The Parabiont Invasion Book 3

by Y. J. Gendron

  Their eyes met.

  She saw the immense fatigue behind the wizened stare, but something else too.

  Despair.

  The moment lingered for a pregnant second before Vokug stepped into view. He grabbed the Doctor’s arm, seizing it as if it was a child’s. She heard a muffled cry of pain, then nothing.

  Overhead, the play of light danced between the rafters and as the shadows deepened, she realized she’d been taken out of the Cube. The hold on her wrists tightened, making her hiss out in pain.

  The men stopped.

  Scar Man repeated the act, applying even more pressure. Refusing to give in to the agony in her wrists, she bit down on her tongue, tasting at once the strong metallic taste of her blood. Followed a pause. She screwed her eyes tight as she felt Scar Man’s gaze on her. He was looking for signs that she was conscious but she remained completely limp, reigning in the adrenaline racing through her as well as the throbbing pain. The strong grip relaxed somewhat and Scar Man started up again, hastening his pace. Letting her head flop to the side, she peeked out between the locks of hair that fell over her face. The concrete floor whizzed by, a featureless plane of gray lost in a sea of gloom. Time seemed to stand still as she floated above the floor, kept afloat like a stringless puppet by invisible masters.

  A familiar sound found her ear and she perked up.

  There. That low whimpering.

  She opened one eye larger, risking detection but unable to help herself.

  She had to see.

  The floor bounced up and down every few seconds as they made their way out of the large room that housed the Cube. A light had been turned on to illuminate the path to a secondary exit, one that was usually reserved for emergencies. Scar Man veered toward it and a silhouette of an animal lying on the ground appeared, not ten feet away. It lay ignored as Tebayi’s people walked by, just another obstacle to avoid.

  But not by Beatrice.

  Foxy!

  Scar Man’s trajectory hesitated for a second then resumed. With stupefaction, Beatrice realized he was heading right for the Sheltie. She felt her muscles tense despite herself.

  Don’t even think it! Her mind screamed at the man with the ugly scar. Don’t you dare touch her!

  But Scar Man ignored her unspoken warnings and stepped closer to the dog. For a second, she thought he would simply pass by without stopping. But then he lifted his left foot. The man’s safety boot caught the light. There was a yellow exclamation point icon embedded in the black rubberized outsole. She realized it meant the boot was wrapped in steel. His foot hovered a few inches above Foxy’s throat as she lay on the floor, a low whimper escaping her lungs. Beatrice’s heart stopped.

  No!

  His threat galvanized her. She kicked out with a violent jerk, hitting the arms of the man gripping her ankles. He jerked back in surprise and she felt her legs pop free. There was a low growl above her head followed by a brutal lunge. She twisted her body left and right, desperately fighting to loosen the grip holding her prisoner. Scar Man’s vice-like hold on her wrists doubled down and she cried out in pain. From the corner of her eye, she saw the second man stick his right hand in a pocket. A second later he pushed forward, aiming an incapacitator at her head.

  “Don’t move!” he hissed.

  She froze.

  He grinned. “That’s better.”

  With a rough tussle, Scar Man set Beatrice back on her feet. “Why aren’t you out like the others?” His voice was as rutted as his appearance.

  She drilled her eyes into his cold stare but said nothing. He looked at her for ten more seconds then turned to the other man. “Tebayi will find this discrepancy interesting. Don’t you think?”

  The other man acknowledged with a brief nod. “Absolutely.”

  Abruptly, Scar Man grabbed Beatrice’s right arm and twisted it behind her back. She let out an involuntary cry of pain, her eyes smoldering with hurt and fury.

  “Let’s go,” the disfigured man said.

  He pushed Beatrice forward, keeping a strong lock to her arm.

  “What about the animal?” The other man called as they walked away.

  “Leave it where it is. We’ll come back later to finish the job,” Scar Man said, wheezing the words directly in Beatrice’s ears. Without warning, she shoved her head backward at full force, the movement brutal and sudden. The back of her skull smashed into Scar Man’s face. There was the sound of a broken bone. He let go of her arm and stumbled backward, raising both hands to his face.

