Star Kids Mission

By Paul Hansen

Ariel is challenged to become the Star People’s Ambassador to Earth. Raised on a Starship and shocked when at age 17 she first discovers her human mother, Ariel struggles with what it means to be a hybrid human. Human emotions, belonging to a family, falling in love, her first kiss, and learning English, are all part of navigating in a culture unimagined on the Mothership. Guided by Star people, Ariel is joined by four other young adults: for Josh, the mission includes designing and prototyping a practical hydrogen engine to change the nature of energy use on earth; Jessica’s brash, plucky spirit helps her survive a rocket attack; Robert’s unfailing sense of humor augments his keen mind and computer skills; Sarah, a sensitive, is adept at remote viewing and psychic perception. Telepathic from infancy, Ariel must confront her fears for her own safety and that of her friends before she can use her unique talents to survive kidnapping, attacks by corrupt officials of the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and finally by an aging former member of the Nazi Youth who now holds great power in the petroleum and financial industries in the US. Pilots will enjoy following Ariel, Josh, and Jessica as they learn to first fly airplanes, then the saucer. To take her final step into the Ambassador role, Ariel meets with the new president-elect of the United States at Camp David. Favorite characters from the first two books in this series, Sky Warriors and The General continue to add in this story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Hansen
• Release date: Nov 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301741083

Paul Hansen

Paul Hansen came into the faith in the Reformed tradition in his early 20’s. He attended Hope College and Western Theological Seminary as well as Western Michigan University, Kansas State, and the Institute for Worship Studies. He has been in ministry for nearly 40 years serving in various capacities in 7 different congregations currently Artesia First CRC in Calif. He has also taught Christianity and contemporary American Culture and Cross-Cultural Communication at Trinity Christian College.

Book preview

BOOK III: THE STAR PEOPLE SERIES

BY

PAUL A. HANSEN

STAR KIDS MISSION

Copyright © 2012 Paul A. Hansen

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition

Please visit http://paulhansenauthor.com for more information

Cover design: Kathleen Riley, [e-mail]

All rights reserved.  Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  If you wish to share it with someone, please purchase another copy and download to your computer so you may send it to them. Thank you for respecting the work of this author. 

This book is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, except for references to the events of 9-11.  Any similarities to persons, living or dead are purely coincidental.  References to certain places, (cities, locales, etc.), history, aircraft, airbases and other equipment and technology may be authentic, but not personal.

SETTINGS

The locales in or near Blanding, Utah are accurate with a few minor exceptions:  Comb Ridge, Arch Canyon, Edge of the Cedars Museum, certain motels, restaurants, roads, and streets exist as described.  The pocket canyon where the saucer is hangared is fictitious.  On old geo maps, there was an Indian Village site located northwest of Blanding, which became the site for the school house/residence. The Kidwell airport is located at Cal Nev Ari, NV, between Laughlin and Las Vegas .  To enhance your reading experience, fly over the locales on Google Earth.  Where available, zoom in with street view for more detail.  The 2nd District office of the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police exists at the location described in Washington DC, but has been fictionalized here, as has its personnel.  There is a grass airstrip, viewable on Google Earth, near Edinburg, Virginia. The Connecticut locale of Red Bridge is fictitious.

Table of Contents

Part I

Chapter 1 Josh and Ariel Abducted

Chapter 2 Rescue and Reunion

Chapter 3 Ariel’s Dilemma

Chapter 4 R & R at Kidwell Airstrip

Chapter 5 Return to Blanding

Chapter 6 The Controller

Chapter 7 Ben Sommers Attacked

Part II

Chapter 8 Ariel & Josh Learn to Fly

Chapter 9 The Controller’s Biographer

Chapter 10 The Star Kids and Telepathy

Chapter 11 Ariel’s Scent and Sexuality

Chapter 12 The Council’s Mission for Ariel and Josh

Part III

Chapter 13 Josh’s Hydrogen Engine Project at CU

Chapter 14 General Carter Begins His Search

Chapter 15 Assassination Attempts on Josh

Chapter 16 Fighting Back! Jessica Hit by a Rocket

Chapter 17 Escape to the Mothership

Chapter 18 Jessica’s Rapid Healing

Chapter 19 The Controller Reacts

Chapter 20 Star Kids on the Mothership

Chapter 21 Star Kids Return to Earth

Chapter 22 Amanda Kidnapped; Carter Confronts the President

Chapter 23 General Carter Mounts a Rescue

Chapter 24 The Battle to Rescue Amanda

Chapter 25 Ambassador Ariel Meets the New President

PART I

Chapter 1

August 22, 2002

Ariel awoke with a start at the change in the sound of the aircraft's twin engines. Groggy, it took her a moment to orient herself. What was she doing in this airplane? Fear slammed into her gut. Across the narrow aisle sat her friend, Josh, and facing him was a man dressed in camo pants and shirt, a gun slung in a shoulder holster under his left arm. Seated behind him was another man with a gun, who had called the leader by the name, Pete. The memory of their capture at gunpoint near Blanding, Utah earlier in the day instantly flooded back, bringing renewed feelings of frustration, bewilderment, and fear.

