Part 3 (1/2)

Emily recounted her story: how the rain had come from nowhere; the dead birds falling from the sky; the ma.s.s panic; and, finally, how everyone in New York, and probably around the world, had died.

Simon sat in shocked silence for a while. Then: ”Everyone? They're all dead?”

”As far as I know, yes. But there's a group of survivors, scientists, in the Stockton Islands in Alaska. That's where I'm heading. They think the cold has some kind of effect on the rain, which is why they survived.” Emily went on to explain how she had been contacted by Jacob and why she was traveling north.

It was only when she began to explain how she had witnessed the dead transformed into the spider-aliens and how they had in turn created the strange forests of alien trees that she felt Simon pull back. He was still nodding attentively, but his energy had turned from sympathetic to politely cautious.

”Look,” she said. ”I know it sounds insane, and I know that you probably think that I am crazy, but I'm not. You must have noticed the way the weather is changing? I mean, it's almost permanently red out there now. I think the dust I saw being released from the trees is spreading and changing everything that it touches. You didn't see the rainstorm yesterday, but if you had, you would have seen how red it was. That's how it's spreading. And it's not just humans that it's changing-there are new animals out there, too...look.”

She stood and unb.u.t.toned the first three b.u.t.tons of her blouse. Simon's eyes went wide, and he glanced away.

”You can look now,” she said as she slipped the blouse off her shoulder and turned to show Simon the still-healing wounds on her back.

”Jesus! How did that happen?”

She explained how she had been attacked by the creatures in the forest, how she had nearly died and would have if it had not been for Thor showing up and saving her b.u.t.t. ”I know it's hard to comprehend,” she said as she b.u.t.toned her blouse back up, ”that this is some kind of alien attack, but I've seen them and they're real. And it's spreading...fast.”

”But I thought...I thought it was a terrorist attack. You're telling me there's n.o.body left out there?”

She shook her head. ”Apart from the group in the Stocktons, no, none that have made contact with us. But look at it this way-they survived, I survived, and you and your children survived. The probability is that there are others out there, too.”

Simon slumped back in the chair and gave her a long appraising stare, then he finished what was left of his whiskey in one swig, refilled his gla.s.s, and downed that in one go, too.

”Are you insane?” he whispered eventually. It was a question asked by a man who Emily thought was doing his best to understand what was surely the most ridiculously crazy story he had ever heard. She stood up and walked to where he was standing, staring blankly into the kitchen.

”No,” she said. ”I'm not crazy.”

”You have to understand,” he said in the same soft whisper. ”It's all a little too much to take in...in one go. But what am I going to do about the kids?”

Later, after Simon had settled the children into their beds for the night, he joined Emily in the living room.

”I hope you don't mind, I helped myself,” she said, raising a quarter-full gla.s.s of brandy. Simon nodded, picked up a gla.s.s, and poured himself a double before sitting down in the chair across from Emily.

”So,” he said after taking a sip, ”what do you think our options are?”

Emily considered the question, sipping from her brandy. ”I don't think we have any options other than to get out as fast as we possibly can.”

Simon seemed unconvinced. ”You have to see this from my perspective, Emily. My kids and I are safe here. We have enough provisions to last us for a couple of months. That should be more than enough time for any federal rescue to reach us and”-he paused choosing his next words carefully-”I don't know you. Until today, I'd never even met you. You show up out of nowhere with some crazy story about people turning into alien monsters and constructing giant trees that are churning out this red dust.” He paused as he let the words sink in, more for himself than her benefit, Emily thought. ”And now you're asking me to leave the one place that has kept us safe and follow you to Alaska. I mean, come on, if you were in my position, taking care of two kids, I'm sure you'd be just a little skeptical. Right?”

Emily could, of course, empathize with his position. In just the few short hours she had known this family she had become fond of the kids. They were just adorable, even Rhiannon with her blase response to almost every situation and her almost continual state of ennui.

”I'm not asking you to follow me,” she said eventually. ”I'm asking you to protect yourself and your kids. Of course I understand how crazy it all sounds. I'd be less than convinced if I were in your position, but look at it like this. If you're right and everything I've told you is nothing more than some elaborate, crazy joke, then you have nothing to lose by coming with me.” She let the words sink in for a few seconds. ”You have to take the risk, Simon. Please.”

She saw a flicker of anger, possibly fear, cross Simon's face. ”I really don't appreciate you using my kids as bargaining chips.”

Emily placed her drink down on the table, reached out, and took both of Simon's hands in her own. ”I'm not trying to bargain with you, Simon. Whatever you decide, I'm still leaving tomorrow and heading north again. If I'm right and you stay here...you, Rhiannon, and Ben are all going to die. And you better hope to G.o.d that you die first because I would not want you to witness the agony your kids will go through in their final minutes.”

Simon met her gaze, pulled free of her hands, and swallowed the remaining brandy in a single gulp. He walked back to the wet bar and poured himself another double. When he turned to look at her, Emily could see that the dilemma was tearing at him: Did he stay where he thought he could keep his kids safe? Or did he listen to this stranger who had suddenly materialized in his life and head north into the unknown?

”Can you guarantee that if we leave here, the instant we set foot outside of the valley we won't die? Will you look me in the eyes and guarantee the safety of my kids?” His words were delivered without emotion or anger, but as a simple question that he already knew the answer to.

