Invaders' Wrath (The Unstoppable Titans Book 2) Read online

  INVADERS’ WRATH

  Copyright © 2012 by Jerry Hart

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Kindle Edition: October 2012

  Cover artwork: Wil Whalen

  Contents:

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 1

  The truth behind the events that transpired on an October night in San Sebastian, Texas, were a mystery to those but a few. For one, there was the SUV that had reportedly been “thrown” at an alleyway in the heart of downtown. Then there were the explosions that rocked Montleroy Estates Condominiums a few blocks away. The body of nineteen-year-old Daniel Hudson had been found there.

  There was also the destruction of a six-level parking garage down the street from the condo. All of this in one night. It was believed all of these events were connected, but it couldn’t be proven.

  But Officer Patrick Fisher tried with all his might to do just that. He stood in front of the hospital morgue, running his fingers through his short brown hair (there were a few grays in there, unfortunately, though he was only twenty-seven) waiting for Douglas Hudson, brother of the deceased. The officer had had the unfortunate task of notifying Mr. Hudson that his brother had been found dead in his condo and that Mr. Hudson would be needed to positively identify the body.

  A young man was walking slowly toward Officer Fisher now, and at that moment, the young officer had practically identified the body himself because the man who was walking toward him now looked exactly like the deceased.

  Doug Hudson, twin brother to Daniel, looked pale and stricken, but his brown hair was slightly longer than Daniel’s.

  “Mr. Hudson?” Patrick extended his hand. “I’m Officer Fisher. I’m sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances.”

  Doug nodded, shook the officer’s hand, but said nothing. Instead, he followed him through the morgue. A medical examiner with short gray hair stood by a table. A body lay on that table, covered with a white sheet.

  “Are you ready?” Patrick asked. Doug nodded.

  The M.E. lifted the sheet. Doug let out an involuntary grunt, nodded when Patrick asked if he was okay, then turned and vomited on the floor.

  It took a minute for Doug to recover, but once he did, he looked back to his brother’s body. Patrick had neglected to mention how Daniel had died, and Doug could see why. He studied Daniel’s upper body. There were four deep holes under his collarbone, as if someone had dug fingers in.

  “Yeah, that’s him,” Doug said to the officer in a choked voice.

  Suddenly Daniel’s eyes, which had been closed, shot open. The attendant sighed and closed them.

  “Sorry,” he said. “They keep doing that.”

  Patrick nodded and took Doug aside. “We’re investigating your brother’s unusual death, and any information you could give us would be helpful.

  “What kind of information?” Doug asked tentatively.

  “Your brother’s condo suffered a lot of damage due to several explosions. We believe that may have been what killed him…” He paused for a moment, then continued: “Was your brother involved in anything that may be considered criminal activity?”

  Doug stared at him with wide eyes, then said, “You think my brother was a terrorist or something?”

  “We don’t know, but we found a lot of explosives and other questionable things when we searched his place.”

  “Like what?”

  “Weapons: guns, crossbows, schematics for … well, we don’t know for what—it looks like a robot or something.”

  Doug shook his head. Patrick thanked him and told him he would keep him informed of his investigation into Daniel’s death. He then escorted the grieving man out of the morgue.

  * * *

  Frank, the M.E., was about to cover up the body when, once again, Daniel’s eyes shot open.

  “Damn it,” he said. “Stay closed.”

  Frank angrily shoved Daniel’s lids closed, then covered him with the sheet. He walked over to a table and grabbed a clipboard. After a quiet moment, a sound made him spin around and nearly drop the clipboard.

  Daniel was gone, the sheet draping off of the table. Frank froze in place.

  He walked slowly to the table and noticed Daniel lying facedown on the floor.

  “Gross,” Frank said, over and over. He reached down and turned the poor dead boy over. What had happened to this kid? Frank had a theory, but it was too crazy to believe.

  He suspected that Daniel had died from internal bleeding and head trauma due to being either dropped from a great height or … being thrown against the ground, from a low height, but at great speed. There was one deep indention in the boy’s right shoulder and four just under his collarbone. There were similar marks on his right arm, which had been bound in a cast. The boy had broken his arm before his death. If someone had indeed dropped poor Mr. Hudson off a building, then the cops would soon find him. They had taken fingerprints from the indentions; it was only a matter of time.

  As Frank angrily reached for the body, Daniel’s hand shot up and grabbed his arm. Those dead eyes looked at the M.E.

  And then good old Frank died of fright.

  * * *

  Daniel looked up at the sudden discomfort he felt. Something was terribly wrong, but he couldn’t tell what. This was the second time in no telling how long that he had felt this way. It felt as if he were in two places at once. That couldn’t be, though—he was dead. And now he was in some heavenly place, surrounded by others who had passed on.

