Darkest Days 3ey5s

Darkest Days

The Last Orphans Series, Book #4

N.W. Harris

Contents

Also by N.W. Harris

Also by N.W. Harris

Content Disclosure

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Afterword

Also by N.W. Harris

Catalyst

CTP Email List

Also by N.W. Harris

The Last Orphans Series

Book 1: The Last Orphans

Book 2: The Harvest

Book 3: Enslaved

Book 4: Darkest Days

This book 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. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions. Darkest Days Copyright ©2017 N.W. Harris All rights reserved. Clean Teen Publishing Summary: The ancient slave mongers who killed the adults and enslaved the children have angered a more advanced species of aliens. Composed of pure energy, this superior race has attacked the Anunnaki home world and is now setting a course for Earth. Will the enemy of Shane's enemy be his friend, or is this just another species determined to exploit and destroy them? ISBN: 978-1-63422-255-6 (paperback) ISBN: 978-1-63422-256-3 (e-book) Cover Design by: Christian Bentulan Typography by: Courtney Knight Editing by: Cynthia Shepp

To Amanda, for sticking by me on the long journey of creating this series

Also by N.W. Harris

The Last Orphans Series

Book 1: The Last Orphans

Book 2: The Harvest

Book 3: Enslaved

Book 4: Darkest Days

For more information about our content disclosure, please click on the picture above or visit us at http://www.CleanTeenPublishing.com.

“Cannot swords be turned to plowshares? Can we and all nations not live in peace? In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world.” RONALD REAGAN, address to United Nations general assembly, Sep. 21, 1987

Chapter One

“Power’s out in the cafeteria,” Steve yelled, pushing the metal door open. “It’s dark as hell in there.” Shane directed his tired gaze toward his big friend, and then back to Anfisa. She guarded the transport with six Anunnaki holed up inside. “Keep your finger off the trigger,” Shane ordered. “For now.” “I’ll do my best,” Anfisa replied, patting the side of the massive gun she sat behind. “But they deserve a couple of rounds from this pretty lady.” He welcomed her humor as a sign that her fortitude had not diminished. The Russians and his team had endured the cruel reality of the apocalypse and still stood strong. He shook his head and pleaded with his expression for her to hold off. Then, he headed toward the linebacker who stepped out onto the tarmac. After the strange green haze had vanished, a relative peace settled over the base. He knew the hellish nightmare that had begun with animals and insects killing the adults hadn’t ended, but the sudden liberation of the kids who’d been enslaved by the Anunnaki infused him with hope. Every human on the base was now free, and he guessed that freedom had spread across the entire planet. It seemed the green entity rendered the Anunnaki powerless, but the terrifying idea something far more advanced than them might watch from above kept Shane from celebrating. The Russian girl wasn’t the only one who wanted revenge. Shane managed to divert Tracy and Jules from their murderous rage, having turned their attention to corralling the hoard of kids into a long chow line. Their gaunt faces and sluggish movements led him to conclude most of them hadn’t eaten much since their slave gene took over, and they didn’t seem to have the strength to appreciate their new freedom. He doubted any of the scraggly kids really understood what they’d endured. He hadn’t talked to them yet, still

not completely convinced that they wouldn’t try to kill him and his friends and cut their faces off. Hundreds crowded onto the tarmac and more spilled in from between the buildings to the south, all wearing lost expressions. It made him dizzy to behold them. They needed help, and Shane knew if he and his friends didn’t offer it, things could slip into the violent chaos that ensued after the adults died. Sighing, he tried to ignore the weight on his chest. The number of people under his charge had just increased a hundredfold. “You look like shit,” Steve said casually when Shane stopped in front of him. “Thanks,” Shane replied, returning his sarcastic grin. “You’re pretty as a pickle.” “Well, that’s nothing new.” Steve smiled, running his hand across his short crop of blond hair. The linebacker was freshly showered and shaved. He must’ve cleaned himself up right after they arrived at the base, while Shane and Tracy had tried to free Kelly and Jules. Still, he carried his big shoulders low and his eyes conveyed weariness. Steve glanced at the long line of kids forming up to eat, his brow furrowing even more. His right hand rose to the black strap holding his gun over his shoulder. After all they’d been through, Shane knew it was hard not to look at these kids as the enemy. “What do you want me to do?” Unwavering resolve in his eyes, Steve wouldn’t rest until Shane told him he could. Before he could respond, Shane saw Jones come out of a hangar. “Captain,” he called. “We need some help over here. The power’s out.” “It’s out everywhere,” Jones replied, frustrated. His scarred features expressed the usual stoicism, but when he glanced at the transport, Shane saw his eyebrows twitch. “And we can’t get the generators to start.” “Might have something to do with that voice,” Jules said, sounding exhausted. She nudged the barrel of her rifle toward the sky. Shane rubbed his aching forehead. He’d barely recovered from being ripped

from his body and shoved into Kelly’s, and then he’d had to the fight to defend the base. The terror she’d endured during her enslavement still resonated through him. It pained him to how she’d backed herself into the darkness of her own subconscious. When she did regain control, she’d gone berserk. How could anyone recover from such an experience? He wanted to slip away and be alone with Kelly to make sure she was all right, but his burgeoning responsibilities wouldn’t allow him that luxury. Jules seemed okay, though he worried about her too. She stayed near the transport, a rifle held across her chest. She gazed toward him, and he searched her eyes. He couldn’t guess how jacked up she was from the enslavement, but she seemed in control now. She nodded at him as if to say she was okay and turned her attention away, perhaps uncomfortable with his scrutiny. A disabled Anunnaki transport sat in the center of the tarmac. Alien soldiers imprisoned inside took turns looking out with worried expressions. They worked feverishly, disassembling the control in an attempt to get the vessel restarted or perhaps to bring its weapons online. Unable to find a way to break into the transport and take the aliens prisoner, he’d had Petrov and Anfisa roll out an old antiaircraft gun from one of the hangars and point the gaping end at the transport’s windshield. Swinging herself up before anyone else had the chance, Anfisa maintained the seat behind the massive gun’s trigger. He’d ordered her to shoot if they managed to get the craft started and tried to take off. “That’s no good.” Shane glared at Jones, wishing the rebel offered a solution and not just more problems. He turned to Rebecca, who squatted next to one of the freed kids, wrapping a gash on his arm with a roll of gauze. “Are the stoves gas?” She’d spent more time in the kitchen than any of them. “No,” she replied. “All electric.” “We’ll have to start some fires and cook out here,” Tracy said, glancing at her girlfriend with concern in her otherwise-spent expression. He didn’t have to worry about Jules; Tracy was already doing enough of that. “There’s plenty of firewood.” She pointed at the forested mountain rising behind the base. They’d climbed the steep slope so many times in the flag-capturing games during training, back before the Anunnaki arrived and before Hell’s gates opened.

“Can’t even see enough in there to find my way around,” Steve said. “And the battery-powered emergency lights aren’t working either.” It seemed everything that ran on electricity, even the watch on Shane’s wrist, had ceased to function. “We’ll have to make some torches so you can see to get the food,” Shane concluded. “But keep them small, so we don’t choke on the smoke or burn the place down.” “We should cook the stuff in the freezers before it goes bad,” Rebecca suggested. The red-haired girl he’d rescued in the Leeville High gym had grown up a lot since he’d been gone. Shane reckoned all the younger kids had been forced to mature beyond their years, their childhoods stolen from them. “Shane,” Jones growled. “We need to talk?” Shane’s brow crinkled. He had too much to worry about and wanted to get everyone on task so he could go to Kelly, and now the captain wanted to have a chitchat? “Y’all should get to it,” Shane said to his friends, hoping he didn’t sound too bossy. “Those fires need to be lit before sunset. It doesn’t look like we’re going to figure out the power problem anytime soon.” He never wanted them to think he felt superior, because he didn’t. They’d chosen him to be the leader, though it took a long time for him to fully accept the role. He blamed himself for the Russian kid who had been shot on the way to the hidden base from Charleston and was determined not to allow moments of hesitation to kill anyone else. He nodded to Tracy, signaling her to take charge. They all looked grumpy, in need of rest as much as the grimy kids crowding onto the tarmac. But his friends seemed willing to take an equal share in the burden of caring for their growing flock. She barked orders at Steve, Maurice, Rebecca, and a few of the new kids who she chose to help. As usual, Steve raised an eyebrow, showing offense to her tone, but he did what he was told. Eyeing the building where Kelly rested, Shane wanted to go to her bedside.

After she collapsed, he’d scooped her up and taken her to her old bunk. He wished he could stay by her side until she came around. Tracy had called him away to help with the new kids, telling him they needed him. He knew Kelly was safe, but it didn’t make it any easier to be separated from her again so soon after finding her. He’d asked Laura, the most nurturing of his trusted friends, to tend to her. Shane walked toward Jones, reluctant but also determined to tend to everyone’s needs so when he did slip away to be by her side, they wouldn’t bother him for at least a little while. “You know we don’t have enough food on this base to sustain all these people for more than a couple of days,” Jones said in a faint voice. “Yeah,” Shane replied. “But what do you propose we do? Let them starve? Turn them away?” “No, of course not,” Jones returned, his tone telling Shane he didn’t appreciate his aggression. “But we can’t stay here. We need to move them to a more sustainable location.” “Have any place in mind?” Shane looked over his shoulder, trying to keep his irritability in check. The kids rushed on and off the tarmac, starting to bring firewood in from the forest and metal cooking pots from the cafeteria. “I’m afraid it’ll be an unpopular idea,” Jones said, raising his black eyebrows. “We should head south.” “South?” Shane snapped. “Toward Atlanta? Did you get hit in the head?” “Your federal government maintained secret food reserves in various locations around the country to help feed the population in case of a crisis,” Jones explained. “The closest one is hidden under Dobbins Air Force Base.” Shane studied Jones’ face for a moment. He had no desire to ever see Atlanta again. “Back there,” Shane said, shaking his head as he recalled the tornado they’d endured at the military base. “That’s too close to where the Anunnaki ship went down.”

“I believe the ship landed further south,” Jones replied. “Isn’t there another reserve?” Exhaustion crushed Shane, and Jones sounded like he wanted to risk another fight with the Anunnaki. “Yes, but it’s near Washington D.C.,” Jones said. “I don’t think these kids can make it that far.” Shane followed his gaze toward the line of sunken-faced kids. Returning his attention to Jones, he shook his head. “No,” he replied. “The green thing said the Anunnaki must die. I’m not taking these kids down there to find out how it plans to make that happen.” “So what do you propose?” Jones donned a stern expression. Shane pinched the top of his nose and closed his eyes, feeling sick from sleep deprivation. He’d been in this situation before, right after they shut down the limbic manipulator. Then, he’d planned based on the assumption that the kids following him would need a long-term solution to the food and lodging issues. His earlier strategy made sense for the current situation as well. “We’ll head northwest,” he decided. “We need to get these kids to farm country where we can feed ourselves and not have to rely on some temporary food reserve.” “These kids might starve to death before you can grow any food,” Jones objected. “If we go to Atlanta, they’ll die fighting the Anunnaki or others who want access to this food reserve you’re talking about.” He looked across the base at the kids who gathered around the cooking fires with hungry expressions. “There’s plenty of livestock and grain reserves out there. We’ll find food.”

Chapter Two

“People of Anu,” a delicate feminine voice said. Athos spun around, searching the dark corners of the bridge with his pistol aimed. He guessed the owner of the voice had somehow freed the slave who murdered his boy. He wanted revenge, but he couldn’t find a target. “Your planet is destroyed. Those you’ve oppressed across this dimension have been freed. You are the last survivors of your wicked species. Your children will punish you.” “Who are you?” Athos demanded. The voice did not respond. Their control s dark, the sailors looked at the general, and then around the bridge at the glowing bulkheads. They held their breaths, and it seemed the silence would asphyxiate them. He’d been on the ship when it was docked and had minimal crew, and even unoccupied, the bridge had never been so quiet. No reconditioned air hissed through the vents, and the floor didn’t vibrate with the eternal low frequency sound emitted from the reactor. The view screen flickered, the last wisp of the Pegasus’ life about to be snuffed. General Athos watched the earth approach, clawing with his mind at the eroding situation. Having battled hundreds of species during his time in service, he’d never encountered an alien who rivaled the Anunnaki technologically or militarily. He wasn’t ready to accept this entity that the ship’s scanners couldn’t see was even real. Walking to the emergency hatch leading up to the ship’s city, he decided this could be an illusion. Perhaps the rest of the vessel was unaffected. This could be a diversion to keep the general and iral on the bridge while rebels attacked the ship’s vital systems.

He tried the control for the hatch, not surprised when it didn’t function. Opening the on the right side of the exit, he found the manual release, pulled it down, and then slid aside the unlocked blast door with ease. A curse hissed between his lips, his hope dashed. The green glow continued into the staircase leading away from the bridge, and he could only assume it encomed the entire vessel. itting to himself he knew all along this attack couldn’t be the rebels, he returned his attention to the view screen. The ship had already completed its descent, an impossible feat under her own power in such a brief time. The city where he’d sent Pelros ed beneath them, and they came over a large airport to the south. The enemy intended to set them down gently, in an area populated with human slave soldiers who may or may not still be under Anunnaki control. It wanted them alive, but he’d yet to determine what it meant when it said their children would punish them. He could only hope the attacker hadn’t annihilated the Pegasus outright because it didn’t savor the idea of killing them in cold blood. Such comion would be a weakness that he could use against them. Regardless, the entity had made a mistake. As long as he had breath in his body, he’d search for a way to deprive this thing of the same luxury. He stumbled when the Pegasus touched down, but managed to stay on his feet. The green haze seeping through the bulkheads vanished, and the view screen went blank, casting the bridge in inky darkness. The crew erupted into nervous chatter, warning of panic that would infect the entire ship if someone didn’t take charge. He guessed the young iral had just wet himself. “Stay calm,” the general ordered. “We need to get out of here so we can assess the situation.” Athos kept his gun aimed ahead of him, though he expected it was useless. The green entity that had attacked the ship didn’t appear injured by a full discharge of the Pegasus’ armament, so he was certain his pistol would do him little good—if it even worked anymore. He held onto it out of habit. Realizing his armor had lost power as well, he felt his way up the staircase. He could hear the sailors from the bridge moving to the exit behind him. His armor felt clunky, and the planet’s gravity made him weak. Huffing after

climbing only a handful of steps, he peeled off his breastplate and kicked free from the dead armor on his legs. Unlocking the hatch, he pushed it open and shielded his eyes against the sunlight. The emergency hatch exited out of the base of the council building. Soldiers, sailors, and citizens rushed in every direction across the intersection between the council building and the coliseum. Most of his soldiers had shed their armor, and he guessed the power failure was universal. “Status?” he demanded of the first officer he encountered. “The ship has lost all power, and the outer hull and shields are inoperable,” the lieutenant replied, coming to attention when he recognized the general. “The slave soldiers are not obeying orders, and some are becoming riotous.” Athos glanced up and could see the outer hull of the Pegasus, which was created by an energy field, had been deactivated. His view of Earth’s blue sky was stunning, but if the outer hull was down, nothing stood between the ship and the humans. “Repel boarders. Seal all access to the city,” Athos ordered. “Have our soldiers take up stations around the perimeter to prevent humans from getting to this level. my orders to everyone.” “Yes, sir.” The soldier saluted him and ran off to carry out his instructions. Athos made his way across the city, repeating his orders to every officer he encountered. Like an infectious wave, his command brought order to the chaos. By the time he made it to the edge of the city, only nonmilitary citizens still rushed about without purpose. He stepped close to the wall at the edge of Pegasus’ city, and his soldiers took positions on either side of him. Humans spilled from the dark holds and berthing on the lower levels, scattering around the base of the ship in a disorganized fashion. They didn’t appear to have malicious intentions, and he hoped the secondary integration conditioning would allow him to maintain control of some of them. Even without the slave gene, these humans had been told from the moment they boarded the ship that the Anunnaki were here to help. With any luck, most of them still believed that and would do what they were told.

Humans climbed the staircase that led from the bottom level to the ship’s city. Athos could see their confusion had made them angry, and he knew he couldn’t let them into the city. “Manually roll the steps on all sides,” he shouted. Sailors rushed to the releases on either side of the steps and pumped the handles. His words echoed across the city, repeated by his soldiers. The steps that led up the four faces of the pyramid-shaped vessel released and rolled downward, turning the staircases into slippery ramps. Those on the steps fell and slid into a pile at the bottom. Some of them had likely been crushed and killed. Kids near the steps shouted and pointed up at the ship’s city. Athos hadn’t made friends of them by dumping them off the steps, but he didn’t have a choice. He had to make sure his people were safe. “General Athos,” a voice shouted from behind him. “Your presence is requested in the council building.” “Of course it is,” he said in annoyance. The royals wanted to know what was going on, and he couldn’t ignore them for long. He needed to get everyone on the ship on the same page. The power failure and forced landing was just the beginning. He expected this green entity might make the humans attack the Pegasus soon, and he needed her engers to be ready for the fight. “I want you to secure this ship, level by level,” Athos said to a commander standing nearby. “Do not assume all the slaves have turned against us. Organize those who will follow orders into squads and have them guard the lower levels. But trust none of them. We know how dangerous they can be.” “Yes, sir,” the commander replied and gave a salute. Athos turned and followed the sailor toward the council building, planning what he’d say to the royals as he walked.

Chapter Three

Shane stood by the door to the barracks and looked out across the tarmac, the last sunlight fading. A long row of campfires illuminated the dirty faces of hungry kids leaning over their bowls. He’d helped Steve and his friends bring out large pots and stage them over the fires, and they had thrown just about everything in the fridges and freezers into the pots, making a hodgepodge of different stews. The batch he’d eaten tasted bland, but the starving kids crowded on the tarmac devoured it like manna from heaven. He heard the door open behind him, and Tracy stepped out. She’d slipped away with Jules an hour ago. It was clear she’d showered. She wore clean black sweats, those issued to them during their training. “I got this,” she whispered. “Go to her.” “We’ve started a few more fires to keep them warm,” Shane reported. “Buildings full?” she asked. “Yeah. Blankets are gone too,” he replied. “Must be a thousand of them.” Those who’d finished eating ed off their bowls and huddled around smaller campfires. Many of the kids were already asleep. “At least they seem to be behaving,” Tracy observed. “They’ve been as docile as sheep so far, but I reckon their real personalities will show once they’re rested. I expect a very busy day tomorrow.” Glancing over at the Anunnaki transport, she said, “Looks like they’re still working on it.” Aside from one who still wore his breastplate, the aliens had shed their red armor. It was more of a burden without power. He knew they were probably

even weaker than Jones, Lily, and their clones because they hadn’t endured a lifetime of Earth’s gravity. “They won’t get it started again,” he said, stifling a yawn. “It seems everything that needs any sort of electricity to operate is useless. I think Greenie has shut it all down.” “We’re calling it Greenie now?” She chuckled. “For lack of a better name.” He grinned at her. They were casual about the new threat—a demeanor earned in battle. “What are we gonna do with them?” She looked back at the cockpit of the transport. “Don’t know,” he replied. “But we can’t just off them like Jones did the one in Cairo. That was wrong.” “I suppose you’re right.” Tracy sounded disappointed. “How’s Jules?” Shane turned his attention to the barracks. “She’s asleep,” Tracy replied. “As you should be, so get in there.” “What about you?” “I’ll wake Steve in a couple of hours, then I’ll get some more rest.” The tough girl’s tone demanded he let her relieve him. “You’re the only one who hasn’t even had a shower.” Shane’s eyelids drooped. He might fall asleep on his feet if he didn’t lie down soon. Taking a last glance at the tarmac, he welcomed the thought of a few hours of peace. He put a hand on Tracy’s shoulder and squeezed before entering the building. His sneakers squeaked on the polished concrete floor and he stopped, not wanting to disturb the blissful quiet of the familiar room. He ed having concerns when Jones originally assigned them to these barracks, especially with the past conflicts between his team and the others. However, after a few weeks of training, the large, open room had become home

sweet home. He’d ed out hard in here quite a few times after an intense day of training, and now the peaceful sounds of the teenagers from his team and the Russians sleeping lulled him toward the rack. Taking off his shoes, he walked silently towards Kelly’s bunk. Laura sat in a chair next to her. She’d found a glow stick leftover from when they’d done their night training, and it provided just enough light to see by. She looked up and gave him a weary smile. “Has she stirred?” he asked hopefully. “No,” Laura replied. “But I think she’ll be alright.” “You can get some rest now,” he said, sitting on the edge of Kelly’s mattress. Laura surveyed him for a long moment, appearing to assess him with her nurturing gaze. The rolled-up sleeve of her black sweatshirt exposed the stub of her right arm. Seeming satisfied he was doing as well as could be expected, she stood with a low groan. She scratched the bandage around her arm. The device Dr. Blain gave her to regrow it must’ve stopped working when the power went out. “Sorry about your arm,” Shane said. “Whatever,” she said, though her manner let on that it bothered her a great deal. “Least I still have one.” “I’m sure we’ll figure out how to get the power back, then Dr. Blain will finish healing you.” “If she’s even alive,” Laura replied. She sat on the lower bunk on the opposite side of the quad. “If they were on that sub and their power went out, wouldn’t they have sunk?” “Don’t know,” Shane replied distantly. He hadn’t given much thought to Lily and Dr. Blain, who’d stayed with the sub that had dropped the Americans, the Russians, and Jones off in Charleston. Laura pressed her lips together, concern clear on her face. She seemed to find strength in worrying about everyone else, like it was what kept her going.

“Hopefully, there’ll still be hot water left in the pipes,” she said, pointing toward the bathroom. Shane nodded. He was so tired he didn’t care about cleaning up. But, with Tracy’s earlier hint and now this, he figured he must look and smell bad. The hot water was gone, though he was almost too numb with exhaustion to notice. After showering, he found his old toothbrush and brushed his teeth. Back in his quad, he found clean clothes in his locker. Steve snored loudly in his bunk. Shane didn’t care for once because he knew even that noise couldn’t keep him awake. Crossing the aisle, he lay down on the edge of the rack next to Kelly. The glow stick’s fading green light made him think of the thing that had shut off the power. Was Greenie watching them now, deciding what to do with them? Kelly’s face was relaxed, and she appeared to be sleeping peacefully. He took her hand in his and brushed the hair away from her cheek. He’d been so afraid he’d never see her again. “You get rested,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “You get rested, and then you wake up.” His eyes blurred, and he bit his lip to keep the tears back. “I need you, Kelly. Can’t keep it going without you.” Shane put his arm over her. His face an inch from hers, he listened to her breathing. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Laura was asleep, embarrassed by his upwelling of emotion. “Nat’s okay. Everyone’s okay, and the Anunnaki seem to have been beaten,” he said in a soft murmur, resting his head against Kelly’s pillow. “When you wake up, we can start rebuilding.” He watched her eyelids, hoping for some movement that might indicate she was listening. “I’ll never be separated from you again, that I promise,” he whispered. His eyes grew heavier. At first, he fought to keep them open, afraid he’d fall asleep and wake up to find her gone, still on the Anunnaki ship so far away from

him. Exhaustion won out, and he sank into a deep, dreamless slumber. Shane woke with a start, falling off the bunk onto the floor. He grunted and opened his eyes. Kelly sat and turned, putting her feet on the floor between him and the rack. She looked toward him, but her face was expressionless and her eyes unfocused. Her distant gaze made her seem possessed, like her soul was gone and her empty body was being controlled remotely. Her hand snatched his wrist in a lightning-fast motion, and she held on with an iron grip. Startled, he started to jerk away, but then her eyes locked onto his. He froze, his blood turning to ice. It wasn’t her looking at him—something else was inside Kelly. “We’ve chosen you to decide everyone’s fate, Shane,” she said, her voice monotone. “What?” He blinked. “Kelly?” She didn’t respond. Instead, she released him, her eyes closed, and she slumped back onto the bed.

Chapter Four

A loud explosion came from the tarmac. Shane jumped to his feet and flung himself across Kelly, expecting the ceiling to cave in. “What the hell was that?” Steve said. “The antiaircraft gun,” Tracy abruptly answered, rolling out of her rack. Everyone from his team ran outside, followed by the Russians. Shane hesitated, looking down at Kelly. She lay unconscious, her comatose condition returned. He’d gotten her back, but it was only her empty body, and he feared the Kelly he loved was lost forever. “Damn it,” he cursed. Spinning away, he ran after Petrov toward the door. Outside, smoke and fire billowed from the transport, outshining the light of early dawn. Jones and three of his clones pulled Jules out of the seat of the big gun. Having all but destroyed the front of the transport, she appeared satisfied and didn’t resist. The fire retreated like it couldn’t get a hold on the material the spaceship was made of. “One is still alive,” Tracy shouted. “Get him out,” Shane said, charging toward the craft. He latched onto the Shock Troop soldier’s arm. Next to him in a flash, Steve grabbed the soldier’s other arm. They tugged the alien, the only one who’d still been wearing his armor, out of the craft and laid him on the ground. He shrieked in pain, twisting and writhing on the asphalt as he clawed at his side. “He looks like one of Jones’ clones,” Steve said.

“And he’s got a hot shard in his side. It’s stuck in his armor,” Laura observed. “Give me your shirt.” Steve peeled off his black T-shirt and handed it to her. “I’ll remove his breastplate,” Tracy said, clearly understanding Laura’s plan. “The shard will come with it.” Not hesitating when the soldier screamed, Tracy plucked his armor off. A river of blood sprang from the four-inch gash in his side. Laura pressed Steve’s shirt onto the wound. “He’s gonna need stitches,” Tracy said, looking at Shane. “And something for the pain unless you guys can hold him still.” “There will be a first aid kit in the clinic,” Jones said from behind them. “I’ll grab it.” Surprised by the captain’s willingness to help, Shane watched him run toward the building with the red cross painted on the door before he looked back at the soldier. Having the metal removed from his side must’ve given him relief, because he’d stopped screaming. He was lying still and huffing to catch his breath. “We are here to help you,” the alien groaned, looking up at Laura, Tracy, and then Shane with sincerity in his eyes. “A powerful enemy has come to annihilate you, and we are here to help you stop them.” “Yeah, yeah,” Tracy replied. “We know you’re full of shit, so drop the act and keep your mouth shut or we’ll let you bleed to death.” Jones returned and sat a plastic toolbox with the words Wound Care labeled on it next to Tracy. Dr. Blain had always been the organized type. “Maybe we should just let him die,” Tracy said with sarcasm, flipping open the toolbox. Shane glanced up at Jones to see if he agreed. The captain didn’t return his gaze. He stood near the soldier’s feet, his eyes fixed on the only surviving prisoner. Though so subtle Shane doubted anyone else would notice, a range of emotion

crossed his expression—shock, confusion, and then disbelief. The prisoner’s face reflected Jones’. “What is it, Captain?” Shane demanded. “It can’t be,” the prisoner groaned. “Father?” “Pelros?” Jones’ face grew pale. “What?” Steve said. “How can you guys even tell?” Tracy asked in a dismissive way. “He looks less like you than all these clones you have running about.” “The clones here look like me because we didn’t have the gene library to create different ones. Children on Anu are designed by their parents,” Jones answered distantly. “And my uncle gave you that scar,” Pelros added, panting. “How could you turn against your own people? How could you slaughter so many?” “The Anunnaki are no longer my people,” Jones replied, his voice growing firm. “I cannot be part of a society with so little respect for other species. Pelros, can you not see how wrong the behavior of the Anunnaki has been? Can’t you see it has to stop?” “All I see is a traitor,” Pelros replied, glaring at Jones. “You won’t be seeing much of anything if you don’t calm down,” Laura advised. The blood flowed from his wound, his increasing blood pressure likely making it harder for it to clot. “You need to step away for a bit,” Shane said, taking Jones’ arm. After another sad glance at the prisoner, the captain didn’t resist, turning and walking with Shane. “You okay?” Shane asked once they were out of earshot. “I don’t know,” Jones replied, looking down. “What are the chances? Out of a

hundred billion Anunnaki, the one to land here and become our prisoner is my son?” “It’s just dumb luck,” Shane replied. “You should be grateful for the chance to reunite with him.” “I don’t think it is luck,” Jones replied. “I thought the green entity may have been an alien my people angered. Now I’m convinced it is the gods. The Anunnaki are being punished.” “Yeah,” Shane replied. “Not sure I believe all that.” Jones stood there with wide eyes focused on the asphalt at his feet and his head shaking in bewilderment. Shane knew letting the captain wallow in his confusion wouldn’t help anyone. “We’ve already depleted most of the supplies,” Shane said. “We need to get these kids on the move today. Tracy has started splitting them up into squads to make it easier to keep them organized. Can you have them grab the remaining food, blankets, and anything else of value that we can bring with us? Maps, too. We could really use some maps.” “Yeah, sure,” Jones stammered, his focus shifting from Pelros to Shane. “Don’t worry,” Shane said. “We’ll bring him with us. Maybe you guys can find some friendly ground and mend your differences.” “I doubt it.” Jones’ eyes expressed his heartache. “Pelros has been raised to hate me and everything I stand for. How can that be undone?” “Weren’t you brought up the same way?” Shane raised his brow. “And you made the choice to fight for what is right. Give him some credit. He may come around yet.” Jones nodded, Shane’s words seeming to have a calming effect. “What about her?” Jones said, jutting his chin toward Jules. “Apparently, the enslavement had more impact than we anticipated.” She sat on the ground near a hangar, guarded by several of Jones’ clones. Her

head was between her knees. Shane hoped Tracy could help her, but right now, she was busy sewing up the prisoner. “I’ll check on her,” he said. Jones nodded and turned his attention to getting the kids organized for the migration to farmland. With what happened with Kelly earlier still haunting him, he made his way over to Jules. “So, what’s up?” he asked, standing over her. “It was just what had to be done,” she replied, her expression cold. “Not sure you get to decide those sorts of things on your own.” Shane gave the clones a look that told them they could go. He spun and sat next to Jules, leaning against the building. “What do you suppose they would’ve done if you resisted?” Shane asked with a snort, trying to ease the tension. Jules assessed the four clones walking away. “I’m sure they would’ve tried to take me down. They’re brave as hell.” “They would’ve gotten their asses kicked,” he replied. She gave a little chuckle and leaned her knee into his. But then she returned her attention to her feet, her face growing somber once again. “I didn’t agree with Kelly, not at first. But the more I thought about it, the more I became certain,” she said. “They are horrible. The Anunnaki don’t deserve a trial; they all have to die.” “Yeah, but what about Jones, Lilly, and Dr. Blain? We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.” Jules gazed across the tarmac at Jones, who gave orders to the new kids, getting them to gather supplies as Shane had instructed. “Most of the Anunnaki are probably bad,” he continued. “But we’ve got proof

that some of them are different. If we just start wiping them out indiscriminately, then we’re no better than they are.” “Yeah, but if they get the power back on?” she said, her eyes narrow. “We’re gonna wish we’d killed every one of them.” Thirty yards away, Tracy stood and accepted the towel Anfisa handed her. She inspected her patient with a satisfied expression, then walked toward Shane and Jules. He came to his feet and met her halfway. “Don’t let her out of your sight,” he whispered. “We have no idea what she’s capable of.” “She’s not as jacked up as you think,” Tracy defended. “I ain’t happy about it either,” he replied. “Look at Kelly.” Tracy glanced at him, then back at Jules, the concern in her eyes increasing. “I’m sure they’ll be alright,” he said, a tremor in his voice. “But we just need to keep a close eye on them as a precaution.” The barracks’ door slammed shut, drawing his attention to Kelly. Her hair disheveled, she wore the sweats she’d slept in. She blinked her eyes against the first rays of the sun. They bathed her from above the treetops like God shining a heavenly spotlight upon his favorite angel. He forgot about everyone and everything else in the world for an instant. Seeing her aglow in the warm yellow light erased all his concerns and his fears, infusing him with hope.

Chapter Five

The council hall was quieter than Athos expected. Royals huddled in small groups around the perimeter, beyond the curved table that ran parallel to the exterior wall. The sun’s bright light spilled through the open ceiling and felt warm despite the nip of autumn cooling the oxygen-rich atmosphere. Without the ship’s protective outer hull, this room would be a mess after the first storm. No one noticed him at first, and the general listened in on conversations as he ed. Aristocrats engaged in nervous speculation, mostly about their new enemy. “General Athos,” Gentras said. It sounded more like an announcement to let everyone know he had arrived than a greeting. Athos stopped in the center of the room, ready to be pummeled with their questions from all sides. “Speaker,” he acknowledged Gentras. He dipped his head toward the rest of the people in the room. “Council.” “As you can imagine,” Gentras continued, “we are all confused and concerned here. Can you shed light on what is happening?” “We’ve been attacked,” was his curt response. “We’re stranded and powerless. None of our weapons function, and our technology is useless. In short, we have been returned to a preindustrial condition, and we are surrounded and greatly outnumbered by a species that is physically much stronger than we are.” No one stirred. Gentras and many of the other royals surveyed him with suspicion in their eyes. “There is a rumor,” Gentras said and then paused. “Have you withheld information about the attack from this council?”

Athos expected that to leak out much earlier than this and had planned his response. But now, the game had changed. He didn’t have to answer to the royals anymore. They were as helpless as newborns in this situation, and martial law was instituted by default. He could tell them to go to Duat and have their hearts weighed or shut up and sign up for military service. That course of action might make things easier for the short term, and it would be gratifying to no end. However, Athos had the foresight to see the benefit in allowing the aristocrats to still feel like they had some control over the destiny of the citizens aboard the Pegasus. “I did withhold information,” Athos conceded, daring them with his gaze. “We received a message that Anu was overrun and the wormhole that brought us to Earth was destroyed. We needed our focus on recruiting humans, as I expected the attack against the Pegasus was forthcoming.” The implication was clear, and the council erupted into anger. Among the shouted insults, the general heard demands that he be punished or his rank be taken from him. He didn’t react, just stood and stared at Gentras. The speaker glared back at him, his expression showing his disappointment. Athos wondered who leaked this information to the council, expecting it was iral Vecan. The iral was more aristocrat than officer and had always behaved as such. “Although I disagree with his course of action, under the circumstances,” Gentras said, loudly enough to quiet the room, “the general acted within his authority.” The insults and threats diminished to grumbling. Athos glanced around the room, expecting someone to dispute Gentras’ statement. His eyes fell on Kilnasis, the one royal who always had something to say. Kilnasis met his gaze for a moment, but then looked away. He seemed to want to be left out of the discussion. “Can you tell us more about the enemy?” Gentras drew the general’s attention back to the podium. “I cannot,” Athos replied. “Other than the initial encounter when the wormhole was destroyed, there was no sign of the enemy until this attack.” “Have you ever encountered this species in your many campaigns?”

“No,” Athos replied. “And I searched the ship’s databanks for information on them after the first encounter and found nothing. They appear to be an energybased life form, and their technological ability seems millennia ahead of our own. They’ve reached through our defenses and have taken control of everything that uses or creates electricity.” “It is the gods,” a younger aristocrat seated near the back doors blurted. “Perhaps,” Gentras replied. “But what have we done to anger them? The Anunnaki have carried on in the same fashion for millennia. We have brought order to the galaxy and have liberated many species from barbarianism.” “It is not the gods,” Kilnasis finally spoke. His voice was quieter than usual, and Athos was certain it was tinged with guilt. “Do you have some information to share with the council?” Gentras scrutinized Kilnasis, his dark eyebrows rising. Kilnasis stood, still looking down at the table as if he was uncertain as to whether he should speak. “Before the mission to harvest Earth was planned,” the elder began, glancing around the room and raising his voice so all could hear. “I funded the harvest of a planet beyond the outer reaches of the empire.” Kilnasis always had a way of capturing the council’s attention, but never had they hung on his words as they did now. Though his tone was somber and he sounded ready to it his culpability in some horrific crime, he still seemed to thrive off the absolute attention of the of the council. “The harvest of the Jurasians, I believe,” Athos said, amused to see the haughty man at a disadvantage. “A successful venture. No?” “Yes, indeed it was,” Kilnasis replied, sounding unnerved by the general’s knowledge of his activities. Athos had made it his business to know everything he could about those on the mission to Earth, especially the ones with any power. “As you probably know,” Kilnasis continued, “though Juras is a relatively large

planet, their population was small.” “They are a ive species that developed in a high-gravity environment,” Athos replied. “Useless as soldiers, but their physical strength and endurance makes them ideal for mining operations.” “Correct,” Kilnasis said, his initial surprise becoming annoyance. “Due to the size of the usable population, only one recruit ship was required to harvest the entire planet.” He paused. Although his eyes aimed at the podium, his focus seemed blurred by the effort of recalling the memory. The duration of silence made Athos wonder if Kilnasis would stop there and sit down. When the council member to the right of the speaker cast a questioning glance at Gentras, Kilnasis cleared his throat with a grunt. “We landed in the most densely populated region of the planet and began collecting slaves,” the aristocrat continued, the guilt returning to his voice. “This green thing appeared.” He pointed up. “It took control of our ship, and the voice spoke to us as it did here. It said they were a superior species from a galaxy unknown to us. They claimed to be explorers who are appalled by our way of life. The voice informed us they would be monitoring the Anunnaki and that if we didn’t stop what it called ‘our abuse of other species,’ it would destroy us.” “What did you do?” Athos asked, excited to have some intelligence on the enemy. “How did you escape?” “After it gave us the warning, it vanished. We discovered a way to measure its presence, although we couldn’t see it. So, we installed a sensor on the planet, lifted off, and headed back toward Anu. Using the sensor, we could tell when the enemy left, and then we returned to the planet and completed the harvest.” “Why were there no reports of this attack?” Athos asked. “Had we reported the attack to Anu, we would have been forced to abort the harvest and return to the home planet,” Kilnasis gestured with his hand toward the others in the room, his expression saying the reason should be obvious. “The military would’ve stepped in to investigate. We would have lost the investments that funded the mission.”

“Yes, perhaps,” Athos replied, growing angry. “But it would have allowed us a better understanding of this enemy. We may have learned ways to defend ourselves. Now it appears our home planet has been conquered and most of our people killed.” The council erupted into angry shouts, but now the accusations were directed at Kilnasis. That most of them would’ve done the same thing in his place didn’t matter; they wanted someone to blame. “Silence,” Athos shouted. “There is no time for this.” The room fell quiet, all eyes on him. Most of their expressions were astounded, like they couldn’t believe the general had dared to speak to them in that manner. “You can go at each other’s throats once we’re safe,” Athos growled. “I’m not sure you realize how vulnerable we are right now.” The insulted expression remained on the aristocrats’ faces, but fear seemed to take hold of them once more. They needed to be afraid—needed to understand there was no escaping the hard days to come. “Our numbers are too few to waste time squabbling. We must focus our energies on only two things for the moment.” Athos pivoted around in the center of the room, trying to connect with each of them. “We have to get the power back on, and we have to recruit as many humans as possible.” He waited, not wanting to demand their assistance. His eyes met Gentras’. The elder gave a slight nod. “There are many civilians aboard this ship,” Gentras said resolutely. “I propose they assist the general in any way possible. All in favor say aye.” The chorus of ayes built slowly, but everyone ed in. Regardless of their greed and ambition, the council were smart. When the vote ended, Athos assigned each of the family heads a task, allowing them to control their portion of the Pegasus’ nonmilitary engers as they saw fit. iral Vecan entered the council hall while Athos gave his briefing. The general could read the guilt in his eyes, a confirmation of his betrayal. “Anything else, General?” Gentras asked.

“I’ll need formal control of the sailors who are not critical for getting the reactor started,” Athos replied. He was going to take control anyway, but couldn’t up a chance to do it in front of Vecan and his friends. “iral?” Gentras made it clear he wasn’t giving Vecan a choice. “Of course, sir,” the iral said, unable to conceal the humiliation in his voice. “That is all for the moment,” Athos said. He bowed and left the council hall, satisfied he now controlled every Anunnaki aboard the Pegasus.

Chapter Six

Kelly acted like she’d woken up on another planet. She gawped around the tarmac, not seeming to recognize anyone or anything. “Kelly?” Shane rushed to her. “Yes,” she replied. Her eyes widened with excitement. “Yes, Kelly. That’s my name.” She smiled at him, but then the lost expression returned. “Who are you?” she asked. “What is this place?” “It’s me, Shane,” he replied, worried. “Let’s get you inside.” She shied away when he reached for her arm, her cheeks flushed with panic. “Don’t touch me,” she said. “Okay.” Shane lowered his hand. “You’ve been through a lot,” Laura said, stepping next to Shane. “But you’re safe now.” Laura’s soft tone and her caring smile calmed Kelly. “Maybe you should rest a bit more,” Shane said, his heart breaking to see her so confused. “Kelly?” Nat’s voice drew their attention toward a group of kids gathered near the next building. The little girl pushed her way through the crowd and ran toward her sister. She stopped near Shane, looking up at him as if to see if it was safe to come closer. Her concern was justified since Kelly had shot her with the plasma rifle less than

twenty-four hours before. Someone must’ve explained to Nat that Kelly had not been in control. Otherwise, he doubted she’d come running. He nodded at her, hoping she’d cause Kelly to . Nat opened her arms timidly and stepped closer. Kelly’s face contorted with bewilderment before filling with terror. “Stay away from me,” Kelly shouted. She turned and ran into the building. Tears filled Nat’s eyes. She had so much sadness in her little face that it made his vision blur too. “It’s okay, Nat,” he said, grasping for reassuring words. “Kelly just needs a bit more rest, then she’ll be back to normal.” The strong girl rubbed tears away with the back of her hand, her chin crinkling in an attempt to hold back a deluge. She nodded to him, turned, and slowly made her way back to the other children. Off to Shane’s right, some kids started shouting at each other. “I’ll look after her,” Laura said and opened the door to the barracks. “Laura,” Shane stopped her. “This place is a time bomb. We leave in an hour.” “I’ll have her ready,” Laura replied. Shane turned away, stunned. “I got this,” Steve said, walking toward the arguing kids. “Thanks,” Shane replied, a stressed tremor in his voice. “I need to see if Jones found some maps.” He ed his big friend, and Steve put his hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be all right,” he said. “We got them back.” “We did,” Shane responded with a weak grin. “Thanks, buddy.” Trying to clear his head and focus his attention, he weaved his way across the crowded tarmac to the captain. Jones had spread maps across a few tables and stood with his arms crossed over his chest, staring down at them.

“Captain,” Shane said. Jones blinked at him, like he’d been lost in memories. His face showed heartache and sorrow that made Nat seem cheerful in comparison. “Yes,” the alien said, clearing his throat and then his expression. “I think I’ve found the best way out of the mountains.” Shane surveyed the route Jones had plotted for them. It bent, turned, and appeared as if it would take far too long to travel. “Can’t we take a more direct path?” Shane asked. “Not with all these people,” Jones replied. “I’ve plotted our course over the easiest topography. This is the fastest way.” After the journey from the coastline through the woods to the hidden base, Shane had realized the captain knew the mountains better than anybody. He couldn’t help feeling jealous. After all, his ancestors had lived in these woods since the first Europeans came to America, and he should be more the expert than Jones. “How long do you think this will take?” “If we push hard, I think we can make it to the farmlands on the western side here,” Jones pointed at Kentucky, “within a few days.” Shane rubbed his chin, studying the path and then Jones. The captain had already said that he wanted to go south, toward Atlanta. He wanted to make sure the rebel wasn’t taking a longer route just to slow them down so he could try to convince Shane of his earlier plan. His gut told him Jones wasn’t messing around. He approached the transport, stepping beside the now-unmanned antiaircraft gun. “Let’s move out,” Shane yelled. Everyone fell quiet, their blank stares on him. “You heard him,” Tracy seconded. “Platoon leaders, get you people on their feet.”

