Equinox (Beyond Moondust Trilogy Book 2)

by J. E. Nicassio

  “There’s a garage about three miles up the road, another twenty to the airport,” the driver said, looking straight at the highway.

  “Three miles up the road. What choice do we have?” Cassiel shook his head.

  “I’ll call them,” the driver said. After a moment or two, he looked down at the screen. “Can’t get a signal.”

  “No signal either,” Cassiel echoed.

  “I’ll tell you what; I’ll go on foot to the garage,” the driver said.

  “You can’t. You might have a concussion. Let me go,” I said.

  “I’m fine. Just a little whiplash.”

  “Wait. Let me think,” Cassiel barked.

  I quickly scanned the woods and pointed. “Is that a shed?” It looked to be an old farmer’s shed about a quarter mile into the woods.

  “Okay, if there’s a sniper out there, he can see us but we can’t see him. We should split up. Cassiel turned to the driver. “You go find the garage and get a spare. And in the mean-time, I’ll go check out that shed. Maybe there’s one in there that’ll fit. And if we find one before you get back, we’ll pick you up on the road.”

  “Excuse me,” I said, “I’m not staying here.”

  “Well, come on then.” Cassiel brushed by me, heading toward the woods.

  “I really don’t think there’s going to be a spare tire in an old shed that’s going to fit an Escalade,” I commented under my breath, gritting my teeth.

  “You’re probably right,” he said.

  72 Mr. Spock

  I followed Cassiel into the West Virginia woods. The vegetation wasn’t too thick since the leaves were just starting to bud on the trees. Cassiel was the first to reach the old, dilapidated shed. I was surprised there was even something remotely like it here, but then again, we were in the foothills of West Virginia. I kept thinking about the movie Deliverance. I frowned, trying to think of something else. Just then, Cassiel started to oink at me as we approached the shack. Of course, he was reading my mind.

  “Oh puh-lease stop acting like a child, and what did I tell you about reading my mind, or was that Lucien I told that to?” I said, irritated.

  “It’s hard to act any other way when I’m dealing with a child, considering I have sixty-seven Earth years on you,” Cassiel said, making his way to the shed’s brown rusty door.

  “You really like boasting about your AARP status.”

  He reached for the handle. When he did, the door broke free from the hinges and fell, landing in front of us. Cassiel shrugged and looked at me before entering the dark, cobweb infested encasement. I twitched, thinking a spider was crawling on me.

  It was your typical old farm shed. It looked as though it hadn’t been used in years. Old farm equipment was scattered about: an old upside-down lawnmower, shovels, hoes, tractor blades. I stood by while Cassiel rummaged through the junk. He raised his hand and one by one the junk went flying across the shed. I ducked while an old garbage can went flying overhead.

  “There has to be a tire in here somewhere,” he said.

  “Wait. Look!” I yelled as an old shovel almost hit me. “Cassiel, watch it.”

  Cassiel lifted his arm in the direction of an old tarp. There it was: an old tire that looked about the size we needed. “Here we go.” Cassiel picked it up, dusting it off. “This may work.”

  “Really? How can you tell?” I asked with a brash tone.

  “It’s a Goodyear Wrangler tire P265/70R17 113S BSW. Sears Item 09589601000 Mod-el 89601,” Cassiel said, mocking me. Of course, alien intelligence at work again.

  “Are you kidding me, Mr. Spock?” I yelled.

  “You wanted to know if it would fit,” Cassiel said with a smirk. “I find it offensive com-paring me to Mr. Spock. Are my ears pointed?”

  He walked out of the shed and turned around. “You coming?”

  “In a minute,” I replied, walking toward the woods.

  “Sam, this isn’t the time to go hiking. We can’t take any more chances. I see you looking at that farm¸ but we have to get out of here. It’s an easy walk if this tire doesn’t fit. The driver may be already in the car. But if someone sees us, we’re dead. Are you coming?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

  Starting to follow Cassiel, I paused.

  “Samantha,” I heard a voice through the wind.

  I looked around. When I turned back to Cassiel, he was already out of sight.

