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  Alex went to the receptionist and checked in for his appointment.

  Devon purposely kept his head lowered so Alex couldn’t see his face too well. None of the people ever recognized him after the experiments at Area 51, but there was always that chance they’d wonder if they saw Devon before. Devon wondered if Alex went to see Dr. Reyes because of that night. It wouldn’t be the first time someone visited a psychiatrist afterwards. Pushing aside an onslaught of self-accusations, Devon checked his watch again.

  Alex sat three chairs down from him and picked up a Reader’s Digest. Good, Devon thought. Alex wasn’t the type of person to make conversation while waiting for an appointment.

  Vanessa came out of the office with Dr. Reyes a good five minutes later.

  “Here’s the prescription,” he told her as he handed her a piece of paper. “Remember to call me if you notice any negative side effects, alright?”

  She nodded. “Thank you, doctor.”

  He smiled at her before he looked at Alex. “Mr. Cameron, are you ready?”

  Alex said yes, put the Reader’s Digest down, and stood up. He glanced at Vanessa and asked, “Have you been here before?”

  Vanessa blanched for a moment. “Uh...no.” She sounded uncertain and shot Devon a startled look.

  Devon slightly shook his head, a message he hoped she’d understand meant that Alex shouldn’t know where he’d seen her before. Dr. Reyes glanced from one person to another, making Devon apprehensive. Something didn’t seem quite right about the psychiatrist. His gaze lowered to the paper in Vanessa’s hand. She shouldn’t take those pills. Where the thought came from Devon didn’t know, but he’d learned that his instincts were too important to ignore.

  “Come on,” Devon told Vanessa. “I’ll take you to the pharmacy.”

  She nodded and practically ran past Alex who shrugged and turned to the doctor who smiled at him and waved him into the office.

  Devon waited for Dr. Reyes to close his office door before he led Vanessa outside. Once they were in his car, he asked, “Can I see that prescription?”

  Eyes wide, she nodded and handed the white paper to him.

  He didn’t recognize the medication, but he knew someone who would. Tapping the steering wheel with his fingers, he wondered how much he should tell her. The less she knew, the better. Obviously, knowing too much would drive her to the point of suicide again. He took a deep breath. “If I pay for it, will go see a guy I trust?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not into psychics or any weird stuff like that.”

  “No. This is a medical doctor. He found some implants they put in me.”

  “Who? The aliens?”

  “Yes. You remember our trip to Dulce?”

  “Only a little.”

  “The first time I went there, they put an implant in me.”

  Her eyes grew wide and he caught a tremble in her lower lip. “Are you saying...?” She brought her hand up to her neck.

  “Probably around the same place we injected Alex,” he softly replied.

  “But I didn’t think we were doing anything to hurt him,” she whispered, her face growing pale.

  He started the car and backed out of his parking space. “I know. You were told he volunteered for the experiment.”

  “But...” She gulped and shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Orders. I couldn’t.” Just like his mentor couldn’t tell him. Then his mentor had an attack of conscience and leaked some of the information to the reporters. Shortly after that, his mentor had a heart attack, or at least that was what the autopsy claimed. “Orders,” he repeated, the word barely audible.

  “What else don’t I know?”

  He waited for a long moment before answering. “I can’t tell you.” When she looked like she was ready to demand he tell her, he asked, “Do you want a new partner?”

  Understanding lit her eyes. “Oh God.”

  Oh God, indeed. He turned onto the main road and shifted in his seat. “All I can do is take you to someone who can remove the implant and any others you might have.” His gaze drifted back to the paper. “And I can tell you that whatever you do, don’t take these pills.”

  She turned forward in her seat and stared blankly ahead.

  Knowing there was nothing else he could do or say, he proceeded to drive.

  ***

  Dr. Reyes glanced up at Alex from the doctor’s report. “He says it’s safe for you to take the pills.”

  Alex shifted in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. “Yes. He said the pills had nothing to do with the heart attack.”

  The psychiatrist waited for Alex to continue, but when Alex didn’t, he asked, “Do you disagree?”

  Letting out a long sigh, Alex scanned the wall where the man’s diplomas and awards were neatly arranged. Finally turning his eyes to the doctor’s, he said, “I’m twenty-nine. How can I have a heart attack?”

  “Young people get heart attacks. Sure, it’s rare, but it happens. Just like young people get diabetes and cancer. These illnesses that trouble our bodies don’t care what age you are.”

  Alex couldn’t argue that point. His gaze lowered to his hands. Despite his better judgment, he’d taken the pills as soon as he got home. Nothing bad happened since then. In fact, his life finally had a sense of normality it hadn’t had in a long time. So what was troubling him?

  “Have you had any more trouble with the alien?” Dr. Reyes asked.

  “No.” Taking a deep breath, he said, “You know that blond woman that was just here?”

  “Of course, I do. I walked her out of the office.”

  “Yeah, well, I think I’ve seen her before.”

  “How so?”

  Alex shook his head. “I’m not sure. I mean, she seems familiar and yet she doesn’t.”