Tracy and his friends had organized the teenagers and assigned the oldest kids to leadership positions. It astonished him how well her system worked. The platoon leaders shouted orders, and squad leaders beneath them picked up the slack. Within a minute, about a third of the kids on the tarmac were on their feet with the packs they were assigned to carry on their backs. The children looked glum and weren’t at a position of attention, but Shane doubted a seasoned military general could’ve brought order to such a large group in the amount of time Tracy had. He could hear orders being shouted in the forest beyond, an indication of how large the group he led had grown. “Ready when you are,” Tracy reported. “What about the rest of them?” Shane asked. “They don’t want to go with us,” Tracy replied. “A few other groups have formed, and they are heading in different directions.” “Okay,” Shane said, surprised. “Guess it makes our job easier.” He couldn’t help feeling relieved, though he worried they might need the extra people if they were attacked. “I’ll grab Kelly and Laura from the barracks,” Maurice said. He’d also taken responsibility for Jules, as Tracy had her hands more than full managing the new recruits. “Thanks, Maurice,” Shane said sincerely. “Of course,” Maurice replied with a kind smile. The preacher’s son had known Jules longer than any of them, and he’d taken on the role of shrink enough for Shane to know he was the best person for the task. With Maurice and Laura looking after Jules and Kelly, Shane felt he could turn his full attention to leading his new army. “We’ll follow you,” Shane said to Jones. The captain nodded. He rolled the maps, stuffed them into his pack, and then glanced at the Anunnaki soldier they’d captured. Petrov guarded the prisoner. “Don’t worry,” Shane said. “He’ll be at the front with us. No harm will come to

him.” Jones gave him a grateful look, slung his pack over his shoulder, and turned and walked toward the eastern side of the base. Maurice exited the barracks with Kelly and Laura. Kelly looked calm, and he hoped she was starting to . But her eyes didn’t search the crowd for the people she knew, and she wore a shy expression like she felt out of place. “Let’s go,” Shane shouted. The order echoed across the base and into the forest. With Jones at his side, he led the way between the buildings and into the woods. His grandmother had raised him to respect nature and to cause as little damage as possible when visiting the forest. The noise of hundreds of feet crunching through the pristine wilderness made him ill. “This is going to leave a massive scar,” Jones growled in disappointment, glowering over his shoulder at the hoard following behind. “It is,” Shane said. He’d been surprised by Jones’ hidden sensitive side before. “But it’ll heal.” It bothered him as well, and so did Kelly’s behavior. However, a new ability to separate himself from his emotions had arisen on the trip from Charleston to the hidden base. Destiny chose him to lead these people, and he wouldn’t let them down. He ed not caring about anyone else but himself and Kelly and felt ashamed. It wasn’t how he’d been raised, and though a part of him knew it was wrong, he couldn’t resist the overwhelming influence of his emotions. If how important it was for him to be a good leader hadn’t been apparent enough to him before, having all these new people following him really drove home the point. “This might be the hardest thing we’ve had to do yet,” Steve said, coming up on Shane’s right. “What, take a walk through the woods?” Shane tried to spark Steve’s robust sense of humor.

“No, man,” Steve said, not smiling. “Feeding all these people.” “With the livestock and deserted farms on the other side of these mountains, there’ll be plenty to get us through the winter,” Shane replied. “I’m sure some of these kids grew up on farms. They can help teach the rest.” “We’re just gonna settle down somewhere and hoe a field?” Steve didn’t sound like he objected, but more like the solution sounded way too simple. “I don’t see how we have any other choice if we want to survive.” Shane kicked a log that lay across the path, making sure it wouldn’t move when the kids trampled it. Satisfied, he looked at Steve. “The other option is to go after the food reserves Jones knows about.” “No. I hate Atlanta,” Steve agreed. He easily kept pace with Shane, who’d left the rest of the kids behind trying to keep up with the captain. “It’s just a tall order. And what about that green-haze thing that spoke to us? We just gonna pretend that didn’t happen?” “Well, I haven’t really had time to process it,” Shane replied, adjusting the rifle hanging over his right shoulder. “But I reckon Maurice is right on this one. If we’re being judged, we should show this thing the best side of us. I don’t see how we can do that fighting over some food reserve.” “I see your point. Not like we can fight something we can’t see anyway.” Steve nodded down the hill. “That dude is spry considering he’s weaker than most of us.” “Yeah, and Lord knows how old,” Shane replied, remorse from pushing the captain around coming over him. “He knows this forest like a regular hillbilly.” “Putting us to shame,” Steve said. “If we can settle, and the green thing leaves us alone, I intend to spend a whole lot more time in these woods.” “Me too,” Shane agreed, though he knew they liked the wilderness for different reasons.

Chapter Seven

Once they got off the mountain where the base was hidden, the going became easier. Only consulting his map once all morning, Jones led the way along a series of plateaus and shallow valleys, easing them through the forest. The twenty remaining clones, his and Lily’s, kept close behind him. Figuring the prisoner was safer guarded by other Anunnaki, Shane turned over control of Pelros to Jones. His motive dual, he hoped Jones would find ground for reconciliation with his son. What Shane wouldn’t do for another chance to make good with his father. He glanced up, a warm splash of sunlight drawing his attention. The shadows cast by the trees were cool, the nip of autumn in the air. “It’s noon,” he said. “And there’s a road,” Tracy exclaimed, pointing ahead. “Wow,” Steve said. “It’s closer to the base than I expected.” “Still far enough to make it nearly impossible to stumble into,” Shane mused. They stepped out onto the dirt road, which looked like it hadn’t seen any maintenance in a couple of years. It reminded him of some of the routes his dad used to take him down when they went trout fishing, with wilderness dense on either side. “Let’s get them out in the open and do a headcount,” Shane said. “It’s time to come to with how many people we’ve got to look after.” Tracy and Steve nodded, turning their attention to the kids spilling out of the forest. Laura, Jules, and Kelly settled on the shoulder next to Jones and his entourage, facing the trees on the opposite side of the road. Maurice directed the group of children tended to by Rebecca and some of the other older kids to sit on the side of the road with them.

Nat hesitated, standing behind Kelly. She seemed to want to sit next to her. Not finding the courage to ask, she dropped her head and walked down to a spot between a girl and a boy a few yards away. It stabbed at Shane’s heart to see the little girl suffering. Her friends engaged her with smiles and encouragement, and the boy offered her some of the chips he’d just opened. Shane stepped to the side so he could study Jules’ face without her noticing. Like the rest of his friends, the tall girl was leaner than when he first met her. They’d all become ripped from the training Jones had put them through. Her placid expression didn’t hide the inner turmoil. It showed in her eyes—too much bad must have happened to her in captivity. Maybe her brain had snapped. Kelly acted more at ease, chatting with Laura and then Maurice when he sat down. Shane feared that might only be because of her amnesia. “Leaders, have your squad sit on the edges of the road,” Tracy shouted. “Raise your hand if you’re missing anyone.” Tracy’s delegation of the responsibility for keeping track of the kids by grouping them worked brilliantly. The squad leaders took over, organizing their people. Within minutes, a neat line of leaders stood down the center of the road. Everyone else was seated. “We have thirty-eight squads,” Tracy reported. “And how many per squad?” Shane asked, bracing himself. “Thirteen, counting the squad leaders.” “Four hundred and ninety-four,” Steve muttered with awe. Tracy glanced at him, her brow raised like she was surprised by his quick calculation. Pegged as the oversized dumb jock, Steve often surprised people with his intelligence. The stereotype mostly fit him; he barely scraped by in all subjects but math. The big linebacker was as good at numbers as he was at football, and even better when sports statistics were involved. The number hit like a brick to the face. Seeing Tracy and Steve’s attention fall on him, Shane cleared his throat. They awaited his next order. “Squad leaders, gather around,” he shouted, motioning with his hands for the

kids who still stood to come closer. He needed to get to know these new kids better; everyone’s survival depended on it. Shane continued once they surrounded him, Tracy, and Steve. “Everyone should eat something, but not too much. We have to make the food we’re carrying last as long as possible,” he said. “We’ll rest here for a half hour or so, then we’ve got to keep moving. Any questions?” He scanned their faces. The squad leaders were a mix of girls and boys, of all ethnicities. He wondered if diversity played a role in Tracy’s selection process. Most of them still appeared in shock, or perhaps suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. He reckoned every kid on the planet would be dealing with that for a while to come. They also wore that same expression he’d seen on so many faces since this all started. They wanted someone to tell them what to do, to make them feel like everything would be all right. “I’ve sort of been acting as the quarterback for my group, but that doesn’t mean me, Tracy, or anyone else is trying to control you. This is a democracy. If we work as a team, I know we’ll be all right.” Shane took a quick moment to make eye with each of them to reinforce his sincerity. “It was no small feat, getting organized and hiking down from the base.” He pointed up the mountain. “You guys pulled it together and made it happen. If we work hard and keep our heads, we will survive.” Many of them nodded in agreement. Knowing that was about all the pep talk he had in him, Shane clapped his hands once to end the huddle. “Get a bite to eat,” he said and turned his attention to the side of the road. A space on the red-clay shoulder next to Kelly looked inviting. Glancing back, he saw the leaders return to their squads. He waited until everyone sat down and began ing out rations before he settled next to Kelly. “How are you doing?” he asked, resisting the urge to put his arm around her and pull her close. “I’m feeling a lot better,” Kelly replied, giving him a genuine smile. “Don’t much of anything, though.” “I’m sure that’ll ,” he said, his concern resonating in his voice. He accepted an open can of tuna and crackers in a plastic bag from Maurice.

The preacher’s son’s kind smile seemed to offer encouragement. Shane thought he was going to say something, but after a second, he returned his attention to opening the next can for Jules. “It must be really hard on you—and my sister—that I don’t ,” Kelly said, poking at her food with a mournful look on her face. “It’s a blessing you don’t all we’ve been through,” Shane replied with a forced chuckle. “But just so you know, you’re tougher than you can imagine.” His appetite hadn’t returned, but he knew he needed fuel. He loaded a cracker with tuna and shoved it into his mouth, staring into the forest. The fact was it killed him she’d suffered so much, and it hurt to see Nat’s heart broken by her sister not ing her. “How was my relationship with her?” Kelly took a small bite of her food. “You guys are pretty tight,” he replied, stressing the present tense. “She needs you.” “I guessed that.” Kelly looked past him at the children, silent for a moment. “I’ll set it straight.” She returned her attention to her food, appearing sadder than ever. “What do you ?” Shane asked. “Weird stuff,” she answered, a disturbed look on her face. “My brain swims with ideas about how the universe was created. It’s hard to explain. It’s less of a memory and more of a feeling. I see it beginning with the explosion of everything from nothing, and then a blur through the creation of life. It happened on so many planets, everywhere. In vivid detail, I can recall hundreds of species aside from humans—many as intelligent as we are and some more so.” “Is there any meaning to it?” Shane tried to remain casual, though he was worried sick about her. “As strange as it sounds,” Kelly said, her voice cracking, “I clearly that there is. There’s this group of superbly advanced aliens, and they’re watching us, all of us. Like everything and everyone, everywhere.”

“Where do they come from?” “I don’t know,” she replied after a pause. “They seem to exist beyond time. Like the universe has been born from nothing and vanished into nothing, many times over trillions of years, and they’ve always been around. They watch, and they weed out any horrible species that evolve, so that intelligent life can flourish each time.” “Is that why Greenie is here?” Shane studied her, wondering if the green thing might’ve put this into her head or if this was the Anunnaki’s doing. “To weed us out?” “Maybe,” she said thoughtfully. “Or… no. I think they’re mostly here for the Anunnaki. But we have Anunnaki DNA, so we must be judged as well.” “This is some sort of test?” Shane asked, studying her eyes. “What are we supposed to do?” “My gut tells me it’s a message. Like I’m supposed to let everyone know we are being watched, that each of us will be tested. Our actions will determine whether we deserve to live or die,” Kelly said, her tone becoming frantic. “But that’s all. I don’t know what it means or what we’re supposed to do.” She stared down at her feet, her eyes growing damp. He wondered about what she’d said to him in the barracks when she first woke up and wanted to ask her about it. Shane glanced around Kelly at Laura, who sat on the other side of her. She gave him a look of warning, and he knew he needed to give the questions a rest. “It’s okay,” Shane said. “You’re back home with us now.” He put a hand on her shoulder, an ache in his heart because he knew she’d resist if he tried to hug her. “We’ll help you get through this.” Kelly smiled a little, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “I want to try to talk to my sister now,” she said. “Whether I her or not, it’s not right for her to suffer because of me.” “Okay,” Shane replied, relief flowing through him. What she just said was all Kelly. No alien had put that sentiment in her head. “I’ll go get her.” He stood.

“Tell her I’m starting to her,” Kelly said, her tone pleading. It was a lie designed to comfort Nat. “I will.” He smiled at her and went to retrieve the little girl.

Chapter Eight

Pelros kept his head down, avoiding eye with his father or any of the other Anunnaki surrounding him. Compounded by the exhaustion of the hike in Earth gravity, the pain from his injuries left him trembling with each step. He thanked the gods they’d only had to go downhill so far. He’d been wounded before when his transport crashed on a surveillance mission just after he’d gotten out of the academy, but those cuts and bruises the medic quickly healed. Glancing down at his bandages, he couldn’t help but to feel a little pride mixed in with all the pain. Not many soldiers could claim they’d been shot by such a primitive and yet powerful weapon, not to mention by a human behind the trigger. He wasn’t overly surprised to learn the rebels had been behind the human resistance all along. However, what were the chances that his father was with them? And if that wasn’t enough, it couldn’t be a random accident he was the only one in the transport to survive the blast by the primitive Earth cannon. This had to be the gods playing with him. He imagined them laughing themselves out of their thrones at the predicament they’d landed him in. “I never thought I’d have the chance to see you again,” his father hesitantly said. “I don’t even know your name,” Pelros blurted, forgetting he’d intended to keep silent. “It was stricken from the records by my uncle.” “Here, I am known as Jones.” His voice sounded unnervingly like General Athos’. “How is my brother?” “I’ll answer none of your questions.” Pelros fixed his eyes on the forest adjacent to the road. “You are the enemy. Do not assume your contribution of genetic material toward my creation will be of any benefit in your interrogation of me.” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jones’ brow furrow with sadness, but he didn’t flinch. This was not his father. His uncle was as close to a father as

Pelros had ever known. If he had the chance, it was his sworn duty to kill this man and any other rebels he encountered. “You must see that everything has changed,” Jones said. “The Anunnaki have been rendered powerless and weak. This new enemy has said that all Anunnaki must die. We don’t even know where to begin to resist this thing.” Pelros didn’t answer, trying to act as if he didn’t hear a word Jones said. The rebel shook his head in disappointment. “You’re stuck with me for the brief time we have left,” Jones said in a quieter voice. “I don’t expect you to call me Father or anything, but can we not be civil?” Pelros remained stone silent. “Have it your way,” Jones said quietly, shifting his attention to the forest. Pelros tried to relax, to settle into his new role as a prisoner. He had to resist and tell this man nothing. It was his duty to escape. These were the standing orders for any soldier in captivity. He braced himself for rougher interrogation. He’d be tortured. Jones would continue his soft approach, his frustration increasing. When he decided Pelros would remain steadfast, he’d have to try other measures. In the absence of information-extracting technology, the only resort left would be pain. It was what he’d do in Jones’ place. Pelros would remain strong—he’d do his part to maintain the legendary demeanor of the Shock Troop soldier. He’d die before he divulged anything to these criminals. One of Jones’ illegal clones offered Pelros a sandwich and a bottle of water. He had none of the phenotype modification utilized for all new people born on Anu. Jones’ clones looked just like their creator, minus the scar. He could see a lot of himself in their features and a bit of his uncle. There were also a few female clones standing guard. He guessed they must’ve been created from another rebel who had escaped the war with Jones. Without acknowledging the clone, Pelros accepted the offering. His stomach growled as he tore open the bag, but he took his time eating the sandwich. He couldn’t appear weak or too grateful. Acting as if he suspected the sandwich might be poisoned, he carefully chewed each bite, taking this time to study the enemy.

Jones and his people seemed accustomed to the planet’s gravity. They might have the edge in hand-to-hand combat. Pelros would have to rely on his training if he were to beat them. Jones was the only rebel here who’d attended the academy, and he’d be the hardest one to take down. A bigger problem was the humans. He glanced over and saw the one called Jules staring at him. Of all the slaves harvested, she was one of the deadliest. Second maybe to the girl called Kelly who sat nearby. They’d been the two slaves tested in the arena. They’d defeated the massive Stilapian wolves, and he doubted he’d survive for more than a minute fighting either one of them. He found minuscule peace noting Kelly appeared disinterested in him, talking to the boy who seemed to be in charge. Several of the kids who were giving the orders appeared to know Kelly and Jules. He could only assume that these two girls, and probably the five others with tactical screening scores that were off the charts, were sent by the rebels to infiltrate the Pegasus. They’d tried to destroy the ship like the others, but something went wrong. Together, these rebels and humans had done the impossible. They’d eliminated an entire fleet. Was it possible the green entity that disabled his transport and the Pegasus was another secret weapon being used by the rebels? It didn’t seem unlikely. They were well equipped with weapons that didn’t require electricity to function, like maybe they’d planned it. Plasma rifles weren’t that hard to build, so why else would Jones have a stockpile of primitive weapons? He decided he needed to learn more before he escaped. If he could figure out how they’d shut down the ship and take the information back to the Pegasus, maybe they could get the power working again and could crush these rebels. As much as it disgusted him, he concluded he’d have to pretend to befriend Jones if he wanted a chance to learn something before escaping. He glanced over at the rebel, who had a sad and thoughtful expression and was staring out into the forest. When Jones glanced his way, he diverted his eyes. He needed to play the role of the hurt son and slowly warm up to Jones. He’d gain his trust and then learn everything he could. Jones would lower his guard, and then he’d make his escape. To celebrate his strategy, Pelros took the last bite of his sandwich and

drank the bottle of water. “Are they your slaves?” Pelros asked, nodding toward the humans from the base. “No.” Jones chuckled. “You must know I’m opposed to slavery. They’re free, and I don’t try to control them. They decide what we do. We’re the visitors here; this is their home.” “You really believe that?” Pelros had no desire to hear such insanity, but he had to persist. “Yes, I do.” Jones’ eyes filled with hope. “I guess I left before you were old enough to me.” “I would’ve ed that scar,” Pelros said. “Your uncle gave it to me,” Jones said. His gaze seemed to lose focus as he ran his fingers over the raised slash on his face. “It was the last time I saw him, when he’d discovered who I was. They took you before I could get back to our home.” “Uncle told me.” Pelros returned his gaze for a moment, but then he looked away. “You made your choice.” “I made a sacrifice,” Jones replied. “Dying would’ve been easier.” Jones was silent for a moment, staring out into the forest with sad regret pushing his dark brow down. “What the Anunnaki do is wrong,” he said, returning his attention to Pelros. “I didn’t want to lose my family, but it is my duty to fight for what I believe is right.” “It was your duty to attack your own people?” Pelros snapped, anger eroding his control. “You’re responsible for so much death.” “I tried to save our people,” Jones growled. “The Anunnaki abused the freedom of too many worlds. Now we will pay for it.” He pointed at the sky. “We have defeated many formidable enemies,” Pelros replied. “I assure you

General Athos is already working on a way to defeat this new foe.” He prayed his uncle was still alive. “He’s a general now,” Jones mused. “I imagine killing me had something to do with that.” “Let’s get moving,” the young male who Jones seemed to take orders from shouted. Jones and his clones stood, pulling Pelros to his feet with them. It disgusted him the way they obeyed the human. Pelros’ legs ached from the hiking they’d done earlier, but he tried not to limp, not wanting to hint at how weak he felt. He kept a wary eye on Jules as they walked past the humans. At least the rebel clones surrounding him offered some protection if the crazed slave came after him. He doubted they could stop her, but they’d at least slow her down.

Chapter Nine

“What did you see out there?” Athos asked the small female human. He ed selecting her because she looked so unnoticeable; she blended into the crowd of loyal humans such that he knew she could slip through the city undetected. He leaned back in his chair, the success of the last day building his confidence. He hadn’t slept, and Earth’s gravity made his muscles sore. His bones felt like they might crumble, but he’d accomplished the impossible. With the help of his commanders and the soldiers aboard the Pegasus, he’d organized the citizens and reassigned the sailors. Everyone had a new job, rations of food, and a place to sleep. He’d put the aristocrats in charge of the new departments that arose from the loss of power. The Anunnaki had transitioned from a society reliant upon thousands of years of technological advance, which infiltrated every aspect of their lives, to a preindustrial state. The upper reaches of the ship, which they’d secured immediately after landing, were an impenetrable castle. His aggressive implementation of martial law paid off. With the citizens’ lives suddenly overturned, they welcomed the general’s leadership like an escape pod on a burning ship. The psychological conditioning of the human slaves proved its usefulness as well. Over two thirds of the slave population responded to their Anunnaki captains with total obedience. Athos had selected a hundred of the slave soldier population to gather intelligence on the city surrounding the ship. He personally debriefed each of them as they returned. “It’s mostly chaos out there,” the female human said with trust glowing in her eyes. She fidgeted, like she was nervous in his presence. “But there is one group that seems to be growing.” “Who draws them together?” Athos leaned forward. “Why are they organizing?” “Many of them seem to have known each other from before you rescued us,” she replied. “They say they follow a boy named Shamus.”

He’d heard the name from several of the other kids. “What do they say about him?” Athos slid a plate with dried fruit on it toward the girl. “It’s not so much what they say, it’s the way they say it,” she replied, making a timid grab for a piece of fruit and holding it near her lips. “It’s like he’s a god or something. People say he organized them just after the adults died. That he’s been feeding them, fighting off anybody who tried to enter the city and take advantage of them.” She devoured the piece of fruit in one bite. “He sounds like a nice guy.” Athos had heard otherwise from some of the scouts. He nodded toward the plate to invite her to take more. It wasn’t easy sharing this resource with the slave. He’d sent food-gathering missions out into the city, and they hadn’t found enough to sustain the Anunnaki beyond their reserves. There was still a risk of starvation for his people, but Athos had to ensure the humans believed they had an abundance of resources. “No.” She said, her expression incredulous. “They’re scared shitless of him.” She covered her mouth and looked ashamed. “Sorry.” “It’s okay,” he replied. “Go on.” “There are groups of thugs who are loyal to him, hundreds if not thousands of them.” Bolder this time, she took three pieces of the precious fruit. “They go around messing with, and sometimes killing, people. Down there,” she pointed out the window, “kids are doing what they’re told because they’re scared. They speak about Shamus like he’s some great savior or something, but a good amount of them seem to be doing it because they know they’ll get beat up or shot if they don’t.” “What do they think of us?” “They don’t know what to think,” she said. “Everybody’s got a different theory. Lots of them are scared. Everybody’s curious. Shamus hasn’t announced what he plans to do about you yet.” “You’ve done very well.” Athos had heard enough. He needed to set up a meeting with this Shamus. “Get some rest.” He held his hand toward the door.

“Thank you,” she said, giving him a shy but grateful smile. “And thank you for helping us.” “It is as it should be,” he replied. The girl left the room. Athos couldn’t help smiling at her loyalty to him, even without using the slave gene to control her. The humans were created to be slaves—they wanted to be told what to do. The beings that crippled the Pegasus couldn’t have anticipated this, though he worried even millions of obedient soldiers might prove useless against their technology. However, if they had a soft spot for humans, and he controlled an army of them, he might find an angle, something he could use against this formless enemy. He stood and stretched. Every part of his body ached from the excess gravity. Athos walked downstairs and out of the council building. He stood in the street, watching the soldiers and citizens go about their business. He smiled at how adaptive they were, managing without electricity better than he could have imagined. More brows were furrowed than usual, and an undertone of fear could be heard in the garble of conversations, but there was no mass panic. He headed toward the impromptu armory set up nearby. Platoons of the loyal human slave soldiers led by Anunnaki gathered weapons from the city, finding them in abandoned homes and shops. There were more guns to be found than food, but they still needed a lot more. He approached the Shock Troop soldier who’d overseen the gathering of the armaments. “Commander,” Athos said. “Yes, sir,” the commander replied, coming to attention. “Recon is telling us that the humans down there are organizing under someone called Shamus,” Athos said. “Yes, sir. I’ve heard the reports.” “I think it’s in our best interest to gain this human’s allegiance.” “I agree, sir.”

“Do we have a fresh platoon available?” Athos asked. “Yes, sir,” the commander replied. “The first ones we sent out have been back for over twelve hours. They’ve eaten and slept.” “Perfect,” Athos said. “Ready them. I’m going to try and meet with the one called Shamus.” “Yes, sir.” The commander spun away, hurrying to carry out the general’s orders.

Chapter Ten

Shane made his way across the dark meadow, past dwindling campfires encircled by young refugees. Nearly everybody lay sleeping on the grass, the long hike taking its toll. Heavy sounds of breathing punctuated by snores resonated off the forest to the east of the field. He drew near the fire his friends slept around. Only Tracy was still awake. “You should get some rest,” he whispered. “So should you.” She grinned, eyes puffy from sleep deprivation. He looked over at Kelly, who slept nearby. “At least she’s not flipping out anymore,” Tracy said. “I think her memory will return in a few days.” “Thanks for saying so,” he said. “I hope you’re right.” “I know I am,” she replied. “Night.” “Good night.” Tracy laid down and put her arm over Jules, who was already asleep. He scanned the dark meadow one last time. The fire where Jones and his clones camped burned brighter than the rest, and he could see two of the rebels sitting up and tending it. Jones must’ve ordered them to guard the prisoner. Knowing they were on watch put him at ease. Shane yawned. It was the first time all day his mind or body had a chance to slow down. He lay a few feet away from Kelly, looking at her back. He wished he could put his arm around her and pull her close to him. His earlier conversation with her made it clear she didn’t anything about their relationship. She’d probably freak out if he touched her.

It was a terrible feeling, to have her not him. He’d broken up with girls before, and had been dumped by girls, but this felt way worse. He ed how she’d looked at him before. Her affection was the most precious thing he’d ever had, and it was taken from him. It made him hate the aliens. It made him want to find a way to kick them off Earth for good. Shane’s mind drifted over everything they’d been through, and his eyes grew heavy. He slipped from reality into a dream about his dead friend, Aaron. They were playing football in the field behind his grandma’s house. Granny brought out some sweet tea and sandwiches, and they laughed together as they ate. Sensing movement, he roused slightly as someone on the other side of the fire got up. He was a light sleeper, but it wasn’t enough to wake him fully. He rolled onto his back and slept again. “Help,” Jones shouted. Shane jerked awake, looking toward Jones’ campsite. The moon had risen, illuminating the silhouettes of people fighting. “Jules,” Tracy said frantically. She was gone from her spot by the fire. He cursed. Rolling to his feet, he ran toward the commotion, Tracy and Steve on his heels. Before they could get to her, he saw Jules push the clones who were trying to restrain her. She managed to get one by the head. Jules twisted her body with the clone’s head locked in her hands. Shane heard a crack, the clone’s neck breaking. Then Jules released the dead rebel and lunged toward Pelros, the Anunnaki prisoner. Shane and Steve got to her, latching onto her arms from either side. They jerked her back from the prisoner and away from the other clones. “Let me go,” she snarled. “They all must die!” “Damn it,” Jones groaned. He rushed from one body to the next, checking for a pulse. Jules had managed to kill two of the male clones and one Lily clone with her bare hands. Tracy stood by. Her eyes were wide with shock as she looked from the bodies to Jules.

“They’re dead,” Jones said, his voice cracking. He looked at Shane as if he expected him to do something. Shane loosened the grip of his right hand, which held tight to Jules’ arm. Same as after she’d shot the transport the Anunnaki where in, she acted totally calm and collected. Maurice, Laura, Kelly, and Anfisa stepped out of the shadows, and all eyes fell on the bodies, and then Jules. “You must know they have to die,” was Jules’ answer to their flabbergasted gazes. The conviction in the tall girl’s face swayed him from trying to talk sense into her. Steve appeared too stunned to think, as did Maurice. Tracy’s eyes had pain in them. She seemed to know what had to be done. Still, he could tell she dreaded what he would say. He needed her, perhaps more than any of his friends. They all needed her. He hoped she wouldn’t hate him. “Jules,” Shane said, his voice wavering. “You’ll have to be restrained.” “Restrained?” Pelros demanded. He kneeled by the fire, his hands bound behind him. “She should be executed immediately.” “Silence,” Jones growled at him. “Or you’ll be gagged.” “If we don’t kill them, then we’ll be killed with them,” Jules pleaded, looking at everyone except the captain. “You have to believe me.” “Why do we have to believe you?” Maurice asked, his voice gentle. “Because I know it,” she replied. “I know it like Kelly knows all the weird shit she knows. You can’t ignore this.” “We can’t just start killing people because your gut tells you they need to die,” Tracy replied, the sadness in her voice tearing at Shane’s heart. “You don’t understand.” Jules’ brow wrinkled, her frustration evident. “I don’t want to kill them. I’m doing it for you. I’m doing it for all of us.” “Maurice,” Shane said as calmly as he could. “Can you please get some rope?”

“For what?” Tracy objected, her eyes wide. “Jules needs to be restrained,” he repeated, hoping she hadn’t thought he’d decided to hang her. “We can’t trust her not to do this again.” Tracy nodded, appearing somewhat relieved though still more distraught than he’d seen her in a long while. Maurice returned with a rope, and Shane helped tie Jules’ hands behind her, being sure not to cut off her circulation. “Take her back to the fire,” he said to Steve once he was satisfied she couldn’t get loose. He watched the linebacker lead Jules away, his stunned friends following them. Alone with the rebels and the Anunnaki prisoner, he turned to Jones. The captain’s usual stoic expression was gone, replaced by sorrow and anger. “They were my children,” Jones said quietly, standing over the dead clones. “My sympathies, Captain,” Shane said sincerely, worried he’d want revenge against Jules. “It’s not your fault. Or hers.” Jones’ shoulders slumped in defeat. “We brought this upon ourselves.” Jones looked at Pelros. The prisoner held his gaze for a moment, seeming to formulate some comeback. Then his eyes fell to the dead clones. “It won’t happen again,” Shane promised, trying to muster an expression of empathy. He didn’t want to belittle Jones’ loss, but it took effort to react to the dead clones laying on the grass, their tan faces aglow in the firelight. Returning to his campfire, he stopped in front of a patch of tall fescue. Trampled by the kids when they set up camp, most of the grass in the field lay on its side. Just the few blades survived, their dry stalks holding seed-heavy heads three feet above the ground. Sort of like the humans, he thought, so few remained. Even above the snoring of hundreds of kids, he could hear the songs of the field crickets, not yet killed off by the first frost. Tilting his head back, he looked up at the night sky. Only stars up there, no alien spaceship orbiting with Kelly imprisoned in it. Now she was here, but he still didn’t have her back, and he bore

some of the blame. He’d condemned her to this fate when he agreed to let Lily activate her slave persona. At least she was still alive, and Kelly’s memory loss didn’t seem to affect her ability to empathize and be kind. Her little sister was a stranger to her, but Kelly had made a point to hike the second half of the day next to Nat. The little girl seemed to benefit greatly from her big sister’s attention. He stepped around the clump of grass, hoping it survived until they left. “I’m going to grab some firewood,” Tracy said with a quiver in her voice that frightened him. She took a last look at Jules with a mix of frustration, terror, and heartache in her eyes, and then turned and walked toward the forest. They didn’t need more wood. He didn’t know what time it was, but he guessed the sun would be up in an hour or so, and then they’d be on their way. Shane glanced at Maurice and Steve, who were sitting on either side of Jules. Maurice nodded toward Tracy, indicating Shane should go and make sure she was all right. “I’m going to help,” Shane said and walked after Tracy. She slowed to a stop after she got past the last squad of sleeping kids. Her chin dropped to her chest, her shoulders heaved once, and then she stood motionless, staring at the ground. Shane stopped a respectful distance away, gazing into the shadows the firelight made dance upon the trees. “This is such horseshit,” Tracy said with a hushed voice. “I mean, haven’t we done everything right? We’ve fought this thing every step of the way, trying to set it straight. But we keep getting crapped on.” “Sure seems that way, doesn’t it?” Shane replied. Tracy crossed her arms and stared into the forest. Even in the dark, he could see her expression seethed with rage. He half expected the trees to catch fire under her gaze and was grateful she wasn’t looking at him. Keeping quiet, he stood

nearby. She’d scooped him up a time or two, and he was ready to return the favor. “I can’t stand the uncertainty,” she said. “At least before, we knew who we were, and who the enemy was. I’ve got a bad feeling about this green thing. Look what it’s done to Jules and Kelly.” “We don’t know it did this to them,” he said. “It could’ve been caused by what they went through with the Anunnaki.” “My gut tells me it’s Greenie,” Tracy replied, her voice calmer. “You gonna be all right?” He studied her, concerned. “You know I will,” she said, glancing at him. “I’m just pissed off, that’s all.” The footfall of a person behind them drew his attention. One of the new kids, a skinny boy who was taller than Shane, walked by them. He stepped into the forest to relieve himself, by the sound of it. When he came out, the firelight glinted off the watch on his wrist. “That wouldn’t happen to be a windup watch, would it?” Shane asked, doubtful. He had made it a habit to ask everyone still wearing a watch the same question. Unfortunately, they’d all run on batteries and didn’t work anymore. “Yeah, it is,” the boy replied, sounding groggy. He looked down at the timepiece, then at Tracy and Shane. His right hand slid over the watch, concealing it from view like he worried they might try to take it from him. “My great-grandfather gave it to me.” “Does it work?” Shane asked. “What time is it?” “Seven thirty,” the boy replied, then hurried past them back to his campfire. “Must be wrong,” Tracy mused. “Sun would be rising by now.” “I wouldn’t tell him that,” Shane said. “He seemed awfully proud of it.” Tracy nodded, then looked back at the forest.

“Can I buy you breakfast?” Shane asked, hoping to lighten her mood. “Sure,” she replied, shrugging. “It’s not like I’m going to get anymore sleep tonight.”

Chapter Eleven

Athos dropped off the last step onto the ground, Earth’s intense gravity sending a shockwave through every bone in his body. When they’d touched down in Egypt, they were forced to take off before he had a chance to exit the ship. His legs ached with fatigue like he had never known, but he still felt a thrill from setting foot on this legendary planet. Although the infinite reaches of space dwarfed it, the Anunnaki empire covered an area spanning several galaxies. He’d personally been on more habitable planets than he could count, but it still gave him a thrill each time to set foot on a new planet, especially on Earth, a planet that had captivated the Anunnakis’ imagination for millennia. Breathing in the cool, oxygen-rich air, he surveyed the starry sky. Anu was closer to the center of the galaxy, he reflected. She had more starlight, if she was still there. He stepped aside to make room for his entourage. Exhaustion showed in his Shock Troop soldiers’ eyes, though they kept their expressions stoic and their shoulders back, pride and duty giving them strength. A glimmer of the excitement he felt flashed across their faces when their feet lighted upon the concrete, though they seemed to do their best to hide that as well. The loyal humans slouched or sat down on the bottom step, looking nearly as tired as he felt. He knew they’d all need a break before heading out into the city. The Pegasus towered above everything. A primitive commercial aircraft, probably one of the larger ones the humans flew, lay flattened under the massive ship’s base. The round fuselage had been sheared off near the aircraft’s aft end, leaving only the tail intact on the ground next to the ship. The solid corners of the Pegasus’ outer hull remained, her golden skin stripped away. They rose from the ground to above the ship’s city, meeting at a sharp point somewhere high in the darkness. Beholding it made him angry. The green alien had killed his people, likely destroyed his entire home planet. He wanted revenge, though it was also hard not to feel intimidated.

He had his resolve, but without the muscle-enhancing armor to shore up his strength, he felt as weak as a child. This wasn’t an ideal place to rest, down among the humans, but he didn’t see how they had a choice. His soldiers wouldn’t make it very far if he didn’t give them a break. “We camp here, until daybreak,” he said, hiding his exhaustion the best he could. A relieved sigh came from one of the younger Shock Troop soldiers, earning him a warning glance from Athos. “Find some empty dwellings that are easy to defend.” The general pointed at the lower levels of the ship. “Get some rest.” The bottom parts of the Pegasus housed sailors and soldiers who lived aboard the ship with their families in modest apartments while on deployment. Since landing on the planet, all Anunnaki had been moved to the upper levels. Loyal humans and Anunnaki soldiers who were on duty had taken up residence in these lower homes. It felt safer on the ground than he expected. The loyal humans who had been aboard the Pegasus still wore their white shipboard uniforms. They carried out their commanders’ orders with zeal, just as well as if they were still enslaved. After being told the green entity was what had killed their parents, they’d worked tirelessly in the effort to fight back. A wide area surrounding the Pegasus had been fortified. The humans pushed vehicles and aircraft into place to form the foundation of the perimeter wall, and random bits of debris piled on top gave it height. “Report,” Athos said to the Anunnaki soldier who was organizing a growing supply store at the bottom of the steps. A chain of humans moved weapons and other supplies up to the Pegasus’ city. The soldier looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and she snapped to attention and delivered a salute. “We’ve found quite a few of the humans’ projectile-firing guns,” the soldier said. “They don’t use electricity to operate and worked perfectly when tested.” “How many have been accumulated?” Athos picked up one of the clunky

weapons. It was heavier than he expected and not very well balanced. “A few hundred,” the soldier replied. “Hundreds?” Athos was not impressed. “We need thousands if we are to create an army. Every citizen must have one of these weapons, and sufficient ammunition.” He pointed at the top of the Pegasus. “And every human who is loyal to us will need a weapon as well.” “Yes, sir,” the soldier replied. “This is a life-or-death situation here, for all of us,” he said, speaking loudly enough to be heard by the humans working nearby. “Our effort must be absolute.” He walked toward the apartments, then turned around and watched once shadows concealed him. The humans who’d heard him moved supplies faster. His gaze drifted up the line. Torches had been mounted along the sides of the staircase and around the perimeter of the city at the top. The flames gave enough light to work, and they added primitive majesty to the ship. He’d seen video feeds of Earth pyramids, recorded when humans still believed the Anunnaki were gods. Willing to sacrifice their children to appease his ancestors, the earlier version of humans gladly offered up a bloody cornucopia of entertainment and affirmed their inborn desire to serve. Some of his favorite human wars were those early ones, where most battles were fought with hand-tohand combat. The Pegasus looked like the mother of all pyramids. Humans were designed to obey all along, and the skeleton of a recruit ship lit up by torches struck that primal cord. It reminded them of their purpose. His legs aching, the general made his way to the apartment to the left of the stairs, which had been converted into a command center. An officer greeted him at the door. “A room has been prepared for you, sir.” Carrying a candle to light the way, he led the general into the apartment and to a bedroom. “Wake me at daybreak,” Athos ordered.

“Yes, sir.” After thanking the officer, he entered the dark room and pulled the door shut. He felt his way to the bed and collapsed onto it, sighing at the pleasure he felt from being off his feet. The sun would rise shortly, and they’d have to get moving. For now, he just needed a couple of hours of rest. The pall of sleep gave way to a dream. Athos sat at the Central Coliseum in the capital city on Anu. It was the largest in the empire, with an arena that had seen entire armies battle in it. The roar of citizens cheering deafened him. Far below in the arena, he could see hundreds of human slaves. Dressed in the white shipboard uniforms with the black stripe down their torsos, they stood in parade ranks. The ornate gates along the walls of the arena opened, and all kinds of beasts and slave soldiers stepped onto the sand. Stilapian wolves exited from one door and starving Valian lions from another. A myriad of armed slave soldiers from different planets across the empire lumbered out with primitive weapons from each of their worlds. Outnumbered ten to one, the humans did not sway in their ranks. They appeared unconcerned about the storm of death building around them. “How can they fight so many?” a small voice beside him asked. Athos glanced down at a young version of Pelros. The child clung to the general’s hand with an expression of concern on his face. Anunnaki children usually weren’t allowed to attend the coliseum until they were older and their bloodlust began to develop. He regretted bringing the boy to the games on a day when the aristocrats had clearly decided they wanted to see these slaves’ white uniforms turned crimson by their blood. “They’ll do fine,” he said to Pelros. He turned to usher the boy out before the battle started, but the spectators rose to their feet and blocked him in. Citizens without seat assignments crowded into the walkways, pushing each other to see. Athos was in the front row, and young Pelros had a direct view of the arena floor. He couldn’t make a scene by trying to cover the boy’s eyes. There was no other option but to let him watch. Super predators from every planet and the largest, strongest slave soldiers Athos

had encountered charged the humans’ ranks. In beautifully synchronized movements, the human slaves formed a circle, their short swords pointed outward. Athos strained his eyes, watching to see if any humans perished as the first beasts collided with their ranks. Waiting until the last possible moment so the massive creatures would not be able to slow or change their course, they parted to absorb the animals, and then drove their swords into the creatures’ sides. Using the distraction to their advantage, slave soldiers from different planets attacked the humans just after the predators. The humans were waiting for them, slaughtering their should-be executioners with only a handful of casualties among their own. Within moments, only humans still breathed on the coliseum floor. The white sand turned black, a rainbow of different-colored bloods intermingling. Athos watched, stunned by the lethal precision he’d witnessed. His heart pounded in his chest. A lust to see these soldiers on a battlefield consumed him, and the cheering of millions of his fellow citizens fueled the fire. The human slaves regrouped, bringing their ranks back to the defensive circle broken by the carcasses of animals and bodies of the other aliens. The slaves stood motionless, and the cheers of the Anunnaki spectators diminished to silence. Athos glanced at his nephew, whose eyes were filled with joy. His heroes had survived. Athos reminded himself to have a talk with the boy later about how the humans belonged to the Anunnaki, and how it was important not to grow attached to them. Someday, he hoped this boy could take his place and be a leader in the military. He’d have to send slave soldiers to their deaths, and he needed to understand they were simply tools to be used to accomplish the mission of bringing order to the universe. Pelros backed away, and fear washed over his soft features. Athos followed his gaze to the arena floor. Humans charged the perimeter wall, their eyes lit up with a green light. They shouted angry insults, waving their weapons at the spectators above them as they ran. Citizens booed in response, shouting disappointment at the slaves’ behavior. The humans concentrated their rage at the podium, at Athos and the other military commanders. “Do not worry, child,” Athos said to his nephew. “They cannot climb the walls.”

