Runner's Moon Trilogy Megabook Series (54 page)

Eerily silent. She stopped for a moment. Freaky silent. Not an insect or a creature was stirring. Not even the wind in the trees. She kept moving.

Once she reached the front steps, it was evident the Arra creatures had come this way. The entire front door, including most of the door frame, and some of the logs of the house were gone. Vaporized, or whatever they had done to remove their impediment. Sarah was able to step directly from the porch into the house.

Her first instinct was to look for one of the cell phones in the kitchen where she vaguely recalled seeing one. The interior of the house was too dark, but she didn't dare risk turning on a light. She was reduced to searching by feel.

Countertops, stove, sinks...

"We all sat around the table," she muttered, turning around and leaning over to reach the table where she thought it would be. Her fingers struck something that skittered out of the way. Sarah lunged for the cell phone with both hands.

"Gotcha."

It wasn't hers, which didn't surprise her. She started to lift the ear piece when the feeling of Very Wrong was back, as strong and odorous as the first time. She dropped to the floor and crawled into the small space behind the refrigerator, next to the kitchen door. Beyond her tiny hiding area another greenish-white glow began to brighten the room. Those damn things moved like wraiths, she realized. If it weren't for the light their bodies gave off, she would have no way of knowing 741

of their approach until she felt them. And that wasn't enough to give her any indication as to their specific location. It would have been too easy to accidentally run pell-mell into the middle of them.

There was no way to tell if there was one or two of them, and she wasn't about to stick her head around the refrigerator and risk being seen to find out. Her heart thudded so loudly, she was afraid they would hear it. Eventually, though, the light moved toward the living room and eventually vanished altogether.

Sarah flipped open the cell and went straight to the directory. The single word DEGRASSI was on speed dial number three.

One ring. Two rings.

"DeGrassi," a sleepy voice answered.

"Thom! It's Sarah! The Arra are here! They've taken Jeb and Hannah! Help us! Oh, God, please come help us!" She was blubbering, the tears suddenly surging forth as she tried to speak, tried to make some kind of sense out of what was happening.

"We're on our way, Sarah. Where's Simon?" Thom's voice was all business. It radiated confidence and strength to her, even over the phone.

She could hear them moving. Things were being slammed.

The background roared with the sound of an engine firing up.

"He went after them. Oh, Thom, they're still here! Be careful.

Please be careful!"

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"Sarah. Listen carefully." It was Tiron who had taken the phone from her husband so he could concentrate on driving.

"We're less than five minutes away. Where are you?"

"In the kitchen," she started to explain when Tiron interrupted.

"Get out of there. Go to the forest."

"Out in the plain open?"

"The Arra aren't fast on their feet. The woods slow them down. Trust me, Sarah. Where's Simon?"

"He-he went after them. He said he had to save Jeb and Hannah."

Her stomach caved in, threatening to regurgitate its contents where she stood. She shivered in the chilly air.

"Sarah ... listen carefully," Tiron repeated. Her voice had dropped to a more soothing tone. "Please listen and answer me truthfully. Did you and Simon make love while he was Ruinos?"

Her teeth were chattering from fright or cold. She couldn't tell which. Still, she managed to reply, "Y-yes."

There was a huge sigh on the other end of the line. Sarah heard Tiron tell her husband, "They have been blessed." To which Thom replied, "Thank God."

"Sarah, go to the woods. We'll find you."

"Okay."

The phone went silent. The call was ended. The loss of their connection almost left her feeling like she had been deserted. But Sarah knew she had to get out of the house.

Tiron was right. The house would entrap her, making her easy for the Arra to capture.

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Lifting to a crouch, she peered out the window in the back door. For once the darkness was a blessing. Quickly she unlocked the door and slipped back out into the open.

In the terrible stillness she heard the sound of a car approaching. Its headlights lit up the night like spotlights.

Sarah listened as it careened to a stop in front of the house, and two doors slammed. A few moments later she felt the phone vibrate in her hand. It surprised her to where she almost dropped it, but Sarah caught herself in time and opened it.

A deep voice spoke before she could answer. "Wait for Roni. Don't be frightened, Sarah, when she gets there."

Which meant she would be Ruinos. Sarah started to reply when a voice hissed from nearby, "Sarah!"

She closed the phone. "I want to help," she stated flatly, searching the dark. "Please, let me help."

"We're needing your help," Tiron admitted.

Sarah whirled around from where she was crouching. At the sight of the green-skinned woman, she got to her feet, rushing to her and throwing her arms around her. They hugged. The feel of Tiron's velvety skin against hers reminded Sarah they were both as naked as the day they were born.

