Just Prey: Savannah - Book One

by McClennan, C. P.

  As they readjusted their clothing, the man’s look was simply astonishment.

  Georgia did not understand, but he was shocked by something. “What is your name?”

  His eyes narrowed for a moment as he led her back to the bathroom door. “I am Graven.” He opened the door and pulled her out into the empty hall.

  With a flash of dance floor light they were suddenly surrounded by people as though from thin-air.

  III

  February 1, 2018

  “What is the prophecy, Evan?” Genna reached over and took his hand.

  Lincoln, however, answered the question. “An off-worlder will take the throne.”

  “What throne?” Georgia asked.

  Clearing his throat, Evan began to explain, “Kettelgian Five’s leader is seen as the most powerful in the known galaxy. He is ruthless and brutal to all he believes oppose him. He is the one that has ordered the eviction of Earth. He is coming here, in fact.”

  Georgia’s eyes widened. “Here?”

  “I’ve told you of Savannah, of course?”

  Both Georgia and Genna nodded.

  “She was sent to activate what she believes to be an embedded warrior. One sent to Earth on reconnaissance in order to see if eviction was possible. The prophecy is that a child spawned by a warrior and an off-worlder will take the throne to lead the Emmis into a more peaceful future.”

  Georgia and Genna exchanged glances. Evan had spoken about Kettelgian before, but never about the prophecy.

  “This, in itself is odd as the Kettelgian are very much isolationists. The Emmis are quite a warrior race that believe theirs is the superior culture to all others.”

  Georgia was not certain if she suddenly felt more like Vicki Dubcek or Lois Lane. Then again, both of those were humans.

  With the way Georgia’s eyes shot to look at Lincoln, Evan and Genna already knew who the father was. “What is the warrior’s name?”

  “Graven.”

  Silence followed for a moment.

  “Lincoln?”

  “Yes, mommy?”

  Lincoln looked up and smiled a scoundrel’s smile. “My daddy’s name is Graven.”

  Part Eight

  Eviction

  I

  February 14, 2018...6h17 HST…Pacific Oahu Tours

  The office was quiet save for the tapping of her fingers upon the keys. After the falling body, it had been a few days before Wendy had gotten up the courage to return to her routine. Her nerves, however, kept this from feeling completely ordinary so far.

  This morning, though typically warm, had begun with rain. Wendy’s navy blue Honda Civic was being pelted in the parking lot by large slow raindrops. The palm trees, also being beaten, waved their surrender at the other end of the parking lot.

  Today would be a good writing day for Wendy. Rain would always chase away the sales staff and tourists. No one wanted boat excursions in the rain.

  “Okay, Wendy, straight on 'til morning,” she said to get her fingers moving again.

  Lightning flashed in the distance and thunder applauded. The rain picked up its intensity and began smacking against the office front windows. This storm was unexpected. No radio weather predictions had anticipated its sudden appearance.

  The belly flop, two weeks ago, had been frightening for Wendy. However, it had also given her a feeling of excitement that she had never fathomed prior. It was as though the incident had woken her up to feel alive. Her long blue denim skirt did not show the change, but her hunter-green floral blouse was tight enough to show a hint of cleavage…something she would never have considered showing at the office before.

  The wind threw waves of rain at the window harder, almost sounding like hail rattling against it. In appreciation and respect, the office lights flickered.

  Wendy saved her document. This felt more than just a regular rainstorm. The word hurricane briefly crossed her mind, but was dismissed. It had been years since Hurricane Iselle had hit the islands. Hurricanes were always a danger, but the steady flow of tourists convinced her that there was little concern. Not like this was Florida, or anything.

  Fingers hammered on with new phrases, such as “tongues searching” and “milky bosom”. Again, just in case, she saved.

  As though proving her intuition right, the lights went out...as did the computer.

