Extinction

by Viljoen, Daleen

  Extinction

  By Daleen Viljoen

  Copyright©2014 Daleen Viljoen.

  For my husband, Willie, and children, Zoey, Cules and Hercus who gave me the courage to follow my dream.

  Copyright©2014 Daleen Viljoen.

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 1

  Fast.

  Precise.

  Deadly.

  I was mesmerized.

  The rebel fighters overpowered the soldiers of the Guard in less than five minutes. I had never seen such fluidity, or recognize the moves they so effortlessly executed.

  The scorching sand burnt my stomach and I shifted uncomfortably. A vulture circled the azure sky above and scrutinized me with beady eyes, determining if I was alive or dead. It landed gracefully a few feet from me and hopped closer to get a better look at what would hopefully be its lunch. I groaned inwardly – so much for trying to be invisible. The vulture dug its talons into the sand and swung its hooked bill, which could tear the flesh from my bones, from side to side, extending its long and slender neck. They hunted in groups and more would be on their way. Annoyed, I grabbed a fistful of sand and hurled it at the vulture. It spread its wings and rose effortlessly into the sky, climbing the thermals and disappearing from sight. I wouldn’t become its free meal today.

  This was a bad idea - a really bad idea. Maybe even one of the worst plans I’ve ever had.

  The sharp crest of windblown sand looked down on the dirt road. I was near enough to get a clear view of the action below, but also close enough for the rebels to notice me if they glanced in my direction. It would be my funeral today if they caught me spying on them. They had a reputation as ruthless fighters and brutal killers. Only the Scavengers, roaming these wastelands, were more dangerous than them.

  Robert was a fool if he believed the rebels didn’t pose a threat to Palasium. He was positive the Vandelrizi would protect him and his precious city. He refused to see the danger right in front of him. The rebel attacks had become more frequent and well-organized; mainly targeting the supply trucks travelling between the cities of Cyrius and Palasium. Nothing stopped them from breaching the city walls of Palasium next. They were so bold in their attacks that the Vandelrizi, who were rarely interested in the daily activities of the cities, had become aware of the situation and Robert had a lot of explaining to do. If he wanted to prove to the Vandelrizi that he was the right choice as Prime Minister of Palasium, he had to act soon. The rebels needed to be stopped, though truthfully I wouldn’t mind if they destroyed the cities and the horrors hidden behind their walls.

  The rebels dragged the bodies of the soldiers to the side of the road, flopping them down on the sand like rag dolls. I cringed. I couldn’t tell if they were dead or alive. Some of them were barely older than me, eighteen and nineteen year old boys who had no idea what they signed up for. I knew most of them. The chances were good they had been assigned the unfortunate task of guarding me at one time or the other in the past. I was after all the Prime Minister’s daughter.

  One of the rebels waved his hands in the air. Even from here I could distinguish his black clad figure from the rest. He was nearly a head taller than the others, moving with supple grace as he dished out orders. I couldn’t hear what he was saying and there wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to drag my sunburnt body over the scorching sand to get closer. I was already risking too much by just being here. Besides, it wasn’t the first time I was spying on them. I knew what exactly what they were planning.

  Three trucks travelled from Cyrius, two carried soldiers from the cities and the middle one was stacked with supplies meant to be delivered to Palasium. From here the rebels would travel north across the desert until they reached the jungle. The supply truck would swerve into the jungle and the other two would carry on through the desert. All three trucks would disappear, never reaching Palasium and nobody would be any wiser to what happened to them. I assumed the rebel base must be somewhere close to the jungle or even hidden in its treacherous depths.

  Not that I cared. Finding their headquarters was not on my to-do list, I had other, far more important plans.

  The rebels piled into the brown military trucks, remnants of a previous era of earth’s history. The tall black-clad rebel heaved himself behind the wheel of the supply truck in the middle. Great, only one rebel I could handle. This was going to be easier than I hoped.

