Chapter Ten
Two years after the Tai-Kok invasion…
I soon discovered that people were crazy.
I mean, seriously, did they put something in the water?
When the warning sirens sound, you are supposed to head to the nearest bunker.
Who the hell keeps shopping? And the looters!
God, it drives me nuts. You’d think after two years of attacks, they’d get it.
But nope, there’s always a bunch of morons out there with the attitude of “it can’t happen to me” and we’re risking our lives to save their miserable butts.
Dad hit the siren, and we zoomed over and around the debris littering the streets.
“Gotta be Benny Soliz. He probably ate all his rations again,” I said and ducked down as bullets suddenly shattered the windshield.
“I’m shooting the sonovabitch this time.” Dad swerved into an alley and pulled in behind a big metal dumpster filled with smelly garbage. Bullets pinged off the metal.
My temper flared to life and using my telekinesis, I bounced Benny off the burnt-out remains of a city bus until he dropped his weapon.
“Don’t kill me. Don’t kill me.” Benny raised his hands. “I surrender. I surrender.”
Dad keyed his mic, “Adam-30 we have one in custody.”
The dispatcher replied, “Copy Adam-30.”
“A man has the right to eat,” Benny whined. Bags of cookies, chips and candy were scattered across the roadway.
I cuffed him. “You get a ration card just like the rest of us.”
“It’s not enough. I’m a big boy.”
Dad grimaced. “Get a job and you can buy more food.”
“I have a condition,” Benny bleated.
Fire ants danced across my head. Shit! That hurt. I reached out with my mind. Twenty Marauders were approaching Arizona.
Dad glanced at me. “Incoming?”
“Yeah, a slew of Tai-Kok Marauders is heading our way.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I’ll call in an emergency alert.”
I politely tapped on Quinn’s mind. “Sir.”
“I’m aware.” He broke the link.
God, what an ass.
A fast, high-pitched wail filled the air.
People fled down the street.
Benny’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he toppled over.
“Dammit!” I kicked his leg. “Get up. You’re too big to carry.”
“Watch out!” Dad grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the way of a speeding delivery truck.
Fishtailing wildly, the truck clipped a Cadillac and slammed into a fruit vendor’s stand. A crate of watermelon exploded, and pink juice streamed across the windshield. The driver jumped out of the truck, stopped long enough to grab a cantaloupe and ran.
I blew out a long breath. People continued to surprise me and not in a good way.
A little girl stood crying on the sidewalk.
“Get the kid, Dad, I’ll see if I can lift Benny.”
“We’re running out of time,” Dad protested.
“I know. Go.”
Dad scooped up the kid and ran for the nearest bunker.
“Sorry, Kaelen,” I whispered as I drew on his power again. Using my telekinesis, I managed to lift Benny a foot off the ground and tow him toward the bunker. Damn, he was heavy.
The Marauders whizzed overhead. Thirty seconds later, a beam of blinding yellow light struck what used to be Glendale City Hall.
I swayed dizzily as the effects of the stun ray rolled over me and dropped Benny. Yeow! Too damn close.
“Leave the fool and go to the bunker,” Kaelen commanded.
“Can’t. He’ll die if I leave him.”
Kaelen cut off my access to his power. “You are not responsible for him.”
“He’s my prisoner and it is my responsibility to get him to safety.”
A growl sounded in my head and Kaelen’s strength poured into me. “Go, but know this, I will discuss the situation with General Jones.”
“Yes, sir.” I lifted Benny easily and towed him over to the bunker.
The door swung open and Dad gestured at me urgently. “The fighter jets are coming.”
I hauled Benny into the bunker and smiled. Sarah was one of the pilots.
The ground shuddered.
My smile grew bigger. Sarah had shot down one of the Marauders.
Dad took one look at my face and his shoulders sagged in relief. “Not one of ours.”
“Nope. Sarah is kicking ass.”
“She is a very talented pilot,” Kaelen agreed.
The bunker shook violently as another Marauder crashed.
“Way to go, Sarah,” I hooted.
All the people crammed into the bunker cheered and clapped.
My gaze fell on the delivery truck driver. He was still clutching the cantaloupe. I touched Dad’s arm and gestured at him.
Dad pulled out his notepad and donned his bad cop demeanor. “You caused a car accident and stole that melon.”
The delivery truck driver stared at his feet. “Yes, sir, but we haven’t had fresh fruit in six months.”
“Doesn’t matter. I need your driver’s license.”
Grimacing, the delivery truck driver pulled out his wallet and handed Dad his driver’s license.
Benny jerked upright, screaming, “The monsters are coming. The monsters are coming.”
The kid started crying again. Wild-eyed, everyone in the bunker pulled their weapons and stared at the door.
Shit! One wrong move and it would be a bloodbath.
“Enough!” Kaelen snapped and just like that Benny quit screaming, the little girl stopped crying and everyone in the bunker calmly put their weapons away.
