“Come on, Samantha; someone’s coming.”
I threw my coat on and took hold of his arm. He crouched low and poked his head out the door before entering into the hallway. Too late. O’Neil stood midway; her eyes met mine in a glower. We were in deep shit. Dusty tightened his grip on my hand and whirled us in the opposite direction. That’s when Tom appeared. With his clenched fist raised, his eyes black as the night, he was ready to take action against us.
My heart leaped in my chest; there was no way out. Tom came at me. My instincts took over. I pushed Dusty out of the way. I had to try to fight, even though my head was foggy. With all my might, I kicked Tom in the jaw.
“You little bitch!” he bellowed, holding his jaw. He lunged at me, taking hold of my hair. I screamed. Dusty sprang, kicking Tom in the shin and then hanging on his back like a cat attacking. Everything was happening so quickly; before I knew it, Tom had flung Dusty off his back, and he fell to the floor.
“Samantha, stop this nonsense,” O’Neil said, approaching me with a syringe.
“Oh no, you don’t.” I clawed her. She scrambled, but I wasn’t giving up so quickly. I punched her arm, knocking the syringe out of her hand. She laughed, taking another syringe from her pocket. Big Tom sprang out from behind me, taking hold of my arms.
“No!” I screamed.
O’Neil took the syringe and started to poke my skin.
“Let go of me.”
35 The Pay Off
Bang!
The front door flew open. My hair was blown from my face by the sudden blast of the night air. Tom loosened his grip and Dusty ran to my side.
Cassiel Foster stood in the doorway of Oakridge Estates. His feet were firmly planted with rage in his eyes. In a time not so long ago, Cassiel had loathed me for no apparent reason, other than the fact of who I was and what I meant to Lucien. If it weren’t for him, I might not have even been here. Right alongside Cassiel was his brother, Michael. Eden, their only sister, was in the doorway, entering last. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Am I still hallucinating?
“Cassiel!” I bellowed.
Dusty and I crouched and clung to each other in anticipation of what was about to hap-pen. O’Neil was standing inches from Dusty and me. We were smack in the middle of O’Neil and the Fosters.
He strutted in an audacious manner, wearing his dark hair off his forehead. There was something different about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He looked at me; then his eyes shot to O’Neil.
Without a doubt, I knew what was coming when Tom raised his hand.
Cassiel stepped forward and said, “If I were you, I wouldn’t do that.”
It was then that Banth shoved Eden out of the way.
“Cassiel, behind you!”
Banth walked in front of Cassiel and Michael, then glowered at O’Neil.
“Are you all right?”
What kind of question is that? Am I hallucinating again?
“O’Neil, call off your dog,” Banth ordered.
Tom was just as confused as I was. He looked sideways at O’Neil.
“What the?” I mumbled to myself.
“I don’t understand. They are our enemy!” O’Neil shrieked.
“I’ll take it from here. Samantha, come forward,” Banth requested in a gentle tone.
“You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not going anywhere with you. Cassiel?”
“Samantha, it’s okay,” Michael said.
“Banth is with us,” Cassiel chimed in, looking to the left at his brother and then to me.
“What? No. I don’t understand.”
I started to advance toward Banth and paused, glancing back at Dusty, reassuring him that it was okay. I quickly explained that Banth and the Fosters were friends, and we would be all right with them. Both walked to my side and took my arm, and we began to walk toward the others.
Harley and Victoria came running from the hallway.
“Samantha, what are you doing?” Harley yelled.
“Whoaaaaa,” Victoria said, halting and looking in my direction.
I wasn’t halfway to Cassiel and Michael when another voice stopped me in my tracks. It was coming from the cellar.
“Not so fast!.”
We all turned in the direction of the voice. It was Banth. But how? He was still holding onto my arm. Before my eyes, Gabe Foster materialized in front of me. Another Foster—of course. Gabe was a shape-shifter. Tom raised his hand, and with telekinesis, he knocked Gabe on his behind.
