“Crashed” — Part Two
He asked the usual questions, sure, but there was something about his tone — aggressive, demanding, and somewhat urgent.
“Is this your land, sir?” he finally asked, in an inquisitive manner, but somehow not fully.
“What did you see down there? I need you to tell me exactly what you saw — and not leave out anything.”
Ken was feeling slightly agitated at the way the deputy was acting, but he answered every question.
Finally, the deputy asked Ken to sit in his car for a few minutes. He evidently had a call to make, because he walked off and over to another deputy’s car and began talking on the phone. He was still in clear view of Ken, but too far to hear.
When the deputy returned, his tone was calmer — but no less firm.
“Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to go on home. Anything you saw out here, you are not to discuss with anyone. The U.S. Army is on the way, and this portion of your land will be off-limits until they have completed their investigation.”
Ken was confused but not surprised. That strange fire — and the way his flashlight had bent across the wreckage — it hadn’t felt like any crash he’d ever seen.
This is something weirder than they’re letting on, he thought.
“Well, at least they let me keep my 4×4,” he muttered as he negotiated the final turn in the path approaching the house. Through the trees, he could still see the bright floodlights the sheriff’s deputies had erected around the ravine. One of them flickered softly — just once.
Inside the house, he was greeted by a frantic Patty, who immediately jumped into his arms.
“I’ve been here this whole time thinking the worst,” she said. “The news is already talking about the crash. They don’t know exactly where it is, but they do know it’s somewhere near us. They’ve probably sent out every field reporter available.”
She pulled back, hands still on his shoulders.
“I tried to call you — to warn you — but the signal went completely dead on my phone shortly after you left. I haven’t gotten it back yet.”
Ken raised an eyebrow. That’s kind of unusual. He pulled his own phone from his pocket and checked — dead, just like Patty’s. No bars. No signal. Nothing.
“Honey,” he said gently, “you’d better sit down.”
Patty took the news of the military’s arrival smoother than Ken expected.
“So, I guess next they’ll tell us not to leave the premises,” she said jokingly — but with a hint of seriousness.
Right then, the sound of helicopters began approaching — loud, growing louder, until it filled the sky.
It sounded like one of those battle movies, Patty thought.
Ken walked to the window, his apprehension growing, fear slowly rising now — real, tangible.
And if he hadn’t felt it before, he did now.
He could’ve sworn he saw something move — in the shadows cast by the dim light of the moon, just along the tree line.
But when he turned to look again — nothing.
He dared not say anything to Patty.
This was getting weird enough without him adding to it.