“Darn. Well, do you have any brothers?”

  George laughed harder. “Sorry, ma’am. I'm one of a kind.”

  “That’s a shame. The people that took us, do they have something to do with your starship?” Mom asked me.

  “Indirectly. I didn’t tell you everything before because I didn’t want you to worry. We thought Sedaya couldn’t reach us here, but we were wrong. And that meant he could also reach you. I’m sorry for what you had to go through.”

  “I’m sorry for what you’ve had to go through,” Mom replied, reflecting everything from herself to me as usual.

  “Mrs. Murdock,” Keep said. “Did the people who took you say anything about where they had come from? Or who they worked for?”

  “Please, it’s Carol,” Mom said. “I’m sorry, Mr. Keep. They didn’t. At least not loud enough to hear through their helmets.”

  “Mom, what happened?” I asked.

  “They came about thirty minutes after you left. Nick and Sheri stayed for a little while to chat, and when they opened the door to leave those assholes were just standing there, staring at us. At first, I thought they were doing some kind of performance art or selling raffle tickets for a modern dance studio or something, but then they pulled their guns on us and forced us back inside. Nick tried to defend us, but they used something on him that knocked him out cold. They said they didn’t want to hurt us. They just needed us to get to you. They wanted me to call you, but your phone went right to voicemail. Of course, I didn’t tell them you had called me earlier and I didn’t try to reach you at that number. I thought maybe they would leave us alone if I didn’t know how to contact you. Instead, they knocked us out too, and when I woke up we were inside the factory. What do they want from you, Ben?”

  “A book of sigils they call a Grimoire. Matt has it on our starship. We’re doing everything we can to keep it away from the people who took you. They want to use it to gain control of their galaxy. And then ours.”

  “Seriously?” Nick said. “That sounds like the plot of a Marvel movie.”

  “Except it’s real,” I retorted. “And incredibly dangerous for Keep's galaxy and Earth. We can’t let Sedaya get his hands on the Grimoire.”

  “You could have died trying to save us,” Mom said.

  “Which should tell you how important this is,” I replied.

  “I can see that by the look in your eye. I’ve never seen you so adult. So strong. I always knew you would come into your own one day, but I didn’t expect it so soon. What are you going to do now?”

  I was glad the helmet and headphones covered most of my head because her compliment left me blushing.

  “We’re headed back to Bill’s farm to regroup,” Keep said. “There’s a chance the enemy might try to come for us there, but after what we just did to them at the junkyard and George’s farm, I think they’ll be a little less eager to go for another all-out assault. While they’re figuring out their next move, we need to figure out why they were on Earth waiting for us so we can make our next move.”

  “I thought they were here for Ben?”

  “Nope. Ben became their priority when we showed up here. But they have another purpose. Something related to the Grimoire, I’m sure. We need to find out what it is and put a stop to it. Badabing badaboom.”

  “We need to hit them again before they can hit back,” I added. “But they still have their satellite watching us.”

  “We got around it once, we can do it again.”

  “What about us?” Nick asked. “Can we go home?”

  “I don’t want to go home,” Mom said. “Not while Ben is in danger. There has to be something I can do to help.”

  “I don’t think it’s safe for any of you to go back to Modesto just yet,” Keep said. “As long as they can try to use you for leverage, you aren’t safe.”

  “I’m sorry you were all dragged into this,” I said. “If I had known all of this would happen, I would have stayed in the Spiral and let Sedaya torture me.”

  “Torture?” Mom said, horrified at the prospect. “Is that what really happened to your neck?”

  “Yeah,” I admitted.

  “That son of a bitch. George, teach me how to use that rifle and I’ll deal with this Sedaya asshole myself.”

  George laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’ll take care of him, Mom,” I said. “Once we get back to the Spiral.”

  “If we get back to the Spiral,” Keep said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Have you forgotten they have our ship, which is also the only way back? What if they use it before we reach them? What if they destroy it?”

