“Crashed” Part 8
It felt different now.
The simple knock on the door sent a wave of panic through all three of them — as if fate itself stood on the other side.
Ken opened the door.
Lieutenant Hayes stood there, just like before. But this time, he wasn’t alone.
A younger, slightly thinner man stood beside him.
“Good evening, Mr. Miller,” Hayes said. “Sorry to bother you — I know it’s getting late. This is Private Jameson. He’s a specialist in the field of ufology. Do you mind if we come in?”
Ken hesitated for a moment… then stepped aside and let them in.
Once inside, Hayes started the conversation — but Jameson was quick to take over.
“Sir,” Jameson said, “what the lieutenant is trying to explain is simple. I work closely with several paranormal investigation agencies. With the technology we have access to today, we can detect electromagnetic fields that no other conventional tools can even register.
“In short, sir… the Army contacted our unit. We’ve been stationed on your property for two days. Our readings confirm there is something moving across your land. Something active. intelligent. And not following any detectable or repeatable pattern.
“That, in our professional assessment… makes it unpredictable — and potentially dangerous.”
Hayes jumped in quickly, trying to soften the blow.
“You’ll have to excuse Private Jameson, Mr. Miller. He tends to get a bit overzealous.”
He looked Ken in the eyes.
“We haven’t determined whether this entity is actually dangerous. In fact, it’s had ample time to harm you — and hasn’t. That tells us something. Still… our orders are clear. We need to perform a full sweep of this area. For that reason, we’re going to need you and your wife to evacuate the property temporarily. Just a few weeks.”
Ken blinked. The words barely registered at first.
“You understand, don’t you, sir?” Hayes added.
Ken’s jaw tightened.
“Yes, Lieutenant… I understand that you are on my property. Uninvited, I’ll add. And while I’ve been extremely accommodating, let me be clear — you have no legal right to remove us from our home.”
“I’m really sorry it has to be this way, Mr. Miller,” Hayes said, his voice low with genuine regret. “But sir, we’ve been through this before.”
He exhaled and continued, “Under the Defense Production Act of 1950, the federal government is afforded broad authority to allocate resources, compel production—or take control of private assets—during national emergencies.”
He paused to let it settle. “This is a national emergency. And while we’re not fully invoking the law, we do need to conduct a thorough sweep of your property. That can’t be done efficiently with you and your wife still here.”
Ken was silent for a long moment. Then, reluctantly, he nodded. “Fine. We’ll be gone by morning.”
Hayes looked surprised—he’d expected a fight—but nodded in return. “Thank you, sir.”
Once Hayes and Jameson were out of sight, Ken returned inside. Outside, cloaked and silent, Cellima had listened to the entire exchange. She didn’t intervene. She knew it would only distract him—and possibly compromise his resolve.
Minutes later, she powered down her suit once more.
This time, she spoke aloud.
“I will move on,” she said softly. “But the perimeter your military has established will be difficult to bypass. I will need help.”
Ken looked to Patty, and without hesitation, she nodded.
“We’ll help,” he said. “Whatever it takes.”
They didn’t say what they were all thinking.
The plan could be the end of all three of them.