  “My nose,” he mumbled in shock, his voice sounding even more nasal than usual.

  She pivoted on her heels and smashed her fist directly between his eyes. His eyes grew wide and he fell to his knees, the blood pouring down his face. The other man saw him collapse.

  “Joe?”

  “Get her!” Scar Man managed to say, spitting out blood.

  The large man with the ovoid face lunged.

  Beatrice sidestepped him. She felt the air move as he missed her by an inch. He twirled about and she did the same, the two facing each other again. “You shouldn’t have done that to my brother.” His smile turned into a snark. “He never forgets, nor forgives.”

  The man duked to his left then made a move to his right. Taken by surprise, Beatrice danced out of his way but she lost her balance and crashed to the floor. A hand shot out and gripped her ankle. Turning her head, she realized that Joe had seized her and was holding on, a demonic look in his eyes. She kicked hard and connected. He let go, snarling in pain. His brother wrapped his large hands around her, lifting her up with one effortless pull. She twisted her body left and right, clawing at his face with desperation. She heard him cry out in pain then felt his hold falter. She found herself back on her feet and saw that the man was dabbing at a wicked scratch to his chin.

  “Now, you look even more like your brother,” she exclaimed with a triumphant glint in the eye.

  “You bitch.”

  He took a step forward. She stood her ground. Then, all of a sudden, he fell, his body hitting the ground with a loud crash. Beatrice saw movement in the shadows. Behind her, the muffled cry of someone being immobilized came to her hears. She swiveled to where Scar Man lay and saw him sitting on the floor, arms tied behind his back and with a rag stuffed in his mouth. Standing in front of him, a grinning Kyle De Rozan turned her way and gave her a wink. Shocked by the apparition, she grinned back, the disbelief ceding to elation. A hand settled on her left shoulder, making her jump.

  “We’ll make a soldier out of you, yet,” Paige said with a wide grin.

  “Paige! You’re back… you’re you again!”

  There was a look of incomprehension in the Corporal’s stare.

  The emergency exit door opened and a group of Amilaki began walking back toward them.

  “Quick! Help me with this guy,” Paige said, keeping her voice low. She stepped out to the knocked-out man and grabbed him by the arm. Beatrice found the man’s other arm and with a silent nod to each other, they pulled the man deeper in the shadows, away from the shaft of light. Breathing hard, they retreated back a full ten yards before Paige felt they were a safe distance away.

  “Stay here,” the Corporal breathed, slipping away once more.

  Beatrice nodded, too wired to wonder why.

  At least both Paige and Kyle seem like themselves.

  A moment later, Paige returned with Kyle, both of them grunting as they pulled Scar Man into the shadows. Beatrice noticed the man had a new bump to his head and that he was out cold.

  She raised an eyebrow to Paige.

  “Let’s just say he had it coming.”

  “I’m not arguing,” Beatrice said, a smirk setting into place.

  “Now what do we do?” Kyle said, putting a knee down and wiping his brow.

  Paige turned to Beatrice. “Can you tell us what’s going on?”

  “Yes, but I need to do something first.”

  Leaving the others behind, she hurried out into the darknes
s.

  “Where are you going?” She heard Paige mutter, her voice lost to the gloom.

  “To get Foxy.”

  21 Toy Soldiers

  “Stop!”

  Paige’s warning cut through the gloom with a sharp hiss. Beatrice froze on the spot and waited, making herself small to avoid being seen. Half a minute later, Paige sidled up next to her. Twenty-five feet away, a parade of Tebayi supporters glided past, their footsteps overly loud as they walked back to the Cube.

  “Wait,” Paige said, directly in her ear.

  Fighting back the impatience about to boil over, Beatrice gave a curt nod.

  Paige saw the discomfit look on her face and put a hand to her shoulder. The last Amilaki finally crossed the doorway, vanishing inside the Cube’s radiance.

  “Now!”

  Beatrice sprung up like a coiled snake and bolted off to where Foxy waited.