  The woods beckoned me; unable to resist, I gazed back one last time at Cassiel.

  73 Mutant

  I wandered out into the woods beyond the shed. Next to a tractor was a beat-up quad with the keys hanging in the ignition. I trotted through the new green growth coming up through the ground and looked over at the machine, hoping it would start.

  I wedged my feet on the gearshifts. Pausing a moment, I brushed off any anxious thoughts. Come on…. I jumped on the throttle. “Yes!” I felt the massive rusty quad come to life beneath my body. Wheels spinning, kicking dirt up behind me, I took off. I forgot how incredible it felt to speed through the wind.

  Passing oak and maple trees, I drove, not knowing what I was looking for; but a voice in the wind kept me searching. The cool, shaded air stung my cheeks. Distracted by my own thoughts, I did not realize how far I had gone. I knew it was not one of my smartest ideas to go as fast as I was, but I continued driving on an adrenaline high.

  I rode the ATV down a steep ravine. I don’t know what I was hoping to find, but unanswered questions pushed me further. My heart quickened when I slid on a patch of muddy ground, losing control of the quad and going too fast to stop. I tried to hang on, but I flew through the air over a rocky hillside, and I rolled uncontrollably down the gradient. The rusty quad toppled over and landed by my side, barely missing me. As soon as I stopped falling, I could hear my own shrieks of pain echo over the mountainside. Horrible pain shot through my leg. I lay there, flat on my back, looking up at the tall trees. I cried and moaned, hoping somehow Cassiel would hear me. Just when I was going to call out again, I heard movement in the distance, about ten yards from where I lay. Then there was silence. All I could think about was what Cassiel had said about us being a target.

  “Finn? Is that you?”

  My heart started to beat harder in my chest. As my breathing increased, so did my anxiety. I tried to sit up, but the pain in my right leg was unbearable. In an effort to detect where the noise was coming from, I rested my weight on my elbows. I felt my leg suddenly become warm. I touched it just above my knee and saw the blood soaking through my jeans.

  I heard the movement in the woods getting closer. “Who’s out there? Cassiel, is that you?” I shouted, not recognizing my own voice. No response. Again I cried out, louder than before, and this time with more courage, “Who’s there?”

  All was quiet except for the pounding of my heart against my chest. Trying to convince myself that I had imagined everything, I examined my surroundings. The path was at the top of the hill, the quad badly dented and smashed against a tree. Without warning, something appeared in front of me. For a moment, I couldn’t be sure if the thing was human or animal. As if to end my doubt, the silhouette of a man cautiously advanced toward me.

  My heart slowed. It was Cassiel. He kneeled. I was so relieved and joyful at the same time.

  “Thank God it’s you,” I said. He raised a hand, trying to touch me. I backed up nervously. “I thought you were the Illuminati,” I said, holding my laughter in. “I guess I was going too fast and didn’t realize it until I slid on some rocks.”

  “You don’t say,” he raised a dark eyebrow and looked at my leg.

  “I think it may be broken,” I said, waiting for his answer. The pain was unbearable, but I tried to ignore it. He moved to touch my leg. His hand didn’t look right. It was aged. And the veins began to pulsate.

  “Don’t tou
ch me! Stand back or I swear I’ll kick you,” I gasped.

  “How’s that? If you haven’t noticed, your bone is sticking out.” The imposter smiled. Right before my eyes, he shapeshifted into one of the ‘no whites’, the ones who had at-tacked me at the New Mexico fair. I couldn’t take my eyes off his. I’d never seen anything quite so hideous. “Samantha, let me help you,” the mutant said, mocking me.

  “No!”

  He looked down at my bloody leg and pressed on the open wound. The pain ripped through me. He gave me a sadistic smile. I didn’t dare say another word until he lifted my leg from the ground.

  “Stop it. Don’t touch me!”

  My bone was splintered out of my skin. The sight made my skin crawl and my stomach roil.

  The mutant touched my leg and the same healing fire that Lucien could produce swept through me. The ‘no white’ laughed. “Your Lucien is not the only one who can heal.”

