that’s not a crime.”
“Never said it was.” My tone grew serious. “You said you had something to show me.”
“All right.” Gale stood. He offered his hand.
Why not? Sure, he could help me up. Like he said, I had been stung by the Sparkies multiple times. I slipped my fingers into his. He pulled me up, and we stood a breath apart, like in the movies before the actor and actress kissed.
We froze, and his breath touched my lips. I trembled a little inside. To my great disappointment, Gale released my hand. He gestured toward the large spiral stairway in the hall. “Come on.”
What did he have upstairs? A Sparkie tied to the railing? I wanted to ask, but the way his eyes lit up made me realize this wasn’t something he could easily explain.
Marble steps covered in a thick, flowery rug led us to a balcony overlooking the main audience hall. I thought he’d stop here, but instead he climbed to what could only be an attic.
I stopped in my tracks. Too many scary movies about attics flashed through my head. “Where are we going?”
“To the roof.”
Did I trust him? Even though he was Gale Williams, I’d only met him that day. He could be crazy for all I knew. A lot of actors were crazy, according to TMZ.
He unlatched a hatch in the ceiling. “Are you coming or not?”
Crazy actor or not, he saved my life. He was willing to help me find Mom. And whatever was up there might be the key. I wasn’t a risk taker by nature, but this I had to see for myself. “Lead on.”
A rectangular shaft with a ladder led up to another hatch. Gale popped it open and pulled himself up. Once again, he offered his hand.
I could get used to this.
A penthouse with a pool and a putting range spread across the rooftop.
I blinked in disbelief. “Why would someone keep such a wonderful place secret?”
Gale shrugged. “When you have the whole world looking at you, there’s only so many places you can truly call private.”
I gasped as I turned toward the edge of the pool. A massive alien spaceship—probably the same one I’d seen from Maine—spread across the horizon beyond the trees. So close, it seemed like I could almost touch the elusive shape if I reached out and wiggled my fingers.
Gale pulled me to a lookout point behind a stone bench. From there, I could make out the lines of the structure, and some huge circular gear churning away. Doing what, I could only guess.
“Look there.” Gale put his cheek next to mine and pointed to the left.
An oblong shuttle detached from the large structure and flew in an arc around the front.
“What is it?”
“A smaller ship. They come out of that bay at the top. I think that’s how they transport themselves to the ground.”
I held my breath, trying not to hope too much. “That’s our way in.”
He gave me his sly half smile that looked oh so sexy. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Everyone I know could be in there. We have to try.”
I thought he’d argue with me, but, instead, he nodded, as if thinking it over. “All right. What should we do? Follow one and steal it when it lands? Or blow one out of the sky?”
Wow. He was serious. He would help me get one of those ships. Of course, he wasn’t doing it for me. He’d lost people, too. His mom and dad? A girlfriend, perhaps? Jealousy ripped through me, and I buried it. Did I really think I had any chance with him at all? This was the end of the world, for Pete’s sake. How could I think about my dating prospects when my mom was still missing?
I scratched my head. “I don’t know. How hard are they to track?”
He shrugged. “I’ve never tried to track one.”
“Now’s a good time as any.” I watched the ship dive toward the coast. “Over there. Can you get us to that beach?”
He squinted then nodded. “That’s on the Cape. I can get us there, but any place by that large ship is swarming with Sparkies. It’s not going to be easy.”
“Who said life was easy.” My life had never been
“Never said it was.” My tone grew serious. “You said you had something to show me.”
“All right.” Gale stood. He offered his hand.
Why not? Sure, he could help me up. Like he said, I had been stung by the Sparkies multiple times. I slipped my fingers into his. He pulled me up, and we stood a breath apart, like in the movies before the actor and actress kissed.
We froze, and his breath touched my lips. I trembled a little inside. To my great disappointment, Gale released my hand. He gestured toward the large spiral stairway in the hall. “Come on.”
What did he have upstairs? A Sparkie tied to the railing? I wanted to ask, but the way his eyes lit up made me realize this wasn’t something he could easily explain.
Marble steps covered in a thick, flowery rug led us to a balcony overlooking the main audience hall. I thought he’d stop here, but instead he climbed to what could only be an attic.
I stopped in my tracks. Too many scary movies about attics flashed through my head. “Where are we going?”
“To the roof.”
Did I trust him? Even though he was Gale Williams, I’d only met him that day. He could be crazy for all I knew. A lot of actors were crazy, according to TMZ.
He unlatched a hatch in the ceiling. “Are you coming or not?”
Crazy actor or not, he saved my life. He was willing to help me find Mom. And whatever was up there might be the key. I wasn’t a risk taker by nature, but this I had to see for myself. “Lead on.”
A rectangular shaft with a ladder led up to another hatch. Gale popped it open and pulled himself up. Once again, he offered his hand.
I could get used to this.
A penthouse with a pool and a putting range spread across the rooftop.
I blinked in disbelief. “Why would someone keep such a wonderful place secret?”
Gale shrugged. “When you have the whole world looking at you, there’s only so many places you can truly call private.”
I gasped as I turned toward the edge of the pool. A massive alien spaceship—probably the same one I’d seen from Maine—spread across the horizon beyond the trees. So close, it seemed like I could almost touch the elusive shape if I reached out and wiggled my fingers.
Gale pulled me to a lookout point behind a stone bench. From there, I could make out the lines of the structure, and some huge circular gear churning away. Doing what, I could only guess.
“Look there.” Gale put his cheek next to mine and pointed to the left.
An oblong shuttle detached from the large structure and flew in an arc around the front.
“What is it?”
“A smaller ship. They come out of that bay at the top. I think that’s how they transport themselves to the ground.”
I held my breath, trying not to hope too much. “That’s our way in.”
He gave me his sly half smile that looked oh so sexy. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Everyone I know could be in there. We have to try.”
I thought he’d argue with me, but, instead, he nodded, as if thinking it over. “All right. What should we do? Follow one and steal it when it lands? Or blow one out of the sky?”
Wow. He was serious. He would help me get one of those ships. Of course, he wasn’t doing it for me. He’d lost people, too. His mom and dad? A girlfriend, perhaps? Jealousy ripped through me, and I buried it. Did I really think I had any chance with him at all? This was the end of the world, for Pete’s sake. How could I think about my dating prospects when my mom was still missing?
I scratched my head. “I don’t know. How hard are they to track?”
He shrugged. “I’ve never tried to track one.”
“Now’s a good time as any.” I watched the ship dive toward the coast. “Over there. Can you get us to that beach?”
He squinted then nodded. “That’s on the Cape. I can get us there, but any place by that large ship is swarming with Sparkies. It’s not going to be easy.”
“Who said life was easy.” My life had never been
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