Read Online Alien Invasion 04 Annihilation by Sean Platt & Johnny B. Truant - Free Book Online Page B

said.  
    “The house has its own power. But it’s … infected somehow. The rest of the city is another problem. I’m headed to Captain Jons.”  
    That must have rung a bell for Lila because she sort of blinked then stepped past Christopher to peek into the hall. Like Christopher, she didn’t feel confident enough to close the door but did lower her voice and pull them deeper into the suite. Toward Raj’s listening device, as luck would have it.  
    “Do the police watch city security? Is that something Jons handles?”  
    “Some. Well … mostly?”  
    “You’re not sure?”  
    “It’s the outage. Terrence might be able to shunt some stuff around, but I doubt he’s trying. Or if he is, he’s hoping to reestablish a line to the others.”  
    Raj sat up straighter. Line to the others? This just got juicy.  
    “Can he talk to them? Can he get them a message?”  
    “Raj is an idiot, but he’s not stupid enough to let that happen,” Christopher said.  
    Raj’s fists clenched on the tablet. There was a tiny cracking sound, and he forced his hands to unclench.
    “Besides, I doubt it. I’m not a tech guy, but from what Jons says, there’s a steep slope the farther you go from the mansion. There’s some power, some scant communication inside the walls. But nothing outside. It’s a dead zone out there. There was something happening out in the desert. Something Terrence knew about, something to do with Cameron’s crew. It just got cut off. Like there’s nothing there.”  
    Lila’s voice inched upward. “Cut off?”  
    “Just the communication.”  
    “Have you heard anything about Trevor?”  
    “Li. I told you, I haven’t heard anything. I’m sure he’s okay.”  
    Lila relaxed. “Jons then.”  
    “What about him?”  
    “Could he get a message out?”  
    “Not without smoke signals. What’s going on?”  
    Lila exhaled then chewed her lip.  
    “Lila, what?”  
    “Something Clara said after I brushed her off enough about … about Dad. I think they’re coming back.”  
    “Who?”  
    “Cameron. Piper. That soldier guy.”  
    “Andreus?”  
    “Maybe.”  
    “Back where?” He sort of flinched, and Raj, watching, set the tablet down to keep from dropping it. “Not here. Not to Heaven’s Veil.”  
    “I think so.”  
    “Why? They barely escaped last time.”  
    “Maybe they want to rescue us.”  
    Christopher laughed. When Lila didn’t join him, he composed himself and said, “Lila.”  
    “What?”  
    “Why would they do that? We’re safe here, and — ”
    She laughed. Raj could almost hear his name in that cynical bark, reading a thousand words in its single syllable. Poor little Lila, kept captive by her strong, providing husband while she sucks the subordinate’s dick. Boo-fucking-hoo .    
    “Safe enough ,” Christopher amended. “They’re the wanted ones, by both humans and Astrals, I think. We’re in a big house with lots of protection.”  
    Protection that might turn on you soon.
    “Besides, there’s no way to get in here.”  
    “Cameron got in,” Lila said.  
    “They let him in. They wanted the virus.”  
    “You fooled them then. We need to fool them again.”  
    “Lila, they won’t come back. This is the lion’s den. We can’t know what they’re doing because Terrence had the line outside, and now both he and the line are out of service. I’ll keep checking in with him when I can, and maybe he’ll open something back up and let me know how to use it. But I wouldn’t count on it. Not to be dramatic, but this is kind of a save the world situation. Whether they have a chance or not, they’ll definitely try. And coming here instead of doing what they need to do, even for you and Clara and Heather, when you’re fine where you are? That’d be stupid.”
    Lila shook her head. She looked off frame — toward Clara, Raj assumed. The girl must have gone into the other room when they’d been talking because they