  “You’re hurting me.” I watched my skin repair.

  The horrible creature brushed his fingers against my cheek. “No, don’t touch me!” I screamed.

  “Get up. I don’t want to have to carry you all the way to Dulce.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  Go for his knife…under his cuff. I heard it so clearly. Pretend you trust him.

  “What happens if I go?” I asked, heeding the voice in my head.

  “You would be well-taken care of,” the mutant said.

  “And if I don’t?” I stood. Then I pretended to be in pain and stumbled. I went for the knife and grabbed it, not letting the mutant have a chance. Again my kickboxing class came in handy. I went right for his tar eye. I then kicked him straight between his legs, not knowing for sure if he were anatomically correct. I started to run, following the voice I heard. It became louder, more definite. Branches snapped beneath my feet as I continued into the dense forest.

  74 Sonic Boom

  The sun would be setting soon. I settled among tall pine trees, listening to make sure the mutant wasn’t coming after me. The only sounds were from a small creek, skipping over moss-covered rocks and a rattling of branches. Why was I summoned here? My eyes roamed the greenery. Sun rays beamed through an opening in the trees. I covered my eyes from the bright shimmering light. Suddenly, the light exploded and blasted a shockwave that shook the ground.

  Was it a sonic boom? I crouched low as my body trembled. I uncovered my eyes, looking at the ray of light.

  A shadow of a man stood there, frozen like a statue. I let my eyes adjust a moment. Gradually, the image became clear. A second shockwave, this time with no sound, buffeted me and I stumbled into some jagged bushes.

  “Ouch!” I grabbed a tree branch to keep from falling, and watched the figure, still un-moving amid the ray of light.

  A ghostly haze shined. The image came into focus, gradually getting clearer until it dawned on me who it was. He walked out of the rays and stepped forward into the openness. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, all the time that had slipped away came rushing back, like we’d never been parted.

  “Lucien!” I bellowed into the air.

  I’d forgotten how angry I was at him, and without thinking, I ran into his arms, wrapping my legs around his hips. He twirled me around as our lips melted into each other’s. I took in everything around me. He finally let me down. Then I backed up and shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I slapped him straight across his face, leaving a red in-dentation.

  “That’s for deceiving me.”

  He massaged his cheek. “I had that coming.”

  His voice was as I’d remembered it a hundred times in my dreams.

  My fists morphed into little tight balls at my side. Lucien rubbed his cheek without saying anything, but his eyes smiled at me. “Samantha, wait. Give me a chance to explain.”

  Instead, I turned and started walking back to the Escalade. “Give me a chance to explain. Explain, explain. That’s all you ever say, Lucien.”

  He stopped me, taking hold of my arm. I pulled away, marching back to where Cassiel was. To my surprise, he was walking toward me. His eyes found his brother’s, and then they ricocheted to mine.

  I kept walking straight past the old shed. “Yes, Lucien is back. Oh, and by the way, the ‘no whites’ are here.”

  “Samantha, we have to go. Something’s happened.”

  “What is it? Is it Dusty? Has something happened to him?”

  “Samantha!” Lucien yelled again, but this time Cassiel stopped me.

  “We have to go now. We have to get back to the ranch.” Cassiel started texting.

  “You got a signal?” I said.

  “It’s Jordan. He’s had a heart attack.”

  “No!” I looked at Lucien. “Is that why you came back?” I turned and kept walking toward the car. “Bastard alien.”

  75 Thunderbird

  The driver was back, putting the tire on. He was on his knees fiddling with the jack. I stepped near the edge of the road, hands on my hips, looking up at the blue sky. I walked along the road, shuffling my feet and kicking up gravel.

  “I wouldn’t do that, missy,” the driver said.

  Not listening, I kept walking.

  “Samantha, get back here,” Cassiel barked in my direction.

  “Sam, I was coming back.” Lucien’s voice carried over like a long-forgotten kiss.

  A whistling sound whizzed by me like a bottle rocket on the fourth of July. An intense stabbing pain impaled my back. I looked at the sky. Drones? The pain halted me in my steps. I saw huge flapping wings, larger than any I’d seen before. Two of the massive creatures soared overhead. Like pterodactyls searching. A third flew in, low and missile-like.

