“You bad guys really need some new material,” Brooke replied. “I mean, that's such a cliché. Try to mix it up a bit,” she taunted.
He charged, and Brooke grabbed a smaller blade in the shape of a boomerang from her pocket before throwing it at him.
“You missed,” he boasted, laughing at her.
He swung again. While he tried to use the momentum to swing again, she jumped and squeezed in between his legs, getting to the other side.
He turned and stopped moving only a moment before the bow fell from his hands.
Brooke's small blade was lodged in the small space between his suit and helmet. Purple blood oozed from the gap.
“I never miss,” Brooke informed him before he fell to his knees.
She grabbed her sword with both hands and cut his head from his shoulders. She looked like an executioner looming over the warrior.
“Another satisfied customer,” she added.
“Stop playing around,” Brexton yelled. She decided to mix thing up and picked up the Yericos bow to fight with.
It's surprisingly light, she thought to herself, amazed.
Holding it more firmly, she charged at the remaining duo, but they turned around and ran away from her.
“Get back here and fight me, you cowards!” she yelled after them.
Talking about cliché... she chastised herself.
Brexton approached her.
“That was super fun, right?” She returned to their previous conversation, and he rolled his eyes at her. “I think you need your head checked, girl,” he teased.
“Nah, you're just getting too old for this,” she deadpanned.
Brexton gasped in outrage. “Take that back, you little brat,” he came at her playfully and kicked her legs out from under her.
Brooke landed on her ass laughing. He came to sit next to her, and she hugged him. He let her while pretending it still offended him.
“Why are you even here, love?” he asked. “Not that I don't appreciate the assistance.”
Brooke sobered up a little. “I need your help,” she said without preamble. “My mom reached out to tell me Avignon is in trouble.”
“You have it, of course,” he replied instantly. “Who's the foe?”
“Same bastards that conquered the Earth,” Brooke replied, and Brexton cursed.
“I think we’ll need a bit more manpower, love,” he said after a small pause. “Just so we don't make this a regular suicide mission,” he pointed out, only half joking.
“Do you have someone in mind?” Brooke asked.
The smile Brexton gave her was
wicked. “Actually, I do.”
Chapter Fifteen
After receiving a lot of thank you’s for the delicious meal, almost all the Greens left the common room to go back to work. As far as she could tell, people worked in two shifts with only one break.
“Do you have to go back as well?” Paige asked AJ, and he shook his head.
Only a few Greens remained aside from Paige's gang. That made it easier for them to talk and catch up.
They all listened to Dave's story, then he listened while Paige and AJ told theirs. It was heartwarming to hear about the crazy path her sister chose for herself.
At times, it was still difficult for Paige not to be angry at Brooke for staying away for so long and letting her believe she was dead, but she was working through that.
The way Dave described her wasn’t so different from how Paige remembered her, but it was completely different in others. Paige could hardly wait to reconnect with her older sister and learn about her even more, firsthand.
“I have some news as well,” Tilley announced.
“News?” Paige parroted.
“Big news—huge news,” Tilley exaggerated.
“So, why keep it all to yourself until now?” Dave teased, and Tilley shrugged.
“It was fun listening to all the stories,” she replied.
“Spill it,” Paige urged. “The suspense is killing us.”
Tilley beamed. “I found my dad,” she squeaked in delight. “He's on Mars. Captain Zoya told me.”
“That's great news, Tilley!” There was a chorus of congratulations.
“She also wants me on Genesis as soon as it's ready for travel, so I can join him.”
“I thought the mothership is headed for Mars, anyway,” Dave said with a slight frown.
“Yes, but she said it would be faster this way.”
Maybe that woman wasn't pure evil, Paige thought to herself while listening to Tilley speak.
“That's great, Tilley. I’m happy for you,” Paige replied.
It was about time they had some good news, and now they had quite a lot to be grateful for.
Life is good-ish.
Tilley nodded, but Paige realized there was more she wanted to say. She hesitated for some reason.
“What is it, Tilley?” Paige asked.
“Well, I was thinking you should all come with me. I'm sure my dad can help you not be stowaways anymore.”
“When?” AJ asked.
“As soon as they finish the ship up for the travel. Probably tomorrow.”
Well, there goes that, Paige thought to herself.
Tilley looked so happy at the thought, and Paige didn't want to break that bubble for her. Looking at the guys, however, they both gave Paige a silent nod to do just that.
“Tilley, that's a lovely idea.” Paige spoke slowly, hoping not to hurt her feelings. “But we can't come with you.”
They had to free Angela first, and it was hard to say what would come afterward. If Paige had learned anything, it was that they couldn’t plan for the future because they all had a knack for attracting trouble that messed their plans up in the most spectacular of ways.
As expected, Tilley's face fell.
“But-but why?”
“It's complicated,” Paige said vaguely. “We have a lot more to do here before that's a possibility for us.”
With Angela locked up and Avignon under threat, their plate was full. Still, Tilley looked like she wasn't that convinced.
“Maybe I should stay then, too,” Tilley said, proving Paige right.
