Teaser

Cole sighed as he wiped down the maul he'd been swinging steadily since the Watchfire closed. The dust was thick and he swallowed a half-liter of water to wash it out of his mouth. A sneeze hit him, and he wiped his face too.

The side tunnel was closed off now. The club end of it was buried and the building over it still wasn't opened. If he was accurate in his assessment, the club would wind up being bulldozed and the danger from that particular source ended.

He looked around the rough walls of the level. His work here was done, at least for the evening. The only remaining entry to the Vault level was through a small steel door and stairway. He had the only key to it and he hadn't even told Mel about it.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from the bar. Mel didn't walk like that. He started up the ladder, all senses on the alert.
End teaser

Act One:

Cole closed the door to the basement quietly behind him. A male voice was muttering comments about the ancestry and personal habits of people who put chairs on tables where they could poke a person in the eye.

"Vic?"

The voice stopped. "Cole, where the hell are you?"

Cole flipped the switch for the nightlights and there, looking owl eyed in the sudden glare, was Vic.

"Why are you here, Vic?"

"Why are you, Cole? Why did you have to show up and spoil everything?"

Cole looked the other man over. "You've been drinking."

"Of course I've been drinking. If you weren't so weird you'd be drinking, too."

Cole took one of the stacked chairs down and pushed gently at Vic until he slumped into it. "I'll make some coffee."

Vic grabbed him, "I don't want coffee. I want some answers. You were laying in the chalk outline at a murder scene when I met you for the first time. You had on a woman's T-shirt, Mel's as it happens. I thought you were just some nut,"

Cole was uncertain what to do now. Maggie always made coffee for the people who drank too much. Vic was glaring at him. He didn't want Mel to come down and find her old boyfriend here, drunk and asking questions Cole had answered before. Of course, Vic hadn't believed him, then.

"Then there was the thing with that chocolate. I'd like to think you slipped something in my drink, but I didn't have one. I saw colors rippling all over you. Somehow, you were drunk, but not on the booze."

Cole took down another chair and sat down. "Vic, I told you I was an alien."

"And then that Euphoria case…"

"Vic…"

"Oh, yeah… An Alien…sure you are." Vic got up and made his way over to the bar. It took him a minute to find a glass and open a bottle of bourbon. "Salud!" he said as he threw it down. Then he dug around in his pocket to find his wallet. "Happy hour…" and he pulled out a couple of $5 bills and laid them on the counter of the bar.

Cole got up, "Vic, you should go home. I can call a cab for you, you should probably not drive."

"Dammit, Cole, quit telling me what to do!" Vic peered at Cole, taking in all the dust. "What the hell have you been doing? I know, you're burying bodies in the basement. You're a mob enforcer…" He nodded to himself, wisely. "Sure. That's the deal. You are a hit man for the mob and burying the evidence in the basement!

"Vic, I do not work for any mob. I work for Mel, and you are going to wake her if you continue to talk so loudly."

Vic pulled out his service revolver. "I'm taking you in, Mr. Cole Hauser, or whatever your real name is. I'm not going to have some mob hit man living with my girlfriend, even if she thinks it's over between us right now."

Cole stayed still. The barrel of the gun seemed fairly steady, but he didn't want to take the chance of a bullet going through the ceiling of the old bar. "Vic, there are no bodies in the basement."

"Cole? Is Nestove in there with you?" Mel's voice was fuzzy with sleep, but she was coming toward the stairs.

"Mel, please go back to bed. It's all right."

"Mel, it is not all right. You get down here, damn it. I want some explanations and don't try to palm me off with that "alien crap."

Mel came down the stairs slowly, letting her eyes adjust to the light. She saw Cole standing near the bar and, to her surprise, Vic with an old fashioned glass in one hand, a gun in the other and a look on his face that certainly meant trouble.

"What's going on? I heard voices…"

"I saw a light on in the basement and came in to check. Mister Hauser looked like he'd been digging around down there. I think he's been disposing of bodies and I'm taking him in." Vic turned back to the bar and put down the glass. He still had the revolver in hand and Cole hurriedly moved to stand between him and Mel.

Mel wasn't sure what to do, but Vic was clearly a little the worse for wear. "How did you get in here, Vic?"

"You gave me a key a long time ago. We were friends, then. That's before your pal, Cole showed up."

Vic sat down abruptly. "You seemed to care about me. Didn't you care about me?"

Mel fussed with the tie of her robe. "I care about you, Vic, but as a friend. I wish you could accept that."

Vic was quiet. Then, "You're special. You always were special and I always…"

Mel came over to him, "Vic, let me call you a cab. Go home and get some sleep and we'll talk about it another time, OK?"

