Darkness United

by KC Luck

  “Which is a good thing,” Taylor added. “I don’t want to miss this.”

  Meg agreed. If things went as planned, the spectacle they were about to witness would be something historic. As

  if knowing what she was thinking, she felt Grace reach up to squeeze her hand. Meg looked down into the woman’s face, seeing her smile. It was happening more every day and nothing could make Meg happier. Leaning down, she put her mouth near Grace’s ear. “Excited?” she whispered, letting her lips linger.

  Grace shivered, clearly enjoying Meg’s caress. “Keep doing that, and I will be in more ways than one,” she answered as she turned to look at her. Meg chuckled before leaning in and giving the woman who held her heart a kiss.

  STANDING WITH HER ARM around Anna as they watch the children play, Lexi felt a sense of peace. It was beautiful to see Henry helping Joe navigate around some of the toys people brought to decorate under the tree. Even Shauna, who was still unwilling to go more than twenty feet from Laura, was engaging with the boys and laughing. With the flu epidemic under control, and Lexi regaining her own strength, it felt good to be out in the fresh air with her closest friends. Feeling Anna give her a squeeze around the waist, Lexi looked into the face of her wife. "Hey," she said.

  “Hey back,” Anna answered. “You’re smiling. A penny for your thoughts?”

  Lexi gave Anna a light kiss before answering. “Just enjoying this moment,” she replied. “I love you.”

  Anna rested her head against Lexi’s shoulder. “I love you too,” she heard Anna murmur just as Lexi noticed Taylor walking toward them.

  "I hate to interrupt," the woman said. "But I have some information for you both." Suddenly, the slightest sliver of anxiety entered Lexi’s chest. Two weeks ago, she asked Taylor to find out about Joe’s parents. So far, she turned up nothing definitive, but Lexi knew eventually her friend would

  have something to tell them one way or the other. Looking into Taylor’s face, Lexi tried to read her eyes. As if sensing her intent, Taylor smiled, and Lexi felt Anna relax a little beside her.

  “I wanted to let you know that we ran the plate on the minivan where we found Joe,” Taylor said as she pulled a large manila envelope from under her coat and handed it to Lexi. “This contains all the information we found. There isn’t much.”

  “Really?” Lexi said feeling a renewed sense of hope.

  “Taylor, what does this mean exactly? Anna asked. “Does it mean you couldn’t find his family?”

  Taylor nodded. "Correct," she said. "We ran the plates and it came back to a residence in northwest Portland. I requested the colonel dispatch some MPs, and when they got there, the neighborhood was deserted." Anna put her hand to her heart, and when Lexi looked at her, tears were welling up in her eyes.

  "So, it’s done?" she asked and Taylor nodded.

  “In my opinion, yes,” their friend answered. “Even when the MPs asked the few people they could find in the area, no one knew anything about where the residents at that address went.

  “I see,” Lexi said, part of her rejoicing at the news, but another part a little sad for the family who thought they lost both the mother and the child. Lexi pulled Anna closer. “So, we still don’t know Joe’s real name?”

  Taylor tapped the envelope Lexi held. “No, I’m afraid not,” she said. “There’s nothing about Joe.” Anna moved forward and pulled Taylor into a hug.

  “Thank you so much,” Anna said. With a smile, Taylor returned the hug, and Lexi knew the woman felt happy for them. Joe would be Anna and Lexi’s forever. As Jackie came up beside Taylor, Anna stepped back to snuggle up close to Lexi again. Taylor put her arm around Jackie’s shoulders and they all looked at the giant Christmas tree as a group of

  children shuffled onto the raised platform beside it. While they got organized and prepared to sing some carols, Lexi looked around at the attentive townspeople. This day is about as magical as it can get, she thought with her heart full of joy.

  Just then, Greg joined the children on the platform. He waved his hands to get everyone’s attention. “My fellow Astorians,” he said with a giant politician’s smile. “By the grace of our wondrous government and the military deployed here, we are about to witness what is nothing short of a miracle.” Lexi glanced at Jackie who shook her head at the grandiose comment. It was true what was about to happen was something of a miracle, but she believed a lot of it came down to the hard work of her family and friends, as well as the people from town gathered around.