“No, Tilley, you should definitely go,” Paige replied instantly.
“Yeah,” AJ jumped in. “This is too great of an opportunity to pass up.”
“Seriously, go be with your dad,” Dave said.
Paige didn't want it to sound like they’d forced her. Tilley looked like she was on the fence but not for the right reasons.
It was obvious she wanted to reunite with her father, but she was afraid to separate from the group. They’d all been through a lot.
Fear shouldn't govern her life. Paige knew Tilley was stronger than that.
“I will miss you,” Tilley said eventually.
“We’ll miss you, too,” Paige replied, spreading her arms to give her a hug.
“Group hug,” Dave announced. In less than a breath, the guys crushed the two girls between them.
They said their goodbyes just in case they missed the opportunity to do it before the Genesis departed.
“I would say I'll write or call, but we all know that's impossible,” Tilley joked.
“Just be happy,” Dave replied.
“And we'll definitely see each other again,” AJ promised.
Paige wanted to say something, too, but she didn’t want to cry. She hated goodbyes. Despite knowing it was a happy occasion, it was still hard.
“Tilley.” Peter looked at her with his big doe-eyes, and Tilley chuckled in return. “You can keep Smokey with you,” she replied, guessing his thoughts.
Peter hugged her again. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he singsonged, and they all laughed.
Tilley waved goodbye before going into the elevator.
“I love a happy ending,” AJ murmured, and Paige turned to look at him.
“I was just thinking the very same thing,” she replied with a smile.
“Sp
eaking of happy endings,” Dave chipped in. “I know we’re all stuffed, but how about I treat us with some pie or something?” he offered.
“That sounds perfect,” Paige replied.
“Oh, and I got an idea regarding your mom,” Dave said next. Paige looked at him questioningly, so he continued. “How about I work some of my Red magic and try to get her out of there legally?”
Paige couldn't believe her ears. “Really? You'd do that?”
“Of course.”
“That would be great, thank you,” Paige replied, grateful from the bottom of her heart.
“It might not work,” Dave said. He hated seeing her levels of excitement. It always reminded him how upset she could get if it failed.
“I think it could,” AJ replied calmly.
“Oh, Dave.” Paige lacked words. She knew something good was on the horizon the second she saw him standing in front of her in the kitchen.
Dave climbed to his feet. “I know, I know. I'm a saint. Peter, lets bounce,” he told his little brother who had been playing with Smokey while they talked.
“Where are you going?” Paige looked at him, confused.
“Prison break now, pie later,” he said, and both Paige and AJ laughed.
“You know me so well,” Paige joked back.
“See you in a flash,” Dave told them on the way out.
Can it really be this simple? Paige wondered.
There was no reason why Dave wouldn't succeed. Paige already had the opportunity to witness the power of Red. She’d felt it, too. So, she hoped and prayed with all her might Dave would get her mother out of that cell.
They didn't have to wait long for Dave to come back, which was a good thing—or so she thought.
AJ laughed when the siblings stepped out of the elevator. Now they wore matching red uniforms.
Paige had to admit they looked good. The family resemblance was always strong. Peter acted like Dave more every day but seeing them dressed in the same fashion sealed the deal.
“Look, Paige. I got the same one Dave has,” Peter announced, spinning in front of her.
“You look really handsome, Peter,” Paige complimented, and Dave made a face.
“What about me? You never told me that,” he complained, pretending to be offended.
“Stop goofing around and tell me what you learned.” Paige changed the subject, but her tone was still light.
Truth be told, she was on pins and needles as she waited to hear what he had to say. Please, let him have some good news for me.
He slumped on the couch next to her with a sigh. “They wouldn't let me see her.” He had his negative frown, and Paige tried to look like she wasn't disappointed to hear that, but it was difficult.
“Gretchen is something like my PA.” Dave slipped that in casually, and Paige rolled her eyes, nudging him to carry on. “She took me to see some people in charge—a few generals and several captains. I tried to reason with them, say she was just trying to help, but they wouldn't listen to me,” he said, exasperated.
“Why?” Paige asked, unable to help herself.
“They’re accusing her of being an alien spy that tried to sabotage the mothership,” Dave explained.
What! “But that's ridiculous!” Paige exclaimed, outraged. “She was just trying to help save a planet!”
“I know.” Dave matched her levels of frustration and anger. “Still, they have her on video holding a pilot hostage.”
Damn it to hell! Paige felt like cursing nonstop.
“There's a small piece of good news though,” Dave said after a small break.
“What is it?” Paige asked, shaking her head, unsure if she wanted to hear it. Good news in a situation like this felt impossible to her.
Oh, Mom, what are we going to do? she silently asked in exasperation.
“They want to interrogate her, get information from her about the aliens.”
“Which she doesn't possess,” Paige blurted out, and Dave nodded.
“Yeah, I know. However, they want answers, so they’re not planning to float her out. That means she’s safe for now.”
That could change pretty fast, knowing her mom.
“She's won’t talk,” Paige argued. She felt like they’d taken one step forward and ten steps back.
Maybe even a hundred.
“So, what are we going to do about it?” AJ asked.