  At that moment, he was sitting on a cloud and looking at a beautiful blue waterfall a few yards in front of him. This was a special place he liked to visit often, but it was being spoiled by that annoying tugging. He stood and ran up the step-like clouds until he reached a big, bright hall made from white marble. There were massive golden columns holding up the ceiling high above. Other people wandered around the hall, talking to one another and smiling. Everyone was happy here. Everyone except him.

  Daniel wished he hadn’t died at the hands of Michael, but at least there was someone else here who helped him cope with his situation. And he saw her now. “Alyssa?” he called.

  Alyssa Turner turned away from a grand staircase at the end of the hall and smiled. Her long brown hair went past her shoulders and almost looked to be glowing. Everyone’s hair glowed in this place, but Alyssa’s seemed to do so even more.

  Daniel ran up to her, noticing that he wasn’t the least bit winded from the effort. “I’m feeling it again,” he told her.

  “Are you okay?”

  He nodded. “It just feels like I’m in two places at the same time, you know. When that happens, I find it hard to concentrate.”

  Alyssa tapped her chin as she thought. “Maybe it has something to do with your body
in the living world.”

  “Do you think something happened to it?” he asked nervously.

  “I don’t know. Maybe we should talk to Owen’s mom.”

  They ran up the grand staircase, not knowing exactly where to go. They had only visited Seneda Walters once after they’d joined this wondrous place. Daniel knew it wasn’t quite real—it was just a place constructed for meetings by the very first people to lose their human shells in the living world—but it was still beautiful and comforting. Even the clean, white clothes everyone wore weren’t real. Daniel could change his clothes with a thought if he wanted, but he didn’t really care enough.

  When they reached the top floor, they came to a large golden door at the end of the hall. Alyssa knocked twice, producing a musical sound that echoed behind her and Daniel. Then they waited. A moment later, the grand doors opened.

  Inside was a very large room. Daniel couldn’t believe a room that big could fit inside of a building. Of course, he had to remember this place wasn’t quite real, and that anything was possible. The room was empty, however. There were large, rectangular windows lining the walls, with dim white light shining in through them. There was no furniture, and the floors were shiny and beautiful.

  “Where is she?” Alyssa asked.

  “Maybe we have to call her?” Daniel asked.

  Alyssa nodded. “Seneda, we need to talk to you,” she said into the open room.

  A moment of silence, but no response.

  “Please, Seneda,” said Daniel. “You said that if we ever needed to talk to you, to come to this room and call for you. Something’s wrong and we need your help.”

  Seconds later, a shape began appearing in front of them. It was composed of cyan-colored light, and it quickly formed into a woman in a white dress. She had long brown hair and blue eyes, and though she usually had a smile on her face, she was now frowning. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  Alyssa shoved Daniel forward. “Something is wrong on … Earth, I think,” he told Seneda nervously. “I feel weird here, and I was thinking that maybe something was happening to my body.”

  Seneda looked thoughtful. “That’s possible.”

  “Is there anything we can do?” Alyssa asked.

  Seneda looked at her. “Once you’ve left your body, there really is no way to keep an eye on it anymore. You can’t return to it.”

  “What if the body wasn’t completely dead?” Daniel asked. “Could someone return to it if that was the case?”

  “Yes,” said Seneda, “but that’s not the case, is it?”

  “So there’s nothing we can do?” Alyssa sounded angry.

  Seneda sighed. “I will see what I can do, but I make no promises. Okay?”

  Daniel and Alyssa left the room a moment later, not feeling any better. Daniel trusted his friend’s mother, but she’d seemed distracted during the whole conversation. He and Alyssa headed back outside, to the snow-white landscape and blue waterfall.

  “What are you thinking about?” Alyssa suddenly asked him as he stared at his reflection in the water.

  “You heard what she said about returning to your body if you’re not completely dead.”

  “So? We’re completely dead.”

  “I know, but our friends aren’t. I’m going to keep an eye on Chris and Owen. If they get in trouble, I want to help them. So … so they don’t end up here, like us.”

  “This place isn’t so bad,” Alyssa said quietly.

  “It’s not,” he agreed. “But we’re not supposed to be here. I don’t want them coming here until it’s their time. Okay?”

  Daniel heard the seriousness in his voice and tried to smile, but Alyssa wasn’t fooled. “Mind if I help?” she asked.

  “Not at all.” They leaned closer to the water and began watching after their friends. All they had to do was clear their minds…

  * * *

  After the kids left, Seneda returned to the world between worlds. At once, she was surrounded by black and gold light that shimmered like reflections on warped glass. She had just come from here a moment ago, when Daniel and Alyssa had called her. Though she did not like this place, there was someone here she’d been talking to, someone she loved very much.

  She couldn’t find him now, though.

  “Russell?” she called into the shimmering world. There was no reply.

  She took a few steps forward, the ground responding oddly to her feet. It was like walking on water, and Seneda still wasn’t used to it. She couldn’t imagine how Russell could stand to spend his time here. But it wasn’t like he could help it; he was trapped here.

