by Paul Moxham
Mike stared off into the distance. “There was an … incident a few miles from here. A group of us, Hybrids as well as humans, were meeting to discuss the current strategic situation, when the military arrived. It was a low-key meeting, so naturally, we didn’t bother bringing weapons.” He studied his boots.
“I’ve been on this Earth for many years, longer than you guys have, and I’ve seen countless atrocities, but none as methodical and cruel as what happened that night. They swooped in with their helicopters and gunned us down without warning. We fled like animals into the woods, but they must have had infrared scopes. They took their time …” He gulped. “Anyway, I somehow managed to make it to the river with only a gut wound, but I was the only one who made it out alive. Even those that stopped running and threw up their hands were cut to pieces. So, yeah, knowing what went down in that camp, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have my photo plastered on a wanted dead or alive list.”
“But you don’t know for sure?” Kenneth asked.
“Of course not, but would you risk it? And it isn’t just about my own precious ass. There’s too much at stake for all our people.”
“How could the soldiers open fire on unarmed people like that? Did they know you were Hybrids?” Molly asked.
Mike didn’t answer for a few moments as he stood up, strode over to the window, and peered out. “I don’t know.”
“Surely you must suspect one way or the other,” Kenneth said. “I mean, what if you’d been solely humans and not Hybrids?”
Mike hesitated for a moment. “I don’t know. Humans often say one thing and mean another. I’ve learned to not trust anyone, but now I have to trust you.” He gazed at Kenneth. “This situation is getting out of control. We were only planning to be on Earth for a week. At this rate, we’ll be here for more than a year. And, I can assure you, if that happens, both sides will pay a very hefty price. So, I need your help to …” Mike paused as he turned back to the window. He stared for a few moments before he hurried out of the room without saying anything.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Derek said.
As Carl followed Mike, Molly stood up. “Why have the two of them gone away together?”
Kenneth frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t like the look of this.” He took hold of his pistol and strode to the window that Mike had been looking out of just a few moments earlier.
“Can you see anything?” Molly asked, running over.
“Two jeeps. Around ten men.” Kenneth frowned. “They’re parked at the bend, right where our bicycles are.”
Mike suddenly reappeared in the room with a silencer. He aimed it at Kenneth. “How much did they pay you?”
~*~*~
Logan looked back at the others. “Are you ready?”
Xavier nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Logan quietly opened the door and looked around the lobby. All was silent. He stepped forward and glanced around. Broken shards of glass and empty bottles of alcohol greeted him, but no soldiers. He lowered his pistol. They hadn’t seen anyone on the staircase and now, at the lobby, there was still no one in sight. “They must have fled during the night.”
Lucy glanced around the lobby one last time. “I used to love this place.”
“How long did you stay here for?” Logan said.
“Seven years.” Lucy pointed. “The Christmas tree used to go there every year, remember?”
“Oh yeah. Those parties were a blast. Remember how we sat on the roof and saw all the lights sparkling in the darkness last year?”
Lucy smiled. “Yes, it was magical.”
Logan peeked through the broken windows. “I don’t see anyone out there.”
After picking up a shotgun that was lying on the ground, Xavier used it to break the glass that remained on the glass door. He tossed the empty weapon aside and popped out onto the street. The area looked relatively the same as they’d last seen it, except this time, there weren’t any soldiers.
The group stood in the middle of the lane and stared around. “Let’s head this way until we find a working vehicle,” Logan suggested, moving a bit down the street south of them.
Xavier took the lead, while Logan covered the rear. They weren’t expecting any trouble, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
At the intersection, they turned right, heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge, determined to walk all the way if they had to.
They were heading down a side street when several figures materialized at the far end. Xavier, who was still in the front, slowed down and shared a glance with Logan. “There’s someone up ahead.”
“Keep moving,” Logan murmured. “They may be able to help us.”
Xavier frowned but continued advancing down the street. The shadows came forward and revealed five men, all sporting bloody clothes and more weapons than trigger fingers. “I think we should turn around.”
“Me too,” Lucy said.
Jet also agreed. “They don’t seem like the kind of people …” He paused as one of the men raised his shotgun and opened fire.
As shotgun pellets hit the ground around them, Xavier fired back. “Go!”
He sprinted to a power pole, leaned against it, and fired back.
Logan fired once with his pistol before leading the charge back down the street. Halfway down, he stopped and glanced back. “Come on!”
“Just a moment!” Xavier emptied the rest of his magazine and carved a hole in another man’s chest. He reloaded as he sprinted to the end of the street and dove for cover with the others behind a garbage truck.
“Give him covering fire!” Logan opened fire at the men, who, even though they had lost two of in their party, were still advancing. Seeing their targets getting away, they started running.
Bullets hit the asphalt near Xavier, but he managed to twist and escape. Something hot tore into his leg. He fell headfirst onto the street, completely in the open.
“Cover me!” Logan hunched over and raced toward Xavier.
Jet knelt next behind the truck and opened fire, hitting one of the men in the gut.
