Europa Collective 1 - Collective Flight

by Aaron Hubble

  Turning away from the idyllic scene, he padded out of the bedroom and down the hallway. Sadly, he knew where Luana was and why she was there.

  He stopped in the doorway that led into the small room Galila and Safiya shared. Leaning against the doorframe, Malone crossed his arms over his chest and watched Luana lean forward and brush the hair off Safiya’s forehead as the little girl’s chest slowly rose and fell with the peaceful rhythm of deep sleep.

  Luana kissed her and then stood up. He watched her swipe tears away before she picked up the backpack at her feet and turned for the door. She didn’t see him at first, and then she pulled up short, her eyes growing wide when she saw him leaning against the wall.

  “Some super spy you are,” he whispered.

  She smiled. It was the smile that made him fall in love with her. It was the smile he’d almost lost. Painfully, he remembered it was the smile he was now letting walk away. She had to pay the devil back. This time he knew what he’d be missing.

  Luana fell into Malone’s arms and her head rested against his shoulder. They stood that way for several long moments, savoring what he didn’t want to acknowledge could be the last time they’d ever have a moment like this.

  “I wasn’t a spy just then. I was a mother who’s going to miss her children.”

  “And a wife who thought she could sneak away,” Malone said.

  “This is hard enough as it is. We just pulled our family back together again.”

  Malone took her hand and led her out into the little hallway. Reaching behind her, he pulled the door shut and led Luana out of the little cottage and onto the front porch. They leaned against the rough timber railing, hand in hand and looked into each other’s eyes. The cool ocean breeze ruffled her short hair. Dark roots were now showing under her white locks. Malone watched tears fill her eyes. If he ever doubted this woman, who she was, what she felt, it was all answered in that moment.

  “This has been really nice,” Luana said. “You, me, the girls.”

  He reached up and brushed a tear off her face. “It’s something I could get used to.”

  She smiled and turned to look out over the waves. He watched the smile disappear. A deep look of sadness replaced it. Malone understood it. He felt it as deeply as she did.

  “Malone,” she paused and again looked out over the waves lapping against the shore. “There are things you need to know. If I don’t come back—”

  “That’s not an option,” Malone interrupted. “You just have a job to do and then you’re coming back. That’s all. The girls and I will stay here in Abram’s cabin until I can figure out a place to set up a new business, someplace far from the EC. That’s all.”

  She shook her head and looked down at the floor. He didn’t want to acknowledge there was something else that could happen. He didn’t want her to tell him the truth about what she was stepping into or the fact that coming back was no foregone conclusion.

  “No. You need to hear this from me.” She cupped Malone’s cheek in her hand and looked up at him. “What I’m doing, it’s more dangerous than anything I’ve ever done before. Deep Luna wants me to go undercover again. This time inside the Europa Collective. It’s the price I agreed to for their help. They think something big is going on and they feel it’s close. If I don’t do this, the company will never let me go. They know I’m alive and if we ran, they wouldn’t rest until they found me and forced me to do what they want. This way, it’s me deciding to do it. When it’s done, assuming I make it out alive, I can walk away and we can have a life without looking over our shoulder ever again.”

  Her hands fell away from his face and Malone could still feel their warm imprint. He reached out for them and clung to her like a man drowning.

  “But if I don’t make it back, I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I thought the truth would be too terrible to face, that you’d turn around and walk out on me. I didn’t think I could have borne it. Now that I have you back, I realize how foolish I’d been.”

  “I was the fool,” Malone said. “I was the fool who pushed you away.”

  She nodded and leaned her head against his chest. “We both made mistakes. Promise me you’ll take good care of the girls. Tell them that I love them and that I’ll be praying for them every minute of every day.”

  “You tell them when you come back.”

  She nodded and was silent. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, letting the soft breeze move over them. If he tried hard enough, he might convince himself that they were the only ones in the galaxy and this time would never end.

  In the distance he heard the high pitched whine of braking thrusters. They both watched the lights of a Deep Luna ship.

  “No,” Malone said, desperation in his voice. “Let’s go. Right now. All four of us. We can do it. They’ll never find us.”

  She gave a sad smile and pressed a finger against his lips. “They will. They’ll never stop. I know too much and this is too big. Bigger than most people know.” She wrapped her arms around him as the shuttle touched down on the field of beach grass.

  Malone clung to her. They kissed and then she pushed away from him. He felt like a part of him was being cut off, and he was powerless to stop the pain. He feared the months of loneliness. He’d just gotten her back. Just started down the path of renewal. Now she was leaving.

  “I love you too,” Luana said. “Keep the girls safe. I’ll be back soon.”

  She picked up her bag. Without another look, she turned and walked off the porch, her dark figure outlined by the silver moon. She disappeared into the darkness. Several moments later, the whine of engines and the ascent of flight lights told Malone she was gone.

  Gone, for now. Neither of them knew how long it was going to be or what would transpire in between, but what they did know was there was no force in the galaxy that would ever keep them apart again. Of that he was finally sure.

  The End

  The Adventure Will Continue With:

  Europa Collective 2 - Collective Fear

  End of the Book Stuff

  Was it just me, or was that a lot of fun?

  Man, I’ve had that idea in my head for a long time and I finally decided to pull the trigger and get it done. The idea for the book sprung from a simple question that popped into my mind: what would I do if my daughters were kidnapped? The answer is pretty simple.

  Anything. Anything to get them back.

  That led to this story which I wanted to be fast paced and full of action and tension.

  So, Ely Ekene. I want to tell you a little about him. Originally, he was going to be a bad guy with a heart who actually was sympathetic to the girls. Not only that, but he was going to appear throughout the rest of the series.

  Then my editor said he just didn’t work and I saw what she meant. That’s when Ely Ekene, the disgusting human being was born. He was very hard to write because every time he walked onto the stage, I wanted to punch him in the throat and shove him out of the airlock.

  But I will always be grateful to Ely Ekene because he showed me I could write a character that’s the complete opposite of me. Like you, I have moral codes and a faith that tells gives me guardrails and keeps me free. They tell me the best way to act and live. Ekene had none of those and not imposing my beliefs on my character and letting him be himself was hard.

  Okay, I’ll admit it. It was also fun. He was terrible and disgusting. My gut churned every time I saw him, but he was necessary and added that extra bit of danger to Galila and Safiya’s situation.

  Alright, enough prattling on.

  My deepest thanks to you for taking the time to read this book. If you get a chance, write a short review on Amazon or Goodreads. I would be eternally grateful.

  My thanks to my wife, Tracie for being my first and best reader. Also to Harlow Fallon who has become invaluable as a proofreader and friend, and to Andrea Luhman who always seems to have time to read one more book.

  If you would like a little more backsto
ry about Abram Ginnis you can sign up to join the Three Minutes to Neptune Crew (my website newsletter) and get Abram’s short story, Testator Run for free. Being a part of the crew is the best way to stay informed about everything that is happening in the Aaron Hubble writing universe. Not only that, but you’ll learn about other authors and books that you might enjoy and be eligible for free stuff every now and again.

  Thanks so much for reading. You have my enduring thanks. Live long and prosper my friends.

  Aaron

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  Aaron Hubble lives in Central Michigan with his wife Tracie and their two daughters. By day, Aaron is a woodworker turning big pieces of wood into smaller pieces of wood. All other times, he likes to let his mind roam the wide open spaces of the galaxy and write down the stories he sees in his head. His wife tries to make sense of what he writes while educating their children and keeping her husband in line. Learn more at: http://www.aaronhubble.com