O’Neil raised her hand; Michael went airborne into the east wall. Dusty and I composed ourselves, crawled, and huddled behind the pool table in the recreation room. Cassiel kept walking forward in Banth’s direction.
I couldn’t keep up with what was transpiring in front of me. Michael got to his feet and picked up a pool stick and threw it like a spear. It went flying so fast it went right through Tom’s chest. Tom let out a gasp and staggered. He fell forward, right on top of it. I cringed and held onto Dusty tightly.
“You betrayed us,” Cassiel said to Banth.
Banth stood firm against Cassiel’s advance; their eyes were in a deadlock, which reminded me of a western gunfight. “I did nothing of the kind. Your brother started this, and where is he now?”
“It’s not your concern.”
“Oh, of course, it is. We are battling the same destiny. Lucien and your friend here are the keys to our existence.”
“She isn’t for sale or to take by force,” Michael said, looking straight ahead in Banth’s direction.
“Let Miss Hunter go, Banth,” Cassiel said.
His eyes began to glow a bright yellow, almost neon. He raised his hand. Banth’s body began to twitch and tremble. Sweat began to bead on his gray forehead. His eyes that once were black balls of tar became dark copper. A blue substance oozed from his nose and ears, then he tried to raise his hand, but it was too late. Banth’s body lifted from the ground and slammed against the wall behind him. The pool table we were hiding beside lifted up in front of us and landed on Banth. Dark green blood pooled all around him.
Poof!
Just like magic, he disappeared right in front of us—another reminder the Fosters weren’t the only visitors to Earth.
Cassiel, undisturbed, strolled up to O’Neil, who was just standing motionless, watching. “I would like to smash you to the ground, but I don’t hit women; however, there’s someone else who can. Sister, dear,” Cassiel called for Eden.
“Oh, goodie.” Eden ran toward her brother.
Her long, lean legs were wrapped in black leather pants, and a leather jacket fit snugly on her torso. Her long raven hair framed her ivory skin. The gray strand of hair was braided and pinned back behind her ear. She raised her elegant hand and gave O’Neil a wicked smile. O’Neil went into a violent tumble, falling clear out of the sunroom’s French doors and out the window. I wanted to jump for joy.
Cassiel rushed to my side, scooped me up, and carried me out the door. Michael and Gabe ran out after us. Eden followed. I was so consumed with what was transpiring, I didn’t see where Dusty was. Cassiel set me down next to his Jeep.
O’Neil was lying with a splintered piece of glass sticking out of her chest. I cringed, holding my stomach. Gabe shifted into an eagle right before my eyes and flew into the sky. Michael and Eden gave each other a high-five and climbed into Lucien’s Camaro. Cassiel opened the front door of the Jeep. I looked to the front entrance of Oakridge Estates. Dusty was standing on the front steps.
“Samantha, don’t leave me.” His green eyes clouded over with tears.
I turned to Cassiel. “We can’t leave him here.”
“We can’t take him.”
Touching his arm, I said, “Cassiel, please, we have to; you don’t understand.”
Dusty stood there watching us as his eyes grew dark with fe
rocity, his fists in taut balls. I started to hobble to the front steps of Oakridge Estates. Cassiel stopped me and rushed to climb the steps when Dusty started to shake and tremble. All of a sudden, flames burst out of the windows of Oakridge Estates. The ground began to vibrate like an earthquake. Black clouds consumed the rustic building. Cassiel ran up the stairs, shoving past Dusty into the entrance.
Frozen, I watched the flames devour the remodeled chalet. Michael and Eden jumped out of Lucien’s Camaro and raced in after Cassiel. Then I heard the alarm. Dusty, Eden, and Michael rushed one guest after another out. Victoria, Dayton, Harley, and Nicki waited alongside me for everyone to escape the flames. Cassiel came out last, running and carrying a young girl who looked no more than thirteen. He set her down alongside the curb. Then we heard sirens in the distance. Cassiel headed for the Jeep, opening the front door. He flashed me an urgent look. “Get in.”
Dusty was still in my arms, holding onto me for dear life. “Take me with you,” he pleaded.