"Thank you for coming."

Tiron pulled away, placing her hands on Sarah's shoulders.

"It is I who should be thanking you," the Ruinos woman whispered. "You've accepted Simolif as his true self." She gave a sniff, then giggled. "You smell like him now."

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"I what?" It was too dark to make out all of Tiron's features, but Sarah could see her silvery eyes sparkling the same way Simon's had.

"Never mind the chit-chat. Let's go find them," a dark voice semi-growled. DeGrassi had come up behind them. The sound of something heavy and mechanical clacked into place.

"Show us the way, Sarah."

"Me? I haven't the foggiest idea where they are!"

"Yes, you do," Tiron said, releasing her shoulders. "Look inside yourself."

"Look—" Sarah paused and took a deep, calming breath.

She closed her eyes, opening her heart and her mind to whatever these strange forces were that would forever be a part of her life. Now that she and Simon had bonded in his true form, she knew her life had been transformed. Just as she was transformed. The caterpillar had wrapped itself into its chrysalis made from their love. Now it was time the butterfly emerged in all her glory.

We are connected now. Trust whatever you feel.

Over the distance she could tell Simon was trying to stop her, but their connection was too strong. Too complete.

Opening her eyes, Sarah turned and began trudging through the brush with the others in tow. Soon they were running, rushing toward the spot where the Arra had landed their ship.

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She knew he knew she was coming to be with him. But what she couldn't relay to him was the fact that she was bringing reinforcements. His emotional call to her, pleading with her not to put herself in danger, slid underneath her skin like warm oil. Coaxing, almost tearful. Sarah tried to let him know all would be okay, but it was difficult. Nobody had given her a manual on how to do this Ruinos love mate stuff. This was the best she could manage under the circumstances, especially since she was having to learn it on the fly.

There was the sound of movement coming from above. It was Tiron, leaping from tree limb to tree limb with incredible agility. Every now and then the distance between trees would be farther than she could navigate with a simple jump. That was when she would unfold those wing-like membranes running from her wrists to her ankles and literally sail overhead until she reached the next landing.

DeGrassi was right behind her and making very little noise for such a big man. Compared to Simon he was Mr. Universe, with enough muscles to outfit an entire team of Marines.

Sarah hadn't been aware of the man's physique when she'd first met him. To her he was taller than Simon but shorter than Jeb. He had an appealing face, but it was his pale blue eyes with their thick black lashes that drew a woman's attention. The tan uniform had effectively curtained off all that nice bulky mass. Tonight, though, the man was wearing 746

jeans and boots, and nothing else. On a mission like this, Sarah mused, clothing was optional.

She hoped the Arra didn't have a well-developed sense of smell, because she knew she had to reek atrociously. After the escapade at the lumber mill, a lusty dose of sex, and now this frantic run through the forest, Sarah bet she could use a good scrubbing. In addition, her skin was getting a good thrashing from the limbs and branches she stumbled through.

Her feet, though, were taking the worst of it. Only by sheer adrenaline was she able to keep pushing toward that area where she knew Simon was fighting to protect and free his brother and sister-in-law. She had to be with him, to help him. She had no other choice.

Either her eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, or the plants around her were glowing. Not a lot, but faintly. It was as though those phosphorescent monsters had left behind a trail. Sarah wondered if the occurrence was accidental or intentional.

Stopping, she took a moment to catch her breath.

DeGrassi came up behind her and paused. "How much further?" he whispered.

"Not much. We're so damn close, I could almost swear I see movement ahead." She glanced back at him and realized he was studying her, but his scrutiny didn't bother her. Okay, so the man was getting a real good look at what she had. And she had plenty, especially with her Grade A-approved rack.

But for some strange reason she knew the gleam in his eye wasn't sexual. Hell, as chiseled and buff as the man was, she wasn't the least bit interested in him!

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Maybe it's because our hearts already belong to another, she mused. Maybe it's because our bodies have already recognized and accepted who owns them.

"Give me your pistol," she hissed, holding out a hand.

DeGrassi started, staring at her in surprise. Silently and without asking any questions, he reached behind his back and pulled out the Glock from where it was tucked in the waistband of his jeans.

Sarah took the warmed weapon and firmly wrapped her fingers around the butt. It felt good and solid, like it had been made to fit her hand. Holding it up parallel to her ear, she pressed on. Overhead she could sense Tiron keeping even with them.

