Read Online The Light: The Invasion Trilogy Book 3 by W.J. Lundy - Free Book Online
Authors: W.J. Lundy
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It was beyond quiet, nothing moved; the leaves even seemed to freeze on their limbs. Down the road to the left, he could see the doomed civilian caravan; to the right, an open road leading back to the base and the neighboring villages. The air reeked with the stench of burnt rubber and plastics mixed with death. Rogers crept up behind Jacob and again whispered, “I don’t like it.”
“Do you see something?” Jacob asked.
“No, but it shouldn’t be this quiet. If we were alone, you’d hear the animals… birds or something; even the damn bugs are hiding.”
After a long fifteen minutes, James rushed across the road, cutting a path through the fresh snow. Rogers pointed it out as they followed it. “Everything about this is wrong,” he whispered. The rest of the men quietly rose to their feet and fell in behind them. Jacob picked up his pace, letting Rogers tuck in behind him as he crossed the open roadway. Soon he was wading back into the thick foliage on the other side. At the base of the hill, the vegetation was thick as it wrapped around him, making it nearly impossible to see. He moved ahead, following James by sound alone.
This is bad, I can’t see shit, Jacob thought. He used his left hand to push dense brush aside as he navigated the thick underbrush. It was impossible to stay quiet; the branches and thorns grabbed at his clothing, scratching any exposed skin. It was darker and colder at the bottom of the hill, and the smoke seemed to build up and blanket the ground. Jacob could taste it now. The thick, acrid, metallic taste burned at the roof of his mouth, causing his nose to run.
James led them through the slight depression then up into another rising hill. The vegetation became sparser and allowed Jacob to open his stride. The hilltop cleared and opened into a mound of yellow grass.
Near the summit, James dropped to a crouch and slowly backed himself up before he lowered his body to the ground. He rolled to his back and waved Jacob forward. Jacob did as instructed, dropping to his belly and leopard crawling ahead while holding up the muzzle of his rifle as he crept to the front. He moved up to just beside James’ thighs, Duke leaning down to greet him with a lick to his face. The dog scampered slowly in a circle and dropped into the grass with a sigh.
Jacob waited for Rogers to join them before he rotated to his hip and looked up at James. The point man rolled onto his back, gazing up at the clear blue sky partially obscured by the blooms of black acrid smoke. Now closer, Jacob could hear the occasional pops and snaps of burning wood and parts of the alien vehicles.
“You get eyes on them?” Rogers asked.
James looked into their faces and spoke in a hushed tone. “On the other side… down the center of a wide road.”
“Numbers?” Rogers whispered.
James shook his head side to side. “Hard to tell; Apaches fucked ’em up. I didn’t see any moving, but I didn’t hang out long either.” He struggled with his equipment, pulling a canteen from his hip. James took a long drink before pouring more into his palm and offering it to Duke. “We shouldn’t be here… this is the kind of shit that gets people killed,” he said. “They’ll be moving in to collect on their dead, and to collect our heads.”
Rogers opened his mouth to speak but held his tongue when he heard Clem and Masterson moving up behind them. The scarred man moved in close and glared at all of them. “Why are we stopped?” he asked impatiently.
“They’re just over the top,” James answered. “It’s not secure.”
Masterson grinned and rolled to his back before sitting up. He held his arms straight out and waved them up and down, signaling for his men to get on line. He dropped his gear and crawled ahead, pushing Jacob aside as he forced his way next to James. “Okay, we’ll cover you from up here while you all go down and check it out.”
“Fuck that! I ain’t doing nothing of the sort. You want to go
“Do you see something?” Jacob asked.
“No, but it shouldn’t be this quiet. If we were alone, you’d hear the animals… birds or something; even the damn bugs are hiding.”
After a long fifteen minutes, James rushed across the road, cutting a path through the fresh snow. Rogers pointed it out as they followed it. “Everything about this is wrong,” he whispered. The rest of the men quietly rose to their feet and fell in behind them. Jacob picked up his pace, letting Rogers tuck in behind him as he crossed the open roadway. Soon he was wading back into the thick foliage on the other side. At the base of the hill, the vegetation was thick as it wrapped around him, making it nearly impossible to see. He moved ahead, following James by sound alone.
This is bad, I can’t see shit, Jacob thought. He used his left hand to push dense brush aside as he navigated the thick underbrush. It was impossible to stay quiet; the branches and thorns grabbed at his clothing, scratching any exposed skin. It was darker and colder at the bottom of the hill, and the smoke seemed to build up and blanket the ground. Jacob could taste it now. The thick, acrid, metallic taste burned at the roof of his mouth, causing his nose to run.
James led them through the slight depression then up into another rising hill. The vegetation became sparser and allowed Jacob to open his stride. The hilltop cleared and opened into a mound of yellow grass.
Near the summit, James dropped to a crouch and slowly backed himself up before he lowered his body to the ground. He rolled to his back and waved Jacob forward. Jacob did as instructed, dropping to his belly and leopard crawling ahead while holding up the muzzle of his rifle as he crept to the front. He moved up to just beside James’ thighs, Duke leaning down to greet him with a lick to his face. The dog scampered slowly in a circle and dropped into the grass with a sigh.
Jacob waited for Rogers to join them before he rotated to his hip and looked up at James. The point man rolled onto his back, gazing up at the clear blue sky partially obscured by the blooms of black acrid smoke. Now closer, Jacob could hear the occasional pops and snaps of burning wood and parts of the alien vehicles.
“You get eyes on them?” Rogers asked.
James looked into their faces and spoke in a hushed tone. “On the other side… down the center of a wide road.”
“Numbers?” Rogers whispered.
James shook his head side to side. “Hard to tell; Apaches fucked ’em up. I didn’t see any moving, but I didn’t hang out long either.” He struggled with his equipment, pulling a canteen from his hip. James took a long drink before pouring more into his palm and offering it to Duke. “We shouldn’t be here… this is the kind of shit that gets people killed,” he said. “They’ll be moving in to collect on their dead, and to collect our heads.”
Rogers opened his mouth to speak but held his tongue when he heard Clem and Masterson moving up behind them. The scarred man moved in close and glared at all of them. “Why are we stopped?” he asked impatiently.
“They’re just over the top,” James answered. “It’s not secure.”
Masterson grinned and rolled to his back before sitting up. He held his arms straight out and waved them up and down, signaling for his men to get on line. He dropped his gear and crawled ahead, pushing Jacob aside as he forced his way next to James. “Okay, we’ll cover you from up here while you all go down and check it out.”
“Fuck that! I ain’t doing nothing of the sort. You want to go
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