I felt him mucking around in Benny’s mind. “What are you doing?”
“He will become a productive member of your world.”
Huh? Kaelen never ceased to amaze me. “That would be awesome. I really appreciate all your help.”
Ghostly lips brushed over mine. “I protect what is mine.”
Holy shit! I touched my mouth. Kaelen had kissed me! I felt his amusement, and he kissed the tip of my nose. “I will enjoy teaching you how to kiss properly.”
“And the other stuff?”
His laughter filled my head. “Yes, when you turn twenty-one.”
“Seriously? But I’m only eighteen now. Why do I have to wait that long?”
“We cannot mate until you are of age. Zarek is very strict about that rule.”
“And we don’t want to annoy the Overlord.”
“We do not.”
The all-clear siren sounded.
A phantom hand stroked my cheek. “Stay safe.” Kaelen vanished from my mind.
With a pleasant smile on their faces, everyone calmly exited the bunker.
“Momma!” The little girl ran to an obviously distraught woman.
“What kind of mental voodoo did the battle commander use on them?” Dad demanded.
I shrugged. “Not sure.”
“He needs to teach it to you. It’ll come in handy if we have another food riot.”
“I’ll ask him.” My gaze settled on Benny. “Get up Benny.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He scrambled to his feet. “I’m sorry I shot at you. It’ll never happen again. Scout’s honor.”
“Un huh.”
Dad’s eyebrows rose. “Him too?”
“Yep.”
A prisoner transport van stopped in front of the bunker. The detention officer climbed out with a big grin on his face. “No casualties except for the Tai-Kok.”
“Good to know.” I quickly scanned the area. Yep, no monsters. I frowned. Wait. What was that? It was definitely alien, but it sorta felt like a critter of some kind. “Dad I’m going to do some recon.”
His brows furrowed. “Tai-Kok soldiers?”
“No, it feels like some kind of critter.”
Dad looked around. “Where?”
“To the east. By the old Walmart.”
“I’ll get the ATV and meet you there.”
“Okay.”
The detention officer asked, “What’s Soliz being arrested for this time?”
“Armed robbery and aggravated assault on a police officer.” Dad escorted Benny to the van.
Big, fat tears rolled down Benny’s face. “I apologize for shooting at you. It’ll never happen again.”
“You’re right, it won’t,” Dad agreed and stuffed him in the van.
Focusing on the alien presence, I pulled my pistol and carefully approached it.
Phosphorescent yellow blood splattered the dead shrubbery and pavement. I wrinkled my nose. Tai-Kok blood smelled like piss. A cold knot formed in my stomach. Was that a foot?
I took a step closer. Yep. It sure was and over by the dumpster was a mangled leg. An arm hung from a tree branch. Whatever it was, it didn’t like monsters.
My senses went on red alert. It was behind me. I slowly turned. Oh, my, God, a huge, black saber-toothed tiger was stalking toward me. “Nice kitty.”
A deep, guttural growl rumbled in the nice kitty’s chest.
I froze and sent out calming vibes like I had seen Kaylee do when we came across an injured critter. “I won’t hurt you. I like killing the Tai-Kok too.” The poor thing was skin and bones. “Bet you’re hungry.”
The tiger cocked his head and chuffed.
Huh? It, no, he was trying to communicate with me but the spiky metal collar he was wearing stopped him. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get the collar off.”
He padded over to a control device with a clawed hand still attached to it and nudged it with his nose.
“Okey-dokey. Let’s take a look.” I holstered my pistol.
Ick, I had to touch the dead monster. Their skin had a rubbery texture that creeped me out.
Gingerly, I pried the bloody hand off the device.
Hmmm. I didn’t recognize the symbols on it.
If I pushed the wrong button, I could hurt the tiger.
I linked with Kaelen. “I hate to be a pest, but I found a saber-toothed tiger. It’s wearing a funky collar, and I need to know how to remove it.
I sent him a mental image of the device. “Which button do I push?”
“Where is the Vaziri?” Kaelen demanded urgently.
“In front of me, why?”
There was a short disbelieving silence. “He has not attacked you?”
“Nope, but he did make a mess out of his Tai-Kok handler, and he is really hungry.” I noticed Dad was hunkered down behind a pile of rubble with his rifle pointed at the tiger. I shook my head and held up four fingers.
Dad grimaced and motioned for me to run.
I made a slashing motion across my throat and held up four fingers again. Dammit, I had the situation under control.
“Your father is right to be concerned. Vaziri are dangerous creatures.”
“He needs my help, and he hasn’t tried to hurt me,” I shot back.
Throwing his hands up in the air, Dad pulled out his satellite phone.
Bet he was calling Jake or General Jones. I could feel Kaelen scanning the tiger. “That is not a Vaziri. That is a Katanic shapeshifter. A very hungry one.”