Kiri found it kind of surprising that there were actually two warriors standing guard at the entrance they went to, and the doors were already unlocked. They let the three of them pass without asking what they were doing there.
It was kind of creepy for Kiri to walk in the mall with all the stores open and not another soul to be found inside the vast space. She’d never seen it empty before. It wasn’t hard to imagine they were the only people left on the planet. The silence was what got to her the most. Their footsteps seemed to echo in the open spaces.
She led Cax and Drace to Sears, figuring it was the best store to get what they needed. Kiri picked out the clothes, guessing at the sizes, and pointed the boys in the direction of the change rooms to try them on.
Cax was the first one to come out. “How do I look?”
Kiri ran her gaze over him. The clothes fit, and he looked more human than not. If she put a pair of sunglasses on him to hide his eyes, he’d easily pass for one.
“You look good,” she said. “Everything fits.”
“Yes.” He glanced down. “The pants are more comfortable than mine.”
Drace stepped out of the change room area. “I like these clothes. I’ll have to come back sometime and get some more.”
Kiri smiled and shook her head. “Both of you go change back to your warrior uniforms. I’ll get some bags for your new clothes. We don’t want the others to see what you’re taking out of here.”
As they returned to the change rooms, Kiri went to one of the tills to find two bags. After the guys were changed and the clothes packaged up, they headed to one other store where they were sure to find two black toque-style hats. That taken care of, they left the mall. Same as with when they had arrived, the two warriors standing guard didn’t speak to or stop them. They didn’t even bat an eye at the bags Drace and Cax carried. Maybe it wasn’t the first time Atres had gone into the mall and come out with something.
* * * *
Once it grew dark, Kiri changed into her black hunting clothes, as did Cax and Drace. She had them tuck their hair into the hats before she brought them to the bathroom to put on the camouflage face paint. They weren’t exactly pleased with the idea.
Drace picked up one of the containers and smelled it. “Is this really necessary? It stinks a bit.”
She took the container from him. “It’s oil based so when you sweat it won’t drip off. And yes, it is necessary. It helps you to blend into the shadows, and hide your features.”
Kiri had them sit on the toilet one at a time so she could apply the paint to their faces before she did her own. She grabbed her bow and quiver from under the bed in the master bedroom before they left the house by the back door.
Instead of heading to the downtown area, Kiri decided to do some patrolling of the streets around the neighborhood and a little beyond. They wouldn’t stay out all night, but long enough for Drace and Cax to see other warriors doing the same thing.
She had them follow her as she slipped from shadow to shadow, making sure to not make any sound as they passed. Given that they were warriors they were as silent as she.
The streets were relatively quiet, and they only saw a couple of patrols. Kiri still had them watch the Atres from a hiding spot. Drace and Cax would whisper about which warrior they thought would join their rebellion and which one wouldn’t.
They’d been hunting for three hours when a sound reached Kiri’s ears that spelled trouble. Still sticking to the shadows, she took off at a run. Cax and Drace easily kept up with her. Once they drew close to the disturbance, Kiri slowed her steps to take in the scene.
Four Atres warriors, three males and a female, were congregated in front of a house. They stood in a standoff position. Two of the males against the last male and the female. And they were arguing. One of the two males held the arm of a human boy who looked no older than nine or ten. Tears streamed down his face. The female tried to reach for the boy, but the male tugged him closer, which caused the kid to cry out in fear.
Kiri, Cax, and Drace inched closer, and Kiri clearly heard what they argued about. The male and female fought with the other males over the boy. The two males wanted to feed from him, while the other two told them to release the kid, that the males would be committing a taboo.
She turned her head to look at Cax to tell him they had to do something. Before she could say a word, he motioned to Drace, and they stepped out of the shadows. Kiri would have remained behind, but Cax reached back and tugged her to his side.
“What’s going on here?” Cax asked in a commanding tone as they came to stand before the small group.
The male who held the boy snarled at them. “Who are you to order me about?” He looked Cax up and down. “And why are you dressed like that? Like a human with that stuff on your face?”
Cax pulled off his hat. “I’m Cax, son of Thalar. You have no right to question me, warrior. What I’m doing is my business. I repeat, what is going on here?”
The female warrior spoke. “These two wish to feed from the boy. My partner and I are trying to stop them.”
Cax focused on the male who’d questioned him. “Let the boy go. You know it’s not our way to feed from children.”
The male didn’t back down. “That was with our old feeders. These new ones breed faster. Besides, I’m sick of only having bagged blood. Those of you higher-ups on the ships have taken pets. Why can’t we warriors on the surface have our own as well? I claim this one as mine.”
As if to prove it, the warrior picked up the boy and would have bit into his neck if the female hadn’t acted by pulling the kid out of his arms. The male growled and lunged for her, but Cax stepped between them.
Cax turned his head to look at Kiri. “Do what you said you’d do.”
Kiri knew exactly what he meant. He wanted her to shoot the male. To kill. She hesitated for a second. This wasn’t the same as before when she’d acted in defense.
