Chapter 19: The Ship

It was rare to hear pickup trucks so early in the morning. Fog hung in the air, the wind blew slightly. The sky was completely grey.

Approaching the commune, were four trucks, and in the back of the line was a fifth. Pulling a trailer. This trailer was huge, used to hold horses normally.

Julie watched the action unfold from her doorstep. Dave was close by, slightly nervous.

Earl jumped from the first pickup, the rest of his men holding shotguns followed.

From the cabins, the people of the commune stood outside. Knowing something was afoot. Something big.

Julie and Dave were no exception, Julie held David's hand as usual. Both wearing new jackets to combat the approaching winter weather.

It took a group of strong men and women to reveal what was inside this horse trailer.

Once the large item was out, Earl smiled making a loud announcement through a loudspeaker.

"This my friends, is a UFO. One of the Barg's must have crashed it. Now, we will use it. To fight against any of the alien scum that comes for us! Not only this, but we will also use it on any human who disagrees with us! For we are the new founding fathers!"

Clapping erupted from the circle of people admiring the ship. Except for Dave and Julie.

Imagine Earl the nutcase with a Barg ship. Thought Julie, frowning.

As Earl walked back to his truck, he yanked a random Barg from the back seat of his truck.

The crowd claps as it is forced to its knees, shivering, and breathing heavily.

"And look! We got us a treat. A Barg! Look at him, people." Using his large hand, the man squeezed the throat of the lizard. Causing it to cough.

To hide his tears of rage, David ran into the home. Julie followed close by.

It didn't matter to the young man whether this alien was partly responsible for the destruction of the earth or not. It was a living, breathing entity. Terrified for its life.

I could've maybe tried to stop Earl from killing this creature. I could've run out to protect it. Doing so would get us kicked out. It would ruin the chance of seeing Gunner again. I promised Gunner I was indebted to him. He saved my son's life. I wasn't going to leave him here to rot.

"Kill it!" Nancy yelled. "It probably murdered tons of kids!"

"You're right, my dear Nancy!" With a laugh, Earl pulled a hunting knife from his boot and cut the Bargs' throat.

With a sickening gurgle, the alien fell to the ground. Blood spewed from its neck like a faucet.

Cheers and claps erupted.

David was left crying in a corner of the cabin.

***

Gunner was asleep when he heard the familiar sound of the garage door opening and closing.

"Morning, alien." Earl chuckled. Like he had just made the best joke in the world.

"What now?" The irritated alien spoke after a yawn. His lip was cut badly from one of the beatings from Earl.

"We need your help, buddy. A ship needs looking at." Earl walked around the seated lizard.

"Help? You chain me up. Leave me in the cold. Kill my people who were terrified of you. Barg who weren't part of this nasty invasion. How about this? Go fuck yourself." The teenage alien spat to the floor.

Earl slapped Gunner on the cheek with a smack that echoed through the storage room.

Once everyone had gone back to their homes, Earl dragged Gunner from his holding place to the middle of the commune. There, lay a ship. A ship Gunner knew. It was the typical ship used to investigate planets, something small and sleek. Couldn't hold a lot of items, but they worked well.

Earl forced Gunner to his knees.

The alien turned to one side, to see David running up to the green lizard. He wrapped his arms around him, shaking slightly.

"D-don't hurt him, please." Sniffled the teenager, looking at Earl.

Julie rushed out a gun by her side, stepping in front of Gunner and Earl.

"You hurt my son and I'll shove my gun far up your ass. Choose your next words carefully."

Earl backed away, looking at Julie who stood tall in front of David, who knelt by his extraterrestrial friend.

The cabins that surrounded the four showed no signs of life within them. No one dared come out of their homes. This was Earl's business.

"If he helps me rebuild this gorgeous ship, then he'll be safe. I'm really sick of dealing with you, Julie."

"Likewise." She aimed her black pistol at him.

Swiftly, he drew his gun. A six-shooter.

Silence filled the air.

David held Gunner softly, crying gently.

The alien sighed deeply.

"I'll do it." Croaked Gunner. "If you keep your hands off Julie and David. I'll fix your ship up."

Guns were pointed. Earl and Julie's arms shook, fingers hovering over triggers.

"Alright. It's a deal then." Earl put his gun down.

Julie took a deep breath, putting her gun away.

"Let's get started." Earl nodded. "David, get away from Gunner."

David sniffled. "Please. I just wanna talk to him. For a little bit. Please."

"I'll be fine. I promise." Gunner whispered to the human.

***

For four long days, Gunner worked tirelessly to repair the fallen craft. Earl had tools, Gunner had memory and the ingenuity of his people to get through the most problematic issues. The alien was treated quite well surprisingly, given food, water, sleep, and his jumpsuit and boots were freshly cleaned.

The members of the commune stayed clear of Gunner, going about their tasks as if nothing was happening.

David did watch the Barg work, but his mom told him not to talk too much. Gunner needed concentration. Plus, it isn't like Gunner was in the best of moods working under Earl's boot.

Sometimes Earl would roughly tap the alien on the shoulder or slap him, thinking he was funny.

If David and Julie weren't on the line, he'd lunge at the large man like a wild animal and tear his throat out.

The alien went under the ship and around the ship, using screwdrivers and electric power tools to make his plan work.

On the eve of the ship's full repair, Gunner didn't tell Earl the ship was ready for take-off.

Gunner had other plans.