A quick glance at Josh revealed his closed eyes. Maybe he was asleep. She hadn't meant to drift off to sleep herself, but the droning engines of the Beech King Air and her fatigue after all they'd been through, had finally won out. If only Josh had listened to her back there in Utah when she'd warned him of the danger, maybe they wouldn't be in this mess. She comforted herself by thinking maybe it wouldn't have made much difference. These men had seemed determined to take them, one way, or another. Now she worried what would happen next. They’d only explained that they wanted something from Josh's dad, General Jeremy Carter, the Air Force Chief of Staff. Now the men apparently planned to hold both of them hostage to get it, though they'd not yet revealed what it was.

She wished she was safe back on the Mothership with Markel, her father. Had she made the right decision when she agreed to participate in the Star Kids Camp that Sally and Brian Nelson had organized? She had come at the suggestion of the Council. But that occurred only after she had met Sally, whom she had only recently learned was her actual genetic mother. What a shock that had been to both of them. Though she'd always known she was different, she had not suspected that she was a hybrid of human and Star DNA. On that momentous day, she'd learned that Markel, who had been her mentor, was also her father, and that he himself was a hybrid, an even mixture of human and Star DNA. He had provided his genetic material to join with Sally's, which made her seventy five percent human. No wonder she'd developed breasts and had begun monthly bleeding as well. What a surprise that had been when it started four years ago. None of her female friends experienced that. On a positive note, she did like her thicker and longer hair. And since she'd noticed that it was of the same auburn color as Sally's, she liked it even more.

Ariel watched Josh as he slept. They had become good friends during the camp and she liked him. He'd told her he was seventeen, like her. He was tall and slender, and his face was smooth, reflecting his youth, except for the worry lines creasing his forehead at the moment. She thought Josh could become telepathic if he wished. She wanted to comm, use mind talk with him now. If she did, would he receive her message? Like all the others on board the Mothership, she had been telepathic since she had emerged from the incubation chamber. She silently sent him a telepathic message, "What is going to happen to us, Josh?"

As if in response, Josh's eyes flew open. It took him a moment to reorient himself and remember what had happened, to remember how he had come to be on this airplane. He focused momentarily on the man across from him, then turned to look at Ariel. She must think I'm a stupid idiot.

No I don't. She smiled.

Wait, did she just answer me?

Yes.

I must be imagining things. He looked again at Ariel and saw her smile. During the past week of the Star Kids Camp, they had become friends. If they got out of this alive, she'd probably hate him for his stupidity in getting them caught.

No, I won't.

Earlier today, the morning after the camp was over, they'd gone for a hike together along the stream below the school house. It was the only way he could think of to be alone with her. At one point she'd tried to stop him, warning him of danger ahead. He'd made fun of her warning. She'd even specifically said there were two men hiding ahead of them. How had she known? Maybe she was psychic. Perhaps that was another thing that was different about Ariel. He'd only yesterday learned where she actually came from, that she was a mixture of Star person and human DNA, and that Sally was her genetic mother. Her father was one of the Star People.

Now they were in this terrible fix. As he looked at her, he remembered his impression of her at the beginning of the Camp. He'd had such difficulty understanding her that at first he thought she had a speech impediment. Now he understood that she'd only recently learned to even speak aloud, let alone learn a whole new language. She was very slender, almost too thin, which, with her large eyes, gave her a young, innocent look that masked her intelligence and maturity, though her age was similar to his. The slight upturn of her eyes at the outer edge gave her an oriental look as well. Perhaps that too was due to her mixed parentage. Though slender, she looked as fully developed as any of the other girls in the camp or in his school back home in DC.

