Unchained: The Discordant Earth Series Book Two

by Melony Paradise

  Finally reaching the building she’d lived in with Sebastian and her friends the last few months, Alyssa followed an outer wall until she found an entrance. Pushing her way inside, she stood for a moment, letting the water drip from her clothes as she swiped her hair out of her face. As wet as she was, all she could manage was to blink the moisture from her eyes.

  Glancing around, she oriented herself and ran in the direction of their rooms. Thankful for the heavy boots she’d started wearing, Alyssa whipped around corners without slipping on the water that still dripped off her clothes. Thunder still rattled the walls and windows, and she wondered how much of that was nature and how much was Ras’ military.

  Gunshots rang out, and she skidded to a stop, barely staying upright. She scooted along the walls, checking around each corner. When she arrived at the corner of the three-way hallway attached to their rooms, she ducked and peeked an eye around the edge. The loud report of a gun sent her sprawling backward.

  With a shake of her head to clear her ears, Alyssa crawled back to the corner. Down the hall, Jordan and Jess fired at Zook soldiers that must have come in through the garage. They took turns reaching out to aim and shoot, Jordan standing with a rifle and Jess crouching with a handgun.

  In the dim light, Alyssa thought she saw four bodies on the ground and three returning fire. Her hand slid to her waist, fingers curling around the grip of her own handgun. Using the element of surprise, she positioned herself low, leaning out just enough to target a Zook at the other end of the hallway.

  As he popped back to avoid her friend’s gunfire, Alyssa took a deep steadying breath. Letting it out slowly, she waited for him to move into her line of sight. The instant he leaned out to shoot back, she squeezed the trigger, watching his head snap back just before she ducked back behind her corner.

  I may not like violence, but at least I’m a good shot.

  Bullets pierced the wall behind her. She stood and swung out, blasting her gun as she dashed to the other corner. Her back flattened against the wall as she listened for more gunfire, but there was only the ringing.

  “Alyssa!” Jordan’s voice sounded like it filtered through cotton, and she swallowed hard, attempting to relieve the pressure in her ears.

  Turning to slide against the wall, she peered around the corner with one eye, scanning for the enemy. As far as she could see in the dim light, nothing moved at the other end of the hallway. Jess sat on one knee, keeping her gun ready as Jordan waved Alyssa down.

  With her gun pointed at the ceiling, she jogged along the wall to her waiting friends. Jordan pulled her into the room as Jess kept watch.

  “Are you okay?” Kora asked, Lyssa blissfully quiet.

  “Yeah. Lorn saved me from Ras.”

  “What?” Jess jumped up and rounded on her. “Where is he? Is he okay?”

  “Ras cornered me in the cafeteria, and Lorn did something to him to stop him. He said to find you guys and get out of here.”

  “Why are they here? How did they find us?” Jordan stalked around the room, scrubbing his hand through his hair.

  “Ras said Kayn’s activated the satellites and put surveillance on this place,” Alyssa said, the words spilling out of her mouth as fast as she could manage. “Apparently, Kayn is still after me. I don’t think he knows Lyssa is here, though. We have to get her out of here, now!”

  “Let’s go!” Jordan pulled Kora and Lyssa in close, edging to the door. “We need to get to the minivan.”

  “What about everyone else?” Jess asked, clearly meaning Lorn.

  “Hopefully everybody will run,” he said through clenched teeth. “Protocol says to scatter if we get attacked or compromised in any way. We have a preassigned meeting place.”

  “My parents?” Jess looked at him with big, scared eyes.

  “They were supposed to check the garage for leaks. Maybe they’re still there…”

  ***

  Halfway to the garage, they found a huge section of outer wall missing. Jordan inspected it, looking out into the dark, searching for soldiers nearby. Lyssa sat in Kora’s arms, one hand holding her bottle up as she drank, the other holding her mother tightly as her eyes watched Jordan.

  A scuffing sound from the direction they’d just traveled caused them all to spin around. Jordan jumped to shield his family while Alyssa and Jess aimed their guns. Lorn barreled around the corner, skidding to a halt with his hands up.