  “Do you really think they would?”

  “Who knows, kid. We can’t assume they won’t. But transferring the sigils will take time, which means we still have time. But not forever.”

  “How are we going to find them? The only thing we have is a ten year-old’s description of their leader. That isn’t much to go on.”

  “We have a few names,” Keep said. “Sucaath, Sedaya, Sashkur. We can start there.”

  “What if we don’t come up with anything?”

  “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. You didn’t just risk your neck to save your mom and sister to give up now, did you?”

  “No,” I replied. “I’m not giving up now. Or ever.”

  CHAPTER 29

  The feeling returned to my arm by the time Bill landed the Black Hawk in the field next to the barn. We had spent a little more time aloft than originally planned, tracking both Gloria and Marie as they made their way back along the road and ensuring they hadn’t been physically followed. It was a great source of relief to Bill, George, and me that they had carried out their part of the plan without incident.

  Departing the helicopter, I left the helmet and headphones behind, joining Mom, Sheri, Nick, and the others back in the barn. Gloria, Marie, and the two girls waited inside, Kyrie and Sally eating more of the pretzels and chips that had been left on the workbench.

  “Hey, save some of those chips for me,” Keep said, practically ripping the bag of Ruffles out of Sally’s hands. She looked at him with horror until he smiled and pointed the open end her way, “I’m just messing with you, kiddo.” She lost interest in the chips at the sight of her father entering the barn behind me.

  “Daddy!” Sally cried, rushing over to him. He picked her up and spun her around before putting her back on the ground.

  “There’s my favorite princess,” he growled. “I told you I’d get back just fine.”

  “I knew you would.”

  “I thought I was your favorite princess?” Marie said, walking over to him.

  “No, you’re my queen,” he replied, hugging her tightly.

  Nearby, George and his family went through a similar reunion, taking a moment as a family before regrouping with the rest of us.

  “You must be Ben’s mother,” Gloria said to Mom, a big smile spreading across her kind face. “I’m so happy they were able to get you out of there. I know how terrible it felt; they had George and me tied up earlier, the bastards. I’m Gloria.” She motioned to Kyrie. “That’s my daughter Kyrie. And Marie and her daughter, Sally.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mom said to Gloria. “I’m Carol. This is my daughter Sheri, and her boyfriend, Nick.”

  “Hi,” Sheri said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Ditto,” Nick added.

  “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for Ben,” Mom said. “And for me. I don’t think I can ever repay any of you.”

  “Nonsense. I’m just so glad you’re safe.”

  “You must be starving,” Marie said. “I’ve got hot dogs and hamburgers up at the house. Bill, maybe we can get a barbecue going?”

  Bill laughed. “Step one, save hostages from an evil intergalactic overlord. Step two, throw a party. That sounds good to me.”

  “Hold on,” Nick said. “The people who took us could come back and try again, and you want to have a barbecue?”

  “We still need to eat,” George said. “And you heard what Avelus said on the way back. There comes a point where the ROI of a direct attack turns negative. Usually when you’re suffering much heavier losses than the opposition, which they have. That’s not to say an attack can’t come or that we shouldn’t be vigilant. But as long as we post a guard and keep our rifles close, we should be fine.”

  “What about your daughter?” Nick asked. “You don’t care if she’s in danger?”

  “Of course I do. But I’m also not going to teach her to live her life in fear. So many things are out of our control.”

  “Well, maybe we should call the police or something? File a report?”

  “There’s nothing the police can do,” Bill said. “They have rules they need to follow, which would probably make things worse for us, not better.”

  “Nick, we’ll get you home as soon as we can,” I said. “For now, have a burger and a beer and relax.”

  “Seriously? After what we just went through?”

  I glanced at Sheri. “Are you sure about this guy?”

  “I thought I was,” she replied. “Nick, what’s wrong with you? Stop acting like a baby. My brother and his friends just killed like a hundred bad guys to rescue us, and you’re worried about them coming after us? How many of them can even be left?”

