The Light: The Invasion Trilogy Book 3 (16 page)

The aliens appeared to be making a last push to retake the communal. “We have to get these people out of here,” the soldier yelled, pointing to a pinned down group of civilians behind them. He rolled to his left and back into cover, looking to the wall behind him and the huddled group of women and children. They reminded him of his family, and he immediately wondered if they’d gotten out safe.

Rogers turned to him and pointed to a parked alien transport in another of the sheltered bays farther away from the outer walls of the orb. “Jacob, take it and get these people to the coast.”

Jacob shook his head. “No. I’m staying, dammit. Have somebody else do it. Besides, I can’t drive one of those things.”

Rogers shook his head. “It wasn’t a suggestion; I’m telling you. Now take Karina and go. Get those people to safety. Meet up with Clem at the coast. If you hurry, you’ll get there before he leaves.”

Jacob hesitated and Rogers grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him in. “Go. I’ll catch up with you later,” he said. “Don’t worry about us. Once we finish here, we’ll be right behind you.”

Jacob nodded and raised his fist to meet Rogers’. “See ya soon then,” he said, and ran off with Karina toward the hovercraft.

Chapter 30

The transport crunched over debris as it moved toward the coastline. Jacob sat on top, surrounded by survivors who sat or stood anywhere they could find a spot atop the hovercraft. The vehicle was loaded to capacity. The compartment below was filled and they had kept the ramp open and dragged it behind them to allow more to ride along. The road was quiet; they hadn’t seen any of the enemy since leaving the walls of the communal. As the sun rose on the horizon, Jacob wondered what would come. Would the enemy send more to recapture it, or just let the place be?

Ahead, they spotted columns of civilians marching along the side of the road. They scattered upon feeling the ear tickles of the hovercraft, but then turned back, looking curiously to watch the alien vehicle covered with humans. Word had spread to get to the marinas on the coast if any survivors in the area wanted to leave.

Soon, the road was filled with walking crowds of people carrying all of their belongings. Once the road became too choked with people to proceed, Karina moved the hovercraft to the shoulder and they abandoned the vehicle. Jacob led her away, walking into the wood line, and kept her out of sight while he searched through discarded luggage and bags on the side of the road.

Jacob returned to her with a handful of clothing and children’s jackets recovered from the road. She was very small for a human woman, but Jacob figured she could easily pass for a young adult in the right light. He handed her a small, brightly colored jacket with a large hood he’d picked and stood watch while she changed into the new clothing.

As she made to rejoin him on the road, Jacob stopped and turned to face her. “I won’t make you stay with me. You are free to go.”

Karina frowned at him. “My people would refuse me now. I have nowhere to go, but I could help you.”

“How?”

“I can remove the knowledge plates—the caps. There are other things I could do. Don’t abandon me here.”

Jacob shrugged, having no sympathy for her. He turned away and continued walking toward the coast. Looking back, he saw that she was following just behind him. “Will they come back?” he asked her.

Karina moved up, keeping pace with him. “They will be forced to respond. The musing transport’s systems showed areas south of here that are secure and safe, but the North has been declared too cold for our people. I suggest we go there.”

Jacob didn’t answer her; this wasn’t new information. Although he suspected the real reason they wouldn’t move north was because the Deltas didn’t do well in the cold water. He smiled, wondering if they knew what Chicago and Michigan would be like when winter came. Maybe the ice on the lakes would freeze them all out. He lost himself in thought while walking with the group. When he looked around, he realized he’d picked up a following—people recognized his uniform and were falling in around him. Walking with him, were people desperate for any sort of structure in the chaos.

Ahead, the woods began to thin, destroyed vehicles lined the road, and the packs of people grew into uncountable numbers. He could see the waterline and the makings of a harbor. Survivors were lined up and being escorted into boats then ferried out to large vessels anchored in the bay. He had a flash of déjà vu, remembering a similar flotilla in Lake Michigan of the waters of Chicago. He stopped and stared at the impressive sight, allowing the others to move past him to meander down the road and fall into the lines.

He saw more armed men, militia and soldiers standing watch over the lines and guiding the survivors to the boats. Karina stood beside him. “It could have been different,” she said.

