by Paul Moxham
“Then why is she still alive?” the other man questioned.
Logan frowned. “What?”
Hugo pointed to his companion. “Zed’s child and wife died less than an hour after inhaling the stuff and my kid suffered the same fate after only two hours. And from the others we’ve spoken to, none of their relatives lasted more than a couple of hours, which begs the question: How come this woman is still alive after eight or so hours?”
“She mustn’t have inhaled much of the chemicals,” Logan replied. “I mean, my friends and I breathed a very tiny bit while attempting to escape and we’re okay.”
Hugo’s gun didn’t waver. “Then why is she in a coma?”
“Because she’s sick,” Logan replied. “She inhaled the poison back in—”
“Liar!” Zed fired the shotgun at Logan at point-blank range. As the pellets cracked over Logan’s head, the man snarled. “That was just a warning shot. Now stand up and tell us again what happened, or the next one’s in your lying face.”
Logan got to his feet and pleaded with Hugo. “I’m not a Hybrid if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just trying to help my fiancée. Why can’t you believe me?”
“Because she’s in a coma,” Hugo replied.
Logan frowned. “What has that got to do with anything?”
“Are you playing dumb with us?” Zed questioned.
“What? No, of course not. Why would I?” Logan emptied his pockets. “Look, I don’t have anything to harm you with. I just want to help Lucy. That’s all I want.”
“If what you’re saying is true, then the woman wouldn’t be unconscious,” Hugo stated.
“Huh? But what about your children? Didn’t they go into a coma before they died?” Logan replied.
Hugo shivered. “They didn’t. They just took a breath and died slowly. They were awake through every agonizing moment of it.”
“But surely there must be others …” Logan raked a hand through his hair, his brain going a million miles an hour. “Lucy can’t be the only one.”
“There’s no such thing as going into a coma after inhaling the chemicals,” Zed stated. “So for the last time, why don’t you tell us what really happened.”
“But it doesn’t make any sense!” Logan ignored Zed and cradled Lucy’s head. “Why only her?”
A few seconds later, another figure emerged from the trees. This time it was a Japanese woman with long, flowing black hair. Clutching a bow and arrow, she sprinted over to the two men. “Quinn wants a word with you, Hugo.” She narrowed her eyes at Logan. “Who is he?”
“I don’t know,” Hugo replied, “but we’ll soon find out.” He looked over at Zed. “Check him for weapons.”
Logan wasn’t happy with the situation, but he just stood still as Zed gave him the once-over. It was three against one, so it was hopeless trying to fight.
“He’s clean,” Zed announced a few moments later. As he knelt down beside Lucy, the woman strolled over. “I’ll check her.”
“Okay, Kumi.” The man moved aside and waited. Half a minute later, the woman stood up and nodded.
“Okay, let’s get going before Quinn gets angry with me,” Hugo said.
“Go where?” Logan asked.
“Don’t ask questions!” Zed ordered. “Just be grateful you’re still alive. If I had my way, you—”
“That’s enough, Zed.” Hugo grabbed Logan’s shoulder. “We’ll let Quinn decide the man’s fate.”
Zed aimed his shotgun at Logan. “Follow Hugo.”
“But what about Lucy? I can’t just leave her here,” Logan said.
Hugo frowned. “Hmm, the Seods might see her and that might lead them back to us.” He jerked his head at Kumi. “Give me a hand.”
The woman slung the bow over her shoulder and helped the man put Lucy on his back. Then, with Kumi making sure that Lucy didn’t fall off, they hiked back into the trees.
Logan quickly followed, with Zed bringing up the rear. Logan wanted to ask Hugo a lot more questions, but he didn’t. He was just grateful that Zed hadn’t been the one to find them. He was sure that the man would have fired first and asked questions later.
Darkness closed in around them as they entered the woods. Logan expected the group to stop and pull out a flashlight, but they didn’t. They just kept on pushing through the underbrush. Either they were traveling a short distance or they knew the way so well they didn’t need the light to guide them.
