by Lesley Davis
Table of Contents
Synopsis
What Reviewers Say About Lesley Davis’s Work
By the Author
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
About the Author
Books Available from Bold Strokes Books
Raging at the Stars
Conspiracies. Emory Hawkes is an ardent believer. She’s an investigative journalist dedicated to seeking out the truths behind cover-ups and exposing the lies that keep the general population in the dark. Her priority? To expose the secrets at Area 51. While watching the skies over that top secret base, she observes what appears to be saucer-shaped objects descending. Whether of military design or otherworldly origin, Emory can only watch as they launch a devastating attack.
Emory’s theories go against everything Captain Sofia Martinez stands for, and all she has dedicated her life to, working at Area 51. Sofia knows Emory lives to challenge her authority, but can they put aside their differences to fight together to save mankind?
Can they save the world from not just the invaders above but also from the all too human element who have their own secret agendas to set in motion?
What Reviewers Say About Lesley Davis’s Work
“Playing Passion’s Game is a delightful read with lots of twists, turns, and good laughs. Davis has provided a varied and interesting supportive cast. Those who enjoy computer games will recognize some familiar scenes, and those new to the topic get to learn about a whole new world.”—Just About Write
“Pale Wings Protecting is a provocative paranormal mystery; it’s an otherworldly thriller couched inside a tale of budding romance. The novel contains an absorbing narrative, full of thrilling revelations, that skillfully leads the reader into the uncanny dimensions of the supernatural.”—Lambda Literary
“[Dark Wings Descending] is an intriguing story that presents a vision of life after death many will find challenging. It also gives the reader some wonderful sex scenes, humor, and a great read!”—Reviewer RLynne
“[Pale Wings Protecting] was just a delicious delight with so many levels of intrigue on the case level and the personal level. Plus, the celestial and diabolical beings were incredibly intriguing. …I was riveted from beginning to end and I certainly will look forward to additional books by Lesley Davis. By all means, give this story a total once-over!”—Rainbow Book Reviews
Raging at the Stars
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Raging at the Stars
© 2017 By Lesley Davis. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-721-7
This Electronic book is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.,
P.O. Box 249
New York, USA
First Edition: January 2017
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover design by Sheri ([email protected])
By the Author
Truth Behind the Mask
Playing Passion’s Game
Dark Wings Descending
Pale Wings Protecting
Playing In Shadow
Starstruck
Raging At the Stars
Acknowledgments
Thanks always to Radclyffe for more reasons than I could ever express.
Enormous thanks to Cindy Cresap for making the editing experience a positive finale to the writing process. Your patience is unceasing, which is fortunate because my use of British-isms is not going to stop any time soon!
Thank you to Sandy Lowe for always answering my “I have a question” emails and to all the people at Bold Strokes whose hard work gets these books out there.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sheri, for the most eye-catching, spectacular, blockbuster of a film-like cover I could ever have dreamed of for this story. I’m totally spellbound by it and I can’t thank you enough. It’s truly out of this world!
Thanks always to my awesome friends and readers who support me in my writing and make me want to keep telling stories for them:
Jane Morrison and Jacky Morrison Hart
Annie Ellis (It’s here at last! Go read it!!) and Julia Lowndes
Pam Goodwin and Gina Paroline
Kim Palmer-Bell
Cheryl Hunter and Anne Hunter
Kerry Pfadenhauer
To all my readers out there, a huge thank you for your boundless enthusiasm for my works. Keep reading please! There’s still more to come!
And always, thank you so much Cindy Pfannenstiel, for being the best sounding board when I have a crazy idea or two and want your opinion while trying not to give too much of the plot away! Thanks for always being supportive and for cheering me on. I appreciate it all and you so very much. XX
Author’s Note: This is a work of fiction and poetic license has been liberally used. However, should any of what is written here be found to be true I will take my “I told you so” sweets/candy in the form of copious bags of Maltesers please!
