SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 43: Don't Touch Me

I pondered the question, but before I could answer, Heather stepped forward. "We could take a small spaceship and fly there. A one-day mission and that could solve it."

"No." I blurted out. Heather gazed at me annoyed. "Our spaceships are extremely noticeable. They could spot us from miles away." I continued.

"If we are fast they won't have time to react." She shot back.

"But we don't know what we'll find there. What if we need more time to evaluate the situation? What if people are securing the zone? We can't rush this." I said.

"Well, then what do you suggest?" Heather asked a bit irritated.

"I say we dress like them and go on foot. We gather information, get a feel for the situation, and refrain from making any hasty decisions," I proposed.

"By foot? And why not crawling? This isn't a scholarly expedition, Grace," she sighed as if my suggestion was the most ludicrous thing she'd ever heard.

Stella jumped in, "Yeah, It would take ages to get there." and Heather nodded in agreement.

"Maybe not," Beverly said. "We could take one of our old SUVs."

Stella frowned. "An SUV? What the heck is that?"

"It's an old vehicle, kind of clunky if you ask me, but they're pretty common on the other side. We've got a couple of models lying around here. I could arrange one of them for the mission. If anyone spots us, they won't recognize us."

Brooke seemed to like the idea as her lips curved to show a timid smile. Stella strolled about, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her black hair, mulling over it. But Heather? Her face tightened with anger, clearly not a fan of the suggestion.

"Opening the gates and leaving with a SUV is a suicidal mission. We haven't done a transfer for months, and all eyes are on the gates! There's no way they won't see us!" Heather exclaimed, her voice rising.

"We can go through the tunnels and leave at night," I said. 

"That's a good idea," Stella chimed in, turning to me with a smile.

Heather didn't seem satisfied, her gaze piercing me. "They also watch out for the tunnels, Grace. They know everything about them, or have you forgotten?"

Whoa. Was this comment innocent? It certainly didn't feel like it.

"We could provoke a distraction and seize the opportunity to leave," I said.

"They'll sniff it out," Heather shot back.

"Not if we do it right," I replied.

"As if you know how to do things right," she said.

"Excuse me?" I snapped, glaring at her. What did she just say? Heather avoided my gaze, and Brooke frowned,  confused.

"And what would YOU know about doing things right, Heather?" I retorted, feeling my anger escalate with each passing moment, but it didn't seem to faze her.

"We need a plan that's actually feasible, not some half-baked scheme that'll get us all killed," she replied, her fists clenched on the table. She was fuming, and you know what? So was I and I wasn't going to let her play with me like that.

"First of all, nobody is going to get killed, and second, at least I'm offering solutions instead of shooting down every idea," I said, my rage building.

Beverly and Stella pivoted their gazes between us as if our conversation was a tennis match. Brooke, on the other hand, had turned her back to us, looking out the window. She was quiet. Too quiet.