  Paige kept an eye out to the Cube’s doorway, just in case someone came their way. She saw two men grab Asalak and march him away, deeper inside the whirling light. A minute went by, then a touch of wetness brushed the bare skin of her right arm, an inch below the sleeve of her t-shirt. She turned and realized it was Foxy’s permanently moist nose. Beatrice grinned at her. She was cradling the Sheltie as if it was the most precious thing in the world and Paige guessed that it was probably not far from the truth. She scratched Foxy behind the ear then indicated the spot where Kyle waited. “Let’s go.”

  She hurried away into the dense shadows, Beatrice following closely in her steps. The light from the Cube made it easier to navigate the vastness of the room and a few minutes later they joined up with the Private.

  “Ok,” Paige started, her voice deliberately hushed. “Me and Kyle are going to lock these guys away.”

  She glanced at the two men. They were still insensate and showed no sign of waking up. Somewhat relived, she turned back to Beatrice. “We will rendezvous outside the plant, behind the armory.”

  Beatrice acknowledged with a nod.

  “You’ll be okay with Foxy and all?”

  “Yes,” Beatrice whispered. “I’ll try to find a good place for her.”

  It was Paige’s turn to nod . “Okay, then. Let’s do this.”

  They all got up at the same time.

  Beatrice walked away at a brisk pace, carrying Foxy in her arms. In the distance, the door leading out to the rear of the plant was barely discernible in the gloom, but she knew she was on the right track. Behind her, she heard the two soldiers huff and puff as they carried out the larger of the two brothers, the one she’d scratched with her nails. Twisting her head back to glance at the Cube, she noticed that both Asalak and Eklan had been taken away.

  They must still be inside the Cube.

  With Tebayi.

  Staying focused on the task at hand, she reached the emergency door. There was a steel push bar and an old faded sticker that stated: EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY - NO ENTRY.

  They would have to be careful if they didn’t want to be locked out. The door had a spring that prevented the door from being kept ajar. It was ancient and rusted, but it still worked. She pushed the door with her left elbow. There was a noise as the spring extended but to her relief, it was less bothersome than she anticipated. She waited for the others to arrive. Outside, dusk now claimed its rightful place in the sky, the colors of the setting sun demarcating the edge of trees looming in the background. The Northerly wind descended from the ring of mountains, turning the air cooler. Beatrice let the coolness kiss her face, enjoying the sensation of replenishment it instantly provided.

  There was the sound of footsteps.

  “Careful, Paige. The door closes by itself.”

  The Corporal grunted in acknowledgement. “Okay, we need a way to keep this door open… but we don’t want to attract attention.”

  Beatrice shot her a glance that said, “I got this!”, then hurried out of the building. Paige watched her leave, then turned to Kyle.

  “Boy, it’s good to be back into action,” the Private said between two pulls of air.

  “I was just thinking the same,” Paige said with tight grin.

  The private shook his head with a smile. “I never dreamed I would be battling alien thugs though.”

  “That’s the army for ya.”

  There was a guffaw from the young soldier. “Still beats flipping burgers.”

  “True enough,” Paige agreed with a twinkle in the eye.

  Beatrice appeared in the doorway, making both of them jump. “Okay guys, go. I’ll take care of the door.”

  “Where’s Foxy?” Paige asked, picking herself up.

  “Right there.”

  “What?”

  Paige shot a glance to where Beatrice pointed. To her disbelief, Foxy stared back at her, all chipper and standing squarely on four legs.

  “She suddenly sprung alive and the first thing she did after licking my face was…”

  The faces of the soldiers stared back, blank.

  “Pee, of course.”

  Kyle chortled while Paige shook her head from side to side. “Of course,” the Corporal said with a laugh. “How could it be otherwise?”

  Beatrice shrugged. “Nature calls even for the best of us.”

  “That reminds me,” Kyle began, eyeing the row of trees in the distance.

  “We better move then,” Paige said.

