2 Summer Break

 

Abby

“I know an unknown vessel was sighted the same time Providence went down. I want answers, and don’t give me any of that bullshit about foreign training exercises in international waters, Frank. You and I both know it wasn’t the Russians or Chinese,” her father barked into the cell phone.

Abby’s heart ached as she stared out the car window, watching as they crossed the causeway, heading toward her parents’ home.

Maybe I should’ve stayed in my apartment on campus.

It was going to be rough spending the next few weeks at home. Providence had been missing for almost a year, and her father still searched tirelessly for what happened. He refused to believe Providence went down with the plane, or got tangled in her parachute. At first she had also been hopeful. If anyone could find her sister, it was their dad. Nothing occupied the skies around Cocoa Beach without him knowing about it. But as the months passed, her hope had waned, leaving behind a dull ache.

Her father hung up the phone with an exacerbated growl as they pulled onto Sunset Drive. Streetlights illuminated the neighborhood occupied mainly by Air Force personnel. It looked the same as when she’d left for school. It wasn’t as dull as some cookie-cutter ranch homes, but it still lacked the character of the neighborhoods around Gainesville.

I don’t know why they paint the stucco in such lurid colors. The closer she got to the beach, the more fluorescent the homes became.

“I’m glad you’re going to be home, but you could’ve visited your nana with Mom if you wanted to,” her father said.

“I might, but I wanted to see you, too.”

“I know you girls are worried about me, but I promise I’m not wallowing in misery.”

Uh huh. She rolled her eyes as her dad parked in the driveway.

“Providence knew the risks.”

“It doesn’t add up, Peanut,” he replied with a shake of his head.

Abby groaned at the nickname her family insisted on calling her.

“All right,” she replied with a resigned sigh. There was no point arguing with the man.

“I’m going to gather the trash and haul it to the curb. Do you still have your key?”

“Yep.”

She grabbed her backpack, which was stuffed full of clothes instead of books for once, then headed inside. She passed through the dim foyer into the living room and flipped on a lamp by the couch.

“Do not be frightened.”

Abby paused as she was about to dump her backpack on the floor. Her gaze flew to the giant lurking in the shadows of her living room.

“We’re not here to harm you.”

She spun to see another of the behemoths blocking her exit from the room.

Her heart rate sped up, and her breath came out in gasping pants, as she looked from one giant intruder to the other. They both wore hooded sweatshirts obscuring their faces. She opened her mouth.

“Please do not scream, little female,” one of the intruders instructed.

She wouldn’t have been nearly as frightened if it weren’t for the growling sounds they made.

“Easy, female. I would never harm you,” the one by the door assured her.

The growling sound came from his mouth, but the words he spoke came from somewhere near his wrist. The man’s hands were hidden in the pocket of the sweatshirt, and she wondered if he had a gun. The man wouldn’t need it; he could subdue his victims with his size alone.

“This is not who we came here to see,” the man by the television said to the other giant.

“No, but she looks strikingly familiar to Providence. Look at her flame-colored hair,” the one by the door replied.

Her eyes widened at the mention of her missing sister.

“What do you know about my sister?” she demanded, forgetting her fear.

Abby took a step toward the guy by the door, attempting to get a better look at his face.

“Peanut, you want me to make some popcorn? We can watch a movie,” her father called out as he entered the kitchen from the side door.

“Um, Dad,” she said hesitantly.

The man by the door moved toward her, forcing her to back up. She almost bumped into the other giant.

“Please don’t hurt him,” she begged the men.

“Peanut?” Her father paused as he entered the living room. “What are you doing in my home?” he demanded, using the military voice that made men quake.

“Brennan Murray,” the man who’d been by the door addressed her father. “We need your assistance.”

“This isn’t how to get it.”

“We mean you no harm. We bring a message from your daughter, Providence. She said you’d need some convincing. She wanted you to know that your angel found her way to the stars and is happy.”

Abby gasped. Not only did the men know her sister’s name, but they knew her nickname. Abby’s jaw dropped further when the men lowered their hoods.

They’re demons!

That was the only thing she could compare the enormous intruders to. Their skin was a deep blood red. The one who just spoke had shoulder-length silver hair, and dark stubble dusting his strong chin. His high cheek bones led to a deep-set pair of obsidian eyes, and arched brows.

“You must have fouled the message,” the black-haired demon with braids said.

She swiveled her gaze toward him, hearing the words along with the deep rumbling growl that erupted from his mouth. Her eyes widened seeing the pair of fangs gleaming in his mouth.

Fuck!

“No, I got it correct.”

