Keep Your Enemies Close

Chapter 1

LIA

Like all of the other eyes in the break room, Lia’s were glued to the large screen showing a dozen flying objects streaking through the atmosphere. Lia had seen the footage countless times before, but she still couldn’t tear her eyes away from the video. It held her attention now as it had when she first saw it twenty-eight days ago.

The screen showed the twelve objects fanning out. The camera zoomed out in an attempt to keep them all visible, but the pair at the far edges disappeared from view, leaving only smoky trails that marked their blistering journey across the sky.

Even with the sound turned down, Lia recognized from previous viewings what she saw. The twelve extraterrestrial probes took their positions along parallel paths from the northern end of the continent to its southern tip. They flew from one coast to the opposite in an east-to-west direction.

When she and everyone else on the planet saw the objects for the first time, no one knew what it meant. They arrived undetected until they entered the stratosphere, but given their small size, that wasn’t unexpected.

What concerned everyone were the visitors’ intentions. Were they peaceful or hostile? Once confronted with the reality that life existed off their planet, scientists, politicians, and everyday citizens clashed on the matter of whether the probes were friend or foe.

Then the mother ship landed.

The footage on the screen cut to a sight witnessed by the world on the next day. Astronomers spotted the oval ship, the size of several city blocks, hours before it entered orbit around the planet. Although observers first caught sight of it with their naked eyes over the ocean, the impressive spacecraft set a course toward the northwest, directly for the heart of Lia’s country. It chose as its final destination a sparsely populated area where grassy plains stretched as far as the eye could see.

Then the madness began, and their lives weren’t the same again.

A screeching alarm interrupted Lia’s thoughts. The lights in the break room flashed on and off. Someone turned off the news broadcast.

Lia hastily checked her uniform. Her buttons were fastened, her shoes were firmly tied, and her weapon rested in its holster. The weapon she had never fired except in training exercises.

Lia! She turned around to see Bryn holding her jacket. You forgot this.

Thanks, Bryn. She slipped the jacket on while he waited for her. Together, they joined the flow of other soldiers readying for combat.

Combat. Lia tried to think of another reason for the alarm but couldn’t. The alien invaders were attacking their town. For some reason, they chose this insignificant coastal community instead of the many larger cities that were closer to the mother ship.

Lia and Bryn reached the briefing room to find it already full. The captain gave the two of them a stern look but didn’t say anything until they found seats in the back.

The captain was the only person in town with military experience, having served for two years when he was Lia’s age, but that made him qualified enough to lead the haphazardly assembled group of soldiers charged to protect their homes. Lia could tell from his unhappy expression that he didn’t believe they were prepared to battle the invaders. She agreed with his assessment, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

An hour ago, the captain began, the governor received word that a squadron of Raptors left the mother ship and headed in the direction of our state. We didn’t know until just moments ago where exactly they were going, but now we’re almost certain that they’re coming here.

A wave of concerned murmurs engulfed the room. The captain cleared his throat and raised his hand until he regained his troops’ attention. I don’t have any last words of wisdom for you. Remember that this is the reason you volunteered. It’s our duty to protect our town, our friends, and our family. We are the only ones standing between the invaders and annihilation.

Lia looked around the room, wondering if anyone else felt as nervous as she did. To her surprise, a few of the soldiers whooped with excitement, eager to fight against their enemy. She saw Gage among them. Although he was the same age as Lia and Bryn, the post-adolescent man-boy was more than a head taller than her and bigger than most of the room’s occupants. He and the soldiers around him yelled as if they had already defeated the attackers.

Other faces reflected Lia’s fear. Next to her, Bryn looked down at his fidgeting hands. His face drained of color, and he appeared on the verge of collapsing.

Lia reached out and held on to her best friend’s arm. Get a grip, Bryn. If you go out like that, you’re going to get yourself killed.

He nodded and took a couple of deep breaths. I’ll be fine.

The captain called the unit to attention. Then he announced the teams and their assignments. Lia, Bryn, Gage, and another older man named Rainor were responsible for the westernmost sector. Lia surmised that the captain delegated that part of town to them because their families all lived in the sector. Nothing motivated a soldier like protecting his or her own family.

When the captain dismissed the room, Lia and Bryn worked their way to Gage and Rainor. Gage was still pumped up about finally seeing some action. You guys ready to kick some alien butt? Rainor and Lia nodded, but Bryn didn’t answer. Gage faced his former school mate. What’s the matter, Bryn? You afraid?

To Lia’s surprise, Bryn admitted, Yes, aren’t you? We’re hardly equipped to fight an advanced race. Even the military couldn’t stand up against them.

"We are the military," Gage reminded him.

You know what I mean.

Lia did. Their ragtag unit came into existence twenty-four days ago in response to the mother ship’s unprovoked attack on a major city shortly after it landed. Any debate surrounding the extraterrestrials’ intentions abruptly ended. As did questions regarding the invaders’ military might. The government sent all nearby forces to the city to push back the onslaught to no avail. The only thing stopping the aliens from razing the city was their voluntary withdrawal.