  The soldiers hurried out the door. Beatrice removed her right shoe and stuck it in the corner of the door, keeping it ajar. She searched the ground along the exterior wall, searching for the perfect object to use as a door stop. She found a flat stone and a moment later jammed it in the door, recuperating her shoe in the process. She turned to check up on Paige’s progress. Foxy had her head turned and was staring at something outside her field of view.

  “What is it, Foxy?” She said, the words escaping her lips in a rush.

  “Don’t move!”

  Beatrice’s heart did a somersault in her chest. She peeked around the corner of the door and saw two men aim incapacitators at Paige and Kyle. She’d never seen these men before but it didn’t really matter, because they meant trouble.

  One of the them, a wiry caucasian of about 35 years with a shaved head and a pointed chin, gestured for Paige to lower the man they were carrying down to the ground. Paige shot a quick glance at De Rozan. He nodded and after a wordless confirmation, let go. The larger of the Walker brothers crashed to the ground, the impact throwing up a cloud of dust in the air. Wiry Man stepped closer to Paige. The other man changed position to better cover him, choosing a spot about 10 feet way, his weapon aimed squarely at the Corporal.

  “Your weapon.”

  Paige fished the smartgun from behind her back and tossed it between Wiry Man’s feet. He bent down to grab it. Beatrice saw the opening and exploded. She hurled herself at the man, zooming out of the shadows as fast as a 100 meter runner. He flinched in surprise yet managed to raise his hand to take aim.

  But Beatrice was too quick.

  She smashed into him at full force, the impact sending him flying.

  Kyle took advantage of the confusion and charged the other man. Quick as a cat, he shoved the Amilaki’s weapon aside then followed with a quick combo of punches. The man cried out in pain, staggering backwards.

  Beatrice picked herself up.

  “Are you okay?” She heard Paige call.

  The Corporal had her gun trained to Wiry Man’s head.

  “I’m good.”

  There was a sharp intake of breath as Kyle grabbed the other man and pinned one arm behind his back.

  “Jesus, that was too close,” the Private said, breathing hard.

  Paige turned her head to Beatrice. “Good job, Beatrice.”

  “Now what do we do with these guys?” Kyle asked, keeping a firm hold on the man’s arm.

  Paige shot a glance at the steel box, the one used to store supplies. “Beatrice, check to see if our people are in there.”

  Beatrice nodded then raced a
way, Foxy galloping at her side. A minute later, they reached the container. Two steel doors faced her. Each door was fitted with two vertical lock rods that enabled the opening, closing and locking of the doors. She grabbed the handle of the door to the right and twisted slightly to make sure the locks were disengaged. Next, she did the same with the one to the left. After making sure all was clear, she pulled both handles in tandem. The hinges groaned with a low squealing sound as the heavy doors swiveled aside. She pushed the doors out of the way and made her way inside.

  She noticed the bodies at once. They were propped up along the shelves, like discarded mannequins in a deserted department store, their features as still as their limbs. With a start, she noticed the one closest to her. He lay with his head low, staring down at the steel-clad floor.

  She knelt down next to him.

  “Noah!”

  Even though his eyes were open, he didn’t turn his head nor made any kind of move. Foxy came closer and nudged her long snout to his forehead. She licked him. Her tongue slapped against his skin again and again, as if by her actions she could break the spell keeping him under.

  “It’s no use Foxy, he’s, uh, sleeping.”

  Foxy looked up and whimpered.

  “I know, it pains me too.”

  She straightened and stared at the others. Graves sat alongside Garcia, as well as Moffatt, Doctor Leyland, Nurse Allston and Cornell Williams. The soldiers she’d come to know and appreciate lay like figurines in a shoe box, inert yet alive.

  Tears bubbled up in her eyes but she blinked them away.

  With a last look at Noah, she turned and ran back to Paige.

  “Our people are all in there,” Beatrice confirmed as she joined up with the others.

  “And they’re still…”

  Beatrice confirmed Paige’s question. “Out of it? Yes, I’m afraid so.”

  The Corporal digested the news with a long sigh. “Okay Kyle, let’s find us some rope and tie up these guys.”

  “Where are we going to put them?”

  The Private’s question was the same as the one on Beatrice’s mind.