Dedication
To Pam Goodwin
Thank you for “Driving Miss Davis,” figuratively speaking, across America in assistance for this story. Your help was invaluable to me. You, my friend, are truly every shade of awesome. xx
Chapter One
The night sky above Groom Lake, Nevada, was the clearest Emory Hawkes had ever seen. It was a pitch-black night that made the stars appear to shine twice as bright. A diamond studded vista that stretched as far as her eyes could see. Emory marveled at it as she drank deeply from her Coke can. She drained it dry and crushed it in her hand. The noise was loud in the stillness of the night. Emory was tempted to toss the can as far as she could to see if she could set off the remote sensors she knew were planted far and wide for miles around the perimeter of Area 51. She’d driven past the endless signs warning her to stay away from the area many times. Now, she was
parked and looking out on the military base. She was far enough away not to draw attention to herself from the guards driving around the perimeter. Emory had been here before; she knew how close was close enough and how long she had before they’d come and chase her off.
She took a slow walk back to her Volkswagen Bus. She settled herself in the driver’s seat and opened up her laptop to return to the sites she’d been perusing earlier. Emory was reaching for a large bag of Lay’s chips when her phone rang. She picked it up and groaned when she saw the caller ID. She toyed with not answering but knew her brother wouldn’t stop until he reached her.
“Hey, Bradley. What’s up?”
“Emory, where are you?”
“On vacation, soaking up the sun, catching some rays by the sea,” she lied.
“Then you must be inside your hotel room, little sister, because I don’t hear any sounds of waves crashing against any particular shore.”
Emory tugged her keyboard closer and pressed to open a new tab.
“So, unless you’re going to try to fool me with that video of the sounds of the sea you’ve got saved on YouTube…”
Emory cursed softly and closed the site down. “I wouldn’t do that. You’re too sharp for your own good, Brad.”
“You did it the last time you were trying to convince me you were vacationing in some rain forest when, in fact, you were hanging around a military base looking for flying saucers.”
Emory huffed. “The conspiracy theories you constantly mock me for have a weird way of becoming acknowledged. Truths and lies are eventually revealed. Just like the Warren Commission being a total whitewash of what happened in Dallas. And the whole moon landing being a giant setup on a sound stage somewhere in Hollywood. Five key words for you on space travel, Bradley: the Van Allen Radiation Belt. But, for all the things I would stake my disbelieving life on, you know I believe that any UFO sightings are instead top secret military craft using a technology we have no frame of reference for. So, like I tell you every time we have this conversation, I do not believe in aliens. There is no such thing as little green men from outer space.”
“So you are up at Area 51 again? Goddammit, Emory! You’re supposed to be playing by the rules right now.”
“I may or may not be vacationing some ninety odd miles or so away from Las Vegas. I’m just taking in the sights, enjoying the nightlife.” She looked out at the sky again.
“You’d better be staying away from the perimeter. I am not coming out there again to bail you out of prison like I had to last year when you were caught trespassing on private property.”
“I paid you back every dime so quit holding that against me.” I’m never going to hear the last of that adventure. Next time I’m calling an ex. If they’ll even answer.
“You were knowingly trespassing on federal land.”
“It was night time. You can’t see any borders when it’s dark as fuck out here.”
“Well, try to employ night vision this time and stay out of trouble if that’s possible for you. I thought you’d like to know I’m meeting with your boss and his bosses next week. Here’s hoping I can smooth out the mess you got them into by trying to spill military secrets on that so-called news site you work for.”
It galled Emory to do it, but she managed to get a “Thank you” to pass her lips. Her brother was the bane of her existence, but he was her go-to man when she needed bailing out…again. This time had been due to her posting a leaked document she had received from a very reliable source. Unfortunately, the source in question had been forced into hiding while Emory and the online news site she worked for were under investigation. Emory stood by what she’d posted, but it looked like it was the last straw for her boss. So she was on a forced vacation while the investigation was underway.
“God knows why you think there’s a secret military hiding in plain sight among the real military. It would be so much easier and you’d be considered less of a nutball if you actually believed in aliens, Emory. Raging against the government and the military, secret or otherwise, isn’t going to get you anywhere. They’re untouchable.”
“And raging at the stars would make more sense to you? I’m not looking up at the night sky in fear of something out there sending saucer shaped ships to invade us and mutilate our cows. That strikes a little too close to home in my view. It’s something humans would do for some bizarre reason.”
“You subscribe to all these conspiracies, though. Isn’t believing in aliens top of that crazy ass list you live by?”
