CHAPTER 27
I was disconcerted to realize that dawn was fast approaching. We assembled at the front of the vehicle to retrace our steps up the hill. The sun was not yet beginning to show, so I followed Sabela as she led the way through the darkness. Aeron stayed close beside me, with Ewenami bringing up the rear.
We reached the summit just as the sun was beginning to cast a vague glow over the hills to the east. Sabela stopped to hug me tightly, then turned without a word and disappeared into the trees to our left.
Ewenami gave Aeron a similar hug, then turned to face me. I felt a twinge of guilt remembering how much I had despised her on first sight. In a few short days, I had truly come to view her as a second sister. It was evident from her warm hug that she felt the same way about me. She too remained silent, as she turned to make her descent straight down the forested slope in front of us.
My heart racing and stomach swarming with butterflies, I reached out to find Aeron’s hand. As his fingers intertwined with mine, he reached his other hand up to the back of my neck, pulling me in to press his forehead against mine.
I took a slow breath in, knowing without the need for words what he was asking for…my promise that I would stay alive, come what may. I nodded my head subtly in acquiescence. As I did, his eager lips found mine. His fingers gripped tightly at the nape of my neck as he kissed me urgently—as though it would be our last.
I fought the overwhelming impulse to beg him to call the mission off—to take our families and run, leaving Earth far behind. I knew we would never be able to live with ourselves if we left an entire species to die; but I trembled with sheer terror at the thought of losing any one of our group…especially Aeron.
The thought of my own death, however, was far less frightening. In a way, it was a source of calm for my panicking mind. Death was certainly preferable to another one or two centuries of mourning in loneliness. Don’t get me wrong, I’d had a good life—a comfortable home, a family that loved me…But until now, I’d never really known the kind of love you read about in novels. That kind of all-consuming desire for one person was what I had craved all my life, and at last I had it. One electrifying touch from Aeron was better than any romantic movie scene I’d ever witnessed. And I would give up a million years of monotonous existence to have one more day with him.
I resolved in that moment to break my promise to him. If he fell into enemy hands, I would unquestionably give my life in an attempt—no matter how feeble—to save him.
This morbid pact I made with myself had a bizarre way of easing my nerves. I was no longer quivering with fear. My heart, however, was still racing from the surge of adrenaline that flowed as Aeron kissed feverishly down the side of my neck. Having found my resolve, I was able to surrender entirely to the moment and savor the sensation of his hungry lips on my skin.
I tilted my head back as he moved to the other side of my neck, working his way back up toward my jaw. I opened my mouth to catch my breath, choking back a moan. He weaved his fingers through my upswept hair as he kissed my open mouth ravenously. The butterflies in my stomach returned, this time from the exhilaration of intense arousal.
He was kissing me without restraint, his composed refinement giving way to primal desire. I had the distinct impression that—were it not for our current location—we would already have our clothes off. I found myself wondering whether we would ever have our chance, as I pressed my body firmly against his.
As my mind wandered, it brought me around to the realization that our surroundings were becoming increasingly visible in the mounting light of the sunrise. Aeron seemed to come to the same awareness as he reluctantly calmed himself, placing a last few lingering kisses on my lips. As he began to pull away, I tucked my lower lip in, not wanting to relinquish the taste of him.
He sighed as he stroked the side of my cheek, his other hand still squeezing mine tightly. He kissed my forehead lightly, then released his grip and stepped back as he turned to his right. I watched in silent despair as he disappeared into the trees ahead of me.
I followed a trajectory slightly to the left of his, angling my way down the hillside. The sun was beginning to cast its light on the large ship that filled the clearing at the base of the hill. As Sabela had predicted, the cargo door was facing southward—it appeared to be sealed closed.
I positioned myself on the sloping hillside, aligned with the ship’s rear arm on this side of the cargo door. Aeron would be reaching the south side of the ship soon, poising himself just behind the tree line. I checked my weapons as I crouched behind a tree trunk and waited.
There were two vehicles—a sedan and a pickup truck—parked just off to the northwest side of the ship. Our hill curved around in front of them. Sabela would be positioned there, attempting to draw the rebels out and away from the cargo ramp. Ewenami would be situated between Sabela’s position and mine.
I peered down at the ship, its outline familiar to me. Though it was identical in shape and size to Aeron’s ship, its appearance was fittingly foreboding. As the sun’s rays began to fall on the hull, it became clear that it was not the same luminescent off-white tone of Aeron’s ship. It bore a closer resemblance to battleship grey. I found myself wondering if the interior was just a hollowed-out version of Aeron’s posh ship. I considered whether the shortcuts would be due to lack of funds or sufficient time.
