Chapter 69
WHEN WE FINALLY reached the jungle (yes, my father had been correct), the strike force had already pitched tents under the dense canopy of trees and set up camp for the night.
I was about to drop my backpack to the ground and machete my way through a tangle of vines to do the same when my father shook his head.
“We need to talk,” he said.
“About what?”
“Everything.” He looked around, most likely surveying the average number of bugs per square inch in our current surroundings. “But not here. Follow me. And bring your backpack.”
I followed my father through the dense underbrush. He led me to a sun-dappled clearing situated between four mammoth banyan trees with thick, woody trunks strangled by snaking air roots. My father sat cross-legged in front of me and gestured for me to sit down.
“You see the four trees to the north, south, east, and west?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“They say Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating under a banyan tree. So, too, shall you.”
“What do you mean?”
“As much as I’d like to stay with you, son, I can’t journey at your side forever. In the hours we have left, I need to tell you everything you must know.”
“Okay…” This was weird; it meant that Dad knew a lot he’d never told me before. Why would he keep secrets from his only son?
“Let’s start with the deity we know as Number 1,” he began. “For eons, this twisted god has been amused by the eternal struggle between good and evil, the never-ending battle of demons and angels, darkness and light.”
“Destroyers versus creators,” I added.
“Exactly. Number 1 has always favored the dark side, but more than anything, he enjoys watching a good fight between equally matched opponents. So, to keep things interesting, he pits the universe’s finest creators against its deadliest destroyers. It’s also why Number 1 gave us The List.”
My jaw dropped. “Whoa. Wait a second. You expect me to believe that my ultimate nemesis, The Prayer, the creep who holds the number one ranking on The List of Extraterrestrial Outlaws on Terra Firma, is also the guy who gave us that list?”
“Yes, Daniel. Believe it.” The silence of my overwhelming disbelief was pretty deafening. “In fact,” my father continued as I tried to absorb all of this, “Number 1 not only gave us The List but is also the one who constantly updates it.”
I was glad I was sitting on the ground. Otherwise, I might’ve keeled over. This was absolutely incredible. For his twisted entertainment, Number 1 made sure that we Alien Hunters/Protectors from Alpar Nok always knew where to find the most hideous creatures from all over the galaxy, who had come to Terra Firma to spread death and destruction.
“Did he enjoy watching me take down Attila outside the bat cave?” I asked.
“I’m sure he did.”
“And what about Number 19, back in Portland? The one that was part man, part jellyfish, and part chain saw?”
“I’m sure Number 1 was greatly amused.”
“So, what? He’s like Zeus up on Mount Olympus, looking down from his lofty throne and drooling with delight as mere mortals fight to the death for his enjoyment?”
My father nodded. I thought about all the alien baddies I had hunted down and bumped off The List. Especially Number 6, the planet annihilator who, years earlier, had killed the real Dana, Willy, Joe, and Emma back on Alpar Nok.
Now I was learning that my mission had been Number 1’s entertainment. My battles, struggles, and sorrows were all just exciting new episodes of this deranged deity’s favorite action-packed TV show.
“When I refused to fight Number 2 in Kansas,” my dad continued, “Number 1 demanded that I give him back The List.”
“Why didn’t you just call off the game and give it to him?”
“Because I knew you would need The List to protect this planet, Daniel. The other side, the alien outlaws, had no intention of calling it quits. As we grow older, Daniel, we realize that, when things don’t go our way, we can’t just pack up our toys, call it quits, and head for home. If I had surrendered The List, Earth would have been destroyed several times over.”
“I know. But if Number 1 really wants a fair fight between me and Number 2, why does The List draw a total and complete blank on Abbadon?”
“Does it?”
“Yeah. There’s nothing about his planet of origin, his—”
“Look again, Daniel.”
“What?”
“No more secrets. The time has come. You need to know everything.”