“What about these Refuge people?” the CEO of Orion asked.
“They will be dealt with in the proper order,” Octavia advised him.
Bryson glanced at me. I knew he would be coming to Dutis with us. Bryson Kelley would accept no further delay in seeing his wife again. He was practically on the edge of his seat in anticipation.
The meeting went on while the planning took place, and finally, after two hours, we broke for lunch. I decided to walk out of the Board’s top floor and onto the landing pads outside for some fresh air.
There were ten Racers parked in a neat row.
“What’s going on?” I asked someone near the edge of Oasis’ Racer.
Kole Brenner turned and ran over, shaking my hand. “Hawk Lewis. What an honor.” This was a far cry from how he’d treated me during the Race, but I just nodded.
“What are you doing?” I asked, noticing another familiar face down the line. I waved at Kira Nerolf, the disgruntled pilot from the bar at SeaTech. Her white mohawk and pink eyes were unmistakable. Lina Nebu stepped off the Luna Racer, and I saw they were all present.
Kole Brenner clapped me on the arm. “We’re here to join your fleet, Hawk.”
“You all have FTL?” I squinted at the last ship in line.
“Fast as they come.”
Kira breezed over, her cocky gait almost comical. “Hey, Hawk. I know we’ve had our disagreements, but I’m pretty pumped for this mission.”
“Glad to have you on board,” I told her. Each of the crews was outside their Racers now, gathered to listen to their fleet commander.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but with all of you on our team, we can’t lose. Today we celebrate. Because in a few weeks… it’s time to strike.”
They cheered, and I let their joy and excitement wash over me.
There were a lot of unknowns, but Earth was safe for the time being, my grandfather was still alive, and my friends were happy. I glanced behind me, finding Pilgrim’s crew had arrived to join the party.
I watched as they interacted with the other teams, and realized this was what it was all about.
We weren’t quite at the final checkpoint, but we were winning the race.
____________
Garret Breaker walked through the halls of Tarre. After the First Regal of Tarre had had a terrible accident a few months earlier, he’d taken over. His people had no issue following orders, since the First Ruler had been killed on the mission to Earth.
“Sir, your meeting has arrived,” Telin Barr said. She was invaluable as his aide.
“Show him in.” Garret took the spear, hefting the weight in his hand. He was supposed to be named captain of Obelisk all that time ago, and now Preston was still attempting to gain more power than him.
Trid, the Darlor leader, entered the pool room and glanced around nervously. He was an ugly creature. All of the Darlor were.
“You did well at Refuge,” Garret told him.
The man bowed his head. “Was it enough?”
Garret circled around Trid, the butt of his spear clanging against the floor with each step. “Yes. You showed great poise. It was unfortunate that you were unable to destroy Biks as ordered.”
“They were prepared for us.”
Garret stopped and jabbed the metal point toward Trid’s face. It halted an inch from his bulbous eyes. “Will we encounter any resistance moving forward?”
Trid made the slightest movement. “No.”
“Then prepare the fleet. Gather your forces. We strike Dutis in three weeks.”
Trid scurried to the exit, pausing for a brief second. “I, Trid of the Velibar, am here to serve, First Ruler.”
He left, and Garret smiled widely. First Ruler. It had a nice ring to it.
“Try to stop me, Preston Lewis, and you will see my true colors,” he whispered in English.
Once he had control of the Velibar, his next target would be simple by comparison.
Earth wouldn’t stand a chance.
The End
Continue the race with
Space Strike (Space Race 3)
Invasion is imminent. Loyalties are tested.
Arlo Lewis faced the enemy and survived. Barely. What they found at Refuge would change the future of mankind forever, but will it be enough to save Earth?
When Preston Lewis’s true motives become clear, Arlo must choose between his friends and his grandfather.
Bryson Kelley is a man on a mission, and his desire to bring his loved one from the clutches of the enemy might bring humanity’s ultimate downfall.
Space Strike is the explosive conclusion to Space Race you won’t want to miss.
SPACE STRIKE
A mysterious object in space
An archaeologist in search of answers
A cult hailing the end of the world
The Bridge awaits...
Rex Walker always wanted to be like his father: a daring, adventurous man, traveling the world in pursuit of mysterious relics. Now Rex is the same age his father was when he disappeared without a trace.
While teaching anthropology at a Boston college, Rex attempts to bury the past, until he discovers a hidden clue he can’t ignore.
With the help of his sidekick Marcus, a former student turned protégé, he teams up with an alien-obsessed billionaire, and they search for the fabled Bridge.
As an unidentified object nears Pluto, speculation surges. The Believers, a fanatical cult, hail it as the homecoming of a distant alien race.
Will Rex solve the puzzle before it’s too late? Find out in Lost Contact, the first installment of The Bridge Sequence by Nathan Hystad, the best-selling author of The Event and Final Days.
The Da Vinci Code meets Contact in this near-future SciFi thriller.
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