"It was…" added Davy.
"It might have been enough to worry somebody around here to alert someone or other, who's just now getting around to looking into it." finished Keith. "And Jahv, you sort of blend into the surroundings with your green skin. Your lavendar brother over there doesn't."
Jahv pondered the situation. "All right, let's consider what's happening here. Suppose we are captured? What happens to us?"
Davy and Keith looked at each other. Finally Davy spoke. "I really don't know. Assuming the military has ever actually caught any aliens before, it's not the sort of thing you read about on the news."
"There's probably some general official attitude that most people wouldn't be able to handle the existence of aliens." said Keith. "My guess is, at best, you could say goodbye to any freedom. You'd probably be locked way, way away someplace for good. At worst — they'll kill you. Maybe dissect you. Maybe after trying to get technological information out of you."
Jahv cringed. So did Keyro, although he was still watching "Howard the Duck" with rapt attention. "I do not consider any of those to be attractive options."
"Then we'd better start thinking of some new ones." said Keith.
"We could just move the tent somewhere else, more hidden." suggested Davy.
Jahv shook his head. "If they have suspicions about this area, they're probably watching. The tent can't be moved when cloaked. We'd have to de-cloak and disassemble it."
There was a rustle at the tent door, and everybody in the room jumped nervously. But it was only Martin, looking very upset. "Hey, you guys, there's some big black cars and an army truck parked on the road nearby, and some men in uniform headed this way."
"Dammit!" swore Keith. "One of us WAS followed!"
"Or they have been keeping an eye on this place and saw us arrive." suggested Davy. "Either way, we've got a big problem."
Jahv was at the computer, activating an outside monitor. Four men in uniform were heading towards the tent, flanked by a number of well-armed soldiers. "These are military personnel?" he asked.
"Yep." said Keith.
"Sure they are!" added Keyro. "Don't you remember some of the movies we've watched?"
Suddenly there was a loud voice, magnified through a bullhorn. "This is Major Simmons of the Armed Forces! We know there's someone or something around this area that doesn't belong here, as well as several kids! I suggest you show yourselves immediately!"
Jahv's antennae suddenly perked up. "I think I just had an idea. You three better go out there. Try to stall for about a minute if you can. Do NOT let them think there are offworlders in here. And stay clear, too. Just in case this doesn't work."
"Jahv, are you — " began Davy.
"Go!" interrupted Jahv. "Trust me." The young alien grinned.
Reluctantly, Keith, Martin, and Davy left the tent, to face the officer who had introduced himself as Major Simmons. The man looked decidedly startled to see three kids emerge seemingly from nowhere, but he quickly regained his composure. "I knew it. I knew there was something out here, and those aliens obviously have a pretty good technology to camouflage their ship or their headquarters to the point of being invisible. And who knows what they've done to these kids?"
"What aliens?" said Davy, trying not to look nervous. Keith was doing the best job of this. Martin looked ready to either faint or disgrace himself. On the other hand, how often did a bunch of kids run across a bunch of die-hard military officers and soldiers with big guns? Hopefully they'd think that was the reason.
"Nice try, boys." said Simmons. "I can't imagine why you'd want to protect a potential threat to the security of this country. Maybe you've just seen E.T. or Star Wars too many times. But whatever's in that hidden — whatever it is — is dangerous. And we're here to deal with it. Now stand aside."
The three boys reluctantly complied. Simmons and the other three officers moved forward. It took Simmons a few tries to feel for the surface of the dome-tent, and then find the door, but he ultimately did. With a mild grin of satisfaction, quickly replaced by his usual look of determination, and opened the door.
And stepped inside what looked exactly like a large, fairly high-tech, military outpost. There were two officers standing inside, and about a dozen enlisted personnel at various computer stations. The ranking officer was a grim-faced, older general, who scowled at Simmons and his men. "Major, what is the meaning of this?!"
Simmons blinked, stunned. He quickly came to attention and saluted. "Sir! We've — had reports of possible UFO activity in this area, sir. We were investigating."
"UFOs?!" barked the general. "Poppycock! This is a secret military installation designed to test new electronic camouflage equipment, short-range weaponry, and conduct special maneuvers."
Simmons had regained a little of his bravado. "Sir, there have been reports of mysterious flashes of light and sound in the area."
"Of course there would be!" roared the general. "It's a new weapon system designed to distract the enemy! I would have hoped that our own boys would have been above such obvious devices!"
"Sir, we passed no checkpoints on our way in." said Simmons.
"Of course you didn't, Major. Wouldn't that rather blow the 'secret' part of this operation, to have guards apparently guarding nothing?" replied the general, in an exasperated tone.
"Sir, what about those three children?" asked the major.
"What about them?" asked the general. "They stumbled across the place not long after we set up. I felt it might be a good idea to continue to let them play here — when we're not testing weapons outside, of course — to keep the illusion of nothing going on out here intact. They've been fully sworn to secrecy, as well. Not even their parents know."
"That's — unusual procedure, Sir." said Simmons.
"Are you questioning my command?!" yelled the general.
"No, Sir!" answered Simmons quickly. "But why hasn't anyone else heard about this place?"
"Because it's a secret, major! That's the whole point of it! Strictly need to know! And YOU are now under orders to go back to your command and destroy ANY records you have of this place, and forget that you were ever out here, unless you want to find yourself mysteriously demoted right down to private and cleaning latrines in the most unpleasant place I can think of! And I can think of plenty! Do you have a problem with anything I've just said?!?"
Simmons saluted and tried to keep from sweating. "No, SIR!"
"GOOD!" yelled the general. "Now get out of here before somebody sees YOU and blows OUR cover!"
"Yes, SIR!" replied Simmons, quickly turning around and escorting his men out the door, across the field, into their vehicles, and away from the area at a speed normally not recommended by the highway department.
Davy, Keith, and Martin had remained standing outside the tent rather nervously. They weren't entirely sure what to expect or what to do. They didn't want to run off and abandon their friends, but neither did they want to be taken away with them if they were captured. So they remained hoping that, at worst, if they had to, they could escape in some measure of confusion and maybe take their friends Jahv and Keyro along with them. The last thing they expected was such an obvious retreat.
Once the soldiers were gone and that particular fact had sunk in, it was Keith who commented first. "Hunh. What do you suppose caused that?"
"What would cause a bunch of soldiers to be scared of two naked alien kids?" asked Davy to no one in particular.
Keith snickered. "Do me a favor, Davy. Don't hand me straight lines like that, okay?"
"Too bad the dome-tent is soundproofed." remarked Martin, still scared. "Maybe we'd better check on them. Maybe the soldiers just — shot them?"