Michael "Gooder" Donovan crouched down behind a stack of boxes and crates at the back of the old fish cannery that had been the designated meeting place indicated in the cryptic message he had received from his friend, Martin, via another Fifth Columnist, the evening before. He wrinkled his nose distastefully at the putrid smell of rotten fish permeating the air around his hiding place and glanced down at his old watch for the umpteenth time in the past twenty minutes.
(Come on, Martin. What's keeping you?) He thought to himself, hoping that nothing had happened to his Visitor friend. Martin was the leader of the Fifth Columnist movement in the Los Angeles area and was wanted almost as badly by Diana, as Mike, himself was. As one of a trio of leaders in charge of the Los Angeles cell of the Earth-based Resistance movement, Mike knew firsthand how dangerous these clandestine meetings were becoming for both himself and Martin. Truth was he almost hadn't made this meeting in the first place, after his co-leaders, Dr. Juliet Parrish and Hamilton "The Fixer" Tyler had gotten wind of it from one of the other Resistance members; Julie had pleaded with him to think about the risk he was taking, while Tyler had told him he was leaving over his dead body. A verbal war had been waged between him and Tyler until Julie had threatened to lock them in a room together. Mike had let them know that he knew what was at risk if he was captured, but that he could not refuse to meet Martin under such urgent conditions.
(Martin, where are you? Tyler will have my head if I risked everything to come meet you and you do not even show up. )
There was the tiniest sound of soles scuffling across the cemented floor behind him. Mike whirled around, his eyes searching for movement, as he drew his sidearm from its holster and aimed it into the shadowy passageway behind him. Tension sang through his back and shoulders…making the cords in his neck tighten until they felt to him as if they would snap if he made any sudden noises.
"Who's there? Come out with your hands where I can see them!" He demanded, waiting tersely for an attack or his order to be obeyed.
"Jeez, Donovan, you're strung tighter than a bow," Came Chris Farber's unmistakable Southern drawl out of the shadows. "Why don't you point that thing somewhere else before it accidentally goes off and you shoot me? Maggie will kill me if I get blood all over the new shirt she bought me."
Mike felt the tension drain out of his body as he complied with Chris' wishes and re-holstered his weapon. He shot Chris a look that was half smile, half snarl. "I should shoot you just on general principles for sneaking up on me like that. But I won't, since the Resistance needs you too much." He said, moving to resume his previous position behind the stack of boxes and crates.
"I'm touched." Chris drawled sarcastically, moving out of the shadows to crouch his large frame down behind Mike.
"What are you doing here anyways?" Mike asked, quietly.
"Would you believe I was only out for a stroll?" Chris quipped.
"No." Mike replied. "Wait. Don't tell me. Tyler sent you to baby sit me so that I don't get into trouble."
"Now would he do that?" Chris asked.
Mike shot him a 'you got to be kidding me' look over his shoulder. Chris shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't the 'Boss Man,' Tyler was, even if nobody else in the whole Los Angeles Resistance cell thought he was, except for him. When Tyler spoke, he listened. It was simple as that.
"Yes, he would." Mike said. "When is that man ever going to accept the fact that I can take care of myself? I've been fighting the damn lizards as long as he has?"
"But he's been fighting longer, period." Chris replied. "He's good at what he does. He is the best that I have seen, human or otherwise, and you know it. Do not condemn the man's talents, because of his methods. If I recall correctly the man has saved your skin alone more times than I can count."
"Last I counted, I was one up on him…but that doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that he seems to think that he can undermine mine and Julie's authority whenever he feels like it and it causes internal problems within the cell. Sending you to 'check up' on me, when you were scheduled to go on a supply run with Elias for instance." Mike told him.
Chris shrugged again. "No sense harping over it now that I'm here. You can tell Tyler off when we get back to base. When's your scaly friend supposed to be meeting you?"
"He should have been here about twenty minutes ago. I say we give him another five minutes. He doesn't show, we head back to base." Mike's concern for his friend was evident.
