Page 66 of Undone
“On the plus side,” the Colonel went on. “This base is fully stocked with weapons, ammunition, and most importantly . . . planes. F16 fighters. A pristine AC130 Gunship that can shoot pinpoint rounds at painted targets. And a handful of pilots with balls of steel who are ready to fly them.”
A round of “Hooahs” rose loud into the room, and my arms prickled with goosebumps. I was both proud and terrified to hear Rylen’s balls spoken of that way.
“Now,” Colonel Latham shouted over the din. “For our other issue. As if the first was not pressing enough. We’ve received word that the three final ships from Bael will be arriving this summer. They referred to them as the Master Vessels. We are led to believe that these three ships carry their remaining population. Think massive. Upwards of ten thousand.”
Ew. My stomach could hardly handle the thought of so many of them crawling the Earth.
“They could be arriving during mating week, or weeks after. It is our goal to stop those ships before they can touch a single blade of grass. If they are allowed to set down and release their people and whatever stockpile of weapons they’ve got, it could be over for us. It could be over for humanity.”
Complete silence. We had less than two hundred people here. Versus ten thousand? And that wasn’t counting the Baelese spread across the world in small, powerful cells. I sat back heavily in my chair, feeling ill. J.D. reached over and took my hand. We held tight.
“We’ve been in contact with others like us. Rebels. Military personnel who found one another and banded together. To keep you, and them, safe, I will not say how many, or their whereabouts. Just know we are not alone in our efforts. If all goes well, when those bastards mate, we will attack. There will be a power shift throughout the nations, and we will be stronger and more able to take on whatever these master vessels throw at us.”
Hope mingled with fear of the unknown, a dreaded anticipation swirling around the room. Mine and J.D.’s palms were sweating now.
It was happening. Come what may, the battle for our world was just around the corner, and there would be no escaping it.