  “Lorn!” Jess ran to him, slinging her arms around his chest. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “What happened with Ras?” Alyssa asked, glancing around, certain the general would jump out at any moment.

  “I subdued him, and dragged him into the walk-in refrigerator.”

  “What did you do to him?” Jordan asked as everyone stared wide-eyed.

  “I rendered him unconscious with a large dose of Valene directly to the head.” Lorn pressed Jess tight against his side. “It will only last a few minutes, and only if one of his soldiers doesn’t find him and perform Yken’Sa to wake him.”

  “Then let’s go.” Jordan helped Kora traverse the rubble strewn across the hallway. Alyssa picked her way around the chunks of concrete and metal, while Lorn assisted Jess. Within a minute, they were jogging to the garage again.

  At the doorway, Jordan and Lorn each took a side, guns ready. Jordan ducked inside, and Lorn covered him as he ran in a crouch to the nearest vehicle. Jess took Jordan’s spot while Alyssa stayed at the back, watching the hallway. Even though she didn’t wear a watch, Alyssa could hear the seconds ticking by in her head.

  Soon, a low whistle signaled the all-clear, and they filed into the garage, still on alert. When they were all inside, Jess gasped and ran to her parents at the far end, past the line of six vehicles. The minivan waited at the very end where Edward and Maira had been hiding.

  Three cars in, Alyssa saw the remains of the middle garage door crumpled against Jordan’s truck, a piece sticking out of a deflated back tire.

  “I hope you weren’t attached to your truck,” Alyssa said as she reached the group.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he said, shaking his head with a pinched frown. “We’re taking the minivan anyways. Besides, they’ve probably seen me around town in my pickup.”

  “Sorry, Jordy.” Kora squeezed his hand.

  Peering into the minivan, Alyssa blinked and turned to Edward. “You’ve got this loaded up. We’re going to need a second car.”

  “You go with Jordan and Kora,” Edward said. “We’ll take the SUV there, with Jess and Lorn.”

  Everyone rushed to a vehicle as Lorn, the tallest of the bunch, peered out the high, grimy window in the garage door. Jordan started the minivan and Edward started the SUV next to it. Lorn dashed back and the guys rolled down their windows.

  “There are soldiers guarding their convoy at the end of the driveway; we must shoot our way out.” His forehead gleamed with sweat, or possibly Valene he didn’t know he was excreting.

  “If we open the door,” Jordan said, “they’ll hear and be on us before we can escape.”

  “I’ll get the other truck, open the door, and ram them,” Lorn said. “You open your door and drive out shooting to cover me while I get into the SUV.”

  “Lorn!” Jess yelped. “You could be killed!”

  “I will be fine, my love.” He grabbed her hand, kissing it. “No matter what happens, promise me you will get to safety.” Jess tried to protest but he gave her a stern look. “Promise me, Edward.”

  “You got it, son.”

  The corner of Lorn’s mouth twitched at the endearment. He leaned in to kiss Jess, then ran to the truck at the other end of the garage.

  His door began to slowly roll up. Everyone who could ducked down in their seats and positioned their guns. Kora scrunched down under the passenger side dash with Lyssa snuggled in her arms. Thankfully, the minivan was parked facing the door, so she and the baby were somewhat protected by the engine and all the parts in between.

  The truck gunne
d out in reverse, disappearing. The door on their end started rolling up when Jordan hit the remote button, and they all waited, watching the opening. A loud crash and glass shattering made Alyssa wince, hoping her friend survived.

  Jordan revved the engine, minivan tires spinning out, the noxious smell of burnt rubber coating her throat. They lurched forward, maybe a foot behind Edward, the SUV blocking Alyssa’s sight.

  Gunshots rang out from the SUV. Through the pouring rain, Alyssa could barely see Jess and Maira shooting from their windows. Edward stopped as Jordan kept rolling forward, and the scene opened before them.

  Lorn sat hiding behind a tire, the guards shooting over the truck. Alyssa counted at least five soldiers on their feet, four on the ground, either shot or crushed by the truck. As she took aim, another soldier went down. Squinting to sight her target through the downpour, Alyssa shot another in the chest.

