Darkest Days Read online

  Guards moved aside and allowed a female human to pass between them. She stepped out into the plaza and met the boy who led Athos to the compound. He couldn’t hear their exchange, but the guide pointed at Athos. The girl approached him, the firelight illuminating the nervous suspicion in her expression.

  “You’ve come from the giant spaceship?” she asked, stopping a respectful distance from him.

  “Yes, we have,” Athos replied.

  “You want to see Shamus?” She pointed up at the building rising behind her.

  “I do.”

  “Why? What do you want with us?”

  “We came here to protect you from our common enemy.” Athos paused and glanced up at the sky. “They have proven too strong for us to defeat alone. We must work together if we are to survive. I have come to ask your allegiance.”

  The girl stared at him, seeming to decide if he could be trusted. The general could read her fear, but he could also see she hoped he would bring order back to her world. She hoped he could save her. He’d seen that same look in many humans’ faces. Their very DNA encoded the desire to trust their Anunnaki masters. He just needed to exploit it to bring them into his army.

  “They stay here.” She gestured to his soldiers. “You can come up.”

  After giving his soldiers a nod that ordered them to stay, he followed the girl into the dark building. The sound of drums faded, and they went down a hallway lit by candles placed too far apart for him to see for most of the time. He stayed close to the girl ahead of him, and she turned down another hallway, the sound from outside growing quieter with each turn.

  The general took slow, deep breaths, trying to brace himself for the climb to come. He guessed they’d be going to the fourth floor, where he’d seen the boy standing. That had to be Shamus. The girl opened a metal door, and he saw the stairs he’d been dreading. The door closed after them, and he could no longer hear the drums. They were alone, and he had no weapon. He wondered if his hand-to-hand combat training would be enough for him to defeat the girl. The rifle over her shoulder was useless in such close quarters.

  She darted up the steps, leaving him behind. He climbed at a deliberate pace, trying to conserve energy. When she stopped at the top of the second flight and glared down at him for going so slow, he put on an expression that said he was too dignified to run up the steps. She seemed to buy it, shrugging and matching his pace. She maintained the distance between them, now far enough away to bring her gun around and shoot him before he could attack her.

  He kept his breathing controlled, but sweat poured from his forehead by the time they made the second floor. Athos’ legs felt like fire consumed them from the inside, and he gave a silent thanks to the gods when he made it up the last flight.

  The girl pulled open the door that led out of the stairwell and onto the fourth floor. Athos wanted to collapse on the first chair he came to. Instead, he kept his head high and strolled past her, making sure not to breathe too hard when he did.

  She took him down another hallway, and he further composed himself, wiping his face on his sleeves. They passed through a door into a large room with floor-to-ceiling windows busted out on the exterior side. Couches lined the walls with kids lounging on them. Even with the side of the building open, smoke from the small fire burning near the edge hung thick in the air. The dim light flickered in the eyes of the humans and reflected off the barrels of their guns.

  Even in the dark, he could see these kids had the same ferocity in their eyes as the girl who led him up here. They were experienced killers who were not to be underestimated.

  “You here to see Shamus?” A voice carried from the couch positioned near the edge of the floor, a small fire separating it from the drop off.

  “I am,” Athos replied, approaching the couch.

  “Sit,” the boy said, pointing at a chair to his left.

  Ignoring the arrogance in the human’s tone, Athos stepped around the couch and assessed the chair. Even in the limited light, he could see how filthy it was. These humans were living like animals. If he didn’t take control of them, they’d end up dying from disease. He sat down, the smell of sweat and dirt squeezed from the seat cushion under his weight.

  The boy on the couch wore gold chains around his neck and a condescending expression on his face. He grinned, displaying some sort of gold cap covering his upper teeth.

  “What do you want with Shamus?” the boy asked.

  “Not to play games, I assure you of that,” Athos firmly replied. “You are Shamus, are you not?”