Chapter 23
Five minutes later, Hugo stopped beside a tree. Then, with Kumi’s help, they pried up a trapdoor. Red light shone up through the hole, lighting up the wooden steps. As the man and woman climbed down, Logan whistled. “Just who the hell are you people?”
No one answered. He assumed they were just some locals who were using the woods as a hiding place from the Seods, but as he stepped down the steps and trudged from cave to cave, this was clearly something more organized. Scores of survivors were huddled on makeshift beds or tilling away in little workshops.
By the looks of it, there was over a hundred. Logan quit counting as Hugo entered a fairly large cave and came to a stop. “So, boss, you wanted to see me?”
“Yeah, but just you. Who are these people?” Quinn replied.
“Some type of solider who crashed a burning plane into the lake. He claims his fiancée inhaled the green gas, but she’s in a coma.”
“Hmm, a liar, eh?”
“I’m not a liar!” Logan pushed in front of Hugo. Quinn was fairly short and old looking, sporting a long, flowing white beard and black robe, but his eyes darted back and forth like an eagle’s. “I don’t know who you think you are, but—”
“I am Quinn, leader of these people.” The man gazed around the crowd watching on with interest. “I’ve been keeping these people safe and sound ever since the world turned upside down. And I intend to keep it that way, so I’m wary of any stranger who comes this way. Especially ones with pursuers in tow.”
“I wasn’t planning on coming this way, but my plane got shot down by Seods and the lake was the only halfway safe place to land.” Logan swept his eyes around the crowd of people. “Look, Lucy and I were on the verge of getting married when the Seods came. We’ve been fighting the aliens and running for our lives ever since. The destruction of Mount Shasta was just the latest problem. I don’t know anything about you people, and honestly, I couldn’t care less. I was on my way to the coast when the plane crashed. All I ask is that you help me get some transportation, and we’ll be on our merry way.”
“There’s no transportation of any kind,” Quinn stated.
“But the nearest town can’t be more than a few miles from here, right?”
“Once upon a time, yes. That’s where most of these people came from. But it was destroyed by Seods two weeks ago.”
Logan sighed. “Isn’t there any way to get out of here?”
“Only by walking,” Quinn replied. “And as you can see, with most of the people who live here, they are in no condition for a hike. So we survive as best we can by living off the land and the small stockpile of goods we managed to get before we had to flee here.”
“What type of nonsense is that? Are you waiting for the military to come and rescue you? You can’t tell me you’re content just waiting to die.” Logan gazed around at the faces that were staring back at him. “God knows how long you’ll be waiting for that happen. Now is the time to rely on each other. I’ve been out there for a while. Trust me, the United States government is no more.”
“But President Stevenson is still alive,” a man yelled out.
“How do you know that?” Logan asked, turning to the man with bushy red hair.
“I was in radio contact with my ex-wife two weeks after the initial attack,” the man replied. “She lives in New York and told me that the city was untouched.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Logan muttered. “But what does that have to do with the president?”
“Because the president toured the cit
y the day before I spoke to her, telling everyone to stay calm and that they have everything under control.”
Logan laughed without mirth. “As much as I admire President Stevenson, he’s the one who cut NASA’s budget. So I wouldn’t take his word at face value. I mean, come on guys, this is a freaking alien invasion. Who, besides the aliens, knows what’s going to happen? No one does, which is why we have to fend for ourselves. So who’s coming with me to the coast? Because if it’s the military you want, I hear that’s where the survivors are currently based.”
Logan peered around the huddled mass, but no one responded. Quinn let the silence simmer for a moment before locking eyes with Logan. “Your wild fantasies aside, these people trust me. I told them I was going to keep them safe, and that’s what I’ve done, and what I’ll keep doing.”
“If that’s how you feel, then so be it. I’ll just find some way to carry Lucy, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
Quinn wagged his finger. “The only way you’ll get your girlfriend out of these woods is if she’s conscious. Now I’m not going to promise you anything, but I’m a bit of an expert in the medical field, so if you stay here for a few days, I’ll see what I can do.”
