“Welcome back, baldy. We were just discussing how to save our lives,” said Carl.

“By sending the boy to the moon?” asked Judd.

“Yeah, why me to the moon?” queried Juan.

Both men gave Juan a funny look.

“You haven’t told Frank Sinatra here about the moon, have you?” asked Judd.

“Told me what about the moon!?” shouted Juan. “And who’s Frank Sinatra?”

Judd stood up and walked closer to Carl.

“No, no, not yet. But there is no harm now, I mean he knows about the girl anyway,” pleaded Carl.

Judd jumped up and began shoving Carl, and with each shove he grunted a word. “I…am…so…sick…of…your…evil…conniving…selfish…ways.”

Carl stepped back with each shove, and fell over with the final push. Judd kicked dirt on him. “There has been, and there will be, so much death because of you,” accused Judd.

Judd turned around and took a step back towards Juan and the vehicles. Carl feigned standing up but really attempted to lunge at Judd. However, he came up short, falling on his fat belly and losing his glasses in the dirt. He groaned and gasped for air, groping for his glasses before rolling onto his side and saying, in a raspy voice, “This is the only way to start saving lives. Yes, mine, too. But this is how we start undoing Dr. Zell and her people’s plans.”

The desert became still again while the two men and the boy each pondered their situation and the plan that was presented. Like an oven preheating, the sun continued it’s march across the sky, raising the temperature with each passing minute.

Eventually, Carl began talking again. He filled Juan in on the moon base. He was short on details, just providing the highlights. He explained how Kris had arrived on Earth in a returning cargo vessel, and how, if they were lucky, they could put Juan on a cargo ship to the moon. But once on the moon, that’s where Juan would have to think for himself, for he’d be on his own.

Juan digested the whole story without saying anything. None of this seemed real, and he wouldn’t have believed a word of it, except he had met the girl, and she was evidence Carl’s unbelievable tale was true. But this wasn’t the biggest question weighing on him.

Judd was lying in the shade of Carl’s SXS. He hadn’t commented much on Carl’s story, but he wasn’t sleeping. Occasionally, he’d wave a big hand to dismiss a bug, or to wipe sweat from his brow.

“Right before your nap, Judd, you said I’d never see my parents again. But my Mom is dead. She died in a helicopter accident five years ago. What did you mean when you said that?”

This was the heavy question on Juan’s heart.

Judd turned his head to look Juan in the eyes. “You mom is alive, and she’s been living here on base the whole time. Five years ago she saw too much, so she was banned from ever leaving here and ever having outside contact again. She’s been a prisoner.”

“So you met our little friend already, eh?”

Juan gave Carl some side eye but otherwise didn’t respond.

“The question I have is why did you not say something sooner? Like at dinner last night. It would have saved us a lot of time,” pressed Carl.

“I didn’t trust you, I guess. She knows you guys want her dead. She warned me.”

“Dead? Well, secured at least. But she’ll die soon anyway, that much can’t be helped,” said Carl.

Juan closed his eyes and pretended Carl wasn’t there. The last thing he wanted right now was to be talking to this creepy, irritating old man.

Carl was relentless though.

“I just don’t see why we must die over this. I know Dr. Zell is ruthless in her quest to save the world, but I don’t see what I did that deserves termination.”

“I don’t care, leave me alone,” said Juan.

“I guess one could say that you speaking up last night could have saved our lives - certainly yours and mine. I see why Judd will be terminated, but you and me…well, you probably saw too much, so only my life would have been spared. But that seems worth it to me,” continued Carl.

Juan refused to engage. But then he had an idea.

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“Yeah, I don’t see why you should have to die. It seems you’re innocent, like, you haven’t done anything wrong,” probed Juan.

“Yes, that’s how I see it, also,” replied Carl.

“There must be some way to protect you in all of this then,” pressed Juan.

“I want to think so, but beyond killing you two and turning your bodies into Dr. Zell with the full story, I don’t know what else to do. And yet, that plan has a low probability of success. Judd is too powerful for me, so he’s the obstacle,” whined Carl.

“You must be brilliant, working in this place for Dr. Zell. I’m sure you can devise a plan B,” Juan coaxed.

Carl eyed Juan suspiciously, and Juan knew he’d gone too far.

“I thought you didn’t care,” said Carl.

“I guess I can’t help it. I don’t want to die either,” said Juan.

This comment seemed to satisfy Carl’s doubt. They were quiet for a while, each deep in thought. Juan couldn’t help but notice sweat beading on Carl’s forehead. Suddenly, Carl shifted his weight, wiped his brow, and spoke.

“I might have the perfect plan B. It might only buy us a little more time to live if we can pull it off. But a little life is a lot when you are staring death in the eye,” opened Carl.

Juan waited for Carl to continue, but after a few moments, it was clear Carl wanted to be prompted.

“Okay, you’ve got me. I’m curious about what this plan could be,” said Juan.

“Of course you are; it’s a very good plan. It’s simple, if not easy. It will require each of us to play a part, but you will play the biggest part. You know too much, you’ve seen too much, but Judd wants to preserve your life. But to do that, we have to convince Dr. Zell you are dead. And if we don’t kill you ourselves, then we have to hide you or help you escape. But there is no place to hide here. And there is no escape.”

Carl paused. Juan crossed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He was out of patience with Carl.

“Doesn’t sound like a plan to me, just a statement of the facts. But the girl escaped,” said Juan.

“That’s where you are wrong. I thought your smart brain would have seen where this was going. Judd made a bold move to get the girl out of here, but it cannot be done a second time. Not that way. However, there is one other way out of here.”

Carl paused again, obviously enjoying himself.

“I still haven’t heard a plan that can save your bacon, mine, or Judd’s,” needled Juan.

“Oh, you will, you will. You see, the only way to smuggle you out of here is to put you on a cargo ship…to the moon!” shouted Carl triumphantly.

Judd sat up and stared at them with tired eyes.

“First, we need to kill some time. After which, we need a plan for how to get you home,” answered Judd.

Juan didn’t say anything.

“Look kid, I’ll explain more later, but right now I just need some sleep. It’s been three days. Find some shade and hang tig…

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“Judd, you look terrible. Didn’t you get any rest?” Then, in a shrill tone Juan had never witnessed, Dr. Zell shouted, “I don’t believe…

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“She’s burning up. Look, I think we should wake her and give her the medicine. You’ll see what I mean when she wakes up, and you’ll have to decide for yourself. But based on what I’ve seen and heard, I believe her story.”

Lily nodded cautiously, “Hank, if all you say is true, are we going to be in big trouble with Dr. Zell? I don’t want to lose this job. I like living and working here on the ranch, you know?”

Hank was thoughtful for a few moments.

“Look, Lily, I want you to know, I’ll protect you all I can. I’ll keep your knowledge of all this a secret, too. I don’t want you to get into any trouble, should any trouble come.”

Lily reached out and gave Hank’s hand a squeeze, “Okay, Hank, I believe you. I’ll go prepare her medicine.”

“Just one moment. There is something else I must tell you. I’m not who you think I am, either,” continued Hank. “I’m not really a cowboy, I’m actually an undercover agent working for the Treasury Department.”

Lily sat and stared at him for several moments before responding.

“I don’t know which is harder to believe, the story of this girl or that you aren’t a cowboy but an undercover agent. But, then you probably think I’m just a chef, but actually I’m FBI,” said Lily.

