There were four creatures approaching the two Humvees from the south, their bodies spreading a gracious carpet of blue light over the desert.
Spiders, he thought.
The creatures definitely resembled spiders, but with only six legs and a much higher bend in the joints. They were about seven feet tall with a stocky torso and small head sporting a bonelike mandible rimmed with black, jagged teeth. But it was their eyes that made Michael shake with fear. There were dozens of them, all different sizes, darting back and forth.
They’re hunting.
One heartbeat passed before the image sank in. By the second heartbeat, Michael’s paternal instinct took over. He looked away from the advancing creatures to the Humvee where he had left Jeff and David. The vague outline of their heads was visible through the tinted windows.
Michael felt the nervous kick of his heart for the third time as he watched the Spiders move quickly toward his boys, their high joints clicking as they scampered across the desert. The lead alien was seconds away from the Humvees—seconds away from Jeff and David.
“Nelson! Watch out!” Oakley yelled, pointing behind the trucks.
On his fourth heartbeat Michael swung his pulse rifle from around his back and leveled it at the trucks. By the time he was down the hill, the first Spider had leaped onto the first Humvee and then jumped onto the hood of the second, where Nelson stood guard. Nelson turned just as two of the alien’s claws tore into his chest. The creature lifted the man from the turret and into the air like a trophy, unleashing a high-pitched shriek through its mandibles.
The aliens’ bodies gave off just enough light for Michael to see a fountain of blood explode from Nelson’s chest.
The crack of gunfire followed, and the sound quickly drowned out Nelson’s screams.
Michael wanted to turn away, to pretend that what he was witnessing wasn’t real. But his boys were in that truck, and he’d be damned if he let the creatures do to them what they were . . . he suppressed the morbid thoughts as Oakley raced passed him.
The Spider tossed Nelson through the air and leaped from the roof of the truck into the sand. With frightening speed the alien positioned itself between the men and the trucks.
“Shit!” Michael yelled in between bursts from his rifle. He concentrated the spray on the creature’s head, but every round seemed to bounce off.
Do these things have fucking shields?
He continued firing, until he heard the click of his dry magazine. Not a single round had penetrated the alien’s invisible shield.
Not a single shot.
Connor and Oakley ran out of ammo a few moments later. The Spider tilted its head and scanned them with dozens of eyes. Michael wasn’t sure if it was studying them or if it was waiting for the other three Spiders to join it before it attacked.
Michael could see David’s face plastered against the Humvee’s window. It pained him to know that his son was about to watch him get torn to shreds. But where was Jeff?
The blue light enveloped the men as the three other Spiders flanked them from all sides, their claws dragging through the sand as they slowly approached. The lead Spider released another shriek into the night. The sound was deafening, like something out of one of the Jurassic Park remakes Michael had seen as a kid—something prehistoric.
Before Michael had a chance to reload, Connor took off running. Two of the Spiders took off after him. Oakley simply slapped another magazine in his rifle. Somehow Michael had to figure out a way to get to the truck. He glanced over at Oakley and gestured to the truck with his chin. Oakley nodded.
Jamming his last magazine into his rifle, Michael concentrated his fire on the creature separating him from his children. A wave of sand suddenly exploded from behind the tires of the Humvee where his kids were trapped. And then the truck was moving, crashing into the Spider in front of Michael, crushing the alien under its weight.
Without hesitation, Michael turned to Oakley and yelled, “Let’s go!”
The soldier was already running toward the truck, the final Spider following close behind. Michael shouldered his rifle, squinted into the scope, took a deep breath, and squeezed off several rounds at the alien. The concentrated fire was just enough to knock the Spider off balance. It stumbled over two of its legs and crashed into a sand dune.
The driver’s-side door popped open and Jeff’s head appeared. “Get in! What the heck are you guys waiting for?”
Michael peered at the boy in total shock. He considered asking him when he had learned to drive, but there was no time. He could see the Spider racing toward them through the reflection of the window.
“Let’s go, Dad!” Jeff yelled.
Michael nodded and turned to Oakley. “You drive.”
Oakley acknowledged the order by tapping Jeff on the shoulder. “Scoot over, kid.”
Seconds later the truck raced away from the remaining Spider.
Michael slouched down in the backseat and hugged David. He was shaking. Glancing up at him David said, “Dad, I thought you said aliens weren’t real. I thought you said monsters were just something people made up to make children be good.”
Michael opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t form. He had no response. Humans had always been at the top of the food chain. But in less than twenty-four hours they had dramatically fallen. At the top was a new species. An alien species. And based on what Michael had already seen, he had the sinking suspicion they were going to be at the top for a long time.
CHAPTER 9
MICHAEL had no idea where they were heading and was in too much pain to ask Oakley. The soldier had performed surprisingly well back at the spaceport and Michael trusted the man to get them somewhere safe.
Safe.
Michael closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in anger. Safety was an idea he had taken for granted since he’d returned from Northern Africa. He should have known better the moment those black NTC trucks showed up at the base.
He grimaced as the truck rolled over another bump. The slightest movement infuriated his burns, sending sharp waves of pain throughout his body.
