Invasion (The Alien Wars #1) (2 page)

He picked it up gingerly, replaced the Bible and the key, and strode to the front door. Once he had grabbed a flashlight and put on his shoes, he flitted down the path as quietly but quickly as if he were on patrol. It wasn’t far to the meeting spot, but not wanting to spend a second longer outside than he had
to,
he jogged down the dirt road.

The blue filtered flashlight bobbed to and fro as he slipped into the forest, giving him just enough visibility to dodge trees in his face, but hopefully not draw notice from a distance. Not a single soul was in sight, although that wasn’t a surprise at almost
midnight
. Once he reached the field, he climbed over the gate and ran across the grass. He came to a stop in the middle and held the flashlight up to the stars, switching it on and off for roughly a minute or so until he saw a glimmer in the sky. He put the light away as the craft descended. He was always a little annoyed that his government stressed secrecy so much, but then these creatures swooped down in their saucer ships lit up like a carnival tent. Still, by some miracle, the lights had never aroused anyone’s suspicions so far.

As the round-shaped object hovered above him, he had to put his hand in front of his face to protect his eyes from the brightness. A few seconds later, it landed beside him without a sound. As a panel slid open, the brightness remained.

He had no idea why the light was so bright. All he knew was that he had yet to get a good peek at what these odd creatures looked like. All he knew was that they wore white and called themselves Seods.

“You’re on time,” the Seod stated in that flat, toneless, synthetic accent they always
favored
.

“Aren’t I always?”

“Of course you are.”

Frank pulled out the envelope he had stuck between his shirt and belt and handed it to the figure in white. “There is a letter in here signed by our president, along with several maps of
Europe
. I trust you can deliver it into the right hands before the night is over?”

“It will be done. Is there anything else?”

Frank hesitated for a moment as he glanced around the field. Satisfied that no one was in view, he resumed speaking. “General Eisenhower told me to tell you that Operation Overlord is going to be the largest seaborne invasion in the history of mankind. And if successful, it will go a long way to ending this horrible war. So if
your
superior can comply with everything that he has asked of him, the
United States of America
will forever be in your debt.”

“It will be done. I only regret that our earlier mission failed. Though I don’t know why your government insists that we keep undercover.”

Frank gazed away wistfully. “It’s a bit more complicated with my people. If everyone knew you existed I couldn’t imagine the chaos we’d unleash in every country on Earth. Make this whole World War seem like a playground scuffle. Besides, didn’t you tell me that if Lord
Zocra
knew that you lot were mining on Earth, he would tear Earth apart searching for you and the mines?”

“Yes, that is correct,” the Seod replied.

Frank struggled to avoid rolling his eyes. He’d long since learned to assume nothing and spell everything out as if talking to a child. However these things learned English, it sure wasn’t by a human teacher. “If that happened, humans would no longer rule the planet, and who knows what would happen then. Extremely bad for us, you understand?” Frank glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to get back. Now, is there anything you want me to tell the president?”

“Yes. Tell him that we will cooperate and help him for as long as he does all he can to help us dig. Without the mines, your planet holds nothing of interest to us. That is all.”

Frank watched as the Seod hurried back to its craft. A moment later, the panel slid shut and, a few seconds later, the craft shot into the sky and was soon lost from view.
All without so much as rustling the leaves nearby.

San Francisco
,
CA
,
USA
, Present Day

The black tie,
Logan
thought, fit nicely with the suit. Some might say that it was too traditional, but he knew his father and mother would have been proud. Arthur and Mary Pollack had instilled numerous beliefs in him and his younger brother.
Some,
like not cursing, he had taken lightly, but others, such as marriage, he had taken to heart.

With his tall, athletic build, his wavy, blond hair, and bright blue eyes, many girls would have welcomed the chance to go on a date with him, but after having his heart broken by his high school sweetheart, he had put romance aside and focused on his career. It was only after he had gone to
Syria
and seen how precious life was that he decided to start dating again. Now, one month after his twenty-ninth birthday, he was preparing to get married to the woman he believed was the love of his life.

After hearing the door open, he left the bathroom and caught sight of his younger brother entering the penthouse. With his rugged looks and
chiseled
face, Kenneth had also been popular with the girls. Unlike
Logan
, he’d had numerous girlfriends, but still hadn’t found someone to settle down with.
Though at twenty-seven years old, he still had plenty of time to find a wife.

Logan
walked over to a chair and put on the jacket that had been draped over it. “How did Dad do it?”

“Do what?”

“You know what I mean. Pretend that everything was all right when he was dying on the inside.”

Kenneth frowned. “Do you still have the nightmares?”

“Every single
friggin
’ night.
I’ve been taking those pills for the past three months, but they’ve barely made a difference.”

