Yesterday's Gone: Season Six by Sean Platt, David Wright Page B

later, she opened the door, tears in her eyes. Ben and Becca were in bed, covers pulled up to their chins, crying.  
    Ben jumped off the bed, running to Brent and leaping into his arms.
    “Daddy, you’re okay!”
    “Yes, buddy, I am.” Brent kissed his son’s head over and over, squeezing him tight, thanking God that his son, and Teagan and Becca, were alive.
    They didn’t have a scratch.
    Teagan moved closer and hugged both him and Ben. Becca climbed off the bed and joined.
    “How?” he asked. “How did you all survive?”
    “Marina. She somehow fought the thing off. I heard her right outside our door, and I tried to go out to help, to make sure it didn’t get in here, but she shoved me back inside the room and finished it off.”
    Teagan’s voice cracked. “I was so afraid.”
    Brent continued to hug them then finally broke the embraces and said he’d be right back. He had to take care of something downstairs.
    “Don’t go, Dad!” Ben threw his arms around Brent’s waist.
    “I’ll be right back. The monster is dead, don’t worry. I just want to thank Marina.”
    Teagan pulled Ben back into bed. Brent made a break for the door and closed it softly behind him.
    He went downstairs where Marina was still standing in a daze while Joe, Peter, and Sammy walked around and surveyed the dead.  
    He met Marina’s eyes. She wasn’t staring at, so much as through, him.
    “Thank you.”
    Marina nodded. Brent expected her to make some joke or mention how he was lucky he asked her to stay behind, but she said nothing. She merely nodded, staring through him, white knuckling the machete as if the alien might return to life at any moment.
    He reached down to take her machete. She flinched and tightened her grip.
    “It’s okay,” he said softly. “It’s dead.”
    Marina relaxed her grip and let go.
    He would have to ask Teagan to lead her to the bathroom so she could wash up, but first he needed to talk with Joe and the others.
    He set Marina’s machete against the wall. She stayed standing, staring at nothing. He went to Joe and the others. “What do we do now?”
    Joe’s eyes were still wet.
    “What do you mean?” He looked around at the bodies. “What can we do? They’re all dead!”
    “No, we’re not all dead. And we need to consider that this wasn’t a random attack. An alien posed as Otis! More could be coming. We can’t stay here.”
    “You’re right,” Joe said. “We need to get to the backup site.”
    “That’s not all,” Brent said.
    Peter and Sammy came over.
    “Whadya mean that’s not all?” Sammy asked.
    “This.” Brent pointed at Otis. “We’ve never seen anything like this before. The aliens aren’t just invading people’s bodies. They’re changing their shapes — to look like us! We need to tell the others.”
    “You know the radios don’t transmit that far north,” Joe said.
    “I know. Someone has to go tell them.”
    Joe shook his head. “I can’t even think straight.”
    “I’ll go,” Sammy volunteered.
    “Me, too,” Peter said. “What about you, Brent?”
    He didn’t know what to say. Brent could only think about Ben, Teagan, Becca, and a devastated Marina at the bottom of the stairs.

    * * * *

CHAPTER 9 — Paul Roberts

    Paul’s stomach did summersaults as the tri-winged shuttle left The Island, ascending to the giant mothership floating overhead.
    The shuttle’s cabin was the size of a large cargo van, with seating for ten. But Paul was alone, save for the Guardsman sitting across from him dressed in all black with a mirrored black helmet.
    He considered trying to read the man’s thoughts but didn’t know if he was human or host. If he were a host, then the alien might detect Paul’s probing, which would give the aliens reasons for suspicion if they didn’t have any already.
    While a Guardsman always accompanied Paul to the mothership, his presence today was particularly intimidating. Paul couldn’t help but wonder why Desmond had called for