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CHAPTER1
Palpable tension hung over the dining hall as Eden crouched behind an overturned table and waited for the invasion to begin. Black Bear Island, Alaska was tucked away in a nearly impassible inlet of Sitka Sound. Cruise ships sailed by within sight of the island, but no one bothered the occupants of Still Water Farms. No one gave them a second glance. At least no one on Earth.
Eden, and the other forty-five residents of the island, had listened in stunned silence as Director Ratan warned of the impending attack by space bounty hunters. He’d claimed they were fugitives from a planet called Altor and they possessed the latent ability to manipulate magic. Eden wasn’t sure which claim was more ridiculous. If they were aliens, why had the founders waited more than twenty years to tell them? If they had the ability to ‘manipulate magic,’ why hadn’t any of them ever done anything magical? And what kind of bounty hunter took twenty-some years to find a target?
They all thought the director was having some sort of mental breakdown, but then strange cylindrical pods started landing on the beach and armored spacemen climbed out. The invaders jogged toward the rocky hill on which the founder’s house had been built and the young women sprang into action. They overturned tables and arranged them into circular barricades. It wasn’t much of a defense, but it was better than sitting there passively and waiting to be rounded up like cattle.
A crash in another part of the house made everyone gasp and whip their heads around toward the door. Someone started crying.
“I can’t do this,” Amy sobbed. She was the youngest and least mature of the residents. “Where is Mistress Neeva?”
The others in her circle barricade tried to comfort and calm her.
This wasn’t the time for hysterics, but it was a damn good question. All six of the founders had been present when Director Ratan dropped his verbal bomb, yet Eden hadn’t seen any of them since they passed out the weapons. She glanced around the dining hall, hoping to spot Neeva or one of the dorm counselors. The counselors didn’t know as much as the founders, but they knew a hell of a lot more than the residents.
“If we shoot at the hunters, they’re going to shoot back.” Kendra knelt to Eden’s right, nervously tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. She always became talkative when she was upset. Her rounded cheeks were flushed and unshed tears shimmered in her gold-green eyes. “They have to be better shots than we are. None of us have held a weapon until today.”
Kendra had a point. Eden’s initial instinct had been to defend the only home she’d ever known. But wouldn’t resisting trained mercenaries result in unnecessary bloodshed? Clearly, she wasn’t the only one second-guessing the decision to fight.
“Where did the founders go?” Director Ratan should be here. So should Neeva and the others. Her confidence slipping with each tick of the clock, Eden looked at Kendra. “You’re right. We don’t know what the hell we’re doing. This strategy doesn’t make sense.”
A set of floor-to-ceiling windows formed the outer wall of the dining hall. Six hunters casually walked up to the windows. They were tall and heavily muscled. Their sleek, charcoal-gray armor flexed and bent with every move they made. Multicolored blasters were braced against their shoulders and pointed into the dining hall. Opaque visors hid their faces, making them seem almost robotic.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” Susan babbled from Eden’s left. “We’re all going to die.”
“We’re not going to die,” Eden insisted. Then on impulse she said in a loud clear voice, “I’ve changed my mind. We’re no match for these creatures. Lay down your weapons.” Eden put her pulse rifle on the floor, then raised both hands. Would the hunters understand that this meant surrender?
“You fucking coward!” Jessie shouted. She huddled inside a table barricade a short distance away. “Do what you want, but I’m fighting these bastards!” Her determination would have been admirable if it wasn’t so foolish. Besides, Jessie argued with everyone about everything. Being a pain in the ass was her way of dealing with stress.
The hunters blew out the windows in front of them with their energy weapons and hurried into the dining hall. Broken glass crunched beneath their boots and the women crouching behind the tables nearest Eden started screaming. Several of the women laid down their rifles, but others were too terrified to think clearly. They yelled and fired wildly, most of the shots arching over the hunters’ heads. The hunters simply yanked the weapons out of their hands and ordered them to kneel with their hands on their heads.
Eden watched it all in a sort of surreal daze. Surrender was the right choice, the only choice. Fighting these monsters was pointless. Kendra sobbed once then covered her mouth with her hand. Eden wrapped her arm around her frightened friend, but she still felt nothing.
Doors were kicked in at each end of the hall and soon the females were surrounded by armed soldiers. Screams quickly gave way to sobs as the women were systematically disarmed. Jessie and her followers fought the longest and most aggressively, but they were overpowered in a matter of seconds.
“I am Commander Jobek Sanion, First Officer of theMadelle.” All of the hunters were big, but the commander was half a head taller than any of the others. “Cooperate and you will not be harmed. Resist this evacuation and you will be restrained and sedated. Either way, you start your journey home today.”
Home? He meant Altor or one of the other planets in that star system. But they were just meaningless words to Eden and the other residents. She had never even seen an image of her home world.
“What if we don’t want to leave?” Jessie called out belligerently, dark eyes flashing.
“I already answered your question.” The commander walked right up to her and clasped his hands behind his back. “If you resist in any way, you will be restrained and sedated.”
“Earthis our home.” Her voice rose, turning shrill as fear pushed her closer to hysteria. “I’m not going anywhere with you. This is kidnapping!”
The commander motioned two of his soldiers toward Jessie with a nod of his head. The soldiers caught her under the arms and lifted her over the makeshift barricade. Jessie kicked and twisted, her screams echoing off the walls of the dining hall.
“Let her go!” Eden pushed the table in front of her out of the way and rushed toward the disruption. “Please, she’s just scared. We all are.”
They ignored Eden and carried the struggling Jessie across the room. Eden tried to follow, but the commander caught her arm. “They will not harm her.”
His tone was filled with warning, not reassurance, so Eden reconsidered her interference. Jessie had brought this on herself. She never knew when to keep her mouth shut.
Near the outer doors, the guards stopped and set Jessie down. Her hands were pulled in front of her and bound in what looked like thin metal tubes. She continued to fight like a wild animal, but it made no difference. The hunters were bigger and stronger, easily overpowering the enraged female. A small device was held in front of Jessie and a cloud of mist puffed into her face.
“What was that? Are you sure it’s safe for…?” Eden had almost said humans. But they weren’t humans. Eden wasn’t sure what the hell they were, but it was getting harder and harder to believe that they were humans.
Jessie went limp in the guards’ hold, so one draped her over his broad shoulder and strode out of sight.