“Have you told Lucy?”

Logan
shook his head. “No. If she knew, she’d want me to go to the hospital, and I’ve had enough of those to last a lifetime.”

He opened the glass door, walked onto the balcony, and gazed out at the scenery. The bay and the bridges, and even
Alcatraz
, looked beautiful on this winter day.
San Francisco
was always a wonderful sight to see, especially when the morning sun hit the skyscrapers.

He closed his eyes and tried to picture his soon-to-be wife, but all he could see were the war-torn fields of
Syria
. He could also picture Leonard, Joshua, and Will. They had been the best of
friends,
right up until a car bomb had torn them to shreds.

A person rushed toward
Logan
, a knife in his hand. A moment later, a hand descended upon his shoulder. He wrestled the man to the ground, only to discover that it was Kenneth. Apologizing profusely, he quickly helped his brother to his feet. “Sorry, I thought—”

“I was an enemy soldier.”

Logan
slowly nodded as he turned and gazed at the city as the wind started to whip at his face. A storm was building across the bay. Massive dark clouds drifted slowly toward the city.

“Better get going before the storm hits,” Kenneth said. “It wouldn’t be good to be late for your own wedding.”

~*~*~

With a swishing of rotor blades, the dark red helicopter rose into the air and headed across the city. It didn’t take long to get to their destination.

Known as The View, it was one of the most well-known skyscrapers, not least for the fact that it was the tallest in the city. The five-star hotel, with its luxurious penthouse suites, also commanded one of the most beautiful views of the area.

The helicopter touched down on the private helipad and
Logan
couldn’t help but grin as he put all his fears aside. He had first set eyes on Lucy when her father, Donald Thorn, had hosted a fundraiser in support of all that
Logan
and others like him had done in
Syria
.

The event was a massive success, raising over a million dollars in less than twenty-four hours. All the money made on that night had been donated to a charity that was very close to
Logan
’s heart. The sole aim of the Wounded Soldiers Fund was to help returning soldiers find a way to move on from the trauma and devastation they had encountered while fighting.

Seeing Lucy speak about the charity made him realize how similar they were. Talking to her afterward had only strengthened his belief that the two of them were meant to be together. Dating her had been a magical and unbelievable experience. Strolling in the park, swimming in the ocean, and hiking in the Golden Gate Recreation Area were just some of the awesome dates that they had been on. Even watching the sun going down over the city had been an experience he would never forget. The way her hair glinted in the fading
sun,
and the way her eyes sparkled when he talked to her. Everything about their dates had been wonderful—more than he could have ever imagined.

Unfortunately, he’d been assigned to go to
Syria
for another tour of duty, but that hadn’t diminished the love the two of them shared. It had only blossomed during their
Skype
sessions. Even though they were thousands of miles apart, just the sight of each other’s faces made both of them beam with delight. And so, when
Logan
returned to the States, he had wasted no time in proposing to Lucy.

Logan
climbed out of the helicopter as Donald, a tiny thimble of a man with thick-rimmed glasses, walked over.

They shook hands. “Good to see you, Logan.” Donald smiled and clapped his hand on
Logan
’s shoulder. “Feeling good, are we?”

“He’s fine, just a touch of nerves,” Kenneth said as he glanced across the roof and saw that the decorations were already being put up for the party later that night. It had been Donald’s idea to have the wedding at the beach and then have the reception on the roof and
Logan
had readily accepted.

Logan
smiled at his soon-to-be father-in-law. “Lucy means the world to me, and I wouldn’t want to live my life without her.”

“Good to hear. You know I’ve always been a fan of yours, and I couldn’t have asked for a better man to wed my daughter.” Donald glanced at his watch. “I’ve got people at the beach setting it all up, and the guests are scheduled to arrive there in forty minutes, so I’ve just got time to give you something.”

Kenneth and Logan followed Donald down the steps and into his penthouse suite. The spacious lounge room had a magnificent view of
San Francisco
Bay
. In one corner there was a bar, and in the middle, a large pool table.

“This is my home away from home,” Donald said. “I still have my lodge at
Stinson
Beach
, but I’ve been staying here quite a lot since Linda passed away.”

Logan
walked around and admired the room. “It certainly dwarfs the places I’ve been sleeping in.”

“Talking about
Syria
, are you?” Donald poured himself a glass of brandy and offered one to
Logan
.

“Yes.
No, thanks.”
Logan
sat down on a highly expensive settee and looked out at the skyline. He couldn’t get over the room’s beauty.

Kenneth got himself a glass of brandy and joined him. “You should have a drink. It’ll calm your nerves.”

Logan
shook his head. “I swore off the stuff ten months ago and I haven’t looked back since.”