by Cook, M. L.
Jay took a deep breath, then said, “Even if he could have survived the blast, the others would have either killed him or taken him prisoner.” Before turning away, Jay said, “I’m sorry, Jannette. Really I am.”
The numbness of just a few minutes ago returned with a vengeance. What Jay said was true. Even if the body that had landed on her wasn’t Aquino, there was no way he could have survived it. If the explosion had done that much damage to the other vehicle, the one they’d been in would most certainly be in worse condition.
She felt the gentle sway of the truck as they drove over the curb and into her yard. The truck screeched to a halt beside the front porch steps. Jay leapt from the truck cradling something in his arms. A moment later, a small arm came around her neck. Looking down she stared at the young Terrapian boy she’d carried to safety after his mother was killed. Then she remembered why Jay was in such a hurry to get inside. Both things came together to remind her that she wasn’t the only one who’d suffered a loss today.
Lifting the boy into her arms, she scooted out the back. Pete was there waiting to help her out. Nodding her thanks, she headed for the house. Stepping into the dark interior, she paused outside what had once been her bedroom and knocked. Travis’s face appeared in the narrow crack between door and jam. Behind him, Jannette could see Tiana nursing their daughter.
While blocking his mate, Travis asked, “How’d it go?”
Jannette shook her head. She fought the sob that attempted to escape but lost her battle with the tears. “Travis, this is Easton.” She looked down at the frightened boy, “Easton, Travis has a little boy, too. Would you like to meet him?”
“Jannette, he’s outside playing with the other kids. Would you like for me to take him?” Travis stepped back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. A few seconds later, he stepped out and lifted Easton. She could hear him talking to the young boy as they left the house. “Did you know that human boys and girls all have hair?”
She called out her thanks, then ran toward the other restroom. Just as she rounded the corner, she heard a muffled cry coming from behind the door. This time she didn’t bother trying to hold back her tears or the loud sob. She lightly tapped the door, then leaned closer and pleaded, “Jay? Can I come in?”
The door was yanked out of her hand by James. His wide smile said more than words could. Waving a hand toward the tub, he proudly announced, “I’m a daddy!” When Jannette didn’t immediately respond, his expression hardened. “He’s ours. Nobody’s taking him from us.”
Jannette held her hands up, “Nobody’s planning to. Congratulations Daddy… and Daddy?”
Jay looked up from the tiny baby in his arms, “We haven’t worked that out yet. But look at how perfect he is!”
Jannette walked over to the tub to get a closer look. Leaning over, she studied the baby for a moment, then said, “Maybe Lacey should have a look? Just to be sure. He’s very small.” When both men nodded, she said, “I’ll go get her. Also, I’ll see if maybe Tiana would consider being a nurse maid?”
Jannette stared at the offerings on the long white folding tables. Since Eric had taken over kitchen duty, the variety of choices changed daily. But with food in limited supply, everything was rationed. No longer was there a line of people waiting to fill their own plates. Now each person slowly filed by, while someone on the other side of the table dished out smaller portions of food. Although hunting parties were sent out daily, more and more they were coming back empty handed.
Sitting by the fire, with a plate that was nearly full on her lap, Jannette was startled by a light touch on her shoulder.
“Sorry. I just…” Macie nodded toward her plate.
After a murmured apology, Jannette handed the plate to the young girl. Turning back to resume her vigil, she noticed Dante watching her. Glaring at the big man, she growled, “What?”
He knocked his head toward the big red barn in back. The doors were thrown open, revealing a large table. Several chairs were situated around it. From here the occupants looked like nothing more than dark blobs. But she knew exactly who held each position. Somewhere along the way, leaders had been chosen. Not by vote, but simply by their actions. She wasn’t sure if she’d been included because it was her farm, or because they were afraid of her. Whatever the reason, she knew they were waiting for her. After picking up her coffee cup, she followed the prince.