I looked in Cassiel’s direction. He shook his head.
“Cassiel, he can’t stay here; he’s all alone. We have to try and help him.”
Grudgingly, he relented. “Humans.”
“Dusty, let’s go.”
I had just opened the Jeep’s door when an SUV pulled up, kicking dust. “Wait,” I said, trying to see who it was.
“Sam, no, come on!” Cassiel shouted.
“Samantha!” It was Alex Marks running toward me. I glared at Cassiel, pleading with him for one more minute. The sirens were blaring louder than Alex’s voice.
“I can’t explain now,” I said to Alex.
“You don’t have to,” he said. “You okay?”
I nodded.
“Alex?” I said, confused. He knew. “But how?”
“Jordan Taylor. I already knew you were in trouble.”
Of course, I should’ve known.
“You taught me well.”
“I know I did.” he smiled. “Use it wisely. Don’t kill anyone unless you have to.”
“The others?” I looked back at Harley, Nicki, and Victoria, who still seemed in a daze. Among them was Finn. His eyes were solemn. As if he was trying to tell me something. Maybe he was warning me of something worse to come.
“Don’t worry; they’ll forget.”
“Oh, of course, they will….”
“Take care of yourself,” Alex said.
I nodded for him to do the same.
“Get in. Hurry,” Cassiel gestured.
Alex pushed me into the front seat of the Jeep. Dusty sat down beside me. Eden and Michael took off in Lucien’s Camaro. We followed after them, staying close behind.
36 Must Breathe
As soon as the engine roared, I let out a long sigh of relief, pulling the seat belt across my chest. I held onto Dusty’s hand, squeezing it tightly within mine. When we were all buck-led in, Cassiel sped off while Oakridge Estates burned to the ground. I looked back at the kids gathered with the night aides; their eyes hung onto mine as we pulled away. I stared through the window and locked eyes with Victoria. She looked as dazed and confused as I was.
The drugs were finally wearing off. I was bewildered that I had actually fought with them in my system. What would have happened if the Fosters hadn’t come when they had, and what prompted them to know I was in danger? Was it my email, or did Daniel somehow know? Lucien’s brother had the gift of seeing into the future. Eden had the same gift, but she could communicate telepathically with other alien beings, and so she was Lucien’s link to his family when he was in danger. It was my hope that Daniel would somehow know if Lucien were coming back and he would share that information with me. I couldn’t lose faith. I believed in my heart he hadn’t truly abandoned me.
Cassiel made a left turn onto Old Santa Fe Trail and we were soon back on US-285, head-ing to Corona before the sun came up.
Dusty’s head was resting on my shoulder. He was sound asleep, but it wasn’t a peaceful sleep. He moaned and whimpered like a baby. When we were a few hours from the ranch, dawn began approaching, drenching the sky with pink and amber. Mist billowed over snow-capped mountains, reminiscent of back home in Hidden Valley in the winter.
Cassiel’s handsome face was decorated with black stubble and dark circles under his eyes, showing signs of lack of sleep and the stress of the night that was behind us.
“Are you going to tell me how you knew I was in danger?” I whispered, glancing in Dusty’s direction, making sure he was still sleeping.
“I got your email, and Dan said something was brewing,” Cassiel said, looking at the road ahead.
“Is there an Agent Harmon? He’s friends with your uncle, or was that a fabrication too?”
“Yes, but we had no idea O’Neil was working outside the alliance,” he said, looking sideways.
“Harmon and Nathan are working with your uncle, but none of you had any idea about what O’Neil and Banth were up to?”
“None. Jordan promised Lucien he would make sure you were safe. We had no idea Banth would try something in his absence.”
“You’re telling me you all knew I was here, even Banth?” I shook my head. Unbelievable. “Alex Marks too, huh?”
“That was Eden’s doing, not mine. Banth didn’t know until after the fact.” Cassiel looked at me, taking his eyes off the road more than I liked. “We didn’t think things would develop as quickly as they did.”
“What things?”