Now it was Hank’s turn to look puzzled.

“FBI?”

“Yes, we’ve long suspected Dr. Zell of illegalities, but she’s very coy and hard to pin down exactly what she’s up to. When your wife passed we decided to see if we could get an agent on site, here at the ranch. I volunteered.”

Max sat on Hank’s foot, oblivious to the bombshells that had been dropped tonight. Hank sipped his coffee, nodding thoughtfully. Then he returned to the couch and slipped his arm under Kris. He spoke to her softly as he helped her sit up, “Kris, come on girl, you need to wake up and take some medicine. Come on, little one, it will help you feel better.”

Lily stepped close with a mug of warm water, “I stirred a packet of medicine into this. It’s good for fevers.”

Kris began to wake. “Please let me live, please let me live,” she pleaded softly.

“Of course, of course, you’re safe here, Kris. It’s me, Hank, remember? Look, there’s nothing to worry about. Take this, drink it slowly,” said Hank, as he handed her the mug.

But she was too weak to hold it, so Hank sat next to her and held her upright with one arm and gave her sips of medicine with the other. Lily marveled at this rough and tough cowboy-turned-government-agent could be so gentle. Then the blanket slipped from Kris’ head.

“Oh, Hank!” Lily gasped.

“Yeah, no joke,” said Hank.

In a sign of solidarity, Max jumped onto the couch and sat next to Kris. Then he leaned against her, hoping for a scratch, but she was too weak.

Hank continued administering the medicine for Kris. After several minutes she was able to hold herself up, and finish the drink. Hank introduced Lily to her.

“Lily is the ranch cook. Well, you don’t know what a ranch is, but Lily prepares the food for everyone here. Just wait until you are stronger, and you can try her tamales. You won’t believe how good the food is on Earth,” he told her.

After a while Kris felt strong enough to walk, so Lily took her to bathe and change into clean clothes. While the ladies were busy Hank made some soup and fetched fresh bedding for the couch. He also sent a text to Juan’s GPS unit, “Rom 15:11”.

Eventually, Lily and Kris emerged from the bathroom. Kris was practically swimming in a borrowed set of Lilly’s leggings and sweatshirt. Her eyes were brighter than before, but she was still weak in her movements, and didn’t have the stamina to stand for long. Hank sat her on the couch and brought her a small cup of soup. She managed to eat a few bites. Lily asked if she’d ever had something like this before and she said no. She also said she thought it needed salt. Hank agreed.

“It is the low sodium kind. I don’t like it either, but it’s all we had,” he confessed to Lily in private.

After Kris had eaten a little, and had some more tea, she was ready to sleep again. Hank got her snuggled in with the fresh blankets and he and Lily returned to the kitchen table.

“It’s 3am, what are we going to do in the morning?” asked Lily.

“We?” asked Hank. “Are you saying to want to help more?”

Lilly nodded.

“You know, you could walk away now, and claim ignorance. Nobody would blame you,” continued Hank.

“No, I’ve seen her, I can’t walk away now.”

“You’re a brave woman, Lily. I’m glad to have your help.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’m brave. I’m scared, Hank. I don’t know what the future will bring. But I’ve met her, I’ve cared for her, I even had to explain her body to her, like a mom. No, I can’t turn aside and abandon her now. That would be wrong. If I can help save her, I will, no matter the cost. Also, I have a duty to get to the bottom of this…whatever this is. But tell me, why is a U.S. Treasury agent undercover at a remote ranch?”

“Yeah, makes no sense, right? But Dr. Zell has several large, military contracts, and there have been several irregularities with what she’s…or her companies…are paid to do and what’s actually been done. We think she’s been using the government monies for something else, but until tonight, we didn’t know what she was hiding, only that she had to be hiding something.”

“What’s going on? Is it Juan?”

“No, no, there’s someone else. There is a, uh, a woman here, and she’s very sick, and confused, and…I don’t know what to do. Would you come to my cabin?” Hank pleaded.

“A woman? What are you talking about?”

“I know it sounds strange but it will make more sense when you get here. She has nothing with her, so maybe bring some spare clothes if you would, and some, uh, female things, you know? And do you have something for fevers?”

There was a long silence.

“Are you still there?” asked Hank.

“Yes…just trying to process. So you want me to bring spare clothes and, and things, to your cabin because there is a sick woman there? Hank, we’re fifty miles from the nearest town, how did she get here? And who is she? Did one of the cowboys bring her from town?”

“I, I, she’s, well…I’ll explain when you get here,“ said Hank. “But we need to keep her presence a secret. Please, will you hurry?”

“Hank, what have you done?” demanded Lily.

“Nothing. It’s not what you think, Lily.”

“And what is it I’m thinking?”

“I don’t know, but I know it’s not this. Please, come before she wakes?”

Another minute of silence.

“Okay, Hank. I’ll come, because I know you’re an honorable man, and I trust you. And I’m sure whatever this is won’t change my mind. Right?”

“Oh good, thank you. Yes, I expect so,” replied Hank.

Some minutes later Hank saw car lights coming down the drive. A moment later a car door thumped shut. Max barked.

“Shh, it’s just Lily!” hissed Hank.

When he heard her footsteps on the porch he opened the door. Max ran out.

“Thank you for coming, Lily,” he whispered, as he welcomed her in. “Do you want some coffee?”

“No, I’m wide awake, Hank,” she whispered back. She set a bulging bag on the floor. ”I just want to know what’s going on. Where’s this lady?”

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry to trouble you tonight,” said Hank quietly. Then he motioned to the couch, where Kris was sleeping, completely wrapped up again, except for one small, pale foot protruding from under the blanket.

Lily’s eyes grew wide as she took in the scene. Then she looked questioningly at Hank.

“You know, I almost didn’t believe you had someone here. Who is she, anyway?”

“Come sit at the table and I’ll tell you,” said Hank as he pulled a chair out for Lily. “When she wakes we’ll give her some medicine and a change of clothes. There’s a lot to do yet.”

“Maybe I’ll take you up on the cup of coffee after all,” said Lily as she slowly sat down at the kitchen table.

Hank poured her a cup and warmed his own, then he began, “When Juan was getting on the plane tonight he whispered to me that this woman was here in the house.”

“What?” interrupted Lily. “Is this Juan’s doing?”

“Now hold on a minute, Lily. Don’t jump to conclusions, they’ll be all wrong anyway. No, this wasn’t Juan’s doing, he just discovered her first. I think he was trying to warn me so I wouldn’t have a heart attack when I got home. I almost did anyway. I still might have one, once her story fully sinks in.”

Hank paused for a sip of coffee.

“Okay, what’s her story then? How did she get here?” prodded Lily.

Hank was silent for a while, trying to decide where to begin, and just what to tell Lily.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking tonight, much more than usual. I’ve learned things that are hard to understand, and hard to believe. This woman’s story - wow, hard to know where to start. I guess with the basics: she’s the product of a perverse, demented, science project. She needs someone to care for and protect her.”

Lily nodded hesitantly, wondering where this was going, and then cut in, “I don’t know what you’re saying. Where did she come from, and how did she get here, Hank?”

“I know you won’t believe this now, but she came from space. She came to Earth from space, on a ship. She was created out there, somehow, and all she knew was her mission, which was to live in a colony with others like her, look for habitable planets, and send detailed reports of everything back to something she calls Haven.

