Page 32 of Eclipse Bound
"We must relocate to the retreat immediately,” Eclipse said. “Solar and Lunar need to be warned."
"If they don't already know." Rowan checked the windows and doors, making sure everything was locked before they left. Not that locks would stop Milano if they decided to search her place.
As they headed for her car, Rowan scanned the street with new wariness. The isolated neighborhood suddenly seemed full of potential threats. Why was that van parked down the street? Mrs. Lowen stared intently at it through her curtains.
In the car, Eclipse remained unnaturally still, his attention fixed on their surroundings. Rowan pulled out of her driveway, obsessively checking her rearview mirror.
"So what's the plan?" she asked, taking a route that would avoid the main roads. "If Milano's actively hunting you guys, we need a strategy."
"Strategy requires accurate intelligence," Eclipse replied. "We must first gather information about Milano's capabilities and objectives. Then we can formulate an appropriate response."
"Well, I can tell you their objective," Rowan said, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. "They want alien tech. Before I got shut down, I was investigating rumors that Milano had acquired unusual materials from a meteor crash site in New Mexico. They hushed it up, but my source claimed they extracted something with non-terrestrial properties."
Eclipse absorbed the information with a disturbing calm. "This suggests prior experience with extraterrestrial entities or artifacts. Their pursuit of us is likely informed by that knowledge."
"Which means they probably have specialized equipment for tracking you," Rowan concluded. "God, this is insane. Two days ago my biggest problem was explaining to Mrs. Henderson why her chakra cleansing got rescheduled."
A flicker of something that might have been amusement passed through Eclipse's eyes. "Your adaptation to extraordinary circumstances continues to be remarkable."
"Trust me, I'm freaking out on the inside," Rowan admitted. She took a sharp turn onto a service road that wound behind the retreat. "I just happen to be good at compartmentalizing. A useful skill for both journalists and people whose alien boyfriends are being hunted by evil corporations."
The word boyfriend slipped out before Rowan could catch it. She winced internally. Way to put a label on something completely beyond human relationship categories.
“By boyfriend, I just mean you’re a boy, kinda, and a friend, and?—
"Your designation is not inaccurate, though limited by human relationship parameters. Our connection transcends typical biological pairing." Eclipse didn't seem bothered by the term.
"Right," Rowan muttered. "Not boyfriends. Just quantumly harmonically converged or whatever."
She pulled into the retreat's back entrance, parking in the staff area where her car wouldn't be easily visible from the main road. The morning was quiet, with few guests visible.
"The Desert Suite has a private entrance," Rowan explained as they exited the car. "We can go in without being seen from the main building."
They moved quickly across the grounds, staying close to the landscaping that provided cover. Rowan led Eclipse down a winding path to a secluded building set against the red rocks. The Desert Suite was the retreat's most exclusive accommodation, designed to blend with the natural landscape while providing luxury and privacy.
Rowan used her master key card to access the suite. Inside, the space was dim and quiet.
"Solar?" Eclipse called softly. "Lunar?"
No response.
"They must not have arrived yet," Rowan said, moving through the suite to check the rooms. Solar was supposed to be at The Crash Zone with Dani the night before, and Lunar was with Poppy. She hid a bemused smile. Maybe all of the aliens got lucky last night.
The suite was empty, but showed signs of recent occupation. The blackout curtains were up in the western room, and the full-spectrum lights she'd provided had been installed in the eastern one.
"I should try calling them," Rowan suggested, pulling out her phone.
Before she could dial, the door opened. Rowan spun around, heart pounding, only to see Stephanie saunter in.
"There you are!" Stephanie exclaimed. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Did you hear Milano canceled? Rumor is they're sending some bigwigs to investigate the UFO incident instead of running their stupid team building exercises." She paused, noticing Eclipse. "Oh, hello tall, dark, and literally stellar. Those contacts are amazing. Where did you get them?"
Eclipse glanced at Rowan, clearly unsure how to respond to Stephanie's rapid-fire speech.
"Steph, what are you doing in here?" Rowan asked, moving to block Eclipse from view. She cared about Stephanie, but also accepted that her friend couldn’t be trusted with a secret this big.
“Introduce me,” Stephanie whispered, trying to push past. “What is your name, handsome?”
“My name is Eclipse.” He took Rowan's phone from her and moved away from them. She watched him lift it to his ear and wondered if he faked a phone call to avoid Stephanie.