Logan pursed his lips. “I thought you said I was a liar.”
Quinn nodded. “That I did, but I can see now that you’re a determined young fellow, and I need someone like you.”
“Why?”
“You appear to be willing to do almost anything to save the one you love.”
“So what?”
Quinn stood up from his seat and took his time strolling over to Logan. He circled him once, studying him a stern gaze. “I’ve got someone who is very close to my heart as well. Unfortunately, that person is currently being held captive by a number of ruthless and violent men. Two of my best men have failed to bring her back. If you succeed, I’ll do what I can for Lucy. I’ll probably be able to get you a truck and a few gallons of gas.”
He snapped his fingers at Hugo, who grumbled but handed Logan his weapon. “So, what’s it going to be?”
~*~*~
As the sun rose, Kenneth shook himself awake and hobbled to the barn door. He’d only managed a few hours of sleep in the time since Logan had left, and even those hours had been interrupted with nightmares that involved Logan being captured by the Seods. Or, even worse, his plane crashing in the wilderness, never to be seen again.
He sighed and plopped down on a patch of grass outside, eager to warm himself up. As he sat there thinking, something barked from the nearby bushes. Kenneth jumped up as a border collie emerged from the woods and bounded over to him.
Kenneth smiled as he stroked the black fur of the skinny and disheveled animal. “Hey there, little fella. Now where did you come from?” He scratched the animal’s coat and noticed that the dog appeared to have fleas. While he couldn’t see them, he knew what to look for since he and Logan had taken care of a dog during the summer holidays when they were younger. Incidentally, that animal had also been a border collie, but that dog had been in much better shape than this one.
Something about the dog’s suffering broke his stone heart. A tear streaked down Kenneth’s cheek. The animal went rigid and turned its head toward the barn.
Kenneth looked up as the teenagers exited the barn. They smiled in delight at the dog.
“Where did you find him?” Molly asked, rushing over.
“I don’t know,” Kenneth admitted. “He just appeared out of nowhere.”
“Is he hungry?” Derek questioned.
“What do you think? Probably hasn’t eaten in days.” Kenneth glanced toward the farmhouse. “I suppose we could see if there’s any pet food inside.”
“Yes, let’s do that,” Molly said, always keen to help any animal in need.
The three of them made their way to the farmhouse, the dog darting in and out between their legs. It didn’t take long to guess that the owner must have kept a bunch of dogs and cats. Kenneth slit open a bag of pellets and let the dog wolf them down straight from the sack.
There was also plenty of canned food, so the three of them ate at the same time the dog did, not bothering to even warm them up. Derek had just polished off his second can of ravioli when the dog spun around and barked. As the border collie rushed away and scratched on the wooden door, they peered out of the kitchen window.
Three Seods were heading to the barn. At the animal’s wild barking, they fanned out and entered the building, disappearing from sight.
“Once they’ve had a look at the barn they’ll search here,” Kenneth muttered, pacing up and down.
Molly knelt down in front of the dog and tried to calm the terrified creature. Her soothing voice, accompanied by her gentle patting, halted the yapping.
Derek fidgeted by the window. “What are we going to do?”
Kenneth stuffed a bag with all the cans he could. “We’ll disappear into the woods and hope the Seods don’t pursue us, but the dog will have to stay.”
“No! I’m not leaving him behind,” Molly hissed.
“It’s the only option.” Kenneth checked out of the window. “Coast is clear. We’ll leave by the back door and hide out in the woods until Logan comes back.”
“But we don’t know when that will be,” Derek said.
“No, which means that we’ll just have to take it one hour at a time. Come on, let’s hurry before the Seods search the house.” He left the kitchen and cracked open the old wooden back door. No one was in sight.
He stepped out and waited for the others to follow him. Derek was right behind him, but Molly stood her ground.