Logan reached down and helped Xavier to his feet. As he did, a round cracked in the air between them. Enraged, Logan shifted and blazed away at the nearest man. He collapsed to the ground. The other two turned tail without another shot.
Xavier hobbled to the garbage truck and leaned against it. He offered a grim smile to the others. “Thanks.”
Lucy bent down and looked at the wound. Blood was steadily seeping out of the right leg, just above the kneecap. She glanced up at Xavier. “We’ll have to get the bullet out.”
Xavier shook his head as he ripped off part of his shirt and tied it around the leg. “We don’t have the time or the equipment to do that here.”
Lucy glanced up at a nearby sign. “Hey, I know this street. We’re pretty close to St. Francis Memorial Hospital. It’s just two blocks that way.”
Logan glanced down the street in the direction that the men had retreated. “I don’t know who they were, but they might—”
“They worked with Sanchez,” Lucy said.
Jet frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Of course. I saw them twice.”
“I wondered if they noticed you,” Logan said.
“I say they did,” Xavier replied. “That’s why they opened fire.”
Lucy scratched at the wound again. “Let’s head to the hospital now. Most of the stuff will be gone, but we might find something to get the damn thing out. The longer it stays in there, the greater the chance of infection.”
Chapter 8
Kenneth raised his hands as Mike pointed the silencer at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were working with those scumbags?” Spittle flew out of Mike’s mouth.
“What’s going on?” Molly asked, scared.
Derek put an arm around his sister and looked at Mike. “No one is paying us anything. Believe us.”
Mike hesitated. He slowly lowered the weapon. “Then t
ell me why your backpack is in the hands of those men down there.”
Kenneth looked back through the window and saw that Mike was right. The men were indeed holding his backpack. “They must have seen it as they were driving along. What’s the big deal? I’ll just go and get it back.”
Kenneth headed for the door, but Mike thrust him against the wall. For such a small man, he clearly had a lot of strength. “Do not go out there. And stay away from the windows.” He released Kenneth and stood back. “Those men are part of the group that terrorized this town a while ago. Rumors suggest that they escaped from a prison south of here.”
Derek frowned. “In Sparks, someone mentioned something about Boise being haunted.”
“You can say that, thanks to those men. That’s their thing.”
“What do you mean?” Kenneth asked. “Can you please tell me what the hell is going on?”
Carl suddenly rushed back into the room. “They’ve reached the driveway.”
Mike went to the window and peered through it, trying not to be seen. The two jeeps were now at the bottom of the driveway. One started driving up. Muttering in disgust, he hollered at Carl, “Set it for a minute.”
As Carl raced away, Mike barked at the others, “Follow me. And hurry.”
The trio saw that he was serious and they didn’t argue. After making their way to the master bedroom, Mike opened the door that led onto the back veranda.
As the four of them headed up the steep hill and into the bushes, Kenneth grimaced at how dark it had become. Sunset was coming on fast.
The group reached the shelter of the undergrowth as Carl rushed out. Once he had joined them, they continued up the hill.
Mike raised a hand half a minute later and stopped. “That should be enough.” He glanced back down the hill.
Kenneth turned just in time to see and hear a thunderous explosion. The house they had been in just a few minutes earlier was ablaze with smoke and flames.
“That should delay the men and give us time to get away. I don’t think they’ll follow, but let’s not waste time.” With smoke blocking their view of the men, Mike led the group up the hill.
Kenneth was tempted to ask questions about why Mike had wired the house to blow, but he knew that it could wait. He was disappointed about losing the backpack, as it held the ammunition for his pistol as well as a few grenades. At least they’d managed to escape with their lives.
At the rear of the group, the teens were puffing and panting.
“How much farther?” Molly asked.
“Not far. Once we reach the top of this hill, we’ll be there,” Mike said.
“Where’s there?” Kenneth questioned.
“You’ll see,” Mike replied.
Five minutes later, the group made their way down the small slope and onto the site of an abandoned mine. On a flat piece of ground stood a Striker.
Kenneth stopped in surprise. “Are we flying away in that?”
“Yes. It’s not that large, but it can still pack a punch.”
“How many do you have of these?” Derek asked.
“It’s our number one craft. But we’re not here to talk about statistics.” Mike knelt down and scampered underneath the exotic plane.
The door above his head hissed open. As Mike and Carl climbed in, Derek turned to Kenneth. “Should we really be getting into this when we don’t even know where it’s going?”
“Well, I don’t see any other option,” Kenneth admitted. “With those men down there, I’m willing to take a chance in this thing.” He fiddled with his alien gun. “I know it might not be going to Yellowstone National Park, which is probably where you want to go—”
“You’re dead right,” Derek interrupted, his arms across his chest.
Mike appeared at the door. “Hey! We need to get going! Are you coming?”
“Where are you going?” Molly asked.
“Redding,” Mike answered.
“Redding, California?” Kenneth asked. “Why?”
Mike dropped his shoulders. “The military is planning a counterattack tomorrow morning. By what I’ve been told by my contacts, it’s going to be an all-out assault on our base. If that happens, a good many people and Seods are going to die.”