”I can't guarantee anything other than everyone else is dead. There will never be a rescue party. But whatever is happening out there”-her hand fluttered toward the darkened window-”will reach in here at some point and s.n.a.t.c.h away the lives of you and your kids. Just like it did to everyone else on this planet.”

Simon placed the gla.s.s onto the wet bar, its contents untouched, and looked into the darkness beyond the window. ”If Elise was here, she would know what to do. It would be simple for her. She would have liked you.”

Emily allowed a smile to part her lips, put her own gla.s.s down, and walked over to stand behind Simon. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. ”You know what you need to do, Simon. You have to leave here because it's your only hope. You have to take the chance because soon you won't have any choice left.”

Simon turned to face her, his eyes glistening with tears. ”This is all just so d.a.m.n hard to take in,” he whispered. ”Jesus. How am I going to explain this to the kids?”

”Don't worry about it tonight,” she answered. ”Just get a good night's sleep and we'll deal with it all in the morning, okay?”

Emily woke with a start.

In her sleep-fogged mind, she thought she had heard something. Had she? Or was it just an already forgotten nightmare?

Seconds ticked by, and the only sound was Thor's deep rhythmic breathing as he continued to sleep, undisturbed.

Only nerves, she told herself eventually, allowing her chest to sink as she inhaled. She was no stranger to bad dreams, she reminded herself. Not since she'd left Manhattan, at least.

She had just begun to allow sleep to claim her once more when she heard a scream, shrill and sharp. It sounded like Ben.

Her eyes flickered open again. Disoriented, heart racing, she fumbled for where she thought the lamp was, cringing as she knocked over the gla.s.s of water she had placed there. It didn't smash, but she heard the water slosh over the carpet.

”d.a.m.n it,” she cursed just as her probing fingers found the switch and flooded the room with light. Smarting at the sudden a.s.sault on her eyes, she glanced around the unfamiliar room just to make sure there was nothing in there with her. The place was empty except for Thor, who, in the s.p.a.ce of a couple of seconds, had somehow managed to go from sleeping to standing with his nose pressed against the crack of the bedroom door, his hackles raised and his back ramrod straight. The malamute glanced at Emily as she swung her feet out of the bed and stumbled toward the door. The instant she opened it, the dog slipped through the gap and padded quickly toward the sound of the commotion as Emily stumbled behind him.

The screaming continued, but now she could hear Simon's voice echoing down the corridor as he called out to his boy, ”Ben! Ben! It's all right. Daddy's here. It's just a dream. Ben, it's just a dream.”

By the time Emily reached the child's bedroom, Ben was clinging to his father, tears streaming down his face as Simon rocked the child back and forth, cooing gently to his son, ”Hus.h.!.+ Hus.h.!.+ It's all okay.”

Ben looked up as Emily entered his room, his hazel eyes moist with tears. ”Monsters,” he cried, choking back more tears. ”The monsters are coming.”

Thor lay on the bed next to Ben, his head resting gently against the child's arm. It had taken a quarter of an hour for Simon to quiet his hysterical son, but with a mixture of soothing words and gentle rocking, Ben's sobs had gradually grown fainter. Finally they faded to nothing but a trembling upper lip. His eyes had begun to droop as Simon laid him softly back down on the bed.

Thor nuzzled in beside the child. Ben opened his drooping eyes momentarily and looked at the big dog. ”Love you, For,” the child whispered, throwing an arm around the malamute's neck. Moments later the child fell back to sleep. Emily didn't have to tell the dog to stay; she knew there was no way Thor was going to move from his spot unless she commanded him to. Emily, Rhiannon, and Simon retreated into the corridor and quietly closed the door behind them.

The house was quiet again except for the distant m.u.f.fled thrum of the generator. Simon sent Rhiannon back to bed with a kiss on the cheek and the rea.s.surance that her little brother had just had a nightmare and was going to be fine.

”I think this is all finally beginning to take its toll on them,” Simon whispered once they were alone, as he walked with Emily down the hall, their bare feet falling silently on the carpet.

Hoping she wasn't pus.h.i.+ng her luck too far, Emily spoke her mind. ”All the more reason for you all to come with me.” She caught a glimpse of a smile cross Simon's face through the dimness and saw his eyes flit momentarily to her legs before looking back to her eyes. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she caught his cheeks flush; then she realized why. In the rush to get to Ben's room, she hadn't even thought to throw on her pants; she was only wearing a tee and panties.

Embarra.s.sed, she crossed her arms across her chest and tried not to blush. As the light from her bedroom caught them both in its glow, Emily could see Simon's cheeks had turned a deep crimson, and she couldn't help but notice his overt attempt to keep his eyes fixed firmly above her shoulders. She felt her own cheeks burn even more fiercely.

Christ, here they were, facing an uncertain future and possible death from an unknown invader, and yet they still found themselves reacting like teenagers at the first glimpse of skin. At least it proved they were both still human, and that was a trait that had become the most precious of commodities in this world.

”Okay,” said Simon, ”I think we all need to get some rest. Good night.” He took two steps toward his own room, stopped and turned: ”Emily...”

”Yes?” she said, in the process of closing the bedroom door behind her.

”Thank you.” He gave her a firm nod of his head and disappeared down the corridor.