Earth (The Invasion Trilogy Book 1) (9 page)

“What I wouldn’t do for a cheeseburger
—ouch!” Hank cries out just after I hear a slap. Lisa must have hit him.

“I said stop talking about cheeseburgers and fries and shakes
, and oh, my God, I’m so hungry!” Lisa whines.

E
ven after all the events that we’ve just been through, food has been the furthest thing from my mind… until now.

“I could totally go
for a tuna melt on wheat.” I lick my lips, suddenly starved.

“Seriously?
It’s the end of the world, you’ve barely eaten in days, and you’re hungry for tuna and healthy bread?” Lisa squeals. Then it’s her turn to hit me this time, although it’s only lightly.

“Well
, I’m not saying I wouldn’t say no to a greasy pepperoni pizza if one presented itself in front of me.”

Hank growls, not his stomach this time. “I’d walk through fire for a pizza, one with the
works.”

“Don’t forget the garlic bread!” Lisa speaks up.

“How about you, Marduke? What are you craving?” I ask, noticing he’s been quiet through our torturous exchange. I squeeze his hand lightly, wondering if our talk of food has upset him.

“I miss my normal food from home. The ingredients that you have in these foods here are not healthy. I don’t understand why you eat them. They’re doing awful things to your bodies.”

“Oh, no, not another health nut,” Hank teases.

“You have so many health problems, so many weight issues. I’ve never heard of obesity before.”

“You guys have fat people in France, just like the rest of the world,” Lisa points out.

I wonder how sheltered Marduke’s life has been, wonder what he thought when he left home for Canada. If he’s surprised by overweight people, then he must have grown up completely isolated.

“How about we go back to your original idea and not talk about food. I didn’t even realise I was hungry before; now my stomach is a gaping hole.” I decide it’s time to change the subject.

“Fine, let’s talk about that forest. I don’t think we’re far from it now
. If we can get one of those cars by the town to work, then we should be able to reach it tomorrow easily.”

“What if we find more of those machines?” Lisa whispers.

“We need to get a supply of grenades. That thing didn’t stand a chance against it. Guns appear to have no impact—I hit it in the chest and head, and it didn’t even slow it down.”

“You need to get behind it, shoot it in the back of its
neck,” Marduke speaks up, his hand now gripping mine so hard it hurts.

“What? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I know… I saw someone do that before. It worked.” He sounds nervous again, but I think that we’re all just tired and edgy. To be honest, I’m struggling to get my words out right, let alone speaking a secondary language.

“It’s worth a try, if there is a next time
,” I point out.

“Sure, except we have no bullets left
,” Hank mutters angrily.

“Then we get some more.”

“Where did you get that grenade from? Was that in the pickup?” Hank asks. I think I hear some excitement in his voice now, no doubt recalling the fact that he was able to destroy that machine with the grenade.

“No, I found it in the shop. There
were two, so there should be another one in that truck if it survived.”

“That was lucky
. We would have been…” I feel Lisa tense beside me, and I know from Hank trailing off that he’s felt it, too. “…in trouble. But it all worked out, and it will keep working out for us. I think we make a great team.”

“Are you still drunk? You were the only one who was
able to do anything,” Lisa whines.

“Mattie was the one driving; she was the one who risked her life by turning the truck around and putting her and Marduke in the line of fire to give us cover. She also came up with the grenade.”

I feel awkward at Hank’s words. Not because I’m embarrassed by his praise, but because he just pointed out that I put Marduke’s life at risk without even asking him.

“Fine, the two of you are amazing. But Marduke is too injured to be of any use to us, and I’m a complete wimp
,” Lisa complains at the same time I feel Marduke’s arm twitch next to me.

I want to chastise Lisa for saying Marduke is useless because that isn’t true. He
’s just told us that shooting those machines in the back of their necks would take them down. If that proves to be correct, then he’ll have been invaluable to us.

“You’re not a wimp. Remember when that giant chick was chasing you in your last lacrosse game? I mean
, that girl was a freaking freight train coming straight at you with basically a weapon, and you didn’t even slow down. You waited for the right moment and got that ball into the net then stayed right where you were, making that beast have to jump out of
your
way,” Hank points out.