In the front seat, Jeff leaned over to Oakley and asked, “What were those things?”
“Aliens, kid. Those were aliens,” replied Oakley. “But don’t worry. We’re getting out of here. Back to the city. I’m sure every available soldier within a thousand-mile radius is locked and loaded, ready to send those things back to outer space.”
Michael coughed. “What if this isn’t just local? What if this is worldwide?”
Oakley shrugged as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. “Not a chance, man. All I know is that I’m getting as far away from this base as I can. I have a wife and kids to think about. I’m not going to die trying to fight those things.”
“But what if the city is filled with . . .” Jeff began to say.
“It’s a chance I’m willing to take,” Oakley replied.
Michael closed his eyes, trying to compartmentalize the pain. If he could do that then maybe he could hold on just a bit longer.
“Listen, man. We saw the ships. There were hundreds of them. Not just the ones that landed at the port. They spread out in all different directions, which means this isn’t just happening here. This is an invasion!” Michael said with some effort.
David looked up at him. “Dad, are you okay?”
He nodded and continued. “We need to get to the tunnels. We need to hide until the military mounts a response. We’re sitting ducks on the road.” Michael had trusted that Oakley knew what he was doing, but trying to make it to the city? That was insanity.
The truck eased to a stop and Oakley turned to face the backseat. “You’re hurt, Michael. Hurt badly. You need a doctor. If we go back to the tunnels you could die.”
“We could all die if we try to make it to the city. Think about it, Oakley! If all communications have been cut off and modern electronics don’t work . . .” Michael closed his eyes as he broke out into another coughing fit. He wiped his m
outh with his wrist, hiding the bloodstains by tucking his sleeve against his shirt.
“I know you have a family. And I have one too. I don’t expect you to come with us, but please, at least drop us off at one of the tunnel entrances. There are more located off base.”
Oakley remained still. After a few seconds he made the slightest of nods and turned to Jeff. “You saved my life, kid. I suppose I owe you guys one. I’ll take you to the closest tunnel entrance. Then I’m out of here. Deal?”
Michael forced a smile. “Thank you.”
The squeal from the tires was the last thing Michael heard before he passed out.
* * *
Jeff kept his eyes glued to the windshield. Every few minutes, the faint light of the moon would break through the cloud cover and give him an opportunity to scan the desert.
Nothing moved. There was no sign of the monsters.
He shifted in his seat to take a look in the back. His dad was slumped against the window. David was asleep on his chest, his head moving up and down with each of his father’s breaths. They both looked peaceful, but Jeff knew his dad was in desperate need of medical attention. Loose pieces of flesh still hung off his leg. Jeff used to think the mechanical leg was cool, but now it reminded him his dad wasn’t really a superhero like Ironman, it reminded him that his dad was just like the rest of them. That he could die just like everyone else. Like Paula. And like . . . Mom.
“How long until we get there?” Jeff asked, turning back to Oakley.
Oakley shrugged. “Probably another ten or fifteen minutes. I’m taking you guys to an abandoned outpost that I used to be stationed at. There’s an entrance to the tunnels there. My guess is it’ll be free of aliens.”
Jeff stared ahead. Another flash of moonlight illuminated something on the side of the road. He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on the object.
“What is that?”
“Just a car,” replied Oakley.
As they got closer, Jeff could see it wasn’t just a car. In the middle of the road there were two glowing spheres floating just to the right of a white sedan.
“What on . . .” Oakley eased off the pedal and pulled the truck to a stop a couple hundred feet away from the orbs. “Must be what we saw earlier.”
“I don’t like this,” Oakley said. “We don’t know what those things are.”
“Can you get us closer?”
Oakley didn’t reply. After a few minutes of silence, the soldier slowly pushed down on the pedal and steered the truck forward.
Jeff could see the orbs were floating a good foot or two off the ground. But he couldn’t see what was inside; his vision was limited by the dark unlike Oakley who wore a helmet.
“Do you see anything else with your night vision?” Jeff asked.
Oakley checked their rear and scanned the other side of the road before shaking his head. “Looks clear. No sign of the aliens. Let me switch to infrared.”
Jeff slouched in his seat. He suddenly felt frightened.
“Oh my god,” Oakley said. “Those spheres have a heat source. Either they’re alive or there’s something inside that’s alive.”
Jeff crossed his arms to hide the goose bumps on his skin. “Maybe you should get us out of here,” he whispered.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Oakley replied. He twisted the steering wheel and pulled the truck up onto the curb to give the orbs a wide berth.
The sound of crunching concrete stirred David awake in the backseat. He pulled away from his dad and rubbed his puffy eyes. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Jeff turned to silence him when the moonlight broke through the cloud cover. The brilliant light carpeted the road and the mysterious spheres. It was then Jeff saw it.
“Wait,” he whispered, grabbing Oakley’s armored arm. “I saw something move inside.”
“What’s your point, kid?”
“Don’t you want to know what it is?”
Oakley quickly shook his head. “I really don’t. I want to get the hell out of here.”
Jeff loosened his grip on the man’s arm. “Fine.” He spun in his seat and plastered his face against the window just in time to see a tremor ripple through the closest orb. The ball shook violently and split down the middle, releasing a trail of blue goo on the pavement.
