Lucy Kelly Read online

  He opened the trunk of his car. Before he pulled out her luggage, he turned to her and asked, with a wiggle of his eyebrows, “If I look in these bags, am I going to find a laptop or other notebook device?”

  She gave him an innocent big-eyed glance. “Of course not, just my e-Reader. I promise,” she answered, with one hand behind her back.

  “Doll, you are not getting away with that!” He looked over her shoulder, “Yep, you’ve got your fingers crossed. Did you forget that since I’m six-two to your five-two, I can easily see over your shoulder? I’m going to look in your bags; any embarrassment you may have from having me rifling through your undies is on you.”

  He continued to unzip her bag and look through her neatly folded piles. Sure enough, he found her laptop and a couple of spare battery packs.

  “But Jack, I’ll go nuts if I can’t go online at all,” she whined, giving him a pouty face, hoping to win some sympathy.

  “Sugar Lips, I’d much rather have you bored up to your eyeteeth and alive to whine about it, than be visiting your ass in the hospital. Cold Turkey, Sarah, you have to do it.

  “Don’t worry,” said Jack, as he put the contraband electronics off to the side of the trunk, “I’ll take care of your babies until the docs give you a clean bill of health.”

  He zipped up the suitcase and pulled it out of the trunk.

  She figured that he would look, so she pretended to whine, knowing she had back up in the other bag. He’d stop looking now that he’d found something. Therefore, she was shocked when he reached for the second suitcase and instead of pulling it out, unzipped it, too. Well, damn.

  He turned to her, winked, and said, “I know you too well. You should have realized that you can’t pull anything over on me. I’m going to be paying your bills for the next three months. All you have to do is play and run up your credit cards.”

  He finished pulling out another smaller laptop with a ‘tsk tsk,’ and then zipped the second suitcase and removed it from the trunk, also.

  “And since I’m paying your bills, I’ll know if you go out and buy a laptop. So promise me you’ll be good.”

  “You know, it’s not the laptops that get me into trouble. Now you’re just acting bossy,” Sarah said with a huff.

  “Yes, I know, Sweetie. However, it’s the tool you use the most that leads you down the path of destruction. Now give me a hug and let’s get this show on the road before you miss your flight, and I get a ticket for staying at the curb for so long.”

  “I’m going to miss you lots,” she said, reaching forward to hug him.

  They hugged goodbye and handed her bags to the curbside Skycap for checkin.

  He blew her a kiss before driving away. He’d been her best friend since third grade when she moved to San Francisco from Chicago. Being unused to such changeable weather, she’d gotten wet in the rain, and he’d offered to share his umbrella with her for the walk home from school.

  It turned out he lived around the corner from her, and they’d been inseparable since then. Their parents let them run around outside every day after school until the streetlights came on. Even later, when she moved around so much, he was the one person she held onto – he was her lifeline.

  At least I was able to retire, she thought, smiling over the memories. Many people in my position have to keep working to keep a roof over their heads. I can concentrate on my health and not worry about money.

  She turned away from the mirror and went back to unpacking. She was wondering what stores she should go to, when a story on the radio caught her attention.

  “…one hundred percent success rate in fertility. The scientists are saying it’s a statistical impossibility. I think there must be something in the water. Stay tuned for more at the top of the hour on the possibility of another Baby Boom generation.”

  Guess I’ll have to be careful if I decide on a vacation fling, she thought. Just in case, I’ll stick to bottled water.

  By ten am, Sarah was walking through the front doors of Ann Taylor on North Michigan Avenue. She hadn’t lost enough weight yet to shop at Chico’s store. After trying on several dresses, she was wavering between two. One was a basic little black dress with some ruching that covered any flaws in her figure. The other was long, white, and floaty. With the right heels (very high), and hairdo (very tall), she might be able to pull off the look. Considering the event, she bought both. She’d decide later which one to wear.

  Figuring she couldn’t go wrong with either gold or silver jewelry or the right shoes, she left Ann Taylor’s to go to a shoe store and continue her shopping.

  ***

  While Sarah was in the shoe store, Becky Anderson was entering Ann Taylor’s store. She knew she’d be trying on several dresses, so she’d worn a comfy stretch-waist skirt with a loose caftan blouse. She also carried an extra pair of shoes in her bag.

  Over the years, she’d learned that an experienced salesperson could really cut down on her shopping time when she needed to find the right outfit for her pear-shaped body, and she was also in a hurry.

  “Hi, I’m hoping you can help me,” she said, walking up to the most likely salesperson.

  The woman gave her an odd look before responding.

  “Good morning. Exactly, what are you looking for today?” she asked.

  “Well, I’m going to a semi-formal event on Saturday night, and I need to look like a million bucks. I’m even thinking of changing the green streaks in my hair to another color to match my dress,” Becky said with a grin.

  “Unfortunately, just this morning I realized I needed something new, and I’m pressed for time. Do you have anything that would look good on my figure?” she asked, posing a little as she stood between the clothing racks.

  “Hmmm, I think I know just the thing. Let’s get you into a dressing room. Size 10, petite?” she asked.