“Look, Uncle!” Pelros said, pointing. Hands came over the safety railing in front of them. Then heads popped up with green light shining from the eyes. Athos leaned forward and punched the closest slave in the face. The human’s nose crunched under Athos’ fist, but its glowing eyes remained focused. He grabbed the slave’s wrist and pushed him off his precarious stoop, sending him plummeting to the arena floor. “They are possessed,” Athos observed under his breath. “Stay together,” he shouted at the officers on either side. “Don’t let them over the wall.” Below on the bloody sand, humans stood on each other’s shoulders, forming pyramids five people tall to scale the walls. The general pushed his way through the spectators to get away from the railing, dragging Pelros behind him. Once he got onto the walkway that led out, he brought the boy in front of him. “Run, Pelros,” he said, turning him toward the exit. “Don’t stop running until you get to the Shock Troop barracks. “Yes, sir,” the boy replied. “But what about you?” “Do as you’re told,” Athos snapped, pushing Pelros. The boy had tears in his eyes, clearly fearing he’d never see his uncle again. Then he darted between the citizens’ legs toward the doors. Athos returned his attention to the rail. Humans spilled over, slashing into the unarmed Anunnaki with their swords. Determined to keep Pelros safe, he jumped over the seats and kicked the first one he came to in the chest. He managed to retrieve the slave’s sword and attacked, trying to push them back into the arena. Aware of his physical disadvantage, Athos focused on controlling his breathing and relaxing his body so he could swing the sword. He’d been captain of the swords team at the academy and had always had a ion for edged weapons. Having carried a blade into every battle, he’d only used one twice in live combat. The sword was shorter than his arm and sharp enough to split a hair. It cut through the white shirt of a slave who rushed at him, opening his abdomen

without resistance. He shoved the tip of the weapon between the ribs of the next one and split her heart in half. His slaughter of the humans who closed on him didn’t slow them. Apparently under the control of the green entity, they pushed him back, flowing into the aisles and killing terrified citizens. It seemed more humans were overrunning the coliseum walls than had originally been on the arena floor, like they were multiplying. Sharp pain exploded through the back of his legs, and Athos spun and drove his weapon into the slave who’d cut him. When he tried to retrieve the blade, his legs gave way and he collapsed to his knees. The gravity felt like it increased, growing stronger even than Earth’s. A wave of blood-splattered white uniforms swelled before him. Hands grasped his arms and pulled him to his feet. They held him up. Their eyes still glowed green, but the rage in their expressions was gone. The stadium grew silent, and his labored breathing roared in his ears. Athos examined the humans’ blank faces, hoping their slave genes had reactivated. They lifted him so his feet floated above the floor. Pain seared from the gash in his hamstring. Grimacing, he refused to cry out. They spun him around toward the exit. The doors slid open, revealing young Pelros with a wall of humans behind him. Citizens’ bodies covered the walkway between them, a tangled, bloody mess of corpses laying at odd angles as only the dead could do. “Uncle?” Pelros asked, his eyes damp. “Son.” Athos struggled against his captors but couldn’t break free of their powerful grasps. Kelly, the blonde slave, stepped behind Pelros, grabbing his black hair and pulling his head back. She slid her sword across the boy’s delicate neck. Pelros’ expression contorted to horror for an instant before going slack as the life rushed out of him. “No!” Athos sat up, blinking his eyes against the darkness. Sweat soaked through his uniform. He gasped for air, slow to realize he’d been having a nightmare. The door to the room slid open.

“You called, sir?” the young officer who’d led him into the apartment asked. “Yes,” Athos said, worrying about what he’d shouted out. “How long have I been asleep?” “Four Earth hours, sir.” “And yet it is still night,” Athos said, looking at the window. He stood and walked out of the room. The officer followed close behind him, holding a candle up to light his way. The general stepped outside and faced east, expecting to see the first light of dawn. Stars filled the sky except where a black circle blocked the rising sun near the horizon. He could just barely make out a faint halo of light along the edges of the sun’s cloak. “There’s the day,” he said with dismay. “It appears the enemy intends to starve us of its light and warmth.” “But look, sir,” the officer said, pointing at the top of the Pegasus. A column of light shined on the ship’s city, as bright as any sunlight. “It is a sign, sir,” the officer said. “The gods are with us.” “Perhaps,” Athos replied, doubtful. “Regardless, we shall treat it as such.”

Chapter Twelve

“Aw, damn it.” Steve slumped back onto the ground next to the fire. “This blows.” “What is your plan now?” Jones asked. “If this alien intends to deprive us of sunlight, then finding a farm and trying to settle down is pointless.” The captain’s implication was clear. He still wanted to head toward Atlanta, to face the Anunnaki and kill them. Jones’ agenda stemmed from hatred nurtured since he fought with the rebels on his home planet, but worse than that, it seemed like he’d begun to hate himself for being Anunnaki. Shane expected he’d need to use caution when listening to the captain’s advice. Shane searched the starry sky. A black disk with a faint halo around it occupied the place where the sun should be. The temperature had dropped significantly overnight, and he’d been looking forward to the warmth of a new day. When it ed between him and the light of the fire, he could see his breath turning to steam with each exhale. “We’ll freeze to death if it gets much colder,” Laura observed, rubbing her arm above the bandages. “No, we won’t,” Shane countered, determined to keep their spirits up. “There is an easy answer to this,” Jules said, frustration brimming in her voice. “A way to make the green alien go away and everything return to normal.” She sat on the other side of the fire, her arms bound behind her. Excess rope wrapped her legs, guaranteeing she’d not be able to escape and go on another murdering spree. “Yeah?” Shane glanced at her. He knew her answer and immediately wished he’d ignored her. “Isn’t it obvious?” Insanity glimmered in her eyes. “The Anunnaki must die. We

have to kill them. Then this’ll end.” “I’m sorry, Jules,” Shane snapped. “But that’s not going to happen.” “Now what the heck is that?” Maurice pointed south. Cutting through the starry sky, a thin shaft of light shined down from the heavens, landing somewhere beyond the horizon. “What do you make of it?” Steve asked, standing next to Shane. “I’m guessing it’s shining from the slave ship,” Shane replied. “Or shining down onto it,” Maurice added. “A beacon telling us where we should go.” “Not you, too,” Shane replied. Maurice shrugged as if to say they had to consider every option. A shout came from behind them. Shane pivoted, scooping his weapon from the ground as he turned. A green light near the forest drew his eyes, the same color as the glowing entity that disabled the Anunnaki. “What the hell?” Steve ran toward the light with his weapon aimed. “Don’t get too close,” Shane warned, following him. Stopping twenty yards away, Shane held his arm out to keep his friends from getting any closer. He blinked his eyes. The light blinded him after being in the dark for so many hours. “It’s shaped like a person,” Tracy said. His eyes adjusting, Shane could make out the form as well. It morphed from a bright light into a glowing, indistinguishable humanoid form. Then the light grew dimmer and took on more features of a person, until it appeared to be a woman. She still glowed and was transparent, putting out less light than the campfires. A boy stepped through the crowd of kids who stood in a semicircle around the

thing. “Mom?” “That is not your mom,” Shane warned. “Stay back.” The boy ignored him, and he was too far away for Shane to grab him. The luminescent woman smiled at the teenaged boy, holding her arms out to welcome him into her embrace. “No,” Shane shouted. The boy rushed to her, tears of joy streaming down his face. As soon as he made , he screamed in agony. The woman wrapped her arms around him, and he stiffened like electricity coursed through his body. “We have to get her off him,” Steve said, stepping closer with his gun aimed. “Don’t touch them,” Shane warned. He stuck the barrel of his gun close enough to the green woman so he knew he could fire a shot without hitting the boy. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet ed through the woman without slowing, like she wasn’t even there. She continued her maternal smile, and the boy’s screams diminished, smoke rising from under his collar. His head dropped back, and he grew silent. “What the hell?” Tracy growled. She swung her gun at the woman’s back like an ax, but it ed through her and hit the boy in the stomach. The heat radiating from him burned Shane’s face. “Get back,” he shouted, seeing flames lick out through cracks forming in the boy’s skin. They recoiled, and the boy burst into flames, brighter than the glowing green woman. As if infused with gasoline, he burned bright and hot for a few seconds. Turning to ash, he collapsed through the alien’s arms into a pile of gray dust on the ground at her feet. Shane fired his gun at the woman out of frustration. She had no substance, nothing solid to attack. He and his friends stood in stunned silence, their

weapons aimed at her. She continued to smile gently, pointing at the needle of light coming down from the dark sky far to the south. Though she didn’t make a sound, her lips mouthed the word go. She grew brighter again until Shane could no longer look directly at her. Then she vanished, leaving them blinded by the sudden darkness. “Don’t move,” Shane ordered. He counted, knowing it would take at least a minute for their eyes to start to adjust to the darkness, and ten minutes until they could see as well as they did before the green entity decided to appear and murder one of the kids he was charged with keeping safe. Each second he counted off, his vision grew more focused. The first thing he could see was the neat little pile—all that remained of the incinerated boy. His remains still glowed from the heat Greenie had put into him, muted red penetrating through the ash. Shane’s tongue felt thick in his throat. He made an unsuccessful attempt at swallowing and turned to the kids under his charge. The entire camp had woken up, and they packed in behind the circle of kids looking down at the ashes. Those who stood close enough to see what had happened wore panicked expressions, and he expected they’d lose control and run off into the woods if he didn’t do something. He couldn’t afford to take the time and figure out why the alien had chosen this specific kid to kill—he had to take charge of the living. “Everyone,” Shane shouted. “Pack your stuff. We move out now!” The kids didn’t budge. Dim light from the stars illuminated the stunned expressions slacking their faces. Shane glanced at Steve and Tracy. Looks of comprehension came over them. “You heard the man,” Steve shouted. “Let’s move.” Tracy and Maurice ed them, encouraging the kids to act. Shane knew it was the only way to keep them alive. If they weren’t given direction, he expected the group would fall apart. If that happened, people might start fighting each other. “Where are we headed?” Jones had slipped next to Shane without him noticing.

“I don’t freaking know,” Shane said under his breath, so quiet he doubted Jones could even hear him. “I think the answer is obvious enough,” Jones said, almost sounding condescending. Shane glared at the place where the alien had appeared. Anger blazed in him, mixed with fear and confusion. He twisted his hand on the strap that held his gun over his shoulder. Bullets had ed right through the thing. How could they fight something if they had no way of killing it? He bit the inside of his lip, his mind racing. “Maurice,” he called as his friend walked by. “Sup?” Maurice seemed less stressed than his other friends, like he was cool with however things turned out. Shane attributed it to his faith and envied him. “Get Tracy and the rest, we need to huddle.” The once-chubby kid had grown lean, hardly recognizable from the boy Shane met in Atlanta not so long ago. Maurice nodded and rushed off to get the others. Shane eyed Jones. The captain didn’t say anything, but his face, side-lit by the nearest fire, said he would agree with whatever Shane decided to do. Drawing near his camp, Shane saw Jules half-mummified with rope, seated and staring into the flames. Kelly sat next to her, her arms wrapped around her knees. She hadn’t grabbed a gun and ed them when Greenie showed up. It seemed like she knew the effort would be useless. He thought it would’ve felt better to have them back. Unfortunately, they were a constant reminder of how out of control things had gotten. Neither of them acknowledged him when he drew near. It pained him. Shane still missed Kelly. It was like a stranger sat before him now. After rolling his blankets, he shoved them in his pack. He tried not to look at the girls, his throat tightening when he did. When Tracy arrived, she stood back and surveyed Jules for a long moment. Reflecting the orange light, her eyes brimmed

with the same sadness he endured. Tracy blinked back tears, turning her attention to packing up her stuff.

Chapter Thirteen

“They say they’ll take us to Shamus,” the slave girl reported. Athos looked where she’d just come from. Shadowy figures squatted behind cars, clearly afraid of them. “Keep your weapons down,” he ordered the Anunnaki and slave soldiers following him. “Sir?” the Shock Troop soldier standing to his right objected when he stepped closer to the new kids. “It’s okay,” he said. “They need us. They won’t attack unless we give them reason to.” Athos advanced until he knew the kids who held guns aimed at him and his squad could clearly hear him. “We will follow you,” the general said in a kind voice in clear Anunnaki. The humans rose from behind cars and hesitantly advanced up the street. They understood him. All the humans he’d encountered thus far still understood Anunnaki, though many of them had reverted to speaking their native tongue. Although the new enemy had deactivated the slave gene, it still seemed to have some influence over the humans. They stole glimpses over their shoulders at Athos as they led the way, their wide and terrified eyes flecked with starlight. “It’s okay,” the general reassured. “We are on the same side.” They reacted by moving along quicker and peering back less. Athos tried not to huff for air as he trod along. It was so easy to take his strengthenhancing armor for granted. He’d never felt so weak. It was unacceptable. He would be doing more intense gravity training, even after this conflict was over and they had the power back on.

Athos thought he heard rhythmic drumming. He dismissed it, deciding it was his heart beating in his ears. But the sound grew louder. It came from ahead, an aggressive beat that seemed to keep rhythm with his belabored pulse. His legs burned to the point he almost had to stop, but the music pulled him on. It was primal and violent, embodying everything he loved about the humans. As they drew nearer, it sounded like hundreds of drums playing together. When they turned a corner, torches on poles greeted them, leading to a makeshift wall that prevented access to a large plaza surrounded by buildings. A crude gate had been fabricated out of scraps of metal, and humans with guns stood on either side, looking very serious about their guard duty. These humans appeared to have embraced their militant tendencies. If he could win their allegiance, they’d be ready for combat immediately. Orange light from fires beyond the wall shined through the gate and reflected off the buildings rising around the plaza. A signal from the human Athos followed prompted the guards to open the rickety gates. The plaza beyond was crowded with humans; Athos guessed their numbers to be in the thousands. The foul mixture of cooking meat mixed with body odor and smoke made his eyes water and his stomach turn. Humans crowded around barrels and bonfires, laughing, eating and dancing, the drumming so loud it made Athos’ ears ring. Their guide pushed into the crowd, shouting for everyone to make a path. When he pointed at Athos and his soldiers, the humans listened and stepped aside, their eyes widening. The white uniforms stood out and drew attention, just as the general had hoped. He kept a stoic expression on his face and didn’t return their gazes, marching forward through the parting throng. They crossed the plaza toward a glass building that towered above the other structures. The windows on the lower levels were broken out, and the fourth floor had torches installed along the edge of the side that faced the plaza. Guards with guns stood between each torch, their faces haunting in the dancing firelight. Athos found his target. A figure stood from a couch set near the edge of the fourth floor that broke the line of torches and guards. He gazed down into the crowd, his eyes finding the white uniforms Athos and his soldiers wore. He gave a signal to someone behind him, then returned his attention toward the

approaching Anunnaki. When they came to the entrance, they encountered a line of humans standing guard around the base of the building. Most of the kids wore tattered clothes and were covered in grime, but Athos could tell by the way they stood and studied him with steely but cautious eyes that these were combat-hardened soldiers. They could serve him well. Guards moved aside and allowed a female human to between them. She stepped out into the plaza and met the boy who led Athos to the compound. He couldn’t hear their exchange, but the guide pointed at Athos. The girl approached him, the firelight illuminating the nervous suspicion in her expression. “You’ve come from the giant spaceship?” she asked, stopping a respectful distance from him. “Yes, we have,” Athos replied. “You want to see Shamus?” She pointed up at the building rising behind her. “I do.” “Why? What do you want with us?” “We came here to protect you from our common enemy.” Athos paused and glanced up at the sky. “They have proven too strong for us to defeat alone. We must work together if we are to survive. I have come to ask your allegiance.” The girl stared at him, seeming to decide if he could be trusted. The general could read her fear, but he could also see she hoped he would bring order back to her world. She hoped he could save her. He’d seen that same look in many humans’ faces. Their very DNA encoded the desire to trust their Anunnaki masters. He just needed to exploit it to bring them into his army. “They stay here.” She gestured to his soldiers. “You can come up.” After giving his soldiers a nod that ordered them to stay, he followed the girl into the dark building. The sound of drums faded, and they went down a hallway lit by candles placed too far apart for him to see for most of the time. He stayed

close to the girl ahead of him, and she turned down another hallway, the sound from outside growing quieter with each turn. The general took slow, deep breaths, trying to brace himself for the climb to come. He guessed they’d be going to the fourth floor, where he’d seen the boy standing. That had to be Shamus. The girl opened a metal door, and he saw the stairs he’d been dreading. The door closed after them, and he could no longer hear the drums. They were alone, and he had no weapon. He wondered if his hand-to-hand combat training would be enough for him to defeat the girl. The rifle over her shoulder was useless in such close quarters. She darted up the steps, leaving him behind. He climbed at a deliberate pace, trying to conserve energy. When she stopped at the top of the second flight and glared down at him for going so slow, he put on an expression that said he was too dignified to run up the steps. She seemed to buy it, shrugging and matching his pace. She maintained the distance between them, now far enough away to bring her gun around and shoot him before he could attack her. He kept his breathing controlled, but sweat poured from his forehead by the time they made the second floor. Athos’ legs felt like fire consumed them from the inside, and he gave a silent thanks to the gods when he made it up the last flight. The girl pulled open the door that led out of the stairwell and onto the fourth floor. Athos wanted to collapse on the first chair he came to. Instead, he kept his head high and strolled past her, making sure not to breathe too hard when he did. She took him down another hallway, and he further composed himself, wiping his face on his sleeves. They ed through a door into a large room with floorto-ceiling windows busted out on the exterior side. Couches lined the walls with kids lounging on them. Even with the side of the building open, smoke from the small fire burning near the edge hung thick in the air. The dim light flickered in the eyes of the humans and reflected off the barrels of their guns. Even in the dark, he could see these kids had the same ferocity in their eyes as the girl who led him up here. They were experienced killers who were not to be underestimated. “You here to see Shamus?” A voice carried from the couch positioned near the edge of the floor, a small fire separating it from the drop off.

“I am,” Athos replied, approaching the couch. “Sit,” the boy said, pointing at a chair to his left. Ignoring the arrogance in the human’s tone, Athos stepped around the couch and assessed the chair. Even in the limited light, he could see how filthy it was. These humans were living like animals. If he didn’t take control of them, they’d end up dying from disease. He sat down, the smell of sweat and dirt squeezed from the seat cushion under his weight. The boy on the couch wore gold chains around his neck and a condescending expression on his face. He grinned, displaying some sort of gold cap covering his upper teeth. “What do you want with Shamus?” the boy asked. “Not to play games, I assure you of that,” Athos firmly replied. “You are Shamus, are you not?” The human stared back at him, his cold gaze a harsh contrast to his youthful features. “I am,” he replied. “And we,” he gestured toward the other kids in the room, “will play games whenever it pleases us.” The guard standing behind Athos chuckled. “You do realize we are all under attack?” Athos said. “Something out there wants all of us dead.” “It ain’t nothing new,” Shamus replied, leaning forward in his seat. “I’ve been under attack since the day I was born. As soon as I could walk, I ed a gang. By the time I was twelve, I was the boss. I used to feel sorry for myself, being forced into a thug’s life. But when all this shit went down, I realized my destiny.” “And what is that?” Athos humored the boy, trying to figure out the angle he’d use to manipulate him to his will. “Ain’t it obvious?” Shamus’ eyes widened. “To rule this city.”

“And why not the world?” Athos tried not to laugh. “Ain’t nothing outside the ATL I care about.” Shamus plopped back into his couch and put his arms over the backrest. “And I will say, smart of you to come to me. You landed in my city, and I was about to come to you with a world of hurt.” “We were forced to land here,” Athos said, “by the alien that killed your parents.” “My parents?” Shamus laughed. “Maybe this alien ain’t my enemy after all.” “I assure you, it is.” Athos gave him a stern look. “They have come here to destroy us all, and we must unite into a single strong fist if we are to survive.” “That means you want me and mine to you?” “It is not a question of what myself or anyone else wants, Mr. Shamus.” Athos paused. “It’s a simple matter of survival.” Shamus rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes at Athos. “Surviving ain’t no issue for me. It’s what I do best,” he replied. “But just for argument’s sake, what’s in it for me—ing up with you?” This time, Athos couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s in it for you?” he asked incredulously. “You get to live.” “I didn’t survive this long worrying every minute about whether I live or die,” Shamus snapped. “Same with all of us. Not caring is what’s kept us alive.” “You want some promise, some reward if we are able to defeat this enemy?” Athos asked, trying not to sound condescending. “Now we’re having a proper negotiation,” Shamus said, nodding. “Fine, this city is yours if we win.” “And you’ll help me defend my city in the future if necessary.” Shamus wrung his hands greedily.

“Agreed,” Athos replied, extending his hand to seal the deal in the manner he knew humans were accustomed to. “Agreed,” Shamus echoed. His gold-covered teeth reflecting the light, he grasped Athos’ hand and shook. The general returned his smile, trying not to let his disgust show on his face. He doubted the boy had washed his hands in ages.

Chapter Fourteen

Shane and Tracy finished filling their packs in silence, closing them at the same time. They leaned them back to back just as the rest of their friends stepped into the firelight. “What’s up?” Steve asked. “Maurice mentioned a vote.” “Jones,” Shane paused and glanced at Jules, “and others think we should head toward Atlanta.” “Don’t care what they think,” Steve replied. “It’s your opinion that’s kept us alive for this long.” “What do you think?” Maurice added. “I’m afraid we might not have a choice.” The words burned like acid in his mouth. His gut told him the incinerated boy was just the beginning. More people were going to die. “There’s always a choice,” Tracy firmly said. Her blue eyes narrowed, and she clapped her hand on her rifle. “That’s why we fight.” “But how do we fight Greenie?” Steve asked, seeming hungry for the answer. Shane wished he had a target to point Steve and Tracy at. He stared at the blonde girl bound with rope. Jules’ crew cut didn’t get any attention when the Anunnaki held her captive, and it had grown into a bushy mess. “Greenie said it’s holding us on trial.” Maurice squatted by the fire, orange light flickering on his thoughtful expression. “I think it wants to see how we behave toward our enemy when the playing field is leveled.”

“Does that imply we should go down there and kick some Anunnaki ass?” A man of action, Steve seemed eager for any solution. He wanted to get on with it. “You know they damned well deserve it.” “That’s exactly what we should do,” Jules said, raising her head. “If we don’t, they’ll kill us all.” Her attention shot toward the forest. Shane followed her gaze and saw some kids near the edge of camp shouting panicked warnings. Green forms of adults, presumably in the likeness of other kids’ parents, stepped out from between the trees and walked toward them. “Run,” Shane shouted. “Everyone, move!” His order was repeated across the camp. He kept his gun ready and his eyes on the green beings. “Get them out of here,” Shane said to Maurice, indicating towards Jules and Kelly. Maurice untied the ropes binding Jules’ legs and helped her to her feet. “Now you see you were right,” Jules yelled loud enough to be heard over the terrified shouts of fleeing kids. “We don’t have a choice.” Shane studied her eyes, wondering if she knew more about Greenie than she’d shared with them. Maurice tugged her away, and Shane turned his attention to the line of approaching aliens. Most of the kids had run, and there was nothing but grass between him and the Greenies. Adrenaline made his veins feel hot. His instincts screamed for him to turn and run, but he stood his ground until the kids under his charge were safe. Steve, Tracy, and Laura stood with him, wide-eyed as they stared at the approaching line of aliens. “All clear,” he shouted. “Let’s get out of here.” His friends obeyed, and Shane ran after them. The line of glowing aliens continued across the field, though they didn’t move any faster. Shane entered the woods. Within a few minutes, he could no longer see the green aliens. He wasn’t

sure if they’d given up pursuit or if the kids had outrun them. To be safe, he ushered the kids ahead of him, keeping them running. He reckoned they covered about three quarters of a mile before a few of the kids couldn’t go on, slowing to a walk and huffing for air. “Shout forward for everyone to slow down,” Shane ordered. “We don’t want to lose anyone.” The kids who could hear him started walking, the sounds of their feet crunching through the dead leaves and their labored breathing loud in the silent forest. Shane saw no sign of glowing green figures behind them. “They’ll leave us alone if we keep moving south, toward the Anunnaki,” Jules promised. He’d caught up with her and Maurice. Sickened by her comment, he didn’t reply. He hated being pushed around by yet another alien force. If they survived this, humans had to recover and get stronger. They had to learn to defend themselves. “Run ahead and make sure our group stays together,” he said to Steve. The big guy nodded and trotted through the trees, shouting for squad leaders to take a count of their people. Shane tried to shake the adrenaline—it felt like he’d just woken from a nightmare. Had anyone else been taken by Greenie? Everything had happened so fast, he couldn’t say for sure. “Yell your squad number once you’ve taken a count,” Shane shouted into the darkness. The glow from the aliens had ruined his night vision, but it returned quickly. He rubbed his arms for warmth, already missing the campfire. “Squad twelve,” a girl’s voice yelled. “All here.” This started the roll call. “I’ll keep a tally,” Tracy volunteered, sounding eager for the distraction. Shane stepped into another clearing that lay on the edge of a plateau in the forest. Although he reckoned he could see for a hundred miles on a sunny day,

only the beam of light shining down on Atlanta was visible now. After what had just happened, he had to conclude it was a beacon. Greenie put it there to guide them toward the Anunnaki. He thought about the time before the Anunnaki arrived on Earth, back to when he and his friends were training on the hidden base in the mountains. He lived in fear then, worried they’d be crushed in a fight against aliens so advanced, but he’d always felt they at least had a chance, that they controlled their own destiny. Now, Greenie had a plan for them, and there was nothing he could do but go along with it. It made him feel powerless and without hope. “Everyone is ed for,” Tracy reported. “Except the kid we lost earlier.” “Good,” Shane replied. To the north, he could see a faint green wall of light moving slowly down the mountain toward them. “It ain’t going to let up, is it?” Tracy said, not sounding like she expected an answer. “I’m afraid not,” he replied. “Maybe not until we fight the Anunnaki.” “These bastards are no better than they are.” Her voice seethed with the anger he felt. “They could’ve killed us already,” he mused. “At this point, we’ll just have to stay the course and be happy we’re still alive.” “It’s no less dire a situation than we’ve been in since day one.” The iron-tough JROTC commander seemed to find a measure of peace in this notion. Shane thanked God he still had her by his side. This crew-cut-wearing badass was the kind of friend who made him a better person, a better leader. He had no doubt he would have been killed or would have given up a long time ago if it weren’t for Tracy. “Yep,” he replied. “I guess we’ll keep doing what we do.” “Until we beat these bastards,” she added. “All of them.”

His small army had slowed to a walk, but they continued the march south. Other than the feet crushing the forest floor, the kids didn’t make a sound. They didn’t chatter among themselves, and he didn’t sense they were overly afraid, no longer driven by panic. They’d been living in a nightmare for so long, he reckoned they’d grown numb. He knew that numbness too, on multiple levels. Although he hated how this powerful entity had them on the run, he almost relished the jolt of fear he’d experienced when Greenie drove them from the camp. It let him know he was still alive, that he could still feel.

Chapter Fifteen

His body aching from the unassisted hike in Earth’s intense gravity, Athos made his way back to the Pegasus. His success in recruiting the thug leader and his army infused him with hope. He turned down the street that led directly to the ship and could see the beam of sunlight falling on the city at her apex. “Perhaps the gods are on our side after all,” he mused. “Our people have always had their favor,” the lieutenant to his right replied, sounding out of breath. “Indeed, we have.” The optimism of this young soldier was familiar to him. It reminded him of his nephew, Pelros. Where was his boy now? Had he perished when they lost power and the slaves were released? The last communication he had with Pelros pointed toward that conclusion. His heart ached. Pelros was the only family Athos had left. He’d been the general’s pride and joy. While Athos had always identified himself as a soldier, living to serve his people and grow the empire, he’d found a new and higher sense of purpose when he adopted his nephew. Each victory he’d achieved and promotion he’d earned meant so much more because of his nephew’s, his son’s, pride in his accomplishments. His every action gained dual purpose—to serve Anu and to be a role model for Pelros. His joy had been stripped away from him, and anger filled the void. He wanted revenge. He’d hold his rage close, let it build in him until he found this new enemy’s weakness. When the time came, he would unleash it upon them. The enemy would know his pain, and they would suffer his loss. He would make them wish for death a thousand times over, and he would keep them alive until they could suffer no more. Only then would he grant their wish. “They will know that the gods chose the Anunnaki,” Athos said. “We will crush them.”

“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant replied, that pride and the confidence of youth in his voice. Athos left his human soldiers at the base of the Pegasus, and he and his men began the ascent. They made it a third of the way up before his strength failed, and they had to take lodgings in a deserted apartment alongside the steps. The dried foods in the apartment’s kitchen hadn’t spoiled, and he and his soldiers ate in exhausted silence. Then they slept. Athos awoke to the same darkness that haunted them since the enemy blocked out the sun. He lay awake, ing the dream he’d had before going out into the city, the nightmare of seeing Pelros killed by the humans. It made him question everything all over again. Would his people prevail, or had the gods turned their backs on them? The questions made him anxious to get up to the light. “Rise,” he said, waking his soldiers. His muscles were sore, but the food and rest had returned a measure of his strength. After climbing over the low wall that separated the apartment from the stairs, Athos could see sunlight—pure, warm, and golden—shining upon the top of the Pegasus. After so much cold darkness, it looked like they were ascending toward the realm of the gods. Whether they were getting stronger, or the notion of getting out of the darkness was driving the soldiers, he wasn’t sure. They moved quicker up the stairs than he anticipated they could. Breathing so hard from the effort, they were unable to respond to the Anunnaki soldiers who greeted them at the top. They took the last step and entered the warm sunlight, leaning their heads back to soak it in and laughing as they tried to catch their breath. Athos settled on the guardrail at the edge of the city with his hands on his knees. After a short-lived celebration, his exhausted soldiers collapsed on the benches lining the park that composed the perimeter of the city. The general blinked his eyes, having trouble seeing in the bright light after being in the darkness for so long. He glanced around the Pegasus’ city. Pride swelled in him as he surveyed his people. The Anunnaki were resilient. They’d been reliant on slaves and advanced technology for millennia, and both had been taken away from them in an instant. This upheaval of their way of life would leave most

species in a state of chaos, but not the Anunnaki. There were a few hundred slaves from other planets aboard the Pegasus. Most of them were house servants, though a few were used for the less desirable aspects of the ship’s maintenance. These slaves were controlled by brainwashing and intimidation, and the green entity hadn’t been able to free them. The slave gene incorporated into the humans’ DNA had seemed brilliant before this attack, but now Athos wondered if the old ways of controlling other species were better options. His soldiers guarded the perimeter railing, armed with the primitive, metalprojectile-firing weapons they’d gathered. Since the citizens, sailors, and soldiers had moved up to the city from the dark apartments on the lower levels of the ship, they’d had to erect tents in the parks to house them. “General Athos.” Gentras’ voice caught his attention. “Thank the gods for your safe return.” Gentras strolled between the tents toward him, smiling his greeting. “How did you fare on your mission?” Gentras looked worried. He was wise enough to know that they couldn’t survive without the allegiance of the humans. “It was a success,” Athos reported. “Most of the humans in the city answer to a single leader called Shamus. I met with this boy, and he has vowed his allegiance.” “How will it help us fight this enemy?” Gentras asked, gesturing to the sky with his hands. “We have no weapons that are capable of harming it.” “Not yet,” Athos answered. “But I think the enemy expects the humans to turn against us. We will show it that the humans belong to the Anunnaki—that they are our weapons.” “I see,” Gentras said, sounding mildly disappointed. “Not a path that will lead to the annihilation of the enemy.” “That will come later,” Athos replied. “Until we can learn more, we must thwart their plans where we can and search for their weaknesses.”

After staring silently at Athos for a moment, Gentras nodded. “I must respect your wisdom on these issues of military strategy. My expertise is politics, after all. I lead with the pen and not the sword.” “And you excel in that arena. I see you’ve been busy in my absence.” Athos returned his smile. “Indeed, we have,” Gentras replied. “Despite the dreadful gravity on this planet, we’ve managed to establish ourselves in a relatively comfortable way. When you are rested, I can give you a tour.” “Rest is not a luxury I can afford.” Athos stood, his ts complaining with cracking sounds. “I’ll have your tour now, if the option is available.” He tried not to sound like he was giving orders to the aristocrat. Although martial law had taken effect, and he was technically in charge, he didn’t intend to flex his authority unless circumstances deemed it necessary. If he had to put them in line, he’d reserve giving orders to the elder aristocrats for closed-door meetings. The citizens needed to feel like the Anunnaki system of government still functioned; it would help them stay sane. They’d lost so much that was familiar to them, and the political system was one of the few things that could be maintained without the need for advanced technology. “You are incredible,” Gentras replied, smiling at him. “I’d be fit for the afterlife if I just endured the adventure you’ve been through.” “It is my duty,” Athos replied, trying not to grimace. “Please, lead the way.” “Very well.” Gentras turned and walked toward the city. “As you can see, the soldiers have set up camps around the outside, creating a protective barrier for the citizens who occupy the inner city.” The aristocrat’s voice carried more pride than usual. He led the general into the city, seeming excited to show him what he’d accomplished. “We had to repurpose some of the Pegasus’ systems, finding those drainage, water storage, and supply facilities that do not require power,” he said, pointing at a fountain where citizens lined up with vessels to collect their ration of hydration.

“How are we getting water up here?” the general inquired. “Luckily, the ship’s reservoirs had just been topped off before the purification system was deactivated.” “But those are on the lower levels of the ship,” Athos replied. “There is only one tank up here, and it can’t hold enough to last for long.” “Our engineers are the finest in the fleet,” Gentras replied. “They are working on developing wind turbines and other methods for transporting the water. For now, we’ve had to use the loyal humans to manually bring it up.” Athos looked where the aristocrat pointed and could see the engineers working to build wind turbines along the round building’s crown. “They are going to connect those to pumps?” he asked. “Yes, using an ingenious gear system they’re putting together. You can see the first one being assembled on the exterior of the coliseum.” “Impressive.” Athos had always thought of the engineering department as a place to send those not brave enough to be soldiers. He’d never underestimate the white-jumpsuit-wearing tinkerers again. “It seems like they’re working on more wind turbines than should be needed to bring up water,” he observed. “I expect they’ll get the water moving fairly quickly,” Gentras replied. “The rest of the turbines they plan to connect to reduction gears they are building. I have them experimenting with different generator ideas so we can try to get some electricity back online.” “It seems the enemy has control over electricity, even in its crudest form,” Athos said. “Somehow, I doubt they will succeed with the generators.” “I fear you are correct,” Gentras agreed. “However.” Athos rubbed his chin. “There are lots of other ways we can use this energy they are harnessing.”

Gentras continued his tour, and Athos’ iration for the Pegasus’ engineering team grew. They were coming up with solutions to create a sustainable environment for the citizens and soldiers who occupied the ship’s city. When they’d first landed, he didn’t imagine they’d be able to stay on the upper levels for long, as it would be hard to get resources. But these problems were quickly being solved. “Pardon me, General,” Gentras said, sounding weary. “I must sit for a moment; this gravity makes me feel twice as old.” “Please,” Athos replied. They settled on a bench near the railing along the opposite side of the city from where the general had ascended. Athos looked out into the darkness that seemed to shroud the rest of the planet. Then he leaned his head back and let the blessed warmth of the light that spilled down onto the ship bathe his face. “This light is a resource,” he mused. “If we could send some of it down to the areas surrounding the Pegasus, we could use it to help us control the new human recruits.” “Like a form of payment for their allegiance,” Gentras agreed. “We should be able to use the reflectors that concentrate the ship’s plasma pulses from the main guns. Although, it may intensify the light too much if we aren’t careful. We’ll have to make some modifications.” “It would be better if the engineers could make the reflectors variable. We may be able to get a dual purpose out of them.” Athos imagined having a concentrated beam of the warm light might give them a tactical advantage if the ship was attacked. He stood and looked down the side. Darkness shrouded everything, and he could only see the fires burning to keep the soldiers warm on the ground far below. “How are our food supplies?” “We are harvesting the food from the ship’s gardens and preserving it, mostly by drying the vegetables in this sunlight,” Gentras answered. “There is more than enough to feed the citizens and soldiers, though I don’t think we can sustain a human army for long.”

“They’ll have to find food on their own,” Athos said. “Keeping our people fed and safe up here is the top priority.” “Will they stay loyal if we don’t feed them?” “I’m glad to hear your concern on that subject; a strong army should be one of our primary objectives,” Athos commented. “If we can divert some of this sunlight to the ground, I expect it’s all the motivation they’ll need.” “What if the humans we recruit turn on us?” Gentras continued. “Why would they let us control this light when they could just overrun us and take it for their own?” “If we can concentrate the sunlight, we can weaponize it,” Athos answered. “With that and my soldiers standing guard, we should be able to hold this high ground.” “And what if the enemy takes this light from us?” Gentras asked, sounding more curious to know Athos’ plans than afraid. “What will we do then?” “We will do what we’re doing now,” the general replied, trying not to sound grim. “We’ll adapt, improvise, and survive. It is our duty. We may be all that is left of our species.”

Chapter Sixteen

Although it did nothing to abate the darkness, Shane could see the black disk with a faint halo of light surrounding it making its journey across the starry sky. It set in the west, then rose in the east and ed overhead, heading down to end another day. Fear of incineration by the Greenie driving them, they continued to march. His charge of kids had slowed to nearly a crawl, and the sounds of their footfalls grew louder as they began dragging their feet through the leaf litter. “They need rest,” Steve said in a hushed voice after helping a boy who’d tripped and fallen in front of them to his feet. “I know,” Shane replied. “I’m just afraid of what will happen to them if we stop.” They exited the forest into a cow pasture. Another kid tripped over her own feet and fell into the frosted grass. Shane decided they had no choice. “Let’s take a break here for a few hours,” he ordered, rubbing warmth into his arms. “Build some fires before we all freeze to death and then get some sleep.” Sighs of relief echoed across the pasture. Shane ordered a head count. “We’ve got to be out of the parklands now,” Tracy observed. “The going should get easier.” “Yeah, until we get to Atlanta,” Shane said, glancing at Kelly. Her face reflected the starlight. She wore the oblivious expression she’d had since they were reunited with her and Jules. Jules seemed more content now that they headed for a showdown with the Anunnaki. However, she still cast murderous glares toward Jones and his clones every few minutes. He hated keeping her bound, but if the tall, wiry girl got loose, she would kill any

Anunnaki she could get her hands on. “I found some blackberries by the forest,” Nat said. Shane looked toward the sound of her voice and saw her walk up to Kelly. The little girl shivered from the cold. She held the berries in her shirt and looked timid, like she wasn’t sure if her sister would blow up at her again. “Thanks,” Kelly said, reaching to take a handful. Kelly grinned at Shane, as if to show she was trying to be amiable. She seemed to feel bad for not ing her little sister, and perhaps him. Although it wasn’t the look of affection he ed and longed for, her smile sent a surge of warmth through his heart. Shane smiled back, and then noticed the world seemed to get brighter. At first, he thought it was just his imagination. “Blessed sunlight,” Maurice announced, clapping his hands. Shane looked up and saw the black disk pull away from the sun. Brilliant yellow light blinded him. He kept his face tilted up with his eyes closed against the brightness, drinking in the light and warmth. The kids broke into relieved cheers, some of them weeping with joy. The sunlight immediately warmed the pasture and even the cows mooed their excitement. “It only shines on this pasture,” Steve observed. “Look, the area beyond the fence is still dark.” “It’s our reward for doing what we are supposed to be doing,” Jules said frankly. “When the sunlight fades, we’d better continue toward Atlanta.” No one responded to her. Shane didn’t doubt she spoke the truth now. He expected Greenie would return and take more lives if they didn’t continue. For the moment, he didn’t care. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes again, bathing in sunlight. Nothing had ever felt so good. “All ed for,” Tracy said. Barely able to open his eyes against the light, he looked over at her, amazed they hadn’t lost anybody while stumbling in the woods. She smiled at him and sat down next to Jules.

“I don’t care if you are crazy,” Tracy said, leaning her head against Jules’ shoulder. When the bound girl tore her squinted gaze away from Jones, her expression softened. She pressed her lips against the top of Tracy’s head. Jones looked at Shane and shrugged his shoulders. The alien looked beaten down and demoralized. This wasn’t the same man who’d trained them for all those months, and Shane didn’t know how to help him. Shane’s eyes slowly grew accustomed to the light. The kids around him settled in the grass, and then began lying down. They soaked up the sun and fell asleep. Shane thought it a brilliant idea, and lay down near Kelly. Within minutes, the warmth soothed him into a deep slumber. “Shane!” Kelly’s voice cut through his comatose state. “I you! I everything!” “What…?” He sat up, annoyed at first that he’d been woken. Then what she said ed. “That’s wonderful.” Kelly’s smile was bigger than he’d seen it since before the Anunnaki came. Her beaming face reflected the sunlight, and she appeared to be an angel to him. She surprised him with a kiss, pressing her lips to his and holding them there. Excitement, joy, and relief ignited in him. He wanted to stay locked in her embrace forever. Kelly pulled away from him, her eyes widening. “Nat,” she whispered. She hopped to her feet and spun around, looking for her sister. Nat lay near the other children, asleep on her back with the sun shining on her dirt-smudged face. Kelly darted to her side, scooping her up into her arms and spinning her around while singing out her name. Nat woke with the same look of confusion Shane had felt. Kelly explained her memory had returned and landed Nat on her feet. They danced around each other, laughing and crying at the same time.

Shane glanced at the sky. The sun was an hour from the horizon. He guessed he’d gotten four or five hours of sleep. The rest of the kids on the field were still laying down, though a few had sat up, no doubt roused by Kelly and Nat’s revelry. He watched them dance and hug each other, the joy he felt receding as he ed the dire situation they were in. Still, even if they had to fight to their deaths, he’d rather do it with Kelly ing him and Nat. He’d savor every moment they had left. “What’s going on?” Jules asked groggily. Shane went to her, helping her sit up. He hoped the benefit Kelly experienced had extended to his tall friend. “Kelly’s memory has returned,” he said, the excitement bubbling in his voice. “How do you feel?” “A lot less like killing those guys,” she said, eyeing Jones and his clones. “It’s like I was possessed or something. All I could think about was murdering every Anunnaki I could get my hands on.” “Jones,” Shane called. The captain stood and walked over. His face didn’t express the excitement the humans felt about seeing the sun. He looked down at Jules, comion in his eyes. Though he’d always been a stoic person, Shane could see how much Jones cared for them. Jules’ expression didn’t change. Shane couldn’t find the rage that seemed to boil in her eyes every time she’d looked at the Anunnaki since getting off the busted alien transport. “I think you can untie her,” Jones said, answering Shane’s question before he had a chance to ask it. “I’ll keep an eye on her,” Tracy said, seeming eager to get her girlfriend out of the bindings. Jules looked up at Shane, her expression saying she’d be okay with whatever he

decided. He studied her eyes a moment longer, searching for any sign of her former insanity. “Untie her,” he said hesitantly. Tracy didn’t wait for a second invitation. She went to work on Maurice’s knots, freeing Jules. “So much better,” Jules said, rubbing her arms. Shane felt terrible, seeing the red indentations the rope had left on her skin. “Don’t worry,” she said, sounding grateful. “I’ll tell you if I feel weird again.” He nodded and turned his attention back to Kelly and Nat. They’d sat down and were still laughing and hugging each other. Kelly waved for him to come sit with her. He did as she asked, and she put an arm around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder as she continued to listen to her little sister. Bubbling with excitement, Nat told Kelly about all that had happened at the hidden base while Kelly and the others were gone. Nat relayed the new responsibilities she’d taken on, sounding much more mature than he ed. Shane was happy to let Nat carry on; he was afraid he’d get all choked up if he tried to talk to Kelly. Her touch and the love he could feel coming from her mended his heart and made him believe they had a chance at surviving. He felt as giddy as Nat looked. “Wow, Nat,” Kelly said when her sister took a breath. “Sounds like you’ve stepped into the role of big sister for a lot of the other kids.” “Yep,” Nat replied, beaming. They smiled at each other, and Nat crawled into Kelly’s arms. “I’m so glad you’re back,” Nat said, her eyes filling with tears again. “I thought I’d lost you forever.” “You’ll never lose me,” Kelly replied, her eyes connecting with Shane’s over Nat’s shoulder. “I’ll always be here for you.”

