Now, he has our back.
I turn and try one last plea at the gruff old man.
“Edgar, you need to come with us. You can’t survive here.”
“I’ll be fine. You just… You just get those kids to safety, okay? I’ll… I’ll meet up with you here, in a couple of days – when everything’s fine again.” Edgar almost chokes up. He has strong words, but we both know this could be goodbye. Neither of us has a good chance of getting out of here alive.
“We’re going to be just fine,” I say softly to Stacy and Tod. “I’ll see you soon, Edgar.” I force myself to give him a shaky smile, and he gives me the same insincere smile back.
I turn to leave.
In front of me, Hadone uses his bare hands to scoop a path between the carcasses of the Scorp warriors. One of them twitches, and with an incredibly-fast motion, Hadone draws an Orb-knife from the leather belt around his waist and jabs it into the dying creature’s neck.
Whether it was still alive, or it was just the twitching of the recent dead, the Scorp certainly stops moving as that blade sinks home.
I swallow hard. Even in the heat of battle and fear, I have to admit that these three aliens are jaw-droppingly handsome.
If only they were here when my village was attacked. Maybe then my mom and dad would still be here to guide me. Where the hell did these aliens come from, anyway? Aurelians have been barred from this planet for longer than I’ve been alive.
I can’t waste time thinking about where this triad came from. I just have to accept their presence and be grateful for it.
Now Hadone and Forn are clearing the doorway – exposing us to whatever remains outside.
While the chop-shop garage granted only the illusion of safety, the thought of leaving the building is still a terrifying prospect. I know I’ll have to be strong for the kids and show them that there’s nothing to be afraid of; even though there is.
As we wait to step outside, I bite my lip – waiting for another bone-shaking rumble from the anti-air defense guns.
That’s when I suddenly realize there are none. Worse than that, I realize I haven’t heard any in quite some time.
Horror fills me as I realize that can mean only one thing – that the city’s last defenses have already been overwhelmed.
This city is truly in the hands – or rather, claws – of the Scorp infestation now.
If I don’t move quickly, the other two orphans won’t make it out alive.
If any of us make it out alive.
Tod is quaking and white-faced, so I direct my attention on Stacy. “Stacy, did you see Tyler or Runner today?”
Stacy nods. Her chubby face squints as she concentrates, and she’s so adorable it makes my heart break. Stacy should be in a school right now, protected and taken care of – not forced to scrape a rough-scrabble living on these streets.
She definitely shouldn’t have to be facing Scorp warriors – fearing for her life, and those of the other street kids who’ve become her family.
Stacy remembers: “They went out to work.”
Work. That means scavenging the empty husks of closed-down businesses, rustling through the landfills, or trying their luck pickpocketing at the market. Damn the Capital! There should be enough resources to help those in poverty – not to leave them thieving or rummaging through garbage just to fill their bellies!
I turn to the other kid. Maybe he knows more: “Did they go to the market?”
Tod puffs up his chest. A tear of terror rolls down his dirty cheek, but he tries desperately to be brave. “Runner said he was going to the old hospital. I think he’s there! Tammy, we have to help them!”
“We’re going to help them,” I promise, as the three aliens finally finish clearing a path through the Scorp carcasses and reveal the splintered doorway.
My heart stops, and for a second I half-expect the next wave of those disgusting creatures to come pouring in – but mercifully the alleyway beyond appears empty.
I grab my wrench – the closest thing I have to a weapon – and clutch it in a white-knuckled fist.
While I want to comfort the two children, I’ll need my mobility – so I reluctantly let go of Tod’s hand.
“Stay close behind me,” I warn, my tone ice-cold. The two of them nod dutifully, and press behind me like ducklings behind a mother duck.
I mirror that behavior – stepping close behind the towering Aurelians in exactly the same way.
Can you blame me? There’s comfort enough in the presence of a single seven-feet-tall alien warrior, and with three of them here I even have the slightest spark of hope that we might actually be able to find Tyler and Runner and get out of this godsforsaken city.
We step out into the alleyway – and that’s when the silence hits me.
“Cover your eyes,” I whisper, but I know it’s already too late.
The children whimper as the bloodshed is revealed. Puddles of red have already been swallowed up by the thirsty dirt and grime of the alley, but there are still body parts strewn all around – human body parts.
The bodies of only a few Scorp warriors lie among the severed limbs. It’s very apparent that the people of Barl were hopelessly outclassed – although a few managed to take down one or two of their attackers before they were overwhelmed.
Out in the street, the doors of the houses have all been torn down, and the windows smashed – with pincer marks clear on the walls from where the enraged Scorp attacked.
I notice that there are no human bodies