She swung back to the taller silver-haired demon. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she examined him.

“This isn’t a very funny joke,” she snarled. “Who put you up to this?” She waved at the men.

“What do you know about my daughter?” Brennan demanded. He shifted to the side table, yanked out the drawer and grabbed his handgun.

“Ashtoret, I believe that’s a weapon.”

“I can see that. Brennan, Providence was taken from your world and found herself on ours. Now we need your help to prevent a vile race from finding your Earth,” the silver-haired guy spoke very slowly, the words emerging from a smartphone strapped to his wrist.

She couldn’t figure out how they knew what replies to pre-record while they were doing the weird growly thing. It was a very clever trick.

“Dad, take it easy. I think one of your sick friends is playing a joke on you.”

Her father had been grilling all his contacts about the unidentified flying object sighted the night Providence disappeared. Now someone was doing a twisted job of trying to force him to move on. Although, why they thought two guys made up to look like demons somehow resembled UFOs, she didn’t know. With Kennedy Space Center and Patrick AFB nearby, there had to be hundreds of better alien impersonators.

While the silver-haired demon was staring warily at her dad’s gun, she reached up and swiped her thumb across his cheek. She frowned when the red make-up didn’t smudge. The man grabbed her wrist, and she noticed his incredibly large hands were also red. His black eyes studied her comparatively tiny hand, then looked at her wild, curly red hair with a tilt of his head. It was weird how he looked at her like she was an enigma. But that wasn’t the only bizarre thing about his gaze. His black eyes weren’t quite right. The iris was a little too large, and she couldn’t see a pupil. It was always possible they were contacts. Except when added to his sheer size, those fangs which obviously weren’t plastic, and the red skin, she started questioning what was really going on with these freaks.

It just isn’t possible. He’s gotta be one of those body mod freaks. She shoved down her rising panic.

“Release my daughter,” her father roared and took a step forward, his gun trained on the silver-haired man.

“I mean no harm.” The guy instantly released her and backed up.

Brennan grabbed her and pulled her across the room.

“I’m going to ask you one more time, what do you know about my daughter?” Brennan growled.

The red men sighed in unison.

“Providence did say her sire would be difficult.”

She snorted at the comment, or at least would have, if the situation wasn’t so freaking nuts.

“I doubt we’re going to find a liaison who will be more agreeable.”

“Ashtoret, get the message Providence wrote.”

“Hold it,” Brennan barked when the silver-haired demon reached for his unusual backpack.

“Here.” The man shoved his bag toward her father with his foot. “There’s a message in the outside compartment.”

Brennan took a few steps, grabbed the bag, then retreated again.

“Peanut, hold the gun on them. I’ll open this. I don’t want you finding any surprises.” Her father cast an accusatory glance at the pair.

She took the gun. Her father had taken her to the shooting range enough that she knew how to hit what she aimed for, especially at close range.

Brennan fiddled with the bag for a minute. She glanced over to see what the deal was and noticed there wasn’t a buckle or zipper on the side pouch.

“May I?” The silver-haired guy kept his hands up, his eyes on her, as he hesitantly approached.

Don’t get any bright ideas, buddy. She gave him a cynical smile, the business end of the gun aimed at his gut. Her eyes widened when a deep rumbling sound passed the silver-haired demon’s lips. Is he laughing at me? Surely, he’s not that ballsy.

The freaky giant pulled his disconcerting gaze away, swiped a finger along the seam of the bag, and the pocket slid open. He pulled out the letter with his long, graceful red fingers and handed it to her father.

“It’s her handwriting,” Brennan mumbled. Her gaze shifted to her father in surprise. “Here, you read it and hand me that.”

She passed the gun and took the letter. The first thing she noticed was that the paper was strange, some fancy handmade stuff. But sure enough, it was Pro’s handwriting. Reverently, she unfolded the note.

“Hey, Dad. I know this might be hard for you to believe, but everything my friends have to tell you is the truth,” she read out loud. “I need you to look past their exterior and just trust me. Hopefully if you’re reading this, you haven’t tried to kick anyone’s ass yet. In case you’re still being stubborn, remember when I was eight and you held me on your shoulders as we looked at the stars? Remember how you told me one day I might get to visit them, and I said I’d take you with me. Well, I want you to know they’re beautiful and you’ve been in my heart the whole time I’ve been here,” Abby’s voice broke and tears started streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were so blurry, she could hardly see the words on the page.

“Here, Peanut.” Brennan took the letter. His eyes misted as he skimmed the note to find where she left off. As he read, his gun lowered.