  Except that he moved like a Greek god on steroids. This rebel was more than capable of defending himself. Of course the irritating little voice inside my head had to butt in, reminding me I was only a seventeen-year-old girl thinking of taking on a hardened rebel fighter.

  The trucks’ engines roared to life and I rolled onto my back, shielding my eyes with one hand from the glaring sun. It was past noon and the cankerous heat seared my lungs. There wasn’t a cloud in sight. A slight breeze stirred the arid air and then it disappeared like an ice cube melting on a hot oven plate, evaporating into thin air as if it had never even existed.

  “You have a choice Lexie Miller. Get up and kick some rebel butt or go home.” The sound of my voice was drowned by the roar of the trucks, but I got the message of my little pep talk. Loud and clear. This was it. I had to choose today if I was a coward or not. I scrambled to my feet and ran.

  Chapter 2

  I sprinted across the bleak expanse of sand, my calve muscles protesting painfully. My boots sank into the sand, making it near impossible to run. Everything depended on me getting to the jungle before the supply truck did. The sand chafed my sunburnt legs, scraping my tender skin like sandpaper. I was wearing a pair of denim shorts. Another bad idea. The white cotton tunics of Palasium would’ve been cooler and a lot more comfortable in the overwhelming heat, but I couldn’t risk anyone recognizing me. Too much was at stake. There was only one thing more valuable than supplies in the desert and that was the daughter of Robert Miller. If any of the soldiers of the Palasium Guard found me roaming around outside the city walls…the Vandelrizi would kill me. They didn’t tolerate insubordination, especially not from the Prime Minister’s only daughter.

  In these ordinary clothes I could easily be mistaken for one of the rebels or maybe even a Scavenger, not an inhabitant of the city. Maybe I wouldn’t go that far – the Scavengers were filthy and looked more like the homeless people Mom and I used to see sitting on the street corners begging for change when I was a little girl, except here they were not begging but taking what they wanted with brute force.

  My heart raced. The edge of the jungle materialized in front of me in chromatic contrast to the desert. I wondered many times if this bizarre conflicting landscape was what the Vandelrizi home planet looked like. They terraformed earth into vast stretches of desert, dark menacing jungles and had thrown the occasional ocean into the mix. Did they need earth to resemble their planet, Vargon, or was it fun for them to see how humankind suffered while trying to adapt to this uninhabitable hellhole. We could only guess as the Vandelrizi did not share their plans with humans. They viewed us as lower life forms – the vermin of this planet and they were the exterminators.

  I rested my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. A faint rumbli
ng advanced across the dunes. I made it with minutes to spare. I ran my hand disgustedly over my filthy clothes. No matter how hard I tried to wipe the sand from my shorts, it stuck to me like Velcro. I tucked my shirt over my head and shoved it into my backpack, leaving me in a navy tank top. It was time for phase two of my plan.

  I stepped inside the sinister darkness of the jungle. Complete silence surrounded me, the kind of eerie quiet that you only experienced in a crypt. Slowly the jungle came to life with the sounds of harrowing grunts, sniffing nostrils and creatures that slinked and skulked behind every bush. I swore I could feel the glowing eyes of many terrifying predators following my every move. In these jungles hid animals of your worst nightmares and I was an easy kill. The Vandelrizi brought them from Vargon to inhabit and multiply in the jungles. These creatures were ferocious hunters and had meticulously killed most of the indigenous animals, driving them to extinction.

  I tried in vain to steady my uneven breathing. Animals smelled fear and I was sure the pounding of my heart was like thunder in their ears. I navigated my way through the dense undergrowth, stepping over rocky outcroppings. The dense canopy of leaves above me blocked the sun and provided much needed shelter. It also turned the jungle into a dark ominous deathtrap. It was as if the entire jungle came to a standstill and listened to me stomping through its territory. Twisting ropes of vine choked tree trunks and I heard a hiss as I slipped on a patch of rotting leaves. Impenetrable poisonous plants surrounded me and I was careful not to touch anything. The smell of death was suspended in the humid air. This place gave me the creeps and I would be more than happy to never set a foot inside it again after today.