I guess there’s a lot of people out there. She said Earth is a secret, our planet with liquid water and people, our existence, our coordinates - all hush hush. But somehow it leaks, word gets out and those that hear about Earth want to come here. There’s been other attempts, too, and she thought some had tried and made it, but now she thinks she is the first to make it here alive.”

“Come on, Hank. You got me out of bed for this?” said Lily, clearly annoyed. “What do you take me for? I thought you were a good man, Hank, I trusted you. You’re the first man I’ve met that wasn’t full of lies and manipulation. So don’t do this to me.”

Lily stood up as if to leave. Hank sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee. His face was hot and red. He ran his hands through his hair. Lily’s directness always knocked him on his heels.

“You also know I’m not much of a story-teller, Lily. And look, I respect you, you’re a straight shooter. I wouldn’t dream of intentionally hurting you, or doing something to lose your trust. There is a lot to unpack here.”

“Well, does she have a name? Tell me the truth, and it better make sense,” pressed Lily.

“Her name is Kris. Look, from what I gather she’s only been on Earth a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, tops.”

“Oh Hank, come on. I’m going to take my things and go. It’s late, and I’m too old for nonsense.”

“Lily, I understand how you feel, but please listen. If you would just stay a little longer, extend me just a little more trust, until she wakes, then you can see for yourself. Maybe you’ll think differently. I’m honestly not playing a game with you.”

Lily stood staring a Hank for a long time. She checked her watch, rolled her eyes, and sat back down.

“Okay, Hank. I’ll play along until she wakes. But you’re on thin ice, I hope you know what you’re doing.” Lily let out a big sigh and said, “Okay, she’s only been on Earth a few days. Go on.”

“Thank you, Lily. Yes, she said that at this Haven place they were shocked to discover her on-board one of their unmanned cargo ships that takes supplies to, and brings back I don’t know what, from the colony. She said the people were surprised and angry to find her. She’s not strong, not used to our gravity, I think. And her immune system, I suspect, is being challenged heavily right now. Oh, and, uh, normal, uh, female functions, were either suppressed or just don’t happen in space. But they are starting now and she is pretty scared. That’s another reason why I need your help tonight.”

“You know, Hank. I still can’t believe a word you’ve told me. I mean I want to, because they’re your words. But this is preposterous, it’s too much to believe.”

“I know, I know, I get it,” replied Hank. “I’d never expect you to believe something this big without evidence. But she’s a pile of evidence all by herself. You’ll see. Now listen, I said we needed to keep her secret, right?”

“Okay, but why?”

“Well, she’s the woman Dr. Zell and those men are looking for. She’s the person they hauled Juan away to find. But she thinks they will kill her if she’s found. So, can you keep this quiet?”

Max scratched at the door and Lily jumped, spilling her coffee.

Dr. Zell showed Juan some of the unique features of her jet. Her office, and two bedrooms, each with a private shower were found in this hallway.

“Wow, so much luxury!” exclaimed Juan. “How often do you use all these things?”

“I sleep on the plane about a week a month. And I do have guests regularly. The bedrooms are especially nice on overnight, intercontinental flights. It’s great to show up in London, Berlin, or Dubai, all fresh and ready to go.”

“Wow!” exclaimed Juan again. “You live an incredible life. I’ve often wondered what you did when you weren’t at the ranch.”

“It is a good life. And it comes with many responsibilities. My companies and foundations require a lot of my energy to manage. I have offices on six continents, and I spend a lot of time schmoozing other rich and powerful people. I’m not boasting, it’s just what it takes to keep the world running. But believe me, I love spending time at the ranch. It’s there that I can decompress, relax, and do my best thinking.”

As she spoke they were walking up the hallway towards the main cabin again. Juan liked all the nice things on this plane, and was imagining what it would be like to travel around the world. He was thinking it would be a great traveling home base for exploring other countries, like Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco. But his mind wanderings were cut short as Dr. Zell continued talking.

“Of course, I don’t keep it all to myself. I’m always looking to help others, but I’m not talking about charity. I don’t believe in charity. Take Judd, or Carl. They had skills and interests we needed, and we could provide them a good life. Or take you and your dad as another example. Not everyone wants to live on a remote ranch, and serve random guests, but it was a perfect fit for your mom and dad. It’s what they needed at the time. With your mom cooking and your dad tending to the ranch, what could be better? Of course, I’m very sorry we lost your mother. But the ranch is good for you, too, and as you grow, I’m sure we’ll have other opportunities that will be mutually beneficial.”

At this point they had come back to the front of the cabin and crossed over to the other hallway. Juan noticed that Judd and Carl were sitting on the white couches opposite each other, but not talking. It occurred to Juan again that Judd had a look of weariness about him.

The second hallway held a small gym and two more bedrooms.

“I don’t use the gym as much as I should,” said Dr. Zell. “In fact I haven’t used it for a long time. I just keep extra clothes in there,” she chuckled. “There’s a huge pile…oh, well, it’s been knocked down. Maybe from a rough landing.”

Then in a serious tone she said, “Juan, I want you to know I appreciate how you and your dad, and Lily and the rest of the crew, keep things nice and comfortable at the ranch. It is my refuge. I can count on you to be there, ensuring it is in good order, always ready for me, and my guests, if necessary. That means a lot to me. I’ll make sure you get a nice bonus for this trip, to help with some of those college expenses.”

“Oh, uh..sure. We like it, too. And thank you, thank you very much. It’s a refuge for lots of…” But the sound of loud voices in the main cabin caused Juan to stop speaking.

Carl was shouting, “You knew they would come again. You had almost a year to prepare. If you’d only paid attention and done your job, we wouldn’t be wasting time now.”

Dr. Zell pushed passed Juan and walked briskly to the front of the plane. Juan followed quickly behind her. As they arrived Judd began yelling at Carl.

“I warned you not to pin this on me you fat, lazy, jerk. I did my job. My men keep a secure perimeter and no one gets in. You and your team are the ones who-”

“Gentlemen, enough,” interrupted Dr. Zell with a stern but steady voice, as she and Juan entered the main cabin.

Judd and Carl were standing face to face in middle of the room, and Judd was jabbing Carl in chest with a thick index finger.

“Save your energy for tomorrow,” she continued calmly. “You’ll both need it. After we find her then we’ll review and correct mistakes that have been made. But we must focus on finding her before something worse happens.”

Dr. Zell smiled at Juan. “It’s been a long, stressful week for them. And Judd,” she turned to him, the smile now gone, “you know I don’t care for name calling. See to it that doesn’t happen again.”

At that moment Kyle, the co-pilot, poked his head out of the cockpit. “Hey, we’re about ready to land. Buckle up!”

Juan sat down in the same recliner as before, and clicked his seat belt. Much to his disappointment, Judd sat next to him this time.

“Man, I do love take-offs and landings,” said Judd. “It’s quite a rush even on a large airliner like this. You wouldn’t believe what it’s like to take-off in a fighter jet. Especially from a carrier.”

“You’re in the military?” asked Juan.

“Not anymore. I did sixteen years in the Navy. Yeah, what a rush. I miss it.”

“Were you a pilot?” prodded Juan.

“No,” was Judd’s simple reply.

Juan felt the plane shudder and thump as the landing gear deployed. Looking out his window he saw only darkness.

