I was focusing on calming my racing heart as Andrew answered my question.

"Well, you see, I just fancied myself a drive out this way." He replied, glancing back toward the road, "Thought I'd stop by and see your place. This old farmhouse is a piece of human history, and the architect inside me has been admiring it for some time. Hope I'm not distracting you from your work" He gestured to the tractor that was still running in the driveway.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, jumping into the tractor to turn it off. I also quickly disabled the radio—the last thing I needed was a human trying to contact me while I was with another Soul. "So irresponsible of me to leave it running, I just had to run inside to use the facilities and figured it'd save gas to leave it idling rather than turning it off and on again." I really had no idea if that was even true about saving gas, but it was my story and I was sticking to it.

"You still have work that needs doin tonight?"

"Oh, um, no not really." I was frantically trying to remember the lessons Nate had given me concerning lying. Eye contact. No hand movement. Confidence. Short, simple answers. Smile. "One of my irrigation ditches needs some widening and reinforcement in preparation for the snowmelt and mountain run-off on the far north side of my land. I was thinking I'd fix it tonight, but I can do it tomorrow just as easily." That was a half-truth, much easier for me than an out-right lie. I really had been planning on fixing it tonight after dinner, but with Rayne in such a weird mood, I had put off my plans until tomorrow.

"Would you like some help? These old bones need to do some heavy lifting every now-and-again to make sure I don't get too sloppy."

That caught me off guard. His offer carried a second meaning with it, and undertone of purpose. I was still pretty bad at reading most human facial expressions—the members of my family were easier because I knew them better—but even I could tell that he had something on his mind. I internally debated myself, realizing that if Andrew had something important enough to drive all the way out here to talk to me about, then I should probably listen. And preferably, that conversation would happen as far away from Rayne and her hideout as possible.

Somewhere in the back of my head, a human saying popped up. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." So that is what I would do.

I hoped he did not notice my brief hesitation before I said "Oh, thank you. That's very kind of you. A second person would probably make it go a lot faster!" Inwardly I was kicking myself. Go figure I would invite him to help with the one project that put a person at the perfect angle to see into the north-facing ground-level tunnel. The crops had not grown yet. The tunnel entrance had no cover except the flimsy camouflage on the garage door. Maybe some Souls would miss it, but not Andrew. He was much too experienced and observant.

I thought quickly. Sunset was in an hour. In the twilight, the complex would be difficult to spot. Impossible, really, unless you knew what you were looking for.

If I could stall him for a half hour and then go fix the ditch, it would be too dark for him to see any details as we passed by. It was unfortunate that Rayne was stuck in the cellar, but I would never let anything happen to her. I knew that she was frightened, but frightened was better than dead or discovered. I really wished I had thought of teddy bears earlier. Rayne was strong though, she could get through this, and as soon as we were on the other side, I would buy her a puppy to make her feel better.

Plan in place, I gave Andrew a bright smile

"Would you like to come inside? I haven't eaten supper yet and I was going to grab a protein bar on my way out to the ditch, but since you're here I can whip up something really quick."

Andrew smiled and nodded, and together we walked up the steps to the door. I mentally reviewed the interior of my home, making sure no signs of humans, especially little girl humans, were present. After a few seconds taking a mental tour of my house without any red flags appearing, I was confident that it would appear 100% bachelor pad. God bless Rachel and Jess for cleaning up the place after the hoard of dirty men moved out.

We moved from the entrance hall past the living room and dining room into the kitchen. Rayne was right below us, probably listening to every word we said. We had never calculated the sound-proof capabilities of the cellar, so I hoped she remained composed and quiet.

I opened my refrigerator and surveyed the contents. Very little of it looked appetizing, and none of it was enough for two people. I pulled open the freezer. Jackpot.

Pulling out four different microwavable meals, I allowed Andrew to examine them shrugging as I did so, "I'm a terrible cook."

He just laughed and selected the spaghetti and meatballs combo while I took the steak stroganoff one. "I practically live on these things." He announced with a smile. I returned his smile and let him pop his in the microwave first. While he was fiddling with the buttons on the microwave, I discretely disabled the kitchen radio. It was a secure channel, so if any of the humans used it they would not be guarding their words.

