Chaos Theory (18 page)

Blue stood and held out his hand. “Don’t think. Take my hand
and live.”

Kali placed her hand in his and he yanked her out the
room.

“
Halt!”

Blue lifted a hand fingers splayed. A pulse of energy shot
from him and slammed into the soldier who had taken aim when they
stepped into the hallway. The soldier was airborne, flying out one
of the broken windows.

Blue didn’t wait, he tugged Kali after him towards the back of
the house, keeping his senses open for more danger.

“
Blue, we’re being invaded by aliens. Aren’t Alliance soldiers
good?”

“
Good is subjective.”

Kali’s face scrunched when he held an arm out to hold her
still as he peeked around a corner. “No it’s not,” she argued, her
arms wrapped protectively around her bag.

“
It is today.” Blue took her hand and ran.

16.

Blue didn’t know what to do or say. Everything felt wrong.
Awkward. Was it a testament to how delusional he’d been about them
working as a couple that he had envisioned his reunion with Kali to
be different?

He’d been prepared for the tears, and for her to be frantic,
but he’d also expected her to be her usual compelling self. Blue
imagined drawing her close and kissing her senseless. She would
feel his relief and draw strength from the connection they had
shared. She must have suffered at the hands of his Creator, but
Kali had been accepting of what he’d been before she was abducted,
and he would make her see he was the same man.

The problem was that connection. He didn’t feel it
anymore.

She stood stoically next to him in the elevator, her arms
wrapped around her middle. From the set of her jaw she fought not
to cry, but each time he reached to her, she stiffened, her eyes
seeking an escape. It shocked him the first time and irritated him
every time after.

He’d never hurt her, yet she acted as if he was one touch away
from destroying her.

Blue dug deep for patience and understanding, something he
could only do for the Kali he knew before this chaos.

The last couple of hours had been dreadful. Maybe after she
washed, slept, and ate she’d lift the dampener weighing her
down.

The elevator doors pinged, and they entered a long curved
corridor of whitewashed walls and gray stone floor. Fluorescent
lights bracketed the upper corners and the first door was not ten
feet from them. At the end of the corridor in the main living
space, Blue could hear the low murmur of excited voices.

His home had never been full. He was used to it just being
him, Caesar and Hypatia. It would take some adjustment. The FetchMe
flew towards him now and landed on his shoulder. They connected via
their ComLink, and she transferred data about Caesar as she was
programmed to. Blue rubbed his companion’s wing absentmindedly as
images flickered in his mind’s eye. “This is Hypatia.”

Kali stared at the raptor, dull-eyed, and flat-tailed. Her
face paled and she swayed. “I forgot Howl,” she whispered brokenly.
“
How could I do that?
We have to go back. Now.”

“
He’s here,” Blue placated, holding out a hand to calm her.
Hypatia gave him details of what had happened to Kali’s companion.
“He’s been drugged because he was agitated, but when he wakes you
can go to him.”

She relaxed. “Thank science.” Her gaze lifted. “No,
thank you
, Blue, you
don’t now how much it means to me you brought him here to be
safe.”

Their footsteps echoed in the hallway as they walked towards
the main living area. Rather than be intrigued by her surroundings
as he expected, Kali kept her head down, and stared at her
feet.

Her brow furrowed deeply. “I need to find–”

“
Kali
.” Her
head snapped back as Max pulled her into his arms for a
bone-crushing hug. “I thought I’d never see you again.” She mumbled
something unintelligible into his chest, clutching him to her. He
eased his hold, so she could speak. He made a noise when she asked
after her parents, and tucked her head under his chin, stroking her
back tenderly. “Aw,” he croaked. “They got taken, Kal. I saw it.
Those fuxs took Maddie too.”

Fresh tears pooled in Kali’s eyes as Max’s baby sister came to
mind. “Your mother?”

He breathed raggedly and tightened his hold. “Gone. Those
parasites got a hold of her the same time as Maddie. I couldn’t get
to them in time.”

“
Parasites?”

“
Symbionts,” Blue clarified. “They turn the Humans into
mindless Hosts under the direction of the Hive.”

Confused at the exchange Max held onto Kali’s shoulders. “How
can you not know about the Symbionts?”

“
The Novae had her,” Blue explained quietly.

“
What,” Lara said flatly. She stood from her seat at the ComUni
screens Blue installed to monitor the scrap yard and stalked
towards them. “Why bring her here then? Who knows what they’ve done
to her.”

Blue shook his head slowly.

“
Don’t be foolish,” Lara drawled, the lazy way she said the
words lessening the sting. “She shouldn’t be here.”

“
Novae?” Kali repeated.

“
The aliens,” Max explained. “You don’t know
anything?”

“
I woke up in my garden, you know the sand crystals we have
decorating the back? In those, in a hole as if I’d been dropped
there. I was groggy at first, but I knew something was seriously
wrong when my house was trashed. Blue found me as the Alliance
raided and got me out of there.” She paused. “Still not sure why
the Alliance are the bad guys.”

“
They’re not,” Max assured her. “These guys are Hybrids, and
soldiers won’t be worried about good and bad aliens right
now.”

“
More of a shoot on sight policy,” affirmed Lara
dryly.

“
What’s the last thing you remember?” Blue asked. “Before you
woke?”

“
Flashing lights. Beeping noises. Pointy needles.” Kali
shuddered. “Them. It must be the Novae I saw. They have pale faces
and fangs.” Her eyes pinged to the sharp teeth in Blue’s mouth then
Lara’s.

Blue restrained the desire to press his lips closed. She knew
what he was and he refused to be embarrassed. “Do you remember
anything before that? Before your abduction?”

