“The monsters like it hot. The temperatures in their home world range from one hundred and twenty degrees to one hundred and seventy-five,” I said.
A hand on his weapon, Quinn asked, “How do you know that?”
“She did a form of mind meld with my Tai-Kok prisoner,” Uncle Ben answered.
Quinn gaped at him. “When did you take a Tai-Kok prisoner?”
“About a year ago. He crashed his ship and was injured. I brought him back to my lab to study him.”
I felt Quinn scan the area for a Tai-Kok. “Relax. He’s dead, but the bad news is their planet is dying, they have no resources other than those they steal, and they’re looking for a new home.”
Jake looked like he wanted to puke. “Earth?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Have you ever noticed the Tai-Kok never attack when it’s raining or snowing? They’ve never raided Switzerland or northern Canada or Alaska either.”
Quinn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Damn, you’re right.”
“They attacked Paris during a rainstorm and retreated within twenty minutes,” Uncle Saul added.
Dad interjected, “The French used water tankers to drive them out of Versailles.”
“You would think if water bothered them so much, they would simply wear armor,” Jake commented.
“Their warrior code won’t permit them to wear any kind of armor.” I stepped into my spacesuit and zipped it up. “I’d love to see what would happen if we dumped them in a lake or the ocean.”
“Water is like acid to them,” Uncle Ben announced.
Everyone turned to stare at him.
“The Tai-Kok soldier I captured smelled like rotted corpses, so I sprayed him down with a hose. Damn near killed him,” Uncle Ben said.
“Why didn’t I hear about any of this? It’s important information that should be shared,” Quinn groused.
Uncle Saul grimaced. “I was unaware of Lexi’s mind meld with the Tai-Kok until a few weeks ago. I’ve been verifying the information she passed onto me.”
Hmmm. Uncle Saul didn’t want anyone to know he had linked with me. Wonder why?
Dad attached the oxygen tank to my suit. “What aren’t you telling us, General?”
“Our satellites orbiting Mars were destroyed, and the Rover sent pictures of a Tai-Kok ship landing on the surface before it went dark. We think they’re building a base there.”
A shudder shook me. “Or a slaughterhouse.”
“Let’s go blow those fuckers to hell,” Quinn growled and put his helmet on.
Uncle Ben stepped over to the portal control console and brought it online. “Who’s first?”
“I am,” Quinn stated.
My eyebrows rose. “You’ve never ported before.”
“If you’ve done it, how hard can it be?”
Uncle Ben and I exchanged looks. What a dumb ass.
“I’ll go first.” Uncle Saul used his command voice.
Dad quickly checked his suit over. “You’re good.”