At that moment the sound of the engines changed again as the pilot adjusted the pitch on the two propellers and the plane nosed downward in a shallow descending glide path. Josh looked out the window at Ariel's elbow and noticed that the setting sun nudged shadows across the rolling farmland below, while away to the east, out his window, low mountains shouldered their way across the horizon. Looking ahead over the left wing, he spotted what looked like a grass airstrip, nestled in the sweeping bend of a river and flanked by a single hangar. Moments later he heard the thump of the landing gear as it dropped down into position. Where were they? They'd flown east from Utah for several hours. The land below was covered by trees which were much different than the cedars and pines around Sally and Brian's home. Were they going to land out here in the middle of nowhere? If so, it meant they had even less chance of attracting attention for help. What would happen to them now?

Josh then turned back to face Pete and asked, Where are we?

Just never you mind. You don't need to know.

The plane banked to the left to line up on the runway and pitched downward at an even steeper angle before flaring back level as it settled in for the landing. A few seconds later, they felt and heard the wheels rumbling beneath them as the plane rolled along the uneven ground. It finally slowed to a stop near the end of the runway, where it turned around and taxied back to park in front of the lone hangar he had seen earlier.

Releasing his seatbelt, their guard Pete, said, Okay, kids, end of the ride.

Josh watched as he stood, unlocked the cabin door with its built in steps, swung it down to the side of the plane and climbed out, pulling his pistol as he went. From the bottom step, he turned, waved the gun at them, and said, Slow and easy now, get yourselves down here. Just remember, don't try anything stupid. He waved his gun for emphasis.

As he spoke, a black SUV pulled up just off the wingtip. We're all going to get in that car and take another ride. A short one.

As Ariel followed Josh from the plane in the fading light of the day, she saw that a road paralleled the grass landing strip. Across the road, a simple white farmhouse stood among trees. Fear gripped Ariel's heart in an icy clasp, eased only by the knowledge that they had not been hurt yet. She turned toward Josh. She could tell he was trying to be brave, but at the moment he looked scared too, as she followed him into the back seat of the SUV. Pete slammed the door, got into in the right front seat, and turned toward them, his gun plainly in hand.

You kids just stay cool and no one gets hurt. Understand?

Sure, Josh shrugged.

Ariel received his mental picture of not fighting them. She acknowledged with a nod and sent, "Okay."

She saw Josh raise his eyebrows, apparently not sure what he'd received from her. She wished again that he could use mind talk. Maybe he could learn. She'd been doing it all her life. Talking out loud was where she had difficulty, enough that sometimes he didn't understand her efforts to speak English. He probably had no idea what a difficult jump it had been for her to go from telepathy to actually speaking aloud in a language that was totally foreign.

She remembered his surprise when only yesterday she had finally revealed her real identity to him. All the rest of the kids who had come to the Star Kids Camp had already departed, leaving only the two of them. They'd been sitting in the living room having a glass of iced tea.

Josh had commented. Ariel, you seem so smart, yet your English is a little stiff. I can't quite place your accent. Did you grow up in some other country, like somewhere in Europe?

Ariel paused. Should she tell him the truth? Could he handle it? Could she? She decided to risk it, but keep it simple. I didn't grow up in Europe. I grew up in what you call space. She watched as disbelief spread across his face, followed by a shake of his head, as if trying to dislodge something.

You mean you grew up on a space station? I didn't know we had anyone out there but the astronauts. Incredulity filled his voice and face.

Not the space station that you have in a low orbit around earth, but on a large, very large to you, space ship. What we call our Mothership. It is parked much further out in space than your space station.

How did you get there? Josh asked in a voice filled with awe.

I was born there.

Wait a minute. I thought you said that Sally is your mother.

She is.

Well, how could you be born on a space ship? And what about your dad?

Sally was brought to our ship and her genetic material was mixed with my father's and implanted back in her body. Then after three months, I was removed and continued to grow in our gestation chambers on the ship until it was time for me to come out.

And is your father from here or ..., he left the rest unsaid.

My father, Markel, has lived his whole life on the ship, though he has occasionally been to our home planet and has also visited here on Terra. But he is half Star DNA and half human DNA.

He pulled back from her. Whoa! You mean you’re part alien?

Yes, though I don't like the term, alien. Maybe she shouldn't have revealed so much. For some reason, she wanted to be totally open with Josh, let him really know her, and she wanted to know him too. She liked him. More than a little. You asked about my accent. I haven't been speaking English very long. Only about a month. Actually, I haven't even been speaking aloud any longer. On the Mothership, we communicate by mind talk, what you call telepathy, like we experimented with during the camp.

Josh remained silent for several minutes, staring at the wall. Finally he turned back to Ariel and smiled. No wonder you have an accent. I can't imagine learning a language in only a month. Seems incredible. He paused.

It has not been easy.

