Page 22 of Alien King Crashes the Wedding

Sasha no longer had the energy to figure out if she was hearing things, too. It sounded like Rachel said royalty. “He’s a soldier or something. Probably a general. He’s so bossy,” she gasped the last without any sound.

“No, sweetheart. He’s the king.” Rachel leaned forward and put her ear to the door when she heard a strange rasping noise on the other side.

“Oh my Lord. Sasha, is that you?”

Rachel raised her hand to pound on the door again when a loud boom sounded, causing the whole building to shake, throwing her off balance.

“Oh, my God!” shouted Rachel in mounting terror. “I think we’re under attack! You have to open up right now, damn it!”Bang! Bang! Bang!Rachel pounded on the door with real fear this time. “Sasha! Please!”

Sasha used the last of her strength to crawl out of the cocoon she had made for herself and reached for the door as she collapsed, too weak to open it. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m dying.”

Chapter Nineteen

The ground trembled. Loud booming noises could be heard over the shrieks and screams of exiting humans as Dagan ran toward the lobby doors at the hotel where Sasha was staying. He needed to get Sasha to safety, and he would force her to come with him whether she was ready or not. He should have gone up already, but Rachel had insisted on talking to her first. Now the base was under attack and they were out of time. His heart lurched. He couldn’t lose her.

People raced past him, trying to get out, not knowing what was happening but afraid to stay inside the shaking building, unaware of the real danger outside. Humans were running. Panicked. Out of control. Dagan couldn’t push his way through the revolving doors with the mad crush of people exiting, so he went to a window to the side of the doors and broke the glass. Next to him another panel shattered.Falden. Good.He entered quickly before the throngs of people poured through the new opening. He forced his way through the swarms of terrified humans, determined to get to Sasha on the top floor.

Somehow the Vilitos had gotten through their best shields and they were pounding the base with DEW cannons, directed-energy weapons, shaking the entire human city. Flames shot into the sky. There would be heavy casualties before the day was over. Dagan pushed steadily forward, caring only about reaching Sasha before the whole building collapsed.

Dagan pushed into the elevator as soon as the doors opened. “Falden?” Dagan yelled into his communicator, hoping Falden could hear him over the chaos and noise. “Falden,” he yelled again when he heard no response.

“We’re with you.” Dagan heard Falden’s voice from behind. “Communications are down.”

Dagan nodded grimly. The elevator doors began closing, and Falden and Gareth decloaked.

Gareth growled low, “They must have taken out our communications satellite. We’re cut off from the rest of the base.”

The elevator doors were nearly shut when he caught sight of Rachel trying to make her way out of the elevator across the corridor. Dagan slammed his hand over the emergency stop button. Gareth ran across to the other elevator and extracted Rachel from the growing mob. Dagan barely waited for her to get inside before punching the button to close the elevator once again. “Where’s Sasha? Why aren’t you with her?” he demanded, dread crawling up his spine.

Tears ran down Rachel’s face as she tried to catch her breath and talk at the same time. “I’m so sorry! I thought she was kidding when she said she was sick! We were talking through the door,” she sobbed, unable to continue.

“What happened?” Dagan resisted the urge to shake the words out of her. He needed information and he needed it yesterday.

“We were talking, and then,” she hiccupped. “I heard a strange wheezing noise. When everything started shaking, I tried to get her to open the door again, but she wouldn’t. Or maybe she couldn’t.” Rachel clutched her stomach protectively as fresh tears raced down her cheeks. “I heard a thump. I think she collapsed! I tried and tried to get in! I’m so sorry! She told me she was sick and I didn’t believe her!”

“I should have checked on her yesterday, but I was trying to give her some space. I wanted her to come to me on her own. I didn’t order my guards to stand outside her door. This is on me. Don’t blame yourself.” He looked at Gareth and Falden. They looked as grim as he felt. He could see his own fear reflected in their eyes. Had the Vilitos snuck into the city without anyone knowing? Or hired someone who already had access to Earth? Had they somehow found out about Sasha? Viral infections had all but been eliminated. Deadly bacteria as well. If she was down, then it was because someone wanted her that way, and he or she could still be in the building. In her room.

Dagan trembled with suppressed rage and fear.Somehow they bypassed every security protocol to get to her. They must know she means everything to me.Dagan prayed they wouldn’t be too late. He couldn’t lose her now.

“I will bring the fires of hell down upon whoever betrayed us,” Dagan growled with deadly promise.

As the elevator continued to ascend, they rapidly selected weapons from their personal arsenals belted across their chests. Dagan selected an eight-inch dagger. It could cut through steel like butter and in close quarter combat he could gut his enemy or remove his head in seconds. Each weapon was coded to work only for its owner and disguised as a small geometric object no larger than Dagan’s thumb. Black on black, they blended perfectly into the straps and to the untrained eye could easily be mistaken as part of their uniform design. Falden and Gareth selected laser pistols. They had unlimited fire power and range. Neither had ever missed their targets.

Falden turned to Rachel as the elevator approached the top floor where Sasha’s room was located.

“You need to stay in here,” Falden ordered. “When we’re clear, call Cam on the secure radio he gave you. The one he told you not to use. Tell him we’re initiating Lumerian Five. Do you understand? Lumerian Five.”

Rachel nodded and reached into her purse with shaking fingers to look for the old fashioned radio in question just as the doors opened and Falden headed out, followed by Dagan, with Gareth last to protect their rear. They all knew the drill and moved with stealth and precision. They’d given up trying to keep Dagan from participating as a full member of the team years earlier when he deliberately knocked out one of their best men and sneaked through enemy territory alone so that he could join them on the secret missionhe’dsent them on. They realized the hard way that Dagan took fewer chances with his life when he was guarding their backs, too. After that, they began training with him in earnest, and he quickly became an asset on the team.

As they reached the door, Falden motioned for Dagan to take a position on the left, and Gareth on the other side to yank the door off once Dagan sliced through the hinges. As they moved into position, Vander and Cassiel came in through the stairwell and motioned all clear. They quickly stepped in behind Falden, weapons ready. They’d done it a thousand times together before splitting to become leaders of their own teams. Falden would be first in. They had the advantage of surprise and speed on their side. Violence of action was their stock in trade. They were fast and deadly.

Falden counted down with his fingers. Go in THREE. TWO. ONE. Dagan sliced through the hinges effortlessly and Vander yanked the door down. Sasha was lying naked and unmoving on the floor just inside the door, covered in smoking ash as Falden rushed in and around her, followed by the rest of the team. They made short work of checking in the closet, under the bed, and in the bathroom. Dagan was already kneeling toward Sasha when the all clear was given and they regrouped around her. The building trembled and bits of ash floated to the floor.

Dagan carefully brushed more ash from her body, his expression full of confusion as he uncovered perfectly smooth, undamaged skin. He gently turned her from her side onto her back, and lifted her up, carrying her to the sofa, where he sat and very carefully cradled her in his arms. Her breaths were quick and shallow. Somehow she was still alive. He had to turn his watering eyes away from the brilliant, opalescent crystals radiating intense heat from the base of her spine, up the back of her neck, and ending with a two inch patterned band across her forehead.

“Dagan?” Sasha whispered. She lifted her hand weakly to place it on his cheek. “I’m dying. You have to go.”

The Lumerians looked at each other in stunned silence, unable to look directly at her, the light was so intense. Her eyes were brightly glowing blue orbs, and prisms of light bounced all around the walls and ceiling.

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