  The human stared back at him, his cold gaze a harsh contrast to his youthful features.

  “I am,” he replied. “And we,” he gestured toward the other kids in the room, “will play games whenever it pleases us.”

  The guard standing behind Athos chuckled.

  “You do realize we are all under attack?” Athos said. “Something out there wants all of us dead.”

  “It ain’t nothing new,” Shamus replied, leaning forward in his seat. “I’ve been under attack since the day I was born. As soon as I could walk, I joined a gang. By the time I was twelve, I was the boss. I used to feel sorry for myself, being forced into a thug’s life. But when all this shit went down, I realized my destiny.”

  “And what is that?” Athos humored the boy, trying to figure out the angle he’d use to manipulate him to his will.

  “Ain’t it obvious?” Shamus’ eyes widened. “To rule this city.”

  “And why not the world?” Athos tried not to laugh.

  “Ain’t nothing outside the ATL I care about.” Shamus plopped back into his couch and put his arms over the backrest. “And I will say, smart of you to come to me. You landed in my city, and I was about to come to you with a world of hurt.”

  “We were forced to land here,” Athos said, “by the alien that killed your parents.”

  “My parents?” Shamus laughed. “Maybe this alien ain’t my enemy after all.”

  “I assure you, it is.” Athos gave him a stern look. “They have come here to destroy us all, and we must unite into a single strong fist if we are to survive.”

  “That means you want me and mine to join you?”

  “It is not a question of what myself or anyone else wants, Mr. Shamus.” Athos paused. “It’s a simple matter of survival.”

  Shamus rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes at Athos.

  “Surviving ain’t no issue for me. It’s what I do best,” he replied. “But just for argument’s sake, what’s in it for me—joining up with you?”

  This time, Athos couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s in it for you?” he asked incredulously. “You get to live.”

  “I didn’t survive this long worrying every minute about whether I live or die,” Shamus snapped. “Same with all of us. Not caring is what’s kept us alive.”

  “You want some promise, some reward if we are able to defeat this enemy?” Athos asked, trying not to sound condescending.

  “Now we’re having a proper negotiation,” Shamus said, nodding.

  “Fine, this city is yours if we win.”

  “And you’ll help me defend my city in the future if necessary.” Shamus wrung his hands greedily.

  “Agreed,” Athos replied, extending his hand to seal the deal in the manner he knew humans were accustomed to.

  “Agreed,” Shamus echoed.

  His gold-covered teeth reflecting the light, he grasped Athos’ hand and shook. The general returned his smile, trying not to let his disgust show on his face. He doubted the boy had washed his hands in ages.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Shane and Tracy finished filling their packs in silence, closing them at the same time. They leaned them back to back just as the rest of their friends stepped into the firelight.

  “What’s up?” Steve asked. “Maurice mentioned a vote.”

  “Jones,” Shane paused and glanced at Jules, “and others think we should head toward Atlanta.”

  “Don’t care what the
y think,” Steve replied. “It’s your opinion that’s kept us alive for this long.”

  “What do you think?” Maurice added.

  “I’m afraid we might not have a choice.” The words burned like acid in his mouth.

  His gut told him the incinerated boy was just the beginning. More people were going to die.

  “There’s always a choice,” Tracy firmly said. Her blue eyes narrowed, and she clapped her hand on her rifle. “That’s why we fight.”

  “But how do we fight Greenie?” Steve asked, seeming hungry for the answer.

  Shane wished he had a target to point Steve and Tracy at. He stared at the blonde girl bound with rope. Jules’ crew cut didn’t get any attention when the Anunnaki held her captive, and it had grown into a bushy mess.

  “Greenie said it’s holding us on trial.” Maurice squatted by the fire, orange light flickering on his thoughtful expression. “I think it wants to see how we behave toward our enemy when the playing field is leveled.”

  “Does that imply we should go down there and kick some Anunnaki ass?” A man of action, Steve seemed eager for any solution. He wanted to get on with it. “You know they damned well deserve it.”

