by Mel Todd
That seemed to have settled the matter. With the general mood quiet and serious, they ate, then created a huge nest in the living room. Weapons on the table in easy reach and phones near them. If they went off, people would hear them.
Caroline shifted in the bathroom, the rest just stripped and flowed into their animals, not caring. The pile of furred bodies curled around each other. Cass curled up with JD around her. Toni with her kids snuggled up next to her. McKenna lay with her back to Toni, touching, but not pressing, Nam and Charley curled up in the curve of her body. Perc framed her, his big cat body somehow fitting to surround the kids in a cocoon of fur. The cheetah that was Caroline paced out and finally decided on the base of Toni and McKenna, her golden fur and black spotted coat an odd counterpoint to the beige cougar and black jaguar.
McKenna inhaled, and the familiar smells of fur, sweat, cat, bear, wolf, flooded her senses and it felt like home. Peace settled into her, and she closed her eyes, letting herself purr. The gentle rumble acted like a lullaby, and after a few minutes everyone settled in, and she could feel them drop off to sleep as she fell herself.
Chapter 39 - Landfall
All medical personnel, city and county employees, firefighters, police, and utility company employees are being asked to report to work immediately. This is a call for all these employees to report to work. All other business are officially closed. Please stay home, arm yourselves, and watch the skies. Elentrin troops have started landing. At this point the orders are shoot to kill for all city or county employees. Residents are asked to stay home and protect themselves, but to not leave their homes. All shifters are asked to not take on their warrior forms unless absolutely necessary. National Guard troops are being deployed and the less confusion concerning citizens as opposed to invaders the better. ~ KWAK Alert
The shrill warning tone from six phones pealed out all at the same time, plus a shrill ringing from another one had everyone sitting straight up, looking around. Caroline flowed into human and dove for her phone. The one ringing.
"Yes?" Her voice sharp with tension. She stood there for a minute, unmoving, a statue even as McKenna watched, unable to look away.
"I understand. You, too." She lowered the phone, a faint disconnect tone coming from it as she turned and looked at them. "It's started. They're coming." The faint light slipping in through the blinds highlighted the tear tracks on her face.
Caroline turned and headed to the bathroom. McKenna and the rest stayed frozen for a moment. Then McKenna rose.
~Kids, stay in your animal forms. It's safer. Everyone else, make sure your earrings are on, get dressed in what you'll feel comfortable as warrior in, bright colors suggested. We're going to war.~
Toni shifted to warrior form, flipping on the news as she headed to her room. They could hear it from every room, their hearing good enough for that. The news made McKenna's stomach curl into a tight ball, eating would be something to do later. Right now even coffee didn't sound good. She pulled on her kilt, one of the best purchases she'd made in a while. Loaded up the pockets with stuff she'd need, then pulled on the brightest tank top she owned. A vivid turquoise blue that pushed towards neon.
If that doesn't say Earthling, nothing will.
Her earring caught the light reflecting it and she headed down to the weapons. Putting her standard issue 9 mm in an inner holster, she filled more pockets on the kilt with extra ammo for it, and one of the AR-15s.
~So what are we doing?~ It was JD asking, though he did it in the shared mindspace.
McKenna looked at the TV as she responded. ~We're going to protect our family and our world.~ The announcer was listing out the cities that could expect incoming invaders. All citizens were advised to be ready to defend themselves.
Hearing those words being spoken out loud, "All citizens are advised to take cover and shoot to kill. Distance is your best option," McKenna closed her eyes, inhaled through her nose, centering and facing what was about to come.
~Are we all good with this? The kids are going to stay here and hide. Not having any adults here will make this a safe place and the Elentrin troops should have no reason to come here. We are going to make sure this area stays safe. Charley, Nam, Jess, Jamie, you know where to go. You will stay safe and not come out until we come back. If we all die, you know who to find.~ They'd gone over and over, and the kids had the numbers of all the people they could trust. If everyone was dead, well, then there wouldn't be anything they could do.
All of them had shifted to warrior but Caroline, she admitted she felt more comfortable in human form, and knew her aim was better.
Toni stood there in warrior form, a kilt, vivid yellow tank top, and a handgun on each hip, with a .30-06 Savage in her hands. Even through the warrior facial structure McKenna could read her expression.
"You aren't coming."
"I can't. I can't leave my kids, not again." The words slashed like a knife through McKenna's heart, and she hesitated. All the worries and doubts rushed back in full strength, and she started to move towards Toni.
[The more adults that are present near the kids the greater the likelihood of the Elentrin finding them and you.] Wefor's voice sounded flat as usual. [They have already proved they are resourceful and strong. They would be safer alone.]
"I CAN'T!" The words came out of Toni in a roar, and McKenna found herself stepping away from the Jaguar Warrior Goddess standing in front of her. "I cannot leave them again, and I'll die to protect them before I let anyone hurt them."
The images of the figures falling from the sky, the casual way they killed people running from them, and the tight arms of Nam around her neck; all the images and emotions clashed in McKenna's head. But something told her she needed to be out there. Maybe the damn command module, maybe arrogance or hubris. But staying here felt wrong in a way she didn't know how to explain.
