Falling Skies Invasion Alone

Breakdown

A bomb had gone off. Well, that's what it sounded like, at least.

I had been sitting out on the steps of the bus, sipping at some water when it happened. The Colonel and Tom appeared almost immediately. I caught Maggie's eye and we both approached the group.

"I'm heading up to see if there's anyone needing help." Tom turned to me as I reached them. "You coming with?"

I glanced over at the bus. "I think I'll stay here. By the sounds of that explosion, there could be casualties. Lourdes is out for the count, she's exhausted. I'll stay with Anne, just in case."

They all nodded. "Is Ben with you?" Tom asked Hal.

"I thought he was with you. I haven't seen him." He shook his head. "When's the last time you saw him?"

I tensed. Ben had basically avoided me, barely staying near me long enough to say hello. "Not today."

Matt was tagging along behind us, waiting for some orders. Tom and I looked at each other, thinking the same thing about Matt.

"Matt, you up to guarding the med bus?" Tom handed a rifle to his son.

Matt hesitated and then grabbed the gun.

"Good boy." I put my hand on Matt's shoulder and led him to the bus. "We might get busy, so you gotta be on watch."

He nodded. "Yeah, I can do this."

I left him outside, standing all official like, and went into the bus.

I explained what had happened to Anne, and we prepared to be hit with casualties.

Barely an hour had passed, when they burst back into camp with a body.

"Rick?" Anne questioned when the body was laid down on the bed.

I looked at the boy, his black skin covered in bruises and blood. "Who the hell is this?"

"It's Rick. He was taken the same time as Ben and we got him back at the same time too, but he was different to Ben, he didn't adapt back into life like Ben did." Anne explained as we patched up his wounds. Anne removed a chunk of shrapnel from his shoulder, but apart from that he had no deathly injuries, just bangs and bruises. He was out cold though.

"So what, he ran away?" I questioned as I applied a bandage to his wrist.

"Yeah. Just before you got here. He just disappeared." She shrugged. "We though he was gone for good."

People didn't just disappear. He had either been taken, or he had left voluntarily. From what Anne had said, I was gonna hedge my bets on the voluntarily option.

Hal and the colonel came in, but Hal seemed more interested in getting my attention than hearing what Anne had to say. I excused myself and followed Hal outside where Maggie was waiting.

"What's going on?" I slowed as I stepped out onto the ground.

"We have to talk about Ben." Hal said. I looked at Maggie, she just shrugged slash shook her head.

I cleared my throat and ran my tongue over my teeth. "What d'you mean?"

"Did you see it?" Hal was full of panic, of guilt and worry. He was practically pacing a hole in the ground. "I know you saw it."

"Saw what?"

"The spikes, Cassidy!" he hissed. "The spikes. They were glowing. Did you see it?"

I chewed the inside of my cheek, then relented to a nod.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed. "I knew it."