After we had eaten supper, I looked outside at the fading light. "Do you have time right now?" I asked hopefully, as if the idea to do the work tonight had just occurred to me.

Andrew shrugged, "Sure."

That was one of the things I liked about Andrew: he was a simple Soul. One and two word answers (or grunts) worked for him just fine. He was helpful without being pushy. Nice without being sickeningly sweet. Honest without giving out too much information. Being forced to appear human for so long had brought out a side to the Soul that I liked very much.

I tried to relax and formulated a plan.

"Let me go grab my extra waterproof boots and a second pair of gloves. There are some shovels in the barn, though we'll be using the tractor for most of the big stuff. Maybe you could get those?"

Andrew nodded his agreement and exited the house, heading for the barn. I scooted into the living room to grab a pillow and a blanket and then returned to the pantry by way of the kitchen. As I removed the rug covering the trapdoor, I called to Rayne through the cracks, softly, humming a few bars of Singing in the Rain, assuring her that it was only me and she was safe. Then I hauled the door open, and peered down into the cellar where Rayne was sitting quietly, tucked into a ball, the lamp flickering beside her.

"Rayne, I have to go with Andrew for a little while. I won't be very long, but you're going to have to stay down here for a while. Keep quiet. Try not to be scared. I'll be back for you soon. I dropped the blanket and pillow down the stairs and she scrambled to pull it down onto the floor. Very quickly she skittered up the steep stairs and hugged my shoulders awkwardly, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Is Andrew a bad alien or a nice alien?" She whispered, her eyes concerned.

That was more complicated than I had time to get into. "He's not a bad alien, but he also can't be trusted. Don't ever trust any Souls but me. I can't let him know about you. That's why you have to hide."

"Sarge and Maria and Rachel?" She stated the names as a question.

"They're all safe in the silo. I'll take you back there later tonight to see them. I have to go now though. Try to sleep."

I shut her safely away, returning the rug to its original position, and ran to the mudroom to gather the boots and gloves. I hastily dialed Sarge, then Rob, but as usual, the reception on the prairie was nonexistent and I could not even get a dial tone. I ran back into the kitchen and tried the radio. No one answered and I did not have time to waste. I grabbed a notepad and hastily scribbled "With Andrew. R is safe down under. Sorry." I left it on the counter, doubting anyone would see the note but covering my bases anyway. Pocketing my phone, I exited the house just as Andrew returned with the shovels.

"Warm night." He said casually, staring up at the stars.

"Yes." I agreed, "It's a beautiful night."

The tractor's cab was not quite big enough for two adults, but we managed to make it work with minimal discomfort.

I turned the key and it roared to life beneath us. I pulled a hard U-turn and steered the giant piece of machinery down my driveway and onto the road. The first few moments were comfortably silent. Sort of. He was a pleasant companion, but my all-consuming fear for my family and their secret lair made me tense.

We passed by the silo after about 15 minutes, and to ordinary eyes, it simply looked like new grain silos and an equipment bay, reflecting the sunset over the mountains.

Andrew nodded toward the shiny grain silos, "Those new?"

"Yeah, when I took over this place a lot of the farm equipment was in disrepair. I've had to do a lot of work around the place."

Andrew nodded thoughtfully. "It's a shame that the previous owners did not take proper care of the equipment. So much waste."

I nodded and counted down the seconds it took for us to get beyond the shiny metal buildings that were covering my family's hideout. Four, three, two, one: We were clear! I let a silent sigh of relief escape my lips. I was just about to change the subject when Andrew spoke up again.

"I had a delivery to make over in Agate today." I nodded, going along with his small talk. Agate was a town about the same size as Deer Trail about 10 miles southeast, right on the interstate. While the population totals were nearly identical for the two towns, Deer Trail was the one with a traffic light, grocery store, hardware store, mechanic, school, and diner. We even boasted a library. Sort of. It was one bookshelf full of cheap paperbacks in the community center, but it was a library none-the-less. All Agate had was a post office and a gas station.

"On my way back here, I saw something rather strange."

I nodded again, uninterested in whatever thrilling wild animal he had spotted. Hawk? Antelope? My guess was eagle. He continued without prompting.