How long have you been here? On earth, I mean?

Sally and I only learned about each other two months ago. It was a big shock for both of us. After that, I came to visit for a week, to see if I would like it. I was really scared at first, and I didn't have the right clothing. Also, the coyotes frightened me when they howled at night. Sally and Brian thought I could be of help at the camp, so I came back a couple of days before it began. I'm glad I came.

I'm glad too, Josh said. He paused again. Now that I think about it, I guess I'm something of a hybrid myself. My dad's mother was a white woman, and though my grandparents on my mother's side are African-American, they are pretty light in color. So that makes me 25% white. He smiled sheepishly.

He told of an article he'd read in his American History class about President Thomas Jefferson fathering children with his slave mistress, Sally Hemming. I guess being a hybrid is not so bad. All of us kids who came to this camp are unusual. We are Star Kids because we've had some contact with the Star People. I have finally accepted that I fit that category. But you really are Star Kid! From space.

Yes, though I am of 75% human DNA. Ariel had said.

An airstrip near Edinburg, Virginia

After the two men bundled Josh and Ariel into the backseat of the SUV, they left the airstrip, crossed the road that bordered the runway, and drove along a gravel lane back into the woods behind the house. They stopped in front of what Josh recognized as a hangar with a large 50 foot bi-fold door, whose dark-green metal exterior blended in with the trees that surrounded it. What was a hangar doing here in the woods so far from the airstrip? Then he noticed that the large concrete ramp in front of the hangar was open to the sky, and concluded that maybe it was for a helicopter.

Pete opened Josh's door, Okay, everybody out. End of the ride. He pointed to the regular sized door set beside the hangar door. In there.

Josh and Ariel entered the large hangar. Centered inside, a sleek black Bell Ranger helicopter rested on four small swivel wheels extending below its skids, enabling it to be pushed in and out of the hangar. Behind it, an odd assortment of beat up furniture gave stark contrast to the helicopter. The desk, swivel chair, and couch had all seen better days. Behind it, a large window looked out on the woods that surrounded this building.

Sit on that couch, Pete ordered. And, gesturing to the man by his side, Rick here will be your baby sitter for the night. Don't even think about trying to get away.

Josh's heart sunk. Now here they were, trapped. All because he'd been too conceited to acknowledge Ariel's warning of danger. He'd been trying to make a big impression on her, to show her that he was strong. So much for that idea. All he'd done was get them kidnapped. He could think of all sorts of smart comebacks to Pete, but decided he'd best to not cause any trouble just now.

With that, Pete turned and went back out the door. They heard the door of the SUV slam as it started to pull away.

The evening hours dragged slowly into night. Josh disliked the darkness of the hangar, broken only by the desk lamp, but was grateful to not have the big mercury light in the ceiling glaring at them. At first, fear monopolized his feelings and clouded his view of everything else. But then boredom gradually seeped in to replace at least some of the fear. They both fidgeted on the couch, already tired of sitting. Hunger and thirst gnawed at them as well.

Josh called out to the guard, Hey, do you plan to feed us anything tonight? And how about some water too?

I got an extra ham sandwich here. You'll have to share.

That'll do for me, Josh said, but do you have any vegetarian items? Ariel doesn't eat meat.

Hey, this ain't no gourmet restaurant. I got a couple of old apples here on my desk. Here, you can have'em. He picked them up and tossed them, one at a time.

Josh caught one, but the other went wide and hit the floor, adding bruises to its already pockmarked skin. Josh picked it up, wiped it off on his shirt, and gave both to Ariel. Here, Ariel. At least it's something.

What will you eat, she asked.

I'll eat the sandwich, Josh said, and looked up just in time to catch the plastic bag flying through the air in his direction.

Later, their hunger partially sated, Josh and Ariel remained on the couch. The hours wore on. At one point, Ariel whispered in Josh's ear, I need to empty my fluids.

It took Josh a moment to realize that Ariel was saying she needed to use the bathroom, but he saw no bathroom here in the hangar. Maybe there was one outside. He looked at the guard who had his feet propped up on the desk, reading a magazine by the light of the desk lamp. He called out, Hey, we need to use the toilet.

The guard merely laughed. Ain't got no bathroom. You're gonna have to use the bucket.

Josh looked around and spotted a yellow five gallon plastic bucket in the corner, with a battered white plastic toilet seat sitting on top of it. Maybe this wasn't the first time this building had housed prisoners. He pointed it out to Ariel, who shook her head, nodding toward the guard. Josh spoke again, You gonna turn your back while she uses the toilet?