“Your people made that choice, not mine.”

She nodded and moved ahead. Jacob rolled his shoulders and followed her. He found the back of the lines and moved past them, continuing on to a group of soldiers near the head of a pier. Men with clipboards were taking a head count of families before leading them down the pier to waiting passenger ferries. Jacob recognized the unit patch from Meaford and stepped close to the soldier.

“I’m looking for a woman and her daughter.”

The soldier looked up at him with a cross expression; he waved the clipboard at the long line of people. “Take your pick.”

Jacob nodded his head and exhaled, beginning to turn away.

“Hold up,” the man said, putting a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. He pointed to a small ticket office at the head of the pier. “Check in at the office. We turn these registers into Laura; she’s been keeping track of everyone board—”

“Wait,” Jacob interrupted, his face breaking into a smile. He grabbed the man by both shoulders. “Laura, is that what you said her name was?”

The man nodded. “Yeah…” He looked at Jacob as recollection filled his eyes. “As a matter of fact, she has a little girl too. Nahh, man, you gotta be shitting me. That’s who you’re looking for?”

Jacob spun away. Dropping his pack, he ran for the ticket office placed just to the right of the pier walkway. Jacob moved around piles of luggage and empty boxes. The building was square and painted white; the front held a glass ticket counter, the glass now covered with heavy cardboard. Jacob skirted around the building and found a small door where a soldier stood outside it, smoking a cigarette. He saw Jacob approach and eyed up at him.

“Something I can—Anderson?!” Masterson said, looking at him with shock. “How in the hell…? Are the others with you?”

Jacob shook his head. “Is she in there?” Jacob asked.

Masterson flipped his cigarette into the water and turned back. He reached behind him, opened the door, and allowed Jacob to move ahead of him. Inside, the room was low lit and dusty. A tired sergeant sat behind a desk, going over charts and stacks of papers, and a second man lay sleeping on a bench with his rifle and rucksack beside him.

“Through that door,” Masterson said, pointing to a door set into the back of the room,
Manager
stenciled on the old wood.

Speechless now, he felt the anticipation building in his guts. He stepped to the door and grabbed the knob. Pausing, he took a deep breath and pushed the door in, following it into the room. She was there, going over stacks of papers and transposing names into a large journal book. She heard the door but didn’t look up. “You can set the papers over there,” she said, pointing to a large box filled with the unbound pages.

When Jacob didn’t reply, she looked up and her jaw dropped.

“How…? When…?” she gasped. Pushing away from the desk, she ran to him.

Jacob wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tight. “I just got here. The men out front told me the way.”

She stood wrapped in his embrace. “I love you,” she said, looking up into his stubbled and scarred face. Pressing her close to him, he kissed her, and for the moment they were safe and far away.

“How did you get here?”

“Kiss me again,” she said.

He met her lips, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of the room take him. He felt a tug and heard a call from Katy. He dropped to her level and lifted her in a tight hug. “Daddy! You’re back,” she said, tears in her eyes.

“I’m back, Katy,” he said, the three of them now wrapped up together.

Epilogue

On a cold pre-dawn morning, water slapped against the sides of a tall, double-decked cabin cruiser. The boat rested low in the water at the outer edge of the floating refugee camp. Every day, the floating city grew smaller as vessels of every type broke off and plotted a course to move northwest toward Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—the last known safe area for humans.

For reasons unknown, the aliens had stopped moving to the northern parts of the state. Rumors thought it had to do with the dioxin attacks in central Michigan. Others claimed that the creatures were unable to adapt to the cold climates. Some even claimed the creatures had learned a lesson with the losses there, and Jacob suspected the trend had occurred in other areas as well.

Jacob stood at the controls, watching a large fishing trawler pull away, black smoke rising from its stack as white water churned up in the wake of the departing ship. Another group in search of a safe place to start over. He watched as the vessel faded away, hoping they would find the safety they were searching for.