“You watched that game?”

“I saw every game you played. I was sure I would be visiting you in the hospital after that, though.” Hank sounds tense. I bite my tongue, wanting to add that I was also at that game and Hank was a mess the entire time. I thought he was going to faint several times. Basically, whenever someone came close to Lisa, he would almost jump out of his seat in fear for her.

“Playing lacrosse is different, that’s just a sport. Right now
, this is real, and I’m failing.”

“Bravery doesn’t mean being the one to take the shot. You didn’t freeze up, you didn’t cause distractions
, and you took care of yourself so Hank and Mattie could do what was needed,” Marduke speaks up. I’m so grateful for his words, too.

“He’s right. You could be crying in the
fetal position right now, but you’re not. Give yourself a break. We’re all going through a lot. No one expects you to be superwoman,” I reason.

“I know; I just feel so terrified when those things are around
. I don’t know what to do.”

“Just do what we say, or if something happens
, then just run,” Hank suggests.

“What’s going to happen to us? Are they just
slaughtering everyone? Where are all the people going? What are they doing to them?” Lisa whispers, fear making her voice shake.

And there it
is—the complete unknown that scares the crap out of me. At first, I assumed that we were being slaughtered, but where are all the bodies? Why haven’t we come across more? What if some of us are being killed, but some are being taken?

I don’t want my family to be dead, but maybe what is done to them after they’re taken is worse than death? What if this invasion isn’t the end of us, but a new beginning?

A worse beginning?

What if the worst is still to come?

Chapter 9

Marduke

I wake up, still holding Mattie’s hand, not at all sure when I fell asleep. The mood last night took a turn for the worse after Lisa mentioned the humans might actually be getting abducted. After there wasn’t an answer to that, I know they all got stuck thinking of the awful situation they’re in—we’re all in, actually.

All night, my
mind kept playing around Mattie’s words from earlier—that maybe they’ve tracked us. I wasn’t aware of any technology like that being in play from the machines, but it’s possible. However, they should have been able to sense my DNA, and that is meant to keep them from trying to harm me. It’s not, though.

When we made a run for it
, after we escaped the truck, Hank was shooting at it. It should have had its attention on him, not on us, yet it took a shot at me. Hank was the imminent threat, and the human they’ve been sent here to either kill or take. Regardless, it followed our movements and attempted to take me down, for a second time in two days.

So maybe they aren’t tracking humans, but tracking me. And if that is the case, then I’m the most dangerous person these people can hang around. By saving my life back in Vancouver, they probably just signed up for the scariest ride of their life with no other end but death.

So while my thoughts were stuck on this, and I’m sure the others had similar thoughts of their own mortality, I was surprised when they started talking about food again. It then led to a restaurant they had all been to, which then made them recall a funny story about the waiter slipping over and landing head first into a man’s plate of pasta. From then on, they kept the stories coming, laughing hard at each one.

Lisa had the most stories to tell, and I loved listening to Mattie’s laugh. Each time she laughed
, she squeezed my hand. I don’t think it was intentional, but each time, it made my heart beat faster.

I’ve never felt this reaction to someone before.
Although, I’ve also never spent so much time surrounded by the opposite sex. There has been no need for me to interact with anyone, not even the female I am to mate with when it comes time for that.

So while it could be the fact that I’ve never been
exposed to a female like this, I then have to wonder why only Mattie? I’ve seen many women on this planet, but only Mattie has stuck in my mind. Only she can make my body react in a way I’ve never felt before.

She shifts in her sleep next to me and turns, her head resting along my arm. Sometimes she appears very brave and strong,
yet then I see her like this, so vulnerable, giving me this strong need to protect her.

I want her off this planet and out of harm’s way.
But then what? She doesn’t even know I’m not human. Plus, I’ll never be allowed to see her again. My family would forbid it. Even if I could find a way around that, she’ll never want to see me again once she knows the truth. After what she’s seen the hinema do, there is no way she’ll trust me.

“Hey,” Mattie mumbles, her eyes open and her gaze on me. She hasn’t moved yet
, and I’m not ready to have her pull away from me.