While her voice sounded sincere, Shane could see she feared she wouldn’t be able to keep her promise. “Me too,” Shane managed to whisper, his eyes moist. To put the surge of emotion in check, he had to divert his eyes to the dark forest to the north. He blinked a few times, and then gazed up at the circle of blue sky that hovered above them. He was more determined than ever to save Kelly, Nat, and the rest of the survivors. Greenie had to be watching. This strange new alien didn’t seem to have any interest in taking over Earth or enslaving the humans like the Anunnaki. From what he could tell, they just wanted the Anunnaki to die, and were deciding if the humans should perish with them. He wished they would show themselves so he could talk to them. How could they see the best parts of human nature and make a reasonable judgment when they were just pushing the humans around like a herd of cattle?

Chapter Seventeen

Pelros watched as they released the girl called Jules from her bindings. Every part of his body ached from the hiking in the darkness. He was too tired to worry that the vicious girl might attack him. Instead, he watched her with envy, wishing the ropes securing his arms behind his back could be removed as well. The wound in his side had been stitched up well enough, and it had only bled through the bandages a little. However, Pelros had never had an injury that wasn’t healed within hours. The constant dull pain combined with being bound had made the journey torturous. A few times, he felt like he’d collapse and they’d have to carry him. His pride was the only thing that kept that from happening. Apparently having given his consent to have Jules untied, Jones turned away from her and walked toward Pelros, who was guarded by the silent clones. It made the rebel look soft, turning his back so readily on a human who’d so recently killed some of his own. He hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to Jones since the sun had been blocked out and hadn’t settled on a plan for escape. Pelros had watched the green entity attack the human boy and tried to gain further understanding of what they were up against. He’d thought the rebels might be behind the green entity, and he hadn’t dismissed that notion. However, he couldn’t see the rebels’ angle. Why would they force this small group of kids to go south into an inevitable conflict with the Anunnaki? Although the humans had an advantage because they were physically stronger and the Anunnaki had lost power, the Anunnaki outnumbered this group and he presumed his uncle still had an army of trained soldiers under his command. If Athos had found enough of the primitive, projectile-firing weapons to arm his soldiers, these kids wouldn’t last in a direct conflict with them. Jones stopped nearby and studied Pelros. “You must be sick of your bindings as well,” he observed.

“Indeed,” Pelros replied, forcing a smile. “What I wouldn’t give to be able to scratch my nose.” He shifted his weight, and the pain flashed from his side. He tried not to grimace. “You realize you wouldn’t get far if you tried to escape,” Jones said. “Not to mention any humans you encounter outside of this group would probably be a lot less civil.” “That’s an obvious conclusion,” Pelros said. “I know it is your duty to attempt escape if held prisoner,” Jones continued. “But perhaps it is enough that we are already traveling toward the downed recruit ship. You’d be wise to stay with us, at least until we get close.” “Agreed,” Pelros said. He’d come to that conclusion already, but this was another sign the rebel had lost his edge. He shouldn’t even be considering untying his prisoner. Pelros now knew he’d have no problem slipping away when the time came. “Release him,” Jones ordered, giving Pelros a stern look of warning. The clone nearest to Pelros looked up at Jones with questioning eyes. After talking with several of them, Pelros concluded the clones weren’t totally naïve. Jones hadn’t spared any of the blood-soaked details of Anunnaki history, though they’d obviously been raised to be rebels. But it seemed he’d also taught them not to hate their enemy. They knew they were Anunnaki, as were their parents. They conveyed a belief that any Anunnaki might rebel at any moment, that their cousins should be given a chance to repent their supposed sins and the opposition. This softness of heart was a weakness; it was where Pelros would bury his blade if the chance presented itself. Even the clones who hadn’t been assigned to Pelros kept close to him, all politely waiting their turn to ask him questions about the world from which he’d come. He answered each of them like a seasoned politician, without prejudice toward Jones or the other rebels. They were growing more comfortable with him with each ing moment, a mistake they’d regret soon enough. “Do it,” Jones repeated. He directed another warning glance at Pelros. “If he misbehaves, bind him twice as tight.”

Two clones leapt to the task, and others leaned in as if to help. Pelros’ goal was to get Jones to believe his behavior evidenced the blossoming of an understanding of the rebel movement, the beginnings of sympathy for the cause that might lead to him switching sides. Pelros was a true Shock Troop soldier, like his uncle before him. They went through years of training on how to convince slave soldiers to ally themselves to the Anunnaki. He knew Jones had also been trained as a Shock Troop soldier, so he had to be careful not to be too obvious in his manipulation of the clones. “Thank you,” Pelros said sincerely and rubbed his wrist. Returning to Jones, Pelros kept his face as emotionless as possible. The rebel reflected his stoic glance, but he couldn’t hide the glimmer of hope in his eyes. Jones wanted his son back. Unfortunately, he was far too wise to abandon caution. Pelros was making progress, but he knew he had a ways to go. He accepted some food from one of the female clones. “What’s this?” he asked, smiling. “Sardines,” the clone replied. “It’s a type of fish, an inexpensive protein source on Earth.” “Funny,” he said, conscious Jones still watched him. “On Anu, there was more land than sea. Fish were an expensive treat.” “That is strange,” the clone replied, crinkling his nose. “What was the primary protein source there?” “Vegetable proteins mostly,” Pelros replied. “It kept the environment cleaner, and Anunnaki love gardening.” The clones continued their questions, and Pelros acted fully engaged. Jones must’ve decided Pelros wouldn’t try to take advantage of his new freedom and attempt escape. After watching for a short while longer, Jones walked to the human called Shane. From the corner of his eye, Pelros saw Jones continue to look over and check on him every few minutes. The pain still coming from his wound convinced him it was no use attempting escape anytime soon. Furthermore, Jones was right; there was protection in

being held prisoner. If all went as planned, Jones’ guard would be down when they drew near the Pegasus. Pelros would slip away when the time was right, hopefully after killing a few of these illegal clones and maybe even Jones in the process. His heritage would never be a hindrance again if he killed the rebel scum that spawned him. Of course, the green entity presented a whole other problem he’d yet to wrap his mind around. He couldn’t do much to fight it from where he was and was certain Athos knew more about the new enemy than anyone. Once Pelros reed his uncle, he could turn his attention to that fight. Perhaps the guilt from turning his back on his people and from killing his own had beaten Jones down. He seemed ready to die, like he believed the green entity was justified in attacking the Anunnaki. He’d forgotten the divine purpose of his people, had forgotten where he came from. He did deserve to die, but not at the hands of some other species. It had to be an Anunnaki who slit the rebel’s throat, only then would justice be served.

Chapter Eighteen

Shane sat with Kelly and Nat, listening to them chat. Kelly kept the conversation light, bringing up memories that made her sister burst into laughter. Each time Nat laughed, Kelly’s smile grew bigger. The little girl’s joy seemed to nourish her older sister. It inflated her spirit. With each of Kelly’s angelic chuckles, Shane grew more confident that they would all survive. Somehow. “Light’s fading,” Steve said in a hushed voice. Shane saw the big guy’s brow bore furrows of concern. He stood and studied the sky. The light blue had grown darker. His gut churned at the notion that the eternal night would return. They hadn’t had daylight for the length of a normal day, and he had no idea if Greenie would be so generous as to let the sun shine on them again. “Make sure everyone is ready to move,” Shane said. Steve nodded and turned away to carry out his order. “Everything’s going to be okay, Shane,” Kelly said, taking his hand. “I know,” he replied, unable to sound as confident as he’d hoped. As if someone had their hand on a dimmer switch, the light blue sky grew darker. The sun had a black spot that started in its middle and slowly grew larger. Kelly’s hand slid out of his. He looked at her and saw confusion transform her expression. “Kelly?” Nat said with concern. “Yes,” Kelly replied, sounding confused. “I’m fine.” She said it like she refused to be otherwise. He knew her determination wouldn’t be enough. Shane felt like he’d swallowed

hot lead. Kelly was starting to forget again, and there was no way of stopping it. “Jules, no!” Tracy shouted. He spun around and saw the tall girl break free of Tracy’s grip and charge toward Jones’ clones. “Damn it,” Steve growled, launching into action. The linebacker leapt into the air just as Jules ed, slamming her to the ground. A popping sound resonated through the darkness, and Jules shrieked in pain. “What the hell, Steve?” Tracy snarled. “Get off her, you overgrown oaf.” “Sorry, Jules,” the linebacker said, sounding terrified at the idea that he’d hurt his friend. “I had to stop you.” “Of course you did,” Jules snarled, cradling her left shoulder with her right hand. “Why do you have to be so stinking big?” Tracy was at her side in an instant, inspecting her for injuries. “It doesn’t matter,” Jules said, pushing Tracy away. She spoke to Shane, more fear than pain in her expression. “It’s coming back—the rage. Tie me up.” It cut Shane to the bone to see her like this again. He hesitated for an instant, wanting to believe Jules couldn’t be taken again. Maurice had been on a trajectory to hit her as well and had stopped short when Steve took her down. “Do it,” Shane said. Maurice’s brow dropped, and he scooped the rope that had bound her earlier off the ground. Shane’s heart sank deeper when he ed Kelly. He spun to see her face clouded with terror. In the fading sunlight, she looked at him, and he knew why she was afraid. Her memories were dissipating like grains of sand in a gust of wind. She seemed to forget why she was afraid, and her face went blank, any sign of recognition vanishing from her eyes.

Darkness fell upon them. “This is a sack of shit,” Steve said. Shane could see the black spot that was the setting sun. Its faint halo teased them, not even enough to see by. To the south was the beacon of light coming down from the sky. He squinted in the darkness, straining his eyes to focus on Kelly. “Everyone, pack up,” he shouted with urgency. Silence hung on for a few more seconds, and then nervous chatter and the sounds of backpack stuffing took over. “I’ve got a bad feeling,” Steve whispered. He’d moved closer to Shane in the darkness. “Me too,” he replied, scanning the forest to the north. “We have to get moving.” He went to Kelly, kneeling on the grass next to her. “Who are you?” she asked. “How did I get here?” Nat still sat near her, the little girl’s eyes wet with tears. “It’ll be okay,” Shane said. “Nat, go pack your stuff.” Nat looked at him a moment longer, the sadness in her expression drilling through his chest. Then her head drooped as she stood and did what he told her. He looked at Kelly, trying to keep his voice calm so she wouldn’t freak out. “Your memory has been erased. We love you and are here to help you. You have to go with us now.” Kelly stared at him, seeming to try to decide if she could trust him. “No! My feet are stuck,” someone shrieked. “Help!” Shane turned toward the sound and could see a faint green glow emitting from the ground under a girl standing twenty yards away. The silhouettes of kids backed away as she began to scream. Running toward her, he watched the green

light rise out of the soil onto her shoes. It went higher, a thin green line that burned everything it touched. The girl continued screaming, and her feet disintegrated into ashes. The light suspended her, holding her in the air as it devoured her ankles and then her calves. “Shane, don’t do it,” Tracy yelled. He couldn’t stop, couldn’t see yet another person get killed. Shane launched into the air, hoping to tackle the girl and push her off the green fire. The circle of light consuming the girl moved, taking its victim with it, just before he could grab her. Landing in the grass, he rolled and came to his feet. Right behind him, Steve dove at and missed the girl as well. The green light stopped rising when it was a foot off the trampled grass, and the girl dropped into it as it darted out of Shane’s way once again. She disappeared up to her stomach, ash raining out beneath the light. The green glow rose to her chest and the girl stopped screaming, her incinerating lungs no longer able to move air. The look of terror and unimaginable pain remained on her face as she sank past her shoulders and then vanished into the light. A green disk remained, the same diameter of the girl’s head. It rose into the air, illuminating the ashes it created. The powdery remains of the girl lay in neat lines, clearly drawing a large arrow on the grass. It pointed south at the light he reckoned marked the landing site of the Anunnaki spaceship. The disk vanished, taking its green light with it. Steve punched the ground where he’d fallen. Cursing, he came to his feet. Shane stood, trying to break his mind free of the paralysis induced by the horror he’d witnessed. “We have to go now,” he said, his voice hoarse. He walked to his pack, threw it onto his shoulder, and looked around. No one argued. The rest of the kids, even the little ones, did the same thing as Shane. They headed south, and he took up the rear with his friends once again. The kids’ shock faded, and he could hear some of them crying as they walked. Greenie was breaking them, turning them into cattle that it herded toward a confrontation with the Anunnaki—toward the slaughterhouse. Laura walked with Kelly ahead of them, explaining where she was and what had

happened to her. Kelly asked a few questions before she seemed to silently contemplate what Laura told her. Probably overwhelmed by the nightmarish world in which she’d awoken, she stopped and stared at the ground. Laura grabbed her arm and urged her along. Shane wished he could go to Kelly, comfort her, but he had nothing positive to say. The hope and joy that had bloomed in him while the sun shined and she had her memory wilted in the cold darkness. The moon rose behind them, lighting the world enough for them to see. “Greenie’s reward for our obedience,” Tracy said, pointing at the moon. There was pain and sadness in her voice, but she’d suppressed it so it was barely noticeable. “They give us moonlight to walk by and sunlight to rest in.” She walked beside him, keeping an eye on Jules from behind. Tracy knew as well as he did they couldn’t wallow in the horror of what happened; they had to hold their shit together and try to keep everyone alive. Steve, Maurice, Laura, and the Russians were onboard as well, returning to soldier mode. Their training and experiences had developed this warrior side of their personalities, and they’d learned to switch it on and off as needed. Tracy had bound Jules’ injured arm across her body like it was held in a sling. Her other arm was anchored to her waist by a rope tied around her like a belt. Maurice stayed close to Jules, taking up the duty of guarding her like she was a prisoner once again. The thin, white light of the moon allowing him to see a decent way, Shane scanned the field. He didn’t see anyone straggling away from the group, and the kids marched along at a good pace. The rest had done them well. “They’re getting more disciplined,” Tracy grimly observed. “Yeah, enough to stay together,” he replied. “But how do we get them ready for a fight?” “You starting to think it’ll come to that too?” Steve asked. He walked on Shane’s right side, holding his rifle in his hands such that he could bring it to bear in an instant if necessary. Shane held his gun the same way.

Unfortunately, they were useless against Greenie. “Doesn’t it always?” he replied, slinging the weapon over his shoulder. “We will have to train them while we march,” Anfisa interjected, overhearing their conversation from Steve’s other side. “I don’t see how we have any other choice,” Shane agreed. “If we get a few hours of sunlight again, we have to let them rest. There will be no time to teach them.” “We should probably start now while they’re fresh,” Tracy said. “They’ll be useless in a few hours.” “Agreed,” Shane replied. “It’ll help distract them from what they just saw.” He looked forward to the diversion as well, expecting even the hardest among them needed something to take their minds off the girl who’d been turned to ash by Greenie.

Chapter Nineteen

Tracy ran through the throng of kids crossing the field ahead of them. “Listen up,” she shouted. “Greenie is forcing us south, likely into a fight.” Walking backward, she glanced over her shoulder to see where she was going, and then back at the kids. “You’ve all been in some fights before, or you wouldn’t have lived this long. We want to take what you know and build on it as best we can. The trick is unless the sun comes out, we can’t stop moving. Y’all know why.” She turned around, climbed over the fence at the edge of the field, crossed the road, and then entered the next one. The moon seemed to grow brighter, becoming a giant floodlight shining down on them. “Looks like Greenie approves,” Anfisa said, gazing skyward. Shane gritted his teeth, hating how effectively they were being manipulated. His army of teenagers climbed over the fence after Tracy, and the smaller kids squeezed through between the lower boards. The bright moonlight lacked the sun’s warmth. Now he could see everyone’s frozen breath, making it seem colder than before. The pallid glow didn’t reflect the color in anything, illuminating the kids and the countryside in grayscale. It did allow him to see some of their faces, even at a distance. He could see which ones had been crying, the moon showing the tracks of their tears, glistening stripes on dirty faces. “All the older kids, move to the front,” Tracy continued, her drill-sergeant tone taking over. Her shouted voice carried through the frigid air such that Shane could hear her clearly though he stood at the back of the group. “Youngest to the rear.” The kids did what she ordered, glancing up at the moon to see the result of their action. Shane caught himself doing the same, feeling like a lab rat in a cruel science experiment. At least he saw some of the kids stop weeping. They needed

some thread of hope to cling to—some belief that if they did everything right, they might survive. Without that, he doubted they’d endure a minute in any fight. Shane and the rest of the kids engaged the mobile training led by Tracy. The distraction refreshed him, and he expected it did the same for the rest of them. Tracy taught the kids to aim while moving and to turn their bodies to provide a minimal target to the enemy. Shane weaved through them and selected some of the older ones to move to the rear of the pack. He wanted to make sure the little kids were protected in case they were surrounded. Next, Tracy, Anfisa, Steve, and the rest of Shane’s friends walked up and down the line, teaching the kids some basic attacks that could be used if they ran out of ammo, or if they were overrun by the enemy. They taught them how to use their weapons as clubs and conveyed the simplest of the martial arts techniques they’d learned during the months of training Jones had put them through at the hidden base. The techniques focused on hitting the most vulnerable areas of the enemy —throat punches, eye gouges, and groin kicks. They also taught the smaller kids who walked near the rear of the group how to to take down anyone who might make it past the older kids. These youngsters were eager to be involved. Many who were too young to have guns carried knives, sticks, or other weapons they’d acquired from the hidden base’s kitchen and from the forest. It churned his stomach to think these elementary-age kids would probably end up killing. However, he also realized there’d come a time when it would be a kill-or-get-killed situation and he wanted to make sure they had a chance at defending themselves. He had Steve through the front line of the small army and pretend to attack the little kids. They closed in on him, wrapping themselves around his legs and pushing at his knees from behind. The linebacker resisted, but the little soldiers brought him to the ground. Then they piled on him, stabbing with their knives at his neck and swinging their sticks at his head to simulate bludgeoning him to death. It was gruesome play, but it seemed to boost their morale. Some of the kids even laughed as they engaged in the war games. Jones had said the humans were created to be the ultimate warriors. Watching them attack Steve gave frightening credence to that lesson. Shane wondered if Greenie approved of the violent tendencies of these kids. Perhaps they were supposed to show they could rise

above their nature—to show they could become more than their creators intended? They trained until kids started tripping, acting too weary to do much more than walk. Then Shane ordered the exercises to stop and had them focus on continuing south. “Moonlight’s fading,” Steve said. “Reckon Greenie ain’t happy we stopped practicing.” “It’s likely,” Shane replied. “We can only push these kids so hard. They won’t learn a thing as tired as they are now.” “I just pray it doesn’t kill anyone else,” Maurice said. “Hard enough to keep their chins up without watching their friends die.” “Agreed,” Shane grimly replied. Kelly stumbled along a few yards away. She wore the lost expression that told him her amnesia hadn’t relented. On the other side of Maurice and bound by rope from just below her shoulders down to her hips, Jules still glared ahead at Jones and his clones with wicked eyes that promised she’d try to tear them apart if she had the chance. Shane hoped Greenie would bless them with just a few more hours of sunlight, of time when Jules wasn’t in a murderous rage and Kelly got her memories back. Done with the training, Tracy fell back to the rear with them and took up a space next to Jules. Even in the thickening darkness, he could see her gazing at the bound girl, her eyes wishing for the same thing as him. “Look,” Steve said, excitement pitching his voice. Shane turned his head left, following the linebacker’s finger. Along the edge of a line of mature oak trees that separated the farm they walked through from the next farm, the ground began to glow. A thin curtain of sunlight seemed to hang east of them. For a moment, Shane feared Greenie was just going to tease them. Then the light expanded, sweeping across the field. The teenagers and children in his army welcomed the warm yellow light with sighs of relief and exclamations of joy. Jules’ expression went soft, the hatred

fading from it when the light hit her. Maurice fell to his knees and prayed. Shane turned to Kelly, his heart filled with joy to see her beaming back at him, love and happiness in her eyes. She rushed into his arms. “I again,” she whispered. “I everything.” “Do you the last time Greenie gave us some light?” he asked, trying not to sound too analytical. He was overjoyed by the return of her memory, but he was also trying to gain further understanding of this powerful alien that pushed them around like pawns on a chessboard. “Yes,” she replied. “I that.” Her voice cracked. “That poor girl who was burnt.” It sounded like Kelly just watched the girl get incinerated by Greenie. Her mind was erased before she had the time to cope with the horrible scene. “Don’t think about that,” Shane said, squeezing her against him. “We have to stay focused on the present and what’s to come.” She nodded, holding him tighter. “Kelly?” Nat stood next to them, the sunlight reflecting in her teary eyes. “Yes,” Kelly said, embracing her little sister with joyful tears. “I you, too.” They hugged, and Shane looked on for a moment, feeling sad because he knew the light would not last. “Holly shit,” Steve said, then covered his mouth and glanced at the children. “I mean… crap. Shane, do you know where we are?” The line of old oaks along the fence and the back of the farmhouse a couple of hundred yards ahead of him gave Shane a familiar feeling, like he knew this place. The answer didn’t dawn on him until he saw the refurbished, antique Case steam tractor parked next to the barn. “Old Man Patterson’s?” Shane said with disbelief.

“Where else?” Steve returned, excited. Shane had never been on the back part of Patterson’s property, but the shiny black-and-red tractor, the white house, and the matching barn were unmistakable. “ when Old Man Patterson set his hayfield on fire last summer with that antique?” Steve chuckled. “Yeah,” Shane replied, smiling. “Lit it off with sparks from the smokestack. Flames liked to jump the street onto Granny’s land.” A realization hit him, a bolt of excitement that nearly made him jump. “Granny’s!” He looked at Kelly, and she smiled, but her lip twitched and her eyes grew sadder. Her house was next to Granny’s; it was where she’d watched her parents die. Their decaying bodies were probably still there. “No one died at Granny’s,” he said with a quiet voice. “Except for Granny, and that happened before all this.” “We should go there,” she said, slipping her hand into his. “We should,” he replied. “They’ll be lots of food in the pantry.” Granny grew a big garden every year and ended up having to can most of her crop. She also loved to pickle stuff, and Shane longed for a jar of her pickled okra. “It ain’t gonna bother you to head that way?” Steve warily asked. “It might’ve before,” Shane said, excited to visit the old home where he’d spent so much of his childhood. “But now I just miss it. It’ll be a good place to camp while Greenie keeps the lights on.”

Chapter Twenty

Athos’ heart raced as he climbed into the chair and was lowered down the side of the pyramid. On wheels and pulleys, the crude elevator had been fabricated by the Pegasus’ engineers to be used as an elevator. It rode on the smooth wall on the side of the long flight of steps that led from the ground to the ship’s city. He ed out of the light that bathed the Pegasus’ apex and into the darkness, engulfing the rest of the world. The separation between light and dark was defined with a sharpness that didn’t allow any of the glow from above to shine down the sides of the ship. Athos and the two officers who accompanied him removed the dark eyewear they’d donned, which caused their eyes to adjust to the darkness before they left the ship’s city. On the ground below, humans were near rioting. Shamus had brought his massive army of followers to the ship, but he didn’t seem prepared to obey the commands of the Anunnaki. The freed human slaves who were still loyal had been pushed onto the Pegasus’ steps, though no one had fired their weapon or escalated the conflict beyond shouting and pushing. Athos had to smooth things over quickly. He had to give Shamus and his people a reason to obey the Anunnaki. The elevator chair went much faster than he could if he walked, and it would keep him from getting exhausted by the journey down and up the pyramidshaped vessel. Halfway to the ground, he surveyed the city the humans called Atlanta. He could see and smell the fires lit by the children to keep warm. Far to the north, a column of white light came from the black sky and touched the planet. It looked similar to the sunlight that shined onto the Pegasus. “What do you suppose that is?” the commander sitting on the wide elevator chair next to him asked. He was a seasoned Shock Troop soldier, but still couldn’t manage to keep his nervousness from showing in his voice. “It’s the second time it’s been seen. It’s someone else either the gods or our enemy has chosen to shine light upon,” Athos replied, not taking his eyes from

the illuminated column. He hoped the light was reserved for the Anunnaki. Could that distant beam be shining upon Pelros? It felt naive to believe that his nephew might still be alive. However, until he had confirmation that the young soldier was dead, he refused to give up hope. Military strategy dictated he treat the distant beam of light as a sign of the approaching enemy. He turned his attention to controlling the riotous humans on the ground below. They were his first line of defense against whatever the green entity threw at him. The elevator chair, controlled by a large, manually operated winch mounted at the top of the steps, slowed as it approached the loyal human soldiers in white uniforms. They stood shoulder to shoulder on the steps near the bottom of the pyramid, ready to fend off an attack by their grimy counterparts who pressed against the base of the Pegasus. Torches carried by Shamus’ people cast flickering light upon their angry faces. At the line between them and the loyal humans stood a small group who appeared more disciplined. They weren’t shouting insults or thrusting their weapons into the air like the rest, instead focusing their attention forward, like they were there to protect the human who stood in front of them. The torchlight reflected off this guarded human, who appeared to be talking to the loyal ones standing on the steps above him. Light danced upon the gold chains burdening his neck. “Allow him to .” Athos gave the order to the Shock Troop soldier in charge, who greeted him when the elevator came to a stop. The general climbed off the chair and stood on the steps above his human soldiers. He glanced up at the lieutenant who held a torch, standing ten steps above him, ready to wave it to signal to the engineers who awaited his command atop the ship. Swinging the torch once would cause the lightweight mirrors borrowed from the ship’s plasma concentrators to be turned such that they would divert the sunlight coming down on the apex of the Pegasus to the area around the base of the ship. Following two swings of the torch, the engineers would use the mirrors in conjunction, concentrating the light into a single beam that he hoped would have enough energy to incinerate anything it touched.

“My people are gathering,” Shamus said, pointing at the angry crowd. “But they, and frankly myself, are a bit jealous of that light y’all are keeping to yourselves up there.” “Your needs have been anticipated,” Athos replied. “Observe.” He gave the order for the torchbearer to swing once. High above, the engineers pushed the mirrors, rotating them into position. The giant silvery disks caught the light and diverted it down the sides of the pyramid. Shamus and the kids below shielded their eyes and fell silent. They hadn’t seen sunlight in days and appeared stunned for a moment. Then they began cheering, some of them dancing around and hugging each other. Not only did the mirrors reflect the light, but they also sent the warmth of the sun cascading around the base of the ship. Shamus’ people, who had been bundled up to stave off the cold, began shedding their jackets and exposing their dirty skin to the warmth and the light. “I hope this appeases your people,” Athos said. “I think it will, for the moment,” Shamus replied, looking out across the cheering crowd and then back up at Athos. “Do you have food?” “I’m afraid we are lacking in that department,” Athos replied. “We can give you light and warmth, but you’ll have to feed yourselves.” “That might end up being a problem,” Shamus replied. “Who is this enemy you’re expecting us to fight? My people ain’t good at sitting idle.” “I don’t think it will be long,” Athos replied. “See that column of light shining down to the north?” Shamus turned and looked in the direction he indicated. “Yeah, I see it,” he replied. “What’s that?” “It appeared farther north just after I visited with you at your compound,” Athos explained. “Then it vanished and reappeared a couple of hours ago, but much closer this time. I believe that light shines upon our enemy.”

Whether it did or didn’t was inconsequential. Athos wanted them to believe the enemy approached and attack was eminent. He hoped it would give the humans a distraction that would prevent rioting. “You want us to chill here until they arrive?” “I want you to send some of them out to create a perimeter around the city. I will provide Anunnaki soldiers to help organize them. As soon as they the enemy, they can retreat to the ship. The rest of your people will be well rested.” Athos crossed his arms on his chest, studying Shamus’ expression. “You can crush them when they attack.” “Bait them out there and lure them into an ambush here?” Shamus’ eyes gleamed, and Athos could see those Anunnaki genes that encoded a lust for battle were strongly expressed in this human. “I’d rather hit them hard as soon as they enter my city. Show them this ain’t no place for them.” “I like the idea of that as well,” Athos replied, smiling at the aggressiveness in the boy’s tone. “However, they may find a way around you if you’re out there. If you return to this camp, they’ll be forced into a confrontation.” “What are y’all gonna do to help?” Shamus narrowed his eyes. “We ain’t fighting alone.” “No, you are not,” Athos replied. “My soldiers,” he gestured at the loyal human slaves dressed in white, “will you during the operation. If the enemy breaks through your lines, you will allow them a corridor to this ship.” “Then what?” Shamus’ eyes lit up again; he knew Athos was about to get to the good part. “And then,” Athos paused for dramatic effect, “we will rain hell upon them.” The general signaled to the torchbearer on the steps behind him, and he swung his torch back and forth three times. Far above them, along the perimeter of the wall surrounding the Pegasus’ city, the mirrors rotated and tore the light away from the base of the ship. Boos and shouted complaints came from the grimy kids, and they pushed toward the loyal humans again.

“Sup?” Shamus asked, his tone expressing the anger from the mob below them. “Watch,” Athos said, pointing at a tall building that stood just outside the airport. The mirrors concentrated the light onto a central positioned at the top of the steps. Shamus watched with eyes growing wider. His soldiers had yet to realize what was going on, and Athos saw two of the white-clad humans pulled into the crowd. The s came into proper alignment, releasing the blast. Cutting into a floor near the top of the building, the crude laser superheated the air inside in an instant. The resulting expansion caused an explosion that lit up the dark sky, sending burning chunks of the structure in every direction. Shamus’ people fell silent once more, all eyes directed toward the explosion. Angry faces gave way to stupefied expressions. Athos suppressed a chuckle. Any idea that these kids had about trying to fight the Anunnaki had just vanished. “Holy shit,” Shamus croaked. “Unrefined,” Athos replied, acting disappointed. “It took longer to target the weapon than it should, a weakness that will be remedied with exercise.” In reality, the power of the weapon exceeded his expectations. He let the engineers controlling the beam target the building until the upper portion collapsed. Concrete and melting steel slid off the sides of the structure and crashed down with a deafening clamor that echoed off the side of the ship. Athos made a sign to the torchbearer, and he swung the torch right and left once. The mirrors rotated, returning to a configuration that cast the stunned humans surrounding the Pegasus in light and warmth. Squinting at the light with newfound respect, they turned their eyes toward the ship and broke into applause and cheers louder than their angry complaints from moments before. “Yeah,” Shamus said, rubbing his nose. “That’s slick.” “Indeed,” Athos replied. He could see the leader of the kids had tried to hide his awe, a trait that impressed Athos. “So, how does my plan sound?” “Good enough,” Shamus replied, making an obvious attempt to act unimpressed.

He surveyed the hoard of grimy humans. “I’ll need to send most of them out into the city, but I’ll get that perimeter guarded.” “Let them enjoy the light and warmth for a few hours and rest,” Athos said. “It’ll give us time to help you organize them into squads and platoons so they’ll be easier to manage.” “Yeah,” Shamus hesitantly said, like he suspected Athos might try to take control of his people. “We’ll have kids to lead these squads and platoons?” “Yes,” Athos replied. “And you can pick them if you like.” “I’ll do that.” Shamus sounded satisfied. Although he hid it better than the rest, the young human was intimidated, as were those under his charge. Athos didn’t mind the illusion that Shamus and his people maintained their independence; he’d find a way to put them in their place once the enemy was destroyed. Without the slave gene to control them, he knew their loyalty could be fickle. For now, they would fight for him, and hopefully he’d convinced them that if they turned against the Anunnaki, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

Chapter Twenty-One

Kelly hooked her arm into Shane’s. Nat held her other hand. They walked across the farm to the road, the rest of the kids in tow. Crossing the asphalt, he glanced at Kelly and her sister. They both wore sickened expressions, painful memories of what happened on their family’s nearby farm seeming to engulf them. “We’re down on the other side of Granny’s,” Shane reassured. “We won’t go near your place.” He paused. “Unless you want to.” Kelly shook her head to say no, relief crossing her face at his promise. When they came in sight of Granny’s little old white house, a surge of emotions hit Shane. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his knees grew weak, and his empty stomach threatened to turn itself inside out. Surprised by the effect the place had on him, he looked at the end of the driveway. The massive swarm of bees had attacked his aunt there. He could hear her screams and smell the metallic odor of blood that came from her million weeping stings. Shane ed knowing she would die, though he fought with everything to save her. He recalled his confusion, wondering why the bees hadn’t attacked him. Turning his attention to the house, he tried to push the memories out of his mind. Granny’s was just as he’d left it. The garage door was open from when he’d barreled out of it in the old pickup, trying to get his aunt to the hospital. “You okay?” Kelly asked, sounding concerned. “Maybe we shouldn’t go in.” “No,” Shane hoarsely said. “I’ll be fine.” He gave her a weak grin. “Just harder than I expected.” “You’re brave to come back here,” she replied softly, hugging his arm. “It’s strange,” he mused, trying to come to grips with his emotions. “All my life,

this was the happiest place in the world for me. Every time I’d come here, I’d feel better. At peace, you know?” “Yeah,” Kelly said. “Your grandmother was the coolest old lady I’ve ever met.” “Then she died,” he continued. “Which sucked, but I expected it. Then my aunt was attacked here.” He drifted off. “It’s a lot of bad,” she agreed. “But so much more good happened here before that.” She paused and wrinkled her brow like she was fed up with something. “Hey, let’s be at peace here now,” she said, sounding determined. “I want to be happy, to forget what we’re going through for just a few hours.” She laughed and nudged his shoulder. “Funny because you’d think forgetting is the last thing I’d want to do right now.” Kelly pointed at the old oak tree on the side yard. “I coming over here when I was little,” she said, a smile rising on her face. “After church, your granny would put out a spread of food, and we’d eat and play.” “I’ve been on that swing,” Nat exclaimed. Embracing Kelly’s plan to have some fun, she released her hand and ran to the old tire. Shane was surprised she found the energy, having had to walk for so many hours. An expression of joy lit up Kelly’s face as she watched the girl climb on. The sun seemed to shine brighter and warmer, making golden strands of her hair seem lit from within. Seeing her standing there and happy caused so many good feelings in him at once that he felt like he might explode. “You’re so beautiful. I love you, Kelly Douglas.” She looked at him and blushed. Shane hadn’t realized he’d spoke the thoughts out loud, and his cheeks grew warmer. Biting her lower lip, she studied him with a look that infused him with warmth. She leaned in, pressed her lips to his, and held them there. Her closeness drugged him, causing him to grow dizzy until he expected his knees to give out.

“Gross,” Nat squealed, covering her eyes and snickering. Kelly started laughing with her lips against his before she pulled away. “If you don’t like it, don’t look,” she teased, running over and tickling Nat’s ribs. They laughed, and then Kelly began pushing her on the swing. “I swung on this for hours,” Kelly said, nostalgic joy on her face. “I didn’t want to do anything else when I was here.” She chuckled. “My mom would have to make me a plate and bring it to the tire swing if she wanted me to eat.” “Those were some awesome Sunday afternoons,” Shane agreed. He loved the gatherings with all the people and the food they’d bring. Back then, he’d run off with the other boys who came to play in the field or in the woods. He ed Kelly on the swing. Even before he really thought about girls, he’d decided if he were somehow forced to have a girlfriend, he’d want it to be her. “Look,” Nat exclaimed, pointing at the briar patch along the right side of the house. “There are still blackberries.” “Wow,” Shane replied. “I wouldn’t expect them to be around this late in the year, not with how cold it has been without the sun.” “Can I go pick ‘em?” Nat’s excitement was infectious. “Of course,” Kelly replied, smiling down at her. “Grab a bucket and some of the other kids,” Shane advised. “If y’all pick enough, we can make some blackberry pancakes for everyone.” “Yay,” the little girl cheered, running off. Shane laughed, wondering if any of the berries would make it into the buckets. The kids were stuffing them into their mouths as fast as they could pick them, staining their faces and fingers with the dark purple juice. Shane and Kelly rounded up a few other kids and went to Granny’s giant pantry. Once he stood before all the ingredients, he felt too exhausted to try to cook

anything. It was easier to grab the jarred and canned food, which they put on the edge of the porch. They had people take what they wanted and share with each other. Once everyone had something to eat, Shane slipped away with Kelly. They found the swing on the back porch vacant. “Ah,” Shane said. “Best spot on the farm.” He led her up the short flight of steps, and they took a seat. They swung without speaking, lost in thought. Kelly moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder. The hypnotic creaking sound of the swing’s chains sliding on their hooks relaxed Shane. It always had. How many thousands of hours had he spent sitting there, he wondered. When he was a baby, his mother had held him in her arms while sitting on the floating wooden bench. He and Granny had many an enjoyable conversation swaying back and forth. It seemed so much bigger when he was a kid, before he understood there was a limit to the time he’d get to spend with the people who he shared it with. “Porch swings are something special,” Shane said. “I’ve done so much living here.” “Never knew you were such a poet,” Kelly teased. “Naw,” he said, blushing. “It’s true what you said, though,” she tiredly whispered. “About porch swings.” Shane’s eyes grew heavy. He knew they’d need to take advantage of the reprieve and get some sleep. But he also didn’t want to waste a moment of this precious time with Kelly. When Greenie took the sun, it would also take her again. The thought made him want to sit on the porch swing and hold her close the entire time, not giving up a moment of this to sleep. “Would you do anything different if you’d known how things would turn out?” Kelly said, seeming to ask herself the question as much as him. “How do you mean?” The direct answer that appeared in his head was a resounding yes. He would’ve been more forgiving of his father, would’ve cherished each moment with his mother more, and would’ve started hanging out with Kelly a whole lot sooner, to name a few. It was maddening for him to think about everything he’d change.

“I don’t know,” she replied, her voice cracking. “Sometimes, it just hurts to think of how little time we had… you know?” “I know,” he replied. Sliding his arm around her back, he pulled her into an embrace. His heart ached for her. He’d do anything to keep her from feeling sadness or pain, and yet there was nothing he could do. It seemed lately all they ever did was suffer. In an odd way, it struck him as merciful for Greenie to snuff her memories with the sunlight. “Sorry. I said I was going to be happy,” she said, smiling at him and wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s all right,” Shane said. “I want you to feel like you can tell me anything, anytime.” “You’re sweet.” She smiled and placed a delicate kiss on his cheek. They swung back and forth in silence, holding tightly to each other. “I think we should get some sleep,” Kelly whispered. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” The noise from the front yard had died down, and he expected most of the kids had already ed out. “I had big plans to make pancakes,” he said. “I don’t think anyone will be awake to eat them,” she replied, pressing her head under his chin. “I want to lie down. With you.” “Okay,” he replied, heat surging through him. He tried not to act as giddy as he felt about spending time alone with her, standing and taking her hand. He led her into the house and down the hall, stepping over the towels he’d dropped on the floor after getting the bees off his aunt. He tried not to look at them, too worn out to deal with those horrible memories. They went into his bedroom, and she plopped onto his bed, letting out an exhausted sigh.

“Can you close the door?” she asked, smiling bashfully. “And lock it? I can’t stand to be bothered by anyone else, just for a bit.” It had been so long since they had a moment alone. Nervous butterflies took flight in his stomach. He pushed the door shut and turned the lock.

Chapter Twenty-Two

When Shane awoke, his eyes darted to the window. Sunlight still filtered through the sheer curtain. He’d drifted off, worried they’d oversleep and Greenie would wake them with darkness and another murder. He let out a relieved sigh. Lying back onto the bed, he turned his attention to Kelly. ing the ion that had consumed them before they ed out, he smiled and slid closer to her. He held her for a few minutes, and then she awoke with the same concern he’d had. “Thank goodness,” she said, looking out the window. “I know.” He stood and stretched. “Wow.” She chuckled, eyeing him. “You’re certainly not the modest type, are you?” “Nope,” he said, grabbing his pants. “I’m going to make pancakes.” “My gosh,” she said, putting her hand on her stomach. “That sounds so good right now.” “It does, doesn’t it?” he replied, leaning down and kissing her. Shane stepped out the back door and found Tracy and Jules on the porch swing, leaning against each other. “Y’all want to help?” he asked. “We’ve got an army to feed.” “I’m all about it,” Tracy replied. “Let’s eat.” Lucky for them, Granny loved cooking for lots of people. She had a shed on the back of her house filled with outdoor cooking equipment, large pots and pans, and an industrial-sized portable gas stove with a griddle attachment perfect for making pancakes.

Though Nat and the other little kids hadn’t managed to get too many of the blackberries into the buckets earlier, they did a respectable job of harvesting while Shane and the others set up the outdoor kitchen and gathered the ingredients from Granny’s pantry. “Wow,” Maurice exclaimed, walking into the pantry with Shane and Petrov. “You’d think your grandma was running a restaurant out of this place. That woman must’ve loved to buy bulk.” “Yeah, this was supposed to be another bedroom, but she repurposed it,” Shane said. “She liked to be ready to feed people, whether it be one or one hundred showing up for dinner.” “Blessed woman,” Maurice said, smiling as he observed the rows of shelves, stacked floor to ceiling with jars of fruits and vegetables. “She grew just about everything in here, save some of the fruits she’d get from the orchards around the county.” They grabbed three industrial-sized bags of flour, took them outside and set them on the table next to the griddle before returning for the rest of the ingredients. The chickens may have gone mad while the limbic manipulator was active, but they had since returned to their coop, and he found more than enough eggs. Granny had showed Shane how to cook the world’s best pancakes years ago, though he had to make them without buttermilk. It wasn’t long until he was slinging plates of the short stacks to the growing line. The home-cooked meal did wonders for the kids’ morale. As he served the last boy seconds, he glanced around the field behind Granny’s house. Kids lounged on the grass, laughing and soaking in the sun. They seemed more relaxed than they had since he met them. Shane gazed down the hill, toward the forest at the other end of Granny’s property. He could see where the light ended and the darkness began. As far as he could tell, there were only two places on Earth with sun shining on them—here at Granny’s and down south, where that constant beam of light beckoned them. Shane turned the griddle off and disconnected the gas. Steve and Maurice helped him put everything away, then he ed Kelly on the swing on Granny’s back porch.