"Will you watch my children, too? Protect them, too?" Her voice broke though she tried to keep it steady.
Toni closed her eyes, then reopened them, the green all but glowing in the dark of the living room. "With my life, always."
The kids, all still in animal form twined around Toni's legs, a low whine emerging from their throats. McKenna moved, pulling Toni into a tight hug. "Thank you, for everything." Her whispered word containing everything she didn't know how to express.
Toni hugged back, claws digging in through McKenna's fur, but it didn't matter. They released each other, and McKenna crouched, petting each head and sending all the love she could down the mental links. With a force of will she stood and turned to the others, waiting for her. Of all of them only Caroline's all too human face betrayed the emotions they all felt, stress, fear, doubt, and a grim knowledge they couldn't hide and let others die for them.
"Let's go." McKenna said the words with a flat tone, channeling the AI as they headed out the door. The late summer morning had a strange calm beauty to it. Blue skies, mid-seventies, a light breeze, and beings falling from the sky. It felt like a surreal experiment.
McKenna made sure a round was in the chamber and looked towards the sky, calculating where the landing invaders were headed. She stood, letting what she saw filter into her brain.
~Wefor, can you tell where they're going?~
[Calculating.]
All of them stood there watching. The quiet bedroom community they had placed McKenna and the others in didn't have a large Kaylid presence. But McKenna hadn't paid much attention to the demographics of the area, plus with other people driving her around she felt a bit disoriented.
[It appears they are headed to Georgetown.]
McKenna had purposefully drawn Caroline into the shared mindspace, and she winced at Wefor but nodded.
"That makes sense actually. There's the Naval Observatory nearby. The area has lots of room for staging troops and equipment. Plus, I think a few pro-shifter rallies have been held near there."
"So? Do we head there? I can feel something itching at the back of my mind. Something big is going to
happen and we, I, need to be there, but I don't know what it is or if it's me with my ego getting too big."
McKenna tried not to flinch at the looks everyone gave her, but the feeling coming through the links was considering, not anything more violent.
"It's near the capitol, and it wouldn't take much research to figure out that's our seat of government. Granted, most have been evacuated, but I would say yes. If they're going to do anything dramatic that would be a good stage. Not to mention the picturesque aspects," Caroline said thoughtfully.
"Go there? I don't see anyone here."
"Do you have a way to sense how many Kaylid are in the vicinity?" Caroline asked suddenly, turning quickly to look at McKenna.
"No," McKenna responded. "Wait, do I?"
[No. While other commanders may have equipment able to detect Aly Mite concentrations, that is not something possible just from standing here.]
"Then definitely let's head to the Mall. That will draw more there, help draw them away from here, and it would be a logical place for any leaders to focus on," Caroline said, an air of authority in her voice.
It felt right to McKenna. Heading to the car, she slipped in, followed by the others, while Caroline took the driver's side. As Caroline backed out of the driveway, McKenna saw faces peeking out of the window. She flooded the mindspace with love and heard Perc and Cass make an odd noise as Caroline slammed on the breaks. Her hands white around the wheel.
"What the hell was that?" Caroline gasped out, her voice shaky.
"What?" McKenna asked, confused.
"What you just did," Cass said, her voice just as shaky. "It felt like the best sex, orgasm, hug, buzz, and the sun on your skin all at the same time. What did you do?"
Caroline had her eyes closed and breathed deeply in and out.
McKenna looked at all of them, Perc had his fur-covered hands clenched, and she ripped her eyes away from the obvious evidence he'd been affected, too. "Umm, I just sent love to the kids and Toni. I wanted them to know how they felt. I put everything I felt into it."
Caroline shook her head and started to drive again, though her pulse still pounded in the side of her neck.
"I've felt waves of emotion before from you," JD said, his voice quiet. He sat in the third row of seats so she couldn't see him easily. "But this, this was that cranked to eleven. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but next time, keep in mind what we're doing?"
"Got it." McKenna cleared her throat and locked her worries away. For now she needed to concentrate on what they were about to head into. The radio relayed information non-stop about where the invaders were coming down. From the sound of it, the military had removed the security from this information because everyone could see them incoming at the various radio stations. But they still could only give general areas. Not specifics.
Caroline focused on driving, but the rest of them kept the windows down and paid attention to the skies. The wind bugged her ears for a bit, but then McKenna realized how much she could tell from having the windows down and she learned to ignore it.
They could still see people dropping, but the pattern didn't make sense to McKenna. She started to talk out loud, more to help herself concentrate than anything else, though she made sure the words also ended up in the mindspace. Toni or the kids might have some insight.
"All the sequences or dreams we were in, they always worked in squads going through cities in a coordinated manner. Why does this seem more scattered and less organized? Shouldn't there be coordinating shuttles or something?"
Silence in the back for a minute.
"You know, I think you're right. So why would they be dropping randomly?" Perc said slowly, staring up at the sky.
"Caroline, is there an overlook or someplace we can get out and maybe get a view of this? I know the military can't take the time to look, but I have a thought," JD asked from the back, a thoughtful tone to his voice.