“There’s nothing to see out there. Not at night, anyway,” continued Judd. “Tonight you’ll sleep on the plane. Tomorrow, we’ll leave before light to track this girl down. And we’ll make Carl drag his fat ass with us. ‘Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer,’ as they say. Tomorrow will be hot, too. We’ll make the heat work for us, trust me. And don’t forget to watch your back, you’re not at that ranch anymore. This is a dangerous place. The ranch is a theme park compared to this.”

The plane bumped down onto the runway. Juan had no guesses as to where they were.

“Listen, Juan,” Judd continued, speaking softly. “I’m sure you don’t care for me, but Carl’s the one you should worry about. He’ll literally stab you in the back. Remember that.”

Juan looked at Judd, but said nothing in response. He realized his world had now changed, nothing would be the same again. Between the mysterious woman and these strange men, he wondered when, and how, this would end.

After they parked the plane, the pilots left for their living quarters. Dr. Zell showed Juan which bedroom on the airplane he could use that night.

“I’ll stay on the plane with you, so you don’t get too lonely. Tomorrow you’ll need to leave at first light. We’ll have breakfast before then. Make yourself at home, and get some sleep if you can. I’ll be back a bit later. And may I suggest a shower? You smell like a campfire,” she told Juan, before departing with Carl and Judd.

Juan tried to make himself comfortable in his bedroom. It was small, about the same size as his room at home, but this had it’s own bathroom. Before climbing into bed Juan did take a shower to rinse off all the dirt, sweat and smoke from the day. The hot water felt refreshing and relaxing. He was exhausted from his long hike, the life threatening predators, not to mention all the strange situations since then. He finished his shower, laid out his clothes for the morning, then climbed into bed. He still felt shocked by the girl in the cabin, and the airplane ride, and he was sure Judd was trying to frighten him, ‘quite successfully’ he admitted to himself. But, being young, he had a feeling of invincibility, too, so Judd’s words couldn’t hold him down for long. He thought about his dad and the girl, and wondered how they were getting along. And with those thoughts he fell fast asleep.

Some time later he woke to loud, but muffled, voices. He crept to his bedroom door and cracked it open so he could hear better. Dr. Zell and Judd were arguing.

“I still don’t see how you lost her,” Dr. Zell was saying. “It smacks of incompetence. I’m very disappointed. And now we have another person involved, and you know this place is top secret. We must be very careful of what he sees, because if he sees too much, he can’t leave.”

“Which is why I didn’t want his help to begin with,” replied Judd. “I’m not incompetent, we’re just not setup to intercept people arriving on the cargo ships. Our defense posture is towards keeping nosy people out of here.”

There were some mumbled words before Juan heard Judd say, “But what if we find her tomorrow?”

“You’d better find her,” snapped Dr. Zell. “Don’t come back until you do.”

“But what do we tell the boy about her? When we find her,” persisted Judd. “He’s going to see her, and ask questions. And if she’s alive, who knows what she’ll say.”

“I’ve got bigger concerns. I’m trusting you to handle the boy. Besides,” continued Dr. Zell in her usual smooth, calm way, ”I know it’s dangerous out there in the desert, very dangerous. And don’t think I didn’t notice your little change of attitude toward him when you learned about his mom. I’m not sure what your game is, but you’ve got twelve hours to find her. And if you do a good job, I might let you live.”

“Yeah, well, that reminds me,” replied Judd, calmly. “Carl better come, too. He never should have taken her out of the hangar. Or at least he should have alerted me sooner when she disappeared from the lab.”

“Yes, Carl will join you, don’t worry. He’s spent enough time indoors playing it safe,” Dr. Zell assured Judd. “But look Judd, let me be clear. We’re trying to save all of humankind here. We must keep our eyes on the end goal. Not everyone can understand, or are willing to understand, what we’re doing, or the steps we must take to succeed. You and I know this planet won’t last forever. We’re living on a ticking time bomb. Earth is already beginning to reject humankind. But we can save the human race. It’s within our grasp. This is a critical moment, we can’t afford anymore screw ups.”

Their voices grew quiet. Juan strained his ears to listen, but their words were indistinct. He opened his door and tiptoed down the hallway towards the front of the plane, until he could hear them clearly again.

“…Yes, of course,” Judd responded to something. “But why do you think they are coming back?”

“I don’t know. We’ve told them it’s unsafe. We’ve told them only machines can travel that far. We’ve told them at best they’d get sick and die. But somehow we’re being sabotaged from the inside. Word leaks that Earth exists, or something, and they are very curious and determined to get here,” revealed Dr. Zell.

“How many are out there?” asked Judd.

“So many questions!” barked Dr. Zell suddenly. “That’s not information you need to know to do your job,” she said curtly. “Now go get some rest before we fix things tomorrow. You look like you haven’t slept for days.”

At this, Juan crept back to his room and slipped into bed. A couple of minutes later he heard Judd leave the plane and shut the door. A moment later he thought he heard a light tap on his own door.

Juan’s heart began thumping fast. Did the doctor know he was listening? He sensed he was in even worse danger than he’d previously thought. What did she mean about people dying, and saving humankind? From what? And did she threaten Judd with death? He decided to pretend he was sleeping and not answer the door.

There were no other disturbances that night, and Juan eventually fell back into a fitful sleep. Before morning he woke several times, wondering where he was, and replaying the day’s events in his head until he remembered he was on the plane. The night dragged on and on, until suddenly it was over with a bang.

There was pounding on his door, “Juan, it’s 4 o’clock! Time to get up. We’ve got to get out before sunrise,” came the loud voice of Judd. “Let’s go!”

“So, Juan,” Carl opened. “I’m sorry if I came across as kind of gruff at dinner. I’m just not used to teenagers being useful or knowing anything, you know? The boys I know are only into video games and porn. Frankly, they’re stupid and oblivious.”

“Oh, I see,” responded Juan. He didn’t trust Carl, and didn’t want to talk to him either. He wished he had chosen a different seat.

“Yeah, but not you, right? You haven’t wasted your young years. You’re into reading books, learning stuff, exploring nature. You’re a little small for sports. But Dr. Zell speaks very highly of you. She said she thinks that some day you could be a scientist or engineer for one of her companies. Wouldn’t you like that?”

“That’s nice of her,” said Juan. “Glad to hear I didn’t waste my wonder years.”

“Yeah. Still, one should take time for fun once in a while,” Carl chuckled to himself. “But you should give up on reading fairy tales, that is a waste of time for sure.”

“Fairy tales?” asked Juan.

“Oh you know, the Bible. That’s a bunch of nonsense right there.”

“How do you know that?” asked Juan. He was annoyed with the conversation and didn’t want to keep talking, but he couldn’t take Carl telling him what he should and shouldn’t be doing.

“Come on, you know what I mean. If you’re going to be a scientist, you should be studying real science literature. Reading the latest research and theories. You’re not going to learn anything valuable from fairy tales.”

“Oh, I see,” responded Juan again. “I don’t know that I’m going to be a scientist. But still, I think there’s an impressive amount of science revealed in the Bible.”

“Give me just one example,” demanded Carl.

“It contains possibly the oldest references to the earth being round, for one.”

“Hmm, yeah, well, I still believe it’s just a fairy tale.”

“Just a fairy tale,” retorted Juan. “I wonder what evidence you have to support such a claim, sir?”

