by Milly Taiden
Mind whirling, Tony stepped into the room. He went where his feet took him, not looking at the men, his breathing heavy. He approached the guy by the fridge and saw a single orange soda in the door rack. He reached in and took it. “Sorry, guys. Just wanted to make sure I got the last drink.” He looked at both, stuck the clipboard under his arm and popped the top. His butt parked on a stool at the kitchen counter, and after taking a deep breath, he stared down at the attached papers.
After a moment of silence, the men walked into the warehouse without a glance back. As soon as the door clicked closed, Tony was out of his seat. “Sari.” He rounded the counter bar into the food preparing space and opened a bottom cabinet door. He swept her out, set her on the granite, and wrapped himself around her until his heart slowed.
Sari patted him on the back as if to say, it’s okay, I got this.
Tony had enough of this place to last a lifetime. Time to get the hell out. He’d take Sari someplace safe then come back in search of the others. He knew there had to be an exit on the other end of the building. How else were all the spaceship fighters to get out? How was he to get the girl past without suspicion?
A few minutes later, Tony walked with purpose behind a two-wheel dolly toting a crate. Moving at a good clip down the middle of the aisle, no one gave him a glance, until the doors of a second elevator slid aside and a group of armed men jogged out toward him.
* * *
Jane led the others out of the lab and farther down the aisle in search of another elevator or some means to get out of this huge coffin. She wanted to see Tony, yet she didn’t. Nyl ’s words kept replaying in her mind. She had a means to have everything she wanted, but at the price of her soul. She was talking about a life she would be creating and giving away like an unwanted gift. Once again, the very idea made her nauseous.
Over the years with FPU, she’d seen too many lives taken for no reason other than some demented mind’s whim. Fortunately, she’d been a part of a group who had brought closure to the families of those missing loved ones. But then there were people on her planet who would take in a baby as their own and raise it. Again, solving all her problems, except what to do about Tony.
He wanted children, a family—something he’d never truly had. She couldn’t imagine all the times he’d witnessed happy parents and children in parks or at the malls, even restaurants, enjoying each other’s company and love. All that was stolen from him at a young age and he’d yearned for it all these years. It broke her heart. If she was with him, she’d give him a family…out of guilt. But maybe not.
Maybe they could work up to having that family he needed so badly. She wanted to want children as he did. After so many years of staying away from that, to suddenly try and figure out how to change that way of thinking was near impossible.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she stopped at a solid concrete wall cutting off the aisle. A heavy metal door was inset and a card reader was perched on the wall. Brock stepped past her and swiped the badge Cyn had handed him at the cabin in front of the reader. Access denied. The group grumbled.
Jane reached into her pocket. “Here. I took Liand’s badge before we left. Thought it might come in handy since I had the same problems with that other badge before. Seems some secrets are held more tightly than others.” Jane pressed the white holder to the reader.
The ground vibrated and heavy clunking noises came from the other side of the concrete wall. Slowly the massive door dragged to the side. Jane stepped inside and stopped, those behind her pushing past.
“Ruveen, this is what we think it is. Oh my god.” The vast cavern held a treasure trove of antiquated spaceship technology from her planet. Things she recognized only because she had studied them in tech history during her school years. They stood in what looked to be the tail end of an old spaceship, buried under Earth’s surface.
“Ruveen, what is all this?” Brock called from a distance.
Her brother stood in the center of the chasm and circled to take in everything. “This, my friend, is the answer to so much.” He pointed to wires coming through the concrete dome’s top, down to coils pulsing with a dim light on the floor. “This is the heart of the compound. These coils generate energy using what you call cold fusion.”
He placed his hands on the device, about the size of a five-gallon bucket. “Your planet hasn’t perfected the energy source yet, but you will soon. This source has no radiation waste and can be a virtually limitless supply. No more of your fossil fuels will pollute your air or water.”
“Oh, wow,” Erica murmured. “What about the PVC pipes?”
Ruveen’s sight followed tubes traversing the ceiling, disappearing into a box the size of a small car. “That looks like the water source. The equipment we use today is much smaller, about the size of a brick. The idea is to filter humidity from the air and turn it into drinkable water. It doesn’t need a power source, so it can go anywhere. In the past few years, you’ve developed this technology on a small scale, but nothing for the masses, as such.”
Trent looked amazed. “I thought you were kidding when you talked about the conspiracy of Earth getting technology from your planet.”
“You’re getting the good and some of the bad. If your planet can avoid what we went through, that would be a good thing.” He went quiet for a moment. “Sometimes I wonder if there isn’t a plan of some kind.”
Brock frowned. This entire conversation felt surreal and would have been impossible to believe had he not been there. Still, he wondered what Ruveen meant. He’d have to ask later.
Ruveen picked up what looked like machine parts. “Seems someone has been replicating spaceship parts.”
Trent and Brock headed for him. Trent grinned like a kid in a candy story. “Like a Star Trek replicator?” Brock looked to slap him up the back of the head. “What? To make something out of nothing would be over the top.”
Ruveen sorted through piles of items in bins. “That’s not exactly what I meant. What I’m talking about, like everything else, is something that has come about in the last several years for you.”