Counting the dwindling number of vessels remaining, he contemplated how long he would be able to wait for them. But after everything they’d done, they deserved his patience. He sat down and looked up at the sky, forgetting how many stars were up there. He would never look at them the same way again. A tracer cut across the horizon, another easily identified as a Karinan vessel. They’d named the alien race—with much objection from her—after their traveling companion. Karina was correct in her predictions of the exodus. Ships were entering orbit daily, flying overhead and buzzing the flotilla. So far they had left them alone. Karina said they wouldn’t attack unless their territories were entered, for now anyway. She claimed that most of the people fleeing the dying galaxy would have no stomach for the fighting. Jacob had his doubts, but maybe she was telling the truth.

The sun broke the horizon to his back and lit a shining path across the water. He focused on a far off vessel; rather than departing, this one was coming closer. He heard Laura below deck moving through the cabin; she stepped lightly on the steps and stood beside him, then handed him a cup of instant coffee. He could hear Karina and Katy laughing below in the galley while fixing the morning meal. Jacob pointed out the approaching vessel to Laura. She moved closer and put her arm around his waist, watching silently.

He slowly began to recognize the ship and remember where he’d seen it last. On a mission to the east coast of Michigan. A Navy vessel that transported them across these same dangerous waters. He stepped off the bridge, grabbed a small pair of binoculars, and climbed up to the second deck. He steadied his eye and focused on the bow. His body warmed when he saw men on the bow leaning against the rail, the shape of a dog standing with them. He smiled and turned to the controls, starting the engine.

“What are you doing?” Laura called from below.

He looked down at her excitedly. “They’re back.”

***

The height of winter, they strolled the shoreline of Mackinaw Island. In the distance, an ice bridge had formed and teams were moving supplies across the Straits of Mackinaw from the mainland aboard horse-drawn sleds. Standing alone and closer to the tree line, Jacob watched them. He found a worn driftwood log and sat atop it, letting his rifle hang loose from the sling. He grinned while watching Katy roll through the snow as the big bearded man and scout dog dropped to make snow angels on the beach with her.

The remaining members of the Assassins had claimed one of the large homes overlooking the lake. Soon after, other survivors arrived, retaking the town and bringing the area back to life. They hoped to again have steady electrical power, but for now they relied on the generators. James still left quite often with his Delta detecting dog, making trips to the southern part of the state to check on his friends at the bunker, where a large Army outpost had now been established—the threat of the dioxin still keeping the aliens away.

The radio traffic called the survivors
holdouts
and
the last bastions of humanity
. James’ favorite word for them was
insurgents
. Invitations were often sent to them by courier, asking them to return home. Celebrities and political figures made recordings that were broadcast over the radio, asking for the
holdouts
and those like them to lay down their weapons and return to the south to live in the well-structured communities of the Karinans. Instead of becoming a deterrent, they motivated others to flee the communal and make the trek north, to the safety of the human camps. Knowing that others were surviving on their own motivated families to take the risk and flee.

The word the humans gave to the alien people had become a slur to them. Named for what the humans considered a hero of their race and what the aliens considered a traitor, Karina was now an ambassador to the free peoples of North America. She was protected and kept safe, yet always on the move. Rogers traveled with her from camp to camp, keeping up the morale and building support for the resistance. They’d manage to salvage bits of alien technology, and even recovered a fully functioning orb in North Dakota. With Karina’s help, they also managed a way to convert the Ursus battle rifles for human use.

Katy stood and waved to him, laughing before she turned back to tackle Duke, the two of them tumbling into the heavy snow. He heard the crunching of boots and looked behind him. Laura appeared, carrying a long thermos. She grinned and poured him a cup of hot chocolate, then dropped to sit beside him on the log. They had as much of everything as they needed. With the threat of The Darkness retreating in the wake of the winter snow, they’d been able to raid food warehouses all along the state. Supermarkets and corner stores still sat full with their stores of canned goods. There would be plenty of food for the winters, and they’d have time to grow their own in the coming spring.

James ran toward them, carrying Katy in his arms and Duke bounding by his side. His beard and jacket covered in snow, he looked like the abominable snowman. He pointed to the cup in Jacob’s hand and scowled. “Hey, Mom and Dad, you’re holding out on us!”

Laura laughed before pouring them each a cup then turned to Jacob and hugged him close. “I think we’re going to be okay here,” she said.

The End