"Yeah, there was a big SUV tearing down I-70, going far faster than the posted speed limit. A couple of guys I've never seen before were in the front seats. I saw them get onto the interstate using the Deer Trail entrance, coming from your direction. Did you notice them pass by?"

Every single cell in my body was panicking, but with extreme effort I managed to keep my voice calm. Nate knew better than to speed when Souls were watching. I inwardly cursed their stupidity while I attempted to display only innocent curiosity.

"No. I didn't see a thing. Was it that strange?"

Andrew nodded vehemently, "yes, there was definitely something wrong."

"Who do you think it was? Where were they going? What were they doing?" I asked, reigning in the rest of the questions I wanted to ask him.

Breath, Burns, just breathe.

"I have no idea. My first thought was that they were racing to the hospital, but then they should have been traveling west to Denver, not east to nowhere. Then I thought it might be humans, but the local Seekers have assured us that this entire area has been settled and is safe. They drove like humans though." he shuddered, probably remembering his traumatic experiences in New York City during the earliest days of the invasion.

"Huh."

It was the only word I could get to come out of my mouth. Not even three months here and we had already been discovered. And with Rob, Jess, and Nate driving pell-mell all over the interstate, our chances of getting caught before we could escape were high.

"Did you report it?" I finally managed, mentally praising myself for how normal I sounded.

"No. I thought I'd come out here and take a look around first. I prefer to investigate on my own before I call the Seekers. I don't want them invading our town unless I'm sure."

There was still hope. I just had to convince him that the area was human-free.

"Well, I have covered every inch of my land in this thing, and if there was a human gang hiding out here, I would have found them by now. They were probably just passing through. Surely Denver has a few rebel cells that are trying to escape the city."

He nodded, processing my suggestion, "Or maybe they live way out on the prairie and were forced to come into town to get onto the Interstate. It's the only access point for miles."

Oh how well I knew that unfortunate fact. Once I got Nate out of this mess I was enforcing a new rule. Back roads at all times and no speeding. Ever. Really, what had they been thinking?

"Yeah, that must be it. They must live really far out there."

I debated changing the subject, weighed the pros and cons of distracting Andrew from his curiosity or encouraging him with false information.

"If it turns out that I'm right and there are wild humans living around here, I'll give my friend from NYC a call. He's had more experience with wild humans than any of the Seekers here. They're all still using training wheels."

I was both comforted and horrified by the thought. On the one hand, in Andrew's experienced opinion, the local Seekers were incompetent, which meant less chance of discovery for us. On the other hand, this big city Seeker sounded like someone we would not want to have investigate the area. Ever.

We had reached the irrigation ditch and both of us climbed out of the cab. The air had turned chilly with the sunset, but it was still plenty warm to do work. I used the spotlight on the tractor to light up the forked area that needed work and both Andrew and I jumped in to survey the situation. The problem here was that the left fork created so much momentum that it caved the right fork in, sending extra water east and too little water south.

After we made a few strategic plans, Andrew got back into the tractor and used the backhoe attachment to dig the right fork a foot deeper and two feet wider. He piled the mud along the sides of the ditch and when he was finished, the two of us hopped in, using the displaced mud to reinforce the walls and the intersection, making them taller and stronger. It was slow work, but we managed to get it all done. One good spring flood would have this ditch in disrepair again, but for the time being, it was adequate.

"Eventually you may need to come out here and lay some concrete down at this intersection." Andrew commented casually, leaning on his shovel as he surveyed our work.

"Looks like it." I agreed.

We shed our muddy boots and gloves and set them on the sideboards for the drive home, then we both climbed back into the tractor and I made a U-turn to get us facing the direction of home. The spotlight was still on, and as we swung around to the north, Andrew's arm with extended finger shot into the air, pointing at something up on a far-off hill.

"What's that?" he asked, his voice intense.

My eyes searched the darkness, praying that Sarge, Maria, Rachel and Eric were all safely inside the compound and not taking any walks in the moonlight. Surely my humans had met their quota of stupid for the day.

I relaxed when I recognized what he was pointing at. I saw it everyday and barely gave it any notice anymore.

