“Not yet. I’m going to find Cade.” Because while Jaspar had initially not cared for the other warrior, he’d come to grudgingly like him, and he knew Cade wouldn’t have left him behind.
The AI didn’t argue but, as she directed Jaspar back up the ladder, did remind him, “The power core is already overheating. You won’t have much time before it blows.”
“I’m aware,” Jaspar grumbled as he reached the needed floor and ran down its twisting hall.
“The chamber Commander Cade entered is coming up on your left.”
An unneeded direction because the door to the chamber remained open and the wailing of a child could be heard.
Jaspar burst into a scene that might give him nightmares. The stench of blood, fear, and rot permeated the dining room, containing a table stained with the lives of those stolen and killed. Standing on the gross table was Cade. He brandished a long dagger and menaced the male Krampusonian, while the female held a screaming child. Upon seeing Jaspar, she hissed, “The other one’s here. Finish them off quickly. I’m hungry.”
Having not stopped for a weapon left Jaspar momentarily frozen as he debated his best course of action. Rushing the female might result in harm to the child, but attacking the male might impede Cade’s ability to use his blade.
While he pondered how to retrieve the baby safely, Cade slashed at the bigger brute, drawing a line across the arm it raised to defend itself. The male roared and dove at Cade’s legs, sending them toppling atop the gore-covered surface of the table. Cade’s head smacked hard enough he lost his grip on the dagger, and it clattered to the floor.
The large male pounced, his clawed hands gripping Cade’s throat. Jaspar had no time to lose, not with only moments left before the power core exploded.
Jaspar dove onto the dagger and rose, slashing almost blindly at the brute atop his partner. The big Krampusonian screamed, and in that moment of inattention, Cade recovered enough to heave him away from his body.
The brute landed at Jaspar’s feet. A forceful stab to the head and the Krampusonian died.
One down. One to go.
The female suddenly realized her dilemma. She couldn’t defend herself holding the child. She held it up and yelled, “You want the squawker. Take it!”
The baby went soaring into the air, the sudden flight startling it enough it stopped yelling for a moment.
Cade leapt to catch it, while Jaspar watched the female slip out. He didn’t bother chasing but rather yelled, “We need to get to the hallway so Beta can get a fix on us before the ship blows.”
Cradling the child to his chest, Cade fled to the hall but stopped abruptly, causing Jaspar to slam into his back.
The reason?
The female, wearing a smug smirk, pointed a laser gun at them.
“Die, you blue bastards!” she screamed.
“Not today!” Cade declared as he put a hand on Jaspar’s shoulder, forming a link between them that allowed Beta to beam them both away before the flashing streak from the gun’s muzzle could vaporize.
They ended up in the decontamination chamber, alive and with the baby.
Cade laughed. “I can’t believe that actually worked.”
“It is a miracle we’re alive,” Jaspar agreed.
As the lasers began cleansing their bodies, Beta provided even better news.
“The Krampusonian ship has exploded. Congratulations, Commanders. You saved Earth.”
18
Colette watched in disbelief as the big red alien ship exploded, shooting chunks of metal—and her blue hunks—into space.
“They did it!” crowed Ouellet. “They saved our planet.”
“And sacrificed themselves doing it,” Colette numbly murmured. Her legs wobbled and her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.
Beta said, “Why so sad?”