No way, José. He cackled, as if he'd told the world's funniest joke. The boss told me to not let you out of my sight. He laughed again.

Josh stood, walked over to the bucket, and brought it back and set it behind the couch.

The guard said, Hey, I didn't say you could do that.

She deserves a little privacy. You going to do something about it? Josh said defiantly and motioned for Ariel to go ahead and use the bucket while he stood in front of the couch with his back to her.

Don't let your mouth get too smart there, the guard said.

When Ariel finished, Josh relieved himself in the bucket too, turning his back to both. Afterwards, he asked Rick, What do you want me to do with it?

Rick walked to the door of the hangar, unlocked it with a key, snapped on a light switch, turning on flood lights outside, and said, You can take it outside and dump it in the woods. Just remember I'll have my eyes on you the whole time. He gestured ominously with the pistol in his hand. So don't try anything.

Josh removed the toilet seat, picked up the bucket, and did as he'd been instructed, returning under the watchful eyes of the guard. He would have loved to run away, but he didn't know where they were and he didn't want to abandon Ariel. He'd already put her at too much risk. Rick locked the door again, once Josh was back inside.

Hey, how about some of that water you promised?

Rick tossed a water bottle from the desk. Josh caught it and returned to sit beside Ariel on the couch. Though it was big enough for one person to stretch out on, it couldn't accommodate two. This would not be a restful night.

Ariel whispered, I am afraid, Josh. What are they going to do to us?

"Nothing right now. They apparently want something from my dad. I'm not sure what that is.

For Josh, being this close to a girl for so many hours was something new. He'd had a couple of dates in high school, but that was all. Though he had initially thought Ariel to be somewhat peculiar, he now found himself liking her. A lot. And he wanted to protect her. He just wished he had not been so stupid back there in Utah when she had tried to warn him of the danger ahead. Now look where they were. All because he was trying to look good. He cautiously reached out and took her hand in his. She looked at him, apparently surprised, but did not remove her hand. In fact she smiled.

A little later, he noticed that Ariel's chin had begun to drop toward her chest. Sleepy. Though it felt risky, he slipped his hand from hers, put his arm around her, and gently pulled her toward him. As he did so, she raised her face and stared into his eyes for a heart-stopping long moment. He swallowed nervously, but didn't remove his arm. A minute later, Ariel lowered her head to his shoulder. Josh worried that Ariel would hear his heart pounding in his chest. If she did, she gave no indication. If only this could have been happening in a situation that was not dangerous. If only their very lives were not at risk. But then he might not have had the courage to risk being this close with her.

Her head slowly settled lower until it was just below his chin. He could smell her hair, a slightly intoxicating aroma, like orange blossoms. He pulled her a little closer, and leaned his chin on her head, as he himself became more and more sleepy. He glanced over at the guard and noticed that he too appeared drowsy.

Somehow Rick must have become aware of Josh's eyes on him and jerked to a more alert posture. Any hope Josh had of escaping when the guard fell asleep, eroded. He lowered his head to let his cheek nestle in Ariel's hair and gave in to sleep.

Sometime in the night, the walk door of the hangar banged open as Pete entered, startling Josh out of his sleep. The guard dropped his feet from the desktop and stood. Pete stopped at the desk and called out to Josh, Hey you. Wake up and get your butt over here. You have a phone call to make.

Carefully, Josh eased Ariel's head off his shoulder and stood. His arm ached from being in the same position for so long with the weight of her head on it. He rubbed his eyes and ran a hand over his face.

Come on, come on. I ain't got all night.

I'm coming, Josh said. He watched as Pete pulled a small slip of paper from his wallet, picked up the phone, and began punching in the number on the paper. We're gonna make sure your dad knows that we have you, but don't try to pull any smart tricks. Just tell him you are okay. Pete handed him the handset.

A moment later he recognized the muffled, sleepy voice of his dad, General Carter, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force.

Hello?

Josh began, Dad, I'm okay. They've got me and Ariel. They...

Pete yanked the handset from Josh's hand and spoke into it. Listen up. We have your boy. You do what we tell you and no one gets hurt. You don't cooperate? He paused. Well, I'll leave that to your imagination.

After a brief silence, the conversation continued. Never mind who this is. You heard your kid. You have something we want. Give it to us and you'll get what you want. Your kid, and the girl too.

Josh tried to hear what his dad might be saying, but could only guess, based on the faint sounds he could hear from the receiver in Pete's hand.

You have information about that saucer. We want that info.