  Wendy sat for a moment, hoping it would come back up quickly. She felt she was on a roll with her work on her second novel and did not want to lose any time. Enough time had been lost with her not being able to come into work for a few days after the belly flop. Much as she needed the time off, playing house-mom was not her idea of a good time. It was not like she could write a steamy sex scene with the kids clinging onto her.

  Mother Nature, however, had other ideas, as the power did not come back.

  A sigh. Her last glance at her clock had read 6:20 am, but she checked her watch anyway.

  It had stopped at 6:21 am.

  She tapped at it, hoping the mechanism may have just frozen, but it seemed not to be the case. Giving up, and knowing Jacob would demand she sit this out, she closed her eyes and remembered her weekend get away with Manuel.

  Outside, sheets of rain pounded the pavement.

  Then the warmth began to crawl between her legs. “That feels amazing,” she gasped with no idea where the pleasure was coming from. Then her skin began to dry, crease and crack. “What the fu…” Her skin felt dry and itchy first. Then her forehead began to collapse in on itself and was imitated by her chest.

  The body that had been until a few moments prior became a pile of dust trickling from the office chair onto the ground, an hourglass counting down to the end.

  II

  February 14, 2018…Chicago, Illinois

  With a flash, Graven appeared beside Savannah. “I figured I would find you here.” His blonde hair billowed out behind him.

  “Graven, we are leaving.” Savannah pushed at Gerald to get him moving again.

  “I don’t think so. We need all the humans.” He looked over at Evan briefly before his eyes fell to Lincoln. “Hello, son.” He grinned at Georgia briefly and tapped his forehead. “You didn’t die. That should have told me you weren’t human, but it took me a bit.”

  “You were never the swiftest,” Savannah interrupted, hoping to distract him.

  “Guardian? Evan, isn’t it?”

  Evan nodded.

  “Our chase was fun. Next time, I suggest that giving me a ninety-year head start is not in your best interest.”

  “Graven,” Savannah growled, “we are leaving.”

  “No, my dear Savannah. My bride-to-be, they cannot leave. I need you on my arm when I take the Kettelgian Five throne.”

  “What the fuck is Kettelgian Five?” Nigel whispered. “And why would you need her in the bathroom.”

  Sheila smacked his shoulder. “A throne is not a toilet.”

  “What? I know what a throne is.”

  Savannah stood in shock. “Bride?”

  “You are to be my bride, Savannah.” Graven grinned. “Or should I call you by Shava once again? Almost time to go home, anyway.”

  Six more flashes brought guards in black cat suit-like armor and helmets. One appeared beside Evan, one beside Genna, one beside Lincoln, and one each behind Nigel, Sheila and Gerald.

  A whine of engines from above was the first sign of a lowering shuttle.

  “Eviction has already begun, so there is no reason to resist now.” He pointed east. “See those clouds? I believe that was what you people knew as Detroit.”

  Sheila gasped and covered her mouth.

  “No fucking way, mate,” Nigel dropped his suitcase and stepped forward.

  The guard behind Nigel moved and caught up in one step. He grasped Nigel’s arm.

  Graven grinned at Nigel. “Mate, you’ve no idea. We paid a very special visit to a little-known British town called Nottingham that you might know of.”

  “FUCK YOU!” Nigel tried to rip himself away
from the guard but was unable.

  “Your mother was something.” Graven winked at him. “She was wonderful at begging.”

  A flash and both Nigel and the guard were gone.

  “Nigel!” Sheila screamed her guard stepped to her. With a flash, she was gone as well.

  The third guard took Genna and a fourth took Lincoln.

  “Sir?” one of the faceless guards asked Graven.

  Graven pulled out a pistol-like weapon, leveled it at Georgia, and fired a white beam at her.

  Georgia cried out in pain as the beam hit her right shoulder and took it into oblivion. The three-quarters of her remaining body crumpled lifeless.

  “NO!” Evan cried, crumpling to his knees beside his fallen daughter.

  “She wasn’t much of a lay anyway. Oh, and I must interrogate this one,” Graven said nodding at Evan.