“Hi,” I lamely reply. She’s staring at me intently
, causing me to begin to worry over what she’s seeing.

“Are you okay? You look… upset maybe
? Or worried?” She sits up, leaving my arm, making me feel cold without her. Her hand is still in mine and I grip her harder, not wanting to lose all contact with her.

“Just thinking about stuff
.” I decide to stay vague.

“In this situation we’re in, that is probably best avoided. You don’t want to dwell on the negative.”

“You’re right.” I know it’s stupid to worry about what will happen to us if I manage to get her off Earth and out of harm’s way, or if I tell her who I really am. We need to first survive this situation before I worry about that.

“I’m starving. Let’s go check out the truck.” She lets go of my hand, moving away from Lisa.

Before I can voice a complaint that she’s no longer touching me, she holds out her hand to help me up. “How’s your knee?”

“A little better,” I lie. It still hurts, although I’m finding it less excruciating to put pressure on it than yesterday, so maybe that is an improvement. I should heal faster than what a human would with the same injury, however I haven’t had my usual nutrients since I ran from Ival and I haven’t exactly been taking it easy.

We both look back at Lisa and Hank, sleeping soundly in each other’s arms.

“I think we should let them sleep a little longer
,” Mattie suggests.

I move my arm over her shoulder
then we slowly make our way back to the truck. It’s felt like we walked for hours last night after Mattie finally woke up, but the truck is still visible in the distance.

I look over at Mattie, recalling the fear that went through me when she wouldn’t wake up. That explosion knocked us clear off our feet. I couldn’t hear anything, not even when Hank stood in my face and was clearly screaming at me. For
several minutes, I couldn’t hear a thing until a piercing sound broke through the silence. At first, it was quiet and sounded like it was coming from a long ways away, but then it got closer and louder. Then it started to hurt.

Hank yelling out Mattie’s name broke through
. When he saw that I was finally aware of what was happening, he helped me to sit up, and that’s when my eyes landed on the unconscious Mattie.

Lisa sobbed and cried out her name, holding herself and rocking her body. She was hysterical, but then she changed
, appearing to lose focus. I saw the light in her eyes dim, and Hank and I couldn’t get her to talk to us. I’ve never seen someone react in such a way, and for some weird reason, I completely understood her.

I felt conflicted inside. Part of me wanted to break down and shake Mattie, demand she wake up and be okay
while another part of me was furious. How dare the hinema attack us, and how dare they hurt Mattie. I was in two minds, wanting to jump up and do something, but also wanting to wrap my arms around Mattie and lie with her.

So I just watched, feeling useless as I waited and hoped she would wake up soon.

Now, I watch her helping me walk, her strength back as well as her determination. This is the brave Mattie, the one I met at the park that day, the one I saw when the hinema attacked.

We stay silent the whole walk, which doesn’t take very long, then we take in the destroyed truck. It’s flipped over and the entire front is shot up and trashed. There is no way this thing would drive again
, even if it were on its four wheels.

“Wow, this is some serious damage.” She steps forward so my arm slips away from her and then she moves towards the hinema lifeless on the ground.

“Yes,” I agree, not sure if she means the truck or the hinema. Both are destroyed.

“Look at this thing. I thought this was metal, but it feels soft.” She places her hand over a severed piece of its body. “How can bullets not penetrate this?”

I limp slowly towards her, not answering. Any honest answer would give me away, and I don’t think I’m supposed to know anything. No human would.

I see her shiver as she stands back up, leaning over the hinema
, and then she kicks it hard. It barely moves.

“Stupid thing is heavy
,” she mumbles, wincing. Then she turns her back on it and moves back over to the damaged truck. “I had another grenade in here. I think if it had gone off, then this would be completely blown up.”

“Is it safe to go in there?” I slowly follow her as she walks to the front of the truck, moving in through the
windshield, which is completely smashed from the bullets that were shot through it.

“If we see another one of those things, we’ll need it.”

She crawls through the front of the cab, finding the bag that she shoved on my lap when we were running. I see there are drinks and food that are still in one piece. Then she leans down lower, moving her arm to the far corner, feeling around for the grenade, no doubt.