  “Either a ten or a twelve,” answered Becky, as they turned to walk to the back of the store. “I’d like to try on both sizes to see what looks better. It depends on the cut of the dress.”

  Becky began undressing, ready to see the dresses the saleslady would bring her. She was a little surprised when she bought only four dresses. One was a long sheath with a splash of color, another lengthy floaty white dress and two black dresses.

  She was pleased the salesperson knew just what would look good on her. She ended up buying the little black dress with ruching and the most beautiful floaty white dress she’d ever seen. She’d decide later which one to wear on Saturday. She wasn’t able to choose now. With her current hairstyle, she couldn’t put her hair in the up-do the white dress deserved, but she could funk it up a little with some colorful streaks.

  She paid for her purchases and said goodbye to the salespeople. She thought it was rude the way they pointed and talked about her in whispers. You’d think they’d never seen bleached blonde hair with a green streak in it. On the other hand, maybe it was the three earrings in each ear.

  Leaving the store to head back to her car, she began going over all the things she needed to get done that day. Just as she left the mall and turned left towards her car, she didn’t notice another shopper, loaded down with bags, exiting after her and turning right.

  Since then Becky’s college friend Addie had found that alien shuttle in Lake Michigan, their lives had changed drastically. The Nephilim had come to planet Earth after finally receiving the signal from the lost spaceship containing their Ruling Queen.

  A rival back on HeVan sabotaged the Queen’s vessel, sending it into an unstable jump gate. Without having the proper coordinates, the space folder sent them spinning into an unexplored distant part of the Galaxy. It took nearly ten thousand years for the distress signal to reach their planet HeVan and almost three hundred years for a ship traveling at top speeds to respond.

  The Queen, Tamiel, kept in stasis for so long, passed her power to the first female to cross her path and then left this life to be with her three husbands or Ankida and children. It had been her friend
Addie’s own inherited powers that had led her to the Queen at the crucial time.

  Planet HeVan was dying without its Queen to link with it and provide balance to the living things that occupied it. According to Arjun, one of Addie’s three Ankida, HeVan’s women were outnumbered four to one. The population had been hovering around ten million when they left nearly two hundred years ago. Who knew where it was now?

  She and Addie, and a few other women, were trying to recruit others. Other women who would be willing to leave everything behind here on Earth to go to a distant planet and start a new life.

  How in Hell, or in HeVan, are we supposed to find enough women willing to move without tipping off the world’s governments? Becky thought for about the thousandth time as she left her parking space to drive to the Convention Center.

  Becky couldn’t decide if she were looking forward to being matched up or not. It turned out that a client of hers, Miranda, was also a descendant of the Nephilim, and she could match people just by looking at them. She’d already started going over the crew roster, getting their images in her brain.

  Before she could get through all the pictures, however, Miranda was called away to Florida. Her mother had suffered a massive heart attack and was not expected to live. Miranda flew to be with her, and she had died within an hour of Miranda’s arrival. Miranda needed to deal with everything, as well as take some time to grieve.

  Becky wished she could have gone down there to support her. However, luckily, Valerie could go.

  Valerie, another descendant of the Nephilim, had the power of sight. She saw the past, the present and rarely, she sometimes saw a possible near future. The future was always in flux, she’d say.

  Valerie wrote down the things she’d seen with her sight for years. Believing them simply to be the product of an active imagination, she sent them in to a publisher, and now she was a bestseller of Sci-Fi Fantasy romance.

  This year there was going to be a huge convention for fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy in books and film. When Valerie and her friend and web designer, Johanna, found out about the Nephilim and their needs, Valerie began planning an enormous event for the Conn. They were advertising it as a recruitment of women for HeVan; the fans thought it was an excuse to party and meet handsome cover models.

  What they would be finding out after the doors closed is how real it all really was. Becky was meeting Johanna and Valerie for last minute checks on the event space with the Center’s staff before they headed out to lunch. Valerie had just returned from helping Miranda in Florida.

  ***

  As Sarah left the shoe store, she saw that she had too many bags to keep on shopping. She decided to go to her hotel and try on the two dresses again with the different shoes, then treat herself to a nice lunch. Actually, she’d go by, visit with a friend, and subsequently invite her to lunch.

  That would be much better than eating alone, she thought.

  Jack couldn’t get on her case for just visiting!

  She had to slow down to maneuver through the people rushing for the exit and left the building behind another blonde-haired woman, this one with short hair, and a green streak.

  Hmm, that’s a cute haircut. I wish she’d turn around. It looks like we have a similar build, thought Sarah. Oh well, she went the other way, and I need to get this swag back to my room.

  ***

  Becky was happily surprised to see Jett when she got to the Convention Center. He and his brothers helped their wife Grace get the evidence necessary for shutting down the largest organized-crime ring in Chicago. It made national news, and they had been keeping a low profile until the trial started the next Monday.

  “Hey, Jett, I thought you guys were all in seclusion until the trial started,” Becky said, as she gave him a hug and a grin.

  “I’m afraid the honeymoon is over, Becky. Grace kicked us all out of the house today. I think something she saw on the news upset her,” he said with a smirk.

