Mike reached the RV, jumped in and slammed the door, sinking down against the wall. He was breathing heavily.
"What the hell were you thinking of? You were supposed to be keeping watch!" Yelled Jack. "They nearly had us back there!"
It was several seconds before Mike could find the breath to speak. "I just ran three blocks, fell in a drainage ditch and had a close encounter with multiple gun-toting maniacs. Give me a break ok?"
"Tell me about it..."
"I'm sorry I left you. It won't happen again."
"It'd better not…" The cabbie muttered, turning his attention back to the road.
The woman from the elevator popped her head round the front partition.
"Hi, I'm Alex." She smiled.
With great effort, Mike raised himself off the floor and shook hands with Alex.
"Good to meet ya."
Mike moved to the back of van and sat down on the sofa. He noticed a tear in the sleeve of his jacket, exposing a cable sewn inside the leather.
Either I washed this on the wrong setting, or those shots came a lot closer than I thought.
"You guys had best get some shuteye – we got a long drive ahead of us." Jack's voice floated down the RV.
Mike smiled. Sara was already asleep, and Seth was nodding off too. He leant back and closed his eyes, noting that Jack and Alex were conversing quietly up front.
Hehe, I reckon Jack has the hots for her.
Mike dozed for the next hour or so, before being awoken by Junkyard licking his palm. He saw that Sara was awake and watching.
He stood up and, so as not to wake Seth, moved quietly over to Sara. He perched on the arm of her seat.
"Where are we going exactly?" He asked, realising that he had no idea.
"Witch Mountain. The owner of this vehicle informed us that was the most likely location for the government to conceal our craft."
Before Mike could reply, Sara continued. "My brother informed me of your tracking device. He is extremely grateful to you for giving it to him, although it simply confirms our worst fears."
"Go on?" Said Mike, intrigued.
"You told Seth your father acquired it while working for the British Ministry Of Defence. Is this true?"
"Yeah…"
"That tracking device belonged to one of our peoples' most successful scientists. He would have never given it away voluntarily, as it was his only link to his ship. Which means… Which means he was…"
Sara lapsed into silence.
"I'm sorry." He ventured, appalled. "I had no idea my father was involved in this stuff – he told me he was a parachute designer."
Sara said nothing.
"We'll get you home, and the experiment. That's the least I can do."
"Thank you, Michael Elmsworth. Your gesture is much appreciated."
Seth was stirring on the other side of the RV. He sat up, his hair tousled.
"Jack?" He said.
"What's up pal?" Jack replied, looking over his shoulder.
"Are we there yet?"
"Are we there yet?!" Repeated Jack, smiling at Alex next to him.
"Good in any universe, apparently."
Jack received blank looks from the two aliens, making the humans occupants chuckle.
"Well, Alex?" Said the cabbie.
"Well, the maps are 30 years old, but they're the best intel we got. Looks to be about 5 miles from here to the entrance." Alex replied confidently, studying a large map.
"Okay then!" Jack tuned the RV onto a small dirt track and switched the engine off. "Let's rock and roll."
They disembarked and got going. They must have walked for miles, until eventually, they arrived on a mountain ledge, overlooking the main entrance. It was heavily fortified, and swarming with armed men.
"There's gotta be another entrance." Muttered Jack, surveying the gateway with a pair of binoculars.
Alex spoke. "If the map is correct, there are several service tunnels running outward. Worth lookin' for, right?"
"Let's go." Jack replied.
As they turned to leave, Sara stumbled and almost fell.
"Jack…" She murmured weakly, before collapsing altogether, out cold. "Sara!" Jack caught her before she could hit the ground and Seth rushed to her side. Before anyone could speak, the same thing happened to Seth. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Jack passed the limp form of Sara to Mike and moved to pick up the fallen Seth. But before he could do so, a squad of armed men appeared seemingly from nowhere, dressed all in black. They waved their guns in the direction of the three humans.
"Mr. Bruno! And, I believe, Dr. Freedman." A man in a suit and tie stepped out from behind a rock. His name badge identified him as Henry Burke.
"What'd you do to them?" Yelled Alex furiously.
"Consider yourself lucky. I could've had you both shot on sight for trespassing in violation of U.S. government property." The government official replied calmly.
"Sara!" Cried Jack, as he saw the unconscious teen being carried past him in a tin foil blanket. He broke free of his the guard holding him and began attacking anyone he could reach. The escape attempt was short-lived however, as three other soldiers piled on top of him and began whacking him with their rifle butts.
Alex stepped forwards and addressed the sneering official. "Sir! With all do respect, you have to listen to me. They came in peace, we cannot respond with violence. The future of Earth depends on it. It is absolutely vital
that they get home."
"They are home, Dr. Freedman. They are now in my custody." Came the cold reply.
"Custody? You can't expect to keep them prisoner and get away with it? They have rights!"
"They are illegal aliens on U.S. soil without so much as a passport. The Patriot Act enables me to detain them for as long as is necessary."
"You can't keep this quiet. The world has a right to know that they exist!"
"And you're gonna be the one to blow the whistle, Doctor?" The official's tone was mocking now. "A failed astro physicist, fired by three universities for obsessing over UFO's, teamed up with an ex-con and declaring the government has captured two normal looking kids and is holding them hostage inside
a mountain that doesn't even exist! It'd be so much easier to let you speak than to deal with all the paper work involved with killing you."
"Someone will believe us." Jack cut in.
"From behind bars? Let me remind you Mr. Bruno, as a convicted felon you're looking at 20 years just for standing on this mountain talking to me. Shall I go on?"
That seemed to take the wind out of the cabby's sails. "No, I get the message."
Alex was so angry she was at a loss for words.
"Smart man. Give them a lift back down now. Oh, and one last thing… Who's this other little stray you seem to have picked up?" Asked the official, referring to Mike. "We ran him on the database but found nothing. Still, I'm sure he wouldn't be averse to answering a few questions… Bring him along!"
Two guards grabbed Mike and pulled him away.
Well, at least we're in.