Chapter 37

Thankfully the front desk had a first aid kit. Keanu had requested a band-aid for his blistered heal, which was a lie of course, he needed it for my forehead. He had to change the story a bit to hide the fact that I was in the room too.

He’d originally checked in with his false ID telling the receptionist that he was staying in the room alone for the sole purpose of throwing off the authorities. I didn’t say so but I was certain they were much smarter than that, and by the energy that Keanu was giving off, I was sure he knew that too.

They. Who were they? I intended to find out.

“Keanu.” I mustered up the courage to ask him after we’d gotten back into the car and driven a few miles out of town. “Who are…they?”

Exhaling sharply, he turned his head away from me. His eyes scanned the rolling hills of white moving quickly passed his window. He was silent for a few moments. I wasn’t sure if he was deciding how to tell me or if he should.

Finally, he spoke. His eyes clouded over with a dark hue and his voice was low and monotone. “They are an elite task force designed to find, capture and contain any and all anomalous beings or objects.”

I winced at his words. He spoke them as though he’d been programmed like a soldier…a drone.

“Are they…a part of the government?” I asked though I wasn’t sure I actually wanted to hear anymore.

“Yes…and no.” He replied quickly, not elaborating.

“What are they called?” I fully expected him to respond with one of the usual suspects, Army, CIA, FBI…the big ones.

Again he sighed, obviously uncomfortable with my questions, but eventually he surrendered. “At first, they had no name. Just an anonymous division in the shadows of government.” He switched on the wipers as a few droplets of rain fell onto the windshield. “Their name evolved over time.”

I waited impatiently as he explained. Fidgeting with the hem of the new sweater that Keanu had provided for me after my shower, I tried to be patient.

“They are the Majestic 12. Sometimes called Men in Black. The rumors…are true.” Keanu’s face was white. He looked as though he was fighting back the urge to vomit. He also looked scared.

Instantly curious about all the things I’d heard over the years about UFO’s and conspiracies, I turned to him excitedly. “Roswell. The UFO crash. Is it true?”

Furrowing his brow and giving me a disapproving glance, he uttered with anger in his tone. “Many, many people have died for the secrets kept by the Majestic 12. Don’t you understand how powerful…and evil…they are?”

I bristled at his annoyance with my question. Facing myself forward, I pouted and stared out at the highway. I understood fully thank you very much. The brutality and inhumanity I’d experienced over the last few months was all too fresh in my mind.

Sighing, he reached his free hand to my knee and rubbed it apologetically. “I’m sorry Cassia; I’ve seen a lot of bad things.”

A hot anger flood through me. Slapping his hand off my knee, I turned and glared him down like a cat ready to slash open her prey. “You’ve seen a lot of bad things! I’ve lived through those bad things! How dare you insinuate that I don’t ‘understand’ how horrible these people are!”

“Cassia, I’m sorry.” His eyes focused back and forth from the road to me as he apologized. “I didn’t mean that you...” He’d given up on explaining. I’d huddled myself against the passenger door and was staring vehemently out the window.

After a few minutes of allowing my blood to cool, I asked him without facing him. “If they’re so awful, why do you work for them?”

The silence behind me was unnerving. Again, I didn’t know if he was going to answer me. I hated all the secrecy.

“I…wasn’t given a choice.” His voice was thick with bitterness.

In a quiet voice, I turned to face him as I asked. “What do you mean?”

His eyes darkened as he gripped the steering wheel tighter, making a squeaking sound as his palms rubbed against the leather.

“I saw something…long ago…when I was fifteen.” He inhaled and exhaled sharply. “Afterwards, I was forced to work for them.”

“Forced.” I repeated, frowning.

“Yes. Forced.”

I contemplated my choice of words carefully. The anger behind his eyes was frightening. Slowly reaching my hand out and placing it on his forearm, I probed him further. “How did they force you?”

I had visions of the Majestic 12 hypnotizing Keanu or beating him into submission. My stomach turned as I considered that he, too, may have lived through unimaginable pains.

Though he was a very big man, he appeared so frail to me in that moment. His voice wavered and his eyes glistened with unshed tears as he spoke.

“They have my sister, Keila.”