“Can you drop us off somewhere on the way there?” Derek asked. “We want to find our parents.”
“I can, but hurry up. It will be dark soon, and I want to get to Redding before that happens.” Mike dashed back inside the Striker.
“Satisfied?” Kenneth asked, looking at the teenagers.
Derek snorted but climbed in. His sister followed him. Kenneth took one last look around before he trekked after the teens. The door slid shut automatically behind them.
The space inside the craft was divided into two sections. One was the cockpit area. It had two seats next to a wall of controls and a pane of see-through material at the front that looked remarkably similar to glass. At the back of the cabin was a row of chairs, which Kenneth assumed was where they would sit.
Derek peeked into the other cabin and saw a single seat and a desk. In addition, what looked like a massive television screen covered the area in front of the chair. Beside the seat was some kind of communication device, as well as a panel of brightly lit buttons. A few flashed, while some were permanently on.
“We’re about to lift off,” Mike called out, “so sit down.”
Derek hurried back to the others. They were already lounging in the chairs situated at the back of the cabin. He joined them, sitting next to Kenneth.
Mike sat down next to Carl. The two of them adjusted a few levers and pressed a few buttons before the aircraft started to hum. The whining rumble grew louder and louder, but it was still much quieter than a normal aircraft. A moment later, the craft lifted off and squashed them into their seats.
Kenneth glanced at the glass at the front of the cabin and saw the ground get smaller and smaller. After rising swiftly, Carl adjusted the controls and held on to something that looked like a joystick. The Striker made a turn to the left as it gradually climbed.
“You can get out of your seats now,” Mike said as he stood up. “We’ll be pretty stable while we’re in the air, but if we encounter an enemy aircraft, I advise you to sit back down.”
As Mike headed into the other room, the teens and Kenneth hurried over to the glass panel and looked down at the ground below. “How come it’s so quiet in here?”
Carl removed his helmet and hung it on the back of the seat. “That’s one of the best qualities of this ship. I won’t go into specifics, but when this was built, a certain material was placed just inside the metal, so by the time the noise goes through that, it’s lessened considerably.”
Molly pried herself away from the stunning landscape below. “You didn’t tell us how you can speak English.”
“I’ve been stationed on Earth for many of your years. That, as well as going through the training program, means that I can speak almost as well as you.”
“Training program?” Derek frowned. “What do you mean?”
“If you’re selected to travel to other planets, you’re put through a stringent training regime that includes learning the major languages of the planet that you’re going to be sent to. So, as I was coming here, I learned Mandarin and English.”
Molly shook her head in wonder. “I find it hard to learn two languages. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to learn three languages.”
“Not for me. It’s a simple process. Besides, we can automatically get any language translated into ours if—”
“Hey!” Mike shouted as he emerged from the other room. “I just spoke to one of our contacts. There’s an order going through to take out Redding.”
“When will the strike package leave?” Carl asked, looking worried.
“It already left.” Mike hurried up to the controls and studied them for a moment. “We’ll have to increase the speed if we’re going to make it in time.”
“How long ago did it leave
?” Carl asked.
“A few minutes ago. It departed from Las Vegas, so we don’t have time to waste.” Mike looked at the humans. “You better get back to your seats. It might be bumpy, depending on the weather.”
“When are you going to drop us off?” Derek asked.
Mike glanced at him. “Sorry, I can’t. The military is going to get destroyed in less than ten minutes.”
“Destroyed?” Molly questioned.
“Yes. If we get to Redding in time, we’ll be able to warn them. If not …” Mike shook his head. “I’m increasing the speed now.”
“Come on, let’s get back to our seats.” Kenneth hurried back and sat down.
“You’d better put the strap on,” Mike said.
Kenneth glanced around and saw a strap hanging down one side of the seat. “You’d better find yours too,” he said, glancing at the teens.
It didn’t take long for the Striker to increase speed. Kenneth could see how much the speed had increased by glancing through the glass. Previously, he could see the trees and houses, but now it was just a blur.
The Striker streaked across the sky as the sun started to go down. Looking ahead, Mike saw a huge wall of clouds, dark and gloomy. “Grab a good hold, everyone,” he shrieked. “Storm just ahead!”
The words had barely left his mouth, when the craft shook from side to side. As it entered the wall of clouds, the light disappeared, leaving only the blinking lights of the controls.
“Are you all right?” Kenneth struggled to be heard above the noise of the storm.
The teens nodded as a crack of thunder close by rocked the craft. Mike struggled with the controls as he tried to maneuver the craft out of the thunderstorm. After ten or so hair-raising seconds, the turbulence lessened and the aircraft shot out the other side of the storm.
Once Mike was sure that the storm would no longer be an issue, he slowed the aircraft down. Looking at the screen in front of him, he saw that they were approaching the city. “Now we’ll find out if we’re too late or not.”
Mike and Carl gazed forward at the screen in front of them. Pinkish clouds hung over the city. It seemed so peaceful.
After reaching the city center, the Striker hovered in the air. Leaving the controls on standby, Carl and Mike hurried into the other cabin.
