Loretta gripped a handrail as the lights blinked on and off and the sound of the hover jets vibrated through the retrofitted subway. Out of nowhere, the crack of an explosion burst all around her. Cement crashed overhead. Alarms blared and the lights went out. People screamed and shrieked all around. The red backup lights went on, casting a dim glow over the panicked passengers. Loretta wanted to scream and cry, but all she could do was sit there silently, the tears not even falling down her face. She couldn’t panic anymore. She couldn’t allow the fear to control her any longer. This was the last straw. She wasn’t going to let her life be dictated by the agendas of others anymore. She would take her life into her own hands and make her own decisions from now on.
If she didn’t want to be a traumatized victim of yet another bombing, she was going to have to stand up and learn to be a survivor. She dropped her case on the floor and went to a young mother whose baby was yowling with terror. Loretta wrapped her arms around the young woman and her baby, making calming noises as they all embraced each other.
“Thank you,” the woman whispered. Loretta caressed her back and helped her hold the baby, who had already begun to calm down.
“What’s happening? What’s happening? What’s happening?” a young man wailed in the corner. He was curled up in the fetal position, completely distraught. Loretta went to him and placed her hand on his brow.
“Is going to be okay. I know General Shin of the Draconian armada. He will come and save us all. Just like yesterday.”
“You know the Draconian who burned through the building on Wall Street yesterday?” a man in a business suit said, standing up, his briefcase held tightly in his hand.
Loretta felt intimidated by the man, but she believed in Mylash and his intentions with Earth. She knew more of the story after talking with him about it from a Draconian’s perspective. The news releases that humans were accustomed to seeing only gave a partial story. No one ever really knew what was going on.
“I know him. He’s a good man with good intentions. I trust him.”
“Draconians aren’t even real. It’s a government conspiracy to cover up the real truth about why the economy is in the toilet,” said an old man in the corner.
“All I know is what General Shin told me. I know him to be an honorable man. The Draconians didn’t expect to throw the economy into a depression. They only came here because they needed to replenish their DNA.”
“We’ve all heard the public service announcements,” said the woman with the baby.
“Are you one of those Draconian brides?” said the businessman. “I thought you all had to live on their spaceships.”
“I didn’t say I was a Draconian bride. I said I knew General Shin.”
“How do you know him?” the old man asked, pointing a gnarled finger at her.
“I was in the bombing yesterday. He saved us.”
At that, everyone seemed to shake their head and leave it alone. She went to sit in her chair, the old man eyeing her the entire way. After hearing the Human Liberation Coalition’s manifesto the night before, every human seemed to be a threat to her. With her association to the Draconians, the people who believed in the ideals of the Human Liberation Coalition would want her dead. It was terrifying and isolating. Could she deal with that?
She sat in the corner and thought about Mylash. She thought about everything he had said and done for her over the last few days. After he’d saved her from the bombing, the first time she’d laid eyes on him, her heart skipped a beat. Later, when he told her she was his mate and offered to give her enough money to solve all her problems, she began to see him as a savior. But her feelings had blossomed into so much more. The love making alone had blown her mind a thousand times. Mylash had also proved himself to be a good and honorable man.
As she huddled in the red glowing darkness of the subway, all she wanted was to feel his arms around her again. She didn’t care where he was from or where he was going. She didn’t care that he was a different species from her. Everything in her was telling her that they belonged together. She could feel the well of feelings bursting like a thick bubble within her chest. If she made it out of the subway alive, the first thing she would do would be to tell him.
Chapter 13
Mylash arrived on the command ship of the Draconian armada and strode onto the bridge where Commander Or awaited his arrival. His commander stood at the helm of the ship and nodded to Mylash sternly.
“General Shin, what news of the Human Liberation Coalition?”
“That broadcast they sent out will have given them away. There must be a signal from their location,” Mylash said.
“Sir, we zeroed in on the signal, but it is heavily encrypted through the human communication systems,” one of the technical lieutenants said.
“I’m sure we can find the signal uses our own systems,” Mylash said.
“If I pinpoint the same electrical signal through our ship’s tracking system, I can see it centered around New York City in the United States. Very close to the first bombing.”
“The leaders are there,” Mylash said.
“Whoever sent the video is there,” Commander Or said. “Possibly.”
“I will look into it and update you with my progress, Commander.”
“How are the rest of your commandos fairing? I haven’t heard from any of them. They are supposed to report to you.”
“The commandos are doing reconnaissance over the rest of the globe. They are gathering intelligence and information about the lives of these people. Living among them.”
“Like you are,” Commander Or said, crossing his arms. The rest of the men on the bridge looked from the general to the commander and back.
“We agreed to revisit that issue at a later date, Commander,” Mylash said.