“
I remember being on the back of your FloBi when you were
taking me home.” She frowned. “Wait, no, you ordered me to get off
the bike then it was lifted up in the air. Then a few hazy bits
from the abduction and then I woke up on the ground in my
garden.”

Whatever she said seemed to satisfy them, because they all
relaxed and exhaled heavily.

Blue and Max clashed gazes, and Max held up his hands. “I know
when I’m out of line. Sorry.”

Kali glanced between them. “What?”

“
You were taken with me,” Blue explained. “Capturing you was an
accident, I think, and they separated us. I was returned to the
same place, but you weren’t. Max found me at your domicile. When I
couldn’t tell him where you were he got angry.” Blue pointed to his
split lip.

“
I threw some pretty gruesome accusations his way.” Max
shrugged sheepishly. “And a few punches, but what else was I
supposed to think? He’s Hybrid.”

“
Hybrid?” Kali put her hands to her head, on information
overload. Her mind was fogged. There was a massive gap in her
memory and thinking too hard was giving her a headache. “How long
have I been gone?”

“
Nearly four days,” Blue answered. “I was returned after three,
but for some reason they kept you longer.”

“
Something that makes me suspicious,” Lara said. “They simply
returned a female perfect for breeding home days after taking her?
That makes no sense.”

Kali held up a hand. “One thing at a time. We’re under
attack?”

“
Yes. An invasion by sentient beings of unimaginable power.”
Lara’s fangs flashed angrily. “Stars, you’re slow.”

“
You really are a bitch,” Max snapped. “I thought it was just
me.”

Kali was too confused to feel any anger. She pushed her palm
at Lara. “I’ll get to you in a minute.” Turning to Blue, she closed
her eyes. “Explain, please.”

“
The Alliance received a communication from an alien species
who call themselves the Novae,” Blue said. “They were given an
ultimatum; peacefully hand over females viable for breeding or the
planet would be taken by force. Quadrant21 was Quarantined and the
promise of the women of that area given. It was a stall tactic. The
Alliance launched an attack on the two spaceships that landed
planet side. It was a failure. Thousands like me were abducted and
told our purpose. We’re Hybrids, genetically engineered soldiers
placed in the wombs of women to be born and raised as
earthlings.”

“
You knew,” Kali gasped. “You knew this would
happen.

Blue hesitated, before placing a hand on the nape of her neck
in a way he hoped was calming. “Let me finish. Due to the
aggressive reaction of Earth’s leaders, we were activated. Our
purpose prior to invasion was to gather knowledge and to prepare.
We never knew of each other’s existence, and we never knew what we
were preparing for. We were returned, with a new mission.
Instructions of where to be and what to do during the takeover were
implanted during reconditioning.”

Kali’s eyes travelled over him and Lara. “Then what are you
doing here, with us? Why did you help me?”

“
Like me, Lara, and two others you have yet to meet resisted
the conditioning. They found me because they too feel a connection
to humanity and don’t wish to bow to our Creators.”

Kali was stunned. “How did you get here?” she asked
Max.

“
I found him at your domicile and was pissed when you weren’t
with him,” he replied. “They freaked after an explosion and brought
us here. I figured sticking with them was a good idea. I swear,
Kal, I never knew the aliens had you. At first, I thought you and
Blue were hiding together, but when I found out about the Hybrids,
I knew you were in trouble. I couldn’t leave without trying to find
you. I hid with Bella in my basement.”

He had taken an enormous risk to wait for her. Kali had seen
what happened to her neighbours, and that Max risked his safety for
her warmed her like nothing had since she’d woken. She clasped his
hand. “From the sounds of things, I’ve had it easy compared to what
you’ve been suffering. Thanks for looking for me.”

He smiled grimly. “Of course I looked for you.”

Kali rubbed her free hand over her face. She felt grimy. “What
happens to the people the Host take?” She remembered what Blue said
about breeders. “The males,” she added, not wanting to hear what
she suspected was a horrible fate for a female.

“
Most are paired with a Symbiont,” Blue replied. Others are
taken alive to be slaves. “They’ll be safe as long as they don’t
resist.”

A new purpose centred Kali. There was a niggle in her middle
that she had to save someone, and she knew it must be her parents.
They needed her. She may have little idea of what hell she’d woken
to, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that her parents would
not stop fighting until they could hold her again.

Neither would she.

For the first time in hours, she felt like herself. “I have to
find my parents.

“
Please,” Lara scoffed. “What are you proposing? That we
swagger into the slave encampment and pick them up?”

“
If that is where they are, yes, but you don’t have to put
yourself out. As soon as I figure out where this encampment is, and
how to get my parents out safely, I’m gone.”

“
I’ll go with you,” Max said, his eyes flashing. “I’ll take any
shot at getting Madeleine back.”

Blue gripped Kali’s elbow. She could flinch all she liked,
he’d had enough hearing her talk so blithely about putting herself
in danger. “We can’t.”

Her bottom lip trembled. “Why?”

“
We have to hide. It’s safe here for now, and that will allow
us time to figure out what to do next. We’ve had a reprieve because
of what we are, have been able to move around mostly unhindered,
but soon the dust will settle. Already there are less soldiers
fighting. The Alliance are losing, Kali.”

Lara snorted. “They lost in the first hour. The Creator is
just mopping up.”

Blue caught Kali’s chin when she would have turned away.
“Focus on survival.”

“
I can’t do that without them.”

“
It gets easier after you have a good cry,” a familiar voice
said behind Max. Large blue eyes stared at Kali. A waterfall of
blonde hair framed an oval face smudged with soot.

“
Bella?”

“
It’s good to see you.” She kind of smiled. “Max was
worried.”

Max wrapped an arm around Christabella’s shoulders
protectively and kissed the top of her head.

“
See, there are people here you can turn to.” Blue addressed
the whole group. “We need to live to fight another day.”