  Her eyes lit up and she laughed, “Really! Is she pregnant, too? I was just talking to Addie about a news story on the radio only this morning. She was so surprised she fainted! Seriously, I can laugh about it now, but it freaked me out at the time.”

  Jett’s eyes grew concerned, “Is she alright?”

  “She’s fine. I don’t think she truly understood how powerful she is until she realized how widespread of an area she was affecting. Now, tell me about Grace! Does she know how many babies she’s having? Or is she only going to have them one at a time?” asked Becky.

  They walked together towards the room Valerie had arranged for the big event, and Jett told her how Grace was so sure she wouldn’t get pregnant because of her birth control.

  “She had to order a pregnancy test online because we couldn’t find one in any of the stores; they were all sold out. Now she’s trying to get an appointment with her gynecologist and the doctor’s booked through next month,” he said. “Since Rapha and his brothers will be in town on Saturday, they can look her over.”

  Becky looked at him; they had just reached the door to the event room. “And what did Grace say when you told her you made arrangements to see a doctor without checking with her first?” she asked.

  Jett gave her a sheepish smile, “I asked for forgiveness; it was easier than asking for permission.”

  Becky was laughing when the door opened, and Valerie stuck her head out.

  “I thought I heard voices. Why didn’t you come in?” she asked, holding the door open for them.

  “Oh, Jett was just telling me how much trouble Grace was having getting a doctor’s appointment,” said Becky, with a smirk and a lift of an eyebrow.

  “It’s all anyone’s been talking about today. Would you like me to take a look, Jett?” Valerie asked, speaking of her gift of sight.

  “As long as you don’t say ‘three sets of twins,’ like her sister, it will be okay. If she were having six, I don’t think she’d let us back in the house,” said Jett with a grin.

  Becky looked over at him, “When I first met you, you and your brothers seemed like happy guys. Now I can see that you’re truly happy. You can’t stop grinning, can you?” she asked with a smile because she was glad that after so long, he and his brothers had found Grace.

  “You’re right, Becky. Even though they’re not yet matched, all the men on our ship are happy, too. We all have hope. Addie has given us our future back.”

  They stopped talking because they could see Valerie was ready to tell them something. Valerie turned to him with a frown, “Jett, I still see danger. Are you taking every precaution? There will be another attempt to harm Grace. She’s carrying three very special little girls. Jett, you have to keep her safe,” she said, putting a hand on his arm.

  “Do you know when or where this attack will come from?” Jett asked.

  Gone were the smiles and laughter. In their place was a fierce look that dared anyone to harm his mate.

  “The future is still murky to me; you know I only see the past and the now. I know she’s in danger because the plots to harm her are taking place at the present time. I’m sorry; I wish I could be of more help,” she said with tears glittering in her eyes.

  “You have nothing to apologize for. I thank you for the warning. It helped us save her from an unforeseen enemy once before and now it will help us prepare for whatever comes.

  “Now, that’s enough of this serious talk. Let me show you what I’ve got planned for Saturday night.” Jett then pulled a slim wand out of his pocket.

  “Of course, with the lights dimmed…”

  “Jett,” interrupted Becky, “I know you worked out this presentation on HeVan for all the women to see on Saturday. And we’re really anxious to see it.”

  Johanna had walked over and she and Valerie both nodded.

  “But I can tell you want to check on Grace. Go ahead and give her a call; it’ll set your mind at ease,” Becky urged him. “We’re going to go over to that table and look over the final numbers. Then when y
ou’re done and have your happy face back, we’ll be ready for the light show.”

  Jett reached out to give all of them hugs, “Thank you, ladies. I’ll only be a minute.”

  He immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

  Becky turned to Valerie, “I know you can’t tell us for sure what’s going to happen, but can you tune into what’s being planned?”

  Valerie turned to them both with a sad look on her face, “I’m sorry, guys. I can see the past as if I’m right there; the closer we get to right now, the murkier my visions get. I’m only getting emotions, intent, and not actual facts that could help. I wish I could do more.”

  “Don’t worry about it, hon,” said Johanna, “forewarned is forearmed and all that. Be happy you were able to warn them.”

  “I agree with Johanna. Don’t beat yourself up over this, Valerie,” said Becky. “Tell me, how was Miranda when you went down to Florida?” she asked, as she reached over to give Valerie’s hand a squeeze.

  “She was starting to do better before I left. When I first got there, she was a total basket case. She and her mom were really close. They would Skype all the time. The heart attack came on suddenly so she was happy that she got there before her mom died, but sad that she lost her. I stayed for a week and a half.

  “She will be finished closing the house and packing up the stuff she wants to keep by Thursday. She’s donating all the furniture and putting the house up for sale. She said she would be flying back Friday. She was definitely planning to be here Saturday.

  “I told her not to worry, but she said she really wanted to be here and see a lot of women get matched up.” Valerie smiled then, remembering the look on Miranda’s face. “She said it would be a major cheer-up to see happiness in others.”

  Becky grinned and said, “I have an idea. Let’s go over to her house on Friday before she gets in. We’ll clean up and make a bunch of comfort foods. And ice cream, too. We’ll have the fixings for different kinds of ice cream desserts.”

  By this time, Johanna and Valerie were both smiling.