  The remaining three crouched behind their black military truck. Jess hollered for Lorn, and Alyssa fired over his head as he ran in a crouch to the SUV. A loud yelp and a scream from Jess told her that Lorn must’ve been hit.

  The door of the SUV slammed, and Edward peeled out, spraying loose rock behind them. Jordan followed suit, but Alyssa kept firing, having to reload twice. When they were too far for the guns to reach, she kept watching, praying the soldiers wouldn’t pursue them.

  “You okay?” Jordan quietly asked Kora, who must have answered too quiet for Alyssa to hear. “What about you, Aly?”

  “I’m good, but I think Lorn was hit.” She closed her window and sat back in her seat, shivering from the wetness of her shirt. Didn’t even have a chance to get a jacket, much less clean clothes for this unexpected trip. Double sigh.

  “Call and find out.” Jordan reached over to help Kora into her seat, only swerving the minivan a little.

  Alyssa scowled, barely stopping from smacking herself on the forehead. Duh, dumbass! She pulled her forgotten phone from her back pocket and dialed.

  “Aly?” Jess sounded distressed.

  “Are you guys all right?” She strained to look over Jordan’s head as if she could see into the other vehicle.

  “Lorn got shot in the back. He’s bleeding pretty bad. Mom’s got her sweater pressed against the wound.”

  “Is he conscious?”

  “Just.” The word came out strangled, and Alyssa knew Jess was hanging on by a thread.

  “As soon as we can safely stop, let’s see if my newfound alien-ness will let me do Yken’Sa.”

  “Oh, Aly, oh, I totally forgot. Oh my God, you might be able to save him.” Jess’ voice became garbled as she broke down crying.

  “Jess, keep him awake. I don’t exactly know how to do it.”

  Chapter 13

  Ten minutes of driving and there didn’t seem to be anyone pursuing them. Alyssa texted Jess, and the guys pulled over long enough for her to jump out of the minivan and dive into the back of the SUV. She kneeled on the floor as Jess watched her with pleading eyes.

  Lorn’s long body was folded awkwardly along the backseat, laying face down. His glazed eyes seemed to stare through Alyssa.

  “Lorn, can you hear me?” She bent down to put her face level with his. He gave one long blink and groaned weakly. Alyssa glanced at Maira, who straddled him, putting all her weight on the wound.

  The bullet had entered right below his shoulder blade, but never exited. Alyssa worried it might travel and damage one of his hearts, both of which sat nestled in the center of his chest.

  “Lorn, I need you to focus, hon,” she said. “You have to tell me how to do this.”

  He mumbled quietly, lips hardly moving.

  “Come on,” Alyssa said, leaning close. “You can do this, Lorn.”

  Three slow blinks, and Lorn’s eyes seemed to clear a little. A strangled squeak from the front startled Alyssa. She glanced over her shoulder to see Jess clutching her hands to her mouth, her eyes wild with panic.

  “Al-ly,” Lorn muttered, “think… heal… ing…” His voice was weak, and his eyelids fluttered shut. The way his body slumped, Alyssa could tell he’d fainted.

  Think healing. What the hell does that mean? She turned to Maira, who appeared as confused as she was.

  “Okay, I can do this,” Alyssa whispered and nodded. “Think healing. Just think healing.”

  With a palm on each side of the wound, framing Maira’s blood-covered hands, Alyssa closed her eyes and imagined the bullet lodged in Lorn’s flesh. She knew nothing of alien anatomy, hoping her imagination would be enough. With the image of the bullet, and a deep, calming breath, she closed her eyes.

  The anxiety and stress of everything that had happened sat in the front of Alyssa’s mind. Her focus was all over the place, replaying scenes of their escape. With two more deep breaths, she let her mind settle on the feel of the vehicle rolling along the road and the quiet murmur of the engine. As the frantic visions faded, she brought the image of the bullet floating within Lorn’s body to her mind’s eye.

  Alyssa imagined the bullet gently sliding out of the wound as if a string pulled it. Her palms felt clammy, but she ignored it, allowing the moisture to seep through Lorn’s shirt. The closer the projectile got to the surface, the more her mind felt like it was sinking into the flesh under her palms.