They encountered a hedge of brambles. A greenish-white glow was coming from the other side. Sarah hunched down and maneuvered her way around the hedge until she could see around it. DeGrassi moved away from her, going in the opposite direction to get a view for himself. Tiron remained aloft and invisible.

Suddenly there was a low hum. The bush in front of her exploded, and a split second later she was slammed to the ground. Her screech of surprise was muffled amid dirt and debris. A loud curse growled in her ear. Before she could respond or ask DeGrassi why he had tackled her, he rolled off of her and was on his feet, running back the way they had come.

Sarah got up on her elbows, spitting out dead leaves and grass, and winced at the pain shooting through her knees and shins. DeGrassi had left to draw their fire away from her, but 748

she knew she still had to get out of there now. Picking up the gun from where she'd dropped it, she stumbled forward as two shots rang out. At the same time a scream came from above. She sensed something falling from overhead, and another hum sounded. Another explosion, and a deep roar made the night shudder. Sarah felt her skin tingle at the sound. It was Simon. Had she not known deep inside herself that it was him, his cry of outrage would have been enough to freeze the blood in her veins.

There was another hum, but this one was punctuated by another shotgun blast. Between the leaves Sarah could see anamorphic shapes like glowing globs of meringue moving back and forth. It was impossible to see what was going on, which meant she had to keep moving and hope she didn't run right into one of those creatures.

A shriek of anger vibrated in the air again, and Sarah took the second of confusion to make a dash for the opposite side of the bushes. This time she found cover behind a small grove of saplings. Peering between the thin trunks, she could see Simon facing down one of those greenish blobs.

It was holding some sort of pointed device that looked like a large stick. Or a stake. It reminded her of the weapon used in vampire movies to kill the undead with a thrust through the heart. The creature aiming it at her mate was not a slayer, but without being told she knew that this thing was responsible for Simon and his kind being here. Cold anger filled her as she remained silent and watched, waiting to see if he would need her help.

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The blob swayed from side to side. It tried to advance toward Simon, but it was slow. Sarah could see how it flowed over the uneven terrain, and she remember how Tiron had told her the things couldn't easily travel through the forest. It tried to lunge at Simon with the pointed stick. He nimbly leaped back and hissed at it.

Then, to her astonishment, DeGrassi stepped into the clearing and raised the shotgun, pointing it directly at the blob. The weapon fired, spitting lightning. There was a flat, wet sound, and a large portion of thick, white ooze dripped onto the forest floor like melted ice cream. By the time Sarah could comprehend what was happening, she heard the cock of the rifle. Glancing up, she noticed DeGrassi aiming again for the creature. Behind him was a glowing halo of light.

Her heart jumped into her throat, clogging it and preventing her from crying out a warning. Another one of those things was sneaking up on him from behind. And he was too engrossed in shooting the blob menacing Simon to be aware of it.

Where the hell was Tiron?

Lifting the heavy Glock, Sarah rested the barrel on a slender branch and checked the sight. The glow was steadily growing wider, if not brighter. But from the direction the creature was advancing, there would be no way DeGrassi could see it without turning his whole body.

Licking dry lips, Sarah aimed and tried to ignore the cramp developing in her right leg. The darkness was hindering her ability to see clearly. Except for the pale light coming off of 750

the creatures, there was barely any clarity. She said a prayer and aimed. And waited.

A cry of pain distracted her. She jerked her eyes back to see Simon wrestling with the creature with the stick, but it appeared he was at the disadvantage. The thing was enveloping him within its mass like a fly being trapped in wet glue. Her first, immediate thought was to fire at the thing holding him, but something stopped her. Some sense told her she could easily hit Simon and injure or kill him.

The sound of the bolt-action rifle sliding another bullet into place snapped the air. She looked back to see DeGrassi readying, looking for an opening, when the thing behind him suddenly loomed.

She fired.

There was a hollow, punching noise, followed immediately by a squelching gurgle. The creature dropped a disk-like object and reached up to where its tentacles met open air.

Her shot had neatly carved a large portion of the blob away from its main body. Sarah stared in shock at the gun. There had to be some mean mother bullets in it to cause that kind of damage.

Sighting down her arm, she centered her next shot smack dab in the middle of the blob's bread basket. She was vaguely aware of DeGrassi diving for the dirt, leaving her with an open target. She fired again. This time she got to watch the creature splatter like it had swallowed a live grenade. Another cry rang out, but this time it was female, and Sarah's first reaction was that it was Tiron's. Struggling to her feet, she pushed her way into the small clearing and immediately 751

stumbled over an object lying directly in her path. It took her a second to recognize the unconscious figure sprawled at her feet.

