She thought about the fact that this woman had been Barrett’s wife and found that she had to admire the man that had captured the heart of such a force. For now, though, Madeline was simply grateful that Ayala was on her side. She was a good friend to have. And they needed the very best.

Chapter 37: Hans On

The colonel pulled up the collar of his pea coat as he strolled across a large quad. He was well inside the confines of Hanscom Base. The October wind was not strong but it carried the first chill of winter. It was the kind of chill that folks still warm from the Indian summer might call invigorating. In a few weeks those same people would no doubt be complaining about how long the winter already was, but the colonel was not one to talk about the weather, good or bad. As he approached the entrance to the hangar where Dr. Martin had set up their equipment he saw Captain Toranssen standing outside, looking pensive.

“Good evening, Captain.” he said as he walked up, slowing as he approached, but not stopping until he was fully covered by the large metal awning that sheltered the hangar’s double doors. He came to a halt next to the captain who was also well covered from prying eyes above by the metal sheeting that made up the wide awning.

“Good evening, sir.” said Jack Toranssen, his hand coming to his forehead in a quick and informal salute as the older man approached. The small group of people that was now privy to the alien presence on Earth was very diverse, spanning different backgrounds and areas of expertise, but they had several key things in common. Firstly there was the knowledge of the threat, a knowledge that bound them together. That burden also drove a shared dedication in all of them to fight their common enemy to the end. And while they came from diverse parts of the country, even the world, and each contributed very different things to the team, they had also all taken on several notably similar habits in their various locations.

The families and friends of all six had seen a sudden and marked increase in the numbers of letters and postcards they received, an increase that was matched by a proportionate decrease in phone calls and e-mails as well. All six of them had also given in to some luxuries that they would previously have denied themselves. A new Omega watch for Colonel Milton, a vintage Corvette for Jack, and two pairs of Prada shoes for Madeline. For Neal it had not been a single purchase. Instead he had taken to drinking through his local wine store’s collection of vintage ports. At around $400 a bottle, these weren’t the most expensive splurge of the group, but they were by far the tastiest.