“CRASHED” PART 12
The command center wasn’t what Ken expected—though, truthfully, he hadn’t known what to expect.
The tent was larger than it looked from the outside. Rows of laptops and monitors glowed in the dim light. Young soldiers sat at folding tables, headsets on, fingers moving fast. For all the military presence, it felt strangely ordinary—like a temporary office set up in a hurry.
Hayes pulled out a chair for Patty first.
“Ma’am.”
Patty sat. Her posture was stiff, polite, controlled.
Hayes then gestured to the far side of the tent. “Mr. Miller—over here, please.”
Ken followed, keeping his face neutral.
“I’m going to make this as quick as possible,” Hayes said. “If you’re wondering why I separated you from your wife, I didn’t want to upset her”
“Upset her?” Ken cut in. “Lieutenant, what is this about?”
Hayes didn’t flinch. His tone cooled, just enough to feel it.
“Mr. Miller, as you’ve been informed, there was an incident behind your vehicle this morning.”
“I’m aware something happened,” Ken said. “One of your MPs mentioned it, but he didn’t elaborate.”
“He wasn’t authorized to,” Hayes replied. “Security.”
Ken’s eyes narrowed. “What does any of this have to do with my wife?”
Hayes held Ken’s gaze. “Please let me finish, sir.”
Ken gave a small nod and forced himself still.
Hayes continued, calm and clinical. “The equipment my team is using is advanced. It doesn’t just detect movement—it detects signature. This morning, it hit on a positive reading in the bed of your truck.”
Ken’s stomach tightened, but he kept his expression steady.
“My men moved in to isolate it,” Hayes said. “And the signature moved. Fast. Whatever it was—it was in your truck, and it jumped off.”
Ken let the silence sit for half a breath, like he was processing.
“I didn’t want to scare your wife,” Hayes added. “I didn’t know how she’d handle hearing she’d been riding with an… unknown entity.”
Ken leaned back slightly, letting surprise cross his face—controlled, believable.
“…Thank you,” he said quietly. “I appreciate the way you handled that.” He paused, then added, just enough embarrassment to sell it. “And I apologize for my attitude earlier. It’s been a rough few days.”
Hayes acknowledged him with a short nod.
Then his voice sharpened—not louder, just more focused. “Mr. Miller, I need to ask you a few questions. We’re dealing with something capable. Intelligent. And we still don’t know its intentions.”
Hayes glanced toward the map board and the live feeds, then back to Ken.
“We have evidence it killed a couple farm animals,” he said. “No confirmed contact with humans. Yet.” A beat. “No news is good news—but we can’t afford to relax.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“So. While you were loading your truck—did you see or hear anything out of the ordinary? Any unusual activity around your house at night? Noises. Disturbances. Anything at all. Think hard—small details matter.”
After a few more questions, they were escorted back to the truck and allowed to leave the command area.
The checkpoint wasn’t the same this time.
The sergeant barely looked at them — just lifted his hand and waved them through.
Ken eased the truck forward. The gate opened. Then closed behind them.
Neither of them spoke.
They were both thinking the same thing.
Cellima… where are you?