  I gave a sigh of relief. The canopy of leaves thinned, allowing faint rays of sunshine to filter through and revealing the narrow road twisting through the jungle. It took me several days of searching to discover the narrow path the trucks used in the dense jungle. It was just wide enough for a truck to drive on and if you didn’t know what you were looking for, you wouldn’t even notice the tire tracks in the moist soil. I dropped my backpack next to a moss covered tree and zipped it open. Beneath my crumpled shirt I found what I was looking for. I pried the gun from my backpack; it rested cold and heavy in my hand. I could now add thief to my list of sins. Hopefully Robert wouldn’t miss the gun I took from the desk in his study. I had never used one before. The glinting black metal mocked the determination in me. How difficult could it be? Aim and pull the trigger. I could do this.

  The low rumbling of the truck reached the jungle. Wings fluttered above me as hundreds of birds took flight to escape the unknown threat. Various animals shrieked in protest to the invasion of their home. I knew how they felt – my home was invaded too by creatures from a distant planet, but for us escaping was impossible. We were trapped on earth.

  I waited until the truck was nearly next to me, appearing through the glistening foliage. Inhaling deeply, I stepped into the middle of the road, in the path of the oncoming vehicle. I kept my right hand, clasping the gun, behind my back. There was no turning back now. He had two choices – he could stop or run me over. I preferred stopping, the other option would be a lot more painful.

  He slammed the breaks, sending a spray of rocks and soil from the wheels. The truck squealed to an abrupt stop, the grill mere inches from my body. I felt like hurling. The truck door flew open and a pair of black combat boots appeared, followed by long black clad legs. A narrow waist was next, trailed by a tight fitting black t-shirt stretched over a broad muscled chest. I swallowed hard - this wasn’t what I was expecting. Should rebels not resemble scruffy looking pirates? They should be filthy or at least have decaying teeth, not look like they stepped out of a magazine cover.

  “Are you crazy?” he yelled at me as soon as he was out of the cab of the truck. “I could’ve killed you!”

  He was gorgeous and extremely angry. He ran a hand through waves of chestnut hair spilling carelessly over his forehead, glowering at me.

  My insides turned to mush. I had to get a grip on myself, really fast. I couldn’t let myself be distracted by his drool-worthy looks. He was a rebel fighter and a murderer. I jerked my hand with the gun from behind my back and aimed the barrel straight at his chest. The gun shook uncontrollably and I steadied my arm with my other hand.

  “Put your hands up!” My voice was thin and an octave higher than usual and I bit my lower lip. “Don’t try anything or I will shoot!” I stifled a groan. What a cliché! Couldn’t I think of anything more original to say?

  His gaze lingered for a moment on my trembling hands. He didn’t seem fazed at all, instead he crossed his arms over his chest and his eyes swept very slowly over me, scrutinizing every small detail of my body from head to toe. I felt naked under his intense stare and I flushed crimson.

  “What’s a little girl doing all alone in the jungle? Did nobody tell you it’s dangerous to be out here?” he asked, giving me a lazy and very sexy smile. I wasn’t fooled. His body was tensed, ready to jump me at any moment.

  “I’m not a little girl and I’m not alone. My people have you surrounded and if you make one wrong move…” What then? My brain felt like a bowl of sloppy porridge. “…and you’ll be done for.”

  Really? Was that the best threat I could come up with? I could’ve threatened him with disembowelment or severing limbs from his body with a blunt knife. His muscled body was shaking, but not with fear. He was laughing at me!

  “Put your hands up!” I repeated irritated and more determined to prove to him that he didn’t scare me.