Oakley saw it too and eased off the gas to get a better look. “My god,” he said as the truck rolled to a stop. “This can’t be happening.”
The two of them sat there in silence, watching the orb slowly crack open.
“What’s going on?” David asked.
“Nothing. Close your eyes, kid,” Oakley whispered, grabbing the steering wheel and slowly pushing back down on the pedal.
“Wait,” Jeff blurted.
Several thin fingers stuck out of the small opening. A frail human body broke through and splashed onto the pavement moments later. It tried to move, crawling through the blue goo.
“We have to help them,” Jeff cried.
Oakley hesitated and then nodded. He pulled the truck back onto the road and drove toward the body.
As they got closer, Jeff could see the person was hardly human. It looked like it had once been a woman; long hair still clung to her head. But her skin was shriveled and even from a distance Jeff could see the bright blue veins tattooing her mostly naked body.
The woman didn’t seem to notice their tires come to a stop inches from her reach. From the passenger window, Jeff could see that her eyes had shrunk inside their sockets. She attempted to crawl, placing her wet hands on the pavement and slowly pushing forward. The skin on her forearms peeled off like a snake shedding skin as she dragged her arms across the cement. But she didn’t cry out. It was as if she didn’t even notice.
Jeff turned away. He couldn’t watch any longer. “What’s wrong with her?”
Oakley didn’t reply. He simply opened his door, unsheathed his pistol, and fired off two rounds into the woman’s skull. Then he turned to the other orb and fired off the rest of the magazine. Blue mist exploded out of the sphere as the bullets penetrated its skin.
Jeff flinched at every shot. When Oakley climbed back into the car, he gripped the steering wheel and slammed the gas without looking back.
“What was that?” David asked from the backseat.
“Just a nightmare kid. Just a nightmare,” Oakley replied. Jeff watched the glow of the orbs fade in the rearview mirror.
* * *
Oakley’s voice, loud and gruff, cut through Michael’s dreams. “We’re almost there.”
Michael struggled to open his eyes. Over the past hour a deep fog had settled in his head, paralyzing his thoughts. The world sounded so distant. He blinked and leaned over to the window. Oakley had parked a quarter mile away so he could scout out the area before dropping them off. The moon cast an eerie blanket of light over the abandoned outpost. His vision was still cloudy, but Michael didn’t see any sign of the creatures.
A gust of wind startled Michael out of the daze as it sprayed the window with sand particles. He shook his head, narrowed his eyes, and focused on the building.
A single door aged with rust waited for them.
Oakley broke the silence again. “Looks safe. I haven’t seen any sign of the aliens.” He glanced at Michael in the rear mirror. “The tunnels snake for miles under the desert. And if I remember correctly, the military used to keep a shit ton of food and other supplies down there. You might get lucky and find some better medical—”
A loud blast cut Oakley off midsentence. He looked out the window, scanning the sky for the source of the noise.
On the horizon a trail of blue light raced through the night sky, and reminded Michael of a comet he had once seen. But this, he knew, was no comet. This was one of theirs.
He was suddenly very alert, his trance vanishing at the sight of the alien ship.
“What is it?” Jeff asked.
Oakley kicked the pedal into the floor and sent a wall of sand raining down behind them. “No
t sticking around to find out.”
Michael grabbed the handle above him and tried to lean forward. The skin on his back was so raw he could hardly bear resting against the seat.
You’re boys are almost safe. You’re almost there. Just hold on a little longer, Michael reassured himself.
Under normal circumstances a quarter mile was a short distance, but the alien ship was bearing down on them, fast. Michael’s eyes darted from the building back up to the craft.
“Hold on,” Oakley shouted. He slammed on the brakes and spun the wheel, sending the Humvee sliding through the sand. The truck finally came to a sideways stop just in front of the building. Michael could feel the vehicle tip slightly to its side before the tires settled into the sand.
Seconds later, the truck was consumed by a bright blue light, and the truck began to shake violently.
Oakley took his hands off the wheel as the engine rattled to a stop.
“It’s killed the power!” he yelled. “The son of a bitch fucked up my ride home!”
Before Michael could protest, Oakley opened the car door and pointed his rifle at the ship. He fired off a few rounds that bounced harmlessly off the sides of the alien craft.
“Don’t!” Michael screamed.
“Come on you piece of shit!” Oakley cried. The muzzle from his pulse rifle spat an endless stream of pulse rounds.
Michael watched in horror as the ship shifted its beam from the vehicle to Oakley. The ray consumed the soldier and lifted his limp body into the air. In seconds, a hole in the alien ship had opened and pulled Oakley inside. Then the ship zipped away, another blast rattling the Humvee.
Jeff and David sat frozen in their seats. Michael wanted to reassure them, to tell them it was going to be okay, but he wasn’t sure of that anymore. And even with adrenaline flowing through his veins, the fog from before was already beginning to take over. He had to get the kids to safety. He had to get them to the tunnels.
Grabbing the door handle, he stumbled out into the sand. “Come on guys,” he said, motioning the boys outside. David remained curled up in the corner of the truck.
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