She’s not dead.

Providence was the toughest of her four sisters. There’s no way these weirdos could’ve forced her to write such a personal thing, it had to be real. Which meant these guys were actually aliens.

Oh my god. Dad was right, an unidentified flying object took Pro.

She should’ve been freaked out about that fact, but finding out Providence was alive was the only thing she could focus on.

“You’ve seen her.” She stepped toward the strange men as her father continued reading.

“She is our friend.” The shorter, dark-haired one nodded.

“Where is she? Why isn’t my sister here?” She frowned in confusion.

“Providence wanted to come, but she is with young,” the silver-haired guy replied.

“She’s what?” She was certain she misheard.

“They call young, babies.” The other man corrected his friend.

“How?” she exclaimed.

“What?” Brennan barked.

“Providence mated after coming to our planet.”

“She’s married to one of you guys, and pregnant? Is that even possible?” She stood with her mouth agape as shock coursed through her.

“It is.” The silver-haired demon smiled, showing off his rather large fangs.

She shook off the odd sight as she tried to process what she was hearing.

“Peanut, this is going to have to wait. As much as I’d like to hear more, Providence has written some very disturbing things in this letter.” Her father had that look he got whenever shit hit the fan. Except this was the most serious she’d ever seen him.

“What’s going on?”

“Peanut, I want you to take the car and go get some coffee. I’ll call you in a few hours,” he urged.

“Wait, what? No!” Abby scowled as she looked from her dad to the strange alien dudes.

“Abigail, now!”

“Fine!”

She cast the giant red aliens and her father a final look as she grabbed her purse, then stormed out.

I’m a G.D. adult and the cat’s already out of the bag. I already saw the freaky demon aliens.

 

Ashtoret de Origa

Ashtoret watched Abby storm out of the room mumbling to herself. She looked so much like Providence it was uncanny. On second thought, it wasn’t the similarities to Providence that he found so striking, it was seeing another creature with such arresting features. Abby had the same unusual fiery hair as Providence, but hers was a mass of bobbing curls that shook as she left in a huff. The Cadi had one hair color, and that was generally black. Though in his case it turned out a pale color of gray.

He hadn’t expected Abby to boldly touch his face. He understood humans were very tactile, yet the personal gesture came as a surprise since they’d only just met. He could still feel the tingle on his cheek where she felt his skin with her delicate fingers. Her amazing blue-green eyes held such suspicion, then widened in awe when she realized his skin was naturally red.

Such variety in a species so similar to the Cadi was fascinating. Cadi were plain by comparison. Abby’s milky white skin made her hair and eyes seem all the more vibrant. He couldn’t help the grin that split his face recalling the way her pert button nose with its smattering of speckles scrunched up in frustration. It was a shame to see the bold, petite female go, but it was nice watching her leave. Her behind bounced in the tight blue pants. That was another thing about the humans that was so compelling. Their females possessed all those lovely curves.

His eyes widened when the door slammed.

She has Providence’s temper, too, he chuckled to himself.

“How imminent is this threat?”

Brennan Murray’s question captured his attention. This was the first human male he’d seen. All the humans on Cadi were female. The male was larger than Abby, but he wasn’t nearly as tall as a Cadi warrior. The old male wasn’t curvy like the females of his species. Brennan’s face was rougher, like a male’s should be, and his voice was an octave lower. It was interesting to see the comparison between the sexes. Somehow, he expected the human males to resemble their females more.

Brennan’s brow furrowed, and he realized he was staring. It was a good thing Brennan now believed them after reading Providence’s letter. But it was obvious the male still wasn’t comfortable with them. It wasn’t surprising the male sent his daughter away, with two strange warriors in the house. Although the thought of the petite female being out unescorted made him frown.

“We believe we have reached your planet in time to set up the cloaking array,” Vintor replied. “It will shield Earth so the Jurou Biljana are unable to locate it, should they enter your quadrant. We require your people’s cooperation. The array can’t be messed with once it’s set up in your polar regions. Providence stated you were the best person to talk to.”

“Not for something like this.” Brennan cracked his knuckles a few times. It looked like an agitated gesture. “This is way above my pay grade,” he sighed.

“But, from what we were told, you are able to contact your leaders. This is very important. Unlike the Miran Sona, who are harvesting your people for benign reasons, the Jurou Biljana will strip you of your resources and sell your people across the cosmos.” Ashtoret didn’t want to frighten Providence’s sire, but the male needed to understand the severity of what they were up against.

“Excuse me? The Mira who are doing what?” Brennan turned as red as a Cadi warrior, making no effort to disguise his anger.