  “Maybe she looks like someone you’ve seen before?”

  “Maybe.”

  Alex didn’t think so, but it was a possibility he ought to consider. Still, there was something that tickled the back of his mind, as if his subconscious mind was trying to tell him something.

  “If you’d seen her,” the doctor began, “do you have any idea where it would have been?”

  “No. I don’t.” He rubbed his forehead. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he was developing a headache. “I don’t.”

  “It’s okay. Give it time. It might come back to you.”

  “I guess.” He let go of the urge to fight through whatever block was in his mind, and his headache eased. That’s odd. Glancing at the clock, he realized his hour was almost up. He breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Did you read through the list of symptoms to watch out for when you take the pills?” Dr. Reyes asked.

  “Yes.” He’d read through it several times and couldn’t find anything that would explain voices from the TV, a heart attack, a humming sound... “Yes, I read the list.”

  “Good. Did you also get the psychiatric testing I ordered?”

  “Yes, I did that too,” Alex softly admitted, wondering what those tests would find. Was he going crazy? Hearing voices, seeing an alien that attacked him, and having a heart attack. None of those could mean good things. “I did it earlier this week.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear it. We’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on and take care of it.”

  “When do you think you’ll get the results?”

  “In about a week. I’ll give you a call when they’re in and we’ll talk about things then.”

  Alex nodded. He glanced at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his time was up. “I see it’s five.”

  He looked at his watch. “So it is.” He stood up and led Alex to the door.

  After Dr. Reyes turned the knob, Alex walked passed him and into the lobby.

  Kill her.

  Alex spun around so he could see the doctor. “What did you say?”

  “I didn’t say anything,” Dr. Reyes replied.

  Alex
stared at him for a moment, trying to gauge whether or not the man told the truth.

  “Alex, are you alright?”

  His eyes met Dr. Reyes’ and he shrugged. Dr. Reyes didn’t appear as if he was toying with him. Finally deciding he’d imagined the voice, Alex shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.” Then he turned and left the building.

  Chapter Eight

  Autumn parked her car in front of the zoo entrance and noted the Christmas displays that lined the path further down where people drove their cars and took pictures. She hesitated to turn off her car where it was nice and toasty, but a knock on her window took her attention off that matter. She saw Devon at the passenger window.

  She almost didn’t roll the window down, but the angel appeared next to her in the seat. “It’s safe. Let him in.” Then he vanished.

  With a slight grimace, she unlocked the car door so Devon could get in.

  Devon shut the door and rubbed his hands together. “It’s really beginning to feel like the holidays, huh?”

  She was sure the look she gave him expressed her desire to be anywhere than here with him.

  He seemed to catch on for he got serious and pulled something out of his pocket before he set it on the dashboard. She wondered what it was but decided she didn’t care. She had nothing to hide. She wasn’t the one who was going around putting implants into people’s bodies at Area 51 or bombing places to get people’s attention off the aliens.

  “Do you have a cell phone on you?” he asked.

  “Sure. Who doesn’t this day in age?”

  “Can I see it?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why?” Was he planning to hurt her? Did she know too much and it was his job to do the assassination?

  “I’ll explain in a moment.”

  She quickly debated whether or not this was a good idea. The angel was insistent she talk to Devon. Didn’t that mean she could trust Devon not to harm her? With a sigh, she took her cell phone out of her purse and handed it to him. “It’s off.”

  “That doesn’t matter.” He took something thin and black out of his coat pocket and scanned the phone with it. “Now they can’t hear what we have to say.”

  “What is that?” she asked, motioning to the strange device.

  “I have a flight to catch at ten. I don’t have time to explain everything.”

  She frowned. “Then why did you ask to meet me?”

  “Because I have a feeling that what you know is something that can’t wait.” He glanced out the front window before he asked, “Is the black shadow with me right now?” His eyes met hers and he waited for her response.

  She scanned the area around him and shook her head. “No.” She turned her attention to outside the car where the angel seemed to be holding something back. In the dark, it was hard to make out the shadowy figure, but it became clear soon enough why Devon didn’t have the demon lurking by him. “The angel has the demon away from you at the moment.”

  She waited for him to laugh and tell her she was nuts, but he didn’t. Instead, he asked, “How do I get rid of it?”

  “You believe me?”

  With a shrug, he answered, “There was something in that hospital when I saw you, and it spoke to me. Well, it tried to speak to me. It said I don’t have to be a pawn. Do you know what it meant?”

  “Before I answer your questions, I need you to answer mine.” There was no way she was going to tell him everything she knew and risk him running off. Right now, the angel was her only bargaining chip, and she had to use it. “What’s going on with the aliens? Who are they and what do they really want?”

  “Fair enough. The aliens are here to take back the planet. They were here before we were, and they want us removed, with the exception of the humans who’ll do what they want. Those people will be the slave race. The people who agree to do what the aliens want will be allowed to live, and those who resist will be sent to the internment camps.”

  “Interment camps?”