  The huge bird targeted me. Its beak opened, and flames sprayed forth. I dove into the ditch as the thunderbird swerved, narrowly missing me, but engulfing the car in a fiery inferno. The driver leapt from the ball of flames. I’ve heard stories about these creatures. Thought they were an urban legend. Not anymore.

  Lucien and Cassiel levitated into the air, saving themselves from being burned. The dragon thunderbirds’ venomous flames just missed them. Balls of light shot at them. The ‘no whites’ were leading the parade of fire, which was coming straight for me. Red and orange balls sprang from their palms. Warm and sticky blood filled my mouth, and over-flowed from my lips. Out from the corner of my eye, I saw a black sedan pull up. It had to be the same sedan from the airplane hangar. Another sharp pain pierced through me.

  “You weren’t supposed to shoot to kill,” I heard the man from the hangar say.

  I cupped my mouth as blood poured from it. The wetness seeped through to my back. I turned around, facing Lucien and Cassiel. The once blue sky turned to black as I doubled over onto the hard cement road.

  “Samantha!” I heard Lucien bellow.

  “Sam!” Cassiel lowered from the air onto the highway.

  I fought to keep my eyes open. A woman—it was Eden. Her long slender legs kicked one of the thunderbirds. Gabe was right alongside her. When did they get here?

  I heard another round of shots. I opened my eyes, wiping the blood from my lips. Lucien stumbled and fell, and then another shot fired. Cassiel dropped to the ground. The thunderbird took hold of Eden’s neck.

  “Eden!” I screamed as the thunderbird scooped her up in its mouth. Gabe shifted into a creature just as horrific and flew after her.

  “No!” I crawled, making my way onto the highway where the brothers lay. The man from the hangar walked slowly. I saw only his black slacks and shoes, then military boots. I was torn. Which one should I go to first? Cassiel was the closest. He was breathing. I patted him down to see where he was shot.

  “Cassiel?”

  Blood was seeping through his shirt. I crawled, barely able to breathe.

  “Lucien, oh, my God.”

&
nbsp; Blood puddled at his side. His eyes opened and met mine. His breathing strong but labored. I laid down, facing him. His shallow breath stirred the hair from my face. I knew it was bad. Lucien’s familiar scent, clean but earthy, entered my nose, mingled with the scent of blood. I coughed once more, trying to rid my lungs of blood that was filling my airways. I had to hold him. I lifted him into my lap and cradled his head. He was in my arms, at last.

  “Can you hear me?” I asked in a low, forced voice. He held onto me with such strength, I thought my good lung would collapse beneath his arms.

  “We have to get you to the ranch,” Lucien said between breaths.

  Did he realize how badly he was hurt? I closed my eyes, but I could still hear the man from the hangar and the man wearing boots whispering. I turned to see them hovering like Lucien was already gone.

  “We are wasting too much time,” the man said. “You have to decide.”

  “There are no decisions to make; I already know what I have to do.” He pointed to Lucien with the gun.

  “No!” I screamed, trying to cover him. The shot whizzed by.

  The military man lifted me in his arms and carried me. I screamed and kicked with what strength I had left.

  “I’ll call the President and ask him what he wants us to do with her. I’ll let you know his decision.”

  I opened my eyes and watched the other man take hold of Lucien’s legs and drag him. “No, Lucien!” I screamed and sobbed. “You killed him. You can’t do this.”

  “Lucien,” Cassiel said, lifting his head.

  “Cassiel!” I covered my eyes. A shot fired.

  “Samantha, you’ll never make it to the hospital. It’s too bad. You have too many bullets in you,” the man from the hangar said. I didn’t care.

  “He wants her alive; the chopper should be here any second,” the other man said.

  “Lucien!” Eden said, running toward me with Gabe not far behind. “He’s dying; are you going to let him die?”

  Gabe rushed over to him with anguish in his eyes. Our gazes locked. “It’s too late!” he bellowed.