Mother of Kali, I shouldn’t have said anything.

“Great,” Vintor groaned under his breath. “The Miran Sona are a benevolent race, who were once nearly wiped out. They’re collecting a small portion of your people and seeding another world. This is how Providence wound up on Cadi. One of the Miran Sona ships was ambushed and she valiantly sacrificed herself for others, killing several Jurou Biljana in the process. The reptiles thought they could sell her to my people but discovered they were wrong. Your daughter is quite the warrior. She is actually the Prime in her trio.”

Hearing this news would make any sire proud. Providence not only saved many people but was the first ever female Prime. It was quite a feat. However, Brennan didn’t look surprised or overly impressed. Instead, he just nodded as if he expected as much from his daughter, with only a slight smile tipping his lips.

No wonder human females are so fierce.

A sharp, trilling sound interrupted the conversation. Brennan pulled a small handheld from his pocket. He glanced at it, hit the screen and set it on the nearby table.

“One problem at a time,” the male gave a resigned sigh. “So, this Juju Bilana want to enslave and pillage Earth, but you say this cloaking array will hide us.”

“Yes.” He nodded, not bothering to correct the male’s pronunciation.

“Will it hide us from these Mira people, too?”

“No. They are already aware of your location. They may find it odd that your planet is cloaked the next time they visit, but we doubt they’ll interfere with the device. They will understand its value.”

“I understand why Providence sent you to me of all people. If you were to attempt to reach out to a president or prime minister on your own, I don’t think things would go well for you. I can try to contact the Chief of Staff, except they’re just as likely to think I’ve lost my mind, unless you’re with me. But again, that puts you at risk.” Brennan cracked his knuckles again.

“Ah, yes.” Ashtoret nodded and frowned. “This is what your daughter feared. It is why she didn’t come. She worried your people would do something to her and take the young from her belly.”

They convinced Brennan of their mission, but now the difficulty was convincing his superiors. This was aggravating. If a species came to Cadi to warn Daimio Kagan of an impending threat, their leader wouldn’t react violently to the messenger. Of course, the Cadi had long known of other species, and now more than ever were open to forming alliances. The Jurou Biljana threat had taught them not to be so vain, and the humans needed to learn the same. Hopefully the lesson wouldn’t be a painful one.

“Do you know how sad that makes me? My own daughter couldn’t come home because she now fears her own damn people. Son of a bitch,” Brennan snarled.

Ashtoret didn’t know what a bitch was, but the Cadi had a similar phrase and he understood the sentiment.

Brennan’s handheld trilled again, and the male picked it up.

“What?” Brennan barked into the small communicator. “What was that, Frank?” His expression darkened as he listened intently. “No. I haven’t seen anything unusual.” Brennan looked up at them. “Well, thanks for the heads up.” The male pocketed his handheld. “You two need to…”

Brennan was cut off by the sound of breaking glass as several smoking canisters were hurled through the nearby window.

“Evacuate,” Vintor bellowed, pointing toward the rear of the house.

Ashtoret coughed as he ran through the dense choking haze. Crashes came from every direction, followed by flashing red beams and thunderous booms. He ducked a beam as he sprinted down the hall. The wall beside his shoulder exploded in a cloud of dust. There was a crash, and he glanced back in time to see Vintor clutch his side, and stumble.

“Go,” Vintor yelled, as three dark figures converged on him.

He wasn’t about to leave his fellow warrior behind. He struck out and sent one male hurtling down the hall, before the human could aim his disrupter.

“Go! That’s an order.” Vintor struggled with the two remaining shrouded figures, while another three poured in from the kitchen.

Ashtoret growled in anger. They were physically stronger than the puny humans, but with their weapons drawn and their sheer numbers, the odds were evened. A blast followed by a twinge of pain lit up his arm, forcing him back.

“I’ll come back for you,” he yelled to Vintor.

He barely avoided another shot as he darted for the rear door. He threw his shoulder into it, taking the flimsy wood panel off its hinges. The door knocked down the pair directly on the other side, leveling them flat. Ashtoret ducked shots coming from a trio breaking through a nearby window as he leapt over the outdoor table. Every instinct said to use lethal force, but this was supposed to be a peaceful mission.

He ran across the yard, veering to avoid the blasts kicking up dirt around him. He ignored the biting sting that strafed across his thigh, focusing on the dark figure who leapt from the shadows. Ashtoret laid out the human warrior with a single punch, not even bothering to slow his stride. The sound of boots beating the earth followed, but he was faster on his feet, darting between the nearby dwellings.