"You are being indoctrinated now. That is first, but I will keep my promise. Now that you are with us, you will learn all our powers."

Jordyn led her into another room. It was again a huge circular room. But empty. Just plain white, the light source glowing and undetectable.

"You understand we can shift through the illusion of time," Jordyn said. "See how it was here nights ago."

His eyes widened, went black. Kaila felt a vibration and rushing in her mind.

The room filled with beings. It took her a moment to interpret what she saw. Children and toddlers populated the room. They were thin and had huge bald heads and black eyes. Most had large heads, huge eyes, small noses and lips. The children stood in a circle and threw a large, glowing white ball to each other-the same type of ethereal ball she had thrown at that drunken party at her house.

A toddler of about three stood in the circle with spa.r.s.e hair and huge dark eyes, his skin the color of paste. When the ball was thrown to him, he stared blankly as it bounced off his face. The ball emitted sparks and some of the other children rushed to retrieve the ball.

Then a creature scurried into the room. This was no hybrid. It had a large head, gray skin, and huge black eyes wrapping around its skull. It had three long fingers, a slit of a mouth, holes for a nose, and stood about three-and-a-half feet tall. Kaila froze, not taking her gaze from the creature. It was just like in the movies-the gray aliens. They were real, she realized.

"No fear," Jordyn instructed. "He is a worker."

The gray worker led a woman into the room. Strangely, she wore a pink bathrobe. She had pink foam curlers in her hair and looked drugged. The gray worker stared into the woman's dulled eyes.

Kaila realized the gray transmitted a mind stare command to the woman. Then the woman approached the child who looked sickly and dull, who could not catch the ball. She picked him up. She sat down on a bench near the wall and held him, rocking, staring blankly.

"She is his mother," Jordyn explained. "She is transmitting energy that he needs to live and thrive. She gives her energy in touch. We've found hybrid children fare better when their mothers touch them. We summon them here to help their children."

The mother, in her pink bathrobe, cradled the child, who quieted as she held him in her arms. He stared expressionless out in s.p.a.ce, seeming less agitated as he popped his thumb in his mouth.

"It takes the right combination of DNA to create us," Jordyn said. "Some of the mixtures are not correct. When that happens, they do not live on Earth as we do. We do not want any of the hybrids on Earth recognized. And so, they stay and work on the ships. This one will likely stay on the ships."

"And what about him?" Kaila asked, pointing to the little gray creature. "Who was his mother?"

"He is bio-engineered."

"By who?" Kaila asked.

Jordyn stepped back, his eyes going solid black. His arms were outstretched, palms up as he gazed into some far place, as if possessed.

"We will feed you information as you are ready," he said in a strange voice. Jordyn's body shook with tremors.

Kaila quivered with a foreign vibration. She was aware that time was moving, that days were flipping past.

She'd had a day at school, been on the bus, eaten dinner with her family. She was locked in Jordyn's owl-like eyes, but this was not a mind scan. Information was being downloaded into her mind. Weeks were pa.s.sing, life was pa.s.sing, but she could not think that way now. Here, time had no relevance.

"Come," Jordyn said, his eyes solid black. "I will show you your lineage."

To a human it would seem a second. But in that second the secrets of humanity and herself, down through her very cells and the spiral helix of her DNA, were revealed.

She saw the great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and then the Sphinx, the monument with the body of a lion, the head of a human.

"This is an incredibly important monument," Jordyn explained. "It signifies us. A genetic creation."

He leaned two inches from her, staring with his black eyes. She allowed herself to go into those eyes, permitting him to infuse her with forgotten knowledge.

She went back to where there was nothing but the emptiness of black s.p.a.ce. Then, behind that, exploded a loud bang. Something hid in the background.

"Don't look at that," Jordyn instructed.

A buzzing filled Kaila's ears, and she saw animals on this planet, men stooped over, little better than apes.

Again, she sensed the Controller. He was the omnipotent Master as he peered down on them all. And she realized, with a start, he was hungry.

She glimpsed reptilian creatures with huge brains on their foreheads, saw abominations of mankind as the genetics were mixed. She realized that humans were created at first for slaves, and then to satisfy their hunger and sustenance.