  “In this country, they’re Fema camps.”

  She thought she’d heard the term Fema before but couldn’t place it.

  As if he could read her mind, he explained, “Fema handles disasters. They’re a part of the government that aids clean up and aid after hurricanes and earthquakes and other acts of God, or what’s supposed to be acts of God.”

  “What does that have to do with interment camps?”

  “Let’s say you have a disaster. Your house is flooded out and you have nowhere to go. The people from Fema come along and offer a place for you to stay while you get back on your feet. Will you go?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t get what’s so bad about that, but obviously there is if you’re bringing it up.”

  “When you get to these camps, you’ll find people will be separated out. Those who are deemed productive and are compliant with the alien’s wishes will be put into temporary trailers and work until they can return to the outside where they will be tracked to make sure they remain compliant. Those who are too feeble and weak will be quietly disposed of. Those who are resistant or question what’s going on will either be brainwashed or disposed of. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

  She glanced out the window where two angels now stood. One angel was aggressively holding the demon back while her angel nodded at her. Turning back to Devon, she uneasily said, “The angel indicated that you’re telling me the truth. So those who oppose the aliens will die?”

  “Yes. That’s why we’re using the sound waves to keep people in a false sense of security. The more people who remain calm, the more will have a better chance of surviving.”

  “A better chance? What do you mean by that?”

  “A certain percentage of the population has to die off. You see, right now the Earth is too populated. There are way too many people for them to control. Since the last century, the governments have been working under the radar to help kill off segments of the population, and they’ve taken measures to do this so that when the time came for the aliens to arrive, the task would be less daunting.”

  “They do this through internment camps?”

  “They’ve done it through camps in Germany and China. Russia’s used their Gestapo to kill off a lot of their people. But there are other ways they’re doing it. The food and drinks are made of high fructose corn syrup which increases diabetes, damages the liver and pancreas, and increases heart problems. They’re putting fluoride in the water which leads to more health problems like kidney damage and thyroid problems, and fluoride’s been known to lower IQs. The real purpose of vaccines is to sterilize people. Why do you think they target pregnant women and children? The point is, it is all about population control. The larger the population, the harder it is to control. And if they can’t control you by dumbing you down, they’ll try to introduce something that could sterilize you or give you health problems.”

  “So what does that have to do with bombing places?”

  He sighed. “People will give up their freedom in exchange for security. If people feel that their lives are at risk, they’ll accept surveillances. Congress doesn’t need your permission to listen in on your conversations. Even when your cell phone is turned off, they can hear what you’re saying. Cameras are on just about every streetlight and in all the parking lots to keep track of where you’re going. Everything you do online is kept in a database. The move to paperless money is to track your expenses. Soon everything will have an electronic component to it. Before long, they’ll make everyone wear ID tags in order to buy or sell anything. It’s all under the guise of keeping you safe from terrorists, but the reality is that you’re in a police state and you don’t even know it. They tell you that it’s all in place to keep you safe. What so few realize is that being safe means they’re going to be slaves.”

  She didn’t know how to respond. What could she possibly say? She took another look at the angel who didn’t deny what Devon was telling her, and if she saw right, two more angels had appeared to ward off
another demon who had come. She groaned. Just what she wanted to see: a spiritual gathering taking place right by her car.

  She turned to Devon who had a somber expression on his face. “Do you see what’s going on over there?” She pointed to the assembly.

  He squinted and waited for a minute before he answered her. “There’s something different in the air. It’s like a ripple with a flash weaving in and out of it.” He glanced at her. “What am I supposed to see?”

  “Two demons and three angels. That demon isn’t going to let you go without a fight.”

  He shivered. “This whole notion of angels and demons is...almost ludicrous.”

  “Yeah...well...welcome to my world. Ever since those people vanished, I’ve become aware of the spiritual world around us.”

  “So how do I get rid of it? I don’t want that thing hovering over me for the rest of my life.”

  She gave her angel an expectant look.

  The angel motioned for her to roll down her window.

  Surprised, she obeyed.

  He walked over to the car, his white wings seeming to grow out of his back as he came closer.

  Devon sharply inhaled.

  “Do you see all of him?” she asked Devon.

  Devon’s gaze flickered to her before he stared at the angel again. “Blond hair, white clothes, and white wings? He almost seems to glow?”

  “Yes. That’s how he looks.”

  The angel stopped by her door, so she rolled down her window. With the demons nearby, she didn’t want to leave the safety of her car, even if that safety wouldn’t prevent them from getting in if they really wanted to get to her.

  Devon leaned toward her, his eyebrows furrowed as he watched the angel.

  “You want to know how to make the demon go away?” the angel asked Devon.

  Devon’s gaze shifted to her, and she caught the surprise in his eyes.

  “He could hear us talk,” she explained to Devon. “You should talk to him.”

  “What I have to say is for you as well,” the angel said. “The time is quickly approaching when you both will have to make a decision. The war that was once in Heaven has now come to Earth, and Satan is wasting no time in gathering his allies.”