  Nick’s face reddened. “I’m just trying to make sure you’re safe.”

  “That I’m safe? Are you sure you're worried about me and not yourself?”

  “Hey, cut me some slack, will you, Sher? We were supposed to have dinner and a movie, not be abducted and held hostage. You can maybe understand why I’m a little on edge.”

  “We’re all on edge, Nick. Some of us are handling it well. Some of us aren’t.” She glared at him because the latter group only contained him. “Man up.”

  He swallowed hard and remained silent, looking a little peeved.

  “Nick, why don’t you help me carry the food?” Marie suggested. “Bill, do you want to roll the grill down here?”

  “Sure,” Bill replied.

  “I’ll take the first watch,” George said. “If I see or hear anything out of the ordinary, I’ll holler.”

  “I’ll bring you something to eat when it’s ready,” Gloria said. “Do you want a burger or a dog?”

  “How about one of each? Ketchup and mustard on the burger, kraut on the dog if you have it.”

  “Oh, we have it,” Bill said. “Relish too. All the fixins. We never miss a chance to have a nice cookout. Of course, if I’d planned ahead we’d have sausage and steak too. I make a great marinade I know you’d love.”

  “Just load me up then,” George replied. “Thanks, love.”

  “You’re welcome,” Gloria said.

  George unslung his energy rifle and headed for the barn door to stand watch near the Black Hawk.

  “This is crazy,” I heard Nick mutter under his breath. “We all could have died back there.”

  “But we didn’t, Nickie,” Keep said, overhearing him too. “And maybe that’s a reason for celebration.” He turned to Bill. “I hate to be the anti-social party pooper, but do you have a computer I can use?”

  “You can use the iMac in my office,” Bill answered. “I’ll bring you up and log you in. Just don’t rifle through my taxes and report me to the IRS or anything.” He laughed deeply.

  “Ben, I get it if you want to spend some time with your family,” Keep said, glancing at me. “But I could use your help.”

  “I’ll do whatever I can to finish this as quickly as possible,” I replied.

  “Ben,” Gloria said, coming up behind me.

  I turned to face her, nerves tingling when she held out George’s ringing phone. The number on the caller ID belonged to Mom’s cell.

  “Interesting development,” Keep said, noticing the number too.

  “Thank you,” I said, accepting the phone from Gloria. I hit the answer button and brought it to my ear.

  “I suppose congratulations are in order,” the woman offered before I could say anything. “That was a hell of a show you put on at the junkyard. I have to admit, misdirecting our satellite and flying to the target in a Black Hawk wasn’t one of the scenarios I considered.”

  “Thank you. I aim to please,” I replied smugly.

  She laughed lightly. “I’m truly impressed, Benjamin Murdock. Honestly. Like I said earlier, it wasn’t personal, and I’m glad you got your mother back safe.”

  The comment confused me. “Why? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Just because we’re on opposite sides, does that mean I have to be evil? It wasn’t my idea to take hostages. I did as I was told.”

  “So you always do what you’re told if you don’t agree with it?”

  “Yes. That’s what taking a vow of obedience means.”

  “Vow of obedience? Like a nun?”

  “Don’t be stupid. Religion has nothing to do with this. In any case, our orders have changed. We’re no longer pursuing you or anyone connected to you, so if you were still worried for their safety, don’t be.”

  “Uh-huh. And I’m supposed to believe that?”

  “Believe what you want. That’s the truth.”

  I said I didn’t believe her, but I did. She sounded sincere, which made me wonder what her situation was that she had sworn any kind of vow to Sedaya. “Is there anything I can do to help get you out of whatever situation you’re in?” I asked.

