She turned and stared into Torsten’s eyes.
Men.
Shame they were so physically superior and useful. The operation would be easier without people thinking with their dicks, like Peter.
“It’s about time.”
Torsten shrugged.
“I was in the middle of something.”
“Of course.”
Don’t take it out on him. It would be counterproductive.
She huffed stale air out of her lungs and nodded toward a chair.
“Sit down.”
He obeyed. They always did. “I know you’re friends with the Commander of North America. Peter.”
A wary lock clouded Torsten’s eyes and she smirked.
“I’ll take that expression as a yes. As his friend, I’m sure you’re aware of his... unconventional approach to the population of this world?”
“And of your previous relation, Ma’am.”
Is that supposed to be news? I’m sure most of the fleet knew.
She made a dismissive gesture.
“Yes, well, that’s beside the point.” It wasn’t. “I need to know. Can he still be trusted?”
“I don’t know what you mean, Ma’am.”
June leaned forward and stared into his eyes.
“Is his integrity compromised? Can I count on him doing the right thing?”
Why the hell hasn’t he reported in?
Torsten rose to his feet.
“With all due respect, if you want details about his life, you will have to ask him. Regarding his integrity, I’m certain it is flawless. Peter is devoted to coexistence.”
Of course he is, he’s getting laid.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to return to my duties.”
“Sit down.”
The man’s legs folded so quickly it almost made her want to laugh. Almost.
A new voice rang in the room, making them both freeze.
“Interesting.”
The one word seemed to have immense implications.
A light so bright she had to squint appeared and took the shape of a human. She could just make out two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head. She bowed, and beside her, Torsten fell to one knee.
The ship’s resident Ancient lived as energy in a meditation chamber. June saw it manifest itself fairly often, but the men weren’t used to it.
“Rise my children and worry not. Our reunion with this planet is fascinating. There is so much discord, yet love, and in such an early stage.”
I guess. I don’t know what to say.
“We are all watching this with great interest. Your hearts are true, and you should move on just like you have planned. Things will unfold as they will, and we are curious.”
Sure you are. That’s it, isn’t it? We’re just a big experiment to you.
The being turned its complete attention to June, making her feel like it watched the core of every cell in her body.
“Child, you are in pain. We will talk.”
No, that’s really not necessary.
She still bobbed her head.
“Yes, of course.”
It moved toward a very pale Torsten. June was somewhat used to the overwhelming presence of the Ancient, but men generally only experienced it once or twice in a lifetime, if that.
“You are doing a beautiful job. Return to your tasks and worry not. Go with joy in your heart. Your brothers and sisters are ready.”
*****
When the crossfire finally ceased, Peter sat up, cursing.
Bullets had grazed him, but he didn’t think he’d taken any direct hits.
“Status?”
Alain had become his informal second in command, and the young man reported after a moment’s hesitation, “One of the humans is dead. Some minor injuries on our people.”
They targeted their own. Dammit.
Erin rolled over on her back, coughing.
“You okay?”
She groaned, “Yeah, but I don’t know what’s worse; actual danger or you?”
“Good, if you’re complaining, odds are you’ll live.”
Jean asked, “What do we do with the dead?”
“Leave them for now. We’ll have to send a transport back later.”
And what fun someone will have cleaning all this up.
“Can everyone walk? We need to get out of here.”
Erin said, “You’re bleeding.”
“I’m sure I am, but that will have to wait.”
“But...”
“We don’t have time to discuss this. We have to get you out of here. Odds are someone got away and is busy fetching friends so they can kill you better.”
It was slow going through the ruins and Peter expected enemies to pop up in a window and shoot them at any moment. The houses seemed truly deserted though, and they walked until they reached an abandoned Carrefour store. Peter held up his hand and everyone behind him paused as he peeked in through the windows.
The shelves weren’t exactly well stocked, but held what they needed.
“Alright, we’re requisitioning this. Alain, Erin, you’re with me. Jean, defensive positions, we’ll only be a minute.”
The lock succumbed to the power of his weapon, melting obediently. He expected someone to sneak around inside, maybe the storeowner protecting his property against looters, but it appeared empty.
“You two, find food and water for the group, grab anything else you think we might need.”
Erin looked at him.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll be with you in a minute.”
He placed his first aid kit on a counter and clenched his jaw as he pulled the jacket off. The fabric was stuck in drying blood and he could swear parts of his skin came off with it. Something rattled a few yards away and he spun around, but it was just Erin, dropping everything in her hands, staring at him.
I’m getting too old for this. I’m seeing ghosts everywhere.
She came closer, eyes wide and round.
“You’ve been shot.”
“Naah, they’re just flesh wounds.”
“If you hadn’t...” She held her fingers an inch from his skin. “You saved my life. Again.”
“I guess it’s one of those days.”