Vic nodded but by the time the cab got there, he was asleep with his head on his arms.

"I'll go with him, Mel. I can take the cab back once he's safely inside."

Mel looked doubtful. Vic was eventually going to realize that Cole was telling the truth when he said he was an alien and she wasn't sure what he'd do when he couldn't ignore it the truth any longer. "Be careful, Cole. He's one of the good guys, but he's going to want answers."

"Yes, Mel. I won't let anything happen to him." Cole pulled Vic's Arm across his shoulder to get him upright while Mel wrote down his address. "Give this to the driver, Cole. Do you have money? They usually prefer cash."

Cole nodded. Then carefully walked the semi-conscious cop out to the cab.

Mel took at deep breath. Then she made herself a martini, gin with two olives. Now all she had to do was go back to bed. Unfortunately, the camping trip last month had left her with more than just a cold. Having Cole snuggled behind her, then in front of her… The memory caused a flush. At least there was no one here to see it. She swallowed the drink. Sleep had been really hard for her these last few days.

Slowly, she headed to her very lonely room. Was Cole ever going to want her as much as she wanted him? When the power flowed through her hand as they opened the cave, there were thoughts, not her own. He cared for her. Even wanted her and the message coded into the entry indicated that the Guardian line was to be joined. How much longer were they going to have to wait?

End Act One

Act Two

Mel woke with a headache. Maggie downstairs belting out old Ethel Merman show tunes didn't help it any. She showered and dressed, then, smelling Maggie's coffee, went down stairs.

"Hey, Ms. Mel, how are you this bright and shiny morning?"

The only response was a grunt and a fast move over to the coffee. "You and Cole go to the same party?"

Mel looked at her over the rim of her coffee cup. "No party that I know about."

Maggie looked somewhat skeptical. "There was a dirty glass on the bar-Jack Daniels, if I'm any judge, and a bottle of said Jack, nearly empty by the bar sink. Cole headed for the basement looking like hell in person and I haven't heard a peep for 2 hours."

Mel shrugged, "Maybe he had a couple of drinks. It was cold last night…"

"Melanie Porter, you just stop this silliness. I told you before and I'll tell you again, I kept Adelaide's secrets and I'll keep yours, but damn it all, girl, Cole is too much like Alan for me to just ignore things."

"Things?"

"He doesn't cope with cold, particularly air conditioning. He gets totally plastered on chocolate… and, Mel, unless you hang him in a closet by his heels like Dracula, he doesn't sleep." Maggie stood there, all but tapping her fingers on the bar.

Between the cold, vivid, erotic dreams and the memories of Cole warm against her in the sleeping bag, Mel was just too tired to keep up the pretense. "Maggie, will you tell me what Grandpa Alan was like? I never had enough time to sit down with Grandma. It seemed to hurt her to talk about him."

Maggie came over and put her arms around Mel, patting her back. That was the last straw. Mel's eyes were full of tears and she just leaned into Maggie's shoulder and cried.

"Oh, honey… Come on over here and sit down. No need for tears. Alan was the love of her life and when he died she got grim and the only bright spots she had were her girls here in the bar, and you."

"I know she loved Jess and Isabelle…"

"She loved you, too, Mel. I think it was just that you had his eyes and chin and it was hard for her. Your father looked like him, too. Strong genes…"

"How old was I when he died?"

"I think you were two. Alan had ordered a special doll for you and was looking forward to baking your cake. He was quite a baker."

"I found some cookbooks in with grandmother's things. Not things she made, though."

"She appreciated convenience foods. He thought they were a terrible thing. Only time I ever heard them fight. We were talking about having a section of the bar re-done as a restaurant. He was retiring from the police force and they had all kinds of plans. Then he tried to swap himself for a hostage. The man killed him, but the hostage got away.

Mel looked around the room. "That's why there were always so many cops around, isn't it?"

Maggie nodded. "I went to work for her in early 70's. Your dad earned a scholarship to the law school over at Northwestern so she needed some help here and I was 18 and needed to take care of my sister's kids. I stayed afterwards because Adelaide was my friend."

Just then, Cole, dusty and shaking with the cold, came up from the basement. "Mel, is there some coffee?"

Maggie patted Mel's arm, "I'll get it, hon. Hang on Cole, we'll get you warmed up."

Cole looked sharply at Mel. "Are you all right, Mel"?

Mel nodded, but the red nose and bleary eyes made Cole come over to her. "Is Vic OK? I made sure he locked his door…"

"He's fine. I guess he's fine… He hasn't called me."

