Chapter 2
Cora stood at the front window of her penthouse apartment, gazing out over Manhattan.
Or rather, what was left of it. In the aftermath of another rebel attack, the skyline looked different today.
Two high-rise apartment buildings to the north were simply…
gone. She tried not to think about how many people had died in the attack.
She also tried not to feel so guilty about her own circumstances.
The building where she lived was protected by a small army of skilled ex-military personnel, defensive drones, and a state-of-the-art security system.
It was the safest place in Manhattan and the surrounding area.
Despite the frequent rebel attacks throughout the city, staying put in her penthouse was the best option, safer than attempting to evacuate.
Even if she evacuated, where would she go?
The entire country was at war. Some called it a civil war, while others likened it to a revolution.
Cora thought it was a little of both. Entire towns and cities had fallen under rebel control, while some rebel factions were fighting one another.
Other groups were focused on attacking the U.S.
military, determined to overthrow the current administration.
There seemed to be no single enemy anymore, no unified rebellion, no clear lines, just violence spreading across the country in every direction.
High above the city in her penthouse, a veritable fortress, Cora had never felt more alone or frightened in her entire life.
She also felt trapped.
Because even if it weren’t for the rebel attacks, she still wouldn’t be able to leave.
She’d been holed up in her apartment for over a year now, scarcely interacting with anyone.
Her groceries and other household items were delivered by the ex-military personnel who guarded the building, but even those brief interactions couldn’t assuage the loneliness in her heart.
She left the window and headed for her music room, wishing she could turn back time.
She would make so many different choices.
Maybe instead of chasing fame and becoming a pop star, she would’ve become a music teacher in a small town.
She would’ve been happier—and safer—living out of the spotlight. Maybe.
With a sigh, she opened the door and entered her music room.
It was one of the few places in the penthouse that still felt like home.
A polished baby grand piano sat in the center of the room, its black surface gleaming under the lights.
Several guitars hung from the walls or rested on stands, acoustic and electric, some battered and well-loved, others brand-new and expensive.
A plush chair occupied the space beside a small amplifier, while a nearby music stand held sheet music and a notebook filled with half-finished lyrics.
Would she ever release another song?
Would she ever perform on stage again?
She liked the idea of recording more songs and sharing them with the world, but she wasn’t so certain she would ever feel comfortable on stage again.
Not with him still out there…
She didn’t know his name. Only his face. And the fear he incited whenever she saw him or was reminded of him.
Her stalker.
The stranger who’d broken into her childhood home and asked the new owners if they knew how to track her down.
The stranger who’d shown up after her last show in Vegas, tased her bodyguards, and tried to pull her into a van before some bystanders intervened.
The stranger who’d sent her threatening letters that also professed his love for her.
The stranger who kept eluding law enforcement.
Even the FBI didn’t know his name, though they suspected it started with the letter ‘M’ since he often signed his letters that way. Sometimes, the FBI sent her a few mug shots to look at, but it was never him.
He was still out there somewhere.
Watching. Waiting.
A shiver raced down her spine, and she tried to push away thoughts of the frightening man, the man who’d driven her into hiding just as the country had started falling apart.
She took a seat on the plush chair and gazed around her music room.
One of the walls was lined with bookshelves crammed with music books, old vinyl records, and poetry collections.
Framed photographs from her performing years hung between them, along with old concert posters.
A microphone stood near the piano, though this room wasn’t really a recording studio.
It was just a place where she could play, sing, and pretend, for a little while, that she was still the woman she’d once been.
A woman who was filled with hopes and dreams, bursting with creativity, confidence, and strength.
These days, she felt like a shadow of her former self.
She didn’t like it, but she didn’t see a clear way out.
Not only did she feel trapped, but she felt abandoned and forgotten.
So many people she’d once considered dear friends had simply stopped calling, and when she tried to initiate contact through an email, a text, or a phone call, she never received a response.
When she’d gone into hiding, her manager had quit only a week later, claiming she was overreacting by hiding herself away, saying she was ruining her career and costing him a lot of money.
And more recently, her record label had started threatening to drop her if she didn’t release some new songs and start performing again.
Just as she reached for her notebook, an explosion sounded in the distance, and the building briefly quaked. She returned to the front window, praying the most recent attack wasn’t too close, even though she’d been repeatedly assured that this building was impenetrable.
The sky was so hazy with smoke that she couldn’t see much.
Just as she made to turn away from the window, a flashing advertisement carried by two drones caught her eye.
At first, she couldn’t read the message on the screen, but finally the drones came closer to her window, allowing her to read the text clearly.
She gasped, and her stomach dropped to the floor.
Oh, God. No, no no. It couldn’t be.
The flashing advertisement read:
Hello, Cora. I’ve missed you.
I’ll see you soon.
And we’ll be together forever.
Love, M.
She backed away from the window just as three drones descended from the sky, shooting down the drones carrying the advertisement. She stumbled and almost tripped over a coffee table but finally managed to sit on the sofa. Deep tremors shook her body, and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath.
Tears burned in her eyes, and a hopeless sort of fear took root. If her stalker could find her here, she supposed there was nowhere to hide. He could find her anywhere on Earth.
Anywhere on Earth…
Suddenly, in the midst of her shock and growing fright, her path became very clear. She had to leave Earth. She had to go somewhere he couldn’t follow. A planet or an outpost that even the wealthiest human men couldn’t easily travel to.
Like Planet New Vaxx.
Her mouth went dry and she swallowed hard.
She’d recently watched a documentary about the Vaxxlians and the mail-order-bride program run by the Intergalactic Dating Agency that matched their males with human women.
Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides, or VAMOB for short.
After watching the documentary, she’d pulled up the website and glanced at the application, telling herself she wasn’t seriously considering it, telling herself that she was just a little curious.
Although she had saved the link to her favorites folder…
But now that she knew for certain her stalker was still out there and that he knew where she lived… well, applying for the VAMOB program seemed like her new best option. Her safest option.
Of course, it would mean marrying a stranger, a fierce alien warrior.
But according to the documentary, although Vaxxlian males were deadly in battle, they were quite gentle with their females.
They were reportedly very protective of their mates, very involved in the raising of children, and they formed such strong bonds with their females that they never cheated.
Cora glanced toward the window, but the advertisement drones were gone, the threatening message from M no longer in the sky.
The smoke was growing thicker, however, making her wonder if a nearby building had just been destroyed.
Was her stalker responsible for the explosion?
She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d done it just to ensure she glanced out the window at the exact time the drone advertisement flew by with his creepy message.
A knock suddenly sounded on her door, causing her to gasp and jolt in place. She took a few deep breaths, tried to will herself to calm down, and finally approached the door.
She peered through the peephole to find Timothy, the security officer who normally delivered her groceries, standing in the hallway. She opened the door.
“Good afternoon, Miss Kalloway. Did you happen to see anything in the sky outside your window a few moments ago?”
She nodded. “Yes, I saw it.” Somehow, she kept the tremor out of her voice, but inside she was still shaking. She also felt so cold she wondered if she would ever get warm again.
“We’re sorry about that. We don’t normally shoot down advertisement drones, but once we saw the message and realized it was targeting you, we immediately destroyed it. I wanted to let you know we are working to track down the person who paid for the advertisement, and we’ve also alerted the FBI.”
“Thank you for letting me know.” She started closing the door.
“Please excuse me. I’m in the middle of something.
” Then she closed the door even though Timothy looked like he had more to say.
Or perhaps he just wanted to have a more personal conversation with her and make sure she wasn’t too shaken.
But she didn’t have time for that.