Since then, every population center around the globe mobilized a military presence where it could. Not that anyone believed their actions would make a difference, but it was better than doing nothing.

Gage didn’t respond to Bryn’s comment. He muttered, Let’s load up, and walked to the armory.

Aside from their personal handguns, each of them picked out a light assault rifle and surface-to-air missile launcher. The latter proved moderately effective against smaller alien craft, but the former was completely useless unless they came face to face with one of the aliens.

Lia slung the rifle across her shoulder, but she struggled with the bulk and weight of the missile launcher. She didn’t see how she would be able to run with all the weaponry, but since none of her teammates complained, even Bryn, she stayed quiet.

The four of them hustled to the vehicle pool. Gage jumped into the driver’s seat of the nearest transport and waved the rest of them inside. Lia climbed aboard and unloaded the rifle and launcher, glad to shed the extra burden. Bryn sighed in relief, evidently sharing her sense of gratification.

As they pulled out onto the streets, the first Raptors sped overhead. The sleek aircraft’s speed and maneuverability outclassed anything their government had. Not far away, a series of explosions erupted in their wake.

Lia peered through the transport’s windows to see a fireball consume one of the high rises downtown. More explosions rocked smaller buildings nearby.

Damn! Gage yelled as he pressed hard on the brakes. The transport screeched to a halt.

In front of them, Lia saw panicking citizens run through the streets, heedless of oncoming vehicles.

We can’t get through that, Rainor said. We have to walk from here.

They abandoned the transport on the street and took their weapons. The hysterical mass of people surrounded them, seeking help and protection. Gage pushed his way through the crowd. Get out of the way! he shouted.

Lia apologized on his behalf. Sorry, we can’t help you right now, but help is coming.

She wondered why Gage was being so insensitive when Bryn reminded her, We have to get to our sector as soon as we can.

If the terrified people around her were an indication of the town’s state, Lia dreaded what she would find when they reached the neighborhood where they lived. Her mind flew to her little sister’s face the last time they were together. Although Lia was twice Bekka’s age, the two were closer than any pair of siblings she knew. Lia hadn’t seen her sister in days, and Bekka was afraid of Lia’s responsibilities as a soldier when she had to leave again. In truth, Lia feared for her sister’s welfare even more.

Lia worried that her parents and Bekka cowered in fear at that very moment, praying for salvation from the alien attacks. Or were they part of the frightened mob clogging the streets? For Bekka’s sake, she hoped her parents decided to stay at home. At least the Raptors hadn’t attacked that part of town. Yet.

The crowd grew sparser the farther from downtown they traveled. The four Raptors made two more passes across the other end of town, and they saw smoke and fire blanketing the skyline in that direction.

The load on her shoulders no longer bothered Lia. Adrenalin and anticipation of seeing her family pushed her forward at a faster pace than she thought she could sustain. Bryn’s quiet determination also added to her persistence. They were competitive equals in almost everything since they were toddlers growing up next door to each other, and neither wanted to lag behind the other.

As they neared the western end of the town, familiar landmarks from Lia’s childhood, thankfully still unscathed, greeted her. In this area of town, few people were outside, and those who left their homes looked to the air in search of the Raptors. Lia saw more faces staring out of windows, alternating their scrutiny between her team and the skies.

Let’s find a place to set up, Gage said. The four of them shared the same rank, but as soon as the call to battle rang, Gage assumed leadership of their team. Lia didn’t mind much. Someone should take the lead, and she felt that she and Bryn were both ill-suited for it.

Gage led them to a park, asking the two kids playing there to seek protection inside their homes. The soldiers shrugged off their rifles and gave their missile launchers a final inspection. Each weapon held two missiles. Between the four of them, they had eight opportunities to stop any enemy aircraft that encroached on the sector. A direct hit on a Raptor was likely to damage it but not bring it down. It’d take multiple hits to destroy a single Raptor, and they had no idea how many were overhead. They’d seen four so far, but there may have been more.

While they sat and waited for the invaders to appear, Lia started a conversation with the lone member of the team she didn’t know before she volunteered for the unit. Rainor, you grew up around here?

The man shook his head. No, I grew up in the north, but I’ve lived in town for the past year with my wife. You can see my home from here. He pointed to a modest house across the street on the next block.

Hey, I live just a little ways down from you, Gage interjected. We’re practically neighbors.

What about you? Rainor asked Lia.

Bryn and I live farther west, at the edge of town.

Rainor’s brows raised in surprise. I didn’t know you two were siblings.

Lia laughed. No, we’re not. We’re neighbors. Our parents have lived next door to each other since before we were born.

Rainor gave her the same grin that a lot of people displayed when they found out that she and Bryn grew up together. They assumed the two of them had an intimate relationship, if not now, then at some point in the past. Lia added, We’re just friends, best friends.

The faint whine of engines cut off Rainor’s next words. Their heads turned to the east, where two winged shapes drew closer.