I expected to wait for an eternity to see any activity, but it was a matter of minutes after sunrise that the ship’s door cracked open, slowly lowering toward the ground to form the wide cargo ramp. Soon after, two men began to casually descend the ramp. They wore nondescript human clothing—blue jeans and T-shirts—with one conspicuous accessory…There were guns strapped across their backs that bore a remarkable resemblance to ours.
I raised the weapon in my hands, sorely tempted to open fire. I stayed my hand, knowing that an opening shot from my angle would likely prompt them to retreat back into the ship. They made their way to the ground, turning to head toward the pickup truck. Were it not for the guns, they would look like two regular working-class guys on their way to pick up breakfast before starting their day. Judging from their muscle-bound frames, I surmised they were the athletically gifted pair. Ewenami had mentioned that one of them was responsible for Aeron’s assault. I wondered which one, as the temptation to fire almost overpowered me.
Just as they reached the truck, pulling open the doors on either side, the driver’s side window shattered in a flash of blue. The man who had been standing behind it was now sprawled lifelessly on the ground.
One down, three to go…I thought to myself, as I fought back the urge to cheer for my big sis.
The commotion certainly got the attention of the second rebel soldier. He crouched behind the passenger door as he reached for his gun. I looked quickly to the northerly hillside, searching for any sign of Sabela. With relief, I saw nothing but a sea of trees.
The soldier began shouting, calling for backup—evidently a third soldier was within earshot in the cargo bay. He scurried quickly down the ramp, rounding the corner to see his comrade firing toward the distant hillside, in the direction of Sabela’s position. I hoped beyond hope she had already moved on.
The third soldier was not anywhere near as large as the first two, but he moved quickly. He bolted toward the sedan parked beside the truck, nearer the ship. He carried a gun in one hand, his other hand outstretched toward the car in front of him. I realized as the door flung open of its own accord that he was the one who could move distant objects.
As he darted for the vehicle, a shot rang out from the hillside to the west—Ewenami’s position. Unfortunately, her view was probably obscured by the pickup truck. It was a narrow miss. I was desperate to fire, but we had agreed that I would wait until Aeron had ascended the ramp. My position was too close to that side of the ship and would risk drawing their attention toward Aeron.
Each of the two rebel soldiers was now positioned behind
their respective vehicle, firing randomly into the hillside trees. I could only breathe when I saw more blue flashes emanating from various points about the hillside. At one point, the burly soldier lowered his weapon, turning it over confusedly in his hands. Clearly Ewenami was having an influence over him. It didn’t last long, as his comrade shouted what I gathered amounted to a string of expletives at him. I hoped that Ewenami would focus the bulk of her attention on varying her position rather than infiltrating their minds…The way they were firing randomly into the forest had me anxiously holding my breath.
As the gunfight ensued, I repeatedly darted my eyes back and forth between the action and the cargo ramp—watching for Aeron. The fourth rebel—presumably the commanding officer—was still inside the ship. I wanted this to be over quickly, but I certainly didn’t want Aeron entering the ship with his position unknown.
I watched for a moment as the athletic soldier once again dropped his weapon. Unfortunately it again was short-lived, and neither Sabela nor Ewenami would have the ideal angle to fire on him from their positions. I shifted my eyes back to the cargo ramp once again, and my heart leapt into my throat at the sight of Aeron charging up it.
Before I could think how to react, he was into the cargo hold and out of my view. I panicked, beginning to run around to the south to try to get a view into the cargo hold. As I searched for a vantage point, my eyes caught sight of the upper dome of the ship. Just visible through the windshield was a man, leaning forward against the glass as he searched the hillside for the unseen enemy.
I instinctively aimed my weapon and fired, knowing as I did that it was unlikely to have much effect. The blue flash dissipated as it made contact with the windshield. It got his attention…He turned his head sharply to look in my direction.
Remembering his unsettling power—the ability to dull the senses—I quickly made a dash for a boulder about twenty feet ahead of me. I made it all of three steps before my vision suddenly began to fade, as though I was about to pass out. But strangely, I didn’t feel at all lightheaded.
I realized as the sound of the gunfight grew too faint to make out that I was in the clutches of his control. I dove for the ground, crawling as fast as I could in the direction of the boulder. As my hands made contact with the cool stone, I gripped it tightly, suddenly feeling as though the ground was listing and threatening to spill me down the hillside. He was interfering with my equilibrium—an effect I hadn’t anticipated.