“Find a way to break her out of there by any means necessary,” Paige replied. That had been her plan from the beginning.
“I'm sorry, Paige,” Dave said, looking at the floor in front of him, defeated.
“It's not your fault.” Paige was quick to reassure him. “You tried, and that means a lot to me.”
“I suppose first thing’s first—we get to the cells, right?” AJ returned them to the main topic, forming a plan.
“And we’ll see what happened to Kwan, too,” Paige added, and AJ nodded.
Dave looked at them questioningly, so she explained. “Kwan is a guard from the Genesis. He's currently locked up in a cell like my mom.”
“Oh, okay,” he replied.
“Speaking of locks,” AJ said. “I don’t know how to get the elevator pass or the cell keys yet, so we may have to work on that.”
“I don’t either, but at least you have the right job for that,” Paige encouraged.
“Can my key help?” Dave asked, producing one from his pocket. “I got it as a welcome gift. Gretchen said it's for my suite and elevators.”
“We can definitely try it,” Paige replied. “If not, AJ...”
“Yeah, I'll work on it,” he finished for her.
They were so engrossed in their story that they didn't even notice the elevator was on the move when suddenly, the doors opened and a distraught woman entered the room.
“Rosalie!” Paige called out for the leader. What is going on?
Paige immediately jumped to her feet. “She isn’t here,” the woman provided. She started to sob.
The cowboy guy, named Rene, came from the dormitory. “What’s goin' on, Mary?” he asked, rushing to her side.
“The worst thing imaginable,” she replied through tears.
The lift arrived again, and several people in green uniforms burst out of it. One woman ran past Paige and AJ, crying. A few others were crying, too.
“I can’t believe it! How are they allowed to do that! How could they be so cruel?” Mary cried out between sobs.
Paige's trio moved from the couch, allowing Rene to help the distressed woman sit. Several others remained standing, nervously pacing around.
A single man emerged from the elevator moments later, shouting at the top of his lungs and adding additional distress to the group.
“This can’t happen! It cannot be allowed. I will never let this happen!” he threatened, raising his fist into the air.
Paige stowed away her ideas about the plan they’d been working on to rescue Angela because all the commotion in the room made her anxious. She wanted to know what was going on. She hoped she could lend a helping hand.
She had a lot of personal problems at the moment, but on the other hand, she couldn’t ignore what was happening around her. Something had deeply affected these people. The chaos in the room was too loud, and emotions were too hot.
Other people agreed with the angry man.
“You’re right, Andrew. We won’t let them … Those heartless creatures!”
Paige couldn’t take it anymore. She knew a few from before, so she decided to approach them.
“What happened?” she asked Andrew who was nearest. He was oblivious to her as he continued to rant about the injustice of it all and how despicable it was.
“What’s going on!” AJ yelled, clearly realizing as Paige did that no one would listen to her calm voice. He came face to face with one of the crying women. “What happened?” he repeated more softly. “Can someone explain to me what is going on?”
“You won’t believe it, young man,” a woman sobbed, pl
acing her hands against his shoulders. “Horrible things are happening on this spaceship!”
Paige suspected that from the moment they stepped on board. Still, to have her worst nightmares confirmed was something else. Paige hated when she was right.
“What do you mean? What exactly is happening?” AJ was getting flustered. Paige could tell by the tone of his voice. She had grown more agitated herself since no one made any sort of sense.
“It's all because of him!” Mary screamed from the couch, pointing at Dave who’d stayed out of the commotion so far.
Him? Paige was dumbfounded. No, that can't be true.
Dave looked horrified at becoming the center of attention in such a way. Unfortunately, some of the Greens in the room agreed with Mary.
“Leave my brother alone,” Peter cried out, running to Dave and hugging him by the legs as if that was the ultimate protection from an angry mob.
“They should all be punished!” Mary continued.
Paige tried to understand her but couldn't.
“They should,” Rene tried to reason with her. “But Dave is one of us, remember?”
It's the Red thing, Paige finally realized.
“Dave is one of the good guys,” Paige defended as well. “He will help. Just tell us what happened, Pam,” Paige urged.
“They’re going to float our children out!” Mary choked out, barely able to breathe from so much sobbing.
Chapter Sixteen
Mary's desperate words made Paige freeze. Judging by the looks on the boys' faces, they were shocked, too—to say the least. Paige could hear her heart pounding, threatening to burst out.
Floating children out? That’s monstrous!
All the other people continued shouting and crying, creating noise around them, but Paige was inside her own personal bubble. She expected things to be difficult on the mothership, especially for people like them, but she never expected anything like that. There were no words for something like that.
“But … but why?” Paige stammered. “Why would they do such a horrible thing?” She still couldn’t believe they were discussing something so awful.
Pam’s crying became hysterical, so she covered her face with both hands. Another person spoke up, replying to Paige. “Because the children are too young to be on the ship. They can’t work, and there is nothing they can do. They say they don’t have enough food to give to our children, and since the children can’t work, they’re completely useless to them.”
Mothership (Invasion Survivor Book 4) Page 14