  “That’s exactly what we should do,” Jules said, raising her head. “If we don’t, they’ll kill us all.”

  Her attention shot toward the forest. Shane followed her gaze and saw some kids near the edge of camp shouting panicked warnings. Green forms of adults, presumably in the likeness of other kids’ parents, stepped out from between the trees and walked toward them.

  “Run,” Shane shouted. “Everyone, move!”

  His order was repeated across the camp. He kept his gun ready and his eyes on the green beings.

  “Get them out of here,” Shane said to Maurice, indicating towards Jules and Kelly.

  Maurice untied the ropes binding Jules’ legs and helped her to her feet.

  “Now you see you were right,” Jules yelled loud enough to be heard over the terrified shouts of fleeing kids. “We don’t have a choice.”

  Shane studied her eyes, wondering if she knew more about Greenie than she’d shared with them. Maurice tugged her away, and Shane turned his attention to the line of approaching aliens.

  Most of the kids had run, and there was nothing but grass between him and the Greenies. Adrenaline made his veins feel hot. His instincts screamed for him to turn and run, but he stood his ground until the kids under his charge were safe. Steve, Tracy, and Laura stood with him, wide-eyed as they stared at the approaching line of aliens.

  “All clear,” he shouted. “Let’s get out of here.”

  His friends obeyed, and Shane ran after them. The line of glowing aliens continued across the field, though they didn’t move any faster. Shane entered the woods. Within a few minutes, he could no longer see the green aliens. He wasn’t sure if they’d given up pursuit or if the kids had outrun them. To be safe, he ushered the kids ahead of him, keeping them running. He reckoned they covered about three quarters of a mile before a few of the kids couldn’t go on, slowing to a walk and huffing for air.

  “Shout forward for everyone to slow down,” Shane ordered. “We don’t want to lose anyone.”

  The kids who could hear him started walking, the sounds of their feet crunching through the dead leaves and their labored breathing loud in the silent forest. Shane saw no sign of glowing green figures behind them.

  “They’ll leave us alone if we keep moving south, toward the Anunnaki,” Jules promised.

  He’d caught up with her and Maurice. Sickened by her comment, he didn’t reply. He hated being pushed around by yet another alien force. If they survived this, humans had to recover and get stronger. They had to learn to defend themselves.

  “Run ahead and make sure our group stays together,” he said to Steve.

  The big guy nodded and trotted through the trees, shouting for squad leaders to take a count of their people. Shane tried to shake the adrenaline—it felt like he’d just woken from a nightmare. Had anyone else been taken by Greenie? Everything had happened so fast, he couldn’t say for sure.

  “Yell your squad number once you’ve taken a count,” Shane shouted into the darkness.

  The glow from the aliens had ruined his night vision, but it returned quickly. He rubbed his arms for warmth, already missing the campfire.

  “Squad twelve,” a girl’s voice yelled. “All here.”

  This started the roll call.

  “I’ll keep a tally,” Tracy volunteered, sounding eager for the distraction.

  Shane stepped into another clearing that lay on the edge of a plateau in the forest. Although he reckoned he could see for a hundred miles on a sunny day, only the beam of light shining down on Atlanta was visible now. After what had just happened, he had to conclude it was a beacon. Greenie put it there to guide them toward the Anunnaki.

  He thought about the time before the Anunnaki arrived on Earth, back to when he and his friends were training on the hidden base in the mountains. He lived in fear then, worried they’d be crushed in a fight against aliens so advanced, but he’d always felt they at least had a chance, that they controlled their own destiny. Now, Greenie had a plan for them, and there was nothing he could do but go along with it. It made him feel powerless and without hope.

  “Everyone is accounted for,” Tracy reported. “Except the kid we lost earlier.”

  “Good,” Shane replied.

  To the north, he could see a faint green wall of light moving slowly down the mountain toward them.