Kaila shook, feeling the mind block. She jolted in pain as if an electric probe internally seared her. She was being punished. She must not realize the existence of the Controller, nor his motives.

Then, apelike creatures walked erect, had less hair. And she saw giant creatures, the Nephilim, mating with women. Her mind was besieged with an array of images: soaring birds, lions, serpents, reptiles, triangles encasing eyes, human slaves, stone tablets, blood, fires, so many images she couldn't decipher all she saw.

Other beings of grace and beauty arrived on Earth-thousands of ships in the sky, a galactic war with explosions, killings, human sacrifices; words pouring down from the skies that mankind would interpret as G.o.ds for thousands of years.

"But then there was peace," Jordyn said. "That is the secret of the Sphinx. It represents a truce."

Ever after, human blood was mixed with bird and serpent-light and dark.

"But we are now approaching another time," Jordyn said, "where there will again be huge movement and shifting."

"What will happen?" Kaila asked.

"Pay attention," Jordyn commanded.

She saw herself as a hologram before her, an Egyptian queen. Her hair was dark, her eyes enhanced with liner, clad in a long white gown. Her mind infused with a knowing she'd been royalty in Egypt.

"Because of your lineage, your mother was selected to breed you," Jordyn explained. "Now you know why Egyptians used eyeliner on their eyes. It was to emulate the eyes of our fathers. Also know that when I took you to Egypt on your birthday, it is a place of high energy; and when we went inside the pyramid, you received an activation-"

Jordyn froze. His eyes transformed from hazel to solid black. He said mechanically, "We are giving too much information. We need to instruct you on the mission."

Kaila grew frightened. When Jordyn was like this, he lost all sense of himself. He was being externally controlled.

Again, Jordyn stood erect, arms outstretched, palms up. "We are now to instruct you on abductions."

Time accelerated. White light blinked. Beings appeared and disappeared, akin to a black-and-white strobe light. Kaila had no perception of time or how much time pa.s.sed but was aware that a mind-screen was implanted in everyone in Bush to make it appear she was living a normal life on Earth during the period she was being indoctrinated.

Then Kaila and Jordyn were on the field beside the school. It was night. A crescent moon hung in the sky. The air was cooler, and Kaila knew she'd leaped a lengthy period of time. It must be fall.

"What day is this?" she asked numbly.

The hive surrounded her, their eyes black as the night sky.

Mrs. Bourg pushed through the hive. "The date is unimportant," she said, her eyes milky. "You still have much to learn. And there is not much time." She waved her hand. "Jordyn, take her. The rest of you go. You know what to do."

In the sky appeared a huge triangular craft. It loomed overhead, five times larger than the width of the high school, blocking the night sky. It emanated a deep vibration that resounded within Kaila's bones. White lights beamed on the edges of each side while the bottom emitted a cobalt blue.

Let's go, Jordyn said to her mind.

He was not himself anymore; he was not aware of her anymore on a personal level. His skin and hair appeared blue beneath the lights of the craft. Vibration rocked every cell in Kaila's body. They lifted and teleported from the field to outside a house.

"This is Melissa's house," Kaila said, dazed.

Then Viktor was next to her. He leaned close, exhaling hot breath. "We need proof of your allegiance," he said. "You are going to abduct your friends."

Kaila was unsure of what he asked. She heard buzzing in her ears, knew that s.p.a.ce lifted as they traversed to a higher dimension to allow them to pa.s.s through third dimensional solids.

Then she, Viktor, and Jordyn walked through Melissa's bedroom wall.

A seash.e.l.l night light plugged into the wall emitted a soft glow. Melissa lay in bed on her back with ear buds in her ears. She had fallen asleep listening to late night Coast-to-Coast AM radio.

In the dim light, Kaila noted the shadows under Melissa's eyes. Still, she looked innocent, her dark hair tousled on the pillow, her round cheeks rosy, her chest rising and falling with her breath.

Kaila felt the buzzing, the low-pitched hum.

"Make her think she sees a ghost," Viktor commanded.

"What?" Kaila asked.

"Stay in fourth dimension," Viktor said to her mind. "Then all you are is a filmy blur."