“You’re quite the chef,” Kelly said, lacing her fingers between his. “It was nothing,” Shane replied. “Granny used to have me help with the pancake fundraiser at the church. Guess I got plenty of practice.” “Well,” she said, watching Nat and the other kids play in the backyard, “You made everyone feel better for a moment. I think they needed it pretty badly.” “Yeah,” he replied, sad at the thought Kelly might not any of this once Greenie took the light. As if on cue, he saw the darkness sweeping up the field from the forest. “It’s time,” he said, standing. “Maurice, Tracy, get Jules,” he shouted. “Shane?” Kelly’s relaxed expression contorted into fear. “It feels like my mind is being torn from me.” “I know,” he said, taking her into his arms. “I got you. Don’t worry.” Maurice and Tracy got the ropes around Jules just as the darkness engulfed them. Greenie was generous enough to give them a bright moon right away so they weren’t blinded by total darkness. Kelly pushed out of his embrace and glared at him with a confused expression. “What happened?” she asked, eyes blinking. She seemed uncomfortable with the intimacy she’d woken up in. “What do you ?” he asked. “Walking all night. Training as we walked,” she replied. “Then it started to get light, and I don’t anything after that.” “So your nights are strung together for half of your memories, and your days for the other half,” he concluded. “If you say so,” she replied, glancing over at Nat. The little girl had stepped up onto the porch, seeming to want to see if the darkness had made her older sister forget everything again. Kelly’s confused

expression was enough to show that she had. Nat dropped her head and walked back down into the yard. “We should go,” Anfisa nervously said. “I don’t want to lose anyone else.” “Agreed,” Shane replied, turning so he faced the backyard. “Everyone, grab your stuff. We move out immediately.” The kids didn’t need a second invitation. They’d seen what Greenie would do if they didn’t get moving. Shane slung his gun over his shoulder and hoisted his backpack, which had gained a few pounds on this stop. While he was making pancakes, Steve and Anfisa had dispensed food from Granny’s pantry, adding some extra provisions to everyone’s packs. “Form up,” Tracy shouted. The kids rushed into the formation they’d practiced the night before, if this darkness could be called night. It lasted longer than any normal night, only relenting when Greenie decided they needed a break. “Do we try to take the road?” Tracy asked. “It’d be easier.” “Yeah, but we’d have to go east into Leeville before we could turn south again,” Shane replied. “I don’t think Greenie would approve, and I don’t want to risk someone’s life to find out.” “I’m afraid you’re right,” Anfisa agreed. “We have to go due south, directly toward that light.” She pointed at the beam coming down somewhere in Atlanta. “The freeway runs at an angle, going southeast of here,” Steve said. “If we go due south, we’re bound to hit it eventually.” “I think that’s the safest bet,” Shane replied. “We’d better get them moving.” He nodded to Tracy. The tough blonde girl looked at her girlfriend one last time. Jules was wrapped in rope from below her shoulders to the top of her hips, her arms tight against her body. A tail of the rope that secured her led to Maurice. He’d tied it around his wrist, probably afraid of letting her go for even a second.

Jules didn’t return Tracy’s gaze. Her murderous glare fixed on Jones and his clones. Tracy’s brow drooped with the same sadness Shane felt from seeing Kelly forget him all over again. Tracy turned away, checking on the kids they were responsible for. Her forlorn expression faded, replaced by the stoic determination he’d relied on since they’d become friends. “You want to take point?” Shane asked. “Yeah, I got it,” Tracy replied, then walked to the head of the small army of teenagers and children. “Let’s move out,” she shouted, starting them down the hill and into the forest. Pushing through the woods was challenging, but Shane didn’t mind being slowed by the rugged terrain. He recalled the journey to Atlanta on that freeway just after the adults died, his stomach churning at the memories. That was when they’d lost Matt. It was also when they’d learned how strong they really were, and that they could survive anything if they stuck together. The memories made him miss Matt and Aaron. Aaron had been his friend for so many years, and then in the battle in Atlanta, he was gone in an instant. Those friends, those deaths, seemed like they were from another lifetime. Here they were now, marching south toward Atlanta once more, the lives of a bunch of kids in their hands. Who would they lose this time? Shane looked around at Steve, Kelly, Maurice, Jules, Laura, Anfisa, Petrov, and the other Russians. Which of his friends would have to die so that the rest could live? He hoped none of them, though he feared they all might perish on this mission. They were better prepared than before, but he worried no amount of training would give them an advantage with an enemy as powerful as Greenie. “We do what we have to do,” Steve said quietly as they stepped out of the band of woods and onto the next farm. “What?” Shane looked at him. “Ah, nothing,” Steve said. “My head was just spinning from all this shit.” “Mine too.” Shane reckoned they all had plenty to think about. “I was just trying to shut it up,” Steve added. “Don’t make a difference whose field we’re playing on. We just got to play the game the best way we can.”

“Yep.” Shane couldn’t help but smile at his big friend’s fortitude. “Come what may, we just gotta keep doing what we do,” he echoed, feeling lighter from the thought.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Satisfied he’d earned Shamus and his subjects’ fear and respect, Athos made his way around the ship. He stayed on the level where he’d met with Shamus, five floors above the ground. His Anunnaki commanders were stationed on this floor on all sides of the Pegasus so they could monitor the humans around the base and quickly give orders to those under their charge if needed. The warm light cast down on the lower levels of the ship and on the ground around her changed the atmosphere beyond his expectations. On his last visit, the humans and his soldiers were clearly demoralized, moving slower than they should and wearing gloomy expressions. Now, laughter carried up from the ground and the air was charged with a fresh sense of hope. He could also see new fear and respect in their eyes when they glanced up toward the Pegasus’ city. The area the ship’s engineers reflected light upon was crowded, Shamus’ followers loitering around in a chaotic mess that served no military purpose. Athos had human slaves from the Pegasus weave through the new recruits, organizing them into squads and asg them areas to camp. Taking orders from the all-white-uniformed humans would help to further shift the new recruits’ allegiance from Shamus to the Anunnaki, if the light alone wasn’t enough to do it. In contrast to the park areas around the ship’s city high above them, the humans’ tents were laid out in neat rows leading away from the vessel. Not only did this instill a sense of discipline and order, but it also funneled any attacking enemy in close to the Pegasus. There, his soldiers could use the elevated position to their advantage, inflicting the most damage on the enemy as possible while maintaining the easily defended lower levels. Athos’ spirit lifted as he walked the perimeter. Officers greeted him with genuine smiles and growing optimism. That indomitable belief that the Anunnaki could not fail was rekindled. He gave each of his commanders the time they needed to

report on the status of their troops, and he communicated his plan for the ship’s defense to them. “Why don’t we just move all these humans onto the lower levels of the ship now?” a bold young female Shock Troop soldier who oversaw the west side of the Pegasus asked. “Then we can drill them and make them more effective at defending her.” “Yes,” Athos replied patiently. “But then we will also have allowed them to take up residence on the Pegasus. Imagine how hard it could be to evict them once they make themselves at home in these apartments.” The soldier nodded in agreement, not looking embarrassed that she hadn’t thought of that. It was why she’d been chosen for a leadership position. The general wanted his officers to give their opinion on his tactics if time permitted, even at the risk of being reprimanded. He wanted them to be able to think on their feet, to ask questions, and to search for solutions so they could survive if they were separated from their commanders during combat. When Athos made it all the way around the makeshift elevator again, he was exhausted. The engineers started turning the s slowly to simulate the end of an Earth day. The beam of light shining on the ship’s city high above didn’t seem to come from the sun. It was consistent, ideal for powering their new weapon. However, it wouldn’t do for the humans to be bathed nonstop by the light. They’d perform better with a regular light and dark schedule. He climbed onto the crude elevator and told the soldier working the lower end to give the signal. The bench lurched as the soldiers at the top began to turn the winches, and then it settled at a steady pace, rising away from his growing army. The mirrors were turned down so the light no longer reflected on them, and night fell upon the base of the Pegasus. The humans seemed to have faith the Anunnaki would return the light to them in the morning. Instead of an uproar over losing the light, they settled quietly in around campfires, small splashes of orange glows freckling the dark ground surrounding the ship in a regular pattern. They burned pieces of wood collected from the buildings surrounding the airport. Athos wondered how long they could camp there before they dragged the entire city to the base of the Pegasus and burned it in those fires. Of course, they’d run out of food long before that.

Shamus had already set up a food-distribution system for his people, assembling teams to go out and gather canned and dry goods from the homes in the city and to bring livestock from farms on the outskirts. Athos let him continue to control that activity, although he hated allowing him this power. He hoped it wasn’t a move he’d come to regret, but the Anunnaki were too few in numbers to manage anything beyond protecting the ship. There were more fires than the general could count. It meant thousands of humans rested around the base of the ship, ready to fight for Athos against whatever the green entity planned to throw at him. He wished they were enough, but feared the worst. This enemy was far too powerful to be defeated by human slaves with crude weapons. It would take something else to win against the green entity, and he’d yet to find a clue as to what that might be. Two thirds of the way up the side of the Pegasus, he recalled the message they had received from the ship that collapsed the wormhole to Earth. The captain of that ship had reported Anu was destroyed. Athos’ chest ached at the memory that his home world gone. This glowing green enemy had done that. It had also crippled his ship and forced her to land, depriving them of the most fundamental resource an advanced species needed to survive—electricity. But his people were surviving. With just the solitary beam of light allowed to them, they were thriving. If this powerful foe was testing the resiliency of the Anunnaki, there was no doubt that they were ing with flying colors. As he neared the flat top of the pyramid-shaped recruit ship, the roar of conflict reached Athos’ ears. Taken by surprise by the riotous noises, he twisted in his seat to see what was going on. From the side of the ship, he could see nothing. The soldiers pulled him to the top, and Athos jumped from the bench. “What in the name of the gods is going on up here?” he asked the first soldier he came too. “I don’t know, sir,” the sergeant answered. “It was quiet a few moments ago. Suddenly, the citizens began shouting and pushing our soldiers out toward the perimeter.”

A chanting arose from the center of the ship’s city. At first, Athos couldn’t understand what they were saying. As the chant grew louder, it became clear. “We won’t stand for martial law,” they shouted. “Control to the citizens!” They repeated the protest, more voices ing in with each chant. “Damn conniving aristocrats,” Athos cursed, pushing his way toward the line that had formed between the citizens and his soldiers. “They’ll doom us all.” He noticed only his marines stationed around the perimeter. The Pegasus’ sailors had moved into the crowd with the citizens and were chanting alongside them. He knew iral Vecan must be involved in the mutiny, though he doubted he’d masterminded it. Glancing back at the mirrors set up along the edge of the ship, he saw they were still manned. “Don’t let any of those engineers leave their post,” he ordered a Shock Troop commander. “Yes, sir,” the commander replied, a look of comprehension coming into his eyes. As long as Athos controlled the light, he controlled the humans down on the ground below. The ship was tall enough so the humans wouldn’t hear the conflict going on between the Anunnaki, and he knew he had to keep the humans in the dark about any dissension there. They’d be less likely to follow Anunnaki orders if they knew their leaders were fighting among themselves. Approaching the line between his soldiers and the citizens, Athos saw Gentras. The elder nodded to him, as if he’d been waiting for the general. With the help of the citizens nearby, Gentras climbed onto a table. He raised a cone to his mouth to amplify his voice. “Citizens,” he shouted. “Please, calm yourselves.” The citizens and sailors shushed each other until the crowd fell silent. “You may disagree with General Athos’ implementation of martial law,” Gentras continued once everyone was listening, “but the general has committed no crime. We need not show animosity toward the soldiers who follow him. They are our brothers and sisters. Please, return to your business. The elders will

address your complaints with the general. I’m sure we can reach an agreement that will satisfy everyone.” It was obvious the speech was directed at Athos as much as the riotous citizens. Gentras implied the people were rebelling against the general and his implementation of martial law. He’d seen how scared the citizens had been after they were forced to land and how relieved they were when Athos and his soldiers had taken control and had returned a semblance of normalcy to their lives. Neither he nor his soldiers had done anything to oppress the citizens. They had no reason to revolt. This aggression came from the power-hungry aristocrats. The citizens made sounds of agreement with Gentras and began to disperse. Gentras climbed off the table and approached Athos, his usual smile on his face. Although he had a general distaste for the aristocrats, who loved to be in control but never wanted to get their hands dirty, Athos had grown to respect and even like Gentras. Those feelings were gone now. He’d thought this elder wasn’t so much like the rest, that he was more honest and just. Athos had been wrong. Apparently, Gentras was just better at manipulation and deceit than any aristocrat he’d ever had the displeasure of working with. “General Athos,” Gentras said. “Thank goodness you’ve returned.” A master of his game, he sounded genuine and never broke eye with the general. “Gentras,” Athos replied. He kept his voice stoic, not allowing any sign of his annoyance to show. “It appears we’ve had some civil unrest while I was away.” “Yes.” Gentras gestured at the citizens. “Perhaps a topic more fitting for the council hall. If you care to me, I’m sure we can get this sorted.” “Very well,” the general replied. The elder smiled and headed toward the center of the city. Athos followed. “Sir,” the commander in charge of this section of the ship’s perimeter said, concern in his voice. “Please allow me to send an armed escort with you.” Gentras stopped and faced Athos and the commander. “That won’t be necessary,” Athos replied, eyeing Gentras as he spoke to the commander. “I should hope I’m safe among my own people.”

“Of course you are,” Gentras answered, seeming relieved the general opted not to bring soldiers into the council building. “There is no chance of violence; this is simply a question of government.” Gentras continued into the city. Athos glanced at his commander, who wore a worried expression. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Athos said, curbing his anger. The general marched off after the elder, certain things had not deteriorated to the point that he needed a guard. Gentras looked over his shoulder and saw Athos following him, waiting for him to catch up. “Good judgment,” Gentras said. “Excuse me?” Athos said, unclear as to the aristocrat’s meaning. “You knew the council and citizens posed no risk,” Gentras said. “We are aware you are only trying to keep us alive.” “I’d gladly lay down my life for that purpose,” Athos replied. He meant his words, though he wasn’t as certain of the elder’s sincerity. “What I don’t understand is why the citizens would turn against the military. I leave the city for less than an Earth day and return to a people divided. How can this be?” “This is more than I can answer here,” Gentras replied, giving Athos a reassuring smile. “However, I am confident these issues will be resolved.” “They must be,” Athos replied sharply. “We are too few in number for this dissension.” “I couldn’t agree more,” Gentras said, his tone implying he wouldn’t shed any light on the scene that greeted the general upon his return. The citizens eyed the general as he ed. It didn’t appear that their gazes held animosity. They looked frightened and uncertain. By studying them, Athos gathered further evidence that they were not responsible for this revolt. He had saved them from chaos after they landed, had organized them and given them purpose and hope. Although he’d technically declared martial law, he’d been careful not to make the citizens feel suppressed by the military. By the time he

reached the council building, he was even more certain it wasn’t the citizens who caused the rift—it was the power-hungry aristocrats. Upon entering the council hall, Gentras walked to his seat at the curved table that lined the wall of the circular room. The royals who’d been mingling saw the general and made their way to their own seats. There was no place for Athos to sit, and, as usual, he was left standing in the middle of the room with all eyes on him. It always felt like he was on trial when he addressed the council, an insult to the officer who’d dedicated his life to protecting and growing the empire, to making sure the aristocrats had these council halls in which to sit. “Thank you for ing us on such short notice, General Athos. After your visit to the lower levels of the ship, I know you must need rest.” Gentras’ voice cut the chatter of the other aristocrats. “Yes, I am weary,” Athos said, his tone imparting more than one meaning to the word. “Let us skip the niceties and get straight to business. What is going on up here? Why are the citizens,” he gave a slicing glare to iral Vecan, “and the naval personnel treating my marines with such disrespect?” He kept his glare on the iral until the young aristocrat squirmed in his seat. Because of his heritage, the iral was allowed a seat on the council. Athos didn’t come from a royal bloodline, so he wasn’t afforded the luxury. Regardless, the iral should be standing next to the general, ing and helping to enforce the instatement of martial law, not allowing his sailors to be manipulated by the council. “The citizens are unhappy with your position of absolute power over them,” Gentras bluntly replied. “I have made every effort to include this council in the command of the citizens. However, it is what the law calls for,” Athos replied. “If an enemy gains a tactical advantage over the recruit ship and said ship is unable to the high council on Anu, martial law shall be declared until reinforcements arrive or communication with Anu has been reestablished.” “Yes, that is what is written in the legal code,” Gentras replied. “However, you must see how this situation is different from anything the legislature who composed that law could have foreseen.”

“I’m sorry,” Athos sharply replied. “I don’t see your meaning. I think the literal interpretation of that law precisely describes our current situation.” “Except,” Gentras firmly said, pausing for effect, “Anu has been destroyed. There is no chance of reinforcement, and the high council has been terminated. The citizens fear this situation could result in a permanent state of martial law.” “I very much doubt the citizens have any thoughts on the subject,” Athos replied, growing tired of the exchange. “Everyone has been too busy trying to survive to worry about who’ll be in charge tomorrow.” Athos laid an accusatory glare upon each of them. He expected most of them to cower behind Gentras, but was surprised that Kilnasis hadn’t gone for his throat yet. When he looked at Vecan, the iral was conveniently focused on refilling his water glass. “It is our job to anticipate the concerns and needs of the citizens,” Gentras continued. “Because it appears the Pegasus may be the sole remnant of the Anunnaki people, the preservation of our way of life is an immediate concern. We cannot risk the degradation of the principles that made our empire great.” “What you mean is you want to make sure you are not displaced from your seats of power,” Athos growled. “What makes you think I want to disrupt our way of life? Martial law cannot be a permanent solution. It is a temporary one. One which allows the commander of the armed forces to focus the full strength of our small populous and use it to ensure our survival. Once the enemy is defeated, the state of martial law is dissolved immediately.” “We are glad to hear you say that,” Gentras replied. “But what if you are killed? Will the commander who takes your place feel the same about surrendering their power when the time comes to do so?” “Of course they would,” Athos replied, insulted. “Any officer would gladly surrender authority to the council when required.” “In this current situation, we cannot guarantee they would.” Gentras gestured around the room, drawing upon the authority of everyone there. “We have decided this council will take control of the military and will represent the wishes of the people in all military actions. Your commanders will answer to us and will follow our orders.” “So you decided this coup is worth risking the extinction of the Anunnaki

people?” Athos said angrily. “Or are you all so greedy for power that you must be in command, no matter the consequences?” He paused, realizing the expression of his anger would do little to remedy the delicate situation. He took a deep breath, seeking the clarity that always came to him in the heat of combat. What mattered now was the survival of the Anunnaki. He couldn’t let ego get in the way of that, the councils’ or his own. “Very well,” Athos said. “I will clear all military operations with the council. Though I must warn, it will diminish our ability to carry out our mission.” “It is good to hear you agree with the will of the people,” Gentras said. “Please forgive us, but we cannot risk the Anunnaki way of life. We must ask that you stay in the council building and act in an advisory role. You must tell your commanders they are to follow our orders without question.” “Are you imprisoning me?” Athos was shocked. “You must’ve gone mad. What experience do you have that qualifies you to fight an enemy that is more powerful than any we have faced?” “Although we do ask that you not leave this building, we are not imprisoning you,” Gentras said, his calmness on the subject only making Athos more perturbed. “And you will advise us, so your expertise will be instrumental in winning this war. We only intend to ensure the council is the governing body for the remaining Anunnaki people, that the citizens’ rights are protected. This arrangement is the only way we can be certain.” “Damn your lust for power. It will kill us all,” Athos said, glaring around the room. His eyes came back to Gentras. His anger flaring beyond control, he struggled to make a rational decision. “Will you comply with this council’s ruling?” Gentras’ eyes pleaded with Athos. He knew they were taking a huge risk by trying to displace the general. The marines outnumbered the citizens and the sailors, and with the assistance of the loyal humans, they could force the council into submission. The general was wise enough to know such an action would not help them defeat the green entity. “I will comply,” the general said, bowing his head. “Although I fear you have doomed us all.”

“Your concerns are duly noted,” Gentras replied. Relieved chatter erupted among the council , their attention shifting from Athos. He sensed with their relief was a giddiness about regaining their position as the ruling body. Athos predicted they’d be begging him to take charge before this war ended. He hoped by then it wouldn’t be too late.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Shane pushed the kids through the eternal night. Beginning training immediately after they left Granny’s, the kids grew tired after a few hours and could only focus on walking. He soon lost track of time, figuring they’d been going for at least ten hours. Some complained of blisters on their feet, and others stumbled constantly. “We cannot stop,” Shane said to the kids around him, scooping a little boy off the ground and carrying him. “If we stop, we die.” It wasn’t something that should be said to children, and he hated how insensitive he sounded, but that was the harsh reality of the situation. They needed to keep moving; he wouldn’t lose any more of them to Greenie. They’d marched through the forest and found the freeway. Though it didn’t go due south, Shane took a chance and had them follow the road toward Atlanta. The going was much easier, as was keeping track of kids who weren’t weaving between the trees in the woods. He kept a wary eye out for any sign of the green glow that signaled another kid would be killed, planning to divert their path due south if he saw it. The hours wore on, and Greenie didn’t attack. They ed the spot where Matt lost his leg, and the freeway merged with the one that led directly into the heart of Atlanta. “Looks like the seventy-five will take us straight to the light,” Steve said, pointing down the road. “You think we should stay on it, or get off and try to take cover in the city?” “Right now, I think we should try to stay on it,” Shane replied. “But that might have to change once we get down there.” “Be nice if we had a clue as to what we were up against,” Tracy said.

“Wouldn’t it, though?” Maurice replied. “Don’t worry, I know this city inside and out.” “This is good,” Petrov said. “I have no clue where we are.” “We’ve been here before,” Steve said, sounding somber. “This is where we fought our way down and shut off the machine that killed the adults.” “Lost a lot of good people,” Maurice said, his voice inflected with painful memory. “Yes,” Anfisa replied. “But you didn’t have us then.” She smacked Maurice on the back. “Don’t worry—we Russians will keep you safe.” “If you are scared,” Petrov ed in the jest, “hide behind us.” They chuckled, the Russians’ exhausted attempt at humor refreshing. “How much longer before this asshole gives us some light?” Jules snarled. “My arms are numb from these damn ropes.” “How’s the shoulder?” Steve asked, sounding ashamed. “Hurt for a bit,” she replied. “Feels better now, though I can’t tell for sure being all tied up.” Her eyes were glued to Jones and his clones as she spoke, and Shane knew they couldn’t let her loose until Greenie turned off her desire to murder them. “Look,” Steve said. “I think that may be your answer.” The sky to the south began to glow, faint at first, but then increasing in brightness. Once it formed a bright spot in the darkness above them, the light shined down. It touched the ground a couple of miles down the road, in an area where the freeway climbed up a hill. “We’re almost there, people,” Shane said, relieved. Everyone perked up, raising their drooping heads and walking faster. Shane stepped ahead of his friends and came alongside Kelly.

“What happens when we get to the light?” Kelly asked. “We get to rest,” Shane replied, smiling at her. “And you .” “I all of you?” She looked at Nat, who’d stuck by her side all through the night. Kelly’s brow furrowed, like she felt bad for not ing who this little girl who cared so much for her was. “Yes,” Shane replied softly. “You’ll us.” They marched on, and the light ahead increased in intensity until Shane couldn’t see the beacon shining down on Atlanta that had guided them this far. “It’s so weird that the light can be so bright, but it’s contained to that spot,” Anfisa mused. “It seems like it would light up the surrounding area as well.” “It is odd,” Steve agreed. Shane diverted his gaze from the light they walked toward, noticing the area around them appeared even darker than before. He shrugged his shoulders, too tired to contemplate the advanced technology Greenie must be using. They came to the light, and the kids ed into it. Shane and Kelly approached, and he could see it was like a shimmering curtain hung down, holding in the light and keeping it from spilling into the darkness. He took Kelly’s hand. She didn’t resist, though it felt like he was holding onto a stranger. It was their turn to enter the light. Shane looked over at her face as they ed from the dark into the sunlight. Her worried and confused expression transformed, memories and emotion washing over her. She stopped just inside, blinking to adjust her eyes. Kelly turned to him, pulling him to her. She pressed her lips to his, a solitary tear rolling from her eye. “It’s so hard,” she whispered, her lips near his. “Having everything stripped from me like that.” “I know,” he replied. “I wish I could do something to stop it from happening.” “I’m just glad you’re with me,” she replied. “I couldn’t survive this without

you.” “But if something happens to me,” Shane hesitantly said. “You must go on. You have Nat, and the rest of the kids need you too.” “I know,” she whispered. “But don’t let anything happen to you, okay?” “Don’t worry,” he said, smiling at her. “I’m a survivor. Apparently, we all are.” “I guess it’s not something we would’ve learned about ourselves without this experience,” she said, stepping back from him and embracing Nat. “Some silver lining,” he grimly replied. “Do you ?” Nat asked, her voice and manner timid. “Yeah.” Kelly kissed her forehead. “I .” “Shane,” Tracy called. He looked across the sunny circle. The light illuminated the width of the freeway, and most of the kids were settling in the grassy median. They were on the peak of a hill, affording a view of Atlanta and the surrounding areas. Tracy stood at the southern edge of the light, staring out at the city. “What’s the word?” Shane stepped next to Tracy. His eyes were immediately drawn to the distant column of light, the beacon that he expected marking their destination. “You see it?” she asked. “Yeah, wish I didn’t,” he replied. “That’s the recruit ship that went down,” Tracy said. “Looks like Greenie has us on a collision course with the Anunnaki.” “It’s what I’ve been saying all along,” Jules said. She’d ed them and was rubbing the feeling back into her arms after having the ropes removed. Shane eyed Jules, worried she still had aggressive tendencies even with the lights on.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Jules said. “I’m in control now. But I’ve known ever since Greenie showed up and freed me that they want us to kill the Anunnaki. That’s why they’ve been pushing us down toward Atlanta this entire time. If we don’t fight, they’ll kill us.” “There’s something else, Shane,” Kelly solemnly said, ing them. “I’m not liking your tone,” Tracy replied, a worried frown on her face. “What is it, Kelly?” Shane asked. “I think Greenie put a message in my mind.” She paused, sounding like she felt violated by their intrusion. “It said this would be our last stop.” “Last stop before what?” Steve wondered, only sounding a little worried. “I think I got the same message,” Jules replied. “Greenie is not going to give us another break.” “And it won’t be over until we destroy the remaining Anunnaki,” Kelly finished, a sick expression on her face. “How long do we have?” Shane asked, wanting to make the best use of the time. “You know they ain’t that generous,” Jules replied. “They didn’t say.” He looked at Kelly. “Sorry, they didn’t tell me either,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “What do you want us to do?” Steve asked. His friend was ready for action; he just needed to be pointed in the right direction. Shane checked the kids behind them. They’d settled in on the grass in the median and alongside the freeway. Some were eating, but several had already fallen asleep. His stomach twisted at the thought of the smaller kids being hurt or killed. They planned to keep them surrounded with older kids to protect them, but he knew once the battle started, that strategy could easily fall apart. “At least most of them are teenagers,” Tracy said, picking up on Shane’s

concern. Shane returned his attention to the darkness and the shadowy city that lay between them and the recruit ship. “We’ve got to hit them fast and hard,” he said. “We’re stronger and have better endurance. We need to use these to our advantage.” “We’re attacking the Anunnaki?” Steve asked. “We’ll head toward them,” Shane replied. “I don’t think Greenie will allow us to go anywhere else. We won’t attack unless we have to.” “Oh, we’ll have to,” Jules said, an ominous tone to her voice. “For now,” Shane continued, knowing they had to focus on the present, “everyone needs to get rested. We’ll be useless if we don’t get some sleep.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Pelros had never been so tired in his life. All the hiking in Earth’s intense gravity left every muscle in his body aching. He hurt from his feet to the top of his head —it even seemed like his hair was sore. It felt like the gash in his side was healing, but it still ached every step of the way. He could see the humans, Jones, and the clones were all wasted as well. It made him feel better about his condition, knowing they were worn out. The humans settled on the grass alongside the road and fell asleep. Jones’ illegal clones did the same. Pelros lay on his side, pretending to go to sleep. Exhaustion persuaded him into slumber. He resisted, focusing on the dull pain from his injury to keep alert. He meditated over the wound, telling himself he wouldn’t allow it to inhibit his ability to fight. Even if the sutures ruptured and his guts spilled out, he wouldn’t stop until the Anunnaki regained control of the humans and Jones and his rebel clones were dead. He kept his eyes closed and lay still, listening to Jones and one of his clones talking in hushed voices nearby. He’d seen the Pegasus. Her apex reached toward the heavens and was bathed in the beam of light that had marked her location since the constant darkness settled upon the rest of the world. They were so close now. If he could slip away, he could make it to the ship on his own. Then he could warn his people about the humans and Jones. He could give them time to prepare and minimize casualties among his people. Better yet, they could set an ambush and slaughter these humans. If they captured Jones, they could give him the trial and the public execution he deserved. Pelros would be on that firing squad—that was for sure. He’d played his role as the estranged son who might want to rekindle a relationship with his father to perfection. Jones was no fool, but Pelros had made him drop his guard significantly since he was first taken captive. When it was dark and they were on the move, Jones had removed Pelros’ restraints and trusted him to stay with the group. It seemed the rebel was more concerned

about the crazed human Jules attacking them than about his prisoner escaping. At this stop, with the Pegasus in sight, Jones had ordered Pelros’ hands to be bound. The clone who’d tied the rope around his wrists hadn’t cinched it very tight, even apologizing when he’d tied him. Pelros grinned, impressed with his performance during his captivity. Now all his efforts would pay off. Opening his eyes to slits, he saw Jones lay down on the grass. Moments later, the rebel’s heavy breathing told him he was asleep. The clone he’d left to stand guard sat nearby, his head sinking and his eyes half closed with exhaustion. Listening to the final sounds of humans settling in behind him, the Shock Troop soldier waited for at least another Earth hour. Warm sunlight bathing him, he lay motionless. He kept his eyes closed, fighting sleep the entire time. The camp grew quiet, disturbed only by the sounds of deep breathing and a few snores. When he was certain he’d out if he lay still for a moment longer, Pelros slowly opened his eyes. His guard’s head dropped, then jerked up, sleep trying to make him fail at his duty. Pelros pulled his legs in quietly and rolled to his feet. He glanced around the ring of warm yellow light. Everyone was laying down, save for a human standing guard on the other side of the camp and the clone sitting up nearby. The clone looked at him with sleepy and unconcerned eyes. “I need to relieve myself,” Pelros whispered. The clone nodded and rose to his feet. He led him to the edge of the light, facing him into the dark curtain that stood like a wall between the camp and the wintry night beyond. Because of the bright light shining down on him, the darkness beyond seemed thick and impenetrable. Pelros glanced over his shoulder at the clone and gave an embarrassed smile, shaking his bound hands behind his back and gesturing with a nod. “Yes,” the clone said, blinking his eyes wearily. He released one of Pelros’ hands, keeping his other arm behind his back and raised so he could control him and prevent his escaping. Pelros stepped closer to the darkness. When he pulled, the clone followed. His face ed out of the

light, and he blinked his eyes to see what lay beyond. His eyes had not adjusted, and he couldn’t see a thing. He relieved himself into the darkness, raising his head and leaning back as he did. His face in the light again, he peered behind him. The human guard on the other side of the camp was facing him. When he saw Pelros staring back, he turned away, as if to give the prisoner a second of privacy while he went to the bathroom. Pelros saw the clone behind him turn his head to see what he was looking at. When he did, he loosened his grip on Pelros’ left arm. Pelros swung his right arm behind him and hooked the clone’s elbow. He leaned to the same side and twisted, bringing the guard off balance. Once his opponent was moving, Pelros rotated his body faster and flung them both out of the light and into the darkness. With lightning speed he’d worried he couldn’t muster because of his injury, Pelros rammed his pointed fingers into the clone’s throat. The spear-hand attack found its soft target, crushing his windpipe. Pelros dropped his elbow into the clone’s temple, using a twist of his core to put every bit of his weight into his enemy’s skull. He pushed himself off the clone, ready to hit him again if needed. His opponent lay motionless. A faint wheeze told Pelros his lungs couldn’t move air through his crushed larynx, and a gurgle meant the unconscious clone began to drown in his own blood. Pelros leapt to his feet and ran. He saw the beam of light and the glowing city on top of the Pegasus to the south, and his eyes began to adjust so he could make out a bridge ahead. The enemy would expect him to take the bridge; it appeared to be the most direct route to his ship. A shout came from the camp behind him, and he dug deep for every bit of strength left in his body. He ran as fast as he could, darting under the bridge and down the hill to the road below. Each footfall sent a shockwave of pain away from the gash in his side, but he didn’t slow down. Falling, he rolled to the bottom of the slope. He cursed and pushed his bruised body to his feet. Rushing to a large vehicle in the road, he climbed into the open cargo box on the back. Slowing his breathing, he hid in the shadows and listened for pursuers. He was sick of being held by the human kids and decided he’d fight to the death before

being taken again. “It’s too damn dark,” one of the humans shouted. It sounded like he was on the bridge above Pelros. “He would’ve headed straight down the freeway,” another voice said. That one sounded like the girl called Tracy. “Is it even worth chasing him?” a male human asked. “If he makes it back to the ship, he’ll warn them of our approach.” He recognized Jones’ voice. “I reckon they already know we’re coming,” another human said. “Maurice is right. It’s not worth chasing him.” They walked off the bridge and back toward the camp, the sounds of their conversation fading. Pelros waited, wanting to be certain they hadn’t set a trap for him. It was what he would’ve done, acting like he’d given up the search only to leave a few soldiers silently watching to see if the prisoner would come out of a nearby hiding place. He waited as long as he could, antsy to get away from the humans and back to his ship. When he did make his move, he slipped out of the cargo bay of the large vehicle and stayed under the bridge until he was on the other side of the wide road. Using a low concrete wall for cover, he walked down the road. It led him at an angle away from the Pegasus. It would make his journey back to the ship longer, but the indirect route reduced the chance of his being recaptured. Once he got away from the bridge, the road went up high enough for him to see the Pegasus. Pelros could see the column of light shining down on the humans who’d held him captive. The green alien who had crippled his ship seemed to be in charge. It only shined light on his people and this group of humans. It drove them south toward a collision with the Pegasus. If the ship had power, this small army of humans wouldn’t pose much of a threat. But he had to assume the Pegasus had been crippled like his transport. The enemy the humans called Greenie had implied the humans would punish the Anunnaki, and he assumed it was these humans, guided by the rebel Jones and his clones that the green entity was talking about.

He tried to think of a way to stop the humans, to cripple them before they could get to the recruit ship, but there wasn’t much he could do alone. The best course he could think of was to get to his people and warn them about the humans’ approach, though he guessed they’d already seen the light shining down and had an idea that something was headed their way. Pelros crawled through a hole in the fence that bordered the wide road. Satisfied he was far enough away from his captors, he headed straight toward the Pegasus. She stood tall and proud, aglow with the bright light shining down on her from the sky. The ship dwarfed the tallest buildings in the humans’ primitive city. He imagined that even without power, she would act as a fortress that the humans would not be able to overrun.

Chapter Twenty-Six

“You okay?” Shane stepped next to Jones, who stood over the corpse of the clone the escaping prisoner had killed. “It saddens me,” Jones replied. “I know it may seem strange to outsiders, but these clones are my children. I have strong feelings for each of them.” “Doesn’t seem strange to me at all,” Shane replied. He watched the sunlightbathed camp. He felt a strong connection to all the kids he was responsible for, even the ones he barely knew. “I wonder if it occurred to him,” Jones said quietly, “that he was essentially killing his own brother.” There was subtle pain in the captain’s gruff voice. He put his hand on Jones’ shoulder. “Not sure he ever thought of any of us as more than just another enemy,” Shane replied. “I thought he was coming around,” Jones said. He gazed south, toward the massive, pyramid-shaped ship. “But now I see I was just being manipulated. It is what he was trained to do, and he did it well. I was a fool for not being more cautious.” “Can’t blame yourself,” Shane replied. “This is war. There will be casualties.” He hated how callous he sounded. “Listen to you,” Jones said. “You’ve grown up so much since we first recruited you from that farmhouse after you shut down the limbic manipulator.” Jones sounded proud, like he was speaking to one of his own children. Shane’s eyes moistened at the affection in Jones’ gaze, but it also made him feel a little sick to his stomach. He had a terrible premonition that Jones and his clones

would be killed by Greenie, along with the rest of the Anunnaki. There was no way he’d be able to stop the powerful alien if it decided to take the captain. He glanced up at the dark sky, hoping Greenie watched now. The glowing alien seemed to hate the Anunnaki and believe they had no redeemable qualities. If Greenie could see how the death of Jones’ clone affected him and could see how much the captain cared for Shane and the other humans he’d trained, then maybe it wouldn’t be so quick to stereotype all Anunnaki as evil slave mongers. “The light,” Jones said, any tenderness in his growly voice replaced with sudden urgency. “It’s fading.” “Damn it,” Shane said. He took three steps, ing out of the darkness and into the ring of warm light bathing the camp. It lost some of its brightness, but wasn’t fading as fast as it had before. He expected Greenie was giving them a few extra minutes to gather themselves before it was lights out for good, or at least until the looming conflict with the Anunnaki had ended to Greenie’s satisfaction. He didn’t need to tell the kids to pack up; they’d noticed the light growing dimmer and were rushing about to get ready to move on. A suffocating cloud of fear hung over everyone. They knew the fight against the Anunnaki was imminent; they knew many of them would die. Shane wished he could leave them all here and go down to face the Anunnaki alone. Why did Greenie need more humans to suffer? They’d paid their dues with enough blood to drown any Anunnaki remaining on the ship on the other side of Atlanta. “The little ones can stay here,” Kelly said, her eyes glazed. “What?” Shane took her arm. What she said stunned him; it was like she’d read his thoughts. “Are you okay?” “You may leave the little ones here,” she repeated. “They will not be harmed.” Her eyes cleared, and she blinked several times, swaying in his grasp. “Wow,” she said. “Felt like I ed out for a second.” “I think Greenie just spoke through you,” Shane replied.

“Creepy,” she said, shivering. “What did it say?” “You,” he paused, “well, it said we can leave the little ones here. It said they’d be safe.” “That’s a blessing,” she replied, sounding relieved. “I didn’t want Nat to have to face whatever we are up against.” “Yeah, I was just worrying about how we’d watch out for them if it comes to a fight,” he said, feeling creeped out, “and then you answered my concerns. It’s like Greenie is reading our minds.” “When it comes to a fight,” Jules added. She’d slipped up behind him without his noticing. Maurice was on her heels, carrying a length of rope and looking concerned. “How are you guys feeling?” Shane asked. “I don’t feel like killing Jones, if that’s what you’re asking,” Jules replied. “Yet.” “Yeah.” Kelly rubbed her head. “I’m not losing my memory like before.” “Still quite a bit of light left,” Maurice observed. “Not to sound pessimistic.” “Let me know if you feel your memory fading,” Shane said to Kelly, then to Jules, “Or if you feel like killing Jones or his people.” “I’ll stay with them,” Maurice said. Shane nodded at the squat preacher’s son and turned his attention to the rest of the kids. “Listen up,” he shouted. “Everyone twelve years old and younger is going to stay here. The rest of you will be leaving with us in ten minutes.” The kids looked at him for a moment, then fell into chatter among themselves as they continued getting ready. He could only hope Greenie would accept his cutoff for the kids who would stay and those who would go. The light grew brighter again, which he took as a sign of approval. He and Kelly walked to the area where the little kids were gathered. She went to her sister, and he found

Rebecca, the red-haired girl who’d taken the lead in caring for the children when Laura wasn’t around. “Are you sure they can stay?” Rebecca said. She’d clearly grown attached to the children. “What happens if it hurts them?” “Greenie spoke through Kelly,” Shane replied. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll leave the kids here under the light.” “But what if?” she persisted. “If anything happens,” he replied, looking at the children, “you’ll have to get it together and move south after us. But judging by the light, I think you’ll be fine.” Several of the wide-eyed children nodded. Rebecca pursed her lips in reluctance and her brow furrowed with concern, but she nodded, accepting his decision. He saw Kelly hugging Nat. Tears streamed down the little girl’s face, the pain of being separated from her sister once again too much to bear. “You will be going with us,” Petrov said, his voice filled with impatient anger. “This is no time for cowardice.” Shane trotted over to where the big Russian stood, addressing a group of kids he guessed were right around the cutoff age he’d chosen. “What’s going on here?” he asked, surveying their terrified faces. “Why don’t the kids who are twelve have to go?” A skinny, dark-haired boy with wide green eyes asked. “We’re just thirteen. We shouldn’t have to go either.” “You’re old enough to fight,” Shane replied, hating that he had to send these terrified kids into battle. “If you try to stay here, Greenie will kill you.” “We’re kids,” the boy pleaded, speaking for eight other wet-eyed children behind him. “We ain’t old enough to fight. We shouldn’t have to.” “You must find your courage,” Petrov growled.

Shane put his hand on the Russian’s arm to calm him. “Look,” Shane said to them. He tried to sound kind, sympathetic to their fear. But he also wanted to make sure they understood there was no other option. “None of us are old enough to fight, but we don’t have a choice. If you stay here, you will die. Now pull yourselves together. Do I make myself clear?” He spun away before they had a chance to respond. Rage boiled in him. He wasn’t angry at the kids for not wanting to fight. He was angry at Greenie and at the Anunnaki. It wasn’t fair. These kids were innocent. They’d done nothing to warrant losing their parents and being forced into a war they couldn’t win. Grabbing his weapon and his pack, Shane headed to the south side of the circle of light. He surveyed the camp. Rebecca had recruited some other teenagers to corral the younger kids toward the opposite side of the sunny ring and make sure they had enough food. Steve, Tracy, Kelly, Jules, and Maurice trotted toward him. He didn’t need to tell them when he was about to give the order to move out. They knew it just by looking at him. Anfisa signaled to Petrov and the other Russians, and they moved to Shane’s team. Jones and a couple of his clones headed over as well. Shane tried to develop his play, a strategy, and tactics for the mission. He’d led other kids through a lot since the last time he was in Atlanta. His team and the Russians were combat veterans, and all the kids had been through enough hell to make them strong or drive them mad. “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,” Steve said. “Quoting Shakespeare? Wow. You’re so much smarter than you look,” Petrov teased. “Wish I could say the same for you,” Steve returned with a playful smile. Their quick banter calmed Shane, and he could see it mellowed everyone else out too. “We’ll take the point and forward flanks,” Shane said to his team. “Anfisa, can

you take your team and lead up the rear?” “No problem,” she replied. “What do we do if any of them try to stay behind?” She thumbed at the thirteen-year-old kids who’d just pleaded their case to Shane and Petrov. “We can’t let them,” Shane replied. “It’ll jeopardize the safety of the children.” “Understood,” Anfisa replied, her expression steely. He worried her solution for forcing them to come along might be too harsh, but he didn’t have the time to micromanage her. “Captain Jones.” Shane glanced at Jules, and then back at the captain. “Please have your people stay on the right side of the group. Jules, you’ll be on the left flank.” “Good idea,” Jules agreed, still appearing in full control. “Maurice should probably stay near me.” “Don’t worry,” Maurice said, putting his arm around her shoulders. “I got you, girl.” “Okay, my friends,” Shane said, smiling at each of them. “Let’s do this.” Steve and Shane clapped like they used to when they’d break huddle in football, and they headed to their positions around the perimeter of their small army. The kids in the middle saw them and seemed to sense it was time to go. All eyes were on Shane. He had to say something, give that speech everyone deserved before going on the field. But he didn’t know what lay ahead. He was at a loss for words. “We can’t lie to ourselves. It’s probably going to get really ugly down there,” Shane said. Gazing at their dirty faces, he felt sick wondering if any of them would survive. He wanted to reassure them, to tell them it would be all right, but he knew they deserved the truth. “Some of us may be killed. I know that’s a scary notion, but if we go out there and fight as a team like we aren’t afraid to die, some of us will survive. If we don’t go, Greenie will kill us all.” With nothing left to say, he stood there before them. It was the least inspirational

speech he could imagine, but he hated sugarcoating. No one cheered or nodded in agreement. They just stared at him. However, no one objected either, so he could only assume his depressing spiel had served its purpose. Shane turned his back to the kids, facing the darkness. On his left, Kelly gave him a grin. Her expression was otherwise pained. He could see the separation from Nat weighed heavy on her heart. He planned to keep her close. She’d tell him if she felt Greenie wiping her memories again, then he’d know he had to protect Jones and the clones from Jules. For now, he didn’t want to keep Jules bound. The tall, powerful girl was too good a warrior to have her arms restrained. She could be the difference, the one who tipped the scale to victory in a battle. Shane stepped out of the warmth and into the freezing night. The moon showed brightly overhead, and his eyes adjusted to the white light by the time he walked to the base of the bridge a hundred yards away. He climbed the bridge, looking over at Kelly. “You good?” he asked. “Yeah, still have all my memories,” she replied, her expression saying she wasn’t so good otherwise. Nonetheless, it was a relief. He hoped Greenie was done messing with her and Jules’ minds. He needed everyone on his team to be able to fight if they were to survive.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

When there was enough distance between him and the camp to ensure the teenagers were out of the sunlight, Shane turned to see how they fared. The kids marched onto the bridge behind him, most of their heads held low. A few gazed back at the column of light that shone down on the camp. Petrov walked in the rear of the group, pushing a kid with his rifle. It had to be the thirteen-year-old who’d voiced his objections earlier. Shane felt like a sack of shit for forcing the kids to come along, but what else was he supposed to do? With a violent clap of thunder, the column of sunlight, which had been so completely contained to the area of the camp, vanished and left only darkness. It felt like the sound punched Shane’s heart right out of his chest. The teenagers turned around to face the noise, gasping in astonishment. “Go back,” Shane shouted, terrified they’d see the kids they’d left behind go up in a flash of green fire. “We have to get the children before those bastards hurt them.” Running faster than most of them, Shane cut through the small army of teenagers and had almost caught up with Petrov by the time they made it to the camp. The younger kids were gone. Overcome with nausea, he searched the ground. When he didn’t see piles of ashes, he exhaled in relief. Confusion mixed in with his fear and concern. “Where are they?” Kelly asked hysterically. “There’s no sign of them,” Petrov stammered. “No remains. Nothing.” The other teenagers spread out, searching the area surrounding the camp and the trees on the side of the freeway. “Nat,” Shane called, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. “Children.”