The warrior growled and went to strike at Cax. Kiri drew an arrow, nocked it, pulled back on the string, and let it loose. The arrow took the male in the left side of his chest, dead center in the heart. His partner made to pull his gun. She only took seconds to nock another arrow and take him out the same as the first.
She looked at the remaining warriors. The female held the boy close with his face pressed to her stomach. She wore a look of approval. The male looked from Cax, to her, and back to Cax.
“She’s the archer,” the male said. “She’s the one who’s been shooting our warriors.”
Cax came to stand at Kiri’s side. “Yes. She only wishes to protect her people from scum like that.” He motioned to the two dead warriors.
“You agree with what she does?”
Cax grinned. “Not with her shooting any Atres she sees, but we’ve come to an understanding.” He grew serious. “Kiri is a trained warrior, just like us.” He set his gaze on the female. “I have a feeling we’re of a like mind when it comes to the humans.”
She nodded. “Yes. My partner and I have discussed it many times, about the mistreatment of the Earthlings. They aren’t like the Yaletians. They are a match for the Atres in intelligence, even though they lack our advances in technology. They should be treated as such.”
Cax nailed the male with a hard stare. “You agree with what she says?”
“Yes. If it were possible, I’d do something to change how they’re treated.”
“In that case, I can trust you both not to tell what happened here tonight to those who shouldn’t have that information. What Kiri did. We’ll take care of the bodies. And if you really want to help the Earthlings, come speak to me tomorrow. You aren’t alone in your thinking. I wish to act. Do you know where I’m staying?”
The female answered. “Yes. You can trust us, and we’ll be there tomorrow. You can count on us. We’ll take care of the boy. I think the others locked his caregiver in a room inside the house. We’ll release her.”
Kiri retrieved
her arrows from the bodies as the female and male entered the house. The female kept her arm around the boy’s shoulders as they walked. He was in good hands. And the number of rebels had increased by two.
Drace pulled his gun and fired at the two dead, turning their remains to ash. He holstered his weapon. He and Cax turned and started to walk away. After a couple of steps, Kiri caught up to them.
“Are you just going to leave the ashes there?” she asked.
“Yes,” replied Cax. “The wind will come and blow them away. They don’t deserve a proper burial.”
“Won’t the boy’s caregiver know what the ashes mean and contact someone about it?”
“No. Our new friends will explain what happened, or at least a version of it that the non-warrior female will believe. She might take our side and think they got what was coming to them.”
Kiri nodded and let the matter drop. She thought over what had happened and remembered something one of the males had said when Cax had confronted him. “What did that male mean when he said higher-ups had human pets?”
Drace answered. “It’s when an Atres chooses to feed exclusively from a feeder. In exchange, the donor lives with the Atres and is fed, clothed, and looked after by that person. With the Yaletians, that was considered an honor.”
She huffed out a breath. “I don’t think that male meant for it to be an honor.”
Cax frowned. “I think you’re right.”
“So, it’s true that the higher-ups have human pets?”
“Yes,” Cax said reluctantly.
“Do you?”
“No, of course not. I never would take a pet.”
“Neither would I,” Drace added.
“Good to know.” Kiri suddenly realized they weren’t walking in the shadows, but out in the open for anyone to see. She quickly rectified that. “Guys, you’re too exposed.”
Cax smiled and took her hand before he pulled her back onto the sidewalk. “Hunting is finished for tonight. You’ve shown us what Drace and I needed to see.”
Kiri tried to pull her hand away, but Cax didn’t release her. “It’s fine for you two to be seen out after dark, but I’m breaking curfew.”
He turned his head and looked at her. “Relax. No warrior would dare do anything while you’re with me.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Really? Your exalted presence didn’t seem to stop those other warriors back there. And I’m sure they aren’t the only ones out here right now who think that way.”
“She has point,” Drace said. “Plus, with us dressed like this and the paint on our faces, we won’t be recognized from a distance.”
This time Cax let go of her hand when Kiri tugged it away. She slipped into the shadows once more. He stared at her, and an emotion she couldn’t name flashed across his face. She looked away, not wanting to read too much in it.
Chapter 13
Four days had passed since Kiri had brought Cax and Drace out hunting. They hadn’t gone out again, but other things had happened that kept them busy. At least it kept her houseguests busy.
The male and female warrior had come the next day to see Cax as promised. They’d arrived in the early afternoon, during their time off. They patrolled the streets every night until dawn.
Kiri had sat in the living room with Cax and Drace as they’d spoken with their visitors. She hadn’t taken part in the discussion. She’d just leaned back and watched the little spark of their rebellion get fanned into a flame.
And so it began. The male and female had left with the promise of talking to other warriors they knew who would take their side. It’d worked. Warriors showed up at her house in twos or threes, sometimes singly, all wanting to talk to Cax. Kiri had had no idea there would be so many who would easily jump onto the rebellion bandwagon.
Drace returned to the living room after showing another warrior out. Once he took a seat in the armchair, Kiri spoke. She’d stayed silent during the meeting as per usual.