“I have been thinking about the subject and realize that we must make some concessions, especially for your men. They are, as you said, living among the humans. We could all learn something from their experiences.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Mylash nodded his head in a subtle bow and stepped backward and out of the command bridge. He had a job to do and he was determined to do it. He had the last signal from the bombers. Draconian equipment was far beyond what had been released both legally and illegally to the human population. There was no way a human could hide their electric signals from the Draconians for very long.
Mylash took the transport shuttle back down to New York. After landing at the consulate, Mylash took his hover car back to the apartment building and took the elevator upstairs. When he got inside, he called her name.
“Loretta?” Silence was all that greeted him.
He strode across the living room and to the dining room table. Under the flickering lights of the crystal chandelier, he found a note lying there waiting for him.
Dear Mylash,
I’ve gone to my grandmother’s in Alabama. She needs this money, and I need time to think. Everything between us happened so suddenly. Being with you is a major life decision. I’m a mess right now from everything that’s happening to me and to the world. I hope you understand. I will contact you soon.
Yours truly,
Loretta.
He dropped the letter on the table and stepped backwards. His heart sank to his feet and he could barely stand. His inner dragon roared that he was a fool for letting her out of his sight for a second. He sank into a chair and cupped his forehead in his hand. Mylash would never be able to concentrate on finding the Human Liberation Coalition if he knew that Loretta was in danger.
He had to find her, and he had to find her now. He slid two fingers down the inside of his wrist and a technician from the bridge of the command ship came into view.
“I need your help tracking down a cellphone signal. I’m inputting the signature right now.” Mylash used the electromagnetic field in the apartment to pinpoint Loretta’s cellphone signature.
“The signature is currently coming from a subway that is
trapped underground from the most recent bombing.”
“There has already been another bombing?” Mylash asked. These humans were moving fast, and they needed to be stopped. While his beloved mate was trapped underground, the devious humans where hard at work bringing fear into the hearts of their own kind.
“I’m going to find the bombers. I will put a stop to this chaos. It ends now.”
Mylash gathered his strength into his chest and hurried upstairs to the roof of the apartment building, overlooking Central Park. He flicked the spot at the base of his neck that made his uniform contract. In the breath of an instant, he contorted into his dragon form, growing enormous. His black scales refracted the afternoon sunlight. The strength that radiated from his dragon soul spiraled out from his center, and he felt himself in his power.
He charged over the side of the building, spread his wings, and took to the air. The humans below would see him, but he didn’t have time for their transportation. He would fly to the location of the broadcast, find the men, and put a stop to their reign of terror over the people of Earth.
He zeroed in on his target, a building in a warehouse district near the docks. Flying in above the cloud line, he stealthily dove to the roof of the building and landed there. In the interior of the building, it would be difficult for him to shift into dragon form, so he would need to use his smaller humanoid form for this battle. He flicked his suit back on and pulled out his high-powered particle gun.
He hopped down from the roof through a high window and climbed along the interior beams of the warehouse. It was stacked with sacks of flour and rice, not the kind of place he would expect a terrorist group to be. The only people he saw were warehouse workers carting sacks of food from the warehouse to trucks on motorized carts.
He crept deeper into the building, walking along the beams high above the ground. When he came to the end of the warehouse, he spotted a single door along the back wall. The broadcast signature had come from just beyond. He looked along the ceiling for a way to climb over from above, but there was no way through.
The attack would have to be from the front, without cover. He dropped down on silent feet and slowly opened the door, peering inside over the barrel of his gun. There were three men inside, dressed in black hooded sweatshirts. Their masks were in the corner. He knew these were members of the Human Liberation Coalition. He could take them out in a second with his weapon, but he needed information more than their deaths. Draconians needed to find out what was at the root of the attacks, who was the leader of the group, and how to put a permanent end to the movement.
He knew that these people would blow themselves up for their cause. If he wanted to take any of them alive, he would have to be very careful. He changed the setting on his particle gun to stun, and shot one quick shot at each of the men. They fell to their knees and plopped to the floor instantaneously.
Mylash crept into the room. The men would have to be transported to the ship for further questioning. He slid his fingers along the inside of his wrist and the technician from the bridge came into view.
“I have three men in custody who are members of the Human Liberation Coalition. I need a transport ship sent down here immediately.”
“On the way,” the technician said.
Just as the technician disappeared on Mylash’s wrist, a shout echoed through the small office room. Mylash snapped his head back to see a human in a mask pull the trigger on a semi-automatic rifle. Mylash jumped into the air, avoiding the bullets with Draconian grace. He aimed his own weapon and pulled the trigger. The man fell to his knees and smacked face-first into the ground.
Boots scuffled over the concrete floor outside from across the warehouse. Mylash would have to put his weapon on a faster setting to take them all out. In humanoid form, his body was only bulletproof where his uniform covered.
Mylash burst into the warehouse, gun blazing. The humans shot from all sides, their semi-automatic weapons whizzing off bullets at an amazing speed. A dozen men unloaded their weapons on him.