"You don't look well." He came over to her and gently caressed her throat. His hand began to glow, slightly and Mel's breathing became less congested within a few seconds.

He hadn't noticed Maggie coming up behind him. Mel did, and tried to cover his hand with her own but it was too late. Maggie was looking at them both as though she'd never seen them before.

"Well, that does explain a few things," she said, putting a large mug of coffee on the table beside them.

Mel blushed as though she'd been caught doing something wrong. "I can explain…"

"Mel, honey, you don't need to explain anything. I was pretty sure Cole was like your grandpa, and I'm not goin' to tell anyone about the things he can do. I liked Alan. I like Cole, too and probably for the same reason."

Cole looked at her, questioningly.

"You're one of the good guys, too. Alan was a wonderful man. I know he was different. Adelaide told me he was a visitor who'd gotten stranded and we helped him get used to living here."

"A visitor?"

Maggie laughed. "It took me a while to figure out that he wasn't visiting from anywhere on this planet."

Cole nodded. "I think he was sent here to find the old line of Guardians. When his ship crashed, he was the only survivor. The maps he had were very old. He made new ones and hid them. From his messages, he was very surprised that he found Adelaide so easily."

Mel felt like she was in the middle of a game with rules she'd never seen.

"Maggie, how did they meet? All Grandmother ever said was that he was a wonderful surprise."

Maggie stopped, "Mel you still have her diaries?"

"Yes, let me get them. We have time before the bar has to open." Mel headed for the stairs.

The box Jess had found in the basement was cleaner now. Mel hadn't had much time to go through the old books yet.

Maggie lifted them out, checking the dates. "Here we go, Fall, 1948. This should be the one."

Mel paged through it. "So she was visiting friends in New Mexico?"

"The Stevens, I think. She drove her dad down. He retired after her mother died. I think he died a year or so later. She had been running the bar for a while."

"Here it is, said Mel.

The first entries were notes on her trip and the worries she had managing the bar on her own. Then a series of notes on a young man, a hitchhiker she'd picked up just outside of Chicago. She liked him. Her father, after warning her not to be too gullible, talked to him and seemed OK with him staying upstairs in the apartment over the Bar.

August 20, 1948

Alan is looking for work, but there's little enough around. With so many veterans coming home and the women who used to have their jobs… Well the housing situation isn't the only problem in Chicago.

He's working with a construction company and spending rainy days in the library. He's still quiet, but he certainly doesn't miss much.

I'm so confused. Alan says Eric, the bartender dad hired to help out is stealing from us. I tried to call dad but the Long distance rates are so high and I have to start making business decisions on my own.

September 6, 1948

Alan was right. He's watering the drinks and skimming every time he opens the register. I fired him. Alan is taking the late shift. I'll pay him the same as I was paying Eric. I asked how Alan knew and all he would say was that he was a cop back home.

Dad called me back. He thought Eric was on the up and up but says to go with Alan's hunches. He talked to Alan last week. Likes him and gave him the names of some of his friends in the Chicago PD. Looks like he may be a cop, here, too.

October 12, 1948

So much has happened. I need to write it down to make some sense of it. I came upstairs late one night and saw a light under Alan's door. I knocked but there wasn't an answer. Our electric bills are high and I opened the door thinking if he'd gone out, I'd turn out the light.

There was a light on the bed, a glow that spread over most of it and the vacuum tubes and wires from another radio he'd been fixing were visible under it. I must have made a noise and suddenly, Alan was sitting there, then he was beside me, supporting knees that just wouldn't hold me.

He says he's from a place so far away that the light from its sun takes a hundred years to get here. He's a trained cop, a "Tracker" his people call them and was responding to a distress signal from another ship. Something caused his ship to crash. He found the other ship, but there were no survivors. He may be able to rebuild his ship, but … I didn't understand the rest.

I was so scared I couldn't even talk. Then he started stroking my throat, so very gently, that I relaxed completely. His people, both good and bad had been here many years ago. He believes dad is from one of the Guardian blood lines, people bred for thousands of years to guard something here; to keep the bad guys from finding it and holding their star system hostage.

He's at the library searching again. He thinks the Guardian line was developed from the people of Knossos, somewhere on Crete. His people formed bodies when they came here, but the light I saw is Alan's natural form. They knew they had to protect the place they'd used to hide the device and that they couldn't leave earth while the danger still existed. When a natural disaster destroyed Crete, they were able to escape with the weapon and hide it in a safer place. The records were lost and he has to learn where the weapon is now.

He also says… and this is even harder to believe, that I'm one of these Guardians, too.

