A.L.I.V.E. (The A.L.I.V.E.Series Book 1)

by R. D. Brady

  Alvie pointed to a spot farther down the track, away from where they needed to go. It was a series of crates.

  “Works for me,” Chris said. He popped his head out and gunfire forced him back. “Small problem.”

  “What?”

  “They’re already here.”

  Chapter One Hundred Thirteen

  Maeve looked at the four aliens in her charge in desperation. This couldn’t be it. They couldn’t die here so close to freedom, not after everything. She glanced around wildly.

  There has to be something.

  Her eyes lit on the fuel depot. She whirled back to Chris. “You have any grenades left?”

  “One. Why?”

  She nudged her chin in the direction of the gunmen. “How far away are they?”

  “Maybe fifty feet?”

  “How long until they’re in range of the fuel depot?”

  Chris grinned, pulling the last grenade from his belt. “Any second. Get ready.”

  Maeve turned to Alvie. “Give us Pop and Crackle. We need to run.”

  Pop leapt into her arms as Crackle climbed onto Chris’s back. She hugged Pop quickly, running a hand over Crackle’s back. “Hold on tight, guys. You ready, Alvie?”

  Alvie nodded, Snap in his arms.

  Chris ducked his head out and yanked it back in. “Here we go.” He nodded at Maeve, then pulled the pin. She crouched, ready to go. Chris stood up and flung the grenade for all he was worth. And his aim proved true.

  The blast shook the tunnel. Maeve sprinted for the crates, Alvie next to her and Chris right behind. Gunfire erupted when they were only ten feet away from the crates, but the gunmen were too far back to reach them. Maeve ducked around the crates, sliding to the ground.

  Alvie rolled in next to her and Chris, the least elegant, crashed to the ground, careful to keep from crushing Crackle. He looked up at her with a grin. “Well, so far so good.”

  Maeve laughed despite the fear racing through her. “Only you would think that. Okay, what’s next?”

  Chris peeked out and pulled back in. “Most of their guys are down, but there are three still standing holding their position.”

  Maeve glanced back the way they came. “Do we go back?”

  Chris squinted. “I don’t— Oh shit.”

  Maeve looked back down the tunnel. Two lights were growing brighter with each passing breath. And the two lights could only be one thing—a car.

  She looked at Chris. He stared into her eyes and slowly shook his head. And she heard the words as if he had said them out loud.

  We’re trapped.

  Chapter One Hundred Fourteen

  Chris tried not to let Maeve see how the sight of those headlights terrified him. But that terror wasn’t for him—it was for Maeve, Alvie, the triplets. None of them deserved this. Chris had signed up to be a soldier. He had signed up for the risks. Maeve had only been trying to give Alvie the best life possible. And the triplets and Alvie hadn’t had any choice at all: the government had brought them into existence. And now they were planning on snuffing them out without anyone being the wiser.

  A steely calm settled over Chris. He turned to Maeve. “How much ammunition do you have left?”

  She released the magazine and then slammed it back in. “I’ve got one magazine left and ten in this clip.”

  He nodded. “Okay. I have about the same. So make sure every shot counts. Every shot should be a kill shot.”

  Maeve grabbed his arm. “Chris?”

  “Every shot, Maeve. They don’t get to take us or them without one hell of a fight, got it?”

  She nodded, determination replacing the fear in her eyes. “Got it.”

  “I’ll take the incoming truck; you keep our other new friends busy.”

  She nodded, taking position on the other side of the crate. She took a deep breath. And Chris wanted nothing more than to tell her it would be okay. To tell her that she was brave and incredible and that she was the most amazing woman he had ever met. But this wasn’t a romance novel. This was real life. And if they had any chance of making it, he needed them both to keep their head in the game.

  Chris looked down at Alvie. “I’m glad I got to know you, Alvie. You deserved better than this.”

  Alvie reached up and touched Chris’s cheek. A feeling of love wafted over Chris, making him gasp. Gently, he removed Alvie’s hand. “Thank you.”

