Alien vs. Alien

earlier—you can’t get a car, let alone a tank, in there.”
    “Maybe the aliens aren’t as big as we are.”
    “There was plenty of room for me and Reynolds in the tunnels,” Jeff said. “The room was pretty big, too. About the size of our old apartments in the Science Center.”
    I missed the Lair. Wondered if we’d ever see it again, then decided it was currently the least of my worries.
    “The denizens of the Alpha Centauri planets are roughly our size,” White said.
    “Maybe we grow them taller out here in the Boondocks of the Milky Way. Maybe I’m wrong. We’re going to find out, I’m sure.”
    The computers started beeping like crazy. “You’re right about the world of hurt, Tito,” Big George said. “And Kitty, you’re right, we’re going to find out about the invaders, and soon. Chuck, we need you to hurry.”
    “Why?”
    “Because everyone’s wrong about the armada arriving Monday. It’s here, right now.”
    “In our part of the galaxy?” Christopher asked.
    “No,” Stryker answered, voice shaking. “In our solar system.”

    Yi

CHAPTER 90

    T HE IM`fAGE ON THE SCREEN was indeed the armada. “Is that Jupiter?”
    “Yes,” Big George said.
    “Military worldwide is going to DEFCON One,” Henry said.
    “Wow. I think we’re really beyond that. I put us at DEFCON Total Freak-Out, but what do I know?”
    “I don’t have enough time to figure this out,” Chuckie said quietly. “If I did, I might be able to put an ozone shield up. But I don’t think that’s an option now.”
    “Where are the missiles aimed?” Franklin asked.
    “Some external,” Stryker said. “Some internal.”
    Everyone was very quiet. I could hear R.E.M. singing in my mind—this could very well be the end of the world as we knew it. The heck with that. I dug my iPod out of my purse.
    “What are you doing?” Jeff asked softly.
    “The instructions Chuckie left for us were to activate the Avenger Initiative. That initiative said ‘go with the crazy.’ We’re all scared. I’d personally rather be having sex with you than facing space invaders so powerful that we can’t even comprehend how they’re traveling as fast as they are. However, duty, apparently, calls.”
    “But Reynolds is here now,” Jeff pointed out.
    “I have no idea of what to do,” Chuckie said. “I honestly wasn’t prepared for our enemies to come back so soon, let alone with this kind of backup.”
    Wanted to hear tunes but needed to make calls. Decided I could do both until telecommunications went down. God alone knew if that was all that would be taken out. No, couldn’t go there, even though I was terrified. Everyone was terrified, even the men used to dealing with the biggest, fugliest monsters around.
    This situation was threatening everyone and everything I cared about. And that flipped me from frightened to what had been working for me since Day One with Centaurion, and even more so since Jamie had been born—I was really, really angry.
    Put my earbuds in, spun the dial without looking, hit the button for play at random. Made sure the volume was such that I could still everyone in the room. Didn’t care what was playing, as long as it was music. Interestingly enough, hard rock didn’t come on. Adam Ant singing “Viva le Rock” came on.
    Sent a group text out. Happily, telecommunications was still working. “Where do we think they’re going to come?”
    “Alien arrivals seem to happen in the Southwest the most,” Stryker shared.
    “Why do you think they’re going to bother to land?” Jennifer asked.
    “Because they’ve put some time into this planet.”
    “What if these aren’t the same beings who built the tunnels and made the cubes?” Jeremy asked.
    “They are. And if they’re not, no one travels this far out of their way to blow things up from afar.” I looked at the picture as “Apollo 9” came on. I’d hit my Adam Ant playlist. No worries, it was helping. “WilliQam and Jennifer tried reading the aliens inside the ships, but they were too far away. They’re not far away now.”
    Christopher and Jeff went to the screen. Christopher put his hand on the ships, and Jeff put his on top of Christopher’s. “Not human,” Christopher said. “Not mammalian at all. It’s a mind that seems vaguely familiar, but not like a mind I’ve read before.”
    Jeff pulled his hand away. “Bellie, come to Jeff.” She squawked happily and flew to him. While she nuzzled him, Jeff put his hand onto