"Sounds good to me." Chris' voice broke off as a slight sound caught both his and Mike's attention.
Both men froze, shoulders tense, hands on the butts of their guns. The slight scuffling noise they had heard transferred into two sets of soft footsteps as they approached their hiding place. Chris pantomimed the words, "Martin and a friend?" Mike shook his head, 'No'. Martin's note had not indicated that he was going to be bringing a friend with him to the meeting. Carefully Mike un-holstered his gun and saw Chris do the same, both waiting for an opportune time to spring out from their hiding place and surprise their uninvited 'visitors'.
"Mike? Mike, are you here?" a reverberating voice called out softly.
Mike hesitated a moment before speaking, thinking that another Visitor could be affecting his voice to sound like Martin's in order to lure him into a trap. There was no way of knowing either way unless he responded to his name being called.
"Martin?"
There was obvious relief in the Visitor's voice as he responded, "Yes, it is I."
Mike stood up and edged his way out from behind the boxes, his laser still drawn defensively. Chris edged into the place where Mike had been hiding ready to cover his friend if necessary. Mike could see two blond haired figures in red uniforms standing a short distance away and his hand tightened on the butt of his gun as he swept the area for any more shapes hiding in the darkened corners of the cannery.
One of the blond figures stepped forward out of the dark toward him. It was Martin. "You don't have to be alarmed, Mike. You are not in danger."
Mike relaxed visibly. It was indeed Martin, by the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes and features. He put his gun away. "You didn't say anything about bringing a friend with you Martin."
"I know. I couldn't take the chance of you not coming." Martin replied.
Mike's eyebrows rose at the cryptic phrase. "Why would you think that?"
"Because of me." The other Visitor spoke and stepped out of the shadows and up to Martins' side.
"Brian?" The name came out in a gasp from Mike, as shock swept over his body, followed by a burning rush of anger. Behind Mike, he heard the distinct sound of a safety being let off a trigger and knew that Chris had the muzzle of his gun leveled on Brian. By the concerned look that passed over Martin's face and the scared one that appeared on Brian's, Mike knew that both Visitors had identified the sound for what it was too.
"What kind of sick joke is this, Martin?" Mike demanded angrily. "Brian's dead. Robin killed him. I told you that."
"No, Mike. The Visitor that Robin killed WAS an impostor. This really is Brian. I will explain it all to you to the best of my ability. I, myself, am still reeling from the news as well. Please, have whoever is with you put up his/her weapon and come out so that we can talk." Martin replied.
Mike hesitated. Martin had never given him any reason not to trust him in the entire time that they had known each other. Still, he found himself hesitant to comply with Martin's request while staring at the despised Youth Corps leader before him.
"Mike, trust me." Martin said.
"Chris, put away your gun and come out." Mike said finally.
Chris swore under his breath. He had been hoping that Donovan would not do as his lizard friend asked. He had learned too many times in the past that sometimes the people you trusted most with your life, often ended up to be the ones who desired you dead the most. Lizard friends were not any different from human ones, excepting the fact that they were green and grew scales instead of peach fuzz all over their bodies. He stood up and edged around the boxes and into open view at Mike's side. It took all the control he had to put up the gun as Mike had directed him. Tyler would have never asked him to do so; then again, Tyler did not like the lizards anymore than he liked anyone else. Tyler was consistent with his hatred, if nothing else. He hated everyone.
"Donovan If I get made into a burrito, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your life." Chris said under his breath as he came to an upright position next to Mike. He stared hard at the two lizards, his arms folded across his chest, fingers of his gun hand caressing the butt of his gun. If things were going to go bad, he wanted his hand near his gun for a quick draw.
Mike rolled his eyes in response to Chris' comment. Then focused them back on Martin. "Okay, Martin, you can start explaining now."
Martin opened his mouth to speak, but Brian cut him off. "Perhaps it should be I that explains, since I'm the one that told him."
"Okay." Mike said curtly.
