The Invasion

39 | Not Alone

The shock wave of the explosion flings us several feet backwards. Sharp, prickly heat sears across my skin as flames lick at us. All I want to do now is to jump into a pool and cool off, but I can't.

Instinctively, Zarius wraps his big, burly arms around me protectively and cushions my fall. The impact upon slamming the ground only sends a numb jolt through my body. As we tumble across the ground and scrape our skin, the small flames in our clothes die out.

The loud blast leaves a painful ringing in my ears. I blink several times up at the blue sky, now covered by a billowing, black smoke, and find myself momentarily in shock. Vaguely aware of our car blazing away in the distance. Blood pounds in my veins as I try to comprehend what the hell just happened, wondering what kind of maniac would have planted a bomb in our car.

Zarius is pulsing with rage, looking murderous and ready to dive into a fight. He pulls me up to my feet and adrenaline hits me when I realize this isn't a dream.

We need to go. Now.

It takes all the strength in me to drag an angry Zarius away. We are sprinting across the street and past the row of houses. Fortunately, I spot a garage that's partially closed. We run up onto the driveway and slide through the gap under the roller garage door. Dusts and cobwebs cling to every surface. The floor is littered with pests and decaying leaves.

At the back of the room, we find a set of old, rusty shelves and a work table full of old working tools and car parts. My shaking hands search through the clutter of mess and my voice comes out in a panicking whisper.

"Shit, shit, shit. What's going on? And where are the damn keys?"

Why wasn't the owner a neat freak? Didn't he know that finding a pair of lost keys in the house is always the most torturous thing to do, especially when you're racing against time?

And why did our car blow up? We were barely gone for less than an hour. I doubt it's a prank, but why would anyone do that for no reason?

How long has it been since they were stalking us?

Zarius has calmed down, but only a little. He shuts his eyes, listening out for sounds that are unreachable to my own ears. "Footsteps. Rather faint, but they're getting closer. Humans."

I rummage through a couple of tools and a screwdriver rolls away. "How many?"

"Uncountable, but they're trying to surround us. We need to keep moving."

At last, I locate a pair of car keys buried in a pile of dirty rags and snatch them up. "Got it."

Walking over to the vehicle, I pull back the plastic covers to reveal a huge black jeep. I know little about vehicles, but this looks like a freaking beast ready to demolish everything in its path.

Let's just hope it can outrun our chasers.

"Zarius," I call for him. "Can you get the door while I start this monster? You can either push it all the way up or destroy it—your choice."

Nodding, he follows my instructions while I unlock the jeep and pull myself in. Staring at the steering wheel, I rub my hands together eagerly, but I'm growing a little nervous about my newbie's driving skills. If we weren't running right now, I'm certain I would have a lot more fun doing this.

If Mom sees me driving like this without a license, especially in such a badass vehicle, she would flip a table and scream hell in my face.

As I start the engine and fit my seatbelt, Zarius easily shoves up the garage door with a loud bang and joins me in the jeep. I grip the steering wheel, suck in a deep breath and shoot him a tense smile.