  Still, she held her breath with the rest of the crowd as Greg leaned over and connected two cables. There was a pause and then the giant Christmas tree twinkled with light. The crowd was silent as they all took in the spectacle of something so beautiful, yet even a few months ago would have been taken for granted. As she absorbed the moment, Lexi knew the future would only grow brighter. Literally, she thought with a smile, and it was all because each of them had stood against the darkness, united.

  EPILOGUE

  wenty years later.

  T Snuggled down with an afghan quilt on her lap, Anna sat rocking her eight-month-old grandson. The child looked at her with dark eyes so much like her own, apparently content to be held all night. Anna smiled. There were more laugh lines on her beautiful face, but time had been gentle.

  Near her, soft lights twinkled on the Christmas tree, giving the room a merry glow. On the rug at Anna’s feet, a half dozen more children sat in a semicircle. They all looked on with great attention. “Tell us the story, Gramma,” one of the little girls said. The other children wiggled with excitement at the request, but before Anna answered, she saw Laura, with Sam right behind her, stepping into the living room.

  “Wait one second, Little Alice,” Laura said, and all eyes turned to see she was carrying a tray full of mugs of peppermint hot chocolate. “We can’t hear the story until we all have a little treat to sip on.”

  The children laughed and clapped their hands as each waited for her to pass out the holiday goodness. It was part of the Christmas Eve traditions which had grown over the years. Anna waited while Laura and Sam settled in with the boys and girls on the rug. A toddler climbed onto Sam’s lap, and Laura helped another blow on his hot chocolate preparing to enjoy the treat. Little Alice, however, seemed barely able to contain herself.

  “Can we hear it now?” she asked and this time Anna nodded as she snuggled the baby on her lap.

  “All right,” she said. “So once upon a time, not super long ago, but before all of you were born, the lights went out.”

  “Like, everywhere?” one of the boys asked in a hushed tone.

  “Yes,” Anna answered. “Everywhere. All over the world, and there was no way to turn them back on.” The children all gasped, even those who heard the story before.

  “But then you came to Astoria!” Little Alice chimed in with excitement in her voice.

  Anna laughed. “Yes, we did,” she said. “Thankfully, a few of us were able to get back here and build a life in this very farmhouse.”

  “And then Grandma Lexi wrote a story about it on the typewriter you gave her for her birthday,” another little boy said with enthusiasm.

  “Exactly,” Anna said, continuing to rock the baby. She was rewarded with a happy coo. Suddenly, Little Alice waved her hands to get everyone’s attention.

  “Wait,” Little Alice interrupted. “Can we go back and start from the beginning? Please?”

  “Yes, will you do that for us, Gramma?” a couple of the other children added. The rest enthusiastically agreed. Anna laughed, enjoying their never-ending excitement over a story she told them every Christmas Eve.

  “All right,” she said as a hush fell over the room. “We were in Seattle, and it all started with Great Aunt Jackie’s fortieth birthday party.”

  THE END

  Acknowledgments

  want to thank my Lovely Wife first and foremost. Thank Iyou for helping me believe my ideas are worthy. I promise to no longer hide them under the bed.
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  ALSO, THANK YOU TO Mary. She truly has been there from the very, very beginning.

  MY BETA READERS AND proofreaders! Your feedback and suggestions help make the books shine. I am so glad you wanted to see where the Darkness story went as much as I did. Yes, there will be companion books and spin-offs.

  Someday. I promise.

  THANK YOU TO MY AMAZING family and friends. I must call out two who have put up with all my crazy “is this any good?” rambling— May Dawney and LL Shelton. All your support keeps me going and makes all the difference.

  I CAN’T FORGET ALL my new followers and an ever-growing group of true fans. I am writing these stories for you, and I am constantly humbled by how much you like them.

  Enjoy this book?