Another pause. You may not have the saucer, but you know something about it. You were in Utah at some kid's camp on UFOs. Right? Give us information that will lead us to the saucer or you won't see your kid again. It's that simple.

Pete's voice continued, I will call you at 07:00 to let you know where to deliver the information. He banged the receiver onto its cradle.

He turned to Josh. You better hope your old man comes through, he said with a smirk, and turning to Rick, And you. No sleeping on the job. Anything happens, it's your ass. He left the hangar.

Rick waved his pistol at Josh. You heard the man. Get back over to that couch and behave yourself.

Josh plopped heavily and dejectedly back onto the couch beside Ariel. At least he knew that his dad was aware of his situation now. He wasn't quite clear what these guys wanted, but understood it had to do with a UFO. Did his dad have a UFO? They certainly thought he did. This whole adventure, beginning with the Star Kids camp had been intriguing and sometimes confusing, and now was frightening. He flashed back to when he was a young boy, when the night visitors used to come and take him away. Those experiences had always seemed like a dream, but sometimes the dreams were almost too real, especially when he woke up the next morning with bruises on his arms or legs. Once there had even been a small fresh scar where a piece of skin was missing.

Ariel asked, "What do they want?"

I'm not quite sure. Something about a UFO. Maybe my dad has some secret UFO or saucer in the Air Force that I don't know about.

After a short silence, Ariel replied, Maybe they want to know about my people, though I'm not sure they know who I am.

She thought about the saucer that Markel used for transportation. She knew that Joe had a saucer as well, which he used to travel to the Mothership, like when he brought Brian and Sally to visit the ship. Maybe that was the saucer they wanted. She wasn't sure that Josh knew about that one, so she didn't mention it.

I hope not. If they did, I think we'd be in worse trouble, Josh said.

Chapter 2

August 23, 2002

Darkness had fallen on their second night on the old couch. Tired and frustrated, Josh was now more and more scared. It'd been over 24 hours since they had first arrived. They had heard no word whatsoever from the men guarding them about what was happening. Maybe they didn't know either. While they had provided adequate water, food was less forthcoming. This past noon someone dropped off a couple of cheap hamburgers already turned cold and greasy. Even he found it difficult to get one of them down. Ariel wouldn't touch hers. She'd turned her head away with a grimace. The only food she'd had so far was two bruised apples the night before. Josh felt sorry for her but there was nothing he could do about it at this point.

With no toilet facilities in the hangar, they had continued to make do with the plastic bucket. Though he had been glad for a chance to stretch his legs and get a little fresh air each time he had to carry it out into the nearby woods to empty it, Josh's repeated request of their guard to turn his back when Ariel used the bucket brought only derisive cackles.

Sitting in the darkened hangar with only the light from the desk lamp where the guard held court, Josh alternated between anger and despair. He knew his dad was aware of their plight from the phone call they had made to him during the previous night. He remembered Pete's ominous threat that if they didn't get what they wanted from the General, they would kill him and Ariel. But he remembered how firm his dad had always held to the theory that you should never give in to terrorists. He hoped that somehow his dad would not give up on them.

Suddenly, the lights on the outside of the hangar flashed on, startling both the guard and Josh. It brought a loud exclamation from the guard, and for Josh a flicker of hope. Were there motion detectors out there? He'd not seen any when he emptied the toilet bucket. A second guy, who had just arrived for his shift in the hangar, said he'd go check it out. Josh's hope died when he heard that guard return and say, Just another damn deer.

A few minutes later, the phone on the desk rang. Yeah. A silent pause, then, You're sure? Okay, you got it!

Josh could not hear what was said after that, but a moment later Rick hung up, grabbed his automatic rifle, and approached, On your feet now, you two. Out to the car. Time to go for another ride. The other guard went out ahead of them to the car.

Where are you taking us?

That's not for me to say, so get moving, With his rifle, Rick herded them out the door and into the waiting SUV. He slammed the back seat door on them and climbed in the passenger's seat. It lurched away from the hangar along the primitive track, almost as if they were being chased.

Josh's mind leaped ahead, now sure that their fate had been sealed, not with escape or rescue, but death. He flashed an image to Ariel of them jumping from the moving car. Her eyes flew wide in response, a questioning look on her face. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all. They were probably not going to be turned over to his dad, the General. Sure enough, they bounced across the road and back to the air strip. The driver gunned the SUV down the air strip toward the waiting King Air. In the headlights of the car, Josh saw its propellers already beginning to turn over in a cough of blue exhaust smoke. His heart sank. Where would they take them now? He looked at Ariel. She looked more frightened than he'd ever seen her. Had she picked up something mentally? Something had scared her. Almost afraid to ask, he finally screwed up his courage and said, Do you get anything on their intentions?