Mel looked up from the careful writing. "This looks as though she was trying not to put the pen through the paper."

"She said later that she realized that he was telling her the truth when she saw it in her own handwriting. Scared her, too," said Maggie

Cole put an arm around Mel, supporting her, trying to comfort her. "The message in the cave said much the same thing, from Alan's point of view."

"Maggie, I'm sorry. I didn't really believe Cole and I could share it with anyone. I didn't want either of us locked up…"

Maggie snorted. "I think you like having secrets. You always did. It's OK. I'm not going to spread it around."

Cole took some of the other leather bound notebooks out. Almost at the bottom were two with symbols on them that Cole recognized. "These may be Alan's journals." He took a seat and opened the first one. He touched the letters, gently… "No, these belonged to another guardian."

He read slowly, translating as he went along

"I have to hope that someone will carry on with this burden. I was fortunate indeed to come to this city. I must believe that I was guided here and to the beautiful woman I will marry this week. Her family has no real knowledge of our task. I believe that they came here after my own family left France in the late 15th century. We keep our records and they lost theirs.

The thing we guard is buried below the small tavern her family owns. I suspect it was moved from the crypt in Orleans. I know that location holds nothing of the ancient past now.

My cousin still watches over the site in London and he has a son to follow him. This part of the line seems to go through the females and while it surprised me at first, Adele is as fierce as any male warrior I have ever known. She knows very little of her destiny and there is nothing I can say at present. We will continue to keep the tavern. My professorial duties are not terribly burdensome. My wife's family seems delighted that she is to be married and to an Oxford Don at that. My historical researches can be accepted as necessary scholarship to maintain my teaching position.

I know that the Migar ships have called on this planet from time to time to time in the past. My great grandfather is said to have met one of the Cirronians but that was many years ago. They kept this planetary system under their protection in the past, though nothing definite has been heard of them since the last plagues. It is my feeling that among those who died or were displaced, were the people who knew when and where the contact could be made.

Adele was so fascinated with the Colombian Exposition. I knew she was something very special in that first moment. After meeting her, my researches suddenly took on new urgency. I must determine whether there is a threat to her, and this planet from the others. I have translated enough of the older documents that I know Cirron is not the only planet to visit here. If the Vardians have been here and I suspect they have, more than just Adele's future is at stake."

End Act II

Act III

The front door of the bar crashed open and a very damp Nodelian rushed in, making a beeline for Cole. "We got to talk, my man. I got some very scary news."

Without a word, Cole handed the book to Mel and motioned Nestove to go upstairs.

Once in the war room, Nestove took a long look around, cataloguing the updates Cole had made to the equipment. "This is really something, Cole, but I don't think it's enough. Haag is up to something. He's been contacting all of the non-prisoners and having them get in to the Chicago area. I think there are 25-30 of them and none of them are people I recognize. I got a couple of scans from one of the Palm Pilots but that's about all I can do."

"Would they try a direct assault?"

"Hey, Cole, I don't even know who all of them are, let alone what they'd do. Haag is one bad dude and he hates your guts."

Cole sighed and nodded. "I don't know if his brother was in the group that returned.

"Well, I don't know either, but the ones comin' in here are really bad news. I think Vax, the one Enixian you took out when we were tryin' to find out what they were stealing from that museum is here and he's definitely out after you. One of Kaden's guys is looking, too. Worse yet, he's after me and I'm heading over the border until they're both out of the running."

The scans were uploaded with Nestove jumping at every noise. Finally he said, "Later, man. I have a very bad feeling and a bus to catch."

Cole followed him downstairs, the "bad feeling" following with him. He really needed to discuss "intuition" with Mel.

Later that evening, after looking through the diaries and souvenirs from the Colombian Exhibition with Mel and Maggie, Cole came back to the War Room. The mysterious gear the aliens had been using to conceal their heat signatures bothered him and answers had to be found.

What else beside the body temperature changed when one of the aliens took over a human body?

Mel knocked, "Maggie's gone home for the night. What are you working on now?"

"I know how to identify the heat signatures, but that isn't good enough if the shielding they're wearing blocks it.

Nodding, Mel looked thoughtful. "What about the brain waves? An electroencephalogram might be different. Of course, it might be different for each race of aliens, too."

Cole looked up at her. "I think you may have something, thank you, Mel." The room was full of various electronics, much of it re-arraigned to the point where its original makers wouldn't recognize it. The computer was hastily connected to the Internet so Cole could learn more about the latest types of medical equipment. Two hours later, he had a working model ready to test.