  The fifth guard grabbed Evan’s arm and they flashed away.

  Graven stepped towards Savannah and Gerald. “Is this the one you have fallen for? Is this the reason you wanted to stop eviction?”

  “No,” Savannah said. “It was Nigel and you’ve already…”

  “Please, I know Nigel in the Morning. Been listening to his waste of breath show for years now. He is not the one.”

  Graven stood in front of Gerald and looked down his nose at him. “I think we will leave you two here. You, sir, will be consumed like the other humans. You, however,” he said with eyes switching to Savannah, “will be deemed a casualty.”

  “I could kill you,” Savannah growled at him.

  “Yes, you could. However, you know better.” He turned his back and nodded at the sixth guard.

  The guard stepped forward towards Gerald.

  “You said he would be staying!” Savannah protested. Her own words were enough distraction not to have time to see the guard draw a blade.

  With one quick swipe, the blade took both of Gerald’s legs from just above the knees.

  Gerald fell on stumps and cried out upon hitting the graveled rooftop and falling flat on his back.

  “Why yes, I did.” Graven laughed.

  For the first time in her time on Earth, Savannah drew her weapon. With one shot of white beam, she obliterated the guard’s head in an explosion of gore. Turning to Graven, she was just in time to see him wink before her own white beam went through the light of his flash.

  III

  The engines of Savannah’s shuttle roared overhead as it braked its descent. It was a silver bullet with two wings out either side that each held a swiveling engine. Each engine was currently firing towards the ground.

  “Roddenberry got it right,” Gerald croaked. His head was held tight against Savannah’s chest.

  “Roddenberry?” Savannah asked over the increasing volume. “He wrote Star Trek, right?”

  Gerald tried to point, but his energy waned and it became more of a wave. “The engine nacelles are away from the ship. Protect the crew from radiation, or gravitons, or anti-matter, or whatever.”

  The bullet lowered to level with the roof, turned its rear to them and a man-sized door opened.

  Crawling out from beneath him, Savannah got to her feet. With an arm under each of Gerald’s armpits, she dragged him to the ship leaving a bloody trail through the gravel. Once inside, she hit a wall button that closed the door and dampened the sounds.

  There was no roar this time, but the engines throttling up brought on a rumble.

  Savannah pulled her blouse off and tore it into shreds to bandage Gerald’s stumps. Adjusting the setting on her pistol, she fired the white beam at them.

  Gerald screamed in pain as his blood soaked bandages began to smoke.

  “That should stop the bleeding for now.”

  His breath came in grunts and heaves as he looked up at her. The bandages she had singed around his stumps quickly hardened.

  “For now, anyway.”

  The entry reminded Gerald of an old farmhouse in design where one walked into the kitchen, and everything else in the house was off that. In the case of this shuttle, the entry led straight onto the bridge, with three other doors leading elsewhere.

  Zed, or so Gerald assumed, sat at one of the control panels tapping buttons. He was large, hairless, and his skin was the same shade as snow wrapped in navy blue fabric.

  “Darwin’s Sword,” Gerald whispered.

  Her eyes looked off for a moment. “Darwin’s?”

  “Sword,” he said with some voice returning.

  “What’s that?”

  “Your ship.”

  A grin formed on her lips. “Our ship,” she corrected. She leaned in and kissed him.

  His body relaxed with the kiss.

  “You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

  “Ya think?” He laughed and coughed.

  Walking to a small counter, she tapped her fingers on it and a wall panel opened. From inside she pulled a satchel and rummaged through it. Her prize appeared to be two pills when she returned. “Take these. Hopefully they will make you feel less pain.”

  Gerald took the pills in his shaking hand.

  “You can chew them, no need to choke yourself trying to swallow.”

  The pills tasted like grape bubble gum that was too sweet for most adults.

  “Let’s get you into a chair.”

  Gerald was surprised at her strength as she easily lifted him into the bridge chair beside Zed.

