out?”
“But so far the evidence shows—”
“Your average cop is a good deal more cynical than your average citizen. Especially city cops, they’ve developed high levels of wariness and caution—they’re constantly on the lookout, even if they don’t mean to be and there’s no need to be.”
Lia’s hands dropped to her lap as she nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Russ went to the double doors of the porch and pulled them shut, then unplugged the refrigerator and dragged it over to stand against the doors. Using an extension cord, he plugged it back in. Lia watched him for a moment, then she got up to lock and bolt the door.
“This won’t stop an intruder,” Russ said, “but it will give us a couple moments of advance notice. I’ll call tomorrow for burglar bars.”
“What about your store?” Lia asked.
“I’ve got sliding bars; you just don’t see them because I don’t use them. I’ve been relying on the alarm system instead. But I had the bars installed a while ago for protection in the event of an earthquake or something.”
“You want to go there now and cage your store?”
“And leave you here alone?”
They gazed into each other’s eyes.
“I’ll come with you,” she said.
Russ shook his head. “I’ll risk it for tonight. Hardly anyone is out right now. We could just be putting ourselves in danger as the only available target.”
“What about your gun?” asked Lia softly.
Russ shook his head. “I’d rather not use it if I don’t have to. Anyway, you get a guy hyped up on adrenalin—or adrenalin and drugs—and even a bullet won’t always drop him so fast. Heck, even ten bullets won’t always do the trick.” He paused, his fists on his waist. “And it’s hard shooting when you’re fighting an adrenalin rush of your own.” He paused. “I’m great at the range, but I’ve never needed to shoot on the move while someone’s firing at me.”
“I never thought of all that,” said Lia. “But it makes sense.”
“Guns are great when you really need one. But they’re not perfect. Nothing is.”
Russ moved the sofa against the door. Then he and Lia went to the window and took one last glance at the purple bubble. It floated up there, looking sparkly and translucent in the quiet darkness of space.
For some reason, looking at it made Russ think of Emma. But why should it? He gave his head a shake to thrust her memory away.
He and Lia went to bed, and he placed the gun on the nightstand next to him. The gun was loaded and Russ pondered whether to leave it like that or to leave the magazine in the drawer. He figured it only took a second to get it together, but in the heat of a confrontation....
He left it in.
Chapter 10
Morning came and the first thing Russ did when he woke up was look out the window. In the sunlight, he could make out a purple sparkling outline in the sky. Russ exhaled through pursed lips. He’d been half hoping the thing would be gone in the morning.
“There are actually two of them,” Lia said from where she sat at her computer in the corner of the bedroom. “But like I said, they’re still not orbiting us.”
Russ rubbed the sleep from his face. “On the news, they were saying just one,” he said.
Lia nodded. “They don’t want people to panic.”
Russ snorted. “People won’t know? No one has Instagram or Twitter on the other side of the world?”
“They do,” said Lia. “And all the alternative media sites or full of pics and demands to know why it’s all being kept hush-hush.”
“Good question,” said Russ, throwing back the covers and swinging his legs off the bed. “Why try and hide something that’s impossible to hide?”
“I told you,” said Lia. “The panic. No system is ready to deal with mass panic.”
“How can this help?” Russ looked at her. “It’s so obvious that we’re being lied to.”
Lia gave him a wry smile. “Many of the lies have been obvious. And people believed them.
“But so far the evidence shows—”
“Your average cop is a good deal more cynical than your average citizen. Especially city cops, they’ve developed high levels of wariness and caution—they’re constantly on the lookout, even if they don’t mean to be and there’s no need to be.”
Lia’s hands dropped to her lap as she nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Russ went to the double doors of the porch and pulled them shut, then unplugged the refrigerator and dragged it over to stand against the doors. Using an extension cord, he plugged it back in. Lia watched him for a moment, then she got up to lock and bolt the door.
“This won’t stop an intruder,” Russ said, “but it will give us a couple moments of advance notice. I’ll call tomorrow for burglar bars.”
“What about your store?” Lia asked.
“I’ve got sliding bars; you just don’t see them because I don’t use them. I’ve been relying on the alarm system instead. But I had the bars installed a while ago for protection in the event of an earthquake or something.”
“You want to go there now and cage your store?”
“And leave you here alone?”
They gazed into each other’s eyes.
“I’ll come with you,” she said.
Russ shook his head. “I’ll risk it for tonight. Hardly anyone is out right now. We could just be putting ourselves in danger as the only available target.”
“What about your gun?” asked Lia softly.
Russ shook his head. “I’d rather not use it if I don’t have to. Anyway, you get a guy hyped up on adrenalin—or adrenalin and drugs—and even a bullet won’t always drop him so fast. Heck, even ten bullets won’t always do the trick.” He paused, his fists on his waist. “And it’s hard shooting when you’re fighting an adrenalin rush of your own.” He paused. “I’m great at the range, but I’ve never needed to shoot on the move while someone’s firing at me.”
“I never thought of all that,” said Lia. “But it makes sense.”
“Guns are great when you really need one. But they’re not perfect. Nothing is.”
Russ moved the sofa against the door. Then he and Lia went to the window and took one last glance at the purple bubble. It floated up there, looking sparkly and translucent in the quiet darkness of space.
For some reason, looking at it made Russ think of Emma. But why should it? He gave his head a shake to thrust her memory away.
He and Lia went to bed, and he placed the gun on the nightstand next to him. The gun was loaded and Russ pondered whether to leave it like that or to leave the magazine in the drawer. He figured it only took a second to get it together, but in the heat of a confrontation....
He left it in.
Chapter 10
Morning came and the first thing Russ did when he woke up was look out the window. In the sunlight, he could make out a purple sparkling outline in the sky. Russ exhaled through pursed lips. He’d been half hoping the thing would be gone in the morning.
“There are actually two of them,” Lia said from where she sat at her computer in the corner of the bedroom. “But like I said, they’re still not orbiting us.”
Russ rubbed the sleep from his face. “On the news, they were saying just one,” he said.
Lia nodded. “They don’t want people to panic.”
Russ snorted. “People won’t know? No one has Instagram or Twitter on the other side of the world?”
“They do,” said Lia. “And all the alternative media sites or full of pics and demands to know why it’s all being kept hush-hush.”
“Good question,” said Russ, throwing back the covers and swinging his legs off the bed. “Why try and hide something that’s impossible to hide?”
“I told you,” said Lia. “The panic. No system is ready to deal with mass panic.”
“How can this help?” Russ looked at her. “It’s so obvious that we’re being lied to.”
Lia gave him a wry smile. “Many of the lies have been obvious. And people believed them.
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