Just then pilot’s voice was heard over the intercom instructing everyone to prepare for take-off. Looking out his window Juan saw they had reached the far end of the runway and were making a u-turn. Suddenly, he felt himself being pressed into his seat-back, and the jet’s enormous engines began to roar. The plane tore down the runway rapidly picking up speed and getting bumpier with each passing second. Just when Juan felt there couldn’t possibly be any runway left the plane tipped up into the air. Immediately the jarring thumping and bumping ceased, and he felt himself being pressed harder into his seat.

Juan stared out the window at the shrinking ground. He could see some of the ranch cattle, already small as ants. Then he spotted the gray line that was the dirt road at the eastern border of the ranch.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us, Juan,” continued Carl, ignoring Juan’s question. “This missing woman means more to Dr. Zell than you or me.”

“Is she Dr. Zell’s daughter?” asked Juan.

“Ha! No way,” chuckled Carl. “Family isn’t what drives Dr. Zell. No, she isn’t family, but she is the future.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Juan.

“Oh, somethings you don’t need to know, young man. Unless Dr. Zell wants you to know.”

Juan was very irritated with Carl now.

“Then why did you tell me all that?” pursued Juan.

“I thought you should know how important this mission is. We lost her yesterday and spent most of the night, well, Judd spent most of the night searching. He’s really quite embarrassed, as he should be.”

A bell chimed and the pilot’s voice was heard on the intercom again. She said something about seat belts, cruising altitude and the length of their flight.

Carl unbuckled and stood up.

“I’m going to get something to drink. We’ve hit cruising altitude. You can walk around, too.” He walked over to the bar behind them, opened a cabinet door and began pouring a beverage.

Juan left his chair, took a few steps and peered down the left side hallway. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Lily. Hank quickly put the note into his pocket and turned to face her.

“Yes, yes. I’m fine,” replied Hank, He brushed his hair back nervously. Then he followed with, “No, I’m really not. I’m worried about Juan. This was his first time flying, you know. I just hope he’s not frightened.”

“That boy? I bet he’s loving it. I’ve never known a kid who lived for adventure the way he does. I’m sure his mom would be proud. He’s probably asking the pilot for a quick flight lesson right now.”

Hank chuckled and Lily smiled at him. Crickets began chirping. She had an overwhelming desire to say something helpful, but nothing seemed good enough.

“Well, today had a surprising turn of events,” said Lily, finally. “I already told the cowboys they’ll need to cover Juan’s work this week. I hope you don’t mind. Anyway, I just wanted to check on you. You and Juan are a really important part of this ranch, you know?”

“Thank you, Lily. I appreciate it. It’s…well…I’d invite you in for tea, but I…tonight’s just not a good time. You understand. Let’s talk tomorrow, at breakfast.”

“Sure, sure. No problem. Juan’ll be back soon. He’ll track that lady down fast and be home before you know it. Goodnight, Hank. See you tomorrow.”

He watched Lily walk up the driveway, into the dusk. Her cabin was some distance away, past the main ranch house. When she had disappeared over the hill, Hank pulled the note from his pocket and read it.

“Dad, burn this note after you read it. I don’t know who she is, but there is a woman hiding in the cabin, and she is terrified. She said Dr. Zell wants to kill her. She must have stowed away on the plane and flown here with them. Dad, be ready, she’s very strange looking, so don’t be alarmed. She has very large eyes, or her nose and mouth small. I’m not sure which. And no hair. But please protect her. I think she is sick, she was shivering uncontrollably, and seems very weak. I don’t know what I’m going to do on this trip but I’ll get back as soon as possible. Please keep her hidden and safe. I think you should be extra careful. I love you Dad.

-Juan

Ps. 32:7

“

Hank reread the bewildering note then pulled out his smart phone to look up the verse:

Psalm 32:7 - “You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble…”

“What is he doing?” wondered Hank out loud. He was more than a little hesitant to enter the cabin. But, he must enter. He had to find out what Juan was talking about. And besides, Max needed his dinner. He opened the door and entered.

Max hopped off the couch and trotted over to him. He didn’t have a tail to wag, so to show his happy greeting he puffed and snorted and reared up and down like a little horse. Hank gave him a scratch behind the ear while looking at the lump of blanket on the couch. Nobody was there. He felt himself sigh in relief. Perhaps Juan was playing a joke. But if so, this went too far. He wouldn’t have taken it so far, would he?

Hank let Max outside, then went to the couch, turned on the lamp, and began to fold the blanket. It was warm. Suddenly, he heard a sound from down the hallway which caused his heart to skip a beat. It was the toilet flushing.

Hank froze, his eyes fixed on the darkened hallway that led to the bedrooms and bathroom. A moment later he saw a silhouette emerge at the edge of the lamp light.

“Are you some kind of an alien?” he whispered.

“I don’t know what you mean,” answered the woman.

“I mean, are you…human…like, like, me? Are you…from this planet?” Hank whispered again.

“No, not exactly,” responded the woman.

She stepped into the light, but steadied herself with her hand on the wall. “That is, I am human…, but not from here.”

They stared at each other. Hank noted her large, beautiful eyes.

The girl broke the silence, “The boy said not to turn the lights on.”

“Oh. Right,” responded Hank. “I’ll pull the shades. Not that anyone is around to look in the windows tonight.”

Hank busied himself closing the shades. Max scratched at the door, and Hank let him in. Then he closed and locked the door.

“Do you need food or water?” Hank asked.

“I can’t eat, I don’t feel well. I’ll take water,” was the response.

Hank put a kettle of water on the stove, and gave Max a scoop of dog food, which he sniffed reluctantly, as if he expected something else, but then fell to eating like he hadn’t eaten for days. In a moment Max was done and disappeared from the kitchen.

Hank finished making tea for himself and poured a glass of water and brought it to the woman. She was wrapped in the blanket again. A hand emerged to take the glass, and Max’s head poked out from under the blanket, too.

“This is such a nice creature. What is it?” she whispered.

“Oh, uh, that’s Max. That’s his name. He’s a, he’s a dog. You don’t know about dogs?”

“Dog. Dog.” The woman repeated, trying the word. “No, I haven’t seen a dog. He’s so warm. I like him.”

She finished the water and handed the glass to Hank. Her hand, and Max, disappeared under the blanket again. She leaned back on the couch, resting.

“Please tell me - is it safe here?”

Hank thought for a moment. He didn’t know what to say, but he knew he didn’t want to say that it wasn’t going to be safe anywhere for her. For one thing, her looks would make her stand out. But maybe in different clothing, and with a hat or a wig, she wouldn’t stand out so very much.

“Yes, you’re safe with me, at least as far as I’m able to keep you safe. I’m not sure what to do to keep you secret for long, though. We’ll have to think about that. And I need to know what to keep you safe from. And from who. My son, Juan, the boy you met earlier, he was taken by Dr. Zell and those men tonight. They just flew away on her jet. I think they want him to help search for you, maybe? At the place you came from. Where did you come from? And how did you get here?”

The woman was silent.

“Do you have a name?” Hank asked. “You can call me Hank.”

The woman’s body shook. Hank realized she was quietly weeping. Hank fetched a tissue for her.

“You poor thing, you’re sick and frightened. You’re stressed. We’ll get you well. I’ll make some tea for you.”

Hank returned shortly with a cup of tea. By this time the woman had regained her composure.

“Now, let’s start with your name.”

“I am Kris,” she said.

“Kris. That’s a beautiful name,” responded Hank. “That’s an earthly name.” Hank smiled at her. “And remember, you can call me Hank.”