  “Zed, this is Gerald.”

  “Nice to meet you, Gerald,” the responding voice was electronic and androgynous.

  Gerald’s first thought was to shake hands, until he noticed that Zed’s arms were more tentacles than arms. “You as well, Zed. You playing chauffeur then?”

  “Chauffeur? I do not understand this word.”

  “Driver,” Savannah offered. “Or pilot for passengers.”

  “Ah yes, for now I am your chauffeur.”

  “You going to teach me to fly next?” Gerald looked back up at Savannah. Pulling the built-in seat harness over each shoulder, he buckled himself in.

  “Pills work fast, don’t they?”

  “Yeah, think I’ll go for a walk.”

  She sat beside him and her hands flew across the controls. “Have you ever flown anything?”

  “My cousin’s remote controlled plane, yes.”

  She laughed. “In space?”

  “Ah, no.” He grabbed the armrests of his seat as he felt the engines ignite.

  “Well, cowboy, away we go.”

  “We’re really going to space?”

  “It is safer there, it would seem. First, though, we will need fuel.”

  “Do you know where he’ll go?” As he felt himself lifting from his seat and only held in by his harness he began to realize how quickly the vessel was rising.

  Gravity no longer held any sway.

  “I know where he will go.” She looked at the controls.

  Zed turned to Gerald and showed a plain white face with no eyes, nose, nor mouth. “I would show you what your planet looks like from space, but…”

  Gerald thought for a moment. He had many a childhood dream of his to travel into space and looking down at Earth, but he already knew why Zed hesitated. “Show me.”

  Zed tapped one button and a view screen, surprisingly similar to any seen in Star Trek, appeared on the wall in front of them.

  “She is beautiful,” he whispered. “So blue and green. So alive.” He watched flashes across the planet surface.

  Savannah closed her eyes.

  “She’s dead, isn’t she?”

  A tear escaped her eye as she looked over. “All of it.”

  “What now?”

  “We will stay in orbit for a day so things can settle, then we go back down for fuel.”

  “Where’s Graven’s ship?”

  “Long gone, no doubt. He had no reason to hang around and wait for the excavators to arrive.”

  “Excavators?”

  “They will come and take all the nutrients they can,” Zed
offered.

  “Can you track Graven?”

  Savannah shook her head. “This is just a shuttle meant to get us between two points. Other than making sure we don’t run into any debris, it has no tracking ability.”

  “Weapons?”

  A small grin tugged at Savannah’s lips. “Let’s just say I had some pull with the designers on that one.”

  He nodded. “You better teach me how to fly this,” he whispered. “I want Graven dead…the fucker.”

  “I believe we must show Mister Gerald where the trigger is, as well. Ramming this ship into Graven’s would not do us much good.”

  “Shut up, Zed,” Savannah snapped.

  Zed went to push a button, but stopped. “Shall I engage gravity?”

  IV

  February 15, 2018…Detroit, Michigan

  The sun peeked over the smoking rubble. Only hints of the city that stood the night before remained.

  Savannah stood on what was once a vertical cement wall and looked out at the waves of the Lake St. Clair crashing on the Michigan shore. The wind slapped her brunette hair out behind her and she pulled her short coat tighter around her. Her first thought was how much easier it was to see the lake without any buildings in the way. A quick glance around her as she read the large sign she stood upon.

  It was a sign that had once been hung proudly on the front of Joe Louis Arena for this city’s great hockey team.

  “Hockey,” she said with a chuckle before her second thought crashed through her mind. It was a realization…and a tear slipped down her cheek. “This was not supposed to happen,” she whispered to no one.

  The wind whistled its disapproval at the situation and lightning slapped Mother Earth in the distance.

  Turning around, Savannah climbed the stairs into her shuttle. She quickly pushed a few buttons and had it in the air.

  The rubble of Detroit sat stoic and watched the last living beings leave her surface.

  After

  Six Earth-months later…Kettelgian Five