Dante pulled the large doors down before taking his seat at the head of the table. He looked at the group of people he trusted most. As usual, Seth sat closest to the door, in case anything happened, he needed to be ready. Beside him, James’ chair was tilted back on two legs. Most people misjudged his bored expression. But upon closer inspection, they would see how his gaze swept every corner, always vigilant for a threat. The seat beside him sat empty. The normal occupant, Jay, was now busy taking care of their newest addition. Across from James, Travis nervously drummed his fingers on the table. Everybody knew how anxious he was to get back to his mate and their children. Brooke and Aubree sat side by side, heads together, with an occasional glance toward their friend. Dante was more than a little concerned over Jannette, she’d been quiet since they got back. He knew what he was about to say would probably send her over the edge.
Clearing his throat, he began, “I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get this meeting going. Seth, do you want to tell everyone what happened while we were out?”
Seth silently waited for Jannette to look at him. After she nodded, he began, “Our plans for rescuing any humans or Terrapians that wished to join us, failed. The first, which turned out to be the only camp we went to, turned into more of a disaster than anyone could have guessed. Luckily, there were no humans there. However, we did find about eighteen females, along with their young, who wished to come with us. We quickly learned that the Terrapian males would rather kill their mates than allow them to leave.” He stared down at the table for a long moment, then added, “Their young as well. We only managed to rescue four females. Jannette was able to save one male child after his mother had been shot. Jay was helping a pregnant female. However, before they could make it to safety, the Terrapians killed her. Luckily Jay was able to save her unborn child.” He looked over at a beaming James, “The male baby made his appearance just a few hours ago.” He nodded at James, then said, “Thank you for leaving your family long enough to attend this meeting. We’ll try to get all of you out of here as quickly as possible.” Looking back at his brother, he nodded for him to take over.
Dante leaned forward, focusing on the entire group instead of any one person, then announced, “Our location has been compromised. First when the humans betrayed us, but after what happened earlier today…” He shook his head, then looked at Seth again.
Seth nodded, then continued, “After we left the compound, the Terrapians were right behind us. The last thing we wanted to do was lead them back here. They were gaining on us when—”
Jannette abruptly stood. Her folding chair clattered against the concrete. She rushed toward the door, shaking her head she mumbled, “I can’t.”
A moment later, the door burst outward and banged against the building.
Seth bowed his head, then in a low voice, he murmured, “We have Aquino to thank for our escape. He managed to hurl a case filled with grenades toward the other transports. In the process…” He cleared his throat, then went on, “We owe him our lives. He was a good male, and he will be missed. We must now move on and do all we can to honor him.”
Dante stood and looked at the people that were left. “Jannette is usually the one who communicates anything that needs to be said. But with all that just happened we can’t possibly expect her to do it. She will need time to grieve for Aquino. Although they weren’t mates, they still cared for each other.”
James corrected him, “They were mates. Jay told me that Aquino claimed her just before they went in.”
“Tiger’s balls,” Dante cursed.
Brooke sobbed, “I had no ide
a. She never said anything. I’ll just…,” she stood then left the barn.
Following her sister’s lead, Aubree announced, “I’ll take care of it. Brooke’s going to see if there’s anything she can do for Jannette. However, we need to figure out where to go before we do anything. There are way too many people here to just uproot everyone and drag them into the unknown.”
Travis spoke up, “I’ll take a team with me to see if I can find someplace big enough for everybody. I know Tiana’s going to want to make sure everyone’s somewhere safe.”
Dante shook his head, “No, you have cubs that depend on you. As do you, James. No, I’ll assemble a group, and we’ll head out first thing in the morning.”
Travis nodded, then added, “Make sure there’s enough room for everybody inside a sturdy shelter. It’s already cold, but it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. You also might want to make sure there’s room to plant in the spring. That way we won’t have to do this again in a few months.”
Striding away from the barn, Jannette knew she couldn’t sit in there and relive every horrible moment again. Her vision was blurred by the tears that coursed down her cheeks. With her hands fisted at her sides, she mentally dared anyone to say anything.