I fought against the churning seasick feeling in my stomach as I clung to the rock. I knew full well that the ground wasn’t actually moving, but I couldn’t risk relinquishing my grip. He had me trapped in a pitch dark, silent prison cell, and the boulder was my only tie to my physical surroundings. As I dug my fingers into the rock, I clung to the desperate belief that as long as he was plaguing me, he would be distracted from Aeron.
The seconds dragged on unbearably as I had no idea what was taking place outside my own personal hell. I tried to bide my time, thinking at least I was helping Aeron.
Then the thought occurred to me…What if he could do this to more than one person at a time? Maybe I wasn’t helping Aeron as much as I’d thought. What if he was trapped in this same agony? He would be a sitting duck alone in the cargo hold.
I pulled myself up to my knees, feeling my way around to the front of the boulder, my head still spinning with vertigo. I made the split-second decision to let go of the boulder, as I began tumbling down the hillside, ricocheting off trees as I went.
If I emerge from the forest, I’m toast…but at least I’ll be a colossal distraction, I thought as I steeled myself.
As I picked up speed, careening down the hillside, I became aware that the sound of my body thudding into the brush and trees was actually discernible. A brief moment later, I began to notice flashes of light as my eyes regained their sight. Evidently the rebel officer hadn’t anticipated my rapid descent, and thus lost his grip on me.
Either that…or he’d found a new target.
I stretched out my arms, grappling frantically for something to stop my fall. I dug my feet into the ground as my fingertips took hold of the earth beneath me. I stopped to catch my breath, too full of adrenaline to take much notice of the scrapes and bruises that surely covered my body.
The sound of the gunfight was still ringing out in the clearing, as I looked around to verify that I was still concealed among the trees. I found my footing, then promptly landed back on my face, as I realized the vertigo had not subsided. I did a double take to make sure my vision and hearing were still intact. Apparently, it was the fall down the hillside that was responsible for the persisting disorientation.
I took a deep breath and pushed myself back up to my feet, refusing to acknowledge the spinning sensation in my head. I charged forward through the forest, heading for the south end of the ship. I had dropped my smaller weapon in the melee, but the larger gun was still strapped to my back. I pulled it around to grip in my hands as I kept running.
Along the way, I glanced over to the two parked vehicles. Though they were quite battered, they were still serving as adequate shields for the two rebel soldiers. I came to a stop, aiming my weapon at the hulking soldier crouching behind the passenger door of the pickup. I debated whether to risk taking a shot, knowing I would draw their attention in the wrong direction. I decided it was a moot point, with the commanding officer obviously well aware of my general position. I fired—but apparently, I was still too disoriented. I scowled in frustration as the blast hit a good foot away from the soldier. Thankfully, he was too distracted to even notice.
Suddenly my vision was going foggy again. Whether it was from the flash of the gun’s discharge or the effect of the rebel officer numbing my senses was uncertain. Just in case, I reached for the pistol in my pocket as I took off running.
As the cargo ramp came into better view, I searched feverishly for any sign of Aeron. Part of me hoped he was already out of the ship, but I had to assume he was still inside. I hoped my eyes weren’t deceiving me as I caught sight of a glorious vision…Aeron was descending the ramp.
I watched with elation as he sprinted toward the trees. I began running in that direction, eager to meet him there. He was halfway to the tree line when, to my horror, he suddenly lurched forward. His feet came out from under him as he slammed face first into the ground.
A bloodcurdling scream—my own devastated cry—reverberated in my ears, as I froze in my tracks. My chest burned with the hollow feeling that the wind had been knocked out of me.
Just as my mind began a hysterical downward spiral, there was a glimmer of hope as I realized that Aeron was still moving—or at least attempting to move. He was straining with all his might to pull himself forward, clawing at the ground; but he wasn’t getting anywhere.
I scanned his body and saw no signs that he had actually been wounded by gunfire. My eyes flashed up to the domed windshield, but the commanding officer was nowhere in sight. He didn’t appear to be in the cargo hold either. I impulsively looked toward the other two soldiers, and suddenly it became clear…The muscular soldier was still involved in the gunfight; but his accomplice was looking directly at Aeron, his arm outstretched.
He wore a twisted look of evil satisfaction as he watched Aeron struggle in vain to get to his feet. The soldier quickly tired of the game, raising his weapon to take aim.
I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction.
Without pausing to think, I pointed my pistol and pulled the trigger. There was no flashy fanfare—but the bullet between his eyes did the job succinctly.