"Oh, that's the old Prairie Winds Farm cabin. The original owners built a much bigger, much nicer house a couple of decades ago right on the road to the east. That shack has been in ruin for years."

"Hmm. I doubt humans could live there for any length of time without being discovered, but perhaps they used it as a shelter as they were driving through." He mused. "That project is simple enough for the local Seekers to take care of. I'll give them a call when I get home."

"Good idea." I said, but inside I was screaming, cursing Andrew for being perceptive, Nate for being stupid, and Jess for being gone. The good news was that the quickest way to the cabin would lead the Seekers down the county road on the far east side of my land, not the one that passed by my secret silo. From up on the hilltop, the missile silo should look exactly like a grain silo. Nothing else.

If I worked this right, we would all get out of this alive. That was assuming I got cell reception sometime soon. I discretely glanced at my phone again. No missed calls, not even a text message.

We made the drive home in silence, both of us deep in thought. I was reviewing escape plans in my mind while Andrew was unknowingly plotting the demise of my family. Our ditch digging had taken nearly two hours, meaning I had kept Rayne away from the silo for nearly four hours. It was well past her bedtime.

Once we arrived at my house we parked the tractor in the barn and said our goodbyes. Andrew was rolling out of the driveway in a truck bearing the hardware store logo, and for the moment I was fairly certain that our little group remained fully human (except me and Cole) and intact.

I wasted no time in opening up the cellar door, apologizing for the four hours that it had taken me to deal with Andrew. It was pitch black down there. Rayne was not inside.

The word panic is not enough to describe my feelings in that moment. I completely lost control of my composure. I yelled through the house, "Rayne, if you're in here, you need to come out now!" I hated singing, but this situation called for extreme actions. Singing in the Rain was the only song I knew all the lyrics to, so while I belted out a poor imitation of Gene Kelly, screaming the word "Rain!" as loudly as I could every time it came up in the chorus, I searched. I quickly gave up on the house. If she had been there, she would have come out as soon as I started singing. I raced over to the barn, singing and searching and panicking. I was just about to give up on the barn when a sleepy looking Rayne poked her head over the side of the loft, a kitten smushed in her arms.

"I got lonely and scared and cold." She tried to explain, tears running down her cheeks. "You were gone a long time."

I scaled the ladder to the loft quickly and examined her little hiding place. Completely invisible from below, her nest was covered with blankets, pillows, and kittens. I was upset with her for disobeying my orders, but she had done a good job finding another place to hide.

I heaved a sigh of relief and gathered her into my arms.

"You almost gave me a heart attack." I told her seriously. "Don't ever do that again. If I say stay, no matter how scared or cold or lonely you are, you stay. You got that?"

Rayne nodded, a tinge of pink staining her cheeks as she continued to cry.

"I'm so sorry I left you here alone in the dark scary cellar. Maybe you and I can put a real light in there, and puzzles and games and a teddy bear so that if this ever happens again, you won't be so scared."

Rayne nodded mutely and allowed me to carry her down the ladder. I went straight for my truck, loading her into the passenger seat and then climbing behind the wheel. She scooted over as far as she could and leaned her wet cheek on my shoulder. I gathered her into a side hug and let her cry, hating myself for causing her such terror.

As I drove her back to the silo, I decided that we needed to have a family meeting ASAP. Even if it was nearly 11 PM.

The hatch in the maintenance bay was locked, so I lifted Rayne back into the car and drove around north, down the slope, and up the to garage door. I hopped out and pulled the door handle, sliding the whole thing up into the ceiling.

Nothing could have surprised me more than the sight that greeted me.

Two people whose silhouettes were the only thing I could make out in the darkness were standing at the entrance as if they had been waiting for us. Both of them were holding guns in shaky hands. Guns that were pointed at me.

It took all of our eyes our eyes a few seconds to adjust to the darkness and then Rachel dropped her gun with a sob and ran to the truck, pulling Rayne out and into a crushing embrace. Eric just leaned against the wall, relief on his face that quickly turned to purpose.

"I've got to contact Sarge and Maria! They need to know she's safe. They need to get back here ASAP." He said. He commandeered my truck, racing it around the corner and down the huge tunnel, screeching to a stop beside the control room entrance and bolting through the doors faster than I had ever seen him move.

