Alien Invasion (Book 1): Invasion by Platt Sean & Truant Johnny B

Author:Platt, Sean & Truant, Johnny B. [Platt, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Sci-Fi | Alien Invasion
Publisher: Sterling & Stone
Published: 2015-02-26T05:00:00+00:00

DAY FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Day Four, Early Morning

Chicago

They woke to screaming.

At some point overnight, a critical threshold had passed. Amateur astronomers could now see the alien ships with backyard telescopes. Meyer later learned that this change (and its aftermath) had made the news — but as they slept uneasily in the woods, their only indication was riotous yelling, braying horns, and the crashing of metal on metal. Seeing those ships crystallized the threat, and the world lost its mind.

Lila jerked awake. Meyer was already up, sitting, a hand hovering above his daughter’s shoulders, ready to soothe.

“Shh.”

“Dad? What is it?”

“Shh. We need to be quiet.”

But he wasn’t sure that was true. The one thing they didn’t have was the one thing everyone was apparently interested in. The street they’d been walking along had been quiet during the night, and remained still as the others nodded off one by one. But that wasn’t true now. They could see cars through the trees, making their way out of the small neighborhoods, honking and tapping bumpers, trying to drive around each other like drowning people huddling to be on top when everyone else’s air ran out.

Meyer had stayed awake longer than anyone (over Piper’s protests, who said he was overwrought, and Trevor, who was trying to be the second man of the no-longer house), and for a while he’d amused himself over his phone’s backlit screen. But without the JetVan, there was no signal. Either the networks were down for good, or they were being used nonstop by information and voice hoarders who thought learning more might change reality for the better. He’d tried for much longer than he should have, dialing Heather with a thrumming heart, remembering with horror the way her voice had simply cut off. Had she been able to use her gun? Or was his ex-wife (and best friend; let’s tell the truth) gone forever?

Meyer got a connection failure with every try. Even if he could ring out, the cell network near Heather would need to be available to reach her. The obstacles between them (or at least her phone) seemed as insurmountable as the roadblocks between Chicago and Vail.

He’d closed his phone shamefully, looking down at Piper with an unarticulated guilt. Then he’d cabled one of the external batteries to charge his phone, deciding not to let the others know how hard he’d tried to reach Heather, and how badly he’d wanted information the little electronic brick could no longer provide.

They didn’t have a way to stay in touch. Separation meant a permanent parting.

They didn’t have GPS. If they were going to find a way out of Chicago’s urban sprawl, they’d have to do it by gut instinct or find a map. Did gas stations still sell paper maps and atlases? They’d have to, right? Meyer’s grandmother had lived to be ninety-four, and she’d driven almost until the end. Grams hadn’t used a cell phone once. She wouldn’t complete her medical forms online, either. Meyer offered to do them, but Grams had insisted they send her paper.

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