  “Seneda!” she heard from nearby. There was a large golden hill in front of her, and someone appeared at the top of it. He was dressed in a red-and-black plaid shirt and jeans. He looked so much like an older version of their son…

  “Sorry I had to leave you,” she said as she hiked up her dress and ran to her husband. “Someone needed me.”

  “That’s you, always helping people.” He touched her cheek. “That’s why I fell in love with you.”

  “I thought you fell in love with me because of my dirty jokes,” she said with a grin.

  “That too.”

  Seneda’s grin vanished. “I wish you could join us … over there.”

  “This place isn’t so bad.”

  “It’s horrible!”

  Russell hugged his wife tightly. “I can’t join you. I made a terrible choice and now I have to pay for it.”

  “It wasn’t your fault!” she said into his chest. “You were fooled into helping him. You’ve paid for it enough. This isn’t fair!”

  “I know, honey.”

  “There has to be something we can do.” Seneda suddenly realized that she sounded like Daniel and Alyssa and wished she’d been more sympathetic to their plight. She felt so helpless, not knowing how to help her husband get away from this limbo. When they died on Earth, they had found each other in this place, where everyone ended up before crossing over. When they had tried to enter the Other Place, Russell had been left behind. Seneda had returned to him and stayed for as long as he was willing to let her. Eventually, he made her return to the Other Place. She visited him whenever she could.

  At first, neither of them knew what was wrong. Then Russell ventured a guess. It had to have something to do with Norrack, the beast that took it upon itself to create life of its own. This was the place where all of its creations ended up once they died. Russell should have been able to enter the Other Place, but there was something wrong inside him, something that kept him from being recognized for what he was.

  “You should go back,” he said to Seneda. “I’ll be fine. I’ll find my way to you eventually, even if I have to bust my way in.”

  Seneda laughed. “Okay, I’ll go back. But not now. I want to stay with you a while.”

  “Okay.”

  They lay down together on the shimmering ground and slept.

  * * *

  Nurse Laura, as everyone called her, strode up to San Sebastian Hospital, uncomfortable by the strange chill in the air. Cold in October was normal, but this cold felt wrong somehow. She pulled her white sweater tight over her scrubs as she walked through the automatic doors of the hospital.

  The moment she stepped in, she knew something was going on.

  Doctors were running down hallways, calling out orders; nurses were running alongside, assisting in any way they could. There were a few injured and waiting patients who looked nervously about themselves. Laura had heard about the parking-garage explosion down the street and figured that had something to do with the chaos at the hospital.

  As she pushed her long brown hair from her eyes, a young man in similar scrubs walked quickly up to her. “It is a madhouse today,” he said.

  “What happened, Tony?”

  “You hear about the explosion?” he asked as they walked together down the hall.

  “Yeah. The parking garage?”

  He nodded. “And Montleroy Estates, which i
s right down the street from the garage.”

  “Two explosions?” she asked.

  “Yes and no. There were some small explosions at the condo, and one fatality: a boy. Only a few people were injured at the garage, thank God. That’s not the strange thing, though.”

  “What is the strange thing, Tony?”

  “From what I heard, moments before the explosion, some weird pulse went throughout the city, causing damage to a few buildings surrounding the garage. After that, people started acting weird.”

  “Weird how?” Laura asked, looking at Tony like he was crazy. He was always full of gossip, but she’d never seen him worked up like this.

  “Like zombies. You remember Old Man Horner?”

  “The dementia patient? Yes.”

  “Well, the old man actually tried to get up and walk out of here today.”

  “He’s lucid?”

  “Not just lucid, girl—hostile. He got really violent when we tried to stop him. It took four guys just to take him down. We’ve got him sedated now, but it was like something out of a horror movie.”

  “That doesn’t sound too strange,” Laura countered.

  “Well, try this on for size: We had an elderly woman this morning who passed away just as the pulse hit over here.”

  He paused for dramatic effect; Laura hated when he did that. “And?” she prompted.

  “The old woman was revived a minute later.” He nodded, his eyes wide. “She attacked her daughter, who was visiting at the time. She’s okay now, and the old lady died a second time.”

  That was weird. And scary.

  “You know what I think?” Tony asked Laura. “I think that weird pulse-thing brought that old lady back to life, and I think it called out to Old Man Horner.”

  “Called out?”

  “Yep. I think it was calling him to wherever it originated. He seemed pretty insistent on leaving here. He almost made it out the front, too. I saw it—he was headed toward downtown.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything,” said Laura. “You read too many sci-fi novels.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Things are settling down now, around the time I could swear I heard a bunch of tiny bassy thumps; felt like I was back at the club.” He did a little dance before going on. “We had some problems with the younger patients—they got a little antsy. And don’t get me started on the babies. One of them actually broke a nurse’s finger. Can you believe it?”