"Overlook, no. Not in this area. But there are a couple parking garages that are pretty tall. Want me to try that?"
"Please?"
McKenna didn't ask for details, just watched and tried to put the pieces together. "Caroline, do you have a way to tap into where shuttles are coming down?"
"Not from here, no. If I was in the office or had access to a real computer, maybe. But I can't get to those websites from my phone."
They reached the top of a tall parking deck on the outskirts of DC. Everyone piled out of the car and looked at JD who stood looking around, his bearlike face narrowed in concentration.
~Wefor, is there a way for me to make the nanobots increase my distance vision? Make it better to see the details?~
[Yes. You have enough commander module nanobots at this point. Order them to alter your vision to make it more accurate for distance.]
JD's eyes closed, his brow furrowed, then he opened his eyes and looked around. "Huh, it worked. 'Kay, give me a minute."
McKenna looked around, her heart seizing with each figure she saw coming down, then the various ships slowly dropping to earth. In the distance she could hear gunfire, but the world, at least here, seemed to be hiding.
Do I want to know what people are doing? What would I be doing if I wasn't here? Well, I'd be at work. Maybe that would be easier, someone else telling me what to do?
Her thoughts went multiple ways, but she still looked and watched.
"I think I have it," JD said, startling her out of her spiraling thoughts. She turned to look at him as the rest of them did. "They're landing shuttles in the middle of troop disbursement. I think they're either herding people in, or bringing captured Kaylid to the shuttle. We know they don't take prisoners, so I think they're collecting them, dumping them in the shuttles then going back for more. They aren't tied to the shuttles, they just dump their loads there and keep going."
They all turned and looked at the shuttles and the placement of people.
"I think he's right," said Caroline, her eyes sharp.
"So we should focus on the shuttles and free anyone they get. We can't get all the ones roaming about, but this way we can prevent anyone from being taken," McKenna said slowly as she worked out the logistics. The unspoken words of ‘even if we can't stop them from killing' hung in the air.
Without anything else needing to be discussed, they got back in the car and headed towards where it looked like a shuttle had landed.
Chapter 40 - Walk the Path
Fighting has already started in New York City as five shuttles have landed in Central Park. Reports say a large number of the Kaylid aliens emerged, but one of the Elentrin was spotted as well. While there is speculation they may be looking for the ones captured earlier, most people are hunkered down. The NYPD has come out and said while they will not fire first, any alien seen with weapons will be treated as dangerous. Though the concern about the strange behavior around the Elentrin is concerning. There are some websites asking how anyone that beautiful could be so evil. As the situation changes, we will keep you updated. ~ TNN News
Caroline drove to about where they thought they had seen the shuttle. It was a mixed residential-commercial area and the quietness of the streets and city overall creeped McKenna out. But the emergency broadcast telling everyone to stay home and hide, to let people who knew how to fight deal with it, was still blaring from every station. The SUV slowed to a stop, and Caroline parked it.
"From here we probably need to move on foot." Her voice had dropped to a whisper and McKenna responded mentally.
~Agreed. Move out and listen, maybe we can make a difference.~ That mattered to her, and she checked the connects for Toni and the kids again. But they were still there, quiet and safe. If anything happened to them, she would know. Even as they got out she listened, expecting to hear more noise. How could a city so large be so quiet? She knew this city hadn't been evacuated, but it was like it held its breath, waiting.
Walking down the area she could hear some distant sounds; guns firing, vehicles revving, even what sounded like trashcans
being knocked over. But nothing immediately near them.
~Wefor, can you sense or help us find the shuttle?
The voice in her head didn't answer immediately as they kept moving forward. Just as she started to panic, thinking something might be wrong or that Wefor had been deactivated, the AI responded. [Not at this time. Possibility after the first one is found, future ones can be identified.]
She'd take that as a positive.
~Stop!~ Caroline's voice lashed out, louder and stronger that she needed to be in the mental space. McKenna froze, catching the others out of the corner of her eye doing the same thing even as she winced.
~There, the shuttle, and a Kaylid coming this way, carrying two people.~ Caroline pointed into a grove of trees and McKenna realized it was the edge of a park. Sure enough, a Kaylid, though she hated to think of the enemy by the name they'd taken as their own. But for now there wasn't much else they could do. This Kaylid had dark brown fur the color of a mink, but with white stripes breaking it up. It almost looked like a reverse zebra. It walked, a trolley floating behind it with two people laying on it.
McKenna assumed they had been knocked out as there were no obvious restraints and they lay there limp.
Rage flooded through her at the sight as well as the knowledge they had probably killed other people to capture these two. She started to move into the trees. ~Do we see anyone else?~
~No. What are you going to do?~ Cass had a tremble to her voice. For all her calm reactions in Colombia, McKenna knew she would have almost preferred to be home with Toni. Protecting yourself was easier than attacking.
~The only thing I can. Kill that Kaylid. We have no place to store them, and I won't allow any others to be killed because of my inaction.~ Her mental voice had lost all inflection, and she didn't know how to feel about that, but pushed the worry away.