“Earthly, yes, I am earthly,” she said softly. Then she said, “Hank, I’m very sorry.”

“What for, Kris? And what are you running from? Why were you crying? There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

“Yes there is, there is. You don’t understand. I wasn’t supposed to come to this planet. I wasn’t supposed to find Earth. My arrival exposed their secrets, and they want me captured, or dead, before anyone else learns what they’re doing.”

Kris paused, breathing heavily, struggling not to cry again.

“I am sorry, Hank, because they’ve taken your son to a terrible place. A place no one ever leaves.”

The sun had just dipped below on the horizon, but Juan was glad to see that no lights were on inside his house. When he entered, Max raised his small head and looked at him. A rescued puppy that Juan got from town after his mother died, Max was black and white, and weighed about thirty pounds. He was snuggled on the couch with the woman, who appeared sound asleep, still wrapped in the blanket.

“Max, you’re such a traitor,” whispered Juan. “You don’t even know who she is. What if she’s a cat person?”

Juan stepped into the kitchen and looked around, but saw no evidence she had eaten anything. He went to his room and was happy to see nothing appeared to have been touched there, either. He pulled a large backpack from under his bed and began stuffing it with his essentials. He grabbed a sleeping bag, a compass and knife, his toothbrush. He packed spare pants, underclothes, a thick fleece jacket, and a rain shell. He also made sure he packed his new handheld GPS and solar charger. His dad had given these to him for his birthday because it had both mapping capabilities and a way to text each other via satellite, so it worked from even the most remote places. Then on a whim, he tossed in a compact survival kit and several freeze dried survival meals.

Back at the kitchen, he found pen and paper and quickly scribbled a note. Then he checked on the woman again, but she was still fast asleep. Max whined. Juan patted him on the head.

“I pardon your traitorous behavior,” he whispered. “I wish you could come with me, but since you can’t, stay here and keep her warm and safe.”

Outside he placed the note on the porch and set a rock on it so the wind wouldn’t blow it away. Then he walked down the hill towards the airfield. To his left he saw headlights from a golf cart winding its way down the ravine road on its way to the airfield. The pilot and co-pilot were the only people in the cart. They arrived at the plane first and were prepping it for takeoff when Juan walked up the long stairway to board.

“Put your luggage in that cabinet over there, Juan, then pick a seat, any seat. It’s a short flight tonight, just over an hour. We’ll be in the air soon,” said Kyle. Then a moment later he added “Oh, wait, here comes your Dad, if you want to say adios.”

Juan looked out the window and saw his Dad’s SUV pull up. He went outside and descended the stairs. The doctor, Judd, Carl, and Hank, all got out of the truck. As the men marched up the stairs into the plane, Dr. Zell exchanged goodbyes with Hank, and promised to return Juan safely. Then she boarded, too.

“Be careful, son. I don’t like this,” confessed Hank, when they were alone. “This is so sudden and strange. Plus, it’s…well, your Mom went away and didn’t come back.”

“I know, Dad, I know. I don’t like it either. But I cheated death three times today, so I guess my time isn’t up.”

A quizzical frown formed on Hank’s face. “Death? What do you mean?”

“Never-mind, that has to wait. But there’s something you need to know right now. I left a note on the porch, you have to read it before you go inside. Don’t forget, you must read it. And no matter what, just act normal at all times.”

“Juan,” called the doctor from the top of the stairs. “We need to go.”

“I love you, Dad. I’ll be careful,” said Juan, as he gave him a final hug. “Oh, and give Max something special to eat tonight, he’s earned it.”

“But what are you talking about?” pressed Hank.

“Just read the note. There’s no time for anything else.”

Juan turned and ran back up the stairs and boarded the plane. Hank maneuvered the stairs away from the plane and put them in the hangar. Then he climbed into his SUV and drove away as the big jet engines began spinning up.

A few minutes later, Hank pulled up to his cabin. He sat in his car and watched the plane finish taxiing down the runway, turn around, then accelerate back. The big jet lifted off the ground with a deafening roar.

With a heavy heart Hank climbed out of the car. He watched the plane get smaller and smaller. Suddenly, it banked and headed south. The sun set behind the cabin.

After the plane disappeared from view he walked up to his small home, climbed the porch steps, and saw the note. He picked it up to read it, but stopped when he heard the crunch of footsteps on the gravel behind him.

“No, you weren’t on a leisurely ride,” Juan continued. “The zig-zag pattern of the horse prints were purposeful, like, like you were searching the ground.”

He paused to think. He must choose his next words carefully.

“You were searching for…you were trying to find…me.”

Juan stopped talking and took a long drink of water. He observed Dr. Zell winking at Judd again, and him frowning back.

“Yes, Juan, well, that’s more like it!” exclaimed Dr. Zell, smiling at Juan. “You’re absolutely right, we were looking for you, and we thought we were following you and your dog. But we lost your boot prints when we crossed the river and tried following Max’s paw prints up the river, until we lost him as well.”

“That wasn’t Max; it was a coyote that went up the north side of the river,” revealed Juan.

Carl lost control and guffawed heartily. Then he said, “Isn’t this perfect! Judd, I think you’ve met your match in the out of doors. Extremely well done, Juan - young man. Yes, perfection!”

“Yes, well done, Juan,” grumbled Judd, without smiling. Then he gave the doctor a nod, a signal she seemed to be expecting.

“Hank,” Dr. Zell addressed Juan’s father. “We’d like Juan’s help on an urgent matter we have at one of my other…um, properties. Could he join us for a few days? We’ll need to fly out this evening, soon after dinner, if that’s okay with you.”

Hank scowled. “You know, I have to say I’m not excited about that. Is it where you took Maya five years ago?”

“Hank, you know I’m very sorry about what happened to Maya. It was a freak accident, and I miss her still. But no, this is a different place.”

Suddenly Juan noticed Judd watching him intently. Their eyes met. Juan was startled by what looked like a signal from Judd. What did it mean?

Hank spoke, “I see. And thank you, Dr. Zell. Well, you know, Juan does have school tomorrow and many chores here on the ranch,” he demurred.

“Can’t you get someone to cover Juan’s chores? How many cowboys work here now?” interrupted Dr. Zell.

“Well, yes…of course, doctor.”

Hank gave Juan a concerned look and asked, “What do you think?”

Juan was thinking fast. He didn’t want to leave, he was still angry about the dinner conversation tonight, and he wanted to find out more about the mystery girl anyway. He was considering how he might avoid getting involved.

“I just want to go home and go to bed. I’ve had a long, hard day. Doctor, and Mr. Judd, sir, I was hoping to finish school and graduate early so I could start guiding our fly fishing guests daily, not just on weekends. I wanted to get a few more trips this summer before I leave for college. I’ll need the money. And if I take this week off from school, it will take another week or more to catch up. Is this matter so important?”

Judd, Carl, and the doctor exchanged glances. Judd nodded his head and cleared his throat as if to speak, but Dr. Zell spoke first.

“Yes, Juan. It is critical that you help us. You see, there is a woman in need,” she paused and looked at Carl. “A woman,” she repeated, “and she’s…she’s lost, or perhaps delirious and runaway. She’s very ill and confused, and she needs our help. And, as I’m sure you have guessed, we lost her trail in the wilderness. We need your help to find her. Won’t you help us rescue her?”

Juan pushed his plate back and laid his head on the table. He was so tired he thought he was going to cry.