Kaila stood at the edge of Melissa's bed, Jordyn beside her. Viktor went to the foot of the bed. He grew in stature like a rubber Gumby. He stared down at the sleeping Melissa.

Melissa opened her eyes.

Reading Melissa's mind, Kaila saw that Melissa perceived Viktor as a transparent ghost with long dark hair and black eyes, leaning over her. The ghost stretched out its hands with long bony fingers, urging her to rise. Melissa gasped.

Viktor flew over the bed as a wisp and thrust his black eyes three inches from Melissa's. Her scream was choked down her throat. She lay still, paralyzed.

Viktor looked at Kaila, black eyes hard. "Take her," he said.

"No," Kaila said, beseeching Jordyn.

"You must," Jordyn said.

Kaila realized that Jordyn was completely controlled and did not hear, did not heed her fear or concerns.

Simultaneously, she felt a tug, something trying to control her. She felt bowed over as if a gigantic cresting wave yanked her under at the night seash.o.r.e.

"I won't do this!" Kaila struggled to protest.

Viktor looked disgusted. He mind-stared the zombie-like Melissa, who lifted from the bed, her body horizontal. Viktor made her feet lower to the floor.

Then they all teleported through the wall, through the night, so fast it was a blur. And in another second, they were back at the field of the high school.

The gigantic craft hung low in the sky. Melissa was deposited on the field in her sky-blue pajamas decorated with puppies.

With mounting horror, Kaila saw that there were hundreds of people being deposited onto the dark field, most in their night clothes, many clutching their heads and screaming.

Viktor pushed his face two inches from Kaila's, his eyes embers, hypnotic, all knowing, unstoppable. "Now," he said. "You will abduct Pia."

Kaila gasped. She looked at Jordyn.

Jordyn stared out into the night, his eyes solid black.

"Rise now," Viktor said.

They teleported to outside Pia's house. Crickets chirped in the darkness, but when the three hybrids stepped on the moist leaves, the crickets went silent. An owl hooted in the forest.

Kaila shivered, knowing the night was thick with unseen presences infiltrating the town. Then they traveled through the brick walls of Pia's house and stood in her bedroom.

Pia lay on her side, a pillow under her leg, her belly showing the slightest bulge in her tank top. She, too, wore ear buds, having fallen asleep listening to late night AM talk radio. It was dark; she'd fallen asleep without putting on the night light.

"Stay in fourth dimension," Viktor instructed Kaila's mind.

The three hybrids stood at the side of Pia's bed. Kaila frantically wondered what she should do. She should wake Pia. Could she transport her away to safety?

Then, she felt a dullness in her mind and forgot that thought. She heard the calling, felt a tug. The ocean waves crashing to sh.o.r.e dragged her under. She was lost in the undertow.

She had to get to the ship. A low humming and vibration. It quivered every cell in her mind.

Pia woke. Kaila leapt into her mind. She saw that Pia perceived them as three dark shadow creatures standing beside her bed. Worse, she felt her panic and fear. Still, Kaila stayed subdued, drugged to submission, yet highly alert and aware.

Pia opened her mouth to scream.

But she did not scream. She was paralyzed.

"Take her," Viktor said.

"No," Kaila choked.

"You must," Viktor said.

"Jordyn," Kaila stammered, "Please stop this."

Kaila saw Pia perceived Viktor as a filmy, shadowy night creature.

Yes, Viktor said to Pia with his mind. We are your worst nightmare. He inhaled, feeding on her fear.

Then came another lower, deeper vibration. The room weighed with something powerful and unseen. Gray fog filled the room, thick as swamp waters, dark as the farthest reaches of the universe.

A stab of terror pierced Kaila. It was here. And it was here for her. She sensed its red eyes in the fog, knew its unspeakable power, felt its all-seeing thousand eyes probing every cell of her mind.

Take her, it said in her mind.

Kaila wanted to protest, wanted to fight.

You have sworn allegiance, you are with us. You must do this. This voice sounded deep and penetrating inside her mind. Kaila forgot who she was. She had no ident.i.ty. She was part of a whole now. One hive, one mission. She must obey.