sure what to say or do. Our minds were a little more occupied with getting out of here and surviving than with introductions to new people.
“We saw what you did,” Brian said. “It was amazing.”
I realized that I’d have to make an exception to my flight instincts momentarily, and I extended my hand for a shake.
“Thanks,” I said. “I’m Jace, and it was more survival than skill . . . listen . . . if you guys want to survive with us we’ve got to get going, Brian. We’ve got a shelter that we can go back to.”
With that Brian hastily ushered his family forward, Alex moving forward reluctantly, still glaring.
“Sure, sure. Sorry, let’s go,” he responded.
We worked our way into the tree line, so we couldn’t be seen easily from the road. We scoped out the area ahead, stopping every few hundred feet to look ahead. Every time we heard an explosion or an unidentified sound in the distance, we fell flat to the ground behind the tree trunks.
It was a much slower hike back to the drainage tunnel with this rag-tag group than it had taken for Alvarez and me to hike there. For a moment I felt a tinge of anguish for the loss of the man who I had considered a comrade. I only allowed myself to think about it for a moment; we didn’t have time for any long goodbyes. The sun was half set behind the L.A. skyline by the time we reached the tunnel.
Thick black smoke was still rising from Albright’s Surplus Store. Albright -- another comrade sacrificed in such a short time. We could smell it before we exited the forested area next to the drainage tunnel.
Flames licked the darkening sky.
We all stood staring at the tunnel. About ten feet in we could clearly see where the tunnel had collapsed, filled with a wall of broken concrete and dead host soldiers.
I wracked my brain, trying to come up with a plan of action to get us to the hospital.
Just as the plan started to form and I started to speak, we heard the click of several firearms cocking. A series of rifles pointed out over the edge of the grassy embankment above the tunnel.
The men behind them slowly stepped forward into the light so that we could see them.
There was Freeman, a guy with frosted tips in his hair, Hauer, and a skinny guy with short red hair. I was so stunned that I couldn’t force out many syllables. As I looked back at the man with the frosted tips, my voice caught twice before I managed to speak.
“Max?”
Chapter 16 – The Coliseum
The street exploded in dust and debris.
Bill and Unus choked on dust. Then the screams cut the air. Unus panicked as she realized that her daughter Wendy wasn’t hanging onto her hand. They had been separated by the explosion.
Wendy stood in the distance, crying in the middle of the street, surrounded by a cloud of dust.
Unus surged forward, arms outstretched, intent on bolting forward to grab her child. The air exploded again, directly in front of her.
The only thing that saved her from being killed by flying debris was Bill grabbing her firmly and pulling her backward.
“I’m sorry,” Bill yelled. “She’s gone!”
“No!” screamed Unus.
As the smoke cleared they saw the group of survivors that they had left behind rushing into the street, firing their weapons. Unus’s breath caught in her throat, and Bill watched in stunned silence as Braden clobbered a host soldier and scooped up Wendy before running away.
More explosions, kicking up more dust and smoke. Bill grabbed Unus and spoke, looking directly into Unus’s eyes.
“She’ll be okay with Braden,” he said. He sounded almost pleading, as if he were convincing himself as well. “You have to trust that she’s going to be fine. Once we’re out of danger we’ll go with a group to that hospital they talked about. We’ll toss out those aliens and…and you’ll be with her again. We just need to get to the arena and get some
“We saw what you did,” Brian said. “It was amazing.”
I realized that I’d have to make an exception to my flight instincts momentarily, and I extended my hand for a shake.
“Thanks,” I said. “I’m Jace, and it was more survival than skill . . . listen . . . if you guys want to survive with us we’ve got to get going, Brian. We’ve got a shelter that we can go back to.”
With that Brian hastily ushered his family forward, Alex moving forward reluctantly, still glaring.
“Sure, sure. Sorry, let’s go,” he responded.
We worked our way into the tree line, so we couldn’t be seen easily from the road. We scoped out the area ahead, stopping every few hundred feet to look ahead. Every time we heard an explosion or an unidentified sound in the distance, we fell flat to the ground behind the tree trunks.
It was a much slower hike back to the drainage tunnel with this rag-tag group than it had taken for Alvarez and me to hike there. For a moment I felt a tinge of anguish for the loss of the man who I had considered a comrade. I only allowed myself to think about it for a moment; we didn’t have time for any long goodbyes. The sun was half set behind the L.A. skyline by the time we reached the tunnel.
Thick black smoke was still rising from Albright’s Surplus Store. Albright -- another comrade sacrificed in such a short time. We could smell it before we exited the forested area next to the drainage tunnel.
Flames licked the darkening sky.
We all stood staring at the tunnel. About ten feet in we could clearly see where the tunnel had collapsed, filled with a wall of broken concrete and dead host soldiers.
I wracked my brain, trying to come up with a plan of action to get us to the hospital.
Just as the plan started to form and I started to speak, we heard the click of several firearms cocking. A series of rifles pointed out over the edge of the grassy embankment above the tunnel.
The men behind them slowly stepped forward into the light so that we could see them.
There was Freeman, a guy with frosted tips in his hair, Hauer, and a skinny guy with short red hair. I was so stunned that I couldn’t force out many syllables. As I looked back at the man with the frosted tips, my voice caught twice before I managed to speak.
“Max?”
Chapter 16 – The Coliseum
The street exploded in dust and debris.
Bill and Unus choked on dust. Then the screams cut the air. Unus panicked as she realized that her daughter Wendy wasn’t hanging onto her hand. They had been separated by the explosion.
Wendy stood in the distance, crying in the middle of the street, surrounded by a cloud of dust.
Unus surged forward, arms outstretched, intent on bolting forward to grab her child. The air exploded again, directly in front of her.
The only thing that saved her from being killed by flying debris was Bill grabbing her firmly and pulling her backward.
“I’m sorry,” Bill yelled. “She’s gone!”
“No!” screamed Unus.
As the smoke cleared they saw the group of survivors that they had left behind rushing into the street, firing their weapons. Unus’s breath caught in her throat, and Bill watched in stunned silence as Braden clobbered a host soldier and scooped up Wendy before running away.
More explosions, kicking up more dust and smoke. Bill grabbed Unus and spoke, looking directly into Unus’s eyes.
“She’ll be okay with Braden,” he said. He sounded almost pleading, as if he were convincing himself as well. “You have to trust that she’s going to be fine. Once we’re out of danger we’ll go with a group to that hospital they talked about. We’ll toss out those aliens and…and you’ll be with her again. We just need to get to the arena and get some
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