Trent raised a hand and waved. “Wait a minute. We don’t have anything close to replicators. Everything is made in assembly lines, or by hand.”
Ruveen grinned, clearly enjoying Trent’s disbelief. “Are you familiar with your 3D printing technology?”
Trent frowned. “Not really. I didn’t get the concept of making paper 3D.”
“It has nothing to do with paper,” Ruveen said. “You’re in the infancy of where this technology will lead.”
“I don’t get it. What’s printing without paper?” Erica asked, appearing more confused than Trent.
“It’s not printing at all. It’s building objects based on layering.”
Trent gave a wide-eyed surprised look. “Seriously? That works?”
“Yeah, it does,” Brock replied. “An actual working gun has been created using this process. I’ve heard this has the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing process. For the good and the bad.” Ruveen caught Brock’s eye. Brock felt he wanted to say more, but Ruveen smiled and looked away.
“All these parts are needed in creating thrusters for space travel. There are so many, though. Unless Liand was building a fleet of ships—”
“A fleet with three hundred ships?” Jane cut in. “The same amount of men in a battalion? There’s no way I’ll let Liand use me to brainwash these men into working for him.” Everyone looked at her, except Trent. He was playing with a gadget. He noticed heads turning and followed suit, confusion on his face.
“Why are we staring at Jane?”
Erica slapped his chest as she passed him. “If you were paying attention, you would know Liand’s ultimate plan is to take over a planet by taking the guys from the battalion to man his ships.”
Trent grabbed her hand and held her close. “Whose planet?”
Good question. Brock had a feeling that Earth was in bigger trouble than anyone realized.
“Hey, over here,” Cyn called from the far side. “There’s an elevator here. We’ll need a badge.”
NINETEEN
Standing in the middle of the long aisle with armed men aiming straight for them, Tony was ready to bust out fang and fur to defend the crate on the hand dolly he pushed. Seams on his jacket popped.
The leader of the small group pivoted a few feet from him and continued down the corridor Tony had just traveled. After a heavy sigh to settle his tiger, he looked over his shoulder and watched the men retreat into the distance, chrome M&M ships on both sides of the aisle.
It was obvious Liand planned an invasion. But where? With this many ships he could take over the planet. Tony’s stomach turned. He could take over this planet. Every movie he ever saw with people panicking and running crazy flowed through his mind. Then small rebel pockets would come about and uselessly fight the supreme technology.
He’d take Jane and they’d go to her planet. He wanted to reunite her with her family. He knew what it was like to have no one to love or share with. Being around her siblings would make her happy. They’d have to make plans after he came back to get the group. Sari needed him now.
He mumbled quietly, “Okay, we’re moving again. Be ready.” He leaned the dolly toward him, lifting the crate and hurrying forward.
In front of him was the strangest looking interior wall he’d seen. It stretched the entire width of the bunker, solid concrete with one tiny door in the middle. Actually, the door was probably normal size, but among the sea of a wall, it looked like a mouse hole. As he neared, he saw the card reader next to the door frame like all the others.
The lid to the crate slid back and a scrawny arm reached out and wiggled its fingers as if saying, get me closer.
Tony glanced back, hoping no one saw them or was paying attention. Again, he was so very thankful it was nighttime. It was probably after midnight by now. The breakfast he ate at the cabin seemed a week ago. Man, he’d kill for a steak.
As close to the door as he could get, he tipped the dolly to the floor and Sari lifted enough to grab the handle and pull down. Tony pushed the dolly and crate forward to open the door enough for him to get a hand out to hold it to pass through. He quietly closed the barrier behind him.
When he turned to the new space, a sense of bugs and crawly spiders gave him a full body wiggle. A giggle came from the closed crate. He knocked on the wood top and smiled. “Hey, in there, no laughing at the grown-up who’s creeped out by spiders.” A muffled giggle reached his ears, making his tiger as happily content as the sound made him feel.
His tiger’s eyes searched the dim area. They were inside what looked like an abandoned warehouse filled with old, long-unused construction equipment and crates everywhere. Hooked to the rafters thirty feet up, a maze of pipes filled the space to almost solid, several snaked through the concrete wall and several dove into the floor.
Tony followed the maze with his eyes to the side where most of the piping originated. Large tubes led to pumpers attached to mega cement mixers. If he understood correctly, this place at one time created concrete and pumped it into the underground bunker. So that’s how the compound was built right under the nose of anyone’s radar. Ingenious.
A thought struck him. The crate he took to hide Sari in had machine parts stored inside. What if the crates were used to bring in things for the bunker, then when empty, stored upstairs for re-use when needed? That would make the warehouse look like a legitimate business. No one would be the wiser.
Noise came from the crate. He leaned over and lifted the lid. “Up and at ‘em, baby girl.” Inside, the cub was scrunched up, arms wrapped around bent knees. He lifted her out and set her on the floor. “Looks like no one is here. We may be out.”
From where they stood, he noted the warehouse doors had a line of dirt-encrusted windows letting through light from the outer fenced in parking lot’s security lights. He could make out several cement mixer trucks parked along the bay as if ready to go when called upon. Could this be the business Brock mentioned when they were on the phone last? But didn’t he say that place was on the other side of the mountain?