“The flu, the satellite that’s falling....”
“The sightings on the news. It’s not a satellite, is it? And the flu?”
“Nope, it’s not a satellite; and the flu is manufactured—the Greys’ bio-warfare.”
“You’re kidding me.” The air in the Jeep was suddenly stale.
“Sam, as much as I dislike you humans, even I wouldn’t want to annihilate all of you. They want Earth. In order to take over your planet, they’ll kill off as many of you as they can.”
“So Stephen Hawking is right?”
“Smart man. Not as smart as me. The flu: it’s biochemically engineered like the Zika virus. And the satellite on the news was the ball of light that took Lucien and you.”
“Is that what they were referring to?”
“The others want to subvert the planet.”
“Subvert? Such a smart man using big words. Why are you such an ass?”
He gave me a smirk. “I wasn’t trying to be. They want to overthrow Earth. Do you understand that word, Sam?” His sense of humor was now gone.
“How long do we have?” I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.
He just shrugged his shoulders “It may take years or, if they’re lucky, months. It’s not the first time they’ve done it and failed, and it won’t be the last. Who do you think developed, Zika, H1N1, bird flu, West Nile, smallpox, flesh-eating disease, Ebola?
“For the record, this has been going on since the beginning of time. You’re just a witness to it now, that’s all. The moment Lucien helped you at Hidden Valley, he let you in. Now you’re part of the chaos.”
“I didn’t ask to be,” I spat out.
I gasped and starting coughing. Cassiel’s voice seemed like an echo, and all of sudden I had to get out of the car. This was insane. I knew something was transpiring, but I had no idea that the flu was connected to the other aliens.
Must breathe.
“Deal with it, Sam.” Cassiel said, sounding like he was talking in slow motion.
The jeep shifted gears and the road became bumpy. My panic was beginning to intensify. I had to get out of the car. I opened the window, but it wasn’t helping.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?”
“Cassiel, I-I can’t breathe. Stop the car. Something’s wrong. I don’t feel right. Stop the car, damn it!” I nearly took hold of the steering wheel.<
br />
He shot me a frenzied look. “Hold on Sam! I’m going to voice to text Michael. Mike, we are going to pull over. Keep going!”
37 Blood Poisoning
Cassiel pulled the Jeep off the road into the berm. I struggled with the door and fell to the ground. He was right behind me. He pulled me up and dragged me like a rag doll to a patch of grass.
“Tell me what’s wrong?” he demanded.
I looked up into his gray eyes; his face was bleak with worry.
“I used to have panic attacks after my mom died. I th-think that is what this is, but I’ve never had it this bad,” I said, hardly able to get the words out.
“A panic attack?” Cassiel paused, rubbing his brow. “I don’t think that is what this is.” He held my wrist. “Your pulse is weak. It’s the drugs O’Neil gave you.” He got to his feet, ran to the Jeep, and came back with his phone.
“Dusty?” I said.
“He’s still sleeping. Eden called Jordan. He said you need to try to relax and keep still; it’s an after effect of the drug. I have to get you hydrated and it will pass. The only water I have is salt water. I’m going to need to get you some water. Pojoaque Creek is not too far. I can be there and back in an hour.”
“No, don’t leave me,” I said with tears welling.
“Samantha, I can’t move you. You have to lie still, or the drug may cause you to convulse. I don’t know exactly what O’Neil gave you. It might bring on hallucinations.”
I took hold of Cassel’s arm. “Please, Cassiel, I’ll take the risk.”
“Why are you so stubborn?”
With that, he scooped me up in his arms and laid me flat on my back in the back seat of the Jeep. He looked down at me and laid his hand over my eyes; blackness engulfed me.
38 Eyes Wide Open
I opened my eyes, looking up at Cassiel’s face. My head was resting on his thighs, smack between his legs. I was no longer in the Jeep but back on the ground. Dusty was skipping stones in the rocky creek. Cassiel lowered a bottle of water to my lips.
Equinox (Beyond Moondust Trilogy Book 2) Page 11