The teenagers stopped, and the moonlit highway grew silent. He sensed them straining their ears in a collective effort to hear a response. A bird solemnly chirped from one of the pine trees, seeming to lament over the missing children. “Shit,” Steve cursed. “I don’t think we can stay here,” Tracy added. He followed their gazes up the road. From behind a hill to the north, a green glow rolled south like an eerie fog. It topped the hill, and he could see the glow came from a moving six-foot-high wall. “Run,” Shane shouted, pointing toward Atlanta without taking his eyes off the green barrier. Slowly moving toward them, it extended into the forest on either side of the road, and he could see the glow reached to the horizon going east and west. It curved to the south on either end, like it might actually be a giant ring that surrounded Atlanta and closed in on them. Where the wall encountered things taller than it, it grew to match them. It devoured the abandoned cars and big rigs, and incinerated the forest on either side. It made crackling sounds when it encountered objects, burning them with its smokeless flames. Beyond the wall was daylight, the sun shining down on the absolute destruction done by the green fire. There was nothing left, piles of smoldering ash and scorched dirt. Even the concrete of the highway was consumed. The teenagers fled, and he watched the devastation approach, stunned. “We gotta go, dude,” Steve said. “I know,” he replied. Shane took a last look at the approaching end of the world and ran after the rest of his people with Steve at his side. They caught up with the other kids when they were on the bridge. Tracy yelled at the teenagers, telling them to keep their heads and try to stay organized, but they pushed each other and some fell in their hurry to get away. They were a mile away from the green wall before the

teenagers calmed down and settled into a sustainable jogging pace. “What are we going to do?” Tracy asked, dropping back and running to his right. She sounded scared, but the soldier she’d become took over and awaited his orders. At this point, he’d decided they didn’t have a chance. He expected they’d all die, no matter what they did. He gritted his teeth, pushing the defeatist idea out of his thoughts. “We’re going to keep going until we have to stop,” Shane replied. “Until we can’t run anymore.” Speaking so Steve and the other kids nearby could hear, he added. “We need to form up and be ready for anything.” The moon gave enough light for him to see everyone. He stayed in the back until his team and the Russians were in place. “You keep one eye over your shoulder,” he said to Petrov. “Don’t let Greenie sneak up on us.” “Yes, sir,” the big Russian replied. It was clear he was scared too, but Shane knew he would never lose control. He clapped Petrov on the shoulder and ran through the teenagers, heading toward the front of his army. “Discipline is our only hope for survival,” he shouted. “We must stay close to each other and keep our heads, no matter what happens.” He feared what he was asking of them was impossible. He had no doubt his team and the Russians would hold it together, even up to the moment they breathed their last breath. The rest of the teenagers didn’t benefit from the training and experience. He could only pray they’d listen and wouldn’t scatter when the fighting started. Some of the kids he ed huffed for air, and he didn’t expect they’d be able to run more than a couple of miles at a time. He made it to the front and settled into a jog next to Kelly, dodging around the increasing number of cars they encountered as they drew closer to the city. Kelly’s face was wet with tears, though she wore a determined look. Her sadness

wouldn’t hinder her ability to fight, but it he couldn’t stand to see her so tormented. “We don’t know that she’s been harmed,” he said to her. “There were no remains. Maybe Greenie just moved them somewhere.” “I know,” she replied, sounding terrified. “I can’t give up hope. I won’t.” She looked at him with desperation. He crushed his own emotions, determined to be strong for her. He had to focus on his people, to lead them to the best of his ability. That was his best hope for keeping them alive, and for helping reunite Kelly with Nat if the little girl was still alive. “How’s your memory?” he asked, glancing back at Jules. “It’s fine,” she replied. “I think.” It was promising that Greenie hadn’t taken her memory or made Jules crazy again. Could it be this strange and powerful alien didn’t want to kill them after all? He turned his attention to the road ahead. Scanning the shadows for any sign of a threat, he tried to stop thinking about the things he couldn’t change. If he boiled it down in his mind and didn’t dwell on the horror of it all, he could see that this was just another game. At this point, all they could do was play it to the best of their ability. Greenie was in charge, making all the rules. The other team was the aliens who’d killed his and everyone else’s families. Did the Anunnaki know they were coming? Once the escaped soldier got back to his ship, they would. He wondered at their strategy, what would he do if he were on their end of the field? He’d set up ambushes in the city if he were them, so he figured they had that to look forward to.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Hold up,” a voice from the dark building demanded. “Drop it.” Pelros froze and released the metal pipe he’d been carrying as a weapon. Assuming a gun was pointed at him, he didn’t want to appear threatening. He’d walked for a couple of hours and doubted the human who owned the voice was d with the group who’d held him prisoner. “Who’s there?” he asked, peering into the dark interior of the building. “I’m unarmed. Show yourself.” The dull metal of a shotgun barrel eased out of the shadows, followed by the grimy face of a human girl. He heard other movement inside the building and knew she wasn’t alone. “You’re an alien,” she said. He couldn’t tell if it was a question or a statement. “I am,” he replied, uncertain if the fact would help or hurt him. “Where’re you coming from?” She kept her weapon trained on him. “North of here,” he replied. “I was held captive by a group who is headed this way.” She studied him a moment longer, stepping closer to examine his face. A signal from her brought two male humans out of the dark building. They also carried guns, confirming Pelros did the right thing by dropping his pipe. “Take him down to the other aliens,” the girl ordered. Her words reenergized him. He was saved. They led Pelros deeper into the city. On every block they ed, his human guards signaled to humans hiding in the shadows of the buildings. This was a well-organized front line, and he grew increasingly confident Jones and the humans he traveled with would never be

able to cross it. The initial excitement of being rescued faded, and his legs grew weak again. He focused on each step to keep from tripping as he followed them into a narrow alley between buildings. The dark egress opened into a plaza with several fires casting dancing orange light on the surrounding buildings. The two males led him to a fire with several Anunnaki sitting around it. “Commander Pelros?” one of the officers said. “In the flesh,” he replied cheerfully, watching the two humans turn away and leave him with the Anunnaki soldiers. When they were alone, he dropped into a chair and leaned his head back, letting out a long sigh of relief. “How did you survive?” one of the officers asked, a look of astonishment on his face. Pelros recognized the soldier, the captain of a company he fought against during training exercises on the voyage to Earth. “The last we heard, you were far to the north when we lost power,” another one pointed out. “Did you walk all that way?” “I did walk,” he replied, managing to grin at them. “Hence my exhaustion.” Taking the hint, the first officer retrieved a flask of water and some food for Pelros. He drank and ate, and they stood impatiently by, awaiting his story. Because of his success in the campaign to recruit the humans into slavery before the green enemy had arrived, he had become well known among the soldiers and citizens on the Pegasus. It seemed disappearance and assumed death had increased that popularity. His return would make him famous. When the food and water gave him a measure of energy, he relayed to them all that had happened. He mentioned the rebels who were helping the humans, leaving out they were led by his father. “Have you seen General Athos?” Pelros asked, anxious to hear that his uncle was well. “No, sir,” the officer replied, looking agitated by the question. “The general is

being held in the capital city aboard the Pegasus.” “What do you mean, being held?” Pelros straightened in his seat, narrowing his eyes at the officer. “It’s only rumors that leak to us out here on the front, and since losing power, our communication system is crude,” the other officer said, seeming worried Pelros would kill the messengers. “The word is General Athos is being held in the council building. He’s allowed to meet with his senior staff under the supervision of a council member, but they aren’t letting him leave.” “On what authority?” Pelros asked, anger making him sweat. “They say the council’s,” the officer said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the darkness as a reminder that this report did not originate with him. “Martial law was instated just after we touched down. Perhaps the council did not like having to answer to the general.” “General Athos would never have abused his authority,” Pelros said, standing. “Yes, sir,” the officer replied, his voice wavering. Pelros turned away from the soldiers and separated himself from them by three steps. His back to them, he looked up at the dark sky and white moon. He noticed it appeared to have stopped moving since he escaped. It hung overhead, casting enough light to see in the open areas. What idiocy had led to his uncle being detained? Aristocratic vanity and narcissism were to blame, no doubt. He put his fist on his hips, deciding what to do with the disturbing information just relayed to him. Pelros excelled in his political studies, along with every other subject he’d taken in the academy. He knew the general was well within his rights in declaring martial law, and as much as Athos hated the aristocrats, he would never usurp their authority unless he felt it was necessary for him to do so to save the people. He’d go to the Pegasus and see his uncle. And if need be, he’d have anyone responsible for restricting his movements arrested. There was a war coming to the surviving Anunnaki. Even if General Athos did lust for power, they needed the general’s leadership to stand as one, or this green entity would destroy them.

“I was met by a human, and saw lots more as I came to this camp,” Pelros said in a faint voice, not wanting anyone but the two officers to hear. “Are their genes still active?” “No, sir,” the one tending the fire said. “That was all General Athos’ doing. Most of the sla—” he cleared his throat, “humans who were aboard the ship maintained their allegiance voluntarily. And the general recruited the humans from this city before the council took him.” “So you’re saying every human in this city is allied with us?” Pelros asked with quiet astonishment. “Indeed, Commander.” “That may have been the bit of military genius that will save us all,” Pelros mused, proud of his uncle. “And they reward him with confinement? He should be able to come and go as he pleases.” “Agreed, sir.” “What are your orders?” Pelros asked. “We’ve been told that as soon as we anyone coming south, to retreat back to the ship and take all humans with us,” the first officer replied. “Now that we’ve run into you, we won’t be here in an hour.” “Guide me on the quickest route to the ship,” he ordered. “And tell your troops to watch their backs as they retreat. A well-armed group of humans is approaching.” “How many?” the officer asked. “A couple of hundred. It is not a large force, but they cannot be underestimated,” he replied. “They are led by the humans who destroyed the other ships. And they’re advised by rebel Anunnaki soldiers.” It would’ve helped them to know that one of the rebels was his uncle’s brother, that he may be as brilliant and calculative a military mind as General Athos. However, that was a bit of information he wasn’t comfortable with making public just yet. Jones and the humans were greatly outnumbered. He expected

the rebel would be killed before anyone could learn of his genetic relationship to Pelros.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

A movement up ahead caught his attention, and Shane raised his fist, signaling the kids behind him to stop and get down. They followed his order, moving quieter than they could when they had the little kids with them. He searched the shadows between the cars cluttering the freeway ahead. A dog came out from behind a truck, sniffing the side door as if it smelled something inside it could eat. It stopped and looked Shane’s way. Apparently spotting him, it turned and trotted in the other direction like it had no interest in an encounter with people. Shane glanced at Kelly. She returned his gaze, concern weighing heavy in her eyes. “I can’t stop worrying about Nat,” she whispered. “Do you think she’s okay?” “I do,” he replied, trying to sound certain. “Greenie would’ve burnt them in front of us if it intended to kill them. I think we just have to stay the course, and we’ll be reconnected with the little ones once Greenie is satisfied.” He didn’t believe a word he was saying, but he had to say something to keep her focused. If she were distracted when they encountered the enemy, it could get her killed. “How’s the memory?” he asked. “Still got it all,” she dismally replied, putting her finger to her temple. “Though I wouldn’t mind forgetting most of it.” “Don’t blame you,” he said, grabbing her hand and squeezing. “Other parts,” she said softly, squeezing his hand back, “I don’t ever want to forget.”

He smiled at her, his heart growing warm at her comment. Raising his hand, he signaled for the teenagers to continue. They weaved their way between the cars, heading down the freeway toward the beacon of light that shined onto the Anunnaki ship. The light had changed since they got closer. It appeared to be reflected to areas around the ship. He guessed the Anunnaki were trying to spread the light to the ground, perhaps so they could see to prepare their defense. He glanced over his shoulder, ensuring everyone was still together. His army of teenagers seemed frightfully small. They held their guns ready, and they looked like they’d be effective in a fight, but he feared they would be greatly outnumbered. The buildings alongside the freeway got taller, and he worried they provided too many places where snipers could hide and pick off his people. They needed to take shelter along the concrete walls that lined the freeway. Slinging his gun onto his shoulder, he put his hands together over his head and separated them, pointing toward the shadowy areas on either side of the road. The kids split. He went with his team off to the left, making sure to stay with Jules and Kelly. Anfisa took her team with the other half of the teenagers. Jones knew well enough to follow the Russians, keeping as much distance between himself and his clones and Jules as possible. “If these kids were to suddenly become slaves again, we’d be in a world of hurt,” Tracy whispered once they were up against the concrete wall alongside the freeway, heading into the shadow under a bridge. “Hadn’t thought of that,” Steve replied, casting a nervous glance at the kids following them. “Yeah, that would suck,” Shane agreed. “But I don’t think that’s part of Greenie’s plan.” “It’s not,” Kelly flatly said. “You say it like you know for certain,” Laura said. She had her finger near the trigger, ready to bring her gun off her shoulder and aim at any enemy ahead of them. Even with only one arm, Shane knew she’d be better in a firefight than most of the new kids behind them.

“I feel like I do,” Kelly replied, sounding unnerved. “There’s this voice. It keeps telling me stuff.” She met his gaze, her eyes communicating that she wasn’t losing it. Shane felt sick looking at her. He worried he’d never get her back completely, that her mind would always be fragmented because of her enslavement by the Anunnaki and now the manipulation by Greenie. Worse still, if Nat wasn’t okay, how would Kelly ever be her old cheerful self again? “Jules, you alright?” Shane asked, speaking in a quiet voice. “Maurice?” “I’m cool,” Jules responded. “Beyond her usual crazies,” Maurice teased, “she seems fine.” “I’ll show you crazy,” Jules returned. Though their teasing seemed forced and out of place, it caused the rest of the team to chuckle. The excess tension that he’d felt in his chest since the children had been nabbed lessened a bit. They had to stay calm, crack jokes and even try to laugh once in a while. Otherwise, they would all lose their minds. “That’s Fifth Street Plaza,” Jules observed, pointing at the bridge crossing over the freeway ahead. “We’re coming up on the tricky part.” “Why is that?” Shane asked. “The freeway makes a loop around downtown,” she replied, reminding him she grew up here. “It’ll take us off the direct path to the Anunnaki ship.” “Will Greenie mind?” he asked Kelly. “I don’t know,” she replied. “Maybe we should go straight through downtown,” Maurice suggested. This was his home too. “Way too much opportunity for ambush down there,” Tracy said. “The freeway has been clear so far.”

“We still have a half mile until we need to decide,” Maurice added. They felt their way through the darkest area underneath the plaza. As they came back into the moonlight, Shane glanced across the freeway at the others. He weighed the options given to him. He knew the freeway would grow even wider in areas, sometimes by more than a football field’s length. They hadn’t seen any sign of Greenie since fleeing the fiery wall that swept south. He sensed it was out there, still closing on them, but they had put some distance between them. So many bad memories lay in the downtown area ahead—he had no desire to revisit that place. Just before they came to the bend in the road he made his decision. “We stick to the freeway,” he said. “We’ll move fast around the loop and keep an eye out for Greenie.” Perhaps because neither option seemed all that much better than the other, no one agreed or disagreed. He stepped out into the road and signaled to Anfisa, and then guided them around the bend. Along with searching for any threats hiding in ambush ahead, he kept an eye to the northeast, expecting that would be where he would see Greenie’s wall first. “The loop doesn’t bend that far east,” Maurice reassured, sounding hopeful. “I think we’ll be fine.” Shane expected he was right. It only took about twenty minutes of walking for them to come to the easternmost part of the loop, where it turned southwest back toward the pyramid-shaped ship. As grateful as he was that they hadn’t encountered any opposition, Shane worried this was just the calm before the storm. “Son of a…” Steve said. “We better pick up the pace.” Shane stepped next to him, looking over the guardrail. They were on an over elevated above the street below. He followed Steve’s gaze and saw the six-foottall wall of green fire flowing down the street that ran under the freeway, coming directly toward them. Shane glanced north and south. Between the trees and buildings, he could see the wall was continuous, stretching out of sight. “It’s not moving too fast,” Tracy said. “We can outrun it.” Shane spun and looked across the freeway. Anfisa must’ve sensed something

was wrong, her eyes fixed on him. He gave the signal to run. The Russian responded immediately, turning and getting her group to charge down the freeway. Shane and his half of the teenagers kept pace. He’d been prepared to shush his new recruits, expecting they’d lose control upon seeing the green glow. Glancing back at them as he ran, he could see the terror in their eyes. Many of them returned his gaze, and he tried to convey confidence through his expression. They needed to believe they could survive this if they were to have a chance. He returned his focus to the road ahead, and they headed around the left turn that pointed them directly at the pyramid. Signaling to Anfisa to slow down and survey the area, he dropped off to a walk. His rifle over his shoulder, he studied the freeway and the city beyond. The moon cast shadows on a baseball stadium and hotel. He searched those dark areas, and Tracy whispered for the teenagers to do the same. They’d ed three quarters of the way through Atlanta and hadn’t seen a soul. The entire city seemed deserted. “There!” several of the kids exclaimed in unison. Shane saw it too. Northeast of them, probably a mile away, the green wall rose over a tall building, incinerating it before dropping back down and out of sight. “Still moving slower than us,” Shane observed. When he glanced across the road toward Anfisa’s group, he saw another building get devoured. “We ain’t stopping any time soon,” he said. “I’m betting they landed that ship at Hartsfield,” Jules said, nudging her gun to the south. She walked next to Shane, Tracy on her other side. “How far away is that?” he asked, grateful for her knowledge of the area. “About ten miles,” she replied. “Won’t take long to walk that far,” Laura ominously said. “Fine by me,” Steve replied. “I’m ready to get this shit over with.”

With the wall of death chasing them, and an army of Anunnaki waiting for them up ahead, Shane could see why his big friend was getting agitated. “Yeah,” Kelly chimed in. “I’m getting sick of being played with.” She tilted her head to the sky and said louder in an angry tone, “I want my sister back.”

Chapter Thirty

The officers guided Pelros to a park where some of the humans who were loyal to the Anunnaki tended a few horses. Thousands of Earth years ago, they had imported these beasts to Anu, and he’d ridden them while playing a sport stolen from Earth before he attended the academy. “Where did you find these?” Pelros asked, excited by the opportunity to see one of the Earth-born horses in the flesh, much less the chance to ride one. Likely due to the higher gravity, they were shorter than the ones he used to ride, but they looked like they might have more muscle. “Our allies provided them,” the officer said, nodding toward the humans. “They were from the police department,” a human teenager said, making eye with Pelros. He appeared to be a cocky human, one who didn’t respect the superiority of the Anunnaki people. Free will was the only flaw with these genetically engineered soldiers, and it was corrected when their slave gene was active. The Anunnaki created these humans, and they belonged to his people. To have this one speaking to him as if it were his equal made him furious. Pelros knew well enough they needed these humans if they were to survive. He’d have this boy diverting his eyes down when this was all over. “Very well,” he said, stepping next to the horse. “Give me a boost.” One of the other humans laced his fingers together to form a step. Pelros used it and tried to pull himself onto the horse. Pain flashed from his side, starving his arms of the strength required to lift his body in the excessive Earth gravity. The boy pushed him by his foot over the horse’s back. “Your injuries, sir,” one of the officers said with concern. “Injury,” Pelros corrected, glaring at the soldier and catching his breath. The kids

had a curious expression on their faces. He didn’t like the officer’s remark and hated that he’d shown any physical weakness. “It is healing quickly. I shall be fine.” The expressions dropped off the humans’ faces, and they went about their business. Only the oversized human with the smug expression of excessive confidence still stood by, holding the bridle of the horse. “This is John,” the officer said, sounding like he regretted making the comment. He held his hand toward the human. “He’ll guide you to the Pegasus.” “Very well,” Pelros said. John grunted and released the bridle. He gave one last suspicious glance at Pelros and climbed onto the neighboring horse. “This is probably the best weapon for you to carry on your ride to the ship,” the officer said, handing Pelros a pistol. “We control the entire city, so you won’t need it.” “Thank you all the same,” Pelros replied, taking the pistol. “Ready when you are,” he said to John, trying to seem friendly. He hated having to treat these humans like anything other than what they were, the property of the Anunnaki people. John nodded and nudged his heels into his horse’s ribs, trotting toward the Pegasus. Pelros looked back down at the officers and rolled his eyes to express his discontentment with having to play these games with the humans. His horse, apparently a follower, took off after John’s. Riding the Earth beast was a bit different from riding the taller, lankier version they had on his planet, but the commander adjusted quickly. They weaved through the downtown area of the city and came out on a wide, straight road that led directly to the ship. They ed groups of humans who headed toward the ship, amassing the force around the base of the Pegasus to fight off whatever the green enemy intended to throw at them. “Slow down, John,” he shouted, leaning forward on the horse. He wanted to get to his uncle as soon as possible, but every step the horse took made the wound in his side ache. His legs were so tired he feared he wouldn’t be able to hold on at a

gallop. John gave a mischievous grin. He brought his horse to a slower canter, and Pelros’ beast matched the pace. Lying forward, the commander focused all his attention and fading strength on staying aboard the animal. The recruit ship looked sad without its golden outer skin, the skeleton of a oncepowerful man of war. It towered above anything the humans had ever built, designed not only to hold whole armies of slaves, but also to intimidate. The species the Anunnaki harvested could not doubt the superiority of their new masters. Awe and fear made them obey even in the absence of genetic manipulation. Even at the slower pace, it did not take long for the animals to make it to the Pegasus. Pelros brought his horse to a walk, riding out of the darkness and into the light shining down around the base of the ship. A camp with thousands of humans was organized in the warm glow reflected from above. Straight paths between the makeshift shelters led to the ship. Pelros couldn’t help but smile, though he tried to maintain the stoic expression of a soldier. Even without power, his people maintained control over the humans. More proof the Anunnaki were destined to rule them. “Commander Pelros,” a Shock Trooper said, beaming down upon Pelros from his post on the ship’s steps. “Sergeant Telof,” Pelros replied, happy to see one of the more seasoned soldiers trusted by his uncle. He brought the horse alongside the base of the ship and slid off its back onto the steps, trying not to grimace at the discomfort it caused him. John took the bridle and led the steed away. Sore from the pounding his body had taken on the ride down, Pelros climbed to the sergeant and plopped down on the steps next to him. He rested his elbows on his knees and sighed, relieved to finally be home. “It’s a blessing from the gods to see you alive and well, sir,” the sergeant said, studying him as if he expected to find some injuries. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say well at the moment. I’ve had a bit of a rough journey, but I’m glad to be back,” Pelros replied with a pained chuckle. “What news of my uncle?”

A grim expression replacing his joy from seeing Pelros, the soldier sat down next to him. Unlike most soldiers who were careful about how they talked to Pelros and what they said to him, Telof was someone who would give him straight answers. The sergeant had been his mentor on field excursions while he’d been in the academy, and he’d served alongside Athos for much of his career. “Well, sir,” he began. “It’s not all bad. The general is safe.” He rubbed his chin, gazing out across the camp. “It’s those aristocrats, sir.” “I know. They’re not letting him leave the council building,” Pelros said. “What do the other soldiers think?” “Most of us want to charge up there and force them to release him,” Telof replied. “But the general’s senior staff has been allowed to confer with him and say the council is still allowing him to act as the commander of the military. They just don’t want him to control everything.” “Martial law is the only way we’ll survive this situation.” Pelros punched his open hand with his fist. “And the general must be allowed to come and go as he sees fit.” “Yes, sir,” the sergeant agreed. “I’m certain you’d find plenty of soldiers to follow you up, if you want to put the council in their place.” The light shining down on the sides of the ship and on the camp surrounding her dimmed. Pelros looked up toward the Pegasus’ city, watching the mirrors rotate. It was genius, using the light as a form of payment to the slaves. His people could survive anything. They could beat this green entity, but not if they were fighting among themselves. “As much as I’m tempted to make a show of force,” he said, “it would be unwise. General Athos would’ve done that already if he thought it the right course of action.” “Then what, sir?” The sergeant seemed confused. “We’re going to need General Athos down here when that green wall hits us.” He pointed toward the horizon. “That’s what I have to convince the council of when I get up there,” he replied. “Using politics to break him out.” The sergeant grimaced. “Better you than me.

I’m more a fan of force.” “Which is why I’m glad to know you sit on these steps, facing our enemy,” Pelros said, putting his hand on the sergeant’s shoulder. He used the soldier to steady himself as he stood and glared up at the climb he had ahead of him, feeling a bit dizzy from exhaustion. “This is going to be frightfully unpleasant.” “Not to worry, sir,” the sergeant said. “We’ve rigged an elevator.” He pointed at the side of the staircase. A bench attached to an angled frame rested on the smooth wall that ran up the side of the staircase. Stepping closer, Pelros noted rollers under the frame and ropes running up the ship. “Crude,” the sergeant said, “but effective, I assure you.” Pelros climbed on and took a seat. The sergeant whistled, and a soldier several steps above them waived a torch in the air. The chair jolted and began crawling up the wall. “Far superior to walking,” Pelros said, smiling at the soldier. “Farewell, sir,” the sergeant said. “Just say the word if you want us to assist you in freeing the general.” He patted the primitive Earth gun he had slung over his shoulder. “Pray to the gods it doesn’t come to that,” he replied, returning the sergeant’s salute. The bench moved at a steady though slow pace. He had plenty of time to survey the land to the north, and the moonlight was sufficient to see far. When he was a third of the way up the ship, he spotted the green wall the soldiers had mentioned. It curved around the Pegasus for as far as he could see, and he expected it was closing on them from all sides, tightening like a noose. The green wall fluctuated in height, rising to devour taller structures and then dropping back down so low he could barely see it. His eyes half closed, he dozed while wondering if the wall was sterilizing the planet, killing all life so it could start again. Was this how his people would be made extinct, a green flame incinerating them such that even their DNA would be destroyed? The sad thought resonated in his head.

Biting his lip, he tasted blood. The pain helped him break free of the dismal conjecture and woke him up. That wall might stop once it forced the humans and Anunnaki into a tight arena together. Perhaps the enemy liked coliseum sports as well. The Anunnaki might be tested as they tested their slave soldiers. That would be sweet irony. With the army of loyal humans surrounding the ship, he was confident they could survive any assault by other humans the enemy forced upon them. The bench entered the sunlight, coming to the top of the steps and stopping. Soldiers tending the elevator noticed the rank on Pelros’ collar and saluted him. He didn’t know them personally, though he guessed most soldiers would recognize him. After he saluted back, they helped him off the bench. His knees almost folded under him when he stood, but he managed to keep from crumpling to the ground. The soldiers eyed him with concern, and he returned their gaze with an expression that warned them not to ask about his condition. They continued about their business, lowering three soldiers who took his place on the bench down the side of the ship. Surprised no one tried to stop him, Pelros walked away from the edge, through the soldiers stationed around the top of the ship. Most of the military personnel were around the perimeter of the city, and as he walked toward the center, he saw the citizens going about the business of performing ing roles. Some were working in outdoor kitchens, cooking food for everyone, and others were organized into platoons, training to defend themselves if, gods forbid, the city was overrun. Pelros made it all the way to the circular council building before being challenged. “Commander Pelros,” the guard blocking the archway he tried to enter through said. “It is a blessing to see you safe.” “I understand my uncle is inside,” Pelros said, sizing up the soldier and deciding how best to get around him. “Yes, sir.” The soldier hesitated. “Sorry, sir. I’m on strict orders not to let anyone who has not been preapproved by the council to enter the building. It’ll just be a moment.” The soldier looked behind him and gave a signal to a clerk seated at the reception desk inside. The clerk nodded and hurried off, likely to get permission

from the council for Pelros to enter. “The council buildings have always been open to all citizens and soldiers,” Pelros objected. “What’s going on here?” “I apologize, sir,” the soldier stammered. “I’m just following orders.” “Whose orders?” Pelros controlled his frustration, wanting to gather as much information as he could before facing his uncle’s political enemies. “The council’s,” the soldier replied, his tone implying he was uncomfortable with the source of his orders. Weary with the exchange, Pelros crossed his arms, slumped onto a bench against the building, and waited. It wasn’t this soldier’s fault—he was just following orders. Struggling to keep his eyes open and not fall asleep on the bench, he glanced at the other soldiers standing guard nearby. They wore the same unsettled expression. They were confused and concerned. It wasn’t normal for their orders to come from the council; they were used to being under the command of the general and his officers. “Commander Pelros,” Gentras said, coming out of the council building. “Why, you are resilient. We thought you dead.” “I like to think I inherited a knack for survival from my uncle,” Pelros replied, trying to be pleasant though he wanted to tear into the elder. “Speaking of the general,” Gentras replied, “I suppose you’d like to see him?” “Straight away,” Pelros said, expecting an excuse as to why he couldn’t. “He’s in his office,” Gentras said, leading the way into the building. “I have some other affairs to attend to. Perhaps we will have a chat later?” “Indeed,” Pelros replied, unable to keep the ominous undertone out of his voice. “I imagine we will.” He wanted to say more, to challenge the aristocrat and ask why his uncle had been restricted to the council building. However, it surprised him that he was allowed such easy access to the general, and he didn’t want to risk that

opportunity with a premature confrontation. Pelros didn’t see any soldiers inside the council building, only aristocrats and their staff. Many of them gave him surprised glances, those looks that showed they were shocked he hadn’t been killed. He ignored them, entering the stairwell a staffer directed him to. He stood at the bottom of the steps and looked up, wondering if he should ask someone to help him. He decided against it, knowing they’d just use his weakness against him. Holding his injury with one hand and the handrail with the other, he slowly climbed the steps, expending what little energy he had left. He’d never been in the stairwell and didn’t even realize the building had them. Climbing to the second floor, he paused and rubbed his sore thighs. “The gods do punish us so,” an arrogant voice said from above. “Taking our elevators from us in this horrendous gravity.” “Kilnasis,” Pelros observed. The wiry elder who loved aggravating his uncle came down to the landing. The council member undoubtedly had his hand in the business of restricting the general to the council building. “We will get stronger,” Pelros replied, standing tall and trying to hide his exhaustion. “And that’ll be the gods’ doing.” Catching his breath, Kilnasis studied him with his cold, piercing eyes. “I’ve just come from the general,” Kilnasis said. “He’s meeting with his officers, planning our defense.” “I expected he’d be at the base of the ship, or out in the city at least.” Pelros maintained a blank expression and tried to keep the anger out of his eyes. “He’s not one to linger behind the lines when a battle is imminent.” “Yes, well. Congratulations on your promotion,” Kilnasis said in his usual tone of condescension. “A well-deserved token of the citizens’ appreciation for your service.” He said the last word with more emphasis, subtly putting Pelros in his place.

“Thank you, sir.” The commander smiled as convincingly as he could. His uncle had taught him to hide his true feelings around the aristocrats. He’d need their votes someday if he wanted to be promoted to general. Right now, he barely cared about that. Their power lust risked the lives of the people he had sworn to protect. “You’ll understand that, under the circumstances, we had no choice but to ensure the citizens’ wishes are met,” Kilnasis said. “I shall endeavor to,” Pelros replied. The aristocrat studied him a moment longer before smiling as if he were satisfied. “Very well,” Kilnasis said. “Carry on.” Pelros nodded and climbed the steps to the third floor, using the anger sparked by the aristocrat as fuel. His uncle would’ve been proud. He’d wanted nothing more than to challenge the council , to demand his uncle be allowed to come and go as he pleased. Such an approach would be unwise. They might’ve prevented him from seeing the general. Exiting the stairwell, Pelros let out a long sigh. He didn’t see a reason why he’d have to climb any higher in the ship. After their meeting, he expected his uncle would order him back down to prepare the human army for battle. However, he’d need a few hours of sleep before he could handle much more.

Chapter Thirty-One

The general’s office was at the end of the hallway, and his door was open. Officers blocked his view of the desk and of his uncle. He resisted the urge to run down the hall, reminding himself he had to retain the composure expected of his rank. He missed his uncle, and had expected he might never see him again after being captured by the rebels. In the office, he stepped around the officers into his uncle’s view. “By the gods!” Athos said, rising to his feet. “My…” He paused and looked at the officers, seeming barely able to retain his composure. “I’ll need to debrief the commander. Please excuse us.” They followed the general’s gaze, their eyes widening upon seeing Pelros. Quick to obey Athos’ request, the officers filed out of the room. A couple of them clapped the commander on the shoulder as they ed. The last one out closed the door, which had to been slid manually with some obvious effort. “My boy,” Athos said, embracing Pelros. “I thought we had lost you.” “I was raised to be a survivor,” Pelros replied, his eyes moist. “That you were,” Athos agreed, holding him at arm’s length and studying him as if to make sure he was in one piece. “Tell me all that has happened to you. The last I saw, you lost power in the transport and the slave soldiers turned on you. How did you get out of that mess?” “Well, sir,” Pelros began. “My transport landed gently enough and before the slave soldiers could break into the pilot’s cabin. As the gods would have it, I touched down in the camp of the humans who were responsible for the destruction of the other slave recruit ships.” “That is luck,” the general replied. “You must’ve been able to gather some useful intelligence.”

“Indeed.” Pelros suddenly felt nervous about telling his uncle who he’d encountered. “Your speculation was correct. The humans who attacked us were led by Anunnaki rebels.” “I knew it,” Athos said, pinching his chin. “Go on. Which one of those criminals orchestrated the attacks?” “Sir…” Pelros hesitated, his stomach knotting. “It was your brother.” “My brother?” Athos’ eyes widened, his expression confused. “I don’t understand.” “He survived the war on Anu and found his way here,” Pelros explained. The general stared at him, the color fading from his expression. He rounded his desk and fell into his seat, appearing to have instantly doubled in age. “The gods do like their surprises,” Athos said, his voice quiet and weak. “What did he have to say to you? Did he know who you were?” “Yes, he did,” Pelros replied. “He tried to convince me of the validity of his cause. He disgraces our people and our gods-given right to lead. He believes we are not the superior species, that it is not our place to bring order to the universe. And that this green entity has come to punish us for our way of life.” “He is still delusional,” Athos said with disappointment. “That will never change.” He shifted in his seat, his color beginning to return as his shock faded. “Has he acted alone?” “I don’t have proof that any other rebels survived the war with him,” Pelros replied, sitting in a seat on the other side of the general’s desk. “But he has cloned himself multiple times. And there were female clones of a different phenotype, so I assume at least one other rebel must’ve come here with him, though I didn’t see her.” “One more crime to add to the list,” Athos said, not sounding surprised. “What do they plan to do?” “I don’t think they have any real plan,” Pelros replied. “The green entity that downed my transport has attacked them several times and is pushing them

toward the Pegasus. It seems to want them to fight us. One of the freed slaves said the entity wants them to exterminate the Anunnaki.” “We expected something of that nature,” the general replied. “It claims to be holding some sort of trial to determine if we are worthy of survival. We must fight with everything we have to prove our will to live exceeds any adversity it can put in our way. Meanwhile, we are searching for a weakness in this new enemy, something we can use against it. How did you manage to escape?” “I waited until they were outside the city, and then fled while they rested,” he replied. “I think I convinced Jones he was swaying me toward his cause.” “Jones?” Athos asked. “It is what your brother calls himself now,” Pelros replied. He’d never learned his father’s real name. Due to the severity of his crimes, the supreme council had erased his name from all records after he was presumed dead. Pelros believed his uncle had something to do with that, hoping people would forget his relationship to the rebel as well. “What is happening here? Why have the aristocrats restricted you to the council building?” “They fear I will not relinquish command of the people once this conflict is resolved,” Athos said, sighing. “They are so shortsighted and power hungry.” “Do they not understand that you must be on the field if we are to win the coming battle?” Pelros was confused. He couldn’t imagine why his uncle would tolerate the royals’ behavior with so much at stake. “We cannot survive this situation without martial law.” “I don’t intend to stay here once the battle begins, and I expect the royals will be begging me to leave when the blood begins to flow,” the general replied, his voice growing deeper with warning. Pelros was not to question his judgment on this issue. “This will be a very different battle than we’ve ever experienced,” Athos said. “We must keep the Anunnaki in this city safe. I’ve ordered all loyal humans to come to the Pegasus so we can focus their efforts on protecting our people.” Pelros listened, soaking in the wisdom his uncle had earned over countless battles. As the general spoke of his plan, the commander’s confusion and fear

dissipated. He hadn’t wanted to it it to himself, but since the green entity said the Anunnaki would be punished, he’d expected his people to be exterminated. He would’ve fought to keep them alive, as was his duty, keeping his pessimisms about their future to himself. The general made him believe that somehow, they would survive. His plans extended beyond the battlefield. He anticipated the aristocrats’ behavior and ensured they would accept his command when he needed to unite every Anunnaki on the Pegasus against the enemy. “You want me to lead the battle until the council begs you to go out to protect them?” Pelros asked once the general had finished. “Yes, this will ensure the cohesion of our people after the battle,” the general replied. “And it will make you the hero. The people will never again bring up your heritage in conversation; they will only speak to your glory.” Pelros walked over to the arched window that afforded a view of the avenue below. It led straight to the stairs on the side of the ship that Pelros had come up. Warm light bathed the ship’s city. He stared at the black curtain, the darkness surrounding the ship and likely covering the entire planet. The light was too bright. He couldn’t see anything beyond. But he sensed the approaching wall of green flames, incinerating everything in its path. It would press the humans against the Pegasus and they would fight each other, floating the ship in a sea of blood. The thought made a sense of hopelessness and panic boil in his chest, and he tried to suppress it. His training had taught him to only focus on what he could control, and not to dwell on things that would distract him from the mission at hand. “What if the council doesn’t let you leave the building?” Pelros looked back at his uncle. “At what point do I have soldiers come in and bring you out? We shall need your leadership if the human slaves can’t stop the assault.” “Do not worry—they will beg for me to take to the field soon after the fighting starts,” Athos repeated, chuckling wearily. “Of that, I can assure you.” “Yes, sir,” Pelros replied, returning his uncle’s smile. “It gives me new life to see you again, Uncle.” “For me as well,” Athos replied, stepping closer and putting his hands on Pelros’ shoulders. “It gives me hope. The gods are still with us, son.” Athos hugged him. “Now go and get some sleep. Once you are rested, I’ll need you to prepare the

soldiers for battle.” “Yes, sir,” Pelros replied, saluting his uncle. Fearing tears might puddle in his eyes, he hurried out of the room and back down the hallway. It always made his heart swell when Athos called him son. He only wished it were true, that he wasn’t cloned from the rebel trash who was marching toward the Pegasus, surrounded by humans he’d trained to fight his own people. Excited by the opportunity to finally get some rest, he made his way out of the building and down the avenue that led to the stairs on the side of the ship. He ed the soldiers there and was provided with a tent that had a cot in it. He could’ve found a quieter place to sleep in one of the buildings, but wanted to make sure he was at the edge of the ship’s city, prepared for Jones if he made it that far. After eating a quick meal, he lay down and closed his eyes. Pelros fell asleep, fantasizing about how he’d kill Jones with everyone on the ship watching. No one would ever question his loyalty to the Anunnaki people again.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Steve and Shane stood on the catwalk surrounding a water tower, high above the street. “Looks like they got a shit-ton of humans to drink the Kool-Aid,” Steve said. “I thought the slave gene was turned off.” “I’m guessing they’re just brainwashed,” Shane replied, looking through the binoculars Steve handed him. Campfires surrounded the base of the ship, and he could see Anunnaki mingling with the human kids. He scanned up the side of the massive pyramid to the light shining down on top. “They’ve got us outnumbered,” Steve said, sounding more tired than concerned. “Looks like a hundred to one.” The moonlight illuminated the rest of their friends on the street below and the small army of kids who followed them. They were grossly outnumbered. Unfortunately, a mile or so behind them, the green wall of fire crept over the landscape, destroying everything in its path. “We’ve got no choice but to fight,” Shane said. “It’s that or give up and die.” “Hey,” Steve said, crossing his arms over his big chest. “You know me. I’d rather go down fighting, if I have to go.” “It wants us to kill the Anunnaki,” Shane said. “We’ll keep our group tight and spear our way through those kids around the ship. We’ve got to limit human casualties and take out those bastards on top of the ship. Then maybe Greenie will let us be.” “No complaints here,” Steve replied. “The Anunnaki killed my parents. I ain’t done getting even with them for that.” Shane climbed down the ladder on the water tower, Steve following him. When

they got to the ground, Shane could see the green wall up the street, a half a mile away. He quickly relayed his plan to his friends on the ground. “I expect we’ll hit the kids surrounding the ship in about ten minutes,” he said. “Keep together as tight as you can and don’t let them separate us. Don’t fight them unless you have to. I want to try to get some of them to turn to our side, but at the same time, we need to push our way through and get on that ship.” “Okay, got it,” Anfisa said nervously, looking up the street. “Can we go now?” “Yes,” he replied. “Let’s do this.” He tried to seem enthusiastic, but fell short. The reality of their dire situation sank in. They were about to charge into an army of thousands of teenagers, probably all armed, in hopes they could plow through them. No matter how hard they fought, the odds were against them making it to the slave ship. And even if they did, they’d be too exhausted to fight after they ran up the side of it to reach the Anunnaki. “Ain’t no other way,” Tracy said, seeming to be thinking the same thing. As with every conflict they’d been in, she was at his side. His friends and the Russians formed the blade along the leading edge of the less experienced soldiers behind them. They narrowed the group so it was ten people wide and approached a wall of rubble that must’ve been created by the Anunnaki to protect the recruit ship. His army made little sound, the air charged with fearful anticipation. He looked up at the pile of rubble, expecting guards to be pointing guns at them, protecting the makeshift fortress. But no one was there. “I don’t think they expected an attack from this street,” Tracy whispered. “Yeah, they probably expected us to come in on the main entrance to the airport,” Jules replied. “This is a service road, and there is a gate under all that trash.” “Let’s clear a path,” Shane said. “But keep it quiet.” Anfisa and Tracy took charge, directing the others to drag the debris to the side.