  You can make a big difference ––––––––

  HONEST REVIEWS OF MY books help bring them to the attention of other readers. If you’ve enjoyed this story, I would be very grateful if you could spend a couple minutes leaving a review (it can be as short as you like) on the book’s Amazon page.

  If you enjoyed KC Luck’s Darkness United, read on for an exciting preview of

  RESCUE HER HEART PREVIEW

  Two women. One galaxy.

  AS A DECORATED SPACE Ranger in the 8th Galaxy, Captain Natalie (Nat) Reynolds has an exciting, albeit lonely, life. Yet, when Nat answers a distress call from a craft in trouble on a nearby planet, it has the possibility of changing the trajectory of her life forever.

  CATHERINE PORTER IS down on her luck in the worst way.

  Evicted, almost penniless, she worries all hope is lost until a charismatic stranger flies into her life. Inexplicably drawn to the one woman who can possibly save her, Catherine must face feelings she never considered.

  WILL THEIR STARS ALIGN and lead them to a happily ever after? Or will their differences tear their hearts apart?

  CHAPTER 1

  NAT

  Captain Natalie (Nat) Reynolds was in orbit around the small planet of Prospo. The craft was a P-527 patrol starship and a mainstay of the Space Rangers who kept tabs on the planets in the 8th Galaxy. Nat was assigned to a four-planet cluster and so far, things were quiet as a mouse. Downright boring, she thought, which was fine by her. Although not afraid of action, in fact her body had scars to prove it, she had accepted this route in order to get her head on straight.

  The last assignment had been a hard one and among other things, she lost a fellow Ranger pilot as well as a dear friend.

  But let’s not think about that, shall we? Nat thought and reached for the console in front of her. Punching a button, the sound of Def Leppard music filled the cabin. It was a seriously old-school Earth sound, but Nat loved the hair bands from a century ago, and since it was just her on the ship, she cranked the volume up to the max. The P-527

  patrol ships were the biggest in their class which could be piloted solo and Nat had insisted on it. She did not want to be saddled with a new partner. After ten years with the Space Rangers, she had earned her right to pick and choose assignments. There would come a time for a new partner, but the scars were still too fresh, both on her body and in her mind. Just let it go, she told herself. There would be time to think about it, not to mention discuss it, with counselors in the future. Right now, all she wanted to do was enjoy zipping through space at near light speeds and take in the sight of Prospo below her. It was one of her favorite places with its tropical climate, turquoise blue oceans, and white sand beaches. Maybe it is time for a nice long vacation down there. Being fiercely devoted to the Space Rangers

  and willing to sign up for every mission, it had been years since she took time for herself.

  As she pondered the idea of a vacation, the red light over the radio receiver started to flash. Clicking off the music, Nat acknowledge the transmission. “Base to Catwoman,”

  said a voice over the speaker. When they used her callsign, she knew it was headquarters and wondered what was up.

  “Go ahead, Base,” Nat acknowledged.

  “Nat, we just received a report of fuel theft at the Prospo petrobay,” Base said. “Sounds like somebody filled up the tank of a small starship and then ran out without paying.”

  Nat raised her eyebrows. Stealing fuel was hardly a major crime, and for a second Nat felt a bit irritated to be asked to respond but then reminded herself the assignment was her choice. If it meant handling the minor stuff, so be it.

  “I’m on it, Base,” Nat said. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  “Roger, Catwoman. Base out,” the voice said and Nat switched over to the commercial aviation frequency.

  “Captain Natalie Reynolds to Prospo Control,” she said.

  “Request for landing.”

  “Acknowledged, Captain,” Prospo Control answered.

  “Come on in.” Nat shook her head a little at the casualness of the answer, but reminded herself it was not a military planet, only a recreational one. I should think of it as a nice change of pace, she thought as she piloted the ship through Prospo’s atmosphere and made her approach. Within fifteen minutes, she was on the ground of the landing bay, surrounded by beautiful civilian ships. As she disembarked, she could not help but appreciate the smooth lines and modern styles of the different spacecraft. One of the smaller crafts caught her attention. It was an Avalon Mercury Model 3370 and about the size of her military P-527 craft, but much flashier. Walking closer, Nat wondered what it cost.