“I don’t want to go!” he moaned.

“Come on, son, pull yourself together,” said Hank.

“Yes, Juan. Get it together. We need you. You’ll be a hero. You’re gifted for a reason,” said Judd.

Juan lifted his head and looked at Judd. Again, he thought Judd was giving a signal. Was that a slight nod?

Juan looked at Dr. Zell, who was looking at Judd. She shifted her focus to Juan, but he thought he sensed she was seething with anger. He remained silent.

“Juan, I won’t force you, it’s your choice,” said Dr. Zell.

After the introductions, Dr. Zell turned to Juan and asked, “I heard you went up to Aspen Lake today. What did you see?”

Juan felt Judd fix his gaze on him. Carl remained focused on the food on his plate, seemingly oblivious to the presence of anyone else in the room. Juan looked over at his dad, who smiled in return. Juan felt his neck getting hot.

Dr. Zell cleared her throat. “Juan is only eighteen and still a little shy among strangers,” said Dr. Zell. “But once he warms up, he’ll talk at us all night,” she laughed. “We’re all friends here, though, right?” she concluded, giving Juan a friendly smile.

Juan nodded and stirred the food on his plate, and took a deep breath before speaking.

“No, I didn’t make it to Aspen Lake. The snowpack is still too deep. I hit Bull Lake, though. I think we’ll have good fishing for the ranch guests this year. I would have been back earlier, but I was delayed by…”

“That’s good, that’s good,” interrupted Dr. Zell. “Is that all you saw today? Anything unexpected or unusual?”

Juan was hungry from his long day in the mountains. He didn’t want to talk to these people; he wanted to eat, calm his nerves, and tell his dad about Max’s heroism. Plus, that strange person in his cabin had set his mind spinning.

“Well, yes,” began Juan. Then it occurred to him that the woman might be hiding from these men. He hoped no one noticed his hands shaking.

“Yeah,” he started again. “I guess I saw a few things. The wolf pack is back. And at least one hungry bear is out of hibernation.”

Hank spoke up, “How many wolves in the pack now, Juan?”

“I’d say there are eleven.”

“Wolves in Utah? You’re joking,” said the big, bald man. “How do you know that? Did you see them?”

“We occasionally get wolves from Idaho or Wyoming passing through the ranch,” offered Hank.

“Oh Judd, as I told you, Juan has many surprising skills. You’ll come to understand soon,” interrupted Dr. Zell again, with a hint of condescension in her voice. “Juan can do some impressive things. He’s even memorized entire books, including the Christian Bible. Isn’t that right?”

“Well, not all of it,” mumbled Juan.

Carl looked up from his food and scoffed in what Juan presumed was just the slightest German accent, “That is not impressive. Why waste your time memorizing that book?”

“It was something his mother left behind,” answered Hank. “Juan is a voracious reader, and his late mother’s Bible is special to him. Even when he was little, he memorized every book we read to him. Books and things just stick with him.”

“He has a gift, Carl,” interjected Dr. Zell. “But, I want to know what else you saw today, Juan.”

Juan wanted to say “Hey, I’m right here, why are you talking about me like I’m not?”, but he had just taken a large bite of dinner. He chewed it slowly and swallowed before speaking. His nerves were calming a little as food settled into his anxious stomach. And with a clearer mind, he began to think he knew what was going on.

“Yes, I noticed a few things. After we barely survived the high country…” he paused to see if anyone cared. No one asked for details so he continued, “Max and I returned to the valley and followed the river back home. I saw the tracks of two horses that had traveled up and down the north side of the river.”

Dr. Zell winked at Judd.

“How do you know it was two horses?” asked Judd.

Juan looked up at him and wondered why this man was asking such annoying questions. Was he searching for that strange woman? Juan felt a strong desire to hide her and to protect her from these men.

“From the hoof prints. I’d guess it was Bill, one of the horses we keep for guests to use, and Roam, Dr. Zell’s horse.”

“Oh, so you can identify horses by their hoof prints?” remarked Judd. “But there must be a couple dozen horses on the ranch. Are you joking?”

Juan shook his head but didn’t say anything. He took another bite of dinner. He liked Lily’s cooking, and he was famished from his long day of surviving. But his appetite was fading as the pressure to keep talking increased.

Dr. Zell spoke up. “Juan, I’ve been telling Judd about your skill at…noticing…things and tracking things. He doesn’t believe me, though. I’m sure you have more details you can share.”

“Nah, just the hoof prints of two horses,” chuckled Juan with a smile. Then he swallowed his final bite of food. “It was two horses, right? Nobody disputes that?”

After a moment of silence, Juan added, “Good. Oh, and it was a man and woman that rode them along the river.”

“Oh really?” erupted Judd. “How do you know that?”

Juan saw Judd’s thick forearm muscles ripple as he opened and closed his fist in anticipation of an answer.

“Well, Judd, sir, the horse prints were different sizes, and keep in mind it hasn’t rained here for three days. Bill is a big horse, but his hooves cut deeper than usual into the dry earth, so he was carrying extra weight. I’d guess it was about two hundred fifty pounds on Bill, which means it was you riding Bill and Dr. Zell on Roam. No one else rides Roam. Ever.”

Juan didn’t mention seeing the size fourteen army-boot prints in the ground, where a man had dismounted his horse. He also didn’t say that Dr. Zell wore a rock band t-shirt every time she took Roam out for a ride.

Juan took a drink of water, but his quick eyes caught Judd look at Dr. Zell and shrug. She seemed to be waiting for Judd to say something. The doctor finally broke the long silence.

“Juan, you’re right! It was Judd and me and we were on those very horses. Well done! My ranch is so beautiful; I just enjoy showing a new person around it. Don’t you?”

“Two-thirty,” blurted Judd.

Everyone looked at Judd, waiting for an explanation.

“It’s almost six o’clock. What are you talking about?” asked Dr. Zell with a slow blink and subtle head shake.

“I don’t weigh two-fifty, I’m only two-thirty,” answered Judd. “The kid’s off by twenty pounds.”

Juan noted that Carl had finished eating and was now chuckling silently yet almost uncontrollably. Juan had the eerie feeling that Judd and Dr. Zell were lying to him, making a joke of him, or worse, trying to trap him. He felt anger rising, and he never could keep quiet when he became angry.

“Well I think you were out for more than a leisurely horseback ride,” started Juan, his voice rising.

“Oh? And what do you think we were doing?” taunted Judd.

“I, I think you were looking for someone.”

“Who are you, and why are you in my house?” demanded Juan, hoping his voice didn’t sound as shaky as he felt.

The person stood and let the blanket fall, revealing a thin, diminutive woman. She wore a tight outfit, probably white originally, but very dirty now. It was a uniform of some kind, and the close fit made her arms and legs appear elongated. Her complexion was grayish pale, and she had no hair to be seen.

The woman shivered before speaking, then in a hoarse whisper pleaded, “I need help. Please…help me to hide. I don’t want them to kill me.” Another shiver convulsed through her. She quickly sat again, almost falling onto the couch.

Suddenly, the cabin phone rang. Neither moved; they just continued staring at each other. The phone rang again.

“Don’t you move!” said Juan sternly.

The phone rang a third time. Juan stepped to the phone, which sat on an end table, between the couch and a recliner, and picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Juan? Glad you’re back. Listen, the doctor is here,” said a voice.