"Tiron!"

"She was hit with an immobilization ray," DeGrassi called out from where he was kneeling. He was reloading the rifle with quick, smooth precision. "She's okay. She'll be able to move in a moment. Go after the one that took Simon," he ordered, giving a nod in the direction behind her.

Sarah whirled around to see an oblong opening in the woods. Without questioning his order, she started for the door that was too symmetrical to be natural.

The second she stepped beyond the threshold, she knew she was inside an alien craft. The place was dark and carried an oppressive, almost forbidding smell. Her fertile imagination equated it to misery. The smell of lost hopes and agony.

Oh, geez, girl. That's a new one for the books!

If it was dark outside, the interior of the craft was only slightly brighter. It was harder to make out the glowing tracks made by the creatures, but she could tell they led further into the ship. Mentally wrapping her courage tightly around her, Sarah started to move forward; then a hiss came from behind her. She didn't turn her head, but she paused.

"By the book, Sarah."

"We have to hurry. They have Simon."

"And Hannah and Jeb," DeGrassi whispered, "but if we watch each other's backs, we'll be able to free them."

"How?" The man was close enough to where she could feel his body heat. His mouth was at her ear.

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"Watch for anything they carry. If they point something at you, seek cover." A pause. "Thanks for what you did out there. I'll ask you later how you got to be such a crack shot."

The remark made her smile. Giving a nod, she stayed against the cold black wall and inched forward. DeGrassi stayed right behind her. For a second she wondered why he didn't take the lead; then it occurred to her. She was following Simon through their link. Tiron was outside recovering from being taken down by the Arra's weapon.

DeGrassi had no idea where to go and was relying on her to get them where they would find their missing family members.

Again Sarah felt the tug on her psyche, but this time it wasn't to warn her away. It was to give her a clear idea of which way to maneuver through the tunnel-like corridors of the ship. At one point she paused briefly to get her bearings, and a thread of loving warmth curled around her like a living presence. It was Simon giving her hope. Giving her courage.

And urging her to hurry. Sarah adjusted her grip on the Glock and pushed forward.

Before long she came to a junction in the corridors. She took the left one without hesitation. DeGrassi followed without commenting. Less than a dozen steps later they ran into another fork, and Sarah took the right branch.

At that point she noticed a growing brightness in the distance. DeGrassi placed a hand on her arm to keep her from moving on. "Stay behind me," he ordered in a barely audible voice. She nodded and let him take the lead.

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The odor was gradually becoming thicker and more intolerable. Sarah noticed it wasn't enough to make her nauseous, but she was feeling squeamish and increasingly uncomfortable. Wrapping both hands around the butt of her pistol made her feel better, but it did nothing to make the sense of helplessness go away.

DeGrassi reached behind him and waved at her, motioning toward the opposite wall. Sarah scooted over and pressed her back against the glassy surface. Now she could see what looked like cages ringing the interior of the room. Her eyes widened to see Hannah lying unconscious in the nearest one.

Beyond her in the next cage lay Jeb. The bandage around his waist was soaked in blood to the point where there was no whiteness left in the gauze. He was also panting heavily, although he was completely out of it.

A motion from the corner of her eye caused her to glance over at DeGrassi, who was thumbing back to his left. Sarah dropped her gaze to the tiny cage lying on the floor a dozen feet away. Simon was on his side, legs drawn up, and facing away from her. Without having to check, she knew he had also been knocked out.

There was one green-white blob in the room. It was over against the far wall, and it appeared to be messing with something. DeGrassi wasted no time trying to get its attention. He raised and fired the rifle in one move.

White ichor splattered the wall, floor, and part of the ceiling. The creature tried to turn, but the deputy buried another round into its abdominal area. Sarah felt bits of 754

matter pelt her skin. They were icy cold and stung. Hastily she tried to wipe it off with her bare hands.

"Let's get them out of here," DeGrassi growled, reaching for the cage containing Simon. Sarah ran to the closest one to her, the one containing Hannah. The enclosures were beautiful to look at. Thin rods no bigger than her finger looked like they were made of pearl or wrought crystal, etched with designs and symbols. Unfortunately there didn't appear to be any sort of lock or door.

"How are we going to get them out?"

DeGrassi must have realized the same problem at the same time. Reaching through the bars, he shoved against Simon's shoulder. "Simon. Hey, Simon. Wake up. You need to tell Sarah how to help us get you guys out of these cages.