  “It ain’t going to let up, is it?” Tracy said, not sounding like she expected an answer.

  “I’m afraid not,” he replied. “Maybe not until we fight the Anunnaki.”

  “These bastards are no better than they are.” Her voice seethed with the anger he felt.

  “They could’ve killed us already,” he mused. “At this point, we’ll just have to stay the course and be happy we’re still alive.”

  “It’s no less dire a situation than we’ve been in since day one.” The iron-tough JROTC commander seemed to find a measure of peace in this notion.

  Shane thanked God he still had her by his side. This crew-cut-wearing badass was the kind of friend who made him a better person, a better leader. He had no doubt he would have been killed or would have given up a long time ago if it weren’t for Tracy.

  “Yep,” he replied. “I guess we’ll keep doing what we do.”

  “Until we beat these bastards,” she added. “All of them.”

  His small army had slowed to a walk, but they continued the march south. Other than the feet crushing the forest floor, the kids didn’t make a sound. They didn’t chatter among themselves, and he didn’t sense they were overly afraid, no longer driven by panic. They’d been living in a nightmare for so long, he reckoned they’d grown numb. He knew that numbness too, on multiple levels. Although he hated how this powerful entity had them on the run, he almost relished the jolt of fear he’d experienced when Greenie drove them from the camp. It let him know he was still alive, that he could still feel.

  Chapter Fifteen

  His body aching from the unassisted hike in Earth’s intense gravity, Athos made his way back to the Pegasus. His success in recruiting the thug leader and his army infused him with hope. He turned down the street that led directly to the ship and could see the beam of sunlight falling on the city at her apex.

  “Perhaps the gods are on our side after all,” he mused.

  “Our people have always had their favor,” the lieutenant to his right replied, sounding out of breath.

  “Indeed, we have.”

  The optimism of this young soldier was familiar to him. It reminded him of his nephew, Pelros. Where was his boy now? Had he perished when they lost power and the slaves were released? The last communication he had with Pelros pointed toward that conclusion. His heart ached. Pelros was the only family Athos had left. He’d been the general’s pride and joy. While Athos had always identified himself as
a soldier, living to serve his people and grow the empire, he’d found a new and higher sense of purpose when he adopted his nephew. Each victory he’d achieved and promotion he’d earned meant so much more because of his nephew’s, his son’s, pride in his accomplishments. His every action gained dual purpose—to serve Anu and to be a role model for Pelros.

  His joy had been stripped away from him, and anger filled the void. He wanted revenge. He’d hold his rage close, let it build in him until he found this new enemy’s weakness. When the time came, he would unleash it upon them. The enemy would know his pain, and they would suffer his loss. He would make them wish for death a thousand times over, and he would keep them alive until they could suffer no more. Only then would he grant their wish.

  “They will know that the gods chose the Anunnaki,” Athos said. “We will crush them.”

  “Yes, sir,” the lieutenant replied, that pride and the confidence of youth in his voice.

  Athos left his human soldiers at the base of the Pegasus, and he and his men began the ascent. They made it a third of the way up before his strength failed, and they had to take lodgings in a deserted apartment alongside the steps. The dried foods in the apartment’s kitchen hadn’t spoiled, and he and his soldiers ate in exhausted silence. Then they slept.

  Athos awoke to the same darkness that haunted them since the enemy blocked out the sun. He lay awake, remembering the dream he’d had before going out into the city, the nightmare of seeing Pelros killed by the humans. It made him question everything all over again. Would his people prevail, or had the gods turned their backs on them? The questions made him anxious to get up to the light.

  “Rise,” he said, waking his soldiers.

  His muscles were sore, but the food and rest had returned a measure of his strength. After climbing over the low wall that separated the apartment from the stairs, Athos could see sunlight—pure, warm, and golden—shining upon the top of the Pegasus. After so much cold darkness, it looked like they were ascending toward the realm of the gods.