"As you already know, I was the Youth Corps leader for the LA sector of the Visitor legation. And I worked in close proximity for a short time with Daniel Bernstein and other human youths in that neighborhood. It was during this time that I met Robin Maxwell and developed a friendship with her. We spent some time together and I found that I was becoming both physically and emotionally attached to her. And I feel that she shared the same feelings for me. It was during this time that I fell under Diana's careful scrutiny. At first, I assumed it was because she found my scale pattern particularly enticing, but I learned later on that she was not interested in me for herself. She was interested in conducting one of her medical experiments on Robin Maxwell and thought that I would make the most likely candidate to assist her since she had observed our 'friendship.' I refused because I did not want any harm to come to Robin at Diana's hands. Diana was furious with me! She ordered my execution and I was dragged away by some of Stephen's security officers. Luckily, unbeknownst to anyone but me, one of the guards happened to be my cousin and a member of the Fifth Column. He helped me subdue the other guard and together we escaped from the mothership and we went into hiding. Some time after that, through notes from other Fifth Columnists we knew…we learned that Diana had found a new conquest in a male transfer from the Missouri mothership and persuaded him to take part in her experiment. He was given a new psuedo-skin, an exact replica of the one I am wearing, as well as a speech impediment so that anybody would assume that when they came across the clone, it would be me they were talking or working with."
Brian finished speaking and waited for his words to sink in to the two human's heads. He tossed Martin and anxious look, wondering if he had made a mistake in trusting his safety to the other Visitor.
Mike's mind reeled as he tried to digest the story Brian had just told him. He found himself wanting not to believe it; yet, how could he not when the evidence that it was true was standing right in front of him. By the look he received from Chris; Mike knew that the burly man had come to the same conclusion that he had.
"Say you are telling the truth. Why come out of hiding? Why tell us after all this time?" Mike questioned.
Brian and Martin exchanged looks. "Because Diana has discovered that Brian is still alive. The guard that Brian and his cousin subdued confessed to her that he had not been killed as she had ordered, but that he had been aided by a friend and gotten away. The guard had kept the information secret all this time for fear of what Diana would do to him if she found out. He was at fault and came under her wrath…so he confessed in hopes of buying more time for himself in another incident. Instead, he signed his own death warrant." Martin informed them.
"That still doesn't explain why you called this meeting? Or what you need my help with Martin?" Mike asked.
"Brian is a Fifth Columnist Mike. He has been from the very beginning, but I was not aware of it until now. Only a select few knew that he was…and the information was just relayed to me by a trusted comrade in the hopes that I might be able to get Brian smuggled out of California. There is a position in the Oregon based Fifth Columnist movement. Would you be willing to fly him there and drop him off?" Martin said.
"Do you even know what you are asking Martin? I had a hard enough time getting Tyler to loosen his hold on my leash to make this meeting…and still he sent Chris here to baby sit me." Mike said incredulously, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I know full well of the risk that you and I are both taking at coming out of hiding after the last caper we pulled off." Martin said. "And that leash is only as tight as you allow it to be. I would not ask you to risk your life or anyone else is for just anything. Brian knows too much vital information about the inner workings of the Fifth Column movement under my command. If he is caught and tortured it will not only be disastrous for my organization, but for yours as well."
Mike chewed on his bottom lip. This was too big a deal for him to just come to a decision on his own. He was going to have to discuss the details over with Julie and Tyler. He winced. He was not looking forward to telling Tyler about this at all. Tyler seemed to think that the only good Visitor was a dead Visitor.
"I'm going to have to discuss this with Julie and Tyler. There's too much riding on it to keep them in the dark. Let's meet back here tomorrow and I'll give you our decision then." Mike told Martin.
"Fair enough. We will be here." Martin said.
The two friends shook hands and then Martin and Brian disappeared into the shadows. Mike watched them go for a minute, then turned and looked at Chris. "We better head back to base. Don't want Tyler stewing in his own juices for too long."