In that single moment, every hope she’d ever had for a future were taken from her. Again. She cursed herself for her own paranoia. Sure, carrying grenades had saved not only her life, but the lives of others since the invasion. But in this instance, she would gladly trade it all to have Aquino back. She didn’t know where she was going until she got there. Standing in the middle of the tall stalks of winter wheat, she released everything she’d been holding inside. Dropping to her knees, she sobbed. Slamming her fists against the ground, she screamed, “Why. Why did it have to be him?” She shook her fists at the heavens. Sobbing loudly, she shouted, “You already took Lucas from me, why did you have to take him as well?”
“Somebody forgot to set up the fucking firepit out here, now we’re going to freeze our asses off.” She heard the chairs scraping against the ground before she heard Tiana’s snarky remark. A warm blanket was draped around Jannette shoulders. Without another word, Tiana set two lawn chairs next to each other and stared through the stalks of wheat.
Stifling a laugh, Jannette wiped her tears, sat beside her, and shared the blanket. Neither spoke, nor were they expected to. It was an unspoken bond between the two of them. Both knew that sometimes you just needed someone to sit there in silence.
Chapter Fourteen
All attempts at sleep, failed. Jannette didn’t know how long she’d been lying there, but it had to have been hours. When she first went to bed, she’d heard bottles clinking, along with muffled conversation. All that had died down long ago.
Now while everyone else slept, she was lying in her tent staring up at the night sky. Since the world had gone to shit, the stars and all their glory were more visible than ever. She had to admit it was one of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen. Well, except for the occasional passing of the large Terrapian ships, they kind of ruined the view. Each time one passed; she was reminded of what she’d lost. Not only that the world as she knew it was gone, but all hope for future happiness was lost as well.
Groaning, she drew her legs out of the sleeping bag. Grabbing her clothes, she quickly dressed. Then after pulling on a jacket, Jannette rummaged around in Aquino’s bag. Somewhere inside that bag was the thumb drive that Aquino was going to sneak onto one of the Terrapian ships. Once on board he planned to upload the video they’d made. At last, fisting the memory stick, she stared down at the tiny piece of plastic enclosed hardware that held so many memories of the time her and Aquino shared. Each one flashed through her mind, bringing with it a sad smile. Closing her hand, she shoved the flash drive into a pocket. Then crawling over the rumpled sleeping bag, she slid the zipper down, and stuck her head out the flap.
Slipping into the chilly November night, she strode toward the line of parked cars. Since the world had gone to hell, nobody was concerned about someone stealing their car. After all, there were more cars than there were people. If you found yourself wanting one, all you had to do was go to any dealership and drive one off the lot. She jogged toward the one closest to the street, then climbed in and started the car. Just as she was about to put it in gear, there was a knock on her window.
The door was yanked open, then Stacy leaned in and asked, “Where are you going?”
Jannette reached for the handle, then muttered, “Don’t worry about it.”
Stacy walked around and got in, “Yeah, that’s exactly why I should worry about it. Now, where are we going and what’s the plan?”
Jannette stared at Stacy for a moment, then said, “Fine. But I don’t know when, or if we’ll be back.”
Stacy looked out her window, at the rows upon rows of tents and the dying bonfire. Then turning back to Jannette, she said, “That’s fine. There’s nothing here for me anyway. But what about you? I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with that green alien. Wait…,“ she glanced back at the farm that had been her home for the past few weeks, then to Jannette. After a few moments of silence, she inquired, “What happened out there?”
Jannette gripped the steering wheel tighter. She wasn’t sure she could answer that question without breaking down. And since she didn’t want to do that, she fought the tears, and simply shook her head. Then she shifted into reverse and pulled onto the highway.
Stacy didn’t ask anything else, nor did she comment. They’d spent enough time together that she knew Jannette well enough to know when to stay quiet. After another five minutes passed, she asked, “Where are we going?”
Jannette patted her pocket, then smiled at Stacy, “Aquino and I had a plan. I talked to Tiana. This was all her idea, but Aquino agreed. The Terrapians are known for their heartless treatment of other races, especially the women. What do you think would happen if one of their higher ups fell in love with a human?”
Stacy’s jaw dropped, “But… Did that happen?” She narrowed her eyes and asked, “And how did you know?”
