'Don’t be afraid to take a chance on someone. That’s what being human is all about.'
After a moment of silence, he offered Lori a slim grin.
'You know, you can be a real bitch.'
'That's what friends are for.'
He placed a peck on her head, then pursued Nina calling, 'Hey! Wait up a sec!'
Shepherd heard the call and returned to Lori who watched from afar as Trevor and Nina shared some words then started toward the mountain together.
Shepherd-rod, cooler, and shotgun in hand-asked Lori, 'What was that about?'
Pleased with herself, she answered, 'Love. It’s all about new love.'
'Love?' Shepherd shook his head slowly. 'I’ve known Nina for a long time. I hope someday she does fall in love but I reckon when she does it won’t look like that. '
– Trevor followed Nina up the path. He could not help but eye her. She was…she was beautiful. He had noticed that before but always forced those thoughts from his mind. It did not seem right to think about someone other than Ashley, as if he were betraying her.
Now, as he climbed a few steps behind Nina, he allowed himself to look at her.
She had an honest beauty. Strong and oh-so shapely but subtle, like how she hid her attractive blond hair in a ponytail as if trying to hide from the world.
Maybe he could let himself go. Maybe he could forget Ashley.
After a ten-minute hike, they arrived at a clearing-a rocky meadow-on the face of the mountain, a great observation post above and behind the estate.
Nina placed her backpack on the ground and dug through the contents.
Trevor enjoyed the incredible view. The forested mountainsides had thinned from autumn’s erosion of foliage, but enough evergreens remained to keep some green in the walls around the lake. A crisp wind reminded that the sunshine offered only a temporary respite from the approach of winter. Small birds crisscrossed the sky, creating an illusion of normality.
He said, 'What a beautiful day. Wait a second, what is that?'
Something flew overtop the hills, chasing away the birds. A creature? A ship? He did not see any wings, propellers, or rotors on the big green blob dressed in fabric the texture of skin.
Creature or ship, it raced above the mountains directly for Trevor and Nina’s picnic spot.
'Nina, do you see this? I think we have a problem.'
He turned and saw her eyes narrowed to slits, her lip quivering. Trevor forgot about the approaching danger as Nina's expression of absolute rage completely surprised him.
She snarled, 'I saw what you did, you murdering bastard.'
Nina held something in her hand. It sparked.
'Now you’re going to pay for what you did to Scott.'
'Huh? Scott?'
She slammed the stun gun into his gut. A jolt of electricity shot through Stone’s body, tingling and burning. His legs wobbled and he collapsed.
– Shepherd, on the dock, saw the ship-a blob-and realized it headed for the mountain face. At that same moment, a Humvee squealed to a halt on the lake road by the boathouse. Reverend Johnny called from behind the wheel.
'Ring the Lord’s bells and join us, Mr. Shepherd. There will be the devil to pay today!'
Shepherd ran to the Humvee where he found Lori and Jon Brewer already in the back seat. The car raced forward even before Shep closed the passenger side door.
'What is it Reverend?' he asked as others around the estate gazed upward at the thing.
Johnny answered only, 'I fear the worst.'
K9s barked and ran about the grounds with unfocused energy. Anita Nehru hurried her children inside; the forgotten soccer ball rolled to a stop.
'Won’t this blasted car go faster? Dear Lord, if only I had wings!'
The Humvee swung onto a side road, crossed a field, and found the mountain path; a path for people, not cars, but that did not stop the Reverend. The vehicle violently bounced over rocks and scraped against trees as Johnny drove with furious determination.
– The ship-as long as a commercial airliner but wider-descended upon the mountainside. Its sickly hide pulsated. Support ribs ran its length. Short and long tendrils sprouted from the body in no discernable pattern. The horrid vehicle rumbled as it hovered low over the meadow.
A membrane on the side of the craft drew open. Two humanoids-the shells of human beings-in dark robes with thin swords on rope belts jumped from the dark confines of the craft.
Nina watched as the intruders approached, her face alternating expressions of confusion, of anger, then confusion again, then anger won out. She pointed them to Trevor, who writhed on the ground nearly unconscious. They hauled him into the waiting craft.
The Humvee skidded to a stop among the rocks and grass of the mountain clearing, its tires going flat, side panels dented and ripped, and a trail of dust billowing behind. Jerry Shepherd leapt from the passenger’s side before the wheels had stopped turning.
'Nina! Get away from there!'
A bulge massed on the skin of the craft. That bulge formed a long barrel.
'Lord have mercy!' Reverend Johnny raced toward Shepherd. 'Take cover!'
'He murdered Scott!' Nina yelled from the hovering ship. 'He killed the man I loved! He killed the man I was going to marry! He's going to pay!'
Shepherd’s face corkscrewed and his mouth gaped not at the sight of the strange alien craft, but at Nina’s words. His confusion blinded him to the looming threat.
The organic protrusion on the ship literally spit its fire: the barrel curled and straightened, curled and straightened, at lightning speed. Reverend Johnny tackled Shepherd and the two rolled to cover next to the Hummer. Jon and Lori exited the car but a shower of pellets bounced off the hood and forced them to cover, too.
Nina climbed on to the waiting ship. The membrane closed. The covering fire of the side gun stopped. The monstrosity rose into the sky then flew south, taking Nina and Trevor away.
17. The Order
'Name: Bore Bug
Secondary Name(s): Burn Bugs; Torture Beetles; Bore Beetles
Classification: Insect, small
Physical Characteristics: Black and red; beetle-like w/pincers;?' — 1' in size
Description: Created by The Order. A swarm of Bore Bugs is poured upon a restrained target. The creatures bore into the skin and out again causing significant pain. While they leave wounds the Bore Bugs do not cause permanent damage and therefore are ideal for repeat use on the same victim to inflict maximum suffering.' — Excerpt from Hostiles Database 1 ^ st edition.
The chair cascaded across the Command Center, bouncing into a corner. Jon refused to acknowledge the pain in his foot as he walked to the desk and slammed his M4 on top.
His wife told him to, 'Calm down.'
Shep, Omar, Stonewall, and 'Bear' Ross stood nearby watching Jon’s tantrum. Others gathered in small groups downstairs where they mingled nervously, like shepherd-less sheep.
Forty minutes had past since the monster-ship disappeared over the southern horizon. Dustin McBride and Dante Jones went to spread the word of Trevor’s abduction to the farms.
Stonewall said, 'I beg your pardon, but it occurs to me that we need to carefully weigh our options. I suggest a more constructive course than furniture-kicking.'
Lori asked, 'Can’t we get the helicopters after them? Maybe they can shoot it down?'
