More plasma fire erupted outside, but sounding somewhat different than what he heard before. Making his way through the kitchen and onto the porch, he used extra care not to be spotted. Jackie, he noted, still huddled in the barn, though the AI orb was not there. Jackie pointed toward the spacecraft and shrugged.
He saw the orb momentarily hover beneath the ship. Its quick movements were a blur. He noticed two Howsh bodies, lying prone on the ground near the gangway, and briefly wondered if that was the police officers’ handiwork or the AI orb’s.
The two Howsh he’d spotted earlier, lurking around the side of the house, began firing their weapons toward the road—in the orb’s direction.
How many are there? he wondered. He watched the AI orb stop long enough to fire off more bright blue energy bolts from its two outstretched articulating arms.
Cuddy brought his attention back to the weapon he held in his hands. Lifting it up, he placed the stock firmly against his shoulder—just like he’d seen done in so many movies. He stared down the muzzle, noting three sets of sights, then lined up all three with the Howsh alien, standing by the corner of the house—some thirty or forty feet away. He pulled the trigger. A bright-red plasma bolt hit the side of the house, missing the target by several feet. He fired again, this time missing by only a foot. Unfortunately, he had gotten the alien’s attention, who was now bringing his weapon around toward Cuddy’s direction. Cuddy fired again, this time taking little aim, and it was a direct hit onto the alien’s chest. He watched the alien drop to the ground. He’d never purposely harmed another living thing—never in his life—and now he’d killed two beings in a matter of minutes. He didn’t want to dwell on that.
Cuddy noticed the second Howsh had moved forward, had assumed the position held by his dead comrade. When the alien looked across, from around the corner of the house, they made eye contact. Raising weapons at the same time, they fired simultaneously.
Chapter 26
Cuddy was hit hard by something coming in low—in from his right side. The momentum lifted him off his feet and jammed him up against the house. A series of plasma bolts sizzled past him in the air and undoubtedly would have killed him, except for Jackie, who had careened into him. Still stunned, he watched her grab the alien’s rifle from his clutches, then spin around and fire the weapon. Cuddy hadn’t been aware the Howsh alien had steadily advanced on them—was less than twenty feet away. Jackie continued to pull the trigger, though the Howsh alien was obviously on the ground dead. Dead, and on fire, from more plasma fire than necessary.
“I think that’ll do it, Jackie,” Cuddy said, stepping away from the wall.
“You’re welcome,” she said.
“I guess I’m not a very good shot,” he said
“Good thing I am… thanks to my dad.” Staring down at the weapon in her hands, she added, “This is beyond cool. I’m keeping it.”
“Fine with me—keep it. Come on, let’s go see how the AI orb is doing.” He headed toward the alien spacecraft, stopping only long enough to pick up another plasma weapon that had been dropped next to the corner of the house.
“Want me to show you how to use that?” Jackie asked, still three strides back.
Cuddy didn’t bother to answer. Reaching the top of the drive, he now had a far better vantage point. Of the Howsh invasion, the first word that came to mind was battlefield. No less than eight Howsh fur-balls lay sprawled on the road, at various locations. Adding also to the body count were those slain in and around the house—tallying up to an even dozen. With still no sign of the AI orb, Cuddy ran to the first smoldering police vehicle. Black smoke still spiraled into the air from the four charred tires. Peering into the glassless window frame, there was little left to see—both bucket-seat frames, with their blackened coil springs, showed no signs of incinerated bodies. But Cuddy wasn’t sure if even skeletal remains could endure the kind of blaze that took place here. He next moved on to inspect the SUV, Officer Plumkin’s vehicle, and found the same thing. Nothing in the car’s ruins—no skeletal body in the driver’s seat.
He looked back to see Jackie collecting Howsh weapons. She’d mounted them into a pile by the side of the road and was adding another to the top.
Cuddy asked, “Any sign of the AI orb?” After first doing a cursory glance around, she replied, “Nope.”
He could see she was feeling pretty pleased with herself. Cocky, while he was still dealing with feelings of some remorse and guilt. He knew it was illogical. The aliens came here to kill Tow—as well as them. He stared up at the top of the gangway.
“Cuddy!” Momma shouted, heading their way. She’d changed her clothes and was wearing tennis shoes. Meeting her halfway, he could see she was upset. “What is it? What happened?”
“On TV… we’re being attacked!” She looked at Cuddy and then Jackie. What she had learned was reflected by the shock on her face.
Cuddy gestured toward the spacecraft. “By them?”
“Yes by them… Washington, D.C.… New York. And other places I don’t remember, all over the world. Two alien ships are firing their weapons… turning cities into rubble. Many thousands have been killed so far. It’s horrible…” she sobbed, wiping away the tears on her cheeks with her fingers. Jackie put her arms around her, pulling her close for a hug.
Maybe that explains why the military didn’t show up here, Cuddy mused. The whole world was on the brink of disaster. For the first time, Momma noticed the carnage around them. She looked over at Cuddy. She looked impressed.
“This wasn’t me, Momma. I found out soon enough I’m a terrible shot.”
She turned to Jackie. “You did…”
“No… well, just those two, lying outside by the house. But hey, you killed one too…”
Momma shrugged and nodded.
“Look, Momma… best you go back to the house now, okay?” Taking another quick look around, Momma headed back down the drive. Cuddy waited until she disappeared into the house.
“So, are we going to go in there?” Jackie asked.
“Yeah… I have to, my brother might be in there. You don’t have to come…”
“No… I’ll be right behind you,” she said, raising the plasma rifle to emphasize the point.
Cuddy headed up the ramp—his weapon poised to shoot anything with fur. Entering the quasi-circular compartment, he started to gag.
“Ugh… it’s so foul! This area reeks… smells like shit,” Jackie said, expressing the obvious.
While his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he slowed his pace. Jackie, right behind him added, “It’s like a damn cave in here.” His brow now furrowing, Cuddy glanced back at her and whispered,“Shhhhh!”
They followed a narrow, but tall-ceilinged passageway. On either side, the bulkheads were covered with what looked like streaks of grease. Cuddy thought of the contrast between this filthy environment and the meticulously clean Evermore. Noises were heard ahead when they reached a stairway with four, wide open grated treads. “Watch your step… something brown’s on that bottom one.”
Jackie mumbled something undecipherable.
Reaching the top step, Cuddy was presented with three options—three different corridors—and he chose the one on the right. They passed a series of closed hatchways—three on one side, two on the other. The noises were getting louder, coming from the same direction they were headed. Cuddy raised the barrel of his weapon, prepared to shoot if necessary, then stood still to listen. The noises were actually voices—and he understood what was being said.