All they could see was a shadow behind the light. The shadow had spindly legs and an oversized head.
“Guys!” Leo called, his body freezing up as the figure moved for the front door. “There’s something in there.” Sigrid and James stopped on their bikes, looking over their shoulders in the direction of the bait shop. Leo’s heart pounded in his chest. But as the door slowly opened and the figure stepped out, he realized it was an older man. Leo let out a heavy breath of relief.
“Well, hello there,” the man said. “Glad to see someone besides the Visitors.”
“Yeah, same here,” said Leo a little shakily. “Did your town get evacuated too?”
“Not too many of us here to evacuate,” the man said. “But the military did come through. I locked up and laid low.”
“Why didn’t you leave?”
“I ain’t leavin’,” he said. He gestured to the bait shop. “I’ve been living in the apartment above this store for thirty years now, and no Martians or soldiers are gonna take me away.”
“The Visitors probably aren’t from Mars,” Sigrid said. The old man shrugged. It was all Mars to him, apparently.
“If you don’t mind two-day-old sandwiches, I still have a few inside,” the man said. “They’ve been in a cooler and are all right to eat. But they better get eaten soon.”
“That sounds great,” Leo said.
Inside, they saw that the bait shop also sold sandwiches and snacks to the fishermen who used the creek. In fact, it was a lot more than a bait shop. You could buy a rod and reel, a tent, and camping gear.
The three of them split five sandwiches between them and a pint of potato salad. Sigrid had let out Sandy, who looked thrilled to have the chance to stretch her legs. The shop owner had a few cans of dog food, and he opened one up for her. Leo offered to pay for everything, but the old man waved away the bill.
“I would have had to throw ’em out in the morning. Glad they didn’t go to waste.”
“Thanks for everything, um . . .” Leo said.He realized he still didn’t know the man’s name.
“Wendell,” the old man said.
“I’m Leo. That’s James and Sigrid.”
“So y’all are heading for the old Air Force base then, huh?” Wendell asked around a mouthful of potato salad.
Sigrid and Leo eyed each other, still uncertain if it was wise to tell anyone else where they were going.
Wendell noticed. “Oh, come on,” he barked out with a laugh. “That’s where they took everyone around here. Where else would you be goin’?”
Leo cleared his throat, feeling a little embarrassed at being caught. “Uh, yeah, that’s where we’re going.”
“Our families are there,” Sigrid explained.
Wendell nodded. “Good you’re going after them then.”
After they finished eating, they decided it was time to keep moving. Wendell stepped outside with them to see them off.
Leo felt odd just leaving him there. “Ah, are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
Wendell grinned so widely his eyes disappeared into the wrinkles around his face. “You’re nice kids. But I’ll be just fine here.”
They waved goodbye to him one more time before taking off pedaling. Eventually the sun began to set. Soon they spotted a side road that led to a tall wire fence and metal gate.
Leo grinned. “We made it.”
***
They crept closer to the fence, hoping to get a look of the place before they approached the front gate. There were mostly soldiers in uniforms walking around. A few medics too. Deeper into the base, Leo noticed people wearing ordinary clothing.
Leo felt his stomach flip as he recognized a familiar couple. “My mom and dad are here,” he said. “I think we should go in.”
“Here goes nothing,” James said and started toward the gate. The others joined him.
The guards spotted them approaching and stiffened, each placing a hand on their gun holster. One of the guards stepped forward. “Who are you and where are you from?”
They each gave their names. “Our families are here,” Sigrid explained.
Another guard jotted down their names on a clipboard. “How come you missed the rescue vehicles?”
“I was sick so I wasn’t at school,” James said.
“I had to check on an . . . elderly family member,” Sigrid said.
“I was out in the woods,” Leo said.
One of the guards eyed the bike trailer. “What’s in there?” he asked.
Sigrid’s eyes went wide. “Just my dog.”
The guard frowned. “Please,” Sigrid said. “She’s all I have. She’s very well trained. She’ll be good.”
The guards spoke quietly with each other for a moment, and then one of them headed into the base with their names. The other guard patted them down. He looked through their backpacks and didn’t take anything besides James’s slingshot.
“You missed evening mess, but you can go find your families,” he said.
The other guard came back for them. “All three of your families are here,” he confirmed. Sigrid grinned, and James laughed in relief. “Follow me,” the guard said gruffly, leading them through the large gate. They walked their bikes behind him and tried to keep up.
“Has there been any more news?” Sigrid asked. “Do we know anything more about the Visitors?”
“That information is classified,” he said. Sigrid shot a concerned look over to Leo and James. The guard seemed to notice their distress. He sighed and said, “Don’t worry. You’ll be safe here.”
But you don’t know that, Leo thought as he followed. Not really.
The guard led them through rows of tents that were each packed with people. He checked his list and pointed them each toward the tents their families were staying in.
“Guess we’re going our separate ways,” said Leo after the guard walked away. He realized he didn’t like the idea of being separated after all they’d been through together.
James gave a heavy yawn. He looked ready to fall asleep right then and there. Leo realized they all needed to rest and spend time with their families. “Let’s meet up tomorrow after breakfast,” he suggested.
Sigrid and James nodded, and the three parted to head off and find their families. As Leo wheeled his bike in the direction of his parents’ tent, he found himself picking up his pace.