"If you say so Mike, but I ain't inching to be anywhere near Ham when you tell him what this meeting was about. He's going to be madder than a hornet and ten times as deadly." Chris said as they made their way cautiously out of the fish cannery and started back to base.
An anxious Julie and a scowling Ham met them at the door.
"Well, what did your scaly buddy have to say that was so all fired important that you risked capture for?" Tyler demanded.
Mike rolled his eyes in Tyler's direction, as he returned the embrace that Julie offered him. "I'd rather not discuss it here. You want the scoop, follow me to the war room."
Without waiting for a reply, Mike started down the hallway with Julie. Tyler looked to Chris for some explanation. "Don't look at me bro, I did what you asked and went for backup. This is Donovan's tale to tell."
"In other words I'm not going to like it, am I?" Tyler asked.
"I know you're not going to like it." Chris said and started down the corridor in the direction that Mike and Julie had gone.
"Great. Just great..."Tyler muttered as he followed his cumbersome friend.
Mike and Julie were talking quietly with one another in the cell's 'war room', the large chamber was filled with a variety of communication devices, weapons, circular table and chairs, chalkboards and other reconnaissance equipment that was used when they planned raids and other maneuvers against the Visitors.
Mike had barely gotten the chance to share with Tyler and Julie the tale that Brian and Martin had told him and Chris, when Tyler exploded.
"I always knew you were gullible Donovan, but come on, you can't seriously believe the line of rat guts the snake is feeding you!" Tyler shouted angrily, banging his fists down onto the table before him.
"I admit the story does sound a bit farfetched, but it doesn't mean it isn't true! Besides, I'm not basing my belief or trust in Brian, but in Martin! Martin's always been straight with us and you know it! Not once has he ever failed to help us out when we've needed him no matter how dangerous it was to him or his organization! He deserves the same from us!" Mike bellowed back, fists on his hips, eyes glaring daggers at Tyler.
"I'm not having any part in taking the snake anywhere! If you want to risk your hide to do it, go ahead, but you had better make sure you do not get caught! Because I swear Gooder, what Diana does to you is going to be nothing compared to what I'll do to you!" Tyler shouted back, kicking the leg of the table and stalking out of the headquarters conference room with a silent Chris following behind him.
"Good! Who asked for your help anyways? It's been far too long since I've been able to do things my way, without you butting in with your 'expertise'!" Mike called out after Tyler. He unclenched his fists from his hips and flexed his hands; somewhat wishing that Tyler had taken a potshot at him so that he could have released some of the tension he was feeling. He was sick and tired of having to argue every little thing out with Tyler before he was allowed to do something. He was not the same person who had joined the resistance over a year ago, who was focused only on finding his son and nothing else. He was fully committed to the Resistance and the desperate fight that they were in to save all humanity from Syrian tyranny. If he had been that same person, he would not have even told Martin that he had discussed it with Julie and Tyler first. He would have simply told his friend yes and made plans accordingly.
"Mike, are you sure you know what you are getting yourself into?" Julie asked, moving to stand beside Mike. She laid a hesitant hand upon his arm and looked up at him with concern filled blue eyes.
"Damn it, Julie! I thought you of all people would back me up on this! Martin has never turned his back on anything we've asked him to do, how can we not honor that?" Mike snapped.
Julie recoiled, jerking her hand back away from him. "That's not fair Mike and you know it! I just don't want anything to happen to you!"
Mike sighed. Damn. He had not meant to bite her head off. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken my anger at Tyler out on you. And don't worry; nothing's going to happen to me."
"That's right Julie. Nothing's going to happen to Mike, because I'm going with him." A male voice chimed in from behind them.
"Are you sure Kyle? I don't know how hairy things are going to get?" Mike asked the young man.
"Sounds familiar. And yes, I am sure. I'll back you Mike, any time, any place." Kyle said.
"Thanks, Kyle. Go get some sleep. I have a feeling we're in for a long couple of days." Mike told him.