  Then he turned, more resolved than ever to give each of them a shot at making it out alive.

  Chapter One Hundred Fifteen

  Maeve waited, alternating between complete terror and overwhelming anger that this was happening. She heard the squeal of brakes down the tunnel and tensed.

  She glanced at Chris and he nodded at her with a smile. “You’ve got this.”

  She stared into his eyes, knowing it was probably going to be the last time she ever did so, and forced herself to turn away, bracing the gun with one arm as she aimed down the tunnel.

  Behind her, Chris pulled the trigger. And it was like everything slowed down and sped up at the same time. Bullet after bullet slammed into the crates covering them, a few chewed up the ground near Maeve, forcing her back. But she kept shooting. She hit one man in the chest and forced another to take cover. The third man ran for their truck and Maeve got him in the thigh before shooting him in the chest.

  And she felt no guilt.

  Then six more men appeared from the tunnel behind them.

  No, Maeve moaned inwardly even while she ejected her empty magazine and popped in a fresh one.

  Chris let out a yell. Maeve whirled around and saw the blood pooling at Chris’s side. She scrambled over to him, pulling him back behind the crate. She stepped over him and aimed for the gunman closest. She caught him in the shoulder.

  But there were five more men behind him.

  And seven on the other side.

  The impossibility of their situation threatened to choke her, but she shoved it aside. She heard gunfire behind her, but she could only focus on one side at a time. She just aimed for man after man until her weapon was empty.

  Then she ducked back behind the crate. “I’m out.”

  Chris grabbed her hand. “You did great.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “You too.”

  The gunfire continued to blast beyond them, but Maeve ignored it. She just stared into Chris’s eyes and waited for the bullet that had her name on it.

  And then everything went quiet, and Maeve realized that of all the bullets that had been spent in the last few seconds, none had hit their crate.

  Crazy, irrational hope bloomed in her chest.

  A voice boomed down the tunnel. “Dr. Leander? Captain Garrigan? I’m Agent Bileris with the Secret Service. It’s all right now. President O’Donnell sent me on behalf of Commander John Forrester.”

  Maeve’s gaze flew to Chris, whose shocked look mirrored her own. And then she smiled and so did Chris. Alvie leapt into her arms and Snap, Crackle, and Pop crawled all over them. Maeve began to laugh until tears ran down her cheeks and she sobbed.

  Chapter One Hundred Sixteen

  Maeve sat with Snap and Pop in her lap in the office of a hangar on Edwards Air Force Base. Alvie sat next to her with Crackle. Chris had been whisked off to the hospital ward. A group of men in black fatigues who had identified themselves as US Secret Service had escorted them from the tunnels to the hangar. Maeve, Alvie, and the triplets had been placed in the office. A medical doctor had come in to see if they needed any help, the woman’s eyes growing large at the sight of the aliens. But she’d kept her cool and just asked after injuries.

  Maeve had asked for some food and blankets. The doctor had left, promising she’d have them delivered. Fifteen minutes later, they had arrived, delivered by the Secret Service. And now they’d been sitting here for almost two hours. No one had come to speak with them. Maeve thought she should probably get up and demand some answers. But she honestly wasn’t sure if she wanted them.

  Alvie leaned his he
ad on Maeve’s shoulder. Maeve leaned her head on top of his. She could feel his exhaustion. The triplets were already asleep, their soft breathing the only noise in the room. “Go ahead and sleep. It’s okay.”

  She wasn’t sure if it was, but Alvie closed his eyes, leaving Maeve awake to worry about what happened next. A kill order had been put out on Alvie and the triplets, and now they were being held by the government. That could not possibly end well.

  She knew she should stay vigilant, but everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours was catching up with her, and quickly. Before she knew it, her eyelids were closing. She blinked them open a few times, trying to stay awake. But then she gave up the fight. Whatever was going to happen, would happen. Better if she was a little more rested to face it. So she let herself drift off to sleep.