The area around the docks was the last place he'd been able to find the aliens. Quietly he made his way to a rooftop overlooking a block of abandoned warehouses. If he was right, he would have plenty of Zin's people to test his new equipment on and just maybe, he could get them out of the way and concentrate on having a life with Mel.

Seeing Krace with his mate had been difficult. Oh, they would have problems, no question about that. Cole had watched enough of the human couples in the bar. The camping trip had its share of them, too, but he and Mel had been able to overcome them. Things were changing between them and as much as he wanted that, he couldn't concentrate on his tasks and give her the attention she needed.

Eventually he would share the rest of the message with her.

There were several people coming out of the furthest building. The hooded jackets and running pants they were wearing looked like the jogging gear the humans wore while exercising but the facemasks didn't really look like the ski masks he'd seen.

Slowly, he raised the makeshift electronic encephalograph. There! A faint glowing response showed on the small screen. The intensity varied quite a bit. He needed to get closer to the building.

There was an alley behind him that ran along side the building they emerged from. He had to risk it. The need to identify his enemies was overriding his caution and the need, above all else, was to keep Mel safe.

A short burst of hyperspeed took him up to the roof and remembering one disaster with the skylight over the drug lab, he approached this one very cautiously. There wasn't much light in the building. Enixians didn't need much and it looked like he'd found the place they were using for their base.

The two figures below him didn't look up when a pebble crunched beneath his feet. Cole took a chance and began moving toward the roof access. The day had been cloudy, but suddenly the sun came out throwing his shadow across the floor of the warehouse. Footsteps sounded coming up the stairs and Cole jumped to the roof of the next building and hid himself behind an old air-conditioning unit. Three men piled out onto the roof he'd just left. One of them was a Vardian, but the dark glasses indicated that the others were Enixians. He stored the information in the new device. The aliens stomped around the roof for a few minutes, then the Vardian, who seemed to be in charge, swore and went back inside.

Cole could hear one of them say something about seeing things, and the Vardian's response was profane in several languages.

He waited long enough to be sure they weren't coming back and then made his way back to the Watchfire.

Mel was sound asleep and there was still some clean-up he needed to do in the basement. It would probably be a good idea to rig detectors in the shaft leading to the Vault as well. He couldn't be sure he had every possible access blocked. The devices were quickly created and he made his way back into the dusty basement.

The Vault seemed secure and there was no way to tell if Zin was still there without opening it. Cole knew he was eventually going to have to bite the bullet but he was more concerned with locating the aliens who posed a direct threat to Mel.

It was almost dawn before he finished dragging the brick filled tarp out to the dumpster. Satisfied that the devices would signal any attempt at breaking through to the shaft, Cole started to lock the back door only to find himself facing Vic again.

"Mel went to bed hours ago. You don't sleep much, do you?"

Cole simply shrugged, "No. It isn't needed."

"So, when you do sleep, where do you sleep?"

"Vic, we've gone over this before."

"So, let's go over this again. Who the hell are you?"

"Come inside, Vic. I don't like the cold and this may take some time."

After checking the locks, Cole led the detective up stairs and into his war room. He motioned Vic to a chair and ran through the usual checks on his computer systems including the new detectors.

Vic looked at the various systems, getting more pale-faced by the minute. "The FBI doesn't have stuff like this. Hell, the CIA and James Bond aren't this advanced..."

"My people don't often use things this primitive, but I've been able to convert some of the electronics to do the things I need done."

"And you're some sort of 'alien'?"

Cole knew Vic was not going to just let this go. Reluctantly, he allowed his true form to show. The brilliance of the light faded everything else in the room. Cole could feel the tension in Vic. "I tried to explain it to you months ago."

He resumed his Terran body and waited. The shifting emotions on the detective's face were a study all by themselves. Finally, his natural curiosity overcame his disbelief and he shook his head, "You know how hard this is to believe…"

"Yes, I suppose it is. A lot of your people do believe it, though."

"Saucer nuts? Nobody takes them seriously."

Cole just looked at him.

Vic's face got a little red. "Well, it isn't easy to accept."

"Mel believed me.

"Mel is more than a little naïve, too."

Cole raised an eyebrow, "She is very caring, but I wouldn't call her naïve."

Vic stood and started pacing. "I met her while Adelaide was still alive. I was getting ready for the police academy and Mel was talking about either pre-law or art school. I teased her about becoming a police artist, but she really wanted to be a lawyer. Jonas encouraged her."

"He is a very good lawyer."

"Yes," Vic nodded, "But he wasn't doing much of anything except drinking until Mel talked him into helping you."