  I heard her gasp on the other end of the line, the question taking her completely by surprise. “No,” she snapped defensively. “There’s nothing anyone can do. My boss does appreciate your provision of the starfighter, and the catalyst hidden under its armor. We’ve been stranded here for a long time, waiting for a pickup. We won’t need to wait much longer. Bonus, you’ll be stranded here, out of the picture.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that. I’m full of surprises.”

  “Yes, you are, Ben. I’ll give you that. It was a pleasure doing business with you. Goodbye.”

  The call disconnected. I lowered the phone, staring at it as if I could see the woman through it if I looked long and hard enough. Such a strange conversation.

  “Well, kid,” Keep said. “What’d she say?”

  “She said her boss called off the dogs. They’re not after us anymore.”

  “And you believe that?” Bill asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, I do. The woman Kyrie saw in the barn, I don’t think she wants to do what she’s doing. Maybe she did once, but not anymore. She said she took a vow of obedience she can’t break. Keep, does that mean anything to you?”

  Keep made a sour face. “I’m not sure. The Gilded take vows to serve their master. But there’s no way she’s Gilded.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because if she was, we would have already lost.”

  “I take it the Gilded are powerful?”

  “That’s one way of putting it.”

  “Are you going to elaborate, or do we have to play twenty questions?”

  “No, I’m not going to elaborate. And no, I’m not going to play twenty questions. We’ve got work to do.”

  “Should I tell George he can stand down?” Gloria asked.

  “Better safe than sorry, if you ask me,” Bill said.

  “I’m with Bill,” Keep said. “Let him keep watch, at least for a little while.”

  “Okay. I’m sure he doesn’t mind anyway. He likes being the defender.”

  “Ben, Avelus,” Bill said. “Follow me.”

  CHAPTER 30

  Bill’s office was on the second floor of the large farmhouse, caddy-corner to the master bedroom. Bright and modern, a pair of large windows filled the entire back wall, offering a northern view of the barn we had just come from, the silo on its left, and the primary garage closer to the house. Furnished with a simple rustic desk and matching bookshelves lined with various farming awards and family photographs, it was both warm and inviting. A newer model iMac rested on the desk facing the door. A black mesh chair sat behind it, rotated toward the window.

  “Is that an Aeron?” I asked, recognizing the seat right away.

  “It sure is,” Bill replied.

  “How do you like it?”

  “Super comfy, which is hard to find for a guy my size. It might not be as good a fit for you.”

  “I’ve never even seen one in person,” I said. “My gaming chair came from a garage sale. The seat’s duct taped over to keep the stuffing from coming out.”

  Bill laughed. “Well, no stuffing in this one, as you can see. And the mesh keeps my tush cool all year round.” He circled the desk and tapped on the keyboard, activating the iMac. “Let me just put in my password, and you’re free to do whatever it is you need to do.”

  “I really appreciate you letting us use it on such short notice,” I said. “Do you get decent speeds out here?”

  “We do now. I added Starlink satellite internet access a few months ago. Now I can balance the farm’s books and watch Bridgerton at the same time.”

  “You watch Bridgerton?” I asked.

  “I like the costumes,” Bill replied with another laugh. “There you go. All set.” He came back around to the other side of the desk. “I’ll just be out in the barn barbecuing up a storm. Come on out once you’re done up here. I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”

  “Me too,” I said. “Thank you again.”

  Bill left the door to the hallway open, and I watched him cross the upper floor to the stairs while Keep claimed the Aeron, pulling it in and tapping on the keyboard.

  “What did you need me to help you with?” I asked, turning around to face him. “You set up that whole system to track Star Squadron players, I’m pretty sure you know how to use Google.”

  “Funny, kid,” Keep said. “I know how to use Google. But I paid a guy on 4chan a thousand bucks to hack the VR Awesome! Servers and get me access to the streams. I’m kind of hoping if we can track down the source of our agitation we can determine whose satellite they’re using to spy on us and possibly take it offline.”

  “I’m not a hacker, Keep,” I said. “I’m not even that good of a programmer.”