They're going to dump us in the ocean, Josh!

Should they just run for it when they stopped the car? Wouldn't a shot in the back be better than being dumped in the ocean to drown? At least it would be quick. Before he could say anything to Ariel, the driver stomped on the brakes and slid to a halt beside the plane. Rick jumped out, gun in hand, and yanked open the door, Out, you two. He herded them toward the small stair leading into the plane.

Unexpectedly, Ariel looked up, as if she had heard something. A moment later, Josh felt a jolt of energy hit him and everything froze. He could not move, but neither could Rick, and the airplane's engines began to spool down. Shortly after that, Josh felt himself losing consciousness and everything went black.

Had Josh been able to see, he would've been astonished to observe a flying saucer materialize nearby on the ground, its hatch open, and a man emerge. He'd have recognized Joe, their friend from Utah. As it was, he didn't feel himself being dragged to the saucer and bundled inside. And he didn't know that Ariel had already been placed inside. When he began to regain consciousness, he heard a voice explaining to someone that the kids were okay, but that they should come and tie up the guys by the airplane.

Though groggy, he thought he recognized the voice. Joe? Is that you?

Yep. You're safe now.

Where are we? Josh could sense that they were in some sort of a vehicle, but he did not detect any motion or hear any sound. Quite puzzling.

We're airborne. I'm going to land in a moment to pick up someone.

Josh felt the vehicle rock a little and then a slight bump as it sat down. He thought it seemed mighty quiet for a helicopter. Maybe his hearing was affected from the energy jolt. A minute later, Joe punched a button and the door in the side of the cabin opened. He saw his dad enter, come over to him, and give him a big hug.

Thank God you're safe, Josh, General Carter said. That was close.

Yeah, Ariel got the impression that they were going to take us out over the ocean and dump us. Thanks for coming to get us, Dad. I was pretty scared.

These were some bad people, Josh. Human life doesn't mean anything to them. They tried to kill me, your mom, and Sally and Brian as well. But it's over now.

Are they okay?

Yeah, they're all fine, although Brian got a bullet wound in his leg. It'll take some time to heal, but he's going to be all right. I got a little scratch too.

What happened to you?

I caught a bullet ricochet when we were escaping those guys. But it's just a scratch on my shoulder, Jeremy said. A doctor friend of mine sewed it up for me. He's taking care of Brian too.

What happens now? Josh asked.

I'm going to have Joe drop me off at my friend Ben's place near Washington, and then I'm going to send him back out to Nevada with you two to join the others.

Mom is in Nevada?

Yes, she and Brian and Sally are staying with Sam, my doctor friend, at a remote airstrip out there.

What are you going to do?

I have a little job to do in Washington, DC tomorrow morning. I have to go talk to the President at the White House. As soon as I do that, I'll fly out to Nellis and then get a ride back over to Blanding. I have to get a bomb squad over there anyway. They booby-trapped my plane.

A few minutes later, Josh felt the craft land again. This sure is a quiet helicopter. I didn't even notice us take off.

Josh saw his dad look over at Ariel and wink. Yeah, it is quiet all right. The door of the cabin opened again to the darkness of the night. The General continued, Well, this is my stop. Say hi to your mom. Hopefully, I'll see you sometime tomorrow. Take care. And Josh?

Yeah, Dad?

You and I have a lot of catching up to do. He paused, eyes brimming with tears. I love you, son.

Thanks, Dad. Josh's eyes filled with tears too.

Then the General was gone and the door silently closed. Moments later the craft rocked a little as it lifted off into the night.

Kidwell Airstrip

Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada

August 24, 2002, 1:00 a.m.

Josh couldn't have been more surprised when his dad had said he loved him. Had he heard correctly? He couldn't remember his dad ever saying that, not in his entire life. But then he remembered the tears in his dad's eyes at the time he spoke. Yes, it had really happened.

Not long ago they had landed at Ben's place in Maryland. He remembered that Ben had flown with his dad in Viet Nam and was now with the Washington, DC police. He wondered why his dad had to stay behind to meet with the President, but he supposed that in his position, meeting with the President wasn't all that unusual. Now they were airborne again. The stop had been so brief, he'd not had a chance to get out and look at this helicopter. He was curious to see what such a silent craft looked like, but allowed himself to doze off anyway. It seemed like only a short time later when Joe announced that they would be landing shortly.

