Defying the Skies (Searching the Skies Book 2) by Thea Landen

Author:Thea Landen [Landen, Thea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Decadent Publishing LLC
Published: 2023-06-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

A low, flat building stood in the center of a dusty field. Thin weeds swayed in the breeze, their narrow blades rustling together. Geneva crouched behind a line of dense bushes. Three other soldiers hid in the shadows alongside her, Ash included. Though the rest of the unit surrounded the deserted warehouse in a wide circle, she couldn’t see any signs of life from her vantage point.

A soft voice spoke in her earpiece. “Captain, something doesn’t seem right here.”

Chase’s authoritative tones followed along the same channel. “What’s the problem?”

“The results from the thermodynamic scanner are incongruous with the number of people we were expecting to find inside. Unless the machine is malfunctioning, there’s no way over a hundred people are in the building.”

Geneva groaned, an exasperated sound that was matched and transmitted by their leader. “We’ll proceed with caution,” Chase said. “If this is a trap, we’re going to find out before we lose any soldiers to it.”

At the captain’s command, she relaxed and sat back in the soft dirt, making sure she could view their destination through the brush. She kept her gun in her hands, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. Beside her, Ash adopted a similar stance, weapon lowered but prepared for the next move.

A small robotic sphere whizzed toward the building’s front entrance. It skimmed over the dry terrain, coming to a halt at the base of the door. Even from a distance, she saw a series of flashing lights and glowing beams radiating from the machine’s hub.

Several minutes passed before the broadcast conversation resumed. “Scans are clear, Captain. Nothing’s going to blow us to bits if we set foot inside the door, though there’s no telling what’s further inside.”

“We’ll remain alert,” Chase responded. “Everyone goes in.”

Armed troops hurried across the field. Geneva hoped no one plotted to attack them while they were unable to take cover. Dry grass crunched beneath her feet, and she kicked a clump of weeds out of her way.

Chase led the way toward the entrance and waited for the rest of the team to arrive. “They’re going to realize we’re here sooner rather than later,” he said, kicking the door open with his heavy boot.

The interior of the building was comprised of a single room. Disintegrating dividers separated the space into different areas, and the remains of old, defunct machinery littered the floor. Weapons drawn, the soldiers fanned out to search the warehouse for signs of the hostages. They came up empty-handed.

As Geneva was about to punch the wall in frustration, the same low voice belonging to the operator of the scanner spoke through her earpiece. “There’s someone below us.”

“How do we get down there?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Search this place,” Chase ordered. “Whatever they’re up to, we’re going to find out.”

Geneva inspected the wall that had almost been the victim of her angry fist. Her visual scan of the dilapidated brick and chipped cement in her immediate area turned up nothing. She ran her gloved hands along the walls and floor to ensure any trace signs hadn’t escaped her notice.

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