Jannette laughed, “With a little manipulation it was very easy. Aquino just happens to resemble one of the big guys who’s so high up, he’s not even left the ship. Right now, he’s up there hiding.” She pointed toward the sky, then shrugged, “I don’t know why. It’s not like they haven’t shot all our satellites down, so nobody here’s going to see them. Unless...,“ Jannette slammed on the breaks then jumped out of the car. She paced a few yards away, then back. Then she slammed her hands down on the hood and yelled, “Of course! It makes perfect sense now! I wonder if Dante knows. We should…” She stared down the dark highway toward her farm, then shook her head and mumbled, “Nope. Stick with the plan.”
After they’d been driving a few minutes, Stacy broke the silence and asked, “Okay. What the hell was that all about?”
Jannette continued to stare at the road, then informed her friend, “They’re not hiding from us. My guess is that Dante’s people are on their way here.”
Stacy grabbed Jannette’s wrist, then shouted, “We have to go back and tell them! Dante and Seth need to know!”
Glaring at Stacy’s hand, Jannette shook it off, then stopped again. Turning to the other woman, she said in a slow deliberate voice, “If you want to go back and tell them, go ahead. I need to do this. I didn’t ask you to come. I won’t think anything of it if you decide to go back. I can’t let them get away with…” She shook her head, then looked back at the road and waited.
In a firm voice, Stacy declared, “No. I go where you go. If the Felidian’s are coming here, I’m sure Dante and Seth will find out soon enough.” She lowered her voice and sighed, “He was my friend, too.”
After a few uncomfortable minutes of silence, Jannette took a deep breath and said, “There’s something you need to know.”
Stacy turned her attention away from the dark highway, then asked, “What’s that?”
Taking a de
ep breath, Jannette decided there was no easy way to say it, so she just spit it out. “We may not survive this.”
Jannette watched the farm getting smaller and smaller in her rearview mirror, until they rounded the curve. She glanced back at the road wondering if she’d ever see home again. She was a bit surprised when the thought didn’t upset her as much as she believed it would. She thought about what Aquino had said, You’re my mate. Even if I never have a child. I realized now that you are the only one for me. Squaring her shoulders, she realized that without him, she couldn’t go back to an empty life, because he too, was the only one for her.
Stacy continued to stare at the passing scenery a moment, then said, “I told you, I don’t have anything to go back to, anyway. And if we don’t survive it…” She shrugged, “We all gotta go sooner or later.”
Chapter Fifteen
After turning off the highway, Jannette let up on the gas and switched off the headlights. She pulled over to the side of the road and parked between two maples. “Okay, we go on foot from here. If you have anything to say, now’s the time. Once we step out of this car, we’re going to need absolute silence. The last thing we want to do is get caught.” She shuddered remembering how close she’d come to being captured when Brooke found her.
Stacy’s face was nothing but a shadow in the dark. Keeping her voice down, she asked, “Caught by who?”
Jannette reached for the handle, then said, “The Terrapians.”
Stacy’s hand locked around Jannette’s arm, then she hissed, “What! Have you lost your fucking mind?”
Jannette glared down at the offending appendage before realizing Stacy couldn’t see her any more than she could see Stacy. Instead, she shook off the woman’s grip, and sneered, “Just how did you think we were going to get this video uploaded?” Without waiting for an answer, she slipped out of the car.
Ducking down, Jannette approached the block wall that surrounded the base, and crept toward the back gate. Peeking over the wall, she noticed there was only one bored warrior on guard. After checking the yard for movement, she stepped closer and pulled out her knife. After stopping behind him, she looked from her knife to the top of his head. She knew the Terrapians were tall, but this was ridiculous. At an even five feet tall, she stood only a few inches above his waist. There was no way she’d be able to slit his throat from this position. If she tried anything else, she knew that all she’d succeed in doing is pissing him off. She glanced back at Stacy who was now waving her hands back and forth while vigorously shaking her head. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, Stacy wasn’t much taller than her, which was still considerably shorter than the big green alien. She began backing away, knowing they’d have to come up with a different plan. She’d only backed a few feet away when the male dropped with a soft thud.