  “Um, Dr. Leander?”

  The voice cut through Maeve’s sleep and she jolted up, disturbing everyone in the process, though Snap and Pop just readjusted in her lap and fell back asleep. Crackle did the same on Alvie’s chest, although Alvie stayed awake, carefully watching the agent who’d woken them.

  Agent Bileris from the tunnels looked at her from across the room. He was about Maeve’s age, with brown hair and blue eyes. He would have been handsome if he smiled. But Maeve had yet to see that expression on the serious agent’s face.

  “Sorry to disturb you, ma’am, but there’s someone who wants to speak with you.”

  Maeve looked around the room, wondering why he was even asking. “Uh, okay, I guess show them in.”

  Agent Bileris shook his head. “I’m afraid for security reasons, I can’t do that. I’ll need to bring you, and only you, to him.”

  Maeve shook her head. “Absolutely not. I am not leaving them.”

  Bileris gave her a small smile. “I was told you would say that.”

  “And who told you that?”

  “Captain Garrigan.”

  Maeve’s chest tightened. She hadn’t received any word on him since he’d been taken away in the ambulance. “Is he all right?”

  “A few stitches, some rest, and he’ll be fine. He suggested there may be two people who you would find acceptable to watch them.” Bileris reached back and opened the door.

  And Greg and Leslie stepped into view.

  Maeve gasped, getting to her feet and practically running across the room. “You’re alive.” Holding the two sleeping aliens with one arm, she wrapped the other around Greg.

  Greg hugged her back, careful not to disturb Snap and Pop. “Of course I am. I had the badassiest soldier in the entire military protecting me.”

  Maeve looked over at Leslie, who smiled down at Snap and Pop. “How are they? How are you?”

  “We’re okay, I think. You heard about Chris?”

  “Yeah, we saw him before we came here. He’s fit to be tied. He keeps trying to sneak out of his hospital room and get back here.”

  Maeve laughed, relief flowing through her. “How did you guys survive? Did you get off the base before the bomb?”

  Greg shook his head. “Oh, no. We were there for that.”

  “Alvie saved us.” Leslie looked down at Alvie with an expression Maeve hadn’t seen on her face before—pride. “He sent us to a plane that could withstand the radiation.”

  “There is such a thing?” Maeve asked.

  “So it seems.” Greg reached out his hand to Pop. “Hey, this guy’s awake. Hey, little man.”

  Pop looked up at him and touched his cheek. Greg went still then smiled. “Nice job, buddy. That’s your first thought transfer.”

  “What did he show you?”

  “All of us,” Greg said as Pop climbed out of Maeve’s arm and into Greg’s.

  Bileris cleared his throat, watching them and trying really hard not to look shocked. “Dr. Leander? We need to go.”

  “Uh, right. Can you two watch these guys? I’m needed to meet with some unknown person,” Maeve said.

  Leslie nodded. “We’ve got them.”

  Maeve looked into her eyes. “No one takes them anywhere without me.”

  “Maeve, I promise, I won’t let anyone take them.” Maeve watched her for a moment and then nodded, handing her Snap. And for the first time, she saw the tough soldier soften as she cuddled Snap to her chest. “Hey there, little one,” Leslie murmured.

  Maeve hid her smile as she turned to Alvie, kneeling down so she could look into his eyes. “I have to go speak with someone. I’ll be right back.” She hugged him and felt his concern.

  But she didn’t say anything to ease his concern because it would be a wasted effort. And she had the distinct impression denying the agent’s request was not an option. So she kissed Alvie on the forehead and then turned, catching Bileris’s amazed expression as he watched the two of them.

  But he quickly snapped his focus back to the mission, opening the door for her. “After you.”

  Taking a deep breath, Maeve stepped out into the large hangar on Edwards Air Force Base. When Bileris and his team had caught up with them in the tunnels, he explained that John had contacted the Secretary of the Air Force, who in turn had contacted the President. The President had then sent Bileris’s team down to extract Maeve and any other Area 51 employees. They were too late to stop the bombing, but they had seen Maeve escape through the tunnels and had hurried to help.

