Game Over

Chapter 48





IT WAS A fairly long walk, but at least it proved to be one free from alien harassment.

“Looks like they really weren’t expecting us to go this way,” I remarked as we crossed the pedestrian bridge over a rail yard a few blocks from the looming GC Tower.

“That,” said Kildare, “or they wanted us to do this and decided to make it easy.”

“Thanks,” I told him. “For a minute there I’d actually forgotten to feel paranoid.”

“I can’t remember the last time I didn’t feel paranoid,” Kildare said, gesturing at a bench. “Is it okay if we rest here?”

I nodded as he took a seat. I was about to sit down myself when I caught a whiff of something so delicious I couldn’t think straight.

“What is that?” I asked Kildare, inhaling deeply.

“Krispy Kreme,” Kildare’s voice caught, and he nodded somberly at the far end of the overpass where I spotted a Krispy Kreme donut shop sign.

I looked at his furrowed brow. “Um,” I said, trying not to drown in my own saliva, but realizing something was troubling my friend. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. They used to be his favorite.”

“Krispy Kremes? Whose?”

“The Pleionid. After school he used to disguise himself and ride in on my backpack. We’d stand in line and then we’d buy like three dozen glazed and sneak off to an alley and scarf them down together.”

“You miss him, huh?”

“You know what it’s like to lose somebody close to totally senseless violence, don’t you, Daniel?”

I nodded. “Why did your parents do it, Kildare? Why did they kill the Pleionid? Why do they hunt creatures to extinction?”

Kildare shook his head. “I wish I knew. They weren’t always like this. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they were ever kind to me, but at least they used to look after me. Lately, it’s like I’m just another alien employee.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter now, does it? They’re murderers. Mass murderers.”

“But they’re your parents,” I said. “So you want to give them one last chance. I get it. Do you want to fill me in on your plan? Maybe I can help.”

“You’re helping already. You’re giving me hope, Daniel.” He got up from the bench. “Now let’s go get some donuts, and then we can head over to the GC Tower.”

“No need for the donuts,” said a familiar voice behind us.

Number 7 was standing there holding an open box of Krispy Kremes.