“Alvian?”
“A genetic hybrid. Alvian and some other alien race that really did have wings. They were one of the aliens’ famous experiments.”
“And you know this…how?”
“Sorry, Mick. That’s not my secret to divulge at the moment. For now, just take my word for it, okay?”
“Son of a bitch.” Mick sounded both perplexed and intrigued. “Well if that don’t beat all.”
“Does Caleb have any words of advice for Grady’s competition?”
“Competition?”
“For Gina’s affections,” Dave qualified. “She traveled here with a human guy—a former spook from Colorado named Jim. I get the impression there might be a threesome in the making.”
“Hang on, I’ll ask.”
Silence reigned for a minute while Mick placed a telepathic call to his brother via his nephew. It was a complicated relay, but it worked. And more importantly, it was untraceable.
“All right.” Mick came back a moment later. “What’s this about the Olympics? Caleb is seeing Olympic rings.”
“That’s Gina. Gina Hanson. Remember her? She won gold for martial arts.”
“No kidding? I remember her. She was a cute girl and very talented. Came from a line of martial arts teachers and champions, didn’t she?”
“Sure did. She’s been living with the aliens since just after the cataclysm, but her group is different, she claims. A secret sect like ninjas or something. Turns out, Bill was one of them. He confirmed everything she told us.”
“Wow.” Mick sounded both skeptical and worried. “Caleb saw some of this, but he had a hard time interpreting it. I’m going to need some time to talk to him. Can I give you a call back later?”
“Sure. Burt’s always here to answer. He’ll let us know you’re on the line. Thanks, Mick.”
Dave signed off with a few more words of farewell and sat back.
“Nothing to do now but wait. Come on.” Dave stood and motioned for Jim to follow him out. “I’ll show you the gym. Maybe you can work off some of your anger before you confront the happy couple.”
As it turned out, Jim spent a few hours training in the state of the art gym area that was similar to the one at his home base. Mike and Dave left him there with some of the other inhabitants of their facility who had been martial arts enthusiasts in the old world. Among them, Jim found a few sparring partners and eventually ended up teaching a few moves to the guys and making friends.
By the time he headed back to his assigned room for a shower and change of clothes from his pack, he was feeling a little better. The physical exercise had allowed him to work through some of his anger, but his heart was still sore from the emotional beating it had taken earlier that day.
Gina wasn’t in the room they’d been given, but her pack was. He didn’t know what to make of that, so he just shrugged his shoulders and went about his business. It was almost dinnertime, so he headed for the big cafeteria where most of the people living in the facility gathered for meals. He almost dreaded what he’d find there.
Sure enough, Gina was there, sitting next to the big Alvian warrior at a large table with Mike, Dave, Jaci and Bill. Jim squared his shoulders and picked up a tray and utensils, filling a plate from the buffet line. When he turned back around to look at Gina, she was staring back at him, an uncertain expression on her face.
“I saved you a seat,” came her tentative voice in his mind. She wasn’t a strong telepath, but this close, her voice was clear as a bell. He was surprised she’d initiate such intimate contact seeing as how she was sitting with her alien lover.
“Are you sure that’s wise?”
“Jim…” she trailed off, a pained look crossing her face. “Yes. I want you to meet Grady.”
“Again, I have to ask, are you sure that’s wise? He’s your lover, isn’t he?” Jim started a slow amble toward the large table and the empty chair next to Gina.
“He was. We met only a couple of days before I was sent to make contact with you. We only had a day or two together, but…”
“He moves fast for an alien.” Jim hated the jealousy he felt biting into him.
“It wasn’t like that. We Hum. That really means something to the Alvians. He was kind to me. If you must know, I’ve been with you longer than I was with him, but I feel attached to him…like I do with you.”
Jim didn’t like the sound of that. He stood next to Gina, looking down at her while the others at the table became aware of his presence. Tension was thick in the air as the men noticed him. Mike and Dave undoubtedly knew what was going on and Jaci actually cringed when she met his eyes. When his gaze fell on his competitor though, it seemed as if the big Alvian warrior had no idea who he was or what he’d been to Gina.
That was going to change.
But Jim was polite enough not to punch him out at the dinner table. Jim pulled out the empty chair and took possession of the seat on Gina’s left while eyeing the strange warrior who sat on her right.
“Grady, this is Jim. He was a student of my father’s in the old world, and we traveled here together.” Gina’s quiet voice reached only to the men she was introducing.
Jim felt a jolt of triumph when understanding dawned in the blue alien eyes as Grady looked from Jim to Gina and back again. Now the man knew who he was and that he’d have some hefty competition if he wanted Gina all to himself.
Grady held out a hand, startling Jim by initiating the human custom of a handshake. Apparently this guy had been observing humans enough to emulate the greeting. Even more impressive was the friendly gesture when he knew darn well they were competitors for Gina’s affections.
Jim shook Grady’s hand briefly as he sat, but said nothing. The man’s grip was impressively strong, but Jim got the impression that he was holding back his full strength. There was no show of bravado, just a simple greeting.
Jim let the conversation flow around him as he ate his meal. After some initial stiffness, the others at the table renewed their talk about life in their facility and the newcomers who had been joining them recently.
He found it interesting that they’d only been there a comparatively short time. Just a few months, really, and already they had a thriving community. To be sure, they were working out a lot of the kinks in their workflow and living patterns, but they were on the right track. Jim and his people by comparison, had already been on a proven schedule set up by the U.S. military and those who had staffed Cheyenne Mountain before his time.
Jim realized a lot of the new arrivals to this facility had been drawn there by talk of an angel flying in the skies near and above. After seeing Bill’s wings in action, Jim could well understand the attraction. Not only did Bill have most human religions and mythologies speaking well of people with feathery wings, he also had a natural command presence that you couldn’t help but feel when he was around.
He’d been a Prime among his people, in charge of a battalion of warriors just like himself. No doubt he’d been the best of the best, even among Primes. He was used to command and even though he deferred to his human friends and didn’t seem to want to lead, people still looked to him for guidance, instruction and leadership.
Luckily for them, Bill seemed tired and confused. He looked like a lot of the refugees Jim had seen pouring into his own home. Bill had issues. There was no doubt about that. But he was growing stronger—just as Jim’s people had grown stronger as they healed in a safe place with plenty of food to eat.
He wondered what would happen when Bill finally recovered from his trauma. Would he take up the mantle so many of these human survivors seemed to want to put around his shoulders? And if so, would he be a good leader of men or a tyrant?