“Sit down, we need to put some disinfectant and bandages on this.”
“That’s a great idea, but if you use the stuff in my kit instead I’ll be healed in no time.”
Even her gentle touch made him grimace.
They were soon on the move again, snacking while they walked.
“Alain...”
The young man had been leading the way. Now, he paused, waiting for Peter to catch up.
“We won’t make it to the guard post today, will we?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never walked all the way. If it was just us, probably, but we’re moving slow.”
“It’ll be dark soon. Let’s keep watch for a place to spend the night.”
“Oui, Monseigneur. Would you prefer outdoors or indoors?”
Peter laughed.
“A fine hotel with a soft bed, maybe. Outdoors is probably better. We don’t want to be stuck somewhere with no exits.”
When darkness fell, the humans began to stumble. Peter’s feet felt like they were made from lead, but he knew he could keep going. His men probably could too, but Erin and the others, not so much.
Are we even going in the right direction? Well, I guess the boys would know where their base is.
The area appeared calm enough, at least for now. He lifted his radio, but still only got static.
How did they do that? No one ever managed to sabotage their communications, not that he could remember. Some renegade electronics genius must have whipped something together. Maybe they could hire her.
“Let’s stop for the night.”
Erin glanced around.
“Shouldn’t we try to go inside, somewhere? More protected?”
“No. Outside is safer. R
ight here will do.”
Does she understand they’re still looking for her? Does she realize we’re her lifeguards now?
“But...”
He forced a smile.
“Trust me. It’s better to be in the open.”
People all around sank to the ground, relieved to be off their feet. Peter nodded to Alain and Jean. “You two are doing a fantastic job. Get some rest, I’ll take watch.”
Alain asked, “Sir?”
Do I look that bad?
He forced himself to smile. “Go on. You deserve some downtime.”
The night was cold enough to make Peter shudder. Normally the uniform would help keep him warm or cool, but it had played its part.
Don’t think about it. Don’t let it bother you.
Easier said than done considering he was both wounded and weary.
Every inch of his body ached. It felt like he’d been chewed up by a big machine and spit out barely alive. Taking watch might have been a bad idea, but if he lay down he might never be able to get up again, and he had promised Rachael to return.
Erin lay on her side not far from him, and even in the dark he could see her hugging herself, shivering. He pulled out a package from a leg pocket and folded out a paper-thin silvery sheet. Bending down over her made him want to groan, but he did anyway, tucking her in.
“Here. This will help contain your body heat. Just lie still for a couple of minutes and you’ll be warm.”
When everyone seemed as comfortable as he could muster, he forced his feet to move over towards a nearby wall. He could sit with his back to it, and it was as good a place as any to sit through the night. Getting off his feet was a relief, but now he could feel the full extent of exhaustion.
I won’t be able to keep my eyes open.
He shifted his weight enough to be able to pull out the medikit. Moments later, he was wide awake with his heart pounding like a sledgehammer.
I’m definitely getting too old for this. Oh well, at least I won’t fall asleep on my post.
The shot had another and more welcome side effect: he no longer shivered with cold.
Looking up, the sky was stark black, too cloudy to show any stars or even the moon, and looking up at it gave no comfort.
Just as well. He shouldn’t be looking up anyway. He should keep his eyes out for rebels trying to kill them.
I wonder what Rachael’s doing right now. I hope she’s okay.
If the rebellion had grown this violent here, no telling what might be happening in America. They had more troops there, but Rachael would be high on the rebellion’s target list and with him away, a strong presence might not save her.
A soft rustling shook him out of his thoughts.
“Shouldn’t you be pointing that gun on me right now?”
In the dark, Erin’s voice seemed to come out of nowhere, but her words made him smile in spite of all.
“No, I heard you coming. The thermo blankets are good, but noisy.”
“Just as well, you’ve been through too much keeping me alive to accidentally shoot me.”
Yeah, that would be ironic.
She pulled the blanket tighter around her. “I can’t sleep. Can I sit with you?”
“Sure.”
She took a seat close to him, pulled her knees up under her chin, and wrapped the sheet over them both.
“This is yours, and it’s freezing.”
He didn’t answer, had no answer, but sharing her warmth made the night seem better.
“How are you doing?”
The question caught him off guard.
“Who, me?”
“Yes, You. You’re pretty badly hurt. How are your wounds?”
Peter gave a slight shrug.
“Probably fine. It’s too dark to do anything about it anyway.”
She nudged herself a little closer.
“I never expected it to be like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m running from my own people, protected by you. You’ve saved my life twice today. I didn’t see that coming when you stepped in and claimed you wanted peace on Earth.”
“If it makes you feel better, consider it part of the job.”
“But it’s not, is it? You care about us. You care what happens to me.”
She almost sounded insulted, and her tone of voice made him want to laugh.