  This wasn’t going well. In a matter of minutes I managed to look like a fool and I had my hostage laughing at me. I aimed the barrel of the gun at an innocent looking fern-like plant and pulled the trigger. The shot reverberated through the jungle and the force of it made me stumble backward. I couldn’t believe I just did that. I hoped the plant was the only thing I killed.

  He lifted his hands in mock surrender. He was still grinning and again his eyes wandered languorously over my trembling body. His eyes settled on my heated face.

  “Why would your people send a little girl to do their dirty work?” He was seriously starting to grate on my nerves.

  “I told you I’m not a little girl.” I slowly took a step closer to him, knowing full well he could disarm me in one move. “Turn around and place your hands on the truck.”

  “You can ask nicely.” I gave an exasperated sigh. He was taunting me.

  “Turn around, please. Or the next time I have to ask, I’ll shoot you.” Sarcasm dripped from my voice.

  He had another thing coming if he thought I would be distracted so easily. He had no idea who he was dealing with. He hesitated for a moment, obviously weighing his options and then swiveled toward the truck. The muscles in his broad shoulders stretched tautly underneath his shirt and I shook my head to clear it of any improper thoughts. Why on earth did I have to get the good-looking rebel? I took another step, closing the distance between us. I couldn’t see any guns but a sharp hunting knife was attached to the belt on his hip. I took it and slid a hand over his back, searching for any concealed weapons. Heat emanated through his shirt, setting the palm of my hand on fire.

  “Usually girls buy me dinner first.”

  “I’m sure you have thousands of admirers, but I’m not one of them.” I threw the knife into the thick foliage next to the road. “Turn around.”

  It was a huge mistake. He turned and my face was mere inches from his broad chest. The top of my head barely reached his shoulder. He must be well over six feet tall, towering over me and it didn’t help that I was a mere five foot two. His chest rose and fell with every breath that he took.

  The fingers of my left hand strolled over his stomach, clasping the gun firmly in my right. I secretly removed my finger from the trigger of the gun. He didn’t need to know I wasn’t planning on using the gun. I didn’t want to shoot anyone, especially him.

  I only felt the hard muscles of his stomach. Two more knives were strapped to hi
s thigh. He definitely had a thing for sharp objects. I pulled them from the straps and they joined their friend in the foliage. My hand moved down his thigh, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t find any more weapons on him. I straightened, satisfied that he was unarmed.

  Tilting my head up, I nearly choked. His eyes were the same color as melted chocolate, with small flecks of yellow, reminding me of rays of sunshine. His parents made one beautiful baby. The smile on his face disappeared, his eyes locked on mine. I couldn’t look away, no matter how hard I tried. Something intense and primal passed between us, an inexplicable connection, leaving me breathless. He suddenly reached forward and rubbed a spot on my forehead with his thumb. I jerked away as if his hand was a snake.

  “You have a little smudge on your head,” he said smugly. I felt like hitting him or kissing him. My eyes moved involuntarily to his extremely kissable lips. The unbearable heat was making me lose my mind.

  I motioned with the gun to the tree where my backpack lay. “Go to the tree and sit down with your hands behind your back.”

  He leisurely strolled to the tree and sat down on the moss covered ground, stretching his long legs in front of him. I exhaled slowly in relief. My plan didn’t include an unwilling hostage. I grabbed my backpack and sank to my knees behind him.

  “You’re from Palasium?” he asked. I stopped breathing. How did he guess I was from the city?

  “I’m from nowhere.” Technically it wasn’t a lie. I never felt like I belonged in Palasium and I wasn’t one of the rebels or a Scavenger. I belonged nowhere. I seized the two pieces of rope from my backpack and dropped the gun in the soft moss. I needed two hands to tie him up. I slid the rope around his wrists.

  “You don’t have to do this.” His voice wrapped around me like velvet and I hesitated.

  “I can ask you nicely to stay here and you will?” I gave a short laugh. He must really think I’m stupid. Given the chance, he would have my head on a stake.