After he’d left, Henri was able to move again. I’d been furious that no one was answering my questions, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. He looked like he was about to break in every way possible. I’d kept asking questions, but he kept ignoring me. He ran into another room. When he came back out, he was carrying a shotgun and this locked box with all kinds of weird symbols carved into it. I could tell he was on some kind of mission as he headed to his truck. I was fast, though, and got there before him, planting myself in the passenger seat. I needed to know what was going on. Especially if Sarah was involved.

“I don’t have time to deal with you,” Henri had said as he jumped into the truck. “Out!”

What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to react to that?

“If Sarah’s in danger, you take me to her,” I said. “No matter what.” And I meant it. Suddenly that was the only thing that mattered.

Henri had looked at me long and hard before starting his truck. As we peeled out of his driveway, he shoved the locked chest into my lap.

“What’s this?” I asked.

Henri just shook his head.

“Boy, you’ve got a lot to learn in the next five minutes.”

Then everything went to hell.

Lying on my pullout bed at Nana’s, I think about this interaction, wondering why I got in the truck in the first place. I don’t know, really. Looking back on it, I should have called my dad. Or let Henri go alone. Or any number of options that wouldn’t have put me at Mog ground zero. But something had told me to go with him. I’m glad I did. I mean, I saved John that night, and probably Sarah too.

But a little part of me wishes that I’d never gotten into that truck. That Henri hadn’t told me about the war we were driving towards—a battle on Earth between two alien races.

Part of me wishes I’d just walked away. Life would have been a lot less complicated that way.

CHAPTER SIX

THE NEXT MORNING I REALIZE I NEED TO TELL Sarah that the FBI and the police know about her and John. We’d assumed they had, but every concrete piece of information we can find helps us build a clearer picture of what’s going on. Plus, I want to tell her about the stuff I’ve been researching with GUARD. I’ve only ever talked about “Aliens Anonymous” in an abstract way, mentioning articles I’ve found online but not explaining that I’m now a part of a super-nerdy alien conspiracy blog. Maybe today’s the day to tell her.