Chapter 32

Titus didn’t think the day could get any more perfect. The temperature hovered in the mid-sixties, a light breeze blew through the air, and the beautiful blue sky had been peppered with wispy clouds. People milled about in the park, playing at the playground with their children, eating lunches on their blankets, and laughing at the clowns that walked around making balloon animals for the kids.

They’d just finished their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and Titus ate barbeque chips out of the bag they all shared and drank his soda. He sat with Macy and Alaina on the blanket they’d brought, and all three laughed as they watched Megan and Killian play. The clowns had made Megan a crown and Killian a sword. She tried to convince him that she was the princess and he could be her knight and slay the dragon. Killian decided that he didn’t want to be her knight, but he’d still protect her. He loped around battling the pretend beast while Megan screeched and ran around as if she were trying to get away from it.

A while ago, they’d watched a magic show, which the kids had loved, and he’d also enjoyed it. He still contemplated how the magician had gotten the rings apart, and wished he could have gotten his hands on them so he could study them. They had looked metal, but perhaps not.

Or maybe, it had been magic.

They’d put the kids on the train ride around the park, and Titus had gotten some really cute pictures and video on his phone to bring home. He wished he had remembered to plug the damn thing in the night before as his battery hovered just above zero after shooting the memories.

The warmth of the sun on his back relaxed him, and he stretched out on the blanket, propping his head in his hand. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up asleep.

Simon would have loved spending the afternoon like this, and pain tugged at his heart.

“This almost makes me feel like I’m one of them,” Macy said from his left. He glanced over at her as she pushed her sunglasses up on her nose. “They have no idea that they have an alien sitting among them, enjoying the day, feeling the warmth of the sun, wishing the afternoon didn’t have to end.”

He nodded, feeling at home himself and like he belonged among the humans, that he could assimilate and live in harmony with them.

“Do you miss it, Alaina?” Macy asked.

Alaina shoved a chip into her mouth, contemplating the question. “Miss what?”

Macy motioned over at the families and kids all around them. “This. Do you miss this?”

Alaina grimaced. “No. I never had this.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. He realized he knew very little about the female.

“Well, I grew up in the foster system. That’s where kids go when their parents don’t want them, or screw up bad enough that the city says they don’t deserve their kids. My foster parents would never even think about taking me to a place like this. Then, when I went out on my own, I just wanted to survive. It never would have occurred to me to come to an event like this.”

He thought of his own childhood where he grew up under the love and caring protection of his parents, and he tried to put himself in Alaina’s shoes. He’d never had made it without his parents’ firm guidance, and would have definitely slipped into trouble with little effort.

“Besides, I always knew I was different. I knew I didn’t fit into the ‘real’ world. In a way, when I found Nico and the Saviors, I found the family I never had growing up, and I finally understood what I was and why I was different.”

Macy squeezed her hand. “I, for one, am so glad that you did find your path. If you hadn’t, I never would have found my best friend.”

Alaina put her arm over Macy’s shoulder and squeezed. He was happy Macy had such a good friend. Titus noticed a huge bruise on Alaina’s bicep and asked what had happened.

“I’ve been training with Holly and Annis. They’re determined to make a fighter out of me, and that’s one of my many war wounds.”

He laughed. “I’ve got a few of those myself from Blake.”

“I could barely get out of the bed this morning! It was like every muscle in my body just refused to work. Thank God for Motrin!”

“No kidding,” Titus agreed.

Alaina shook her head. “Annis is so tough. I’ve learned so much from her, but it’s been a rough road.”

“I could never learn to fight,” Macy said, staring off into the distance. “It goes against everything in me to even think about hurting another.”

“We need people like that, Macy. We need Healers, just like we need Warriors,” he said.

He wanted to take her hand, but didn’t. Alaina didn’t know about them, and both he and Macy preferred it that no one found out. He had no idea what they were doing except being ‘friends with benefits,’ as Macy liked to call them. So far, they both seemed happy with the arrangement.

“He’s right, Macy. We need you just the way you are.”

Macy grinned. “That’s good, because I don’t think I’m capable of changing any time soon.”

“Well, we’ve got … about thirteen hundred years to work on you, right?” Titus joked. SR44ians lived to be about two thousand years old.

Macy and Alaina laughed, and he stood up. “I’ve got to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

He walked through the park smiling and nodding at those who met his gaze. He thought again of Macy’s words, of the feeling of belonging. Today, he wasn’t a Warrior or an alien. He wasn’t the confused, broken-hearted bisexual. Instead, he was just a guy in the park, hanging out with some friends, eating too many potato chips, and enjoying the day. His world and his troubles seemed miles and miles away, and it felt so good to just be normal.

He had to wait in line for a few moments, and after he used the bathroom, he washed his hands and headed back to the blanket. He saw Killian and Megan playing on the swings with another little girl. Today, they weren’t different, either. They were just two kids getting dirty and making new friends.

He saw the blanket in the distance. Alaina and Macy had gone somewhere. He took a quick glance around. Perhaps they’d also needed to use the facilities.

Sitting down, his heart went cold when he felt something grainy under his palm. He turned his hand over, and saw that black ash covered it. Not moving a muscle, he looked around the park again, this time studying every face he could see.

He stood up slowly as he brushed his palm over his pants, panic gripping him.

The perfect day had taken a very bad turn.

The kids.

Racing over to the playground, he kept his gaze locked on Megan and Killian. When he reached them, he tossed Megan onto his back and told her to hold on while he pulled Killian to his chest.

“What’s going on?” Megan whispered.

“There’s a Colonist here.”

She tightened her grip around his neck, almost strangling him. “Oh, no. No, Titus! Don’t let him get us!”

He heard the panic in her voice, but was thankful that she’d been educated on the horrors of the worst of their species.

“He won’t, Megan. I promise you.”

“I want to play some more!” Killian screamed, drawing the gazes of other families.

“We can’t,” Megan hissed. “Do what Titus says or you’ll be eaten by a Colonist!”

If he hadn’t been so worried and panicked, he would have laughed. He’d never seen a Colonist eat anyone, but he wouldn’t put it past them.

He returned to the blanket, keeping the kids on his body. He looked over the park again, still not seeing Macy or Alaina. He ran over to the women’s restroom and barged in. “Macy!”

No answer, except for a few sideways glances and dirty looks from those waiting in line.

“This is the women’s bathroom,” one woman said.

“I’m very aware of that. Thank you.”

He ran back to the blanket, his heart thudding in his chest and sweat beading on his brow. He looked down at the dark blue cloth again to make sure he hadn’t imagined it. No, the black ash was there.

What did he do?

Macy and Alaina were nowhere to be seen, and a Colonist was at the park. The kids. He had to get the kids to safety.

Leaving everything where it lay, he ran to the SUV and pulled Megan from his back after setting Killian inside. When both kids sat in the back seat, he slammed the door and hit the key fob, locking them in.

Taking his gun from his waistband, he held it by his thigh. He again scanned the park.

“Titus!” Megan yelled from inside. “Titus, look!”

He turned as a car drove by. Alaina sat in the front passenger seat while Daniel drove, holding a gun to her head.

Macy stared at him from the back, the terror on her face almost palpable.

He ran around the car as it drove through the parking lot and got the license plate.

Removing his phone from his jacket, he tried to dial the silo, but it had gone dead.

Did he race after them? Chase them down?

No, he couldn’t risk putting the kids in danger.

The best thing he could do now would be to head back to the silo, get the kids to safety, and then hunt down that son of a bitch. If he thought he or the Saviors would take this abduction lying down, he had been sorely mistaken.

They would bring down the wrath of the SR44ian gods and the hellfire of the Devil himself.