  The muscles in Lorn’s back twitched, but Alyssa stayed the course, holding her focus. She tried to visualize the flesh knitting together as the bullet exited the wound. Faintly, she felt movement as Maira removed her hands and sweater. Whatever was happening, Alyssa felt her energy waning.

  With heavy arms and fatigue settling in her bones, she struggled to keep going. Her body began to slump down, but she refused to drop her hands, pouring every ounce of energy she could into healing her friend.

  Simultaneous gasps drew her out of the trance she’d sunk into just as something brushed against her thumb and landed with a quiet thump on the floorboard. Alyssa blinked away haze and looked down at the bloody bullet lying beside her. Her eyes snapped to Lorn’s back and the hole between her hands, blood still slowly seeping out.

  “I can feel…” Lorn murmured, barely more than a whisper. “My injury is healing…”

  “I’m sorry,” Alyssa said in a hushed tone, staring at her red, stained palms. “I’m not strong enough to heal you fully.”

  “It is okay,” he said, staring at her, eyes clouded with pain. “You have done enough. My body will do the rest.”

  “Holy crap, Aly,” Jess said under her breath. “I can’t believe you did that.”

  “That was amazing,” Maira muttered, her face slack with shock.

  “Is he going to make it?” Edward quickly glanced over his shoulder.

  Alyssa collapsed against the door panel, too tired to straighten her legs out from the cramped space she’d squeezed into. “I think so…”

  Chapter 14

  “She’s asleep. Let me see if I can wake her. All that miracle-working really wore her out.”

  Alyssa’s body ached too much to laugh at Maira’s comment. Her eyelids weighed a hundred pounds, but she guessed Sebastian was calling and she didn’t want to miss a chance to talk to him.

  “I’m awake,” she said, her voice tired and weak.

  Cracking an eye open, Alyssa saw her phone in Maira’s outstretched hand. Reaching out shakily, she grabbed it and tucked it between her ear and her shoulder, the weight of her head holding it in place.

  “Sebastian?”

  “Hey, darlin’,” he said softly, his voice distant and tinny. “I heard you made magic happen. How you holding up?”

  “Well, I’m stuck on the floorboard, and I don’t think I can move my legs, but I’m okay. Just worn out.”

  “Why are you on the floor?” he asked, concerned and amused.

  Alyssa glanced up at the seat above her. “I think I passed out here. Lorn and Jess are sleeping in the seat and the back is packed with supplies.”

  “Maira says you’ll be at the rendezvous point soon. Get some rest.”<
br />
  “I will,” Alyssa mumbled, performing a contortionist act to get her legs out from under her. “How’s the summit going?”

  “Productive, but we’ve learned some disturbing news, although nothing surprising.”

  “What?” Any remaining fog in her brain dissipated instantly with his words.

  “Besides the people that have been taken captive for whatever it is Kayn wants with them, it seems an alarming number of women have been disappearing globally.”

  “Globally?” Alyssa gasped.

  “The committee is speculating that Kayn is rounding up fertile women for breeding purposes. No idea if they’re for him alone, or just for a general population boost.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if that bastard tried them all first before passing the women out to the rest of the Zooks.” Rage simmered in Alyssa’s chest, her breath coming out hot.

  “Hard to say with that twisted sonofabitch.” He went silent for a moment as someone spoke to him on the other end. “Cecily says Nait and Ela made it out. They managed to escape with all the samples, but they’ll need new equipment.”

  “Oh, that’s a relief. I didn’t see them when we left. I did see Ras, though.”

  “Fuck,” Sebastian growled. “What happened?”

  “He blew a lot of hot air complaining about Kayn’s interest in me. Lorn saved me from him.”

  “Sounds like you both performed miracles today. Remind me to kiss him for saving my girl.”

  Alyssa giggled, cheeks aching from her wide smile. “I’m pretty sure that would only embarrass him.”

  “Well, he deserves it.” Another garbled voice interrupted Sebastian. “I have to go, darlin’. We’ve called an emergency meeting to discuss the attack.”

  “Okay. I miss you.” Her voice was thick with emotion, tears threatening to fall. “I wish you were here.”

  “I know, darlin’,” he said, “but I’ll be there soon. Stay safe. I love you.”