Chapter 9:

Jack opened his eyes. He was lying on his back in the storage unit. He sat up and looked at Lia. She was slumped over in her chair, and he stumbled over to her, checking her pulse. He sighed with relief and stood up. His head was spinning, but he managed to move over to the storage unit door. He unlocked it and lifted it open, and Rex punched him in the face. Jack passed out.

"Jack? Jack? Damn it." Rex checked his pulse. "He's alive, but he's out." He hurried over to Lia. "Lia? Lia, can you hear me?"

"My head hurts," Lia whispered. "Everything hurts."

"Rex, what do we do?"

"We have to go back to the apartment." Rex lifted Lia up into his arms. "I'm sorry, Andy, but you can't take us in just yet. Can you help me get Jack to the car?"

Andy peered into the storage unit. He looked at Rex holding Lia. He stared down at Jack. "Okay. I'll try to buy you some time, but I can't promise anything." He lifted Jack up from the floor. "He's heavy," he said.

"He's a pain in my ass." Rex carried Lia outside.

"What about that device?" Andy rested Jack against the car. He opened the front passenger door. "Are you going to leave it here?"

"I want to destroy it." Rex laid Lia down in the backseat. "But I don't know what will happen if I do that."

"So, what are you going to do?" Andy and Rex got Jack into the car.

"For now? I'll keep it here." Rex walked back to the storage unit.

"Is that a good idea, Rex?"

"It's the only one I have right now."

…

Jack woke up in his apartment. He was lying on the floor. His coat was tucked under his head like a pillow. He sat up and saw Rex sitting nearby. He turned toward the bedroom and saw Lia lying in the bed.

"You only had one bed, Jack."

"So, you left me on the floor?" He stood up. "Where's Andy?"

"Buying us time. He'll be back tomorrow, and then we'll have three days left to save the world. Again."

"It won't be easy." Jack walked over to the fridge nearby and grabbed a bottle of water. "I still don't have the whole picture yet."

"What do you have, Jack?"

"How is she? Is she…"

"No. She's not in a coma like Gwen. She's just out cold. What happened in there, Jack? What did you see?"

Jack stared down at the water bottle. "It's not her twin, Rex. There's an alien inside of her, and she thinks it's her twin."

"We should tell her."

"Good luck with that."

"So, that's why the aliens want her, but why you, Jack? Why you and the others?"

"I don't know, but for me to get the answers…"

"Jack."

"Rex, for me to get the answers, we have to go to the aliens."

"Is that a good idea?"

"It's the only play left." Jack watched Rex look over at Lia. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

"You did."

"I know, Rex. I know what I did, and I'm sorry."

Rex stared at Jack. "What did you see in her mind?" He walked over to him. "Be honest with me for once. What did you see?"

Jack drank some water. He placed the bottle back into the fridge. "She died," Jack said. "Someone killed her when she was eighteen."

"Jesus." Rex looked back at Lia. "That's why she was at the camps during Miracle Day, but I didn't see a gunshot wound."

"That's because it healed like with us. There's something about these aliens, Rex. I don't know what it is, but I'm going to find out. And I need to know if I can count on you." He watched Rex stare at Lia. "Can I count on you, Rex?"

Rex looked at Jack. "We might have our differences, Jack, but when it comes to saving the world, you can count on me."

"Good. Now, get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day." Jack pulled up a chair nearby and sat in it.

"You really need some more furniture in here, Jack." Rex grabbed another chair. "A cot wouldn't kill you, or an air mattress."

"I'll think about it. Oh, and Rex, about punching me in the face…"

"You had it coming," Rex said.

"Fine. We're even."

"We're far from even, Jack, but I won't hit you again, if you don't shoot me again."

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Jack crossed over his heart. "You want a kiss to make it all better?"

"And there it is. You can keep asking, Jack, but you're never going to kiss me."

"We'll see," and Jack winked at him.

"Do you think she knows?"

Jack looked over at Lia. "She might now, and there's a good chance that she won't survive this."

"I hope you're wrong, Jack."

"Me too. Now, get some rest."