Earthling's War (Soldiers of Earthrise Book 3) by Daniel Arenson

Earthling's War (Soldiers of Earthrise Book 3) by Daniel Arenson

Author:Daniel Arenson [Arenson, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moonclipse
Published: 2020-02-11T05:00:00+00:00


Chapter Nineteen

The Lioness of Earth

Lizzy was walking through the dark parking lot, seeking her dented old Toyota, and her heart would not slow down.

She was safe here. She was on Earth, far from the battlefields of Bahay. There were no Kennys hiding in these shadows, only the odd stray cat, its eyes luminous like twin moons. The war was light-years away.

Yet as Lizzy walked here underground, her heart pounded against her ribs, cold sweat trickled down her spine, and her fingers tingled. She wasn't using her wheelchair anymore. But she felt so weak.

An enemy hissed in the shadows.

Lizzy jumped and reached for her rifle. But she had no gun. Of course not. Not anymore. And it was only a cat, not a Kenny sniper.

She took a shaky breath, trying to relax. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

It was always like this in the shadows. At night, she would dream of Ernesto tying her down, burning her, shooting her. She would wake up screaming, clawing at her blankets. Kaelyn would have to rush in from her bedroom, hold Lizzy, and calm her down. And it wasn't only at night. Alleyways. Crowded stores. Train stations. Or dark parking lots like this. It seemed like almost anything could trigger the terror.

I've been on edge for years in the war, Lizzy thought. Always in fight or flight mode. Even at night. And now I don't know how to turn that off.

She wished Kaelyn were here with her. It was always easier with Kaelyn here. But her friend was leading a protest in Europe this week. Lizzy had stayed behind in America. It was safer for her here.

Ostensibly, one leader governed all Earth. The Alien Wars a century ago had destroyed much of Earth, and the surviving nations had united to fight a common enemy. But today, some of Earth's old nations were calling for independence. They were setting up local governments, demanding more and more autonomy. And some, mostly in Europe, had begun to arrest HDF soldiers suspected of war crimes.

Lizzy had served in the Lions platoon, had trained Clay and the other killers. If she set foot in Europe, she could end up in prison. Kaelyn would have to face that continent alone.

I barely avoided prison in America, Lizzy thought. Here they call me a traitor. In Europe they call me a war criminal. In Bahay they call me a colonialist. I'm hated everywhere.

Sudden pain stabbed her chest. She winced. The wound from Ernesto's bullet. It was aching more and more these days. Maybe there was something wrong with the artificial lung they had given her. Lizzy knew she should see a doctor, but she feared doctors. Every time she saw one, they told her she needed another surgery. And Lizzy had suffered through enough surgeries for a lifetime.

Yes, she feared doctors. She feared Europe. She feared shadows. She feared cats. She feared everything these days, it seemed.

"Look at me," she whispered. "A sweating, quivering mess. Me, the proud warrior—a coward." She lowered her head.



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