“I am sorry, and I’m not a space monster, or should I have said, ‘I’m sorry I’m not a space monster?’ Are all Earth women this clear-sighted?”
“Pretty much.”
They sat in silence for a few moments. As much as he strained eyes and ears, he couldn’t make out any movement around them.
“Shouldn’t you have some gadget to keep guard? Like an... alarm system? Motion detector?”
“We do, but nothing works as long as we’re cut off from the ships. I wonder how they did that.”
“Can I ask a personal question?”
As much as she talks, a whole squadron could be on top of us and I’d never know.
“You should try to get some rest.”
It sounded like a no in his own ears, but she pressed on.
“How did you meet your Rachael, and is your relation frowned upon?”
“It’s... It’s a long story. Do you have a family?”
Erin tensed.
“I did. They were in a plane when you arrived.”
Crap. I want to keep her spirits up, not break her.
“I’m sorry.”
“I used to want to hate you, all of you, but it’s hard to dislike someone catching buildings and bullets.”
“I know, I’m just so likeable.”
She giggled, just a little, and it made him feel better about himself and the night. It didn’t take long until she slept with her head resting on his arm. Peter stared into the night, but nothing moved.
We shouldn’t have come to this planet. Coming to Earth was a mistake.
*****
Rachael expected a troop of alien soldiers to knock on her door and drag her away. Surely, someone possessing such dangerous information must be regarded dangerous herself?
She also expected Ryan and Martin to ambush her, burning with rage over her treason. Many must have known about the missile of course, but blaming her would seem... reasonable.
Nothing happened, and she paced her home until the walls shrunk in on her, seeking to crush her.
It’s just claustrophobia. The rooms are the same size as they’ve always been.
Knowing wasn’t the same as feeling, and she pulled on a jacket and headed out without any specific destination in mind. The bus and her feet brought her to the place she least wanted to see, which was probably the place she needed to be the most: the grocery store.
She swallowed hard and entered, both hoping and fearing Jonas might be there.
She didn’t see him at first, and roamed around the aisles without looking at anything.
This is the place I first met Peter. Shouldn’t he be home by now? He has to be alright, he just has to.
“Ma’am,” The voice made her jump.
“Oh my God, don’t sneak up on me like that. Were you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Sorry, Ma’am.” Jonas’s eyes glittered and he clearly found her skittishness hilarious.
Rachael glanced around. It looked as if they were alone.
“Are you... Did you go? Did you find something?”
“The problem has been dealt with.”
What does that mean? Did you bomb it to pieces? Kill everyone there? Take their toys away and let them run?
The question was clearly better off staying in her head.
His radio crackled to life and he held up his index finger, motioning to her to wait. The voice on the other side spoke French. That didn’t seem fair; she recognized the language but only knew one phrase.
Jonas looked very serious all of a sudden, but the conversation was still indecipherable to her. Trouble?
&
nbsp; “Come with me.”
The command made her dig her heels into the floor. He might be one of Peter’s people, both large and armed, but that didn’t warrant automatic obedience.
Jonas’s eerie eyes were stern, and he hooked a hand around her arm.
“Come with me. I need to talk to you, but not out here.”
Worry churned in her stomach, and she swallowed hard. Maybe going with him would be the wise course of action.
“What’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer. He pulled her through the store and out the back into a large warehouse filled with nondescript boxes. Once again, he motioned to her to wait, and pulled out an instrument with a small screen.
“Okay, we’re alone out here. Have a seat.”
On what? There’s nothing here but boxes. Guess this one will do.
“We might have a problem. I don’t know yet.”
We? Does that mean you and the rest of the aliens, or you and me, or you, me, and Peter?
Ice-cold fingers grabbed her stomach, chilling her chest and making her heart race.
Panic attack, you’re close to a panic attack. Breathe. Slowly. Please don’t let it be Peter. Let it be about something I said or did, don’t let it be about Peter.
Jonas’s purple eyes held no mercy; only facts.
“We lost contact with the Ground Commander yesterday. His group is in an area with much disturbance.”
Telling herself to breathe slowly no longer worked. She hyperventilated, and the edges of the world around her darkened. A strong hand on her back pushed her forward, until she had her head between her knees.
“You okay, Ma’am?”
I guess. No, no I’m not.
The alien soldier crouched next to her, feeling for her pulse. She wanted to swat his hands away, but her own arms no longer obeyed.
His voice was kinder than before, as if he only now realized Peter wasn’t a tactical move on her part. She really cared.
“I shouldn’t have told you this. For now, assume he’s fine. We are sending in troops to search, and it might just be a problem with equipment.”
She turned her head enough to meet his gaze.
“You don’t even believe that yourself.”
He gave a slight shrug.
“It could be true, and I hope it is. He’s competent and has been in rough spots before. Let me give you something calming and have someone take you home.”
Operation Earth Page 11