Emory smiled without humor at his attempt to be funny but instead was putting her down, as usual. He never listened to her, never took her seriously. She’d had to suffer him going through college to become a highfalutin lawyer, but the minute she mentioned what she was passionate about she was ridiculed and scolded like a child. “Fuck you, Bradley. One day you’ll have your eyes opened to the worldwide conspiracy I’ve been warning you about for years.”
“Yeah, well until that little miracle happens how about you come visit your family instead of hanging out in alien territory like a loser? Your nieces want to see you for reasons I’ll never understand. And I’d rather tell them you’re alien hunting than you’re watching the base in case some high-tech plane gets rolled out of the hangar there. Like that’s big news to report. They are an airbase after all.”
“You’d rather tell them I’m waiting to get abducted by aliens,” she grumbled.
“To be perfectly honest, yes. They’ve watched V. You’re a hero in their eyes, right up there with Elizabeth Mitchell. And her character at least knew aliens existed.”
“Goddammit, Brad! There’s no such fucking thing as aliens. How many times do I have to say it?”
“It’s all a conspiracy, right?”
“Right. Misinformation to keep the population in fear.” Emory was getting annoyed with his winding her up; it was his typical big brother move. She popped open the door of her van and stepped outside. It took a lot to resist slamming the door to relieve some of the tension she could feel boiling through her. The silence of the night pressed in on her. “Tell the girls I’ll come see them soon.”
“Before or after you try to breach the fence again to find proof of something that doesn’t exist? Because I’m busting my gut here to keep you from serving jail time for what you posted, and yet, there you are, right back in the lion’s den searching for more clues. I can’t keep representing you when you keep doing stupid things that land you into trouble.”
“I have to go, Bradley. You’re pissing me off, and you know I’m prone to do stupid things when you piss me off. And, sadly, you’re the only lawyer I have on speed dial to bail me out before our sainted mother hears about it.” She leaned against the side of her van. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got aliens to chase, apparently.”
“God only knows what you would do if you really saw one,” he said.
“I’d expose it for the lie it is.”
Bradley laughed. “Keep looking to the skies, little sis.”
“Keep burying your head in the sand, big bro.” She ended the call with a sigh. She was certain she was somehow adopted because there had never been two siblings who were such polar opposites as she was to him. He didn’t have an ounce of imagination and believed the law to be absolute. Emory had a more “fluid” notion when it came to finding out the truth.
She raised her head, looking to the night sky to give her some sense of calm after he’d succeeded in riling her up. She blinked as she stared above her.
The stars had disappeared.
Emory couldn’t tear her gaze away from the vast blackness above. There were literally no stars visible for as far as her eyes could see. There wasn’t cloud cover, and the stars hadn’t winked out of existence. She’d only just looked up and they had been there. The air around her started to vibrate, and Emory could feel a rhythmic pulse tickling across her skin. She rubbed at her bare arms. Her black T-shirt had been plenty warm enough in the night air, but now her skin fe
lt as if it were being touched by a live wire. It was very disconcerting.
She scrambled back into her van’s front seat and yanked her laptop toward her. She furiously tapped out a message to a friend.
Chicken Little says look up at the sky.
A reply wasn’t long in coming. What are you seeing?
A whole heap of nothing.
Switch to audio and visual please.
Emory found her earpiece and popped it into her ear. It was a wireless piece that received its audio via Bluetooth. The built-in microphone allowed two-way conversation. She just had to carry her phone so that the Bluetooth radio frequencies could mesh. She snatched up a pair of heavy framed glasses that housed a hidden camera. Finally, she grabbed her phone and slipped it in her pocket. Spy Tech 101.
“Wired for sound and visual, Dink. I’m setting the bigger camera on top of the van so you can get a panoramic view.” Balancing on the doorframe, Emory made sure the heavy-duty suction cup clamped to the roof of the van as she quickly fixed the video camera in place. Once that was sorted, she grabbed her night vision binoculars.
“All systems are working. I can both see and hear loud and clear. So, my friend, what’s got you all excitable over there in Nevada?” Dink’s voice was clear as a bell in Emory’s ear.
Emory was glad to hear his voice. “Are you aware of any military exercises in the 51st area tonight?”
“No, all quiet on base according to the radar and sensors I’m monitoring. What’s up?”
Emory made a face at his choice of words. “Nothing. That’s the problem. The stars have just disappeared above me.”
“Disappeared?”