“I guess we can add another one to the ranks,” she said.
“Yes,” replied Cax. “And since we now have greater numbers, I think it’s time we act.”
“What do you have in mind?” Kiri turned sideways on the couch to face him. Cax sat beside her.
“I want to free the adults on the ship that is stationed in San Diego.”
Kiri flinched inside at the name of that city being spoken. Forever she’d link it to the death of her father. It was the last place he’d been when he’d been alive. His passing would always be much worse than her mother’s since she had no idea what had happened to him.
She pushed those thoughts away. “And how do you want to go about doing that?”
Cax glanced at Drace, who gave him a nod, then returned his attention to Kiri. “I have a plan, but it might not be something you like.”
When he didn’t say anything more, Kiri said, “Well, don’t leave me hanging. Tell me.”
“I want you to come with me when I go to the San Diego ship.” He paused. “As my pet.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s the only way I can explain having you with me on the ship that won’t be thought of as strange.”
“Why bring me with you?”
“I need your skills as an archer to free the adults. The cells they’re kept in, they only open with a combination of a code and a specific person’s retina scan. And that’s the captain of the ship.”
“Why are they locked away so securely?”
“For what has happened on the surface, can take place on the ships. Not all Atres can be trusted not to leave the humans alone. Some might even kill them to hide what they’ve done.”
Kiri shook her head. “It sounds as if it will be next to impossible to break them out with all those measures in place. Unless you intend to take the captain and force him to open the cells. And I still don’t see why you need me.”
“He hasn’t told you about the override in the locking mechanism he found that hardly anybody else knows about,” Drace said with a smile.
Cax grinned. “The designer didn’t know anything about arrows. There are three small openings high on the walls above the cells that have access to the light beam that keeps the locks engaged. They’re only big enough for an arrow to pass through. You shoot one into each, breaking the beam, the cell doors will automatically unlock and open. We can’t use our guns. It will only cause a reaction that would set off an explosion.”
“What happens once the humans are freed? How do we get them off the ship?”
“Troops on the surface in El Centro are allowed to return to the San Diego ship once every two weeks and remain for three days. Some of the warriors who have decided to join the rebellion are shuttle and fighter pilots. One or two shuttles can fly them to the surface.”
“And then what?” When Cax didn’t answer right away, Kiri huffed. “Cax, I don’t think you’ve thought this out thoroughly enough. What is to stop other shuttles or fighters going after them in midair? I’ve seen the weaponry they have and what they can do. And if they do manage to land on the surface, what’s to stop your people from just taking the adults back? They won’t have the skills or weapons to stop the warriors.”
Cax held her gaze. “We turn El Centro into the base camp of the rebellion. Once the adults are freed, we capture all warriors who aren’t on our side. The rest, the rebels, will have to remain on the surface to defend the city.”
Kiri stood and paced as what Cax had said raced through her mind. “How can they defend it against fighters?”
“Before we free the adults, we’ll have as many weapons as we need stored on the surface. And on the day of the escape, we’ll take what shuttles and fighters we can get our pilots into. If warriors are sent to take El Centro back, we fight them.”
She stopped pacing and faced Cax. “That will be all-out war. Will we even have the numbers to defend ourselves? And if the rebels are cut off from the ships and supplies, how will your
people feed? The blood bags won’t last forever.”
Cax stood and took hold of her upper arms. “You had to have known our rebellion would lead to war at some point. We won’t make our move until I feel we have enough weapons and warriors. As for feeding, I’m sure there will be adults who won’t mind donating. You Earthlings had blood drives to supply blood to hospitals. We can set up something like that.”
“I don’t know, Cax,” Kiri said softly. “It could take a year to get everything ready.”
“No, it won’t. Just a few weeks.”
“I don’t understand. How can that be possible?”
“My father contacted me the other day. He’s decided to use El Centro as a weapons depot. In three weeks, the mall will be filled with all the weapons we need. Even those that can shoot down ships from the surface. We’ll take control of them, and use the mall as the central hub of the rebellion.”
“I guess you did think this all through,” Kiri said with some awe. “If it all works out the way we plan, we’ll have what we’ll need to keep the rebellion going.”
“And when word gets out to the rest of the planet, I’m sure our numbers will grow even more. We’ll make this work.”
Cax pulled Kiri in for a hug. She let him as she thought of the vast undertaking they were about to embark on. She’d never thought their rebellion would take off so quickly or to that extent. She just hoped she was up to it. The wellbeing of every human on the planet could rest on their shoulders. If they failed, she didn’t have any doubt that Cax’s father would retaliate in some way, and her human race would be in his sights.
* * * *
As planned, three weeks later, weapons were delivered to the mall. The Atres leader had requested that Cax be present to oversee the unloading of the ships and the placement of the weapons. Kiri hadn’t gone with Cax and Drace on the day of the shipment. Her presence would have been more than questioned. Cax had been pleased when they’d returned home. He had a full inventory list of the armaments that they would confiscate for the rebellion and where each one was located.
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