“I’m not leaving Toby behind,” Molly said.
“Toby? You already named him?” Kenneth shook his head in frustration. “I told you inside. If we take him with us, he’ll gives us away. One bark or yelp and the Seods will be all over us.”
“But he might prove to be useful.” Molly patted the border collie. “Besides, his owner is probably dead. It’s us or no one, and I always wanted a dog.” She began to get teary-eyed. “Mom promised me we’d go to the shelter and get one when they came home from their trip. It was going to be my birthday present.”
Kenneth snapped his head around at the shuffling from the barn. He stayed low to the ground and leaned around the corner. As the Seods advanced on the farmhouse, weapons high, he crept back to Molly. “Okay, you can keep the dog, but we need to get out of here pronto.”
“Thank you!” Molly grabbed a dog lead off the hook near the door before following the others into the woods.
Chapter 24
Logan had hardly slept a wink. Whenever he seemed to nod off, he would hear someone snoring and realize just where he was. So even though the sun was now up, he was still lying down on the makeshift bed of grass and blankets. It wasn’t comfy, but that was all Hugo had offered him. Some people had managed to carry mattresses into the cave, but most had to suffer like him.
As he closed his eyes, his thoughts drifted back to his time in Syria. He had hardly slept a wink over there either. As a recon squad leader, there was always something to do. At times, the stress had been unimaginable. They’d often camped in rebel territory, hiding in caves during the day and sneaking around at night.
Even now he couldn’t wipe out the memories of the people he’d killed. Headquarters had told him that every insurgent he shot had been worth it. They were terrorists and deserved what they got.
In the end, the killing had gotten to him so much that he hung up his uniform and returned to civilian life. But the nightmares of his previous life had never stopped.
That was, until the alien invasion.
As he sat up, he realized that for the first time ever since his army days, he hadn’t had the nightmares. At least not the old, familiar ones. But why? He’d stopped taking the pills ages ago. He’d only managed to take enough to last two weeks when he fled San Francisco on his wedding day, and yet he hadn’t even thought about Tobynard, Joshua, or Will.
Sure, thi
ngs had been so busy and hectic that he hadn’t had time to think about his past. It took all of him to stay alive in the present. Maybe that’s all it took to keep the nightmares at bay. Still, alone with his thoughts, he forced himself to dream back to that fateful day.
He should have seen the other car approach. It was his responsibility. He should have died, not his friends. It wasn’t their fault. Their deaths were all because of his lapse in judgment. For one minute, he had wanted to believe that there was still some decency in Syria, that not all the young men were bad.
But he had been wrong. It was his mistake—one which only he should have paid for with his life. Instead, the men in his squad had been forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. And for that he’d sworn to never forgive himself.
Lately, though, with the Seods invading Earth, Lucy being kidnapped by the mob boss, and one insane disaster after another, he’d had to deal with the present. If he didn’t, those who were close to him and still alive would also be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Some rustling nearby kicked him out of his dark musings. He opened his eyes and saw Kumi approach. He gave a half smile to the young Japanese woman. “Hey.”
“Hello.” Kumi perched herself on the blanket beside him and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. “Are you all right?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Logan muttered sarcastically. “My girlfriend is in a coma, aliens have invaded Earth, Quinn wants me to go on an impossible mission, and you all think I’m a liar.”
“I don’t,” Kumi stated firmly.
“Really?” Logan questioned, gazing deep into Kumi’s brown eyes.
“No, I don’t,” Kumi replied without hesitation. “There’s something about you that makes you seem honest and good. Actually, you remind me of my brother.”
“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not Japanese,” Logan joked.
Kumi laughed a gentle comforting laugh. “I know that. It’s just a feeling I get when I hear you speak. You seem honest and trustworthy, just like my brother. And, unlike Quinn and Hugo, I believe your story about Lucy. I don’t know why she is the way she is, but I don’t see any reasonable explanation for you to make that story up. Just be careful with Hugo. And don’t turn your back on him if you can help it.”
