by Phil Maxey
Abbey just looked and stared at the back of his head. She wasn’t sure if she felt better or not. She had answers and maybe that was enough.
“So what are the chances—”
She stopped, seeing that Elcher was intently watching a part of the screen made of light that was flashing. “What is it?”
“I was too late.”
Abbey stood. “Too late? What do you mean?”
“They are coming.”
Abbey anxiously looked up at the sky. Some of the soldiers started getting to their feet. “When? Here? How long—”
“No, not here.”
* * * * *
High above the fields and forests of northeastern Texas Zach, Fiona and the others sat inside a steel tube, strapped into their seats and trying to ignore the turbulence and roar of the planes engines.
Each occupant was lost in their own memories of the last time they were at the camp, and what had transpired since.
Zach tried not to think about how once again he was separated from Abbey, and instead focused his thoughts on how he was going to start a program to expand the bunkers under the metropolis. He was also curious how the E.L.F’s were being used for work purposes.
Fiona looked out of the side window of the transport plane at the beige and brown fields beneath them, and thought about the man she still loved. For most of the past few weeks she had been able to crush any memories of Cal, but now, knowing she was just thirty minutes out from the camp’s airport, images of him kept forcing their way into her mind. A tear began to run down her cheek which she quickly wiped away hoping no one else had seen.
The planes cabin bumped making everyone grip their harnesses.
“Man, I hate—”
Before Michael could finish the world inside the plane tiled violently to the left. A beeping noise started playing out around them together with the white lights that were on, switching to red. The cabin then returned to level.
“What the hell’s going on?” Shouted Miles.
Fiona’s attention was drawn back to her window. “No…” Sparkles of white were just visible on the horizon. “Look out of the windows!” She shouted to the others.
Zach undid his harness and walked up the steps and knocked on the pilots cabin door. “What’s going on?” He shouted through the door, which promptly opened. One of pilot’s quickly returned back to their seats.
Zach staggered forward as the turbulence buffeted the plane and was about to ask what the issue was, when he saw it for himself. A few miles ahead of them the sky was full of streams of neon red swiping across the sky, while cones of intense light, plainly visible against the clouds, shone down to the ground. The camps silver walls which they were passing over lit up with explosions, and even from the altitude they were at, he could make out blue-purple points of light which he knew to be the Hulathen on the ground.
All while he watched what was unfolding at their destination, the captain was trying to reach the control tower.
“They’re here…” Said Fiona just behind Zach.
The captain briefly looked over his shoulder. “You should all go back and strap in, I don’t know what the integrity of the landing strip is going to be—”
A streak of light zipped past them moving in the same direction they were, and an instant after a bright flash lit up the cabin, followed by a pressure wave which knocked Zach and Fiona into the cabins walls. Warning sounds filled the air.
They looked out of the side window to see flames billowing out of the left engine.
“Strap in! We’re going down!”
The End.
Thank you for taking the time to read Beyond, the seventh Cascade book. Book 8 is coming in March I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave me a review on Amazon.
If you would like news on my latest releases, special offers or free short stories, you can sign up to my mailing list on my website at www.philmaxeyauthor.com
Thank you again. Phil.
About the Author
Phil Maxey is an author who resides in the UK. Formally a game developer he now spends his time putting his love of sci-fi and the paranormal into words.
Acknowledgements
Book cover design by www.starbookcovers.com.