"I did not kill that man."

"Yeah, I know. And the woman who did vanished from the jail."

"She was sent back to Sar-top." Cole looked bleakly at the computer screen. "Unfortunately, I think all of them are back here."

"All of who?"

"The prisoners Zin brought here to help him. I believe his goal is to find the pieces of the ancient weapon. He wants it and will use it to take over the Migar system."

Vic threw up his hands. "You sound perfectly normal for a minute, then you go off somewhere…"

"Shut up, Vic."

Startled, Vic did shut-up. Then, "OK, I'll listen, but I still think you're nuts."

Cole sat there. His voice was soft, and quietly he began telling Vic about his arrival on Earth. "Rhee turned out to be only one part of the problem. Zin is a sociopath, not sane even by your standards. He used Rhee as a test of the second wormhole. He had another, smaller, slower one set up near London and had sent several of his people through it. These were his employees, people who had never been convicted of crimes and were not known to me. Zin knew there was something here, something old that had been developed by his Vardian ancestors. I think he found some writings that told about it and how the Cirronians had convinced the Migar alliance of that time to hide in it a remote part of the galaxy."

"The weapon itself was taken apart and hidden. The instructions for putting it back together and operating it were hidden separately as well. Zin wants to take it back to Migar and use it to make himself the ruler of the system. I can not allow him to succeed."

"If all he wants is to take this thing back there, what's the problem? We have too many weapons around here now."

"Vic, if he tries to take it through the wormhole, it will rip this planet to pieces."

The other man went very pale. "Destroy this planet?"

Cole nodded.

"And you are going to stop this all by yourself?"

"Mel is helping me."

The detective looked ready to throw things, "My God, Cole, you should have Interpol and the CIA helping you. You never said anything about this before."

"Vic, you didn't believe me when I told you I was an Alien. Why do you think they would be any easier to convince?"

Vic looked around the room again. The soft hum of the machinery continued, doing impossible things with parts of an iron, microwave ovens, several old TV sets and some newer computers. "Is Mel in any danger?"

"Yes. She is known to be working with me. Zin has already killed her once and several other situations have occurred."

"Wait a minute, Zin, again and what do you mean, "Zin has already killed her once." What the hell is going on? Can't you protect her with all this…stuff?"

"Zin is… You remember the company that bought up so much of the property around the Watchfire? It is owned by him; he was searching for the weapon. To a degree, yes we can protect each other, but not from everything."

Vic rubbed his eyes. "I think I need a drink. You're telling me that you're an alien, a cop if I understand you, and that Mel is in danger because you can't protect her, even with all the fancy gadgets you have."

"I can protect myself, Vic."

Mel looked like a Viking Shield maiden standing there in the doorway.

Cole looked up from his machines, "I'm sorry, Mel. I didn't mean to wake you."

"The two of you sitting here yelling at each other about protecting me was not going to help me sleep, you know."

"But, you need…"

"Vic, I need to have you as a friend, not a protector. Look, I know this is hard for you, but I'm not helpless. Cole and I are working together."

Vic was quiet for a moment. "You know, I could help. I have contacts…"

Cole looked about to say something, but Mel shushed him with a quick nod. The last thing in the world she wanted right now was Vic finding out just how thoroughly Cole had invaded the Chicago PD system, not to mention Interpol and various other national and international agencies.

"Vic, let Cole and I discuss this a little more. I know you could be a lot of help, but I don't want you to get in trouble over it, OK?"

Vic nodded, reluctantly and looked around at the array of machines. "Who knows, maybe you can help me too." He gestured at the changing patterns on the screens. "If this "Zin" is involved in local Real Estate deals, there are some homicides that seem to be related and they don't fit the usual motives."

Mel smiled at him, "Of course, Vic. We'll help you, too. Works for me"

Vic still didn't look happy, but he hugged Mel and left saying that he'd let himself out.

End Act Three

Act Four

Mel sat down. "Are we really going to let Vic help?"

"He's a trained investigator. I would rather he was committed to helping us. Better then hunting for answers on his own. That would be difficult for you to deal with. Then too," he smiled at her, "You will be more comfortable if we don't have to take the badges from your caricatures. "

She made a noise, half way between a snort and a laugh, "I suppose you're right, but it still feels like we're taking advantage of him."

Cole shrugged, the human gesture still a little stiff in the body he wore. "I need to check the information your grandfather left on the vault. There should be some kind of information on how to re-open it if that becomes necessary. I need to know if Zin is there."

"But, if you open it, and he's there, can you relock it?"

"That is what I need to find out. I have detectors placed in the areas that might be vulnerable, but I still can not tell much about the vault itself."