The door behind them clicked unlocked. Faster than humanly possible, Tony scooped up the girl and set her in the wood box. As he closed the lid, the door opened and he saw Jane’s face. Lid abandoned, he took her into his arms. He lifted her and swung her around. He set her down and pressed his nose into her hair. Damn, she smelled so good. “I was so worried about you.”
She pulled back from him, questions in her eyes. “What are you doing here? We thought you were still locked in the room? How did you escape?” Jane looked around for Sari. She grabbed Tony’s hand and hurried toward the young girl, now standing in the box, staring at the others filing into the room. Her small face looked ready to burst into scared tears.
“Sariana,” Jane wrapped around her and lifted her onto her hip, “it’s okay, baby girl. These are friends with me.” Instinctually, Jane turned toward Tony for comfort and let out a big sigh.
He had an arm around both girls, tiny hands clutched his shirt, and each girl had a head resting on his shoulders. A destined family, if ever he’d seen one. The cotton candy pink hair was a bit distracting, though.
“Ramirez, you okay?” Brock, always the grounded one, brought the full group together.
“Yeah, we’re good. Long story. You wouldn’t believe some of the things we saw.”
“Same here. This looks like the concrete company we saw on the hill. It looks safe for the time being.” He started unbuttoning his camo jacket, heading for an exterior door. “I’ll shift and get the truck while you all stay here.” Cyn wrapped his clothes into a bundle for him to carry in his mouth. She swiped the badge on the reader and the outside side door opened.
Standing in the doorway, Brock turned back. “Try to keep a low profile. We don’t want to draw the attention of anyone, outside or in. Got it?” Not waiting for an answer, he turned and transformed onto all fours.
Trent laid his arm on Erica’s shoulders and kissed her forehead. “I’m so ready to get you back in bed. Vacation has me spoiled.”
Tony threw his hands over the girl’s ears. “Hey, cub alert over here. We’ll have none of that talk.” His fatherly voice was so foreign compared to his playboy arrogance, Jane almost didn’t recognize who spoke.
“Tony? Wh--”
The door leading into the underground bunker opened, and for the third time, automatic gunfire rang in the air.
TWENTY
The beating pulse of rhythmic weapons firing shook the concrete floor. The armed group Tony saw at the elevator moments ago found their way to the abandoned cement building.
Trent, Erica, and Cyn dove behind dusty equipment to one side of the door. Tony, Jane, and Sari took cover on the opposite side. Ruveen lay in the middle of the space, unconscious. Blood flowed from his right side.
Jane began to push to her feet, but Tony kept her down as bullets flew their way. She wiggled against him. “Let me go! I have to get to my brother!”
“Jane, no! Wait.” He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a handgun, taking out a couple enemies before they managed to find places to hide. He handed Jane a second gun, then prepared to run into the open to retrieve his mate’s brother. Jane’s hand slapped onto his shoulder, holding him there.
He followed her line of vision to where they were just standing. Ruveen’s body dragged across the floor toward them as if being pulled with an invisible rope, a trail of blood marking its passage. Tony and Jane whipped their eyes to Sariana. Her little hand was outstretched, reaching for the prone man. More gunfire snapped Tony from his trance. He returned fire, now focusing on keeping his family safe.
“Tony!” echoed across the warehouse, “you got more weapons?” He guessed Trent and the others were situated.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t help you any.”
Jane put her gun down and started through his cargo camo pants. “Maybe I can sneak it over there.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll stay right here with me.” Despite his words, he unloaded two hand guns, several clips, and a couple grenades and set them on the floor. “It’s not much.” He handed his gun to Jane.
She raised a brow. “Where do you think you’re going?” She shoved the gun back into his hands. Tony saw her stubbornness coming out.
“Jane, it’s too dangerous for you to leave cover.” He fired of a couple rounds to keep the soldiers back. He’d die before he let anything happen to Jane or Sari. “I’ll—”
“Oh, no you don’t. Since when did you start telling me what to do?”
“Jane.” Frustration was obvious in his voice.
“Tony,” she mimicked his tone.
“I’m not arguing about this—”
“Good, me neither. I’m going.”
Tony whipped around to her. “No, you’re—” Tony reached down to the weapons, only to find concrete. Both adults watched as two guns and a few clips scooted across the floor under machines and around crates. The two grenades had a hard time keeping up since they kept rolling sideways.
They glanced at Sari. With one hand on Ruveen, she had the other outstretched, guiding the objects. Her face was scrunched in concentration.
Tony glanced at Jane, who was also seeing the unbelievable with wide eyes. Within seconds, bullets flew from the other side of the room. They were evenly matched, for the most part. Then the center door opened, again, and armored men poured from the other side. Reinforcements finally arrived. For the wrong team, though. Fucking hell! They couldn’t catch a break.
Tony’s group was pushed farther toward the front and side of the warehouse. If Trent’s group was the same, they were getting close to the door Brock went through.
Two loud explosions erupted, throwing bad guys on Trent’s side into the air. Then the side door opened and closed. Good, at least part of the team would survive.