It is definitely not the safest thing to do, especially since she hasn’t even got her eyes on it. She’s just blindly groping for it. What if it goes off? What if this is how we die?

Before I manage to even say one word of protest, she pulls back, and in her hand is the grenade. I’m in awe that something so small and compact could produce so much destruction and was able to take down a hinema.

She places the grenade in the bag with the food and bottled drinks, and
we scavenge for anything else that made it. We only see a handful of clothes were able to be saved and those were scattered along the road.

I still have on my bloodied t-shirt with bullet holes along the back
when Mattie hands me a dark green, long-sleeved shirt. I take off my t-shirt, feeling uncomfortable when she eyes my argu again. I know my excuse from yesterday was weak. She almost had it right when she said it was a bulletproof vest. It will stop bullets, but it’ll also do a lot more.

It’s the highest quality protection we
have, only the leader’s family has access to them. They adjust to different sizes, so since I can remember, I’ve always worn one. A smaller one for when I was a child, and since I’ve become an adult, I have this one. It’s light weight, feeling as though it’s part of my skin. It regulates my body temperature, so I’ll never feel too hot or cold, and it has been able to withstand any weapon that we’ve used on it. So to say it’s a bulletproof vest is an understatement.

Once I’ve placed my shirt on, I watch as she searches through the clothing. Pulling out a new sweater, she places it over her t-shirt. I haven’t felt that it’s been all that cold,
given that the season here is supposed to be almost summer. However, I’m also aware my argu prevents me from feeling completely how the weather might be.

“Are you cold?”

“Not really, it’s more a comfort thing,” she says, hugging her arms around her. The sweater is just a little too big on her, hanging low at around mid-thigh.

How can she make an oversized sweater look good? How can I be so turned on seeing her wearing that?

I don’t get an answer to those questions, not that I’m sure there is one, because Hank and Lisa have awoken and are making their way towards us.

“Morning
, guys,” Hank says, his eyes straying to the crumbled hinema.

“Good morning
,” Mattie replies as she gives Lisa a hug, leaving her arm around her shoulders afterwards.

“I found this
. Thought you might be able to use it since we’ll be forced to do a bit of walking, at least for now.” Hank passes me a long stick, but I’m not sure what I’m meant to do with it. Is it meant to be a weapon for me to use?

“Use it like a walking stick
,” Mattie says, perhaps reading correctly my confusion. I don’t recall ever reading about or seeing a walking stick, but I can figure it out by its name what the purpose is.

I move towards the wreckage, finding the added support does help.

“Thank you.” I nod at Hank, feeling gratitude for this human. For all the wrongness on this planet, there are also a lot of things that are right.

“Did we get much saved?” Hank asks Mattie, looking through her bag. He smiles widely when he sees the other grenade.

We all take a bottle of water each, draining it quickly, then eat what little food there is. Mostly canned along with two bars of chocolate and a small packet of chips.

The food tastes rather disgusting
. The tastes that overwhelm me, which is mostly salt and sugar, aren’t actually what sticks out compared to the others. It’s energy, though, and I’m hungry enough to look past the foreign taste to finish what I have.

“We need to find a town, a bigger one, and get more supplies
. And another vehicle would be good. Then, I think we should stick to the forest for a while, let things settle down,” Hank suggests.

I watch as the girls think that over. Lisa is quick to agree, but Mattie thinks on it for a while longer before she agrees.

“We’ll need to get camping supplies if we can, not just food and water,” Mattie states.

“I know. If we have a car
, then we can take more stuff with us. We can find a place to set up and then worry about the rest later. Hopefully, those things won’t look for us in there.”

The girls nod again in agreement, and I wonder if that is a safe assessment. If I’m with them, will they actually be hidden and safe?

***

We walk for what feels like days. I know it’s not,
however, since the sun has only risen to just over our heads. There were no working cars that we were able to use, so I’m being tortured instead. At first, the aide of the stick has made a difference, now I can’t tell.

The others move along at my slower pace
as Hank keeps up a conversation with Lisa. I think he’s trying to keep her from going back to the state she was in when Mattie was hurt. Even Mattie appears to be making an effort to keep the conversation flowing.