Mel yawned, "I need to get a shower and get dressed. Maggie and Isabelle are taking the early shift so I can get the shopping done for the house, then make sure our bar orders are in…"

She turned to go, barely hearing Cole muttering "Personal hygiene is important." She turned and grinned at him. "And don't you forget it!"

He smiled. He was getting better at understanding humor but still wasn't sure he was responding correctly. There was so much still to learn. Right now, though, he needed to make sure all of the systems had the additional encephalographic sensors in place. He really needed to know where the rest of Zin's people were hiding.

Cole stretched to relieve a tight muscle in his back. He really wanted to find a quiet place and lay down. Could the human body he'd built for himself be needing some rest? This was a new situation. He knew that normal humans did need sleep, but for almost two years, now, the body had run smoothly, other than the chocolate problem… There really was no one he could ask, either.

The sleeping bag he and Mel had used was hanging in the basement. Mel wanted to be sure it was dry before rolling it back up and putting it away. He took it down and settled himself on the floor. There was still a faint scent of Mel's cologne in it. For nearly an hour, he tried to close his eyes and "sleep". It didn't work. He could feel the warmth of Mel's body against him and the human body reacted as it had then.

No, this was definitely NOT working. He gave up, hung up the sleeping bag and went back to the vault level to continue exploring the possibilities.

The door was still sealed. There was nothing he could recognize as a locking mechanism, either. There wasn't a sound in the stillness around him. That thick silence made him uncomfortable. He'd had no chance to examine the interior before hurling Zin through the heavy door. The faint shimmer of an almost luminescent blue was the only thing he remembered seeing before it closed.

Feeling frustrated, in more ways than one, Cole returned to his room. The box of notebooks and the larger box of older materials were heavier than he remembered. He cleared a space on the worktable where he could set up a light. Adelaide's notebooks were wonderful as far as information of the day to day situations she and Alan dealt with. When he had time, he promised himself that he would look and see how they had handled the secrecy they needed.

His own notes, the translations of the cave key and the message were inside the box as well, but he really needed to go back to the place where they had found Alan's artifact. It would also be safer than the place he and Mel had stashed the Stragglebroc. He needed to take a few days to examine the cave and the message the other Cirronian had placed there. Unfortunately, the capture of the alien hunting them had been his main priority. His need to get Mel back to the Watchfire safely kept him from taking the time to examine the cave completely.

Cole was still having a difficult time of it. His early dependence on Mel as he was learning how to conduct himself as a human had not kept him from seeing the beauty of her spirit. Now, he was beginning to believe that the Ancestors did know, somehow that the lines would rejoin.

If he could believe the notes he'd found, Mel's Great-great-grandfather had been from one of the original Guardian lines. Then Alan had crashed in pursuit of others, possibly people coming to see if the rumors of the Vardian Weapon were true and the line was strengthened again. To Cole, it seemed almost as though the Ancestors had planned that when the need arose to protect this planet the Guardians would be reinforced.

What would it be like, he wondered, when they were finally able to be together. Would they have to wait until all of the criminal aliens were returned to Sartop? What about the people like Krase? Did he have to remove Krase from his wife? If Krase did get involved with the criminal element again, the answer was yes, of course, but if he was rehabilitated, was it necessary to force him back to Sartop?

Lontoria was another problem. Her determination to help the people she was living with was very real. He knew her intelligence and had no doubt that she would do everything she could to pay for her crimes.

His head ached.

Should he return Haag and the others? The laws of Earth had been broken. If he could not find a way to have the local law enforcement people pick them up for trial, should he send them to Sartop? He would have to return with them for their trials. He was the only witness.

For now, he needed to concentrate on the Vault. If Zin had escaped, his recapture was vital. He needed to understand the science involved in creating the vault and for that, the trip to Alan's cave was vital. The same type of blue radiance in the cave was in the vault. His searches had led him to information on something called a stasis field. Was it a stasis field?

He heard Mel come downstairs. She might know more or have ideas as to how to find any existing information. In any case, she had a sharp mind and he welcomed her input.

"Stasis field? No I don't remember reading anything other than theory like that. Are you sure that's what it's called?"

"I think so, but your dictionary isn't clear. All molecular movement stops. There is no movement toward entropy."

Mel looked thoughtful, "So if Zin is in there, and it is a stasis field, he wouldn't know anything that has happened..."

"That could be a small advantage."

"Well, anything that helps…" Mel turned to go.