Landing? Where? We just left DC. I thought you said we were going to go see Mom and Ariel's mom.

We are, Joe answered quietly.

But that's way out in Nevada.

I know. We're almost there now.

We can't be. A helicopter can't fly that fast.

This isn't a helicopter. When you said something about it earlier, you just assumed this was a helicopter. It's not. Joe grinned at Josh. It's a saucer.

Whoa! Josh exclaimed. I thought there was something familiar about this cabin. Reminds me of those I was in when I was a little kid. But still, how fast are we going?

Oh, we're down to only about 5,000 miles per hour now.

Oh. Dumbfounded, Josh said, Now I really can't wait to see what this thing looks like. He didn't have long to wait. Meanwhile, he turned to Ariel and saw the smile on her face.

You knew, didn't you?

Of course, she chuckled. I knew when Joe came to rescue us. I heard the craft overhead before he blasted us with the electromagnetic pulse that made us go unconscious. Remember when I looked up? I knew what it was then.

Why didn't you say something?

I knew you'd find out soon enough. Nice surprise, eh?

Before Josh could reply, Joe announced, We're arriving. Time to greet the family. And Josh, after we land and you take a quick look at the ship, I am going to park it in invisible mode, so don't worry when it disappears. Before you two get out, I have something else to tell you.

Josh felt a little bump as the saucer settled to the earth. Then Joe said, While we were en route, I received a message from the Counselor on the Mothership. He said to tell you that he is glad you are safe and that it is time for you two to prepare for your mission.

Josh wrinkled his brow, What mission?

He didn't say, but I got the impression that it's very important.

Well, how do we find out? He turned to Ariel, Do you know what he's talking about?

She shook her head. No, I do not.

Well, that's all we need. After all we've been through, to have some mysterious mission, but not even tell us what it is. Right now I'm not in the mood for anything like that.

Can't say that I blame you, Joe responded. He pushed the button on the instrument panel to open the door, which immediately lifted to reveal the deep velvet black of the desert sky outside.

Josh stepped out onto the ramp of an aircraft hangar, barely visible in the desert darkness, then turned back to stare at their craft. He was amazed not only at the sight of it, but also at the speed at which they had flown all the way across the country. He turned to Joe. Where are we?

We're at a small desert airstrip in the southeast corner of Nevada where a bunch of pilots have gathered to hang out together. Most of them live in trailer houses, but they have also built hangars for their planes. This is where your dad's friend Sam Koboloski lives, fondly known as Doc. He was the flight surgeon with your dad's outfit in Viet Nam. He patched up both Brian and your dad. I guess we'd better go knock and let somebody know we're here. There's a light on, so it looks like somebody is waiting up for us.

You mean this is where Mom is?

Yes, she's here. I left her here not all that long ago.

Just then a tall shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, That you, Joe?

Yeah. It's me, Joe answered.

I kind of hoped I might hear from you sometime soon. Why didn't you call?

I didn't have any opportunity to get to a phone, and in flight, I didn't want to risk exposure on the radio. Didn't know who might be listening. We've been through a pretty rough time the last day or so, so I decided to come in quietly.

Probably a good idea. Glad you're here.

I brought you a couple of visitors. I think they'll be a welcome sight to the folks inside. Putting a hand on Josh's and Ariel's shoulders, Doc, this is Josh, Amanda and Jeremy's son, and this is Ariel, Sally's daughter. They're the ones that got kidnapped. Jeremy's rescue mission got them out safely, but it was a close call.

Glad to meet you all. Doc offered his hand. Well, come on in. Let's go see if we can find anyone awake. Sam turned and led the group to the back door of his double wide trailer home. He went in and down the hall to knock on two different doors, each time announcing, Someone here to see you.

Shortly doors were flung open. First out was Amanda, a tall, light-complected black woman in her forties, dressed in a long flannel night gown. Next, Sally emerged, wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, followed by Brian, moving more slowly on a pair of crutches.

Josh's voice trembled as he said, Hi, Mom, and was enfolded by her outstretched arms.

From behind Josh, Ariel watched his reunion with his mother. She followed him into the kitchen and went to Sally to be folded into a warm hug. Hugs were a new enough experience to still feel a little confining, but Ariel was learning to enjoy them, and especially to enjoy the body contact. Brian reached an arm across Ariel's shoulders to give her a hug too. The voices of five people, all talking at once, filled the air.

Back outside on the porch, Joe and Sam grinned and gave each other a thumbs-up. It's a relief to have everyone safe, Joe said.

"Yeah. When you guys left with all that firepower, I'll have to admit that I