Frowning at her daughter, Helleen said, "Cherree's wisdom is now in question. Her rash decision to kidnap Princess Peregrine will undoubtedly bring a swift end to the Resistance and crush any hope of defeating the Asiddians."
Looking at the spot where the hidden doorway led into the tunnel system, she continued, "I hate to be so pessimistic, but at this very moment I have no doubt General Harrier is tearing the very foundations out of the palace in his effort to rescue the Princess. For all I know, their disintegrator rays could melt through the wall any second."
As if in response to her words, everyone felt a minute vibration in the stone floor and a fine mist of dust drifted down on them from cracks in the ceiling. GooYee reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic case that looked like it might be filled with drill bits. Opening it, he extracted a small cube shaped device and stuck its probes into a crack in the stone wall.
When he saw the inquisitive look on Miguel's face, he said, "Miniature seismographic sensor. It'll give me some indication of how much time we have left before the Asiddians arrive."
Princess Peregrine jerked free of Miguel's grasp and slammed her fist down on the little sensor. Miguel seized her arm and got her back under control, but the damage had been done. One of the tiny metal probes on the back of the cube had broken off.
Glaring at the Princess whose hand was bleeding from the impact, GooYee said, "She broke it, but I managed to get a brief reading. The seismic disturbances are centered approximately 750 feet away from us. We don't have much time left."
Returning his attention to Helleen, Whatsit said rather than asked, "Your missing daughter's name is Chellsee?"
Clutching her chest with one hand and grabbing Whatsit's bandoleer with the other, Helleen demanded, "Tell me what you know."
Whatsit was pounded sharply on the shoulder by Cherree. Turning to look at her, he was astounded by the combination of fear and barely concealed suspicion in her eyes. The cutter ray pistol in her hand was aimed unwaveringly at his head.
"If you've hurt my sister, I'll slice your head off and ship it back to her with a note that says 'He apologizes. Love, Sis'. Understand?"
Keeping his voice calm, Whatsit replied, "I need to show you and your mother something. It's in my pocket. Just let me get it."
Barely moving her head in agreement, Cherree said, "Be very slow and deliberate. I wouldn't want to decapitate you because of an errant finger twitch."
As instructed, Whatsit dipped his hand into his inner coat pocket and pulled out his cellphone. Holding his thumb over the touch ID button, he entered the main screen and tapped the Photos icon. Staring at the display, he selected a photo and enlarged it.
Turning the display towards Helleen, Whatsit looked confidently at Cherree. Helleen's gasp was guttural, and her telepathic thoughts became chaotic.
Grabbing the cellphone from Whatsit's hand, she whispered, "Chellsee!"
"Mom? What's going on?" Cherree asked as she sidled around Whatsit. She kept the pistol trained on him, but her eyes kept wandering to the thin metallic plate her mother was holding.
After a few seconds of silence, Helleen looked up at her. "Oh, put that silly pistol away and come look at this."
Pushing Whatsit aside, Cherree sat down next to Helleen and stared at the picture. There was Chellsee holding hands with Whatsit. She was wearing a striking red dress covered in glistening sequins. Whatsit and Chellsee wore matching sombreros, and her smile glowed with delight.
Whatsit said, "Let me show you another one."
Reaching over Cherree, he touched the screen and swept his finger to the right. Another photo of Chellsee and him slid into view. Whatsit appeared to be holding the camera at arm's length. Chellsee was nuzzling him on the cheek, and the smile on Whatsit's face indicated he was enjoying the caress. There was no doubt from the way Chellsee's eyes glittered that she was happy.
Tears of joy flowed down Helleen's cheeks. Turning to Whatsit and looking him in the eyes, she asked, "Who are you?"
"I guess you could say I'm Chellsee's boyfriend," Whatsit replied.
Searching Helleen's eyes for any sign of parental rejection, Whatsit was astounded when she handed the phone back to him and said, "Tell me everything."
Suddenly a powerful vibration shook the stone chamber and clouds of dust fell on them from the ceiling. The vibrations were constant now. They didn't need a seismic sensor to know the Asiddians were almost upon them.
Becky said, "We have to move now!"
"Whatsit," Doug ordered. "You help Cherree with Helleen. I'll take charge of the General. Becky, you and Gooey work on a way to map these tunnels. Miguel, you're in charge of the Princess. Let's go!"
They left the custodial room and entered a wide hallway with an arched ceiling. Ornate wooden doors led from the hallway into rooms whose purpose was unknown. Cherree trotted down the hallway for about 150 feet to a niche lined with shelves filled with miscellaneous gaudy trinkets. Reaching into the side of one of the shelves, she pushed a hidden button and the shelves moved backward into the wall to reveal a dark passageway. Motioning everyone into the tunnel, Cherree pulled a metal lever and the bookshelves ground back into place hiding the tunnel entrance.
Their escape was none too soon. A loud explosion reverberated down the hallway they had just exited as the Asiddians blew open the stone wall in the custodial chamber. Within moments, at least twenty Asiddian commandos came spewing through the newly formed entrance like locusts; each brandishing ominous black weapons that looked like SAR-21 assault rifles. They were fully prepared for search and destroy.
Their orders must have been to shoot first and ask questions later because several of them fired at anything that even appeared to be suspicious. Deep holes appeared in the hallway walls and several pieces of furniture were blown to bits.
"Shhh," Whatsit said to Cherree and Helleen with stern determination in his eyes. "Help is on the way. My friends won't rest until they find us."
"How many Chrysallamans are coming?" Cherree asked.
"Who said anything about Chrysallamans?"
####
Thank you so much for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed Dawn of Chrysalis, Book 2 of The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. series. Humans are coming to save Whatsit and his friends. General Hisspat Zeck and the Chrysallaman Emperor will join them but not voluntarily. The Asiddians are in for a shock. Stay tuned!
As an independently published author, I count on you to spread the word about my book. So if you enjoyed The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. and Dawn of Chrysalis, please tell your friends and family. Won't you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer?
Thanks! Sam B. Miller II
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sam B. Miller II holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance, from the University of Tennessee. He has five children and lives with his wife, Susan, and their many dogs, in Northeast Tennessee. The Dawn of Chrysalis is his second novel.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Selection
Chapter 2 - Awakening
Chapter 3 - Empty Gumball Machine
Chapter 4 - Bucky
Chapter 5 - FLIT
Chapter 6 - Meeting
Chapter 7 - Alarm
Chapter 8 - FLR
Chapter 9 - Greetings
Chapter 10 - Emperor
Chapter 11 - Yuri-Milost
Chapter 12 - Recon
Chapter 13 - Encounter
Chapter 14 - Capture
Chapter 15 - Return
Chapter 16 - Treachery
Chapter 17 -Mistrust
Chapter 18 - Tangles
Chapter 19 - Underground
Chapter 20 - Resistance
.R.C.E. Book 2)
Dawn of Chrysalis (The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. Book 2) Page 26