Mylash shot into the air, twisting around above them before they could even take aim. He shot one, two, three. Four men went down before he landed behind them. As they turned, he pulled a second weapon from his uniform and shot another four. He then launched himself onto the top of a stack of flour sacks.
He walked along the pallets, shooting the remaining men as bullets flew past him. The room went silent and blood drained in pools around the bodies. Mylash heard the transport vessel land outside. He piled up the unconscious men and walked out the front door of the warehouse. The transport vessel awaited him outside. The pilot helped Mylash pile the men into the ship.
“I will return to question them later. First I must save my mate.”
Mylash watched the transport vessel shoot off into space, blinking out of the atmosphere in a brilliant flash of light. He ran full speed to the edge of the roof and burst into his dragon form. He flew as fast as his body could and landed where Loretta’s signal had last been.
He barreled past the crowd to the subway platform at the bottom of the stairs. There were police and rescue workers everywhere, surrounded by gawking and terrified civilians. He shot through them all, ignoring the shouts and threats from the police. When they put their hands on him, he finally turned to acknowledge them.
“I am General Shin of the Draconian armada. I am taking control of the situation. You will stand back or there will be severe consequences. Do you understand?”
The police all reluctantly gave way. Mylash charged down the tunnel and came to the lit passage where rubble blocked the way. It was tight, but his dragon could fit in the subway tunnel. He would need all his strength to get through. He shifted and paced backward, allowing himself to get a running start. With a roar, he charged.
He opened his mouth and let his superhot dragon fire blare from his mouth. As the charging force of the fire hit the rock, it melted. Mylash ran through the liquid lava that dripped around him. His dragon body was immune to the heat and it slid from his skin with no effect.
He came to an opening where he was no longer blocked, but he could see the stalled subway, crushed under fallen debris. He stopped and shifted into a man, climbing around to the sliding door of the subway. He pushed the door open with his monumental Draconian strength, and the people within gasped and cheered.
“You will carefully walk out of here in a few moments. There is still molten lava. Wait patiently, and I will assist you back to safety. I am looking for a beautiful woman. Her name is Loretta Franklin.”
“Mylash?”
Loretta ran toward him, her face tired and surprised. She fell into his arms and clung to him, a silent shudder wracking her body.
Chapter 14
When Mylash arrived, it was as if Loretta had woken from a terrible nightmare. She ran to him and fell into his arms. She didn’t care about any of her reservations anymore. This was the second time he had saved her from the terror of her world.
“Are you all right, my little mate?” he asked, cupping her face in his hand as he inspected the rest of her body.
“I’m all right. You saved me again.”
“I’m here to protect you. It is the greatest gift to me. Now we must organize these humans to get them to safety. The lava flow has cooled, allowing passage to the outside.”
Loretta and Mylash organized the people and helped them walk back to the rescue workers who had already made their way down the cooling tunnel. Several in the subway bombing had been seriously injured. A few had died. The majority were able to walk out and were greeted by rescue workers and loved ones on the other side.
Mylash put his arm around Loretta and helped her walk out of the subway. When they arrived on the sidewalk, there was already a car waiting for them there. Mylash helped her inside and they drove straight back to the consulate, got on a ship, and shot into space. A few moments later Loretta was stepping out onto the transport bay of a Draconian spaceship.
In the confusion she
hadn’t even stopped to ask where they were going. The truth was, she didn’t care. She was happy to be safe with Mylash and away from all of the tragedy happening on Earth.
“General Shin,” an official looking Draconian said, “we have begun the questioning of the prisoners. Our superior truth technology has overcome their mental conditioning. We have found the identity of the leader and know the location of all their bases. These three men had a great deal of inside information.”
“Commander Or, I will send my men to make short work of the rest of the group. We can then move on to the next step of my mission here. We must create sustainability for all humans. Once they have all the necessities of life, they will be much less hostile. To do that, we must take control of resources, which may create even more hostility. In the end, all of humanity will live a more prosperous life than ever possible before. There will be peace among them. All of my computer simulations have come to the same conclusion.”
“I hope you’re right, General,” Commander Or said.
“Even the worst-case scenario shows small-scale war.”
“But the computer simulations did not see the rise of the terrorists. This is what worries me, General. Humans are behaving unpredictably according to Draconian algorithms.”
“All we can do is implement the first phase of our plan. Perhaps we cannot predict the humans’ reactions to equal prosperity for all, but we must try to help them.”
“I’m glad you’ve come to agree. And who is this?”
“Commander Or, this is my mate, Loretta Franklin. Loretta, you can call him Nash.”
Nash took her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. “I am so pleased to meet you, Ms. Franklin. You should meet my bride, Lexi Garcia.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Loretta said. She hadn’t expected to stumble into an intense political discussion about her planet. Suddenly, the conversation turned to meeting another girl on board the spaceship. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this, but Nash seemed nice enough. It was good to know there were other girls like her here, too.
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