It didn’t take long to find the gate, and once there was an opening he could see through, he ordered them to stop. “It’s too quiet,” Steve said. The opening was just a few feet wide. Shane could see neat rows of crude shelters beyond the fence, with dwindling campfires between them. “It looks deserted,” he whispered. “I’d expect to see some guards or something.” “Or at least someone getting up to take a piss,” Steve replied. “When we looked from the water tower, it was crowded out here. Feels like an ambush.” “I’m not sure we have much of a choice,” Tracy said. “If we don’t get in there, we’ll be burnt.” Shane followed her gaze up the street behind them. The wall of green fire made its slow approach. The vegetation and buildings it encountered complained with crackling sounds as they were incinerated. Steve grabbed the gate and pushed it left. It moved, but made a loud screech as it pressed against the rubble. “That’s enough,” Shane said, cringing. He looked beyond the fence at the camp surrounding the ship, expecting their opposition to pour from the shelters, ready to defend their camp. “Somebody had to hear that,” Tracy said. “Maybe they saw the green wall coming and retreated into the ship,” Anfisa replied. “We have no choice but to go in,” Shane echoed what Tracy had said. “File through,” Tracy whispered to the kids behind them. “Take up a defensive position on the other side.” Shane raised his gun to his shoulder and slipped through the narrow opening in the wall. He squatted just inside, sweeping his barrel left and right and searching for anyone pointing back at him. His friends came in behind him, followed by the Russians.

“Spread out,” he mouthed. The moonlight left few places to hide, and he didn’t see a soul. The campfires were high and throwing little embers into the air, like they’d recently been fed. Either every kid in the camp had just gone to sleep in their tents, or they were in the ominous pyramid that towered above every building in Atlanta. The layers of balconies and apartments were cast in shadows. A chill ed through him, and he gripped his weapon tighter. Thousands of eyes might be gazing out of the ship, waiting until he and his sad little army got close enough to wipe out. “Shit’s creepy,” Steve said. “Where’d they all go?” “Probably running from the green wall, just like us,” Jules replied. A hissing and crackling sound came from behind them. “Damn it,” Tracy cursed. “Too close for comfort.” “Keep moving,” Shane said, looking back at the barrier of rubble they had just ed through. Green light glowed through openings, and he could see the eerie wall of death less than a football field’s length away. He led them between the shelters, vigilant for the ambush he knew awaited them. A whistle came from somewhere to his left. Another responded from behind him, and the whistle was repeated across the camp. Kids crawled out of the tents everywhere. Most of them had guns. The ones who didn’t had clubs, knives, and other makeshift weapons. They closed around his group, but kept their guns aimed at the dirt, as if ordered to let his soldiers make the first move. “Steady,” Shane said, holding his fist in the air to signal his soldiers not to attack. He held his rifle the same way as the kids who’d corralled them, pointed at the ground. Scanning their faces in the dim moonlight, he waited for one to step forward as their leader. “Hold up,” a voice from behind the kids surrounding Shane and his people shouted, cutting through the tension.

Across the camp, a small group of kids weaved their way through the tents. The moon glinted off the kid in the front. “Is that dude wearing a bunch of gold chains?” Steve asked incredulously. “No,” Maurice said. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” “That looks like Shamus,” Shane said. His hand tightened around the grip of his weapon, but he kept the barrel down. “I thought he was dead.” “Where do y’all think you’re going?” Shamus said as he approached. “You need to turn around and go the other way.” Carrying large silver pistols in each hand, he stepped past the kids closest to Shane’s group and crossed his arms over his chest so the guns rested on either shoulder. He smiled his threatening smile with the gold grill covering his front teeth until his eyes fell on Maurice. Then his face went slack with disbelief. “It can’t be,” Shamus said. “Maurice?” “Yeah, it’s me,” Maurice said none too nicely. “Looks like your gang has grown.” “Yeah.” Shamus smiled again. “I’m big time now.” Shamus’ gang had killed Aaron. Seeing the smiling thug made him want revenge. Shane pushed the wave of anger aside, knowing this negotiation could save a lot of lives. “We need to get to that ship,” Shane said. “Let us .” “I never forget a face. I recognize you, too,” Shamus said. He spoke like they were old friends, but he still had his silver pistols resting across his chest like he was ready to start shooting at any moment. “Seems like the last time I saw you, you were trying to bully your way through my city.” “Yes,” Shane replied, “and lucky we made it or everyone here would already be dead.” “Maybe,” Shamus said, scratching his chin with the business end of one of the

pistols. “So, why do you need to get by me this time? You gonna tell me you’re here to save the world again?” “Something like that,” Shane replied. The green fire burned into the wall of debris, drawing their attention. The kids nearest made sounds of alarm and crowded closer to the ship. “What the hell?” Shamus’s eyes were wide. “Yeah, that. Greenie,” Shane said. “It has chased us for a hundred miles, pushing us down here to this ship.” “For what?” The threatening arrogance on Shamus’ face was gone. Now he looked concerned. “Greenie seems to be communicating with two of my soldiers. They say it wants us to kill all the aliens.” Shane pointed at the ship. “They say if we don’t, it’ll kill all the humans.” The green wall of fire paused just beyond the first row of tents, like it was giving Shane a chance to talk to Shamus before it pushed them into the ship. “So,” Shane said, expecting they wouldn’t have long before the fire pressed closer to them. “Who are you fighting for?” “I’m fighting for my city,” Shamus replied, sounding scared. “And it looks like that thing has burnt it to the ground.” “It’s moving!” a kid near the green wall shouted. “And so are we,” Shane said, looking at Shamus. “We are going up the side of that ship. We are going to kill the aliens who killed our parents. Are you going to try to stop us?” The gangster looked at Greenie and then at Shane. “Not this time,” Shamus said. “I never liked these bastards anyway. We’ll be behind you.”

Shane nodded, containing his relief behind a stoic expression. “I think it’s time for our charge,” he said over his shoulder, keeping one eye on Shamus. “Yes,” Anfisa agreed. “Hit them fast and hard.” “And before we lose half our troops to that green fire,” Tracy said. His pulse kicking up to a gallop, Shane put his hand in the air, made a circular motion, and then pointed at the spaceship. He rushed forward. Shamus shouted for the kids under his command to get out of the way and then to follow Shane’s soldiers up the side of the ship. Shane and his friends had been in this situation so many times, and he’d gotten through without getting shot. He wondered if it was his time to go. He’d gladly take a bullet for any of his friends, but he had this unshakeable feeling of invincibility. The Anunnaki must’ve felt confident, convincing Shamus and his army of teenagers to them. But Shane had been able to get them to switch sides, and he guessed the kids behind him now easily outnumbered the enemy above. He’d made it through so many impossible situations, had skirted death so many times. However, wisdom gained from those experiences told him to ignore the feeling. Their training and experience gave his friends and the Russians an edge, but any of them could die at any moment. It was luck keeping them alive. They were twenty yards from the base of the ship, headed straight for the staircase that led up the side. Enough light reflected off the marble-colored steps for him to see they weren’t moving. Normally, they flowed up and down, a giant escalator. “With no power, we’ll have to climb those steps,” Jones warned. He must’ve weaved his way through their army and had slipped to Shane’s left side. “All I care about is that we keep these people alive,” Shane replied, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “If that green wall pushes us up those stairs, so be it.” “Aw, damn,” Steve said. “It’s closing in on us.”

The green wall bent around them, incinerating the shelters in its path. Shamus’ kids screamed and rushed ahead of it, packing in around Shane’s people. “It’s corralling us up the steps,” Jules said. Mounting the stairs and going up a few, Shane saw his troops had closed ranks, squeezing into a column that could fit up the staircase. The green fire was just behind them, and it had already killed some of the kids who couldn’t move fast enough to get out of the way. “Don’t stop,” he shouted. “Whatever you do, keep climbing.” Facing the stairs, he settled into a quick pace up them. His eyes darted left and right as he climbed, expecting the Anunnaki to attack at any moment. It reminded him of the runs up the mountain behind the hidden base when they did the flag-capturing games, except instead of paint balls, it would be bullets that could take them out of the game. And if they stopped, they’d all be burned to death by Greenie.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“The enemy is coming up the stairs, sir,” a Shock Troop soldier reported. “And it looks like the humans the general recruited have turned on us.” “Not surprising,” Pelros replied. “I don’t think it will matter. We have the high ground, and we still have all the loyal humans waiting on the upper levels of the ship.” Pelros looked down at the army of humans that was a third of the way up the side of the Pegasus. The green wall of fire had closed in around them, seeming to corral them up the steps. “They’ll be too weak to fight by the time they make it up here,” the soldier observed. “Do not underestimate them,” Pelros scolded. “They are led by the humans who destroyed the other recruit ships. Roll the steps.” “Yes, sir,” the soldier replied, sounding more concerned. He started to pump the handle that would cause the steps to roll flat and form a slick ramp that would send the humans back to the bottom of the ship. “It’s not working, sir,” the soldier said after several attempts. “No surprise,” Pelros replied. “I wouldn’t expect our glowing green enemy would allow us to fend off the humans so easily.” “General Talus,” Pelros called. The elder officer, second in command of the soldiers after his uncle, sat on one of the benches off to the side of the top of the steps. “You have the field, Commander,” Talus calmly replied.

“Yes, sir,” Pelros saluted him. “You know this enemy better than any officer aboard the Pegasus,” General Talus said, glancing at the other officers as if to reassure them that following Pelros was his order. He returned his gaze to the commander. “Unless you are uncomfortable with the responsibility?” “No, sir,” Pelros replied. He knew this was his uncle’s doing, but hadn’t been sure the other senior officers would go along with it. Athos had been grooming him for leadership since he adopted him. The mission to earth may have been a disaster for this fleet, but it accelerated his career more than all the campaigns he’d been on before combined. It seemed only yesterday he was itted to the Shock Troops and promoted to commander. Now he was to oversee defending the ship. The situation required a serious demeanor, and it took effort not to smile at his good fortune. “Order the loyal humans to attack,” Pelros said, remaining calm and sounding confident as he’d been taught. The soldier lifted a torch and swung it back and forth. Seeing the signal, the humans who were hiding in the apartments two thirds of the way up the ship spilled out onto the stairs. He could hear their shouting, and then a barrage of small explosions as the primitive weapons fired small, metal projectiles down upon the enemy. He strained his eyes against the darkness, trying to spot Jones and his illegal clones among the humans climbing the stairs. Although he knew it was best if the enemy was subdued before they made it up to the Pegasus’ city, he hoped his good fortune would continue and he could be the one to kill the rebel traitor. “They’re still advancing, sir,” the soldier next to him reported. With Shamus and his followers behind them, the attackers outnumbered the loyal humans ten to one, and not that many of them could get on the steps or take a position where they could shoot down. The enemy kept low as they climbed, and fired their weapons up at the slaves who jumped into their path. “It doesn’t appear that the loyal humans will be able to stop them,” Pelros said. “Clear the loyal ones, and turn the mirrors on the enemy.”

He’d been told the engineers had figured out how to weaponize the perpetual light that fell upon the ship’s city, but he hadn’t seen it in action. The soldier signaled and the loyal humans began spilling off the steps, back onto the courtyards of the apartments. Then the green wall of flames growing up either side of the stairs advanced with the speed of a plasma bolt, rushing up the sides and blocking most of the loyal humans’ exit from the mirrors’ line of fire. The humans in the path of the advancing green walls were turned to ash as it ed through them. “We don’t have a clean shot,” the engineer operating the closest mirror said. Pelros could see the small army of humans, led by those rebel-trained teams who’d destroyed the other recruit ships, pushing up the steps. The loyal humans appeared disorganized and frightened from seeing their comrades burned by the green wall. The enemy slaughtered the undisciplined loyal humans and drew closer to the city. “Use the mirrors on them now,” he ordered, glancing over at General Talus. The general nodded his approval. “But, sir, we’ll kill all the slaves,” the engineer said. “We’ll have to burn through them to hit the enemy.” “We must stop their advance,” Pelros replied, casting a warning glance at the engineer. “Do it now.” “Aye, sir,” the engineer answered, sounding nervous. Though he was a sailor and not accustomed to this sort of combat, every person in the Anunnaki military knew disobeying a superior officer’s orders during battle was punishable by death. The mirrors captured light from the entire perimeter of the Pegasus’ city, directing it around so it met at one mirror that was above Pelros and centered on the steps. It released the concentrated energy in a thick beam that shot out away from the ship. The engineers turned the mirror slowly, adjusting the aim so the beam went down the steps. Heat radiated from the beam, forcing Pelros and the others standing at the top of the steps to squat down.

Shielding his face and eyes, Pelros moved left, finding a better position to assess the weapon’s effect. It hit the loyal humans trapped on the steps, lighting them on fire and sending them tumbling down in an avalanche of molten flesh. The engineers fine-tuned the beam, making it more intense. Row by row, it burned through all the humans on the steps, killing the loyal ones and then hitting the ones who had held him captive. He knew Jones had to be near the front of the humans who’d led the charge up the steps. A soldier handed Pelros some protective glasses. He slid them on and watched the enemy dance in flames before dropping dead, wondering which one was the rebel who spawned him. Pelros waited to see if he’d feel any remorse over watching his father die, if their genetic connection would cause him to feel sad over the loss. A grin rose on his face instead. He’d killed the rebel who’d cast a shadow over him all his life. Pelros was finally free. The blazing light ed through the humans and into the green wall. It impacted the tarmac, blasting a hole and sending concrete and molten asphalt showering across what had been the camp for the loyal humans around the base of the ship. The light cast by the beam allowed him to see the ruin left by the green wall when it ed through the camp. It had burned everything to small piles of ashes for as far as he could see. This glowing green enemy might have done the same to the entire planet. He felt a chill despite the blistering heat coming from the beam of light, wondering about his home planet of Anu. “That’s enough,” he shouted to the engineer. The mirrors rotated out of sequence, and the beam of light vanished. Pelros blinked at the darkness below him, trying to force them to adjust so he could see if they had eliminated the threat. The walls of green fire still blocked off the lower part of the steps and prevented any access to and from the steps and the apartments on either side. He could see a few of the humans on the steps moving, dying from their burns. Not even one of them still stood. “It appears we are victorious, sir,” the soldier holding the signal torch said. “I’d expect more bodies down on the lower parts of the steps, where they were standing,” Pelros replied, squinting his eyes for a better view.

“Probably vaporized them,” the soldier said. “Let’s hope,” Pelros replied. “Keep a sharp watch just the same. “What will this green alien try to do now?” General Talus said, approaching Pelros. His face was red from the light beam’s heat. “The green walls that were pushing those humans up the steps have stopped moving,” Pelros observed. “Maybe we’ve stumped it,” the general replied. “Although I’m guessing not for long.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Don’t stop,” Shane shouted. “Push them out of the way.” The Russians and his teammates echoed the order. Squatting on the steps and firing his rifle at the teenagers coming down upon them, Shane picked off the enemy with precision. Bullets whizzed past his head, and even over the hammering of gunfire, he swore he heard the wet thwack of the hot slugs tearing through flesh behind him. On the steps, they could only stand seven people wide. When the fighting started, Kelly was on his left with Tracy and Steve beside her. Jones was on his right with Anfisa and Petrov beyond him. Before their charge, he’d almost replaced Jones with Maurice, worried the alien would grow tired quickly on the long climb. Now, he was glad he hadn’t. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jones’ barrel shift left and right with precision. Every time a shot left the gun, it landed with lethal result. “It’s impossible,” a kid on his heels screamed, desperate terror in his voice. “We’re not going to make it.” His last word transformed into a grunt and then a pained cry. Without looking back, Shane decided the boy had stood up to turn and retreat, catching a bullet for his panic. “We are stronger,” Shane yelled. “Stay with me.” He darted up the steps, hoping those behind him would follow. Jones lagged a little, but he stayed at Shane’s side along with the rest of the front row. Blood pounded his eardrums, his heart intoxicated with adrenaline. He ed Captain Jones’ lesson. Control what he could—his breathing, where his eyes focused, and how he moved his gun and pulled the trigger—nothing else mattered. With no cover and less than ten people on the front line, the battle was all about who was the quicker and better shot. The uphill advantage was not enough to save those humans who fought for the Anunnaki. The kids fell before they could

take aim, tumbling down the steps. Shane made it to the first bodies and crouched behind them for cover. He glanced back. The green wall followed them up the stairs. No longer the tight column they started on the steps with, his army had spread out. “Hurry, damn it,” he shouted, terrified by what he saw. Whether slowed by fear or exhaustion, the kids who lagged could not outrun the wall. Its green glow flashed brighter when it burned through Shamus’ people, and he could see the gold chains around the thug’s neck swing back and forth as he rushed up the stairs behind Shane’s group. “Nothing we can do,” Anfisa yelled with that cold and callous tone she was famous for. He knew she spoke the truth, but it didn’t make it any easier to see the kids dying. Picking off the brainwashed teens who blocked him from the Anunnaki, he climbed around the bodies and made his way higher. Green walls of fire flashed up the sloped ramps on the sides of the steps, heading for the top of the pyramid. “We’re trapped,” Kelly said. “And so are they,” Shane replied, jabbing his gun upward. He’d hoped the kids above them would see a few of their friends die, and then give up the fight and climb back down into the apartments on either side. No chance of that now. The green walls blocked them in. If they didn’t turn and retreat up into the ship’s city, Shane and his friends would have to kill them to get through. Anunnaki lies inspired these kids to fight. If they knew the truth, that these aliens killed their parents, they would’ve turned on them as soon as their slave genes were deactivated. They’d be fighting alongside Shane and his friends, not against them. It made him sick to have to shoot them. Sunlight flashed from atop the ship, and he saw the giant mirrors turning.

“They’ll shine light on us so we are easier to shoot,” Jones said. “We’ll be blinded,” Steve added. “We’re halfway there,” Shane yelled with as much encouragement as he could muster. His leg muscles burned, and the green wall ri the steps behind them drew closer. “Come on,” he shouted, trying to inspire himself as much as the others. The mirrors shifted more, and the one at the top of the steps glowed brighter until he had to squint his eyes. As Steve predicted, he could barely see his targets. A loud hissing filled the air like a thousand eggs hitting a hot frying pan at once. The light grew orange where it shined around hundreds of teenagers trapped on the steps above him. A few feet over Shane’s head, the intense, blinding beam shot down the steps. He squatted lower, the air temperature increasing until he felt like he was in an oven. A ray of the bright light ed between the kids above him, striking his left forearm. Pain erupted where the light hit him, and he let out a yelp and rolled left. No longer blocked by the teens who fought for the Anunnaki, the full focus of the beam of light blasted one of the teenagers below him. The girl screamed in agony, dropping to her knees and bringing her arms up to block her face. The light made her skin blister, cooking her flesh. “There’s an opening,” Tracy shouted. Squinting his eyes, Shane saw where she pointed. The green wall on the side had a small break in it, an expanding exit off the steps and out of the line of fire. “Go through it,” he shouted at the top of his seared lungs. He crawled across to the opening, which stopped once it was only a couple of yards wide. “Go, go!” he yelled, pushing kids over the side of the steps and into the dark courtyard of the apartment below.

Staying just near the gap, he helped as many kids through as he could. His scalp and back felt like it was on fire. He stayed and endured the pain, wanting to save them all. When he could stand the heat no longer, Shane dove through the opening. He landed on something soft and rolled. Stunned and terrified, he gazed up at the opening in the green wall just as it slammed shut. He could still see through it, watching in horror as the kids behind him dove into the green fire. They tried to escape the burning light cast down by the mirrors only to be incinerated by Greenie. Ash rained on him—the remains of the kids who tried to follow Shane to safety. The terrifying scene might’ve only lasted another thirty seconds, but it seemed an eternity as Shane lay on his back looking up at the dying kids. They stopped leaping into the green wall, and then the Anunnaki redirected the mirrors. The beam of white-hot light gone, he lay blind in the darkness. Stunned, he could see and hear nothing for a moment. Then he felt pain. His back, neck, and head hurt like the flesh had been burnt. Next, he heard the moans of dying kids all around him. The soft surface he’d landed on moved beneath him, and he realized he’d fallen on the kids who had dove off the stairs. They lay in a pile in the dark courtyard of the apartment on the side of the Anunnaki ship. Groaning at the pain, Shane rolled over and gently climbed away from the steps, trying to get off anyone he was squishing. He found the cold marbled floor of the patio and crawled onto it. “Shane.” Tracy’s voice cut through the darkness. “Jules.” “I’m here,” Jules replied, no sound of suffering in her voice. “Me too,” he said, trying not to let his pain bleed into his tone. “Can’t see shit,” Steve said, sounding very close. “Give it a moment.” This was Jones. “Our eyes will adjust.” Shane’s eyes began to make better use of the cool light of the moon. He stared

straight up, searching the dark sky. Because of the moon and the glow radiating from the column of sunlight that struck the city atop the alien ship, he could only see a few stars. Regardless, it seemed so peaceful up there. He focused on that peace, trying to ignore the pain coming from his back. The cool floor helped to relieve his discomfort, but he couldn’t lie there for long. “Shit’s always gotta get crazy.” He groaned, pushing himself up to a sitting position. “Anybody else burnt?” Kelly sat near him, a blank expression on her face. His heart felt like it dropped in his chest, but then she turned toward him, her eyes reassuring him that her memory hadn’t left her again. “My arms are blistered,” Steve replied. “Feels like my face and chest are too. That light went right through my clothes.” “How bad?” Shane asked, expecting his injuries, which he couldn’t see, would be similar. “Not too bad, I think,” Steve said. “I’ll live, but it hurts like hell.” “Looks like he was on the beach for a week with no sunscreen,” Laura observed, studying his face. “I wish,” Steve replied. “The beach part at least.” “Anybody still have their first aid kits?” Tracy asked, her voice strained as she stood. She began inspecting their injuries and grouped the kids by the severity of their wounds. She checked Shane last. He had large, watery blisters forming on his neck and the backs of his arms. Tracy sighed when she saw them, and then eased his shirt up. He groaned, but leaned forward so she could. His gaze fell on one of the kids who’d taken a direct hit from the light and escaped the steps right before the injuries killed him. The kid lay motionless near the edge, the puddle of fluids leaking from his cooked body glistening in the moonlight. “How is it, Doc?” Shane asked. The combination of his pain and the gruesome sight made him want to throw up. “Tell me straight.”

“Looks like shit,” she said quietly. “How do you feel?” “It doesn’t matter,” he growled, gritting his teeth when he pulled his shirt back down. He took of his remaining soldiers. “We’re missing a lot of kids,” he said quietly. “We barely made it out in time,” Anfisa replied. “The rest were too far down.” The green wall burned on the side of the steps above them. He stepped around the kids sitting and laying on the patio, assessing their condition. Too many were dead or dying, and closer to the wall alongside the steps, he found more kids with gunshot wounds. “See to the injured,” he ordered over his shoulder. “Yeah, that would be all of us,” Petrov replied. Climbing onto a bench, Shane peered through the green fire onto the staircase. Charred bodies littered the steps all the way down to where the green wall looped around a quarter of the way up from the bottom. It still climbed the steps, incinerating the remains of the kids who he’d hoped to keep alive. He could see some of them moving, attempting to climb away from Greenie. Above, there were just as many bodies. They’d been closest to the source of the light beam, and none of them had survived. The Anunnaki rewarded the loyalty of the humans with a quicker death than those who defied them. Kelly climbed next to him. She looked out on the steps, horror and sadness in her wet eyes. “If Greenie hadn’t opened that wall,” Shane said, “we’d be dead.” “It needs some of us alive to go up and kill the Anunnaki,” Kelly said dismally. “But something’s not right,” Shane said, looking down below, where the green wall had incinerated most of Shamus’ gang. “The piles of ashes seem too small.” “I think it’s because they’re burned so completely,” Kelly replied.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Looks so artificial somehow.” “Greenie’s not going to give us a chance to rest,” Kelly said, pointing. A branch of the green wall grew out, darting along the edge of the patio, around the kids who’d escaped, and then turned right and stopped at the ship’s hull. Shane and Kelly climbed down and pulled kids away from the murderous fire. “We’re trapped,” one of the kids said with a panicked tone. “No, we aren’t,” Jules replied. “Look.” Shane turned away from the newly formed green wall, looking at the apartment built into the side of the ship. A dim light came from inside it, seeming to shine from down a long hallway. “That doesn’t look like firelight,” Steve observed. “And it isn’t green,” Petrov added. Shane looked back at the green wall just as it advanced across the patio toward them. “On your feet,” he ordered. “Into the ship.” Fear overriding the pain from their injuries, most of the kids jumped up and rushed toward the apartment. He stayed behind until those who could walk were out of the way. The green wall closing on them, he and his friends helped those who couldn’t walk without assistance into the apartment. Shane helped a boy with a bullet in his calf to his feet, and followed the rest in. His hopes that he’d be able to turn back and help the ones they’d left behind died with their agonized screams, the green wall of fire consuming them.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Blocking them in the apartment, Greenie paused its advance. Shane helped the injured boy down the hallway, following the others toward the white light glowing up ahead. They ed out of the apartment and into a corridor. A square in the ceiling lit up the kids with bright light. “Is the power back on?” Shane asked, handing the kid he helped off to one of the other teenagers. “It doesn’t appear so,” Jones replied tapping on a blank screen on the wall of the corridor. “It’s just Greenie showing us the way,” Kelly said. “There’s another light down the hall.” Shane made his way through the survivors to stand next to Kelly. She gazed down the straight corridor into the darkness. With his back to the light, he saw the dim glow holding her attention. “Looks like we have twenty-eight of the new kids left, Jones and four of his clones, and us and the Russians,” Tracy reported. “What’s this?” Laura asked. They turned their attention to the wall she stared at. A small red symbol blinked on a cigar-shaped device mounted in a recessed pocket in the wall. “Looks like one of Dr. Blain’s healing pens,” Tracy exclaimed. “And it has power,” Jones added, retrieving the device. The captain turned to the kid who Shane had helped off the patio. Jones tore open the kid’s pant leg and aimed the device at the hole in the back of his calf. Familiar blue light came from it, and the flesh around the wound began to move.

The bullet wiggled back out of the hole and made a ting when it hit the floor. Within a minute, the wound was closed and the boy regained full use of the leg. Rushing to each of the wounded, Jones healed them. No one talked, and the fear the device might suddenly stop working before it got to everyone made Shane hold his breath. Feeling guilty about those they’d left behind to die, he didn’t let the captain treat him until everyone else was healed. When it was finally his turn, he sighed with relief as the blue light ed over his skin, erasing the burns and eliminating his pain. “Greenie is coming,” Anfisa announced right after Jones was done with Shane. She stood on the other end of the group, guarding the hall into the apartment they’d come through. “It’s not going to stop,” Shane said. “Why does it not burn the ship?” Petrov asked. “It has turned everything it touches to ash.” “Because it’s corralling us,” Jules answered. “It’s like the too-perfect piles of ash it left behind outside,” Shane said. “Something’s weird about it.” “Lots weird about it,” Steve added. “It wants us to move, now,” Kelly said, staring at the green fire. Her tone was sad, like her spirit was nearly broken. But he knew the lioness in her would never give up. She’d spend her last breath trying to save her sister. And he’d spend his last trying to save her. He prayed that it would be enough to keep them alive. The green wall came too close to allow them more time to contemplate it. Shane and Kelly led the way down the corridor, leaving the island of artificial light. “Keep together and keep your barrels up,” Shane ordered over his shoulder. “I don’t want anyone getting shot by accident.” Guns clacked as they were shifted in their hands. The light they’d just been

under went out. Ahead, the dim glow of another white light invited them. Behind, the moving wall of fire cast its eerie green glow, threating to devour them. Neither gave enough light to see the faces of any of the kids. He only knew Kelly was still next to him when their shoulders brushed. No one spoke, but the darkness was charged with anxious dread. Shane learned enough about the Anunnaki ship he’d help destroy to carry out that mission in Cairo, but ninety percent of the recruit ship was a mystery to him. Having the lights turned out made him feel even more lost. They were at the mercy of Greenie. Coming closer to the light, he realized it shone from a corridor that turned off the one they walked in. He paused and looked down it, then back over the heads of the kids following him. He could see the green glow, steadily approaching. “It wants us to go deeper into the ship,” Jones said, pushing around the others to get to the front. Shane had forgotten that Jones had likely been on these ships before he rebelled. “Why?” Shane asked. “Probably guiding us to the internal stairwells,” the captain replied. “I’ve never actually seen one, but I’ve heard the ships have them for emergency use.” Jones didn’t seem to know as much as Shane hoped. Glancing down the corridor, he saw the green light growing brighter. “We can’t stay here,” he said, heading into the ageway and under the white light. Kelly trotted next to him, a determined look on her face. Her brow furrowed with concern, he guessed for her sister. But there was also dread in her expression. “We’re going to make it through this,” he whispered. “That’s not what concerns me,” she replied, sounding a little panicked. “Greenie

is corralling us through this ship, trying to get us up to the city on the top for one reason. We’ll have to kill every Anunnaki up there if we are to survive.” She said this like she knew it for a fact, like Greenie had just told her. “They’d have killed us if they couldn’t make us their slaves,” Shane replied, hoping to ease her guilt. “I didn’t think it would make us kill their children, Shane,” she said angrily. “We’ll have to kill them too. Even among the Anunnaki, there are those who don’t deserve to die. Jones and Lily are proof of that.” They left the light behind, and shadows closed on her face. Not knowing how to answer, he turned his attention to the dark corridor ahead. Another beacon, a light on far ahead, drew them. Shane hadn’t been able to dwell upon what would really go down once they made it to the city on top of the ship; he’d been too busy trying to keep everyone alive. Would Greenie make them kill every Anunnaki on the ship? If they were forced to kill the innocent, to slaughter the enemy’s children, could they ever recover from such heinous acts of violence? Could they even do it? This time, the light glowed out of an open stairwell. The mood of the kids grew increasingly somber as they approached their bloody destination, and Shane led them in silence into the stairwell and up several levels. He stopped when the lights on the levels above didn’t turn on to direct them to continue their climb. When he approached the exit from the stairwell, the door slid aside. Hating the total lack of control over where they were going, he entered another hallway. “Like rats in a maze,” Steve mumbled. “Yeah,” Shane replied. “And we die if we make a wrong turn.” “I believe this leads to the armory,” Jones said. “It’s hard to tell with the lights out.” “Why would Greenie take us to the ship’s armory?” Anfisa asked. “It’s not like any of the weapons there will work.” “Greenie can clearly give power to anything it wants,” Laura answered. Despite missing an arm, she’d kept up with the rest of them and was one of the few to escape the stairs on the side of the ship with only minor injuries.

A door on their right slid open. Shane pivoted and brought his weapon up, squinting his eyes at the darkness. The metal clack of his gun in his hands echoed through the chamber in the room beyond. He stepped sideways, bracing his gun against the doorjamb. “Stay clear,” he whispered. “If anyone is in there, they’ll be able to see us before we see them with the light behind us.” As if in response to his words, the lights went out, and they were left in absolute darkness. The teenagers mumbled their fear, panic brewing among them. “Shush,” Shane ordered, straining his ears to compensate for his loss of vision. Other than the sound of the teenagers shifting in the darkness and his pulse banging in his ears, all was silent. He looked back down the hallway from where they’d come and saw a faint green glow, the nightmarish wall of death approaching. “What are we going to do?” Steve asked. “Don’t think we can stay here for long.” “This door opened,” Shane replied. “I’m guessing Greenie wants us to go through it, light to guide us or not. Any objections?” No one replied. As usual, they seemed content to follow his lead. Hoping he wasn’t making the wrong choice, he took a deep breath and stepped into the dark chamber. “Stay close,” he said. “Put a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you.” A hand patted his back, feeling its way to his shoulder. He guessed it was Kelly’s. Shane stepped forward, sweeping his gun left and right like a blind person used a cane. He slid his feet on the floor, feeling his way along slowly. No matter how much time ed, his eyes couldn’t adjust to the inky darkness. He reckoned they went twenty feet into the room, and he heard the door they’d entered through slide shut behind them. “Is everybody with us?” he asked, worried the door had cut someone off. “I think so,” voices repeated behind him.

“This is bullshit,” someone cursed, frustration thick in their voice. “Stay together,” Shane replied. “We have to keep our heads.” A deep growl echoed through the room, a sound so low he felt it in his gut. “What the hell was that?” Maurice asked, his voice coming from behind Shane. “Please don’t let it be one of those giant wolves,” Kelly whispered. “Wolves?” Anfisa said. The growl came again, sounding closer and hungry. Shane swept his gun left, thinking the sound came from there. Then he heard a screech, like the nails of an oversized dog scraping on the metal floor. Someone in the back of his group screamed. Their squeal transformed from terror to pain, and then it stopped as suddenly as it started. He swore he heard bone crunching just as the teenager fell silent. Gunshots rang out, the flash from the barrels illuminating the back of his group. It created just enough light for him to make out a massive creature, something that looked like an elephant-sized werewolf. “Spread out!” he shouted. “Kill it!”

Chapter Thirty-Six

“Shoot its sides,” Kelly yelled. “Behind its front legs.” He could barely hear her over the sound of gunfire. Everyone fired their weapons, creating a strobe of light in the dark chamber. Shane saw kids fall near the beast, shot by the kids behind them. “Watch your aim, damn it,” he shouted in desperation. The creature shrieked, bullets finding a home in its thick fur. Kelly charged toward it. “Out of my way,” she ordered. “Kelly, no!” He ran after her, thinking she’d lost her mind. She elbowed the other kids to get through, then leapt to the right side of the animal and rolled. Shane dropped to his knee in front of the beast. In the flashing light, he saw it open its massive jaws to devour him. He aimed into its throat and pulled the trigger. On full auto, the M-16 belched rounds into the animal, but it didn’t slow down. He rolled to get out of its way and saw Kelly near its right shoulder. She jabbed her gun’s barrel between its ribs and pulled the trigger. The massive alien wolf dropped and slid across the metal floor, dead. Panicking kids continued to shoot their guns. Shane shouted for them to stop, and his friends repeated the order. It took another minute for the last shot to be fired. The ringing in his ears subsided, replaced by the groans of the injured and the dying, a sound he’d heard all too often. Stunned, he tried to gain his bearings. The lights came on overhead, and he blinked to adjust his eyes against the brightness. As the cavernous room came into focus, the bloody scene around him

made his heart drop. He’d been in a few fights, but never had so much death been caused by friendly fire. In their panic, the less disciplined teens in the back of his group had shot each other. “It’s not working anymore,” Jones said with frustration, slapping the cigarshaped healing pen against his palm. “Guess Greenie doesn’t want us all to survive,” Maurice said, holding his hands over a boy’s wound to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t easy to identify the teenagers who’d been killed by the wolf. He counted five, their bodies’ torn to shreds and limbs missing. He imagined a few more had been completely devoured by the beast. Most of the kids who lay dead and dying were bleeding out through gunshot wounds. He rushed to Kelly, who kneeled on the ground next to the wolf, her gun still pointed at the beast. “What the hell is it doing to us?” she asked. “What sort of sick game is Greenie playing?” He put a hand on her shoulder, checking her over to make sure she hadn’t been injured. “It’s like it wants to beat us down before we have a chance to go at the Anunnaki,” Steve said, stepping up on the other side of Kelly and staring at the dead monster. Shane looked around the room, trying to decide if they could help the injured kids. “How the hell did we make it through that without getting shot?” he wondered, seeing the Russians and his team still alive. “Shane,” Jones called from behind him. “You’ll want to see this.” Trying to shake the daze the morbid scene had caused, he stepped over bodies toward the opposite side of the chamber. Jones stood next to a wall with suits of red armor hanging from it.

“Those’ll be useless,” Shane dismally said, approaching the captain. “No,” Jones replied, sounding shocked. “They have power.” “What?” Shane took the helmet Jones handed him and pulled it over his head. The visor readout was on, reporting the suit was fully charged. “I don’t understand,” Shane said, taking the helmet off. “There’s not enough for everyone,” one of Jones’ clones reported. “The new kids who ed us at the base won’t know how to operate them anyway,” Jones replied. “These plasma rifles are charged as well,” another clone said. Shane eyed the carnage behind him, trying to make sense of it all. “Maybe Greenie only wants us to attack the Anunnaki,” he quietly said, “and not the new kids.” “We don’t have time to discuss it,” Jones replied, pointing at the side of the room where they had entered. The bulkhead glowed, then the green fire started its slow age toward them. “Get everyone who has experience with the armor suited first,” Shane said loud enough for all the kids in the room to hear. He feared his split-second decision condemned the rest to death. Jones and his clones, the Russians, and Shane’s team donned the armor. As Shane feared, there weren’t enough suits or plasma rifles with power for any of the new kids to wear. However, the captain was right. The suits took some time to master and could even be dangerous to the wearer without training. Greenie incinerated the dead wolf and the dead and dying teenagers who were too weak to move out of the way. The last to get suited up was a clone, and then the green wall rushed toward them, chasing everyone into a corridor that led to

another emergency staircase. Lights came on overhead, guiding them where Greenie wanted them to go. The strength-enhancing armor would’ve boosted Shane’s confidence in any other situation, but not now that he knew what Greenie expected from them. “When we attack the Anunnaki,” Steve voice came through his earpieces, “it’s going to be a slaughter.” “I know,” Shane said, his voice cracking. “It’s not right,” Maurice said. “It’s one thing when we were fighting for our lives, but with this armor and these plasma rifles…” “The Anunnaki didn’t seem to have second thoughts about killing our parents,” Anfisa said, no comion in her voice. “They deserve what is coming to them.” Screams from the stairwell below ended the tense discussion. “Greenie is coming faster,” Laura reported. “It’s killing the kids without armor.” He looked down the stairs and saw her fire a shot from her plasma rifle into the approaching green wall with no effect. “We need to run,” Shane said, demoralized. “It’ll kill us all if we don’t.” Rage coursing through his veins, he led the charge up the steps. His friends and the few teenagers without armor who could keep up followed him. The stairwell seemed to go on forever, and he knew the kids without armor couldn’t make it. At every turn, he looked down the steps and saw less of the unarmored teenagers. After ten minutes of climbing, none of those who’d ed them at the hidden base remained. He’d planned to protect those kids who’d blindly followed him to the alien ship, and he’d failed. His eyes clouded with anger, and he wanted to turn and attack the green wall. He looked down the stairs at the next turn and saw his friends, the Russians, and Jones and his clones, all wearing red armor and carrying plasma rifles, following him. He couldn’t stop Greenie from taking the other kids, but he refused to lose anyone else. He’d die first.

Three more turns and he came to a landing with a closed door. “I believe this is the top,” Jones said. “This leads to somewhere in the city.” Shane took a deep breath and looked through his visor at the other people with him. Although they were wearing red helmets, his armor’s computer sensed who he was looking at and used live video of their faces so he could identify each of them. They appeared grim, but ready for battle nonetheless. Kelly grabbed his gloved hand with hers and squeezed. “Stay together,” he said somberly. “Stay alive.” “Sounds like a mantra,” Steve teased. “Say all that and you’ll make his head swell,” Tracy replied. Shane forced a chuckle, wishing they had another moment to just hang out, like they did before the Anunnaki came, on the hidden base when Jones was training them. The green wall came up the steps, not allowing any reprieve. He grabbed the door and pulled. It didn’t move at first, apparently barred from the other side. The strength gauge in his visor showed the armor exponentially increased the force it applied as he pulled harder. The door made a loud screech and slid aside.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“It was no easy task, sir,” the soldier replied, “but we got all the animals in the pens around the coliseum. All but one.” “And which one was that?” Pelros asked. “A Stilapian wolf,” she answered. “It escaped and disappeared below decks.” “That’s fine,” Pelros said. “It’ll keep intruders at bay.” He returned the soldier’s salute and made his way around the perimeter of the Pegasus’ city. His marines were nervous, focused on the green wall that was climbing the side of the ship and wondering how they were supposed to fight it. They didn’t celebrate the defeat of the humans; they were too consumed by the fear that the fire would sweep over the entire vessel and kill everyone. The citizens weren’t any happier, crowding in close to the coliseum to get as far away from the green flames as possible. For the moment, the wall had stopped moving, but he expected it wouldn’t stall for long. Even if the humans were their only threat, Pelros wasn’t convinced that the battle was over. After the attack, a soldier positioned on the corner of the ship reported seeing a break in the burning green wall, near where the humans with Jones and his rebel clones were probably positioned. Pelros discounted this first soldier, unable to imagine how he could see anything with the light blasting from the mirrors. But then other soldiers began telling their commanders the same story. And reports came in that another wall of the green flames had grown from the one lining the steps going up the side of the ship, in the same area were the break had been. This wall had only gone far enough to close off the balcony of one of the apartments, far enough to surround a small group of humans who may have escaped. The green entity intended some sort of trial or judgment to be ed by the humans who were with Jones—that much seemed clearer with each ing

moment. He hoped his soldiers had outwitted the green entity by blasting the humans with the light beam, but now he had to assume a few had escaped through the opening in the wall and might be coming up through the inside of the ship. “The green wall is moving,” an engineer manning one of the mirrors shouted. Pelros rushed to the edge, seeing the reason for the panic in the engineer’s voice. The green wall climbed up the side of the recruit ship, heading for the top with such speed that Pelros feared it might sweep over them, annihilating his soldiers and the Anunnaki civilians before he could decide how to protect them. The soldiers shouted and pushed away from the wall. Pelros was only able to take ten steps before the flames reached the perimeter wall of the city, and there it stopped. He a took a few more steps and stopped as well. Seeing him pause, the soldiers near him did the same, ready to face whatever fate he chose. He stared at the wall, uncertain what to do. “Pull back to the coliseum,” Pelros ordered. It was the hub of the city, the center of the ship. There was enough clear space around the outside of the stadium and plenty of room on its floor and in its bleachers to take refuge. If his people had to make a final stand, this seemed to be the best location. The soldiers carried out his orders. He stayed near the edge, splitting his attention between the emerald flames and the Anunnaki fleeing toward the coliseum. Once they were clear, he backed away from the green wall and followed them toward the center of the city. “Thank the gods it seems to be stopped,” Gentras said when Pelros came close to the crowd outside the coliseum. “What will we do if it attacks us?” “This far exceeds my realm of expertise, and the senior officers don’t know what to do either,” Pelros angrily replied. “Now would be an appropriate time to allow my uncle to take charge.” He glared at the aristocrat, frustrated that even now, as their people faced possible extinction, the bureaucracy was bent on maintaining its semblance of

control. Gentras returned his gaze. His face remained relatively calm, but his eyes expressed the same panic that swept through the rest of the ship’s population. “Very well,” he said, sounding tired and defeated. He turned to his personal guard. “Fetch General Athos.” The guards nodded, relief evident in their worried expressions. They rushed off to carry out the council member’s order, and Pelros returned his attention to the approaching wall of green fire. It began moving at a crawl toward them, as if to allow everyone plenty of time to get out of the way. He ordered the soldiers to form a barrier around the civilians, pointing the primitive weapons they’d gathered outward. They were useless against the green alien, but he was desperate to do something and knew the soldiers and citizens both benefited from being given orders—it kept them from deteriorating into a panicky riot. “Looks like everything’s under control,” Athos said from behind him. “Thank the gods,” Pelros said under his breath. He turned around. “Uncle… General Athos.” “Report,” the general calmly said. “This green entity seems to be corralling us toward the coliseum,” Pelros replied. “We’ve brought the animals up to the holding cages, though I’m not sure how we can use them to our advantage at this point.” “Are there any humans left?” Athos asked. “Only a handful of loyal slaves,” Pelros replied, glancing nervously at the approaching green flames. “But I suspect a few of the enemy may have escaped our attack with the mirrors. They could be coming up through the inside of the ship, though I doubt there are enough of them to pose any real threat.” “We should be ready for anything,” the general replied. “The green enemy wants a final conflict between the humans and our people; at least that’s what I gathered by what it said.”

