Read Online White Sands by Nicholas Sansbury Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
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eyes darted from the building back up to the craft.
“Hold on,” Oakley shouted. He slammed on the brakes and spun the wheel, sending the Humvee sliding through the sand. The truck finally came to a sideways stop just in front of the building. Michael could feel the vehicle tip slightly to its side before the tires settled intothe sand.
Seconds later, the truck was consumed by a bright blue light, and the truck began to shake violently.
Oakley took his hands off the wheel as the engine rattled to a stop.
“It’s killed the power!” he yelled. “The son of a bitch fucked up my ride home!”
Before Michael could protest, Oakley opened the car door and pointed his rifle at the ship. He fired off a few rounds that bounced harmlessly off the sides of the alien craft.
“Don’t!” Michael screamed.
“Come on you piece of shit!” Oakley cried. The muzzle from his pulse rifle spat an endless stream of pulse rounds.
Michael watched in horror as the ship shifted its beam from the vehicle to Oakley. The ray consumed the soldier and lifted his limp body into the air. In seconds, a hole in the alien ship had opened and pulled Oakley inside. Then the ship zipped away, another blast rattling the Humvee.
Jeff and David sat frozen in their seats. Michael wanted to reassure them, to tell them it was going to be okay, but he wasn’t sure of that anymore. And even with adrenaline flowing through his veins, the fog from before was already beginning to take over. He had to get the kids to safety. He had to get them to the tunnels.
Grabbing the door handle, he stumbled out into the sand. “Come on guys,” he said, motioning the boys outside. David remained curled up in the corner of the truck.
“Jeff, grab the rifles and my pack,” Michael said before reaching inside for David. The younger boy pulled away from his touch.
“David, we have to go,” Jeff yelled from the trunk where he was gathering their supplies.
“Help me with him,” Michael said.
Jeff reached inside the backseat and grabbed one of David’s arms while Michael grabbed the other. They carefully pulled him over the seat. When David saw the sand he tried to resist, pulling on their arms. “No,” he screamed. “I don’t want to go out there!”
With his last bit of energy Michael yanked David out of the vehicle.The boy landed on his stomach in the sand. He spat a mouthful of the particles into the air and looked over at his dad.
Michael was lying on his back a few feet away, moaning in pain. Thousands of pieces of sand had found their way into his wounds. He stared into the night sky, blinking. How had it come to this? In less than twelve hours his entire life had changed. He’d lost Paula, and if he didn’t get his ass up, he was going to lose his boys too.
“Help me up,” Michael said. He coughed up a few speckles of blood and quickly wiped them away.
Jeff and David both reached down for his hands. He grabbed them simultaneously. The pain in his back and the morphine had mostly masked the other feelings in his body, but he could still feel the warmth in their small hands. He squeezed them both, closed his eyes, and sat up.
Stars raced across his vision. And something else. Something blue. He blinked once. Twice. Then he saw it. There were four of them.
Spiders.
“Boys. I need you to listen very carefully. Take these two rifles and my pack to the building. I need you to break inside and head into the tunnels. You’ll have to go without me.”
“But Dad,” Jeff protested.
“I love you both very much,” Michael said, pulling the boys close and embracing them in one final hug. “Don’t wait for me!” he yelled, pushing them toward the building.
“Dad, no!” Jeff cried, taking several steps backward. David released a frantic scream, tears raining down his face.
Pushing himself off the ground, Michael grabbed his pulse rifle and limped after the boys. He knew they weren’t going to go willingly. Risking a glance over his
“Hold on,” Oakley shouted. He slammed on the brakes and spun the wheel, sending the Humvee sliding through the sand. The truck finally came to a sideways stop just in front of the building. Michael could feel the vehicle tip slightly to its side before the tires settled intothe sand.
Seconds later, the truck was consumed by a bright blue light, and the truck began to shake violently.
Oakley took his hands off the wheel as the engine rattled to a stop.
“It’s killed the power!” he yelled. “The son of a bitch fucked up my ride home!”
Before Michael could protest, Oakley opened the car door and pointed his rifle at the ship. He fired off a few rounds that bounced harmlessly off the sides of the alien craft.
“Don’t!” Michael screamed.
“Come on you piece of shit!” Oakley cried. The muzzle from his pulse rifle spat an endless stream of pulse rounds.
Michael watched in horror as the ship shifted its beam from the vehicle to Oakley. The ray consumed the soldier and lifted his limp body into the air. In seconds, a hole in the alien ship had opened and pulled Oakley inside. Then the ship zipped away, another blast rattling the Humvee.
Jeff and David sat frozen in their seats. Michael wanted to reassure them, to tell them it was going to be okay, but he wasn’t sure of that anymore. And even with adrenaline flowing through his veins, the fog from before was already beginning to take over. He had to get the kids to safety. He had to get them to the tunnels.
Grabbing the door handle, he stumbled out into the sand. “Come on guys,” he said, motioning the boys outside. David remained curled up in the corner of the truck.
“Jeff, grab the rifles and my pack,” Michael said before reaching inside for David. The younger boy pulled away from his touch.
“David, we have to go,” Jeff yelled from the trunk where he was gathering their supplies.
“Help me with him,” Michael said.
Jeff reached inside the backseat and grabbed one of David’s arms while Michael grabbed the other. They carefully pulled him over the seat. When David saw the sand he tried to resist, pulling on their arms. “No,” he screamed. “I don’t want to go out there!”
With his last bit of energy Michael yanked David out of the vehicle.The boy landed on his stomach in the sand. He spat a mouthful of the particles into the air and looked over at his dad.
Michael was lying on his back a few feet away, moaning in pain. Thousands of pieces of sand had found their way into his wounds. He stared into the night sky, blinking. How had it come to this? In less than twelve hours his entire life had changed. He’d lost Paula, and if he didn’t get his ass up, he was going to lose his boys too.
“Help me up,” Michael said. He coughed up a few speckles of blood and quickly wiped them away.
Jeff and David both reached down for his hands. He grabbed them simultaneously. The pain in his back and the morphine had mostly masked the other feelings in his body, but he could still feel the warmth in their small hands. He squeezed them both, closed his eyes, and sat up.
Stars raced across his vision. And something else. Something blue. He blinked once. Twice. Then he saw it. There were four of them.
Spiders.
“Boys. I need you to listen very carefully. Take these two rifles and my pack to the building. I need you to break inside and head into the tunnels. You’ll have to go without me.”
“But Dad,” Jeff protested.
“I love you both very much,” Michael said, pulling the boys close and embracing them in one final hug. “Don’t wait for me!” he yelled, pushing them toward the building.
“Dad, no!” Jeff cried, taking several steps backward. David released a frantic scream, tears raining down his face.
Pushing himself off the ground, Michael grabbed his pulse rifle and limped after the boys. He knew they weren’t going to go willingly. Risking a glance over his
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