I followed more slowly, keeping pace with Rachel, who had still not put Rayne down, into the main tunnel. Rachel was crying softly into Rayne's hair and Rayne looked bewildered and on the verge of tears herself.

"What happened?" Did Nate and the others get caught? Do we need to evacuate? My body filled with dread and I nearly puked as I ran through all the possibilities. None of them had happy endings.

"She wouldn't let me go instead." Rachel was too overcome with tears to continue, but at that moment my cell phone started buzzing and beeping. Ah yes, the antenna silo was just a few feet away. It was apparently the only place in the area that had perfect reception.

I scanned the missed calls quickly. Nate had called me twice. Jess had called me once. Rachel had called me four times—and Sarge had called me 18 times.

My stomach filled with dread as I moved onto the text messages.

Nate, 6:23 PM: "Hey Burns! This drive is a breeze! All open country & empty highway. It's nice 2 get out. 2 hours & we'll b there. Keep us updated w everything u hear about these crazy humans in Colby. TTFN."

Jess, 6:27 PM: "Burns, you need to know, we passed your hardware store friend and I'm pretty sure he saw us. And Rob was driving like a maniac, so that probably isn't good."

Sarge, 7:04 PM: "When are you going to be back with Rayne?"

Sarge, 7:07 PM: "Please radio or text us. Eric's cameras picked up an unknown truck pulling into your driveway."

Sarge, 7:45 PM: "I'm coming over. I don't know what is wrong with your phone and radio, but something is not right."

Sarge, 7:56 PM: "Just tell me honestly. You owe me that much. Have you been discovered? Or started working for them?"

Sarge, 8:00 PM: "I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm heavily armed and have Maria in tow. If you've let Rayne get caught, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Rachel, 8:02 PM: "Burns, please answer us! Mama and Sarge have gone off on a rescue mission, but everything is fine, right?"

Sarge, 8:11 PM: "She's not in the cellar. The truck outside is from town, it has the hardware store logo on it. That's the guy you were telling us is so experience and clever, right?"

Sarge, 8:23 PM: "We have discretely searched the house and barn. Can't find either of you. Considering going to spy on the Seeker office to see if you and Rayne are there. Please respond. Why was your radio disabled?"

Nate, 8:32 PM: "These guys r geniuses & Jess is amazing. We hit the whole Seeker front line with sleep & then Jess managed 2 convince them 2 talk 2 her. 1 look her eyes & they bolted 4 our SUV, hauling more guns & ammo than I've ever seen in my life, screaming abt zombie apocolypses & how the rednecks would always b the best prepared. They're twins & huge & awesome. Trying 2 figure out how 2 explain u so ur not shot at 1st sight. On our way home."

Sarge, 8:47 PM: "Made it into town without being noticed. Seeker office has the lights on."

Rachel, 9:00 PM: "BURNS! You have to answer now! Sarge is about to storm the Seeker office and Mama can't put up much of a fight if they find her!"

Sarge, 9:15 PM: "My decision is made. I'm going in. I'll destroy this phone before I go. Maria is staying hidden in the bushes. If I can get Rayne out, Maria has promised to get her safely home."

Sarge, 9:16 PM: "Please tell Rayne, if she still is Rayne, that I love her and goodbye."

Rachel, 9:20 PM: "They're going to get themselves killed, or worse, captured. This is your fault."

Jess, 9:30 PM: "Just got word about Rayne. We'll be there as fast as we can, hour and a half out though. The Redneck twins will provide plenty of backup if needed."

Nate, 10:04 PM: "They r saying u betrayed us & turned Rayne in. I no that's not true. Just please, txt some1 back. Y is ur radio off? Home in 45, Rob is flooring it."

I had just finished reading the texts, getting more alarmed by the second, when my phone rang.

Unknown Number, 10:45 PM:

I answered it hesitantly. "Hello?"

Sarge's voice gurgled over the line. It sounded like he was drowning.

In seven words he ruined my entire world.

"They got us. Run for your lives!"

There was a shot, and then the line went dead.

My trembling hands lost their grip on the phone and it fell, shattering the screen.

Just like my life. Our lives. Completely shattered.