closer to it every day. N
o matter what your friends
say…"

             
I jolted and for a second wondered how Warrant had made their way into my bedroom.
Then I growled at the alarm and slapped the 'Shut Up' button. Chesser made his way in and rubbed as his head and neck. "Wakey, wakey."

             
"So I heard," I grumbled, but straightened. "Thanks. I slept like a dead person."

             
"Good. I'm gonna shower and then I'll be ready in about ten. All right?"
             
"Sure."
             
"There's coffee in the pot."

             
"Coffee?" I said, but it came out like this dreamy sigh. I said 'coffee' like one would say 'Ryan Gosling'. I cleared my throat as he laughed at me. "Thanks."

             
"No problem," he said, still laughing as he made his way to the hall and that tiny bathroom I passed last night. "Make yourself at home," he called out before shutting the door.