Training immediately took over. Facing the Raptors, Lia knelt on one knee as she had been taught and slung her missile launcher over her right shoulder. Her fingers trembled as she activated the targeting scope. A palm-sized display slid out inches from her face. She shifted the bulky tube on her shoulder until one of the Raptors appeared on the display. The enemy craft jumped all over the scope.

She took in a long breath and loosened her constricting grip on the launcher. Lia tried to convince herself that this was just another training exercise instead of a life-or-death confrontation. It suddenly occurred to her how exposed they were in the middle of the park. She pushed the thought out of her mind and concentrated on her target again.

Next to her, Gage announced, I’ve got the one on the right.

I got the one on the left, Rainor answered.

Lia told them, I’m also locked onto the one on the left.

The Raptor was close enough now that she could make out the avian form from which its name derived. Lia’s fingers hovered over the trigger. She inhaled deeply, and as she let the breath out, she depressed the trigger.

The recoil knocked the launcher back against her shoulder, but Lia managed to keep her stance. The others also fired their missiles. Four projectiles streaked toward the Raptors. Lia watched her missile fly directly where she wanted it too. Seconds before it reached its target, however, the Raptor banked to its left and dropped in altitude. Both her missile and Rainor’s sailed past, not even close to hitting it. Gage and Bryn also missed their target.

The two Raptors changed course and headed toward them.

Gage was the first to bring up his launcher again. Lia followed suit, suppressing the urge to run. The enemy ships were closer now, each one taking up half the image on the targeting scope. She aimed for the one on the left again. Lia took more deep breaths but couldn’t stop her hand from shaking.

She heard the whoosh of Gage’s missile firing. Two more whistling sounds beside her signaled that Rainor and Bryn also fired their weapons, leaving Lia as the last to react. Her nerves refused to still, but she pushed the trigger anyway. The missile veered off at an angle, but it didn’t matter. The Raptors evaded all of the missiles again.

Run! Rainor shouted, and they raced from the park.

With Rainor in the lead, the team ran toward the nearest building, a bank with old brick walls.

Bursts of deadly energy flared from the Raptors, raining down on the streets just a block away. Buildings and vehicles touched by their lethal rays combusted instantly. A city block went up in flames.

Lia and her team turned a corner past the bank and headed down another street away from the Raptors. Lia knew that running away or hiding was pointless. The aliens’ weapons destroyed everything in their path. Nevertheless, instinct took over, forcing her to add as much distance as possible between herself and the advancing Raptors.

The invaders continued firing, turning block after block into a smoky conflagration. The destruction reached close enough to them that Lia felt her hairs singe. They continued running away from the path of destruction, no longer caring where they were going as long as the fires stayed behind them.

The Raptors finished their pass and soared into the sky again. Instead of turning back for another run, they continued their westward journey.

Lia slowed down, catching her breath. She couldn’t believe she had survived. Bryn, Gage, and Rainor all miraculously escaped unharmed. She gave Bryn a brief smile, and he acknowledged it with a tired nod.

Rainor’s expression turned from relief to shock. Then he bolted toward the burning buildings.

Where are you going? Lia called after him.

He didn’t stop when he shouted back, My house is on fire!

Chapter 2

LIA

The flames were too hot for them to approach. Where Rainor’s house once stood was now a wall of fire stretching the length of the street. Rainor stood uncomfortably close to the flames, seemingly looking for a way through. Or looking for signs of his wife.

Lia and the others caught up to him but stopped before the heat grew too intense. At least Lia and Bryn stopped. Gage turned down the street and ran along the wall of flames.

Bryn asked, Where’s he going?

To his house, Lia answered as she watched her once fearless teammate race desperately in search of something that she knew he wouldn’t find.

Bryn gazed up at the sky. We should check on our families too. There’s nothing else we can do here.

Lia agreed. With the missile launchers depleted, what pitiful defense they mustered was irrelevant. She also didn’t want to stay and watch Rainor mourn for his wife. The man stopped pacing and knelt at the edge of the driveway as if waiting for someone to come out.

Lia and Bryn turned away from the flames and jogged in the direction of their homes at a brisk pace. They constantly scanned the skies, but the Raptors didn’t return. It was odd that they attacked at random and then suddenly ceased, but that was the aliens’ pattern. In every city upon which they wreaked havoc, what stopped them was their own decision to turn back. Lia hoped that they had decided to leave their town alone for good.

Her home lay on the western edge of the town. The houses and streets there looked as they always did, remarkably untouched by the same forces of destruction ravaging other parts of the community. When they turned onto the street leading home, Lia felt relief wash over her.

Thank goodness the Raptors didn’t come here, she said. Then, thinking of Rainor gazing at the blazing remains of his home, she felt guilty for saying it.

Bryn caught the change in her expression. It’s not your fault. We should be glad that the whole town didn’t go up in flames.

Lia kept walking and didn’t reply. She sensed something peculiar. Their neighborhood wasn’t just peaceful, it was eerily calm. Even before the threat of the alien invaders, Lia couldn’t remember when the street was so quiet.

Do you hear anything?

No.

Isn’t that strange?

Bryn looked around. "Yes, now that you mention it. There should be more noise,