“I have soldiers blocking all the emergency stair accesses leading down from this level,” Pelros said. “No surprise,” Athos said, looking over at one of his senior officers. “He is a good leader,” the old officer said to Athos. “We hope that is enough and the gods act in our favor.” The pop of primitive human guns erupted near the base of the coliseum, accompanied by the shouts of soldiers. “The soldiers must not have gotten those emergency stairwells blocked in time,” Athos said. Pulsing sounds of plasma rifles firing came from inside the dark lower level of the coliseum. Pelros felt the blood run from his face. “Is it possible the humans have plasma rifles?” he asked. “Sounds that way,” Athos said. “The enemy’s way of giving the few humans who survived a chance at killing us. It’s leveled the field for a good fight. Perhaps this enemy is not unlike ourselves.” Athos looked at the approaching green wall. “This battle may be for its entertainment.” “We should lure them into the coliseum,” Pelros suggested. “Then we can use the animals against them.” “Excellent idea,” Athos said. “I’ll go make sure the gates are manned and ready to open. You get those humans onto the coliseum floor.” “Yes, sir,” Pelros replied, saluting his uncle. He wanted to feel like they had a chance, but as he rushed to the coliseum, he couldn’t shake the pessimistic feeling that the violent end of the Anunnaki race was imminent.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Light filtered into the stairwell, the slit between the sliding door and its jamb growing wider. Shane pushed it back far enough for them to slip through and led the way out. Yellow sunlight shined down a straight hallway that ended at the outside of the building. He could see Anunnaki ing beyond the arched exit, about fifty yards from the stairwell door. “We’re in the shadows,” Anfisa said. “They won’t see us.” “Must be hundreds of them out there,” Petrov said. “Thousands,” Tracy replied. “They’re all out there.” “I think this is the first floor of the coliseum,” Jones observed. Two Anunnaki soldiers entered the end of the hallway and walked toward them. “He ordered us to guard the emergency escape stairwell,” one of them told the other as they stepped into the dark interior of the building. They held the barrel of their weapons pointed down, like they hadn’t noticed the intruders. Shane started to order everyone back into the stairwell to hide, but saw a green glow coming from just beyond the door. Its eerie light reflected on the shiny red armor he and his friends wore. “They need to be eliminated quietly,” Shane whispered. “Or we’ll have the rest of them on us all at once.” He saw the guards stop. They were deep enough into the building to see the backlit intruders. They raised their weapons—Earth rifles they must’ve harvested from Atlanta. “Who’s there?” one demanded. “Where did you get operational armor?”

“We found it below decks,” Jones said, stepping forward. “Not sure why, but these suits had power, so we donned them.” “Remove your helmets,” she ordered, sounding suspicious. “Identify yourselves.” Jones pulled his helmet off and stepped closer to the soldier. “I’m Juris, captain in the Shock Troop guard,” he replied, sounding calm and honest. “This is my squad. We’re returning from patrol.” The soldier’s eyes widened, and she took a step back and pointed her rifle at his head. “Very convincing,” her male counterpart said, stepping closer with his rifle aimed. “Drop your weapons and remove the armor, or I’ll shoot him in the face.” Apparently tired of having the guns pointed at his exposed head, Jones rolled to the left, across the hallway. The guards fired their rifles, and bullets ricocheted off the red armor. Two blasts came from the shadows behind Shane, bolts of plasma that ed through the Anunnaki. The warm, yellow sunlight bathing the ship’s city outside the building showed through the softball-sized holes in their chests. Plasma bolts killed in such a unique way. No blood wept from the edges of the wounds, the flesh perfectly cauterized. Furthermore, the plasma burnt through its target without resistance. The guards weren’t pushed around by the impact as they would be if hit by bullets. This allowed them to stand there a moment until their muscles went slack and they slumped to the floor. Shane turned to see who’d fired the shots. A small square over Laura’s helmet displayed a live video feed of her face on the inside of his visor. He’d never witnessed so much hate in a person’s expression. She loathed the Anunnaki, and had no problem following Greenie’s bidding and killing them all. She saw him staring at her, and her expression softened. “Don’t think that could’ve ended any other way,” she said. “On a lighter note, I’m able to use the armor to hold my gun.” She raised her weapon, holding its stock with the left hand of the armor, the side where she had only half her arm.

“Here come the rest,” Steve said, taking aim. “We can’t stay here,” Kelly snapped. “We have to go into the coliseum.” “They’ll have the advantage if they can shoot down at us from the seats above,” Jones said. “We’re better off taking them on out there, in the city.” “No,” Jules said. “She’s right. Into the coliseum or Greenie is going to torch one of us.” Shane could tell by the tones of their voices that entering the stadium was not their idea. It was another order from Greenie. The light coming down the hallway grew dim, blocked by soldiers coming to investigate the blasts they’d no doubt heard. “Into the coliseum,” Shane said. The decision made him sick, but he couldn’t risk losing anyone to Greenie. Without further hesitation, Jones nodded and turned down the corridor to their right. Shane kept his weapon aimed at the silhouettes approaching from outside. “Go, go,” he whispered, pushing his squad past him. Following the last of his red-armor-clad friends into the corridor, Shane walked backward and kept his gun aimed. Once he could no longer see the Anunnaki coming down the hallway, he turned and followed his people. Greenie illuminated a solitary light ahead, letting them know they headed in the right direction. They ed under the light and walked down a long corridor shrouded in darkness. Night-vision technology in their helmets allowed them to see, and Jones led them along at a jog until they encountered large sliding doors that looked big enough to drive a tank through and strong enough to stop one that tried. “The coliseum is just on the other side,” Jones said, pressing his gloved fingers into the vertical seam where the doors met. “Don’t think we’ll be able to open this,” Steve said, stepping up to help the

captain, “even with our armor on.” Shane looked over at the control on the side of the doors and saw a flash of green. The doors disappeared into the walls on either side. Bright sunlight blinded him for an instant, then his visor adjusted to protect his eyes. Before them was the vast arena floor, with a wall of seating rising above and around it. “I can’t imagine a more impossible place to make our stand,” Steve said, looking up at the seats rising above them. “Or more fitting,” Jones dourly replied. “These coliseums are at the heart of the Anunnakis’ violent nature. In these stadiums, the people’s bloodlust is cultivated and respect for other species is scoured from their minds.” “I feel like we’re early Christians about to be fed to the lions,” Maurice muttered. “Yes,” Anfisa replied coolly, “but they didn’t have these.” She patted her gun, then thumped the breastplate of her armor with her fist. “Good point,” Steve said, forced cheer in his tone. “These ain’t pitchforks and togas.” The sounds of Anunnaki coming down the corridor behind them drew Shane’s attention. “Clear the door,” he ordered. They split up, taking positions on either side of the opening. Keeping close to the wall of the arena, Shane and his friends aimed at the door and waited for the Anunnaki to come spilling out. The sounds grew louder and then stopped. He knew they were just inside, and figured they suspected he and his friends waited to ambush them. Instead of Anunnaki soldiers rushing out to attack, a loud rattling echoed across the arena, and a heavy chain gate dropped from the top of the doorway, blocking their escape. Gun barrels poked through the chains, the Anunnaki searching for a target. Panicked shouting came from above them. Staying against the arena wall, Shane looked at the seating rising on the other side of the coliseum to see hundreds of the Anunnaki pushing through the doors and spilling into the seats. They ran in

like they were being pursued. “Greenie,” Jules said, pointing above the top of the coliseum. The green wall of fire grew up behind the round building, pressing against the exterior walls. “It’s forced all the Anunnaki into the stadium,” Steve said. “It’ll keep pushing them,” Kelly dismally added. “It’ll push them against us.” “We’ll have to slaughter them all if we want to stay alive,” Jules said. The stadium seats above them filled with Anunnaki fleeing Greenie. At first, they didn’t seem to notice the humans who were clad in red armor and hiding in the shadows of the arena wall. After they spilled down to the seats on the bottom row, twenty feet above Shane’s head, a few Anunnaki soldiers saw the humans and aimed their weapons at them. Those soldiers told the ones nearby. Within a few seconds, most of the enemy turned their attention to Shane and his friends. Metal scraping on metal drowned out the shouts from above. All around the perimeter of the arena, doors slid aside, revealing dark chambers beyond. “Not good,” Kelly warned, lowering her aim and shifting her gun back and forth to cover the openings. The hair rose on the back of Shane’s neck. Out of the darkness came all manner of beasts making a cacophony of horrible sounds. The creatures were all alien, and the only trait they shared was they were bigger than any predator on Earth and seemed to be starving. They gazed toward Shane and his friends with what he could only assume was voracious hunger lighting up their eyes. “Stay close together,” Shane ordered. “I don’t think most of these animals will survive a plasma blast.” Anfisa and the others who were on the other side of the closed-off opening they’d come through darted in front of the gate. The Anunnaki behind it fired their weapons, and bullets ricocheted off red armor. Anfisa and her group

returned fire, blasting the Anunnaki with bolts of plasma. They ed with Shane’s group, and all weapons were aimed at the approaching predators. “There must be fifty of them,” Maurice said, sounding worried. “Steady,” Shane replied. Noticing the other animals entering the arena nearby, some of the beasts turned on each other. With Jurassic-sized teeth and claws, they tore huge gashes in each other’s flesh, some covered with scales, some thick bare hide, and some fur. “Don’t fire until they close in on us,” Shane said. “We need to conserve the charge in our plasma rifles.” “Greenie won’t let us run out of juice,” Jules replied. “Not until we’ve killed every Anunnaki in those stands.” Shane sweated, and his armor reacted by bathing him in cool air. This was just the beginning of the battle. If they managed to eliminate these monsters, they’d still have to fight the armed spectators who were cheering above them. The predators who didn’t attack each other charged at once, seeming to try to beat each other to the meal. “Hold,” Shane said, a tremor in his voice. He waited until the animals were fifteen yards away and shouted, “Fire!” A barrage of plasma blasted from their weapons, each finding a home in the flesh of a charging beast. The predators flipped head over heels, sliding on the sandy arena floor. Shane fired again and again, as did his friends. Within moments, all the beasts were dead and the arena fell quiet. He looked up at the Anunnaki. They seemed stunned, staring down at the carnage with wide eyes. Then shouts started, a crescendo of rage and heartache over losing their beloved beasts. The guns pointed toward Shane and his friends. “Take cover,” Shane instinctively said. But there was no place to hide. He dropped to his knee and aimed his rifle up at them. A single shot came from above, and he heard the round bounce off

someone’s armor next to him. Then the Anunnaki began shooting at once. Weapons fire drowned out the other sounds in the coliseum. The bullets hit Shane’s armor, knocking him off his knee and onto his back. He rolled over and returned fire. “There are too many of them,” Petrov shouted. “Our armor will hold,” Jones said. “Just keep shooting.” Movement above caught Shane’s attention. He glanced up in time to see a massive rectangular platform tilting over the wall of the arena. “Run,” he shouted, pushing to his feet. He made it three steps before a shadow blocked out the sun. Shane dove, knowing the platform was falling toward them. The floor of the arena shook when it landed, and a cloud of sand billowed up, blinding him. Shane rolled to his feet and scanned through the dissipating sand, searching for his friends. “Is everyone okay?” he inquired, only able to count six people in red armor pushing to their feet nearby. “Damn, that was close,” Steve said. “Headcount,” Shane ordered. “On it,” Tracy’s tense voice said through the speakers in his helmet. “Everyone, sound off—say your name.” All the while, bullets pinged on Shane’s armor and caused bits of gravel to erupt from the platform that lay ten feet from him. “Maurice.” “Laura.” “Anfisa.” “Kelly.”

“Steve.” “Petrov.” “Jones.” The dust cleared and the identifier in Shane’s visor showed each of their stunned faces as he looked at his friends. After the captain spoke, no one else said their name. “Damn it,” Tracy cursed, concern thick in her voice. She rushed around the platform, firing her plasma rifle up into the stands as she ran. She came around the other side. “They’re gone,” she said with disbelief. “Gone?” Shane blinked, having trouble comprehending what she meant. “Dead,” Tracy replied, her voice cracking. “Crushed.” A bullet struck Shane’s helmet, causing his head to tilt sideways. He hardly noticed, stunned by the sudden loss of so many of his friends. Another bullet struck his breastplate, pushing him back. “Take cover against the platform,” he said, afraid he’d lose more. “Return fire.” “I’m going to kill all you bastards,” Tracy shouted, her shock over losing Jules seeming to transform into rage. They backed against the platform, firing up into the stadium. Anunnaki along the walls dropped dead as the plasma bolts seared through them. Anger boiled in Shane’s blood. Greenie wanted him and his friends to execute the Anunnaki, and now he had the motive to do it. He hated these aliens who’d killed their parents, and hated them more for killing his friends. Through his murderous anger, he noticed the panicking Anunnaki pressing down toward the lower level of the seating above. “Greenie is pushing them toward us,” Anfisa said. “It’s closing in.” He saw it. The green wall closed like a noose. Flashes of brighter green showed where the aliens couldn’t get out of the way in time and were turned to ash. It

pushed the Anunnaki off the upper and outer rows of seats and toward the arena, to Shane and his friends. “Good,” Laura growled. “It’ll make them easier to kill.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Leaving Pelros in charge of ensuring the humans were corralled into the coliseum, Athos ordered his other commanders to get the rest of the soldiers up into the seating where they could shoot down at the enemy. Pushing his way toward the massive round building, he recalled the nightmare he’d had where he’d watched his beloved nephew die in the hands of the human slaves. It had happened in the coliseum, and he prayed to the gods that the dream was brought on by stress and not some terrible premonition. “Hurry,” he shouted, seeing the green wall press in on his people. “Into the coliseum. The only chance we have at survival is to kill the humans.” This strange enemy clearly had a twisted sense of humor, making them have their final showdown with the humans in the building where the Anunnaki had made sport of pitting lesser species against each other. With the predators they’d moved to the coliseum and the Anunnaki shooting down on the humans from the seats above, he doubted they’d survive for long. What would the green entity do once Athos had destroyed the humans it had sent to attack his people? He feared it may decide to exterminate the Anunnaki anyway and still hadn’t figured out a way to stop it. For now, he needed his people to believe they had a chance; he needed them to fight for their lives. On all sides of the coliseum, citizens, sailors, and soldiers pressed against each other, trying to get through the arched openings and away from the green wall. Their eyes showed panic, but they behaved irably, not descending into anarchy and trampling each other to escape death. He followed the last soldier in, glaring back at the green wall that crossed the plaza surrounding the round building. “You may herd us like animals,” he said, hoping the green entity could hear him, “but you’ll not cause us to behave as such.” Athos climbed the steps to the first level of seats, and his soldiers stepped aside so he could get to the arena wall. He looked down at the sandy floor just as a

handful of humans entered, clad in Anunnaki armor. He heard the secondary gate drop, locking them in the arena. “Those plasma rifles will give them the advantage,” a lieutenant standing next to him said, sounding concerned. “I don’t think it’ll be enough to keep them alive,” Athos replied. “Release the predators,” he shouted. The order was repeated around the first row of seats and ed down to the soldiers who manually operated doors that held the beasts in their cages. His pulse raced when he saw the animals come out, the thrill of the games getting to him even though he knew the stakes were much higher than the monetary bets that were usually placed between spectators. The humans fired their weapons at the predators when they charged, and the animals were no match for the bolts of plasma. Athos knew he had to take advantage of their distraction to find another way to kill them. The podium at the edge of the wall was detached from the building, able to float the aristocrats out over the arena floor when the ship had power. If they could move it, he knew it had enough mass to crush the humans, even with the armor they wore. It had rollers underneath, so there was a good chance they could push it out so it would fall to the arena floor. “Kill the humans,” Athos shouted. “Shoot them.” The Anunnaki aimed their primitive guns at the humans and fired. Bullets rained down into the arena floor. He doubted they’d have much effect against the armor, but he hoped it would keep them distracted. “Push the podium into the arena,” he shouted, ushering the Anunnaki off and behind the large block of metal and stone. They rushed to the back of the podium and leaned into it. At first the massive block didn’t move, but more citizens and soldiers ed, apparently comprehending his intention. The podium moved. “Yes, that’s it,” he shouted.

The massive block advanced slowly at first, but once they got a piece of it over the edge, it became easier. “Push,” Athos urged the people on. The podium slid out over the arena until most of its mass was over the edge, and then it flipped as it fell toward the humans. The boom resonated against the coliseum, and the sand rose in a white cloud. Athos rushed to the edge and looked down, waiting for the dust to dissipate so he could see if the humans had been crushed. The air cleared, and Athos saw only half the humans remained. They looked at each other, seeming stunned. Turning their plasma rifles upward, they began firing into the stands, killing his soldiers. “Stay low,” he ordered. “Keep shooting at them.” He hoped the metal bullets would break down the armor if enough of them found their target. The humans rushed for cover next to the fallen podium and returned fire. Athos was pushed from behind and almost fell over the edge. He looked back and saw the green wall pressing down the rows of seating, incinerating his people. The discipline they’d maintained to this point eroded, being burned from one side and shot from the other too much for them. “Stop,” Athos shouted desperately. “Stand your ground.” He knew they couldn’t; they’d be burned if they did. Death awaited them if they fell over the wall to the coliseum floor. They ignored him, rushing down until they pressed together so tightly the people along the wall began toppling over. Athos dropped into a control box at the edge of the arena wall, saving himself just before they pushed him off. Athos’ soldiers and the citizens he’d sworn to protect spilled over the edge, dropping to the coliseum floor, and there was nothing he could do to stop them. Between the leaping people, he could see the green wall coming closer, burning those who didn’t move fast enough. When it was two rows of seats away and there was no one left between him and the green flames, Athos rolled out of the control box and stood on the edge of the arena wall.

The humans were backed to the center of the arena. The bodies of the Anunnaki piled up around the walls, forming a soft landing for those last few who continued to leap to escape the green fire. Plasma bolts hit many of them before they had a chance to jump, their limp bodies bouncing and then rolling down the hill of corpses. He looked over his shoulder and saw the green wall right behind. Athos held his weapon across his chest and jumped. He hit the soft bodies of his dead and dying people and rolled down the pile. Coming to his feet, he rushed to the edge of the fallen platform for cover and aimed at the humans. He fired his weapon, pumping bullets into the helmet of the closest one. The human turned and fired back, and Athos leaped out of the way, taking cover behind the platform. “Uncle,” Pelros said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet. “Commander, thank the gods you’re still alive,” Athos replied, holding his nephew’s shoulders. “Yes, sir,” Pelros said. “And I’ve got this.” Pelros held up an earth gun with a large pipe for a barrel. “What is it?” Athos asked. “It fires explosives,” Pelros replied. “But I’ve only got six rounds.” “We’d better make them count,” Athos said, taking the belt of fist-sized projectiles from Pelros and following him to the corner of the platform.

Chapter Forty

“Stay down,” Shane shouted, barely able to hear his own voice over the gunfire. “Keep your backs to each other.” Bullets pelted them like raindrops in a hurricane, the force of the impact pushing them around. The armor held and they fought back, firing bolts of plasma into the Anunnaki who survived the fall off the wall and ran toward them. The first lines of Anunnaki who fell appeared to be soldiers, but then what he guessed were the civilians came next. He saw little kids fall off the edge, mothers wrapping their bodies around infants as they leapt, like they were trying to sacrifice themselves to save their children. It horrified him to think some of them may be innocent, but every Anunnaki who appeared old enough to carry one had a gun. They were shooting at Shane and his friends, and he had no choice but to shoot back. The aliens charged in a disorganized panic, the green wall of fire having pushed them off the seating and onto the coliseum floor. The fire burned hundreds of them, and many more died from the fall. The rest, Shane and his friends slaughtered. There was so much death and carnage, he felt like he might vomit in his helmet. He maintained control, determined to keep the few survivors under his charge alive. “My armor is starting to fail,” Steve said. “The shielding reads thirty percent.” “Mine too,” Maurice echoed. “Stand your ground,” Shane ordered. They didn’t have a choice—there was nowhere to run. Kelly fought on his left with the ferocity of a cornered beast. Jones was beyond her, and Steve was on his left. Maurice had his back to Steve’s.

“Greenie’s crossing the arena toward us,” Laura reported. Her back was to Shane’s, and she fired in the opposite direction. “I see it,” he said, wondering if it intended to kill them all. A whomp sound came from near the edge of the platform that had fallen and killed his friends, and Maurice exploded. “Maurice!” Tracy screamed. Shane looked over and saw the gentle preacher’s son had been blown in half. It looked like the grenade had gotten jammed between his breastplate and hip armor. “They’ve got a damned grenade launcher,” Steve said, his voice horrified. “Take them out,” Shane ordered, dropping to his belly and firing at the place where he thought the round came from. Another whomp came from the opposite side of the platform, and an explosion consumed Steve, dropping his motionless body ten yards away. “No, damn it,” Shane shouted, blasting the spot where he saw the grenade come from. “Everyone, on your bellies.” He hoped to make them impossible targets. Another grenade landed between them and blasted Shane’s side. His visor reported his armor’s shielding was down to five percent, barely protecting him from the explosion. Green flashed through the arena, and the information displayed on his visor vanished. “I’ve lost power to my armor,” Jones reported, his voice muffled by his helmet. “Me too,” Kelly said. Shane pushed up to his knees, his armor no longer assisting his movement. “We’re screwed,” Laura said, panic in her tone. He looked back and saw her pushing her helmet off with her good arm. Then he noticed the gunfire had stopped. For a moment, the arena was silent,

everyone confused by Greenie’s move. The green wall of fire continued its slow path across the arena floor, closing in on Shane and his friends from all sides. Anunnaki shouts broke the silence, and the crowd of aliens was pushed inward. They pointed their weapons at Shane and his friends, and he knew they had to be pulling the triggers, but no bullets came and the guns remained silent. “It wants us to fight them with our bare hands,” Anfisa concluded, taking off her now-cumbersome armor. She dropped to her knees next to Steve’s body, staring at him with a mournful yet angry expression on her face. “Why doesn’t it just kill us all and get it over with? Why is it toying with us?” The same questions burned through Shane’s mind. He glanced at Kelly, relieved she didn’t appear injured. “Take off your armor. It’ll just slow you down,” he ordered, his voice cracking. “Get ready for a fight.” They shed the useless red suits, but held onto their plasma rifles, ready to use them as axes against the enemy like Jones had taught them. Although thousands of aliens were killed, hundreds of Anunnaki still survived, and they were pushed across the arena, closer each second. When they were twenty yards away, he could see the terror in their eyes. They feared the humans as much as they did Greenie, maybe more. One of them, a male who looked much like Jones minus the scar, ordered a charge. Next to him stood the Anunnaki they’d captured from the downed transport and held prisoner. “By the gods, they’re still alive,” Jones said, casting a desperate glance up at the sky. “This is how it ends? Must I fight both my son and my brother to the death?” Shane put his hand on the captain’s shoulder. Jones looked at him, and the melancholy in his expression faded. “We need you, sir,” Shane said. “And you have me,” Jones replied. Shane could see in the rebel’s eyes that he told the truth. Even his love for family could not trump his loyalty to his cause.

“Greenie is right in punishing them,” Jones said more stoically. “But it is not in killing you.” “Or you,” Shane added, trying to grin. Jones’ brother repeated the order. This time, it echoed around the closing ring of Anunnaki. Ten yards away, the ones on the front line glared at Shane and his friends. Screams came from the back of their ranks as those who couldn’t get out of the way burned. “Keep your backs to each other,” Shane shouted. “Greenie is killing them from behind. We can still survive this.” “Charge,” the Anunnaki in the front shouted. They rushed toward them, and Shane raised his rifle over his head to stop three guns being swung down on him at once. He kicked the center attacker in the chest, crushing his fragile ribcage and sending him crashing into those behind. He twisted the plasma rifle, pushing their weapons off. Then he released one end and swung it around like a baseball bat, hitting them in the heads. They dropped, and he swung into those forced forward to take their place. Jones fended off the first attackers next to him, but the next wave pushed him back. Shane couldn’t help the captain; he had too many Anunnaki to fight. He beat them off and glanced over just as Jones’ brother brought his weapon down on him. Shane struck down the Anunnaki like they were blades of grass. When he swung his weapon around, he saw the captain’s son shove the barrel of his rifle into Jones’ chest like a spear. He caught a glimpse of Pelros’ face, and it was filled with a lifetime of hatred. Shane swung his rifle into Pelros’ back, breaking his spine. The alien’s eyes went wide, like he couldn’t believe he’d been hit. Then he went down. Before Shane could attack Jones’ brother, he had to turn on five Anunnaki who tried to bash him with their guns. He stopped the three on the left and saw the green wall one row of Anunnaki behind them. The other two swung their weapons into his ribs. Shane folded in pain, uncertain if his bones were broken. Adrenaline helping him to recover, Shane swung his rifle up through the attackers. Greenie swallowed those behind them, and he stood panting with no

one else to attack. The green wall of fire stopped its advance. Shane looked left and saw Jones’ brother standing two yards away. A green wall of fire encircled the alien. No one could touch him, but he couldn’t attack them either. “We’ve won,” Laura said with a dismal tone when he looked around toward her side. “They are all dead.” “Except for this one,” Petrov said, stepping two feet from Jones’ brother, only the green wall of fire between them. He raised his rifle and swung it down at the alien. The portion of the weapon that ed the green glow vanished into a puff of ash. Tracy knelt on the ground and stared at the platform that had crushed Jules, tears sliding down her face. Anfisa stood over Steve’s body, looking down at the dead linebacker’s blank expression, her face pale with shock. Shane’s vision blurred. He’d been through so much with these friends, and he and Steve were tight even before their parents were killed. Shane had been certain Greenie wouldn’t allow them to be killed. Now, he doubted any of them would live. He looked around the twenty-foot-in-diameter green fire cage he and his surviving friends were trapped in. His eyes stopped on Kelly. She returned his gaze with sadness heavy in her expression. Her rifle hung loose in her hand, covered in the blood of all the Anunnaki she’d smashed. “What now?” she asked, sounding desperate for an answer. “I don’t know,” he said, looking back at the last surviving Anunnaki, who still stared at Jones’ and his son’s bodies lying on the ground next to where Shane stood. He hated the Anunnaki for what they did to everyone’s parents, and hated this alien for helping to kill Jones. But he hated Greenie even more. “What gives you the right?” Shane asked sternly. Shane’s friends all looked at him, as did Jones’ brother. Not having asked the question of any of them, he looked up at the hole to the sky above them.

“What gives you the right?” he shouted angrily. Greenie didn’t respond, and Shane’s friends studied him with concern. He could see it in their eyes, they needed him to lead them out of this situation. They needed him to keep his head, but he was at a loss for what to do. “Oh, God,” Laura said. “No.” She jumped left, and Shane saw what startled her. A green glow on the ground followed her. A similar glow appeared under all his friends—under everyone except for Shane and Jones’ brother. “Don’t do this,” Shane demanded, panicking. “Don’t take them.” He tried to push Anfisa off the green glow, trying to step on it to keep it in place. It followed her. “Shane,” Kelly said, desperation in her voice. He took her into his arms, holding her close “I won’t let it,” he said angrily. Green flashed up from the ground and engulfed his friends. Kelly was aglow too, and though he held her against his body, he felt no heat from the green light. “I love you,” Kelly whispered, pressing her lips to his. There was a snapping sound, and she vanished. Shane stood there alone, his arms empty. All his friends were gone. Only the small piles of ashes remained, the evidence of more murders committed by Greenie. Shane screamed, letting out the rage and pain bottled in him. He tilted his head to the sky. “Why?” he pleaded. His legs turned to jelly beneath him, and he dropped to his knees. Cradling his face in his hands, Shane wept. Hot tears burned his eyes and cheeks. He cried for Kelly, for his friends, for his father, and for everyone else who’d died. Greenie

had killed everyone, and he knew it would kill him next, but he didn’t care. Raising his face from his hands, he wondered why the evil being had kept him alive. Was it watching, reveling in his suffering? “Does it give you pleasure to cause us pain?” Shane whispered. Movement to his left caught his attention. Jones’ brother stood nearby, trapped in a cylinder of green fire. The alien looked away from his dead brother and at Shane. His expression was blank, like he was overcome with shock. The green wall separating him and Shane dropped away. The alien blinked at Shane, seeming uncertain how to proceed. Shane rose to his feet and stood a few feet from the Anunnaki. “He must die,” a soft female voice said. “He is a general in the Anunnaki military, responsible for the enslavement of billions and the death of even more. He is why your father died. Kill him now.” Shane glared at the Anunnaki general. The pain over losing his friends transformed into rage. The alien looked back at him, the devastation in his expression when staring down at Jones and Pelros fading into a stoic face Shane was familiar with. The same one Captain Jones wore most of the time. “Will you be a puppet to this species who refuses to show its face to us?” the general asked. “You’d rather I was a puppet to you?” Shane replied, balling his fists. Shane hated the Anunnaki, despised what they’d done. The general stepped back with his right foot, turning his body sideways and raising his fists. “Let’s get on with it,” he said with no animosity in his voice. Shane had dropped his rifle; otherwise, he would’ve struck the alien down with a single blow. Instead of bending over to pick it up, he raised his fists as well. He glanced at the tiny pile of ash where Kelly had been, and it ignited his anger

into an inferno. None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for the Anunnaki. Pressing the ball of his right foot into the ground, Shane used his entire body to create a knockout blow. Although it happened in an instant, the punch started from the arena floor, traveling up his leg and through his core. Jones had taught them that punches could kill, and Shane wanted this one to crush the Anunnaki’s skull. Jones’ brother didn’t move, his stoic expression unchanged, until Shane’s fist came an inch from his face. He leaned left, and Shane’s punch grazed his ear. The Anunnaki soldier brought his right leg around and hooked it so his heel slammed into Shane’s exposed lower ribs. Something snapped, and pain erupted through his side. Shane buckled and tried to back away. The alien used his hand like a knife and struck him in the back of the neck, hammering him to the ground. Struggling to push the pain aside, Shane came to his feet and swung his fists up, expecting the Anunnaki to hit him again. Ash fell from his shoulders, and it horrified him that he’d rolled through his burnt friends. Each breath hurt, and he felt stupid for underestimating the alien. He’d lost everything, everyone. He didn’t care if he lived or died, but he wouldn’t let the slave mongers win. He couldn’t be killed by Jones’ brother. “I am Athos. I gather because you are still alive, you were the leader of these humans,” the alien said, his voice as emotionless as his expression. “What is your name?” Shane didn’t answer, studying his opponent and planning his next attack with more care than his first. “No matter,” Athos said. “It is a shame you weren’t allowed to become one of my slave soldiers. We would have crushed everything in our path.” Athos was trying to get into Shane’s head, make him angry so he’d compromise himself again. He played along, furrowing his brow and closing in with his right fist leading. Athos wore the same stoic expression as the first time. Not allowing his emotion to blind him, Shane noticed the Anunnaki shift his weight, preparing for the punch.

Shane jabbed his right fist and pulled it short. Then he swung forward with his left. He saw Athos shift like it was what he expected, and Shane knew he had the advantage. When he pulled his left fist short, he already had his left leg swung around and raised into the chambered position. He thrust his heel into Athos’ knee, kicking with enough force to break a human’s leg. The alien’s fragile leg broke at the knee, and his femur snapped in half. Athos let out a yelp and dropped onto his back. With the same toughness Jones had possessed, the Anunnaki didn’t allow the pain to overwhelm him. He rolled to his good side and locked his eyes on Shane, his hands up and ready to defend. The alien defeated, Shane backed away. “He must be punished,” Greenie said with the soft, female voice. “He is a murderer.” Shane looked up at the bright blue sky through the opening at the top of the tenfoot-tall green wall of fire that surrounded him and Athos. “Who will punish you?” Shane shouted. He raised a fist. “You’ve killed everyone.” “Sometimes a few must die so others can live in peace,” Greenie replied. “The Anunnaki could not be allowed to continue. They were evil. Now kill him so that you can live.” “Live for what?” Shane asked incredulously. “You’ve taken everything from me.” “If you kill him, we will give her back,” Greenie said. “What?” Shane gazed at Athos, stunned by the promise. Athos lay on his side, still watching Shane. The alien was helpless, and Shane could kill him with one kick to the head. “He would kill you without a second thought if your roles were reversed,” Greenie said with the gentlest voice, excusing Shane from any remorse over murdering the helpless alien.

“I won’t do it,” Shane said, expecting it would be his last words. “Why?” Greenie asked. “You’ve killed so many since the Anunnaki killed your father. What is just one more? The last.” “I only did that to save my people,” Shane said. “I didn’t murder anyone. This…” He paused, looking at Athos. “This alien can no longer hurt me or any of my friends. Killing him would be murder.” “Yes, but for her…” Greenie tempted him. Hating himself for what he said, he wished he could just kill the Anunnaki in cold blood and get Kelly back. He looked at the sky and down at Athos again, imagining himself doing it and getting Kelly. It was wrong. “I just can’t,” he said, dropping his head. “Because you are no murderer,” Greenie replied. Her voice sounded familiar this time, and closer to him. It sounded like it came from behind him. Shane turned and saw a glowing green replica of his mother.

Chapter Forty-One

His heart burned at seeing the likeness of his mother. “How dare you?” Shane hissed. “You’ll do anything to manipulate us.” “You are wrong,” she said, smiling sweetly at him. “We want you to live. We want everyone to live, and live in peace. We only get involved in extreme circumstances. The Anunnaki warranted our involvement.” Jones’ brother cried out in pain. Shane looked back and saw the green fire flow over him, turning him to ash. He expected it would be his turn in a couple of moments. He was ready to go, ready to Kelly and the rest. “Be done with it,” he said, stepping closer to the transparent, glowing version of his mother. “You don’t understand,” Greenie said. “We are not going to kill you.” “But what do I have to live for?” Shane replied, narrowing his eyes. He waved his hands at the ash around him. “Killing me is a mercy at this point.” “You and your friends have proven that humans deserve to live,” Greenie said. “You’re a sick creature,” Shane growled. “You’re more evil than the Anunnaki.” “You will be cleansed and healed so you can the rest,” Greenie said. Shane raised his fists to fight her off. Hesitating, he found it hard to throw a punch at the exact replica of his mother’s face. “You’re not her,” he growled. He threw a desperate right hook, knowing his hand would be incinerated. Instead, his attack ed right through Greenie.

“Do not resist, Shane,” she said with a soothing voice. “The discomfort is fleeting.” She stepped closer and embraced him. Although she looked ethereal, her arms were solid and immovable. Heat flashed through Shane’s body, like every cell burned from the inside out. He tried to scream, but he was paralyzed. A green flash blinded him, and then he stood blinking at the warm sunlight. His vision came into focus, the transparent, green version of his mother standing in front of him. Her kind eyes captivated him, conveying that everything would be all right. The pain in his ribs and neck was gone, as was the green wall of fire. “Shane?” Kelly said. Tears flooded his eyes as he turned. Kelly stood behind him. She wore fresh jeans and a yellow T-shirt with a pink flower on it, one he ed her wearing to school. Steve stood next to her in his football jersey with Tracy on the other side. “Look,” Laura said, holding up her arms. Something had regenerated her amputated limb. “Is this heaven?” Shane asked. “Are we dead?” He looked back at the likeness of his mother, uncertain he could trust anything Greenie said to him. “No,” Greenie replied, smiling at him like his mother did when he’d said something silly as a child. “Your species is far too precious to let die.” “And them?” Shane asked. The coliseum was intact again, and thousands of Anunnaki stood with confusion on their faces. “They are the last survivors of their wicked species,” Greenie said with a cold tone. “We have spared them to help you.” “How are they going to do that?” Tracy asked, stepping next to Shane. Jules was holding her hand, apparently rescued from under the platform along with the

other Russians and Jones’ clones. “We removed the slave gene from the humans and inserted it into their DNA,” Greenie answered. “The engers of this sole-surviving Anunnaki ship will live out their days serving you. They will help you rebuild your world.” Shane glanced around at his friends again. They were all alive, including Captain Jones. Jones’ brother and Pelros stood nearby as well, their eyes cast down in submission. “The power’s back on,” Anfisa observed, pointing up at the golden skin of the Anunnaki spaceship. “So wait…” Maurice said. “We control them,” he pointed at the Anunnaki, “so we control the ship?” “Yes,” Greenie replied. “Your species will take a leap forward technologically. Be forewarned—do not abuse this gift. Embrace your humanity as you evolve and know that there is a dark side to your DNA, the portion that came from them.” The shock faded, and Shane began to comprehend what had happened. “It’s over,” he whispered. “Our parents?” “It’s over, but we could not bring back any who died before we arrived,” his mother’s likeness said with a sorrowful tone. She looked at Kelly. “Everyone you’ve lost since this trial started is safe, including your sister.” She smiled. “Thank you,” Kelly said, tears of joy in her eyes. “It is up to you and your friends now, Shane,” Greenie continued. “Use the Anunnaki wisely and guide your people into the future.” She reached out and cradled his face. Shane started to recoil, but knew by looking into the glowing, green eyes that she wouldn’t hurt him. Her hands felt just like his mom’s, and he could smell the lavender-scented lotion his mother used. “Be good, Shane,” she said quietly. It was his mom’s voice.

His heart filled with joy. For an instant, he was certain it was her standing there, comforting him, assuring him everything would be all right. His vision blurred, and she faded. He blinked to clear his eyes, and she was gone.

~ The End ~

Acknowledgments

I want to thank my wife Amanda, who reads everything I write and cheers me on through the joys and tribulations of being a writer. Thanks to Emily and Logan, my beautiful children, who constantly remind me that we are born with imagination abound, that we just have to to listen to our inner child and creativity will come naturally. Thanks to the amazing Clean Teen Publishing team. Thanks Rebecca Gober, Melanie Newton, and Courtney Nuckels. And thanks to Cynthia Shepp, my editor. A special thanks to Clean Teen Publishing’s Marya Heiman for reading my rough drafts and helping me polish my story. Thanks to Jennifer Anne Davis, my writing partner from the beginning and my friend of many years. And thanks to Celso who continues to review my rough drafts and offer enthusiastic encouragement. Also thanks to the beta readers at Clean Teen Publishing and Melanie Newton and the Clean Teen Publishing Street Team for reading and promoting my book—you are integral to the success of all CTP writers.

About the Author

Born at the end of the Vietnam War and raised on a horse farm near small town north Georgia, N.W. Harris’s imagination evolved under the swaying pines surrounding his family’s log home. On summer days that were too hot, winter days that were too cold, and every night into the wee morning hours, he read books. N.W. Harris published his first novel—Joshua’s Tree—in 2013. It was no wonder that with his wild imagination and ion for all things word related, that N.W. Harris was named a quarter finalist in Amazon’s Break Through Novel Award Contest. In early 2014, N.W. Harris ed the ranks with Clean Teen Publishing when they signed his new young adult apocalyptic adventure series— The Last Orphans. In addition to writing, N.W. Harris has been a submarine sailor, nurse, and business owner. His studies have included biology, anthropology, and medicine at UCSB and SUNY Buffalo. He is an active member of SCBWI and lives in sunny southern California with his beautiful wife and two perfect children. He writes like he reads, constantly.

Afterword

Thank you for reading Darkest Days; I hope you enjoyed this book! Want to be the first to know when I release new books? Here are some ways to stay updated:

Sign up for my email list so you can find out about new releases. Like my Facebook page. Visit my website: NWHarrisBooks.Wordpress.com

And if you have a moment, please consider leaving me a review of Darkest Days. Reviews are like pistachios; you need more than one!

Also by N.W. Harris

The Last Orphans Series

Book 1: The Last Orphans

Book 2: The Harvest

Book 3: Enslaved

Book 4: Darkest Days

The Last Orphans Series was amazing! Are you at a loss for what to read next? Check out CATALYST by Kristin Smith. This first book in THE DECEPTION GAMES series, will keep you reading late into the night. Enjoy an exclusive excerpt here.

In a crumbling, futuristic Las Vegas where the wealthy choose genetic modification for their children, seventeen-year-old Sienna Preston doesn't fit in. As the only "normal" girl, everyone around her is a little too pretty, a little too smart, and a little too perfect. But when her father dies suddenly, her world changes in an instant.

Once I’ve made it past the gun-toting guard in the courtyard—with the aid of a few well-thrown, barrel-rattling rocks—I sprint soundlessly until I reach the keyless entry, the exact door I saw in the hologram. As I dial Chaz, I insert a tiny earbud into my right ear and wait until his face pops up on the screen. “I’m here,” I say, trying to catch my breath. “What do you have for me?” The clack, clack, clack of his fingers rapidly typing on the keyboard is his only response. I glance around. What if there’s another guard I’m not aware of? “Got it,” he declares in triumph. A lock clicks, and the door falls open. A good thing considering there isn’t a handle on this side. “Thanks, Chaz. You’re the best.” I ease through and leave a small card in the doorjamb to keep it from completely closing. Before I take a step, I eye my surroundings. “Do you see any lasers?” Chaz asks. “Shh. I need to concentrate.” I don’t see any lasers, but that’s what makes them so dangerous. You don’t see them. Not until it’s too late. I pull a container of baby powder from my backpack and dump some into my hand. When I fling it out onto the floor in front of me, I see them then. Intersecting lines of lasers positioned every foot or so. I exhale in a slow rush. I can do this. I can beat this. And as long as I don’t think about what these lasers can do to my skin—to my body—I can make it past.

Get your copy of Catalyst today!

Subscribe to Clean Teen Publishing's newsletter and get a free gift!