US (Formerly The After Effect - Book 2)

48 - P L A N / B

/SORRY if it's short. the end is near/

Each of the five burly guards draws their weapon and aims down their sights as we threaten the same onto them, causing an awkward standstill on both sides. We've taken down their troop leader once, it's an easy fight. Given the numbers, I figure I'm going to need to get at least one or two of the men unconscious for this plan to work. Stella already mentioned how five would be too much to handle at once—mentally speaking—even with Brink's assistance.

Brink and Stella must have been communicating silently because the lead guard suddenly lowers his gun. At first, this confuses the surrounding soldiers, but within seconds, Stella's magic falls onto them and they begin to lower their guns as their bodies begin to magnetize with the floor. As they sink to the ground, too drowsy to stand, I decide to bend the air and slam it toward the two remaining guys, who wind up smashing against the ground harder than intended a few feet away. Their guns spring free from their grip on impact, and I gasp at my force.

Did I kill them?

I hold my breath and watch Brink and Stella's laser-focus continue on the guards in front of them.

"What's next?" I ask.

Stella's fiery green irises break concentration and flick to Brink as if she's waiting for his cue. That's when the commander drops his gun and starts to move silently away from us. Brink starts to follow, so we all trail behind him in an odd sort of line.

Stella places her hand on my back and pulls me into her a little hug. "You were incredible back there. After that, you better not doubt yourself ever again in your entire life."

I'm not sure where to keep my eyes. I feel too strange about the situation to feel proud of it. After all, we've been fighting against a murderer and here I have become one. My decision doesn't sit well with me all the way, but I have to accept it now. There was no other way to take Kai out, so when I saw the opportunity I snatched it. Now it's over. All of this...it's done.

I simply nod in response to her and stare back ahead. Still I have to ask, "Will this work?"

"Looks like it will. Supposedly the soldier is walking toward a ship somewhere. We might just make it out of here, Aurora," she says with a relieved laugh.

I shake my head in disbelief, my heart still thrashing around inside me as we head into town again, the workers still going at it. Part of me wants to tell them to stop the labor, tell them they are free, but I hold my tongue and press on. They will find out soon.

I just want to get out of here.

Some wandering soldiers throw us weird looks, like they are suspicious, probably because of how bloody we all are, but none of them walk over to check what we're doing. Maybe they think we've been leeched at this point and are basically nothing but blind sheep.

We turn a corner and up ahead I see multiple spaceships parked in a vertical line beside a silver high rise. They are stacked like pancakes, each behind their own locked gate.

Stella weaves her wand through mine and does the same to Zeriah on her right as we approach the string of vehicles.

Brink turns to the guard next to him but speaks silently. However, the guard answers aloud. "I do not have granted access."

Stella's grip on me loosens and then she drops Zeriah and I. That's when the radio sounds.

We all glance down at the guard's belt, where an echoey, frightened voice rushes out, "Kai is dead! Voice back, Valero. We don't have the whereabout of the Creations. Voice back!" the man repeats.