“I know, I saw her jet in the airfield,” replied Juan.

“I’m sure you had a long day, Juan, but hurry over to the lodge. The doctor wants us to join her for dinner, an early dinner. She says it’s important, and she’s waiting.”

“Dad, wait-” said Juan.

“Just hurry over. Lily is about to serve the food. Hurry!” interrupted Dad before hanging up the phone.

Juan put the phone down and stared at it, then he made two fists, swung them around in the air, and defiantly stomped his bare feet. He was diverted from his tantrum by the woman wrapping herself again in the blanket she had dropped. He fixed his eyes back to the her. She showed no concern that he had just survived three near-death experiences today and now had to have dinner with the doctor.

“What do you mean `hide you`? From who? And why?” he demanded.

“They’re after me. They want me dead,” she answered weakly.

“They? Who are they?” Juan demanded again.

The woman seemed to be forcing herself to speak.

“I, I don’t know. They work,” she paused as if collecting her last bit of strength. “for Dr. Zell. They work for her.”

“What?!” exclaimed Juan. “My dad and I work for the doctor. She owns this ranch. She owns this house. Tell me who you are.”

A sad look passed over the strange woman’s face. Her big eyes lost focus.

“Yes, of course. I guess everyone on this planet is the doctor’s. I should have known. We will never be free.”

The phone began ringing again.

“Look, you, I, I have to go…to dinner…with her, Dr. Zell. You stay here. I, I won’t say anything about you. Not yet-not until you tell me more. There’s food and water in the kitchen, help yourself…just don’t turn on any lights and don’t go outside. I’ll be back soon.”

The woman made no response as Juan ran out, grabbed his boots, and headed to the lodge house. He entered through the kitchen door to wash up. His long day on mountain trails being chased by bears and wolves had coated him with dust and dried sweat, but this strange woman had his heart pounding harder than ever. He quickly scrubbed his neck and hands.

His face was buried in a dish towel when the ranch cook entered the kitchen. She was shorter than Juan and unusually petite for a cook. Her long brown hair, with just a light dusting of silver, was held in a braid that reached halfway down her back.

“Juan, hi!”, she exclaimed in surprise. “I’m glad you’re here. Hurry, you must hurry!”

“Okay, Lily, I am. Does she have guests or something?” asked Juan.

“She does. Her pilots, as usual, and a couple of others. Your dad is in there, too.”

Lily stepped back to look at him. “Oh Juan, what happened? You’re a mess! Yuck! You smell like campfire. Did you fall into the lake or something?”

“Something like that,” mumbled Juan.

“We’ll talk about it later; now you just need to hurry. Let’s go!”

The lodge dining hall was long and narrow. Along one side of the room were windows revealing a view into the majestic valley below the house. Opposite the windows was a long wall upon which hung several paintings and photographs of the ruggedly beautiful ranch property. Above the heavy wooden-framed dining table hung a massive chandelier decorated with deer antlers.

Juan stepped into the room and noticed the people seated around the table. Dr. Zell sat at one end with her long, graying hair piled on her head in a messy bun. She wore a faded, rock band t-shirt. On the doctor’s left sat two men Juan didn’t recognize. To her right sat a woman, whom Juan knew as the pilot. To her right sat the co-pilot. Juan sat down next to him, with his back to the windows.

“Hola, Juan,” said the co-pilot. “Como esta usted? Mi llamo es Kyle, er, if you remember.”

“Hola,” said Juan. “Bien.” He did remember Kyle as the guy who always wanted to practice his clumsy Spanish. Tonight, Juan wasn’t in any mood for that, though.

Lily sat across the table from Juan, next to one of the guests - a short but substantial man with an unruly mop of light gray hair, and glasses perched on a bulbous, red nose. Between him and the doctor sat a massive, muscular man, and except for bushy eyebrows, he had no other hair on his head.

Opposite the doctor, at the far end of the table, sat Hank, the ranch foreman and Juan’s father. Hank stood about six feet tall, with a thick head of gray hair which he usually kept under a baseball cap, but not at the dinner table, of course. He had large, calloused hands, bright green eyes, an easy smile, and the weathered, leathery skin of a man who spends most of his time outdoors.

“Hey, son. Everything okay?” asked a concerned-looking Hank.

“Hi Dad, yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine.”

Dr. Zell spoke, “Welcome, Juan, I’m glad you made it. Hank, Lily, and Juan, thank you for joining us for an early supper. We need Juan’s help with something. But let’s discuss while we eat. We haven’t much time.”

The day had been the most difficult and frightening day of his life, and he was rethinking going out alone into the high country ever again. But had he known what was yet to come he would long for another day in the woods. Even one like today.

He sat down on the porch and looked out at the view below him. The cabin sat on the side of a small hill, overseeing a wide, flat valley. It was pristine until 3 years ago when an airfield was put in. This morning, when Juan and his dog Max had left the cabin in the gray hour before sunrise, the landing strip had been empty. Now a large jet sat there, looking up at Juan, as if it was expecting him.

A sturdy five feet and six inches tall, with dark hair and brown eyes, Juan was small for his age, but strong. Spending the last eight years on the ranch had been good for him, with hard work and regular mountain adventures sharpening his eyes and hardening his muscles.

Max trotted over to sit next to Juan on the porch steps.

“Max,” Juan said as he scratched the dog’s ears, “are you glad we’re home?”

Max said nothing but leaned into Juan for more scratching.

“Me, too,” Juan continued. “You were a good boy today. You saved my life. Did you know that? What will Dad say when he finds out? You know Mom would have made you a giant meatball for your heroism. But Dad? Maybe not a meatball, but he’ll give you something delicious, I’m sure.”

Max licked his lips in anticipation. Juan kept scratching his ears.

After a thoughtful pause, Juan continued, “If you hadn’t barked nonstop and run circles around that hungry bear, I wouldn’t have had time to climb the tree. I’m sure it was your barking and running around that finally scared him off, too. No sir, Max, he was no match for your barking. It’s a good thing you practice every chance you get.”

Max’s eyes rolled back in satisfaction with each ear scratch. He leaned harder into Juan as if to say, “don’t ever stop scratchin’.”

But Juan did stop. He turned his attention to his feet and began unlacing his mud-caked boots. Juan continued talking though, and Max continued listening.

“Of course, as Dad always reminds us, even the best intentions can have unintended consequences. I’m sure it was the barking that attracted the wolves. They knew something was wrong and came to see if we’d make an easy meal. I was just as surprised as you to see those wolves. And I’m sure you agree they are a lot bigger and scarier in person. No doubt about that - those were big wolves. But don’t worry, I won’t tell Dad about you leaping into my arms so I would carry you. Anyway, it’s good you were in my arms when I jumped off the cliff into the river. How else could we have escaped those wolves? How else, Max?”

Like an attentive student, Max sat silent, considering the alternatives.

“Well, it’s over now, we’re back safe and sound. Whoa boy, that river was cold. You don’t know, but any longer in that cold water, and we’d be in real trouble. It’s a good thing I had those waterproof matches to build a fire so we could warm up and dry off. I’m not sure we would have made it home otherwise.”

Juan finished removing his boots, stood up, and turned to the cabin.

“Yep, let’s have no more excitement today, thank you. I don’t think my nerves could handle it. Let’s go inside, eat a snack, and rest on the couch until Dad comes home with dinner. Sound good to you, Max? Max?”