  From that point on, everything was a bit of a blur. They’d been hustled into a truck, then an elevator, another truck, and then they’d been driven into this hangar and hidden away in the office. Now, Maeve realized there were a dozen armed guards in the hangar, and her trepidation increased. She stopped walking.

  “Why are these guards here?”

  “To keep you and your friends safe.”

  “And when you drive me out of here, they’re not going to go in and grab Alvie or the triplets?”

  “No, ma’am. You have my word.”

  Maeve crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, see, you work for the government, and that same government just tried to kill all of us.”

  “That was not the government I work for. The government I work for protects its people.”

  “And if that other government shows up here?”

  Bileris smiled. “Then my government will make them regret it.”

  Maeve stared into the man’s face and then nodded. “Okay.”

  Agent Bileris led her to a Jeep. Maeve hopped in the passenger seat as Bileris climbed into the driver’s seat.

  “Can you give me a hint as to who I’m meeting?”

  “I’m afraid not. And all contents of this meeting are top secret. No one can know you spoke with him.”

  Maeve felt her jaw drop open. It can’t be. Bileris drove them to the other side of the base, pulling in front of a terminal. She glanced out at the runway and saw a large 737 waiting on the runway, the United States seal emblazoned across it.

  She began to feel light-headed as Bileris led her inside. It was the waiting area for both pilots and passengers. Rows of chairs, a few TV screens, and two counters were spread across the room. But besides those pieces, the room was empty save for two men in suits standing on either side of a door across from them.

  Bileris headed toward the men. They nodded at him and opened the door.

  “Good luck, Dr. Leander,” Bileris said before gesturing for her to enter. Maeve stepped inside, and the two men in suits inspected her. But Maeve ignored them, her focus entirely on the dark-skinned man who turned away from the window with a smile. He walked over to her, extending his hand. “Dr. Leander. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “You too, Mr. President.”

  Chapter One Hundred Seventeen

  President Graham Wilson gestured to a table and chairs a few feet away. “Why don’t we sit?”

  “Uh, sure.” Maeve took a seat. There was a tray of food and some water bottles on the table over by the window.

  “Would you like anything?” he asked.

  “I wouldn’t say no to a cup of coffee.” />
  He smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening. “Me either.” He nodded to one of the agents, who poured two cups and brought them over, along with the pot, sugar, and milk. He placed the tray in front of them and went back to his post.

  Maeve focused on pouring in some milk and sugar while trying to calm her mind. President Graham Wilson was sitting across from her. He’d sent the Secret Service agents. He’d saved them. But what did he want with Alvie?

  “I hear you’ve been involved with the A.L.I.V.E. Project for most of your life. That’s a rather unorthodox upbringing.”

  “Perhaps. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

  The President eyed her over his coffee mug. “No, I don’t suppose you would. I know you’ve been through a lot today, so I won’t bother forcing you through a round of small talk. Let me tell you where we stand—I’ve been read into the A.L.I.V.E. Project. I was not aware of the project until it was brought to my attention six hours ago. I do not agree with the termination order, and to be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about the program.”

  Maeve took a long drink of the coffee, needing the caffeine. “How did you learn of it?”

  “Apparently Commander John Forrester has some very powerful friends.”

  Maeve smiled inwardly. Thank you, Uncle John.

  “Were all the species destroyed with the bomb?”

  The President poured himself another cup of coffee, holding the pot up, silently asking Maeve if she wanted more. She nodded, extending her mug. And Maeve couldn’t help but think this was completely surreal—she’d been running for her life from the US Government and aliens created by that government and now the President of the United States was pouring her coffee.

  After filling her cup, the president placed the pot back on the table. “They’re still going through the site. It will take weeks, if not longer, to climb through every possible corner and make sure the site is clean.”