  She accumulated a few million credits over the ten years. It was easy to save when a person worked nonstop and never

  spent any money. Adding in the hazard pay and survival bonuses, and her bankroll was impressive by anyone’s standards. What if I just gave up the Space Rangers and bought one of these to cruise the galaxies with? she wondered. It did not sound half bad, at least until she considered what life might be like without the Space Rangers. With her parents and brother light years away in another galaxy, Nat had no one else in her life. The Space Rangers were her family. A lonely life flying around in a pretty starship would not fill the void she sometimes felt, and she knew it. With a sigh, Nat turned away and headed toward the aviation tower. She only took a step when a man spoke behind her.

  “Hey there,” he said. Nat turned to see an older gentleman in designer pilot’s overalls walking toward her from the other side the Avalon Mercury. “I saw you looking her over. What do you think?” He smiled clearly proud of the craft. Nat understood why.

  “It’s gorgeous,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t mind having one someday.”

  The gentleman nodded. “A good choice,” he said. “And you’re in luck. This beauty of mine is for sale. Interested?”

  Nat hesitated. She had only been half serious when she thought about someday having one. Now it almost seemed like fate. Before she could come up with an answer, the gentleman held out a business card.

  “No rush,” he said. “I’ve not even listed her yet. Take my card and give it some consideration. I wrote the price I’m looking for on the back. Let me know.” Nat took the card and smiled. Why not think it over? she thought.

  “Thank you, I will,” she told him as she read the card. Dr.

  Manny Lopez. “It was nice to meet you, Dr. Lopez.”

  Dr. Lopez leaned in to read the nametag on her chest.

  “Same to you, Captain Reynolds. Safe flying.”

  “You too. I’ll be in touch,” Nat said and gave him a nod as she started walking toward the aviation tower again.

  Flipping the card over, she read the amount the Avalon Mercury would cost and was pleased to see it was not unrealistic. Putting the card in her pocket, she decided to think about it more seriously later. You just never know, she thought and walked through the door into Prospo Control.

  Nat went straight to the main desk and was greeted by the SN-0406 android running things there.

  “Welcome. Captain Reynolds I presume?” the android asked. Nat nodded.

  “Yes. I’m here to take a statement about a fuel theft,”
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  Nat said. The android’s lights blinked happily.

  "Perfect," the machine said. "Sergeant Baxter is waiting for you in his office. He can give you all the details. Right this way." The android turned on a set of four wheels and headed for a door across the room. Nat followed, and after a moment stood across the desk from a handsome black man.

  "Sir, Captain Reynolds to see you," the android said.

  Sergeant Baxter stood and held out his hand. Nat shook it and when he motioned for her to have a seat, she took a chair.

  “Sorry to bring you down here for something so minor,”

  Sergeant Baxter apologized. “But stealing fuel must be reported to the petroleum cartel. No way around it.”

  Nat nodded.

  “No problem,” she said and took her comm device out of her pocket. She opened the notepad feature and prepared to listen. “What exactly happened?”

  Sergeant Baxter leaned back in his chair and gathered his thoughts. “About 1300 hours a small ED-90 ship got into line,” he started. Nat was surprised. ED-90s were relics. She had not seen one since she was a kid and they were old then. Seeing her look, Baxter nodded. “I know. A classic. But this one was a wreck. The fuel attendants said they were amazed it could actually fly.”

  “Interesting,” Nat said typing in the information. “Then what?”

  Baxter shrugged. "After about thirty minutes, it fueled up. After the fill-up, it moved away from the hoses but rather than stop and pay, it accelerated," he explained.

  "Blasted through our airspace and into orbit without a word.

  Didn't clear with the tower or anything. Damn dangerous."

  "No kidding," Nat agreed. "And no one got a tail number?"

  Baxter shook his head and leaned forward again.

  "Apparently something which could have been numbers was on the side, but too faded to read," he said. "There was one thing left behind though." He picked up a piece of paper and held it out for Nat. She took it from him and read the handwritten note.