"Mel, I need to go back to the cave. The weapon should be moved there, too. We didn't have time to thoroughly examine it and I need to know as much about it as possible if I'm to truly be a Guardian. There may be more information that we can use."

Mel nodded. "Can you find it again?"

"Yes, I have the GPS settings the Forest Ranger gave me, in case we wanted to return someday. That should get me close enough and I remember the rock formations."

"Cole, I can't leave for a few days. We have deliveries coming in and it wouldn't be fair…"

Gently, he patted her arm. "You need to keep our friends safe, and Vic may have something for us."

"Can you drive the SUV?"

"I think so. I've been practicing and not listening to Nestove's advice."

Mel was trying not to laugh, but the memories of his description of the very wild ride they'd taken to Nestove's apartment were too much.

EndThe next morning, Cole made sure of the cell phone, GPS locator and Mel's gas card. The trip wouldn't be too long and he'd be back with whatever information might still be hidden in the cave.

Mel was a little nervous about being on her own again, but she reminded herself that she did know how to handle her collector and Maggie and Vic would be around to help if she needed it. Cole had the new detectors running to give her warning and he'd be back soon. "The sooner the better," she thought to herself as she watched him drive away.

It was dark when Cole finally reached the beginning of the trail they'd used. There was more light, no rain and a waxing moon, made it a lot easier to find his way to their first campsite. Gently he unfastened the straps that held his backpack. The weapon had been wrapped carefully, first in something Mel called, "bubble wrap" then in a heavy tarp. He carefully scanned the area. He didn't think Tisan, had time to report to Haag, or to Zin, if he'd escaped, but there was no sense in taking chances.

Satisfied, he continued walking, trying to remember the things Wahote had said about tracking. There were so many things that the natural world could teach him. The moon was setting now, only starlight remained. He stopped, sitting one of the stone outcroppings and taking a little time to look at the stars.

This far from the city lights it was easier to see the sector of the sky where Migar's sun shown. Home… No, it was more and more likely that it would never be home again. Every day that passed anchored him more closely to Mel and to this place called Earth.

His obsessive need to recapture Rhee made him act without thinking things through. It had seemed so simple, find Rhee and get him back to Sartop. Then Zin had killed Mel and gloated that there were over two hundred other criminals here. The scientist's callous disregard for the life forms native to this planet sickened him.

His job as a Tracker had always ended once the criminal was bound over for trial. But after Rhee's capture, he'd quit his position and taken a job as a senior warden to make sure that Rhee would never escape retribution for the deaths of his wife and daughter.

Bendal, his second at Sar-top, had suggested that he talk a counselor because his focus on Rhee was becoming an obsession. They'd been friends, as much as Dagon could let himself be friends. Had Bendal taken the blame for the escapes?

Bendal was right about the obsession.

Walking on through the night, Cole tried to find answers, but there really was no answer. He needed more information and even with the best will in the world, Mel couldn't help him. Cirronian or not, she had been raised in this world. She was a wonderful, intuitive person and he had no doubt that she was learning to use her skills at a rapid rate.

Would Vic help? He was certainly willing and had a strong need to protect Mel. That, in itself was important. Cole felt like one of the little creatures he'd seen in the window of a pet store, running and running and getting nowhere.

The weathered granite ahead of him was a welcome sight. Cole looked around, but there was no indication that the cave had been disturbed. It took only a moment to find the block covering the laser controls. His handprint was accepted and he entered the cave.

He kept remembering the words he had translated for Mel:

Makers of legend,
Givers of light,
Darkness brings Morning,
As Day becomes Night.
A Guardian's Angel
born of skies up above:
their faith in each other,
will save those we love.

Beyond the small stone shelf where the second key waited for them, was another small chamber. When he entered it, a soft blue glow surrounded him. "Like the vault…" he thought. What was in here that needed further protection?"

The room cave had a strange quality, sound seemed stifled, as though muffled by some sort of supressors. The cave had been enlarged somewhat and seemed to be safer by far than the old mine shaft he and Mel had used to hide the Stragglebrot.

For several hours he examined the area in great detail. The lasers would keep out anyone without the proper DNA proof of the Guardian bloodlines. It wouldn't take long to reclaim the weapon and, now that he know exactly where the cave was, the weapon would be safely stored tomorrow.

It was late in the afternoon when he finally sealed the cave. Now he could return to Mel. He didn't have any new information on the possibility of a stasus field. The field in the second cave didn't seem to be that type.

He needed more time. Time to regain his balance in this very strange world. His world, now. The SUV was warm, something he appreciated. The lights of Chicago welcomed him and he heaved a sigh of relief as he unlocked the door of the Watchfire. Home…

The End