"You bet. See you in the AM." Kyle said and left the room.
"Better take your own advice and get some sleep yourself, Mike." Julie said. She kissed him lightly on the lips before starting toward the door.
"I will as soon as I map out a flight plan." Mike assured her.
Martin and Brian were both relieved to learn that not only had the Resistance agreed to assist them in getting Brian safely out of California, but also that Mike himself had volunteered to be the pilot, when they met the next afternoon. Mike filled both Visitors in on the details of the plan he had come up with. They would procure a shuttle under the guise of obtaining some fresh animals from Oregon as a present for Diana in honor of the Christmas holiday celebrated by humans. Martin promised to have the necessary papers ready by the next morning and after arranging to meet at a nearby shuttle yard at dawn the next morning, Mike returned to headquarters.
Tyler was his usual sullen self around Mike, but seemed to have picked up on the holiday spirit as Resistance members finished decorating the large community hall with mistletoe, bows, pine branches and pinecones from the Santa Monica Mountains. After the decorating was done, Elias passed around a hat filled with the names of all sixty Resistance members in it. As the hat passed from one person to the next, that person would draw out a name from the hat to buy a present for.
"Who did you get?" Julie asked Mike later as they readied themselves for bed.
"Maggie? Why, who did you get?" Mike asked climbing underneath the covers beside her.
Julie made a grimace. "Ham…what the hell am I suppose to get him? A barrel of gunpowder? Case of fuses?"
Mike chuckled. "Sounds perfect for Tyler."
Julie snickered. "Want to swat names?"
"No way. I know just what I'm going to get Maggie. She's been wanting some new romance novels so I'll pick her out a couple of juicy ones she can read to Chris."
"She'll love that. Mike, promise you'll be careful tomorrow?" Julie said soberly.
"I promise. Got to sleep." Mike said, wrapping her in his arms and closing his eyes.
A surprise awaited Mike and Kyle the next day when they were heading out to meet Martin and Brian. Chris Faber stepped out of the shadows and said he was going with them. Mike started to protest, thinking it had been Tyler's idea. Chris stopped him before could get the words out and said it was his own decision. Reluctantly Mike allowed him to come along. Just because he and Tyler didn't get along, didn't mean he and Chris didn't. Besides, he did not know what was going to go down and having someone with Chris' talents along for the ride was bound to be good for all their health.
Martin and Brian were waiting for them near a shuttle, and true to his word, Martin had procured the necessary papers needed. The three human men dressed in red uniforms and adorned their necks with the special devices that mimicked the reverberating sound in Visitor voices. With nothing more than long patch of turbulence, Brian was dispatched to his new destination and the trio of Resistance fighters returned to California earlier than planned. So, not wanting to waste their disguises decided to stop off at an outdoor mall to do some much needed Christmas shopping. They accomplished their individual tasks of picking out presents. Mike bought Maggie two Danielle Steel books, Kyle chose a blue sweater to give Julie, whose name he had picked out of the hat; while Chris picked out a beautiful Dream book and journal set to give to one of the newest Resistance members, Linda as her present. He had asked Maggie to hint around to the one as to what kind of things that she liked, so that he would have some clue as to what to buy her… She had indicated that she liked things that had to do with the stars and moon and so that is why he had picked the book and journal set. One because it had a picture of the moon and stars on the cover and two, because it was about dreams….He only hoped that she liked it.
Christmas morning shown bright and clear...setting the day off to a good start for all. By the time night fell and everyone gathered in the large common room, around the Christmas to exchange presents, everyone appeared to be having a good time...including Tyler. Wearing a disheveled Santa suit, Willie moved about his room handing out presents with a wide smile plastered on his face. There were shrieks of pleasure from the children as they opened their new toys, exclamations of pleasure from the older members as they opened their gifts. Raucous laughter and cries of 'thank you' echoed off the walls as the evening progressed late into the night until reluctantly, the members dispersed and went to bed. It had been a good Christmas for all...
The End